More than just Meat at Queens Comfort

Tonight was special, as I went out to support and celebrate the accomplishments of one of my favorite food blogger comrades, Bradley Hawks. For those of you not familiar with Bradley’s work in the food world, it’s quite remarkable how he has his fingers in so many honey pots, and I always marvel at how much he juggles. Not only does Bradley write and edit BORO Magazine, he’s also a contributor to the Village Voice, writes his own blog, guest posts on We Heart Astoria, and takes beautiful photographs for many local restaurants in Astoria and LIC.

Probably known most famously for the latter, Bradley’s photos always entice, tease and make the mouth water. In fact, tonight’s celebration was all about his photography, as Queens Comfort proudly showcased some of Bradley’s best works.

Aside from marveling at the beautiful shots of sushi, burgers, pizza, sandwiches and the many other wonderful foods that serve as muses for Bradley’s photography, Meg and I also enjoyed some quintessential Queens Comfort eats. After a long day, we were both loving all their little indulgences and concurred that the quality of everything we had was great.

BBQ Tofu Sandwich – Seeing an enticing picture of this sandwich from none other than Bradley, I was excited to see it on the menu and went for it. It didn’t disappoint, and in fact far surpassed expectations, as it was a beautifully composed dish with fried tofu, crispy slaw, a tangy Siu Hauu sauce, enveloped in a buttery brioche bun. The tofu was really crunchy on the outside, decked in a golden fried crust, and it was tender and substantial on the inside. I love how that sauce permeated into the little nooks inside the tofu that gave it a very delicious Asian flavor.

Donuts – The first thing we smelled when we came in were the donuts, and they looked divine to boot! We loved watching them be prepared - first the glaze was added and then they were topped with a little fried donut hole.

There were two varieties we tried including the Oreo and the PBJ. I preferred the latter, as it was glazed first with some creamy peanut butter and then topped with a light strawberry jelly. The inside was cakey and wonderfully soft, while the outside was a little crunchy. Although it was tempting to finish completely, I had to hold myself back so I can try its Oreo companion. Even though I liked it a lot, I thought that the Oreo cookies could’ve been more prominent in the donut, and there wasn’t much going on in terms of the creamy white filling. I felt this donut wanted to achieve that nostalgic Oreo-ness but only got there halfway.

Service and Cost:
Despite it being a busy night at Queens Comfort, the service was pretty quick. Even though it would’ve been nice to refresh our waters and get us some more napkins, the actual food came out in good time, and we didn’t have to wait long for the check either. Overall, the staff is friendly and pretty laid back. I felt that we could’ve hung out for a while even after we finished eating.

Costs are affordable, but know that it’s still a cash only establishment. I paid a total of $16 with tax and tip for my sandwich.

3 Comfortable Mmmms

Queens Comfort - 40-09 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103

646.597.8687

N/Q Train to 30th Avenue

www.queenscomfort.blogspot.com 

Dan's Fried Oreos - A Special Weekend Indulgence

**A special THANK YOU to Foodbuzz for featuring these on today's Top 9.  Check out #8.**

This weekend was quite indulgent for Dan, me and our friends, Moses, Jamil, Sonya and Kristen.  We braved it out in the snow on Friday afternoon and drove out to Arlington, VT to hang out in a cozy, mountain-side cabin.  It was a much needed de-stresser and a perfect excuse to cook all weekend and relish in ultra rich, comforting foods.

Dan especially couldn't wait because he'd been planning to make his beloved deep fried oreos.  Although this snack happens to be one of his greatest sins, he hasn't quite mastered making it until now.  They came out absolutely perfect this weekend and will stand out as the biggest crowd-pleaser of our trip.  Yes...they do sound fussy and a bit complex but they aren't.  The key is to use good pancake batter to coat them in and to have super hot vegetable or corn oil for the frying.  The rest is up to your tastebuds, and I promise they won't be disappointed.  The oreos puff up like little doughnuts and the best part is that the cookies take on the consistency of the pancake batter - soft, cakey and the cream filling is like silk. 

Hint - use double stuffed oreos instead of the original, you'll get more creaminess and flavor.

Dan's Fried Oreos (serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 package of double stuffed oreos - we used about 15

1 cup of pancake batter
Vegetable or corn oil (enough to deep fry the cookies)
Confectioner's sugar (optional)

Directions:
Prepare pancake batter according to directions on the box.  Try to make the batter slightly thicker than usual (using a bit less milk than what the directions call for).  The batter should be thick enough to coat the oreos - not slide off of them.

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan until very hot.  Place the pancake-coated oreos in the hot oil (5-8 oreos at a time, depending on the size of your sauce pan).  Oreos will float to the top.  Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy and golden brown.  Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels. 

Place on serving platter and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired.  You can even top these with more sweetness such as Nutella or jelly.  I topped it with the latter and loved it.  Enjoy the richness!