For an old-fashioned, no-frills treat, stop by the Donut Pub next time you are on 14th street. Their Boston Creme rules:

[Photo Credit: Juozas Cernius and robobby]

American Comfort:

It’s brick cold in New York today. Short ribs anyone?

The brilliant ladies at Food 52 break it down.

Anyone ever had Wickles? I have not but a friend hipped me to their existence and damn, they sound mad tasty.

Serious Eats has a slide show of their favorite burgers of 2010:

The roast chicken turned out okay on Saturday night–it’s a start, anyway–and the chicken salad was even better yesterday.

Then, with a little bit of help…

I made this easy and delicious apple cake from Dorie Greenspan (via David Lebovitz):

It is a sure shot.

The book is “Around My French Table” and it’s terrific.

I don’t I don’t like handling birds–I always think of the Sledgehammer video–but roasting a chicken is something any self-respecting cook should know how to do. I haven’t done it in years and my mission this winter is to become competent at roasting a chicken. I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of weeks and tonight is the night–the bird in the oven as we speak and will be done in time for the Jets game.

I’ll let you know how it turns out. And speaking of boids, how about them Seahawks giving the Saints hell through the middle of the third quarter?

[Photo Credit: Sarah Shatz via Food 52]

Dig this cool article in the Times on the simple pleasures of Hash:

At his modest restaurant Stove, on an equally modest block of Astoria, Queens, Mr. Cass makes a hash that many consider the best in New York, a title that he wears lightly. It’s simple, he says: two kinds of boiled potatoes, diced and mashed. Caramelized onions, present in two forms: sliced, and ground. House-corned beef, purpose-made for the dish. The whole of it mixed together on Saturday night, ready for Sunday morning’s brunch rush. “Season it up and let it sit, that’s the only secret,” he said.

The final cooking step is turning the meat and potatoes and onions together in the pan (or on a griddle), pressing down to make the edges of everything crisp up. The ingredients must be jumbled together — made a hash of. If the ingredients are coerced into tidy separate circles, well, that’s not hash. (Chefliness can go too far).

Sounds like it is worth the trip. Or should be something you can make right quick at home.

[Photo Credit: A Girl Named Bong]

Oatmeal is the healthy way to start the day but for the life of me I can’t eat a bowl of it without dressing it up with brown sugar, raisins, maple syrup, anything to give it some umph. Made with milk it’s so much better than if made with just water–plus it gives you calcium!

Ah, the joys of mush:

Sometimes nothing does the trick like a plate of spaghetti.

Food 52 delivers…again.

Simple pleasures: word life.

One of the enduring images I have of my grandfather on my father’s side is of him leaning against the window of Zabar’s. It was a Saturday afternoon in the early 1980s, a time of day when nobody in their right mind would venture inside. Grandpa was a pragmatic man. He waited outside while my grandmother bought Nova and was throwing bolos inside.

I’ve always tried to be practical like him but sometimes I’ll throw caution to the wind. Like last night, when I thought it’d be fine to stop by Fairway on the way back uptown to the Bronx. Late afternoon, Sunday. Brilliant. In no time, I was sweating like a madman, navigating around the crowded store. I couldn’t have just gone to the market a few blocks north, owned by Fairway no less. No, I had to be clever.

As I came to the end of my shopping list, I was standing in the organic department. I realized that I had to go back downstairs for English muffins. I wanted to throw a punch or at least a punchline. Some gallows humor was called for. I looked up and there was Tina Fey and her family, a daughter with big, beautiful eyes, and her husband, a short, nice-looking guy. Who else would appreciate a good Fairway joke but Tina Fey? But I was dripping with sweat and had bad breath. And I didn’t have anything funny to say. If I tried to say anything to her I’d come across even dorkier than Liz Lemon. I didn’t want to blow up her spot but even more than that, I just wanted to get my English muffins and vamoose.

Anyhow, it was a New York moment.

I like hot chocolate as much as the next person but don’t ever go out of my way for it. Yesterday, a friend brought me to a snooty chocolatier called Jacques Torres and got me a hot coco.

I had no idea hot chocolate could be so good. It was like drinking from Willy Wonka’s chocolate river, off-the-chain sinful, and a treat that is worth the trip.

[Photo Credit: The Gothamist]

Start the new year in style with the genius that is Last Night’s Dinner:

Deep in the heart of hipster Brooklyn you will find the Mile End Deli–Montreal Pastrami, go figure. I’ve heard mixed things about the place but I had one of their pastrami-on-rye sandwiches and thought it crazy tasty. Well worth the trip, man.

[Photo Credit: Smooth Dude]

Food 52. Again and again.

Puerto Rico, Ho!

Quick hit from Snootsville:

While I’ve always been partial to Tazo’s “Awake” tea, Harney and Sons English Breakfast tea might be even better.

For the digital food nerd comes a cherce list from Serious Eats.

David Lebovitz does carrot cake.

Indeed.

Long Sunday for the Giants. Long day. This one will sting for more than a minute…

Here’s a homemade hot coco recipe from the folks over at Serious Eats.