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For a Doughnut Worthy of Food Network Glory: “Dun-Well Doughnuts”

All because I wanted a Boston creme doughnut. That is how this blog truly began. It was Father’s Day weekend and although I was initially thinking of myself, I knew my father wouldn’t mind having a sweet treat for dessert. Brooklyn is synonymous with great pizza, bread, and of course bagels. But it also has many great bakeries producing some of the most delicious doughnuts you have ever tasted. Just to name a few, there is: Doughnut Plant , Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop and Dough .   On the day of my craving, I did what any of us do countless times a day - I opened Google. When I Googled “best Boston creme doughnuts in Brooklyn” Dun-Well Doughnuts appeared high on that list. Intrigued I researched it further and learned that it had won the Canadian  Food Network’s contest called “Donut Showdown” in 2013. That was enough information for me to decide to visit the very next day.  Dun-Well Doughnuts was opened by Dan Dunbar and Christopher Hollowell in December 2011. Despite
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For Lunch With a View Of a Nearby Bridge: “Bridgeview Tavern”

I love Tarrytown. I love Sleepy Hollow. Basically I love all things found in the Hudson Valley of New York.   I am such a big fan of that entire area because there are so many amazing historic sights such as Sunnyside , Sleepy Hollow Cemetery , Lyndhurst Castle to visit as well as delicious places to eat. I have spent so much time in this area during the last few years that I am super eager when I have something new to try.  Bridgeview Tavern is the most recent addition to the list of places I have been and loved.  Bridgeview Tavern first opened back in 1981 (the year of my birth so it was naturally a great year) and continues to be family owned and operated.  When I was searching for a place to meet up with my crew, I loved the pub like menu and decor. There was something for everyone.  There were so many appetizers that we couldn’t refuse trying at least one. The “Warm N.Y. Style Pretzels” was promptly ordered and devoured.  Burgers seem to dominate the menu, and two of four people a

For 2021

  I can see the timeline now so clearly.  A way in which you cannot see when you are in the midst of a major life transition.  A transition in which you have longed for so many years that you cannot seem to remember a time when you weren’t waiting for your life to begin.  Thus, that time has finally arrived and so has 2021.  When I reflect back on 2020, it is not only the pandemic or the immediate circumstances of my life to which I must think of. In order to get a true sense of what has brought this relief, joy, and excitement to my being has really been the culmination of the last three years of my life.  It first began in the second half of 2018. My mother was having somewhat urgent and surprising open-heart surgery . The research and the planning to set up the successful surgery as well as her post-op care became my primary focus. I was so laser focused on her health, it became an easy excuse at the time to allow myself to be distracted from achieving my own personal goals. Or, so

For Find Out Friday - Is it Barbecue or Barbeque?

  Continuing our theme from the last edition of FOF, I have another food bloggers dilemma to put to rest.  Is it “barbecue” or “barbeque”? Depending on the name of the restaurant, that is the spelling I adhere to. It is the same strategy I implore with “doughnuts”.  But really what is the difference? My friends at grammar.com  made answering this question a snap.  Basically “barbecue” is both the word to define the gatherings we all aspire to attend around the Fourth of July as well as the method of cooking on a grill with a metal gate. It is also the only accepted spelling of this word in all English literature since the beginning of time.  They speculate that since the abbreviation “BBQ”  has a q in it, that spelling of “barbeque” became popular. However, it is still the less popular of either spelling and technically is incorrect.  Since my default setting is to always adhere to the restaurant’s name I am reviewing, I had to pause here to see how many times I have been to a “barbequ

For Find Out Friday - Is it Doughnut or Donut?

  Is it “doughnut” or “donut”? I know this seems like something I should have learned in the third grade but apparently my elementary school teachers failed me.  As a food blogger, I constantly seem to stumble upon this dilemma so I decided to learn the difference once and for all. I have allotted some time today in case I have a lot of blogs to update. Also I am about to post yet another blog about these circular, fried, and sometimes jelly filled delicious treats.         Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop   Apparently the reason I am confused in the first place it because of my British roots.  My ancestors were from Italy and Ireland, but as an American Revolutionary War buff, I have always felt I had a bit of British in my blood.  As I begun to research this spelling conundrum, the first result made perfect sense.  The word “doughnut” is the proper U.K. spelling; while “donut” is the Americanized version.  This reminds me of similar Americanisms such as colour versus col

For Find Out Friday - How Do You Milk An Almond?

Despite my affinity for cheese and other dairy products, occasionally (actually a few times a week) I like to go dairy-free.  During those times I rely heavily on my favorite brand of almond milk, as seen in the picture above.  Though I know there is no dairy in this product, I constantly wonder: “how does one milk an almond”? Logically I am aware that no actually “milking” is taking place.  I also know that almond milk can be made at home, although I have zero interest in attempting to make it despite my love of spending time in my kitchen. So, what is the actual process?  How long does it take?  When / where / who was the first to successful develop this product? When talking about this kind of “milk” what we are really talking about is plant juices that resemble and can be used in the same ways as dairy milk. Plant like juice has been described as milk since about 1200 A.D. The first mentions can be found in a Baghdadi cookbook in the thirteenth

For Find Out Friday - Why Does My Pizza Come with a Table?

Every Friday is like Groundhog Day  in my house. Thank God.  Meaning that I celebrate a weekly holiday that I created called #pizzaFriday.  Yes, I usually eat pizza every Friday and have long before I started sharing that tidbit on social media.  Pizza is my most favorite food and I can always get one to fit my mood. In recent years it seems that the world has also jumped on the pizza bandwagon and there are pizzas with literally any toppings you can dream up.  So every week, after making the agonizing decision about where to order or pick-up pizza from, my next greatest challenge is trying to squeeze all that deliciousness into the perfect photo.  But before I can attempt to capture the wonder that will be my meal, I have to remove the white plastic table like object stuck in the center of my pizza.  It annoys me every time.  When I was little I use to take them, wash them, and use them as actual tables in my Barbie’s house. I was always ver