Archive for the ‘onFood’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Eating Around the World in Quarantine

Monday, July 19th, 2021

By day 14 of quarantining in my childhood home I was sick of it. By day 200 I was all but losing my mind. I missed the world: the crowded stink of a foreign bar, the fuzzy 4 AM feeling at the end of an all-nighter in the library, even the gross wave of heat the subway emits all summer for God Knows What Reason. I missed, more than anything, newness. Each day was blurring into the next, through naps and Zoom calls and another glass of wine staring at the evening news. During the months I spent inside, cooking quickly became my way to try something new. The only way for me to travel in a year when I couldn’t leave my home was in the kitchen. So, with all of my new free time, I started cooking. I started experimenting with new ingredients, sometimes spending a whole afternoon perfecting a lemon tart or rolling out pasta dough with a wine bottle.

Home rolled sushi (makes for a delicious meal and a fun at-home project–try inviting a couple people over and have everyone roll their own!)

Food is magic to me because of what it can do for people. It’s so much more than the sum of its parts, and it’s no secret that a home cooked meal tastes better because it feels better. I want to taste where the dish is from, taste the story of the person who made it. I want to know where they learned the recipe and why their mother really makes the best version of this dish in the world. A lovingly cooked meal is my favorite gift to give or receive. So, while locked away from the world and all of its juicy ingredients, I was determined to keep our pallets alive. My parents were generous to be my cooking guinea pigs; I made zucchini buns, vegan scones, curry too spicy for any of us to eat, lamb meatballs, hummus 1,000 different ways…I did it all! And the adventure of all of it kept us happy and engaged through the quietest parts of the pandemic. Our favorite meal was bibimbap; I hope it can bring you the same joy it did for us. Whether you’re back to life-as-almost-normal or not, try something new in your kitchen!

Tempura fried avocado, broccoli, and zucchini with a homemade soy ginger dipping sauce!

Bibimbap is a Korean dish that is to die for–trust me. I was determined to cook it because of how much I missed going out and eating it. It’s a rice dish with veggies and proteins (beef is my favorite), and best served in a hot stone bowl with a runny fried egg on top. My go-to recipe is Sue’s from My Korean Kitchen. She breaks down the steps so easily, offers ideas for side dishes, and makes this dish easy even for beginners. This isn’t for the faint of heart; it sometimes takes me two or three hours to make bibimbap for four people. It involves separate preparations for a lot of different veggies, but I promise it’s worth it! And so easy to adjust for dietary restrictions. My parents loved it and have since requested it several times. And, thanks to Sue’s recipe, it’s become a part of my repertoire in the kitchen. With each new recipe I try, I learn new techniques and flavor combinations that I can use in other meals.

My first ever bibimbap–look at all those veggies! And the sauce is killer.

Whether bibimbap is your thing or not, the internet is an amazing resource for finding recipes. When you’re a student in the city figuring out how to cook on your own for the first time can be daunting, but online recipes are a real life saver. And in a year that has been so difficult and isolating, we could all use a little more joy and spice. I challenge you to look up one completely new recipe this week; make something you love eating, and find someone you care about to share it with! You can use this as a little gateway into another part of the world, pairing your hard earned meal with a drink from that place or just reading a bit about the culture the food is coming from. Chef’s kiss!

Lamb chops over polenta and garlic fried spinach with a feta vinaigrette
You can find all these recipes (and millions more!) through a quick Google search. Start with a dish or ingredient you love, and see what recipes pop up!

Cora Enterline is a senior at NYU studying law, ethics, and religion. She’s studied and worked in Paris and Tel Aviv, where she loved biking, traveling, dancing, and teaching English. She has a love for foreign languages, sad novels, themed dinner parties, and red wine by candlelight. This summer, follow her blog to learn easy, student-friendly recipes and find inspiration from around the world for your own dinners, picnics, and culinary adventures at home!

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in onFood, onValues | No Comments »

Plugging in with Good Intentions — Chapter 2: Fun Food Formulas

Monday, July 19th, 2021

Food hacks have become all the rage amid facts and fiction in the cyber realm. Social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, are great places to discover quick and easy recipes that are perfect for those who need a little inspiration. From mindless scrolling on these platforms hours on end, I have come across countless examples of food-inspired content. And so, in this edition of Plugging in with Good Intentions, I’m sharing my favorite recipes for each meal of the day, including dessert, that I have discovered via the Internet and social media.

~Breakfast~

We’ve all heard that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ so why not make it tasty? I love bananas, especially on top of traditional flapjacks. So, when I watched @maddisonskitchen make her own on TikTok, I knew I had to re-create it and share this fun twist on pancakes. Also, if you aren’t a fan of bananas, you can easily replace them with other fruits in this recipe! From sliced strawberries to apples, the possibilities are endless. 

Banana Pancake Dippers 

What You’ll Need:

  • Pancake mix (or you can make it from scratch)
  • Bananas (as much as your heart desires)
  • Pan 
  • Oil or butter
  • Toppings (ex. syrup, whipped cream, Nutella)

Steps:

  1. Prepare your pancake mix.
  2. Slice your bananas.
  3. Heat up your pan and oil/butter it up.
  4. Dip each banana slice into your batter and ensure they are fully coated.
  5. Place each of your banana pancake dippers about an inch away from one another on the pan to cook.
  6. Once you see bubbles forming, flip them over to cook the other side. 
  7. Cook until your banana pancake dippers are golden brown on each side.
  8. Serve with toppings, if desired.

~Lunch~

Back in the day, I would bring sandwiches that my mom made for school lunch. Of course, I would be picky and request to have no crust. Then, I discovered Smucker’s Uncrustables and thought they were so convenient. Essentially, they are sealed sandwiches with no crust. 

As seen in the picture above, there is a variety of flavors for Uncrustables. Still, if you think about it, they’re chemically processed and frozen. After watching the ‘Trying TikTok Food Hacks’ YouTube video from @merrelltwins, however, I learned that I could make a more nutritional and fresh version of Uncrustables. 

DIY Uncrustables 

What You’ll Need:

  • Bread
  • Cup or glass 
  • Filling (ex. Peanut Butter, Nutella, jelly, fruits, ham, cheese)
  • Toaster 

Steps:

  1. Choose your filling (possibilities are endless here).
  2. Take two slices of bread and spread your filling in the middle of one piece. Be sure to leave space on the outer edges, so your sandwich can be sealed with no leakage.
  3. Assemble your sandwich by placing the second piece of bread on top of the other. 
  4. Now, use your cup or glass to seal your sandwich by pressing firmly and twisting to remove the crusts. 
  5. You should now have your very own and perfectly sealed DIY Uncrustable. 
  6. You can either eat it just the way it is or toast it. Also, they can be prepared and stored in the freezer for later.

~Snack~

At this time of the day, sometimes all you want is something sweet to satisfy your cravings. One of my favorite snacks is cookies, especially Oreos. Still, it’s fun to try your own twist on an American classic. 

Oreos

And so, as I was scrolling on Pinterest, I came across a quick recipe from @CookingClassy on how to make Oreo Truffles! With the recipe calling for only three ingredients, I knew I had to make some myself and share it with you all. 

Oreo Truffles

What You’ll Need:

  • Oreos
  • Cream Cheese
  • Melted Chocolate 

Steps:

  1. Crush Oreos into fine crumbs. This step can be executed in multiple ways. For instance, you can use a food processor, crush them by hand with a fork in a bowl, or by putting the Oreos in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. 
  2. Add enough cream cheese to your Oreo crumbs, so that your mixture becomes thick or dough-like.
  3. Now, shape your mixture into round balls. 
  4. Put your Oreo truffles into the freezer to solidify for about 15 minutes.
  5. Once chilled, dip your Oreo truffles into melted chocolate.
  6. You can also add toppings such as additional Oreo crumbs and sprinkles.

~Dinner~

Now, if you’re a regular user of TikTok you might be familiar with this meal I’m about to share with you. One food hack that went viral in early 2021 was Baked Feta Pasta. After watching the TikTok from @feelgoodfoodie, I knew I had to make some myself.

Baked Feta Pasta

What You’ll Need:

  • Pasta
  • Feta Cheese
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Garlic 
  • Basil (if you want to be fancy)
  • Baking dish

Steps:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place a block of feta in the middle of your dish and surround it with your cherry tomatoes.
  3. Drizzle olive oil as well as sprinkle salt, pepper, and a few garlic cloves (or garlic powder) across your dish.
  4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until everything is softened.
  5. In the meantime, boil the pasta.
  6. Once the tomatoes and feta are thoroughly cooked, smash them to create a creamy sauce. Then, stir in your cooked pasta. 
  7. Top with fresh basil, if desired. 

~Dessert~

If the Oreo truffles weren’t enough, then how about Oreo mug cake? Again, here is another twist on an American classic.

Oreo Mug Cake

What You’ll Need:

  • Oreos 
  • Milk 
  • Mug

Steps:

  1. Place a few Oreos into a microwave-safe mug.
  2. Crush your Oreos into a chunky mixture.
  3. Pour just enough milk, so that your mixture is submerged but peeking through the top.
  4. Heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. 
  5. Now, you have a gooey chocolate pudding-like mug cake that will satisfy any nightly cravings.

In the end, these fun food formulas can be altered however to your liking. Still, go on and discover more recipes. And remember, stay positive and maintain good intentions.

Eat Happy on Behance

If you can’t find something you like right away, you can always visit the multitude of organizations that offer student discounts on Campus Clipper to find inspiration on your own fun food formulas. 

For instance, check out Tropic Berry Cafe for fun acai bowls and smoothies!

By: Sydney Ly

Sydney Ly studies Communication with dual minors in Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is currently working in retail and has experience as a tutor. Her passions include but are not limited to reading, listening to music, and watching The Office.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC, from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Cheap Eats, Eating Healthy, onCollege, onFood, onLife, onSavings, onShopping | No Comments »

The Art of Charcuterie

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021

The wind was always pleasant this time of year in Paris. Early fall and the soon setting sun was turning the grey city pink. The dark river was lit with dancing yellows. Trees were green and orange and the sound of music floated between groups of young Parisians sitting on the quai, laughing, drinking, dancing. A secret I think not many Americans discover while visiting Paris is that the most lovely dinner you can find is on the little stone pathway beside the river: a bottle of wine from a corner shop, a baguette from the boulangerie, a block of cheese, and a handful of apples, grapes, dried sausage. 

Dinner with a view!

We often think of charcuterie as a high class food, the type of fancy appetizer you’d find only at a nice wine bar, artistic and delicious but ultimately too expensive and time-consuming to do on our own. But this absolutely is not true! One of my favorite things to prepare is a charcuterie board. It’s beautiful, built for sharing, and easy to mold to any dietary restrictions or pallet you want. And there are absolutely ways to do it without breaking the bank.

All three of these cheeses are from Trader Joe’s; the herbed cheese at the bottom is especially interesting. And the crackers are gluten-free!

After my year in Paris I was determined to return to the states with an expert knowledge of French cheese. This, it turns out, takes more than a year to acquire. However! I did learn a lot while I was there, and though it isn’t quite the same here, I’ve continued to try new cheeses and expand my knowledge since I’ve been back. And good cheese is not lacking in New York City; Trader Joe’s alone has dozens of options from around the world. You can also try Whole Foods, West Side Market, or–if you’re looking to splurge a bit–The French Cheese Board in SoHo has the best imported French cheese I’ve found. Even on a student budget, they have affordable options (like a goat cheese for only two dollars!). 

The fig jam is always a centerpiece!

Building a good board is as much about the taste as it is about the look. Start with two cheeses then lay out crackers, fruit, veggies, and spreads between them. Some of my go-tos are raspberries, green apples, cucumbers, and fig jam. Try mixing different sweet and savory flavors and go for seasonal ingredients! A handful of mixed nuts is a great filler; in the fall I go for roasted pumpkin seeds and in the winter I candy my own walnuts. I love dried sausage and prosciutto (folded and arranged neatly), but if you’re meat or even dairy-free check out Whole Foods for vegan cheeses and pâté. Try different sauces and dips: jalapeño pepper jelly, honey, whole seed mustard, whatever you want. You really can get creative and incorporate flavors from all sorts of different cuisines. I’m usually inspired by French foods, because it’s what I know and love, but I also have fun trying new ingredients and combinations, and as long as it fits aesthetically onto a little cutting board, I call it charcuterie (though the purists might get mad at me for that one).

Everything on this board is vegan: one soft and one smoked cashew cheese, and a veggie “pâté” from Whole Foods.

When I have friends over for dinner I love starting with a charcuterie board because it welcomes people in. When we’re sharing food from the same plate, we’re close and talking and enjoying our time. Charcuterie boards are also beautiful and your friends will appreciate the effort you put into preparing one. They are also a great way to start a date night. And what a lovely way to treat yourself and those around you with food that looks as good as it tastes. My favorite way to care for others is through delicious and beautiful food, and the charcuterie board is the perfect way to do it. Don’t forget the wine!

I love the combination of a soft cheese (Brillat Savarin) and a hard (Irish cheddar). Paired with truffle sausage, prosciutto, dried mango, greens, and raw honey!

Cora Enterline is a senior at NYU studying law, ethics, and religion. She’s studied and worked in Paris and Tel Aviv, where she loved biking, traveling, dancing, and teaching English. She has a love for foreign languages, sad novels, themed dinner parties, and red wine by candlelight. This summer, follow her blog to learn easy, student-friendly recipes and find inspiration from around the world for your own dinners, picnics, and culinary adventures at home!

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in onFood, onValues | No Comments »

Shabbat: Tel Aviv to New York

Saturday, July 10th, 2021

Shabbat has recently become an important tradition in my house. I spent the year pre-pandemic in Tel Aviv, and quickly came to love the large, family-style meals we ate every Friday. The city would shut down when the sun set, and we’d bike back from the beach to cook and drink and celebrate together.

Tel Aviv beach at sunset

I was raised Christian, but my Jewish friends and professors were thrilled to teach me about Shabbat. About six months into my year there, a friend told me I really understood the spirit when I showed up to a school Shabbat dinner with a plate of cookies and a bottle of wine to share. This is what Friday night is about for me: good food, good company, friends laughing and eating and drinking. We gave ourselves permission to forget our jobs and homework and stressors, and instead learned songs in Hebrew and talked about what had made us happy that week. Even for those of us who didn’t observe for religious reasons, these Friday night dinners became a sacred kind of space, one reserved for rest and joy and love. This is the tradition I’ve tried to bring back with me to New York.

Shabbat dinner at NYU Tel Aviv

Now each Friday I have a small group of friends over for dinner. Sometimes I bake challah, sometimes we do a potluck, sometimes we order in from our favorite falafel or Thai restaurants. My favorite meal, though, is a family-style spread of all the foods we ate in Israel. I spend the day making a spread of falafel, hummus, shawarma, and salads. We sit down around my table or gather on the rooftop and pass dishes, drink wine, talk and laugh and relax. Jewish or not, this family dinner on Fridays is such a wonderful tradition and has made it easy for all of us to keep in touch through our hectic lives in the city.

Shabbat dinner in the East Village

My go-to Shabbat meal is actually very simple and it never fails to impress. As a student on a budget I love that I can find all the ingredients at Trader Joe’s. The base of it is simple: canned chickpeas, tahini, chicken, shawarma seasoning, falafel mix, and veggies! Homemade falafel, which I do make on occasion, wins every time in a side-by-side comparison, but the falafel mix at TJ’s is delicious and the directions on the box make it a dish anyone can make. 

While the mix is settling (for about 20 minutes) I marinate diced chicken thighs in olive oil, garlic, and shawarma powder (or shawarma marinade from Whole Foods). They are about the simplest thing to sauté and the bite-size pieces are delicious thrown over hummus.

The trickiest part of this recipe is the hummus, but even that is easy to learn. I start with a can of chickpeas drained and boil them for about 30 minutes to soften them up. While this is happening, combine two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice with two or three cloves of garlic in a food processor or blender (my food processor has become a staple in my kitchen for soups, hummus, sauce, dressings, anything). Let sit for 20 minutes to cut the bite of the garlic and then mix in 1/4 cup of tahini (try TJ’s Egyptian tahini or Holyland Market on St. Marks for Israeli tahini you can make yourself). When the chickpeas are done cooking, strain and add them to the blender with 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder and a tablespoon or two of olive oil. If it’s too thick, add cold water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired texture. I’ve served this to friends of mine in and out of Israel and it’s a hit every time. 

The final bit are the toppings! My go-tos are cabbage cut into small strips, diced cucumbers, pickles, red onion, and of course, a bowl of tahini. More good options are parsley, tomatoes, spicy peppers, or anything else you want! 

Israeli food is so fun because it combines Arab cooking with ingredients brought from Jews around the world, especially from Eastern Europe. So while any Middle Eastern country has hummus and falafel (and it’s delicious everywhere you go), only in Israel would you find pickles, eggs, and schnitzel served on the side. So make it your own with other proteins and veggies! I put each of the toppings in a bowl on the table and let everyone build their own plate.

Warm some pita in your oven and let everyone get creative, sharing platters of hummus, falafel, and shawarma family style. This is great because it’s vegan and gluten-free friendly, and even picky eaters can find a few things to try. Don’t forget to pour your tahini over everything.

The assembled plate (chef’s kiss!)

Shabbat dinners have given me the perfect venue to spend time with people I love and experiment in the kitchen. Even if you’re not Jewish, try making Friday family style dinners with friends–another fun idea could be a weekly potluck (stay tuned for my favorite potluck meals on a budget). Whatever you’re cooking, the most important thing is the company. So invite your friends over–vaccinated, outdoors, socially distanced, whatever you need to feel safe–and share your food, your wine, your time, your love! Prioritising your relationships, creating these special spaces for those you care about, is what is going to maintain these relationships through undergrad and beyond. And in a city as hectic as New York we all need a fun, restful night in now and again. Shabbat shalom!

Cora Enterline is a senior at NYU studying law, ethics, and religion. She’s studied and worked in Paris and Tel Aviv, where she loved biking, traveling, dancing, and teaching English. She has a love for foreign languages, sad novels, themed dinner parties, and red wine by candlelight. This summer, follow her blog to learn easy, student-friendly recipes and find inspiration from around the world for your own dinners, picnics, and culinary adventures at home!

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Friendship, onFood, onValues | No Comments »

Revisión Del Restaurante Rapid Revival: Tio Pio

Sunday, July 4th, 2021

Esta revisión estará completamente en español mal traducido por razones desconocidas para todos menos para mí.

Tio Pio es un restaurante de pollo promedio. El edificio está algo mal iluminado y los asientos son básicos, pero por lo demás es un lugar muy acogedor. Además del pollo, sirven sus propios batidos, pero soy alérgico a algunos de los ingredientes, por lo que alguien más tendrá que revisarlos. Probé el pollo con puré de papas y espinacas.

La espinaca sabe bastante bien, pero tiene una textura un poco viscosa para mi gusto, y a mí me gustan las espinacas. Las patatas son raras, algunas partes están demasiado vendidas y otras son casi líquidas. No hay nada intermedio. Afortunadamente, el pollo une todo, sabe muy bien y se puede combinar con las papas y las espinacas para crear un sabor único y delicioso.

Veredicto: 7/10 Traductors de Google.

By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, ,
Posted in onFood, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »

Rapid Revival Restaurant Review: The Chippery

Friday, June 25th, 2021

“The Chippery” sounds like an industrial horror of the Victorian age, a place where child laborers chip away at rocks with pickaxes while being whipped by slavemasters for hours until all the strength leaves their tiny little bodies and they’re hauled away to uncomfortable cots where the dust in their lungs leads them to convalesce with pneumonia throughout the dark, terrible night, upon which that bugle sounds the coming of dawn and they are woken up to repeat the same thing all over again. But actually it’s a place that serves fried fish.

The restaurant itself is cozy but very small. There’s just one tiny table in the corner and it seems like you’re supposed to order out. The staff are very nice people, though I’d imagine they could get a little claustrophobic.

The menu had deep-fried oreos but if I eat any more oreos I would die, so instead I got the calamari.

Once again, the calamari is a combination of tentacle segments and whole small squids, with a lot more of the latter than usual. The batter is nice and crunchy and the pieces at the bottom aren’t soggy which is pretty rare. The flavor is subtle, but it goes well with the provided sauce even if it isn’t my thing.

The fried fish itself is extremely fried, with a very thick layer of crunchy batter. It tastes very good but is somewhat cumbersome to actually eat due to the way it’s curled on itself, meaning that it’s hard to cut without accidentally tearing off a large portion of the skin. Fortunately both the fish and batter taste good on their own. The eponymous chips are apparently made with a secret flavor, which I can’t actually describe the taste of under threat of legal action. The chips themselves are good, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I’d recommend scraping some of the seasoning off them onto the fish.

Verdict: 8/10 Matthew Calamari indictments

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=4030

By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.



Share

Tags:, ,
Posted in onFood, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »

Rapid Revival Restaurant Review: Coopertown Diner

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021

Some places are just too good to be worth giving a sardonic introduction to. Coopertown Diner is one of those places. It’s a cozy resteraunt designed with a 50s theme to give a nostalgic feeling to people who almost certainly shouldn’t be allowed near any of the food they serve lest it pop their aged veins. It just has an all-around friendly fell, even if the tables are a bit sticky. And the food. Oh god, the food.

This is an oreo milkshake. It is a testament to the hubris of man that I was even created. It’s a bit hard to drink at first because of the clumps of crushed oreos but the more you drink the easier it gets. It tastes like happiness. I will die from drinking too many of these and I won’t regret a single one.

Normally I eat plain burgers but the guy recommended the rodeo burger with mushrooms and cheese. They both helped the burger have a unique but great taste. The fries were also really good, crunchy outside and squishy inside. The onion rings were lukewarm and chewy but I didn’t even order them so who cares. Overall, the Coopertown Diner is just a fantastic restaurant. Eat there.

Verdict: 9.5/10 triple-stuffed oreos

(They forgot to upload the coupon to the website so watch this space)

By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.



Share

Tags:, , ,
Posted in onFood, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »

Rapid Revival Restaurant Review: Westside Market

Friday, June 4th, 2021

What is a restaurant, really? Is it a place that serves any sort of food to customers? Must it necessarily have a place where you can sit down and eat your meal? Could an ordinary store be considered a restaurant? I have absolutely no idea, but here’s a review of a store anyway.

Westside Market is both a market and located on the west side, surprising absolutely nobody. They have pretty much everything you’d expect from a market, ranging for avocados to zebra meat (I don’t think they actually have that last one but I couldn’t think of a food that starts with Z). [My editor has subsequently described to me the concept of a food called “Zucchini”, though I’m skeptical of it’s existence.] If there’s something you’re looking for, they probably have it. They also make their own food, which is what I reviewed. Be aware that there’s no seating so you’ll have to eat somewhere else.

I ordered the breaded chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The beans were quite good. They were a bit sweeter than green beans usually tend to be, but in a good way that makes them go well with the chicken. The chicken itself is also sweeter than normal, though again in a positive way. The breading is also quite tasty and sticks well to the chicken. The potatoes were someone inconsistent in temperature, with parts being hot and parts being cold, but otherwise they also pair very well with the chicken.

They also make their own desserts, so I got the chocolate mousse. It’s pretty high quality, with different flavors of chocolate that contrast each other in interesting ways. It was denser than I thought it would be, but that’s actually a positive since it means there’s realtively more mousse in there.

Verdict: 7/10 Market Gardens

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=3922

By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.



Share

Tags:, ,
Posted in onFood, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »

Rapid Revival Restaurant Review: Bait and Hook

Thursday, May 20th, 2021
Bait & Hook NYC

Here we are, May 19th. Exactly 7 days after May 4th, just like I promised in the last entry of the Covid Cooking Club. To celebrate fact that Covid is now 100% not a threat and nobody should ever worry about it even a little bit, I will be commencing the Rapid Revival Restaurant Reviews, to drum up some support for those poor small business owners who were already going to get destroyed by corporate competition but we’re pretending it’s the pandemic’s fault now. My first target will be the seafood restaurant Bait and Hook, chosen for no other reason than that it was close to me and I’m very lazy.

The layout of the restaurant is very nice, somewhat nautically themed but not nautically themed enough to make people seasick. which apparently happens sometimes. The lights are red, which is pretty weird because it didn’t seem like that kind of establishment. All the waiters are very nice, even when I got pissed at them for not letting me in when I turned up an hour early without any sort of identification. The only real problem is the noise: the music is loud, the people are loud, and the acoustics make it all louder, which means you’ll probably have to shout your order if you want the waiter to actually listen to you.

The house lager is good, and I say that as someone who doesn’t even like beer. As far as I’m concerned most alcohol that isn’t hard cider tastes like varying flavors of fizzy urine, but fortunately this one bucked that trend. It has a mild taste that could be compared to wood if wood tasted good. It also completely obliterated my nostrils after the gas came back up and made me feel like I had been tear gassed, but in a fun and relaxed way.

The Kung Pao Calamari is very tasty. It has both tentacle bits and entire tiny octopi for variety. They’re decently crispy and taste great even without sauce thanks to the seasoning. I tried some of the Kung Pao sauce and it tasted like someone had Kung Powed my tongue, but I guess some people like that sort of thing.

Their most popular food was the lobster roll, which I didn’t order because I don’t like lobster rolls. I had the fish and chips instead. The fish itself was great: white cod with a taste distinct from other fried fish without being too overpowering. The skin was both crunchy and stayed on the meat, and it’s rare to find a fried fish that does both of those. The fries were… fine. Not crispy enough to be french fries or thick enough to be steak fries. I saw someone else eating mashed potatoes and those looked way better.

So the next day I went back and ordered the mashed potatoes. They were, in fact, way better. A good blend between chunky and creamy with a hint of garlic. I also learned it was much less loud outside.

Dessert was gelato, which wasn’t part of the review but they gave me some anyway because they’re nice people. It was good, because it was ice cream. I’m easily please by ice cream.

Verdict: 7.75/10 happy British fish.

(The coupon image is currently broken so just pretend it’s here and go to https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=3047)

By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, ,
Posted in onFood, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »

The Covid Cooking Club: Chapter 8: Dessert

Tuesday, May 4th, 2021

The Covid Cooking Club

Chapter 8: Dessert

Chocolate Cake - Preppy Kitchen
The Cake is a Lie! And other sayings from 2008.

Dessert is the least important and therefore best part of any meal. A good dessert will make up for a meal full of bland “healthy” garbage, while a bad dessert won’t really affect anything because you can just choose to not eat it. Unfortunately, I have literally no dessert-related advice to give. I was told to outline my series of blog posts before writing them, and I chose dessert as the last topic because I think I’m much funnier than I actually am. The fact that I did not actually have anything to say on the subject escaped my mind until the last moment. I figured I could buy myself some time to experiment by creating a low-effort fake chapter for last week, but after doing that I forgot about it until right now. The only dessert I know how to make with any degree of competence is cake, and I can’t actually do that because I only have an oven. Also it tells you how to make it on the box. Honestly there’s no reason to even make dessert when you live right next to a Trader Joe’s. They have these great ripoff Tim-Tams with a complicated name that I can’t actually remember because they stopped selling them. That’s a good thing because I would absolutely have given myself diabetes if I had unlimited access to them. Honestly I’ll probably end up doing that anyway, but at least it’ll be name-brand.

Looking back on it, this was a pretty stupid idea for an article series. For one thing, I’m pretty sure I’ve only genuinely contributed two recipes anyone can’t find immediately online, and one of them was literally just “put some bread in a bun.” And for people to reach those recipes they would have to put up with my exaggerated obnoxious authorial personality, which is a feat few can manage. Actually, this entire column is counterproductive to the very idea of this website since you can’t even use the coupons for home cooking. Fortunately, Andrew Cuomo agrees with me and has decided to unilaterally end the lockdown starting Wednesday, which he apparently has the power to do or something? Anyway seeing at how masterfully he managed the nursing home situation I can guarantee that we’ll all be fine, which is why I’m switching over to restaurant reviews next week. Because let’s be honest, you don’t really want to cook, do you? (“You” here refers to a genericized reader and not you as a person. Don’t feel insulted. I love you.) Cooking is messy and takes time and you usually fail. Most people who cook that aren’t professional chefs only do it because they can’t afford to eat out. The rest do it because being unable to provide for yourself is one those embarrassing social qualities that causes reasonable people to look down on you, like not washing your hands or voting Republican. In my case I do it because it’s easier than resolving my crippling sense of inferiority towards my family by actually talking to them. I’d be shocked if even a single person used any of the advice I’ve given, and I’d be even more shocked if it actually helped them in any way. If you actually enjoyed reading these, I’d like to apologzie for tricking you into wasting your time.

You should still totally read my restaurant reviews though.

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=4019

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  


At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in onFood | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »