New

Deli / New / Restaurants — 4 Comments
30
Jun 10

Pastrami Queen

They must have a secret to that great pastrami, but as you can tell in the video, though I did get behind the counter, with camera rolling, I failed to wheedle any secrets out of the stoic, divinely New York, countermen.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that I’ll have to go back and try for it again & again & again & you get the picture. What is not a secret is that Pastrami Queen makes expensive, (worth it to me), superior, highly-rated, kosher pastrami and serves it up in large portions. I mentioned that they are kosher, right? In practice this means don’t expect any dairy with the meat, even including cheese to make a Reuben Sandwich. The irony is that the meat is so good, its the one time I’d take a “Meat on Bread Sandwich” over a Reuben.

I encourage you to go and bust your cholesterol count for the best tasting pastrami this side of anywhere and if in the process you learn their  ”secret” don’t leave P Chef out in the cold. Share the love!

To get to Pastrami Queen head to the Upper East Side of NYC on Lexington between 78th & 79th

1125 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10075-0429  (212) 734-1500      The pastrami must be great because they aren’t selling the stuff with their web site @  www.pastramiqueen.com‎
Pastrami Queen on Urbanspoon

New / Sea Food — 1 Comment
24
Jun 10

Still Seeing Seafood Despite Gulf Spill

While our hearts are torn up by the BP oil spill, we expected our stomachs to be in a knot as well because we were expecting problems with the availability of seafood this summer. But to calm our nerves, we did some research and found out that the spill is mostly impacting the prices for, and availability of shrimp and oysters specifically from that area of the gulf.

The spill is not being felt too heavily in prices or availability in the broader U.S. Seafood Industry, primarliy because 83% of our seafood is imported. Just 2% of seafood consumed domestically comes from the Gulf. 

That being said, we send good wishes to the men and women finding the fishes in the bayous and parishes.

Farming / New / Produce — 1 Comment
24
Jun 10

Tomato Low

Tomato Shortages May Be Ending

Have you noticed the signs all winter for ” Tomatoes by request”, or have you noticed tomato free regular salads or sauces? If you didn’t, and didn’t know, there has been a scarcity of tomatoes in all things culinary because of cold weather in Florida last winter. The freeze that slammed  their tomato crop, destroyed 2/3 of the plants. That put a lot of pressure on food service to even find tomatoes, no matter the price.

But good news. It seems that the drought in tomatoes is turning to a glut as late planted Florida tomatoes hit the market in a rush. California tomatoes may hit soon. Wholesale prices have already fallen from $30 for a 25 pound box to $5 or less. If you are not already seeing tomato bargains you will be soon as the system seeks to push through the abundance of fresh tomatoes.

The Florida Tomato Committee has some good ideas for using the surplus like:

Tomato Napoleons: Cut peeled tomatoes into four crosswise slices. Layer with marscapone spiked with fresh dill and slivered smoked salmon. Serve on greens with toasts.

Tomato Tartar: Season chopped, seeded tomatoes with olive oil, lemon juice, capers, minced fresh basil, nicoise olives and onion. Serve on endive; use as a dip, or as a topping for crostini, steamed fish or baked potatoes.

You can find more recipes, some tips and handling information at the Florida Tomato Committee Site.

P Chef

Baking / Farming / New — No Comments
24
Jun 10

Low Grain Prices in our Future?

What was Scarcity is Becoming a Glut

Grain Traders and economists are speculating that we may be headed for grain surpluses this year. Great growing weather in the Mid-West may deliver record domestic corn, soy bean, and wheat crops this year. Also adding to our domestic abundance are modified seeds, which have improved yields much more than anyone expected. All that supply will be coming to market as the Global economy is on life support and not ready to buy.

Overseas, Asian farmers seem on track for record rice harvests as well. And Russian and Latin American growers are on a tear, seeking to convert their abundant time and land into cash through the production of grain crops. The Wall Street Journal reported on June 21 that global acreage devoted to the 16 biggest grains has climbed by 82 million acres since 2006. That much additional acreage is about the same as creating another US Corn Belt.

For chefs this might be good news. As product comes to market when demand isn’t there, prices come down. If grain prices fall, so to do the costs to feed farm animals. Traditionally wholesale & retail meat prices follow. If the scenario plays out as expected,  we will have lots of terrific cooking options. Be ready to take advantage by learning what to do with the ingredients. Sign up with SmartKitchen.com, “The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook Like a Chef from your Own Home(tm).”

P Chef

New / Sea Food / Sustainable — No Comments
5
May 10

Sustainable Seafood Does Good, at Sea & on Your Plate

Our local, Scottsdale Farmer’s Market has a number of great vendors. One of them is Alaskan Pride Seafood. Their salmon steaks, while a bit pricey by super market standards, are terrific, with a flavor that rivals fresh caught salmon. I’ve had fresh caught salmon on a float dock off Victoria Island B.C. and can make the assertion. If you are not heading to Seattle or places north anytime soon, we recommend at least trying a filet or two. At SmartKitchen.com, we lead with the flavor, which Alaskan Pride’s seafood has in spades, but their wild caught salmon is also sustainable. Alaskan Pride Seafood sells salmon caught on their own trawler, with a limited “bycatch,” the other deep-sea denizens that get caught in the drag nets. Bycatch is limited because the Mulligan family, who run Alaskan Pride, uses the hook, line and net method of catching salmon. In fact, Cedar Mulligan 33, spends the winter in Glendale, selling his family’s catch at local farmers markets. He is personable and has a great dog too. If you can’t get to a local Farmer’s Market, visit them at www.alaskanprideseafoods.com/

Food Safety / New — No Comments
14
Apr 10

Safe Food Handling More Important Than Ever

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 76 million U.S. cases of food borne illness annually resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. The Food and Drug Administration inspected fewer than one quarter of U.S. food production facilities annually and failed to take regulatory action against more than half of those that violated standards in fiscal year 2007. These inspection statistics do not include all the foreign farms and food production facilities that export their wares to our shores. There has never been a more important time to be proficient in your food handling. Sign up to learn about the launch of SmartKitchen.com. We will have lessons on many things culinary, including professional grade food handling. P Chef

Healthy Eating / Ingredients / New — No Comments
12
Apr 10

A Consuming National Problem

An interesting graphic showing the amounts of fresh or processed food consumed per capita per country can be found on the New York Time’s Website. Some US citizens are fighting back the trend with the help of the SmartKitchen.com, where average people learn to prepare fresh foods “like a chef from the comfort of their own home in 10 easy lessons.” The best part after improved health, is the taste and sense of accomplishment. And joining the SmartKitchen.com only costs $9.95 a month.

Healthy Eating / Ingredients / New — No Comments
10
Apr 10

The U.S. Leads in the Consumption of Frozen & Pre-Packaged Foods

According to the New York Times’ Graph of Food Consumption in the US, the U.S. leads in consumption of pre-packaged foods and eats 31% more pre-packaged food than it eats fresh food. Obesity in America, where 67% of us are overweight according to a 2008 study by The World Health Organization, is less surprising when you consider that Americans ingest more packaged food per capita than any other country on Earth. There are a lot of reasons we are doing it, one has got to be the belief that cooking is too hard, or too slow. Smatkitchen.com has solutions that are easy and fast ways to cook healthier food for you and your family.

P Chef

Dairy / Farming / Ingredients / Locriculture / New / Produce / Restaurants — No Comments
9
Apr 10

New Food Safety Bill Worries Small Farms

The Locavore or Locriculture movement may be on the ropes, if large food producers and the Federal Government succeed in imposing new, stringent reporting requirements on the little guy. Small Farmers fear that costly regulation and enforcement will erode their meager profits and drive them from the business they are so passionate about. It would be a shame to force family farms from the market place just as the public is coming to appreciate the health and taste benefits of eating local. There is some hope in that the bill may be tailored to allow the amount of regulations to match the volume of crops produced. As of this writing, it is believed that the final bill will exempt farms selling produce directly to consumers from their own farm stands, which while beneficial won’t cover farmers delivering, in small quantities, to your favorite, sustainable and locally conscience restaurants. P Chef

New / Sea Food — No Comments
6
Apr 10

Last Sardine Factory Slated to Close

The last domestic sardine factory is Prospect Harbor, Maine is slated to close. The Stinson Plant, owned by Bumble Bee Foods since 2004, will be closing on 4.18.10. The company claims that Federal regulations on the haul of Atlantic Herring are forcing the close, but changing domestic tastes, which have strayed from “the Little Fishies” (as quoted by Robert McNaughton, Elliot’s older brother Michael in ET) are sure to have played a role as well. Sardines are highly nutritious, but even efforts by celebrity chefs to promote them have not boosted their consumption. We wish Prospect Harbor, the backdrop for John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, all the best in replacing the lost jobs and reinventing itself. In general & when teaching a lesson on Umami, smartkitchen.com will miss their wares as well.

P Chef

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