Tacos for Pizza

Ramen Setagaya vs. Rai Rai Ken

2008-11-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Now here's a showdown...

Setagaya's Shio Ramen

(Jared puts spicy anything on everything)

VS.

RAI RAI KEN's Shio Ramen!

This is a curry ramen.

Only 14 stools.

Okay. So here's the results. Setagaya's ramen is lackluster. It is subtle, so if you like a delicate broth and thin chewy noodles, then maybe this is for you. The pork was tough and bland but the soft cooked egg was killer. It is nice to sit against the window and stare at the Village sidewalk scene.

Rai Rai Ken, besides being much more fun to say, I enjoyed their Ramen more. The broth is rich and deep and the noodles are meatier. Overall much better, I think. The curry ramen was very good as well and though it is cramped, it's cozy.

The winner? MOMOFUKU! HAHA (But these places are much cheaper)

Green Acres Is The Place

2008-11-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, my place of employment took us on an optional field trip up-state to check out some grass-fed cows that we might source for the restaurant. We like to go up to the actual farms, check out the cows, the grass, the air, and the farmer to see if they mesh with our ethos.

Kohlrabis look like green upside-down Sputniks but they are actually German turnips.

"Please take me home with you Scarlett! I want to live in dirty concrete Bushwick, not this beautiful farm!"

COWS!

CHICKENS!

BURGERS!

Generally, a lot of farmers who raise grass-fed beef will consider themselves 'grass farmers' instead of 'beef farmers' because grass is the important link in the system. Grass farming, which is generally a sustainable practice because it relies on natural ecology of sun-grass-ruminant, requires a careful rotation of cows grazing and then letting the grass grow to replenish nutrients. One of the biggest challenges for these types of farmers is the yield of grass. Their farm must be large enough to produce enough grass (dried to make hay) to feed the cows when grass is not growing, for four months of the year, during winter. A tremendous amount of hay is needed for this, instead of relying on cereals like corn, wheat, and barley.

This is a weird fungus that Sean found in the woods.

GOAT! (This is at Sprout Creek. These goats make some mean cheese.)

Bye-Bye

Slummin' It

2008-11-08T17:11:00.001-08:00

This is what I had for dinner.

Corner Bistro

2008-10-09T07:49:00.001-07:00

This is one of the first restaurants I ate at when I first moved to New York and finally got around to taking Jared there. It's in the running for the hefty title of the city's greatest burger.

The cheeseburger (if you get the Corner Bistro burger it comes mantled with cheese and bacon) contains a soft and chewy cheap sesame bun, just to aid lifting the burger to your mouth but not to detract from the beefiness of the patty-which is like two hockey pucks stacked on top of each other, mustard, ketchup, the superfluous iceberg lettuce leaf and mealy tomato (discard, please), and pickles. It is a true dream of a burger. They also have pints of McSorely's Dark for 3$.

How could you not want to eat this?

Spongebob Popsicle

2008-10-09T07:44:00.001-07:00

A cotton-candy cherry lemon cartoon character popsicle never looked so devilish.

Tapas

2008-09-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've really been into fino sherry lately. It smells like caramel, figs, and raisins and tastes like a salty, tart, apple. Deliciously confusing and great with tapas.

Red Hook Ballfields

2008-09-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

At the Red Hook futbol/soccer/football fields on Saturdays and Sundays there is a grand collection of Latin American street food vendors.

Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Puerto Rico, Mexico and many others are represented by their expats hawking pupusas, tacos, huaraches, ceviche, elotes, and agua frescas.

MEXICO.

Revuelta (pork and cheese) and jalapeno and cheese pupusas with the standard curtido and pickled jalapenos. Salvadoran food is not characteristically spicy, like some other latin american cuisines. Instead of salsa, pupsas (round, hand packed, corn disks stuffed with different fillings) are served with curtido, a pickled cabbage/carrot mixture similar in some senses to German style sauerkraut. You can chomp on some pickled jalapenos if you are addicted to capsaicin.

Potato and chicken flautas and one carne asada taco from the Mexican truck. They were pretty good but too much lettuce.

This little girl is about to smash this Hummer into the junkyard!!! This is what my birthday party is going to look like.

Burger Joint

2008-09-13T11:51:00.001-07:00

Jared turned me on to an incredible Midtown secret. You head to Le Parker Meridien on 118 West 57th St. walk in, pass the suits and soaring ceilings, modernist columns and marble floors, make a sharp left and down a velvet draped dark hallway, you'll see this...

It's a mutherfuckin' burger joint!

The great charred burgers, cooked perfectly, with the works, are only $7.00. A pitcher of Sam Adams' Lager, $18.00.

The fries are forgettable. More useful as lincoln logs than burger accompaniments.

The decor, however, is very special.

This is what a picnic looks like

2008-09-13T11:48:00.001-07:00

Mmmm, family.

2008-09-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

Mi familia came to visit me and chow down on the NYC offerings.

We ate bagels every single morning. Raw red onion and slices of tomato, salt, and lots of pepper.

To Chinatown for dumplings

and Dim Sum.

We visited the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (free on Tuesdays!) and nibbled our way through the incredible herb, fruit, and vegetable garden.

In addition to this beautiful swiss chard, there was amaranth, sorrel, lamb's quarters, tobacco, quinoa, and dozens of plants I have never even heard of.

At the New Museum, they have rich and crumbly peanut butter cookies filled with whipped peanut butter-buttercream. 3$!

Cheddar-baked eggs with grits and golden raisin- fennel toast.

Ricotta on toasted baguette with fig jam, dried sour cherries, walnuts, and arugula. Roebling Tea House.

This handsome young guy graduated into culinary manhood when he tried his first on-the-half-shell oyster this weekend. Will it be his last?

Spread this on

2008-07-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

"Cooking is great! It's burned meat!"

2008-07-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

To Long Island's Wild Wood Park in Riverhead, New York for some real camping.

Let's meat the campers, shall we?

Fire Master Bennett

The librarian of your wildest dreams, Kate.

Park designer/Strong man Mr. Olmsted.

Tick Magnet, me.

The greatest thing about cooking in the wilderness, besides the smoke, char, and caramelizing scent of fire-roasted meat, is the creativity that comes with minimalism. Salami and cheese and peanut butter sandwiches for example; or adding trail mix to your PB & J. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

This is a Charcoal Onion. A Charcoal Onion, which I learned about from a rotund Italian cook who never made it on the new Grill It! Show with Bobby Flay, is created by placing whole onions, peel and roots intact, on a fire or BBQ Grill. You let the onion burn and become completely blacked and two beers later you remember it and take the seemingly inedible mass out of the coals to squeeze out the sweetened goopy onion inside. Put it on a hot dog.

Down by the sea shore...

...there was that little kind of shack that you always hope is there, hawking cold sodas, ice pops, pretty decent burgers, and CHEEZE FRIES. Mmmm.

Ew, girls.

We found lots of wild blueberry bushes. A couple were ripe.

Hash in the morning. Potatoes, salami, onion, garlic, zucchini, and a sauce made out of ketchup, lime juice, salt, pepper, and tabasco.

Like Peas and Toast, A Perfect Marriage

2008-06-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sam and Alex finally visited! Tacos, pizza, absinthe, French toast, you name it, we ate it. Here is everything exciting we consumed in a week.

The absinthe ban has been lifted in the United States. Look at how Jared's clothes match the bottle. What a pirate.

Just cookin' at home, getting ready for IRON CHEF NYC!!!-- LEMON.

Lemony garlic chicken skewers and wild rice pilaf with oranges and lemons.

Sliders with lemon aioli and preserved lemon.

Lemony pasta salad.

Raspberry lemon ice cream and two lemon pies.

We went to 5ptz which didn't have any food per say, though there was a pub on the corner offering beer and 40 cent oysters that Sam and Alex negated.

Not one of us had been to White Castle before so we made a pilgrimage.

These RANCH Chicken Ringz are thin circles of chicken meat. Like little chickeny doughnuts, they are covered with a light dusting of ranch powder with little flecks of dehydrated parsley. They might have been the best thing we ordered.

Mmmmmmm.

Burgersssssssssssssssssss.

White Castle burgers taste like little puffs of slightly oily, sweetened, yeasty, air. They do not taste like burgers or even beef for that matter; the meat pattie is thinner than a nickel. Alex had one and a half. Jared had three. I had four. Sam had eight. We had to eat lots of greens vegetables the next day to feel better.

Roberta's! Our last meal. Sigh.

Zefe's Mexican Restaurant

2008-06-14T09:06:00.001-07:00

There is great Mexican food in Brooklyn. You can find it as long as you are willing to search through the cracks and crannies of nighttime.

In-house-made-tortilla chips with red and green sauce. Stop and go.

Papaya batidos, tacos, rice and beans, beer, and one tamale = A delicious spread.

The carne asada tacos are wonderful, with a creamy guacamole and bits of cilantro and onion. The goat (chivo) and al pastor (spicy marinated pork) tacos are also superb. Steer clear of the carnitas (shredded fried pork) unless you favor tufts of hair and gristle in your tacos. I am excited to try the tortas, burritos, and sopes.

They also have a large selection of cup o' noodles if Mexican food ain't your thing. Shrimp, chicken, and pork.

Zefe's is like a breath of fresh air.

Cold Noodles

2008-06-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

This scorching summer I am all about anti-stove/oven cool meals. Cold soba noodles with green onion and soy sauce and a side marinated vegetables. Cold sake too, of course.

Julianned carrot, cucumber, Serrano chiles, red bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and fish sauce, makes a bastardized Thai salad. Spicy, tart, cool, and absolutely refreshing.

Kitty ignores the heat by curling up in a nice cold cardboard box.

Pizza and Beer

2008-06-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Stephie came to visit and a monster appeared on a van outside our apartment.

I had to take her to Bedford slice for the fried eggplant and roasted red pepper slice.

Mmmmmmm.

Then we went to a French bistro in Brooklyn Heights and drank Hefeweizen all day. It was a great weekend.

Bucha Lobster

2008-06-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

What the hell is that?!

It's my first batch of Los Angeles bred 'bucha. Tangy, tingly, tasty, kombucha.

I bottled up my first batch, flavored a couple bottles with fresh ginger, some with lemon, and am well on my well to a second delicious batch. Thanks IVOR!

Here are a couple of pictures of the meals I made with the leftover produce I acquired on a new Food Network show shoot. If you can find out where television food shows are being filmed, go in the evening with open arms and suitcases, because they are sure to have gobs of vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuffs to give away. Grilled chayote, yellow squash, and zucchini with pesto, grilled asparagus, guacamole with roasted corn and poblanos.

Grilled plums brushed with maple syrup.

Roasted corn with lime.

Balsamic glazed grilled radicchio. I think it tastes like burnt cigarettes but in the best way possible.

Braised artichoke hearts.

And, lobster tails.

Funny Bones

2008-05-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Now that I am living back on the east coast, where I spent my childhood longing for sugary preservative-saturated Little Debbie and Hostess cakes and cookies, I always give the racks a browse at my neighborhood bodegas. Here's a new item. (Or at least one that escaped my milk money in the 90s...) FUNNY BONES! Peanut butter filled chocolate cakes covered in more chocolate.

The bones were not bad...not too sweet with a mild peanuty cream inside. The only problem is the waxy chocolate coating that flakes off at the slightest tooth pressure.

Two Dinners

2008-05-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

A + 2B or, in tastier terms, one meat and two veg is a standard dinner time meal construct that arose in the early twentieth century in Northern Europe and AMERICA! One meat item, a vegetable, and another, usually starchy (potato-esque) vegetable is the basic American and English supper. Here are two last week examples.

Kale, cranberry, and pecan stuffed chicken breast with braised fennel and roasted potatoes.

Sirloin steak with green onion mashed potatoes and sauteed garlicky kale. I'm really gettin' into dark leafy greens this month. They make you feel so healthy even if bacon and butter are included...

After dinner, I like to put stickers all over the cat. She's pretty amused.

Side note: I got a new brand of Friskies "Indoor Delights" for Captain Sensible with 'Chicken, Beef, Turkey, & Cheese Flavors With a Touch of Garden Greens'. The box is covered in bright green swirls, leaves, and animals. I think it is hilarious how the 'green' factor can now be marketed to cats.

Foot Village!

2008-05-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

Dark Leafy Greens!

Our friends Foot Village came to town. They are all healthy eaters.

Dan and Grace brought me many delicious presents, goiter included.

Dan gave me a baby Bucha, which is now happily growing away into lip smackin' Kombucha, and... the last of Bob's Beer! In this case, it was a delightful SWEET cider. MMMMMMMMM.

Then, A++ reformed for one night and opened for Foot Village at Death By Audio. We went to EGG the next morning, which I've been yearning to eat at since I moved here. I got a toad in the hole but it was called Eggs Rothko, braised tomatoes, and kale. The show was so intense that I forgot my camera at brunch.

Captain Sensible misses them already.

Cross Your Ts and Cs

2008-05-14T15:36:00.001-07:00

Jared bought me a little grill for our anniversary! It's name is Wally.

Our model friends, Teresa and Candace visited us last week so we decided to christen it with our first Brooklyn rooftop BBQ. (I know, I know, it is technically grilling, not BBQ)

Teresa and I prepped everything-grilled corn and tomato salad with jalapenos, marinated cod, grilled scallions and mangos and started to light the grill.

And then we found out that charcoal from the 99 cent store refuses to burn.

The sun started to go down...

Getting impatient...

After two hours, a matchbook of matches, and repeated dousings of lighter fluid, I called my friend Bobby to get some grilling advice, who told us to throw in the towel and take it inside.

This is New York grilling.

Complete! It was very delicious.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

2008-04-28T17:55:00.001-07:00

We woke up too late for our regular Sunday brunch outfit so we stayed home and made our own. Bacon. Coffee. Fruit Salad. And the tastiest healthiest (wheat germ and whole wheat flour) banana pancakes ever!

Tortilla Factory

2008-04-26T06:50:00.001-07:00

When you want Los Angeles style tacos in New York, you gotta go to the source--The Tortilla Factory.

Inside of the factory, with industrial corn meal mixers grinding away in the background, and Norteno music blasting, you order your tacos at this little kitchen, and sit down at the long communal table to dine with dirty hipsters and hair-netted tortilla makers alike. Basically, a utopian dining experience.

And oh what tacos they are! So achingly good they tickle the heart-strings and make your nose run from happiness and hot sauce. Green and red are equally great.

They have tacos, tortas (really good because they bun is not too over-sized and it's nice and toasty, like a Mexican panini) burritos (I have yet to try), tostadas, and these awesome things that look like giant sopes, called picadas. They cook all of the meat to order and the chorizo, pleasantly greasy, grainy, and flecked with bits of earthy potato, might be my favorite.

I know what you Angelenos might be thinking, "Hmmm, what about all that lettuce and crema on there? That doesn't look too autentico..." Lettuce is superfluous, yes. Still incredibly delicious? Quite. Just look at the smile on Brandon's face; that is one happy man. We're going to be okay, New York! We can survive!

Cheddar Walnut Loaf

2008-04-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

I had so many great possible food posts and then my camera went on the fritz. So I lost Empire Szechuan, the delicious German roladen I made, and the second round of IRON CHEF-Asparagus pictures. Sigh. Anyways, I got this old copy of Diet for a Small Planet, which was adored by the seventies counterculture as one of the first vegetarian cookbooks.

I like how the book tries to translate meat-centric items of American cuisine, like hamburger patties and meatloaf, into veggie fare. I made the cheddar-walnut-loaf. It was a rousing success. Really. Nutty, cheesy, savory and filling; I threw in some tarragon for good measure.

Check out this gargoyle we got!

Dumpling Man

2008-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Dumpling Man.

I wish I was two inches high so I could scramble over these like greasy boulders.

Initially, I was not that impressed. The guy running the shop was a total prick and the pork dumplings and one special kimchi dumpling were good though not as ethereal as I had anticipated. However, after the smell of steamy meat envelopes continued to permeate the entire apartment long after I had finished them. I could not stop thinking about the dumpling. The sour smack of ground pork, the sharp green-ness of scallion, and garlicky juice. They were pretty great. A working man's dumpling, a punchy package of herbs and good meat, a delicate and not completely refined casing. I'm into it.

Have no fear!

2008-04-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Anavan is here! All the way from Ketchekan, Alaska.

Bret, a food adventurer of the grandest sorts, and I went to Atlas Bakery in the East Village to gorge on sugar.

Vegan? Butter and cream laden? Who cares? They taste fantastique.

Next stop, the wondrous automat. Check out the youngsters in awe of this incredibly modern invention. Automats were first created in Berlin in the early 20th century and brought to New York in 1912, conveniently serving hot food to the proletariat for nickels. The rise of fast food and drive thrus in the 50s killed the appeal and they remain largely extinct.

Until now. This macaroni and cheese in a fried tube was surprisingly delightful.

Then on to real mac n' cheese.

S'mac n' cheese.

Neapolitan style. Four cheese. And le Parisian.

Awwww yeah babe. That has oozing brie, rosemary, shitakes, and dried figs!

Nice work, boys.

Then we went back to Brooklyn. I had a hilarious thought at the bookstore that maybe NYC shop cats can get you really sick. Think of all the dirty hands that pet them every day. "Oh man, I caught a real bug last week. I think I got it from that Spoonbill & Sugartown shop kitty. I pet him for like a half an hour" It was worth it.

Tamales

2008-03-31T17:15:00.001-07:00

I finally made tamales. Just enough for two.

There is the masa (dough), soaking corn husks, chicken mole, and a tamale.

I have no idea if this is the correct way to stuff and roll them but I figure most methods are acceptable. Where's my Oaxacan grandmother to teach me?

So they turned out pretty good although I still have to tweak the masa recipe a bit. I didn't use lard, but vegetable shortening, and I did use some water. I think next time I will stick with the Crisco but use some chicken stock for the liquid to give it a richer flavor. And more salt. And next time, chile and cheese.

Tamale coma.

Gowanus Guacamole

2008-03-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

Jared and I ventured over to Gowanus, a semi-industrial and really charming area of Brooklyn, to see the new Picture Box comic store.

We ate at a nearby Mexican restaurant called Maria's Mexican Bistro on 4th Ave. I tend to be a guacamole purist (just avocados, lime juice, and salt, maybe the tiniest minced white onion) but this stuff was addictive. Really salty and flavorful.

The tacos were garbage though.

They were dry, stale, flavorless, and overloaded with onions. Notice the visible disappointment.

And look at the layer of grease on the tortilla soup! Orange pools of grease are only acceptable if there is copious amounts of melty processed cheese in the mix or lots of pork. Neither were in this soup.

Barf. The only saving grace was the guacamole. Be warned.

Pretty!

Not a hamster-ball but an ice-cream-maker ball we found on the street in it's full packaging! Our friend Christopher Gere has one and it makes delicious ice cream. You fill up one side with ice and rock salt, the other internal compartment with cream, sugar, and fruit, and then you roll it around on the ground or shake it or throw it back in forth like in elementary school. And ice cream is created. Genius.

Bring on the warm weather!

Around the world in two days

2008-03-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

Kiss me, I'm German!

Brandon and Taylor at Cheap Shots.

Anne got us the good ole' LA stalwart street foods, the bacon wrapped hot dog. This kid had mustard, grilled onions, and (gotta have green) avocado.

The bacon was impressively crispy.

That's Anne. And Mcallister!

This is a preserved lemon. Well, the beginning of a preserved lemon. I just got a new Moroccan cookbook called Arabesque, that shows you how to make them. You cut the lemon open, salt it heavily, pack them in a sterilized container and let it sit for a month.

Then we had Pho for dinner, somewhere on 8th Ave. The defining characteristic of Pho is the beefy star anise scented broth, though, Jared says it's, "Leaves".

And then... we found a TACO TRUCK! The first one I've seen in Manhattan.

14th St. and 8th Ave.

I just fabricated a chicken because I'm going to make something for dinner. The carcass is simmering away for chicken stock...

IRON CHEF NYC-Jalapenos

2008-03-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

The first NYC incarnation of our ole' LA favorite party style-IRON CHEF. One of your friends chooses a foodstuff--bananas, maple syrup, coriander, whatever. And then you show up to the party with a food featuring that ingredient. Pure genius. This time was jalapeños.

Spicy sugared margaritas.

Chipotle deviled eggs and jalapeño cornbread.

Corn chowda with cilantro.

Spicy!

The winner-bacon wrapped cheese stuffed jalapeños. They went fast.

Capsicum kitty.

Bizcocho de chiles.

We also had chips and salsa, enchiladas, chorizo stuffed jalapeños, and beers.
Spicy food. Hot friends. Burning down the house.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

2008-03-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Man oh man. After lying face down in bed for a week with the flu and existing solely on oranges and cough drops my taste buds were not prepared for the deliciousness to be had at Momofuku Noodle Bar when J-RAD took me this week. I had been yearning to try David Chang's Asian cuisine ever since he appeared in the NYC Times, and then Gourmet, and then Bon Appetit, and then NYC times again and again and again like a culinary poster-child. These seasonal pickles started out our meal: shitakes, kimchee, pickled pear (so good!), cucumber, and radish. I love me some pickles.

The press has been kind to Chef Chang, and deservedly so. This may, no, this was the best bowl of Ramen (and the most expensive at $15) I have ever eaten in my life. There's pork confit in there, pork belly, a poached egg, Jesus, bamboo shoots, and nori. Sorry it's a little blurry. (Ramen haze)

Jared got the chicken Ramen. Great as well but not as good as the porcine variety.

So, if you've even had really good Ramen, really authentic stuff, you know that the broth should be so concentrated and rich that it tastes milky, calcified, like bones. This Ramen was so layered with umami, with such rich chewy egg saturated noodles, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, my eyes start to roll back into my head. And the pork belly! Pig deified. Here's the bustling kitchen.

Bedford Slice

2008-02-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Okay. I know that I have not yet posted on pizza. What's up with that? This is not because I haven't eaten any pizza or that is has not been up to par, quite the contrary. I have probably eaten my weight in incredibly awesome pizza in the past two months. It is merely because I rarely carry around my shitty, malfunctioning, digital camera.

On average, I eat two to four slices of pizza a week, usually trying to hit different spots in an attempt to find the Queen of all slices. Jared says he eats about three a week too. All the pizza joints I've tried have been tasty--poor unpopular pizza doesn't function in NYC; it can't, the rent is too high. Certainly some slices are better than others but many are wonderful and one quite exceptional...

That would be Anna Maria Pizza on Bedford in Williamsburg better known as "The Bedford Slice". Everyone knows that it's the best, it IS the best (so far that I've found) and even the New York Times has a boner for their pizza. When you get in you are greeted with a loud, "OKAY GUY, WHO'S NEXT. NEXTTTTPPHULLEZZZ!" from this guy who can smack a paper bag open on the counter louder than a 12 gage. He always has a rad hat and a smarmy attitude but he's a sweetheart at the core.

A couple of days ago my friend Lauren came to town on business so I had to take her.

We both got the roasted garlic, basil, and ricotta slices, which I had never had before. The regular cheese slice is mind-bendingly good but the other more topping-heavy pizzas are great too. Oh! the fried eggplant and sausage. Ahhh! the arugula and tomato. Mmmmm! the pepperoni. The crust and dough is chewy, yet supple, crispy in some places, burnt and charred in perfect amounts like a Nancy Silverton wet dream. The sauce bright and garlic-y, the cheese gooey, stretchy, and in all the right amounts. Not too greasy, not too sloppy, very, very hot. Let it sit for a full 30 seconds before eating.

I will try them all before I die.

Kitty too!

16 Days and Growing

2008-02-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

16 day old Kombucha!

Here's what our baby kombucha looks like. Really awesomely disgusting. I keep tasting it and it's not at the nice n' tangy, ache-the-back-of-your-throat stage that you get from store-bought kombucha... I think I'm going to let him grow a little more, however, how long can it go? I have no idea. The tea is starting to evaporate.

Oyster Pot Pie

2008-02-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

Oyster Pot Pie?! No way! Actually, that sounds pree-teeeee, pretty, pretty, pretty, good. However tonight I ate them separate. Today I wanted to make a vegetable heavy dish for dinner to offset all the slices o' pizza we've been eating. So I took onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, parsley, and basil, chopped it up simmered it in chicken stock and milk and made a pot pie with some leftover quiche crust.

Rollin' out the dough.

Ready to bake. I threw in some chicken for good measure.

Now for the mollusks. I, like most sensible people, are consumed with interest and intrigue for oysters, especially ones on the half shell. As much as I would love to dine at any of the popular NYC seafood restaurants, I thought I would save some dozens of dollars and shuck the guys myself.

I got these guys at Citarella on 9th St. and 6th Ave (Ave. de las Americas) They have a great seafood counter with nice guys who can discuss the finer points of razor clams in broken English. They said, "You are going to open these yourself?" and I said, "Yes, sir!"

The only other time I have attempted opening oysters was about four years ago, when I bought one out of curiosity and after not being able to wedge it open with a blunt knife, thought I could kind of smash it open with a metal meat tenderizer. I embarrassedly slid the smithereens into the garbage. Here goes my second time.

TA-DA!

Some of those fuckers are much harder to open than others. Think more finesse than brutish strength and you'll be fine. You gotta wiggle around the knife, being careful not to stab yourself, twisting it now and then until you hear a dull pop and the oyster liquor starts to seep out. I think the most difficult thing was keep the silt and mud out of the oyster cavity--even if you wash and scrub them really well, it's hard to remove all the grit. Also, severing the muscle that attaches the oyster to the interior ivory shell takes practice. I certainly mangled a few but that didn't make them taste any less delicious.

I thought I was a lemon-squirt purist; however, I dabbed on a little Tapatio every other oyster--LA style. Jared and Captain Sensible do not indulge.

They did gobble up the pot pie and broccolis though.

President Mole

2008-02-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Today I made mole for the very first time. It is odd that I have never attempted it before because it is one of Jared's favorite dishes and one of my LA obsessions; however, it does require a deft hand with the spice rack and a really great recipe.

I got this one from a friend who called his mom in Oaxaca for her secret recipe. It calls for over twenty ingredients, three types of chiles, chocolate, bread, sesame seeds, to name a few.

I made home-made tortillas too. I don't have a tortilla press or a comal (a flat griddle specific for cooking them)- I just use two pieces of wax paper and a flat-bottomed saucepan to squash them out and a normal fry pan to cook them.

LUNCH. The mole turned out alright. I have certainly eaten worse moles. It was earthy, deep, with a subtle chocolaty flavor and a nice balance of sweet and salty. I think the recipe could be tweaked a bit though-Sorry Raphael's Mom.

Kitty in a box!

Soup Dumplings

2008-02-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

On Sunday Jared and Kate and I caught the aftermath of Chinese New Year in Chinatown.

We were on the search for the famous "Soup Dumplings". We found these beauties at Joe's Ginger Restaurant though they are usually served at any Chinatown restaurant.

Here's the deal with soup dumplings. The eating method is very tricky. The wrapper is delicate and pliable and when you puncture it hot delicious soup seeps out. You have to hold a big spoon underneath to catch the inevitable stream of liquid that falls from the dumpling. Slurp it up! Or if your boca is big enough you can encase the whole dumpling in your mouth and chomp it like a savory Gusher.

But how do they get soup into a dumpling?! The secret is, they make a incredibly rich broth with lots of pork bits and bones and simmer it for hours. The broth is super concentrated and calcified (from the bones) If you've ever had really great soup Ramen, the same kind of broth is used. When this mixture cools it actually congeals into a jelly mass because it has so much collagen in it, like a meat Jello. This is called aspic. The aspic can then be cut into little cubes and wrapped into a dumpling. When the dumpling is steamed, the aspic melts and turns back into tasty broth. So sneaky and amazing! The kind of soup dumplings we had were crab dumplings in a pork broth. Fucking incredible--the marriage of pork and crab never tasted so delicious. The crab meat had a slight oceany flavor tied up in the sweetness and depth of great pork broth. Mmmmmmm. Stop! I'll just have the veggie dumplings, says Jared.

These veggie dumpling had no soup involved but lots of leafy greens, vermicelli noodles, soybeans, and mushrooms. They were very good.

I already want to go again.

Veggie Burritos

2008-02-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the bean and cheese burrito is incomprehensible here. I have asked for numerous burritos with just beans (the smooth and creamy refried variety) and cheese (the oozing and melty orange or white kind). Beans and cheese. Cheese and beans.
Usually what you end up getting, along with quizzical stares, is some style of veggie burrito with beans, cheese, rice, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, and corn which can actually be quite awesome. The burrito at Taqueria Restaurant New Mexico on 189 Graham Ave. is a winner. It is not, however, a bean and cheese burrito.

Our New Baby

2008-02-06T08:54:00.001-08:00

This is our new baby, Kombucha! I started brewing my own fermented mushroom tea on Monday with the help of my friend Adam, who graciously donated a SCOBY. It is not actually a mushroom but a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. Gross! No, actually great and delicious.
You make a big batch of tea (this kind is regular black) add a bunch of sugar, plop in the scoby when it's cool and some bottled kombucha, and let it sit for at least ten days. When it smells like apple cider vinegar and tastes good it's done. I can't wait.

Garlic, chile, lemon

2008-02-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

This is a little pasta dish I made the other day with everything that was left in our fridge. Lately, I've been obsessed with the simple Italian flavor profile of olive oil, garlic, chile and lemon. If you heat up a good amount of olive oil, throw in a couple gloves of minced garlic, a small finely chopped shallot, a couple of pinches of dried red chile flakes and cook it over low heat, then toss it with some cooked hot pasta, a little pasta water, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and maybe some parsley for good measure... holy shit, it just tastes so good! Really clean, bright flavors with ingredients that are always on hand. I threw in some julienned zucchini and carrot too.

Piosca Tiaxtla

2008-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

This is our first foray into the "Mexican" food of New York. I had two bistec tacos with rice and beans and J-Rad had a steak quesadilla with rice and beans. It is interesting that grilled steak is not called "carne asada" here, just "bistec". However, "carne enchilada" abounds many menus. We'll have to determine the difference in the future. Looks pretty good, eh?

Though the rice and beans were pretty great the rest of the meal was a splattering grease-bomb! POW! The meat was not crispy enough and though it had the correct minced onion/cilantro accompaniment it dripped trails of oil upon the slightest tooth pressure.

Also, the hot sauces seriously lacked heat. The green sauce had no heat; even the red sauce proved no challenge for my wimpy gringa tongue. Jared was even less impressed.

Overall, it could satisfy a Mexican food craving if desperate enough and with heavy drunk munchies. Bring your own jalapenos. Awarded: Two palm trees

A Favorite

2008-01-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is Champ. He guards the records at Vortex, a little thrift store on Montrose that has a dozen Freddy Krueger hands still in the wrapping. We think he would be a great beau for Capt. Sensible but supposedly he is a she! (Impossible) If you took three kitties and smashed them together he would still be bigger and heavier. That pillow he is sitting on is a couch cushion.

Aioli!

2008-01-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

This is one of the first things I made in our new kitchen. Although we do not eat much mayonnaise I still consider a good homemade version an essential. There is no point in eating gloppy bland Hellman's when it is so easy to make your own delicious version. We found that NYC Driver's License on the street outside of the metro.

Aioli just means mayonnaise with garlic in it. I find that most recipes include way too much garlic which can overpower the subtle flavor of emulsified egg and oil. And you can use olive oil but I prefer not to because it's too strongly flavored as well. In this version I threw in a couple of mined basil leaves for extra flavor.

Ingredients:
1 small garlic clove
Big pinch of kosher salt
1 egg yolk
1 T water
1 T lemon juice
Just under 3/4 cup of canola or vegetable oil

1. Mash up the garlic clove really good. Put the salt on top of the mashed garlic and mush it all together to make a nice paste.
2. Combine the garlic/salt mixture, egg yolk, water, and lemon juice together in a bowl and whisk together.
3. Carefully, drop in just a couple drops of oil and whisk whisk whisk it all together till it is blended smoothly.
4. Repeat step 3 till you are done with the oil. Make sure to go slowly-emulsions can be tricky. The aioli should start to get thick and creamy.

Even people who don't like "mayonnaise" (Jared) like this stuff. Dip freedom fries in it.

2008-01-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is our kitchen. There is no counter space.

I said I'd never

2008-01-20T13:26:00.001-08:00

Hey! I, Escarlata, future culinary anthropologist, along with Jared, asthmatic extrodinaire, and Captain Sensible, purr-box, just moved from sunny Los Angeles to lovely and grey Brooklyn. We've traded tacos for pizza and are on the search for a grand LA-estilo taco. Here's what we put in our mouths...

To start it off, here's what our new home looks like.