Two Frys: October 2012

USA Brazilian Churrascaria & Grill

See the charcoal grilling so many yummy meats!

Allen and my Mom

Yesterday was a bright beautiful sunny day and perfect for some Brazilian cuisine. My nephew is home visiting from college and one of his favorite spots to eat is USA Brazilian Churrascaria & Grill, so the family went there for lunch. I was told it is packed later in the day so we went at a great time. This grill serves the locals from the Portuguese community and is a gem of a place.

Feast your eyes on this - two kinds of soups, rice, black beans, sweet plantains, pork...

I had yellow rice, black beans and plantains

Brazilian Cuisine - eat away!

There are so many different cuts of grilled meats and sausage to please carnivores. The food is set up with the best of Brazilian cuisine in a buffet style and each plate is weighed. If you are going with more than 4 people, I recommend ordering several meat cuts on one plate to share around your table family style. This way your plate has whatever you desire to eat from the buffet. It is more affordable this way. Each table has a house blend of 2 hot sauces and steak sauce. I tried the steak sauce and loved it and Allen enjoyed sampling the hot sauces on his food.

I tried some of the beef with potatoes (bottom left) and the lasagna (top right)

Lovely salad selection too!

The price is very moderate for the amazing amount of food and superb selection. There is also a full bar and the atmosphere is lively and casual in attire. They have a very nice selection of desserts and Brazilian soda in regular and diet. If I lived in Mount Vernon, I would go there at least once a week. Allen and I were full the entire day and did not have dinner and enjoyed everything we ate.

Meat, meat, meat and sausage!

Close up of meats and sausage

USA Brazilian Churrascaria & Grill is located:

145 Gramatan Avenue
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
914-668-4088

-Sophia/Two Frys

Chile Pepper Fiesta
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Although the Chile Pepper Fiesta has taken place for twenty years, it was the first time Allen and I attended. We each brought a big bag knowing we would be purchasing spicy goods to bring home for future coverage on the blog. We visited most of the vendors in the Osborne Garden. There were live performances, workshops and other events throughout the Brooklyn Botanic Garden that we did not get to.

I was thrilled when I noticed that half of the vendors were part of Chocolate Debauchery. Chocolate Debauchery featured vendors selling and sampling their goods such as spicy chocolates, "hot" chocolate, spicy cupcakes, spicy brownies, spicy caramel sauce, cookies, and more. This is a heat seekers paradise!

Chile Pepper Fiesta

The other half, Feel The Burn! featured vendors selling everything from Ghost Pepper seeds, spicy pickles and canned goods, hot sauces, salsas, kimchi, and spicy chutneys. If you are a spice head, this festival will make you euphoric, a state reached by Allen after trying too much hot sauce. It was good the weather was cool and overcast otherwise, the heat on heat would have been too much for me. The balance of chocolate and spicy worked great and I tasted chocolates with habanero and chipotle. Enjoy the photos highlights of the Chile Pepper Fiesta.

Allen With Chef Johnny McLaughlin from Heartbreaking Dawns Hot Sauce

Heartbreaking Dawns Scorpion Sauces, extreme heat!

Bad Blood & Night In Hell Heartbreaking Dawns - yikes!

It was great to finally meet Chef Johnny McLaughlin from Heartbreaking Dawns as Allen has wanted to meet him at food demos but dates never lined up. Heartbreaking Dawns is the Hudson Valley, NY and Tri-State Area's premier producer of all-natural artisan sauces and spice blends. We have featured Heartbreaking Dawns on the blog previously and have more recipes upcoming to share. Allen is a huge fan of this hot sauce and I love the milder hot sauces. If you are into serious heat Heartbreaking Dawns is for you.

Heartbreaking Dawns Hot Sauces!

Heartbreaking Dawns Trinidad Scorpion Chocolate, original & strawberry!

Allen and I liked samples we tried from Taza Chocolate and bought Chipotle Chili Mexican Chocolate.

Taza Chocolate, I bought Chipotle Chili :)

Bell River Brand Sauces

Allen has been corresponding with High River Sauces via email and recently ordered a t-shirt and some hot sauce. High River Sauces is the brainchild of Steve Seabury, cookbook author of Mosh Potatoes Recipes, Anecdotes And Mayhem From The Heavyweights Of Heavy Metal. Seabury is also a music industry veteran and food fanatic. High River Sauces are made from organic ingredients to satisfy your heat craves.

High River Sauces, Steve Seabury (left)

High River Sacues

Chris Caffery, lead guitarist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra wrote the forward to Seabury's cookbook and is a serious foodie. Caffery has unleashed Tears Of The Sun Hot Sauce and it has a serious kick and welcoming heat. Mosh Potatoes was for sale and Seabury was signing copies and selling their hot sauces and t-shirts. I wish I had brought my copy of the cookbook for him to sign. Allen got a taste of two sauces that are forthcoming and liked them both.

Chris Caffery's Tears Of The Sun Hot Sauce

High River Sauces

Allen with Chris Caffery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Savatage)

Tumbador Chocolate had some tasty chocolate. I especially liked the Dulce De Chile bar so much I bought one.

Tumbador Chocolate, I got a Dulce De Chile bar, yum!

Mike's Hot Honey

Torchbearer Sauces offer a fine selection of hot sauces from mild to extreme deadly heat. Allen tried and survived the Zombie Apocalypse hot sauce made with ghost peppers. Allen told me about this company from his online correspondence with them and recently made a pledge to their kickstarter fundraiser campaign. I cannot wait to make some ribs with Torchbearer Sauces Honey Barbeque Mild. Yum.

Torchbearer Sauces!

Torchbearer Sauces featuring ghost peppers Rapture and Zombie Apocalypse

Allen after trying The Zombie Apocalypse hot sauce!

The Chocolate Room offered a great selection of chocolate goods.

The Chocolate Room

Allen has met Kenya from Guyank Brand LLC Sweet Hot Pepper Sauce a few times this year at some other events so it was a welcome face to see. Kenya was very busy giving out samples and selling his hot sauces. I bought some "hot" fudge after I tried a sample. The fudge was packed with chocolately goodness and has a slight kick from the hot sauce.

Guyank Brand LLC Sweet Hot Pepper Sauce

I tried a sample called Sea Salt & Nibs from Madécasse Chocolate and loved it and bought one too. Madécasse Chocolate was formed by Peace Corps volunteers who fell in love with the country and people in Madagascar. The cocoa is bought directly from local farmers, and the chocolate and production process is done in Madagascar.

Madécasse Chocolate

We really enjoyed checking out Jordan Brenner's Hot-Cha WAA-Cha Sauces and Allen bought Strawberry Habanero Hot Sauce which was super spicy but had a great taste from the combination of strawberry and habanero.

Jordan Brenner's Hot-Cha WAA-Cha Sauces

Jordan Brenner with Allen

Lagusta's Luscious offered a variety of chocolate confections and bars. Allen liked the Smoky Corn On the Cob sample and bought one.

Lagusta's Luscious

Piñata Hot Sauce had a lovely display of their hot sauces. Allen enjoyed sampling their hot sauces featuring tropical fruit and different levels of heat.

Piñata Hot Sauce

JoMart Chocolates were sampling and selling cookies, chocolate bars, brownies, toasted coconut marshmallows and were one of my favorites of the day.

JoMart Chocolates

Allen felt the burn from trying some of 303 and he loved it! 303 have a broad selection of salsas and hot sauces from mild to extreme heat.

303

303, nice dried peppers

Allen bought The Scorpion Stinger Caramel Chocolates (pictured below with the scorpion design) from The Madison Chocolatier and I wish him luck eating those super spicy delights.

The Madison Chocolatier

Grace Foods had lots of hot sauce selections

Rescue Chocolate, buy their chocolate for a great cause

The Brooklyn Salsa Company featured a fine selection of salsas representing each of the NYC boroughs. Go Bronx!

The Brooklyn Salsa Company

The Brooklyn Salsa Company, The Bronx

Raaka Chocolate was yummy!

Allen having fun at the Chile Pepper Fiesta!

NuNu Chocolates

Bhut Pepper sell bhut jolokia also known as ghost pepper. Bhut Pepper were selling everything ghost pepper seeds, ghost pepper watermelon candy, hot sauces and spices. Allen bought some ghost pepper seeds.