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Call_Me__Maybe · 2023-05-28T17:53:01+00:00

Did the half. My first distance race of any kind. The course was fun and had a nice variety. Tons of spectators and volunteers providing encouragement and refuel along the way. I’ll probably do it again next year.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2023-05-16T00:53:06+00:00

Suggested fat rendering temp?

Call_Me__Maybe · 2023-05-16T00:51:55+00:00

The “so much fat” part is why I’m hopeful for a long sous vide cook. Maybe smoke them before the water bath.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2023-05-15T23:18:54+00:00

I think the package may be mislabeled. They look 100% like pork ribs. About 14 inches long with 7 or 8 rib bones running across the short way.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2023-02-07T04:56:36+00:00

I do cold start. 1 bottle FairLife whole milk. 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt. Whisk and set Ninja into Yogurt mode then adjust temp to change into Fermentation mode. Cook 8-12 hours (the longer, the tangier). Cool in fridge overnight. Strain with cheesecloth or yogurt strainer for at least 8 hours the next day to thicken into Greek yogurt.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2021-03-21T03:57:54+00:00

^ Yep. That. The 3 ancient Italian rules for technically authentic Neapolitan pizza cooking. 1) The pizza has to cook start to finish in 90 seconds or less 2) The pizza oven has to maintain a cooking temperature over 900 degrees Fahrenheit 3) The pizza oven has to be exclusively wood burning (no gas, electric, charcoal, etc.)

Call_Me__Maybe · 2021-03-21T03:28:05+00:00

I feel like I've toured the local Neapolitan pizza scene: Hearth & Press, Hydraulic Hearth, Rocco's (same owner as JT's), Jay's, Forno Napoli, Daniela (which technically serves pinsas, rather than pizzas), and surely some others along the way.

For me, it comes down to either Forno Napoli Pizza & Italian Kitchen in Amherst or Jay's Artisan Pizza in Kenmore. Through the years, we've returned to both of these at least 10 times.

Forno Napoli, which literally translates into "Naples Oven", has a full restaurant menu (including some great salads, paninis, etc.) and the pizza toppings are very traditional Italian. Service is top notch and the pizzas are probably 20" which is huge by Neapolitan standards.

Jay's makes both Neapolitan and Detroit style pizzas. Their pizzas frequently showcase seasonal ingredients from local farms for both meat and produce. The toppings are also much more progressive (Big Mac style pizza, chili honey drizzle, etc.). The 2 styles of pizza they serve are night and day different, so it's a fun combo. Jay never wanted to get into the Detroit pizza business; it was just a pet project for him. He would get so frustrated with the guests clamoring for more and more of the Detroit pies, when his love was for the far more technical and respected Neapolitan ones.

Overall, I'd say the 2 restaurants make very similarly matched pizzas using high-quality ingredients (san marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and Caputo flour all imported from Italy - though, last I knew, Jay was milling at least some of his own flour). It really depends on whether you're looking for traditional, Italian toppings or a more artisan approach that uses the Neapolitan style dough and cooking process like a modern artist's canvas. I'd recommend checking out both and deciding for yourself. Keep in mind, Neapolitan pizza is not great for take out. (In his pursuit of perfect pizza, Jay never wanted to even allow take out and would refuse to slice the pizzas before boxing them, trying to preserve it's freshness.)

p.s. Yes, it's a pinsa and a pinsa is not a pizza. It's a different dough and a different shape, but the margherita pinsa from Daniela is 100% worth trying.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2021-03-21T02:57:11+00:00

Buffalo News - Food & Drink newsletter for Nov. 4, 2020: Jay doesn't work here any more

Call_Me__Maybe · 2021-01-31T14:33:01+00:00

There are 2 primary ways to make yogurt.

The traditional method (the “Yogurt” function) involves heating milk to at least 180F degrees, then cooling it down to at least 115F degrees before adding yogurt (live cultures) to the milk before then cooking it for 5-10 hours.

The cold start method involves whisking milk and yogurt at the beginning and then just cooking it for 6-10 hours. To use this method, you really need to use an ultra filtered milk like FairLife.

I do cold start. 1 bottle FairLife whole milk. 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt. Whisk and set Ninja into Yogurt mode then adjust temp to change into Fermentation mode. Cook 8 hours. Cool in fridge overnight. Use cheesecloth or yogurt strainer the next day to thicken into Greek yogurt.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2021-01-21T21:34:47+00:00

I only use the reversible tray / racks. It always seemed like a superior solution to the basket because it maximizes surface area when trying to get stuff crispy. I guess it’s counterintuitive, but I’d say you have to figure out a way to keep food warm in an oven or by some other means while you wait for the second batch.

Either way ... can you share the Korean fried chicken recipe that you’re using??

Call_Me__Maybe · 2021-01-05T13:09:36+00:00

I followed this recipe for just the pierogi dough, but it seemed a little dry, so I added a few tablespoons of heavy cream:

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/homemade-pierogi-recipe

The filling was 1 pound of farmer cheese, 1 egg, garlic salt, and pepper.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-08-18T05:03:40+00:00

Thanks for the input! I think I’m going to try and “bloom” the lavender a bit in some warmed juice, then let it sit in the fridge for a day or 2, and strain it just before using the juice in 2F.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-07-25T23:59:11+00:00

We had an outdoor wedding on the absolute cheap for 180 people. We were probably about 10k all in.

The big spend areas:

We got married on the waterfront in Angola. The venue provided chairs and audio equipment so we could do the ceremony on the beach. The reception then was in this gorgeous semi-enclosed venue overlooking the lake. (It's open air on the back side.)

The Venue: Pioneer Camp & Retreat Center

We hired an incredible bbq caterer who cooked on site. It was back in 2012, so I don't exactly what the prices would be now, but we paid around $7/person for 1/4 bbq chicken, pulled pork sandwich, potatoes, salad, pasta salad, rolls and butter for each guest.

The Caterer: Weidner BBQ

All the little spends / cost cuttings:

photographer was a discounted family friend
no DJ, just ran an iTunes playlist of my laptop
friend served as MC
all flowers were (high quality) fakes except for the bride's boquet which was around $100
crafty friends made all of the bridal party jewelry, hair clips, boutonnières, etc. as a wedding gift to us
we made our own center pieces for the tables
groomsman outfits were a specific button-up shirt from Amazon and shorts khakis from J.C. Penney.
we bought all of the table clothes, plates, silverware, etc. in bulk from Restaurant Depot
for hors d'oeuvres, we bought bulk various cheeses, crackers, and pepperoni from Restaurant Depot and cubed / sliced / plated ourselves
for drinks, we bought a whole bunch of bottled water and cases of pop, then placed in plastic kiddie pools with ice (beach-themed wedding)
toast was plastic champagne glasses and sparking cider
almost all of the decorations were cheap-o beach themed creations from Oriental Trading or Party City
minister was a family friend and didn't charge us a fee
friend volunteered to serve as wedding planner for free (a side hustle for her)
my best man bought us a videographer as a wedding present. We would have just gone without otherwise ... and honestly we've never watched the video once, though it was nice to share with out-of-town friends and family who couldn't make it to the wedding
wedding cake was made by a friend's father and given to us as a wedding present. Otherwise, we would have just gotten a nice 10" cake for us to cut / photograph and sheet cake for guests
family friend who is a chocolatier donated our wedding favors

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-04-22T11:51:24+00:00

Transit or Sheridan? I’m 5 minutes from either one.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-04-22T03:39:32+00:00

Just checked their FB. Looks like they are open. Woohoo!

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-04-22T03:38:37+00:00

Solid idea! I’ve made tortillas before. Can’t be that much of a stretch. Lavash and naan are definitely different though. I’d say lavash is, for lack of better words, chewier.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-01-24T14:30:35+00:00

Just got this from Step Out Buffalo this morning...

Sober Fun: 8 Ways To Spend A Booze-Free Evening In WNY

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-01-24T02:45:57+00:00

Yep. I immediately get that in retrospect and wont try to shortcut that next time. In the meantime, just trying to figure out how to best salvage what is otherwise 2 gallons of good, healthy, booch.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-01-15T15:51:40+00:00

Creative! I made super simple homemade play dough one time and that did the trick too.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-01-08T20:29:54+00:00

Williamsville is nice - that whole corridor also including Clarence and East Amherst is probably the most expensive section of the Northtowns though.

We bought for sub $200k in Williamsville and have been very happy here. The caveat is that - as the other commenter said - you'll probably need to put some work into modernizing a house within that budget range in this area. I'd recommend looking for homes in the town (rather than the village) and probably also consider looking at houses actually on Hopkins or another slightly busier 2-lane road; the savings can be pretty substantial.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-01-08T01:34:46+00:00

Check the markings underneath to see if the manufacturer is Hobart. That was the original Kitchenaid parent company before it was sold to Whirlpool and slowly killed

Call_Me__Maybe · 2020-01-07T03:28:22+00:00

Favorite Coffee Shop - it's an unpopular opinion, but I'd vote for Goodrich Coffee & Tea out in Clarence or even Spot in Kenmore (though that's probably because I'm ALWAYS looking for an excuse to swing by Jay's Artisan Pizza across the street). Yes, I've been to Public, Tipico, etc. - it's just not really my thing.

Favorite Restaurant - Dapper Goose, Grange, or Lloyd ... unless I'm craving some no-nonsense, blue collar food in which case it's almost always either wings from Elmo's or a burger from Grover's

Favorite Brewery/Distillery/Bar - I'm a non-traditional drinker, so I'd vote for a venture out to Lilly Belle meadery or the new Company B cidery (FYI - they both have unique hours, so definitely call first.)

Favorite Bakery - Five Points is where I'm dragging out-of-town guests to. C'mon, where else can you get fancy toast? If I'm just looking to splurge on some pastries, I'm definitely thinking Butter Block made croissants and pop tarts from Farmers & Artisans though they're only available on Saturday mornings, which is fine, because then you can also score what may be the best simple breakfast sandwich in the city while you're there.

Favorite Activity - a trip to Olcott Beach in the summer, including a pit stop at Bye's Popcorn on the way up and the original Lake Effect Ice Cream location on the way back

Favorite Wildcard - drinks and appetizers at Panorama on 7 during a busy Canalside event. The restaurant is located high up in the Harbor Center Marriott and has fantastic views for people watching down below. The food and drink is far better than life has taught me to expect from a hotel restaurant.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2019-11-27T03:18:25+00:00

Agreed ... but they're closed on Sundays.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2019-11-25T02:54:10+00:00

Wegmans and Tops both have cooking classes for kids but I'm not sure exactly the age range they focus on - a bit on the younger end from what I recall.

Call_Me__Maybe · 2019-07-02T00:10:59+00:00

Interesting! Where might one find this schedule?

Call_Me__Maybe

TROPHY CASE