Cravings

Sora Lella

Celia Cheng — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:02:02 PST

The original Sora Lella restaurant was opened in Rome in 1959 by Elena Trabalza, who then passed the restaurant on to her son, the current chef owner, Aldo Trabalza. This year, two of Aldo’s sons, Mauro and Simone, opened Sore Lella New York while Aldo and two other sons hold down the fort in Rome. The menu, service and congenial family-style management are so endearing, I keep going back.

The New York outpost of Sora Lella is in West SoHo in a modern, glass building. The floor to ceiling windows that put the whole restaurant on display caused...

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Pork Chop & Fried Egg Sandwich (Banh Mi)

Celia Cheng — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:55:16 PST

The pork chop and fried egg banh mi at Baoguette is spectacularly tasty, extremely copious and inexpensive. The grilled pork chop is more of a diced pork cutlet, so it’s easier to eat, wrapped in a fried egg, with pickled carrots, daikon and kumquat, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeño, (slightly sweet) house special sauce and mayonnaise on a baguette. I requested extra spicy so they added sriracha chili sauce, which set the sandwich on fire — just the way I like it!

The Wine of Paris

Everett Hutt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:27:35 PST

It is one of those things that every Parisian knows about but no one you know has ever experienced: Wine from Paris. “What?” you say. Isn’t it too cold and too polluted to grow grapes for wine in Paris? The answer is yes, but no one makes any pretense to make great wines in Paris. Rather, the vineyards are a throwback to another era.

As far back as the Roman era, people were planting grapes in the Paris area, both for fruit consumption and to make wine. Montmartre, the tallest hill in the Paris basin (and now part of the...

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Octopus Carpaccio at Sora Lella

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:31:40 PST

The Octopus carpaccio at Sora Lella is so thin, there’s actually no way of picking up the slices without breaking them. I end up breaking every piece but they were still delicious!

Watermelon Radishes

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:30:11 PST

Windfall Farms sells the most exquisite vegetables and microgreens at the Greenmarket. It’s radish season and they have these gorgeous watermelon radishes that can beautify and liven up any dish!

Brussels Sprouts in Season

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:28:11 PST

Brussels sprouts are like little cabbages, but on the stalk they’re pretty funny looking.

Oyster with Character

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:26:56 PST

I was so proud of all my shucking and so struck by the beauty of each individual oyster that I wanted to document them all. But here is the second and last one. Riveting!

Oyster Remnants

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:25:54 PST

This photo reminds me of “The Walrus and The Carpenter” from Alice in Wonderland. I found each step of shucking, eating and discarding the shell of the oyster quite beautiful and so I’ve documented it here in Murmuring.

Shucking Your Own Oysters

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:23:45 PST

Shucking an oyster isn’t that difficult once you get it. It’s like opening a bottle of wine. I got my first lesson this summer at Widow’s Hole Oysters but the folks at Westport Aquaculture gave me another quick lesson. At home, though it took a while, once I got it, I couldn’t stop shucking! All the hard work makes the oysters taste even better. Look, how gorgeous!

Clams and Oysters in Bed

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:22:30 PST

Here’s my loot from Westport Aquaculture, some little neck clams and blue point oysters sitting pretty together.

Westport Aquaculture Lobsters

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:20:53 PST

In addition to clams and oysters, Westport Aquaculture also sells live lobsters (Wednesday at Union Square Greenmarket). Their clams are of the same variety in three different sizes: little neck, top neck and cherrystones. And the only oyster variety is Blue Point.

Oyster & Clams on Wednesdays

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:19:42 PST

There’s a new vendor at the Wednesday Greenmarket at Union Sqaure: Westport Aquaculture. They bring in clams and oysters from Fairfield County, Connecticut. I was hoping to have them shuck their Blue Points on site, but apparently they need a license to do that. Welcome, Westport Aquaculture!

Cocktails at Jack The Horse

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:54:00 PST

After an event at the Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, Cyn and I ended up at Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn Heights for dinner. What a pleasant surprise! It’s a comfortable neighborhood joint with a great bar. The food is good and the cocktails also fun and delicious. The beautiful illumination from my glass captures the magical evening.

Perrier-Jouët at Soho House

Murmuring submissions — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:27:33 PST

At a recent Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne prestige cuvée portfolio tasting, I was smitten with the entire PJ line up, including the 2000 blanc de blancs. The tasting took place at the Soho House, and the 2000 blanc de blancs was perfectly paired with a braised turbot and caviar cream sauce. Decadently delicious!

Jamie's Food Revolution

Celia Cheng — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:30:58 PST

This month’s winners are Andrew and Elizabeth!

Below is the original Baking Friday post.

Q: WHAT ARE YOU MAKING FOR THANKSGIVING?

Scroll down to enter a comment, and click “submit” after the preview appears on screen. Send us your answer by midnight tonight for the chance to win a copy of Jamie’s Food Revolution. Winners will be contacted via email. This Baking Friday is open to participants living in all 50 states.

Jamie Oliver, the cherub-faced, down-to-earth Naked Chef that we all adore, needs no introduction.

I fell in love instantly with his ninth and latest...

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Top Chef Screening Party

Celia Cheng — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:09 PST

Astor Center
399 Lafayette St
@ E 4th St
New York, NY 10003
November 18th, 2009, 9pm – 11pm
Tickets: $125 (American Express Card Members Only)

Next Wednesday, join Daniel Boulud, Tom Colicchio and Jerome Bocuse at Astor Center for a private viewing of Bravo’s Top Chef. The theme of this episode is to identify a U.S. candidate to compete in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or Competition in 2011. This Top Chef Vegas episode features the Bocuse d’Or USA officials Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse as guest judges.

Bocuse d’Or, which takes place in Lyon, France every...

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The Wee Hours

Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:38:18 PST

Man in the Dark
By Paul Auster
(Picador, 2008)

After Dark
By Haruki Murakami
(Random House, 2007)

White Star
21 Essex St
(Canal & Hester Sts)
New York, NY 10002
212-955-5464

I recently picked up two books by two of my favorite authors, and both shared the theme of the hours when the world is supposedly reposing. Or is it?

Paul Auster’s Man in the Dark intertwines the story of the colorful and nostalgic past of seventy-two-year-old protagonist August Brill with that of his hyper imaginative and somewhat lunatic mind’s plot to...

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Baby Eel Salad Over Arugula

Celia Cheng — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:03:23 PST

I tried angulas, baby eels, a traditional Basque dish, while in Madrid and was instantly hooked. Now I just light up when I see them on a menu. Baby eels, mild in flavor without any hint of the sea, have the springy texture of thin egg noodles. At Lower East Side wine/tapas bar The Ten Bells, the baby eels are sautéed in olive oil with garlic and red peppers and placed over a bed of fresh arugula dressed with a splash of balsamic vinegar. This warm salad is light, refreshing and flavorful. It’s so delicious that I...

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Chocolate Adventure Contest

Celia Cheng — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:17:15 PST

For the past two years the Scharffen Berger and Tootiefoodie Chocolate Adventure Contest has inspired inventive chocolate creations. For the third year in a row, this is the chance for daring cooks, whether amateur or professional, to go wild. Last year brought about some very unexpected recipes like — coconut red curry pearls with “tofu62” and spiced pumpkin-coconut soup with cocoa-wattleseed crème, crispy bacon and fresh pomegranate. All are invited to create original recipes combining Scharffen Berger chocolate with one or more of the following 16 “adventure ingredients”:

Fresh mint (any variety)
Crystallized ginger
Pandan leaf
Banana...

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Yucatán Sky

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:25:11 PST

I love studying the sky and the cloud patterns in different cities. The sky in the Riviera Maya region felt so close to the ground, and the clouds were so much more three-dimensional than I find them to be in NYC. Here’s me bidding farewell to the Yucatán skies.

Poolside Relaxation

Murmuring submissions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:54:40 PST

My sister calls me shameless for including this photo, but once in a while you have to kick back and just let go. Here’s me by the Infinity Pool during the wedding pool party. Wish everyday could be this relaxing and fun!

Plunge!

Murmuring submissions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:53:42 PST

Each lagoon suite at the Rosewood Mayakoba had its own plunge pool. After experiencing the beach and Infinity Pool, the plunge pool was a nice retreat when you wanted privacy.

Yaxche Maya Cuisine

Murmuring submissions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:52:23 PST

We only managed to make it out of the resort for one meal. Friends recommended the nouvelle Maya cuisine restaurant, Yaxche, in Playa del Carmen. Here’s the appetizer sampler with lobster ceviche; tamale with chaya, boiled egg and pumpkin seed; Xcatic pepper stuffed with pork; and tortilla filled with boiled egg, pumpkin seed and epazote (strong flavored Mexican herb).

Patterned Grass

Murmuring submissions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:49:16 PST

The landscaping and maintenance of it at the Rosewood Mayakoba was impressive, considering it’s a 1600-acre property. I found the purple and greens of these leaves repeated to be visually engaging.

Chicken Enchiladas - Yum!

Murmuring submissions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:02:22 PST

Chicken enchiladas with green sauce and sour cream! By far the most delicious enchiladas I’ve ever had.

Juice +

Murmuring submissions — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:16:05 PST

More juices at the pool party! Taking a break from margaritas, I was happy as a clam trying juices of every color.

Beads of Fruit

Murmuring submissions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:50:58 PST

While touring the Tulum Ruins, I notices how lush the area was, and found these fruits from a tree that I unfortunately don’t know what they were. Still, I found it to be rather beautiful, especially in the rain.

Tulum Blues

Murmuring submissions — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:14:23 PST

I made it a point to visit the Mayan Ruins of Tulum on this trip as the archeological site overlooks the most amazing beach in the region. The main temple was built right above the beaches of the Caribbean Sea. Here I am right behind the temple looking at the water. The beach is unusually soft, both the sand and the water. There’s something truly magical about this place. And this photo was taken on a dreary rainy day. Look at those blues!

Scrambled Eggs w/ Chaya Leaves

Murmuring submissions — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:12:00 PST

Breakfast was the highlight at the Rosewood Mayakoba, with fresh juices and a large variety of hot entrées to choose from. The scrambled eggs sautéed with chaya leaves — popular vegetable in Mayan cuisine — was delicious! It came with a bundle of fresh herbs that I used in its entirety, and green sauce. Though I had to ask for some fresh habanero sauce to spice things up!

Día de los Muertos

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:33:53 PST

Visiting Mexico over Halloween weekend meant we also happened upon The Day of the Dead celebrations. At the entrance of the Tulum ruins, there was a shrine decorated with flowers, fruit offerings, and colorful candles.

Tropical Hibiscus

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:26:49 PST

The walkway to our lagoon suite entrance at the Rosewood was lined with hibiscus plants. Though in Mexico, this was another association I made with Hawaii, as hibiscus is Hawaii’s state flower. It used to just be any hibiscus, but now Hawaii’s state flower is the indigenous yellow hibiscus. But I still associate red hibiscus with my Rainbow State.

View From a Bridge

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:25:22 PST

Here’s the view of the lagoon suites from one of several bridges on the Rosewood Mayakoba property. They have golf carts to take you around but I preferred to walk everywhere since the scenery was so beautiful.

Casa del Lago Cheese Selection

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:24:24 PST

At the Rosewood Mayakoba, breakfast included not only buffet of cheeses, cured meats, breads, juices, cereals and fruits, but you can also order as many hot entrées from the menu as well. It is an extremely generous deal. Here’s the cheese selection beautifully displayed.

Resort Mangrove

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:16:50 PST

The Rosewood Mayakoba is a 1,600-acre resort that has it all. The road towards the beach is lined with mangroves. Lush and green, it was just striking.

Infinity Pool

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:33:16 PST

The Infinity Pool is one of three pools on the grounds of the Rosewood Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. It’s right in front of the restaurant for breakfast so you can look onto pure tranquility while eating, and look forward to what’s to come.

Juice Mistake

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:22:37 PST

I grew up drinking guava juice in both Hawaii and Taiwan but the two locations had different types of guava juices. In Hawaii, we drank pink guava juice, and in Taiwan it was white. In Mexico, I thought the juices were mislabeled because I presumed the guava juice was pink and the grapefruit white. But in fact it was the opposite – white guava and pink grapefruit. Both delicious but I loved the grittiness of the guava juice that was naturally not too sweet.

Watermelon & Lime

Murmuring submissions — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:06:17 PST

Breakfast at the Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico was my favorite meal of the day. Watermelon juice is my absolute favorite juice, so I was able to start the day off on a good note. The lime was for the tea but the contrast of the pink and green was sublime.

Phaidon Pops Up in SoHo

Celia Cheng — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:27:14 PST

PHAIDON|STORE
100 Wooster St
(Prince & Spring Sts)
New York, NY 10013
212-925-1900
Open: November 2, 2009 – January 2010

I’m so excited that today Phaidon opens its first U.S. bookstore, PHAIDON|STORE.

Phaidon is my favorite publisher because their books cover all my interests from visual arts and culture to design, travel, food and more!

PHAIDON|STORE features all of Phaidon’s books on topics including fine arts, architecture, photography, design, performing arts, decorative arts, contemporary culture, fashion and film. They also carry the Wallpaper* City Guides, award-winning children’s books, Phaidon’s best-selling cookbooks (including A Day at elBulli,

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Vanilla Cupcake

Celia Cheng — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:34:44 PDT

The vanilla cupcake at Dessert Club, ChikaLicious brings cupcakes to new heights. While vanilla may sound, well, vanilla, pastry chef Chika Tillman demonstrates with her vanilla icing on vanilla cake just how delicious it can be. The icing is light and fluffy, unlike any other in town. I love the buttercream that tops cupcakes, like at Cupcake Café, but Chika’s vanilla frosting is so light it’s like nibbling on a cloud. The cake is also soft and moist, which makes this a light refreshment that won’t weigh you down. These cupcakes are petite, so eating...

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Island Whites (Part II)

Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:04:55 PDT

I recently came across an article in my files from the July 5, 2001 Times Herald-Record. It was on Vintage, the New York-only wine store in SoHo, where I was working at the time, and it included a photo and a short mention of me. That was my first entry into the wine profession — conducting tastings from behind the counter at the retailer — and it led me to my familiarity with wines from the North and South Forks. Who would’ve thought that seven years later I’d publish a feature on Long Island wines...

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