Category Archives: Uncategorized

Chinatown Chronicles- 2019, The Year of the Pig

“Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?” -Confucius The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history and is the longest holiday of the year. In the 21st century, the national holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th ofContinueContinue reading “Chinatown Chronicles- 2019, The Year of the Pig”

Superbowl Antipasto, Staten Island Style

Superbowl Sunday is like a second Thanksgiving for snackers. My name is Jim and I am a confessed snacker. I always enjoy the appetizer round of any meal.   I am usually charged with the appetizers for big gatherings. I make a cheese/antipasto platter that mixes fun with flavor and really gets the tastebuds going.ContinueContinue reading “Superbowl Antipasto, Staten Island Style”

The Thing with Wings- Six Tips for Superior Superbowl Wings

Superbowl Party crowd pleasing wings every time! It is not hard to make good wings. The chicken and the farmer have already done the hard part. If you choose plump, juicy wings and prepare them properly it is pretty hard to mess them up too badly. Excellence in making chicken wings requires a deeper dedication.ContinueContinue reading “The Thing with Wings- Six Tips for Superior Superbowl Wings”

Crab and Shrimp Bisque

Seafood soup helps cure cabin fever on long winter nights, warming both the belly and the soul. Whether a cioppino, a boulibaise or a chowder, a bit of the brine in the mix adds to the meal. Bisque is perhaps the highest evolution of the seafood soup. If you’re a purist, you know that aContinueContinue reading “Crab and Shrimp Bisque”

Thank You to the Staten Island Advance

Thanks to the Staten Island Advance for featuring “Hook It & Cook It” for the past three Sundays. First class treatment. Thank you @siadvance and @silive To purchase book on Amazon, Click here     Jim Shaffer ErinGoScratch.com Hungry man. Tiny kitchen. Big City. To purchase book on Amazon, Click here Excerpt 3 on SILive.com-ContinueContinue reading “Thank You to the Staten Island Advance”

Rainy Christmas

Rainy Christmas Part One By James K. Shaffer, December 1991 Prologue (for grownups) Christmas is a season of hopes and wishes. The frustrations and futility that can bully us during the course of the year, although not forgotten, are tempered with feelings of rebirth and renewal. The most shattered hearts can dream of loving again,ContinueContinue reading “Rainy Christmas”

Brotherhood Winery- America’s Oldest Winery

Experience the enigmatic atmosphere of Brotherhood Winery by taking a leisurely stroll through our vast network of underground cellars.  Excavated by hand in the late 19th Century, the dimly lit cellars house over two hundred oak barrels and feature a crested vault containing some of the oldest vintages in America. Our team of knowledgeable guidesContinueContinue reading “Brotherhood Winery- America’s Oldest Winery”