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Maple Cornbread with Berry Preserves

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I’m a lover of cross-cultural comfort food and I spend my weekends cooking authentically awesome dishes without having to leave Astoria, Queens, NYC.

-Ben Costantino

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Meatless Monday Ideas!

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette with Honey Mustard

Maple Cornbread with Berry Preserves

Sweet Potato Dip with Curry and Candied Ginger

Oven-Dried Tomato Slices

Red Quinoa, Quick and Easy

Artichoke Aioli, Quick and Easy

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Andouille Vegan Red Beans

Check out more Meatless Monday inspired posts!

Visit me on Instagram in between posts!

Ok, time to call it quits on gardening this year a

Ok, time to call it quits on gardening this year and start making some of my green tomato sofrito ... aka. what I call American Southern sofrito. Find the full "recipe" on the blog ➡️HomemadeInAstoria.com via the search bar.

#fallgarden #fallharvest #harvesttime#greentomatoes #gardengram #thehappygardeninglife #greenthumb #cherrytomatoes #nycgardening #growingtomatoes #gardengram #igrewthis #tomatoesgrowing #tomatogrowers #veggiegrower #frommygarden #cherrytomatogrowing #greentomatorecipes #foodphotography #smallspacegardening

Just another meatless lunchbreak #workingfromhome

Just another meatless lunchbreak #workingfromhome happening with that awesome Supremely Spicy @sabra hummus, artichoke tapenade, and my usual house standard veggies. 💚

#whatvegetarianseat #meatlesssandwich #meatlesseating #veggieloversclub #healthyeating #sandwichtime #sandwiching #sandwichaddict #eatingmyveggies #sandwichgram #veggiesandwich #sandwiches #hummussandwich #vegetarianfood #nutritiousanddelicious #sammiches #meatlessmeal #sabrahummus #sandwichesofinstagram #sandwichoftheday #cleaneating #veggielove #healthylunch #spicyeats

About last night … somehow the making of enchila

About last night … somehow the making of enchilada sauce is something that always ends up being a late night activity. What’s up with that?
Strained the hell out of this heavenly mixture of roasted tomatoes, white onions and garlic with hydrated Guajillo, Pasilla and Árbol chile peppers to yield this fantastic thick concentrate. Then, seasoned with Mexican oregano, cumin, apple cider vinegar, salt and a hint of sugar. Thinned it out with veggie stock and simmered to perfection.

#saucemaking #enchiladas #homemadefood #enchiladasrojas #enchiladasauce #sauces #homemade #homemadeenchiladasauce #thecookfeed #thefeedfeed #thekitchn #salsaroja #guajillo #mexicanchiles #cookingmexicanfood #comfortfood #spicysauce #sauceboss #Mexicanflavors #spicyfoodaddict #enchiladalover #redsauce #mexicansauce #ilovemexicanfood

It’s official … I won a free month of grocerie

It’s official … I won a free month of groceries in a recipe contest for a local (and fantastic) supermarket in NYC, Food Bazaar. Found out about it over a week ago, but it’s more real now that the prize is actually in my hands.

Find the winning recipe Maple Cornbread with Berry Preserves on my blog ➡️ homemadeinastoria.com ... by way of the search bar.

I wanted to find a way to make cornbread “my own”, as they would say on cooking shows, so the incorporation of maple syrup and berries draws from my Rhode Island upbringing and my partial lineage to the Narragansett and Pequot Indian tribes.

Maple syrup and berries are SO Rhode Island. In second grade our class tapped trees for fresh sap and made syrup with our teacher, and I constantly remember encountering wild berries in the woods when I was a kid. Then, during some genealogy research I came across a Narragansett Indian recipe that used cornmeal, berries and maple syrup to make jonnycakes. I like my cornbread just a tad sweet and didn’t want to overdo it with the berries, so the Bonne Maman @bonnemaman_us berry preserves was just what I needed to complete the

#recipedeveloper #iwon #winning #recipecontest #homecook #amateurchef #livinginqueens #livinginastoria #astoriaqueens #nycfoodies #cookingcontest #livinginnyc #cornbreadrecipe #cornbread #comfortfoodie #newenglandfood #cookingblogger #astoriaqueens #astorianyc #bonnemaman

One of my most satisfying things to do is about to

One of my most satisfying things to do is about to go down today … make enchilada sauce ...
especially on a gloomy, kinda cool, fall-ish day. Some people make soup, I make enchilada sauce. Although technically it is actually a "chile pepper soup" I guess.

My entire process is on the blog via the search bar. This time, I'm using a combination of Guajillo, Pasilla, and Àrbol Chile peppers. Working with dried chile peppers is kinda like wine tasting … there's so many options and ya just gotta keep tryng them out to see what you really like. Usually I use Ancho chiles in some capacity, but choosing to leave them out this time.

#redchile #pasilla #guajillo #guajillochile #mexicanchiles #cookingfromscratch #mexicancooking
#spicycooking #pepperlover #redhotchilepeppers #coolweathercooking #comfortcooking
#ilovemexicanfood

Red onions often get so much hate on cooking shows

Red onions often get so much hate on cooking shows (@foodnetworkchopped specifically), so I wanted to feature them in this caramelized onion and feta cheese frittata with chopped garlic, broccoli and artichoke tapenade. Here ya go, judge @conantnyc 😂😉

#caramelizedonions #meatlesscooking #brunchathome #frittata #foodblogfeed #eggrecipes #cookingeggs #heresmyfood #brunchclub #eggsellent #fetacheese #thisiseasy #frittatas #freshoutoftheoven #brunchfood #cookingblogger #nycblogger #saturdaycooking #easycooking

Thanks to the NYC ferry, this awesome, locally fam

Thanks to the NYC ferry, this awesome, locally famous coffee drink, the 🚀Rocket Fuel at @sweetleafnyc is only 20 minutes away … SWEET! I mean literally, sweet … a concoction of their cold brew with maple syrup, chicory, and milk.

One location for this fantastic beverage is located 30 seconds from the Long Island City ferry dock #gantrypark (yeah, I walk kinda fast 🏃🏼‍♂️especially to this awesomeness). It's a fantastic beverage to get your mind right as you enter Queens.
☕❤️
#icedcoffee #coffeehouse #coldbrew #coffeelove #coffeetime #specialtycoffee #coffeedrink #coffeeaddict #rocketfuel #longislandcity #nyccoffee #nycferry #LICqueens #eastriver #ilovequeens #queensnyc #queensfoodie

Swipe right for this easy #pescatarian salmon (#ki

Swipe right for this easy #pescatarian salmon (#kirklandsignature at Costco) salad sandwich with my usual house standard ingredients ... stovetop roasted poblano peppers, some kind of awesome cheese, red onion, cucumber, honey mustard and my favorite spicy Chile habañero @elyucateco_hotsauce 🌶️ ... all on multi-grain bread.

#fishsandwich #salmonsandwich #salmonrecipes #easycooking #thisiseasy #sandwichartist #sandwichtime #sandwichmaking #sandwichoftheweek #sandwichlove #sandwichlife #healthycooking #sandwichoftheday #costcofood #elyucateco #elyucatecohotsauce

Chili season is approaching and I’m not always i

Chili season is approaching and I’m not always in the mood for meat. So I'm testing this vegan chili featuring chopped air-fried cauliflower bits, pinto beans, freshly ground Árbol and Pasilla chili powder🌶️, Mexican oregano, cumin, tons of garlic and onions.

#veganchili #fallrecipes #thisisvegan #chilirecipe #vegancooking #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #chiliseason #intheitchen #recipetesting #plantbased #cauliflowerrecipes #meatlesscooking #meatless #chilirecipes #arbolchile #spicycooking #spicyfood

C’mon October Garden … come through! We’re n

C’mon October Garden … come through! We’re not completely done yet, but coming close.

Someone didn’t follow my directions when I ordered takeout last night and said “Please make it SPICY”, so these tiny green chili peppers are going to come into use to sauté into my vegan Asian buckwheat soba noodles. And great to have these tiny banana peppers for an element of freshness.
🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

#octobergarden #fallgarden #autumngardening 🍁 #bananapeppers #gardengram #gardenharvest #greenthumb #gargentotable #containergardener #nycgardening #balconygardening #plantstagram #gardengram #freshlygrown #homegrown #veggiegrower #growit #pepperlover #veganmeal #igrewthese #eatwhatyougrow #healthylunch #peppergrower

Came back with some more Greek goodies at @titanfo

Came back with some more Greek goodies at @titanfoods including some Skordalia … a potato-based garlic spread and it’s ohhhhh so amazing. However, instead of spreading it on some bread I chose to drop random spoonfuls of it in a frittata with Calabrian peppers sauce from @traderjoes , broccoli, and cheddar and swiss cheddar cheese. Really wasn’t in the mood for and type bread to spread it on this morning, so this was my gluten free solution where Italian cooking meets Greek ingredients.

Just posted this as and “Easy Idea” recipe on the blog because its so simple and flexible. I just took some time to explain a few things in the process.

#glutengree #skordalia #brunchathome #frittata #foodblogfeed #eggrecipes #cookingeggs #heresmyfood #brunchclub #greekfood #calabrianpeppersauce #nogluten #peppersauce #eggsellent #italiancooking #comfortfoods #easycooking #thisiseasy #frittata #comfortcooking #frittatas #freshoutoftheoven #brunchfood #cookingblogger #nycblogger #nycfoodie #thatsitalian #eqdailypic

It’s family history story time with Indigenous P

It’s family history story time with Indigenous Peoples Day approaching, as I reflect this pic of my grandparents. As an adoptee I regret that I never had a chance to meet them. He was a locally famous pit master of a neighborhood barbecue and I'm told she enjoyed making dill pickles, so I missed out on culinary moments..

Her mom was from Narragansett and Pequot tribes, and I surprisingly discovered that a branch of his Black ✊🏿 ancestry does as well. Add to the mix that on a branch of my bio-mom's side I'm also a direct descendant of 7 Mayflower ⛵ pilgrims .

Then add to the fact that before I knew any of this, in the 80s my mom (adoptive) was really into learning about Native American culture, and my parents were bringing me to Pow Wows to expose me to this unknown part of my heritage. She went into classrooms teaching Native American culture (there I am 😂 sitting in one of her seminars, circa 1987) and as a teacher she incorporated it into her lesson plans.

More recently I learned in a book (that my mom sent me) that Native cooking in Rhode Island consisted of fish, ducks,venison, shellfish, berries, nuts, herbs, onions, superfine cornmeal, maple syrup, just to name a few things. 📢 This fall season, consider making my recipe for Maple Cornbread with Berry Preserves recipe on the blog, via the search bar.

Other pics are my grandmother with my father as a boy in early 1960s, my great grandmother, 4th great grandfather who was "accidentally" drafted into the civil war at the age of 53 because of a typo in his age and had to petition for his release, and 3rd great grandmother with the gun.

#rhodeislandhistory #familyhistory #nativeamericanhistory #blackindians #knowyourhistory #genealogymatters #historymatters #indigenouspeoplesday #newenglandhistory #foodhistory

Trader Joe's @traderjoes really nailed it with thi

Trader Joe's @traderjoes really nailed it with this Calabrian pepper spread and @onthebiasnyc is awesome for turning me on to it in the first place from a recipe on her blog.

It's no secret that I looooove #vegetariansandwiches and anything spicy, so this is going to be something I keep on rotation on the regular.

#lunchtime #lunchathome #meatlesssandwich #sandwichlover #sandwichmaker #sandwichrecipes #whatvegetarianseat #nomeathere #meatless #veggieloversclub #healthyeating #sammich #sandwichaddict #eatyourveggies #sandwichgrams #sandwichlife #pepperspread #italianfood #calabrianfood #meatlesstoday #sandwichesofinstagram #sandwichoftheday #hotpeppers #veggieaddict

So, yesterday my bf @brothashakespeare said my san

So, yesterday my bf @brothashakespeare said my sandwich was boujee 😂 (which I disagree), but this one … okay, I’ll own it 😓.

Maybe it’s the Stilton blue cheese smeared on with a fork. Or the portabella mushrooms sliced on the bias and grilled in Worcestershire sauce, dijon, minced garlic and black pepper. Maybe the artichoke tapenade … or all three of them combined. Or my broken plate trying to pass as “distressed”. Oh well, it tasted freakin’ awesome. And glad I’m not paying $15 for it in some swank Manhattan bistro.

Sometimes I forget I worked in a gourmet cheese chop in college and I don’t incorporate as much cheese knowledge into my cooking. I have plans to incorporate chese more when I explore the European (Sicilian, Irish/English) side of my Heritage cooking adventures. So much to cook so little time.

#bluecheese #stiltoncheese #portabellamushrooms #meatlesssandwich #sandwichmaker #vegetariansandwich #redbellpeppers #cucumberslices #sandwichoftheday #bluecheeselover #cheeselover #cheeseaddict #sandwichartist #boujeefood #ilovesandwiches #sandwichlove #sandwichaddict #sandwichmakers #lunchtime #vegetarianlunch #gourmetfood

Unripe cherry tomatoes plus newly ripeened Tabasco

Unripe cherry tomatoes plus newly ripeened Tabasco peppers and some extra parsley lingering around means an awesome simple sofrito for brown rice. Full recipe is now up new on the blog.

It's a small quantity recipe calling for just one cup of rice because I can't stand having leftovers, and gardens may not be yielding a whole lot of green tomatoes. But at least it's something to do with what's remaining. If you have harvest to double or triple it … to do my all means.

I add a little vinegar to capture a bit of the "pickled green tomato" type of experience which works in synch with the longer cooking time for brown rice. I'm fairly new liking brown rice, but this makes me really looooove it. 🤤 ❤️

#gardentotable #greentomatorecipes #greentomato #brownrice #brownricerecipes #ricerecipe #howtocookrice #tomatogrowers #sofrito #cookinggram #cooking101 #healthycooking #eatwhatyougrow #octobergarden #homecook #homecookedfood #gardenfresh #gardenfreshveggies #frommygarden

Danggggg these freakin’ tabasco peppers made me

Danggggg these freakin’ tabasco peppers made me WERK for it this year, unlike two seasons ago when they just grew like weeds. Waited for this moment for so long where I can harvest them in larger amounts and now the fun can begin USING them. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️❤️

#tabascopeppers #peppergrower #chilipeppers #hotpepper #hotpepperlovers #hotpeppers #hotpepperhot #hotpepperplants #tabasco #homegrown #grownfromseedling #spicyfoods #peppergarden #pepperlover #spicylife #plantphotography #capsaicin #gardenphotography #gardeningphotography #gardenpics #mygarden

Wooowwww, throw back to circa 2002 when I THOUGHT

Wooowwww, throw back to circa 2002 when I THOUGHT I knew how to cook, ha! I remember learning how to roast root vegetables on a sheet pan so I was like "I'll just put this big chunk of ham (unseasoned 😂) on there too."

This was when I lived in Minneapolis and my bio-dad came to visit me so we cooked together. Gotta love the 90s-inspired oversized clothing too. I used to looooove that hoodie.

#throwback #homecook #cookingblogger #vintagephoto #amateurcook #blastfromthepast #oldphotos #ilovecooking #1990sstyle

This is what it’s like when you’ve given up on

This is what it’s like when you’ve given up on you garden for the year, but nature had other plans. I haven’t really been watering these as religiously as I did earlier in the season and it looks like another harvest of ripening tomatoes will happen in another week or so. I learn alot from the optimism of tomatoes, and all plants in general.
💚💚💚💚
#octobergarden #gardengram #thehappygardeninglife #greenthumb #gardeninginpots #containergardening #instaplants #nycgardening #balconygardening #plantstagram #growingtomatoes #gardengram #botanical #tomatoesgrowing #tomatogrowers #plantsmakepeoplehappy #veggiegrower #cherrytomatogrowing #growit #growityourself #cherrytomatolove #tomatoplant #igrewthis

Recently came across some awesome freshly made Mel

Recently came across some awesome freshly made Melitzanosalata (a vinaigrette-based Greek eggplant salad) at @titanfoods in #astorianyc , devoured it in one day, then decided I absolutely had to try to make it.

This was today’s breakfast … on warmed whole wheat pita topped with goat feta cheese. Being that Astoria, Queens #astoriaqueens is a largely Greek neighborhood, with tons of Greek 🇬🇷 “everything” all around me … I admit I don’t cook as much Greek dishes as one would think. So I’m changing that starting today.

BTW … anyone who comes to NYC and LOVES feta cheese really needs to hop on a 10-minute train 🚆(or ferry 🛥️) ride to Astoria just to get with all the heavenly varieties of feta in the Greek food markets. Most places will give you a little sample if you just say the magic word. (I emphasize "most" as a disclaimer, ha! ,😓)

When I first moved here I was a huge meat eater, so I pigged out so much on street cart souvlaki kebabs that I actually forgot about it by the time I started my blog. Succulent Greek meat is literally everywhere here, and I took it for granted. And being that I shifted to a “less-meat” diet over the years, I’m super excited about the vegetarian aspects of Greek food.

For this post I researched several recipes and did a kinda mix and match approach. It’s a first attempt – a good baseline – but needs some tweaking for sure. Plus it's a fantastic thing to do with my fresh homegrown parsley.

#melitzanosalata #greekfood #wholewheatpita #mediterraneanfood #eggplantsalad #veggierecipe #fetacheese #goatfeta #greekcusine #greekfoodlovers #freshparsley #greekcooking #fetalove #vegetarian #eggplant #eggplantrecipe #greeksalads #vegetariandiet #greekcheese #wholewheat #eatgreek #nycneighborhoods #vegetariancooking no

Lunchtime … here’s to another one of my house

Lunchtime … here’s to another one of my house standard deluxe #vegetariansandwiches 🥪💚.

I had a really really REALLY mean boss who put me on the sandwich station when I worked in a gourmet deli in college. To this day I secretly thank her for it, as I cannot seem to track her down. And those who read my previous Mother’s Day and Father’s Day posts about my adoptee search success story know that I’m an awesome detective and can usually find ANYONE.

Anyway … to state the obvious … 7 grain bread with honey mustard, swiss cheese, cucumber, green El Yucateco hot sauce, sweet potato “coldcuts” (on the blog via the search bar), red onion, crispy lettuce and hummus.

#lunchtime #lunchathome #sweetpotatorecipes #veggiesandwich #sandwichlover #sandwichmaker #cleaneating #sandwichrecipes #whatvegetarianseat #nomeat #meatless #veggieloversclub #healthyeating #sammich #sandwiching #sandwichaddict #eatyourveggies #sandwichgrams #sandwichlife #nutritiousanddelicious #meatlesstoday #sandwichesofinstagram #sandwichoftheday #cleaneating #veggieaddict

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