Posts Written OnJanuary 2006

Thanks to everyone to sent me emails or left comments for the Ultimate Steelers Tailgate menu. Just reading what you all had to say transported me back to my hometown and to Sundays at "church" (what we called Steelers games in my fraternity house in college). But, without further adieu, I give you the Ultimate Steelers Tailgate Menu. Appetizers Snyder of Berlin Potato ChipsPittsburgh-area potato chips Polish Sausage Chips with Sweet Chili Dipping SaucePolish sausage is a must for any Pittsburgh-themed menu. Cook it how you like, slice it into thin ovals (on an angle) to make the chips. Mix…

I love just about anything stuffed inside pasta, regardless of filling. I love ravioli. I love pot stickers. And yes, I love pieogies. As Kate mentions in her post (I seem to be a step behind her with the ‘burgh’s best bites) Pittsburgh is filled with Polish, Slavic or Ukrainian communities, and the churches within those communities are the best places to find fresh pierogie. I’ve seen them served deep fried with tomato sauce (similar to ‘toasted ravioli’) and I have a fraternity brother who would boil or steam them and then eat (pretty bland that way if you ask…

French fries. No, they weren’t invented in Pittsburgh (or France for that matter) but Pittsburgh has taken these crispy slices of gold to an all new level — as a condiment. In the ‘burgh, fries are as likely to be on a sandwich as next to it, especially if you’re at Primanti Brothers, which is to Pittsburgh what Geno’s and Pat’s are to Philadelphia. The sandwiches are served on thick slizes of Italian white bread, layered with vinegary coleslaw, tomato, French fries and — if your a true ‘burgher — a fried egg. Every table has a bottle of Trappey’s…

Despite the warmer-than-usual temperatures we’ve been enjoying lately, this time of year calls out for comfort foods — especially roasts and stews. They fill our kitchens with warming, alluring aromas and pair wonderfully with hearty local red wines. Unfortunately, it seems like most of the East End’s recent releases are white wines — either chardonnays with a couple years of bottle age that are finally ready for release, or fresh, young aromatic whites like riesling or steel-fermented Chardonnay. Thankfully Laurel Lake Vineyards and winemaker, Claudio Zamorano, have bucked that trend, recently releasing two reds and an ice wine. The Laurel…

Holly Howell, wine columnist for the Democrat and Chronicle, has been named director of education at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, a$7.5 million center, backed by corporate, university and government sponsors, that is expected to open this summer in Canandaigua. Holly comes from a family of food lovers and her parents run their own cooking school. She also teaches food and wine classes at Wegmans, RIT and Casa Larga Vineyards.

Before I continue with this post, let me just say that I am well aware that this isn’t even close to the authenic use of the term "BBQ." Though it is slow cooked (or at least it can be) and includes a yummy pork product, there’s no smoke and not even an open flame necessary. As a kid, one of my favorite sandwiches was mom’s ham barbeques. They aren’t the most sophisticated or complicated sandwiches in the world but they are a ‘burgh tradition and — frankly — they are home for me. You’ll noticed the main ingredient is "chipped…

Even though Nena and I have been living on this overgrown sand bar for over six years (has it been that long already?) there are a ton of restaurants we haven’t gotten to yet. You may be asking "Why not, Lenn?" Well, we usually stay fairly local to wherever we’re living at the time and sometimes fall into ruts. Our main group of friends also seems to frequent five restaurants…all within a few miles of the town we live in. So, to help Mrs. LENNDEVOURS and I branch out a bit over the next 11 months, I’ve compiled a list…

In case you haven’t heard, the Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5. I’m also a huge fan…I bet you didn’t know that 😉   Even though the game is in sure-to-be-cold Detroit, there is no doubt in my mind that the Steelers faithful will be turning out in full force, both for the game itself and long before. Tailgating is a bit of a religion in the Steel City. I’ve gone to 4 p.m. games where we arrived at the stadium at 8 a.m. Tailgating is important after all. But Steelers fans, what would you…

Every week, I write a "Vintage of the Week" for the Long Island Press lifestyle section. For whatever reason, I hadn’t been republishing them here, but thought I’d start doing so when the wine isn’t written about in another post. The Finger Lakes are best known for their world-class rieslings, but with a cool grape growing climate, the region is well suited for other classic varieties, chardonnay included. This bottling from Fox Run Vineyards — a nice value at $13 — is a nice example of cool climate chardonnay. Rather than being heavy and flabby like many California bottlings, it’s…