samosa pie

This is the story of the pie I made for the 3rd Annual Brooklyn Pie Contest (to benefit BK Farmyards — a very cool organization). I’ve got to blurt it out — my samosa pie won! Well, it won “People’s Choice” out of all 62 pies entered, and the judges gave it 2nd place in the judged category. I don’t think I’ve ever won a raffle, let alone a cooking contest. I couldn’t believe it! So I can officially, un-sarcastically put “Prize-Winning” in front of the name of this recipe. For the story of and recipe for Zoe’s Prize-Winning Samosa Pie, keep reading …

jiaozi galore

Last year I spent five weeks in China living with a family in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, as part of a traveling semester abroad. I was studying public health, and while it was an incredible adventure, China rather was difficult on my stomach. Although American Chinese food bares only a slight resemblance to actual Chinese food, I haven’t had any since being back in the country. So, after almost a year, I felt compelled to spend an evening this week making the dumplings that I learned how to make from the family I lived with in China. Zoe had also spent some time last year in Hong Kong, so the two of us turned 111 Pacific into a dumpling-making factory for the night. This is what I love about dumplings:

1.) it’s an activity

2.) you can put almost anything in them

3.) you can make hundreds, freeze them, and have them for the next month if you so choose!

birthday bushel

This post is about the crab feast I threw! After a whole lot of description of mine you’ll find some good instructions on how to have yours. Which is the purpose. Because have one you should.

I’m not sure I’m ready to write about this yet because I swear I still smell like Old Bay. But I also can’t wait because it was really exciting, and I have lots to say! On Monday I cooked a bushel of crabs to celebrate Dan and Claire’s birthdays. A BUSHEL of crabs. Okay, this post really starts a few weeks ago when Sami, Emily, our forager friend Annie, and I trekked to the Hunts Point Fulton Fish Market in the wee hours. When I saw a bushel basket full of #2s I almost felt the summer creeping in. I thought about Dan, because he’s like a kid in a candy store when it comes to crabs, except he pairs his treat with more than a few cans of beer. The man working the stall gave me a good price, a wink, and his card. M Slavin & Sons, originally a Brooklyn-based fish purveyor, is now a global wholesale brand, and he guaranteed I could call anytime for a similar price and local delivery. So I called for the first occasion that presented itself: a birthday feast for two very important seafood loving people!