tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48712039446380168542024-03-13T09:40:08.050-07:00Cooking, Drinking and Swearing with MeghanMeghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-51362360276348416792012-01-02T12:20:00.000-08:002012-05-13T12:26:40.441-07:00Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Because going out on New Year’s Eve in New York—or really anywhere—is such a nightmare, my boyfriend and I decided to stay in. I stumbled upon a recipe on Serious Eats for a Sicilian pizza made especially for New Years. This got my food-obsessed brain cranking, and I decided that this must be our New Year’s dinner. Best laid plans and all that.
One of the things I struggle with in my corner of Brooklyn is a lack of comprehensive grocery options. The C-Town by me is by far the worst stocked one I have ever been to—the produce section is literally two metal carts in front of the freezer cases. On the other end of the spectrum I am fortunate enough to have three neighborhood butchers a block from my house as well as Brooklyn Kitchen two blocks away.<br />
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I tell you all this to illustrate the problem I have trying to track down something that’s more complicated than ketchup but less artisanal than rendered duck fat. The recipe called for rapid-rise yeast—now since the better-stocked C-Town in my old neighborhood kept the yeast up by the cash registers with the tabloids and Snickers bars, I figured that the probability of this one having it at all was close to nil. So, I headed to Brooklyn Kitchen…where of course they had yeast, but fresh cake yeast, not the usual packets of dried yeast the recipe called for. Assured that the yeast company’s website had handy instructions for swapping out fresh for dried yeast, I bought it.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYkRjkgANaRucLUwJWNeIdUwJt1DKvi34aqgdjN-yR1icLOGzi8KRXZrptP9gqYZiMuWTZqq2qe12xyGhOrKJgkQz1ILJbo9udtpSbCp0cbttWbn4Eilvjr4o1hnz0SJO4zhvxfm6zsc/s1600/DSC_0130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYkRjkgANaRucLUwJWNeIdUwJt1DKvi34aqgdjN-yR1icLOGzi8KRXZrptP9gqYZiMuWTZqq2qe12xyGhOrKJgkQz1ILJbo9udtpSbCp0cbttWbn4Eilvjr4o1hnz0SJO4zhvxfm6zsc/s320/DSC_0130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Well, the most helpful website in all of the internet cannot help you if your yeast is dead, as I unhappily discovered when I checked on my dough the following morning. The dough still looked exactly as it had when I put it in the fridge at 4:30 the previous afternoon. Since the dough needed a rise time of 12 hours, I didn’t have time to make another, and I had to change gears. Goodbye carefully considered recipe.
For the crust I used the pizza dough from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, always my go-to source when I am in unfamiliar territory or the recipe I am using takes an unfortunate turn. The pasta sauce is a very basic one since the toppings are really the stars here. For toppings, I used spinach and mozzarella.<br />
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However, pizza is a really great way to use up whatever you have going on in your fridge, so feel free to get creative. When I was throwing this together I was searching all over the internet for a guide on how to make pizza in the oven since the dough recipe then went on to describe how to grill your pizza as did many of the others I found. Yes, of course I have a grill in my tiny apartment! Don’t you?
I hope this can be for you the step-by-step guide for inside pizza I couldn’t find. Happy pizzaing!
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Process:<br />
1. Make the dough and let rise<br />
2. Turn out dough for second rise<br />
3. Make sauce and prepare toppings<br />
4. Preheat oven to 500º F, inserting pizza stone, if using, onto cold oven floor<br />
5. Roll out dough to desired size and dress<br />
6. Using pizza peel slide pizza onto pizza stone. Otherwise, carefully place dressed dough onto pizza stone or oiled baking sheet and return to floor of oven<br />
7. Bake for about 12 minutes until toppings are bubbly and serve immediately<br />
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Dough<br />
From Mark Bittman’s <i>How to Cook Everything</i><br />
Makes one large or two small pies<br />
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1tsp. instant or rapid-rise yeast<br />
3 c. all-purpose or bread flour<br />
2 tsp. Kosher salt<br />
1 to 1 ¼ cups water (I had to use 1 ¼ cups)<br />
2 TB. olive oil<br />
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Combine the yeast, flour and salt in the container of a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup of water and olive oil. Process for 30 seconds, slowly adding more water if necessary, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.
Turn the dough onto a floured workspace and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth dough ball. Grease a bowl with some olive oil and put in the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until it doubles in size—about 1 to 2 hours.
Once the dough rises, if you are making two small pizzas now is the time to divide it. Then put the dough back onto the floured surface and knead lightly. Cover with a towel and let it puff back up for about 20 minutes. Stretch by hand or with rolling pin to desired size and add toppings.<br />
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Sauce<br />
Makes more than enough, leftovers can be used over pasta, etc.<br />
3 TB olive oil<br />
3 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
1 28oz. can pureed tomatoes<br />
¼ cup red wine<br />
pinches of oregano, rosemary and red pepper flakes
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Heat olive oil in medium saucepan and add garlic. Stir until fragrant and add tomatoes, wine and seasoning. Simmer until flavors combine and alcohol burns off, about 12 minutes.<br />
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Topping<br />
About 7 c. fresh spinach
5 oz. mozzarella in ½ inch slicesMeghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0Kings, NY, USA40.6528762 -73.95949440.5565032 -74.1174225 40.7492492 -73.801565500000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-77017944975161262010-05-05T09:13:00.001-07:002010-05-05T10:27:31.200-07:00Vegetarian Fajitas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzfE3a4JS88x-_U5C_s3gcna7cTSUZsCEgYhikEXgWgUjmWLZU8SHQnbtkUXVJ8UCwvUqB6pL31Slc79c0YTGq9hiN4duWxo1znfQ39TA9VVoLnq10ixXnQVm6W3UaxK5YRspFVXmjUY/s1600/MexRev1910.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzfE3a4JS88x-_U5C_s3gcna7cTSUZsCEgYhikEXgWgUjmWLZU8SHQnbtkUXVJ8UCwvUqB6pL31Slc79c0YTGq9hiN4duWxo1znfQ39TA9VVoLnq10ixXnQVm6W3UaxK5YRspFVXmjUY/s320/MexRev1910.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467828159281784466" /></a><br /><br />It's Cinco de Mayo! Let's go loco! Just kidding. I made these a few weeks ago. Also, <a href="http://occasionalphotographer.blogspot.com/">someone</a> once told me that Cinco de Mayo is not such a big deal in Mexico, so just sit on your sombrero until <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores">September 16th</a>. <br /><br />I made these fajitas sort of on a whim (which explains my lack of authentic photos), but I feel the need to post them because there are no really good, simple vegetarian fajita recipes out there in internet land. All of them have got something weird and complicated going on, whereas I feel like fajitas should be a really easy and fuss-free dinner, not something that involves roasting and weird vegetables. <br /><br />I didn't include any green peppers because I find them too bitter, but feel free to throw them in if you want. I also didn't get too fancy with the toppings since the whole point was quick and easy with limited chopping. If you find yourself with extra time on your hands, these would be even better with chopped tomatoes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo">tomatillos</a> (which are apparently in the nightshade family--cool!), and/or cilantro.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> Apparently making vegetarian fajitas makes me a "terrorist" in the eyes of my aforementioned Mexican history expert. Recipe redacted. <br /><br />Vegetarian Fajitas<br />serves about 3<br /><br />2 TB vegetable oil<br />1 yellow pepper, sliced<br />1 red pepper, sliced<br />1 orange pepper, sliced<br />2 portobello mushrooms, sliced<br />1 head broccoli florets<br />1 yellow onion, sliced<br />1/2 tsp. curry powder<br />1/2 tsp. chili powder<br />1/4 tsp. cumin<br />1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese<br />sour cream<br />black bean salsa (I used Newman's)<br />1 pkg smallish tortillas<br /><br />Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In large saucepan heat oil until shimmery. Add broccoli and saute, about 2 minutes. Add all other vegetables and saute until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Add curry powder, chili powder cumin and allow to cook to desired tenderness. In the meantime, wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and stick in the oven to warm.<br /><br />Fill each tortilla with veggie filling and top with shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa.<strong></strong>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-66747197069849485922010-03-25T13:20:00.000-07:002010-03-25T13:40:33.718-07:00Easy, Delicious, Cheap Carrot Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtKUB1mWkB3LrhwuxA5-eQIcaBxykkEBCb2xWBA6af6oFuBeMpYLAd6Vt0KiHXDFom-QPigJg6GpYBWWDfHWouzBc3A9Ry3AlhbKsC-XzE5guZEZL4OiaA2VKnrnZ73Selqd8RY_NQf8/s1600/soup+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtKUB1mWkB3LrhwuxA5-eQIcaBxykkEBCb2xWBA6af6oFuBeMpYLAd6Vt0KiHXDFom-QPigJg6GpYBWWDfHWouzBc3A9Ry3AlhbKsC-XzE5guZEZL4OiaA2VKnrnZ73Selqd8RY_NQf8/s320/soup+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452673934167834498" /></a><br /><br />I made this soup on Tuesday night for dinner after experiencing a strong craving for carrot soup that afternoon. All the carrot soups I have had and made before involve ginger, which means peeling it and grating: kind of an annoying and time-consuming process. <br /><br />This soup was different! Pure carrots, onion, and broth (plus spices). It's seriously a no hassle dinner, and you may even be able to make it from your pantry/veg drawer--you know, if you have carrots. Also, if you have an immersion blender (which, if you don't, Go get one, crazy!) you can just blend it up right in the pan. So, so easy. <br /><br />Also, the soup tastes like it has cream in it because it is so rich and...well...creamy. It doesn't. Seriously, these are all the ingredients:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ3gKpfKJlLtVneifrUUsPToLqLg_tf15A7AtquwgSSgBep5pnsU7Yg39hfMJwQjGfVfihEVva5E41AugHzNOCh6jeIq2peBpE9K5NN2i6kpr9nqtg1bksJlO1skRfzeTgkO2GOW112U/s1600/soup+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ3gKpfKJlLtVneifrUUsPToLqLg_tf15A7AtquwgSSgBep5pnsU7Yg39hfMJwQjGfVfihEVva5E41AugHzNOCh6jeIq2peBpE9K5NN2i6kpr9nqtg1bksJlO1skRfzeTgkO2GOW112U/s320/soup+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452673648347477330" /></a><br />(minus the beer. That was my "to drink while cooking" beer.)<br /><br />This is called Moroccan Carrot soup and is from the most current issue of Bon Appetit. I guess the spices are what makes it Moroccan? Eh, who cares. It's yummy.<br /><br />Moroccan Carrot Soup<br />Bon Appetit April 2010<br /><br />makes 4 [small] servings<br /><br /> 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter<br />1 cup chopped white onion<br />1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 cups)<br />2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth<br />1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds<br />1 tablespoon honey<br />1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice<br />1/8 teaspoon ground allspice<br />1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred to loosen<br />preparation<br /><br />Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in carrots. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.<br /><br />Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes; cool. Finely grind in spice mill.<br /><br />Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper.<br /><br />Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over; sprinkle generously with cumin.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-26950940426040447982010-03-25T11:24:00.000-07:002010-03-25T13:19:28.415-07:00Belated: Irish Soda Bread<a href="http://www.someecards.com/card/1803"><img src="http://d3gkbha1s7sr56.cloudfront.net/someecards/filestorage/patty_7.jpg" alt="I'm starting a drunken brawl with the first person today who stereotypes the Irish" /></a><br /><br />I've been making soda bread for as long as I've been baking. I still remember idly searching through my mother's recipe box and stumbling upon "Mary Cuthbert's Soda Bread." Mary was a neighbor of my grandparents: both sets--my parents grew up catty-corner to each other...awww. Mary's bread was a success the first time I made it and really delicious. My family gobbled it up immediately and then broke into rousing renditions of Danny Boy and The Fields of Athenry. Or something. When my mother mentioned to my grandmother that I had made it--and that it was good--my grandmother was amazed because "whenever she tried to make soda bread the only thing it was good for was throwing against a wall." <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXkbNRZjttBkLM7wdSNyejcIiDx6bTzFDn60_Jd482lbYggdeU1bvMwdChgWDvRmC7zIMcc2fvhj6FFgabYhG4Me3rkl4SWTeZB_23ojf9iajmr6pjB_WhlaQh8w3RiTe2m8UyukD5iM/s1600/sb+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXkbNRZjttBkLM7wdSNyejcIiDx6bTzFDn60_Jd482lbYggdeU1bvMwdChgWDvRmC7zIMcc2fvhj6FFgabYhG4Me3rkl4SWTeZB_23ojf9iajmr6pjB_WhlaQh8w3RiTe2m8UyukD5iM/s320/sb+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452668074530141330" /></a><br /><br />This Paddy's day I decided to try another recipe, one that, because it used whole wheat flour, is closer to the brown bread I ate and loved and miss in Ireland. This one is Mrs. O'Callaghan's (also a Mary, no joke) and is from the March issue of...you guessed it...Bon Appetit. The other reason I had for using this recipe is that the one from Mary Cuthbert has you turn the dough out into a cask-iron skillet in order to get the right shape. I, ashamedly, do not have a cask-iron skillet. (My birthday is October 4th, but I accept gifts year-round.) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh420oc7uy3G0ToMAOGQyGIMb6wfIemuJEJ6FfB_0tjrNfv7ep5BfhUfUrxKEIz6_UbXM1jMId0fjPDGYwaC2u2LgxVRoFT2Tobl-NMg224hGyuGcBaiNe2l_qNkXdHAsY5GzLgEQTyMWs/s1600/sb2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh420oc7uy3G0ToMAOGQyGIMb6wfIemuJEJ6FfB_0tjrNfv7ep5BfhUfUrxKEIz6_UbXM1jMId0fjPDGYwaC2u2LgxVRoFT2Tobl-NMg224hGyuGcBaiNe2l_qNkXdHAsY5GzLgEQTyMWs/s320/sb2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452668336959559858" /></a><br /><br />The one from BA turned out pretty well, but it didn't really cook all the way through, even though my oven is really hot and I left it in for about 15 minutes more than the recommended baking time. I could eat the edges, however, and they were very good and pretty damn close to Irish Brown Bread. I'll definitely make it again, but next time I might try leaving it in for about an hour. One weird thing about the recipe is that it tells you to stir until the dough is "shaggy." I'm not sure what that means, but I think mine was more Scooby, or Scrappy. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HpKKaE9UbIdpLb7Dfqrq__4S_1Remo6Py_cCGMOPBxWHAajWC0QuyxzkXYE8t6QTBE2yGBExU1iUy3RUsbLfxplQy-z__mRsvR9w5lUh7tmI_vkDUeaPZb5tB62IOpTLH6BBTrfzGgA/s1600/sb+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HpKKaE9UbIdpLb7Dfqrq__4S_1Remo6Py_cCGMOPBxWHAajWC0QuyxzkXYE8t6QTBE2yGBExU1iUy3RUsbLfxplQy-z__mRsvR9w5lUh7tmI_vkDUeaPZb5tB62IOpTLH6BBTrfzGgA/s320/sb+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452668572104103698" /></a><br /><br />For your baking pleasure, here are both the Irish-American Soda Bread (with raisins and caraway seeds) from Mary Cuthbert and the Irish Brown Bread from BA. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mrs. O'Callaghan's Irish Brown Bread</span><br />Bon Appetit March 2010<br /><br />Nonstick vegetable oil spray<br />3 cups all purpose flour<br />3 cups whole wheat flour<br />1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled margarine or butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes<br />2 cups buttermilk<br />preparation<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray heavy baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk both flours, sugar, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Add margarine and cut in until margarine is reduced to pea-size pieces. Add buttermilk; stir until shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together, about 10 turns. Shape dough into 7-inch round. Place dough on prepared baking sheet. Cut large X, 1/2 inch deep, in top of dough.<br /><br />Bake bread until deep brown and bottom sounds hollow when firmly tapped, about 40 minutes [<span style="font-weight:bold;">check it at 40, but be prepared to keep going</span>]. Transfer bread to rack and cool completely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mary Cuthbert's Irish [American] Soda Bread<br /></span><br />3 CUPS FLOUR<br />1 TSP BAKING SODA<br />1 TSP SALT<br />1 TB BAKING POWDER<br />3 TABLESPOON BUTTER, cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />2/3 CUP SUGAR<br />1 CUP RAISINS OR LESS<br />13 OZ OF BUTTERMILK<br />3 EGGS<br />1 TB CARROWAY SEEDS<br /><br /><br />Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in large bowl. Using pastry cutter or your hands, blend in butter until the dough resembles corn meal. Add rest of ingredients and stir until a dough forms, adding more flour or buttermilk if necessary. <br /><br />Turn out into cask-iron skillet, that has been greased with either butter or vegetable oil spray. <br /><br />Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-51982379171890758682010-03-04T15:13:00.000-08:002010-03-04T16:04:57.843-08:00Fettuccine di Vino with Beets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqpJiAW5gd0VfQhYApZb_eYHl_tO7fgEHlAR0KTIUllGOI4hNbATz44hw7LmdAJ96fFISkizcLQcTgGMneNBG09PPE-0SkTTN8SulGcv9U4-6FlsP9yXfrOoXrW1T0_tKJLIcrfkGk0Q/s1600-h/beets+lead.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqpJiAW5gd0VfQhYApZb_eYHl_tO7fgEHlAR0KTIUllGOI4hNbATz44hw7LmdAJ96fFISkizcLQcTgGMneNBG09PPE-0SkTTN8SulGcv9U4-6FlsP9yXfrOoXrW1T0_tKJLIcrfkGk0Q/s320/beets+lead.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444932356963128514" /></a><br /><br />I've been craving beets lately, which seems like a strange thing to crave. I had never even had anything but canned beets until a few years ago. When I was growing up, my mom almost never used canned vegetables...except for beets. I think she justified it because they take a long time to cook and the canned ones have a similar taste and texture to the fresh ones, in a way that canned green beans or carrots don't (mush city). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ff6SgCsXB9Z9DDbCsG0gqiD4CKY0BZ8Tia2p9r9LVNmR56HgrhzPrrGcnaoVSizAVM5Xr4qrXkdcYkd18ID06uC2UADHpHqXlFyLL_CY8LLKx9z841PWdLTSyLsRw2-QcxvnrV8dyms/s1600-h/beets1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ff6SgCsXB9Z9DDbCsG0gqiD4CKY0BZ8Tia2p9r9LVNmR56HgrhzPrrGcnaoVSizAVM5Xr4qrXkdcYkd18ID06uC2UADHpHqXlFyLL_CY8LLKx9z841PWdLTSyLsRw2-QcxvnrV8dyms/s320/beets1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444932499180491522" /></a> <br /><br />Beets are also kind of a weird vegetable because people don't usually think to put them alongside dinner in the same way they might with asparagus or corn. Their flavor is pretty distinct, so they're a little harder to pair with a main dish. They're also purple, which makes them seem a little bit like something you might be served at the mess hall of the Yellow Submarine. Which is possibly a little too psychedelic for some.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdPDjO8bNDQbbKFlLbOJpRDmoa3tQvVB-5frCsdtoyHpMW0RCGzmA8GEDbfU-8rPJBY8i2LJe9bV55r0gZUN3u-kQBfk366hmzek2BOHYWppZIm9X_C2Ai56lxQllRlIGHfW97qFDPII/s1600-h/beets2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdPDjO8bNDQbbKFlLbOJpRDmoa3tQvVB-5frCsdtoyHpMW0RCGzmA8GEDbfU-8rPJBY8i2LJe9bV55r0gZUN3u-kQBfk366hmzek2BOHYWppZIm9X_C2Ai56lxQllRlIGHfW97qFDPII/s320/beets2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444933014247600498" /></a> <br /><br />The following recipe is from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spirited-Vegetarian-Recipes-Lively-Spirits/dp/1579549705/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267745296&sr=8-1-spell">The Spirited Vegetarian</a> by Paulette Mitchell, a cookbook I bought shortly after my 21st birthday and, unfortunately for the book, right before I started eating meat again. So, shamefully, I haven't really made that many recipes from it. I've had, however, great and delicious success with the ones I have tried.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEFy7bteFpRPYJYnuJJCNGsMQgcEjArjNbipK-zBpRY-eLThHJbCZzm5YGCEXU0gmQyccX_mmej8kSOudaD4DkdQlYa5H4Hw2dnhV-fGYMEN-pB_E7-n7oiHdulimERGWbpqAMXg_Neo/s1600-h/beets3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEFy7bteFpRPYJYnuJJCNGsMQgcEjArjNbipK-zBpRY-eLThHJbCZzm5YGCEXU0gmQyccX_mmej8kSOudaD4DkdQlYa5H4Hw2dnhV-fGYMEN-pB_E7-n7oiHdulimERGWbpqAMXg_Neo/s320/beets3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444933278576097522" /></a> <br /><br />All the recipes have booze in them, which is a good excuse for buying wine on Monday night. And, like this one, many of the recipes are easily made vegan (useful if you're feeling like you need to balance out the naughtiness of pouring booze into your saucepan and, let's be honest, mouth).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtBAQLgVYZ1MAocV8HY-UHPVJevf6BwjGlFlwm49hdPAD7UeOUhnS5gtDuRzcZ26DNyfHcCRDu5ESW8ApmBOaUj7ur6SRKn3qO5qzNke9NOqQOJLqrvrQ53ZmlJsXZWS0hTQs_jx0DRg/s1600-h/beets4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtBAQLgVYZ1MAocV8HY-UHPVJevf6BwjGlFlwm49hdPAD7UeOUhnS5gtDuRzcZ26DNyfHcCRDu5ESW8ApmBOaUj7ur6SRKn3qO5qzNke9NOqQOJLqrvrQ53ZmlJsXZWS0hTQs_jx0DRg/s320/beets4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444933481830933074" /></a><br /><br />The original recipe uses spaghetti instead of fettuccine. I swapped it out because I have a longstanding and inexplicable hatred of spaghetti. Feel free to use whatever long pasta you prefer. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbyr_qeg32b9bf1faIAtxT-AdhHr0jHIvqQkoVSrfQ7fHIuaDE7I9ZauPMS5xjQUf37cNdBMPrST7EI0FruQ6jU-tUsq-so0Bt7j6iR3z8Hy4NMfXyWF_03X8jKyYNIaqmZsWVJICOAI/s1600-h/beets5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbyr_qeg32b9bf1faIAtxT-AdhHr0jHIvqQkoVSrfQ7fHIuaDE7I9ZauPMS5xjQUf37cNdBMPrST7EI0FruQ6jU-tUsq-so0Bt7j6iR3z8Hy4NMfXyWF_03X8jKyYNIaqmZsWVJICOAI/s320/beets5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444933735040649922" /></a><br /><br />Fettuccine di Vino with Beets<br />from Paulette Mitchell's <span style="font-style:italic;">The Spirited <br />Vegetarian</span><br /><br />makes 4 servings (or 3 if you're hungry)<br /><br />3 medium red or yellow beets, scrubbed, with 1 inch of stem still on (set aside greens)<br />8 oz. Fettuccine<br />2 TB olive oil<br />1 large sweet onion<br />2 cups finely chopped reserved beet greens<br />4 garlic cloves<br />3/4 c. Merlot or other full-bodied, plummy red wine, with medium tannins<br />1/4 c. dried currants (don't skip these if you can! they add an interesting sweetness)<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper<br />2 TB lemon juice (from 1 juicy or 1 1/2 lemons)<br />1/4 c. toasted pine nuts<br />Feta cheese for garnish (I also added pecorino romano because I love cheese)<br /><br />Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the beets and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the beets can be pierced with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes. When the beets are cool enough to handle, remove the skins (you can score the skin with a paring knife if you need to). Cut the beets into 2" x 1/4" strips, placing wax paper on your cutting board to protect it from purple fever.<br /><br />Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions suggest. (The pasta should be slightly undercooked, but not crunchy.)<br /><br />While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the beet greens and garlic and stir constantly until the greens are wilted, about 1 minute. <br /><br />Stir in the beets, wine, dried currants, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. The wine should be reduced but not totally evaporated. Stir in the lemon juice. <br /><br />When the pasta is cooked according to the above instructions, drain it well. Add it to the beet mixture. Stir over medium heat until it absorbs the wine and turns red. Remove from the heat. Add the pine nuts and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Remember that the feta will add saltiness.)<br /><br />Garnish plated servings with pepper and feta cheese.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-13948124456893812782010-02-25T12:25:00.000-08:002010-02-26T12:49:41.093-08:00Pear-Raspberry Heart Pies: Sweets for your Sweet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvrAmfDO5zu_ilNy6M5hJHa1H4VtJswb1fhs6u-vvyMxMEiRyQow4sUIBXDK7X0712lV0K3R0FR_BCV0liSuZYZoB3_LIY52gHpc1Aqqwx1QVEtTDfgnnhjMzYEescwJ0Cq8tin9c8us/s1600-h/hearts+lead.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvrAmfDO5zu_ilNy6M5hJHa1H4VtJswb1fhs6u-vvyMxMEiRyQow4sUIBXDK7X0712lV0K3R0FR_BCV0liSuZYZoB3_LIY52gHpc1Aqqwx1QVEtTDfgnnhjMzYEescwJ0Cq8tin9c8us/s320/hearts+lead.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442656070796558930" /></a><br /><br />So, every once in a while, I completely loose my mind and decide to make a Martha Stewart recipe, despite the fact that I do have plans at some point during the next week. This very thing happened the night Mike was getting back from Ecuador, and which just so happened to be the Wednesday after Valentines Day. For whatever reason, I decided that I was not only going to spend all day running errands in Manhattan, something that usually exhausts me to the point of collapse, but I was also going to spend the evening making pesto, <a href="http://cookingdrinkingswearing.blogspot.com/2010/02/kimchi-pancakes-qualified-success.html">kimchi pancakes</a>, and heart-shaped pies. Obviously, something had short-circuited in my brain.<br /><br />Further, it's worth noting that these were not a regular old Martha Stewart Everyday Food deal. Oh no. These are from Martha Stewart Living (for which I got a free subscription from my JetBlue miles. What?). The "Living" in MSL means that in order to make anything from the magazine you must commit your <font style="font-style: italic;">life</font> to making your own flower pots, infusing your own tea, and making pies in shapes other than "round"; i.e. you do not have a job. Luckily for me, I do not have a job. Well, one that pays me, anyway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGR4D74Mt2G08MaBGP4eecHgE5Lt5fngASKxXyEGUP53kPZVASBU6IWdXfdT4Je_IPPuWvAG_rOTcHVcrdJN93WgGQbT2Mq1NCz9Iu5KQXj6Q4kg86vAFOrtKpfL1OOBxfntR9zofS2M/s1600-h/hearts1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGR4D74Mt2G08MaBGP4eecHgE5Lt5fngASKxXyEGUP53kPZVASBU6IWdXfdT4Je_IPPuWvAG_rOTcHVcrdJN93WgGQbT2Mq1NCz9Iu5KQXj6Q4kg86vAFOrtKpfL1OOBxfntR9zofS2M/s320/hearts1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442656232749715954" /></a><br /><br />To make these pies I toiled away for five hours pain-stakingly rolling dough I cut by hand, tenderizing each individual raspberry with a gentle squeeze, and carefully positioning each granule of finishing sugar. Okay, okay. I'm bluffing. These were not all that hard to make; they're just time-consuming because you have to fridge the dough a couple of different times. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF8cY8i3RIPYQV7Ma02rbnAyYXHY1tjeklXyg5sr2r-k_IPhANSTPPDOjEoyiS7KpBufRg988f2C43R9xYBSFnj1EmWAeo74rvIDwPn6bKlT9tiaujmvsUkmIEZbLYI2a6KqtU1X3vZ0/s1600-h/hearts2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF8cY8i3RIPYQV7Ma02rbnAyYXHY1tjeklXyg5sr2r-k_IPhANSTPPDOjEoyiS7KpBufRg988f2C43R9xYBSFnj1EmWAeo74rvIDwPn6bKlT9tiaujmvsUkmIEZbLYI2a6KqtU1X3vZ0/s320/hearts2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442656618117099538" /></a><br /><br />In addition to being relatively easy, these pies could also work with any larger-sized cookie cutter you have, so don't worry if you don't feel like getting all mushy and nummy with your snookums. As you can see, I also made an owl, which came out just as well and will not cause you to say something with pie you're not ready to say with your words. Or something. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3cBtr5FricM-n7QElCpsGrr5K_gnj8FvqWoG6f-bqfkLe3H6XCRxvZi8vAueoI5izSrDy_NDY1H3tD27TmZUTs3IteOAp_TIrI0LtTfm0Z4Kx1TiMB6kO6ZCAYEvRc8kQJO058EHw2c/s1600-h/hearts+4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3cBtr5FricM-n7QElCpsGrr5K_gnj8FvqWoG6f-bqfkLe3H6XCRxvZi8vAueoI5izSrDy_NDY1H3tD27TmZUTs3IteOAp_TIrI0LtTfm0Z4Kx1TiMB6kO6ZCAYEvRc8kQJO058EHw2c/s320/hearts+4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442656859685836354" /></a><br /><br />As a testament to their deliciousness, I didn't get to eat even one of these! So, apparently, they are good. The recipe is pretty straight-forward, though I might make a bit more of the filling next time, just to make them extra plump and lovely.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pear-raspberry-heart-pies"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Pear-Raspberry Heart Pies</font></a><br />From Martha Stewart Living, February 2010<br />Makes 10 (or 9 and 1 owl)<br /><br />FOR THE PASTRY<br /> 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface<br /> 1 teaspoon salt<br /> 1 teaspoon granulated sugar<br /> 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces<br /> 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water<br />FOR THE FILLING<br /> 2 firm, ripe pears (1 pound), such as Anjou or Bartlett, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes<br /> 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice<br /> 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br /> 3 tablespoons granulated sugar<br /> 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br /> 1/3 cup fresh raspberries, coarsely chopped<br /> 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash<br /> sanding sugar, for sprinkling<br /><br />Directions<br /><br /> 1. Make the pastry: Pulse flour, salt, and granulated sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 5 seconds.<br /> 2. Evenly drizzle ice water over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together, about 10 seconds. Turn out dough onto plastic wrap, and wrap. Shape into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.<br /> 3. Make the filling: Toss pears with lemon juice. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears, and toss to coat. Cook, adding granulated sugar a little at a time, until pears begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Transfer to a bowl, and mix in raspberries.<br /> 4. Divide dough in half, and roll out each piece to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.<br /> 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain pear-raspberry filling in a sieve. Cut out 20 hearts from dough using a 4-inch cutter (I found mine at Sur La Table), transferring them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush rims of half the hearts with egg wash, and top each with 4 heaping teaspoons filling. Top with remaining hearts, and gently press around sides to seal.<br /> 6. Brush pie tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPJxyb8inGONh5haBzwncqhYZCwu5WPbnkeXhyphenhyphenNrumo4hDpQKfupDjvV35iglqFocsFlc247UD0C5OT4mJSvRiv7ptOJtYuP2UVeDYfOtcPW8JWyKDnyOr6ka99FLea9UaAkA1n7ULwA/s1600-h/charlie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPJxyb8inGONh5haBzwncqhYZCwu5WPbnkeXhyphenhyphenNrumo4hDpQKfupDjvV35iglqFocsFlc247UD0C5OT4mJSvRiv7ptOJtYuP2UVeDYfOtcPW8JWyKDnyOr6ka99FLea9UaAkA1n7ULwA/s320/charlie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442657081621561538" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-35157542973306542912010-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:30:12.846-08:00Kimchi Pancakes: A Qualified Success<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7jIuva4dvm-LsA94j9NGmqX-vm7sFO4TipSXdY_ZIG8DnL6t_14dfR2-Y3knOwG-sqZOWb5O2C8igcHb1U0gN22P6BI31dOmftH3tR4V3etVq_oh8pfyc8yQjXXDtt_H-kkQVxZ8DqU/s1600-h/kimchi+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7jIuva4dvm-LsA94j9NGmqX-vm7sFO4TipSXdY_ZIG8DnL6t_14dfR2-Y3knOwG-sqZOWb5O2C8igcHb1U0gN22P6BI31dOmftH3tR4V3etVq_oh8pfyc8yQjXXDtt_H-kkQVxZ8DqU/s320/kimchi+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441893500827151010" /></a><br /><br />I grew up in a house with a considerable taste for all things pickled and salty. We always had a jar of spicy pepperoncini in the fridge, and on holidays Mum's family, especially, always had an elaborate spread of pickled watermelon rinds, olives, cornichons, etc. So I guess it's no wonder that I took to kimchi (Korean pickled cabbage) like white on paper. The first few times I had it, I ate it plain along with dinner at Korean restaurants. My love grew when, about a year ago, I made the Amateur Gourmet's fabulous <a href="http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/05/kimchi_fried_ri.html">Kimchi Fried Rice</a> on one especially monetarily desperate evening. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZbgPwgz4JWNaO2snHkHNwUcv5DDX0L87EGjntxPz4mQ3D2JIQGvoPKSh7HcwoRUXlwBfw1vJJg-e57tAOidH0Oi1IFjwtE74jThnPhcs1wAjaAIgpqLxtVm5XviTkDes0OMG4joypRE/s1600-h/kimchi+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZbgPwgz4JWNaO2snHkHNwUcv5DDX0L87EGjntxPz4mQ3D2JIQGvoPKSh7HcwoRUXlwBfw1vJJg-e57tAOidH0Oi1IFjwtE74jThnPhcs1wAjaAIgpqLxtVm5XviTkDes0OMG4joypRE/s320/kimchi+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441893699828954594" /></a><br /><br />Recently, at the Greenpoint Food Market, I had the good fortune to try Kimchi Pancakes from <a href="http://bingmeanspancakes.wordpress.com/">Bing Means Pancakes</a>. These were very similar to scallion pancakes--light and chewy pancakes with a delightful crunch from the handmade kimchi. Afterward, I couldn't stop thinking about them, and, on my next visit, I was sorely disappointed that Bing had either packed up early or had not come at all. My craving was in high gear and getting desperate, so, as you can imagine, I was excited to see <a href="http://thedishsdish.com/blog/2010/02/kimchi-pancake/">this blog</a> feature a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/dining/131vrex.html">NYTimes recipe</a> for them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ml1usoyBoilDIk42yNHz1taVdSm_vvP3IkN4Vk26LhT4FnbK4I9Er_TOzGTLZXscXYEAfebSRO6HH8IF7hp5GmXsq1s2N9Y0RHqBPEd8M5iIrdvZVsXEN-hENTfjGdDF-zlBj0qC4kY/s1600-h/kimchi+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ml1usoyBoilDIk42yNHz1taVdSm_vvP3IkN4Vk26LhT4FnbK4I9Er_TOzGTLZXscXYEAfebSRO6HH8IF7hp5GmXsq1s2N9Y0RHqBPEd8M5iIrdvZVsXEN-hENTfjGdDF-zlBj0qC4kY/s320/kimchi+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441893985829335026" /></a><br /><br />I was a little put off by the inclusion of potato starch in the ingredient list. What was it? Would I have to trek all over hell and creation to find it? Would I ever use it again? Or would it sit on my shelf for years, only to be picked up during cabinet clean-outs, accompanied by the question: "What in God's Name did I buy this for?" Well, I don't know if it was luck, or if Polish people use a lot of potato starch, but, just as I was giving up on finding it, and was even looking up a different recipe on my phone, I took one last look at the baking shelf--and there it was. Eye Level. Srsly. Right in front of me, in very nifty packaging that should have caught my eye right away. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AXr9EErN1RFAjoQfdPsu2lt2HPXLUdyo7vBqDyp3F4kIgCnDXgZrlEbTdaqE6CZG0mp38hJa23x5KIlqtZWjBlJXlDHWmAbmLWpWmUtg7tTXvurFLJJIfRFGsQXcwDs04GxtppVkB4A/s1600-h/potato+starch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AXr9EErN1RFAjoQfdPsu2lt2HPXLUdyo7vBqDyp3F4kIgCnDXgZrlEbTdaqE6CZG0mp38hJa23x5KIlqtZWjBlJXlDHWmAbmLWpWmUtg7tTXvurFLJJIfRFGsQXcwDs04GxtppVkB4A/s320/potato+starch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441894210662912226" /></a><br />I can't tell if this is sincerely retro or faux retro, but I don't care. Love. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, potato starch smells like potatoes but looks like cornstrach. And no, I don't have any idea what else to do with it.<br /><br />Ultimately, this recipe was a little weird. Once I had all the ingredients mixed together, except for the kimchi, I had a very, very dry looking batter. I was really concerned that I was about to have a giant fail. But, almost magically adding the kimchi and its juices made the batter just as goopy as I wanted it to be. Bizarre. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu3OJ-BQN9lYm6yAtWrgUbXt0EtpCJTG0bdh45QHtTtyE1gdSRuKQFiueGC-t5tAtM9niv44h9cmanjvVd630-IbXvRmVd3z0Zbqy0eDBqbULSJPSz6RQ8132hM0AHjV-9SFAQRaUn2Q/s1600-h/kimchi+4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu3OJ-BQN9lYm6yAtWrgUbXt0EtpCJTG0bdh45QHtTtyE1gdSRuKQFiueGC-t5tAtM9niv44h9cmanjvVd630-IbXvRmVd3z0Zbqy0eDBqbULSJPSz6RQ8132hM0AHjV-9SFAQRaUn2Q/s320/kimchi+4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441894420087990946" /></a><br /><br />My pancakes, while yummy and craving-dampening, did not come out as uniform as the blogger's, nor were they even close to the heaven of the GFM ones. The level of satisfaction I gained from them would, normally, encourage me to add them to my "oh shit it's 9pm on a Sunday and only the bodega is open" dinner arsenal. However, though my corner store has very good kimchi, I feel like expecting them to carry potato starch is a little far-fetched. So, I probably won't be making these again. The search for a good kimchi pancake recipe continues....<br /><br />Here is the NYTimes recipe, if you're interested:<br /><br />FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:<br /><br />1 tablespoon soy sauce<br /><br />1/4 teaspoon sesame oil<br /><br />1/4 teaspoon vinegar<br /><br />1/4 teaspoon minced scallion<br /><br />1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds<br /><br />FOR THE PANCAKE:<br /><br />1/2 cup flour<br /><br />1/2 cup potato starch<br /><br />1 egg<br /><br />2 scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch-long pieces<br /><br />1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, sliced thinly<br /><br />1 1/2 tablespoons Korean red pepper powder or 1/2 tablespoon cayenne<br /><br />1 teaspoon salt<br /><br />1 cup prepared cabbage kimchi, cut in 3-inch-long pieces<br /><br />2 tablespoons kimchi juice<br /><br />6 tablespoons vegetable oil.<br /><br />1. Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, scallion, sesame seeds and one-half tablespoon water. Set aside.<br /><br />2. In a large bowl, mix flour, potato starch and egg until smooth. Add scallions, garlic, red pepper powder, salt, kimchi and its juice. Mix well. Batter will be pale pink.<br /><br />3. Place an 8- or 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. When oil is hot, pour in one-third of the pancake batter. Fry until golden and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Lift pancake with a spatula, add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl it. Flip pancake and fry other side until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip again, without adding oil, and fry for 1 minute. Flip one more time and fry 1 to 2 minutes. Pancake should be dark gold.<br /><br />4. Repeat with remaining batter and oil, making 3 pancakes. Remove to a large round plate and cut each pancake into 6 wedges. Serve with dipping sauce.<br /><br />Yield: 3 pancakes.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-51460105283228090402010-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:002010-02-04T13:07:20.834-08:00Bacon, Cheddar and Chive BiscuitsMy friend Molly hosted a dinner party on Tuesday for a couple of us ladies. In between chatting about NPR, knitting clubs and health care, we managed to eat a fantastic meal. Molly made Mark Bittman's recently posted <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/dining/03mini.html?ref=dining">Scallop Gumbo</a>. This is a "lighter" gumbo than the traditional ones (usually containing sausages and either shrimp or chicken), and still manages to be rich and satisfying due to a well-developed roux. Instead of using the recommended larger sea scallops, Molly used smaller bay scallops which worked perfectly and required no slicing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi184oosvliaOaR6lxD9tCdzsPtKXTe1DlbCZg9ZaoIuMVvBs-DHzD9ZxhD3fZq5T5rLq-EgT3laRbioyR625-mLJEltO0H-wI1-jmo9MYR6tHwL14ClcG2MoKIgc9R5FcyPai2tros0Qg/s1600-h/gumbo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi184oosvliaOaR6lxD9tCdzsPtKXTe1DlbCZg9ZaoIuMVvBs-DHzD9ZxhD3fZq5T5rLq-EgT3laRbioyR625-mLJEltO0H-wI1-jmo9MYR6tHwL14ClcG2MoKIgc9R5FcyPai2tros0Qg/s320/gumbo.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434495840994430626" /></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fun Fact</span>: the scallop is the State Shell of New York. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallops">No bull</a>!<br /><br />Doesn't Molly's table look gorgeous?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RSir8aldQKiZW1MFh05ynPU0ZA4-EdB3dxA141ExTvdYt0UbfZ5p3oMdPFshpOjs8Uo-VRbGDg_I5cHyaOM6tJKwKpUqoM7N3vN7EaIRIIP7j7h8GYT4ipyWBdFGuhXGVNPebcYvnes/s1600-h/table.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RSir8aldQKiZW1MFh05ynPU0ZA4-EdB3dxA141ExTvdYt0UbfZ5p3oMdPFshpOjs8Uo-VRbGDg_I5cHyaOM6tJKwKpUqoM7N3vN7EaIRIIP7j7h8GYT4ipyWBdFGuhXGVNPebcYvnes/s320/table.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434496115101839938" /></a><br /><br />For my contribution, I made the aforementioned biscuits (a word I ALWAYS spell "buiscuts") from this month's Bon Appetit. These guys are monsters--the magazine suggests making ham sandwiches from them--but, of course, their decadence is part of their appeal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinVNWAQBU1J1VuNXEZ5QXo0qDPG3dLNY8R_F9yX3sC0unoSJG0HJy4rAKjiAi69DHseE5EteSdAcKnNFItUgSMl3YIeJXvyBHvL9jLjhtX0MEX8nERo_G0HKnnjuaLvmvHni1-e70Z34/s1600-h/biscuits+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinVNWAQBU1J1VuNXEZ5QXo0qDPG3dLNY8R_F9yX3sC0unoSJG0HJy4rAKjiAi69DHseE5EteSdAcKnNFItUgSMl3YIeJXvyBHvL9jLjhtX0MEX8nERo_G0HKnnjuaLvmvHni1-e70Z34/s320/biscuits+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434496559087479234" /></a> <br /><br />I don't have a baking tray big enough to accommodate all that dough at once, so I baked them on two sheets, one on the lower rack and one above, and rotated them half-way through baking. I'd also recommend keep a close watch on them: mine took way less than 18 minutes (more like 12). And, most importantly, make sure to fry up an extra piece of bacon for the inevitable kitchen gnome who always seems to make off with (at least) one slice every time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vfonYyXz0Nvlv_OZLXGJCJh1JAAkdGjhmFkAoJWpofuEnBq8xB1endA2ZT2HpFK082KWbvqJ3kTAnWgStICXk9r_oAakSeoyvE8MDUsuHI_Inq7n0j66zp2bMC3eUFlOB5AN5w3Xrko/s1600-h/biscuits2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vfonYyXz0Nvlv_OZLXGJCJh1JAAkdGjhmFkAoJWpofuEnBq8xB1endA2ZT2HpFK082KWbvqJ3kTAnWgStICXk9r_oAakSeoyvE8MDUsuHI_Inq7n0j66zp2bMC3eUFlOB5AN5w3Xrko/s320/biscuits2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434496803284314034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1kqLBUTTtjOqSRTONBXeiNffNk162_Wu-xgbEAAiTE17d4-JSAHCWc-iaUVoxGRHJ7-ITnsDS9znZC_OqDiFvIPwfcKdIN3Rv54GMM8wJMoy_bFZANFzpfbsd3L6oZb1gauIAiTz9pI/s1600-h/biscuits3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1kqLBUTTtjOqSRTONBXeiNffNk162_Wu-xgbEAAiTE17d4-JSAHCWc-iaUVoxGRHJ7-ITnsDS9znZC_OqDiFvIPwfcKdIN3Rv54GMM8wJMoy_bFZANFzpfbsd3L6oZb1gauIAiTz9pI/s320/biscuits3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434497240833570434" /></a><br /><br />As a bonus, the leftovers (if there are any) make a killer egg sandwich, somewhat reminiscent of <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/01/the-best-350-breakfast-sandwich-in-brooklyn-heights-iris-cafe.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseats%2Fnewyork+%28Serious+Eats%3A+New+York%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">this one</a> that's been going around the internets--except that I couldn't poach an egg to save my life.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwjgo9oDj3vyq89i5VHYh5DyTaA-HZg1Qa5tfgs-mDevbjzBvwxZvFmfraN9yVhDpvu6ywQ5w9qseXJPHbOEPhsFI9C_LjQURgPHn9zWst_f3O7vTuQL3-tfHwpZF1LCyc8psJaM12bo/s1600-h/IMG_0303.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwjgo9oDj3vyq89i5VHYh5DyTaA-HZg1Qa5tfgs-mDevbjzBvwxZvFmfraN9yVhDpvu6ywQ5w9qseXJPHbOEPhsFI9C_LjQURgPHn9zWst_f3O7vTuQL3-tfHwpZF1LCyc8psJaM12bo/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434497610509559250" /></a><br /><br />I pretty much stuck to the recipe this time, but I imagine that other combinations of cheese/herb/cured ham would work beautifully. My only change was not using bread flour because I didn't feel like hauling it from the store. <br /><br />Cheddar, Bacon and Fresh Chive Biscuits <br />Bon Appetit February 2010, adapted slightly due to laziness<br /><br /> 6 thick-cut bacon slices<br /> 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br /> 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder<br /> 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br /> 1 1/4 teaspoons salt<br /> 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing<br /> 2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)<br /> 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives<br /> 1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk<br /> <br />Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.<br /><br />Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky), adding more buttermilk if needed.<br /><br />Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.<br /><br />Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-65733687482118882442010-01-28T12:39:00.001-08:002010-01-28T20:26:24.199-08:00Even More Cake!: Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrUoBN-p0-oXOi3x1esrAe9oilrBChuz9AM6nTAPapLAUnGUeEenvWU_2FjEOaR3ilh-Liq1kZJ7pxOvvP96tMrvbxuIFfjqi5EKWLQ-5Vj8m3aCwpcPgMk9w2a8dhufwu2KgHx4XdMM/s1600-h/banana+cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrUoBN-p0-oXOi3x1esrAe9oilrBChuz9AM6nTAPapLAUnGUeEenvWU_2FjEOaR3ilh-Liq1kZJ7pxOvvP96tMrvbxuIFfjqi5EKWLQ-5Vj8m3aCwpcPgMk9w2a8dhufwu2KgHx4XdMM/s320/banana+cake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431903938744574130" /></a><br /><br />New Year's weight loss resolutions be damned! I mean, it's almost February, right?<br /><br />Pretty much all the credit for this cake goes to my friend, Meredith. She came up with it after having the Banana Cake at <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/milkbar/milkbarmenu.asp">Momofuku Milk Bar</a>, and decided to make a birthday cake out of it for her friend Cricket (best name ever). I was, at most, a consultant on this project, and yet, in the grand consultant tradition, I was richly compensated (in bourbon). Good deal.<br /><br />The cake we made was a "trial run" for the actual birthday cake. This kind of thing is important when you're just making something up, or are intending to present your baked goods to someone else as a gift. No one likes an busted cake on their birthday. <br /><br />To make the cake, Mer and I complied two recipes from Epicurious and made some changes:<br /><br />For the cake we started with a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Layer-Cake-with-Cream-Cheese-Frosting-4694">Banana Layer Cake</a> recipe from 1997, and for the frosting we started with the icing from a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hazelnut-Cream-Torte-em-Torta-i-Crema-i-Nuciddi-em-103081">Hazelnut Cream Torte</a>.<br /><br />In what can only prove that a trial run is important, the banana cake recipe was entered incorrectly on the website, because, once we had added all the ingredients in, the "cake" was essentially had bread dough. Now, I do love banana bread, but Mer and I wanted a light, fluffy cake--a ladies cake if you will--and the tough mass staring up at us from the bowl was just not going to cut it (ha! get it! :(). We ended up adding an additional <span style="font-style:italic;">cup</span> of buttermilk to the thing before the batter looked right. Amazingly, no one in the recipe comments even mentioned that a cup of buttermilk was missing! They must have all wanted dense, chewy lumberjack cakes.<br /><br />Something I didn't realize until the cake was already pretty much eaten was that we were supposed to have put some liqueur in the frosting. Whoops! The truth is that by the time it was time to finish the frosting, we were a couple of Old Fashioneds deep (made with a splash of apricot brandy instead of sugar, yum!)so...I think we had the liquor taste covered. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Creme Frosting</span><br /><br />2 1/4 cups cake flour<br />3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)<br />1 1/4 cup buttermilk<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature<br />1 1/3 cups sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust pans with flour. <br /><br />Combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Mix mashed bananas, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla in another medium bowl. <br /><br />Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with banana mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter equally among prepared pans.<br /><br />Bake cakes until tops are just beginning to color and tester inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around cakes to loosen; turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.<br /><br /><br />For filling and frosting:<br />1 cup peanuts<br />2 cups chilled heavy cream<br />3 1/2 tbsp confectioners sugar<br />bittersweet chocolate, shaved, for toppings<br />1 banana, sliced, for decorating.<br />Make filling and frosting<br /><br />Grind nuts in a food processor until they are chopped finely. <br /><br />Beat 1 1/2 cups cream with the confectioners sugar with electric mixer until it holds stiff peaks. Chill until ready to assemble cake.<br />When you are ready to ice the cake, fold the ground nuts and remaining cream into the chilled mixture. Ice the cake, using half the banana slices on top of the icing between the layers. Decorate top with banana slices and chocolate shavings.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-44366719100673632172010-01-18T14:05:00.000-08:002010-01-18T15:21:08.587-08:00Red Velvet Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjjHRAJRTIXNgl07u4NR2ZpE1U_8Zs7fU1WekhSoPdKLLP3dw5AM_hKLtZctRZ6ZyCfr7Iw_YQQluNL7iJzg-ZZddoPnjxGcYdiEA8WBr-Vb4VRu2kNk0gqVJ6tt2kWkSGZlOYyRoeI4/s1600-h/redvellead.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjjHRAJRTIXNgl07u4NR2ZpE1U_8Zs7fU1WekhSoPdKLLP3dw5AM_hKLtZctRZ6ZyCfr7Iw_YQQluNL7iJzg-ZZddoPnjxGcYdiEA8WBr-Vb4VRu2kNk0gqVJ6tt2kWkSGZlOYyRoeI4/s320/redvellead.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428220687916184306" /></a><br /><br />My first introduction to Red Velvet cake was at the rehearsal dinner for some <a href="http://www.myveganwife.com/">friends'</a> wedding. Red Velvet was the groom's favorite cake, and so it was meant to be a present to him from the bride. Unfortunately, the restaurant somehow forgot to make a red velvet cake, and so, when we cut into the cake, it was just plain chocolate. Yikes. <br /><br />I remember two things from the aftermath:<br /><br />1. the bride handled this mistake with considerable grace (personally, I would have had the manager's head on a platter as my centerpiece).<br />2. when I asked her what, exactly, makes red velvet cake "red," she replied only that I "didn't want to know." <br /><br />Anyway, I did eventually find out that red velvet is usually colored with not the blood of misbehaving southern children but with either red food coloring or beets. It occurs to me that red food coloring is probably terrible for you (red dye 40 apparently <a href="http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/35928.aspx">gives you ADHD</a> or something). So maybe I should have used beets--which are certainly an effective dye for counter-tops, in any event. Well--maybe next time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WzIf84couePvrozet2-dnDIQKrqCsIYYtIfTye7OVwN8UnNLFP1LueuzNaDTu7zX7UodFfF2LqzMOtcbIbtKYrENRVerkgMlYEd5xfkLZXECBfTCpLSWo-GeMZPsmgXwDGI_wzevIe8/s1600-h/redvel1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WzIf84couePvrozet2-dnDIQKrqCsIYYtIfTye7OVwN8UnNLFP1LueuzNaDTu7zX7UodFfF2LqzMOtcbIbtKYrENRVerkgMlYEd5xfkLZXECBfTCpLSWo-GeMZPsmgXwDGI_wzevIe8/s320/redvel1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428220920959075122" /></a><br /><br />The following recipe is from <span style="font-style:italic;">The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2008.</span> I know I was a little cranky about their website (Cooks' Illustrated is by the same people) in the last post, so this is my peace offering--the books are usually pretty damn good. In fact, this cake is so good I don't think a week went by in my old apartment that we didn't make red velvet cupcakes from this very recipe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOCT9GpLgd_KSSN21-MrLKdnl5awwJW7S6GWo2N6taBkWRMGGJSuzMJQdJ0IShocM79Ydu-aUkKRkNg-Dz8C4BwioS9qW4Y9h6ueUXoT4iIqzPMVWhNoSXXvMmMwlFAABGA9I5iGrwBo/s1600-h/redvel3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOCT9GpLgd_KSSN21-MrLKdnl5awwJW7S6GWo2N6taBkWRMGGJSuzMJQdJ0IShocM79Ydu-aUkKRkNg-Dz8C4BwioS9qW4Y9h6ueUXoT4iIqzPMVWhNoSXXvMmMwlFAABGA9I5iGrwBo/s320/redvel3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428221206867053234" /></a><br /><br />Even though you probably can't tell from the photos, I actually only baked half a cake. This is an easy thing to do if you don't feel up to eating a whole cake. Just half the recipe and then cut the resulting cake in half and frost as you would normally, laying one half on top of the other. How many times can I say "half" in one sentence? Jeez.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NA7ZoaPR62caAj6n9Qn4h1aFSbHzn4GpPaJvQN0INqX6QSWwDF6ToguXj93NNu6aL4NExw8HOjOn9h5kzFfXcI-rV4vXw_vQHkWm4nRFBO7pSrc3kZqC0qKZvFBrY_9jb6qpma549TI/s1600-h/redvel4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NA7ZoaPR62caAj6n9Qn4h1aFSbHzn4GpPaJvQN0INqX6QSWwDF6ToguXj93NNu6aL4NExw8HOjOn9h5kzFfXcI-rV4vXw_vQHkWm4nRFBO7pSrc3kZqC0qKZvFBrY_9jb6qpma549TI/s320/redvel4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428223507224540226" /></a><br />The cake kinda looks like the Eye of Saruman because I couldn't find a toothpick, and so I checked it with a knife.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoYuidbaqLe99WioQkne1YOREsoQt-VwVNjARNH7OsmGZJRWNWaUeDurHHG80tK05E10xXVUR56B5-RPCtZ2_xYZMrjCppqG8-nsPQ46sbzbdutMvf_kORGbaSq_GFUMRpYPJG2jBCxk/s1600-h/The+Eye+of+the+Dark+Lord.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoYuidbaqLe99WioQkne1YOREsoQt-VwVNjARNH7OsmGZJRWNWaUeDurHHG80tK05E10xXVUR56B5-RPCtZ2_xYZMrjCppqG8-nsPQ46sbzbdutMvf_kORGbaSq_GFUMRpYPJG2jBCxk/s320/The+Eye+of+the+Dark+Lord.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428223658032376482" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8mJ1JBzTj9hGvlNeklAJ4yKWEqyl-CN4ngoKNKikgaX1E5TN4dFR8RYO0lwplHomtnjS5yvtzmGlQjOfuIv3mzSmvFwwLo3Nqo0LJ25PCoEnglurJNK7OskgKA1-BoyBC7gmdicMqq8/s1600-h/redvel2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8mJ1JBzTj9hGvlNeklAJ4yKWEqyl-CN4ngoKNKikgaX1E5TN4dFR8RYO0lwplHomtnjS5yvtzmGlQjOfuIv3mzSmvFwwLo3Nqo0LJ25PCoEnglurJNK7OskgKA1-BoyBC7gmdicMqq8/s200/redvel2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428222374187236898" /></a><br /><br />Red Velvet Cake<br />from <span style="font-style:italic;">The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2008</span><br /><br />CAKE<br /><br />12 TB unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans<br />2 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans<br />1 1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />pinch salt<br />1 c. buttermilk<br />1 TB white vinegar<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />2 large eggs<br />2 TB natural (not "Dutched" [ew?]) cocoa powder<br />2 TB red food coloring<br />1 1/2 c. granulated sugar<br /><br />FROSTING<br /><br />16 TB unsalted butter<br />4 c. confectioners' sugar<br />pinch salt<br />16 oz. cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened<br />1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract<br /><br />FOR THE CAKE<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the middle position. Generously grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs together in a medium bowl. Mix the cocoa and food coloring together in a small bowl until a paste forms. <br /><br />2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the cocoa mixture, then mix on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir.<br /><br />3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes, rotating the cake pans halfway through. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Make sure they are completely cool before attempting to frost. ...And it will be an attempt if they're still warm.<br /><br />FOR THE FROSTING<br /><br />With an electric mixer, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt on medium-high speed in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use, but allow to approach room temperature before starting.<br /><br />ASSEMBLY<br /><br />Place one cake layer on a cake plate or cardboard round (I like to stick strips of wax paper underneath to protect the platter). Spread 2 cups of the frosting evenly across the top of the cake with a spatula. Place the second layer on top, then spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Slip wax paper out from under the cake and serve.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-20362807670518856412010-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:002010-01-11T16:03:14.239-08:00Acorn Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUYM9PdfjkM6-4EYQRujRSYbbh2gdHBSiaHl9pFdx7tSIdgLSpYICdl3lTYmY5S4GxaeTp8k2DmUOLlqtZZEM3QAoIPTqMAdNrZ1dZHt-1Eb8hQ1ZLVbbBBmEPgt4-BqSG-4f-0tmWDE/s1600-h/bredpudlead.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUYM9PdfjkM6-4EYQRujRSYbbh2gdHBSiaHl9pFdx7tSIdgLSpYICdl3lTYmY5S4GxaeTp8k2DmUOLlqtZZEM3QAoIPTqMAdNrZ1dZHt-1Eb8hQ1ZLVbbBBmEPgt4-BqSG-4f-0tmWDE/s320/bredpudlead.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425636105883988818" /></a><br /><br />This is not the dish I set out to make. What I <span style="font-style:italic;">wanted</span> to make was Molly Wizenberg's Butternut Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding from the November 09 issue of Bon Appetit. I had already made her version once for a pot-luck. It was a super hit at the party and was also delicious when Kate and I wanted a snack a few hours later. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWGzRAdqblKE5z_fNqs_r35-7DZoQ67ItlOi8Hkz2ngR4ik7vDdoUwNC2ONSqIWlKfk51cC_Nxb5tgikyhp8N_rNgPF0tWCrkqEnd2xTIW1tEH2WbsfaEKs52CRmEjMBMWBjx8nxN1NQ/s1600-h/bredpud1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWGzRAdqblKE5z_fNqs_r35-7DZoQ67ItlOi8Hkz2ngR4ik7vDdoUwNC2ONSqIWlKfk51cC_Nxb5tgikyhp8N_rNgPF0tWCrkqEnd2xTIW1tEH2WbsfaEKs52CRmEjMBMWBjx8nxN1NQ/s320/bredpud1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425636339992568162" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, Sunday night is not the ideal time to shop at an organic grocery; I think because there's no delivery. And this Sunday selection was especially ill-fated for me. Every major ingredient for this recipe (barring the cheddar) was out of stock!<br /><br />Butternut Squash. No.<br />Kale (of any kind). No.<br />Baguette. No.<br /><br />I was actually counting on the Sunday shop for the baguette, since Ms. Wizenberg calls for "day-old"--which Sunday baguettes almost certainly are--but, alas, no baguettes were to be found. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFz4oYG6ZgDSZvNG8n0rf7FQbdv4qkbP8LgXgo5HZIA30onpRl135FTZ1W3Sz9ZBGm1aHIWnVIyPlBC5XBISeBV9tblpuvKfZ2hcJq10rKpTfnPcXAP0IdVxDTo6gxpJ9El1Zs0mD8dg/s1600-h/bredpud2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFz4oYG6ZgDSZvNG8n0rf7FQbdv4qkbP8LgXgo5HZIA30onpRl135FTZ1W3Sz9ZBGm1aHIWnVIyPlBC5XBISeBV9tblpuvKfZ2hcJq10rKpTfnPcXAP0IdVxDTo6gxpJ9El1Zs0mD8dg/s320/bredpud2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425636642270337794" /></a><br /><br />Not to be deterred (though, honestly, I almost was), I pushed on with alternative ingredients, a determination which gave me the chance to work on both my recipe improvisation and my optimism (two goals for the new year). The final dish actually turned out just as tasty as the original, especially because the Swiss chard added a little more color and flavor to the mix. <br /><br />P.S. I am obsessed with Swiss chard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR9oH1usO9uXFyAP1GQSpxPRFDYY3q2YjJXIHa3LRnQwhJcEBQeZkWSvdzFwxxEf-8WdeyvIQDRMt6VYNWbsnii3KN0ayK-QXhcOP1WGWJumzA6gLd7iEdbkWOUZqLk2lnGIAC9IjV_Y/s1600-h/bredpud3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR9oH1usO9uXFyAP1GQSpxPRFDYY3q2YjJXIHa3LRnQwhJcEBQeZkWSvdzFwxxEf-8WdeyvIQDRMt6VYNWbsnii3KN0ayK-QXhcOP1WGWJumzA6gLd7iEdbkWOUZqLk2lnGIAC9IjV_Y/s320/bredpud3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425636913009583138" /></a><br />*thank you lovely assistant*<br /><br />Here's my improvised recipe:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Acorn Squash, Swiss Chard and Cheddar Bread Pudding</span><br />reluctantly, but happily adapted from Molly Wizenberg, BA Nov. 09<br />makes 6-8 servings<br /><br />2 pounds acorn squash, sliced in half<br />3 TB olive oil<br />1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt<br />7 large eggs<br />2 1/4 cup half and half<br />6 TB dry white wine (plus the rest of the bottle for drinking)<br />1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard<br />1 day old large rustic bread (I used Pain au Levain), sliced into 1-inch cubes<br />1 c. chopped shallots<br />2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped separately, leaves coarsely chopped<br />8 oz. extra sharp cheddar, grated<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for about 40 minutes, until tender--checking after 30 minutes. Allow to cool until you can handle them. Use a knife to score the skin, and then peel. (If anyone has a better way to peel these, let me know. This is just something I improvised when the ridged shape of the squash made peeling them raw difficult.) Chop into 1-inch cubes.<br /><br />Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add half and half, wine and mustard; whisk to blend. Add bread pieces, folding gently into egg mixture. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. <br /><br />Meanwhile, heat 2 TB oil in large pot and add shallots and chard stems. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves by the handful, cover and cook about 2 minutes. Uncover and cook until fully wilted, but still bright green, about 5 more minutes. <br /><br />Reduce oven temperature to 350. <br /><br />Generously butter a large baking pan (13 x 9 inch). Using a slotted spoon, place 1/2 of bread pieces in the bottom of the pan, arranging to cover most of the dish. Add 1/2 chard mixture, then 1/2 of the squash and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, squash and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over dish. <br /><br />Cover bread pudding with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until custard is set and bread feels springy to the touch, about another 20 minutes. <br /><br />Preheat broiler and broil pudding for 2 minutes, until cheese browns slightly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-68950509125004250872010-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:002010-01-08T15:03:59.951-08:00Spinach and Artichoke Bechamel Lasanga<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSlQcIKx9ARNvkmrYbLC2HJRMHDlOMXY2VcH09iMyzkR7CR13ZYHBB5-Tm7m1yHPoMR_e-s7QJRilO5YX251z-DMx9SIbcQ863zFx3DzicLfv4y6jmI0l_wsZ_omG9814tOeLDLwv49I/s1600-h/lasagna+lead.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSlQcIKx9ARNvkmrYbLC2HJRMHDlOMXY2VcH09iMyzkR7CR13ZYHBB5-Tm7m1yHPoMR_e-s7QJRilO5YX251z-DMx9SIbcQ863zFx3DzicLfv4y6jmI0l_wsZ_omG9814tOeLDLwv49I/s320/lasagna+lead.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424507287073541074" /></a><br /><br />Ok so this is not a weeknight lasagna by any stretch of the imagination, unless you are unemployed. (In which case, every night is a weekend. WOOO! Actually, folks, it's not that fun.) I would call this is more of a Martha Lasagna in that it takes 400 years to make, but has a big payoff--creamy, starchy goodness with some veggies thrown in for "health."<br /><br />To make it I used this Betty Crocker recipe for inspiration. I just love old recipe books with splashes of sauce on them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7y-9yDtu9WsRclilNAB8Ni47ikZjjV9zR48itghNIXyywTz0X0lUDW9wyggeXGDwBPb9Wx9GrdM1ywIiBGE9ONJI66j3ll12cU4pG9eemqavuopdrnAX-WlZSchm8eAnduKkRFfcmhk/s1600-h/Art+Spin+Las.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7y-9yDtu9WsRclilNAB8Ni47ikZjjV9zR48itghNIXyywTz0X0lUDW9wyggeXGDwBPb9Wx9GrdM1ywIiBGE9ONJI66j3ll12cU4pG9eemqavuopdrnAX-WlZSchm8eAnduKkRFfcmhk/s320/Art+Spin+Las.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424504517368886050" /></a><br /><br />For help with the arrangement and sauce I used <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1835,156161-240193,00.html">this recipe</a> from the Cook's Illustrated website. You need to pay to access most of their recipes, but, honestly, I find that site so infuriating that it's not even worth it unless you can get one through dubious means. Which is, of course, what I did. <br /><br />My problems with that site are many, but what bothers me most is that: number one: the design is like something out of a children's stencil book with a word document tacked on. Number two: there's no way to search recipes in order of date, and their catalog goes back so far that the first hit for spinach lasagna was one that called for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkkD21cdG0Q&feature=related">Velveeta</a>. VEL-frickin'-VEETA. Ok, Cook's is a little low-brow on purpose, but I can only assume that they haven't included a recipe with Velveeta in at least 15 years. Have they? :(<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aXty3HIr4B9sEJ8mqEGelA-MvvDfntKn-KFiuIRfPzcmzDzgA7hMbpZDFFrCywr5lMdFGfoW68Z6JlWTeDyXfYP5kzF44O2u3UjYrQIWydhd9XIQKbB41nYBeIOoEYME6sImQSVPuM8/s1600-h/lasagna+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aXty3HIr4B9sEJ8mqEGelA-MvvDfntKn-KFiuIRfPzcmzDzgA7hMbpZDFFrCywr5lMdFGfoW68Z6JlWTeDyXfYP5kzF44O2u3UjYrQIWydhd9XIQKbB41nYBeIOoEYME6sImQSVPuM8/s320/lasagna+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424507531420014594" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, the lasagna I made was loosely based on these two. I didn't use as much mozzarella as the Cook's recipe called for, mainly because I was tired. However, I'm glad I did skimp on it, because if there were any more dairy in the recipe it would be a recipe for making a cow. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSNB23yIIIzMKs9KnlCdcagU90IQ7fP5fsS16B55DM86XEjzmQHyI-umBZjr5YvboNFmcOfqACXhyphenhyphensFGTB16Fs5C1HQpM115y4gwnuQNDUIbBlW35sOnnMXuw7k7LRRA-hHPr_6v_wS4/s1600-h/lasagna+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSNB23yIIIzMKs9KnlCdcagU90IQ7fP5fsS16B55DM86XEjzmQHyI-umBZjr5YvboNFmcOfqACXhyphenhyphensFGTB16Fs5C1HQpM115y4gwnuQNDUIbBlW35sOnnMXuw7k7LRRA-hHPr_6v_wS4/s320/lasagna+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424507811749319858" /></a><br /><br />I only used one can of artichokes, and I might consider using more if I made it again, especially because the acidity in them would cut some of the richness of the bechamel and 4 pounds of cheese. And yes, I know, canned artichokes are not fresh and whatever, but I have TRIED to use fresh artichokes in the past and it has never, EVER, been edible--even when I followed a six-part diagram of how to cut them. So there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbvuJKgpwuCjJP5_ro7Je04LmlxURU_J1l2lOXq0JvI5kA5GttqqmfvLAPx1mS991VgrREUPXJ2ElHjSyD6JyqwziN4S_nM8NTd6u7hO1WbtwrtJgW3lI3h1xBvK08ltveDeBspyaXJ0/s1600-h/lasagna+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbvuJKgpwuCjJP5_ro7Je04LmlxURU_J1l2lOXq0JvI5kA5GttqqmfvLAPx1mS991VgrREUPXJ2ElHjSyD6JyqwziN4S_nM8NTd6u7hO1WbtwrtJgW3lI3h1xBvK08ltveDeBspyaXJ0/s320/lasagna+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424508185313005746" /></a><br /><br />This baked up all poufy like a souffle, which was, admittedly, mildly scary, but very pretty. Maybe too much egg? Eh. Whatever. <br /><br />Spinach and Artichoke Bechamel Lasagna<br /><br />Bechamel<br /><br />6 cups milk<br />1 cup butter<br />1 cup flour<br />1/8th tsp nutmeg<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp pepper<br /><br />Lasagna<br /><br />1/4 c.vegetable oil<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />1 1/2 cup onion<br />1 1/2 lb. fresh spinach<br />1 or 2 cans of artichokes, drained and chopped<br />3/4 cup parsley<br />1 lb. ricotta cheese<br />2 eggs<br />1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan<br />1 c. grated mozzarella (it helps if you stick it in the freezer for a bit)<br />1 package lasagna noodles<br /><br />For the sauce:<br /><br />Heat milk until hot but not boiling. In another pan, melt butter and gradually whisk is flour. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk slowly, whisking all the while. Stir until incorporated and sauce is thickened. Flavor to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper. <br /><br />Lasagna:<br /><br />Put a large pan on to boil and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute garlic and onions until transparent, add spinach by the bunches with 1/2 c. parsley in the last addition. Allow to wilt and add artichokes. Heat through and set aside.<br /><br />Mix rest of parsley and ricotta with eggs and half of Parmesan. Blanch lasagna noodles, about 2 minutes. Oil a large pan and layer the ingredients in this order: 1/2 to 2 cups Bechamel, then cover the pan with noodles (I used about 5), 1/2 of spinach and artichoke mixture, and all of mozzarella. Next, 1 1/2 to 2 cups of Bechamel, another layer of noodles, all the ricotta mixture and then the rest of the spinach and artichokes. Last, another 1 1/2 to 2 cups Bechamel, noodles, and then another layer of sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. <br /><br />Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover for the remaining 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHtY3j3e5eRFN1dRwvzU4K3u4vB4GazhY78nPaoST__YL5WpWih0rbnOuzospFkGqpJJT5M5B65xnD_bx8XRoqfr3paH5txRzKTT0irJj7a5dyRwg2QEYUgt0ddB4Lpg-lG3K-GfMKMA/s1600-h/lasagna+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHtY3j3e5eRFN1dRwvzU4K3u4vB4GazhY78nPaoST__YL5WpWih0rbnOuzospFkGqpJJT5M5B65xnD_bx8XRoqfr3paH5txRzKTT0irJj7a5dyRwg2QEYUgt0ddB4Lpg-lG3K-GfMKMA/s320/lasagna+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424508533332285458" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-45619916388947870972010-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:002010-01-04T16:14:50.128-08:00The Case of 68 Restaurant and the Inconsistent Dining Experience<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Paget_holmes.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 317px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Paget_holmes.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I just cannot figure out why <a href="http://www.68restaurant.com/">68 Restaurant</a> in Greenpoint is not a dining mainstay of North Brooklyn. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/coco-68-brooklyn-2">Yelpers</a> (that gilded fount of culinary expertise) seems to feel mainly ok to awesome about the place. Though there are a few exasperated "I am so over you" posts. Personally, I think the chef has some real talent, they offer great deals in addition to more than reasonably priced menu items, and the decor is fitting to the industrial venue without going overboard with North Brooklyn Baroque or whatever we want to call it.<br /><br />That said, there are a few problems:<br /><br />SERVICE<br /><br />It's really hard to staff an inconsistently busy restaurant. I know. I've been there for brunch on days where there was only one waiter for a full restaurant. Of course service was slow that day! Poor guy! But I've also been when there were three servers for two tables, and, in that case, things were even more frustrating. Yes, it's hard to get a rhythm when you have one table--you don't want to be right in the diner's face all the time, so you need to spend some time hiding out somewhere. But. I feel like if my beer is empty when you walk by on the way back from your smoke break or wherever...maybe you should ask if I want another? More beers faster = bigger check = bigger tip. God, I feel dirty even bringing that up. Moving on.<br /><br />KITCHEN<br /><br />The flavors are always really great and sometimes even unexpected. Last time I was there I got butternut ravioli with walnuts and sage butter sauce. Really good. It sounds like a pretty run-of-the-mill winter/fall dish, but I found it super satisfying. My dinner companion ordered wild sea bass with brussels sprouts and saffron orzo (trying to remember here, apologies). The fish was cooked perfectly, and the accompanying flavors were succulent and bright at the same time. <br /><br />However: Things sometimes seem like they've been hanging out under a heating lamp in the kitchen for a while. The edges of my ravioli were bordering on crispy, and I've been served eggs at 68 that had that weird film on them that eggs get when they sit for even a short time. This evidence, coupled with the fact that no matter how busy or slow, I always feel like I wait forever for food here, makes me call this problem plain ol' TIMING. Any home cook can crank out a dish at a time that tastes great; what sets restaurant chefs apart is that they can crank out lots and lots of them in an hour. Or should be able to. <br /><br />MARKETING<br /><br />I didn't even know that this place was called 68 Restaurant and not Coco 68 until I googled it for this post. I guess no one ever talks about it or something. I'll bet half the people who go to Coco 66 (the adjoining bar and original business in this space) don't even know there's a restaurant next door because there's NO SIGN. Yeah, I get it, not having a sign is cool. Well, you know what else is cool? Getting people to eat at your restaurant. On Coco 66's (mildly disastrous-looking) website, the restaurant has only the smallest mention-- in 12 point font--in the middle of a sea of other information. Help your Siamese twin out! Give her a mention at the top of the page! A tab! Something! Finally, 68, get yourself some press. Don't allow Yelp and one post from Greenpointers control your image (or lack thereof). <br /><br />Anyway, I guess the reason I am being crazy about this is that I really like 68: I think it could be a go-to neighborhood spot. The food is well-conceptualized, the prices are fair, and, when they are either not bored to tears or waiting 25 tables of hungover people at once, the servers are really nice. I want it to succeed, but I can't quite figure out how it should launch itself out of this conundrum. I'm no restaurant consultant, so I don't really have the answers. <br /><br />Maybe the problem is that I just keep coming in at weird times, and everything is just fine, thank you very much. Or maybe they should just change their name to sound a little less like <a href="http://www.wickedlocal.com/pembroke/archive/x507078564/g2582587bb1213f8ec03db7b3fbe2efbd9135f803ffb0e0.jpg">99 Restaurants</a>--where my grandmother and I once had to promise not to sue in order to get our burgers medium rare...in retrospect <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html">eating those</a> was probably a bad idea.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-89155722922986748272010-01-02T12:18:00.000-08:002010-01-02T13:28:11.284-08:00Rustic Wheat Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZc1VuI8jYwlIlOvZnw35thbLPB8zX-g8bCvqJaT9MJpYFgoxKfhk-6wpRUfjwV45V-uWbKgdtkHMjwj0tn9i9IW4xJvhmlkwaCd-CMvrH-hcb6_teYL3Vv8CbC7dbew8L5vlU0k1FE_g/s1600-h/IMG_0271.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZc1VuI8jYwlIlOvZnw35thbLPB8zX-g8bCvqJaT9MJpYFgoxKfhk-6wpRUfjwV45V-uWbKgdtkHMjwj0tn9i9IW4xJvhmlkwaCd-CMvrH-hcb6_teYL3Vv8CbC7dbew8L5vlU0k1FE_g/s320/IMG_0271.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422256260907671298" /></a><br /><br />Like every other obnoxious Brooklyn/Cali foodie, after reading <span style="font-style:italic;">In Defense of Food</span> by <a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/">Michael Pollan</a> (it's the short one) I was completely terrified by all the weird chemicals that are in basically every food (and especially "food") ever. Now, I've never been a big processed food eater, and I pretty much make everything from scratch due to the overwhelming guilt I would feel for taking a culinary shortcut. That's right, people, I make my own pie crust in order to avoid feeling guilty. Actually, the avoidance of guilt has been pretty helpful along the way in helping me make decisions. For realz! <br /><br />What was I talking about? Oh. Chemicals. <br /><br />Right. Well here's the deal--I was sitting around on my high horse while reading Pollan's book because I'm sooo virtuous and don't eat processed food (except for hot dogs on Kate's birthday) when I happened to take a look at the ingredients in my fancy twice-wrapped Healthy Multi-Grain bread. Ready?<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, SUGAR, WHEAT GLUTEN, BROWN RICE, CORNMEAL, OATS, WHEAT BRAN, YEAST, <br /><br />So far so good. Rice is a little weird...ok...but wtf are half of these things?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">CELLULOSE FIBER</span>, SOYBEAN OIL, BLACK & WHITE SESAME SEEDS, SALT, MOLASSES, <span style="font-weight:bold;">CULTURED DEXTROSE AND MALTODEXTRIN, DATEM,MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM SULFATE, CITRIC ACID</span>, POPPY SEEDS, GRAIN VINEGAR, <span style="font-weight:bold;">SOY LECITHIN</span>, NUTS (WALNUTS AND/OR HAZELNUTS AND/OR ALMONDS), WHEY, NONFAT MILK.<br /><br /><br />Hmm. Not so "healthy" after all. So, in a frenzy of righteousness, curiosity and just a shake of unemployed boredom, I decided to start making my own bread. I've been tweaking this recipe from Bittman's <span style="font-style:italic;">How to Cook Everything</span> (a.k.a. the Bible) for several loaves now. It takes all told about five hours to make, but most of that time can be spent twittering or messaging people on facebook since the bread is just rising. The texture is not quite as elastic as normal supermarket bread, but it makes really tasty and satisfying sandwich bread and really good peanut butter toast when you come home wasted at 5am. *cough* <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SxOOh6_rqhalZlZC0Ts1dagEYDvpcP3Z6HeiEXzw99UwIURwDYkBG2tgup94lvbJWj_qvfN8dUxbR4kApugcCQ3us5LTXBDBIlNR4hFE4ul3N-TC0z67S4-AlOl2J6pUGw8U-Iw04pw/s1600-h/IMG_0265.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SxOOh6_rqhalZlZC0Ts1dagEYDvpcP3Z6HeiEXzw99UwIURwDYkBG2tgup94lvbJWj_qvfN8dUxbR4kApugcCQ3us5LTXBDBIlNR4hFE4ul3N-TC0z67S4-AlOl2J6pUGw8U-Iw04pw/s320/IMG_0265.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422257152080068594" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQfgYL-VxbPX8h6dm5WB_0g4OuIWGsmF_syX9-E5X97lKbLd7-3W5gwhDA9jDCl8Y8031VoLU4YxkOCzx3l_2ORrRLcxutkXMigVSexYw7WP9NE2-C2uJrV6s7Mr0T3jUDF9KVRSTX8g/s1600-h/IMG_0266.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQfgYL-VxbPX8h6dm5WB_0g4OuIWGsmF_syX9-E5X97lKbLd7-3W5gwhDA9jDCl8Y8031VoLU4YxkOCzx3l_2ORrRLcxutkXMigVSexYw7WP9NE2-C2uJrV6s7Mr0T3jUDF9KVRSTX8g/s320/IMG_0266.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422257346529612978" /></a><br /><br />Rustic Wheat Bread<br />adapted from Mark Bittman's <span style="font-style:italic;">How to Cook Everything </span><br /><br />makes 1 large loaf<br /><br />1 c. wheat flour<br />2 1/2 c. white flour<br />2 tsp. salt<br />1 1/2 tap. instant yeast <br />2 TB honey<br />2 TB butter, cut into 1/4 in. cubes, <br />at room temperature, plus a bit more for the pan<br />1 1/3 c. (scant) cool whole milk<br /><br />Place half the wheat and half the white flour in a small bowl and blend. Place other portions of flour and remaining ingredients in the bowl of a strong stand mixer. Mix on low until butter starts to become incorporated, then slowly add the remaining flour to the bowl. Continue to mix (you may have to steady the mixer with your hand) until a dough forms. Do not over-mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface with a ramekin of extra flour set aside. Knead for about a minute or more, folding the dough over itself, adding flour to the board until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands as you work. <br /><br />Lightly oil a large bowl and shape the dough into a ball. Let rise for 2 hours covered by plastic wrap, until the dough doubles in size. Once the dough rises, deflate it and reshape it on the same floured surface. Flatten it into a rectangle and then fold the sides under and pinch together to form a loaf shape. Butter a 8 x 4 inch pan and press the dough down into it with the back of your hand, seam side down. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 to 2 more hours until nearly level with the top of the pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush top with just a bit of water and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. <br /><br />When it's done the loaf will sound hollow if you tap it and the sides will pull just slightly away from the pan.<br /><br />*P.S. The photo positioning was being an asshole. So I'm sorry if this posted to anyone's RSS 400 times.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-44928265628881185762009-11-27T16:43:00.000-08:002009-11-27T18:02:48.833-08:00Brunch at Radegast Beer Hall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRWYXRq4aHv-YIDaEq0oVRJg_MVZO8P84q55GeXJOIpLJhTskGklPbb_YgNQAixfXRzY-MGMxNSNQccnVC2Y12MgMhDhygHd5pqRBHOUd1UBKPcsfw7HwDglDAw9YKTJUBki4bcr4VBE/s1600/IMG_0505.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRWYXRq4aHv-YIDaEq0oVRJg_MVZO8P84q55GeXJOIpLJhTskGklPbb_YgNQAixfXRzY-MGMxNSNQccnVC2Y12MgMhDhygHd5pqRBHOUd1UBKPcsfw7HwDglDAw9YKTJUBki4bcr4VBE/s320/IMG_0505.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408962825740463122" /></a><br /><br />A friend of mine recently had her birthday brunch at the Radegast Beer Hall in Wlliamsburg. Upon hearing about this, I thought it was a really great idea: what could be better after a night of dancing and drinking in Manhattan than a filling, satisfying beer and a sausage? Despite driving the wrong way down one of Greenpoint's sudden and pointless one way streets and almost being killed by the B43, we arrived in high spirits. <br /><br />As soon as we sat down, our waitress--who by the way was totally, miraculously pulling off the biermaid outfit--informed us that the brunch menu over which we had been drooling was not really available because they were slammed by a wedding party. She said that the wait would be 40 minutes for anything off the menu, but we could go up and order from the sausage bar right away. We ordered cucumber bloody marys, beer, coffee and a water (for our wrong way driver) from her and began to deliberate on whether we wanted sausage bar or menu. <br /><br />There were a number of things on <a href="http://www.radegasthall.com/index.php?menu=brunch">the menu</a> that we wanted to order, by which I mean basically everything except "Crispy Dumpling Cubes" which appear on that link, but I don't remember being there, because surely I would have made fun of them for being from the future or something (run-on!). Anyway, because we were super hungry we decided to share a few things from the sausage bar now and then share the menu items whenever they arrived. Beers and bloody marys (and, yes, that is the correct pluralization--I googled it) appeared with only moderate delay. No coffees or water though. Our waitress was gone before we could either ask about the missing beverages or order Gypsy Toast. <br /><br />Well, we had booze anyway. Four sausages were procured from the grill--two bratwursts and two kielbasas--each coming with sauerkraut and fries. This little snack came to $35, or $8.75 a piece, which I thought was a little steep but more knowledgeable friends tell me is pretty much on par for similar establishments in Germany. I wasn't too crazy about the brat--it was a little dry, but the kielbasa was good and I discovered that fries soaked in sauerkraut is the new cheese fries with gravy/disco fries/poutin. For realz. I loved it. We started to look around for our waitress to either ask about the still AWOL coffees or about ordering from the menu (at this point, it had already been 40 minutes...so...uh...I guess we could have ordered off the menu). When what do we see behind us, but our waitress outside kissing and then walking off with her boyfriend!!! It was just like Grease!!! OMMGGG!! Wait. Where is my coffee?<br /><br />Perhaps noticing our prolonged distress, another waitress came over and asked if we needed any more drinks. We ordered another round of whatever and FINALLY two Gypsy Toasts (half for the name alone, obviously) since we weren't really hungry enough anymore to each have a full German brunch. ($35 well spent then?). We also mentioned that we had been waiting for coffee, to which she replied, crankily, "Yeah, we're working on it." Ok...what kind of coffee takes 45 minutes? Must be really good.<br /><br />She came back with more beer and no coffee but with an orange juice. Huh? Apparently orange juice is water in Germany. At this point I was losing interest in getting caffeinated, but still wanted coffee on principle. Anyway, I'll put you out of your misery. Yes, after AN HOUR a totally different waitress arrived with our coffee. And it was INSTANT. Not even drinkable instant. Not even with sugar and milk. Not by anyone. For christ's sake, I used to drink coffee in Ireland. I know about bad (but drinkable) coffee. This was not drinkable. I don't know how these people made their instant coffee taste so bad, or what took them an hour, but after all that fuss, no one even touched their coffee. I'm sure that pissed off waitress number three, but who cares. We were beginning to realize that the only way to deal with the situation was to laugh. <br /><br />The Gypsy toast arrived, thankfully without stealing anyone's wallet or murdering any farmers. Apparently Gypsy just means...French? Who knew. It was actually very good--though by then I was way too full of beer and Kraut Fries to care. We actually had a pretty good brunch overall, perhaps because the only thing the waitresses seemed to be capable of paying attention to was the levels of our beer, but that's fine for a bier hall, I guess. All the food I tasted was really good (other than the dry brat) and the space had a really nice communal atmosphere. However, I took umbrage at the automatic 18% gratuity added on to our bill (we were 7 people). Now, I usually NEVER complain about that. Having been a waitress I know how much brunch sucks, and how often big groups of people will screw you over. I am totally in favor of this practice. This was the first time I would have considered leaving less than 18%. We were waited on by three different people, none of who seemed to give a crap how our meal was going, and no one apologized for the coffee taking an hour. There were always glasses all over the place, since we seemed to be seated in some sort of black hole of neglect. Seriously: if the service had been even moderately acceptable I would be back there every Sunday for brunch (with maybe some toast already in my belly to tide me over), but the service was so mind-numbingly awful that I just cannot recommend it to anyone or knowingly subject myself to that again. Sorry, Radegast.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-16931681268715389562009-10-28T15:09:00.000-07:002009-10-28T15:43:41.115-07:00Red Beet Risotto with Collard Greens and Goat Cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lowfatideas.com/images/beets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 286px;" src="http://www.lowfatideas.com/images/beets.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Back when I was a vegetarian, I came to love risotto because it was a nice reprise from all the nasty canned roasted red pepper and feta cheese (which I no long despise) smothered Boca burgers or whatever else passed for vegetarian food on menus. It was also the first dish I was able to conquer to the point of experimentation, purely because of its simplicity as a base. Just throw whatever the hell veggies and seasonings taste good on something else in a risotto and you've got a dish that's at least 75% new! Of course, now that I'm an omnivore one of my favorite risottos is chorizo--both because I love chorizo and because it turns the whole dish orange! Fun! Well beets are another way to turn your risotto (and your hands and countertops) a new color. It's like dyeing Easter Eggs! Hooray!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQKmexPdBz5HJxjfgmzFuQw9sM3oa6sQ01fyy3-b1Fx7drVaxxxrhJRCnRr2Q_S1op6aNBLPxXd-hzzz4mv4ycv6QEYSArWPro8wOOBBWMEbkn6GKiNuqpBFOzEldhY_UVEVNKvMwz0U/s1600-h/IMG_0243.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQKmexPdBz5HJxjfgmzFuQw9sM3oa6sQ01fyy3-b1Fx7drVaxxxrhJRCnRr2Q_S1op6aNBLPxXd-hzzz4mv4ycv6QEYSArWPro8wOOBBWMEbkn6GKiNuqpBFOzEldhY_UVEVNKvMwz0U/s320/IMG_0243.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397781008686124898" /></a><br /><br />I based this recipe off of <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Beet-Risotto-with-Mustard-Greens-and-Goat-Cheese-237028">this one</a> from Epicurious. I couldn't find mustard greens at my local market (but they had turnip greens...which seems more random) so I used collard greens because they remind me of that Decemberists song about the mom prostituting herself to sailors--and now I have it in my head. Otherwise, the ingredients are pretty much the same, but my method is a little different, the main divergences being that I toasted the risotto in the butter and also cooked it for longer. I know that risotto is supposed to be al dente just like pasta....but I kind of like mine mushy. Feel free to cook it until you like it, baby. You can also add about 1/2 c. white wine right before you add the broth if you have some hanging out or want an excuse to drink.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPf1lJ2hHbpqPcMGqwinTHhXla2rIKwKje4E6AQplTnAcJW8_ULdtWnkL7N9Pws8WbvSQXT0Gzbp4-3yB572IYnEwAoDT9WLG-KGKRtewioxTta_FUoCpv3SdLqoPw_WCp3PBBtvJbRk/s1600-h/IMG_0242.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPf1lJ2hHbpqPcMGqwinTHhXla2rIKwKje4E6AQplTnAcJW8_ULdtWnkL7N9Pws8WbvSQXT0Gzbp4-3yB572IYnEwAoDT9WLG-KGKRtewioxTta_FUoCpv3SdLqoPw_WCp3PBBtvJbRk/s320/IMG_0242.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397780792107638610" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and P.S. I apologize for the return crappy photo quality. Some #$*@ stole my camera AT MY BIRTHDAY PARTY.<br /><br />Red Beet Risotto with Collard Greens and Goat Cheese<br /><br />1/4 c. butter<br />2 ( 2.5-3 inch diameter--remember your geometry!) red beets<br />1.5 c. chopped white onion<br />1 c. arborio rice<br />3 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used chicken)<br />1 1/2 c. chopped collard greens, stems removed and chopped separately<br />1 5oz package of goat cheese, crumbled<br /><br />Melt butter in heavy saucepan over med heat. Add beets, onion and collard green stems. Cover and cook until the onion is just about to go soft, then add arborio rice and toast. Put the broth in a saucepan and keep on low (really low) heat. Stirring fairly often to make sure it doesn't burn. Add enough broth to cover the mixture, and throw the lid on and stir occasionally. Once that broth has been absorbed, add half of the remaining broth, repeating with the last bit once that is absorbed. When you add the last measure of broth also add the chopped collard greens. When the rice is to your desired tenderness, turn off the heat and add in the goat cheese and salt and pepper to taste.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-89206337196044784872009-09-02T08:09:00.001-07:002009-09-02T08:48:37.365-07:00Tomato and Corn Pie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiin_6aYv1IyIa4o_8Y5fD9NflRGxRR6c5r8pRVgRy6O5UzBcIF14GyCrm7BP4lhYuyY3Vn2J_PWCprNtF63ffb6_9qylKDjvJV242-7iYp4zL6FFYoUk7dCFkkLpYpTSR_NqfSt9_5T2k/s1600-h/Tomato+Pie+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiin_6aYv1IyIa4o_8Y5fD9NflRGxRR6c5r8pRVgRy6O5UzBcIF14GyCrm7BP4lhYuyY3Vn2J_PWCprNtF63ffb6_9qylKDjvJV242-7iYp4zL6FFYoUk7dCFkkLpYpTSR_NqfSt9_5T2k/s320/Tomato+Pie+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376890797310166162" /></a><br /><br />The Tomato and Corn Pie from August's Gourmet has been all over the internet with people freaking out about how awesome it is. It's a great, timely recipe for late summer (tomatoes AND corn, y'all!) and people like pies...I don't know. Anyway, I, too, was swept up in this whirl of excitement. However, one ingredient left me somewhere between hesitant and grossed out: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.khmerkromrecipes.com/photo_recipes/mayonnaise.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 477px;" src="http://www.khmerkromrecipes.com/photo_recipes/mayonnaise.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />MAYONNAISE<br />Ew. Why is this in the pie? <br /><br />Deb at Smitten Kitchen already <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/tomato-and-corn-pie/">covered</a> this pie, and used the mayo. She also noted that Gourmet's original pie ended up a little soggy, so suggested coring the tomatoes. I didn't really want to loose the pretty tomato shape, so I decided to dry out the tomatoes on paper towels (believe me, this is coming back to the mayo problem, I promise).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlkdhHtyLdiU8cBLzWJdI3YoCqrGiZ2QV41Z4eQ64rz6yJKEOSKjakAJvLERrmyO-Mm55wdppAGhZJE0V3Up3KmB8_Wyy7ZTpD7ki1XAB_gNUvdYH_Tl0vegea-DUCaOxg140YySgfOM/s1600-h/Tomato+Pie+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlkdhHtyLdiU8cBLzWJdI3YoCqrGiZ2QV41Z4eQ64rz6yJKEOSKjakAJvLERrmyO-Mm55wdppAGhZJE0V3Up3KmB8_Wyy7ZTpD7ki1XAB_gNUvdYH_Tl0vegea-DUCaOxg140YySgfOM/s320/Tomato+Pie+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376890505024246274" /></a><br /><br />Because of this, I figured that my pie would already be a little drier, and didn't want it to veer into stuck-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth territory. So I was wary of taking away any of the other wet elements and decided to look for a substitute. In the comments section of her post Deb recommended using sour cream instead. Ok, I thought, that's about 25% less gross. Keep in mind, I was making this for my two friends who are in the Women Who Are Uneasy About Creamy White Foods Club with me (we're looking at you whipped cream, mayo, yoghurt, and sour cream) so I was not only concerned for myself. Anyway, the solution was to sort of hide the sour cream from everyone (including me) until it was time to use it. <br /><br />Putting the pie together was fun. I got to use my brand new pastry cutter (from the helpful people at Brooklyn Kitchen) to make the biscuity dough, and I also got to make pretty layers which indulged my inner aesthete. (Club slogan: Not much of an athlete? Become an aesthete.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-nMPkthcenJP8G-Sd6OWD5XF3uXl0UTJlof3BjwixdffU45v_9yv1aTS6zFGAaxGsrhy_4Uq2rW2jugsUUnxQJRIQJjWIQ3wIFY5J15cMvPY3FGy0Z6qBt_YEWh7HKq63ssxLz6muBk/s1600-h/Tomato+Pie+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-nMPkthcenJP8G-Sd6OWD5XF3uXl0UTJlof3BjwixdffU45v_9yv1aTS6zFGAaxGsrhy_4Uq2rW2jugsUUnxQJRIQJjWIQ3wIFY5J15cMvPY3FGy0Z6qBt_YEWh7HKq63ssxLz6muBk/s320/Tomato+Pie+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376893275555316418" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, here's the pie when it's done:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaun3HqBQmty_2nwUU827VH0Zm9xbGMXXYDEcnBjxL66NOC-qKe4fA8J3rxN8dP40LRb5IZGcIAI2YqRaygifofwIASVqtmA0VTM9XWfIPaNmO90NiB13hWazCzCW0rYeFIHSfcriUhBU/s1600-h/Tomato+Pie+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaun3HqBQmty_2nwUU827VH0Zm9xbGMXXYDEcnBjxL66NOC-qKe4fA8J3rxN8dP40LRb5IZGcIAI2YqRaygifofwIASVqtmA0VTM9XWfIPaNmO90NiB13hWazCzCW0rYeFIHSfcriUhBU/s320/Tomato+Pie+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376893784796983154" /></a><br /><br />All in all it was pretty fabulous, especially with the farmer's market corn and tomatoes that I picked up that morning. I felt good about making something so seasonal and fresh. However, if I were to make it again, I would forget the creamy white substance all together. Even with drying out the tomatoes there was still enough moisture in the pie so that if you took out the sour cream/mayo you'd be well within the range of delicious. I'm not sure it adds anything, and it's guaranteed to gross out at least one person at your table.<br /><br />I served this with some roasted salmon with herbs made by the <a href="http://kates47.blogspot.com/">wonderful Kate</a>: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr3FGHsyYjNe-aUYb5CB6eEizruUI2AdpYR9beWGwOyZZ8Yf1Sna90IEkAUTCLG7j9haKv9uarnDAfbsx8nbixC4OoGynQEhJ5-8imCqMIsdTWb1OnAa1sezrp7nTbHgGjFMJqPx0Y_Q/s1600-h/Tomato+Pie+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr3FGHsyYjNe-aUYb5CB6eEizruUI2AdpYR9beWGwOyZZ8Yf1Sna90IEkAUTCLG7j9haKv9uarnDAfbsx8nbixC4OoGynQEhJ5-8imCqMIsdTWb1OnAa1sezrp7nTbHgGjFMJqPx0Y_Q/s320/Tomato+Pie+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376895190683874050" /></a><br /><br />Tomato and Corn Pie<br />Gourmet August 2009<br />(slightly adapted)<br /><br /> 2 cups all-purpose flour<br /> 1 tablespoon baking powder<br /> 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided<br /> 3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted<br /> 3/4 cup whole milk<br /> 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<br /> 1 3/4 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick, divided<br /> 1 1/2 cups corn (from about 3 ears), coarsely puréed in a food processor, divided<br /> 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided<br /> 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, divided<br /> 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided<br /> 7 ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (1 3/4 cups), divided<br /> Equipment: a 9-inch glass pie plate<br /><br />To peel the tomatoes, slice an x in the bottom of each one and blanch in boiling water for ten seconds. Immediately plunge into an ice bath. Peel.<br /><br />Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter (3/4 stick) with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.<br /><br />Divide dough in half and roll out 1 piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Remove top sheet of plastic wrap, then lift dough using bottom sheet of plastic wrap and invert into pie plate, patting with your fingers to fit (trim any overhang). Discard plastic wrap.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.<br /><br />Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.<br /><br />Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper, then sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.<br /><br />Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round in same manner, then fit over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal.<br /><br />Cut 4 steam vents in top crust and brush crust with melted butter (2 teaspoons).<br /><br />Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-83493698160917298812009-07-28T09:38:00.000-07:002009-07-28T10:16:08.116-07:00Triple Chocolate Brownies with Fleur de Sel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JcpCaAkulwCDML9QyGZELJzwKub7XbbsndtX1DHhcUseekPJs89h2YiWENBc2LBeowFXtgjI5P0JLuLHmXYgHXB0GjBNPtTtcgZ_ZJj7Jz0M2eJdr7g-zZOsOyiPXu02qRsSUQHvd80/s1600-h/summer+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JcpCaAkulwCDML9QyGZELJzwKub7XbbsndtX1DHhcUseekPJs89h2YiWENBc2LBeowFXtgjI5P0JLuLHmXYgHXB0GjBNPtTtcgZ_ZJj7Jz0M2eJdr7g-zZOsOyiPXu02qRsSUQHvd80/s400/summer+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363555679406596498" /></a><br /><br />I love really good chocolate and I love salt, so it is only natural that I seek out recipes that can satisfy both these cravings. It all began with a giant chocolate cake I made last fall with salted caramel. This thing was so good, I haven't stopped thinking about it since. <br /><br />These brownies are along the same theme--lots of dark chocolate and a sprinkling of salt. My friend Erin (one of the lucky eaters of the aforementioned cake) gets credit for them. She busted out these brownies as part of sundaes at a dinner party she threw a few weeks ago. She used Gourmet's recipe for Triple-Chocolate Fudge Brownies and spread a good layer of kosher salt on top. My version uses a light sprinkling of Fleur de Sel (French sea salt), which is much stronger (hence the light sprinkling--as I recognize that not everyone loves salt as much as I do).<br /><br />I made these for my friend Rose's recent backyard party, so I sliced them up pretty small. They're so rich that you don't really need much more than a bite or two, so these are great for large parties.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Triple Chocolate Brownies with Fleur de Sel </span> <br /><br />6oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped<br />2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped<br />3/4 c. unsalted butter<br />1 1/2 c. sugar<br />2 tsp. vanilla<br />4 large eggs<br />1 tsp. salt (regular kosher or table)<br />1 c. all purpose flour <br />1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />2 1/2 TB Fleur de Sel or other fancy salt<br /><br />You'll notice right away how little flour these is in these things, which is what makes them so good. Flour is a great binder of ingredients, but doesn't contribute much in taste. The best dessert recipes often have just enough flour to make things not resemble soup.<br /><br />In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (your ad hoc double-boiler), melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate with the butter, stirring the mixture until smooth. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool until it's lukewarm. (Very important since if it's still hot you'll have scrambled eggs in chocolate.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6JMxvv3z2tySAKQZreCBk0VFA0fV42wJ12-7j5Kr_DaZOmjTzlfqe7D8p7zqpCnVuHLaNSm2UFb_L0umhL6Ldj26ILVZkTcfAHqnWfFKw5z57DvehISA6aHb7dkDE1IpQy6rGbn_I7s/s1600-h/Brownie+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6JMxvv3z2tySAKQZreCBk0VFA0fV42wJ12-7j5Kr_DaZOmjTzlfqe7D8p7zqpCnVuHLaNSm2UFb_L0umhL6Ldj26ILVZkTcfAHqnWfFKw5z57DvehISA6aHb7dkDE1IpQy6rGbn_I7s/s320/Brownie+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363557822414622210" /></a><br />I didn't set up the double-boiler, I know. If you don't either just be very, very vigilant with your stirring or else you'll burn the chocolate. <br /><br />Stir in the vanilla and add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the regular salt and the flour until just combined, then add in the chocolate chips.<br /><br />Pour the batter into a buttered and floured 13 x 9 inch baking pan and sprinkle the Fleur de Sel evenly over the top. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlSxZgCDYnIf89Slgay1yWhuW_sGoSAwuXhMxOUw6KT9uaq4GOUXg2C1OP7YZUtGtchuU-rNwZJDZ6wUxA82_BKL1zaStR28Qce7RVBUHGkN-oiu5L8N77PJlohG3E2eUOfdOHK6H62Y/s1600-h/Brownie+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlSxZgCDYnIf89Slgay1yWhuW_sGoSAwuXhMxOUw6KT9uaq4GOUXg2C1OP7YZUtGtchuU-rNwZJDZ6wUxA82_BKL1zaStR28Qce7RVBUHGkN-oiu5L8N77PJlohG3E2eUOfdOHK6H62Y/s320/Brownie+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363560316820528498" /></a> <br /><br />Smooth out the top and bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs suck to it. Let cool completely on an oven rack and cut into bars.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-10148296506975529002009-07-22T13:10:00.000-07:002009-07-22T13:55:56.867-07:00MotorinoLast Friday some friends and I visited newly-liquor-licensed pizza place Motorino in Williamsburg. I had been meaning to give it a shot for a while, and the combined factors of finally being able to get a beer and a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/dining/08pizza.html?ref=dining">mini-review</a> by, as Eater sometimes calls him, Frank the Tank Bruni, finally gave me the push I needed.<br /><br />I was terrified that there was going to be a long wait, not only because of the recent review, but also because usually you have to wait for anything good in Billysburg. Magically, there wasn't, and we were seated promptly right next to a giant ad hoc air conditioner. Although I am usually complaining about restaurants being too cold, this thing was a blessing. The decor was nice: a giant brick oven in the back and cool (in temperature) marble tables throughout the dining room. There was also a tiny cup of moss on every table, which we thought was a nice touch. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz7FJKC_b2UabLm8URHjU2rTMaIZPiOJio8502Fipe1qzaKLb1jrvV_aXBMc86s4JDU_MyHuSdVnQUClhNaYZo2YKr1039CUQcoOCnxki-pKgXHzxmvdDUjzq5NGYPqs7zxRK60QJ2PE/s1600-h/interior.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz7FJKC_b2UabLm8URHjU2rTMaIZPiOJio8502Fipe1qzaKLb1jrvV_aXBMc86s4JDU_MyHuSdVnQUClhNaYZo2YKr1039CUQcoOCnxki-pKgXHzxmvdDUjzq5NGYPqs7zxRK60QJ2PE/s320/interior.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361386285214913410" /></a><br />via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/">Nick Sherman</a> on Flickr<br /><br />Billie ordered the Prosciutto de Parma pizza which I just spent ages trying to find a picture of (no luck)because you will not believe how generous they were with the toppings. This stuff was falling off the edges--amazing.<br /><br />I had an anchovy pizza because I knew that since they're personally sized I could indulge in this gross liking of mine. It also made me remember a time when my mom and a waitress ganged up on poor anemic vegetarian me and made me eat an anchovy. I remember being horrified, but somewhere along the lines I picked up a liking for these guys. They just taste like salt. I love salt.<br /><br />Anyway, the pizza was really wonderful. Not soggy at all and the crust had that wonderful Neapolitan crackle without turning into a cracker. I know I should be sophisticated and like that sort of crunchy pizza, but I just don't. I love pizza crust, and this stuff delivered. (Ha! Get it! Motorino does deliver, btw.) All the toppings tasted fresh and wonderful and the sauce was a perfect consistency of thick enough to keep your toppings in place without tasting like tomato paste. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l9gzm8iA1oG6kyKqoNMFriAEtutuch5WMU9L2z6DQcHAgOsqk8rQfFIrXajDWTeKyds5baWYWTbcrQqfgTYdqnAyrh9tAgNXdhnO-5zy5KLI0v0WrCwtCuwXbopiS96AnWPZ5w68Uw8/s1600-h/anchovy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l9gzm8iA1oG6kyKqoNMFriAEtutuch5WMU9L2z6DQcHAgOsqk8rQfFIrXajDWTeKyds5baWYWTbcrQqfgTYdqnAyrh9tAgNXdhnO-5zy5KLI0v0WrCwtCuwXbopiS96AnWPZ5w68Uw8/s320/anchovy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361384700904803074" /></a><br />via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyallen/">Jeffrey Allen</a> on Flickr<br /><br />Kate had a seasonal pizza, of which there were a few. The brussels sprouts and speck pie was tempting, but ultimately she went with the "basil, garlic, some kind of meat, and some other weird thing i don't remember the name of<br />and red onion" Pizza. Later conversation revealed the meat to probably be mortadella. Anyway, it was good. <br /><br />All three of us polished off our pizzas, only offering bites--not slices--to our table-mates. Our waitress was friendly and more attentive than almost any other waiter I've had in Brooklyn. Unfortunately for her, the people at the table next to us were a little obnoxious. The guy was complaining that there was no cheese on his pizza and sent it back, urging her to give it to someone else "so that it doesn't go to waste." Dear Sir, no one wants your rejected pizza. Also, read the menu before you order. This isn't Pizza Hut (or Slut, as we called it in high school), and your pizza doesn't automatically come with half a pound of processed cheese product. <br /><br />To conclude: Motorino: go there. Oh and P.S. They're <a href="http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/una-pizza-napoletana-has-closed-will-reopen-as-motorino/">opening one</a> in Manhattan.<br /><br />Motorino <br />319 Graham Ave.<br />Williamsburg, Brooklyn<br /><a href="http://www.motorinopizza.com/">http://www.motorinopizza.com/</a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-2787287057399720782009-07-02T14:02:00.000-07:002009-07-02T14:37:48.400-07:00GazpachoDISCLAIMER: Apparently, gazpacho is one of those dishes where everyone gets VERY defensive about how you make it. Therefore, I just want everyone to know that this is just a gazpacho I happened to make, not how I recommend you make gazpacho every summer for the rest of your life. K? K.<br /><br />So it recently, finally, started to feel like summer in NYC, which means that when you live in a 4th Floor walk-up, you don't want a panini or something else hot for lunch because it's too humid for that. Also, I've developed an all-of-a-sudden aversion to sandwich bread. So I needed something for lunch that didn't involve heat or sandwiches. <br /><br />Enter, gazpacho. I LOVE gazpacho: it's one of my "sucker dishes," like pulled pork or anything with pistachios where, if it's on the menu, I'll order it. I'd never made gazpacho myself, so I thought I would give it a try. After a precursory search of Epicurious (which I like even better now that it has an iPhone app) and perusing some very scary comments about every single recipe sucking, I settled on Chunky Gazpacho from Bon Appetit, April 1993. People seemed to hate it the least and it didn't have MAYO in it, like other recipes I've seen. So here's what you need:<br /><br />1/2 small onion, sliced (I used red because it's a little spicier, I think)<br />2 large garlic cloves<br />3 TB olive oil<br />1/4 c. red wine vinegar<br />2 pounds tomatoes<br />1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced<br />1 green bell pepper, diced (I used yellow because I'm not huge on green peppers)<br />1/3 cup fresh cilantro<br />2 TB tomato paste<br />Tabasco sauce<br />Tomato Juice (optional...I didn't option)<br /><br />And here's what you do:<br /><br />Puree first four ingredients in the food processor, which makes a really nice color:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6s9BuxsuEZjpLYxQ1hR7yKBPo3Gmc5fVJ4gjik3Sd2DQpOvDhIYNIXkZdEbCRnNRYvHNwLIvH7P-y2PFHamDPL8j0oMCU2AXZWxFQVfWDQcCtDdxPvgufg-piajhUENoBhPnOJoiIHcw/s1600-h/P1000180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6s9BuxsuEZjpLYxQ1hR7yKBPo3Gmc5fVJ4gjik3Sd2DQpOvDhIYNIXkZdEbCRnNRYvHNwLIvH7P-y2PFHamDPL8j0oMCU2AXZWxFQVfWDQcCtDdxPvgufg-piajhUENoBhPnOJoiIHcw/s320/P1000180.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353975474599425314" /></a><br /><br />Ok then there's this weird step where you take 1/2 cup of the chopped tomatoes, cukes and pepper and stick them in a bowl. This is so you can serve it all pretty with a pile of this stuff on top...honestly...I did it, but it's sort of a waste of time unless you're serving this at a dinner. Despite that, I do want to take a moment to say that seeding cucumbers by slicing them in half and then scooping the seeds out with a spoon is totally the way to go. Once you do that you can chop them however you like, especially if they're just going in the food processor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R6BWD_lu5Yk5ow6FI7dJ0NFpF1ly1Gj-XMPY655TIbjxC6OoMfofsrNNV1hGd2iY0lICsSiePHJtCJvebnyGX6j_HLeaqG3z3eHbDa-JiLVeZvTCkk_fJd9gJ8XPZ43lJYtlMVzElTw/s1600-h/P1000178.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R6BWD_lu5Yk5ow6FI7dJ0NFpF1ly1Gj-XMPY655TIbjxC6OoMfofsrNNV1hGd2iY0lICsSiePHJtCJvebnyGX6j_HLeaqG3z3eHbDa-JiLVeZvTCkk_fJd9gJ8XPZ43lJYtlMVzElTw/s320/P1000178.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353977083455330258" /></a><br /><br />Ok once everyone's in there, blend until chunky puree forms. Season to taste with hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and cover soup (if you did the chopping thing reserve those separately for aforementioned presentational brownie points). Chill at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5RJnmSG4LxBv-EKWjqbxjeOTKlwMLk6dekDqyGJYAlPI2fF5VVQmEINekNsAv8R070CdODCt7m5o_Z5_ki7Vy7E1b71m2OyIytjcJm9bLNFv4V3FrezQO5FG06FUG0h5M_vM-pY313k/s1600-h/P1000181.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5RJnmSG4LxBv-EKWjqbxjeOTKlwMLk6dekDqyGJYAlPI2fF5VVQmEINekNsAv8R070CdODCt7m5o_Z5_ki7Vy7E1b71m2OyIytjcJm9bLNFv4V3FrezQO5FG06FUG0h5M_vM-pY313k/s320/P1000181.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353978154706950626" /></a><br /><br />So, here's the thing. When I was little, there was this fruit stand a mile from my house that sold the best salsa fresca ever. It was all tomatoes and garlic and spice, and it was just perfect. I miss it very much. This gazpacho kind of reminded me of eating a less awesome version of that salsa fresca...only a whole bowl of it...which is not really the point of gazpacho. I don't think thinning it with tomato juice would have helped, either. I have to say that, while I'm not sure what the key difference between salsa fresca and gazpacho is, whatever it is, this gazpacho did not have it. All I can say is, please, god, don't let that difference be mayo.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-25167679762937662152009-06-26T09:11:00.000-07:002009-06-26T10:44:00.411-07:00Grrrraaiiinnnssss (get it? Brains? Like a Zombie? ok fine)Lately, I've been trying to learn about some of the funky grains you can find in the organic (marketing speak for "heath-conscious yuppie") isle at the supermarket. It all started with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmer_wheat">Farro</a> salad I found buried in cooking magazine, then I moved onto a recipe with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgur">bulgur</a> salad that was an instant hit (with me anyway.) The recipe, Bulgar Salad with Grilled Chicken and Parsley Pesto, is <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bulgar-Salad-with-Grilled-Chicken-and-Parsley-Pesto-353090">here</a>, and if you grill the chicken inside, it's a great way to test your smoke detectors. Kate and I also made the Bulgur Salad portion again and added roasted zucchini, broccoli, and maybe asparagus to it; it made a pretty satisfying pre-vacation, clean out the fridge, meal.<br /><br />Last night, I moved onto <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley">Barley</a>, via Didi Emmons fabulous cookbook, <span style="font-style:italic;">Entertaining for a Veggie Planet.</span> My mom bought me this book way back when I was a vegetarian, but, even though I've been omnivorous for a while now, I still pull this off the shelf more than any other book when I need something healthy and easy. So here, without further delay is:<br /><br />Barley Salad with Dill and Lemon (plus asparagus and tofu)<br /><br />Seriously, can you get any hippy-dippy than that? P.S. Yes, it's vegan. <br /><br />1 2/3 cups dried pearl barley (available at the Garden for you Greenpointers)<br />1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, chopped<br />1 large Granny Smith, Fugi or Gala Apple (I used Gala, and the red is nice)<br />1 cup chopped fresh dill<br />1/2 cup raisins or currants<br />1 tsp. ground coriander<br />1/4 cup lemon juice plus 1 tsp. grated lemon rind (remember to get the rind before you juice it...I always forget)<br />3 TBs extra-virgin olive oil<br />kosher salt and black pepper to taste<br />1/2 bunch skinny asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces<br />1/2 block extra-firm tofu<br /><br />1. In a medium saucepan, combine the barley and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. My package of barley said to cook for an hour, but the 40 recommended here was fine--with the barley still having some texture to it. I think after an hour you'd have porridge. Drain and rinse the barley under tepid water. Drain well; the barley should still be warm.<br /><br />2. In a large bowl, combine the scallions, apple, dill, currants or raisins, coriander, lemon juice and rind, and olive oil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgf4fytK7l1OPEpCGwugxxLRFRNeCiMiBRfRi0u5jTkzmVnchGWl1wW78F4nnJhfjc6pCvQgzkKHqXJOLBLGIZLcoPCx74TUr0e8TBoQ0gORuGEwgfABnBUluE75VzTjWw7gI78TuCO8/s1600-h/barley+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgf4fytK7l1OPEpCGwugxxLRFRNeCiMiBRfRi0u5jTkzmVnchGWl1wW78F4nnJhfjc6pCvQgzkKHqXJOLBLGIZLcoPCx74TUr0e8TBoQ0gORuGEwgfABnBUluE75VzTjWw7gI78TuCO8/s320/barley+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351687639556602434" /></a><br />Those things minus the dill (Kate the Sous Chef was still chopping it)<br /><br />Add the warm barley and mix well. Let stand for 20 minutes to give the barley a chance to absorb the seasonings.<br /><br />This is the basic recipe, but I decided to add in another veggie and some protein. First I squished the weird tofu water out of the tofu, using paper towels. Then I chopped it into bite-sized pieces. Even though I was a veggie for 12 years, this was only my second time cooking tofu. The first time I couldn't get the nice brown crust on the tofu, but with more oil and patience I did it this time. So: Add enough olive oil to coat to a non-non stick pan (with a metal bottom). As you'll see, I don't actually have one of those (half-birthday present? anyone?), so you can use a non-stick pan, if it's all you have. Drop the tofu in, giving each piece enough room to breathe/brown and then wait. Don't touch it! Just let it brown up for a few minutes (this is where I went wrong the first time). Once you have one side of the soy-cubes browned, flip them over and throw in the asparagus. Throw in some salt and pepper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwKfraTZ1LqW5fcEY41lo6ibnJrICteb3BnNon994F71p3SH9RbazK_zd6V06i5hEFR7wkERI3o2YeIj9Nj5oadvwt_kVRnEjRJH1Wo5AwVvmYQo8OgvTGGt7ZqKf1CfDAOK8ooSIgW0/s1600-h/barley+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwKfraTZ1LqW5fcEY41lo6ibnJrICteb3BnNon994F71p3SH9RbazK_zd6V06i5hEFR7wkERI3o2YeIj9Nj5oadvwt_kVRnEjRJH1Wo5AwVvmYQo8OgvTGGt7ZqKf1CfDAOK8ooSIgW0/s320/barley+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351690085799780786" /></a><br /><br />Sautee the asparagus and tofu until the asparagus is bright green, but still a little firm. Then toss these buggers into the barley salad and stir everything together, adjusting the seasoning with salt, pepper and maybe a little more lemon juice if you have it. This can either be served at room temperature, or cold from the fridge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRneFcJ3MnZz5G6qaXO5wh2zs55xRe6V-GD39CnyKcluJWV91IIIfH17oFvYnoUg9cJv-2bL8DSC_6l2c4cVjhcqIQe8ObYWC15HmATRueJ8kvmk87bO_YQSPDkcqU0snHx0QJNtSMWw/s1600-h/barley+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRneFcJ3MnZz5G6qaXO5wh2zs55xRe6V-GD39CnyKcluJWV91IIIfH17oFvYnoUg9cJv-2bL8DSC_6l2c4cVjhcqIQe8ObYWC15HmATRueJ8kvmk87bO_YQSPDkcqU0snHx0QJNtSMWw/s320/barley+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351691861637160850" /></a><br />Barley Salad with dill and lemon, plus asparagus and tofuMeghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-23371198043858918562009-05-13T08:16:00.000-07:002010-11-09T08:25:12.793-08:00Sober Restaurant Review: AnellaAnella is a new restaurant that opened up in the old "Queen's Hideaway" space on Franklin ave. in Greenpoint. I was anxious to try it since they advertised that they were committed to seasonal cooking and would be trying to grow most of their produce in the backyard (currently made of concrete). Now I'm a sucker for "seasonal" cooking, and I know it's really trendy right now, but I was on this bandwagon in 2004, people, so I have some cred, OK?<br /><br />Anyway, FREEWilliamsburg has already <a href="http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/archives/2009/05/anella_awakens.html">reviewed</a> this place, and I agree with their assessment. Overall, it's going to be a good neighborhood spot, but they need to work out a few kinks. <br /><br />Unlike whoever went for FREEWilliamsburg my friends and I were not treated to an amuse-bouche. However, you could chalk that up to the possibility that the server/owner knew who they were. Also, be forewarned that Anella does not have their liquor license yet, and, because of a recent crack down on places like La Superior and Motorino, new restaurants in North Brooklyn are no longer allowing BYOB while they wait for their liquor license. Le Sigh. My friends and I drank a lot of water at this dinner. <br /><br />We started with the Terrine of the Day, a pork terrine with one of my favorite things ever (I'm just like Oprah!), pistachios. This was really great--except for the pieces of plastic wrap we found along the sides. Whoops. We just took them off and set them aside. No need to scream bloody murder. It's not a <a href="http://consumerist.com/5240175/snakehead-found-in-tgif-sandwich">snake head</a>. This stuff was producing such praise from the two of us that ordered it that even our minorly-sketched-out-by-terrine friend decided to have a taste, or four.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2jnxdTMR9rNSM9RdtN6lgWSsMcj0zvZF876Ye7GewojQ2WQvl6Jxe_RLy3hZp52POohWlWmaKzeYl-q8uZHMLN2yxO6B2E6Qheic38ytEEkrvsbESq6az_7DuZuWycFVg_unIcGIyJw/s1600-h/anella+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2jnxdTMR9rNSM9RdtN6lgWSsMcj0zvZF876Ye7GewojQ2WQvl6Jxe_RLy3hZp52POohWlWmaKzeYl-q8uZHMLN2yxO6B2E6Qheic38ytEEkrvsbESq6az_7DuZuWycFVg_unIcGIyJw/s400/anella+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335337467958025170" /></a><br /><br />Pork Terrine with delicious fruit jam.<br /><br />For our mains we all ordered fish. Pan-seared wild salmon with roasted pepper relish, oven roasted halibut with salsa verde, and I ordered the monkfish osso bucco in white wine, tomato and preserved lemon and thyme sauce. I guess they couldn't get the monkfish or something, so instead they asked if I would take scallops in the same sauce. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmg1oWiPqDd5Hm7_fmb9wwzcfAqY4BW0lExzw3HKSEBVivePFHqIHuMSGd0knExzIaLo9IYk3PkGkk5Z0UBu3fYiUWsKr4unjaOvAoc6jyjZOwQAzlDYH6nkYI7WloDbZeft5Kz6rz_c/s1600-h/anella+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmg1oWiPqDd5Hm7_fmb9wwzcfAqY4BW0lExzw3HKSEBVivePFHqIHuMSGd0knExzIaLo9IYk3PkGkk5Z0UBu3fYiUWsKr4unjaOvAoc6jyjZOwQAzlDYH6nkYI7WloDbZeft5Kz6rz_c/s320/anella+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335341227196570482" /></a><br /><br />This picture of my scallops is kind of crappy. <a href="http://kates47.blogspot.com/">Kate</a> has promised to be my photographer from now on.<br /><br />The salmon was tasty..though I'm not so sure about the "pan seared" part...it looked a little baked to me. The halibut was good as well, though we remember the salsa as "kind of meh," (i.e. a little too mild on the very mild halibut) but I really think I scored with the scallops. They were cooked just perfectly: crispy outside, just barely cooked center. The tomato sauce was just a hint spicy and I did get a taste of thyme at one point. I'm not sure about the "preserved lemon and thyme" description, since I didn't really taste anything more than a really good tomato sauce with some thyme and possibly lemon in it, but whatever. I also am unsure what it means that this was osso bucco--something the waiter claimed still applied to the scallop dish--I mean, osso bucco is usually veal in a tomato sauce with bone marrow...so maybe there was some veal marrow in the sauce? I don't really think scallops have marrow...or marrow that would be usable, anyway. I could be totally ignorant though, so let me know if you have any ideas. <br /><br />Now, here's my real beef. The entrees were, technically, pretty reasonably priced, all at around $15 (so actually quite cheap). They are served ala carte, so you need to order a side to go with them ($5). Ok, so we're at $20. That's fine. Here's the thing. There are two ways to do ala carte. Either the sides are family sized and served in a separate dish (which is usually the case at restaurants with a similar price point to Anella) OR really fancy restaurants will do ala carte the way it's done at Anella, where your side comes right on your plate and everyone needs to order one or two to complete the meal. If this is what Anella is going for, fine, then they should charge $40 for entrees, dress up their waiters, and essentially cue the diner in that it is that kind of place. As is, the prospective clientele might be off-put enough by the need to order sides at all (not that the $20 total is any more expensive than anywhere else), and is certainly not expecting to have them be so puny when they do order them. (And also, not especially good). My advice to Anella would be for them to ditch the ala carte, decide for us what side we get, and crank up the prices to reflect this.<br /><br />In terms of service, it was a little awkward having the back waiter refill our waters every four seconds, but I think this will even out once they have a liquor license. Also, they kept bringing the dishes out one by one, for which the owner (?) apologized. I think it was just a matter of the kitchen learning timing. Our waiter was really friendly, and seemed to have a good grasp on the menu, especially for the second day.<br /><br />I'll end by saying something nice: the desserts at Anella were AMAZING, especially the cheesecake. It was so soft and light, and the crust was just heavenly. We ordered all three that were available, Cheesecake, Panna Cotta, and a thick fudgy chocolate...something...and wow. Really, really good.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-55860936430818404912009-04-28T11:38:00.000-07:002009-04-28T12:38:40.592-07:00Chocolate Chip Cookies that Don't SuckI've been taking on some cooking demons recently: for example, cooking an entire chicken. Next on the list was something I have tried at many times, and failed at many times: Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know, I know-- "They're the easiest!" "WTF!" "What is wrong with you!" Well, fine. But I have fucked them up every time. I feel like cookies have a pretty small window when you should take them out, and maybe I never got the hang of that, but, in addition to burned bottomed cookies, I've also had batches that just ectoplasmed all over the cookie sheet--retaining no shape whatsoever and being, ultimately, inedible--or not easily edible without a fork. To get to the point, I was consoled recently by a piece in Cook's Illustrated wherein someone on their staff laments the difficulty of making truly good chocolate cookies. I am not alone in my failure and frustration! Well, naturally, I decided to give the ensuing recipe a shot, and here it is:<br /><br />Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies<br />Cook's Illustrated May & June 2009 (adapted with some minor commentary by me)<br /><br />1 3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />14 TB (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter<br />1/2 c. granulated sugar<br />3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar<br />1 tsp. salt<br />2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />1 large egg<br />1 large egg yolk<br />1 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips (I used the recommended Ghirardelli semisweet)<br />3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional, thank god.)<br /><br />1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. (I never do this right away because I feel like it wastes gas, and also I am slow at getting everything together. Do this whenever you feel like you're about 10 minutes away from baking and you should be fine). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. I recently discovered the joys of parchment paper. JOYS.<br />Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.<br /><br />2. Heat 10 TB of butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Don't use a non-stick or otherwise darkly bottomed pan for this...it will be harder to tell when the butter is browned and things will get burney very quickly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoPDajzOabMqEaCW_axTMyEyqLhbxaLri0OIGtKTS72_yA8Qw4mYiZltrz3YvDqALzTCfc6AJNZeHR2fKb_BqC_FgjZoCHDcMQYAVSp7jbQkvtgpqduL9i-dkK8W8CEtaAGnJgWpkmxE/s1600-h/butter+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoPDajzOabMqEaCW_axTMyEyqLhbxaLri0OIGtKTS72_yA8Qw4mYiZltrz3YvDqALzTCfc6AJNZeHR2fKb_BqC_FgjZoCHDcMQYAVSp7jbQkvtgpqduL9i-dkK8W8CEtaAGnJgWpkmxE/s400/butter+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329819336916753762" /></a><br />Butter in the pan (not really a ten-inch skillet, I know)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTRuueDXSP9RmKZDGjjyuw1z7NrM1YhjbzKf1a94ivjJe_vqrv1hSGhT0Teo2FnWYBu3wgaQkgEv-EMIIOMZTSuO8vtU8je63-b4Aq0QWTP413fbuJdy-e1L8F8NU6J0m3UUjG1er3bg/s1600-h/butter+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTRuueDXSP9RmKZDGjjyuw1z7NrM1YhjbzKf1a94ivjJe_vqrv1hSGhT0Teo2FnWYBu3wgaQkgEv-EMIIOMZTSuO8vtU8je63-b4Aq0QWTP413fbuJdy-e1L8F8NU6J0m3UUjG1er3bg/s400/butter+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329819661817685378" /></a><br /><br />Continue cooking, swirling pan CONSTANTLY[,] until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. (Ok your spatula would have to be pretty bad to melt on contact with browned butter...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFlFezVU5f3w0xqIZb9jjho6ZAUUGYs6VCyfWetaHNs2L9zbl_XnBD_nRLabZzdfnbl5u1YMq5jCnrV0jNkP0GtdA6YOFhnVWMiDOtMV1VpH193eJovcrhEuJBqTuiTrsmJgJOyelulc/s1600-h/butter+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFlFezVU5f3w0xqIZb9jjho6ZAUUGYs6VCyfWetaHNs2L9zbl_XnBD_nRLabZzdfnbl5u1YMq5jCnrV0jNkP0GtdA6YOFhnVWMiDOtMV1VpH193eJovcrhEuJBqTuiTrsmJgJOyelulc/s400/butter+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329820120456820130" /></a><br /><br />Here's my browned butter. It should probably be a shade or two darker, but I was getting dizzy staring into the swirls of butter.<br /><br />Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.<br /><br />3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds (cue Black Eyed Peas song to be stuck in your head for days, sorry). Let mixture stand three minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking two more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Ok I know this part sounds obnoxious, but they explained with Science in the magazine how it makes the cookies chewier or something. Just do it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwQT7MBfMXSZrXCjQkw3XjI0lKOL1WCDXkc1OTfrSFKMAQCySl4ZxXBRG9HtVp5q2cL8W62PKwRQadkvMxQduk0XCt3Ygs0lDFBtY1LzEq1bqFponYE3Qv7ZxAUd8Es2U_PY7sLndA_g/s1600-h/batter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwQT7MBfMXSZrXCjQkw3XjI0lKOL1WCDXkc1OTfrSFKMAQCySl4ZxXBRG9HtVp5q2cL8W62PKwRQadkvMxQduk0XCt3Ygs0lDFBtY1LzEq1bqFponYE3Qv7ZxAUd8Es2U_PY7sLndA_g/s400/batter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329822349468873986" /></a><br />See? Look how shiny! <br /><br />Using rubber spatula, or the remnants of the one you melted into the butter because you bought it from a street cart and it was made out of hemp, or wooden spoon if your spatula totally disintegrated, stir in the flour mixture from way back at the start of this thing until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using...bleh), giving dough a final stir to ensure no sneaky flour pockets remain. <br /><br />4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop...whatever that is, I just used a smallish ice cream scoop.) Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwx53cg5KNaqNX9wviZgEkHUk1H6qV8Qh_IZu4oyT-RSY5c-6mdqCNxh052vRbZigBj9DhbWnZph96Q7lUu7GG1aO5gIvH4XHoNJBHgvSQBTzXKnKmcEujqlCuZLCE1y5rMV5ElJVDrY/s1600-h/balls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwx53cg5KNaqNX9wviZgEkHUk1H6qV8Qh_IZu4oyT-RSY5c-6mdqCNxh052vRbZigBj9DhbWnZph96Q7lUu7GG1aO5gIvH4XHoNJBHgvSQBTzXKnKmcEujqlCuZLCE1y5rMV5ElJVDrY/s400/balls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329826610751667378" /></a><br /><br />5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until [they] are golden brown, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes (I think I ended up at 11 minutes per...but it depends on your oven, etc.), rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before eating all of them before anyone else can.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtW3QD2rb5HRdTSIU-tK6hvZjNvZw2kpKNZfWZBCimZkgkjwossivyzkthyphenhyphenqO8tm_sIP_1sjYfnpfS1L2_DkFjOgsQ9R0H6rRlA975V28QnxlEkmvNyLNnDj_GpgmRHPrX8fL_bw0I2w/s1600-h/end.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtW3QD2rb5HRdTSIU-tK6hvZjNvZw2kpKNZfWZBCimZkgkjwossivyzkthyphenhyphenqO8tm_sIP_1sjYfnpfS1L2_DkFjOgsQ9R0H6rRlA975V28QnxlEkmvNyLNnDj_GpgmRHPrX8fL_bw0I2w/s400/end.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329826934901814178" /></a><br />My first foray into food porn.<br /><br />These are pretty darn good, I have to say. Just the right ratio of chewy to crispy and browning the butter added a nice depth to the flavor. This is going to be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-43864833569179270392009-04-20T11:27:00.000-07:002009-04-20T12:03:13.387-07:00A ChickenI was riding in the elevator at work the other day when I was suddenly seized with embarrassment: "I have never roasted a chicken!" Now maybe this is just indicative of my strange combination of uncontrollable and random guilt and my desire for culinary excellence, but no matter. I quickly sent off an email to friends offering the usual exchange of free food for copious amounts of wine and headed off to Bed, Bath and Beyond for supplies. (Anecdote: A friend of mine claims that the aforementioned chain never took off in his native England because a Bed-Bath is something you give to the elderly and infirm--and no one wants to imagine what the "Beyond" might mean in that scenario).<br /><br />Anyway, I bought a meat thermometer and a baster (both of which I think I had owned previously but were tragically lost during my move...or they belonged to my old roommates...who knows) and a GIANT roasting pan. After lugging the roasting pan (measuring almost the entire length of my leg, and therefore difficult to carry)home I realized it was definitely for a turkey, and that my poor little chicken would be really awkward in it. So I just shoved it back in the box and returned it to the store later on.<br /><br />Not really finding a suitably basic recipe for roast chicken in any of the usual suspects of magazines and cookbooks, I decided on a recipe that was recently on <a href="http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/04/the_river_cotta.html">Amateur Gourmet</a> . I haven't been able to steal the perfectly "seasoned" cast-iron skillet from my parents yet, so I just instead of using one, I just used a glass casserole dish. Otherwise, out of utter lack of confidence with the task at hand, I just stayed pretty close to the recipe.<br /><br />Et viola! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30m0wWcPdfDUmhIVvY3iOxgnlytYnI25a5LOKAQq_jupjXEtpDOwB01CCXVxSru0u_fGt8FPPYojumb77ejE-hK_v-MDTKfl0qv0OwliNYt4rcFLlhTEA1zYMXj2vCylK2THTSd0f_U4/s1600-h/chicken.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30m0wWcPdfDUmhIVvY3iOxgnlytYnI25a5LOKAQq_jupjXEtpDOwB01CCXVxSru0u_fGt8FPPYojumb77ejE-hK_v-MDTKfl0qv0OwliNYt4rcFLlhTEA1zYMXj2vCylK2THTSd0f_U4/s400/chicken.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326846430201479394" /></a><br /><br />I stuck some chopped celery, carrots and onions underneath the little guy just to keep him (or her, I guess, I didn't check) from getting too saturated with fat and also basted s/him occasionally. Seriously, this was super easy, and after the suggested 30 minutes the chicken was really at the perfect temp. I couldn't believe it! It also seemed to have cooked pretty evenly from thighs to breasts...something I was nervous about after reading some fear-mongering articles in Cook's Illustrated about unevenly cooked roast chickens. <br /><br />Anyway, the last hurdle was carving, which also turned out to be completely fine. There's some sort of weird joint in the chicken's...pelvic socket I guess?...where if you hit it just right you can easily separate the thighs from the body, and from there it's smooth sailing as long as your knife is sharp enough.<br /><br />To complete the meal a friend of mine whipped up some delicious biscuits, and I also sauteed some chard (stems <span style="font-style:italic;">and</span> leaves people!) and made a risotto for my veggie friend who graciously endured the dead bird and also mixed up a pitcher of Tom Collins. Here are the biscuits:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPOI2h8q6SoQSgwv0y4IZGpHyG5AuG-pN45Jgck9zoKgGFDXD_upylQkdWNl2qXcdgdFxmfFywy3SrJ0Y89H2uIwB6HDGe2Tv15mOogkx7CP84dgjZXc83wwbj_YOv71t545Y_hOnYHc/s1600-h/biscuits.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPOI2h8q6SoQSgwv0y4IZGpHyG5AuG-pN45Jgck9zoKgGFDXD_upylQkdWNl2qXcdgdFxmfFywy3SrJ0Y89H2uIwB6HDGe2Tv15mOogkx7CP84dgjZXc83wwbj_YOv71t545Y_hOnYHc/s400/biscuits.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326848860671928178" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, I forgot to take pictures while I was cooking...but I'm going to try and be better about that and also use my real camera for optimum quality. <br /><br />To conclude, roasting a chicken is dead easy, and I completely recommend trying it to everyone...unless you're an utter moron like <a href="http://internetfoodassociation.com/2009/04/15/roast-chicken-fail/">this guy </a> who somehow blamed the failure of his oven to work properly on poor Amateur Gourmet guy's recipe.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871203944638016854.post-6034359979185707632009-04-14T08:47:00.000-07:002009-04-14T08:59:05.622-07:00Restaurant Review: BrookvinOK, I wrote this for another site, but they never ended up posting it and then I moved out of that neighborhood anyway. Whatevs.<br />Brookvin: A Drunken Review <br /><br />I finally had a chance to stop by new South Slope hot spot Brookvin this weekend.<span style=""> </span>It only took me so long because I live in <st1:place st="on">North Slope</st1:place> and am lazy, not because I’ve been busy with anything else except Netflix. <span style=""> </span>So anyway, Saturday night I corralled some friends and took the bus (the bus!) over to seventh and twelfth.<span style=""> </span>One friend had already arrived and had put our name on the list for what was supposed to be a 20 minute wait.<span style=""> </span>We settled in and bought a bottle of wine (Syrah, if you must know) at the bar for the five of us and began to wait for one of the three larger tables to free up.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br />After about thirty minutes, we had finished off the bottle, my one friend had apparently scolded the hostess (unnecessarily, in my eyes—it’s difficult for a hostess to gauge how long people will linger over cheese plates!), and we moved down to the other end of the bar to wait some more and avoid the hostess.<span style=""> </span>At this point we dove into the cocktail menu, assisted by our lovely bartender, who I think was either part owner or at least largely responsible for the drink menu.<span style=""> </span>He was extremely helpful and poured us a generous taste of their house-infused bacon bourbon.<span style=""> </span>Now, bacon and bourbon are two of my favorite things, so, naturally, I was excited about what was in that glass, and it certainly did not disappoint.<span style=""> </span>Some maple syrup added to the infusion (which, I was informed, is actually just bacon fat and not any of the meat itself) nicely balances the saltiness of the bacon (fat) and the fiery quality of the bourbon.<span style=""> </span>The whiskey sours were quite popular with the friends, as was the cucumber martini (vodka, muddled cucumber).<span style=""> </span>I was steered away from the raspberry? Lemonade, as it is apparently quite sweet (but maybe you’re into that).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br />After eagerly downing our delicious whiskey sours, etc., things got a little fuzzy.<span style=""> </span>We were seated at a comfy booth next to the bar (at least 40 minutes after we had arrived) and were attended to by a really great, enthusiastic server (not creepily enthused though—she just wasn’t too cool to remember our order unlike a certain growing class of servers who wear their sunglasses at night—I think you know who I mean).<span style=""> </span>Anyway, she was great, we ordered all three cheese plates—a goat, a sheep, and a cow—all came with accompaniments of some sort of jam-like substance and a good amount of crusty (sometimes a little too crusty/toasted) bread.<span style=""> </span>I was really into the rose petal(?) jam that came with the sheep’s(?) milk cheese—it was sweet and gooey but not cloying at all, and didn’t overpower the cheese.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We also ordered a plate of proscuitto and two tartines—onion jam, tallegio and radicchio (which was good the first round, but the radicchio took over a little too much on the second round, making it bitter) and house-cured bacon with something else gooey and nice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXGxZatjbmlTqap-sO4C0-dZFJEeVKLgw8o3dyKWqPaQFH44Ju42CrUYypEFAE4h3DF7wGo0Y1Jn-sn-x__aTAvRlI5SNyJ7IhTfUY6ObrtBHe-YQy9ZwDkoKwuF9gtqrAshdjTi0wu4/s1600-h/brookvin+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXGxZatjbmlTqap-sO4C0-dZFJEeVKLgw8o3dyKWqPaQFH44Ju42CrUYypEFAE4h3DF7wGo0Y1Jn-sn-x__aTAvRlI5SNyJ7IhTfUY6ObrtBHe-YQy9ZwDkoKwuF9gtqrAshdjTi0wu4/s400/brookvin+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324576053443877122" /></a><br /><br />I think there was another round of whiskey sours at some point—maybe a red wine?<span style=""> </span>Dessert, my friends, is really blurry:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="kn">me: </span> do you remember what that dessert was at brookvin?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">either one?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="kn">Friend: </span> oooh</p> <p class="MsoNormal">we had the caremelized apple bread pudding</p> <p class="MsoNormal">with salted caramel sauce</p> <p class="MsoNormal">and then, um... malted something?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">i don't know, i was pretty drunk</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="kn">me: </span> was the apple bread pudding the thing that was really good?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">or was that a chocolate malted something pudding?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="kn"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="kn">Friend: </span> BOTH</p> <p class="MsoNormal">it was a custard thing with... chocolate stuff on top</p> <p class="MsoNormal">cocoa powder?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">i have no idea</p> <p class="MsoNormal">we were all dying over the custard, but i personally was really into the apple thing because it was lighter</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So….yeah….desserts were great.<span style=""> </span>Order both of them; let me know what they are.<span style=""> </span>Here’s a blurry phone picture of what the chocolate malted something pudding looked like before I devoured it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPD-4sBq8_sWJWTFGANlbq2hgBSEjxwDxvY6e9qL_3KdwF7QnIG77ExQLdLAyap7wNNDMq_cQNiIFoAfdSUjt4l09yZ2fmFsrX3-i4AGvLzlFdqcB214WerKUeI0AI0Y7TMshRRUDMUL0/s1600-h/brookvin+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPD-4sBq8_sWJWTFGANlbq2hgBSEjxwDxvY6e9qL_3KdwF7QnIG77ExQLdLAyap7wNNDMq_cQNiIFoAfdSUjt4l09yZ2fmFsrX3-i4AGvLzlFdqcB214WerKUeI0AI0Y7TMshRRUDMUL0/s400/brookvin+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324576305221429026" /></a><br /><br />I really enjoyed my dinner/small plates/whatever and will certainly go back.<span style=""> </span>I’d like to explore the wine list a little more—it looked like there were some great selections by both the glass, bottle and even half bottle (who needs that?), with helpful descriptions—always a plus.<span style=""> </span>I kind of hope they start offering some options beyond the small plates.<span style=""> </span>There is obviously someone with an interesting palate behind the line, and I’d love to see what else they can do!<span style=""> </span>Brookvin is, however, probably not the best place to go in a group of five on a Saturday—there are only a few tables big enough to accommodate you, the place is pretty busy, and you’ll probably be wasted by the time they seat you.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11567206256161600168noreply@blogger.com0