Welcome to Jylosophy!
July 19, 2010
Lobster is considered an expensive delicacy. Usually because restaurants charge so much for it. However, if you buy it and cook it at home you’ll find it to be much more economical. Due to a wonderful surplus of live lobsters there are times I have purchased lobsters as little as $5.99 a pound. At that price you can make a meal for a date for about $20. Or you can create some delicious lobster rolls.
First steam the lobsters (watch the “Steaming Live Lobsters” video if you need some help). Cook the lobsters on ice. Don’t use cold water because the lobsters can tend to become waterlogged. Crack the shells and remove the meat. Break the lobster meat apart with your hands into large bites. Try not to shred it.
Add celery, scallions and/or parsley. Whatever your tastebuds desire. Season your mayonnaise in a separate dish. I like to use sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and a pinch of ground cayenne and smoked paprika for heat. Try not to overwhelm the lobster by adding too much to the salad.
Lobster rolls are usually made with hot dog rolls. I prefer using a nice egg based roll like an onion roll. Top with shredded lettuce and tomato as desired. Yum. Enjoy.
June 07, 2010
Summertime and watermelon seem to be synonymous. As soon as the weather is warm the huge fruit appears in large bins at the market. So go ahead and buy a whole one and use it several ways. This sweet fruit is only 6% sugar and a source for vitamin C, beta carotene, and lycopene so it’s not only delicious, it’s good for you!
Shown here is a salad with feta cheese and basil. You can toss it together without any dressing because the water content of the watermelon will keep everything moist. You can also just eat slices of watermelon and feta on a plate with knife and fork. The sweetness of the melon compliments the saltiness of the cheese to make a wonderful combination in your mouth.
You can also use it in a savory salad. Here, I’ve used watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, scallion and parsley dressed with salt, pepper and a lemon vinaigrette. Try your own combinations.
The water content of a watermelon make it perfect for use as a beverage whether you use alcohol or not. Just place watermelon cubes in a blender and liquify. This is a margarita made with watermelon, tequila and fresh lime juice. Write to us and tell us what you made with your watermelon.
May 06, 2010
Last night I attended the 4th Annual Brooklyn Uncorked at BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music] which was a wine and food tasting event. It was co-sponsored by Edible Brooklyn Magazine, http://www.ediblebrooklyn.com, Uncork New York, http://www.nywines.org, Long Island Wine, http://www.liwines.com and the NYC Food Film Festival. 
The evening’s delicious food offerings were provided by local restaurants who presented a variety selections. I decided to hit the food tables first to make sure I tasted everything. The wine keeps flowing but the food tends to run out as the evening progresses at these events.
Although, I promote home cooking, I can’t help but point out the highlights of the culinary treats. I loved the gazpacho served by Watty & Meg, http://www.wattyandmeg.com. It was deliciously creamy with a little float of olive oil.
The Middle Eastern food of Tanoreen, http://www.tanoreen.com is the BEST I have eaten outside the Mideast. Yes, I said, BEST. You know if you’re a regular follower of the show that we’ve made several Middle Eastern dishes and even shot travel videos there. (See hummous, shakshuka, Israeli salad, and Israeli Trailer).
The ceviches served by Palo Santo, http://www.palosanto.com were dreamy.
There is an overwhelming amount of wines available across the world. We are currently creating a wine show to help you navigate your way through a wine menu and liquor store choices. The evenings wine all came from Long Island wineries. Because the climate and soil are similar there are similarities from winery to winery. Although there were many that stood out among their peers. The Syrah from Martha Clara, http://www.marthaclaravineyards.com was warm and soft and very romantic.
Being a prosecco drinker, I was thrilled by the Croteaux Vineyards, http://www.corteaux.com, Croteaux Cuvée Sparkle, made in the French Charmat style. It was not too sweet and the tiny bubbles brought out the subtle flavor of tangerine.
If you get a chance to attend one of the many events like this around your city I would definitely advise it. It’s a great value and gives you an opportunity to discover the flavors you like. The key is to be focused on what you’d like to taste and take notes or business cards, otherwise it could be very overwhelming.
April 20, 2010
Those of you who watch the show know I don’t use recipes. I’ve made a lot of easy desserts using elements that don’t need to be baked, or using simple already baked goods like Strawberry Shortcake. I was thinking some of you might want to get a little more sophisticated with your dessert recipes. So I did some research and put together this combination of recipes that made this dessert so easy.
You’ll need: puff pastry (usually comes frozen), tart apples like Granny Smith (who is Granny Smith anyway? does she know Aunt Jemima?), sugar, lemon, cinnamon stick, butter, heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar. Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface. Cut into 6” squares, place on cooking tray. Put 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup water and the juice of half a lemon in a saucepan. Add a cinnamon stick if you like. Cut apples in thin slices, no more than 1/8” thick. Heat mixture until sugar is melted. Toss apples in syrup but do not cook them. Drain liquid from apples and put the liquid back in the saucepan. Lay apples on puff pastry. Sprinkle with brown sugar or turbinado sugar. Put in oven for about 15 minutes until pastry is golden. In the meantime, add about two tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of heavy cream to syrup and cook until it caramelizes. Swirl caramel on plate, place tart, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. If you want to add whipped cream, watch the video.
Enjoy and indulge!
March 16, 2010
I’m just going to go ahead and toot my own horn. This is the best veal chop I ever ate. This dish exuded my philosophies of cooking. Use fresh ingredients, proper cooking temperatures, keep it simple. This delicious meal cost me about $8.50 which is quite a bargain compared to an average of $25 you’d pay in a NYC restaurant. I ordered two veal chops from http://www.FreshDirect.com which were on sale for $9.99/lb. One of my favorite dishes is veal milanese which is a pounded, breaded chop, fried in olive oil and accompanied by an arugula and tomato salad. Different restaurants use only slight variations of a theme. Some are pounded so thin they cover a plate but tend to dry out. Since my chop was a loin chop (like a t-bone), and the bone was in the middle, I couldn’t pound it that thinly. But it worked out. After I trimmed the edges of fat, pounded the meat, dipped in egg with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, herb breadcrumbs and fried in olive oil I realized the thickness of my chop (3/8”) allowed it to stay moist inside while the outside was perfectly crisp.
I decided to use the shiitake mushrooms I had in the fridge. I heated butter in a small fry pan. Sliced shiitakes and added to the butter. Added red wine, salt and pepper. Cooked over med-hi heat until sauce reduced. The combination of all three were so delicious. I had to lick my plate.
Oh, I only wish I was on Food Network’s Chopped hearing the judges applaud. LOL.
March 11, 2010
Well almost. Obviously, there isn’t anything as fresh as freshly picked, fished or baked food. Freezing fresh food is the best way to keep it in your home. Many of the foods we eat are always previously frozen such as shrimp and sushi grade fish which is always frozen when caught. Any shrimp you buy which is not frozen has been defrosted. The best way to buy shrimp is frozen in pre-packed bags. They are individually flash frozen which allows you to use as much as you need.
I made this delicious, easy soup with all fresh ingredients that had been frozen. They are: chicken stock which was made at my favorite supermarket, Fairway, fresh linguini pasta, shrimp, frozen peas and fresh scallions. I sauteed some thinly sliced onion in butter (olive oil is also good). Then I added the defrosted chicken stock to that pan. Threw in the shrimp to cook right into the stock which gave the stock a slightly fishy flavor. I added frozen peas and scallions. The pasta was broken into short spoon-size and cooked separately. All the ingredients were blended together to yield a hearty, fulfilling meal.
This can also be a good option if you have leftovers or just a little bit of fresh ingredients. Read the ingredients on packed soup stocks. Some of them contain a lot of chemical additives. Most of them, unless they are marked “concentrate” are under salted so you’ll have to add salt to taste.
Three to four weeks is the maximum time frozen foods should remain in your freezer. Frost free refridgerators (which is what most of them are nowadays) blow both hot and cold air on food which causes the icing and “freezer burn.” So don’t neglect your food. Once it’s been a couple of weeks, please cook. Or make a lovely soup such as this. By the way, baked goods keep very nicely frozen. Cake will defrost easily outside the fridge and will be ready to serve in a couple of hours.
Feel free to write to me about suggestions for soups and for frozen ingredients. I’m here for you!
February 15, 2010
As promised to the women in the audience at the Women in Social Media event I attended on February 3, 2010, here is the list of bloggers who wanted to share their craft.
Congratulations to you all for your creativity and perseverance. Keep up the good work.
@Natashaattal: http://newageofmarketingandpr.blogspot.com/
Allison: http://www.thatgirlallison.com
Amy T. Zacks: http://www.amysafternoonreading.com
Lauren K. Goodwin: http://littlelg.tumblr.com
Ali Privitera: http://threeinchheels.com
Vicki Salemi: http://www.vickisalemi.com
Kanako Shirasaki: http://proglo.tumblr.com
Meghan Butler: http://www.megsmumbo.blogspot.com
Molly Aaker: http://www.wanderingpondering.com
Melissa Davis: http://www.TheFatApplenyc.com
And the women on the panel:
Casey Carter: http://caseyculture.tumblr.com/
Alexa Hirschfeld: http://www.paperlesspost.com
Meghan Muntean: http://www.ChickRX.com
Jordan Reid: http://jordan.nonsociety.com/
Neha Chauhan: http://mysocialimpact.com/
February 08, 2010
How are those new year’s resolutions going for you? Are you still going to the gym three times a week? Have you lost your first 10 pounds? Why does this subject die down in the media, and in our minds, only a couple of weeks after the year begins? Maybe because most of us realize that our goals are a bit beyond what we can handle.
The best way to honor your resolutions is to make realistic ones. Most of the time we set ourselves up for failure by making promises to ourselves that are beyond our capabilities. And you know we can be our own worst critic. Then we punish ourselves for our lack of self control and wait for next year to start over.
So if you are already off track on your workout routine or abandoned your new diet here are some ways to get back in action.
1. Take baby steps. Be realistic about how many times you can go to the gym. Might you be able to walk to work instead of ride? How about dancing at home to your favorite music without anyone watching? How about once a week at the gym? Basically, take small steps every day. Once you notice the change in the way you feel and look you are more likely to increase your workout time.
2. Don’t call a diet a diet. Once you feel restricted from what you can eat you crave it. Compose a new plan of action for eating. One important way to become conscious of your eating habits is to eat with intent. Do not eat with a book or television, while you are walking or driving. Distractions contribute to over eating. Plus, when you look at your food you enjoy its taste more. You will recognize when you are full and just like in a restaurant, make yourself a doggy bag for the next day’s lunch.
3. Make additions not subtractions. Add more vegetables to your meals. Treat yourself to a dessert once in a while. Cook more often. Add walks to your evenings. Add water to your bar order. If your resolutions have to do with saving money be realistic with the amount you can put away. Think about creative ways to save like adding pot luck dinners with friends instead of going out. Have a girls mani-pedi afternoon at home. Resolutions should be about nourishing not depriving yourself. Look at it positively and reward yourself for staying on task.
So what if we are approaching mid-February? It’s never too late to Reset. Restart. Refresh.
February 04, 2010
to bring you some insight I’ve received on blogging and the future of the internet. There is an awful lot of garbage out there. Portal sites carrying the same paragraph three times and every Google ad with those words will lose favor no matter how much they pay for SEO. People are truly looking for content and the ability to enjoy immediate gratification means they can find the good stuff. The good stuff is the truth. It’s the way people really think. You get the best view of things from people who truly love what they do. This is not a profession yet. Bloggers are just beginning to enjoy compensation. But it will be. So print journalists have no fear. You will find gold.
Every corporation, product every, every person will be identified by a blog in some form or another. Having a brand that people can interact with will be the best way to sell anything. That will include using video, games, newsletters and other content. Everyone is vying for a piece of land of this Wild West show. And the strongest, the most honest, and the most creative will find that gold.
Hop on the wagon train.
My thoughts are brought to you by the panel discussion I attended by Women in Social Media. My thanks go to Neha Chauhan, Jordon Reid, Casey Carter, Meghan Muntean and Alexa Hirschfeld for their inspiration.
January 29, 2010
Haven’t we all heard that a way to a man’s [woman’s] heart is through his [her] stomach? Here’s your opportunity to see how that could work in your favor. Season Three of Cooking for Bachelors TV will feature a dating game show. In each episode three single women or men will prepare a dish to be selected as the lucky winner of a date with the bachelor.
Dishes must follow the philosophy of this website as they must be from fresh (local when possible) ingredients and must be able to be prepared in 15 minutes or less. They can be dishes that have been already prepared on one of our videos or a unique dish. Ethnic dishes are most welcome. Contestants will be required to audition and commit to the shoot in NYC in early Spring.
A unique prize will be awarded to each couple selected for a date.
For an application send an email through CONTACT US.
Good luck!
December 21, 2009
1. Don’t panic. Know one knows what you have planned or what you left out.
2. Prepare ahead. Baked goods, sauces and dips can be prepared a couple of days ahead.
3. Place lots of snacks around the house. Hungry guests waiting for dinner will have something to fill themselves. Think of olives, cheese and crackers, nuts, hummous, crudites. I found these amazing crackers from Dr. Kracker filled with organic ingredients. They have 9 flavors of flatbreads and crackers. Shown here are the cherry semolina and fire roasted crisps served Old Amsterdam cheese. Check their website for where to purchase: http://www.drkracker.com
4. Serve a buffet dinner. A sit-down, plated meal takes the most energy to serve.
5. Add cold side dishes to your buffet. You’ll be able to make more ahead of time. Think about bean salads, grilled vegetables marinated in olive oil, cold shrimp salad.
December 17, 2009
Regardless of the occasion, it’s a good idea when giving a gift that it represent both you and your gift recipient. Your friend with the contemporary furnishings might not appreciate antique teacups. Just as well, your great aunt with the full time housekeeper won’t really need that dustbuster. The same applies to food gifts.
If you’re known for your cooking, spread the joy. The young neighbor, down the hall, with a new baby might love a well-cooked casserole of sorts. The foodie in your life would appreciate gourmet items she wouldn’t buy for herself. Whatever you decide, make sure everything is included to complete the gift. For example, I once received a creme brulee torch but I have yet to use it because the gas capsule was not included.
Here are some variations of food gifts, good any time of year:
If you can cook think of something that everyone loves and that can be served immediately in case extra dishes are needed at a party or freezes well:
1. Tray of lasagna or sweet potato/jalapeno/scallion latkes
2. Baked goods (try to be more creative than holiday sugar cookies)
For foodies:
3. Basket of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, mixed peppercorns, 100% natural vanilla beans or extract. Decorate your basket with fresh herbs for a lovely aroma.
4. Sushi making kit. Include seaweed leaves, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
For those who have everything:
5. Cooking classes are a great idea. Those who already cook might appreciate lessons with a specialty such as Thai or Indian cooking.
6. Who doesn’t love S’mores? There are hibachi kits made especially for melting those marshmallows and making that special dessert that reminds us of childhood. This is a great gift for almost anyone. Please include the marshmallows, graham crackers and a large bar of chocolate.
Be creative with your offerings and your wrapping. In this economy, it’s the little things that count the most.
Happy Holidays!
December 09, 2009
DUMBO resident Jyl Ferris is taking the Internet by storm with her how-to show for singles, “Cooking for Bachelors,” which just began its second season at cookingforbachelors.tv ... (more)
To read the entire article go to: http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2009/12/08/brooklyn/courier_frontpage_cookbach.txt
OR
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/meet_cooking_for_bachelors_Pw8YBkO9aSJshBDcNXL9QJ
December 07, 2009
We all know that this time of year is filled with temptations. But that doesn’t mean we have to eat everything put in front of us using holiday time as an excuse. Here’s some suggestions on how:
1. Be selective. Offices are filled with deliveries of sweets. Holiday parties provide extra noshes. Choose a small taste or pass on foods you wouldn’t usually eat during the year.
2. Don’t skip meals for party food. Just because you know that evening will be the office party, eat a healthy lunch so you aren’t starving by the time the party food comes around.
3. Eat normal portions. Small plates can be deceiving. What you place on 3 plates might equal a whole meal. When you sit down to a family style meal only fill your plate with what you would at a normal meal at home or even in a restaurant. If you want to taste everything serve yourself small portions. Don’t be afraid to insult your hostess. Accept a passed around platter and move it along. If you intend on eating dessert stay away from sweet side dishes. And when you have dessert, one piece of cake is enough. Remember, the second piece of cake tastes the same as the first, but eating it will double the calories.
4. Don’t skip your normal exercise routine. Exercising regularly will help you to avoid the big promises you’re going to make to yourself about taking off the weight after New Year’s.
5. Watch out for the egg nog. That goes for all alcohol consumption. Alcohol, especially when served as egg nog or punch contains large amounts of sugar. Drinking too much can also slow your body down from processing fat.
Just use your judgment and remember, everything in moderation.
Happy Holidays.
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