Handy-Dandy Kitchen Tip O' The Day: How To Peel Garlic Quickly

Thanks, Saveur!

Brooklyn Bagels ca. 1979

Love this vintage 16mm bagel short from the Brooklyn Public Library. Be sure to stick around for the bagel enthusiast at the end, about 6-minutes in...a fabulous character kind of channeling Jimmy Durante. (Video via Gothamist.)

A Christmas Light Adventure In Dyker Heights

Last night I talked a couple of friends into revisiting one of the parts of Brooklyn that goes absolutely nuts with Christmas lights. So, we headed out to Dyker Heights, which is perhaps the community best known for the quantity of displays that pop up around the neighborhood each year.

I'd been there about 10 years ago and was blown away, and it seems like even more houses are participating these days. We centered our efforts around 84th Street and 12th Avenue, where we managed to find what I've now discovered via Wikipedia are the two most famous homes in the neighborhood, the Spatas and the Polizzottos.

After a brief tour of a few of the surrounding blocks (some more of the highlights are below), we headed to Tommaso's (1484 86th Street) for dinner. Sure enough, it was still wonderfully old-school New York: Italian fare, a great host, lots of tchotchkes and family photos, and live music.

Poor deer... What happened? 

This house won for "creepiest display." The animatronic children were awfully disturbing...

Did Eric Idle commission a Mary light when they made Life of Brian?