Taco Taco Burrito Burrito
Life can be hard. Happiness can be fleeting. And that’s fine. But these are reasons why it is important to look for joyful occasions to celebrate whenever one can. Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. For some, it’s an excuse to sit around and drink margaritas and beer all day.
I actually had a bottle of tequila and another bottle of mezcal set aside for the occasion. And I had plenty of limes. But there was no drinking for me. There’s a lot going on the work and family fronts, so I needed to keep my wits about me. And on top of that, today I’m seeing the doctor for my annual check up.
Despite months and months of moderation, and a bit of semi-regular exercise, I’ve fallen off the wagon for the past several weeks. Hopefully, it’s not enough to completely derail my progress. But we’ll see.
Still, I couldn’t let May fifth slide by without some form of acknowledgement, so Little Miss Fussy and I had a very moderate lunch at my favorite local taqueria. And then for dinner, we made our favorite quick and easy burritos at home. In total, that was two tacos and two burritos over the course of the day. But that’s only half the story.
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Yesterday’s post about Peeps was surprisingly popular. I had no idea.
For the record, I couldn’t bring myself to try the sour watermelon ones. Mostly because I started with the “Pancake & Syrup” flavor and then went on to “Party Cake”. After those two, I was done. Dear God, those things are sweet and squishy. I couldn’t stomach the thought of a third.
On Facebook there were plenty of suggestions of what to do with the leftovers. I’m less into the idea of wasting “food” for the “entertainment” of watching Peeps “joust” in the microwave. However, the notion of melting Peeps down in butter and creating some kind of cereal bar treat, is oddly compelling. Actually, doing it with popcorn might be even better. As it so happens, Peeps Popcorn Balls are a thing.
Of course, more than one person suggested turning them into s’mores. And if you don’t remember how I feel about s’mores, perhaps you haven’t been reading the FLB since the beginning. And that’s okay. But for those who have, I’ve got some surprising news, because the title of today’s blog post is not a typo.
Not One Peep
Ecosystems need bottom feeders. They are part of the circle of life. They keep things moving, and help to prevent waste from piling up.
I’m not always a bottom feeder. There are some things I buy when they are hot, new, and premium priced. Beer is a great example of this. Some beers are more perishable than others, and I’ve learned the hard way that if you wait for a well regarded hoppy brew to make it to the discount bin, the beer you buy may be a mere shadow of what it once was.
On the other hand, when I was out in California, I was most definitely a bottom feeder of the wine market. There were so many places producing so much wine, that occasionally inventories had to be dumped. These unwanted bottles found their way to a place called Grocery Outlet, where I would try to figure out which bottles had promise, and which still weren’t a value even at a drastically reduced price.
Misfits Market seems to be enjoying a moment right now. You can be a bottom feeder of the produce market, from the convenience of your internet connection, and sign up for the delivery of imperfect produce. I love this concept, although I have yet to pull the trigger on signing up myself.
I’m telling you all of this because I don’t want to catch flack for my latest round of bottom feeding.
The Spicy Ramen Challenge
What’s the hottest thing you’ve ever eaten?
For me, the answer to this question doesn’t come in the form of Scoville units. Surely, there are some pepper heads out there who know precisely how high they’ve gone on the heat scale. But that’s not me. I’ve never been a fiery food thrill seeker, chasing down some kind of sweat induced euphoria rush. Or maybe those endorphins are released to block the pain? I have no idea. Pain isn’t my idea of pleasure.
Instead, my answer is based entirely on how the food made me feel. Because I’ve had 10/10 Thai-spicy dishes at TapAsia, I’ve eaten the hottest lamb phall at Karavalli, and I’ve been exploring some truly fiery dishes at our local Sichuan places. While these were all intensely spicy experiences, I’ve enjoyed them all.
But when I was a kid in Miami, my family went out for Thai food with some friends. It was there that I ate one shrimp that literally floored me. The burning. The pain. It was a searing pain that rose up behind my eyeballs, and there was nothing I could do to make it go away. Tears welled up in my eyes. And out of pain, fear, and frustration, I found myself curled up on the floor underneath the table.
One of the things I’ve learned over time, is that like drinking whiskey, eating spicy food is a learned skill. You must have an appropriate respect for what it is you’re about to consume, and it’s best done with care. Sometimes you have to learn this lesson the hard way.
While I have no interest in testing my limits, or seeing how much heat I can handle, this past weekend I was invited to participate in a Troy filming of The Spicy Ramen Challenge. After watching some videos of people doing this on the interwebs, curiosity got the better of me, and I agreed to give it a go.
Passover is Almost Over!
The last two days of Passover may be the hardest, but we’re in the home stretch. Thankfully, we have it easier than most, largely because at Casa Del Fussy we don’t go through the ritual purification of our kitchen, cookware, and serving utensils. But we also allow for kitniyot, which means our family can enjoy things like beans, rice, and corn while only staying clear of the five chametz grains. For those who haven’t been paying close attention this past week, those are wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt.
Growing up, my family’s tradition was to avoid kitniyot, with the exception of peanut butter. Peanut butter somehow got a pass. I know how hard Passover can be, and am thankful we don’t give up more foodstuffs during the week. Still, it’s not easy. This year, more than anything else, I miss my granola, I miss pasta, and I’ve been missing beer.
After sunset on Saturday, we’re done. I’ll celebrate with some oat soda when I get home at the end of the night, because there’s a lot happening that evening. My son has a birthday party to attend. So after dropping him off to hang with his buds, I’m going to take Little Miss Fussy and one of her friends to the Albany All Stars Roller Derby at the Albany Capital Center! I’m so psyched. I’ve seen this team roll at the Albany Armory, but I have not seen them play in their new digs. And Saturday’s bout is the season opener!
Sunday is when all the fun returns in my life, and it comes just in the nick of time.
Emily L and the Candy Store
Just yesterday, Little Miss Fussy and I were at The Cocobar in Schenectady. We had tried to go on Tuesday, but the place was closed. Actually, it’s been closed every other time my daughter has attempted to visit this cute little downtown chocolate shop. So she was positively delighted to try all their chocolate dipped treats.
It also blew her mind that a tempering machine was a thing, as she’s been learning all about tempering chocolate as her interest in baking grows. We had fun watching almond and caramel clusters being made by hand through the observation window into the kitchen.
Eating everything was out of the question, because it’s Passover. That meant no chocolate dipped cookies, pretzels, or cake pops. But we did get to try the nuts, fruits, and caramels. While the chocolate is sold by weight, most of the smaller items come out to about a dollar per piece. Our favorites were the cashew caramel clusters and the salted caramel squares.
This is a relatively new chocolate shop, but the Capital Region is also filled with candy stores that have been around for generations. Recently Emily L was surfing on a wave of nostalgia not just for a particular candy store, but for an archaic institution, the candy counter. I’ll get out of the way and her explain.
The Brisket is Dead, Long Live the Brisket
It’s been said that an eternity is a ham and two people. The clever phrase has been attributed to Dorothy Parker, but who knows. For the sake of this post, it doesn’t really matter. The idea is that eating through a large piece of meat can take forever.
About a year ago I picked up that whole fresh ham from Adventure in Food Trading. That 20 pound, bone-in beast, took months for our family of four to finish. Thank goodness for freezers. But we really don’t bring a lot of hams into the house. Maybe one day that will change. Ham is freaking delicious.
In preparation for Passover though, we did buy a large brisket and a whole leg of lamb. Today, I want to talk a bit about the brisket. Largely because we just recently finished the monster, and then we were strangely compelled to go out for more brisket.
Perhaps Passover without some brisket in the house is like an Easter without the eggs?
Is New York’s Best Burger in Troy?
After the latest Albany Times Union poll, it’s clear that popularity contests aren’t always the best at determining which things are best within a community. McDonald’s is the most popular burger seller in the world. But it’s far from the best. The golden arches are certainly the most convenient burger option for the most people. Some might suggest the food offers consumers a good value. At the very least, it’s affordable to the widest swath of the restaurant going public.
But the best it is not. Still, the brand for continually tries to get better, and for that it deserves some props.
What if I told you there was another hunt for the best burger in New York, but instead of just being a popularity contest, it also involved a tasting of the finalists to determine which one is truly the best. And what if there was a chance to bring home the prize to one of the shining gems in the Capital Region? Do you think I might be able to get you involved? Could I encourage you to cast a vote?
Because as it turns out, New York’s Best Burger could be in Troy!
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