Chicken Yassa, A Taste of the Senegambia Experience

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on July 28, 2009 | No Comments

Today’s post is kindly brought to you by a reader and friend from London, England. Please welcome our Afropean foodie friend Nana-Adwo N’dow as she shares one of her favorite west African dishes with us.

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Yesterday, it rained… again! After so many years in the UK, this should not get to me, but I just could not help but think about when I last visited my family in Gambia. I was nicely greeted by ever-shining sun, beautiful scenery, relaxed pace of life and of course great food.

In an attempt to forget about the gloomy doomed weather, I thought to myself “if the Mountain will not come to the prophet, the prophet must go to the Mountain” and set out to make some Chicken Yassa. Before I go any further, I think it is of up most importance that I give you a short history lesson. Read more

Filed under: African, Cooking, Poultry and Game Birds

Real Japanese at Wajima

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on June 16, 2009 | 2 Comments

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Good Japanese food is hard to find.  While there is an overabundance of decent places to choose from, I find it oddly difficult to come across authentic Japanese cuisine in Manhattan.

Then I discovered a restaurant on the Upper East Side, at the cusp of Midtown, called Wajima.  It’s an unassuming place — so low-key that I didn’t even know it has existed for three years in my own neighborhood.  But what surprised me was that this restaurant isn’t a typically Upper East Side Japanese joint.  In other words, Wajima is a very traditional restaurant, run by Japanese people, and full of Japanese patrons.  And you know it’s a good sign when the cognoscenti are there. Read more

Filed under: Asian, Deals, Eating Out

Thinking Inside of The Box

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on May 20, 2009 | No Comments

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These days it seems like everyone is trying to figure out ways to save money. When it comes to wine, sometimes it’s smart to think inside of the box. Wait, I know what you are thinking and I am not talking about Franzia White Zinfandel or the atrocious Merlot usually served at art openings. There is a number of wonderful box wines out there that are a great way to save money without sacrificing quality or taste. Here are a few of my personal favorites. They are all available at Astor Wines and Spirits.

From The Tank, 3 liters $34.99 – Jenny and Francois Selections is a wine importing company that specializes in natural wines from France. Working with the Cotes du Rhone cooperative Estezargues, they have come up with a white and a red that are really incredible. The white is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Viognier. It’s a big and rich white that has a permanent place in my fridge. The red is a classic, peppery Cotes du Rhone Blend of grenache, syrah and carignan.

Yellow+Blue, 1 liter $8.99 – Yellow and Blue imports Torrontes and Malbec from Argentina made from certified organic grapes. Matthew Cain, an importer based in Pennsylvania decided that bringing wine in a TetraPak or box was not only cheaper, but also better for the environment. The white wine made of 100% Torrontes is light and floral with a pleasant acidity, perfect for spring. The Malbec is medium bodied and slightly spicy with hints of plum and orange rind.

VRAC, 3 liters $26.99 – VRAC is a light and fruity Cotes du Rhone, perfect served with a slight chill in warmer weather. VRAC is a French term referring to something bought in bulk, appropriate for this larger format wine.

These wine are all a great deal and since they come in a box they have a much longer life span than bottled wines. The sizes they come in are also a draw as three liters correspond to four bottles at well under $10 a bottle.

Filed under: Drinking, Shopping, Wine

Straight from Italy: Penne Strascicate

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on April 29, 2009 | No Comments

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While living in Italy several years ago, I piled my cupboard high with authentic Tuscan cookbooks. My favorite recipe to emerge from countless pages of pastas and risottos is Penne Strascicate, a Bolognese-like sauce filled with diced vegetables, fresh tomatoes, red wine, and the best-tasting olive oil you can find. This recipe is affordable and makes enough to reheat for lunch the next day. Read more

Filed under: Cooking, Italian, Pasta, Rice and Grains

1/2 the Guilt, 1/2 the Price

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on April 20, 2009 | 1 Comment

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Whether you can handle sugar, flour and butter cream deep in your tummy, you know deep in your heart that you shouldn’t indulge in cupcakes.  But when you’ve got a case of the Mondays, sweets are hard to resist. Thankfully, at Babycakes, the specialty bakery on the Lower East Side, cupcakes are 1/2 off on Mondays. Read more

Filed under: Dessert, Eating Out
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