Sriracha: Doomed to Dry Out?!

Sriracha: that spicy red sauce with that rooster slapped on the label that we all love. The taste is god-like, sure, but its company isn't all that bad either. They source all their ingredients locally, so you can feel good as you feel the burn knowing the local economy is benefiting from the production of Sriracha sauce. It wasn't until 2013 that sales truly took off for the 35 year old brand. (Remember that time, the neighbor was threatening to close the factory because the smell and burn was flooding the city? Refresh your memory here.)

Well, unfortunately, it seems this bottle may be doomed to be emptied...FOR GOOD.

Heinz released a Sriracha flavored ketchup and Tobasco has its own version about to hit shelves, too. Both are reportedly sweeter and possibly less intensely heated, but you might just have to taste it for yourself. Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha is sitting patiently to see how consumers react.

How will you? If you can't decide, take this Oatmeal quiz to see how much of an addict you truly are.

How souper!

Last week RA's Adam and Alli hung out with a bunch of residents and made soup! There was lots of chat, gossip and eating. In case you missed it here are some photos -

Soup is such a good meal to make as it's a) easy, b) healthy and c) thrifty. You can make a big batch that'll last you all week! There are tons of varieties of ingredients you can use so why not mix it up and try something? Let us know if you do!

Puffer Fish Art Better Than You

Valentine's day is coming up and some people are already planning a decadent array of events or, to simply scoop up the day-after chocolates on sale at Duane Reade.

Puffer fish will be doing the former, and I can guarantee they will be doing it better than anyone else.

Check out this video and you'll see what I mean.

Spring 2015 Dates to Remember!

Welcome back! Hope you're all enjoying the dreary rain and fog on this fine first day of the Spring semester. Instead of dozing off during a lecture this week, take a look at some of these important dates to remember and throw them on your calendar!

Jan 14-27: Course Adjustment period

Jan 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (College Closed!)

Feb 12: SVA-Sponsored Health Insurance Fee waiver deadline

Feb 17-25: Residence Hall Room Selection for returning students

Feb 23: Last day to withdraw from Spring semester courses without incurring a failing grade

Mar 1: Optimal date for returning students to submit FAFSA

Mar 2-8: SPRING BREAK

May 4: Last day of classes

May 5: Move-out day for non-graduating students

May 14: Commencement, Class of 2015

May 15: Tentative Graduating residents move-out date

DIY Holiday Decor!

It's holiday season and you can be sure New York City will make sure you know. The stores on Fifth Avenue are all glittering, the tree at Rockefeller was just lit up and the snowflakes outside Ludlow have been hanging for a month or so now.

If you want to bring some of that holiday cheer into your own room, here are some examples and inspiration:

Pin up lights, yarn, some branches and hang whatever cards or ornaments you have on them.

You really can't go wrong with string lights. Try some non-glass ornaments or paper snowflakes to bring in the season.

We all have some extra white acrylic paint and soup cans, so a small snowman can for pens and such is a nice touch :)

Pinterest has a million and a half paper cone tree ideas and more.  A small LED light is all you need after  that!

Honestly, who doesn't appreciate a nice paper snowflake?

Screw the Latke Festival, Make Your Own!

Nothing says Jewish comfort food like a fat, fried potato pancake, but nothing says obnoxious like an $80 ticket to a Latke Festival.... So you know what I say? Make your own!

For those who aren't familiar with the latke story or even what they are, Wikipedia has you covered:

Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, flour and egg, often flavored with gratedonion or garlic and seasoning. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory (such as sour cream or cottage cheese) to the sweet (such as apple sauce or sugar), or they may be served ungarnished. Potato pancakes are sometimes made from mashed potatoes to produce pancake-shaped croquettes.

Latkes (לאַטקע) are traditionally eaten by Jews during the Hanukkah festival. The oil for cooking the latkes is symbolic of the oil from the Hanukkah story that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit with a long-lasting flame that is celebrated as a miracle. Prior to the introduction of the potato to the Old World, latkes were, and in some places still are, made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches, depending on the available local ingredients and foods of the various places where Jews lived.

Check out this easy-to-follow recipe to make your own:

ingredients

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

• Accompaniments: sour cream and applesauce

preparation

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.

Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

cooks' notes:·Latkes may be made up to 8 hours ahead. Reheat on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, about 5 minutes.
·Grating the potatoes, soaking them briefly in water, and then squeezing out the liquid (as we've done here) keeps the batter from turning brown too quickly.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.

Instant Ramen Done Right

So it's cold and miserable out and all you want is a big bowl of deliciousness to warm your insides up. Soup sounds great, but with all the sodium in the canned ones, you'd rather not. Fresh soups can pull at your wallet, so you move onto the next best thing: ramen. Cheaper than cardboard but packed with about half your intake of sodium and junk, it's not much better. But guess what? It totally can be!

Check out this article from the Huffington Post for some really awesome recipes to make from that noodle staple in the college diet. My favorite is the mushroom and spinach version with the egg...Mmm...

Mushrooms & Spinach Ramen Sautee With An Egg

College is expensive and challenging on a student budget, but you shouldn't compromise your health and nutrition over it! A little creativity goes a long way with your diet during these crucial years and can solidify your eating habits for the better...or worse if you aren't careful. Eat up!

9 Days Til Pickle Day!

Do you know what you're doing October 19th? You do now. You're going to the Pickle Day Festival. Why? Because how could you not!?

Literally a block away from us there will be an entire street dedicated to the celebration of those green and briny wonders. Fancy a pickle on a pizza? How about in ice cream? You can have it all and more at the PICKLE DAY FESTIVAL!!!

Click here for a list of vendors that will be set up for all your pickle needs and desires.

But really, this is a pretty cool street festival right over on Orchard. There will be music, food, games, more food, fun shops and giveaways. Even if you don't like pickles, you can't not like a guy in a pickle suit.

LOOK AT ALL THE PICKLES!

 

Honey, Please

September is coming to a close, so what perfect timing to remind you that it's National Honey Month!

Here are some honey/honeybee facts to sweeten your week (with knowledge!):

1. 15 billion dollars are added to the US agricultural market from honey alone
2. North Dakota is the largest producer of honey in the country (33 million pounds in 2013)
3. North Dakota sends its bees to pollinate crops like blueberries and apples on both coasts
4. Approximately 90 different vegetables, fruits and nuts wouldn't be pollinated without the bees!
5. In the 1940's, there were about 5 million honeybee colonies. Today, only 2.5 million
6. New pathogens, viruses and pests are a few of the causes of this extreme decline
7. Congress passed an amendment in the Farm Bill to help protect and bring back the honeybees

You can check out more on this issue of decline here and a TED talk about it here.

Response to Dolphin Rape Cave and Call to Action

(This post may be a trigger to those sensitive to the subject of sexual violence. Be advised.)

Currently on display on the sixth floor of the Photo building is a photograph by Nathaniel Shannon, titled Dolphin Rape Cave 2014.

Many students are outraged by the image and its graphic and crude portrayal of sexual assault, which can be a trigger for those who are survivors of rape and sexual assault. Requests for the photo to be removed were denied. Someone over the weekend tore down the photograph.

For me personally, this is not an issue about artistic freedom. I support his right to create and show this image. This is an issue about our denied right to not view an image. By displaying this photo in the hallway, students going to class are obligated to view it.

His intention, he claims, is to bring about a conversation. I feel in that respect he was successful. I also feel this was a cheap shock value photo.

Let us as a community do right by his wrong and make art that empowers us to fight sexual assault and show him and others that there are better ways, more thoughtful ways, more considerate ways, to bring this dialogue into a learning environment. Our college. Where we learn to communicate with sophisticated images, not cheap cheats for attention.

Because this image is not right. There is something on a basic moral level that is not right about him making this image that I want us to address as human beings first, artists second.

Please let us prove we are better than those committing these heinous acts. Just because you can make this type of image does not mean you should.

The Photo Department has announced that it will be holding a student forum in the SVA Theater (23rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenue) Thursday, 9/11/2014 at 6pm. I encourage you to attend as a member of this institution.

--Alli Golden

Below is the photograph, if you have not already seen it. Following the image is a response posted by the artist.

 

 

Learning to Cook, One Recipe At A Time

I'll be the first to admit that my culinary skills barely stretch beyond the microwave... So when I found out that I'd be sharing kitchen space with ICC students, I labeled myself as the designated taste tester and pastry moocher.

Still, I know I can't live off of my own frozen foods and their samples forever, so I have started reaching out to these culinary students for a few quick tips and recipes that are easy to swallow.

I met up with Bubba, a local celebrity chef here at Ludlow to ask him about his famous pancakes. If you made it to the Pancake Brunch, then you must already be drooling for the details. He picked up this recipe from his mom back in Texas and swears by it. The trick to making them so tall and thick, he said, is the baking powder and salt. You should mix the dry and wet ingredients separately before bringing it all together in a lumpy union and then pour as much as you can handle into your pan. Give it a go!

Remember, if you need a professional taste test, I'll be in my room.