If you were functioning on the subway this morning, you probably saw a steady stream of backpacked kids parading around with wide mouths and unsure stares. That daze was the stern face of school, the great unknown and the official end to summer. Standing amongst those kids, I tried remember my own back-to-school feeling, the churning stomach, the moment when I knew it was all over, and tha...
(Hey Everyone! Check out an updated version of pulled pork and a recent trip down to North Carolina in search of the real thing.)
My bike careens to the left until I start to feel the rush of a truck. I cut back right, trying to make up for my error--I guess this is a line I’m crossing--but for some reason I can’t ride straight.
I blame the night before. Sure...
Back in the days of heroicism and yore, legends and lore, shish kebab was invented. In between bouts of maiden-rescuing, treasure-finding, and windmill-attacking, the roaming horseman of the world's countryside decided that they hadn't done enough for mankind. One evening, as the stars shone brightly and the last few vagabonds were settling lazily against rocks for a pipe and a night's slee...
Grilled chicken breasts are the obligatory un-hamburger. They tend to grace all backyard cookouts because someone ultimately didn't want red meat. And even though most chicken breasts lack flavor, cook unevenly, and will undoubtedly be dry, they, like burgers, can be easily pressed between two pieces of bread. They keep the cookout rolling, but they're essentially a cop out.
So when it c...
To make a grill week interesting, you have to move beyond the basic hamburger, steak, boneless skinless chicken breast, and the occasional fish. We've done steak twice before , and as we espoused during the Shake Shack Alternative week , we're not big fans of the charred-on-the-grill burger (naysayers and defenders, feel free to comment away). Leave that business to dad. So,...
And like that, it's over. Summer's stronghold has disappeared. The days no longer top out in the 90's, the sweat only beads down my face around noon, and that funk has actually started to lose it's grip on the 14th Street Station. Last week I only walked on the side of the street completely covered in shadow, and now I can walk wherever I choose. Really, I'm not sad.
But I just got a gr...
By Blake Royer 
It's difficult, sometimes, to make Brunch plans. They usually happen in a haze at 1:30 in the morning, when everyone's hungry, a bit tired, and getting very sentimental. "Oh, let's all wake up and have a big intimate meal together tomorrow!" It's a way of ensuring, in hopeful and vague way, that the night never has to end--just after a short nap, we'll all get togeth...
I was out for a "guys night," which is what happens when your girlfriend goes out with her friends and you're expected to go out with exact same people you always do. But when your friends are a fellow paupered chef and Jason, guys night doesn't quite mean poker and beer. Instead, we all met at the little restaurant that was getting some big press: the Good Fork. There is a top-hatted fello...
We christened him Kurt and set about trying in vain to keep him alive. The ride back from Fairway was not long, but we needed some wine, and the car was quite stuffy and hot. Blake, strangely, began developing an affection for the creature, and cared for him so deeply he wouldn't leave him in the car alone. So we carried him into our liquor store, LeNell's , and asked the owners what win...
Head on over to Cravings , a wonderful and passionate website published by Celia Cheng , based on the idea that passion for food can be "a consuming desire, a yearning, an urgent need." This month's feature is on food bloggers and we had the honor to be included. The blogs The Strong Buzz , The Food Section , The Hungry Cabbie , Cupcake Bakeshop , [ Slice / A Ha...
Blake and Nick live in Chicago and have written for The Paupered Chef and other publications since 2006.