Specialized festivals are an excellent way to gather experts, vendors, influencers, and enthusiasts so they could meet, exchange ideas, and learn from some of the best in the industry.
Over the weekend, I made an appearance at EEEEEATSCON NY 2022, a food experience featuring local and national restaurants offering all kinds of interesting and flavorful foods mixed with live music performances and inspiring panel discussions and interviews. Thousands of visitors attended the two-day food celebration held at the historic Forest Hills Stadium in New York City and hosted by The Infatuation, a restaurant discovery and platform messaging service whose mission is to gather and provide honest and reputable opinions on where to eat around the world.
Here are some of the photos from the event, enjoy.
After a three-year pandemic influenced hiatus, EEEEEATSCON NY is back. This year’s event was held at the Forest Hills Stadium music venue. The 13,000 capacity stadium is the only outdoor venue of its kind and size in New York city.
Infatuation‘s two-day EEEEEATSCON NY festival was well-organized with maps and directories positioned around the venue.
A big “score-like” board announced the event. Forest Hills Stadium was once home of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. It began hosting concerts in the 1960s and went on to welcome some of the most culturally significant performances of the time including Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. The stadium was updated in 2013 and has remained one of the most popular venues in the area.
Thousands of visitors arrived both Saturday and Sunday. And the early fall weather in New York City was perfect. (Photo by Emily Schindler for EEEEEATSCON)
The Infatuation’s EEEEEATSCON food experience is designed for those seeking more than just food tasting, but also cooking demonstrations and panel discussions along with live entertainment. The event offers a carefully curated selection of eateries and their specialties in one space.
Here I am with musician, record producer, disc jockey, and actor, Questlove. He was there eating and supporting his friend and bandmate Black Thought, who spoke on one of the panels.
For EEEEEATSCON, one definitely had to bring a big appetite – there was so much to taste and enjoy. (Photo by Sam Morrison for EEEEEATSCON)
Food blogger Dan Pelosi, also known as “Grossy” Pelosi and I enjoyed some of the bites – I had to try the hot dogs from The Weiner’s Circle in Chicago, Illinois. And look what we’re drinking – Liquid Death, “murder your thirst.” Dan also interviewed me later in the day.
We also tried Sally’s Apizza – known for its coal-fired, thin-crust pies.
Dan brought along his biggest fan, his mom, who also inspires many of the dishes Dan cooks up.
Here I am sitting with Andrew Steinthal, co-founder of The Infatuation. He started the company with Chris Stang in 2009. The two are most known for publishing restaurant reviews and guides, and creating the popular hashtag #EEEEEATS.
And here I am with Anthony Demby, the founder of HumbleRIOT an audible idea shop, and the talent booker for the EEEEEATSCON festival.
The burger and fries are from 7th Street Burger, right here in New York City. (Photo by Kate Previte for EEEEEATSCON)
Food tasting lines were full the entire day.
Here’s Dan with our own food content creator, Sarah Carey.
We also tried New York’s Apollo Bagels – this one with lox and all the fixings on an everything bagel made with fennel seeds and flaky salt. (Photo by Kate Previte for EEEEEATSCON)
I stopped for this photo with rapper and entrepreneur Bun B. He is also the mastermind behind the Houston pop-up concept, Trill Burgers.
There were live performances throughout the festival. (Photo by Sam Morrison for EEEEEATSCON)
The audience was packed for many of the performances and interviews. It was nice to see and meet so many people – all interested in trying different foods, and learning from industry leaders.
“Grossy” Pelosi did a great job interviewing me at EEEEEATSCON. We had such a fun time. I’m already looking forward to the next EEEEEATSCON! See you there.
Just like other equines, donkeys need regular dental care - it's time for my five precious donkeys to get their teeth checked.
Donkey teeth are constantly growing, which means their bites are always changing. Because of this, it is very important for their mouths to be examined for any sharp edges or misaligned molars. Last week, a veterinary team from Miller & Associates in nearby Brewster, New York, came by the farm to see Clive, Rufus, Truman "TJ" Junior, Billie, and Jude "JJ" Junior. Each donkey was given a thorough examination and I'm happy to report - all their teeth are in good shape.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Jude “JJ” Junior hops up on her step to take a drink and to see who’s coming by to visit. It’s an important day down at my stable.
First one up is my boy, Clive. This is Dr. Julia Daggett. She is using a giant syringe to rinse out Clive’s mouth, so she could check his teeth.
Dr. Daggett and Dr. Kim MacKinnon place a speculum on Clive. This is called a McPherson full mouth speculum. It keeps the donkey’s mouth open during the process.
Next, a speculum light is also attached to help see inside the mouth including the back molars. Adult donkeys have 40 teeth – 12 incisors, four canines, 12 premolars, and 12 molars.
The process of correcting any sharp edges or misaligned tooth conditions is called floating – filing or rasping an equine’s teeth so that chewing surfaces are smooth and properly contoured for eating. Dr. Daggett, Dr. MacKinnon, and veterinary technician, Carly Dickerson, use a power floater to file down and smooth Clive’s back molars which are rubbing against the sides of his mouth and causing some irritation.
Floats are about 21-inches long. The long handles allow Dr. MacKinnon to get to the back molars easily. She works gently and slowly, always talking to the donkey to keep him relaxed. The key to working with any equine is to gain their trust, which in turn helps them calm down.
Truman “TJ” Junior and Rufus watch Clive from the other side of the stall. Donkeys are herd animals, so they don’t like being separated from other members of their pack. We always keep my donkeys together, so they always know where their friends are.
A look inside shows Clive’s teeth after they were floated. Filing them smooth will instantly feel more comfortable the next time he chews.
Next up is “TJ.” Power floating, or floating with a power tool attached to the file, is a popular method. It does not hurt, and can get the job done more quickly. The veterinarians are also checking for proper equilibration – the process of ensuring all the teeth are in contact and bear the same amount of pressure and wear.
Much of the examination is done by feel. The edges of each tooth are felt to be sure it is not too sharp or pointed which could cut into the skin.
After all three of their exams, these boys are happy and looking for treats.
Helen comes over with a cookie for each of the boys.
Here, “TJ” watches as the veterinary team moves next door to the girls’ stall.
It’s Billie’s turn. The same process is done for every donkey – first her mouth is rinsed of any hay or grass.
And then her mouth is checked thoroughly before any floating is done. Regular dental exams and floating are an important part of any horse’s preventative health care plan. Donkeys should have their teeth checked yearly, and more often if there are any issues being treated.
Billie has the best looking teeth of the five – very little filing is needed and her bite is in great condition.
Here, Dr. MacKinnon also checks the front teeth for any abnormalities. Each donkey takes about a half hour to examine and float. What a good girl you are, Billie.
It isn’t long before both Billie and “JJ” are also done and back to eating their hay – grown and cut right here at my farm.
Billie watches as the team cleans up all the tools and supplies. She’s ready to go back out to the paddock where she can run, roll, and graze – her favorite activities.
But first, I think she’s wondering – “where’s my cookie?” It’s on the way my dear.
Yesterday, while I was busy shooting segments around my Bedford, New York farm for my upcoming television show on Roku, my housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, cooked one of the Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meals I selected from this week's menu - Sweet Chili Beef Meatball Lettuce Wraps with Pepper & Snow Peas. It was excellent and just the perfect size lunch for two. Plus, just as promised on the recipe card, the entire dish was done in less than 40-minutes. Our delivery meal service features so many inspiring recipes and cooking ideas, and you can customize the menu and choose the recipes that best fit your busy lifestyle. If you haven’t yet tried Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, please go to the web site for more information on how to subscribe.
Enjoy these photos.
Every Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon kit comes with a large recipe card complete with a photo of the finished dish on one side…
… And on the other side, all the how-to, step-by-step instructions and detailed photos to match. We work hard to make sure every Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kit recipe is time-saving, easy to make, and most of all delicious.
Everything is pre-portioned, well-packaged and labeled, so there’s absolutely no confusion in the kitchen. The kits are designed to feed two or four people. It’s a superior, money saving meal kit delivery system. And look at the produce – so fresh and ready-to-use.
For this recipe, the first step is to prep all the ingredients. We call this part of the process “mise en place,” a French term for having all the ingredients cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before cooking. Here, Elvira cuts the red pepper into thin strips and then cuts the strips in half crosswise.
Next, Elvira coarsely chops the peeled ginger. Because these meal kits can be modified to fit one’s personal taste, you can use a little less ginger or a little more. This recipe also calls for chopped garlic.
Elvira also trims the scallions, and then slices them. This meal only needs 2/3 of the scallions – the rest can be used for another dish.
Scallions, also known as spring onions or green onions, generally have a milder taste than most onions. Close relatives include shallots, leeks, and chives.
The snow peas are sliced lengthwise and placed on the side along with the other cut ingredients.
Next, the ground beef is placed into a bowl and sprinkled with the ginger-garlic mixture.
Elvira adds 1/4 cup panko. Panko is the dried breadcrumbs made without the crusts. The word panko is Japanese for “pan” meaning bread and “ko” meaning flour. Panko has a light, airy, and delicate texture that helps meat crisp as it cooks.
Then she adds the scallions, one egg, and salt. Our kits come with almost everything one needs to make the meals – all you need to supply is salt, pepper, olive oil and eggs.
Finally, Elvira kneads the mixture until everything is well-combined.
Next, Elvira forms 12 meatballs – she was able to make 14 – and places them all equally spaced on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
In a measuring cup, Elvira stirs together the tamari, Thai sweet chili sauce and two tablespoons water. It is so convenient to have just the right amount of ingredients included in the kit – no need to buy separate bottles for one recipe.
After heating two teaspoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, Elvira starts to cook the peppers, stirring them until tender and lightly browned – just about five minutes.
She then adds the snow peas, remaining cut ginger and garlic, and half the remaining scallions. These continue to cook for another minute.
Meanwhile, Elvira cooks the meatballs in a 350-degree oven until the internal temperature is 155-degrees Fahrenheit – about 10-minutes.
Then she places them in the broiler until they are browned. One can also just broil the meatballs on the top rack of the oven and cook until browned.
The vegetables are now perfectly cooked.
The lettuce leaves are washed, dried, and separated.
Elvira adds the sauce to the skillet and brings it to a boil over high heat.
And then adds the meatballs and simmers, turning them over until heated through and completely coated with sauce. I wish you could smell them on this blog.
The lettuce leaves are positioned in one layer on a plate. Here, Elvira puts three meatballs on each lettuce leaf.
And then garnishes each serving with more scallions.
Two Sweet Chili Beef Meatball Lettuce Wraps with Pepper & Snow Peas for each – the perfect size for lunch after a busy morning of shooting. This meal is so easy to make and so delicious. I know it will become one of your favorites. Please order your Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kits right now! Just click on the highlighted links and enjoy our menu offerings! We’re adding more and more all the time! Enjoy the weekend!
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