Category Archives: Food Heroes

Inspired and inspiring cooks, bakers, producers and purveyors of food.

Meet the world’s fastest oyster shucker

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

 I recently attended a wonderful demo at Fin Your Fishmonger, an excellent local resource for those in New York’s Capital District, with Patrick “Shucker Paddy” McMurray. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest … Continue reading →

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Marketing moringa with Kuli Kuli Foods

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Moringa is, by all accounts, a miracle plant. According to Wikipedia, its seed pods are a popular ingredient in south Asian soups and curries. Its leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, and dried leaf powder can be used … Continue reading →

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Foraging Q&A with Chef Rob Handel

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Rob Handel grew up helping his grandmother in the kitchen at The Blackthorne, a resort the family owned in the Catskills. She was a back-to-the-earth child of the ’60s who taught him the joys of fresh ingredients, including foraging, at … Continue reading →

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Salumi perfection at Dancing Ewe Farm

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

I first encountered Jody Somer’s cacciatorini, or hunter’s little sausages (or little hunter’s sausages) on a visit to Dancing Ewe Farm several years ago. We were there for a dinner sponsored by Tango Fusion, a local dance studio, on a … Continue reading →

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Dominic Colose and the restaurant alternative

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

The other night I tried the new Mediterranean menu from Dominic and Jennifer Colose of Yawning Duck. Flavors were bright, complementary and perfect for summer. But Chef Colose, recently of Chez Nous in Schenectady and before that the Wine Bar … Continue reading →

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Life imitates art at Soup Man

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

Does this strike anybody else as weird? A character modeled after Ali “Al” Yeganeh, the crotchety proprietor of the International Soup Kitchen in midtown Manhattan, was featured in the famous “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld. In order to be served … Continue reading →

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Cory Nelson’s dream is alive in Troy, NY

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

Cory Nelson wanted to have some kind of food business after graduating from Howard University, because “I am passionate about eating.” D.C. and New York City were already priced out of reach, so he did a search for smaller cities … Continue reading →

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“Brewers Wanted” in New York craft beer industry

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

Craft beer is thriving in New York state, and somebody has to staff all those breweries not to mention the malt houses, hop farms and other suppliers that feed them. So Schenectady County Community College is piloting a brewer training … Continue reading →

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Ribbon cutting day at Chester’s Smokehouse in Albany

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

Chester’s Smokehouse is a throwback to the days when refrigeration was spotty and every town had a smokehouse to preserve meat. It recently opened in an ungentrified district of Albany, taking over a building that allegedly housed a pretty rough … Continue reading →

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Food for Thought: Chef Jacques La Merde unmasked!

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

We have previously heaped praise on Chef Jacques La Merde, a wise guy who makes beautiful compositions out of junk food. Now it turns out the culprit/heroine is Toronto chef Christine Flynn. This interview on Eater explains how and why … Continue reading →

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