Peach Bourbon Hand Pies

By Chris Cockren 5 Comments

So guess who has to go back to work next week? That's right, this guy. Technically, I went back yesterday for a bunch of conferences and meetings... but the kiddies start coming next week.

And I know you totally don't feel bad for me. Asheley sure doesn't. Honestly, I really can't complain. Having 2 months off every year is an incredible perk to an already great job 🙂

So with the impending end of summer vacation breathing down my neck, this past week has been a frenzy of trying to cook as much as possible. Once the school year starts, getting quality kitchen time is a whole lot more difficult. I just got a bag of super fragrant peaches from my weekly CSA share, and remembering back a few weeks ago when Tyler made a batch of blueberry hand pies, I decided to give baking a go.

Chris Cosentino's Incanto

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

Asheley doesn't watch a ton of cooking shows, but even with her limited contact time with celebrity chef television time, she has developed quite a few healthy affinities (it sounds to juvenile to write "crushes" and too forward to write "eye candy") to a few certain someones. Geoffrey Zakarian is her silver fox. Michael Symon and Marc Forgione are favorites as well. And recently, she has had quite the infatuation with Chef Chris Cosentino.

When I told Asheley that Chef Cosentino's restaurant was in San Francisco, she almost fell off her chair and choked on the apple she was attempting to eat. Since I'm a husband that doesn't like to disappoint, a reservation was immediately made.

Our Unforgettable Week In Guatemala

By Chris Cockren 5 Comments

Dear Asheley,

Doing mission work has been on your heart for quite some time now. Every time you started talking about it, I became uneasy on the inside. You see, I'm comfortable in my world. My house. My job. My stuff. I'm happy just the way our lives are, and what you spoke of was great, really great, for other people who wanted to go to foreign, unknown places and put themselves in uncomfortable situations. But not me. I'm good just the way I am.

And for a while, it was just talk. And just talk is safe. But then the opportunity came to actually go on a mission trip. You were so excited for the chance to serve. I was scared and nervous.

We were going to Guatemala, one of the poorest countries in Latin America. We barely know any Spanish. Crime and violence is widespread and is a major problem in the country. We didn't really know much at all about our schedule while there or if we would have a translator. My comfort zone was nowhere near to Guatemala. And we were going.

There were so many reasons not to go. So many excuses I conveniently made up in my head. But after spending an unforgettable week in Guatemala, I want to say... thank you.

A Tale of Two San Francisco Donut Joints

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

Donuts. America's favorite breakfast treat. Okay well don't exactly quote me on that. It might not be straight up factual. But inhaling a donut (or two on the rare occasion I can sneak an extra one past Asheley) sure is one of my favorite ways to eat breakfast.

And actually, although Asheley may be ashamed to admit it (I'm surely not), we may have enjoyed donuts from these two establishments for breakfast and as a second dessert all within the same day. Maybe this is why none of my clothes currently fit properly?

Tartine Bakery

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

My first taste of Tartine Bakery was actually thanks to Tyler through this video. For anyone that knows Tyler, his greatest passion in the kitchen is all things bread. Baguette. Big rustic loaves. Focaccia. He's even planning on installing a wood-fired pizza oven in the backyard soon (real soon, I hope, for my personal benefit).

Ever since watching that video, I knew Tartine Bakery had to be on my short list to visit while we were in San Francisco. Tyler, of course, greatly approved.

Caramelized Onion Dip

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

What is it about onion dip that makes it so unbelievably addictive? Growing up (and honestly, even now), I always would make a bee-line directly for the onion dip at backyard bbqs. And yes, almost always it was that powdered mix variety that was combined with a container of sour cream. And sometimes it was even served within that sour cream container. You know what I'm talking about, right?

Just something about that cool and creamy concoction made it impossible to resist. The bowl of potato chips didn't hurt either.

A Breakfast I'll Wake Up For: Mama's San Francisco

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

Ever since Tyler knew Asheley and I were going to San Francisco, he wouldn't stop talking about Mama's. He would send me random emails and texts, with just the word Mama's (and way too many exclamation points). Even once we were in San Francisco, he would check in, asking "Mama's yet?!?!" Tyler was beyond passionate about this place. Asheley and I knew that if we failed to at least give Mama's a try, we may be excommunicated from this friendship forever.

Our friends Tom and Julianna also heavily sold us on a visit to Mama's, so we knew it wasn't just one person's borderline fanatical obsession. So we did it. We woke up on the early-ish side one weekday morning and stood shivering in line (who knew summer in San Francisco is beastly chilly), waiting anxiously for our turn to be inside. If nothing else, we would at least be warm.

State Bird Provisions

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

By this point, you know I'm a planner. Type A all the way. I used to deny it. Hide it. Try to suppress it. But the past few years, I've been happily embracing it. And you know what, it kind of comes in handy when planning a vacation. Needless to say, one of the tables I wanted to score the most during our time in San Francisco was State Bird Provisions.

Just named the 2013 Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, along with a slew of other awards and recognition, getting a seat at State Bird Provisions is a hot commodity right now. Luckily with that trusty Type A planning, securing a reservation two months prior was a big win. Asheley, you're welcome.

Mission Chinese Food: San Francisco

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

If you don't have the time to read this entire post, let me show you my hand early. Here it is. Go to Mission Chinese Food immediately. There's one in San Francisco and one in New York. Pick one. It's amazing. Go now.

Now for the long version...

I know, I know. We have an outpost of Mission Chinese Food right here in New York's Lower East Side. And I can't believe we haven't been yet (although we did get to experience Chef Danny Bowien's amazing food a bit at a food event in Brooklyn last year). But since we were in San Francisco, the birthplace of where it all began, it only made sense to start there. Right?

Flour + Water: A Love Story

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

Our vacation (and eating marathon) may be long over, but one restaurant still vividly occupies my dreams at night. I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco. I left it at Flour + Water.

It was, hands down, our favorite meal throughout our culinary journey in San Francisco and Napa Valley. Well, meals, actually. We ended up eating at Flour + Water twice. And we kind of make it a rule not to eat anywhere twice when on vacation, since we want to try as many different places as possible. But honestly, Flour + Water is that good.

First Look: Wafels & Dinges Now Open In East Village

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

No longer will it be necessary to check twitter in order to try to find the moving target that is the massive empire of mobile Belgian waffles... err, excuse me, wafels. Wafels & Dinges officially has a permanent home! The surprisingly spacious real estate on the corner of Avenue B and 2nd Street in the East Village has a modern, clean, and inviting look. And it smells delicious.

Here are some first look photos of the new place...

Raw Zucchini and Squash Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pistachio Pesto

By Chris Cockren 8 Comments

I like to give credit where credit is due. The idea for this Raw Zucchini and Squash Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pistachio Pesto (wow that's a mouthful) all started with my friend and yoga-guru Laura. Hi Laura!

Asheley and I headed over to her house a couple weeks ago to meet up with some old friends for a friendly (yet always competitive) game night. We really enjoyed her version of zucchini spaghetti with a classic basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. I was flabbergasted by the beautifully long strands of zucchini and she let me in on her dirty little secret. A spiralizer! Who else knows about this culinary witchcraft?! When I got home, I of course had to immediately order one.

Beyond the Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

It's cronut mania up in NYC. People are getting in line way before the sun rises in hopes of scoring the hottest item in the food world. Pastry Chef Dominique Ansel has become an overnight celebrity since his half croissant, half doughnut took Manhattan by storm this past May. His cronuts have been featured on the Today Show, Jimmy Fallon, and pretty much every other local news outlet. A cronut black market has emerged, and many imitators have soon surfaced. Want more cronut info? Check out his Cronut 101.

And no, I have yet to have a cronut. Tyler and I are thinking of taking the early morning cronut pilgrimage sometime soon. We'll see. But this past Monday Asheley and I made a late-morning stop in the bakery during my birthday weekend celebration. I knew cronuts would be long sold out, but I've heard about some other irresistible treats from the genius mind of Dominique Ansel that, frankly, should be celebrated just as much:

A Totally Non-Food Photo Recap of Our Vacation

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

At least 80% of the photos I took during our San Francisco and Napa Valley vacation were food-related. Totally true. It's a sickness, really. But we did manage to put the fork and knife down for a couple brief moments to do some obligatory touristy things. And as proof that we didn't just eat the entire trip (although that was a gloriously hefty portion of it), here's a completely non-food photo recap of our vacation. Except there are some wine pictures. But I don't count wine as food. So there. [Read more...]

Tasting Menu at wd-50

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

Asheley and I have been wanting to check out Chef Wylie Dufresne's wd-50 restaurant in the Lower East Side for quite some time. And although our official 1-year anniversary celebratory trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley was to depart a couple days later, what kind of husband would I be if we didn't honor the actual official wedding date in some way. Score 1 husband point for Chris.

Probably best known for its use of molecular gastronomy, eating at wd-50 is basically an adventure in eating. Chef Wylie Dufresne is renowned for his innovative mad-scientist approach to ingredients and culinary techniques... so much so that he won the 2013 James Beard award for Best Chef in New York.

Here's a look at the tasting menu at wd-50.

Castello Moments: Recipe Roundup

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

Compensation for this sponsored post was provided by Castello Cheese: Alps Selection. As always, all views and opinions are my own.

You may remember those Four Creative Crostini Recipes from a couple of weeks ago? I've been eagerly serving them up a bunch to friends and family recently and the two favorites so far have been the Bacon, Caramelized Shallot, and Honey and the Nectarine with Lemon-Basil Sugar 🙂

Well, a bunch of fellow food bloggers also had the opportunity to play around in the kitchen with the three cheeses within the Triple Alps collection of Castello Cheeses. Here's what their creative minds all came up with...

Family Dinner with Mario Batali's Chefs Sponsored by @MasterCard #Priceless #NY #MC

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. As always, all views and opinions are completely my own.

It's official. The final year of my twenties has officially begun. I'm 29... and we aren't even going to begin talking about that number that's going to happen next year. Anyway, I was super excited to celebrate my birthday with attending the first of four Family Dinner's with Mario Batali's Chefs this past Sunday. Sponsored by MasterCard's Priceless New York program, it was a fun, enjoyable, and unique evening to spend time in the New York Botanical Gardens, watching a culinary demonstration and enjoying a perfect summertime family dinner.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

By Chris Cockren 12 Comments

You may remember back from Ode to the Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake how Stand 4 broke my heart when its doors closed a few months back. Suddenly, without any warning, this divinely creamy, beloved concoction was taken away from me. Forever.

Could it be that I would never again taste the sweet perfection of the Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake ever again? Sitting back was just not an option. Recreating its greatness and preserving its legacy in the annals of culinary history had to be achieved. It must live on.

Getting the Most Traffic out of Photo Sharing Websites

By Chris Cockren 5 Comments

In follow-up to my post on the Top Photo Sharing Sites for Food Bloggers, here are some tips and tricks you may find useful to help optimize that referral traffic.

Getting your photo posted and accepted is one thing, but getting people to actually click and come to your website is a completely different beast. From my experiences (and I'm still working on improving at these tips and tricks as well), there are some definite ways to improve your click-through traffic.

Castello Moments Four Creative Crostini Recipes

By Tyler 5 Comments

Compensation for this sponsored post was provided by Castello Cheese: Alps Selection. As always, all views and opinions, as well as the recipes herein, are my own.

You know it's a good day when you come home to a box full of cheese waiting for you on the front stoop. Even better is when you start taste testing those cheeses and thinking about how you can incorporate them into some dynamite recipes.

As I was sampling the three different kinds of cheeses in the Castello Alps Selection, I immediately thought how much fun it would be to host a little wine and cheese party. What would I serve? I wouldn't want to make anything super heavy or big. Nothing requiring a fork and knife. And I knew a normal, boring cheese board just wouldn't cut it. And then it hit me. Let's get creative with some crostini.

Family Dinners with Mario Batali's Chefs presented by @MasterCard #Priceless #NY #MC

By Tyler Leave a Comment

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All views and opinions, as always, are completely my own.

Well I'm super excited. Just as Asheley and I were trying to figure out what to do to celebrate the last year of my twenties (that's right, this baby face is turning 29 soon), an awesome opportunity came about for us to attend a family dinner at the New York Botanical Garden with two head chefs from the Mario Batali empire of restaurants, sponsored by MasterCard! It's totally going to be a perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

You know I'll be bringing my camera along to this special dinner on July 28 so I can capture and share a bunch of photos with you, but here's a little sneak peak of what we'll get to experience.

Swiss Chard and Egg Breakfast Tacos with Pickled Swiss Chard Stems

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

Summer vacation typically means sleeping in late, but these Swiss Chard and Egg Breakfast Tacos with Pickled Swiss Chard Stems are reason enough to wake up early and get the day started.

And quite honestly, I'm an early riser anyway. That's right, I'm actually a morning person. It's when I have the greatest chance (however slim) of getting the majority of my work done for the day. So you would think naturally I'm a big breakfast person. Nope. Normally it's just a greek yogurt or a chug of orange juice and I'm on my way.

But once in awhile, when Asheley and I have the rare opportunity to enjoy breakfast together, I'll whip something up. And you just can never go wrong with tacos.

Pickled Swiss Chard Stems

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

The backyard garden is in full swing. And along with the weekly produce we receive from our organic CSA, we've been up to our eyeballs with greens the past few weeks (a countless number of BBQ Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing have been happily consumed).

The swiss chard in our backyard has been doing really well. Every time I walk outside, it's staring at me saying, Whatcha going to do with me now? So I've sautéed it with pancetta. And made this decadent creamed swiss chard side dish that Asheley had no problem gobbling down. Swiss chard and onion tacos? Why not. But not using the stems always seemed so wasteful.

Top Photo Sharing Sites for Food Bloggers

By Chris Cockren 22 Comments

Your blog is up and running. You have killer recipes with mouth-watering photos. Now all you need to do is spread the word and get people to come to your site. The answer? Or more accurately, one of the answers: photo sharing websites.

Photo sharing sites have been a great source of referral traffic for food bloggers throughout the years, and all of the ones listed below repeatedly account for my top referral traffic every single month. So let's get to it, shall we?

Strawberry Habanero Jam

By Chris Cockren 19 Comments

You know how I know you can't take jam with you in your carry-on luggage? Guess. I was coming back from Seattle a few years back with an incredibly divine strawberry habanero jam from Pike Place Market safely packed away when it was quickly confiscated from me at the security check point. I swear I heard the sound of the jar popping opening as soon as I was out of sight from the security agents. They totally ate my jam.

So when Asheley and I picked a small arsenal of strawberries a few weeks back from the local organic farm, I knew immediately what I was going to make. It was time to reverse the nightmares brought on from that horrific jam-conspiracy from long ago.

Red, White, and Blueberry Salad

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

July 4th really is this week, isn't it? Summer seems to be racing by. I know it's only the beginning of July, but soon enough those pesky back to school commercials will start circulating the airwaves, causing me some major anxiety. Ahhhh! It's okay Chris, everything is just fine.

I don't even remember how the name for this dish came about. It was probably one of our friends. Or maybe it was Asheley. I don't really remember actually. But the name stuck. And along with the Spicy Southwest Corn and a bacon sweet potato salad I'll share with you soon, this Red, White, and Blueberry Salad is a staple at our summer BBQs.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

Anyone else's vegetable bin overflowing with lettuce this time of year? Besides growing some leafy greens in our own backyard, Asheley and I excitedly joined this season's Golden Earthworm Organic Farm CSA. And for the past three weeks, there has been no shortage of lettuce. Red leaf. Boston. Baby arugula. Green leaf. Romaine. Baby spring mix. With all that lettuce, you better believe salads have become a weeknight dinner staple.

Not every meal I make shows up here on Shared Appetite... and for good reason. Some are just big flops. But hey, that's how you learn what works and what doesn't, right? The good news for you is that there is a critical development phase before I ever post a recipe for you to see. And that development phase is Asheley. When she first tasted this salad, her fork speed quickly increased until every last morsel was eliminated from her bowl. She demanded I share this recipe with you. And like any good husband, I listen.

Spicy Southwest Corn

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

Well, it's official. I'm on summer vacation. That's right, two glorious months of relative freedom, filled with catching up on house projects, spending some quality time with Asheley and friends, and lots and lots of cooking experiments.

So let's start out with this Spicy Southwest Corn. Does anyone else love corn as much as I do? It might not be the most nutritional choice in the land of vegetables, but it is undeniably one of the best. I love corn, pretty much the way Bubba Gump loves shrimp. As cornbread. Tortillas. Or polenta. In southwest wontons. And that's just the beginning of a long summertime filled with an absurd amount of the stuff.

Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

Asheley hates wasting leftovers. Me. Well, uhm, I'm typically the culprit. I know, wasting food is totally not cool. And I could probably come up with some totally lame excuses to try to explain myself, but I'd rather just 'fess up, say I'm sorry, and move past it. And I think lately I've been doing a lot better with using up leftovers in the fridge (Asheley, do you agree my darling?).

By themselves, leftovers often leave quite a bit to be desired. They need some repurposing. Take for instance, those Braised Short Ribs with Swiss Chard and Polenta that were transformed into a dynamite leftover meal of Orecchiette with Braised Short Ribs and Swiss Chard. Or how about that time we used Easy Carnitas to make Tacos, Burrito Bowls, and even that Num Pang Sandwich.

So when I had a bunch of the Black Bean and Mango Salsa leftover from our Father's Day celebration this past weekend, it was time to get creative for a quick and healthy lunch.

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

By Chris Cockren 5 Comments

My mother has become known within our little family circle as the queen of chicken fajitas. No, she hasn't developed any crazy recipe over the years. There are no special ingredients to speak of. In fact, I believe the recipe for the chicken is out of a generic cookbook called "365 Way To Cook Chicken". It is, however, delicious in every way possible.

I'm a sucker for Mexican food anyway, but I guess you can call it a case of nostalgic perfection in the eyes of our family. Fajitas have always been there, in the good time and the bad. No matter what the circumstances brought in life (and there were some real doozies, believe me), fajitas somehow made everything better, at least for the time being.

When my mom told me that she was making her fajitas for Father's Day dinner this past Sunday, I had a heck yea moment. She asked if I could make some salsas for some pre-game appetizer action, to which I happily obliged. I made the Pineapple Habanero Salsa that has become a standard necessity, a Corn Poblano variety (recipe to come at some point this summer), and this Black Bean and Mango beauty.

Num Pang Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwich

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

Probably on of the best sandwiches in all of NYC, I set out to recreate the epic Num Pang Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwich with this copy cat recipe!

Num Pang Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwich

Ermagherd. That's the only semi-understandable word I could utter as I inhaled my very first sandwich at Num Pang. I almost cried it was so good. No, I'm not exaggerating.

And if you've enjoyed a Num Pang experience yourself, I'm sure you've almost shed a tear as well.

From a single location in Union Square, these guys have quickly created a Cambodian sandwich empire across Manhattan. Everyone loves their creative banh mi sandwich recipes. Everyone.

Here's the problem. I'm unable to eat them on a regular basis... there's a proximity issue where apparently they don't deliver to an address 90 minutes away. I know. Major bummer. Although my wife and I live close enough to the city to visit a couple times a month, it's not nearly enough to satisfy my Num Pang cravings.

And so, a Num Pang Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwich copy cat recipe had to be created. Success.

This sandwich. It's got balance. The rich fatty pulled pork. The sweet acidic bite of the pickled carrots and pickled onions. The freshness of cucumber and cilantro. And that creamy spicy mayo. Freaking lather me up in it, it's so good.

Step one to a great sandwich is the bread. You have to find a quality baguette. No squishy ordinary lame bread will do.

And yes, I'm fully aware making the pulled pork does take a bit of time. But really, there's only about 30 minutes of hands-on time. The rest is anxiously watching the pot in the oven for a few hours. When you're done, you'll have a LOT of carnitas. That's pure gold. Use it for tacos, burritos, chipotle copycat rice bowls, or more banh mi action.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Step one... make these Num Pang Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches immediately.

Num Pang Pulled Pork Sandwich

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Total Time: 4 hours
Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale

8 Mini Baguettes/Rolls, halved and toasted
Carnitas (Pulled Pork), recipe below
Pickled Carrots, recipe below
Pickled Onions, recipe below
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
Spicy Mayo, recipe below
1 bunch fresh cilantro

for the Carnitas

8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder (or 6-8 pound boneless)
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon cumin
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt

for the Pickled Carrots

2 - 3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
½ cup warm water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
⅛ cup granulated sugar
½ tablespoon Kosher salt

for the Pickled Onions

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup warm water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt

for the Spicy Mayo

½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons sriracha
½ teaspoon sugar
Pinch Kosher salt

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Layer carnitas, pickled carrots, pickled onions, sliced cucumber, cilantro, and spicy mayo on mini baguette or rolls. Devour immediately.

for the Carnitas

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut pork shoulder in large pieces, approximately 4-5 inches and remove excess fat. Season pork generously on all sides with Kosher salt.
In a large oven-safe pot (I use my dutch oven), heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear pork shoulder in a single layer (in batches if necessary) on all sides until deep golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove browned pork and blot away excess grease with paper towels.
Pour in 1 cup of water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Stir in onion, garlic, chili powder, ancho chile powder, bay leaves, cumin, and a hefty pinch of salt. Return the browned pork to the pot and add enough water to so that it submerges ⅔ of the pork. Place uncovered pot in oven for 3 to 3 ½ hours, turning pork a couple times throughout the braising process. Pork is done when the meat falls apart as you try to pick it up with a fork and most of the liquid is evaporated.
Remove bay leaves and discard. Shred meat with two forks (or let it cool and use your ﬁngers) and discard any visible chunks of fat. Extra pork may be refrigerated or wrapped in foil, sealed in a ziploc bag, and frozen.

for the Pickled Carrots

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in bowl. Whisk together until sugar and salt is fully dissolved. Place shredded carrots in a bowl or jar (I like to use a mason jar) and pour vinegar mixture over carrots. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day, although they will last for a few weeks.

for the Pickled Onions

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together until sugar and salt is fully dissolved. Place thinly sliced onion in a bowl or jar (I like to use a mason jar) and pour vinegar mixture over onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day, although they will last for a few weeks.

for the Spicy Mayo

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 mins

Need More Carnitas In Your Life?

Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde

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Pulled Pork Banh Mi with Pickled Pineapple, Pickled Onions, and Avocado

Big Apple Barbecue Block Party: What to Eat and Other Tips

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

Some couples do massages. Others go for a weekend getaway to a small, remote Bed and Breakfast for some quality rest and relaxation. Asheley and I? We go to the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. Nothing says I love you more than gazing into each other's eyes while sharing gluttonous amounts of slowly-smoked meat. Right? Who's with me?

So Asheley and I, along with quite a few of our friends from church, descended upon Madison Square Park this past weekend for what has become an annual outing. With 17 pit masters from all across the country each serving up one of their signature dishes, the question quickly becomes, "What do we eat?!" Not all barbecue is created equal, and with limited stomach room, we want only the best.

And over the few years we've been attending the festival, we have learned some important insider tricks and tips that can help you enjoy your time at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party even more...

Pickled Green Strawberries

By Chris Cockren 6 Comments

Hello everyone, my name is Sandra, and I will be taking over here at Shared Appetite. The door was open so I just decided to let myself in and look around a bit. Can you believe the nerve of this guy Chris, who eats at every amazing place New York has to offer? And he gives you every mouth-watering detail about each perfectly prepared dish as you sit reading with your bowl of lifeless cold cereal each morning. Who does he think he is? Well, I’ve had enough and it’s time to give this overly blue site a bit of a woman’s touch.

So did I have you for a second there? My husband tells me I am a terrible liar. “So what are you doing here,” you might ask? You should also be asking the same of Chris, who at this very moment has taken over my blog, Kitchen Apparel. It is actually quite common for bloggers to do guest posts for each other. However, we are super cool bloggers, and being such we decided it was time to start a new take-over trend. While I share a recipe with you here on Shared Appetite, Chris will be doing the same over at Kitchen Apparel. So if you are missing him already, just follow the links and see what he is up to. I’ll be checking in on him later to make sure he’s not making a mess in my kitchen! [Read more...]

Simple Peach Margarita

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

I hope you'll indulge me for a little bit as I talk about our friends Tommy and Lea. I promise there is a round about segue into peach margaritas somewhere in all of this. Kind of.

So I've been getting more and more interested in photography over these last few months. There is a ridiculous amount to learn, but I'm totally digging the process. I've been obviously focusing on the food aspect of it all, but recently had the urge to get my feet wet with photographing people. Over the next couple of months, I'm planning on hounding a bunch of my friends to let me do little photo shoots with them (friends, be forewarned). My first victims/volunteers were Tommy and Lea.

They never had the opportunity to do an engagement shoot, so it was perfect timing actually that this was a week before they celebrated their first anniversary. We'll call it a first anniversary shoot then... sound good? It was a really fun day. Asheley and I showed them a bunch of our favorite food spots and we stopped for some photos along the way. Here's a couple of their favorites...

Mighty Quinn's Barbeque

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

I'm getting excited. The Big Apple BBQ Block Party is this weekend. THIS weekend! What's the whole block party thing all about, you ask? Check out my recap from last year's event. But basically, some of the top barbecue pit-masters from across the country will descend upon Madison Square Park this weekend, each offering up one of their signature dishes. No tickets required, so feel free to stop on down. More info can be found here.

And with all the anxious anticipation of this slow-smoked meat extravaganza, it reminded me that I haven't told you about the East Village's amazingly wonderful Mighty Quinn's Barbeque yet. And that's just silly. I'm sorry for keeping it all to myself. That was selfish of me. I know you deserve better. Will you forgive me?

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

By Chris Cockren 7 Comments

So did we all have a great Memorial Day weekend? Mine was pretty fantastic. Nothing crazy happened. Just good times with great people. Some bbq action. Some NYC action. Even some East End vineyard action to enjoy some chilled rosé while listening to our friends' band play. Oh, and we totally nerded out a bit and played The Settlers of Catan. Twice. If you've never played it, you're missing out.

And I cooked up a couple things that I can't wait to share with you soon. But let's back up a second. Remember how I was telling you about testing out a bunch of new recipe ideas on my family this past Mother's Day? The strawberry rhubarb crisp went over really well. So much so that my brother Paul just told me he made it for a little Memorial Day bbq soiree he hosted for his wife's family.

This creamy potato leek soup, inspired by the amuse bouche we were served during the chef's tasting menu at Hearth, was another one of the successes at Mother's Day. Asheley was a big fan, enthusiastically requesting all of the leftovers the following day for dinner. She did not share. Meanie.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

Rhubarb. It's a word that we all hear over and over this time of year. There's no escaping it. Rhubarb this. Rhubarb that. This filled with rhubarb. That topped with rhubarb. You get the idea. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, I've never actually cooked with rhubarb before. And, since I'm on an honesty kick today, the first time Asheley and I even tasted rhubarb was only a few weeks ago at the amazing meal we had at Hearth restaurant.

Judge me as you will. I'm okay with it.

I figured one of the safest and easiest ways to break into the world of this crazy, weird looking celery look-a-like pink vegetable... oh, you thought it was a fruit too, huh? Glad I'm not the only one. Or am I. Uhm, okay, well anyway, making a crisp seemed like a great way to introduce rhubarb into our household. Making a strawberry rhubarb pie was also in the mix, but let's be honest... crisps are way easier and simpler to make, comes together in no time, and I actually think they taste better 83% of the time. Scientific fact.

The Great GoogaMooga: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

The Great GoogaMooga isn't looking so hot after getting a major beat down from Sunday's decision to shut down the "rain or shine" event due to inclement weather 90 minutes after opening. Sure, people hopeful on attending the amusement park of food, drink, and music were disappointed at the cancellation, but that's just the beginning.

Vendors (i.e. participating restaurants) had already set up, hired staff to man their booths, and prepped a ridiculous amount of food what what was expected to be a hoard of hungry attendees. With vendors suffering major financial loss (some reporting losses of $10-15 K) and what can only be deemed a second disappointing year in a row for The Great GoogaMooga, it's future looks bleak.

Nonetheless, the good people at the Great GoogaMooga graciously provided me press access to the event. I actually met up with my good friends Matt and Rachelle at the event pre-rain on Saturday morning, and we tag teamed it up so we could sample and eat as much as possible.

Crif Dogs

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

I vividly remember my second grade teacher. Mrs. McQueen. McQuaid. Mc... something like that. Maybe not so vividly as I thought. Anyway, I do remember really loving hot dogs right up to the point Mrs. Mc...Quaid (that's definitely it, yes, McQuaid) told the class that they were made from pigs eyes. I was only in second grade! It was devastating, almost as much as watching that scene in the Lion King where Simba's dad died.

Her hot dog declaration scared the living daylights out of me, leading me down a sad and lonely frankfurter-free diet for several years. To think about how many backyard bbq hot dogs I missed out upon because of Mrs. McQuaid deeply saddens me. A piece of my culinary childhood gone. Forever.

Don't cry for me. It's okay. I've moved past it. Hot dogs are back to being a mainstay on the summer grill rotation at our house. Asheley would eat them every night for dinner if I allowed her (which I don't, sorry hun). And whenever we are in the East Village, our favorite hot dog joint is a must. I present to you the amazing, the magnificent, Crif Dogs:

Ode to the Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

It's been such a busy weekend, I think a recap is in order. It all started on Friday when our good friends Joe and Lisa wanted to check out Hearth restaurant in the East Village. Oh, you remember we went there 2 weeks ago and wrote this post all about it? Yea so, we went again! The chef's tasting menu is such a great value. Totally worth every penny. And since we arrived a bit earlier than our reservation, we pre-gamed with a glass of wine at Chef Marco Canora's wine bar, Terroir, just a couple doors down.

Saturday was filled with getting the vegetable and herb garden ready. That's never fun. Asheley made the mistake of offering to help. I don't think she will be offering that up anymore. Many weeds were pulled. Soil tilled. Compost and other goodies added. Oh, and plants planted. That's actually the fun part.

Asheley and I hosted Mother's Day this year. I took the opportunity to experiment a bunch of new dishes on my family. Some were successful and thoroughly enjoyed. Others were... well, at least eaten. I'll be sharing some of those recipes soon (just the good ones, don't worry).

Hearth Restaurant

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

Asheley and I love the city. That's no secret. If we have any free time on the weekend, that's probably where you'll find us. Over the course of this past year, we've gotten the itch now and again to move there. We just feel at home in the city. It excites us. And when you think about having all this amazing food at your fingertips all the time, it's tempting. It really is.

So what's stopping us? Oh, there are a bunch of reasons. Our jobs for one. Another is having to give up our beautiful home in suburbia to most likely downsize to a one bedroom shoebox apartment for the same price. No yard, no vegetable garden, no grilling... it all adds into the equation.

The itch subsides and we return to being content with the almost weekly visits to our home away from home. But then Chef Marco Canora's Hearth happened. And that itch came back with a vengeance, bigger than ever. I rarely fall so hard for a restaurant, but Hearth did it to me. I think I'm in love. Hubba hubba.

Cinco de Mayo Party Recipes

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

It's here, it's finally here! Cinco de Mayo is THIS weekend! I'm kinda a little bit sorta maybe excited, in case you couldn't tell by the torrent of Mexican and Tex-Mex themed recipes I've bombarded you with this past month. Sorry about that. I just couldn't help myself.

And no worries if you missed any of them, because here they are in one, convenient list.