Memories of Bensonhurst

My memories of Bensonhurst is the wonderful pizza, the men standing on the street for no reason, the good fellow style cops, the huge nails on women, big hair-do's, and men with too much hair styling gel on their hair. These people shaped bensonhurst in 1980. While being raising there is a strange experience. Most would assume Bensonhurst to be a chill spot. The area has changed from its Italian Guido look into a multi-ethnic community by early 2000's.

In 1980 I still remember the white castle on 86th st close to 22ave. It was like a drive through and across the street was a huge fruit and veggie Market with cold cuts and not far off was Spumoni gardens.
Its interesting that most of the bus drivers are still big Italian guys who now live in Staten Island. Despite growing up there, I hardly knew them, I am a Russian Jew and tended to always find other non-Italians to befriend. Most of the area has for rent signs up. Like of NY it changes and the new immigrants come in and take over. This area is still holding on to its Italian heritage despite most of the Italian residents having moved to Staten Island.

Bensonhurst is what is it and I have always been unforgiving about it's down falls.

When I'm far away from Brooklyn I find myself missing it. What I miss now is the Russian food stores and the new bensonhurst.

Now bensonhurst runs to the beat of the Chinese coffee shops, where Muslims, Chinese, Russians, and Mexicans come together.

Generation of packaged goods

Do I want to bake from scratch? Do I want to stand in my small cramped apartment kitchen for this?

After pondering this and considering my other options. I think I will bake, sort of.

Baking an all encompassing crazy flavor creation. An extra pinch of something can throw something completely off or create a flavor explosion. I have never been a true baker from scratch at home, even thought my $400 kitchen aid has been hidden in several rooms so I don't feel guilty. (I still hear my kitchen aid calling, seriously) I sometimes the use the KA for Betty crocker mixes. The truth is that the brownies from Betty, Betty Crocker rock my world. Yes, I sometimes think I am a big fraud as I buy the package browns- hump. I have made brownies from scratch for a bakery, for Foodie NY friends, with wholewheat spelt, kamut, and pastry whole wheat flour and each time I find myself trying to reproduce the browns from Betty. Horrible as that may seem I don't think I'm the only one. I think we all live in a generation of packaged goods and quick mixes fast answers via the Internet.

But the final question is what is home baked mean in 2009?
Check out: Ten Trends to Watch in Packaged Goods