A friend of mine came into NYC for a visit and we hit up the Riverdale Diner on Kingsbridge Avenue.  Currently I'm on a diet that has me eating very little more than a few ounces of meat and a salad, I decided to throw caution to the wind and have a pancake deluxe breakfast instead, not knowing when I would have one again.  This ideal meal, to me, is the true test of a diner's capabilities and I wanted to see if they could measure up to my standards of excellence.

One thing my friend and I noted was the size of the booth.  The Riverdale Diner has pleasant decor and flat screen tvs to entertain the bored or easily distracted.  I, magpie that I am, am clearly the latter.  But then it's Jeopardy and I can't resist a good trivia game.  I found myself saying things like, "Yeah! I know what you mean, the booths are--Who is Samuel Clemens!--totally too thin---What is Coca-Cola!--I can imagine you must be uncomfortable."   The booths are so squished together that we sat with our ribs up against the table and we wondered if it was worth it to the diner to save those extra inches of comfort just to squeeze in one or two more booths.  We managed for the time being, but I have to say that I'd prefer a little more space in between me and the table.

The service was friendly and efficient.  We never had to wait for refills.  We didn't have to wait long for our appetizer of mozzarella sticks, though I have to comment on the watered down marinara.  When it's that liquid, you spend less time getting actual marinara sauce on your cheese stick than you do getting it wet with watered tomato juice.  While I'm sure they're trying to cut corners by "stretching" the sauce, it's actually wasted because you're soaking up the juice and leaving the bulk of the sauce behind.

When our food arrived, I noticed that the pancakes had been stacked on top of my ham, bacon and sausage.  Most of the diners that I've been to before will put all the meat on one plate and the pancakes separate.  This bothered me a little, but I separated my proteins from my carbs quickly and I know better to tell them how to arrange my plate next time.  While I like to dip my sausage in the syrup, I don't like having it forced on me.

A connoisseur of pancakes, I took a test bite.  While I wasn't incredibly disappointed, I have to be honest and say that I've had better.  I've been spoiled rotten by the Westgate Diner in Albany, NY (and by my own delicious pancakes).  As far as pancakes go, I'd give them a C+.  Not as fluffy as they could have been and I'm wondering if they use buttermilk or not.  I didn't taste it if they did.  What they lacked in quality, they made up for in edibility.

The meat, I will attest, was cooked to perfection.  I'm picky about my over-medium eggs and I will politely send them back if they're not done properly.  These were cooked perfectly. Not too runny, not too hard. The bacon was an exquisite balance of crunchy and chewiness that I enjoy. 

All in all the experience was pretty good.  I was very pleased with the service (which is tantamount in my opinion) and while I have had better, the food was okay.  I cleaned my plate, so I'm not protesting too much.

        

Review: Mangia, 1562 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159-I recently dined at Mangia with a friend at the Slingerlands location since the Stuyvesant Plaza location has closed. I'd been there years before and enjoyed their pizza al forno. This time I opted for the Pollo Con Tortellini which is chicken tenderloins, sautéed with sun-dried tomatoes & mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce tossed with cheese-filled spinach tortellini. It was a treat to my palate with the cream sauce being not too runny and not too thick, the chicken deliciously tender and all the flavors marrying well together.

I don't dine there too often because they're a little pricey for my budget; however, their portions are HUGE and they offer a half-dinner menu price for a smaller portion which was still too much for me to finish. The leftovers reheat beautifully, even a couple of days later. If you're trying to have a romantic evening (which I wasn't, but the lighting and decor is conducive to such, for your information) on a budget, you can split an appetizer and a half-entree. Don't skimp on the wine. :)

You can check out their menu and full prices here for both their Plattsburgh and Slingerlands locations: 

        

Hardcore Foodity is now moving from the Capital District to the Big Apple. Stay tuned and look forward to updates from area restaurants, hideouts, places to shop,  etc. :)

They say if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

        

Located in Albany on Hamilton Street is an establishment called Cheesecake Machismo.  Ever since I'd been to Totem (see posted review) for sushi and found out that my favorite dessert there, the Green Tea cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache, came from that establishment it's been in the back of my mind to try and get a recipe to make my own.  So I did.  But I highly recommend their wares. 

I located a recipe on Epicurious; however, I opted not to make the tisane to go with it (though I may another time!) .  I was on a mission for chocolate. I found another recipe for chocolate ganache and just put the two together.  My cake looks different from the one that Cheesecake Machismo creates and I believe (though I haven't called to ask or confirm) that they use Matcha in their recipe.  I ground up the contents of several tea bags and sifted them through a fine sifter to get my green tea powder.  It doesn't have the color tint to it as you would using Matcha, but the flavor is still there.

Instead of using shortbread cookies as the recipe calls for, I used cinnamon sugar graham crackers beaten to a pulp and added butter (proportionately).  I always double the recipe of graham cracker crust because I feel it provides a stronger foundation when you slice it. 

The recipe called for Fromage Blanc and I'd never heard of it so I checked with my local grocery store. No dice.  I asked a fellow foodie and they directed me to what my next course of action was going to be anyway: The Honest Weight Food Co-op (which is where I should have gone in the first place).  They had fromage blanc made from both cow's milk and goat's milk.  I opted for the bovine version. 



I hadn't been to the Co-op since they remodeled so I was overcome with sensory overload.  I walked away getting more groceries than I intended, but I'll save that for another post.

The cheesecake batter was a little runnier than I expected and I was worried that somehow I'd messed up but I trusted the recipe and went with it.  I wasn't disappointed with the result.



I prepared the ganache towards the end of the baking cycle for the cake.  I allowed both to cool to room temperature and poured the ganache on top.  Then I placed the cheesecake in the refrigerator until morning before I took it to work.  The ganache  by that time had stiffened into smooth chocolately crust which was exactly what I was hoping to achieve.  




Ganache

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Whisk all ingredients in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth

(Following recipe text lifted from the Epicurious website which was from the January 2006 issue of Bon Appetit.)

Cake

• 1 cup (generous) ground shortbread cookies (about 6 ounces)
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature (do not use whipped or "light" products)
• 1/2 cup (packed) fromage blanc*
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons Japanese green tea powder** or 2 teaspoons finely ground green tea from about 4 tea bags

*Fromage blanc is available at some supermarkets, cheese stores, and specialty foods stores.

**Green tea powder is available at Japanese markets.

For cake:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Press cookie crumbs firmly onto bottom (not sides) of 8-inch-diameter spring form pan. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, fromage blanc, and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in green tea powder until smooth. Pour batter over prepared crust in pan. Place cake in roasting pan; add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of spring form pan.

Bake cake until set but center moves very slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Remove cake from roasting pan; cool 1 hour at room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

        

So, for those of you sticking around, I thank you. Things have been a little better lately in the Casa.  Kitchen time has been more plentiful.  I prepared a maple walnut cheesecake for a friend's belated birthday (see link in sidebar).  It didn't come out as nice as the one I made before, but it was still tasty

I'm now attempting to make a green tea cheesecake.  I've promised one to my roommate for her birthday, but I'm making a tester cheesecake and will be sharing it with coworkers so they can be my guinea pigs.  So far things are going mostly as planned.  I'll post the recipe in the next post.

I'd first had one when I went to Totem restaurant in Albany, NY.  I later found out that they get their cheesecakes from Cheesecake Machismo in Albany.  It's not that I can't afford to go buy one (I certainly support their business).  However, if you know me, you know how DIY I am.  Curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to make one on my own.

So we'll see how things turn out! Stay tuned.

        

Hard times have befallen Hardcore Foodity.  Many a meal hath consisted of beans and rice, peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti sauce and whole wheat pasta.  None of it noteworthy.

< /emo >

Check back in August when I'm less destitute.  Also, keep a lookout for a redesign. This pixelated hoobajoobah is pissing me off.

        

I was pleasantly surprised by the sharing of this yumminess by my lovely friend, Miss Ida Feltersnatch (Roller Derby Referee, Super Fab Femme and my Tata Sister).  So I present to you a new section of Hardcore Foodity: Miss Ida Feltersnacks

Queer Jewish Passover Charoses

• 1 Cup chopped apples (I like Fiji because of the sweetness.)
• 1/4 Cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts.)
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine (about) (Don't go for fancy wine here. You want Manischewitz Concord Grape. I can't imagine charoses with any other wine. It's really an essential ingredient.)

1. Mix all ingredients.
   
2. Enjoy!

L'Chaim!

And Peaceful Passover Wishes to my Chosen Peeps.  Love you bunches.  You know who you are.

        

In honor of Pancake Day, I decided to make pancakes. I took the recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, modified it a little (it's all about improvising with what you have!) and shot video as I put it all together. It's awful. I didn't have a camera person, so most of the video is "Shirt Cam" But it was fun for my first try. Hopefully, the next broadcast of Hardcore Foodity will be a little more organized

<br><br>Someone named "no one special" stopped by and asked questions in the chat room as I was cooking. So when you hear me responding to someone, they're asking me questions in the chat room. Since you can't see that in the video I'll have to remember to repeat the questions that people ask while I'm recording the show live. Next time there will be improvements. But aww look! I'm on teevee! Until next time folks!

Clicking on the video link below will take you to the main page.  To watch the video, scroll down and click on the video clips and it should start playing.       Video has been deleted, Clairee...

        

I've been sick since Tuesday with bronchitis/sinus & ear infection.  Today was awful because I cannot stomach anything. It's not that I'm throwing up or anything, I just have no bloody appetite.   I went to the store today and my quick and easy comfort food of burritos, taquitos and a mountain of mexican blend cheese and red hot sauce was enough to make me want to gag.

I was a good girl.  I bought chicken and frozen veggies.  Eggs.  Whole Wheat elbow macaroni.  I did get evaporated milk and heavy cream so that I could make Peter's Cheese and Macaroni recipe with the cheese seconds that I got from the Grafton Cheese Factory.  They have sections of cheese that were either too short for the blocks or blobs of cheese that were leftover from the making process.  Tastes the same at an incredible discount.  I ended up getting 50-60 bucks worth of cheese for 6 dollars.  Who cares if it's not perfectly shaped? It's just getting grated anyway! So, check out the "seconds" shelf if you're at the Grafton Cheese Factory.  And pick up some maple sugar cotton candy.  It's deelish.

However, shopping at the grocery store was like a child at a wake. Did NOT want to be there.  And I couldn't even summon up the power to make anything for myself because all thought of food made me gag.  I ended up force feeding Cocoa Puffs because I had to have something in my tummy so I could take my medication.  Force feeding!  My favorite, incredibly unnutritious cereal!  But it's the only thing that I could even consider consuming.  It's kinda sad.

I set up a channel for Hardcore Foodity where, in addition to posting delicious recipes and sassy pictures here, I'll also be broadcasting live or pre-recorded action videos of some select items.  We'll see how it pans out.

Ha! "pans" out! I made a punny!

At any rate, check back for more information or posting of shows.  In the meantime, I'm taking my sick butt back to bed.

        

Special note: Hardcore Foodity is now on Twitter! Follow!

Tonight I had a yen for some garlic pizza (after having some at Marigold's Kitchen in Vermont, I've been itching to make some at home).

Items purchased:
ball of dough from Price Chopper (usually found in the cheese section by the Mozzarella)
Metric ton of mozarella cheese (I probably could have gotten away with a 3 ounce bag instead of the 8 ounce bag I bought)
3 heads of garlic (I only used one on the pizza).

I set the ball of dough to rise in a warm place.  At home I already had a can of Tomato & Basil spaghetti sauce which I used instead of marinara.  It wasn't quite salty enough for me, so I added a couple of tablespoons of salt to the mix, a few pinches of oregano and some thyme.

I chopped the garlic...


...then sauteed it in a skillet with a smidge of olive oil.


After the dough had had sufficient time to rise (in a warm place for 45 minutes, according to the packaging) I removed it from the oven only to find that it had not risen, much to my disappointment.  My roommate informed me that she's never had much success with the Price Chopper brand of pizza dough, and I've had previous successes with the Mastroianni Brothers pizza dough, so I recommend using it instead.  Or making your own (I was cutting corners to save time).

I spread the dough out as best that I could on a cookie sheet lightly greased with olive oil to keep the pizza from sticking too much. I topped the dough with the spaghetti sauce, topped with mozzarella, then scooped the sauteed garlic out of the skillet on top of the pizza and, because there wasn't quite enough garlic I lightly dusted some garlic powder on top of the cheese.  Pizza went into the oven at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes exactly.  My oven is very precise.  Ovens are different, so be sure to keep an eye on your pie (and eeeeverything will be aaaaall riiiiiight).


Once removed, I let the pizza cool a little and marveled at its loveliness. 


Then we chopped it up into six pieces and gnoshed ourselves silly with its garlicky goodness.  NOMZ.