Every once in a while a craving for something sweet comes along that just cannot be contained. Most of the time, a piece of chocolate can hold me over, but now and then I am in need of a treat that’s a little bit sweeter.
Continue reading “Sweet Treats and Good Eats”
Eating out is not economical. I realize this each and every time I check my bank statement. Yet this expensive hobby of mine is one I will not kick. That being said, I do try to experience restaurants in the cheapest way possible, getting little tastes here and there at food festivals and events like Chowderfest and Wing Walk. On December 1st Saratoga Restaurant Week started, so I took this opportunity to take a bite out of Fish at 30 Lake.
Continue reading “Under The Sea For Saratoga Restaurant Week”
On the East side of the Hudson River sits a city full of life, history, and food. I can’t deny that I once had pre-conceived notions about the City of Troy, often hearing that it was run down and unsafe. Those assumptions were wrong. Because I know I am not alone with the pre-conceived notions, and because I have since learned of all the awesome places Troy has to offer, I decided to highlight some of the best places to visit in Troy.
When I was a little kid I wanted to open my own restaurant, it would be called “Just Chicken”. Why? Because who doesn’t like chicken! Of course now I realize there are many people who don’t like it, but if you do, I highly, seriously, completely, and 100% absolutely, recommend getting a fried chicken sandwich at the new Albany restaurant The Cuckoo’s Nest.
If there is one thing I know to be true in my life, it’s that coffee is always the answer. With a caffeine habit that keeps me between 1 to 3 cups a day, I was looking forward to the delivery of my coffee beans from Current Coffee Roasters. That is until I realized I wasn’t even sure I knew how to make “real coffee”.
Food crawls are serious business. It takes a little bit of spontaneity, ambition, and strength to complete one from start to finish. I learned this first hand during the 6th Annual Wing Walk in Schenectady this October. Although I’ve done food crawls before like Chowderfest in Saratoga, I wasn’t sure what to expect this time around, except for the obvious fact that I would be consuming a substantial number of chicken wings.
When it comes to deciding what’s for dinner, it’s always a challenge. “What are you in the mood for?” “I don’t know, what are you in the mood for?” is the consistent without fail back and forth that I encounter. The pressure is always on me as the resident “foodie” to make the call and it’s not always the best position to be in, especially when everyone is getting hangry. Continue reading “Taking On Troy: Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen”
Brunch is always, always, always a good idea. Continue reading “Brunch Round Up: Winter '17”
Despite Schenectady’s not so great reputation, I know from experience that not only is Schenectady full of great restaurants, it’s full of great coffee, entertainment, and businesses as well. Following successful events like the Chili Chowdown and the 2nd Annual Schenectady Soup Stroll, Schenectady Restaurant Week offered a special 3 course menu with many participating restaurants for just $25. While I wish I could’ve tried out all the restaurant week menus, there are only so many nights in a week, and I found myself only able to get to one: Mexican Radio.
If you’ve ever been to Rochester, or even within 100 miles of the central New York city, you’ve without a doubt heard of the famous Garbage Plate. Although initially hesitant to trying the mish-mash of greasy cheeseburgers, spicy meat sauce, macaroni salad, and french fries, today I find myself craving a plate quite often.
The problem is, I don’t live in Rochester any more and getting a plate is not as simple as a drive down the street to the closest diner. Since buying a plate was not an option when my most recent cravings kicked in I decided to attempt at bringing the garbage plate to life in my very own kitchen.
The first step in bringing the garbage plate to Albany was to find the perfect meat sauce recipe. Lucky for me, Nick Tahou’s, the restaurant who put the garbage plate on the map, had a website floating around on the internet (check out the recipe here) which turned out to be pretty close, although not nearly as perfect as the real thing.
While the meat sauce was simmering I started making the home fries from scratch. I took a couple potatoes and cut them into small pieces, seasoned them up with a bit of salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning for added spice. I heated up the oil and cooked the potatoes until brown. While traditional garbage plates often have two cheese burger patties, one was enough for the my own plate. Although I made the sauce, burgers, and home fries from scratch, I ended up cheating just a little bit on the macaroni salad, buying a pre-made container from my local Whole Foods. 
Overall, my homemade fries were way too salty and the meat sauce came out a little bit too thick, but my first attempt at making a garbage plate was a success. Have you ever made a garbage plate yourself? Was it a success? Let me know in the comments!
As always, stay up to date on my food adventures on Instagram @erin.eats.upstate
