Buffalo Rising Online

In May we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Broadway Market's Savor the Flavor demonstration. The monthly demonstrations, hosted by Sandy Starks and a guest, lead the audience through simple and interesting recipes, touching on an assortment of cooking techniques and featuring produce and meats from a variety of market vendors.

This visit took place the day before Mother's Day, and guest hostesses mother and daughter team Julie and Noelle Panepento, demonstrated a recipe that is a family favorite. Their recipe for NY Maple Syrup Glazed Chicken is shown in the accompanying video as well as being detailed below.

June 16th marks the date of the next installment of Savor the Flavor. Sandy Starks will present recipes along with guest host Alicia Meyers, caterer and former owner of Williamsville's "Cooking for All Seasons” cooking school. The class focuses on picnic fo…

There is always room for a new perspective on a classic drink. Here, bartender Charlie Tripi of The Steer Restaurant and Saloon gives us his favorite Bloody Mary Recipe.

The popularity of the Bloody Mary is due in part to its flexibility. In addition to its appeal both in the morning and at night, variations of the drink abound; some like lots of garnish, some like it stirred, some like it with a kick (as Tripi does- he adds an extra dash of hot sauce and a heavy dose of horseradish).

Father’s Day is fast approaching- it might be a nice time to surprise Dad with a home cooked breakfast or brunch complete with the perfect Bloody Mary.

The Steer’s Bloody Mary 1 cup of ice 1 ½ shots citrus vodka fill glass with 3/4 tomato juice dash of celery salt 1 tsp hot sauce (more for an extra kick) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 dollop horseradish squ…

The other day I stopped into Wegmans for some rainbow trout and rapini. Wegmans isn't generally my first choice, but if you're looking for fresh veg and meat, it's one of the only one stop shops in town.

I digress.

After selecting my trout I moved on to the produce department, packed with slightly frantic after-work shoppers. There, next to the rapini, stood a luscious bundle of organic rainbow swiss chard, boasting it's outrageously glorious coloring like a proud peacock. How could I consider the (albeit delicious) rapini when compared with this breathtaking bounty.

According to the not always reliable Wikipedia, swiss chard was thus named to differentiate it from French chardon (also known as cardoons). It is a vegetable used frequently in Mediterranean cooking and offers a wealth of vitamins and nutrients…

Following the successful Easter 2004 publication of the Broadway Market’s first cookbook, a second volume has been recently released.

As compared with the first volume, Recipes & Memories: Broadway Market Cookbook Volume #2 takes a slightly different approach. The focus of the first publication was to collect an assortment of traditional recipes from vendors and customers. The second volume adds to that collection, but also includes a variety of resources for those interested in the history and culture of the Broadway-Fillmore district.

The community that emerged in the early-to-mid 20th century in the area surrounding the Broadway Market was unique and fascinating. Much of the culture was transplanted from Europe and adapted to a new area- and the food was no exception.

Some of the most delicious recipes from this time are now available to everyone. The cookboo…

Diane Notto-Hamric, Buffalo native and former cake decorator, has just released a cookbook with a Buffalo theme. “It’s a Wing Thing…Buffalo Style” is a compilation of original recipes devoted to the noble Buffalo chicken wing. Recipes are offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner, each featuring the classic WNY flavor combination of chicken and wing sauce.

We’ve included an excerpt from the interview YUM conducted with the author, which can be found in its entirety in the May issue of BRM. Also, one of her many recipes can be found below. This one is for Chicken Wing Egg Rolls, which are a great addition to any snack selection- especially the one you offer up during a Sabres game.

BRM: How many of the recipes did you have to develop specifically for the book, or how many did you use in your own kitchen before you decided to assemble the book?

Here's the lowdown on Sangria, providing a perfect opportunity for you if you're looking to serve a refreshing beverage at your next get together. Sangria is a fantastic warm weather cocktail. Though there are many versions of the drink, and it is a recipe simple enough to alter to your own specifications, it is basically made by combining a fruity, red wine with citrus and allowing it to sit for at least 24 hours.

The best thing about choosing sangria as your party's signature drink is that it must be made well in advance of the shindig. So instead of mixing every cocktail to order, this option allows you more time to focus on the food and your guests. Better yet, since the quality of the wine is relatively unimportant, it’s a very affordable option as well.

Party on the move? It's perfect for a picnic or the beach as well. In that case, perhaps a little sangria bla…

Authentic Mexican food is a true culinary experience! Growing up in Mexico City, I had the pleasure of being immersed in the delights of this astounding cuisine: refried beans, tacos, tostadas, soups, salads, stuffed chiles, moles, rice dishes, meats and seafood, meringues, candies, cookies and cakes. It is certainly a fine reflection of the heritage and culture that we’ve inherited from this majestic land and its previous civilizations.

This cuisine has been captivating people’s palates for decades and because of this, it has captured international attention making it one of the most renowned and appreciated cuisines in the world.

Unfortunately, Mexican food also tends to be very misrepresented- at least it is this far north. Ever since moving to Buffalo, I’ve been on a quest to hunt down a place where I can eat authentic Mexican food. I’ve been able to find places…

Last week I had a lot of heavy cream left over from my pavlova adventure. Heavy cream is a tad on the expensive side, so I wanted to use it up. The best way that I know to use up heavy cream is to make one of the most beautiful things on earth. The truffle.

The French, in honor of the much-loved savory fungi that hogs root from the earth, developed the glorious chocolate truffle. Initially, they were oddly shaped and powdered with cocoa to look like dirt. But today the truffle is now a perfect little sphere of joy.

Who doesn’t love a truffle? I can’t imagine.

Chocolate truffles are easy to make, require few ingredients, and will impress even the most finicky eater. Additionally, I think it is virtually impossible to screw them up.

The other great thing about truffles is how simple it is to alter their flavor profile. The addition of peppermint, sea salt, nuts, la…

In the May issue of Buffalo Rising, we take a look at salsa and its cousins. Laura Anhalt, professional chef (she specializes in Mexican cuisine) and Buffalo Rising contributor, offers up three killer salsa recipes- two classics, and one that’s a little more modern using fresh fruit.

But today we’re going to provide you with instructions for preparing two other basics, Pico de Gallo and guacamole. Both are fantastic with chips- especially in the summer when produce is more flavorful and abundant.

Pico de Gallo is a refreshing composition of fresh tomato and onion, diced into bite size pieces and seasoned with cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper.

Guacamole, on the other hand, is a simple recipe that incorporates garlic and mashed, ripe avocado.

The two together are extremely complementary, especially if you make your Pico de Gallo extra spicy by adding addit…

Saturday is Cinco de Mayo, providing us with the perfect excuse for a margarita moment.

The margarita, a tequila-based cocktail, has seen its reputation plummet as it’s been relegated to the twenty-page drink menus of bad chain restaurants. It’s really a shame that such an excellent drink has been turned into a beverage predominately made with bottled—or even worse—powdered drink mixes and shoddy tequila.

The classic margarita is made of blanco (or silver) tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice. Some bartenders prefer to substitute domestic lime or lemon juice for the more traditional key lime juice, as they tend to be less tart then their southern counterpart. The concoction is then shaken with ice and served up, or blended into a cold and frothy treat. The garnish generally consists a slice of lime and a coating of salt around the rim of the glass..

This simp…

Mother's Day will arrive shortly. Brunch is the traditional way of celebrating this event. Many local restaurants will be offering special menus and buffets. If Mom would rather hang out in her jammies, a homemade breakfast (made by anyone but her) is a nice treat.

With that in mind, Chef Roo Buckley of The Coda is sharing with us one of the most basic forms of pastry, a classic quiche dough.

Though the refrigerated pie doughs available in markets have greatly improved, nothing is quite as nice as one made from scratch.

Below I've offered a recipe for Quiche Lorraine, perhaps the most popular of quiches. This recipe supplies the baking instructions for a 9” quiche.

Quiche Lorraine

Preheat the oven to 400

6-8 slices of crispy, cooked bacon, diced • 3 eggs • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1 tsp

Friday I was invited to a lovely little soiree. The weather was perfect for an outdoor get together, and our hostess assembled a lovely selection of snacks.

Katherine, owner of Spoiled Rotten, brought a really divine pavlova (pictured above) to share. It was delectable. The sweet meringue, with its spongy interior and delicate, crisp exterior, was perfectly augmented by the tart berries, whipped cream and rich chocolate. It was so good; I had to tell you about it.

Pavlova is to Australia what apple pie is to the good old U.S. In 1926, the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova came to Australia to perform. A chef made this dessert in her honor, it being “as light as a feather” as she. It is now considered to be Australia’s national dessert.

Pavlova is an ideal recipe for the sunny season. Not only does it provide an excellent stage for any fresh fruit, it is ver…

I love cookbooks. I am not an ardent collector, but I do have quite a few. Some of my favorite cookbooks are vintage ones. I think that I probably use my 1967 Joy of Cooking more than anything else. My mother received it as a gift at her wedding shower- it served her well, and I’ve come to rely on it also.

Vintage cookbooks can be looked at as classics, providing the 1, 2, and 3’s of preparation; or as fodder for a good laugh. Classic canapés and cake recipes often co-exist beside the slightly more dated (and scary) ones. Heavenly Ham Loaf with Pickle Stuffing anyone? If that doesn’t appeal to you maybe a good Upside Down Spam Pie or some Banana Chicken Salad are more your speed.

Saturday, April 21st and Sunday, the 22nd, Elmwood (between Hodge and West Utica) will offer passers-by a peek into the culinary past with a sidewalk sale of vintage cookbooks. What an o…