VittlesVamp

A Healthy Life, Full of Spice

Who knew that dining in Jackson Heights could actually be good for your health? Looks like the Wall Street Journal did:

New evidence suggests a common Indian spice is a potent antioxidant that can prevent many diseases. The spice, turmeric, a key ingredient of curry, has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. But scientists are starting to systematically explore the sweeping qualities of the bright-yellow powder.

An increasing body of scholarly research indicates that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, could be used to prevent a range of illnesses, from cancer to skin disorders. Faced with a number of promising laboratory studies and animal trials, scientists are rushing to test curcumin's effectiveness in humans.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has four clinical trials registered that are recruiting patients to test curcumin for pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, Alzheimer's and colorectal cancer.

A trip to Queens or the East Village's Little India is in order. Anyone want to join me? Then again:

Even if science bears out curcumin's effectiveness, this doesn't mean eating more curry necessarily will improve your health, since a lot of curcumin is needed to reap anticancer benefits, doctors say. In the Alzheimer's study at University of California, Los Angeles, for instance, patients were given daily four-gram doses, roughly the equivalent of about 120 curry dinners, according to its lead investigator.

Not really THAT hungry. But still, curry does sound good...

The Smelly Jelly Belly

My friends are Jelly Belly mad. Last night, while celebrating my pal Jenn's b-day at Tia Pol, the subject somehow came up and the table sprung to life. Some were die-hard fans of the fruit flavors like Cantaloupe and Lemon Drop. Others shunned the fruity beans, like Amish to zippers, preferring the likes of A&W Root Beer, Toasted Marshmallow and Chocolate Pudding Jelly Bellies.

I - the biggest foodie at the tapas-laden table - remained silent. I've just never been big on jelly beans. And, nothing the gals said really convinced me to change my ways - even the news of a Gilroy Garlic Festival inspired Roasted Garlic Jelly Belly.

I love Roasted Garlic. Enjoyed it recently with a friend at Blue Ribbon Bakery, where we lustily buttered slices of thick bread with the fragrant, creamy, carmel-colored stuff. But, I just can't imagine it translating well into a jelly bean.

Then again, after devouring a selection of artfully crafted tapas, maybe a Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese or Fried Chickpea Jelly Belly would be more in order.

I like to think that my Jelly Belly mad friends aren't salivating at the thought of tapas jelly beans. I WAS JOKING. But, who knows. Passion is a hard thing to control. Hopefully, this posting hasn't influenced them to canvas Jelly Belly management for a Chorizo version. If they do, however, I'll still stand by them. Just don't ask me to taste test.

Welcome Back

Did you miss me?

Of course you did.

Where did I go?

Thought I was having server issues, when in fact I had simply let my domain name expire. Oy!

Needless to say, problem solved. And, VittlesVamp lives on, so that I may blog once more.

Gettin' Toasty

Believe it or not, there is one kitchen staple that I'm without: the toaster oven. Apparently, I've really been missing the boat there. According to today's NYT, an entire dinner party can be prepared using this handy, dandy device.

No stove top mess or oven heat seeping into the living room. A marvel of modern culinary science!

Hmm. Think I might be better off sticking to my bass-o-matic.

Empanada Madness

According to the New York Post's Tempo section:

It used to be simple. If you were craving an empanada, the biggest decision you had to make was whether you wanted chicken or beef. But inventive empanada shops have been popping up all over the city, with flavors ranging from the tempting (pepperoni pizza) to the terrifying (sausage and sauerkraut).

It takes a strong stomach and a sense of adventure to sift through these melting pot pastries. That's why we've taste tested some of the oddest offerings for you. And for the most part, these twisted turnovers were surprisingly savory.

Used to date a Venezuelan hottie back in college. His Mom's empanada recipe trick? Putting beef bouillon powder in the crust. Yum!

Gothamist Guilt

Realized that I was remiss last week and didn't feature a link to my Thursday item on Gothamist. Mea culpa. And, it was one with an interactive element too - the opportunity to nominate your all-time favorite New York sidewalk vendor for honors and adulation at the Vendy Awards gala. Check it out:

*Street Eats

A Spray A Day Keeps The Cellulite Away

I'm all about easy diet plans, but this is just too creepy, "Fast Food Nation" run amok, sci-fi for my taste:

If a fat-free BLT sandwich sounds too good to be true, ask New York celebrity chef David Burke to make one.

His version would go something like this: Lettuce, tomato and a few sprays of bacon on toast.

Burke, chef at the upscale Manhattan eatery davidburke & donatella, has come out with fat-, calorie- and carbohydrate-free "flavor sprays" for regular Joes who are watching their weight or are time-crunched in the kitchen...

...The sprays -- sold online at www.flavorspraydiet.com -- are liquid extracts containing water, salts, emulsifiers and natural and artificial flavors. The sweet sprays contain Splenda. A two-ounce can costs $5.95 and lasts about six months.

Check out the flavors that Burke is offering. Talk about running the gourmet gamut - from Teryaki to Strawberry Shortcake.

Do we really need to resort to artificial Pesto and Memphis BBQ spray spritzed on tofu to maintain a healthier diet? I certainly hope not. That said, I feel sorry for the poor, hapless, husky kid, that'll be forced to smile at their weight-obsessed parental units when presented with a rice cake doused with Burke's Birthday Cake flavored spray.

Blow out the candle. Make a wish.

This isn't culinary advancement. It's just pathetic. Please tell me that Slow Food is going to kick Burke out of the club.

Stove-side Stylin'

It's not the first time that kitchen couture has been mentioned on this site, but it is most definitely the first time that the once-lowly apron can lay claim as a hip - and sometimes costly- must-have, retro-chic fashion accessory. According to the Wall Street Journal:

Once seen as a symbol of women's domestic drudgery, marketers are pitching a new kind of apron -- one that hugs the body to show off curves, with colorful, vampy designs that have little to do with sweating over a hot stove...

..The latest, hottest-selling feminine designs represent women's new embrace of domesticity on their own terms, combining practicality and sex appeal. "They're about looking fabulous," says Anna Wang, who designs a line of aprons known as Kitsch'n Glam even though she never cooks. "I'm a microwaver," she says.

Ms. Wang's aprons resemble skirts and halter-dresses more than gear that protects against splatters. Priced from $42 to $62, the collection ranges from sophisticated prints to kitschy black-and-white French maid styles and are available in more than 100 boutiques in the U.S. -- including at Anthropologie stores, known for selling books and offbeat accessories amid trendy women's clothing.

Apron chic taps into a rising interest in home entertaining and gourmet cooking -- the same trends that have spurred more people into staying at home to catch the spate of new cooking programs hosted by beautiful people such as Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver.

Though designers of fashion aprons say they haven't broken into mainstream department stores yet -- most sell their products mainly through clothing and gift boutiques, specialty cooking stores, or their own Web sites -- sales are solid and growing...

And the fashionable tidbit that really caught my fancy:

The updated styles come with updated prices. Stylish aprons average around $35 but climb as high as $200.

$200 smackaroos?!? They've got to be kidding! It had better whip up dinner on its own at that pricetag - or at least be made of watersoluble black patent leather (for use in rooms other than the kitchen).

Ice Cream Dreams

It's hot. Really hot. Is to be expected considering it's August. But, it is at a time like this that foodies and non-foodies alike seek cooling refuge in one of the world's most spectacular foodstuffs - ice cream. And, overheated food writers seem to be slaphappy about taking the trend beyond supermarket frozen food aisles by putting their own ice cream makers to the test. The virtues of homemade ice cream are being spotlighted across the country, from today's Dining In, Dining Out cover story in the New York Times to a feature last week in the Los Angeles Times.

As readers of this site know , I am no stranger to the inner workings of an ice cream maker, having whipped up a range of frozen concoctions from Ricotta Sorbet to Fresh Ginger Ice Cream.

That said, I am equally thrilled to dig into the frozen fruits of other's labor - when the s'cream is up to snuff. The gelato at Otto comes to mind in NYC, as does Capogiro in Philly (pictured above). And, what I like about both these spots is the willingness to experiment with different types of flavors and textures. Ice cream cases in point: Otto's luxurious Olive Oil Gelato and Capogiro's Honey-Rosemary Goat's Milk Gelato.

And, after downing an uncompromisingly intense Tomato Sorbet with Parmesan Foam this afternoon at Bouley, I'm thinking it's time for me to get a little more experimental myself and move my way into the the veggie aisle.

So, next on my list will be this remarkable sounding Sweet Corn Ice Cream recipe from yet another article about ice cream - this one from today's Philadelphia Inquirer:

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided use
2 ears sweet white corn, shucked, kernels reserved, cobs cut into 3 or 4 pieces
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 vanilla bean (3-inch piece)

1.In a 11/2-quart saucepan, over medium heat, combine the cream, half-and-half, 1/2 cup sugar, and corn cobs. Bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar. Cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove corn cobs, draining liquid back into the cream base.

2.Whisk the egg yolks together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream base, about 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk until well combined and smooth. Return the mixture (now custard) to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Strain the custard through a china cap or fine sieve. Stir in the vanilla.

3. To a small pot on medium heat, add the reserved corn kernels, 1/2 cup water, and the 3 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a simmer. Cook gently until kernels are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the corn to the custard. Chill and process in an ice cream freezer, according to manufacturer's directions.

Thinking about a Basil Sorbet next - or possibly a Roasted Red Pepper Ice Cream. Stop me though, when I start suggesting Anchovy-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

Oh, no! I think I just gave Wylie DuFresne a new idea for his menu.

Beer, Bubble Tea and Bye

What better way to bid adieu to a good friend than with chunky Queens air, sunshine and beer? You don't have one to top that combo, do you? Understandable. Really, is there a more fitting spot than Astoria's infamous Bohemian Beer Garden (pictured above) to gather a gaggle of pals on a summer afternoon?

If only our trip to Bohemia Hall wasn't for the purpose of saying goodbye to my bud Kristin, who is misguidedly leaving New York for Minneapolis. She's clearly off-balance. And, yet, she is beloved. So, a group of us showed up in full force to drink and down heavy, greasy Czech fare in her honor on Saturday. The party started at 4pm and between the pitchers of Pilsner Urquell and plates of Potato Pancakes, it didn't wind down until after 11pm.

Needless to say, we stopped counting the number of pitchers we drank after hour two. Same goes for the platters of Potato Pancakes, Kielbasa, French Fries, Pork Schnitzel and Potato Dumplings.

At the evening's end I couldn't bring myself to say farewell. But, my drooping eyelids told another story. I had ingested way too much beer and starch not to fall asleep in a carb stupor.

And so, plans for the morrow were made. I was to meet Kristin for makeup and knock-off pocketbook shopping at noon - if we could wake ourselves up in time.

Surprisingly, I did. Kristin almost faltered, but actually ended up opening her eyes in the nick of time. Meeting late afternoon, we crammed in enough Montague, Canal and Prince Street shopping to satisfy us both. Yet, we couldn't say goodbye without a proper toast.

Alcohol was out of the question. We were still a bit woozy from the night before. And then we turned a corner and found ourselves at the doorstep of Grace Door - an odd Chinatown combination of thrift store, Internet cafe, chess center, social club, restaurant and bar, located on Howard Street between Lafayette and Broadway.

It was just odd and engaging enough to encompass our friendship perfectly - as was the bubble tea that we ended up imbibing at the bar (pictured below).

I'm going to miss Kristin. And, although I'm pretty sure that she'll be able to find Pilsner Urquell in the Twin Cities, can't really say the same for the bubble tea. Don't know if that'll be enough to encourage her to come back to the Big Apple - but I can always hope.