Actually I can. I certainly can believe it’s not bread. It doesn’t taste like bread. It doesn’t look like bread. Maybe it looks like a giant square breadstick. But let’s be honest people – it’s not as good as a breadstick. And that’s really the point. It’s all they could eat while wandering the desert so it’s all we’re allowed to eat in honor of that sacrifice. But, like a bland soup, there are ways to spice it up. As you’ve probably concluded – I’m referring to Matzah. 

Lay down some tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and you’ve got yourself Matzah pizza. Spread on some cream cheese and you’ve got yourself a Kosher for Passover bagel with cream cheese. Cook it with eggs for some Matzah Brie. 

The point here is that you can enjoy Matzah but, like anything else, it’s all in the preparation. So if you’re celebrating Passover (and keeping kosher throughout) then stop by Ess-A-Bagel – 359 1st Ave./831 3rd Ave. and order up my personal favorite: Matzah with lox and scallion cream cheese. Don’t forget to let us know how you like it!

Consider the now infamous (and mostly edited) words of Justin Timberlake at the top of this post today’s thesis. So where did chicken go? Technically, it hasn’t gone anywhere. It hasn’t left the menu’s of our restaurants or the buckets of our KFC’s. But for the first time in a long time, the chicken entree has become the best dish on many menus across Manhattan.

Culturally, trends tend to be cyclical. This is evident in many aspects of life from fashion to food. Just think about all the skinny ties you see these days – we weren’t the first generation to wear them. I believe chicken is going through it’s own skinny-tie type resurgence. As food has become more popular and more “foodies” pop up seemingly by the minute, restaurants as a whole have moved towards more inventive foods. What happened is that at some point many chefs lost their way. They forgot that sometimes it’s the simplest of preparations that stands the tallest. I’d like to take this time to salute a chef who didn’t conform to the times. Someone at the front of  - as I’ve decided to refer to it – the chicken movement. Andrew Carmellini of Locanda Verde – 377 Greenwich St. When you have a moment, visit their website and take a look at the menu. Allow your eyes to take a walk down the page, past the delicious Crostini, the Antipasti, and the Pasta, until you settle upon the Secondi. You’ll notice, at the bottom of this section, a dish called Fire-Roasted Garlic Chicken For Two. Your salivary GPS should, at this point, let you know you’ve reached your destination. 

There’s literally nothing about this dish to critique. From the perfectly crisped skin to the juicy meat below you’ll savor every bite. The roasted vegetables scattered around the dish are the perfect compliment. If you’ve yet to try this dish, I urge you to do so. Because once you have, you’ll know – Chicken’s Back.

I think we all get too caught up sometimes by what’s new. By attempting to stay as close as we can to the edge we run the risk of falling over. We go out and buy or try new things and while sometimes they’re great, other times they’re not. Just the other day I bought a new pair of jeans. I put them on and couldn’t stop thinking about how much less comfortable they were than my worn in pair I bought a couple of years ago. In the food world we read blogs and magazines which focus almost solely on the new. Restaurant openings, new chefs, new deli’s, etc. I’d like to change that today. Because today, I’d like to write about an oldie but a goodie. 

There’s a place that’s been around longer than I have and longer than many of you have as well. Born in 1914 on East Houston St. this place has been serving it’s community for some 96 years. From the immigrant years of the 10’s and 20’s to the hipsters of the 2000’s this place has remained a constant. Offering an endless variety of smoked fish, caviar, cream cheeses, and more. They say home is where the heart is. If this is true than this place is like a second home to me. I am of course talking about Russ and Daughters – 179 East Houston St. Appetizing New Yorkers since long before most of us were born.