erin's kitchen

The Market Lunch Dilemma: Blue Bucks or the Brick?

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:02:00 +0000

Though it's in new, temporary quarters thanks to the Eastern Market fire, the breakfast dilemma at the Capitol Hill institution Market Lunch remains the same: Blueberry buckwheat pancakes or the Brick? The huge, fluffy pancakes are a buttery delight--plus, you get to hear the cashier yell "Bluuuuue BUCKS" to the line cooks. However, the Brick is an unparalleled breakfast sandwich--a homemade biscuit houses your choice of meat (bacon, sausage or ham), cheese, eggs and the piece de resistance, fried potatoes.

On Saturday morning, the Market Lunch line is long, and the boys ahead of us were hungry enough to order both the pancakes and the Brick. J and I adhered to one Brick for each of us, he with sausage, me with bacon. It provided plenty of fuel for our walk back down the Mall (and then some).

Know before you go: Market Lunch doesn't do breakfast on Sunday, and stops serving breakfast items around noon on Saturdays.

Market Lunch (inside Eastern Market's temporary location)
7th Street & North Carolina Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C.

Strawberry Banana Pudding Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:54:00 +0000

So, a few months ago, I had the...um...pleasure of meeting Katie Lee Joel at a food charity event. I was about to ask her what it was like to be Billy Joel's daughter, but then the reporter next to me asked about her HUSBAND, Billy Joel. Oops. His daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, is a mere four years younger than her stepmother, so you can't blame me for being confused.

Anyway, at this event I was...um...lucky enough to get a free copy of Joel's new cookbook, The Comfort Table. No disrespect to Mrs. Joel's Southern heritage, but this vanity project looks straight out of the Hamptons, not straight out of West Virginia, her home state. The one recipe that caught my eye was a banana pudding pie. I added strawberries, and nixed the extra layer of vanilla wafers in the pie itself. While the pudding was a bit runny, it was quite delicious, though I doubt the slim Katie has eaten too many slices of such a decadent dessert.

Banana Strawberry Vanilla Pudding Pie

45 vanilla wafers
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 batch of vanilla pudding (try Mark Bittman's recipe)
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
3/4 c. cream
scant 1/4 c. sugar (or less, depending on your sweet tooth)

Preheat oven to 350. Pulse the vanilla wafers in your food processor until crumbly. Slowly add in the melted butter and pulse until well-mixed.

Press vanilla wafer crumbs into a greased pie pan. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Cool.

When crust is cool, place a layer of bananas and strawberries in the crust. Top with a thick layer of the pudding. Place another layer of bananas and strawberries on top, then the rest of the pudding (you may have some extra). Place in the fridge to chill for at least two hours. Meanwhile, whip the cream with the sugar until you have stiff peaks. When ready to serve the pie, top with a layer of whipped cream.

Open-Faced Asparagus Spring Onion Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:44:00 +0000

I tried to stay local through the winter, stopping at the Morningside Heights farmers' market on Thursday afternoons, but a girl can only eat so many apples. The pickings were slim December through March, and I rarely had the time to trek down to the larger New York market at Union Square.

I have no excuses now--summer's bounty has begun, and on Wednesday nights the Foggy Bottom market in DC is right in front of the Metro station I use to get home. The market is small, but covers all the bases. A couple veggie stands, a dairy/egg stand, a pork and beef guy, plus a bread gal. Last week in less than 10 minutes, I pulled together the ingredients for a full meal at the market, forcing my seatmates on the Metro to bathe in the smell of my fresh garlic the whole way home.

Last week I caught the last of the asparagus, fat, crisp tips perfect for roasting. I drizzled them with olive oil and garlic, and tucked them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. As they cooked, I sauteed some sweet, purple spring onions and some baby summer squash. I toasted some walnut-whole wheat-cumin bread, spread it with fresh goat cheese, topped it with the onions and squash, then the tender asparagus spears. I finished the whole open faced delight with one non-local ingredient--lemon juice. Even in summer, the Mid-Atlantic can't quite catch up with California's riches.

And Now From Our Nation's Capital

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:46:00 +0000

Friends--this summer Erin's Kitchen will come to you from Washington, DC, where I'll be working until mid-August. I lived in this sweltering city when I first graduated from college, and have fond memories of Saturday mornings at Eastern Market, cheap lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl, and my first-ever mussels at Bistro du Coin.

However, more often than not I'll be eating in--J must stay in New York for work, and paying two rents requires beans-and-rice-style belt-tightening. I'll still visit the Big Apple every other weekend, so you can expect reports from both the Union Square and Foggy Bottom farmers' markets on a regular basis. I've added some DC foodbloggers to my links on the left. If you have any favorites to recommend, please let me know!

Eat the Tail, Suck the Head

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:22:00 +0000

To eat your crawfish, you twist at the middle, breaking the head from the tail. Squeeze the head and suck out the fat, then peel the tail a bit, hold the end, twist and pull out the meat and eat. See? Simple.

The weather gods have been remarkably kind to J and I this week. Tuesday night we scored tickets to Hamlet in Central Park, and though the sky was black and wet just an hour before the show began, the rain stopped about 10 minutes into the show. Similarly, gray clouds and a depressing weather report nearly kept us off the bus to Crawfish Fest down in Sussex County New Jersey yesterday. However, J's Louisiana-bred friend Geoff was determined to get his crawfish fill and we decided to cross our fingers and go. Though the raindrops got bigger the closer we got to the festival, by the time the bus doors opened, the drops disappeared and we even got a bit of a sunburn as the day progressed.

It's hard to beat a day in the sun with friends, drinking beer, listening to live music, and eating spicy Cajun food. Though as we rolled into our apartment around 9 pm last night, J and I agreed we perhaps overdid it--in addition to a whole mess of crawfish, between the two of us we ate a crawfish sausage, crawfish bread, onion rings, beignets, mint chip ice cream, and the piece de resistance--a jalepeno stuffed honest-to-god alligator sausage on a stick. Hoo-boy.

Fortunately, it's a well known fact that just like iceberg lettuce, boiled crawfish are calorie neutral. You see, you burn as many calories snapping and peeling and sucking as you consume. So it's all good. But trust me, I never want to see another alligator sausage.

Green (Purple) Goddess Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:23:00 +0000

Sweetpeas on the left, chive flowers on the right

Wednesday morning I made it to the Union Square Greenmarket for the first time in ages. Though yesterday I pined for my California market, I will admit late May's bounty here in New York ain't bad. I stuffed my bag full of strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, spring onions, radishes, baby romaine, and the chive flowers pictured above.

The radishes and baby romaine cried out for a creamy dressing, so I cracked open my trusty Joy of Cooking and found a Green Goddess dressing recipe that easily adapted to my ingredients at hand. I used the purple chive flowers instead of chives, and as the dressing sat on my salad, it's color shifted to a subtle lavender. The flowers have the same taste as their younger, greener stems you normally see in the store. The added benefit is the lovely bouquet gracing your table until you cut up and use all the flowers.

This delish dressing is my entry for Kalyn's fab Weekend Herb Blogging event, hosted by Wandering Chopsticks this week.

Green (Purple) Goddess Dressing
This makes more than enough for one large individual salad

scant 1/4 c. creme fraiche (for a low-fat version, sub fat-free plain yogurt)
splash of lemon juice
splash of champagne vinegar
approx. 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
approx. 1 tbsp. chopped chive flowers
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Voila--you have salad dressing.

Cherry "Jello"

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:45:00 +0000

As I've puttered around the apartment this week, I've listened to podcasts of Los Angeles-based chef Evan Kleiman's show, Good Food. Each episode begins with a "market report", highlighting what's in season at area farmers' markets. Right now, it sounds like LA is drowning in cherries, apricots, and the summer's first sweet corn, grown deep in the hottest part of the state. It's hard to keep my longing in check--what I wouldn't give for a freshly picked deep red Bing or yellowy Rainer.

To assuage my desire, I snagged a bag of (expensive!!) Bings at a local market. They were good, but not great--a bit soft and not super-sweet. They worked well in this homemade Jello though. I followed Elise's recipe for a Strawberry-Rhubarb Terrine, cutting the ingredients in half, using cherries instead of strawberries/rhubarb, and agave syrup instead of white sugar. A perfect dessert for a sticky summer day. If you want to keep your food local, however, and you live on the East Coast, you can stick with Elise's original fruit choices--yesterday's Union Square greenmarket was bursting with early strawberries and rhubarb.

Kicking Off Summer with Celebration

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:33:00 +0000

I spent the long weekend in Wisconsin with my family, celebrating my little sister's upcoming nuptials. She's getting hitched to a lovely boy at the end of July, then they're packing their bags for Honduras, where they'll teach for two years. To preview their Central American adventure, my Mom and I threw my sister a "tropical" bridal shower on Saturday.

While I doubt she'll find many cupcakes in San Pedro Sula, I figured a lime curd filling was tropical enough to include these beauties for dessert. The recipe for these lime curd stuffed cupcakes with cream cheese frosting comes from the inimitable Cupcake Bakeshop, though the lime wedge decorations were my sister's inspiration. While we sent most of the leftovers away with our guests, we saved a few for breakfast the next day.

For a savory and sweet treat, I also made these banana and black bean empanadas. These are simple thanks to the use of puff pastry. Nearly any filling could work--next time I may try sweet corn. You can make them ahead--place on a cookie sheet, cover with tinfoil, and store in the fridge.

Ladies Who Brunch

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:56:00 +0000

I'm cherishing every day of downtime between the end of the school year and the start of my summer internship. Novels, baking, blogging--oh my! Today, the ladies who helped me slog through a year of economics came over for brunch to celebrate our freedom. These gals remind me why I came to grad school--over a leisurely meal of asparagus frittata, fruit salad, and blueberry-banana bread, our conversation ranged from the politics of Venezuela and Russia, to the recent Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz to good old fashioned girly gossip.

A few moments ago I unwrapped the leftover blueberry bread for a quick snack--this stuff is addictive and actually somewhat healthy. A nearby market has been on berry-overload for the past week--hence the overflowing fruit salad, whose leftovers, as soon as I finish this post, will complete my late afternoon noshing.

Blueberry Banana Bread
adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 c. white flour
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
5 1/3 tbsp. butter, room temperature
2/3 c. pure cane sugar
2 large eggs
3 mashed very ripe bananas (2 if they're big)
1 pint blueberries

Topping:
Oats
Brown sugar
Butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan.

If you want to make the crumbly topping, mix together approximately 1/4 c. oats, 1/4 c. brown sugar and enough butter to make it stick together (sorry! didn't measure when I did this!).

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate large bowl beat butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture into the butter-sugar stuff until blended. Gradually beat in the eggs. Then fold in bananas and blueberries.

Pour into loaf pan. Top with crumbly topping if you want. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pan cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before taking bread out of the pan.

Beet, Potato and Prosciutto Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:25:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I've become obsessed with mustard vinaigrette. During finals, I ate it drizzled over blanched green beans nearly every night (served next to a pathetic frozen veggie burger). Now that the semester has ended, I've got time for more than a quick bean boil, so last night I used it to dress a jumble of potatoes, beets, arugula and prosciutto.

My mustard of choice is the French Clovis brand--last week I finished up a jar of its tarragon mustard and have recently opened a jar flavored with Provence herbs. Its sharp, earthiness works equally well on a ham sandwich and in salad dressing. In NY, you can find Clovis at Fairway--$2.79 for 7 ounces.

Beet, Potato and Prosciutto Salad

1 bunch of beets, greens trimmed
6-7 medium white potatoes, cut into quarters
olive oil
1-2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
zest of one lemon
2-3 oz. proscuitto, cut into bite sized strips
1-2 large handfuls of arugula

Dressing ingredients:
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp. mustard, preferably dijon or stone-ground
1 1/2 tbsp. champagne vinegar
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Wrap the beets tightly in foil. Place in oven and roast 45-1 hour depending on size. Open foil carefully (beet juice likes to spray) and wait for the beets to cool. Carefully rub off their skins and cut into quarters. Set aside.

After you put the beets in the oven, prepare the potatoes. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Put in the oven and roast for about 30-40 minutes, until skins are crispy and potatoes are fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

Mix the tarragon, dill and lemon zest together. Set aside.

Prepare the vinaigrette. Place diced shallots, mustard and vinegar into a small bowl. Stir well. Slowly add olive oil, whisking as you add it, until the dressing is the consistency you'd like (approximately 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Compose salad. On a large platter, scatter arugula. Drizzle a bit of the dressing on top. Place beets and potatoes on top of arugula. Sprinkle the prosciutto across the plate. Sprinkle the lemon zest mix across the plate. Finish with more of the dressing and a scattering of fresh ground pepper and fleur de sel.

Warm Weather (Finally) = Outdoor Beer & BBQ at Fette Sau and Spuyten Duyvil

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Oh my lord, during my years in LA I forgot the pure bliss of those first really warm, sunny spring days. All things considered, this past winter in New York has been mild, but I spent most of February and much of March cursing the day I left southern California. But last Friday, oh last Friday--her 75 degrees of delicious sunshine made up for all of the gray, damp days earlier this year.

What better way to celebrate such weather than an evening al fresco? J and I joined our friend Geoff for a night in Brooklyn, first at the car repair shop turned BBQ joint that is Fette Sau. Belly up to the counter and order your meat by the pound, then swing by the bar to pick up a beer in a mason jar. Prices are reasonable and the meat is tenderly terrific. I recommend a hearty squirt of the spicy mustard, and a seat at the outdoor picnic tables.

Beware the beer taps at Fette Sau.

J & G at Spuyten Duyvil as we waited for a patio seat.

After stuffing ourselves silly as we soaked in the last of the sun, we headed across the street to Spuyten Duyvil, a beer bar I've written about previously. We bided our time at a table in the front window until a spot opened in the garden patio. Here you feel as though you're in a friend's back yard, but with much better beer than any of your friends would provide. We headed home early, and Saturday morning I was back in the florescent-lit computer lab, crunching stats data. But last Friday was just a preview--summer's around the corner and I'll be damned if I set foot in a computer lab between May 13 and August 31.

Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. Havemeyer St.
718-963-3404

Spuyten Duyvil
359 Metroplitcan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Across the street from Fette Sau
718-963-4140

Good Things to Eat: Dosas, Dumplings and Triple Chocolate "Muffins"

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:44:00 +0000

You know how fancy hotel brunches have a Belgian Waffle guy that makes them to order? Well, the Jackson Diner in Queens makes dosas to order during the $10 buffet lunch.

Broke, but have a monthly subway pass? Take the train to 99 Allen Street on the Lower East Side and get five porky fried dumplings for $1. Look for the neon sign that says...wait for it...Fried Dumpling.

David Bouley would like you to believe that this is a Three Chocolate "Muffin." So you're free to eat one for breakfast the next time you're in Tribeca at 8 am. Take an extra minute to sit outside and appreciate the ridiculously delightful spring flowers outside the Bouley Bakery.

Swiss Chard Tart with the World's Most Expensive Puff Pastry

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Can you feel the quality radiating from the puff pastry in the above photo? Does it have an otherworldly, heavenly glow? Does it look like it costs $10 for one sheet? I hope so, because I certainly couldn't detect much of a taste difference than my usual Pepperidge Farms puff pastry. I know, I know, this stuff is locally made with "the finest churned sweet butter", not wacky transfats, but still. I bought it despite the price--it was all Whole Foods had, and I wasn't about to ruin my Sunday with a stop at Fairway. Plus, this tart is just too damn good to abandon because of puff pastry prices.

Tart before baking.

This tart is my favorite recipes from Suzanne Goin's cookbook, Sunday Supper's at Lucques. Of all of her complex recipes, this has the lowest work to deliciousness ratio. The puff pastry crust is smeared with a ricotta and creme fraiche mix, topped with swiss chard that's already been sauteed with shallots, and a generous handful of crumbled goat cheese. You bake it in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, then serve it with a currant pinenut relish (recipe here).

Serve the tart with this lovely farro salad on the side, and you have an excellent meal when your vegetarian friends come over for dinner. For a version of this tart with spring greens, click here.

Antics at Antik, East Village (or why I'm an old lady)

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:06:00 +0000

Here's a shocker: I'm not a clubbing, crazy nightlife kind of girl. Sure, I like my chichi cocktails and fancy restaurants, but bottle service, velvet ropes and oonce-oonce-oonce through the speakers? Um, no.

After seeing a play tonight, J and I wanted to grab a drink and discuss. I'd read the following in Time Out about a new place on the Bowery, Antik:

There’s no bar at this burgundy-draped lounge from owners Larry Kramer and Craig Koenig ...Instead, cocktail servers transport drinks—like the Hi Ho (gin, white port and bitters)—from the back of the house to marble-topped tables. The goal is prohibition-era formality, a surprising endgame for a pair of nightlife impresarios whose previous projects adhered to the B&T-friendly Meatpacking and West Chelsea mold.

My reaction? A new place with aspirations to be the next PDT or Little Branch--and damn, the Hi Ho sounds good. Steps from our theater, a cozy spot for a well-crafted cocktail. Yeah, not so much. At 11 pm it was empty, yet the bouncer asked us if we were there for the private party. Um, no--just want a drink. Okay--he lets us in. The music is thumping, and the waitress looks at me blankly when I request a Hi Ho. J and I settle for $14, very weak Manhattans and attempt to discuss the show. The music volume continues to rise, and we are treated to a (admittedly delightful if random) breakdancing show from a staff member. By the time we leave 1/2 hour later, the place is still empty--I assume the cool kids don't arrive until well past midnight. At which time, I'll be tucked into bed.

Antik
356 Bowery between Great Jones and 4th Sts
212-388-1655

West Village Bakeries: Batch & Birdbath

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Huckleberry chevre pudding at Batch, West Village

New York is littered with specialized dessert shops--from cupcakes to hard candy, rice pudding to frozen yogurt--long lines often form for these one hit wonders. And really, what's not to like? A long, leisurely walk around the Lower East Side is greatly improved with a quick stop for a pistachio cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Similarly, after a long day at school I admit sneaking into Pinkberry for a late afternoon snack, and I appreciate that only three choices (green tea, original or coffee) present themselves.

Cupcakes and puddings at Batch

Sometimes, however, a one-item shop just won't cut it. Your vegan friend craves something sweet, but you want a buttery cookie. Or your little sister only eats pink-frosted cupcakes, while you're sick to death of buttercream. Two different bakeries in the West Village help solve these dessert dilemmas.

Cookie stacks behind the counter at Birdbath. Fake, I believe.

To accommodate the vegans and environmentalists in your life, visit Birdbath Bakery, an eco-conscious offshoot of City Bakery. Don't worry-- you--the dairy-loving, Hummer-driving friend, won't have to eat birdseed. You can try the mighty fine gingerbread cookie-it's perfectly chewy and studded with real, fresh ginger. The cookies are about the size of a saucer and come in double chocolate chip, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and other traditional flavors. I can't speak for the tastiness of the vegan items, but New York magazine recently termed the banana sesame agave cakes the best "vegan treat" in the city.

For the cupcake-loving little sister (and her jaded, worldly older sibling) try the new Pichet Ong venture, Batch. Right next to his schmancy spot P*Ong, Batch is a bright little bakery stacked Willy Wonka style with puddings, cookies, cupcakes and more. J and I loved the huckleberry chevre pudding--creamy cheesecake in a cup. My friend Jess tried both the lemonlemonlemon cupcake (she pronounced it dry) and a caramel chocolate cupcake with a dose of sticky caramel on the inside (she liked it). The aspirations and the prices at Batch are higher than many other bakeries in town, so choose wisely (cupcakes were approximately $3, while the pudding was $5). If you're the kind of person who swaddles your doggie in sweaters as soon as temperatures hit 45 degrees, you'll also appreciate the foie gras doggie biscuits Batch offers.

Birdbath Bakery
corner of 7th Ave South and Charles Street
(646) 722-6570

Batch (currently cash only)
150B W. 10th St. at Waverly Pl.
(212)-929-0250

Get Up, Get on Up: Wine, French Fries and James Brown at Bar Boulud

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:15:00 +0000

Bar Boulud, the newish, casual venture of chichi chef Daniel Boulud on the Upper West Side, has won plaudits for its wide array of pâtés--Frank Bruni termed the restaurant a "terrine machine." Yet when J and I stopped in for a late glass of wine after a jazz show, gelatinous meat wasn't on our agenda. Really, we were there just for the wine. Then--one dish went by, another and another, and the smell had us practically stealing the plate out of the waiter's hands. Instead of causing a scene by filching someone else's dinner, we ordered our own. The dish that caused such fervor? A bucket of french fries. These slim, crisp beauties had sprightly salt in every bite, and I alternated dips in mayo and ketchup. When we told our waiter of our love for these perfectly fried potatoes, he said he hoped there'd be a big batch waiting when he clocked out in a few hours.

Directly across from Lincoln Center, Bar Boulud was crazy crowded on a Saturday night at 11 pm. We squeezed around a table in the front window (no stools) and enjoyed our wine and fries, not looking at the food menu (for real reviews, look here and here ). We finished our last sips of wine to the sound of James Brown's Sex Machine--I looked to see if the Upper West Side matrons had noticed. Nope--too busy with their french fries.

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway (at 64th)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 595-0303

Go to Gottino (Unless I'm Going)

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:38:00 +0000

The prep area at Gottino--Love those blood oranges and heirloom apples

A slip of an Italian wine bar in the West Village, Gottino serves up some delish seasonal snacks to nibble on while you sip your Barbera d'Alba. When J and I stopped by around 9 last Thursday, we wedged ourselves against the slim marble counter opposite the bar. By the time we'd finished our first bruschetta (my favorite featured preserved tomatoes--how I long for summer!), a couple seats at the bar opened up and we squeezed in.

The bartender gave us a warm welcome--after J had ordered another glass of wine and mentioned his love of Italian whites, the bartender poured him a taste of an additional wine he thought J would like. We rounded out our late dinner with a smoked trout panzanella, blood orange salad and some apples roasted and stuffed with sausage. So, yeah, though I long for summer--winter dishes aren't so bad. The apple-sausage combo was especially satisfying--I'm a sucker for sweet and savory, especially on a cold, windy night. Though the menu features your typical wine bar staples--cheese, cured meats, olives--that's just the beginning of chef Jody Williams (she runs the kitchen at Morandi just around the corner) creation. I would tell you more, but when I asked for a copy of the (paper, flimsy) menu I hit the only sour note of the night--"we don't give that away." What I remember is lots of pork, some interesting veggie dishes, and various sardine concoctions.

The place stayed packed all night, and I think we lucked out with a spot. There are few tables in the front and back, but you'll get hungry waiting for the bartenders/waiters to part the crowds and come take your order. With patience and good timing you're better off at the bar itself--and save me a seat!

Gottino
52 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY 10011
212-546-7892

Meyer Lemon Guava Granola

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:02:00 +0000

Growing up, my little sister couldn't stand vegetables. Cooked broccoli could not sit next to her at the dinner table. She briefly became a vegetarian in high school after learning about factory farms, but it was an unsustainable venture without veggies.

How times have changed. Broccoli is now one of her favorites, and she eats like a vegetarian queen. She's the best veggie cook I know, wowing her friends with homemade chili, nursing her own sourdough starter, and concocting fabulous vegetable soups. We talk food more and more these days, and her commitment to whole grain, natural ingredients motivates me to keep my kitchen healthy. More veggies in the crisper, less white sugar in my baked goods, more brown rice in the cupboard. This granola is sweetened by one of my all-natural, unrefined choices--agave syrup--notable for its low glycemic index. The thought of adding citrus zest came from the granola recipe in Super Natural Cooking, and it will make your home smell fantastic as the granola bakes.

Meyer Lemon Guava Granola

4 cups oats
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
Cinnamon
1/4 cup wheat germ
Zest of two Meyer lemons
1/2 stick butter
scant 1/4 cup honey
scant 1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup chopped, dried guava (I found the most amazing discs of dried guava at Fairway)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, cinnamon, wheat germ and lemon zest.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the butter, honey and agave syrup until everything dissolves together. Stir constantly. Set aside and cool for a few minutes.

Pour butter mixture over the oats. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix well.

Spread oat mixture onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and let cool, then stir in chopped guava. Store in an airtight container.

Click here for another Erin's Kitchen granola recipe.

Celebrating Spring with Brooklyn's Italian Eats

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:31:00 +0000

Arancini at Esposito's Pork Store, Brooklyn.

Oh, spring. You tease. Saturday was a gorgeous day. Sunny, no wind—I walked a few blocks in short sleeves with no chill. My skin hummed with happiness in the blue sky and warm air. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, it was all over. The clouds rolled in, the sky got dark, and today it’s violently windy and gray (okay, as I type this the sun is peeking out, but just barely).

However, J and I did all we could to suck up the sun while it shone. We took a leisurely stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, then down Court Street through neighborhoods of Cobble and Boerum Hill. Our first food stop was Esposito’s Pork Store, where we admired the sausages hanging from the ceiling and the thick cut pork chops in the cold case. We ordered baseball-size arancini—fried rice balls stuffed with cheese (mine) meat sauce (J's). The gregarious counterman heated them for us, wrapped 'em up, and we took them to a kid-filled park up the street. With many napkins in hand, we devoured our treats—mine was marvelously stuffed with a combination of mozzarella and fresh ricotta.

Still hungry, we ambled further down Court to Frankies Spuntino 457, a modern take on a traditional Italian sandwich joint. We found seats at the bright bar, and ordered up a couple of Italian white wines. J then settled on the sausage and broccoli rabe sandwich, while I went for eggplant marinara. He made the better choice. I wasn’t a huge fan of my sandwich’s sauce—it was neither sweet nor spicy, instead rather watery and boring. His sausages (from Faicco's Pork Store) were fantastic, however, and I loved the pairing with the bitter rabe.

I’m crossing my fingers for another day like Saturday….soon!!

Esposito's Pork Store
357 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Frankie's Spuntino 457 (they also have a location in Manhattan)
457 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718-403-0033

J's Favorite Chocolate Birthday Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:39:00 +0000

The women in J's family are extraordinary bakers. At Christmas, his grandmother often bakes every grandkid's favorite dessert--usually, J gets a light-as-a-cloud angel food cake all to himself. When we visits his house at Thanksgiving, his mom keeps me busy baking gingersnaps, revel bars and other treats--not for dessert but for "snacks" during the holiday break.

For J's birthday this year (his claims its his 29th--again--but the candles tell a different story), he requested the chocolate cake of his youth. I talked to his mom on the phone and she rattled off the recipe from memory. His dad likes to use sour cream instead of the sour milk, but his mom says that makes it too heavy. I recommend using the best unsweetened cocoa you can find since it's the star of the show. I used two 9 inch round cake pans for the batter and froze one cake for later indulgence.

Sour Milk Chocolate Cake

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour milk--mix 1 c. milk and 2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Add boiling water and stir.

Pour batter into cake pans. Depending on size of pans, will probably need to bake 25-35 minutes. Check it frequently, using a toothpick to test.

Chocolately Fudge Frosting

1/2 stick butter
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. cocoa
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. Boil for one minute. Cool completely before spreading frosting.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Behold the glorious St. Patrick's Day cupcake from Upper East Side institution Glaser's Bake Shop (you may remember my report on their fab Easter cupcakes a few years ago). For just $1.50 this buttercream delight is yours. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a parade to watch.

Glaser's Bake Shop
1670 First Avenue, at 87th
(212) 289-2562

Cranberry Apple Orange Amaranth Coffeecake

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:13:00 +0000

Today was my second day of spring break, and I'm mostly over my jealousy of my friends who've taken off for Rio, Barbados and Palm Springs. Instead I'm focusing on the fact that J & I spent two thrilling undergrad spring breaks exploring New York, and I've constructed a packed agenda for the next week, with stops in Queens, Brooklyn, and....drumroll please...Trader Joe's. I'm also looking forward to reading the paper and baking as much as possible. This morning I'm off to a good start--this low-fat bread paired well with the Sunday New York Times (something white people like).

Note: Amaranth flour is ground from amaranth grain, a staple of pre-Columbian Aztec diets. It contains no gluten, so needs to be paired with a wheat flour for recipes with leaveners. It's high in protein and calcium; I first read about it in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking. Bob's Red Mill makes the flour, which can often be found at natural food stores. Anson Mills is another good source for hard to find New World grains.

Cranberry Apple Orange Amaranth Coffeecake
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. amaranth flour
2/3 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 apple, chopped
1/2 c. cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x 2 inch round pan, or a loaf pan like I did. Whisk together flours, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt in large bowl. In another bowl, combine yogurt, orange juice, olive oil and vanilla. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Gently stir in apples and cranberries.

Scrape mixture into your pan. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. For the round pan this will be approximately 25-30 minutes. For a loaf pan it will be closer to 45-50 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove to rack.

Serious Eats...Seriously?

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl has called New York's Ed Levine, mastermind of the entertaining Serious Eats site, the "missionary of the delicious" and I admit that his "Where to find the best" lists have been indispensable as I've explored the city.

But...but...in the past few months, he's posted a couple stories on his blog that have made me question his taste. First, he posted a laudatory blurb about Morningside Heights' Community Food and Juice. This newish spot touts its commitment to organic, healthy food and charges you plenty for the privilege of a brown rice bowl with grilled tofu ($11) or a "country breakfast" of two eggs, Canadian nitrate-free bacon, carrot hashbrowns and a whole wheat biscuit ($11). The food's not bad, but if it was located on the Lower East Side instead of outside Columbia's gates, I doubt it'd be packed to the gills every day. I admit I haven't tried the blueberry pancakes Levine gushes over, so maybe there's something I'm missing.

I was much more disappointed, however, with Levine's recent report on his trip to Lisbon. Basically, he trashes the food there saying, "...in Lisbon it's hard to find much of anything delicious." Excuse me? Did we travel to the same city?!?! He's right to describe it as "peasant food" but if Portuguese peasants eat what I ate in Lisbon (pork and clams; blood sausages and quince paste; a ridiculously amazing egg, potato, salt cod hash), then I'd be fat and happy as a Portuguese peasant, washing it all down with port and vino verde. Really Ed, you searched "high and low"???

Banana Pear Nutella Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:06:00 +0000

Why can't I find a good bunch of bananas in New York City? They often come in plastic bags and turn from hard-as-a-rock green to peel-splitting ripe in no time flat. I assume NY bananas come from the same (very distant) land as my LA bananas, right? I've tried switching to pears and apples for my daily mid-morning snack, but they're messy and not nearly as filling.

The upside to a fruit bowl full of overripe bananas, however, is banana bread. Last Saturday, I was also craving chocolate and remembered my friend Emily making a delightful Orangette banana-chocolate concoction last summer. Well, I had no chocolate in the cupboard, but I did have Nutella. I also had an overripe pear--the more, the merrier, right? I threw a large scoop (about 1/2 a cup?) of Nutella in the batter, as well as chopped pear bits. As soon as the bread went in the oven, I looked at my counter and realized I--doh!--hadn't added the requisite sugar. Thanks to the gooey swirls of sweet hazelnut spread, this wasn't a problem--in fact, sans sugar it seemed less ridiculous to eat the bread for breakfast every day this week.

Click here for the full original recipe. I admit I was skeptical regarding the lack of butter or oil, but high banana content (plus my pear I think) provided plenty of rich, moist flavor.

Help Me Identify Rocco's Sidekick

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:08:00 +0000

Who's the guy behind Rocco? He's ~~"food star"~~ "soap star" famous, right?

So as a bona-fide snob (see previous post), the J & E household has no television, and therefore I'm not very up to date on my Food Network stars. However, I did recognize Rocco Dispirito as I hopped the escalator behind him and his entourage (seriously, like 5 people) at the Time Warner Center. He was there for a photo op--Bertolli Pasta was giving away free pasta samples, and as their official shill, Rocco was there to "cook" some samples. Some other person in an actual chef's jacket had the pan sizzling when Rocco arrived--he shook it a few times and tasted the contents, all with an eye to the cameras.

Anyway, more amusing to me was the lament of his sidekick (the tall guy in the photo) as they rode the escalator. One of the photographers had tried to convince them to take a picture next to the looming Botero statues in the mall's lobby. The guys refused--as the yet unidentified dude said as we went up, "It wouldn't be good for me to be photographed next to a huge penis." Nor would it be good for the rest of us, I'm sure.