Eats from around the globe at the World Unity Fair

Had I arrived six minutes earlier, I would have made it to the computer lab before it closed. But I didn't.

With five or six things things to print out and my work at a standstill without them, I was mighty cranky. So I decided to make my trip onto campus worthwhile by going to the World Unity Fair being held in the student center.

Boy am I glad I did. For four dollars I received five tickets, which I could trade for several of the many entrees, desserts, and beverages prepared by student cultural groups across campus. Two tickets to the Libyan Students Association got me a sizable bowl of couscous, beef and potato curry, and pickled chilis. It was delicious.

One ticket handed over to the Taiwanese Community Association got me a huge rectangle of baked sesame-covered mochi cake with red bean paste tucked in the middle, and another at the Czech Republic Students table got me two wedges of dense, moist yogurt cake, one with apricot and the other with sour cherry. I didn't mean to get two desserts, but I spotted the mochi cake after the yogurt cake and couldn't resist. I love that stuff!

With only one ticket left, I didn't have enough for another entree (which was a shame, because the Saudi Student House was serving up a kickass-looking chicken and rice dish) so I went with a cup of bubble tea from the Taiwanese Student Association. The sweet, milky tea and chewy tapioca balls really hit the spot. I was so full after the couscous and bubble tea that I took the desserts home, but I definitely enjoyed them the next day!

Tour de Fat: A beer-fueled bike festival

If there's anything I've learned about Fort Collins, CO, it's that the people here love beer. In bars, restaurants, and homes, it's all about the microbrew, and we have no less than three major breweries in the area (and no, none of them are Coors).

People here also love bikes. There are trails all over the city and in the mountains, and special lanes for bikers on nearly every street. In the middle of Old Town Square is a bike library. Shops to equip and service the twin-wheeled wonders abound.

Put the two together, throw in costumes and a parade, and you've got Tour de Fat, the multi-city bike festival cooked up by New Belgium Brewery (which I've written about before). As described on their website, it's "a costumed celebration of human-powered transportation. Muscles not motors, coasters, v-brakes, and rotors."

On the morning of this year's Tour de Fat, a bunch of my classmates and I began the day at DD and TL's house, with a potluck brunch and some killer bloody marys (drunkenness begins early, at this event). Once the parade got underway, we rode out to join in where it curved at City Park. The parade was moving at a good pace at first, but I had to pedal slower and slower as I got closer to the New Belgium grounds, since people were all funneling in to where the festival was taking place.

MC and I chained up against a railing, in the first empty spot we found within walking distance. As we got closer, these railings were lined with bikes three or four deep.

(Did I mention that she and I dressed ourselves in scrubs we found in a thrift shop, and called ourselves Dr. Yang and Dr. Grey? I made my hair curly and everything…okay, okay, it was a lame costume. But it took us less than twenty minutes and under ten bucks, and in my new graduate student outlook on life, that's just fine with me.)

Once inside, there was a lot to see. For instance, tons of different people in crazy, clever outfits.


Art bikes and couch bikes.

Giant chess 'n' checkers.

And solar power stations and "Compost Offices."

For twenty bucks, you can buy four tokens, each of which gets you a pint of beer. Better yet, the proceeds go to bicycle and environmental charities. I stuck with Mothership Wit for most of the day…organic beer prevents hangovers, right?

I milled around for a while, chatting with friends and drinking up my tokens. By my third, it was definitely time for food. There were a bunch of stands from local restaurants set up in one area, but many had run out of their wares by the time we got there. I settled for a burger (pretty good) and an ear of sweet corn on the cob.

Yes, that's sauerkraut hanging out of my bun. Hey, if pickles can work, why not fermented cabbage?


Toward the end of the afternoon, I saw a funeral procession being held for an SUV. You would not believe the amount of cheering that arose when the car went by. No wonder, since the theme of Tour de Fat is "Would you trade your car for a bike?"

When I was ready to pedal out, I made my way to my bike and found this, an offering from the fruit gods, sitting in my basket. I never did figure it out what it was—a woman, spotting the yellow orb as I set it on the railing, asked me if she could take it for her daughter, and I gladly gave it to her. After all, an event like Tour de Fat is no time to deny a good deed between one biker and another.

Oh fine: you ask, I deliver. Miracle Fruit here we go.

I got the email in the afternoon the day before. "Impromptu Sunset Rooftop Miracle Fruit Tasting Party: Friday," it said. "I have only 40 fruits and they are uber-perishable, so only the first 40 or so people that reply to this will get to come."

Ya'll have probably all read the article by now, which does a pretty thorough job explaining the event, so I won't get into the specifics. Let's just cut to where DL and I made it to the LIC rooftop about an hour after the party had gotten underway, and handed over our ten bucks to "Supreme" for one each of the bright red berries. I admit, there was a moment of doubt as I looked at it, sitting so innocently in my palm. I mean, don't they warn you that the red things are poisonous?

Oh well. I popped it in my mouth anyway. It tasted like a tart grape, and was mostly pit; we had to scrape off the firmly clinging pulp with our teeth. After about a minute, we spat out the seed and skin and then got down to business: experiencing the fruit. Here's a run-down of the stuff we tried, and the effects:

Lemons, limes, grapefruit, kiwis, strawberries: Awesomely sweet.
Brooklyn Brown Ale: Sweet beer!
Mango: Just okay, but I think the mango might have been underripe to begin with, so now instead of hard and sour it was merely palatable.
Pumpernickel bread: Flat tasting but otherwise unchanged.
Watermelon pickle: Since I had made them too sour to begin with, they actually became closer to what I had been going for.
Tangerines: Like Tang, or Sunkist orange soda...too sweet.
Gherkins: Weirdly unchanged.
Some kind of semi-firm cow's milk cheese, with rind: Not delicious. I don't know why, it tasted just sort of...wrong.
Goat cheese: mellowed out and tasty, but not that different (was the berry wearing off?)
Marinated goat cheese: Frikkin' delicious, but I'm not sure if that was from the berry or because it was just darn good.
Oatmeal stout: About the same, but I think the fruit was wearing off.
Kumquat: I think this would have been amazing, but I tried it at the point where the berry had definitely lost its magic, so basically my entire face puckered up in shock instead.

Yup, game over. Nonetheless we hung out for a little while longer, watching other people's reactions and enjoying being out on the roof.

Before DL and I left we spent some time chatting with Curtis Mozie, miracle fruit grower (in highly appropriate red, on the left). At one point, in the middle of listing the different things we could try under influence of the berry, he stated that if either of us had a boyfriend, we would be eating the fruit "every day." And then he laughed joyously and didn't explain any further. Now, I have my own theories on what he meant by that, but perhaps you dear readers can share your ideas? Surely he didn't mean....

Right.

We later suprised our friend LT at his birthday dinner with one of the berries, and though it didn't kick in immediately after he spat out the seed, after about a minute more it worked for him too. He sampled black vinegar (sweet); vodka, as recommended by Curtis (no different); and the lemons and limes we snagged for him ("like candy" he declared). Unfortunately, by then there was only the one berry, and the rest of us could only watch on in envy as his taste buds experienced the miracles of miraculin. I'd say this fruit is definitely one to experience with a bunch of other people. All the more reason to throw another party, hey?

No fame, but the lemons were sweet

Today my friend DL is in the New York Times! Sadly, though they took a bunch of photos of both of us, I was not. Aside from the top half of my face showing for about a second in the background of the video.

There will be a post about this party forthcoming, just probably not soon. I mean, I just finally got around to writing about Mother's Day fer godsake.

Shrim-pea dumplings, Sichuan spice, and cookies of fortune

Shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings, from Chinatown Brasserie, served at the Asia Society's "Beyond Shark’s Fin and Fortune Cookies: Exciting Journeys in Chinese Gastronomy" event. JSK managed to score tickets from our former high school classmate Jennifer 8. Lee, whose book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles seems to be showing up everywhere. After listening to both Jennifer and Fuchsia Dunlop talk about their respective adventures with Chinese and Chinese(ish) food, we retired to an upper level for book signings and dim sum.

Don't the dumplings look sort of like impaled frogs? Was this intentional? No matter—they were delicious.

I haven't read The Fortune Cookie Chronicles yet—my joint-custody copy of the book is with JSK right now—but from all that I've been hearing and reading, it promises to be fascinating. I did read Fuchsia's memoir though, which was enlightening and pretty amusing, and made me want to seek out Sichuan food every time I read a chapter. Spicy and Tasty, anyone?

Making (up) with Murray's

If you remember my post about the experience I had with the Making with Murray's class at Murray's Cheese Shop, here's an update! A few days ago I finally received an email from Taylor—the Classroom Coordinator at Murray's—with "My Sincerest Apologies" as the subject heading. After apologizing for not responding earlier, she (very thoroughly) answered all of my concerns, some of which I realize had come out of my own misunderstanding. When I looked at the description again, I could see how while it could be read as being a hands-on class (when AT had emailed it to several of us, we had all made the same assumption), it had also really never stated that the class would be as such. As for the five person vs. twenty person bit, I think I had misunderstood the idea of "five spots remaining" as "five spots total."

Oh, don't say it. I know I'm a moron.

But then! Despite much of the issue being due to my own careless reading, Taylor very graciously invited me (and a guest) back for another class. I passed it up at first since I felt like it was my own fault, but she wrote back again and shoot, it's cheese, am I really supposed to resist CHEESE? So yah. I'm goin' back. Murray's, you've won me again with your stinky, nutty charm.

Making (nothing) with Murray's

The selection of cheeses at the Making With Murray's class held at Murray's Cheese Shop. I'd taken both a Cheese 101 class and done a cave tour here, and I was excited to be actually creating some of the stinky stuff myself. When I registered, the description indicated that five students would be getting a chance to make fresh ricotta and mozzarella—so why did I walk in to find a tasting plate sitting in front of me?

It turns out that unbeknownst to me, the format of the Making With Murray's class had changed into that of a twenty-five-person tasting with a demonstration. The cost of the class hadn't changed though (this one was $75 instead of their usual $50, which I had paid when I initially registered). I suppose you could argue that the cheesemaking kit we received offset the extra cost, but without the benefits of a hands-on experience and focused instruction, Making With Murray's had essentially become a regular tasting class combined with the purchase of a kit that I didn't want. The length of the class had changed too, with the end time set a half hour later than previously indicated.

I like the classes at Murray's, but it's worth it to check again to make sure you're getting what you signed up for. And don't expect any explanation for unannounced changes—my queries to Murray's about the situation have gone unanswered.

EDIT, 5.8.08
There is a second part to this story! Read about it here: Making (up) with Murray's

I dip you dip we dip

At the premiere of the new IMAX film Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk, hors d'oeuvres and beverages abounded, including trays of these thoroughly charming mini ice cream cones filled with smoked salmon cream and dipped in poppy or sesame seeds. This is a cute presentation that I imagine could lend itself to any kind of soft dip or spread, which could be piped into the cones and then dipped into seeds, spices, chopped herbs, or anything teeny-tiny that could stand in for sprinkles. Where to get the cones and specially fitted trays is another matter, though.


Other eats at the premiere: rare steak on baguette round, with horseradish cream; corn cake topped with chicken salad; mini sausage pizza-like thing; mini empanada. All tasty tasty.

Choosing eats at Choice Eats

This is how crazy-ass packed it was at tonight's event, Choice Eats. From the website description:

In recognition of the tantalizing and eclectic cuisine featured by resident food critic, Robert Sietsema, The Village Voice is proud to present our first-ever Choice Eats tasting event. We have scaled New York’s eclectic culinary landscape to bring together Robert’s tastiest picks from years of unearthing the five borough’s best-kept secrets. Set amid the backdrop of the historic Puck Building, guests will be invited to sample delicious treats that would otherwise require days of travel.

I heard about this grub-fest over a month ago, when it was first announced. As a long-time fan of Robert Sietsema, and of unusual, eclectic food, how could I resist? I quickly snapped up two tickets while alerting others who might be interested to do the same. By the time it rolled around I was there with five friends, and though it was impossible to stay together the whole time, between all of us I think we managed to sample almost everything being offered. Since there were so many items, I'm just going to briefly run down the things I tried—and rest assured that I did not eat everything pictured here. Mostly I just took a bite or two and passed it on.


Clockwise from top left: injera roll-ups, one lentil, one beef, from Queen of Sheba; pulled pork on stone-ground grits from Smoke Joint; Cuban sandwich, fried chicken, octopus salad, and shrimp salad from Margon; a couscous plate from La Maison Du Couscous. All of these were tasty, though the octopus in the salad was a little tough.

This tamarind baby back rib from Kampuchea was a real standout. The sweet, caramelized meat was so tender it fell apart with the merest bit of pressure from my fork, and the bone left behind was completely clean. Tasting it definitely made me want to check out the restaurant.


Clockwise from top left: chorizo and croquette from…someplace?; fried chicken "drumette" from Yeti of Hieizan; some really bland cornmeal mush from I forget where (but I wouldn't go back anyway probably); tuna and potato thing from El Anzuelo Fino. Decent eats here, but not outstanding.

This plate, from Nirvana, was among my favorites. Aside from the fish ball (the round breaded item) which was extremely salty, I really liked the chewy, vegetable-stuffed roti (in back) as well as the stuff in front, which as far as I could tell was pieces of roti sautéed with shreds of chicken and some vegetables. The dish tasted familiar and yet unfamiliar to me, and was somehow very comforting to eat.


Clockwise from top left: little cubes of chicken in a sweet sauce, on cucumber and a fried wonton skin, from Pacificana; lamb biryani (I think) from Deshi Biryani; spicy shrimp tacos from Mercadito; hummus and pita from Hummus Place. All of these, except the too-salty biryani (bleh), were quite good.

I managed to snag one of Fatty Crab's last servings of these stewed short ribs (?) over coconut rice. The flavors and textures here were well balanced and it really made a difference that the dish was actually being served hot. As with the tamarind ribs from Kampuchea, this dish made me want to have a meal at the restaurant. Well, or maybe I just love Asian food.

I was definitely beyond full at this point, but I did still try a few other things, like beef goulash from Schnitzel Haus and dhokla from Tiffin Wallah, as well as a completely flavorless bean and pork dish from Maremma, the one real clunker of the evening (like eating nothing in bean-shaped form). And afterward, I emerged from the Puck Building (where my high school prom was held—um, what is up with these flashbacks recently?) groaning with fullness.

Now that I've digested a bit, here are some thoughts:

1) JL commented that there was a lot of "rice with stuff" action happening, as well as a lot of "cold fried meat" happening, and I agree. Most of these were pretty boring, except for the ones I pointed out as…not.

2) The restaurants that offered a single, representative dish made the greatest impression, since we were tasting their best item. There were some that had an entire assortment of different items, but with the sheer volume, I would only choose one or two and sometimes I would choose wrong (like the place with the bland chunk of cornmeal, for instance. That restaurant had about eight other items, but since they were along the lines of rice and fried chicken and stewed beef and there were plenty of those around, I skipped them in favor of what I hadn't tried). So I guess, in a bit of irony, I am actually arguing for less choice at Choice Eats.

3) I kind of wish there were more interesting beverages being offered at this event from vendors, not just drinks from the alcohol sponsors. Like the cashew fruit drink I had at Red Hook, say, or horchata, or chicha morada: all those fun drinks you can't buy bottled.

4) I'm glad that pains were being taken to recycle or compost everything later, but it was dumb that we were offered these nice, durable plastic cups from Preserve Everyday for our usage, and then forced to throw them out at the door (even if they were empty). Isn't one of the best environmental practices of all to reuse?

5) Even if they're being recycled, thousands of plastic forks and paper plates must have died for Choice Eats tonight. On my end, I held on to my fork instead of throwing them out each time, and I tried to get servers to just place whatever they were serving onto my current plate instead of a fresh one. I hope others did the same.

All in all it was a fun event, but I'm not sure I would do it again. I felt like I couldn't really savor anything because there was so much going on. My initial exhilaration from all these great dishes being available quickly gave way to exhaustion from the crowds; it was overwhelming. I'd much rather take my time and go to these restaurants for a leisurely meal. But this event has definitely helped me to shape my list and to sample new things, and for that, I'd recommend it.

For the complete set of photos, click here.