~HAPPY NEW YEAR~
December 31, 2007
Happy New Year everybody!
Jason and I wish everybody a very happy, healthy, prosperous, and yummy year!
I thought I’d share a recipe mistake with you all to show that I can indeed laugh at my culinary disasters and move on…most of the time. At the risk of starting the year off on a bad foot, I will consider this post a purging of any potential bad gastronomic spirits in 2008 
A couple of months ago, there was a cupcake roundup on the Cupcake blog that I wanted to participate in. The point of the round up was to create a cupcake using ingredients and flavors inspired by the autumn season. I figured a lot of people would use pumpkin and apples so I decided to go a different route and use one of my fall favorites, pomegranate.
I went back and forth with Jason on the execution and we finally decided on a chocolate/orange cupcake with fresh pomegranate buttercream frosting. The cake portion was chocolate but with orange zest throughout which I thought would compliment the pomegranate flavorings. It was a good idea and the cupcake certainly looked pretty. Unfortunately, I didn’t submit it because the taste was definitely not Cupcake blog worthy.
The buttercream came out so cloyingly sweet that even Jason couldn’t eat it. I think my ratio of butter to sugar was off 
Even the tart juice from the pomegranate couldn’t save it! The cake also didn’t have nearly enough orange flavor in it for the effect that I wanted. Next time I will have to up the amount of orange zest used or even go with maybe a tiny bit of orange extract.
Oh well. I tossed the frosting before anybody else could be subject to sugar shock. Instead of throwing the cakes away too, Jason told me to freeze them. They came in handy when I wanted to make bourbon balls for Halloween and couldn’t get to the store to get wafers. At least they made a contribution to something that others got to enjoy!
Review of BLT Fish Shack (MmMmM…mussels…)
December 27, 2007
A couple of weeks ago we met up with our restaurant buddy, G, and his partner (the business kind, not the life kind), W, for dinner. We were in the mood for something casual and decided to go to Laurent Tourondel’s Fish Shack of the BLT empire, which had G’s stamp of approval from a previous visit. I went in a bit skeptical after having been disappointed by the genre of cheaper sister restaurants before. However, I am happy to report that the food, service, and ambiance were all wonderful at the sister restaurant of BLT Fish.
I was the last of our four to arrive and after being greeted by a smiling host and hostess, found the others drinking at the bar. I hopped onto a bar stool and contemplated which glass of wine to order. The range and selection of by the glass wines was really good and after internally debating between the Sancerre and Chablis, I went with the Chablis. After ordering, I joined the conversation but admittedly did more looking around at the space than listening (I hate joining a convo in the middle!).
The restaurant is quite small and dressed up like a casual seafood joint that might be found in Nanutcket. I think that the moniker ‘shack’ is a bit of an understatement though. After all, the napkins are still cloth and the raw bar looked pristine – nothing like the fittingly ravaged raw bars you’re likely to encounter seaside.
Instead of peanuts and pretzels, the bar offers delicious salt and vinegar chips — those alone were almost worth the trip. After Jason managed to pry me away from them, we were seated and were offered more free food!
Warm sesame crusted bread smothered in garlic and butter…need I say more? You could get your fill here for the price of a Guinness on tap. Alas, man (and woman, at least this one) cannot survive on bread and salt and vinegar chips alone. So we continue on our culinary journey.
Despite his initial desire to relive his youth and order the fish sticks from the children’s menu, Jason, along with our non-bottom feeder eating friend G, ordered the fish and chips. I, on the other hand, could eat bottom feeders all day. Give me a platter of oysters and clams and I’m as happy as a pig in…well, I won’t say what but you get my point.
Imagine my elation upon seeing that the special on Wednesdays is ‘all you can eat mussels.’ With a choice of TWO broths! W was also happy with this special and ordered his with the inventive beer broth with caramelized onions and bacon. I quickly followed suit.
But wait. Would I hate the beer broth? Would I have to finish the entire thing before switching over to the more traditional white wine broth even if I hated it? W was generous enough to put me out of my equivocal state by changing his order and saying we could go halfsies. Or maybe he was saving our waiter from having to wait any longer while I tried to make up my mind.
As it turns out, my indecisiveness worked out in the end because I liked the beer broth more and he preferred the white wine. I think I would have also preferred the traditional one had it not been too salty for my liking.
The waiter said the mussels were PEIs but I have seen that designation on menus all over the place from nice restaurants to sports bars so even though it should, ‘PEI’ does not imply quality to me. The fat, sweet, briney mussels spoke for themselves though. They were some of the highest quality that I have had in the city and I will definitely return for them.
Jason also sang praises for his fish and chips. I only had a tiny forkful but the fish was fried well and reminded me of a lighter version than those found in some pubs in London which have beer batter that is much too thick and soggy inside.
A debate sparked when W said that the only complaint he had with his meal was the fries served with all of our entrees. They were the shoestring type fries that are thin and crispy versus the thicker style steak fry. G and Jason disagreed with him and said the fries were perfect, but I am in the same boat as W. Give me a hearty fry any day I say!
One and a half bowl of mussels and half a basket of fries later, I could not justify ordering one of the cupcakes that were under glass domes by the raw bar no matter how good they looked. So you sweet junkes will have to wait for my next trip for a dessert review.
Despite the fry disagreement, we all agreed that our meal got a big thumbs up.
I propose a group french fry tour around Manhattan to settle the thin versus thick debate. We would have to walk to offset the guilt I would have after eating though. Who’s with me!?
We wish you…
December 25, 2007
a merry merry Christmas!
Jason and I hope that you and your families are having safe, happy, and delicious holidays!
Look out for new posts soon There’s lots to talk about and share with you!
Oh Summer, where art thou?
December 11, 2007
I am already reminiscing about the foods of summer. The temperatures are averaging a chilly 30 degrees in New York and the wind is often howling like a banshee around our building. In fact, the wind was so hard the other night that my mom called me asking if I thought her outdoor furniture would fly off her 18th floor balcony. Seeing as how the furniture is made of a pretty sturdy metal, it was highly unlikely. Being the good daughter that I am though, I went over to help her lay the patio furniture down to ease her fear that a flying chair would maim some innocent pedestrian below. As soon as I managed to push open the balcony door, my mom started screaming and dragging me back into her apartment. Eventually, I convinced her that if the winds were strong enough to send me flying, her furniture would’ve been halfway to the city by then. I was allowed to go out but only after promising that I’d crawl on my hands and knees to lower my center of gravity. Anybody know how to say center of gravity in Chinese?
Back to my original thought…
This past summer, there were two staples sitting on the top shelf of my fridge: oven-roasted tomatoes and basil pesto. Yes, I went through bags of plum tomatoes and basil from 2 foot stalks, both bought during our Saturday morning visits to the farmer’s market. Looking back, I wish I had learned how to can and preserve so that I could have a whole pantry stocked with summer goodies to last us through the winter. As it stands, I didn’t learn how to can and now have to live vicarously through these pictures The “recipes” below are more like the methods so the measurements are approximated. What makes these recipes great is that they are simple, flexible, and you get to taste as you go along.
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Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
about 15 plum tomatoes
5 large garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and seed them. I usually just run my finger through the chambers and push out the guts. Arrange in a single layer on parchment paper lined baking sheet. You may need to use two. Make sure the tomatoes aren’t too close together or worse, sitting on top of each other. You’ll get more steamed tomatoes than roasted and that’s a whole other post.
Sprinkle the minced garlic and salt evenly over the tomatoes and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Roast tomatoes in the oven for about an hour or until they start looking prune-ish, like this:
If after an hour, they are shriveled but not caramelized around the edges, turn up the heat on the oven to 400 degrees and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Trust me, you’ll thank me after you taste one.
If you’re storing the tomatoes for future use, let them cool completely and then put them into an airtight container. If there is any residual olive oil in the pan, pour it into the container too.
Basil Pesto
2 cups of packed basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, about 1/2 of a cup to start
kosher salt
black pepper
Wash and dry basil leaves well.
* Side story to this: I wash and dry my herbs with my salad spinner. The day I made this, I discovered a tiny green worm had been living, quite happily I’d assume, off of my basil. How did I uncover this? As I was taking the basil out of the salad basket, I saw that I had spun him to his death. RIP little green worm.
Place all of the basil into a food processor along with the garlic and pulse a few times until all combined.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is running. Keep adding until the pesto is the consistency you like. Make sure you scrape down the sides of food bowl periodically so everything gets incorporated evenly.
Add cheese and pulse a few times to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
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Like I said, everything is to taste so feel free to adjust any of the quantities. I am a vampire – and my husband’s – worst enemy when it comes to garlic so if the 5 cloves of minced garlic for the tomatoes horrifies you, for pete’s sake use 2! Though I really can’t see why you would want to do that. If 1/2 of a cup of cheese in the pesto isn’t enough, add more! Now that’s something I can understand.
Gratuitous cheese shot
Both items should last a while in your fridge but I’m not sure exactly how long. I used the tomatoes within 2 weeks and the pesto within a month.
Here are some suggestions on usage…
The possibilities are endless! Please share some of your ideas with me so I can start making a list in anticipation for next summer
Borough Market
December 7, 2007
Last year I was sent to London for work a few times over the course of 6 months. Not only was the pressure of the assignment incredible, but I was away from Jason and my family for longs periods of time and I was also trying to plan my wedding. Good thing I had such a lovely fiancé – now husband – who took everything in stride and picked up on the planning.
On top of taking over wedding planning in my absence, at the last minute he also flew in on a typical London Saturday in January (read: cold and rainy) so that he could spend the weekend avec moi! This was Jason’s first trip to London and he would only be there for 48 hours. Where did I insist on taking him first?
No, not to see Big Ben or Buckingham Palace, but to Borough Market of course!
Borough Market is situated on the south side of the Thames River and very close to London Bridge. Much to my delight, this meant that it was a quick 10 minute walk from the corporate apartment where I had been living. My Saturday excursions there were the best respites from the pressures of work.
The market has offerings ranging from fresh meats, fish, produce, and cheeses to flavored olive oils, breads, and prepared food stalls. It’s definitely one of the most comprehensive markets I have ever visited. I even tried my first ever pork pie there!
Unfortunately, I don’t have as many pictures of our trip there to share with you because:
Really though, pictures would not do this place justice. It’s much better in person so please do go for a visit on your next trip across the pond if you’re in the US. If you’re in London, you have no excuse not to be going every Saturday!
The picture I most regret not taking is that of a falafel sandwich sold there. Only one stand sells them at the market and it’s across from a man making delicious raclette served over potatoes, which you can smell from many stands away. I was so focused on enjoying my falafel sandwich that I forgot to take a break and snap a picture!
In fact, they are so delicious that I took my friend and fellow falafel lover S to the market on a separate occasion just for them. Imagine fresh fried falafel balls surrounded by a warm, chewy, whole wheat pita (none of that pried-open-pita-so-that-each-side-is-so-thin-the-tahini-soaks-through-within-a-minute business) spread with hummus and topped with lettuce, tomato, pickled veggies, tahini, and hot sauce.
Are you drooling yet??? If not, keep scrolling for pictures of more delicious foods!
Different types of chocolate covered nuts and fruits along with huge slabs of chocolate
A tower of brownies and a brownie man!
All kinds of freshly baked breads
Me with an ostrich egg
Raw oysters. You could take them home or even better, have them shuck them right away and slurp ‘em up right there.
A shark head proudly on display at the fish stall
Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes along with bottled tomato products
And the piece de resistance, Comte cheese so good that it has made me disappointed in the quality of cheese sold in America. Look at the picture! Those wheels were GINORMOUS. You can compare them against the man standing in the background on the left. I have yet to find a Comte as creamy and subtly sharp as those sold at Borough Market. On Jason and my Paris trip next year, I am determined to eat as much Comte as humanly possible. Maybe I can try to smuggle some back for my cheese loving friends as well! You know who you are 
Hot hot hot…
December 6, 2007
Please excuse my absence in the last couple of months. Rest assured, I’m back and will make sure that your hunger for my ruminations will be satiated
Through reading various food blogs, I came across this recipe from Andrea Nguyen for Vietnamese-Style Sate Chile Sauce. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to take a stab at making a batch. I love all of the ingredients in this recipe and was hoping that the finished product would exceed the sum of its parts.
Back in September, Jason and I picked up some lovely looking hot chili peppers at the farmer’s market in Brooklyn with exactly this recipe in mind. Unfortunately, I don’t think they were the Thai bird chilis specified in the recipe. My final product was not as spicy as I had originally anticipated after reading Andrea’s descriptions of her own sauce. Initially we just chalked it up to us having a higher threshold for spicy flavors. Upon further research, I’m pretty sure we just picked up the wrong peppers. In this case, further research meant biting into a raw chili. I would’ve paid dearly if it were a Thai bird chili but it only left a light tingle on my tongue.
I had to modify Andrea’s recipe a bit because I didn’t have lemongrass at home but it still turned out delicious. Plus, it was fairly easy to pull together, if not a bit patience-testing.
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Vietnamese-Style Sate Chile Sauce – Makes enough to split a week’s supply with a friend who also likes to put some on every single bite of food he/she eats. If you’re normal though, this should make enough to hold you over for about a month or so. (~2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
zest from one lemon
1 cup of peanut oil
8 grams fresh Thai bird chilis, minced
30 grams crushed red thai chilis
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 to 4 tablespoons Sriracha
In separate batches, run the garlic, shallot, and lemon zest through a food processor until each ingredient is finely minced.
Put all but 2 tablespoons of oil into a small saucepan and add the garlic. Heat over medium low and as soon as the garlic starts sizzling, turn the heat down to low. Let the garlic fry on low for about 5 minutes. The garlic should not brown.
Add the shallots and fry for another 10 minutes. Again, nothing should be browning.
Add the lemon zest and continue to fry for 10-15 minutes. Your kitchen should smell heavenly at this point (garlic, shallots, and lemon frying…what do you expect it to smell like???)
Add the fresh chilis and fry for 5 minutes to release their oil. Your mixture should start turning orange at this point.
Add the crushed red pepper and fry for 5-10 minutes. After this, you should be able to smell the heat and expect your husband to appear asking if it’s ready yet.
Stir in the Sriracha, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Raise the heat slightly and let cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Taste and add Sriracha, fish sauce, sugar, and/or salt to your liking. I added more Sriracha and fish sauce to mine because I like heat and savoriness! Sugar would be added to tame the heat but chances are if you wanted to do that, you wouldn’t even be interested in attempting this recipe.
Your finished product should have a layer of bright red/orange oil floating on top. If it doesn’t, add enough of the reserved oil to do so.
If you want a smoother texture, you can take a stick blender to it and grind it to the consistency you like. After the sauce is completely cooled, pour it into a glass jar (or a plastic one if you don’t care that it will most likely be dyed orange) and keep in the refrigerator.
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I gave half of the batch to our hot-sauce-loving friend C who approved of the flavor but agreed that it could’ve used a bit more heat. We used the other half as a condiment on our eggs and as a wonderful addition to roasted potatoes. Unfortunately, this left us out within a week.
Other than the fact that I had an episode of coughing like an 80-year old chain smoker (see chef’s note), making the hot sauce was surprisingly easy and extremely rewarding. Continuing on the hot sauce obsession, this past Thanksgiving we went to Mexico and had a great salsa verde. I managed to get the ingredients from the bus boy but no measurements. It should be interesting to try to duplicate it… That’s the next hot sauce on my list as soon as I can find some green Habaneros somewhere. Anybody know of a source?? I’ll split the batch with you!! Sorry C.
* Chef’s Note: The mortar and pestle with the dried chilis at the beginning of this post in was used purely for photographic purposes. There was no way I could use my mortar and pestle to crush the peppers as fine as I wanted it so I had to resort to running them through the food processor. It was a good idea to get to the end goal but the level of hacking and coughing on my part because of the spicy powder released into the air made Jason question the method. If you can get it pre-crushed, I would suggest going that route.