VittlesVamp

The Sweet Smell of...Manhattan?

I live in Brooklyn, so I missed out. But apparently, last night was the night to be in Manhattan. According to colleagues and friends, last evening the city's streets were perfumed with the sweet scent of maple syrup.

Lisa feared that it was a sign that the "Big Pancake" was coming to town. Catherine apparently smelled her clothing, wondering if her new detergent was imparting the strong Vermont-esque aroma. Ronni did the same with her sheets.

Here's what the New York Times had to say about the fragrance phenomenon:

An unseen, sweet-smelling cloud drifted through parts of Manhattan last night. Arturo Padilla walked through it and declared that it was awesome.

"It's like maple syrup. With Eggos. Or pancakes," he said. "It's pleasant."...

...Mr. Padilla was not alone. Reports of the syrupy cloud poured in from across Manhattan after 9 p.m. Some feared that it was something sinister.

There were so many calls that the city's Office of Emergency Management coordinated efforts with the Police and Fire Departments, the Coast Guard and the City Department of Environmental Protection to look into it.

By 11 p. m., the search had turned up nothing harmful, according to tests of the air. Reports continued to come in from as far north as 112th Street shortly before midnight. In Lower Manhattan, where the smell had begun to fade, it was back, stronger than before, by 1 a.m.

"We are continuing to sample the air throughout the affected area to make sure there's nothing hazardous," said Jarrod Bernstein, an emergency management spokesman. "What the actual cause of the smell is, we really don't know."...

Frankly, my suspicion is that it's simply a subliminal experiential marketing ploy from the folks at IHOP.

British Sausage Week

Another reason to kick yourself for not buying that discount air ticket to London...Yes, we're smack dab in the middle of British Sausage Week. This seven day celebration features a roadshow across the U.K., a Bangers & Mash Clash competition and the infamous Banger Awards. (Let the double entendres fly!)

Sound crazy? Perhaps. But, those Brits are truly enamoured with a good banger. Heck, they even have their own fan club, the British Sausage Appreciation Society - with over 6,000 members. The name of their newsletter: The Missing Link.

I'd think I was kidding too. Frightening, isn't it?

Halloween Treat - or Trick?

I'm already tired of seeing bats, ghouls, goblins, witches and jack o'lanterns on display at the Hallmark store up the street. And, I'm especially tired of slogging through supermarket and drugstore aisles jammed with candy for trick or treaters. Resist!

And, no wonder. According to an article in the Miami Herald:

Halloween sales are booming this year. Maybe it's all the hurricanes, stress over gasoline prices, the Iraq war, but we're hot for some Halloween escapism.

Americans plan to spend a record $3.4 billion this year on Halloween, a 5.4 percent jump from 2004, a National Retail Federation survey showed. Candy sales represented a plump $1.06 billion of that, and are expected to increase by 10 percent this year.

Plump is definitely the word for it. And, the Herald article goes on to make some suggestions on how to be a bit healthier this All Hallows Eve:

Opt for the new healthy varieties of candies that boast of added vitamin C or calcium. Take Au'some Candies' Florida's Natural Fruit Juice Strings and Nuggets, made with real fruit and containing vitamin C and no fats, for instance. Or consider Weight Watchers brand candies for caloric reduction.

Are they joking????

They must be. Right after their diatribe on healthier Halloween choices, they offer up a list of bestselling candy brands in 2004 according to The National Confectioners Association:

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

2. Snickers

3. Hershey's

4. M&Ms

5. KitKat

6. Milky Way

7. Butterfinger

8. 3 Musketeers

9. Brach's

10. Nestle's Crunch

Now that's more like it. Besides, Weight Watcher's candies instead of Reese's? You try it out with the kiddies and let me know how it goes...

Bait and Switch Swindle - Avec Manicure

Don't break a promise to me - especially when it involves alcohol!

Was delighted with the idea of a small girl's night celebration in honor my friend Jennifer Y's b-day. And, what better way to start the evening than with a bit a pampering and a frou-frou cocktail? But, where - oh, where - could we have the two together?

Well, New York City isn't a town lacking in decadence, and a spot called Dashing Diva was sussed out rather quickly - with the promise of a free Cosmopolitan with either a manicure or pedicure on Thursday and Friday nights. A perfect pink manicure and a perfect pink drink - PERFECT!

The place was pink too. Very pink. Extremely pink. Never mind though, a manicure and a cocktail would soothe the nerves and start the evening off right. Jennifer and I tried to ignore all the glitter and charmed press-on nails thrust upon us, when we arrived and each settled on a light pink shade that was sophisticated, yet fun.

Finally, our appointment time arrived. We sat. We lapped up the hand massages and pampering. All well and good - but where were the drinks? Other ladies seemed to be sipping happily, while getting their services. Harrumph! We finally insisted on the Cosmos when we sat down to dry. They arrived shortly after. We smiled as we brought the pink glasses to our lips.

Our smiles quickly disappeared. This was watered down cranberry juice!!!

Harrumph, indeed! Apparently, this was their new "M.O." - alcohol-free "mocktails." Woulda been nice had they mentioned it on the phone, when I was booking and specifically asked about the Cosmo specials.

At least our nails look good.

Smoked Fish-athon

Of course I held Yom Kippur break-the-fast this year. Stop asking. I just didn't get around to writing about it yet. (And, stop asking my for my kugel recipe - It's a family secret!)

As usual, plenty of smoked fish and bagels on hand - and this year, PLENTY of people too. 19 in total, including one very small people, my friend Stacie's 4 month-old girl. She didn't eat much by way of bagels, but made up for it in formula.

Kudos to all that attended, as there were mere scraps for leftovers.

Throwing My Toque In The Ring

Yes, I've made an audition tape and everything in the hope that I might be the next Food Network star!

Problem - Now that I had a neighbor tape me whipping up a Gimlet, and I edited the three-minute "howdy-do and hire me now" on my iBook, I've been having great difficulty getting it onto a DVD. My friend Rich has been slaving over our two laptops trying to burn the sucker, without any luck. (He has a DVD burner, I don't.) Now that we've discovered that our Macs don't see i-to-i (get it?), I'm gonna hafta pull in the big guns - my Southern-Fried friend Kurt. Thinking I'll be owing them both serious drinks after all of these technology shenanigans.

And after all these trials and tribulations (and cocktails), we'll just have to wait and see if I get picked to be a finalist on the show. Keeping my fingers crossed. And, my legs.

Gotta say that the written application was rather lengthy too. Decided to have fun with it though. (Tell me - What's the point, if you don't at least try to have fun?) Among several other questions, they asked me to name my three favorite dishes. Here was my reply:

*Roast Chicken
*Noodle Kugel
*Gin & Tonic

Actually that combo sounds like a perfect dinner right about now...Hopefully, the Food Network judges will agree.

Autumn Alfresco

It's here. Fall. Unfortunately, that means that winter is right around the corner. But, for a few fleeting weeks we can enjoy temperate weather that requires simply a sweater, rather than polar fleece and parkas.

Above, a picture taken Saturday at Five Front's backyard bar, on a truly autumnal afternoon. After a day of bopping around the DUMBO Art Festival, I treated myself to a glass of Zinfandel and this sweet garden view. Not too many days left where outdoor dining (or drinking) will be an option.

I plan to enjoy it while I can.

One of Life's Most Difficult Decisions

The other day, my pal Christine dropped by for a casual supper of pizza and vino, starring a fresh hand-tossed pie from my local-fave pizzeria, Fascati's. Our toppings - pepperoni and mushroom. The wine - Sauvignon Blanc. I know, red is the more appropriate option, but Christina was in a white mood and who was I to disappoint.

Now, I've most certainly eaten pizza before, but Christine with her keen eating instincts brought up a critical pizza pie issue that I thought worthy of further exploration.

Where lies the deep-rooted, intimate connection between diner and slice? What thoughts and preferences go through a diner's mind as they go through the delicate and complicated process of slice selection?

Size? (Does it matter after all? And, does it matter more to females then males?) Cheesiness? Crust configuration and darkness? Topping disbursement?

Can we gain vital personality insight into diners by answering these questions? And, most importantly, can pizzerias use this valuable marketplace information to shift pie-making strategy in order to garner a larger slice of the pizza-eating consumer pie? (I guess that answers my question: Size does matter after all.)

Thoughts? Opinions? Slice selection-related haiku? Please share.

Chicken Soup for the Dieters

Paid another visit to the cookbook section at the Brooklyn Heights branch of Barnes & Noble. Last time, as you may recall, I was delighted to note that the cookery books were located next to the sexuality section. Seemed an ideal symmetry. This time, however, I was saddened to find that the dietary cookbooks are located by the self-help fare.

One step forward. One step back. Perhaps I should just stick to Amazon.

Don't Call It "Frisco"

As server issues impacted postings in the midst of my recent series on San Francisco, I think it only fair to revisit my visit. (Besides, Ho will kick my ass, if I don't. He works out and plans a trip to NYC in the new year. No need to provoke his wrath...) So, here we go: Memories from the cobwebbed corners of my mind...

*Making a festive brunch of heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese, champagne-shallot vinaigrette, sourdough bread and sauteed sausages - all ingredients, fresh from the various farmers and vendors at the Ferry Building Marketplace.

*Following up brunch with the appearance of a pumpkin-colored Chevy Trailblazer, rented for a day's exploration of Point Reyes and Stinson Beach.

*Stopping said Trailblazer in front of a pumpkin patch in the Lucas Valley. (Pictured above.) Clearly, we had our theme for the day. Pumpkin rules!

*Sipping Marin County vino at the Point Reyes Vineyard.

*Following up the vino with beer and BBQed oysters at a well-worn seafood shack that's favored by locals.

*Turning several shades of green, post-shellfish, as Hi drives us through the sharp twists and turns of Route 1 towards the Golden Gate.

*Feeling oodles better once we're back at Telegraph Hill, as Hi and I decide to skip out on Ho to get ourselves the infamous roast chicken at Zuni Cafe.

*Watching our Zuni waitress' shock and awe, when Hi, armed with a strong North Britain accent, chastised her for forcing a dessert menu on a "fat man" - not long after he requested to peruse the sweets options. Needless to say, it took her a few moments to realize that he was joking. (We took a pass on dessert nonetheless. Why? Nothing made with pumpkin. What can I say? We were still committed to the day's theme.)

*Waking up the next morning to see Ho happily tinkering away in the kitchen, fixing up a breakfast that featured an egg scramble containing no less than a full stick of butter. (And to think, I'm scared of him kicking my ass. In truth, he's already kicked my arteries!)