Spend a Couple Minutes »Schaller and Weber

schaller weber hot dogsIt's rare to absolutely adore a meat shopping experience, but Schaller and Weber, a classic German market that has stood on 2nd Avenue since 1937, is such a friendly old world kind of place with such kindly service that you leave with a warm feeling in your heart and a smile on your face.

Along with that warm feeling, I took home some extra spicy mustard, great bottled chornicons, a marzipan piglet, and a phenomenal few bright red hot dogs. Later snuggled in French bread along with that spicy mustard, these were some of the best dogs we've ever enjoyed.

What we didn't leave with was one of the cute classic steins in the windows. Another visit will be necessary for me to pick one up, and i'll probably take a couple more of those hot dogs too.

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Posted on July 6, 2009

Places to Visit »Meat and Sausage Tour of Germany

fair in germanyIf there's one thing in the meat department Germans are known for, its sausage (aka wurst).?While there are lots of good places to find a good wurst around town or even around the country, there is only one place to have a nice Weiss wurst (a white sausage).?And that place is Munich.?

To top that off, the best place to get any cooked meat product in Munich is the Weisses Br?uhaus M?nchen.?Home of Schneider Weiss beer among other things, its also the home of some pretty tasty meats.?Be sure to check out the fine dolled up Munich beer maidens while their and sample their brand of dunkel (a dark German beer) that they make there that I've never had anywhere else.

Another specialty is the braten! the bierrebraten is a roast of pork shoulder, soaked for perhaps days in beer and then cooked and served with bread dumplings.?Its pretty amazing, and only 8 euros for literally pounds of food.?However, while in Munich one must do as the Bavarians do and enjoy a nice plate of white sausages (a regional speciality).?Usually served with some sauerkraut that even has more meat in it, its the perfect German summer time, winter time or anytime treat.

Sadly, we don't have an actual photo of the sausages so I threw in an awesome photo from the fair.

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Posted on June 22, 2009

Spend a Couple Minutes »Marmite

marmiteMarmite, also known as Vegemite down under, is an acquired taste that I didn't possess as a kid when my family visited Australia, where the yeast molasses-y condiment sits atop every restaurant table. I was weary then when my brother-in-law pulled a jar out recently; but tastes change and besides, he swore to know the perfect way to eat the delicacy.

What you do is take a nice, yummy crusty bread, spread a bit of butter on it followed by just a dollop of the brown stuff (a little bit will do you, it's quite strong tasting). He was right, it's a heavenly unique taste experience.

Marmite can be found at my favorite place in the world, Marlow and Daughters, and pick up some equally superb tarragon mustard while you're at it!

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Posted on May 4, 2009

Web Sites »Serious Eats

serious eats recipeWhile I have recommended sister sites Slice and A Hamburger a Day, I've yet to give credit to the most well rounded member of the enthusiastic food blog family, Serious Eats. Lately (as you can see from this week's recipe) I've been turning to it more often for great recipes with good photos (unlike the also great but slightly snootier Eater, Serious Eats is not “above” food porn); I'm looking forward to Greens, Eggs, and Speck soon.

There are also plenty of discussion groups, if that's your thing, with forum topics like “My first bag of Meyer lemons purchased: Now what?” and “Bacon making question“; so sign on up if you have a culinary query and no one to answer it.

There's also tons of info covered in the Eating Out section. From images of an enticing maple syrup and snow dessert from Vermont (yum), wineries in Italy, and something called a Chicago Style lobster dog.

There are also fun and helpful columns like The Grocery Ninja, where they show you how to use unusual items from the store. For example, have you ever wondered what to do with condensed milk and agave nectar, now you know.

The cocktail section is also, of course, pretty darn appealing and as soon as I have a night to relax with some booze, I have a whole cache of concoctions to try. I know a few friends that would probably like to help me.

In all editor Ed Levine, one of the foremost food writers in the city, has created a friendly and easy to navigate food blog with lots of really helpful information.

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Posted on April 13, 2009