Apartment Dining

In celebration of the holiday, I present this awkward prom-style Christmas photo for your consideration, complete with soft focus and head tilts.

My friends Angela and Sean hosted a small gathering Sunday afternoon to celebrate an a match made in culinary heaven: grilled sandwiches and beer. They gathered an impressive array of meats, cheeses, mustards, and more, and were ready with some fantastic combinations. More photos and combos after the jump » Read the rest of this entry «

I found some interesting items while scanning my grandmother’s recipe clippings Thursday afternoon. I’m saving the actual recipes for later posts, but I wanted to share some images and labels today. The giblet gravy recipe above comes from the back of a frozen turkey label, a piece of paper that could be the origin of a Mangan family tradition.

This book of oven triumphs (!) is coming back to Brooklyn with me. I want every time I bake to be considered a victory.

My policy is to try any food item I encounter at least once (as long as it’s not alive at the time of consumption), however this meal has me rethinking things:

More scanning finds (including melon cutting tips and men in hot tubs) with my unnecessary commentary after the jump. » Read the rest of this entry «

A lot has happened over the past two weeks. Here is a brief rundown: I was dumped, then I assessed my seemingly shattered existence, picked up the pieces, considered moving back upstate, changed my mind, moved out of the apartment in Greenpoint, moved into an apartment in Park Slope, and finally find myself settled in (Update on 9/22: I also got a full time job offer!). I don’t want to dwell on the situation (this is a food blog after all), however I have to say I’m lucky to have such wonderful friends and family—they kept me from going off the deep end and made this transition much easier than I thought it would be.

Now, on to the present. I’ve been living in Park Slope for just over a week, and while I miss my place in Greenpoint, I can now buy cupcakes, have my nails done, go to the movies, go out to dinner, or get on the subway within three blocks of my apartment. It’s the way I imagined New York would be during my high school daydreams, just with a lot more puppies and strollers. The toddlers are hip and neighborhood block parties have both bouncy houses and pony rides. Also, my roommates are great (and love to cook) and my new room is large enough to accommodate a reading nook, complete with an armchair, lamp, and ottoman.

The Park Slope food scene is also vibrant. There are hundreds of restaurants, cafes, specialty shops, and bakeries in the neighborhood and I look forward to exploring them in the coming months. In fact, I started exploring on my first morning here when I woke up early and walked up to the farmers’ market in Grand Army Plaza, where rows of small stalls are set up in the shadow of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch.

More photos after the jump. » Read the rest of this entry «

Pictured above: Me at age 4 or 5, along with the neighborhood gang. Identities have been concealed to protect the innocent.

I will officially turn twenty-five at 2:53pm today. The combination of high temperatures and my birthday means no cooking for me, save for possibly throwing together a salad for dinner. In the meantime, I leave you to ponder the ultimate birthday question: cake, pie, or other dessert?

I have always been a fan of cake. The cakes for most of my childhood birthdays were made by the same woman in her home on the South Side of Binghamton, decorated to match the themes of my birthday parties. The flavor and texture of the buttercream frosting was the best part, with its cavity-inducing sugar levels and a light crust.

My father scanned a few photos for me so I could share a few past cakes and a few theme parties. Take a walk down narcissism lane and enjoy a few classic Mo birthday photos after the jump. » Read the rest of this entry «

Ramsey and I spent the weekend in his hometown for the wedding of our friends Jon and Kellie. I took over three hundred photos, but I cut things down for a Flickr set. Some of my favorite (and a few food-related) photos can be found after the jump. » Read the rest of this entry «