Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Cooking from the Farmer’s Market by Jodi Liano, Tasha De Serio and Jennifer Maiser
Published by Weldon Owen and Williams-Sonoma
2010, 271 pages
A trip to the farmer’s market is a feast for the senses – vibrant colors and the heady aroma of fresh produce bring out the impulsive produce shopper in all of us. So, what do you do with that quince once you take it home? Cooking from the Farmer’s Market, the latest offering from Williams-Sonoma, makes it easy to navigate the market and provides in-depth information on buying and preparing your new-found treasures (aprium, anyone?).
Unlike many cookbooks that tout “easy to prepare” recipes, this one provides unexpected yet elegant dishes that appeal to your inner gourmand. The cherry section includes not only a recipe for sour cherry pie but also a tasty crostini with smoked duck and cherry relish. The prosaic lemon is caramelized and served with sautéed snapper filet. There is even a fresh update on a Brady family favorite – sautéed apples and pork chops.
The two main sections, of the book fruit and vegetables, are further broken down by type (squash, melons, etc). A handy chart outlines all of the featured produce along with the peak season for each – taking the fear out of a trip to the market in winter. Clear, precise instructions (including metric conversions) are perfect for the novice cook. There is even a “techniques” section to take the mystery out of “segmenting citrus” or “paring tough stalks.” So, pack up your reusable bags, head to the farmer’s market and pick up a rutabaga. With this book, you won’t regret it.
Asian barbecue brings to mind smoky Korea Town restaurants and youthful forays to Benihana but leave it to the folks at Fatty Crab to reinvent the style. At Fatty ‘Cue, their newest outpost in Brooklyn, they have combined refined Asian flavors with down-home American barbecue. The result is culinary brilliance.
Tucked into a side street in Williamsburg, the outside is reminiscent of a PBR swilling dive bar. Entering into the front room your initial impression is confirmed with hipsters downing their “Recession Special” – a shot of whiskey, a shot of pickle juice and, yes, a PBR tallboy. A narrow hallway in the back leads into a brick multi-story room with wooden tables and crowned with a pig chandelier. For those with al fresco dining inclinations, there is an inviting outdoor deck as well.
Tempting though a tallboy might be, we went straight for the cocktail menu and found some gems. The South 6th, made of cucumber, Thai basil, lemon, ginger ale and either gin or vodka (our choice), is a refreshingly tart summer treat. The Stone Julep, a traditional mint julep made with peach, apricot and nectarine, turned out to be a perfect accompaniment to Fatty ‘Cue’s smoky fare. Yes, we consumed more than one of each.
We were delighted to see the whole pig special on the menu but joy turned to woe when our adorable waiter informed us they were out of it – and it was only 6:30. Our quest for pork continued on the “snacks” portion of the menu with the ‘cue coriander bacon served with a steamed yellow curry custard. The bacon was juicy with just the right amount of smoke but the yellow curry custard was worthy of a star turn in itself – rich yet delicate with a curry kick.
Ribs are a must at any barbecue spot and we found them in the “specialties” section of the menu. Meaty, tender, heritage pork ribs are cooked in a smoked fish and palm syrup. My dining companion, noted for her delicate use of a fork in almost all situations, sucked those ribs dry.
Having suffered at the hands of my mother’s sad attempts at a Passover brisket, I generally shy away from the stuff but took a chance here. Moist and smoky, it is served with chili jam, aioli, and red onion. Wrapped in bao, an Asian steamed bread (think steamed buns at a dim sum place) and dipped in bone broth it is a heavenly variation on a french dip. Order more bao. Trust me, you want it.
The dessert menu is fairly limited and we opted for the pie of the day because who could resist a smores pie? Topped with cream, it was worth every calorie. A warning to all of you caffeine addicts: Fatty ‘Cue doesn’t serve coffee so don’t get too excited about an after dinner espresso.
Fatty ‘Cue brings food as it is prepared so this might not be the place if you are looking for a formal dining experience (as if the décor and finger-friendly food weren’t enough hints). In spite of this, I found the service to be fantastic. So often, restaurants with hipster cred tend to hire ultra-cool servers – too cool to actually serve. Not to cast aspersions on my servers’ hip quotient, but the wait staff was genuinely nice. They checked on our table on a regular basis and kept us updated on the status of the food.
The only real downside is that Fatty ‘Cue doesn’t take reservations. So, if you don’t want to stand around pounding tallboys for a couple of hours, get there early.
Fatty ‘Cue
91 South 6th Street, Brooklyn
718-599-3090
Open: Sunday – Wednesday 5PM – Midnight
Thursday – Saturday 5PM- 4 AM (Kitchen closes at 2)
Brunch Saturday and Sunday noon- 4PM
Still searching for a hostess gift for your New Year’s festivities? Although chocolate is perfect for any occasion it’s a great way to ring in 2010 – not to mention a last hurrah before those pesky resolutions kick in. New York is filled with amazing artisanal chocolate shops and the ones below have great gifts for all of your friends from the Upper East Side Sophisticate to the Brooklyn vegan. Each has on-line ordering and delivery but they are all worth a visit!
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There are some dinners, and then there is this one, and this one won’t come around again. Chef Daniel Boulud will host an amazing evening at the James Beard House with four of his top team members from Daniel’s restaurants around the country – Jean Francois Bruel (Executive Chef, DANIEL), Wesley Holton (Executive Chef, Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn Las Vegas), Gavin Kaysen (Executive Chef, Cafe Boulud) and Dominique Ansel (Executive Pastry Chef DANIEL).
Together, they will prepare a 6-course tasting dinner to honor their mentor, Daniel Boulud. You will see a combination of French technique brought together with the best American ingredients.
When: Monday, September 14
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: James Beard House
Cost: $300 per person ($250 for James Beard members) Contact the Beard House for tickets.
Now for the menu:
Hors d’Oeuvre by Gavin Kaysen
Tomato Gazpacho Pickled Green Tomato with Tête de Fromage Tomato & Basil Arancini
Tomato Tart with Burrata, Red Onion Marmalade
Olive & Tomato Compote Stuffed in a Zucchini Flower
Rabbit Porchetta with Satur Farm Vegetables by Jean-François Bruel
Purple Mustard, Frisee Salad & Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Sweet Corn Agnolotti by Wesley Holton
Chanterelles, Rillons & Thai Basil
Butter Poached Dover Sole by Gavin Kaysen
Sunchoke Puree, Citrus Braised Endive, Red Pearl Onions, Sauce Americain
Scottish Grouse With Foie Gras & Oregon Huckleberries by Jean-Francois Bruel
Butternut Squash, Parsnip & Peppercress Salad
Kaffir Lime Infused Mango by Dominique Ansel
Kumquat Confit, Pink Guava Sorbet
Manjari Chocolate Mousse with Nougat Foam by Dominique Ansel
Milk Chocolate Biscuit, Rwanda Coffee Ice Cream
Trial and error is a very important motto to live by. One of my biggest pet peeves happens to be people who refuse to try new foods… those “picky eaters” who deprive their taste buds of flavors, day after day, because they don’t even give them a try. Of course, I don’t get pissed at someone if they don’t take a bite of my shrimp dish because they are allergic to shellfish; I would feel bad for you, but I would understand.
What really gets me, is if I put the most delicious, flavorful, fatty piece of Maguro in your face and you won’t even TRY it. Truthfully, it is rare that I will ever voluntarily offer anyone a bite of my food, but if I do make that grand gesture, it is a huge deal!! You will never know whether or not you like something if you don’t ever put down your guard and open up your taste buds! So, for those picky-eaters out there (you know who you are)… the first step is admitting you have a problem. The second step, is either a) make a conscious decision to change your ways, or b) don’t ever, ever, EVER, dine with me.
I am one of those people who lives to eat, as opposed to those who eat to live. I will try anything, I mean ANYTHING, once. If I like it, fabulous, if I don’t, so be it. That is the only way to experience food, and life for that matter. I spent the past few months traveling the world and I got to try a lot of exotic and diverse foods. From Zebra, Oryx, Springbok and Crocodile in Namibia, to Dosas, Naan and Curry in India.
Restaurant Saravana Bhavan... Chennai, India
Some things I would eat again, some, I’d rather not. But the thing is–I experienced each country and culture through their food. That to me is the best way to get a feel for the places I visit, through the flavors, cooking techniques and the style of the people who inhabit them.
You learn a lot by watching someone cook. In Thailand, I took a cooking class at the world renowned Blue Elephant Cooking School with Executive Chef, Tiger, and ate at the Blue Elephant restaurant.
Cooking at the Blue Elephant in Bangkok
In Vietnam, I ate from street carts, while sitting on plastic chairs, on the beaches of Nha Trang. The simplicity of Asian cuisine and the pride the people take in preparing their native dishes, from locally grown, fresh, ingredients, shines through in every bite. Whether I ate at the best restaurant in a city or the most famous stand on the corner of a small town, I did not regret a single thing I tried.
Fresh spring rolls in Nha Trang, Vietnam... mmm
Masterpieces.
Living in a city full of every cuisine imaginable, I am truly blessed to be able to find the foods from around the globe that I have come to appreciate, like a really good Pad Thai, and the ones I have not yet been fortunate enough to savor.
This past weekend, I dined at some really great new finds (well, they may not be new, but to me they are!). If you don’t know me, you should know that if I see avocado in anything… I am probably going to order it. Add shell-fish or raw fish, and I’m sold. Benvenuto, on the corner of 23rd and Broadway has a great lunch menu and get this, they serve eggs all day! I don’t know about you, but I find it very aggravating when a restaurant shuts their grill off at 11:30 a.m. and won’t make me a good egg white omelet. Not only are egg white omelet’s a great healthy meal, but they are filling, delicious and something I am always in the mood for! I decided to try something on their menu, because it’s pretty hard to mess up an omelet, and let you guys know if this place was too good to be true.
I got a shrimp and avocado wrap, which had arugula, tomato, cilantro and dressing.
I love the colors-- doesn't it look awesome !
It was delicious. They serve all their wraps with a choice of chips or “air fries.” Of course, I had no idea what “air fries” were, so I had to order them… but, they turned out to be regular french fries. They kind of looked like those Ore-Ida fries that you get in the frozen section, the ones that you had growing up as a kid and were amazed how frozen fries could be microwaved to crispy perfection.
See what I mean ?!
Don’t get me wrong, they were great… I haven’t really met a french fry I didn’t like, but they were thick-cut and I must admit I am a shoe-string fry kind of girl. Don’t worry Benvenuto, I’m sure there are plenty of thick-cut loving fry eaters out there… you can’t please everyone!
Another place I got to try this weekend, as I said I wanted to in my earlier post, was Spice Thai. I think it is pretty hard to mess to up Thai food, so clearly their food was awesome, but the service was horrendous. I think any place can have a bad night… so I will give Spice the benefit of the doubt and assume this was theirs. The good thing about Spice is that it is BYOB, however, it would be in their interest to tell groups of 6 or more that they are limited in the alcohol they are allowed to consume, while in Spice. Two bottles of wine, for 6+ people, seems a tad unreasonable… in my opinion. Keep that in mind next time you hear that a place has free wine with dinner, or BYOB–it just goes to show that some things are not what they seem.
Be sure to get out there and give the diverse cuisine of NYC a try… you never know what you may find. And, when you do find that little hidden gem–be sure to tell me all about it!!
Welcome to Dine Magazine. I am just a regular New Yorker who loves to eat! I never truly understood my passion for Food Network and anything edible meant that I was part of an incredibly large, exciting and yummy community of fellow “foodies” like myself. But, the day I came to terms with my identity was the beginning of a love-affair with the culinary arts.
As the great Julia Child once said, “Find something you’re passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it.” I plan to do just that this summer and I would love for you to come along with me on my journey. I will be exploring the NYC foodie world in-depth this summer and reporting everything I learn/see/hear right here on my very own food blog 
. WOW, that is crazy to say… I have my VERY OWN FOOD BLOG!! Finally.
Please feel free to e-mail me any suggestions or comments, because after all, I want us to learn together. That being said, tonight I went to a very cool “hippster” bar in the East Village. I don’t normally use the word “cool” to describe anything–but, that is the best adjective to describe this place. Black and White is a cozy, hole-in-the-wall bar that feels like your little secret, hidden in the outskirts of Union Square. I promised myself that I would try new and more laid-back places this summer, which made tonight’s late-night drink even more exciting! I hate when I plan to accomplish lots and find that a few weeks have passed and I am still frequenting the same joints I know I dislike, well, hate to be honest.
Tonight’s bar choice was a very intimate and discrete location, where punks, business men and NYU art students can all relax over a pint. I even passed some really great restaurants along the way that I definitely want to try: Spice at 77 E. 10th and 4th Ave and Casa Mono. at 52 Irving Place. I can’t wait to discover what these restaurants have to offer, and you all will be the first to know what I think–warning: I am brutally honest (not that I think this is a bad thing–just thought I’d throw the disclaimer out there!).
For now, it is time for bed… the good thing about waking up is that I am always hungry for more!