“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”

To all my readers,
Eighteen months ago, almost to the day, I started a food blog. Little Scarlet began for me as a hobby, and like the best hobbies it became delightfully all-consuming. I mean, what better way to spend the day than by reading and writing about great food? I guess you could eat all of that great food - and most days, I’ve been lucky enough to do just that. I’ve always been an adventurous eater, and running Little Scarlet gave me the extra motivation to seek out foods, flavors, and experiences I’d always wanted to try. And with some extra time on my hands, I’ve been able to share my stories with all of you!

But at the end of the day, I do have a day job – and finally, after years of hard work at that day job, I caught a break!

Goodbye assistant, hello associate! Goodbye days of busy work and paper shuffling, hello responsibility! Wonderful news all around… except for Little Scarlet.

To my steady readers out there, I’m sure it’s been obvious that my posting has tapered off a bit over the last few months. I tried to hop back in the saddle in December, but things at work and at home have been just too hectic for me to give Little Scarlet the time and attention it deserves. So instead of consistently falling short of my good intentions and lofty aspirations – not to mention making you all wonder why I fell off the face of the Earth and if I’m ever coming back – I think I’d best make it official: Little Scarlet is going on hiatus for a while.

I’ll still be checking Little Scarlet’s e-mail, so please keep sending me your thoughts and questions. I’ll also be more active on Twitter (hey, weekly posts may be too much for now, but I can handle 140 characters!!), so you can keep up with me there - @Little_Scarlet - to keep tabs on interesting articles, great meals, NYC food events, and national foodie trends.

You’ve all helped make the last year-and-a-half incredibly exciting and memorable. I can’t wait to write for you all again one day!

All the best,
Portia (aka “Little Scarlet”)

Cookbook Giveaway Winner!!

I have to tell you, I really loved reading the Comments that came in from this giveaway. So many wonderful traditions, I think I may have to steal a few for my own Christmas celebration!

But there can only be one winner and the results are in! A big thank you to everyone who entered, thank you so much for reading (and staying with me, even when posts become less frequent…) - the winner of Little Scarlet’s second giveaway is:

“Megdh”, you’ve won this copy of Bon Appétit Desserts and a one-year subscription to Bon Appétit! Please send me an e-mail at littlescarlet (dot) blog (at) gmail (dot) com with your shipping information so I can mail it to you. And if it’s not a secret, I’d love that recipe for your mother’s Russian tea cakes!

Thanks again to everyone who commented – have a very happy holiday and a wonderful New Year!

Bon Appétit Giveaway!!

If there’s one thing that all December holidays have in common, it’s that people can’t get enough desserts. Between bake sales and Bûche de Noël, figgy pudding and sugar plums, December’s full of reasons to indulge in your favorite sweets. And to get everyone ready for the holiday season, Little Scarlet is having its second giveaway!

Bon Appétit has compiled the very best of over 50 years worth of dessert recipes in their new book, Bon Appétit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful.

With over 600 recipes, this master tome has something for every taste and every skill level. And to make things even easier, each recipe is graded on a “whisk” scale of difficulty, so you know right away if the recipe you’re looking at is easy (one whisk) or a pull-out-all-the-stops-spend-the-day-in-the-kitchen kind of recipe (four whisks).

Full of beautiful pictures and helpful hints, this book runs the gamut from cakes to pies, cookies to soufflés, ice cream to candy.

If you want to make chocolate chip cookies or vanilla cupcakes, it’s there.

Baklava cheesecake or Zabaglione Tart with Marsala-Lemon sauce? That’s in there too.

And the chapter on bar cookies & brownies means you’ll probably never need to consult another cookbook for any bake sale ever again. And even if you don’t bake that often, this book is so comprehensive, it’s really the ultimate reference guide for that one day a year when inspiration strikes and you just need to make your own ice cream – from scratch. (Did I mention there’s a whole chapter on ice cream & sorbet?)

And if you don’t bake at all? Well, it’s also perfect for prettying up the coffee table!

So now that I’ve got your attention, I’m going to sweeten the pot a little (oh yes, pun most definitely intended!) – as extra incentive to keep reading and ignore my total delinquency from time to time, the winner of this Cookbook Giveaway will also receive… a one-year subscription to Bon Appétit!!


Here’s how to enter:

The contest will run through the weekend, ending at midnight on Sunday, December 12 (open to the 48 contiguous United States). So between now and Sunday, here are the different ways you can enter!

• Leave a Comment on this post about your favorite holiday tradition, memory, food, most epic holiday disaster… anything you want!

And for extra chances to win, try these *one-time bonus entries* for a higher chance of winning:

• Follow @Little_Scarlet on Twitter. Come back and leave a new Comment on this post saying that you’ve done so.
• Become a fan of Little Scarlet on Facebook. Come back and leave another new Comment on this post saying that you’ve done so.
• Follow Little Scarlet’s RSS feeds in Google Reader, or the RSS feed site of your choosing. And then just come back to this post and leave a new Comment saying you’ve done so.
• “Buzz” this post (and Little Scarlet!) on Foodbuzz, by clicking here or here (and then click the “buzz it!”/“buzz'em” icon). And leave another Comment about it!

And if you just need to have this book and aren’t about to let a free subscription slip away from you, give yourself even better odds of winning with a *once-daily bonus entry*:

• Leave another holiday-themed Comment on this post
• Re-Tweet this post and Comment here with the link to that Twitter status (limit 1 eligible RT daily). To make it easy, you can either RT from our initial tweet (here) – or you can just copy and paste this: “@Little_Scarlet Bon Appetit giveaway! visit http://bit.ly/gyaulL to win the bon appetit desserts cookbook and a one-year subscription!”

Again, the contest will close at 11:59 pm, Sunday, December 12. The winner will be chosen at random by Random.org, and will be announced at noon on Tuesday, December 14. *Note: The winner will have to contact me by e-mail with their info by 10 pm Wednesday, December 15 in order to claim their prize (littlescarlet (dot) blog (at) gmail (dot) com) – otherwise, a new winner will be selected.


Good luck, everyone!!!

Poll of the Week - 11.29.2010

Well it’s been another unexpected break since I last posted, and I owe you guys tons of posts and then some. I’m getting my act together, though, and in the meantime – here’s a new “Poll of the Week”!

Between getting ready for Thanksgiving and getting ready for the Christmas season, I’ve spent a lot of time in the grocery store this past week. I love walking through grocery stores, looking at all of the fresh produce and soaking up holiday cheer. But the best days of all are when you stumble across Free Sample Day! I love when this happens, the whole store becomes one giant string of “free sample” serving stations - and it’s always on a day when I’m starving. It doesn’t get much better than showing up hungry to a store full of food and getting to graze your way through for free – especially in the days leading up to big food holidays, like Thanksgiving!

For this week’s “Poll of the Week”, Little Scarlet wants to know, when you’re lucky enough to show up on Free Sample Day, what’s your favorite kind of sample?

San Diego...

I’m still in San Diego, still working the neuroscience circuit. I’ve missed you all, but don’t worry - Little Scarlet will return on November 22, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday!

See you all in a week!

Poll of the Week - 11.01.2010

I was picking up some last minute Halloween candy at CVS this weekend and couldn’t find any candy corn. I was scouring the shelves looking for this all-important staple, when I found myself face-to-face with a bag of red-and-green peanut M&Ms. I took another look, and sure enough – the rest of the candy aisle was all Christmas candy!! Now, I love Christmas more than any sane people should (it’s a family trait), but I very firmly believe that no store should stock Halloween and Christmas goodies at the same time.

And so I stood there with witches and jack o’lanterns to my left and snow angels and Christmas trees to my right, when I realized I was standing right where Thanksgiving is (sandwiched in between two highly over-commercialized holidays). And then it hit me – Thanksgiving’s only a few weeks away!!

Always the last Thursday of November, Thanksgiving comes a little earlier some years than it does others. This year, people all over the country will sit down to offer thanks on *November 25*. Thanks for friends, thanks for family, thanks for hearth and home – and thanks for food. After all, we can’t survive without it!

But for most of those people, giving thanks for food goes far beyond merely appreciating sustenance – we give thanks for stuffing and pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole, turkey and wine. And we thank the people who took the time and the care to arrange such wonderful menus to enjoy with their families.

So this week’s “Poll of the Week” asks, have you started planning your Thanksgiving menu yet?

Pulino’s – Bowery & Houston Sts

Pulino’s
$$
***
212.226.1966
282 Bowery
http://www.pulinosny.com/

There’s a Domino’s franchise in Ohio that is trying to break into a part of the fast-food world previously dominated by Egg McMuffins and Dunkin’ Donuts. That’s right, Domino’s is introducing a new breakfast item – breakfast pizza.

I think most people hear breakfast pizza and have a knee-jerk reaction of “ew”, and maybe that’s fair if you’re trusting Domino’s to deliver it to you – and especially if you expect it to show up looking like this:

But here in New York, we have Pulino’s!

Their breakfast pizzas are a thin, chewy crust that bubbles up around sweet or savory toppings, getting just the right amount of char on the pillowy outer crust. Try the Funghi, with mushrooms, pancetta, mascarpone, and grana, or the Salsiccia, with sausage, bacon, mozzarella, and white cheddar – both have whole eggs baked on top of the pizza, those just-slightly runny yolks making these cheese-laden pies taste even richer.

The Funghi

Or if you’re in the mood for something a little bit sweeter, try the Frutta with roasted pears, apples, cinnamon, and pecorino. Or there’s the Nutella, covered in (what else!) sweet, hazelnutty Nutella. But you really can’t miss with any of the choices here, so gather up some friends and order lots of different ones! All pies come as a small or a large, although a small is plenty for one.

If that Domino’s in Ohio helps get people to like breakfast pizzas, then I say job well done – and thanks, but no thanks. We’ve got plenty of great breakfast pizza right here in New York.

Poll of the Week - 10.25.2010

Happy Halloween!!

I’ll give you all a break from hearing about Oregon for the time being (although it was amazing - look out later this week for coverage!), and move on to one of my favorite things about fall: Halloween! Here’s a little something to help get you all in the mood…

Now that you’re all excited for this Sunday’s spookiness, it’s time for the “Poll of the Week”!

Halloween is this Sunday, so now is the time to carve those pumpkins and stock up on candy for trick-or-treaters. But in case you’ve overdone it on candy leading up to Halloween (hey, it happens to the best of us), there are a lot of ways to celebrate Halloween that don’t come dipped in chocolate. Here are some ideas from Little Scarlet for ways to celebrate Halloween without in addition to candy – which is your favorite?

Poll of the Week - 10.18.2010

Still in Oregon and having a wonderful time! We arrived in Portland last week, drove down the coast, and are now in the wine country on our way to the Columbia River Gorge.

Leading up to this trip, all I kept hearing about was how amazing the food is in Oregon, and you know what? They’re absolutely right! Here are some of the food experiences Little Scarlet’s had so far – which one sounds best to you?


That’s it for posts this week, check back again next Monday for another poll and a quick culinary recap of our tour through Oregon!

Poll of the Week - 10.11.2010

It’s that time of year again! I haven’t been on vacation in almost a year, but the stars have finally aligned and it’s time for a much needed break. But where am I going? Here’s a hint for you…

Still can’t guess? How about now?

Well, in case you didn’t recognize that beautiful coastline or Mount Hood, Little Scarlet’s off to Oregon!

Oregon’s a food lover’s dream destination with so many wonderful foods, cheeses, and wines grown right in the state. For the next week, I’ll be cruising along the coast, touring the wineries of Willamette Valley, and spending some time relaxing in the mountains. If you have any recommendations, send them my way!

Check back for Little Scarlet’s favorite places when I come back, and until then, here’s the Poll of the Week! Oregon is well known for a wide variety of local foods – which of the following is your favorite?

Mystic, CT - Chowderfest!

Happy Columbus Day!!

Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT is kind of like the Colonial Williamsburg of New England.

Re-enactment of using a snazzy boatswain’s chair to come down from the top of a ship’s mast. Hey-o!

Costumed interpreters wander around 1876 discussing town gossip, threats of a yellow fever outbreak, and that year’s oyster harvest. If you’re a history junkie, this place is like mother’s milk! But if really old buildings outfitted with historically accurate furniture and people in funny outfits and even weirder accents don’t really do it for you, there’s always the chowder.

Lobster chowder

Every Columbus Day Weekend, Mystic Seaport hosts its annual Chowderfest. With 7 different kinds of chowder, brisket sandwiches, bratwurst, stuffed Quahogs, apple fritters… it’s the perfect way to spend a relaxing day on the water. 2010’s Chowderfest ends today, but if you’re in the Mystic area, head over to the Seaport and get a bowl of the Clam & Corn Chowder, a pumpkin ale, and some apple fritters!

Three of the seven chowders, clockwise from center: blue crab apple chowder, lobster chowder, clam & corn chowder

Apple fritters!!
With the dark porter and the pumpkin ale, this is like the perfect snapshot of autumn and Halloween all in one!

Poll of the Week - 10.04.2010

Oktoberfest came to a close this past weekend, and if you’re unwilling to let go of that celebratory brand of German rowdiness, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just gather up a group of friends, grill up some wurst (Little Scarlet’s partial to knackwurst, bratwurst, & weisswurst), and toss it all back with a few pints of beer!

How did you celebrate Oktoberfest this year? This week’s “Poll of the Week” asks what’s your favorite part of this annual Bavarian blowout?

2010 Vendy Award Winners!

The 2010 Vendy Awards were this weekend, and Little Scarlet was lucky enough to get in for free – as a volunteer, of course. People in-the-know think of the Vendys as one of New York’s great foodie events, where the best street vendors of the city converge on one location for an all day extravaganza of international foods and inventive desserts. But what a lot of people aren’t aware of is that the Vendy Awards are a fundraiser for New York’s nonprofit, Urban Justice Center – more specifically, proceeds benefit Urban Justice’s Street Vendor Project, which helps fight for the rights of over 10,000 food, flower, book, and merchandise vendors that have staked their claim on small pieces of New York’s sidewalks. It’s a great cause, and this year’s Vendy Awards raised over $100,000!

I was working the afternoon shift at the merchandise table (“T-shirt? Apron? Get your Vendys gear!”), so I had all morning to wander around this part of Governors Island, sampling everything. The official winners were picked by a panel of judges including Food Network stars, local restaurateurs, and Epicurious’s own Tanya Steel. Maybe one day we’ll be listed in that line-up! (hint hint…)

Anyway, click “Read More” for the winners – and some of Little Scarlet’s favorites of the day!

Poll of the Week - 9.27.2010

The Vendys happened this weekend, and it was the perfect day for it. Warm and sunny, everyone in high spirits, great music, and food – such amazing food from all the vendors! Our coverage will be going up in the next day or so, but to get everyone in the mood, here’s the “Poll of the Week”!

Street vendors are an integral part of any true city’s landscape, and New York’s vendors have really stepped up their game from the fleets of carts hawking dirty-water dogs and rock-hard pretzels to tourists. This week’s “Poll of the Week” asks which of the following foods would you be most excited to get from a street vendor?

Le Grand Fooding, Craft Beer Week, Vendys, and more!

Earlier this week, Little Scarlet told you about some of the events going on in the city this weekend. But it turns out there’s a lot more than previously reported! Check out this day-by-day breakdown for when to be where.

Friday, September 24

So there isn’t really too much happening exclusively on Friday, but this Friday marks the beginning of two very exciting food events: Le Grand Fooding and NY Craft Beer Week!

Le Grand Fooding

Oh yes, San Francisco’s best come to New York in an epic, gastronomic throw-down! It’s Alice Waters’ organic, locally grown, idealist school of thought vs. the foul-mouthed, rock 'n' roll hedonism of Nate Appleman and David Chang. Hmm, which one sounds like more fun? Okay, so maybe we’re a little biased, but hey! this is a New York blog, right? Right. And don’t think the west coast has cornered the market on local food, we’ve got Dan Barber!

Either way, one thing’s for sure - no matter which coast you think is better, a ticket to Le Grand Fooding ($50, legrandfooding.com) promises a night of food from some of the most celebrated chefs in the country, with drinks courtesy of Veuve Clicquot and Belvedere, and wines from the Rhône Valley. Plus, it’s for a good cause, with proceeds from all ticket sales going to benefit Action Against Hunger. Tickets can be bought for either Friday or Saturday night, and a small number of tickets will be held available for walk-ins.


NY Craft Beer Week

Over the last couple of years, people have come to appreciate beer with a passion (and hint of snobbery) that was previously reserved for wine and very fine scotch. If you’re a die-hard brewing enthusiast, you probably know what all of the fuss surrounding craft beers is about. But if you’re the sort to cling to your Pinot Grigo and wonder why people bother with beer in the first place, NY Craft Beer Week will change your life! From September 24-October 3, there’s an event scheduled for practically every hour of the day, with parties, cask ale festivals, and special paired dinner menus at restaurants like Eleven Madison Park, Craftbar, and Blue Smoke.

Craft Beer Week Passport, with snacks from Jimmy’s No. 43 - just a sample of what to expect during Craft beer Week!
Beer-braised beef with arugula and horseradish-crème fraiche on brioche - now that’s a bar snack Little Scarlet could get used to!

To really maximize the festival, pick up a Passport for yourself ($10, nycbeerweek.com/passports or at any of the venues listed here). A Passport entitles you to $3 beers at all of the venues listed, from generic basement bars to beer bars even Garrett Oliver would frequent.

A lot of the venues are offering special year-round discounts and promotions, but why wait? Check out our coverage from last year, and then get out there this week and sample the best of what this great city has to offer!

Saturday, September 25

Stone Street Oyster Festival, and Oyster Frenzy
Saturday brings two oyster festivals to New York - one at Ulysses’ down on Stone Street, and one at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Both are in beautiful, historic locations, and both will have great tastings and live music. But Grand Central’s Oyster Frenzy will have a shucking and eating competition - and Little Scarlet loves anything competitive!

Sunday, September 26

NYC Apple Day Festival

The name here says it all. Stop by Orchard Street, between Broome and Grand (11 am-5 pm), for apple muffins, apple cider, and bushels of the original forbidden fruit! And just for kicks, here are some bits of New York, apple-related trivia:

Apple Factoid #1: Back in the 1700s, this stretch of the Lower East Side was owned by an apple farmer named DeLancey, giving rise to Orchard Street and Delancey Street.

Apple Factoid #2: Ever wonder why Broadway curves at 10th Street? In 1815, city planners agreed to bend the road here so that it would preserve the apple orchards of Henry Brevoort and other farmers.

NYC Dumpling Festival, Sept 25

Life is full of tough choices – vanilla or chocolate, scrambled or over-easy, pumpernickel or rye… And this weekend, you’ll be faced with yet another tough choice: gyoza or mandoo?

Try dumplings from all over the world this Saturday at the NYC Dumpling Festival. From 12-5 in Sara D. Roosevelt Park (right across from the Bowery Whole Foods), get your fill of pierogi, gnocchi, bao, and more! Dumplings are sold in exchange for tickets, which are purchased from one central, ticket-selling location – tickets are $20, and each ticket is worth four dumpling servings from any booth.

And if you’re more of a sprinter-style eater than a marathon-paced grazer, enter the 7th Annual Dumpling Eating Contest! Can you beat last year’s record of 66 dumplings in 2 minutes?

Whether you enter the Eating Contest or just show up to enjoy the party, remember that these dumplings sell out fast, so make sure you get there early!

New Amsterdam Market is Back!

September 12 marked the return of the New Amsterdam Market and foodies all across New York rejoiced! This open-air market supports small business that promote local foods, and brings some of the old-fashioned peddler glamour to the cobblestone streets of the Fulton Fish Market and South Street Seaport.

Here’s a sampling of what to expect at the New Amsterdam Market, happening every Sunday, 11 am-4 pm, through December 19 (except for November 28).

Heirloom tomatoes

Peaches are still great, get 'em quick!

Is there really anything better than freshly baked bread? Well... maybe free samples!

So many different kinds of cheese at the Market!

All kinds of pasta doughs and shapes

Peppers!

New Amsterdam Market is full of apples - Macintosh, Gala, Cortland, there’s something for every taste!

Jersey corn and honeydew melon

Spicy habaneros!

Radishes, leeks, carrots - oh my!

Wonderful ice creams from The Bent Spoon, as usual! Recent samplings included chocolate-rosemary ice cream, nectarine sorbet, and beet-basil ice cream (pictured, above)

Spices and tea blends! Stock up on spices like cumin, lavender, ground coriander, and exotic tea blends like Hibiscus Blood Orange, White Tea Raspberry Grapefruit, and Marrakech Mint.

Poll of the Week - 9.20.2010

The New Amsterdam Market is back this fall (post to come soon, get excited!) and tucked in among the carrots, turnips, shallots, and apples are the season’s first pumpkins! There’s something so quintessentially autumnal about pumpkins, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Thanksgiving table or Halloween haunted house unadorned by an assortment of these golden-hued squashes.

Being surrounded by these bright orange orbs has made me what to pillage every farmers market and grocery store in Manhattan and make as many pumpkin dishes as possible. Pumpkin pie? Oh yes. Pumpkin soup with cider cream? How much more autumn could you cram in a bowl? Pumpkin enchiladas? Well, I’ve never made them before, but I’m feeling inspired!

If you’re more of a traditionalist, though, pumpkins are such a versatile vegetable that there’s really no shortage of great ideas. This week’s “Poll of the Week” wants to know what’s your favorite way to eat pumpkin?

Celebrate Oktoberfest on the Hudson

With the great German beer gardens in Queens and the East Village, it’s easy to have an “Oktoberfest” celebration any time of year, but this weekend you can go to a real (& seasonally appropriate) Oktoberfest bash!

With summer’s balmy temperatures a not-too-distant memory, it’s amazing that we’re far enough into September to celebrate Oktoberfest, but here we are and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it! (Long-time readers know how much I hate the heat...) To celebrate, New York’s first annual Oktoberfest on the Hudson is happening this Saturday, September 18 on Pier 81 from noon-4h30.

Celebrate Oktoberfest with German classics like giant pretzels and a variety of bratwurst, plus a German folk band - “with dancers”! - and all the lederhosen you can ogle. And if all that dancing and salty deliciousness makes you thirsty, help yourself to some of Germany’s excellent beers. Admission is $10 (food and drink not included), and a $15 admission ticket also includes a Hudson River cruise from 2-3.

New York’s First Annual Oktoberfest on the Hudson: September 18, noon-4h30 pm, Pier 81, W 41st Street & the Hudson River. $10 ($15, including cruise), buy tickets online here.

Don't call it a comeback...

So far, September has not been the best month for Little Scarlet - I know I’ve been pretty MIA, but my computer broke down earlier this month, making it a tad difficult to keep up here. On top of that, it is taking forrrevverr for my new parts to arrive.  So, I’m sneaking in a few minutes here just before work starts to let everyone know that this flakiness is only temporary! I promise! My new laptop pieces will be arriving this week, but in the meantime...

September 22 is still a couple of days away, but it feels like fall’s finally here!

The New Amsterdam Market is back on a weekly basis again (yay!), temperatures are down in the 70s (thank goodness!), and for those of you who track the seasons by Starbucks’ specialty drinks, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back!

It’s an exciting time of year with a lot of great events on the horizon, and Little Scarlet’s going to be here to keep you all in the know!

For real.