So you may have a ham hangover from yesterday, but shake it off. Today is the day we will set aside our petty differences and rejoice, for today is Buffalo’s 49th Annual Dyngus Day! With moderate temperatures and a recent bout of good weather, this year there is no excuse for not partaking. In our poll today (upper left corner of your screen, below the site’s header), we’ve even asked you to tell us about your favorite part of Dyngus Day. If you have some Dyngus Day experience, feel free to vote today, otherwise, maybe you want to hold off…
Author: teeniebeanie789
For the last four years, The Washington Post has hosted an Easter-themed contest which calls for Peep-themed dioramas. The contest has grown tremendously since we first wrote about it in 2007. This year they received over 1,100 entries from all over the country. The tongue-in-cheek entries are always good for a laugh, but those depicting current events are good, too. Each year I am amazed at the creativity and skill the contestants devote to such a fun undertaking. You can see a slide show of 2010’s best entries here. The inset photo below shows this year’s winner, a marshmallow-influenced play…
I’ve been making butter from scratch since I was a knee sock-wearing girl scout. Not only is it tasty, it’s a really fun thing for kids to see and do. As an adult, I make butter at home a few times a year, mostly for holiday meals. Today, with imported and artisan butters available at local supermarkets, there are plenty of better alternatives to everyday butter. Though some of them are superb, nothing can replace the fresh flavor that comes with making your own.As a country, we have become so far removed from how food is both grown and made.…
Brown sugar is where it started. Over the last twenty-five years, with all of the chefs I know, books and articles I’ve read and written, meals I’ve cooked, restaurants I’ve visited, conversations I’ve had and food shows I’ve watched, never has the idea of making brown sugar from scratch crossed my radar. In fact, I am embarrassed to admit that I never even questioned where brown sugar comes from or how it is made. I can’t make excuses for this, it doesn’t jive with my inquisitive nature, but it’s the truth.Meet Kevin. He is the man who made the scales…
Last night, at the Western New York Book Arts Center, foodies and book enthusiasts gathered for the second annual WNY Edible Book Festival. The festival celebrates the written word and the craft of bookmaking by encouraging participants to craft books entirely of edible items. It is fun to see how much thought, humor and creativity the “artists” apply to the task. As a participant myself, I find it a fun challenge and great way to lend support to a local organization.WNYBAC’s founder, Richard Kegler of P22 Type Foundry, remarked at how this second event brought in entries that were entirely…
It seems the crown prince of Buffalo’s restaurant royalty, Chef Mike Andrzejewski, is planning to expand his Seabar location on Ellicott Street to include a lounge and a larger kitchen, as reported yesterday by The Buffalo News. For those of you who don’t know, Andrzejewski was a partner/chef at Tsunami, a restaurant that had a major impact on the Buffalo dining scene a number of years ago. That, coupled with his years in the business and his brave trek into the modern, edgy cuisine of SeaBar make him one of Buffalo’s most respected and talented chefs. Andrzejewski said sayonara to…
The best thing about Easter, if you ask me, is that it’s the day before Dyngus Day! It’s uniquely Buffalo (for the most part), inspired by mating, makes use of squirt guns and pussy willows, encourages the consumption of copious amounts of pierogi, Polish beer and vodka and provides the opportunity to dance to Those Idiots, the world’s best polka band! Not bad for a single day, I’d say. Today, for your viewing pleasure, we’ve included the video of All-Access Pass with Nelson Starr: Dyngus Day. Produced by award-winning director John Paget, this ten minute video showcases all kinds of…
For some, making jam or jelly from scratch might be an annual effort when favorite fruits are in season. I have always thought of jam as something that required preserving, either through canning or freezing procedures. It had actually never occurred to me that you could make jam and simply enjoy it today–until I heard about the fresh jam served by Executive Chef Jen Boye of the Mansion on Delaware Avenue. Arguably, The Mansion offers Buffalo’s finest accommodations. A highly-regarded boutique hotel, it provides guests with impeccable service and elegant lodging in an architecturally stunning building. Additionally, guests enjoy a…
Gelato is an increasingly popular Italian treat which differs from American ice cream in that it is made with more whole milk than cream. Though this means the butterfat content is somewhat lower (which is different from the overall fat content of the product), gelato is made using a slower churning method, so the gelato itself is typically more dense than ice cream. Also, because of the lower butterfat content, gelato doesn’t coat your mouth the same way traditional ice cream does, which has the effect of making each bite more flavorful.Homegrown food manufacturer, Perry’s, has released a new gelato…
“From Scratch” is a series of articles that will run this week on Buffalo Rising’s Food & Dining channel. I was inspired by a local business that is making something from scratch which I found unexpected, but we’ll cover that story later this week. It got me thinking about all of the chefs I know who make things that most of us forget actually require a method or recipe, items like today’s subject–ketchup.Americans love ketchup. Up until a few years ago–when it was replaced by salsa–ketchup was our nation’s favorite condiment. While the sauce gods would certainly argue that the…