Month: September 2014

BREWSKI OF THE WEEK: Guinness Extra Stout

Posted on by Nate Mack

Welcome to the inaugural post of  Brewski of the week . This first post should actually be called my favorite brewski of all time. In the upcoming weeks I will feature craft beers and some throwbacks. For this post, I will feature my hands down go to brew for many years. The love affair actually started when I was young. When I was a youth, every now and then my parents would treat me to a punch. I always thought the punch was more like a milkshake thick, creamy and sweet. One of the main ingredients of the concoction was Borden Eagle Brand condensed milk ,a sprinkle of nutmeg and of course Guinness. Yes, I’ve been drinking Guinness since I was a young buck. I was about seven or eight years old when I had my first taste. I can remember at family bbq’s when I was like fourteen, my pops would just walk right pass me and not say a word if he saw me chugging on a Guinness.

IMG_3482

 

Some might wonder, “Why is Guinness so popular with the Jamaican community?” Since the 1800’s Guinness has been brewed by Desnoes & Geddes in the heart of Kingston, Jamaica. Besides water and tea, I would say Guinness is probably the most consumed beverage I’ve had to date. Trust me, the taste of the barley in the Guiness is not for everybody. Fun fact, Guinness also has less calories then the standard beer. For anyone who has read this post, go to your local pub and order some of that black gold because Guinness “Is Good For You”.

– Pinky Finger Up

PEEP THIS: Seoul Chicken

Posted on by Nate Mack

I have always wondered where the black stereotype and the association of black folk and their love of fried chicken originated from. Growing up my parents usually baked chicken or made stewed chicken. If we did have fried chicken, it was prepared with 4C bread crumbs. Nothing fancy. From my understanding, the association is from old southern folklore. Chicken has always been the affordable protein. It was considered a ‘dirty’ food since it was eaten with our hands but with this mindset, I guess we are all dirty because fried chicken is now a staple throughout homes across America.

I have had my share of crispy bird over the years, but there have been a bunch of new spots popping up in NYC that are worth checking out. The first stop on our chicken run was Seoul Chicken in the Lower East Side. Seoul Chicken is the new joint from former Top Chef alum Chaz Brown. The vibrant location looks like the Miami Dolphins training facility. It houses a nicely decked out bar with a big projection screen TV. Jocks, this is where you want to be for your football fix. Beer, sports, and wings…your holy grail.

Now on to some wings…

Pinky Finger Up tried six of seven wings offered on the menu:

Szechuan Peppercorn & Sea Salt – this was a little on the salty side and had us looking forward to the more saucy wings.

SZECHUAN PEPPERCORN & SEA SALT

SZECHUAN PEPPERCORN & SEA SALT

Gochujang & Buffalo – fermented red chilli paste with buffalo sauce. Not bad, but no the best.

GOCHUJANG & BUFFALO

GOCHUJANG & BUFFALO

Palm Sugar Calamansi – calamansi is a fruit native in Asia. A cross between a lemon/lim/orange so expect a citrus burst.

PALM SUGAR & CALAMANSI calamansi is a fruit native in Asia which is a cross between a lemon/lime

PALM SUGAR & CALAMANSI

Sriracha Honey – pretty mild with nice spicy and sweet flavors.

Pretty Mild with Nice Flavors

Pretty Mild with Nice Flavors

Habanero Kimchi – packed the punch I was looking for. Nice little burn.

HABANERO KIMCHI

HABANERO KIMCHI

Fish Sauce & Garli – the TOP bird. Definitely a bite you won’t want to stop eating.

FISH SAUCE & GARLIC

FISH SAUCE & GARLIC

Lastly, to wash all those wings down, I recommend the fresh virgin coconut to cool you off. Bottom line, if you like wings and thighs, Seoul Chicken is right up your alley.

FRESH COCONUT

FRESH COCONUT

 

-Pinky Finger  Up

 

 

Events: Let Us Eat Local

Posted on by Nate Mack

Pinky Finger Up crew always love events that spreads awareness throughout. On Wednesday September 17, Just Foods celebrated their 7TH annual Let Us Eat Local spectacular at the Altman Building in Manhattan. Just Foods supports community-led efforts to increase access to locally grown food. All restaurants used foods from farms located all over New York state. Take a look at some of the offerings at the event.

– Pinky Finger Up

GREAT PERFORMANCES chilled blue crab, celery, cucumber, young ginger & dash
DA SILVANO atlantic sole in soar, yellow tomato sorbet, frittata with green tomatoes
MOMOFUKO SSAM roasted beets with sunflower hozon & raisin
RIVERPARK sweet corn panna cotta, heirloom tomatoes & Riverpark Farm basil
DIRT CANDY Portobello Mousse with Grilled Portobello Mushroom
CANDLE 79
BACK FORTY WEST smoked pork with succotash, peaches & anise hyssop
BLT BAR & GRILL Heirloom Bean Salad with Surryano Ham & Tomato

Events: Taste Talk’s All-Star BBQ

Posted on by Nate Mack

This past weekend the Pinky Finger Up crew had the chance to attend the 3 day Taste Talk conference in our backyard in Brooklyn. Taste Talks explores the culinary cutting-edge for a food obsessed generation’ through discussions and panels. Some panels included “Online/Offline: The Future of Food Magazines” with the chic moderator Kerry Diamond and “Do Restaurant Reviews Matter?” to name a few.

The weekend’s highlighted event was the All-Star BBQ at the East River Park. At $40 a pop for a ticket, this was definitely a bang for your buck. We had all the elements for a perfect barbecue: sunshine, brewskis and hungry guests.

Some of the world’s top chefs gathered for this grill down and created some marvelous bites. At times we were treated to mashups like Marea’s & Ai Fiori’s Chef Michael White and bushy bearded wordsmith Action Bronson who blessed us with a thai spiced “Porchetta Kra Prow.” White is well known for hi Italian cuisine but this collaboration showed he had more than few Italian tricks up his sleeve. Pok Pok’s Andy Ricker spiced up some “Boar Collar Meat” with a garlic, coriander root and black pepper soy sugar glaze, straight goodness! Ramen wizard Ivan Ramen showed me some love and won my heart over with his “Grilled Duck Heart” served with a summer corn XO sauce. This was my very first taste of ANY heart and I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first, but it was straight pimpin’. Right down a literal line, we were treated to some good eats. Check out some the photos from the BBQ:

– Pinky Finger Up

Action Bronson & Michael White PORCHETTA “KRA PROW” TIGELLE Thai spiced “Porchetta Kra Prow”, crispy watercress, tigelle
Danny Bowien & Jamie Bissonette LAMB TARTAR
Ssam Bar GRILLED BLUE WHALE OYSTER : shaoxing, brown butter, ramps
Russ & Daughters and Russ & Daughters Cafe GRILLED CINNAMON BABKA with Granny Smith ‎apple cream cheese icing and crushed honey-roasted pecans
Rob Newton BARBECUE DUCK with sorghum, ginger and five-spice flat bread
Pok Pok BOAR COLLAR MEAT rubbed with garlic, coriander root and black pepper, glazed with soy and sugar, grilled over charcoal and served with chilled mustard greens and a spicy chili/lime/garlic sauce
Danny Bowien & Inaki Aizpitarte MISSION CANTINA SPECIAL
Mile End GRILLED CHICKEN KEBAB with Szechuan pepper zhug on flatbread
Delaney BBQ – BrisketTown TEXAS HOT GUT SAUSAGE
Ducks Eatery SMOKED CHAR SUI LONG ISLAND EEL fermented corn, sassafras root & crab roe creme
Fung Tu PIG HEAD SALAD with green mango,cabbage, cilantro, mint, maLa vinaigrette and fish powder
Black Axe Mangal CHARRED LAMB TONGUE & Deep-fried Anchovy
Ivan Ramen GRILLED DUCK HEARTS with a summer corn XO sauce

 

Throwback: 2013 New York Rising Stars

Posted on by Nate Mack

I have been attending the biggest food festivals and tastings all around the city the past couple of years. Here’s a blast from the past. Some of my favorite bites from the 2013 New York Rising Stars Event last year hosted by StarChefs.com at The Liberty Theater.

– Pinky Finger Up

Nomad: Slow Roasted Carrots,Wheatberries and Crispy Duck Skin. Chef: Abram Bissell.
Atera: Sake Cured Diver Scallops, Sauerkraut, Cabbage Ice Chef: Matt Lightner.
Fette Sau: BBQ Duroc Pork Belly Chef : Joe Carroll.
Ai Fiori: Diver Scallop, Celery Root, Black Truffle and Bone Marrow. Chef PJ Calapa.
Daniel Boulud Restaurants: Poulet au Citron Terrine and Pate de Campagne. Chef Aurelien Dufour.
Speedy Romero: Peekytoe Crab Crostini, Cumin Mayonnaise, Radish and Nasturtium Vinegarette. Chef: Justin Bazdarich.
Beatrice Inn: Cervena Venison Porchetta, Whipped Lardo, Ramps and Pistachios. Chef: Hilary Sterling.
The Pines: Duck Breast, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Heart of Palm and Blood Orange. Chef: Angelo Romano.
Gwynnett St.: Curried Australian Lamb , Quinoa, Winter Preserves. Chef: Justin Hilbert.