Photo Friday: No Sleep To China
Yeah. I can’t even believe it. A week from Monday I’m leaving for Beijing. There is so much to do in between now and then it’s crazy. Hopefully the people at my hotel will be helpful in pointing me in the direction of great duck.
I have to say it feels completely irresponsible to make a big trip like this without having any idea what I’m going to do once I’m there. But it will be an adventure. And hey, I still have a week to figure it out.
Since I have neither queued up any posts in advance of my departure or lined up any guest posters for the week, it looks like the FLB will be taking its first short planned hiatus in over five years.
Speaking of having far too much to do, today all you get is pictures of food. I’m not even going to tell you what they are. You’re just going to have to guess. But I tell you what. The first person who guesses them all correctly will win a prize.
Ready, set, go.
Rocking Breakfast – Recipe #8
Secrets. I hate ‘em. And I’m terrible at keeping them. But I’ve been holding onto this one for a while. Today, we’re letting the cat out of the bag. And I say “we” because really it’s not my secret. I suppose it belongs to chef Josh Coletto.
He and I worked out a deal a few months ago. I’d remind people when it’s time for his monthly Rock N Roll Brunch at The Low Beat in Albany, and in exchange he would share one of his recipes from the prior month’s menu. The triumph and tragedy of these brunches are that the menu changes each time. I actually met someone who simply orders one of everything, and brings her own takeout containers to pack up the vast majority of what she can’t finish.
This is the kind of madness scarcity breeds. But ordering the whole menu is a brilliant solution.
Last month I just had to get the breakfast poutine. So did everyone, it seemed. The dish was a smashing success and sold out, even if it may not have fulfilled the dreams of those looking for squeaky curds tossed with hot fries and gravy. But man, Josh does gravy well. And a poached egg on top? But perhaps my favorite part was the crispy rounds of tender, succulent local beef.
As I was eating the poutine and remarking on the amazing flavor and texture of the meat, I found myself saying, “I have no idea how he even cooked this, but it’s wonderful.” Well, I found out. And now, I get to share. Here’s what Josh has to say:
A Partner In Produce
It was a long long time ago that I signed up for this year’s CSA share with Roxbury Farm.
Every time I tell stories like this, it seems there are still people who have never heard of a CSA. So real quickly, it stands for community supported agriculture. That means consumers can buy a share of a farm for the growing season. In return, they receive a weekly allotment of the bounty that grows from “their” farm. It’s great way for farmers to have a more stable income, and it’s a great way for consumers to support local farms and get a good deal on local sustainable produce (in bountiful years it can be an incredible deal).
As amazing as it may sound, being a member of Roxbury Farm was one of the first things that made me feel good about living in the Capital Region. So buying into the farm isn’t just a matter of supporting a great local enterprise, it’s also a mental health expense. In addition, I consider it to be part of Tikkun Olam (which means healing the world), but that’s getting a little too Jewish.
Anyhow, to make sure I could get in, I had to commit early when we were still in the grip of winter. It turns out there was only one small problem with that.
Tiptoeing Through the Tulips
Washington Park is really a remarkable place. On a beautiful spring evening it can be elegant. And on a sunny spring afternoon it can be a bit overwhelming.
This past weekend was Tulip Fest. Yelp was a media sponsor. And I have to say that I got a kick hearing the Yelp name ring out from the stage announcements. There were also other friends of Yelp there. Emack & Bolio’s, which hosted the Meet the Ambassador Yelp Event, had a truck in the park. And of course Slidin’ Dirty, which hosted the first Official Yelp Event, was there in their newly redecorated ride.
Incidentally, Slidin’ Dirty just got a great write up in the Times Union. Why this great place that focuses on elevated versions of comfort foods using local ingredients didn’t get a starred review is really beyond me. But on Yelp it gets 4.5 stars on 53 reviews. That’s no small feat.
But I wanted to talk more about Tulip Fest and Washington Park, especially since I was generously invited to cover Champagne on the Park last Thursday, which is the kickoff to the madness of this giant spring spectacle. In part because it was there that I learned something important.
Funday: Grilling, Chalking, Chefing & Giving
This may be the most Funday yet. In case you’ve forgotten, I like to hold on to press releases and share them with you in one big batch.
Your feelings on press releases may vary. I like them. Right now I’m a bit too tired to go into that in detail. But if you want to press me on the matter, we can talk about it more later. For now, there’s a lot of news to share.
The first one is actually, truly a game changer. The next has to do with Tulip Fest and something to look at should you get sick of gazing at photographers taking pictures of tulips. Third is an open invitation to a party celebrating the arrival of a new chef. Finally, there are three separate crowd sourcing fundraising campaigns.
There were supposed to be four, but Scott Brooks must be behind in his schedule to get the kickstarter campaign going. He has a vision to bring downtown Albany “its first whole food eatery.” But the kickstarter was supposed to launch on 5/7 or 5/8. I can’t find it.
Well, we’ll just have to do this without him
Fake Plants & Dust Bunnies
Here’s a question that’s been bugging me lately. Are fake plants ever okay?
I’m not talking in your grandmother’s home. She’s the mother of your mother or father, and she can do what she wants. But in restaurants. And maybe they are okay in some restaurants but not others. And if that’s the case, where do you draw the line?
Is it chains versus non-chains? Denny’s can have fake plants, but a real diner needs to be able to support life? Or is it based on categories of restaurants, so that red checked tablecloth Italian-American restaurants can have fake plants, whereas it would be out of line for a French bistro. Perhaps it’s best determined by price, so that a place with entrees under $10 can get away with the low maintenance decor, but an establishment with higher aspirations and plates $20 and up need to cough up for the real deal?
Not too long ago I honed in on one fake plant and now I’m seeing them everywhere.
Every Week is Something New
Trying to wrap some kind of theme around a small handful of stories has been hurting my brain. But the thing is, with just one daily post, I really need to make the most out of it.
As a side note, I don’t know how many of you caught the pocket post yesterday. I’ve known about butt dialing. But somehow, the WordPress app posted from my phone without my direct knowledge. Resulting in a post entitled “M m”. Clearly, the iPhone 6 is too powerful for its own good.
There are two things launching today. One should be expected, and the other one may be off your radar. So let’s start with the reason why you should play hookey from work or school today.
AskTP – April Fool
Not one Ask TP in April? That was foolish. I was busy.
But from the very beginning I committed to answering every question asked of me in the comments, so I created Ask the Profussor. It’s my little way of clearing the slate. Answering questions that have gone unanswered for far too long, and making good on my promise.
That said, I’ve decided not to answer the avalanche of questions and speculation posted to the Unexpected Dangers of Farming. I suspect all of those uncertainties will reveal themselves as the legal process unfolds. Hopefully you understand.
Oh, and don’t forget, almost all of the links below will whisk you away to the mystery link of the day. If you want to find the original post, I’d suggest using Google.
Now without any further ado, onto the questions.
The Tour That Never Will Be
Monday and I’m already behind. I don’t even know how that’s possible. Just this weekend I realized that I never reached out to Dairy Haus and told them they won the Tour de Soft Serve 2.0. Maybe one of you could be an angel and send a note over their way.
I’m hoping that the next tour will finally be the tour that never happened last summer. The move from New Jersey and a long slate of summer travel were both to blame. But I think we’re ripe for the Tour de Italian Sandwich, or something like that. The name may need some work, but it will involve going around from Italian deli to Italian deli and trying their heroes or subs or grinders or hoagies or what-have-you.
Today we’re not doing the nominations. That will happen as we get closer. Instead, today I wanted to take a moment and talk about the tours in a larger context. Because part of every tour involves a conversation on what other tours people would be interested in either attending or reading about the findings.
Invariably, one comes up all the time. But it’s never going to happen.
FUSSYlittleBLOG 