http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/ Jackie Gordon muses and munches on food, music, design, small business and more in the Big Apple. en Divalicious Inc. Copyright 2010 2010-05-30T17:08:24+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_grows_tomatoes/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_grows_tomatoes/#When:17:08:24Z “Can you grow tomatoes indoors?” That question came across my twitter feed, from @LaConsuelo, yesterday. I had no idea, since I grow mine in my Boreum Hill backyard, so I asked my Gardening Guru and she said, “Yes!” Gardening 2010-05-30T17:08:24+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/janeas_second_birthday/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/janeas_second_birthday/#When:18:37:14Z Ja-Ja, my niece, has evolved into a little lady since her first birthday. Now double her age, she has grown into her actual name, Janea. For her second birthday I built the menu around a savory birthday cake made of macaroni and cheese. I have some decorating ideas floating in my head, but we’ll see how it evolves. Gordon family eatz, Jackie cooks 2010-05-06T18:37:14+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/new_yorkers_who_really_cook_mercedes_batista/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/new_yorkers_who_really_cook_mercedes_batista/#When:10:33:18Z For many New Yorkers, a home cooked meal is a rarity, a pearl in an ocean of eating out, deliveries–in and sustenance grabbed on the Go!–Go!–Go! For nearly all of food enthusiast Mercedes Batista’s almost eighty years, cooking is a ritual, a gift she gives herself everyday. I joined Mercedes at the West Village apartment where she has lived happily alone for the past forty of those years for dinner. New Yorkers who really cook, Recipes 2010-04-03T10:33:18+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_sipped_bigelow_tea/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_sipped_bigelow_tea/#When:21:23:07Z Who doesn’t love a tea party? One of the best events I’d been to this year was a tea social hosted by Cindi Bigelow, CEO and grand-daughter of Ruth Bigelow, founder of one of America’s largest tea companies, Bigelow Tea. The diva tasted 2010-03-24T21:23:07+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_spyed_cocoa_v/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_spyed_cocoa_v/#When:12:45:35Z I popped into Cocoa V, a new vegan chocolate shop and wine bar on 9th Avenue in Chelsea for a peek, not a nosh because I had just pigged out a less interesting cafe down the street. I took a quick video to try and capture a few things I’d like to try when I am back in the ‘hood. 2010-03-24T12:45:35+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/new_yorkers_who_really_cook_jennifer_schonborn/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/new_yorkers_who_really_cook_jennifer_schonborn/#When:23:22:04Z On a chilly, wintry afternoon, I popped over for lunch with holistic nutrition counselor and Park Slope mom, Jennifer Schonborn. In her business, Jennifer counsels people so their food and lifestyle choices help them achieve their health and weight loss goals in a way that is flexible and fun. New Yorkers who really cook 2010-02-19T23:22:04+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_ate_calexico_carne_asada/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_that_ate_calexico_carne_asada/#When:02:23:06Z Believe the hype! Today we had lunch at Calexico, on Union St., in Brooklyn, today and loved it. For once, I let everyone order what they wanted so there was a plethora of pulled pork. We had it in a taco, a quesadilla and a burrito.  The child veered from the pig pack and had chicken quesadilla.  We also ordered a small salad and a side of guacamole. Everything was delish on its own, but I had too much fun at the salsa bar and tasted them all. The only thing I did not care for was their infamous “Crack” sauce, but I am not a big mayo fan. Get a yummy peek on the video. Food joints, The diva tasted 2010-01-17T02:23:06+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/new_yorkers_who_really_cook_alexandra_leaf/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/new_yorkers_who_really_cook_alexandra_leaf/#When:23:23:52Z My NYC foodie fantasy came true: I spent a fall afternoon at the Union Square Green Market with author, culinary historian, chocolate tasting-tour expert, Les Dames Escoffier member and of course NYC mom, Alexandra Leaf. She answers my “NYC Food Tips From A New Yorker Who Really Cooks” questions at the end of this post. Check out Alexandra’s Chocolate Fest: A Walk-Around Tasting event on March 14th, at the 92nd St. Y (I’ll be there with a spicy chocolate fountain!). This post is out of order chronologically due to editing issues and holiday mayhem. Also, it was the first time I used my new Kodak zi8 camera so some of the photos reflect that. New Yorkers who really cook 2010-01-11T23:23:52+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_wandering_foodie_and_i_check_out_iris_cafe_in_brooklyn_93_plates_projec/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_wandering_foodie_and_i_check_out_iris_cafe_in_brooklyn_93_plates_projec/#When:18:44:43Z Meal #22 of The Wandering Foodies 93 Plates project found Hagan and I enjoying breakfast at the Iris Cafe, a new cafe in Brooklyn Heights. One word: Delicious! It’s on the road less traveled: Columbia Place, but that street should get worn out soon by people trekking over to get divine raisin sticky buns, yummy ham and cheddar scones, homey soft boiled, farm fresh egg breakfasts with divine Surryano Ham (It’s spelled correctly!) and awesome oatmeal served up with the best tea I’ve ever had and the super sought after Stumptown coffee!!! We did not even try the sandwiches , but Liza de Guia, Food Curated’s story-teller and self-proclaimed food addict (@SkeeterNYC on Twitter) says they are to die for. So I deliberately did not buy the sticky buns so I could head back very, very soon and try them… and then devour more sticky buns! Food joints, Recipes, The diva tasted 2010-01-08T18:44:43+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_wandering_foodie_and_i_get_down_to_the_roots_for_breakfast/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_wandering_foodie_and_i_get_down_to_the_roots_for_breakfast/#When:16:59:08Z Could you eat at three restaurants a day for thirty one days straight and blog about each meal? Hagan Blount aka The Wandering Foodie is able and willing and doing it and has invited NYC food bloggers to join him! We met on day five, meal thirteen of his 93 Plates project at the Roots Cafe in Brooklyn. Food joints, The diva tasted 2010-01-05T16:59:08+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/jackies_gone_christmas_cookie_crazy/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/jackies_gone_christmas_cookie_crazy/#When:17:25:31Z I had a bit of spare time and a lot of extra chocolate this holiday season so I started dipping and whipping up a storm of Xmas cookies. When I finally finished and I looked back at the boxes of over twenty types of goodies I’d made, the thought did cross my mind that I might need some sort of intervention. I also decided that next year, if I am feeling cookie compelled I would get some elves —if it’s good enuf for Santa…  I shared them, I traded them, I gifted them and even had some hand delivered to Trinidad. Needless to say I spread them around and made a few folks very happy. Jackie cooks 2009-12-29T17:25:31+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_madras_chicken_curry/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_madras_chicken_curry/#When:17:47:57Z My mom learned this chicken curry recipe from Portuguese-Indian friends that lived next door to us on the Lower East Side in the land before time. It’s dead easy crowd pleaser. Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-12-27T17:47:57+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_green_apple_cucumber_raita/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_green_apple_cucumber_raita/#When:17:00:08Z Perfect for cooling the heat of curry or as a side dish for a BBQ.  I had extra apples so I whipped up this raita recipe. Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-12-27T17:00:08+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/hazlenut_heaven_squares/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/hazlenut_heaven_squares/#When:13:06:30Z A divine, easy cookie that I made up because I had a ten pound block of gianduja (Callebaut’s hazelnut milk chocolate — like Nutella’s richer, classier and more delicious cousin) to get rid of. It’s going folks, slowly, but surely.  I may weep a little when it’s actually gone. I made these for a friend’s birthday party after the caramel layer I was planning broke and started burning and spitting clarified butter all over the stove — very unattractive. After chucking that mess,  I rushed to whip these up and ran to the party leaving them behind!  There is a lesson in there.  I believe it is: If you forget to bring the dessert with you,  you get to keep it all for yourself. YIPPEE!!! Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-12-21T13:06:30+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_blueberry/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_blueberry/#When:23:51:20Z The “blizzard: made me do it! I used a couple of tricks from my Aussie catering days to make these. Using sparkling water helps to make the scones lighter and cooking the scones close together helps them rise. Twisting the cutter is a trick from the great Australian chef, author and restaurateur Stephanie Alexander, that helps scones rise to greater heights too. The dog ate my pictures…... Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-12-20T23:51:20+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_panko_crusted_sesame_scallion_shrimp_balls_with_a_trio_of_dipping_sa/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_panko_crusted_sesame_scallion_shrimp_balls_with_a_trio_of_dipping_sa/#When:23:51:55Z These were a huge hit and look great on a platter! If you can’t find fresh water chestnuts, use canned. They are definitely not as crunchy and have a bit of a canned taste. 2009-11-30T23:51:55+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_bacon_potato_pancakes_w_granny_smith_apple_green_tomato_chutney_and_/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_bacon_potato_pancakes_w_granny_smith_apple_green_tomato_chutney_and_/#When:23:26:13Z When life gives you chutney, you better find ways to serve it up.  I made these for Thanksgiving starters to sate the guests till the turkey is ready! I had two Thanksgivings and this was a bacon Parmesan johnny cake the first day, but they were just okay, so I whipped these up and they were stunning! Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-11-30T23:26:13+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/thanksgiving_2009_jax_is_putting_the_pots_on/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/thanksgiving_2009_jax_is_putting_the_pots_on/#When:01:08:11Z Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday! I’m so excited about Thanksgiving (read: since I don’t have my chocolate cafe weighing on me like it has the last four years) this year that I’m having it twice! For the family on Thursday and on the Friday for my friends who have to work in restaurants on Thanksgiving with a sprinkling of who were otherwise occupied on Thursday. Here is the menu as it stands now. I use a combination of dishes that that are traditional with dishes I make up to use up stuff I have too much of (read: chocolate, nuts, toffee) and a couple of things that are new and fun in the starter section.  Until I actually make dinner, there are no pictures. I will do my best to get some shots on the day! Gordon family eatz, Jackie cooks, My life in food 2009-11-24T01:08:11+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/cafe_mei_mei_opens_in_boreum_hill/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/cafe_mei_mei_opens_in_boreum_hill/#When:22:24:27Z We grabbed a late brunch at Cafe Mei Mei, which opened one week ago, on Court St. in Boreum Hill, Brooklyn, New York. I took a wee video of what we had… Dine out, The diva tasted 2009-11-21T22:24:27+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/elephant_poo_for_the_holidays/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/elephant_poo_for_the_holidays/#When:18:38:42Z I popped in to finally meet @MadameTwit at the Mr. Ellie Pooh shop, one of the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park in New York City! She is there promoting a super cool and green line of products made from recycled elephant pooh! Have a look… Shopping 2009-11-20T18:38:42+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/korean_fried_chicken_quest_boom_boom_chicken_fort_lee_nj/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/korean_fried_chicken_quest_boom_boom_chicken_fort_lee_nj/#When:02:08:54Z When @flavorista (aka Barr Hogen) came to visit New York, we went on a food adventure in New Jersey with my new video camera… Dine out, The diva tasted 2009-11-07T02:08:54+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/taste_buds_happy_at_taste_budds/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/taste_buds_happy_at_taste_budds/#When:15:21:01Z In the land before time the diva was a surly old hash slinger at the River Cafe in Brooklyn. To document my attitude at the time, I recall at my interview being offered a job as a cocktail waitress on the outside deck, since the manager claimed he did not have room for me in the dining room.  I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Thank you, but the day I have to rely on the weather to make tips or not is the day I throw myself in that mother-*$#%!*@ river! Somehow I got the job anyway and at that time Dan Budd was the extremely talented and very hard working pastry chef. I think he left to be a pastry instructor at CIA right around the time I quit before I got fired (long story). I could barely look at CIA in the distant views yesterday during my harrowing (vertigo induced) stroll across the Hudson, but after we were back on terra firma and I calmed down, we zipped up route 9G to Dan’s cafe, Taste Budd’s Chocolate and Coffee Cafe, in Red Hook, New York for some medicinal pastries. Chocolate & me, The diva tasted 2009-10-12T15:21:01+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_view_to_the_cue/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_view_to_the_cue/#When:13:06:12Z “Glorious!” is a very apt description of the scenery yesterday as we went on a wee road trip to forage for BBQ in upstate New York. Mother Nature pulled out all the stops with her fall foliage extravaganza as we made the two hour trek to Big W Roadside BBQ in Wingdale, New York. “Delicious”,  “Abundant” and “Extremely Friendly” is how I’d describe the fare and the folks there. Food joints 2009-10-12T13:06:12+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/spotted_deer_in_boerum_hill/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/spotted_deer_in_boerum_hill/#When:13:26:30Z When I happened upon these deer in the Hoyt Street Garden on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Hoyt Street, I laughed with delight and was grateful that they were not real. Real deer are cute and lovely to see, until they eat your garden. The statues, made by local artist Julie Ann Mann, are surreal and stunning and I love how they contrast with the shady garden. Gardening, New York inedible 2009-09-17T13:26:30+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/brooklyn_purples_in_da_house_concord_grape_chutney/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/brooklyn_purples_in_da_house_concord_grape_chutney/#When:11:49:08Z Since there is nothing more interminable than slip skinning Concord grapes, every year I swear that it’s the last time I am harvesting any more than a bunch of them for munching from my garden. Yet every year the fruit lures me back with promises of chutney and maybe some ketchup or jelly and I fight the mosquitoes, spiders, birds and bees for them and set aside a day for making chutney. Gardening, Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-09-16T11:49:08+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/heart_of_palm_salad/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/heart_of_palm_salad/#When:11:25:45Z I whipped this up yesterday from things I found in the fridge and it was awesome and beautiful to look at. I didn’t think to take a pic of it until I’d nearly nibbled it out of existence, but I restrained myself and got a wee shot. The proportions of the ingredients are very flexible. I had it with some jerk chicken and garlic bread. Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-09-16T11:25:45+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_meets_the_warty_sea_squirts/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_diva_meets_the_warty_sea_squirts/#When:14:39:33Z The BF and I had the most bizarre meal in years at a new Korean restaurant in Palisades Park, New Jersey. The name of the place I believe is Girodi, but I lost the card. Don’t fret about it since I wouldn’t actually recommend it. It is a good one for your places to avoid list. Dine out, The diva tasted 2009-08-23T14:39:33+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/jackie_gordon_singing_chef_at_the_culture_catch_midsummer_salon_09/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/jackie_gordon_singing_chef_at_the_culture_catch_midsummer_salon_09/#When:22:12:01Z Divalicious did double-time at the Culture Catch’s Midsummer Salon. I did a Divalicious eatertainment show pairing our tasty treats with songs and created our Divalicious Chocolate! Kid in a Chocolate Shop smorgasbord and make-your-own-goodie-bag spread, featuring dipped Oreos, grahams, fortune cookies, Nutter Butters, malted-milk balls, chocolate espresso beans, 72% dark chocolate hazelnuts, tiramisu almonds, cinnamon pecans, dark chocolate caramels, milk & dark chocolate raisins, s’mores balls, hazelnut bark, s’mores bark, Oreo cookies & cream bark, caramel pecan bark, ginger bark, almond bark, honey-roasted peanut bark, strawberries & cream bark, “Kung Fu Fighting” Rockin’ Rocky Road, and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” Rockin’ Rocky Road. Chocolate & me, Making music!, Singing, Chocolate events 2009-07-27T22:12:01+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/divalicious_chocolate_cafe_in_the_daily_news/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/divalicious_chocolate_cafe_in_the_daily_news/#When:13:07:28Z Divalicious Chocolate! Cafe got a nice plug in the New York Daily News on the day it’s closing! CWAZY!!!! Thanks anyway, Rosemary Black!!! Divalicious Chocolate! is setting up a chocolate farmers’-market stand on the set of J-Lo’s upcoming movie, The Back Up Plan,  tomorrow. Very glam! 2009-07-15T13:07:28+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/divalicious_chocolate_cafe_closing/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/divalicious_chocolate_cafe_closing/#When:15:41:41Z Divalicious Chocolate! is restructuring. We are keeping the chocolate tastings and events, the chocolate-fountain rentals and our online store, but we are closing our brick-and-mortar retail store effective immediately. We had fun but the economy and the landlord made it a lot less fun! So we are happily closing and look forward to doing lots more fun stuff with chocolate and more in the future. 2009-07-14T15:41:41+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/dia_beacon_works_of_eat/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/dia_beacon_works_of_eat/#When:17:29:14Z We visited the Dia Museum in Beacon, New York, yesterday. Favorite works of art: Richard Serra’s Torqued Ellipses and Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawings. I want to live inside Serra’s works, paint the interiors white and draw all over the walls like Lewitt. My favorite works of eat were from Homespun Foods on Main Street in Beacon. 2009-07-07T17:29:14+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/eating_up_asbury_park/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/eating_up_asbury_park/#When:12:54:58Z We had a ball in Asbury Park this past Saturday with friends. The boardwalk’s renaissance seems to be on the upswing in spite of the economy and the damp start to the season. Sandwiched between the reviving the Asbury Park Convention Hall on one end of the board walk and the Asbury Park Casino (where a scene from “The Wrestler” was shot) on the other is lots of upmarket and interesting food places, shops, bars and FUN!!! We almost skipped lunch to jump the fence and play under the giant hose, watering can and more in the Asbury Water Park, but we didn’t have the obligatory child to get us in. Food joints, The diva tasted 2009-07-05T12:54:58+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_confetti_potato_salad/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/recipe_confetti_potato_salad/#When:13:41:56Z For me July 4th screams potato salad! My Southern-style one is colorful and tastes like a parade in mouth! Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-07-04T13:41:56+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/fancy_food_show_09_i_cant_believe_i_ate_the_whole_thing/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/fancy_food_show_09_i_cant_believe_i_ate_the_whole_thing/#When:12:34:39Z When it comes right down to it the Fancy Food Show (FFS) is not pretty or easy. Three days of tasting, even doing just three hours per day, is hard work! My new system of eating only savory food for the first two hours and doubling back for the sweet stuff for the last hour worked really well, but by the end of second day my buds and my dogs were B-E-A-T! and I had yet to set foot upstairs. The next morning I was toast. Is there such thing as a food hangover? Or was it wine flu from the foodparty.com event the night before? Duty called so I dragged myself back for the love of cheese and smoked, fried, cured, marinated pork products that was my day three and it seemed to “cure” whatever was ailing me. Last night, I had a huge salad to ward off the scurvy and today I bring you my fancy food finds (if not necessarily faves). The diva tasted 2009-07-01T12:34:39+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/it_was_a_food_partaaaaay/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/it_was_a_food_partaaaaay/#When:15:29:24Z After tasting all day at the Fancy Food we took a break on the Highline, which I was seeing for the first time—Gorgeous! I see picnics furnished at Chelsea Market in my future. After a perfect respite from the feeding, we headed over the food party hosted by School House Kitchen, Jimmys No.43 and Edible Manhattan to feed some more. The diva tasted 2009-06-30T15:29:24+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/lightning_cucumber_salad/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/lightning_cucumber_salad/#When:13:16:57Z Yesterday, friends and I planned a picnic at Hudson River Park in spite of the storm warnings—since it ain’t the weather report, it’s the weather opinion. We were hopeful that Mother Nature would spare us on what was finally a beautiful, dry day in the city. I coordinated the food that folks were bringing, but I’d yet to make a dish by 6pm (event start time) when I was back in my cafe, after Jackie’s Mad Dash, aka my usual Friday schedule. I figured the blackened sky and deluge that met my much prompter friends bought me a bit of time so I whipped up this zingy salad lightning fast. Jackie cooks, Recipes 2009-06-27T13:16:57+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/rums_the_word_brugal_extra_viejo/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/rums_the_word_brugal_extra_viejo/#When:13:21:05Z When you say rum, I hear mojito!!! It’s my new favorite beverage, mostly due to the use of tons of fresh mint, which I adore! So when I read on Peter Shankman’s HARO about the opportunity to score an invite to the Brugal rum-tasting, I heard a Mojito calling me and my hand shot up! The diva tasted 2009-06-26T13:21:05+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/yummy_in_my_taim-my/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/yummy_in_my_taim-my/#When:13:01:09Z On the run from the Brugal Rum tasting to the Culture Catch karaoke party, I had a rumbling in my tummy. Luckily, I was by the slammingest falafel joint in the West Village, Taim. Food joints, Jax snax on the go-go 2009-06-25T13:01:09+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/make_music_new_york_pictures/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/make_music_new_york_pictures/#When:19:23:44Z Make Music New York at Divalicious Chocolate was a hoot! Here are some photos from the day! Thanks to everyone who performed and supported the performers. YOU ALL ROCK!!! And you don’t have to play rock for that to be true! Making music!, Singing 2009-06-22T19:23:44+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/pho_the_love_of_vietnamese/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/pho_the_love_of_vietnamese/#When:13:04:56Z Last night’s, post–Make Music New York dinner was at Pho Grand. Despite the plethora of Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown NYC, we tend to go where we know and, yes, order the exact same thing…every time. There is something to be said for the three C’s (cheap, consistent and comforting) and one Y (yummy!) on a rainy Sunday evening… Dine out, Food joints 2009-06-22T13:04:56+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/make_music_new_york_mmny_at_divalicious_cafe/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/make_music_new_york_mmny_at_divalicious_cafe/#When:13:27:07Z On Father’s Day a veritable feast of musicians and I will be performing at Divalicious Chocolate! Cafe as part of Make Music New York (MMNY). Singing, Eatertainment 2009-06-16T13:27:07+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/waiting_tables_101_how_to_at_least_bring_the_drinks_the_food_and_the_check/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/waiting_tables_101_how_to_at_least_bring_the_drinks_the_food_and_the_check/#When:18:46:50Z I’m a hash slinger from way back. I hated it, but I did it. Waiting paid for lots of delicious food, singing lessons and of course the bills, hence the allure. Most importantly, I did it properly in spite of how I felt—meaning I brought the drinks, the food and the check, in that order and in good time. This post is inspired by last Sunday’s brunch at Melt, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Service: BAD. Bad service is usually blamed on the waiter, but my experience is that it always trickles down from the top and usually stems from poor hiring practices, little or no training… yes, poor management. Dine out, Rather than bitch guides 2009-06-13T18:46:50+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/onigiri_one-hand_sushi_sandwich/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/onigiri_one-hand_sushi_sandwich/#When:10:52:23Z I love the Japanese! They invented one of my fave Jax Snax on the Go-Go hunger busters! Onigiri: it’s like a sushi sandwich with a variety of savory fillings including… Jax snax on the go-go 2009-06-08T10:52:23+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/me_eat_sushi_one_day/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/me_eat_sushi_one_day/#When:22:47:15Z Had a quick sushi lunch today at Hane by Stuy Town with the bf’s lovely family. I ordered chirashi, which is usually a bowl of sushi with sashimi on top and oshinko (Japanese pickles—if you are lucky). Dine out 2009-06-06T22:47:15+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/happy_birthday_grandma-ma/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/happy_birthday_grandma-ma/#When:13:08:25Z The highlight of my mother’s birthday celebration this year was the presence of her granddaughter Janea and her gift, a photo book of Janea we made at MyPublisher.com which came out surprisingly beautiful (O, me of little faith—I was worried about the resolution and quality of the printing) and of course the food!!! Gordon family eatz, Jackie cooks, Menus, Recipes 2009-06-06T13:08:25+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/regarding_my_life_in_food/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/regarding_my_life_in_food/#When:18:45:51Z Is it only a little creepy to me that I wrote this is in the third person? Don’t know what I was thinking then, but there’s not time for rewrites now!!! My life in food 2009-05-19T18:45:51+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/brunch_for_obama/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/brunch_for_obama/#When:16:52:35Z I decided that fried chicken and waffles was the proper meal to serve for the Inauguration Brunch. Originally I had planned a dinner until I found out that inaugurations take place during the day. Cooking is my thing, not political procedure. This was also a 50th-birthday celebration for my dear friend Frank, whose birthday wish was that Obama would get elected. Jackie cooks, Menus 2009-01-20T16:52:35+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/on_being_a_diva/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/on_being_a_diva/#When:19:00:21Z Who are you calling a diva? Singing Chef Jackie Gordon muses on the ups and downs of being called a diva and upon close examination, only finds the ups! 2004-05-19T19:00:21+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_birthplace_of_eatertainment/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_birthplace_of_eatertainment/#When:22:36:50Z In Australia, Jackie made great strides with her singing and performing through her wonderful friend and mentor, Paulene Terry-Beitz. An incredible actor, director and writer, she took Jackie under her wing, and together they devised Jackie’s first one-woman show, “Black Pearls and Strange Fruit.” My life in food 2004-04-07T22:36:50+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/making_it_divalicious/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/making_it_divalicious/#When:22:40:10Z Jackie reinvented the dinner show. “I decided if people wanted a ‘dinner show,’ I would give them one. And the critical difference between my show, and the dinner shows and dinner theater I’d been to in the past was the food. It was not going to be the churned out, mediocre slop masquerading as food that you get more often than not at this type of show.” My life in food 2004-03-15T22:40:10+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/no_singing_at_the_dinner_table/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/no_singing_at_the_dinner_table/#When:21:28:08Z Yes, for a time that was a rule in the Gordon household, but it never stuck. All the Gordons displayed some form of musicality (singing, guitar, piano, drumming, the spoons, etc.) and chose to share it at whim. My life in food 2004-03-15T21:28:08+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/throw_another_turkey_on_the_barby/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/throw_another_turkey_on_the_barby/#When:22:24:04Z Jackie did her bit to dispel the bad rap that American food gets globally. “Australia is inundated with American fast-food chains. Their concept of American food is totally corrupted. But they love great food, so I decided to do what I could to teach them about our cuisine.” My life in food 2004-03-03T22:24:04+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/let_em_eat_bagels/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/let_em_eat_bagels/#When:20:47:55Z Flourishing in the land of Oz, Jackie worked singing in bands, but she couldn’t keep her hands out of the kitchen. She opened the first café, book and music store in Melbourne and turned the locals on to bagels and wonderful American desserts. My life in food 2004-02-29T20:47:55+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_hunger_down_under/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/the_hunger_down_under/#When:21:48:45Z Arriving in Australia, Jackie decided she’d come to a quasi-paradise. “I was frightened a bit in the early days. I originally arrived in Far North Queensland. Rain forests. The Great Barrier Reef. Visually stunning, but the ‘sticks’ food-wise.” My life in food, Singing 2004-02-25T21:48:45+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/soothing_the_savage_beasts/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/soothing_the_savage_beasts/#When:20:47:56Z Pre-Guliani New York was rough and Jackie used singing as an anti-mugging strategy… “Family, friends, they were not allowed to hear me sing, but the scum of New York I could perform for. My life in food, Singing 2004-02-20T20:47:56+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/tips_for_trips/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/tips_for_trips/#When:20:47:39Z Jackie did her “time” on the floor of some of New York’s better dining establishments. She’d never call it her finest hour, but it paid the bills. My life in food 2004-02-05T20:47:39+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/a_drink_without_a_nosh/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/a_drink_without_a_nosh/#When:20:47:40Z Jackie always loved parties, but only if there was delicious food. So in addition to her mega-holiday dinners, she needed little excuse to throw one. Jackie cooks, My life in food 2004-02-01T20:47:40+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/bright_lights_big_kitchens/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/bright_lights_big_kitchens/#When:20:15:51Z Jackie made her first forays into New York’s food and dining scene during the “radicchio age.” Dine out, My life in food 2004-01-08T20:15:51+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/keep_on_cookin_dont_stop_cookin/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/keep_on_cookin_dont_stop_cookin/#When:20:00:32Z With strong roots and her passion to guide her, Jackie kept on cooking. She taught herself from cookbooks and food magazines. She cut herself—she learned, she burned stuff—she learned, she poisoned a family member or two—they learned… My life in food 2004-01-08T20:00:32+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/me_cook_now/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/me_cook_now/#When:19:45:05Z If there was a table with food on it Jackie wanted to be in the center of it from birth. Try to hold her or cuddle her and she would turn on you. But strategically place her with the food and you had a happy baby, who grew to be the kid who had to cook. Jackie cooks, My life in food 2004-01-06T19:45:05+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/is_it_in_the_genes_part_2/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/is_it_in_the_genes_part_2/#When:19:30:52Z Jackie boasts a heritage of culinary riches with her Jamaican-Italian-Russian Jewish roots. It seems both her parents came from foodie families way before the word was ever coined… (Part 2) My life in food 2004-01-04T19:30:52+00:00 http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/is_it_in_the_genes_part_1/ http://www.jackiegordon.com/index.php/blog/is_it_in_the_genes_part_1/#When:19:15:27Z Jackie boasts a heritage of culinary riches with her Jamaican-Italian-Russian Jewish roots. The pursuit and production of delicious food started in her family well before she was born. (Part 1) My life in food 2004-01-02T19:15:27+00:00