Our First Burns Supper Reminds us that the Haggis Doesn’t Have to Come But Once a Year

Last Wednesday we had the pleasure of reporting on our first-ever Robert Burns Night Supper at Mary Queen of Scots, a beautifully appointed Scottish gastro-tavern in the old Allen and Delancey space. Burns is a beloved Scottish poet, January 25th is his birthday, and MQOS is a Scottish place owned by trio who hail from Great Britain. Like all good Scots who run Manhattan restaurants, they host a special dinner on Burns Nicht for what is a national holiday celebrated nearly everywhere in Scotland and even Northern Ireland.

What’s Inside the Bourbon Barrel? At Nick and Toni’s, It’s a Negroni

If you missed last week’s NY1 segment (it airs Fridays and Sundays) be sure to take a gander online. We visited Nick and Toni’s Cafe on the Upper East Side to talk to Richard Scoffier, who took over their beverage program about four years ago. Like other bartenders in the borough, Scoffier is keen on locally sourced spirits, and is now using an old Tuthilltown Hudson Baby Bourbon barrel to age a Negroni cocktail made with Seneca Drums gin from Finger Lakes Distilling, which uses nearly 100% NY State-sourced ingredients.

Book it: The Cookbook Conference Comes to the Roger Smith on Feb 9

On February 9 to 11, the Roger Smith Hotel will host the Cookbook Conference, a three day intensive series of panels and workshops for publishers, writers, editors, agents, researchers and readers. The goal isn’t just practical advice–how to pitch, position and test a cookbook, say–but also to think deeply about the history and future of a genre that most of those who read this site take very, very seriously. In our opinion, cookbooks cover as diverse a world as fiction, and can be just as transporting. (Not to mention handy at times.)

Central Park Honey and Finger Lakes Cassis: The Great King’s Kir Cocktail from Nick and Toni’s

Here’s recipe four from the five cocktails that made it through the preliminary round of judging for our Great King Street Cocktail Competition; we asked local professional mixologists to submit seasonal recipes using Compass Box Whisky Company’s new blend made for drink-making. This one is the Great King’s Kir, made with casses and Central Park Honey by Marci Noble at Nick and Toni’s Cafe. Noble will actually be competing against one of her colleagues, Richard Scoffier, who will be making his Newfangled.

Mezcal and Compass Box Peat Monster: The Smoky McQueen from Mary Queen of Scots

Here’s recipe three from the five cocktails that made it through the preliminary round of judging for our Great King Street Cocktail Competition; we asked local professional mixologists to submit seasonal recipes using Compass Box Whisky Company’s new blend made for drink-making. This one is the McQueen, from John McCarthy at Mary Queen of Scots. Having tasted the majority of the original entries, we have to say this one was one of our favorites thanks to the earthy, smoky notes provided by mainly by that mezcal.

That Jean-Georges Family Mac and Cheese You Were Reading About? Here’s the Recipe

Enough of you have asked about the incredible macaroni and cheese (five kinds of the latter) our editor in chief was talking about on Tuesday that we figured we should score you the recipe. It’s from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes, which chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten published just last fall. Turns out it’s actually a dish created by his wife, Marja, who has her own TV show and cookbook out called The Kimchi Chronicles (she’s also Korean). Writes Vongerichten in the headnote: “This is one of the most requested dishes in my home, especially when we have children over.

Scotch, Sour Cherry Cordial and Orange Bitters=Nick and Toni’s “Newfangled” Cocktail

Below is the recipe for the Newfangled (a riff on the Old Fashioned?) from Richard Scoffier at Nick and Toni’s Cafe. If you don’t know American Spirits’ eaux de vies and fruit liqueurs made upstate, this is a fine introduction, and easy to make at home, unlike some of the other Great King Street Cocktail contest entries. We’ll be publishing more of those each day this week, so stay tuned until the winners get crowned next Monday.

Scotch, Spiced Apple Butter & Simple Syrup=The Barclay’s Kings Feast Cocktail

As promised yesterday, we scored recipes for each of the five cocktails that made it through the preliminary round of judging for our Great King Street Cocktail Competition. It’s something we’re running in conjunction with Compass Box Whisky Company: Great King Street is their brand new Scotch blend designed for making drinks; so we asked local professional mixologists to submit seasonal recipes.

Announcing the Manhattan Semi-Finalists in The Great King Street Cocktail Competition

In honor of our current Alcohol Issue, which features a profile of Compass Box Whisky Company founder John Glaser, Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn recently partnered with the Scotch whisky makers to host the Great King Street Cocktail Competition. Great King Street is a new blend by Compass Box, one named after the Scottish street where the company is registered and designed for mixing. We asked professional Manhattan and Brooklyn drinks-makers to create a cocktail made with Great King Street and at least one seasonal ingredient.

Doughnuts! We Forgot to Tell You About Orwasher’s Doughnuts Today on NY1

Today on our weekly NY1 television segment we visit Orwasher’s Bakery on the Upper East Side, whose 100-year-old basement brick ovens were bought by Keith Cohen in 2007. (And were profiled in the last issue of the magazine, to boot.) As you’ll see in the piece (online right here), Cohen bought the place with a vision to make true artisan breads using the best of both old-fashioned techniques and new ideas. But we forgot to tell you about his amazing jelly doughnuts.

As Hunts Point Produce Workers Prepare to Strike, We Ponder the Positives

In case you missed it in yesterday’s Daily News and on WYNC.com today, the members of Teamsters Union Local 202 are threatening a possible walkout at Hunts Point Terminal Market on January 17. According to the reports the 1,200 workers who work at the wholesale food market in the South Bronx are protesting a proposed 14 cent per hour wage increase after three years at the same pay rate.