Last weekend my 3-quart container of super cheap olive oil dribbled out its last tasty drop and I found myself with a real dilemma: where could I find another cheap, flavorful olive oil without trekking all the way to Astoria?

by Robyn Lee via Seriouseats.com

Hallelujah! Someone at Serious Eats must have heard my panicked thoughts. Their staff tried nine reasonably priced olive oils and ranked them according to taste (mellow, bitter, like water, etc.). They even chose a best in show.

Thanks to them, I’ll never again stand before an aisle of olive oil wondering which overpriced bottle might suck less.

I had the pleasure of attending this year’s West Indian Parade in Brooklyn this past Labor Day. While scoping out the island fare I came across a man laboriously juicing sugar cane stalks. I inquired about this supposed refreshing chilled juice and was given a bit of a sample. One swig later and I was left with a not so pleasant taste in my mouth. It wasn’t sweet as I had expected and as for refreshing, I think I’ll stick with lemonade on a hot day.

I got to thinking, all that work has got to amount to something worthy of a drinker’s palate and then it hit me — sugar cane juice cocktails. Alone this drink may be less than desirable but use it as a base or even garnish to a refreshing cocktail and they may just have something here.  Chewingcane.com, a north Florida based company that sells ornamental sugar cane plants for the home, offers this list of sugar cane cocktail recipes. more…

For Korean food in New York City, 32nd Street is where it’s at.  Sure, it’s one measly block, but it’s a block packed with Korean yumminess.  Tucked away in a nondescript building among all the Korean BBQs you’ll find Han Ah Reum.  This glorious gem of a supermarket features Korean classics like tangy kimchi–a fermented cabbage side dish, plus pan-Asian sauces, dried sardines and anchovies and all the supplies you’ll need to host a roll-your-own sushi party.

I recommend avoiding rush hour and lunch time.  Every shelf, refrigerator case and corner is filled to capacity, maximizing what little space the market occupies.  The store’s narrow aisles are already crowded with food and when you add hoards of hungry shoppers to the mix, you end up wasting valuable shopping energy dodging other shoppers and their baskets.  But if you can brave the crowds and tight space (seriously, claustrophobes beware), the trek to Midtown will be well worth your time. more…

There’s just something about rain that makes me want to lounge on the sofa, sip coffee and eat baked goods. And not just any baked good. I want a pastry that will transport me to a café in a far off land where the smell of coffee grounds hangs in the air and an array of eclairs, petit fours and Napoleon cakes dazzles my eyes. I want something truly sophisticated. I want something French!

Macarons à la rose by Foodbeam.com

Lucky for me, French Revolution, a food blog by Kerry–the child of a Parisian mother and New Yorker father–has just the recipe for a day like today. Kerry went to France to learn how to make macarons, those sublime cookies with crispy shells oozing ganache, pastry cream or jam. Here she shares the recipe she learned for turning out perfectly textured shells.

The fillings are endless–anything from lemon curd to sea salt caramel to rose cream–but if you need inspiration Serious Eats dug up a recipe for bittersweet chocolate ganache.

Looking for a quick lunch in Queens?  Try the quesadilla cart located just one block from the 82nd Street/Jackson Heights stop from the 7 train.  These crisp tortillas, folded in half and stuffed with a variety of fillings, make a fresh and quick lunch on the go.

This food cart is parked near the corner of 82nd Street and Baxter Street with a simple menu – quesadillas just $2.00 a pop.

The tortillas start as dough and are pressed between two pieces of saran wrap with a wooden tortilla maker.  The uncooked disc of dough is filled with the chosen filling, folded in half and placed on the grill.  Choices for fillings include chicken and cheese, zucchini with pork, mushroom and cheese and mushroom and corn.  Customers can add an additional topping for an extra $1.00.  Once the tortilla is crisp with brown spots visual all over the surface they are plated and topped with a choice of lettuce, sour cream, salsa and/or cheese.

I had the opportunity to sample a spicy chicken quesadilla, topped with lettuce, sour cream and cheese.  One makes the perfect snack/light lunch, but I noticed that most people purchased the delicious half circles in pairs.  I was drawn to this neighborhood in search for a market that sells Peruvian foods and was delighted to find this cart as well as several inexpensive Peruvian chicken restaurants.