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ABOUT BREUCKELEN RESTAURANT

05 Mar

Chef Andrew Karasz will be the first to tell you that Breuckelen Restaurant was a dream about twenty years in the making. Unfortunately, that dream only lasted seven months before Breuckelen’s Cobble Hill location closed its doors. We wish Karasz the best. He began his culinary career at the renowned Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley and then spent two years at Postrio in San Francisco. There Andrew developed one of his core approaches to cooking: farm fresh ingredients should be a given. Before long, he found himself back in New York City where he worked at premier restaurants such as Union Pacific, Eleven Madison Park and Django. New York taught him discipline and how to survive any challenge that should arise in the kitchen. He began his career as an stage and after years of hard work, he made it to executive chef. Never satisfied with working for someone else, Andrew took the only next natural step. He began the endeavor of opening his own restaurant. To do that he returned to the place where he was raised and now lives with his wife, Brooklyn.


Breuckelen was truly an extension of Chef Andrew Karasz himself. The food was dictated by the green markets daily offerings; local as possible, satisfying, refined and still soul warming. The space continues the philosophy of the food by being a comforting, fine dining spot meant for neighbors and friends. Breuckelen was housed in an 1879 landmark building in the historic district of Cobble Hill. Wrenches fabricated for the Brooklyn Bridge during its construction are suspended on original brick walls. The service was professional yet casual with dining available in the herb garden, the elegant main room or the lively bar. “This place, in every way takes inspiration from this borough”, says Andrew. “Being here should be a respite. When I get off of the subway the decompression is palatable. My shoulders drop two inches because I’m truly home and I want our guests to walk out with that same sensation after they dine here”.

Specialties

Heirloom Tomatoes

Shaved Prosciuto di Parma and Fig

French Radishes and Lavender Butter

Mission Fig Stuffed Organic Quail

Ricotta Gnocchi

Chocolate Napoleon

Empress Plum Tartlette

 
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Posted in Cooking, Food & Drink

 

Experiencing the greatness of wholesale purchase of spices

18 Jan

Eating well prepared and good cooked food is strongly recommended and is considered healthy. Furthermore staying healthy reduces the chances of falling sick thus decreases frequent visits to the doctor. Over time natural spices, herbs and seasonings have been widely used in many homesteads for the simple reason that they do not contain the common enemies of unhealthy lifestyles.  Their overall advantage is that they contain no fats or sugar and have insignificant amounts of calories. Any good cook will confirm that a kitchen can only turn out great as long as you make use of the finest ingredients in your cooking. If you love cooking and if feeding others is something you are passionate about then you clearly understand the meaning of having sufficient quantities of spices in your kitchen hence the reason to consider spices wholesale purchase.

It is important to release how good it feels to buy goods I bulk. Spices being a common commodity of purchase in many homes also fall in this category of buying in bulk. It is all about what they have instead of what they don’t have. In the olden days of our fore father spices were known to have a medicinal aspect of helping fight diseases such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes and more so the less serious ones like the common colds and stomach upsets hence most families would buy them in wholesale so as to have enough supply. This was an ancient civilization concept that was embraced in many homes and in addition to the cultural and cuisine benefits that have been achieved. More research over years has continued to emerge with greater health backups and benefits of spices thus giving the essence of buying them in wholesale more importance and meaning.

There are tens of reasons and advantages of why spices should be bought in wholesale. First and foremost any purchase of whatever kind and level brings along the aspect of pricing which is usually a key consideration. Of importance to note is that all goods purchased in wholesale are not priced the same as those single handedly bought. Spices wholesale purchase will and has always attracted lesser prices while creating a stronger negotiating base because the same is later resold to the public through the food sold in eating places. This in return gives a fantastic saving which eventually increases your profit margin. At this level there are also discounts that are experienced and more so if you become a regular wholesale shopper.

 The entry of a growing technology has swept the larger part of the world by storm making almost every application electronic. The same application has been achieved in the shopping arena. Instead of having to carry around liquid cash and having to queue for long in the local stores waiting to pay, many shoppers have welcomed the idea of online shopping which has received significant consideration and is growing by day. Online shopping calls for buying goods in wholesale because it saves a lot on costs and time. People are achieving this from the comfort of their homes and offices and are not limited to local stock at hand.  At some point one is able to sample lots of unusual options that are not likely to be found in your local groceries and supermarkets. The thought alone has greatly been utilized and has been known to offer a 100% satisfaction to many. It is providing such a hassle free shopping experience and you are likely to get exact amounts of spices that you want.  In addition it is true that more often than not many goods that sit for long on the shelves lose a lot flavor spices not an exception hence if you are buying for resale other than the normal immediate use then you ought to do proper estimation such that they don’t go for more than a year.  Another consideration to be keen on is the type of foods you frequently cook and especially in the restaurants. Different cuisines call for specific and specialized spices and blends. This should essentially be a leading factor to consider when doing spices wholesale purchase just to be sure you are buying the right thing.

Through spice whole sale pricing, a lot more can be achieved. This includes the fact that you need not go through so many distribution channels before the goods get to you. They are considerably reduced because you the consumer get the chance of directly buying the goods from the wholesaler which is of great advantage because they get to you when they are still of quality and very fresh. In addition to this there is no much wastage of raw materials incurred during the production process. Wholesale purchase of spices will also offer exciting ways of expanding your food horizons in terms of sampling. Most shoppers will buy many but different pinches of the spices. This usually goes well especially when the thought of experimenting recipes with the new spices crosses your mind.  Another great advantage of buying in bulk is that you are not likely to keep running out to the local shop to collect spices in the middle of cooking. 

Storage is also of great importance to consider. Wholesale buying is believed to encourage the use of good packaging containers which are eventually re – used thus reducing environmental solid waste.  With this in mind, it is recommended that one explores the aspect of space for storing these containers. You may want to consider reorganizing your cupboards to make more room for the bulk purchase. Airtight glass jars are the most recommend which are safer than the plastic ones especially for food storage.  In addition, they should clearly be labeled so as to keep track of what has been stored where. Of interest is the fact that you can get these jars online as you carry out your other shopping exercise.   It is also advisable that they are stored under good temperatures. Extreme temperatures will make them get molds and are likely to go bad fast thus losing their flavors.

 

You can never wrong with the thought of considering spices wholesale purchase.

 

 
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Posted in Cooking, Food & Drink, General

 

Where to Go for an African Lion Safari Adventure

06 Jun

People go on safaris for different reasons; some love the thrill and adventure of being in the great outdoors and others want to witness the Big Five game in their natural habitats. Among the members of the Big Five game, lions are perhaps the most intriguing for tourists. Often dubbed as the “Kings of the Jungle”, the sight of these majestic creatures inspire awe among many tourists. This is why many people opt to go on an African Lion Safari, a safari adventure planned specifically for the purpose of meeting the great kings of the jungle. If you are planning a safari adventure to Africa, booking your trip with ET African Journeys, the official tour operator of Ethiopian Airlines is a good idea. They have scheduled tours all year-round and they have great connections inside and outside of Africa to give you the best African vacation adventure of your life. 

Top Places in Africa to See Lions

 

Kruger National Park

Located in the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in South Africa, Kruger National Park is the biggest game reserve in Africa. Kruger is widely popular to tourists because it has one of the biggest populations of large mammals in the world and is also known to have one of the most diverse wildlife in Africa. Tourists who want to see lions would not be disappointed when they visit Kruger. The reserve is also equipped with more than 20 rest areas and 15 safari lodges, making it the perfect destination for safari adventurers.

South Luangwa National Park

 

Luangwa lies in the eastern part of Zambia, a country in southern Africa. It is known to have one of the biggest populations of lions in Africa. They offer walking safaris and as well as night drives for tourists. Since you’ll be going around with an experienced tour guide, you should be able to maximize your experience in Luangwa. They also offer mobile camps for tourists who are interested in staying for a few days or even just overnight.

Ruaha National Park

 
Located in Tanzania, Ruaha is the second biggest game reserve in the country. While the park is more popular for its population of elephants, you can also expect to see some lions roaming around especially at sundown. 

To best enjoy your African Lion Safari adventure, make sure to come well prepared. Traveling in a group can also be a lot of fun but if you’re the more adventurous type, you can also choose to go on a safari drive alone or with a few close friends. 

 
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Posted in Africa, Travel

 

Sweet 16 – Where to Begin

26 May

This goes out with heartfelt best wishes, to everyone thinking of throwing a party for those Super Sweet Sixteens.  Short of planning an elaborate wedding, I don’t know of anything nearly as stressful as a sweet sixteen.  Teenage girls are tough customers.  Most won’t have a clue what they really want, just some vague notion that it needs to be expensive and extravagant.  These girls are the easiest to deal with.  The smaller percentage, those who know exactly what they want and will not rest (or allow you to do so) until they get it; these are the ones who will cause you to rip your hair out and beat your head mercilessly against the nearest wall. By the way, you will enjoy the head beating part because it frees you – at least momentarily, from the party planning nightmare.

If I haven’t discouraged you from the whole sorry affair (don’t blame me, I tried); allow me to at least offer a few pointers. 

1)         Get a pen and notepad; make it a really big notepad. 

2)         Sit down with your almost 16 year old.  This is a good time to remind yourself how much you love her.

3)         Pick a theme.  Bear in mind some will be easier to work with than others and certain themes (such as Toga) are never a good idea with teens. Remind yourself again how much you love her and how much you enjoy making her happy.

4)         Compose a guest list and then plan for twice that number. Trust me, it happens, but you love her so it’s okay.

5)         Discuss venues: home, reception hall, park, etc.  Take the number of guests, multiplied by 2; we will call this number “X”.  If imagining X in your house, your yard or your pool disturbs you, makes you fearful or leaves you feeling the least bit queasy, pick an outside venue. You love her but it’s absolutely okay to say, “Not in my house.”

7)         Set a date; be sure it isn’t likely to conflict with any major holidays, school functions or other events, like her best friend’s ski trip or her second best friend’s lake party. Do you have a date? Wasn’t that easy?  Are you feeling the love?

8)         Take a break, you deserve it and you still have to think about food, music, furniture, furnishings, decorations and of course the cake.  Good thing you love her!

9)         Review your notes so far – on a clean sheet of paper write down the date, venue, theme and final guest list.  Remind yourself how much you love her and then proceed to #10.

10)       Call a professional sweet 16 event organizer. 

Seriously, let the pro’s handle everything from the planning stages to final execution.  The party will be fabulous, your brand new 16 year old will be ecstatic and you’ll save your hair, your tender head and your sanity.  Besides you love her so she’s worth it!

 
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Posted in Entertaining, Home, Garden, & Family