RAVIOLI OF THE HOMEADE KIND - PASTOSA - Brooklyn, New York

Noodle Pockets Packed with Ricotta.

Oh Ravioli let me sing my praises.

I am surprised it took this long for Pastosa to get a posting on this Blog and this will not be the last I am sure. These are amongst the Best Fresh Home Made Ravioli I have yet to try, Just Perfect. 

Pastosa has been in the Ravioli business since 1966 and this comes as no surprise due to the quality of their product, I wonder how many Raviolis they have sold since then ? 

Well, lets take a walk over to the Ravioliometer and see,... oops it under repair.

These Rav's are Refrigerated and never Frozen, you can of course Freeze them for later use at home but a partial reason to their Deliciosity I believe is that they are made fresh and kept chilled and not frozen. I cannot imagine ever having Frozen Ravioli again, will let you know if I ever do a taste test of course.

As a precaution since Fresh Pasta is a Gummy being the Rav's are dusted in Corn Meal to prevent sticking and easy separation before the Boiling process. Have no fear of consequence as the Corn Meal Dissolves in Boiling Water.

Dont just dump them all in !!! Place them Gingerly in Salted boiling water one at a time.

Just a portion of the "prepared" Foods that Pastosa has on offer. This is always a work to admire as the Menu changes yet stays the same in a conundrum of Delectability. I am still waiting on the return of "JUMBOTTO".

E.T.A. 20 seconds

Approaching Pastosa from New Utrecht avenue. Note an actual pay phone booth in view.

E.T.A. 3 seconds

This photo is unrelated to Pastosa but belongs here. Lard Bread from Frank & Sal's with a Schmear of Cream Cheese. That's right folks, it works.

6/18/14 - The Sicilian Rice Ball is Jumbo sized and filled with Meat, Peas, Cheese and of course Rice which is prepared in Tomato Sauce I believe with some perfectly done Crunchy Breading on the Outside, I heated this at home in my oven and it was Delicious.

PASTOSA WEBSITE

TRY THE VEAL - SILVER STAR RESTAURANT - Brooklyn, New York

After 30 years it finally came to pass that I built up the nerve and reserve to sample the Breaded Veal Cutlet with Brown Gravy ($7.75) from the "American Specialties" portion of the Silver Star Chinese Restaurant Menu. 

The Serving is (2) Veal Cutlets but is obscured in this photo as they are atop one another, accompanied with the Chinese version of Brown Sauce which I am not acquainted with as that comes with Egg based Dishes like Egg Foo Young (and I don't do Eggs) I did find this Gravy Tantalizing and quite good, Not your standard Beef Gravy but quite a few Ingredients more, not a thick Gravy but thick enough and a hint of Sweetness, just a hint. Flanked by Lettuce & Tomato and Crinkle Cut French Fries this Veal Cutlet can only be described as a Veal Chop or more likely a Pork Chop. This Veal had none of the "gamey" Taste or Texture of a Homeade/Meat Market Veal Cutlet so I will surmise that this is a "grafted" Cutlet in the least or Part Veal. Lets just say that if this was advertised as a Pork Cutlet I would be a complete believer but it was Veally, Veally Good. 

Most would ask WHY try American Food from a Chinese Restaurant ? 

The Menu IS The Enigma.

EXACTLY.

Taunting me for Decades on both the Take Out and In House Menu was the American Dishes section.  My theory which is almost without argument is these Dishes were offered towards the American folks especially in the 1950s bubble who had yet to acclimate their taste buds to the Asian Cuisine but brought the family along for an Exotic night out and amongst whom only some members appreciated Chinese Food, A Doubting Thomas or two of course might reside and in this case the American Specialties served their purpose and no one walked away hungry.

OR succinctly put, If You Dont Like Chinese Food here is something to EAT while we assimilate your American Family.

SILVER STAR ON FACEBOOK

DOWN BY THE SEASIDE - Coney Island, New York

Unique and Unbeatable in the world of Spud & Curd is Nathan's Famous Famous Crinkle Cut French Fries with Cheese. These are technically French Fries but I must add for those whom are uninitiated that they are Potato Wedges Fried to golden perfection and no two are shaped alike. I got mine topped with Cheese Sauce which is the only way to fly, the picture says it all and this portion is a little skimpy in the Cheese Sauce department as opposed to Nathan's Doused in Cheese servings.

I was at Coney Island for a job orientation session and had pre-meditated my visit to Nathan's and Rita's by 48 hours in the least but during a break in orientation class we were graciously served Turkey Wraps, Donuts, Muffins and Bottled Water. I am never one to say no to a Wrap, These were filled with Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato and two Cheeses which I could not fully distinguish, the center cheese may have been a Mild Swiss but there was a soft Sweet Cheese like a Mascarpone on the outer circle. I had 3, this photo is my second helping.

Rita's Ices is a new addition to Surf Avenue and as they have many Flavors on offer I decided I wanted to try a Black Cherry Ice of which they only had a Smoothie version available so I opted out since I just wanted an Ice.

The Mango Peach Ice was enticing but the Swedish Fish Ice selection won me over. It was only while enjoying this Delicious Icee that I realized I had this before at the Rita's location on the boardwalk at Atlantic City, I did not regret a repeat performance.

I must mention how I do love the Ice Cream Sprinkles motif on the countertop.

This photo is a partial representation of what was available on the menu this day and was taken in such a bright glare of sunlight that I could see nothing in my iPhone viewfinder. 

A true example of "Point & Shoot"

NATHANS FAMOUS ONLINE

RITAS ICES ONLINE

FOOD FROM THE BOX THAT RULES ~ TACOS AT HOME

Taco's at home are So Delicious that I do not know how I have time to type, one sec.

So here I am almost a month to the day of this entry as I have to fill in my Taco experience due to lack of Nachovation on the night and having to Ketchup, OK SHOOT ME. with a bit of time to type, not because of Time Itself but because Tacos At Home are just a joy and a deal and a joy, kind of like the epitome of "A Party In My Mouth" and after such a party only sleep and longing are invoked.

THE TACO, In All of her Gloriousness, She is Crunchy, She is Spicy and She is Tasty.

A Great Man once said.

"Do Not Ask What Your Taco Can Do For You but ask What Can I Do For My Taco"

Well,... I did add Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (America's Choice brand), Chop Meat (Ground Beef), Greens (Fresh Express brand), Diced Tomatoes and Taquera Salsa (Goya brand) ensconced over a heated Ortega Crunchy Corn Tortilla Taco Shell and that my friends pretty much did the trick.

There is always that Cracked Taco Shell in the bunch oftentimes but I welcome them with open arms. Herein is the birth of a mini Tostada.

Some Taco Ingredients on display.

After the Taco Shells have been depleted there are usually Leftovers of Meat, Veggies and Cheese. In this case I opened a can of Goya Refried Beans and made a Delicious Tex Mex Burrito. All that was missing was the Sour Cream.

OF NOTE - Flour and I assume Corn Tortillas Heat perfectly over your Stovetop Burner, just make sure you flip and spin (not violently) and keep watch, 60 seconds or even less should do. 

Torta means many Breads in history but the word basically boils down to "Bread" and most Torta's these days are commonly served on a Roll so after picking up some Seeded Rolls with my Antipasto I used one to make a Torta with the Leftover Beans, Meat and Veggies. I Grilled the Bread in a pan and topped it with Cheese. Delicious.

ORTEGA ONLINE

OTTOS TACOS 4/30/14 New York City

To Finally Be Here !!!. 

About a year ago I heard they were bringing California style Tacos to the east coast and have heard from many about the greatness of west coast Tacos. There are plenty of great Tacos here in New York as well just not as in such abundance and you have to know where to go.

Ottos Tacos did not disappoint.

I calmly took a few pics of my platter before digging in, *Give no mind and take your time* as the food got colder but Tacos can stand weather limitations, on the other hand Masa Fries maybe not.

Masa Fries can perhaps only be described as Corn (not Potato based) Fries, These are 100% Unique and Genuinely Delicious, The Dipping Sauce is Heavenly, Everyone should have these at least once in their lives.

Not So Much Myself as I of late prefer Steak Fries and something with a soft center, these are not Crunchy at all but more like a thinner Fry. They are all the rage, Ignore this comment. 

These were just Tantalizingly Tasty, With only a simple Douse of Onions and Cilantro to Top the Marinated Meat this was Unbeatable Food, Delectable on the Palate and wonderfully displayed.

I am not quite sure what is pictured above. I believe my first Delicious Taco was an Carne Asada Taco followed by an Carnitas Taco so what is left right now (hours later) is the Chicken Taco that along with the Masa Fries I got to go.

Sometimes with Delicious Tacos it is hard to delineate because your brain is too busy thinking *OH MY GOD* but this is All Good.

Being a newcomer and reading many reviews I may have become clouded and confused here, I Dribbled in excitedly and on a Dreadful day full of Rain & Wind but was still most excited to finally be Inside of Ottos Tacos. Placed an order for (2) Carne Asada Tacos, one Chicken and one Steak not realizing that Carne Asada IS Steak (Marinated Steak) I thought it was a Topping or Style, I am not complaining here so there was a Carnitas (Pork) as well as the Chicken Taco, I was a bit puzzled upon receiving my platter with 3 Tacos as opposed to the 2 that I ordered but after 10 months waiting More is More, Money is No Object and Take This Back is Out Of The Question.

The Masa Fries are Completely Unique to anyone who has Not had Fries made out of Corn or so that is how much I can base off of my taste buds. The Chipotle/Mayo Dipping Sauce is Ridiculously Incredible.

My third try at a photo of Ottos Tacos facade, Weather conditions were so bad (and this was taken with a cellphone whilst juggling an open umbrella and carry bag) that I did not catch my thumb in the pic until I got home and WHO CARES with FOOD this good.

OTTOS TACOS WEBSITE

BUTTERFINGER PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, YO

Prince of Cups since time Immemorial has been the Only Cup, Dare I even have to emote the name REESES here. Well,..... 

(OK Mallo Cups Were Even before Reeses dating as far back as the Mallozoic age)

I was not insulted as I could very easily have been upon seeing this product upon the shelf today, I even took a photo with my iPhone since everyone has a Dick Tracy pocket camera in this sad age.

So Butterfinger is going to make a PEANUT BUTTER CUP.

OK, I suppose you cannot really trademark that but I am always intrigued to try a new Candy.

First off I noticed upon carefully removing said Cups from Case that they were not Individually wrapped as we are all so used to but no biggie.

These are square shaped instead of round,... Well, you can have a square cup as well so long as it is bowl shaped.

Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups can only be described as a Reeses with Butterfinger Flakes dispersed throughout the Peanut Butter Cream, also the Cream is not as crumbly as a Reeses but the Flakes attenuate towards the Crumbly part. I can only hope these stick around as so many Candy experiments fall by the wayside over the months, years and decades. Absolutely Delicious.

I once had this idea to combine Nougat, Caramel and Nuts and cover it in Chocolate but everyone Snickered at me.

BUTTERFINGER ONLINE

THE MIGHTY ANTIPASTO.

A PREAMBLE.

Without going into History here the Properly accepted Antipasto is served as an opening Dish before the Pasta during Italian meals, I have not researched any of this in any way (well, maybe a little) and am going by my personal experience. Antipasto is usually Fresh Tomato Slices & Fresh Mozzarella Slices Drizzled atop with Virgin Olive Oil and Seasoned with Basil and likewise, Bay Leaves maybe.

The Delicatessen Antipasto consists of the Leftover Ends of Meats and Cheeses that were served as Cold Cuts and a Genius somewhere thought to Cube up these Odds & Ends and build a Salad of Meat & Cheese out of them. In my experience which only dates back to the late 1970s and memory permitting these Cubes of Delight were Garnished with Spices lightly and served with Oil & Vinegar, Now I shall do a bit of research Just Because.

OK, I Googled for maybe 5 whole minutes and Cannot find the typical Deli Style (Cubed/Diced Not Thinly Sliced) Antipasto at All.

Also Antipasto does not truly in the basic and logical sense have a Recipe in most instances. 

Sometimes there is More Cheese, Sometimes there is More Meat, it is a Hodgepodge of a Cornucopia of an Enigma in most cases.

I Hope You Know, This Means War. 

Summer 2014 Shall Be The Summer Of Antipasto for me and if this Culinary Delight continues to dwindle in the shops and Delis then I shall do my best to at least take a few pics and Brag about how Great it was. I have a few friends who adore this yet we do rarely indulge, Indulge I shall like the last DODO bird on the planet.

This is a Picture taken after getting home with the Groceries, as you can see it was a Big Catch. 

ANTIPASTO 1 (Waldbaums is near my home and has Antipasto year round)

Waldbaums (78th street & New Utrecht avenue) - 5/29/14 - Always a Great Antipasto ($5.99/Lb) and there is enough Prosciutto in it that you can see it just from looking at it but herein the problem lies, Its Too Much Prosciutto, I know there is No Such Thing but Cubed Prosciutto does NOT Sliced Prosciutto make, its chewy, Fatty and cumbersome (pic below) Sliced Prosciutto is like silk, Not Cubed at least not in this case. Also NOT Enough Cheese at all, What is here is Provolone. Also Genoa Salami, Ham, Mortadella, Bologna, Cauliflower, Mixed Peppers, Olives. Peperoncini and Celery but there is TOO MUCH Prosciutto if you can believe that or not. 

Sliced Thin, Heaven. Cubed Not So Heaven.

I checked out a few of the local Deli's tonight and none had more than the usual Coleslaw, Potato and Macaroni Salad but at least I know where Not to find Antipasto, I knew Tasty Bagel would have some and they did.

Tasty Bagel (86th street & 17th avenue) - 5/2/14 - I asked for a Half Pound ($7.99/Lb) but since they were almost out the guy asked if I wouldn't mind buying the whole pound, no discount offered but he didn't really have to pull my leg either. Apart from some Olives I do not see much Veggie in here so this being priced two dollars higher than Waldbaums recipe is somewhat justified. Ham, Swiss Cheese, Genoa Salami, Pepperoni & Olives with a light sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes. 

I spy a small Chunk of Prosciutto in here as well.

New Rule - Prosciutto adds a nice touch and great flavor but is pretty much inedible when being the Butt End Cubed.

Not to worry Folks, It gets better.

Frank & Sal's (80th street & 18th avenue) - 5/8/14 - This might just be The One as Frank & Sal's Is THE Place ($4.99/Lb). The Antipasto looks Great and they do NOT have it on a daily basis, I was lucky enough to stumble in when it was available. Celery, Ham, Provolone, Mushroom Salad, Olives, Salami, Red Pepper, Cauliflower and edible Prosciutto sliced properly at least this is what I can detect. Well I expected No Less. 

Almost Perfect and Priced Correctly. Eff Tasty Bagels.

And some Delicious Seeded Rolls ($2.29/half a dozen)

It will be a few years until the next contender since I stuck with Frank & Sal's but as you can see below the next round begins.

ROUND TWO - Fall 2016

Food Dynasty (86th street & 15th avenue) - 10/13/16 - The "other" local Supermarket since Waldbaums has been closed (A & P Supermarkets liquidated as a whole) also has our favorite Salad ($5.99/Lb) on offer. The Deli person asked me thrice of the percentage I requested of which a Pound was my wish (kinda doofycreepy, huh). Ham, Salami, Mortadella, Muenster Cheese, Sweet Red Pepper, Celery, Bell Pepper and TONS of julienned Carrots. The presentation is lacking as in Rods of cuts as opposed to cubes and not so much of a Oil & Vinegar coating as a watery dare I say Ham Juice moistness, laziness abounds here. I shall take my Antipastoism elsewhere.

John & Dave Bagels (62nd street & 18th avenue) - What a piece of Garbage (compared as this is) and the Carrots carry most of the baggage in weight here, I am glad to have tried this once so as my conscience will not let me return again. Completely overpriced ($7.99/Lb !!!) considering the competition in the great big Antipasto world out there as this should be priced accordingly yet is not, this was not an inferior batch this is an inferior product (edible though it is).

La Bella Marketplace (80th street & 13th avenue) - We must keep in mind that in most instances there is no "Recipe" for Deli Antipasto insofar as quantities go as this is usually a pinch of this, a pound of that kinda deal but this serving is Mostly Cheese wherein it is cost effective for them and pleasurable to myself some folk like to pay for the higher ticketed item, mainly,... Meat but "Does It Really Happen" (YES song title). This concoction ($7.99/Lb.) boasts some Oregano or somesuch. Lacking in Veggies aside from sweet Red Pepper slivers but just as expected from a proper Italian market meaning this is good stuff.

Key Food (Bath avenue & 18th avenue) - Key Food is an American Supermarket chain which caters to Americans meaning all races so this is not a paisano leaning Antipasto ($3.99/Lb.). As a matter of fact it is hardly deserving of its namesake at all but is completely enjoyable as its own thing. Once there is pitted Black Olives from a can, American Cheese, Bologna and Pickle Gherkins involved the Mama Leone has pretty much left the piazza.

Meats Supreme (86th street & 19th avenue) - Not enough cheese but this is what I was talking about, people LIKE THAT, they like it, get the high ticket Cold Cuts in there. This is Quite Outstanding as the Dressing is perceptible yet unperceptible. the Oil & Vinegar lingers just so and the Ingredients are minced/sliced just to the right size. Meats Supreme got it right but they have the Italiano behind them. Ask them what to do with an Ox Tail and Land Ho Internet.

Not too BIG Not too small. Perfect Cubings on a macro level.

To the Meatball is the Pasta, To the Cereal is the Milk and to the Antipasto is the Bread.

Key Food (70th street & New Utrecht avenue) - Rich in Salt, Cauliflower and Olives is an understatement but at this reasonable price ($3.99/Lb.) can I really complain Yes I Can. 

NOT an Italian Antipasto but an American Deli style mixture as is Key Food's imprint, did I enjoy it ?, yes I did but then again I am easy to please in this department.

Key Food (70th street & New Utrecht avenue) - Funny how the Slice of Pepperoni changes the tone but this is a Cheese Salad consisting mostly of Muenster and American Cheese but can only fit into the Antipasto category.

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How the heck do you spell it anyhow ,... ?