In the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains in China, a river carves its way through a canyon. The Earth’s rocky layers are eroded by wind and water and exposed, transforming the landscape into these colorful terraces.
This photograph was submitted to the 2015 National Geographic Photo Contest. Submit your best photo for a chance to win.
Prison food is notoriously awful. So when rapper DMX got out of prison on Friday, a good meal was unsurprisingly at the top of his to-do list. X went all out at an IHOP in Buffalo, New York, according to pictures on…
The post DMX Decided To Make Pancake Purveyors IHOP His First Post-Prison Meal appeared first on First We Feast.
Kevin WhiteThey let people camp out inside
New York's first Chcik-fil-A is now OPEN OPEN OPEN.
Hordes of people showed up to New York's first free-standing Chick-fil-A yesterday afternoon in the hopes of winning a year of free chicken sandwiches. But only 100 New Yorkers were awarded that Southern fried prize. After being alerted of their rankings in the line around 7 p.m., these people then camped out inside the restaurant all night. Some of them slept, using Chick-fil-A blankets to keep themselves warm, while other watched Night at the Museum on a screen across the street from the restaurant. At the crack of dawn, the restaurant opened to the general public, and the superfans got their first taste of those free chicken sandwiches.
(It's perhaps worth noting that, according to the official rules of the contest, the winners get one meal per week, not unlimited food whenever they want. So, the real cash value of this prize is probably...somewhere in the ballpark of $500 to $600.)
New York's first-ever real deal Chick-fil-A is now open for business. Here are scenes from the pre-opening madness.
Chick-fil-A is opening its first location in NYC tomorrow, and already people are waiting in line in the cold rain. pic.twitter.com/kRVb0RpynV
— Andrea Lillo (@alillo) October 2, 2015
Boom! #nyccfa #CFAFirst100 @ChickfilA we did it! pic.twitter.com/h3OFl92RvK
— conzor (@conzor) October 3, 2015
Yes, this is a @ChickfilA blanket!!! #NYCCFA #CFAFirst100 pic.twitter.com/9BvB4KkhTf
— Michael Eng (@flightmike) October 3, 2015
Here's a video of the 100 lucky line-waiters being told that they won:
A video posted by Quoia (@miss_quoia) on
The winners were taken inside for the night, to wait till the official opening:
A video posted by Matt Gorman (@mattgorman) on
They were also given sleep masks and cookies:
Cookies and stylish Chick-fil-a eye masks? Now we're talking. #blessed #businessclass #cfanyc pic.twitter.com/qiTaL1p9yv
— Matt Gorman (@mtg543) October 3, 2015
And they got to watch Night at the Museum projected on a screen across the street from the restaurant, with individual headsets:
Some people crashed, though:
A photo posted by Chris Rich (@chrisfrich) on
Winners!
Just camped out and won free Chick-Fil-A for a year! #nyccfa #cfafirst100
A photo posted by Inman Porter (@inmanporter) on
Kevin Whitewhy?
Weight lifting with your penis is a thing. The sex experts at Cosmopolitan explain, “Turns out, guys can benefit from kegels in much the same way women can (better orgasms, plus harder erections), and adding weight both expedites the strengthening and sounds like a…
The post Chinese Man Lifts Three Crates of Beer Using Nothing But His Shlong (Video) appeared first on First We Feast.
Kevin Whitehaha
In the biggest flatulence-related lawsuit since the landmark case of He Who Smelt It v. He Who Dealt It, a Pennsylvania woman is suing her husband's former employer, a Trenton pork roll company, over allegations that the man was fired for farting too much. [ more › ]
Kevin Whitei like eli's face
A NJ priest has been arrested after he allegedly pointed a musket at an 8-year-old boy and threatened him because the child was rooting against the Giants. Which, yeah, that sounds like a Giants fan alright. [ more › ]
Kevin Whiteshould have taken an uber
Port Authority police officers helped a Queens woman deliver a healthy baby girl on the World Trade Center PATH train concourse early this morning, according to a Port Authority spokesman. Little Asenat Abdrabo weighs in at 6 lbs, 14 oz. [ more › ]
Kevin WhitePANIC!
The most deeply-held mysteries of life on Earth are forever unknowable, and so is the current trajectory of Hurricane Joaquin, the powerful storm that may or may not collide with NYC this weekend as it heads north up the Eastern seaboard. But just because our best meteorologists can't say with any certainty what's going to happen in the next three-to-five days doesn't mean that breathless alarmists and panicked Tweeters aren't prognosticating up a storm of their own. But don't panic. Wait, should we be panicking? [ more › ]
Kevin WhiteFYI...
There is a three story, 5,000 square foot chicken coop coming to Midtown. A second location is planned for next year.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is gearing up to open its first NYC restaurant this coming Saturday. The paper is off the windows, and the staff is preparing for the onslaught of chicken sandwiches lovers to rush through its doors this weekend. This will be the largest Chick-fil-A in the nation. Currently the chain operates just over 1,900 stores in 41 states. Perhaps recognizing that a New York minute is like no other, the restaurant is promising expedited service and quick ordering via iPad clad employees. The restaurant, located at 37th and 6th, will offer the familiar menu of chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and biscuits they are famous for, although the company now claims that it "will partner with regional farmers and suppliers to source locally grown ingredients."
As is common practice Chick-fil-A will give away free food for a year to the first 100 adults in line. The opening of the much loved, yet somewhat controversial chain, has been greatly anticipated as the city is currently a hot bed of fried chicken sandwich activity. It is appropriate then, that the chain that arguably started it all is opening here. How it fares against the local favorites remains to be seen, but with a second Chick-fil-A due to open on West 46th and 6th Avenue next year the chicken sandwich wars have only just begun.
Kevin White"Ingredients
Crust
1 3/4 cup (245 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (115 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1 1/2 tablespoon mustard
5 to 7 tablespoon ice water
Filling
8 ounces (225 g) sliced deli ham
5 ounces (140 g) brie
2 tablespoon chopped chives, divided
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
To Assemble
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Directions
1. Make the crust by placing the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir with a balloon whisk until blended. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Using your fingers and hands, first toss the butter in the flour then smash the butter into thin slivers, breaking them up as you go.
2. When the butter has been broken and flattened into small bits the size of peas, stir the mustard into the 5 tablespoons of cold water and drizzle it over the dry ingredients. Toss with a fork, then use your hands to blend the water in. Keep working the ingredients until they start to stick together. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms.
3. Once a dough forms, place it on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk, about 1-inch thick. Wrap well with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the dough is firm.
4. When the dough is done chilling, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper. Generously dust a large clean surface with flour then place the chilled dough on the flour. Roll the dough out to a 16-inch square. Cut the square into 4 quarters, forming 8 x 8-inch squares.
5. Place 1/4 of the ham and brie onto one side of each square, making sure there’s about a 1-inch border on the 3 closest edges. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of chives, plus 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and salt over the brie and ham.
Place the ham and cheese inside one of the squares. Process photo by Irvin Lin of Eat the Love.
6. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash, then fold the empty side of the pastry dough over the ham and brie. Trim the edges if necessary and seal the edges all the way around with a fork. Move the tart to the lined baking sheet and brush the top of the pastry with more egg wash. Repeat with the remaining three squares of dough. Place 2 tarts per baking sheet.
Brush the egg wash around the ham and brie before sealing. Process photo by Irvin Lin of Eat the Love.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then rotate and turn the baking sheets 180˚. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking pan, then move tart with a large spatula, to a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle the top of the tart with any leftover chives and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with some extra mustard if you want.
Makes 4 pies."
This ham and cheese pie are made with ham and brie, making them the perfect savory hand pie for a meal or just a fun snack!
“Let’s do a guys night out!” I said to my friend Peter and Hadley one weekend while we were up in Sonoma. For most people, a phrase like that would invoke scenes of drunken revelry, picking up women and hijinks that are not suitable for a blog of this nature. But I meant an evening of shopping, a movie of Hadley’s choice (which ended up being Magic Mike XXL) and dinner out. In other words, a pretty gay guys night out, significantly less scandalous than what the phrase implies. Very little hijinks ensued but we did find ourselves at a restaurant where we shared ham and brie pop tarts appetizers. This, in and of itself, was exciting enough for me to go home and immediately make a version for myself and AJ. I mean come one. Ham and brie pop tarts folks! It’s like a ham and cheese pie that you can eat all by yourself. Genius. (Jump directly to the recipe.)
The night started with Peter bailing on us. “I’ve caught a cold guys…” was the text which meant it was just Hadley and me for the evening. Hadley, as you might remember, is part of an ongoing lunch that I have along with my friend Tina (who I made strawberry plum jam with) where talk shop about writing. He suggested we meet up to see the movie first. I was hesitant to actually watch Magic Mike XXL, even though Hadley really wanted to see it. Mostly because I had never seen the original but clearly this was the sort of movie that didn’t really need previous knowledge of the first movie (I Wikipedia-ed the plot anyway). Plotline and character development is thin. Clearly I expected too much.
To get the recipe:Handheld Ham and Cheese Pie (aka Ham and Brie Pop Tarts!)
The post Handheld Ham and Cheese Pie (aka Ham and Brie Pop Tarts!) appeared first on Eat The Love.
After nearly five decades of inactivity, the Calbuco volcano in southern Chile spews a violent blast of ash and smoke, the energy generating a tangle of volcanic lightning. Situated along the Ring of Fire, Chile has a chain of about 2,000 volcanoes, most of which are dormant or extinct.
This photograph was submitted to the 2015 National Geographic Photo Contest. Submit your best photo for a chance to win.
Kevin White:-(
The first 29 days of September have been warm and dry, and it hasn't rained in more than two weeks, but that is about to change in a very dramatic fashion. Huge amounts of tropical moisture are streaming up from a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of a strong cold front coming down from Canada. As the front moves toward the East Coast over the next couple of days it is going to wring that moisture out of the air. [ more › ]
When Your Shot member Larry Abraham grew bored with the photos he was capturing from a third-floor fire escape in Tacoma, Washington, he decided to change his perspective. Rather than look out, he looked down. “Color and pattern caught my eye,” he writes, “and I went to work.”
This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Join now »
Kevin Whitepass
This summer has been filled with great new Oreo products, including the brownie batter flavor and diet-friendly Oreo Thins. But the cookie company knew it had to step up it’s game if it wanted to go for the three-peat in successful new goods. Recent images of…
The post Oreo Spokesperson Confirms That Cinnamon Bun is The Newest Oreo Flavor appeared first on First We Feast.
Kevin WhiteThe Commonwealth making me proud again
Banning alcohol may have some seriously detrimental effects, according to a new study from the University of Louisville. Researchers found that ‘dry’ counties in Kentucky, or places that don’t sell alcohol, have a significantly higher rate of meth labs and meth arrests compared…
The post In Kentucky, Banning Alcohol in Certain Counties Means More Meth Labs appeared first on First We Feast.
Over a century ago, the NY Times printed the following report, regarding a man living on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, a trip to New Jersey, and a sea serpent. Intrigued? Keep reading: [ more › ]
Kevin WhiteHappy National Coffee Day!
We typically ignore the pernicious creep of "food holidays," where brands and their publicists go into overdrive promoting everything from french fries to margaritas and even biscuits. But since we're bleary-eyed from over-celebrating yesterday's Drink A Beer Day, it's our due diligence to point out that today is National Coffee Day Day—and that, friends, we can all get behind. The big chains and other notable shops are doing their best to inject caffeine into your bloodstream; here's what they're offering: [ more › ]
Kevin WhiteIt's begun... get those opentable accounts ready
Michelin Madness is now underway.
Tomorrow night, the Michelin Guide will announce its New York City star ratings for 2016. Typically, a Michelin bigwig calls the star recipients the morning of the day that the list is announced. But it looks like the tire company is jumping the gun a bit because per the Made Nice group's PR rep, the Eleven Madison Park/Nomad team just got the call.
EMP retains its three-star rating and the Nomad keeps its single sparkler. By the way, Will Guidara, Daniel Humm, and members of the EMP team are currently in Zurich for an event. So, don't expect an after-hours kegger at EMP tonight.
Stay tuned for more updates on Michelin Madness as it develops.
Kevin Whitenom nom nom's
These restaurants won't receive Michelin stars next week.
Next week, Michelin's anonymous inspectors will award some of New York's most accomplished and expensive restaurants with the the Red Guide's coveted stars. But today, Michelin has awarded Oiji, Mu Ramen, Untitled, and a slew of other excellent and affordable establishments with something called a Bib Gourmand – a cartoon drawing of the Michelin Man licking his chops. Restaurants receiving this cheap eats award will not receive a star next week, a fact that reminds me of the time I asked my father, while very young, what type of medal an Olympic athlete receives when finishing fourth. "The aluminum foil medal," he deadpanned.
Make no mistake: The Bibs, as much as they deserve credit for putting great neighborhood spots on everyone's radar, can at times feel like a scattershot list of aluminum foil medals. And as much as they're an ode to establishments large and small that cut diners a break, the Bibs can take on the appearance of consolation prizes.
To drive that point home, consider the following: When Pok Pok Ny deservingly "graduated" to the starred list last year, it was removed from the Bibs, depriving that group of one of its strongest members. In fact any restaurant on the starred list won't receive a Bib, no matter how affordable. Like I said — consolation prizes. So while Michelin defines the Bibs as serving "two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less," perhaps the better definition would be "a list of cheap eats venues that happens to be devoid of certain low-cost joints that are good enough to earn stars."
Sure, one can disagree with Michelin's individual starred selections – remember how many years Gordon Ramsay's snoozer of an establishment held two sparklers? – or omissions – was it really necessary to drop Annisa? – but that overall list is, among other things, a reasonably comprehensive group of the city's best high-end establishments. The Bib Gourmand list, by contrast, doesn't quite have its finger on the pulse of New York's more accessible venues. To explain why, and to read the tea leaves on next week's starred selections, here are 10 things you need to know about who was included (or excluded) from this year's Bibs, followed by the full list of "winners."
1. Among the year's more high profile openings to receive a Bib are the Korean-themed Oiji, the Italian-hued Faro, the vegetable-heavy Untitled, the Southeast-Asian Kiin Thai, and the noodle soup emporium Mu Ramen. They won't receive stars next week.
2. Any relevant discussion of cheap eats in New York has to include the burgeoning fine-casual movement, where upscale chefs attempt to do ambitious and creative things for $15-or-less, making those takeout-heavy concepts cheaper than restaurants but pricier than fast food outlets. So the fact that Fuku, Superiority Burger, Shake Shack, or Empellon al Pastor are not included in the Bibs means that list is overlooking not just certain individual restaurants but a larger trend that's reshaping how many Americans are experiencing elevated food for the first time. Not impressive.
3. Lupulo, a Midtown tapas bar by George Mendes, is left off the list. It certainly has the pricing to qualify for a Bib; half a chicken, shrimp turnovers, and a glass of vinho verde will run you $36. And it was well-reviewed. Will it receive a star, like Mendes' sister spot Aldea? It should.
4. The inclusion of Danny Meyer's (very good) Untitled on the Bibs highlights the omission of Meyer's affordable Marta, one of the best-reviewed pizza restaurants of the year. It would be troublesome indeed if Marta makes neither the starred nor the Bib ranks.
5. Hometown, one of the city's finest emporiums of smoked beef, is a new addition to the Bibs, but its inclusion serves an unfortunate reminder that not a single barbecue restaurant, one of our country's signature (and most rigorously-reviewed) cuisines, holds a Michelin star.
6. Here's a monumentally absurd fact: Ed's Lobster Bar has a Bib Gourmand. Red Hook Lobster Pound, considered by many to serve one of the city's top lobster roll (not to mention a fine burger), doesn't.
7. On the poultry front: Hill Country Fried Chicken and Marcus Samuelsson's Street Bird Rotisserie both received Bibs. Root & Bone didn't. Discuss.
8. It's hard to believe that Michelin hasn't yet found an excuse to include Dominique Ansel Kitchen or Bakery, the work of one of the world's most heralded pastry chefs, in its Bibs or starred ranks.
9. Zabb Elee in Jackson Heights was demoted to the Bibs; it won't retain the star it gained in 2015. Somtum Der, which dropped off the Bibs this year, would be a compelling candidate to replace it.
10. Here are a few of the restaurants on last year's Bib list that were dropped for the 2016 edition: Battersby, Dirt Candy, Northern Spy, Perry St. Were they overlooked? Or will they receive stars? We'll find out next week.
Michelin's 2016 Bib Gourmands
ABC Cocina
al Bustan
Aroma Kitchen & Wine Bar
Baci & Abbracci
Baker & Co.
Bar Primi
Basil Brick Oven Pizza
Beyoglu
Bianca
Biáng!
Boqueria
Bread & Tulips
bún-ker
Buttermilk Channel
Casa del Chef Bistro
Chavela's
Cho Dang Gol
Ciccio
Congee Village
Coppelia
Crispo
DBGB Kitchen & Bar
Dim Sum Go Go
Diner
Do or Dine (closed)
Don Antonio by Starita
Donostia
East Harbor Seafood Palace
Ed's Lobster Bar
Egg
Elberta
El Parador
Enoteca Maria
Falansai
Faro
Frankies 457 Spuntino
Ganso Ramen
General Greene
Gladys
Good Fork
Gran Eléctrica
Gregory's 26 Corner Taverna
Hahm Ji Bach
HanGawi
Havana Café
Hecho en Dumbo
Hide-Chan Ramen
Hill Country Chicken
HinoMaru Ramen
Hometown Bar-B-Que
Hunan House
Hunan Kitchen of Grand Sichuan
Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria
Il Poeta
J.G. Melon
Jin Ramen
John Brown Smokehouse
J. Restaurant Chez Asta
Katz's
Kesté Pizza & Vino
Khe-Yo
Kiin Thai
Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen
Land of Plenty
Larb Ubol
Laut
Lea
Lil' Frankie's
Little Pepper
Lulu & Po
Lupa
Mapo Tofu
Marlow & Sons
Mexicosina
Mile End
Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too
Momofuku Noodle Bar
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
Momokawa
Mu Ramen
New Malaysia
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Nyonya
Oiji
Paet Rio
Paulie Gee's
Pearl & Ash
Phoenix Garden
Pippali
Porsena
Prime Meats
Prova
Prune
Purple Yam
Roberta's
Rubirosa
Runner & Stone
Russ & Daughters Cafe
Rye
Salt & Fat
San Matteo
San Rasa
Shalom Japan
Shanghai Café
Snack
Soba-Ya
Sottocasa
Speedy Romeo
Streetbird Rotisserie
Supper
Sweet Yummy House
Szechuan Gourmet
Tanoreen
Tertulia
Thelma on Clinton
Tong Sam Gyup Goo Yi
Tra Di Noi
Traif
Turkish Kitchen
Umi NOM
Uncle Zhou
Untitled
Uva
Venturo Osteria & Wine Bar
Vida
Vinegar Hill House
Wild Edibles
Xixa
Yunnan Kitchen
Zabb Elee
zero otto nove
Zizi Limona
Zoma
The Wall Street Journal surveys efforts to get around adblockers, particularly on iOS:
Eyeo GmbH, the company behind popular desktop ad-blocking tool Adblock Plus, now accepts payment from around 70 companies in exchange for letting their ads through its filter. Eyeo stipulates that they must comply with its “acceptable ads” policy, meaning their ads aren’t too disruptive or intrusive to users. In total, ads from some 700 companies meet the acceptable ads policy, an Eyeo spokesman said. Eyeo is now reaching out to developers of other ad-blocking tools to cut deals that allow certain ads to pass ads through their filters, too, in exchange for payment.Mr. Murphy [the developer of Crystal, the number one paid app in the App Store] said he’s taken Eyeo up on its offer, and plans to implement an option within his app whereby “acceptable” ads will be displayed to users. The feature will be switched on by default, Mr. Murphy said, and he will receive a flat monthly fee from Eyeo in return. Mr. Murphy declined to disclose the fee, but said he expects to make less money from Eyeo’s payments than from sales of the app itself.
If your adblocker takes money from you in order to block ads, and then takes money from huge companies in order to show you the ads that you paid for it to block, then yes; it’s just using you to erect a tollbooth.
Previously: Welcome to the Block Party
(P.S. However! If you do want to help a small independent publisher, please whitelist us in your adblocker if you don’t mind, thanks. If not it’s cool, sorry for bothering you. ;-))
Photo by K. David Clark
Kevin WhiteSo in the click through there are at least 2 photos of different cities where dads/adult men are making a tunnel like cheerleaders for the kids on the first day of school.... That wasn't a thing when we were growing up right?
Your Shot community member Stephane Couture wanted to capture a new perspective on a familiar subject: this pier in Venice Beach, California, shot from above on a five-second exposure while illuminated by the headlights of a car. “My idea was to frame it with the shoreline to create this cross between the organic lines of the waves and the sand [and] the sharp, man-made lines of the pier,” he writes. “I love the double take viewers do when encountering this image for the first time. It usually takes a few seconds for them to really understand what they are seeing.”
This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Join now »
Kevin WhiteWhat a dick
A comedian and actor who has frequently described his harrowing brush with death while working at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 has now admitted he was nowhere near the site. Steve Rannazzisi said in a statement, "I was not at the Trade Center on that day. I don’t know why I said this. This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry." [ more › ]
Kevin WhiteWTF?
From Pineapple-Oreo McFlurries to Mashed Potato Burgers, international McDonald’s menu items can get all kinds of weird. But one specialized item at McDonald’s locations in Japan is more peculiar than all the rest. The straws at McDonald’s locations in Japan are designed to make you feel…
The post The Straws at McDonald’s Japan are Designed to Simulate The Experience of Breastfeeding appeared first on First We Feast.
Kevin WhiteNot the onion
A new Paris-based online delivery service is bringing more to the table than just a simple meal—it also provides the customer with a Grandma to cook their food. The website Lou Papé connects retired grandparents with opportunities to cook for customers, and provides customers with the experience…
The post The Future is Now: Rent a Grandma Online to Whip You Up a Home-Cooked Meal appeared first on First We Feast.
