Latest and Greatest from M&M

(courtesy of M&M's)

M&M's. That fabulous, famous, melt in your mouth, not in your hand, chocolate with the colorful candy shell. Over the years they have expanded their product line well beyond the original milk chocolate to include dark chocolate, almond, peanut, and, my personal favorite, peanut butter. Now, they have taken the peanut butter M&M a step further by adding, you guessed it, strawberry. Final, every child's favorite sandwich in a candy form! Does life get any better? These Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M's are only available for a limited time, so be sure to snag a pack while you still can.

The Return of the Fulton Market

When the Fulton Fish Market closed a few years ago a great void was created along South Street and in the hearts of all New Yorkers. Beginning on Friday May 22, 2009, this deep chasm of despair will be filled by the joy of the new incarnation of South Street shopping - The Fulton Stall Market. The stalls will be filled by local purveyors of fresh produce and speciality foods and will be open Fridays and Saturdays all summer from 10am - 6pm. So rejoice New York - the Seaport's market tradition has been rejuvenated!

FREE CONE DAY!

 

(courtesy of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream)

Your favorite day of the year has arrived - free cone day at Ben and Jerry's! Their website makes it super simple for you to find a delicious, free frozen treat near work or home (or both, if you're like me). Visit their site, put in your state, and savor the sweetness.

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

A Farmer's Market Near You

Planning on doing some travel this summer? Well you don't have to give up your favorite organic, locally grown produce just because you're on the road. Check out the Eat Well Guide. Just put in the zip code of the locale you plan to visit and the site will give you a list of farmer's markets, and so much more, in the area. There is even a guide to local, seasonal produce so you know what you can expect to find at the market you visit.

Outstanding in the Field

(courtesy of Outstanding in the Field)

If you've ever tasted food freshly picked from some one's garden you know exactly how amazingly flavorful that food can be. Whether it be fruits or vegetables, I'm sure you will agree, their taste can best be compared to tasting sunshine. To get a regular fix of this, you can shop at your green market, but if you want an extra special experience check out Outstanding in the Field. These outdoor events promote farm-to-table eating with famous chefs preparing multi-course meals featuring ingredients sourced locally, sometimes right next to the table at which you are eating. These dinners will give you the opportunity not only to support local growers and chefs, but also to eat right along side them. These events are happening all over the country so check out the reservations page to find a dinner near you this summer.

If you cannot find an event near you, or all the ones in your location are already sold out, there is the Outstanding in the Field Cookbook so you can replicate these meals in your own kitchen, just make sure your ingredients are fresh and local.

Dining and Wine Wednesday

A selection, and summary, of the best articles from today's NY Times Dining and Wine Section:

Comrades at Arms: Two Food Writers in a Kitchen Smackdown: 2 dinners, each will feed 6 people and cost no more than $50. Two NY Times writers are put to the test and Frank Bruni weighs in on the results. Great source for some ideas the next time your friends are coming over for dinner and you need to stay within your budget without feeding them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Related Links:

A Mexican Feast With Artisanal Technique: Meal number one, including all recipes and cost breakdown.

Old World With New Twists: Meal number two, including all recipes and cost breakdown.

Bouley Quietly Uproots, Conjuring a French Countryside: Frank Bruni reviews the recently relocated David Bouley flagship restaurant, Bouley,awarding it 3-stars. The atmosphere is romantic and the dessert is always at least 3 courses, but the food remains slightly more uneven than that enjoyed at 4-star establishments such as Per Se and Daniel.

Chardonnay in Aisle 3?: Is wine coming to grocery stores in New York? It's part of Gov. Paterson's 2009 budget, the question is, will it pass by the April 1st deadline. This one is igniting some fierce debate.

Yankee Stadium Has a Full Plate: Scoring a seat in one of the new club or suite areas will get you more than just a plush seat at the new Yankee Stadium, it will also get you exclusive dining options including meals prepared by such famed chefs as Masaharu Morimoto and April Bloomfield.

For Mets Fans, a Menu Beyond Peanuts and Cracker Jack: Obviously, the revamped Mets Stadium would not be complete without revamped food choices, so Danny Meyer is taking the lead with this one. Choices will include items such as pulled-pork sandwiches on brioche buns and shrimp rolls. For the high rollers among us, there will be a restaurant-cafe-bar-lounge area just behind home plate where seats start at $175.

Off the Menu: The all important list of restaurant openings and closings.

Dining Calendar: Food related events happening during this and upcoming weeks in and around NYC.

Dining and Wine Wednesdays

Since you don't have time to read everything in this MOST important section of the paper, I have narrowed it down for you. These are the articles worth your time:

It’s Organic, but Does That Mean It’s Safer?

Basically, 'organic' does not guarantee pathogen free - but really, who thought it did? Maybe it should, but a lot of the organics you buy from the supermarket, although free from many of the bad things found in conventionally grown foods, are still produced on a massive scale and are thus subject to some of the same problems as other mass-produced foods. One more reason to buy from your local farmer's market, where you can talk to the person who produced your food. One other important piece of information from this article - farmers and manufacturers have to PAY hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to the USDA to be certified organic, so just because a purveyor at your local market is not 'certified organic' don't assume they do not comply with organic and/or sustainable growing practices. In many cases they just cannot afford the certification.

A Bolder Menu and Room to Explore It

Restaurant review of L’Artusi. Menu is some what uneven, but still good enough to get one star from the NYT.

California Chardonnay Grows Up

Recommendations for the next time you're at the liquor store and in the mood for Chardonnay. All the wines tasted came from Santa Barbara.

From Showpiece to Sustainable Crops, a Farm Shifts

A working farm - just over the river in Queens! And they have a stand at the Union Square Green Market- bonus!

A Divorce for Beets and Goat Cheese

I LOVE Mark Bittman. He always has the best, and most simple, ways to prepare foods already in your kitchen.

Off the Menu

Everything you need to know about restaurant openings and closings.

Dining Calendar

Upcoming dining events including freebies and charity fundraisers that give you an excuse to dine out.