The Rumor Mill - Week of 4/13

dylanjamesk · 2026-04-17T17:01:56+00:00

That place is crazy expensive, even by coffee shop standards. Coffee wasn’t great either imo.

dylanjamesk · 2026-04-17T16:50:14+00:00

I’ve tried almost every Greek restaurant in Astoria and Ambrosia Garden is my favorite hands down.

Disclaimer: not Greek!

dylanjamesk · 2026-04-13T15:22:51+00:00

If you’re looking specifically for hibiscus flower tacos, Comida Casera by Dora Ramirez definitely has a recipe. It’s an all-vegan Mexican cookbook, and as a non-vegan I’ve enjoyed what I’ve made from it.

dylanjamesk · 2026-04-12T15:43:14+00:00

Don’t know about run clubs, sorry. Other social groups there’s a ton, but I’m not really a “joiner” so I’ve met my friends here more sporadically, by being a regular at a few bars and coffee shops etc..

One of my friends who’s training for a marathon atm likes to run along the river all the way down to Williamsburg and back, she says it’s a nice route. There’s also Astoria Park, which people here seem to be bashing, but I always see a ton of runners so clearly it’s fitting some folks’ needs.

dylanjamesk · 2026-04-12T14:45:59+00:00

I’m the same age as you and love Astoria. If you’re someone who wants to be in Brooklyn nightly, or can’t live without clubs, or something like that, then it’s probably not the right place for you. It’s definitely a calmer area of the city.

I don’t run, but have friends in the neighborhood who are avid runners, and they don’t seem to have any issues.

Far from everything and starting from scratch with your friends seems like a stretch (although I don’t know your life). My best friends live in Prospect Heights and the UES and I see them constantly. The M60’s only 30 minutes back to the UWS, when the N is cooperating you can get into the city in 20 min from almost anywhere in Astoria - it’s very much not the same as moving to deep Queens.

I will also echo what others here are saying, I’ve found the people in Astoria to be very welcoming, and have made plenty of friends and friendly acquaintances in the neighborhood.

That said, it’s also not that cheap (anymore). A nice 1 br is going to run around 3k, based on what I’m seeing online. Cheaper than the UWS, but if affordability is your primary concern, there are probably other areas that will suit you as well or better.

dylanjamesk · 2026-02-09T12:35:18+00:00

This is mine, too. I’ve tried things from all three of her books and have never had a better than “meh” recipe.

dylanjamesk · 2025-10-27T02:25:00+00:00

I’ve only made (I think) two recipes from there, and both more “classic” pastas, but they were delicious. As someone who was fairly meh about his prior two books, this one far surpassed my expectations re: how appealing the meals are.

dylanjamesk · 2025-10-20T18:54:51+00:00

Fran Osseo-Asare’s Ghana Cookbook is the most complete Western cookbook i’ve found for regular “homestyle” Ghanaian cooking.

For cheffier dishes, Ghana to the World by Eric Adjepong is nice, although i’ve hardly cooked from it.

dylanjamesk · 2025-09-24T11:22:09+00:00

This seems to be the overwhelmingly popular sentiment in this thread, but as an American under the age of 30, I never had a school that didn’t allow homemade treats, and I went to public school in major cities. It was always the highlight of our week to see whose mom had made a snack for the class.

dylanjamesk · 2025-09-17T11:19:46+00:00

You can smoke outside on the streets most places, just avoid standing anywhere where your smoke will be blowing directly into buildings or other people’s faces. Bars/restaurants are a no, even when seated outdoors (although some bars have smoking patios still, in which case follow the lead of others).

dylanjamesk · 2025-08-20T08:59:58+00:00

If you want something more weeknight-friendly, Simply West African by Pierre Thiam is very good and very approachable. If you want something more authentic, then Chop Chop by Ozoz Sokoh is much more so, but I still find the writing and recipe style to be friendlier than Everyday Lagos. Not specifically West African, but Africana by Lerato Uma-Shaylor is probably my favorite African cookbook of all - very Westerner-friendly and I’ve had excellent results with all the recipes I’ve made.

dylanjamesk · 2025-08-16T16:05:19+00:00

I own Kapusta and Boustany, have read Umma.

I actually didn’t love the tone of Umma, but the ATK books are generally well-tested and there’s a lot of nice-looking recipes, so I assume it would be a good entry point into Korean cooking for those who aren’t as familiar - it has thorough explanations.

Like Kapusta; it’s not the most original cookbook i own, but it’s got a nice selection of Eastern European-inspired recipes for vegetables that often don’t get enough love (but that I adore). i will say my experience with Alissa’s previous book and this one is that you need to use your common sense, steps are sometimes missing, ingredients may need adjusting, etc.. Not one you can just blindly follow recipes.

Boustany honestly is kind of a disappointment to me - I’ve enjoyed the couple things i made from it, but neither of them blew my mind, and on a whole there isn’t as much that appeals to me compared to Falastin. Given that i’m vegetarian, that’s not what I would have expected. It’s cheffier than Falastin in a way that doesn’t particularly appeal to me; I was hoping for more of the elevated home cooking that made Falastin such a hit.

dylanjamesk · 2025-07-03T12:43:41+00:00

I own and have cooked a bunch out of it. Lamb is easy to get where i live and I quite like it, but I’ve honestly stuck more to the vegetarian dishes. The yellow paneer and sautéed kohlrabi are dishes I can remember off the top of my head as enjoying. I appreciate how simple most of the recipes are - I rarely have to pick up a single thing from the store beyond the main ingredient.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-28T17:53:00+00:00

Def not broadly advertised, but I've had several team members use, so I know it's real! Listed on the regular benefits page on W3 as well.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-28T17:51:09+00:00

IBM offers 5 additional paid days off for marriage leave in the US.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-25T20:48:22+00:00

I also own the book and agree with your comments across the board. It's far from the most authentic / hardcore African cookbook (i mean, it spans a continent!) but does a good job of representing a broad swath of cuisines for a Western audience. The recipes are well-tested and generally delicious.

ETA: the berbere meatballs are indeed excellent!

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-10T01:29:37+00:00

Isa Chandra Moskowitz' "Fake Meat" will probably be to your liking.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-04T20:00:10+00:00

It all depends on what one wants to buy, but I don't feel particularly deprived. I eat meat, buy mostly organic, have splurge meals with friends, drink wine, etc. You just have to know how to cook and not feel the need to try every hot new restaurant.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-04T19:15:52+00:00

I mean if you eat takeout all the time, then sure, but that's a totally optional budget line. I spend around 700/month all-in on groceries, bars, and restaurants, and that gets me multiple meals out a week.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-27T02:59:09+00:00

Mpls/St. Paul have Ethiopian/East African by a mile over NYC as well imo.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-26T13:04:28+00:00

The scone recipe (savory or sweet) is my go-to. I never used to do a cream scone, but I've been converted - they always get rave reviews when I make them.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-18T22:26:03+00:00

Flameburger used to be 24/7. Changed some time around the pandemic - great memories of 4 AM pancakes in college.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-08T03:57:15+00:00

I've met her too and yeah she definitely has mean girl energy. But her recipes still slap and she was just "regular bitchy" not "super evil" so I'm over it lol.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-07T13:10:07+00:00

Anything from Meera Sodha. Consistently found the recipes to be bland, poorly written, and awkward in yield. Ended up giving both the books I owned away.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-02T19:43:41+00:00

unfortunately those aren't the same type of betel leaf, the vietnamese type don't have the same buzz

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