It's almost Thanksgiving, Astoria, and I know we're all looking forward to some delicious festivities. You may remember my first Thanksgiving post, which I hope you've used to pre-plan a bit, but here are a few more retail options for you in time for Thursday:
LIC's Charlito's Cocina is featuring a Thanksgiving special on their Chorizo and Fig Salami box. When you buy the above mentioned delicacies, you'll also receive a special "surprise salami" from their small batch collection that's not available in stores. Charlito's products are great to put out on the table before the main meal, especially for a serious foodie crowd.
Explore Charlito's Cocina products here.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, local chocolate producer, Gnosis, has added a decadent pumpkin spiced truffle to their repertoire. Boasting ingredients that evoke fall-like flavors such as pumpkin seeds, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, these truffles are the perfect after dinner treat. Explore Gnosis pumpkin spiced truffles here.
If you're looking for a special dessert that'll impress the Thanksgiving hostess, I suggest stopping into Leli's Bakery and Cafe for something festive. I noticed a few pretty things in their display case including "high heel" cupcakes, Thanksgiving themed cookie platters, cakes and pies. 35-14 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.626.8090
Happy almost Thanksgiving, everyone!
As some of you know, yesterday Sac's Place hosted yet another fabulous Queens County Market. I went over there to check it out for its novelty factor, but also because I wanted to come out and support Meg in her book signing. The afternoon was a really fun experience, as a lot of folks from the neighborhood came out to support local food artisans. It was really inspiring to see the beautiful things that our local experts are making, and I was happy to lend my support where I could. I was surprised to see some vendors from Brooklyn too, which is OK, but I loved seeing Queens dominate with awesomeness.
Here are some of my highlights:
Charlito's Cocina - Because I love me some cured meat, I couldn't refuse trying theirs, including the smoky chorizo, which was flavored with paprika, garlic, and Mediterranean sea salt. Additionally to the meat , I was really intrigued by their vegetarian "salami," which came in a fig flavor. It looked like a salami for sure, but deep, earthy fig flavor couldn't fool your tastebuds. It was just fabulous on its own or perhaps coupled with its meaty siblings.
Mel's Melting Pot - I also enjoyed this station, which boasted a big variety of chutneys, ketchup and apple sauce. While the chutneys and ketchup looked amazing, I decided to sample the spiced applesauce with quince, which was refreshing and not overly sweet. It tasted really natural and seemed like a good way to enjoy a little snack. Mel's also recommends putting it on pancakes or even pork chops.
The Chocolate Swirl - Of course I have a huge soft spot for Lisa's amazing treats and that's partially the reason why I came to the market. Happy to see her newest addition, which are the Girls Scout cookie flavors such as Samoas and Thin Mints, I bought a cake pop in each. So far, I've sampled the Samoa cake pop, which was incredible and really tasted exactly like my favorite nostalgic cookie. All I had to do was close my eyes, as I was envisioned reaching into that familiar cookie box.
Meg's book of course! - It's always a highlight to see my friend Meg doing what she does best - spread her enthusiasm for good quality food in Queens. It was lovely to see a lot of folks asking her questions about the book and the copies literally flying off the table. Great job, Meg! I've got my book all marked up with places to hit.
The Queens County Market takes place usually every month at rotating venues - stay tuned on their site for more information about the next event.
