THE ARABIATA SLICE

This was just one of the most Amazing things I have ever tasted, Possibly the Greatest Pizza Topping ever but in this case the Pizza almost takes a secondary position. Mind you I added zero spices to the Broccoli di Rabe (not even Salt or Red Pepper Flakes) and this was still Delicious but the first thing that impressed my palate was the balance that the Hot Cherry Peppers brought to the table. I had the first few bites unadorned and then dare I say, I may have even improved on it with some Sausage and Grated Romano Cheese. Why this is not a common Topping in Pizzerias is beyond me, Just Stellarlicious.

The definition of the Italian word Arabbiata is "Angry"

In this case (King Umberto's calls it the Ariabiata Slice) I suppose they are referring to the Hot Cherry Peppers atop the Broccoli Rabe and possibly the Garlic therein. This slice only made me Happy and Angry when there was no more to be had.

About a week ago my friend Frank posted a pic on Facebook (see below) with this very combination and the seed was sown. Broccoli Rabe and Diced Cherry Peppers on a Grandma Slice sounded Fantastic and so it is.

First step is get a bunch of Broccoli Rabe. 

Jamie is the Rabe master and begins at step two but last time I made some it came out a little underdone so I Steamed mine for a few minutes before (step two) Sautéing in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and a Bunch of smashed Garlic Cloves. 

I purchased (1) Grandma Slice ($2.50) from Pizza Den who makes a passable one. Remove the Bay Leaf and top with Broccoli Rabe and Diced Hot Cherry Peppers.

I almost did not add this pic but look at how Majestic she looks before being placed in a heated oven at 400 degrees for 7 minutes (5-6 minutes would be fine as well).

And the finished product on display flanked by some Italian Sausages (the Fennel kind) and a Big Bowl of Rabe.

3/31/14 - Exactly 50 strands of Linguini which I broke in half doubling it to 100 strands.

Fifty Linguini's does not a single serving make, Seventy Five may do well and One Hundred may overflow just a tad. 

In the bowl is Linguini, Hot Cherry Peppers, Broccoli Rabe, Sliced Sausage, Pecorino Romano Grated Cheese and Red Pepper Flakes. Once again no Salt or Pepper needed.

The initial photo that set this boat sailing. 

This was taken at King Umberto's in Elmont, Long Island and once I saw it I was in Awe and I am no stranger to Food Pics.

KING UMBERTOS WEBSITE

EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH BACON - MO'S DARK BAR

4/18/14 - I just took the smallest piece out,. Oh My Lord. Totally Heavenly ad Salty Overtones in Abundance.

This Chocolate has been mocking me for weeks. The description only compares to the grandest Prog Rock album of them all. OK back in the wrapper she goes, Most Flavorful. Dark Chocolate, Bacon and Salt. more to come.

IT'S A MAN'S LIFE IN THE ARMY - FROZEN FOOD VS. THE REAL THING

Out of sheer laziness and a craving for Mashed Potatoes I went ahead for the first time and purchased refrigerated "prepared" Mashed Potatoes and as a side dish added Frozen Meatballs and Chicken Nuggets. Backwards thinking, NO.

I have been a progenitor of Always making Mashed Potatoes from "scratch" and for a short time in the 1980s had even purchased "powdered mashed potatoes" as a novelty to try and make it easier in preparation. Of course nothing can replace the real thing and the "powdered" type often fell way short in the outcome. These though are simply Mashed Potatoes (in this case Garlic Mashed Potatoes) vacuum packed for reheating.

Sean (who told me about them) informed me that these Mashed Potatoes were perfectly acceptable (which they were), Jamie informed me that I eat processed Food often enough (which I do) and Lori mentioned that they were fine in a pinch (which they are) and I cannot disagree on any fronts so why not try them.

My initial thoughts on the Meal which was prepared in a microwave oven are as follows concerning the three Major "Food Groups" (Potatoes, Meatballs and Nuggets).

* Chicken Is Terrible, Not the Chicken itself but the Batter Dip would suit being cooked in an Oven So much better. The Chicken is fine and Seasoned perfectly but not overpoweringly with anything, It is proper Chicken but as in a microwave the Batter Dip becomes soggy as opposed to Crunchy, Be Warned and Please Bake. Incidentally according to the packaging these are not Nuggets, They are Tenders. Oh Brother.

* Meatballs are NOT like homeade (DUH) but also these have been Nuked, Oddly enough there is no Oven Preparation instructions on the package, only Microwave and Pan Fried. These have just a slight kick to them which I Love, Dense and Tasty, A bit too much Bread Crumb but Hey, what do you expect.

* Potatoes are Delicious, I have no problem with these and this is without Gravy, Butter or any Seasonings to mask any Flavor. These are pretty much perfect and even after they have gone coldish they are still Delicious. I cannot detect Too much Garlic but am eating them with other things which is masking the nuances, This is a Great product by Crystal Farms.

Resistance Is Futile.

All that is missing is the Gravy.

* - Initial Tastings and First Impressions.

6/7/14 - 2nd Impression - So I bought another package of Crystal Farms Simply Potatoes (Garlic) and I loved them just as much and maybe even more. These are perfect for anyone not cooking for a family and will suit a family of 3 or 4 for a single meal so it is a time saving, dare I say Glorious product. I certainly approve.

These two are basically the same Meals as pictured above but I "pepped" things up by adding Sofrito Tomato as a Gravy on the Meats and it worked fantastically adding a bit of Spiciness to the proceedings, more importantly however was the addition of Shredded Cheddar Cheese to the Potatoes and I left a generous pool in the middle to which I added "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Margarine which made a world of difference.

Baked Chicken Tenders topped with Sofrito and a nice Forkful of Buttery Goodness of which the Cheese took a ride upon. This is the name of the painting.

SIMPLY POTATOES WEBSITE

MAMA LUCIA MEATBALLS WEBSITE

TYSON CHICKEN WEBSITE

GOYA SOFRITO WEBSITE

HAVE IT YOUR WAY - THE BIG KING AT BURGER KING

Only having Burger King once every year or two makes it a wonderful choice and reminder of my youth as well. My friend Charlie and myself were just texting back and forth the other night as well about the virtues of the Big Mac vs. The Whopper, to me the Big Mac (Little Mac) is anything but big and I think lots of us will agree, McDonalds may be the far more popular Fast Food chain (at least in New York) but Burger King is the more fulfilling product, My friend Paul had something wise to say to end this argument, while the Big Mac is hand held "You Need Two Hands To Eat A Whopper" Argument Over.

Size does Matter but I am not talking about eating a Large sub standard Bologna Sandwich vs a smaller Boars Head Bologna Sandwich. If anything the McDonalds Beef Patty vs. the Burger King Beef Patty are almost identical except Burger King's is Flame Broiled (like a Barbecue) whereas McDonalds is NOT. BK has the BETTER BURGER between the two. 

This has been my preamble.

Venturing forth I stepped into my neighborhood BK ready to order a Big King and a Whopper jr. with small Fries, however being a doubting thomas I asked the counterperson "what is it ?, is it a BK ?" she said "yes, two for five dollars", well forget about the Whopper jr. 

(During our texting Charlie kept referring to it as a BK as abbreviation is the way of texting, just wanted to make sure I was not getting the wrong thing).

The Big King (BK) was Fast Food wise Glorious as expected which I purchased with a small order of Fries and the Burger was as expected bigger than the Bun or slightly overlapped the Bun whereas the Big Mac Burger is obscured or hidden by the Bun. A Big Mac leaves me Hungry, I took my second BK and some Fries home as I was Satisfied (pic below). 

The Midnight Snack BK, Delicious.

Most Importantly for all You foodies - The Big King is supposedly only available for a limited time and consists of Two Beef Patties, Lettuce, Onions, Pickles, Cheese and Special Sauce (might be Mayo but I do not think so) and does indeed contain that much beloved third piece of bread between the Burgers which I have heard that McDonalds has done away with (they may have alleviated that by this time). 

My Favorite is still the Whopper or Whopper Jr. as I really need that Tomato slice. 

Out On The Tiles.

Entrance to Burger King on 86th street and 21st avenue, Brooklyn, New York.

No Lies Here in the Fast Food realm. KUDOS To BK.

RASPBERRY ICED TEA - ARIZONA VS. SNAPPLE TASTE TEST

I have been casually searching the shelves for maybe 5 moths now for a Raspberry Iced Tea and they were just not to be found. I even started wondering if they had discontinued the Flavor but kept up my faith, one night while shopping at around 11 p.m. I found them both and snatched them up. As you can see from the photo above I started drinking the Snapple before I decided a "taste test" might be fun and the order of the day and It Was fun. I am slightly biased towards Snapple for several reasons but tried my best to be a fair judge of the contents within. I am sure that Nestea, Peace Tea  and Lipton have their own versions of Raspberry Iced Tea but these are not as commonly obtainable, there is also the 4C brand powdered kind but that is a different ball game altogether.

Snapple Raspberry Tea

Color - Slightly darker in hue and cloudier than Arizona

Bouquet - More of a Raspberry scent than Arizona

Body - Rich in Tea and Raspberry flavor

Arizona with Raspberry Flavor

Color - Just a tad clearer and brighter than Snapple, of note there is a bit of foam or bubbles resting on the surface after 90 minutes of temperature attenuation

Bouquet - Fructose scent overpowers the Raspberry by a small amount

Body - Sweet with a tinge of Raspberry, more watery than Snapple

Snapple tastes more like well,... TEA.

Arizona is definitely the sweeter and watery of the two.

My Opinion SNAPPLE WINS.

Now let us take a closer look at the technical aspects via the Nutrition facts label on the side of each container. I am not going to go into the Calories, etc. as I just don't feel like doing the math as this is a 20 ounce Snapple in a plastic bottle vs. a 23 ounce Arizona in a can and Arizona has it broken down into 3 servings per can as compared to Snapple's 1 serving but I can tell you neither contain Fat Calories or Protein but the Arizona is certainly higher in Calories by about 70.

Both use Filtered water and Both are kosher AND Both use Natural Raspberry Flavor but there is one BIG difference, Snapple uses Sugar for sweetener while Arizona uses the dreaded High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Pictured here is Arizona at 11 o' clock, Water as a palate cleanser at one o' clock and Snapple at five o' clock. I find there is more Flavor imminent when a drink is not icy cold so let them warm down for about an hour, also the Arizona was in a can and the Snapple in a plastic bottle so transferring to glass might help regulate those influences.

Addendum - Nestea Raspberry Iced Tea - Possibly a little stronger on the Raspberry taste compared to Arizona but still High Fructose Corn Syrupy Sweet and this one uses Tea Powder so its basically Powdered Iced Tea in a plastic bottle.

CRAB CAKES

Some weeks ago I walked into the neighborhood Fish Market to procure a box of Crab Cakes. Nothing in the Freezer and I was in no mood to try that hard so I walked out, this bugged me though. 

Few weeks later I went up to the counter and asked for Crab Cakes and of course they had them and at what I am told at a very good price after the fact (4 for $5.00).

These were Delicious and Full of Crab Cake Wonderfulness, Had the first two solo.

Don't Call Me Crabby !!! THIS IS CRABILICIOUS !!!

My local Fish Market where they sell Fish.