Poll of the Week - 4.19.2010

I don’t know who was the first to come up with this piece of oyster folklore, but it has long been said that oysters are only to be enjoyed in months with “r”s in them - January, September, March, etc. This “rule” likely dates back to a time before refrigeration was commonplace and there was a good chance that oysters would spoil during transport in the warmer months. Fortunately, most parts of the United States can now enjoy oysters all year round (especially if you live near the coast), but for the Nervous Nellies out there, April is the last “r”-month until September.

With that in mind, this week is “oyster week” here at Little Scarlet!

 That’s right, that is a mammoth oyster fritter - on Wonder Bread, naturally!

Check back later this week for reviews of two new oyster-bearing restaurants, and be sure to follow Little Scarlet on Twitter all this week for a slew of oyster trivia. This week’s “Poll of the Week” dives right in to the heart of the matter, asking the most important oyster question of all: what’s your favorite oyster dish?

100th Blog Post!

Hello readers!

Can you believe it was only just over nine months ago that Little Scarlet ran its very first post? Today, I am so proud to say that Little Scarlet has finally reached 100 posts!

In honor of this milestone, I’m introducing a new feature to Little Scarlet - an “About the Author” section! The new “About the Author” page includes a FAQ section that will offer a little more insight into the person behind this blog and how it all got started, as well as showcase all the different ways to get in touch with me and follow what’s happening here on Little Scarlet.

I’ve added a new link to this page under “Little Scarlet’s Pages” (in the sidebar to the right) and I hope you’ll check it out! In the meantime, here’s a reminder of all the different ways you can keep tabs on Little Scarlet:

• Subscribe in your RSS reader!

• Follow Little Scarlet on Twitter - @Little_Scarlet!

• Be a fan of Little Scarlet on Facebook!

And you can always e-mail any questions you might have to littlescarlet (dot) blog (at) gmail (dot) com, and don’t forget to keep checking back for a new “Poll of the Week” every Monday!

World’s First Food Truck Drive-In Movie

How many times have you killed the last few minutes before lunch by stalking your favorite NYC food trucks online? (thank God for Twitter!) You know, checking to see if they’ll be in your neighborhood that day or if they’ve already run out of your favorite special dumpling/burrito/ice cream? How often do you find yourself walking home from work or the gym, and you spot Schnitzel & Things or the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck stopped at a red light and it’s all you can do to keep from banging on the passenger window and holding up traffic while you get your fix?

If any of this sounds familiar, then Little Scarlet has great news for you! This year’s NYC Food Film Festival is introducing “The World’s First Food Truck Drive-In Movie”.

On June 26th, the “largest collection of the region’s food trucks ever assembled” will meet under the Brooklyn Bridge for a drive-in movie. Except this time, it’s the food that will drive in – everyone else will be showing up on foot. Just picture it: all of New York’s most fantastic food trucks all in one place, all day long!

Food service starts at noon and the movies (all food-themed) begin at sundown. Admission is free, but luckily the people over at NYC Food Film Festival know how out-of-hand an event as awesome as this can get and are using a gentle crowd-control tactic – you’ll need a ticket to get in.

There’s a limited number of tickets, but they really are free (although donations to the Food Bank for New York City are welcome when you “purchase” your ticket), so act quickly! Here’s the link, and hope to see you all there!

Rumor has it the founders are hoping to have at least 50 vendors show up, but they haven’t released any names yet. While we’re waiting, tell Little Scarlet what your favorite NYC food truck is! Leave a comment for your fellow readers about what makes it so great - and be sure to check back here later for a full list of expected vendors once it’s made available.

Poll of the Week - 4.12.2010

Have you ever looked in your refrigerator and seen food, but nothing to really make a meal out of? Half an onion, one plum tomato, and some leftover cheese and olives may not sound like much, but on a day when your cupboard’s as bare as old Mother Hubbard’s, these are the perfect ingredients for a great pasta dish. When you don’t have much to work with, pantry staples like pasta, orzo, couscous, and rice can be your best friend. One of my all-time favorite ways to use up leftover odds-and-ends, though, is to make risotto.

Risotto is made from high-starch rice (like Arborio rice) and is cooked slowly over low heat until it has a rich and creamy texture. Most risotto recipes build upon a standard list of ingredients that includes onions, butter or olive oil, white wine, and Parmesan cheese, but risotto’s strongest appeal is the dish’s great versatility.

This week’s “Poll of the Week” asks what’s your favorite risotto addition?

Poll of the Week - 4.05.2010

We’re cruising into our third official week of spring and everything is finally starting to come into bloom! A visit home over the weekend for Easter showed daffodils and crocuses peeking out of the earth, cherry trees and magnolias filling the air with perfume and their pink and white blossoms, and forsythia’s wild, yellow branches popping out against a bright blue sky. It was so nice to be out of the city for a little while, walk around on the grass, and eat outside in a warm, sunny backyard!

Spring marks a clear departure from the foods of winter, and we get the first real taste of this during the Passover and Easter feasts. These holidays have traditions that run deep, with food taking on especial significance since many menu items are chosen for their religious symbolism. This week’s “Poll of the Week” wants to know what did you enjoy at your holiday table this past week?