Even Spike is spoiled...although, being a Knicks fan does mean he's suffered too.

New York City is considered the center of the universe.  Ask any native New Yorker, they’ll be all too happy to tell you.  It is a city where you can do almost anything, see almost anything, eat almost anything, and meet almost anyone.  Choices are abundant here.  And, for the most part, that is a great opportunity.

Until it comes to sports.

Let’s look at all the teams in the New York Metro area.  For sake of argument, the New York Metro area will consist of teams that are geographically located within New York City (all five boroughs), on Long Island, and in the eastern New Jersey area (the Meadowlands, specifically).   Baseball fans side with either the New York Yankees or the New York Mets.  Football fans can pick between the New York Giants or the New York Jets (neither of which play in NY, mind you).  Hockey fans hit the trifecta with the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils.  And let’s not forget about basketball fans who can either root for the New York Knicks or the New Jersey (for now) Nets (expected to move to Brooklyn for 2012-2013 season).

One Trick Ponies

Really? Nine sports teams for the four major sports?  That doesn’t include the Red Bulls from the MLS and the handful of professional lacrosse teams that call this area home.  Talk about overkill.  Most cities have one option for each sport.  I could easily compare Boston to New York in this regard but I won’t for two reasons: 1) the comparison between the two cities has been done so much and 2) I’m the “Boston Boy Stuck In New York” so there will obviously be an inherent bias in my argument.  Instead, let’s take a look at a city I have no affiliation to whatsoever – Denver .

If you live in Denver, your rooting options are:

Those are your options if you live in Denver, or anywhere in Colorado for that matter, and want to root for the home team.  That’s all folks.  You have exactly one per sport.  Either you stick with your team through thick and thin, enjoying the highs and commiserating in the lows, or you become a pink-hat bandwagon jumper, only rooting for the team when they win.  There’s no chance to pick a team and, when they don’t do well and the other team does, you root for them because “they’re a New York team.” I’m especially looking at you Jets and Giants fans!

There Goes The Neighborhood

The lack of options in one team towns builds unity in the fan base.  Having lived in both the Boston and New York areas, I can tell you that both have strong fan bases.  However, what I have noted is that the Boston fan base seems to be more unified.  You always see either Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics or Bruins gear no matter where you go in the Boston area.  That kind of bond builds a comradery amongst the locals.  You don’t get that when you see one house flying a Yankees flag and the other flying a Mets flag.  The neighborhoods in New York don’t bond over their teams as much they do in one sports towns.  And, so this whole post doesn’t become completely about Boston, I have seen this same phenomenon in both Philly and Pittsburgh (both one team towns).

Not All Is Lost

There are diehards in New York, don’t get me wrong.  I know many Yankee fans who despise the Mets and vice versa.  Hockey is also that way – you either love the Rangers or loathe them because you’re an Islanders fan.  Football fans are hit or miss.  I know people who root solely for one team and others who will root for both because “they’re a New York  team.”

In no way does any of this indict the knowledge level of the New York fan.  I would argue that the New York baseball fan is one of the smartest fans in baseball (behind the Boston fan – you didn’t think I’d let that go, did you).  And their hockey and football fans are not far behind.  I’m both impressed and frustrated when I get in heated discussions with New York fans because they can spout off facts and trivia as quick as anyone.

Choice is a great thing to have and, despite my general distaste for all things New York, I believe that the ability to have multiple choices is one of the greatest things about New York.  However, when it comes to sports, choice is not a great thing.  It creates a fan base with a “we deserve to win” kind of attitude who do not necessarily appreciate the team that is on the field.

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: NYC Sports Fans: A Spoiled Bunch

Then I read “Kitchen Counter Cooking School” by Kathleen Flinn. This book is not a how-to book but rather a chronicle of how a professionally trained chef (Flinn is a graduate of Paris’ Le Cordon Bleu) took nine culinary novices and transformed them into perfectly serviceable cooks. Flinn’s journey is prompted by a random encounter with a woman loading processed food into her supermarket cart. After talking to the woman, Flinn finds out that the woman buys the processed food because they are “easy” and “always come out right.” It was this lack of knowledge and confidence that sparked Flinn to create a series of classes which would take ordinary folks and teach them to become more than proficient in the kitchen.

Flinn begins her series of classes explaining the basics of knife skills – starting with the very primitive notion of how to hold a knife and what different knives are used for – and builds from there.  Students learned how to butcher a whole chicken, bake bread, create variations of different dressings and other assorted common kitchen tasks.  More advanced subjects such as flavor profiles and ‘seasoning to taste’ were covered as well.  Through the entire course, Flinn explains where her students started from and how they are progressing.  She even provides follow-ups with them after the classes are over to see how their culinary habits have changed.

The book is a mix of stories from the classes, antedotes from the author and how-to tips and recipes. There’s an explanation of basic knife skills and recipes for many different foods. My biggest take away from this book, however, was instilling a sense of confidence in my cooking. Much like the students in her class, I feared deviating from the plan when I cooked. After devouring this easy-reading book, I now possess some basic knowledge and skills that make me feel much more comfortable in the kitchen. I am still not, by any means, a master or experienced chef, but I feel that I have the biggest ingredient available to get there – confidence.

If this book sounds like something you would like to read, please considering helping this site by clicking on the following link to purchase your copy of “Kitchen Counter Cooking School” by Kathleen Flinn.

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Building Confidence In the Kitchen

I have your solution. Enter the Breakfast Bake with Eggs.

This little ditty is great because most of the work is done the night before. You can prep most of the components the night before and shove it in the fridge with only the need to heat it up the next morning. But, unlike other breakfast casserole type meals, this one has pizzaz! The addition of fried eggs on top of the souffle gives you a sophisticated look that will put your guests in awe and make you look like the culinary royalty that you aim to be.

Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients

• 1 lbs White Bread
• 1/4C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 lbs Sliced Bacon
• 1/2 Large Onion, sliced thinly
• 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1/2 lbs Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 lbs Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 2 Tbsp Chives, chopped
• 1-3/4C Chicken Broth
• Salt & Pepper
• 8 Eggs

Instructions

1. Cut the white bread into 1-inch cubes.
2. Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Toss the bread cubes in the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Place in a 350^o oven for about 25 minutes until cubes are crunchy like croutons.
4. While the bread cubes are baking, cook the bacon in a skillet until it is crispy. Remove from the skillet and dry on a paper towel. Retain the grease for future use.
5. Place the sliced onion in the skillet and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes and red pepper. Cook until the liquid has evaporated.
6. Place the bread cubes, bacon, shredded cheeses, chives, chicken broth and contents of the skillet into a large bowl. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Place the contents into a 9-by-13 inch glass baking dish that has been oiled. Cover with a lightly-oiled piece of aluminum foil.
   At this point, the mixture can be placed in the refrigerator for baking the next morning.
7. Bake the mixture for 25-30 minutes (a bit longer if it was in the refrigerator).
8. Remove the foil and bake until the top is crispy.
9. Remove the dish and press 8 indentations into the mixture. The bottom of a 1C measuring cup works great for this task.
10. Crack an egg into each indentation and back until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
    Tip: The eggs will still look runny, but they are done.
11. Remove and serve as soon as possible.

Recommendations

The eggs themselves are the perfect garnish for this meal. A little chopped parsley on top gives a great country fresh taste to the meal. We have also found that a few shots of tabasco give this dish just the extra kick it needs.

Serve with some melon wrapped in proscutto and an adult beverage of your choice – Bloody Mary’s or Mamosas encouraged. Now you’ve got a unique dish to spice up those up-to-now mundane weekend brunches.

Go and try this recipe and let us know how it worked out for you!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Breakfast Bake with Eggs

But, we’re Boston sports fan. We’ll endure. We always do. We’ve made it through much worse times than these. And, really, is this a bad time? Our football team is playing like a Madden video game team (all offense and no defense), our hockey team is coming off a Stanley Cup championship and our basketball team…did I mention our hockey team won the Stanley Cup? We’ll get through it. We have a long way to go to get back to the dog days of Boston sports. But, sometimes it’s good to get kicked in the teeth to remember how good you have it.

I’ll end with a text message I received today that sums it up pretty accurately:

The rumor is Francona lost this team and he covered for them all year. I watched his press conference on Wednesday. He looked like he was ready to be done with them. Either way, it’s nice to have the choking Red Sox of yesterday back. The youth of NE needed a kick in the nuts!!! F those kids. We had Buckner, Samuelson, Reggie Lewis and Len Bias. We earned these titles. But these kids have seven championships in under a decade…time for some pain!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Aftermath of “The Crash” – Boston Sports Will Survive

Dan - Week 4 (26-Sep-2011)

Week 4 is upon us and so is a bushy looking beard! The wife is bugging me to trim up a bit (she loves the beard though), however I plan on holding strong until the month is out! And, really, how can she argue with the reasoning?

I’m closing in on the end of this epic journey (OK, epic might be a little strong, but it is pretty cool) and am really appreciative to all the people who have donated over the course of the last month or so. You’re making a big difference in the battle against prostate caner folks!

If you’d like to make a last-minute donation, you can click here: Donate Here!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Septembeard Progress Report – Week 4

Dan - Week 3 (19-Sep-2011)

Week 3 has come and gone with more growth being seen. The mountain-esque look is starting to fill in. Having booked a trip to Colorado in March this week, I’m fully content on letting this grow in as much as possible.

Donations this week were a little slower, but that is to be expected as the month comes to a close. No new team member, as hinted at before, but that’s OK. I’m enjoying riding this train solo…maybe I’ll have more members next year.

As always, if you’d like to make a donation, you can click here: Donate Here!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Septembeard Progress Report – Week 3

Dan - Week 2 (12-Sep-2011)

Week 2 is already upon us and the beard is coming in nice and full.  I’m kind of curious how long I will let it get, but I’m really liking the idea of letting this thing grow in full-bore Grizzly Adams style.

Donations this week were great and we’re starting to make headway towards our goal. I may have even gotten a new team member. I’m waiting on a text to see if he’s interested. All in all, this little adventure is going just the way I want it to!

Remember, if you’d like to make a donation, you can click here: Donate Here!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Septembeard Progress Report – Week 2

Dan - Week 1 (06-Sep-2011)

Remember, if you’d like to make a donation, you can click here: Donate Here!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Septembeard Progress Report – Week 1

I have dedicated the month of September to growing a beard in an effort to raise money for Prostate Cancer Research. Septembeard.org is running this great event.

I would appreciate it very much if you took a few minutes to click on the link below and make a donation to this great cause (any amount is very much appreciated).

Donate Here!

Gentlemen – A call to action! If you are interested in participating in this great effort, please let me know via email. I’ll add you to the team and together we can raise money to kick cancer in the nuts!

Thanks in advance for your donation.

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Growing A Beard To Kick Cancer In The Nuts!

Enjoy!

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BNpFX7mmVA[/tube]

Thanks for reading! If you would like to leave a comment on this post, please click here: Grilled Elk Sausage How-To