Cooking at Home - Beef Empanadas

Before I start off, I've decided that for the posts I put up about food I've made at home, I will not be posting the recipes. Not to keep them secret but more for the readability of the blog. If at any point somebody would like the recipe for a meal, please comment on this page or on the new Facebook page and I will gladly give that out. Along those lines, if anybody has a favorite recipe they think I should try, please let me know.

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A few weeks ago, my wife and I made empanadas. This was definitely a learning as we go meal. A few notes to start off. We baked them, not fried. Also, we had no idea what we were doing. :-) All that aside, they actually came out pretty good.

Although, a little time consuming to make, I can't wait to take what we've learned making these and try again soon. The filling was very bold and delicious. The most prominent flavors came from the beef, eggs & green olives. Our crust was a little thick, but very flaky with a strong buttery flavor. My wife thought a little too buttery but if we don't make it as thick, it will probably be better.




The only thing that was really missing was a sauce of some sort. I had a somosa from an Indian restaurant near work that came with a thick plum curry sauce. Maybe I'll try something like that.

Souvlaki GR

 I started out my lunch break, like I usually do, with a tweet to the truck that I am going to visit that day. Like most of the food trucks, Souvlaki GR does not really come close to my work, so it was another 32 block walk roundtrip for me. As I turned the corner, I stopped to take my necessary photo of the truck when I hear "Are you Mike?!" Amazing! (I forgot that even know my Twitter name is TheArtofCorbo that it shows my full name too) Abby introduced herself to me and we chatted a little more about my hike to see them and it really made me admire the Souvlaki GR truck. It isn't just about mass-producing food to make a buck. It was about making friendships out of customers who will be sure to return again, and maybe even bring a friend. It doesn't hurt that their food is incredibly delicious too! No wonder why they won a 2010 Vendy Award for "Rookie of the Year."

I have only really had souvlaki from one other place in the city; Uncle Nick's Greek Cuisine, 747 Ninth Avenue. I would place an order on the phone, go to the bank & walk over to the restaurant. I would then still have to wait 10 minutes or so for my order to be filled. The pitas were delicious but the meat was always overcooked (no wonder it took so long) and the other ingredients were just thrown together inside the pita. Nothing tasted fresh and there was definitely no care behind their food. It was also way too expensive for the quality of food. It almost made me give up on souvlaki until I heard about the Souvlaki GR truck on Twitter. The problem was, it was never close. Always coming near at night when I was on my way home to my wife and dinner. But then, one magical day, they announced they were open for lunch at 21st & 6th! I left the lunch I had brought to work that day in the fridge and headed out to see if they could change my mind.

I have made a few trips to the Souvlaki truck so far I have only tried two of their menu items: the Chicken Souvlaki Pita & the Pork Souvlaki Pita. You start with a warm pita that was fluffy and not greasy at all. Inside is the meat of your choice, red onion, tomatoes (which I don't get), tzatziki sauce and french fries. You heard me...FRENCH FRIES inside the pita! This is all wrapped tightly into rolls for a tasty treat to eat on the go.

Where do I start on what makes these so good? The meat is cooked perfectly. I usually get one of each when I go. Everything is cooked to order so don't expect to walk up, order and go. They only take a few minutes so hang out, listen to the music they play and let the anticipation build. It is WELL worth the wait. Usually I am not a fan of red onion but they people at Souvlaki truck have done it right. They don't pile on half an onion but instead just a few little slices. The sharp flavor really cuts through and is not overpowering at all.

As I was enjoying my first ever chicken souvlaki, I took a bite that was filled with this amazing and unexpected flavor...was that a french fry? I was so excited to have gotten my pitas that I completely forgot about these hidden secrets inside! Let me tell you, the french fries may sound out of place but they pull the entire flavor profile together. They are soft and salty and adds a beautiful compliment to all of the other ingredients. Do not take these guys for granted. As if this doesn't sound good enough already, everything is finally finished off with their tzatziki sauce. This tangy yogurt sauce is incredible. So good, in fact, that I actually ate some of the wrapper! I need to bottle this and put it on everything.

I can't wait to go back and try some of the other menu items but it will be hard not to get a souvlaki pita to go with it.

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Souvlaki GR

Website: www.souvlakigr.com/

Twitter: @souvlakitruck
Facebook: Souvlaki GR

Cooking at home - Fried Oreos

In addition to my various restaurant & food truck visits, I would also like to use this blog to talk about what my wife and I are making at home. We are married for about a year and a half now and we love to cook. So we tend to grab a cookbook or just look inside the fridge and see what we can do. I haven't really decided on what to write about though. Just telling you I made a delicious meal doesn't really benefit the reader. Or does it? I've also considered throwing up the recipes for some of the dishes. Is there any interest in that? Being I am still trying to figure that all out, I chose a very simple, yet delicious first posting: Fried Oreos. So many times, I've been to fairs or festivals that have offered up this tasty treat and it wasn't until our honeymoon, at our favorite restaurant, that we had our first fried Oreo dessert. It was incredible! Ever since, agendas we had the opportunity, we took a moment to enjoy the fried goodness. If you've never had a fried Oreo, I highly recommend it. The cream becomes just the slightest bit melted while surrounded by a warm chocolate cookie which is finally engulfed in a batter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Sounds good, right?!

So one night my wife and I decided that we didn't have to wait for the next state fair, we could do it ourselves. Basically, it is just an Oreo dipped in pancake batter and then lightly fried in oil. Although I don't have the exact recipe on me at the moment, you can take your favorite pancake mix and go to town. I would recommend making it a little thinner than the recipe calls for though. The most important step is to make sure your oil is very hot. If the oil is too cold, the oil won't cause the steam necessary which will ultimately allows more oil to seep into your cookie. That would not only be more unhealthy but would also taste pretty bad. I counted roughly 5-6 seconds on each side for a nice golden brown. I used a pair of cooking chopsticks for the flipping and a metal slotted spoon for extracting.


Place the recently fried Oreos onto a cooling rack over a cookie sheet to allow them to cool evenly and not sit in any excess oil. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy! These shouldn't be mouth burning hot but be careful. They are best served right away so don't make too many too fast or you will end up with a pile of wasted Oreos.


Enjoy!

Food Parc

When one of the creative minds behind iconic films such as Tron and Blade Runner teams up with some of the city's top culinary talents you get Food Parc. Located only a few blocks from Penn Station, this modern take on a food court is perfect for Midtown Westers such as myself. I've made two visits so far, the second one with my wife, and I've tried to cover as much as I could, but there are still many more trips needed to cover everything. So consider this posting as Part 1 and stay tuned for future endeavors to this land of deliciousness.

Food Court?!
Food Parc is made up of 4 different restaurants: Red Farm Stand, Bacon Burgers Beer (3Bs), Fornetti & The Press.

Ordering
If you want to get the full experience of Food Parc, you need to pay with your credit card. Don't worry, if you can't or don't want to you can pay cash but you do miss out on the fun of playing with touch screens. They are almost impossible to miss. Besides the one wall dedicated to these monitors, there are also a couple randomly placed through the room. Just walk up, say how many people you have in your party, and start scrolling through the full menus for all 4 locations. When, you're done, simply swipe your credit card, get your receipts and watch your order come to life. If you are paying cash, you can just walk up to the place of your choosing and place your order with a real person behind the counter. But really, where is the fun in that?! Along the back of the room, you will see a few more tv screens. These will show you your order status. Just locate your order number on your receipt and ind the corresponding number on the monitor. You will see a gray circle under the name of each place you ordered from. When that circle turns orange, head to the counter and pick up your order. Done! And possibly without any human interaction to mess up your food. As somewhat of a picky eater, I find there is nothing worse than getting food that is not as you ordered it. If this while experience seems a little overwhelming or intimidating, don't worry. There are many helpful and friendly staff members walking around to ease you through the process of getting food into your stomach.

Bacon Burgers Beer (3Bs)
How could you expect anything bad from a name such as this? My first trip to 3Bs led me straight to a sandwich that had my mouth watering before even seeing it: Pastrami Bacon Reuben on pumpernickel bread. Note- that is not a Pastrami with Bacon sandwich but a Pastrami Bacon sandwich.


I'll give you a minute to let that sink in…Okay. This layering of pastrami bacon with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing is unbelievable. The salty, sour and tangy ingredients have been assembled with such delicate care that every bite is as amazing as the one prior. (Personal note: my mouth is endlessly watering as I'm writing this.) As soon as I finished my sandwich, which I have since named Pumpernickel Heaven, I craved more. 3Bs…I Love You!


When my wife joined me to Food Parc, she also ordered from 3Bs; a Classic BLT with a side of fried green tomatoes. We stood and watched the chefs construct the sandwich. There is so much care and love when putting everything together that really makes you as a customer proud to eat their food. A single slice of bread is laid out and each piece of iceberg lettuce is folded and strategically placed on top. There is no handful of shredded lettuce that has been sitting out for who knows how long. Everything is clean and fresh. Next the grill master walks over and drops off a fee pieces of bacon, right off the grill. Gingerly arranging the tomatoes and bacon so that you get a little bit of everything with each bite. An then it happened…my wife watched as they spread a coating of mayonnaise on the bread. Didn't I just mention this? She specifically ordered no mayo. But before my wife could say anything, the girl making the BLT realized the error she had made. She neatly finished the sandwich's construction while calling for new bacon. She started over! So this time she was probably going to just hurry and throw everything into a messy pile right? NOPE! the very same care and attention went into making the new BLT. I was, and still am, very impressed by that. So how did it taste? She would have liked a little more tomato and lettuce and the bread was a little too buttery but overall, very good.


Unfortunately, the fried green tomatoes did not match the standard set before it. They were very greasy and sour. My wife also felt like they could have been better seasoned.

Red Farm Stand
From the first time I saw the Red Farm menu, I knew this was a place I had to eat. Offering up a variety of Asian food but with a twist. My first sampling was of the spicy beef wontons.


I'm going to cut straight to the chase, these were probably the best wontons I have ever eaten. The wrapper was slightly thick which had a chewy bite to it. Each wonton was covered with ground black pepper and swimming in a spicy broth with peppers and onions. The heat is strong but not overpowering at all and accentuates the wonton's flavor.





Next up was the Beef shortrib bun. Although this is technically not a nun, I loved it just the same. The beef was slightly tough but in a good way. It made for a good bite; something to really sink your teeth into. The "bun" was light and sweet and didn't get soggy from the food resting on it. That was an initial worry of mine. The only regret I had with this nun was that it isn't very big. A few normal Corbo-sized bites and it was gone.




Last, I had the Bacon Egg Roll. This was my least liked dish from Food Parc so far. The egg roll wrapped was very crispy. Not like most egg rolls and that would probably have been good…and I can't believe I'm saying this…if it wasn't for the bacon. It was way too smokey and not cooked enough for me. It was chewy to the point that I had to make sure it was actually cooked at all. On an up side, the dipping sauce was a tasty duck sauce.

Food Parc also offers up various (and delicious-looking) salads, sandwiches, pastas, coffees, cookies, milkshakes, egg creams and even a bar in the back that will all have to be tried at some point.

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Food Parc
851 W. 6th Ave. (btwn 29th & 30th)
Website: www.FoodParc.com

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Kelvin Natural Slush Co.

"You're walking how far for a slushie?!" That is the usual response from my coworkers before I head out on my 40-ish block (roundtrip) adventure. The best part though, is knowing that every hot, sweaty step I take will be met with cool, crisp refreshment from none other than Kelvin Natural Slush Co. So why do I walk across Manhattan for such a drink? Because it is un-matchable. Kelvin offers such a unique and varied list of natural flavors and fresh ingredients that are always being rotated in and out.





ORDERING: When you walk up to the truck, you'll need to make a few decisions. First, what is the base flavor you want. Your options are Ginger [spicy], Tea [sweet], Citrus [tart] or any combination of the three. Next, you'll have to choose your mix-in(s). With so many changing options, it is hard to list them here, but some I have seen include mint, mango, cherry, green apple, blueberry, caramelized pineapple and the list goes on. Finally, choose your size. I find that the medium ($4) is the perfect size for my walk and leaves my coworkers jealous and curious about the final few sips left in my cup.

And before I get to the concoctions that I've created on my numerous trips I need to add one more, very important, note. Every time I have visited the truck, I have been greeted by some of the friendliest New Yorkers I have met. Offering up suggestions both in person and on Twitter, you can't help but smile and talk with the
staff
…that sounds so bland. Friends is much more fitting.


On to the Slushies! My first visit, I was so eager to try everything I needed to take a minute and really narrow down my options. So I asked for help! After a minute of tossing ideas around, it was suggested that I try a Tea/Citrus Slush with white peach. Built in layers of freezing cold deliciousness, each flavor stands apart. But then you take your straw and start to swirl and mix the separations into one cohesive uber flavor. Absolutely to die for!


On my next trip, I received a new suggestion via Twitter. Ginger with Blueberry. The ginger is very strong and spicy. My first few sips made me doubt my friend's suggestion. But as the slush started to melt and mix in with the sweet blueberries it all came around. I don't know if I would get another full base of Ginger but I think that mixing it with the citrus or tea would make for a nice balance.


The last flavor combination I would like to mention is Tea with White Peach and Mint. The tea and peach were sweet and paired really nicely together. The mint really threw me for a loop. There was actually a scoop of chopped mint leaves in my slushie. The flavor was so so crisp and fresh and really cut through the sweetness. Here was my problem though. Drinking leaves. It tasted delicious. But every sip I took, I couldn't get used to drinking leaves. For all you mojito lovers out there, go ahead and mint it up! But as tasty as it was, I think I'll stick with my plant-free slushies.
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Kelvin Natural Slush Co.
Website: www.kelvinslush.com
Twitter: @KELVINSLUSH
Facebook: Kelvin Natural Slush Co

Frites 'N' Meats

Craving a burger and want to avoid the inevitable guilt and depression from fast food? Jump on Twitter and track down the Frites 'N' Meats truck. Offering up a choice of two types of beef burgers (Grass-fed Angus or Wagyu - American Kobe) a delicious assortment of toppings and Belgian fries (with an equally impressive list of dipping sauces), this truck has perfected the hamburger. (They also offer a steak sandwich but I have yet to try it.) I have made numerous trips now and each burger stands above all other competition. Perfection was only made more amazing when I became the lucky winner for the month of October! My prize? FREE burgers and fries for a whole month!! That's a burger a day for 31 days! My only wish was that the truck came closer to work so that I really could take advantage of my winnings more often. I still can't complain that twice a week I get to treat myself to the Frites 'N' Meats truck. Now, let's get to the burgers.

First, we have the Angus burger with cheddar cheese, mesclun greens, garlicky guacamole and bacon on a Brioche bun. A simple burger in writing but the flavor was anything but simple. All of the burgers are cooked to order and their meat is cooked to a beautiful medium rare; the way all burgers should be. There is such a powerful beefy flavor that keeps me coming back for more. The brioche bun is light with a little sweetness and pairs nicely with the beef. The delicious applewood-smoked bacon is thick cut and perfectly portioned on top of the burger. As for the guacamole, it was a little thinner than I would have imagined, leading to a less the prominent flavor, but nonetheless satisfying. The fries are handcut and double fried and consistently raved about on Twitter but I feel like they don't live up to the hype. Are they delicious and crispy and a perfect accompany to the burger? Absolutely!! But I just am more preferential to a thick steak fry, that's all. I also sampled the horseradish aioli with the fries. My only regret there was that I didn't try it out sooner to add it to my burger directly. I love the combination of beef and horseradish.

My second burger was practically the same thing but with savory onion jam instead of the guacamole. This had been the best decision I had made that day. A nice thick coating of the onion jam was spread around so you got a taste with every bite. I highly recommend this jam even if you don't like onions on your burger.

The last burger I will mention was the burger of the week. This week's: The Marital Bliss Burger.
A Wagyu burger with cream cheese, jalepenos and bacon. I know what you're thinking…cream cheese on a burger? Believe me, I was thinking the same thing. I almost didn't order it for that exact reason. But I am so glad that I did. The cream cheese slightly melted and added a smooth, creamy consistency. It was not over powering but quite the opposite. Absolutely delicious. Sadly, the jalepenos were a little scarce. I only found a couple cubes. If they had been a little more prevalent, the heat would have nicely balanced out the salty of the cheese and bacon. And who can complain when you get a lollipop too?! But I definitely added a new condiment for the next time I decide to throw a couple of patties on the grill. Thanks Frites 'N' Meats!



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Frites 'N' Meats
Website: www.fritesnmeats.com
Twitter: @Fritesnmeats
Facebook: Frites N Meats

Bar Suzette

This is try 2 with my new app, BlogPress. Yesterday just would not post. Hopefully, I'll have better luck today. My first day at Madison Square Market went so well, I had to back for more the next day. The day before I walked by the booth for Bar Suzette; serving sweet and savory crepes.




A little back story, back during the summer break before my senior year in college, I was lucky enough to get invited to visit England with my friends family. It was such an amazing experience. Until then, I had never really travelled beyond the Caribbean. While in England, we decided to visit a few days in Paris. It was there, from a little hut on the streets of Paris, that I had my first ever crepe: A simple lemon sugar. The flavor was anything less than simple. Fresh squeezed lemons added a strong, tart citrus punch. What I can assume was real, natural white sugar was sprinkled onto the light crepe. Très Magnifique! Jump forward a few years. I have tried crepes from numerous places since my trip to Paris, and nothing has ever come close. Granted, some of those places were in malls and food courts, but come on! Nobody else can pour sugar and squeeze a lemon onto some dough?! My expectations when stopping at Bar Suzette's setup in the middle of Manhattan were unfortunately low. There it was though… "Lemon, Butter & Sugar -$6."

I was second in line behind a woman getting a chicken crepe and a Nutella with banana crepe; both looked delicious (I'm not sure what the specifics of the chicken crepe were, but the woman's first bite brought out a response which can only be referred to as a food-gasm). The guy making all of the crepes was explaining that almost all of the ingredients are from NY and as healthy and natural as you can get.

With a quick pour and spin of the crepe batter, I'm ready for my fillings. Out comes a block of butter which gets rubbed onto the folded crepe, then the natural white sugar is liberally applied, and finally the fresh squee…wait a second. That's not a lemon! It's a squeeze bottle with some pale yellow sauce in it. Hmmmm. Okay, they obviously know what they're doing. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Folded up and in my hands, the smell is intoxicating. I take a deep breath and cross my fingers and take my first bite……I was definitely pleased. Can it contend with my authentic crepe from Paris? No. BUT, it is by far the closest I have had since then. The consistency of the actual crepe was a delicious blend of crispy and chewy. The sugar covered every bite and helped the crepe melt in your mouth. The only real issue I had was with the "lemon" sauce. It didn't have that punch that I was hoping for the sharp tartness had been taken away. With fresh lemon juice, it seeps into the dough of the crepe so it covers evenly. I thought the lemon sauce was doing the same until I reached the last few bites. It turns out, all of the sauce collected in the bottom of my crepe. Oh well! Now don't get me wrong…the crepe was very good. $6 good? Probably not. But I would easily go back to try some of their other flavors. My high expectations are to blame for the less than perfect review. So my journey continues for New York's best crepe. Until then, Bar Suzette will be my go to place.

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Bar Suzette: World Crepe Bar
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Wafels & Dinges

Welcome to my very first post on Into the Mouth of Corbo. Not only is this my first posting, but it is also my first time using a new app for my iPhone, BlogPress. I will start off tonight with my more recent tastings but slowly I will post some of my older ones. So let's get started.

Yesterday, on my lunch break, I decided to check out Madison Square Market in Madison Square Park. I had walked by a couple of weeks ago but they were only setting up.

There is a small section dedicated to food vendors right on Broadway. There were so many different places that it is impossible to list but know that there is something to meet everybody's taste. I really wasn't looking for anything specific but I was really craving something sweet. There were some cookies at a couple of the stands, one place had some crepes (stay tuned) but then I saw it...calling to me from the corner...Wafels & Dinges! aka The Waffle Truck. I have always seen them around the city and read a lot about them on Twitter, but I was never able to take advantage of it.

For those of you that haven't heard of Wafels & Dinges, they offer up 2 styles of waffles with a delicious spread of toppings from the obvious whipped cream and fruit to BBQ pulled pork. I stood there like a deer in headlights, staring at the arrangement of toppings (dinges) and waffles while the person in front of me finished up their order. "Next!" the girl called as my smile and eyes got bigger. Noticing that this was obviously my first visit, I was shown all of my options until I settled on the warm Belgium chocolate. Now let me tell you, it was the best waffle I have ever eaten.

The proportions of chocolate to waffle were perfect. It was warm and chewy and COVERED IN CHOCOLATE!  The only problem I had was holding back the urge to throw away the fork and dive in face first. Well done Wafels & Dinges!  You not only have solidified me as a repeat visitor, but rest assured that I won't let a day go by that I don't try to recruit more waffle lovers.

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Wafels & Dinges
Website: www.wafelsanddinges.com
Twitter: @WaffleTruck
Facebook: Wafels & Dinges