Have a question about food in WNY? Maybe Ed can help! Ask Ed
FREE 1st yr.
Then $100/year
Restaurant
or Chef
| Blendings
- food in Western NY and Niagara Regional
Area
Have a question about food in WNY? Maybe Ed can help! Ask Ed |
|
WEB PAGE FREE 1st yr. Then $100/year Restaurant or Chef |
|
| | |
|
SEARCH
Copyright ©
|
February 28, 2008, FYI I found that the 2008 Buffalo Niagara's Best Restaurants (sells for $6.95) is available free on-line at Buffalo.com. It has the menus and recipes from the area's better known restaurants. February 28, 2008, The
Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, working for a greater East Side
of Buffalo, is proud to announce their Second
Annual Dyngus Day Celebration on Monday,
March 24, 2008. The events
begin with the official, very unique Dyngus
Day Parade starting at 5pm at
the Broadway Market, winding through the East Side and concluding at The
Buffalo Central Terminal. There
the party begins! Doors open at
5pm, with a performance by the Harmony
Polish Folk Ensemble at 6pm. The
entertainment continues with the distinctive sounds of “Those
Idiots” – polkas with an attitude – from 7 to 9, and the “Buffalo Bells”, featuring Gene Kurdzial, from 9 to 11pm.
February 26, 2008, If you are planning to eat out on Easter Sunday, it's not to soon to make reservations. Some places have just started to advertise and already certain time slots are already filled up. February 21, 2008, It may be winter, but you can still get locally produce foods thanks to the recent opening of Wintermarket on Elmwood. Located inside the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church at the corner of Lafayette and Elmwood, open on Sundays from Noon - 4 PM until the Elmwood-Bidwell Market re-opens in May. Current vendors are: (They hope to
continue to add vendors to continue to add more variety to the market.) February 13, 2008, AMIGO'S restaurant on 1609 Kenmore Ave. near Elmwood (716) 874-1072 is opened for business! They have a very extensive menu, but for starters we wanted to check out their beer battered fish fry. (Wed. and Fri. during Lent). Actually, you can get your Friday fish done any of 10 ways! The beer battered just happens to be our favorite. It was excellent! They are offering their Friday Fish also on Wednesday during the Lenten season. Another of their special offerings is Fresh Carved Beef that is served Tuesday & Sat. 11:00 - Until Finished. They had it right on the grill by the bar - it doesn't get any fresher than that. They are open Monday thru Saturday 11:00 am to close and Sunday 12:00 pm to close. Lunch is from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm and Dinner is from 4:30 to close. For the full menu and photos click [here]. January 30, 2008, The Buffalo News ran a story recently about the Restaurant Institute at Buffalo State College. I sounds like a really great idea for people who are thinking of opening a business in this area. They have a great collection of advisors and people who have established themselves in the local restaurant business. January 15, 2008, Work has begun on the 2008 Food Events Calendar. If you're like me, I'm always disappointed when I read about a food event after it already happened or it's too late to attend because I've made other plans. I get most of my info from other media sources, newspaper ads, TV, radio, Church bulletins, etc. Other sources are you!. If you know of any event that has food, either as a featured component or not, please let me know and I will put it on the calendar. [Tell Ed] January 1, 2008 Happy New Year! December 23, 2007 A new cookbook is available from Roswell Park Cancer Institute. It is the RPCI Nursing Cookbook with over 430 recipes from the staff. ($20.00) It is available at at Roswell. Call Penny Tirpak at 845-8530 for times of availability. Proceeds for the sale of this recipe book will be used to assist RPCI's nursing staff in joining the national Oncology Nursing Society.
December 2, 2007 A new restaurant (One Sunset) is due to open soon at 1389 Delaware and West Delavan. (Formerly Lotis, formerly Locker Room). The head chef is Bruce Bain, who use to be at the Rue Franklin. December 1, 2007 Final Thanksgiving notes: The turkey turned out great!. It thawed out just right and we brined it overnight in a 5 gal. pail with two gallons of brining solution. We stuffed and roasted it in an oven bag and it came out moist tender and delicious! November 15, 2007 Turkey update - we took the turkey out of the freezer last night and put it into the refrigerator to start thawing. Yesterday's paper said you should allow 24 hours for each 4 - 5 lbs. If you are planning to get a 20 pounder or larger, now is the time. If you wait until this weekend, you may not have enough time and have to resort to plan B - soaking in cold water. November 10, 2007 Well, the Thanksgiving plans are really coming together now. At least I think. There are always last minute adjustments right up until serving time. After very careful consideration, that includes 40 years of experience and watching many of the cooking tips on TV and reading many of the Holiday Magazines the decisions so far for this year are - 1. Get a frozen turkey on sale. (We got a 20 lb. Honeysuckle for 89 cents/lb. just a few days ago at Save-A-Lot) 2. Start thawing in the refrigerator a week before Thanksgiving. 3. The night before, we will soak it in a brine solution overnight. 4. It will be probably be stuffed, just like we have always done. (There are a lot of good reasons not to stuff the bird. There is a danger of bacteria if it is not done properly. My thought is, if you are careful and follow all the rules and there has not been a problem before, why not. It may not be the best decision for all people. You can't forget a step or be careless.) I'll let you know how the thawing is coming along and will give the brining recipe in the next few days. If you can't wait or have any questions or comments please let me know. Have a great day. Ask Ed November 4, 2007 Some readers asked for the recipe for Pumpkin Fudge that I mentioned the other day. I've placed it in the Recipes section. It really tastes great and is easy to make. November 1, 2007 BROADWAY
MARKET EVENT CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS FOODS Cooking Demonstration and Tasting Features Traditional Polish Christmas Eve Meal Buffalo
,
The tasting will be presented by Taste of Home Magazine's Western New York Field Editor and Slow Food Buffalo member Sandy Starks. Prepaid reservations are required and the price of $11 per person includes samples of a selection of Wigilia foods, including mushroom soup, pierogi, seafood and the traditional Christmas wafers (oplatek). Fr. Anzelm Chalupka, Pastor of Corpus Christi Church, will join Ms. Starks in explaining the Christmas Eve meal and will bless the Christmas wafers.
BACKGROUND Wigilia (pronounced: "vyg-ILY-uh"), comes from the Latin word vigilare, "to watch", and means literally "Eve." This meatless meal is also known as “the vigil,” as Catholics await the birth of Christ. Whether you would like to reconnect with your heritage, or want to learn about a custom that is not part of your family's tradition, the Broadway Market has been an important part of holiday meals for more than 100 years in our community. The Wigilia cooking demonstration is part of an ongoing campaign for Western New Yorkers to Come Home to the Market and to shop at this historic marketplace year-round. October 30, 2007 Helpful hint - If you have a liquid filled candy or deep-fry thermometer, be sure to check that the liquid has not separated in the column. It can make a whole lot of difference and waste valuable ingredients. We were ready to make some pumpkin fudge and noticed that some of the blue liquid had separated and was at the top of the column. (About 5 degrees worth.) There are ways to fix this or buy a new one, but we were in a hurry so just added five degrees to the temperature reading of the intact liquid and everything turned out fine. We plan to get a new thermometer this week. I would love to get a digital with remote sensor (500 ft.) for checking the BBQ from the house, liquid crystal display, LED backlit for low lighting situations, and USB so that I can hook it to my computer and check it from anywhere on earth or space. My wife, I'm sure will want a much lower tech model and possibly find other things to buy at the store. Maybe I better read up on how to rejoin the liquid column. Oh well. October 14, 2007 CHRISTMAS FOOD FAIR TO
DEBUT AT BROADWAY MARKET ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND Popular
European Celebration Expected to Become Annual
October 7, 2007 Buffalo
Picked Finalist for Pierogi Title Voting
Begins for defense of crown as Pierogy
Capital of America $10,000
prize at stake for local charity Is
the city of Buffalo crazy enough about pierogi to retain last year's title as Capital
of the Pierogy Pocket of
America? The choice is now in the hands of the voters. This year Buffalo has
some stiff competition from Binghamton, N.Y.;
Clifton, N.J.; Lancaster, N.Y.; and Whiting, Ind. Evidence of the
finalists' love of pierogi is posted at www.pierogypocket.com,
where individuals across the country can now vote for the place they'd like to
see crowned Capital
of the Pierogy Pocket.
Voting
opened Oct. 3 and will run through Oct. 23, 2007
. City
of Buffalo Mayor
Byron Brown
officially opened the online voting for Buffalo by casting
his ballot at
a press conference in his office on Friday,
October 5 at 9:30A.M.
The public ballot begins the final step in determining this year's Capital
of the Pierogy Pocket
winner, so every vote counts. Votes can be submitted once a day by the
same voter. Buffalo's
entry
in the Mrs. T's Pierogy contest was submitted
by Corpus Christi parish.
Rev. Anzelm Chalupka, pastor of Corpus Christi, will be present for the
Mayor's press conference, along with Lois Smith, Vice President of Parish
Nurse Ministries of New York, Inc. In addition, City Honors teachers
Cheryl St. George and Teresa Fundalinski will attend the conference with
several of their students who created original posters for Buffalo's contest
application. Buffalo's pierogi pride video may be viewed at www.corpuschristionline.org. Applications
are judged in four different categories. In support of Buffalo's application,
Corpus Christi Parish organized Buffalo's
Biggest Pierogi Party
during which 1,300 pierogi sold out in 45 minutes. An additional 2,500 had to
be purchased in order to feed everyone in the line that stretched down the
stairs and out onto Sears St on Buffalo's East Side. At the party, Fr. Anzelm
Chalupka led the crowd in singing a special song he wrote about pierogi. A
pierogi hotline was also established for residents to express their love of
the popular food. The hotline is also accessible at www.pierogypocket.com If
renamed the Capital
of the Pierogy Pocket,
Buffalo will use the
prize money
to restore the headquarters of the Parish
Nurse Ministries
at Corpus Christi Church to allow the group to continue providing free
health services to residents of Erie, Niagara and Genesee Counties. To
vote for Buffalo's effort visit www.pierogypocket.com
*Pierogy
is
a spelling provided by Mrs.
T’s Pierogies.
Spellings vary according to Slavic language. The
common Polish spellings are pierog
(singular)
and pierogi
(plural).
October 6, 2007. The Broadway Market will be celebrating the Fall Harvest with a Cooking Demonstration & Tasting. Native American Recipes will be featured at this October 20th "Savor The Flavor" event.
BROADWAY MARKET CELEBRATES FALL
HARVEST WITH COOKING DEMONSTRATION & TASTING
NATIVE AMERICAN RECIPES FEATURED
AT OCTOBER 20 "SAVOR THE FLAVOR" EVENT
Buffalo, New York - On Saturday October 20 at
11:00A.M, the Broadway Market will celebrate the bounty of
the Western New York harvest with a Savor
the Flavor cooking demonstration and tastings.
Buffalo attorney and fellow Slow Food Buffalo
member Sharon Osgood will join host Sandy Starks in preparing
a number of Native American dishes that highlight the "three
sisters" of corn, beans and squash.
Featured recipes will include corn chowder made with a rare Iroquois white corn, wild rice salad with a
cranberry vinaigrette, maple fudge,
pumpkin pine nut bread and stuffed squash.
Prepaid reservations are required and the price
of $11 per person includes samples of each dish, plus take-home
recipe cards. For further information or to make a reservation, call
Sandy Starks at 716/839-5150 or visit the
website at www.YourBuffaloTours.com
to register online.
ABOUT THE BROADWAY MARKET:
The Broadway Market was started by a group of Eastern European immigrants in
1888, on a city-donated parcel located at 999 Broadway. From its
inception, the Market served as a community meeting place where people from
around Western New York could purchase farm fresh and exotic products from
local purveyors while discussing the latest news in community happenings,
catch up on news from the old world and share the stories of their lives.
Although the Market site has undergone numerous
changes in 119 years, the old-fashioned concept of selling the freshest
meats, poultry, produce and baked goods within a setting that connects
Western New York people with their history, traditions and culture, still
continues today.
ABOUT SANDY
STARKS: Sandy Starks is Taste of Home Magazine's Western New
York Field Editor and a founding member of Slow Food Buffalo. For
years, Sandy has earned high marks for her "specialized tours for
educated travelers." More recently, she is fielding a mounting
number of requests for customized itineraries from out-of-towners who want
to tour Buffalo.
ABOUT SHARON
OSGOOD: Sharon Osgood is a Buffalo attorney whose
passion is Buffalo history, Frank Lloyd
Wright and good food and wine. She is a member
of the Confrérie
de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Buffalo Food
and Wine Society and Slow food Buffalo.
September 23, 2007. Thank you, Sandy, for letting us know about this up-coming event. Be sure to mark these dates on your calendar November 23, 24., Fri. & Sat. The Broadway Market Christmas Food Fair , at The Historical Broadway Market, 999 Broadway, Buffalo. It sounds like a great place to include on your list of stores to visit during the shopping frenzy of that weekend. Since 1888, the Broadway Market
has been a unique community resource for fresh meats, produce and some of
Buffalo's best loved foods. The Market is now ready to launch a new holiday
celebration, and we would like you to be a part of it! September 19, 2007 Coming soon: Niagara Apple Fest - October 13 & 14 Of
course guests will be treated to a bounty of magnificent apple inspired
treats. In addition, the planned activities include:
Activities,
exhibitors, vendors and other interested parties are encouraged to contact the
Apple Fest office immediately: Phone:
716-553-3049 September 8, 2007 Peach Festival - 2007 Niagara County - Academy Park in Lewiston, NY This festival is is presented by the Lewiston Kiwanis. Free admission and parking. September 7, 2007 Janice Okun, the Buffalo News Food Editor, visited TOUCH, a brand new restaurant at 8080 Transit Rd. Williamsville. 634-4204, She gave it 3 stars (good). If you visit there, let me know and I will post your comments. August 31, 2007 There is a new restaurant in the works on Kenmore Ave. near Elmwood. It's called Amigo's. No info yet, other than there is a construction dumpster in front and it look like there is a major renovation going on. I'll let you know more at work progresses. August 30, 2007 I'm sure that great food, reasonably priced or pricey, exists in Western NY, but over the years, I have become less impressed. Now, I'm not talking about decor or ambiance etc., just the food. I do consider the presentation, but the taste is most important. This could be due to age (old taste buds) or being married to a really great cook. It is rare that something is offered that I don't think to myself, "I get this at home, why would I order it out?" On the rare occasion something really stands out, my wife will be in the kitchen the following week unlocking the secrets of the new offering and when accomplished, enhancing it, by adding her own touch. The result, disappointment when going back to the restaurant for the same dish. Maybe were not going to the right restaurants. I think most people like to go back to the same restaurant and order the same entree and want it to taste exactly the same each time. People like predictability, but I would think chefs would be a bit bored with this. I would think they would like to go back and tweak it a bit each time they made it. It seems the that once created, the menu is cut in stone. I guess that's what the daily specials are for. New offerings from the chef. I really have to try more of them. It's just so hard to memorize the specials as recited by the waitress or waiter. By the time I have visualized what they said and made a decision, they are on the 4th item. Have a great Labor Day weekend. The weather is supposed to be fantastic. Get to a farmers market if you can. All the local fruits and vegetables are looking great! August 25, 2007 Janice Okun (Buffalo News food editor) visited BRAVO! - a chain restaurant at the Walden Galleria, Cheektowaga 884-4595- and gave it 3 stars July 2, 2007 The Events page has been updated with the latest information about Lawn Fetes and other local events that have some of our favorite foods. If you hear about any others, please drop me a line and I will include it. Have a great day! June 27, 2007 Sometimes it takes someone from out of town to let us know about the great food in Buffalo. John, who is on assignment here with the Navy writes about Bova's Deli on Pennsylvania and 7th - 884-1506. "I am new to Buffalo, and rather than settle for McDonald's, BK, etc (ad nausea) for my lunch needs, I asked around for some good local places. I was introduced to a great place called Bova's Deli on 7th and Philadelphia. What can I do to get the owner's store listed? I think people would LOVE his sandwiches, and his prices are ridiculously low for the HUGE sandwiches he makes!" for more info - http://www.topix.net/forum/city/buffalo-ny/TD022KUGN8BT652U1 June 3, 2007 Summer Lawn Fetes are starting and most feature some great grilled chicken or a chowder who's recipe has been passed down for generations. I will be posting these events on the Events page as I become aware of them through ads in the local papers, on-line or by people e-mailing me. If you are planning to pick up some chowder to take home with you, arrive early. A lot of people do this and they can sell out really fast! May 25, 2007 More Food Events for this summer have been added. Some events are centered around food, others have the usual food vendors. I sometimes have a taste for "Carnival" French Fries or some Fried Dough and like to know where an event is taking place. Soon I'll be adding all the church festivals. They're great for chicken BBQ, homemade chicken and clam chowder and home made pies. May 7, 2007 Now that spring has finally arrived in Western NY, people are looking for places to eat with view of water. To find those spots I've made a page called Waterfront Dining. There is a link to a map that has all the locations on it and I am in the process of taking pictures of the eateries and the view from them. I've started with Mississippi Mudds, which is located in Tonawanda along the Mighty Niagara River. From the picture it's hard to tell, but it features an open-air upper deck with a great view of the river. April 14, 2007 A note of caution regarding the use of those gift certificates that you received for Christmas or some other occasion, check to make sure they will honor them when you make your reservations. If a restaurant has changed ownership since the certificates were issued, they may not. April 13, 2007 Torches, the newly opened restaurant at 1141 Kenmore Ave. (447-7916) was reviewed by Janice Okun of the Buffalo News. She gave it 3 1/2 stars. It's located where Tsunami used to be. April 7, 2007 Janice Okun from the Buffalo News gave Trattoria Aroma 3 1/2 stars. It wasn't for their location in Williamsville but rather for their new second location at 307 Bryant St. 716-881-7592. It's down the street from Children's Hospital the other side of Elmwood. Between Elmwood and Ashland. April 2, 2007 I was surprised to see that Brocco's on Delaware Ave. in Kenmore had closed. Looks like it is going to reopen soon as some type of Pizza place. There is a sign in front that they are planning to open in two weeks. March 1, 2007 We had the pleasure this past weekend to visit our good neighbors to the north to purchase a delicacy we know as Canadian Pea Meal Bacon. Its not bacon like you normally think of bacon. It is a sweet cured pork loin. We slice it, fry it and have it for breakfast with eggs and toast , or on a sandwich. It is excellent! For some reason we have never found it available on this side of the border. There are products that are called the same, but it just isn't the same as from Canada. We went just over the border to Fort Erie to a market called Stewart's, 1620 Dominion Rd. 905-871-3761. It was Sunday afternoon and the traffic was very light going over the Peace Bridge. At Stewart's they also have take out food and huge display of trophies that they won for their ribs. I can't wait to go back and try some of their ribs. February 13, 2007 January 13, 2007
Starting this weekend on Friday Jan. 19 and
continuing to Sunday Jan. 28th January 13, 2007 Many area
restaurants are getting their own web sites with their own dot com. Many
people can't find them, even using Google. Let's not let that happen to the
eating establishments in our area. Blendings is trying to provide an easier
way for people to find this information. Whether you're an owner or a
customer, let me know if a food related business has their own web site and I
will make a link to it. If they don't have a web page, I will make it for them
free.
|
____________
|
|
|
||||
Take a bite out of winter and join Polar Bites for culinary
specialties, along with wines and brews from some of the area's finest
establishments. This wildly popular fund-raiser will take place at the Buffalo
Niagara Convention Center on Thursday, February 22 from 6:00 p.m. -
9:00 p.m. Enjoy a basket raffle, and visit with some of your
favorite animal ambassadors! Tickets are $30 pre-sale and $40 at the door.
Call (716) 995-6131, or visit us on the Web at 
