Galanga

Occasion: Dinner with Jana
Location: Galanga on W 4th between 6th and MacDougal
Edibles: I had the tofu vegetable soup and the crispy duck salad; Jana had a spicy noodle soup

Musing: A decent Thai restaurant with a very convenient location (just around the corner from the W 4th subway stop). We ended up there after fleeing the crazy weekend mob at Wilfie and Nell (slider-blocked!) and a quick pit stop at Vol de Nuit across the street for some beer and fries.

My dinner tonight: great salad, mediocre soup. The really amazing salad had crisp shards of duck (fried until they're almost like crackling), green apple, pineapple, cashews and shallots with a tart and spicy lime vinaigrette. I had to pour off some of the veritable lake of dressing but the flavors were strong and bold, just like I like it. The soup was meh, but filled the gaps.

JoJo

Occasion: Brunch with Sylvia
Location: JoJo on 64th between 3rd and Lex (jean-georges.com)
Edibles: 3-course prix fixe - butternut squash soup with trumpet mushrooms and chives, salmon with truffled mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts, and molten chocolate cake for me; Sylvia had the same, except tuna tartare for her first course

Musings: The hidden gem of Jean-Georges' empire. (I find the food at Jean-Georges' eponymous restaurant, the one just off Columbus Circle, to be too gimicky and fussy.) JoJo has a nice cozy space, elegant food, very reasonable prices, and you can always get a reservation.

I usually get the crab for my first course, but this cold winter afternoon I just couldn't pass up the butternut squash soup. It was perfect - piping hot, velvety and rich (though I barely tasted any cream), with a bit of texture from the mushroom. For the second course, I find their chicken to be a bit olive-heavy; the salmon is my go-to. They source some nice fish so you can get it cooked rare.

I believe the pure bliss of an expertly crafted molten chocolate cake needs no further elaboration.

[Note: I had gone to Carnegie Hall with Amy the night before to see him, and was stunned when Yo-Yo Ma turned up at the restaurant and sat down at the table behind us. He was very nice and gracious when I stopped him on his way out, even though he was obviously in a hurry and loath to attract attention. Luckily, I still had the playbill in my purse - which he autographed!]

Tia Pol

Occasion: Girls' night with Abby, Elizabeth, Rachel W, Mamie, Bess and Jill
Location: Tia Pol on 10th between 22nd and 23rd (tiapol.com)
Edibles: suckling pig; wine-marinated Cornish game hen; patatas bravas; lamb skewers; ham croquettes; a cheese plate; chorizo with sherry; head-on shrimp; brandade (salt cod with mashed potatoes); white asparagus with caviar; tortilla española

Musings: The one tricky thing about Tia Pol is getting in. It's tiny, and they don't take reservations except for large parties (and even then only a week in advance). Luckily, we were a large party and trooped past the crush in the front to our nicely secluded booth in the back.

It's hard to play favorites with a menu as solid acros the board as this one but, if pressed, I'd say the lamb skewers. (Tip: If you get it, be sure to grab a chunk of the bread, soaked with all the delicious meat juices.) For PA, it's the patatas bravas - the best I've had in the city. I remember one dinner, upon arriving slightly late, PA was horrified to discover that we only had one measly order on the table. She immediately demanded that we get two more.

The head-on shrimp are delicious enough to frequently tempt our vegetarian, Karen, off the wagon. Her rationale: if they weren't meant to be eaten, they wouldn't be so delicious. (HA! That's what I think of pretty much all food.) [Postscript: Sadly, these are no longer on the menu. Try the garlic shrimp instead.]

Their specials are pricier, but also stunning. They didn't have it today, but one awesome dish that appears regularly is whole brook trout, stuffed with watercress and wrapped in prosciutto. Yum. There's also a wine-stewed date dessert that's a must-have whenever it's available. Today, our suckling pig and game hen were quickly reduced to a few smears of grease. Enough said.

Tia Pol is one my true loves in the city. I could find a man as consistently wonderful as this place, I'd marry him in a red hot minute.

Cookshop

Occasion: Brunch with Amy
Location: Cookshop on 10th Ave at 20th (cookshopny.com)
Edibles: 3-egg scramble with bacon, caramelized onions, chives and crème fraîche, with a side of white cheddar grits; Amy had the chicken salad

Musings: A charming place to have brunch - if only it weren't so difficult to get to from where I live! Seriously, the trip on public buses took an hour and fifteen minutes. Major bonus points to the restaurant for still having a table for us when I finally charged in, wild-eyed.

The food arrived quickly and tasted great, just the thing to jolly me out of my transit grumpiness (and hopefully, Amy as well, with my lateness). As I've said before, I just have to order eggs at brunch and Cookshop's scramble is built to please, generously studded with fabulous, flavorful (if fattening) tidbits. It came with a side of flaky, buttery biscuits. Divine.

After all that, my only wish was that I'd had the room to finish the large bowl of grits, which were creamy and cheesy - the sort of stick-to-your-ribs hearty grub to really fuel your furnace for a cold winter's day.

[Note: Thanks to Amy for the treat - and for sharing some of her fruit of the month!]

Babbo

Occasion: Pasta-palooza with Kathy, Yining, Ben and Rebecca
Location: Babbo on Waverly at MacDougal (babbonyc.com)
Edibles: described in detail below

Musings: Babbo does a good selection of proteins, but I think their "secondi" menu pales in comparison to their superlative handmade pastas. For my money, it's got to be the pasta tasting.

I always think of Babbo as a "fancy fancy" restaurant in the ranks of Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin and Daniel, but it's really not as expensive as that. The pasta tasting is an eminently reasonable $69 for five courses of pasta, plus an amuse bouche, enough desserts to make you groan, and a plate of exquisite little petit fours after that, in case you're still conscious.

My one quibble with the format is that it's so inflexible. Why does the tasting have to be for the whole table, period, full stop? Rebecca keeps a pretty laid-back version of kosher - basically, no shellfish, no pork. I would have thought they'd be able to work around that with a minimum of fuss. Not so.

I thought I was being pretty reasonable - I understood their rules, and simply asked that they do their best in terms of substitutions and whatnot. But no, they had to beat it to death that the chef cooks what he cooks and the tasting has to be for the whole table, no exceptions. I had pretty much the same pointless conversation with the reservationist, the maître d', our waiter and the restaurant manager about how to address Rebecca's restrictions - the latter three instigated by them, in quick succession.

We managed pretty well, with Rebecca having to skip only the first pasta, but why did it have to be so laborious? I think it makes more sense to make it for a minimum of two or three, and then anyone not up for an entire tasting marathon (like Kathy's husband, who surrendered before a shot was fired) or with special dietary needs can order à la carte.

But whatever. As long as their reservation book is full to bursting, I guess we diners just have to lump it.

On to the glorious food.

Amuse bouche: Bruschetta with marinated garbanzo beans. This is where a rookie makes the first mistake. You can't dick around with this menu or it will own your ass. If you want to make it through dessert, you can't eat the amuse, and you definitely can't eat the bread. (My additional preparations included just having a cup of tea for breakfast, chewing a stick of gum in lieu of lunch, and wearing a roomy jersey dress to accomodate the inevitable expansion.)

First course: Squid-ink tagliatelle with parsnips and pancetta. A double-whammy of pork and shellfish, so Rebecca had to pass. It was delicious enough that I threw caution to the wind and had a few forkfuls off her plate.

Second course: Beet ravioli with poppy seeds. Light and yummy. The pasta is thin and silky and delicate. When cut open, the ravioli filling is a cheerful but slightly disconcerting vivid fuchsia.

Third course: Garganelli with mushrooms. The yummy continues...

Fourth course: Goose liver ravioli with balsamic reduction. (We subbed out the pappardelle bolognese, which has ground pork in the sauce.) This dish is, in my opinion, the absolute pinnacle of Babbo's pastas. You'd think the strong flavors would clash but they're perfection together. The syrupy balsamic brings out the sweetness in the goose liver, while at the same time cutting through the richness. It's inspired. The acid also reacts with the pasta to bring it back to al dente - a chewier texture than what the same dough produces in the second course.

Swoon! In my happy place, I'm eating this pasta.

Fifth course: Pyramids stuffed with shredded beef (cheek, I think). I was losing steam fast, but still had enough appetite to savor the robust and incredibly tender shreds of beef in the filling. Sigh.

Dessert: It started out with a round of spicy chocolate ganache "al diavolo" and a sliver of castagnaccio, a chestnut tart. Then, instead of bringing everyone the carrot poppyseed cake on the printed menu, they brought one slice of that cake, and four OTHER desserts. They were: chestnut cake; an ice-cream, chocolate and pistachio concoction we dubbed "The Penguin"; mascarpone cheesecake; and a cranberry tartlet. We were, of course, obliged to taste all of them in rotation.

The petit fours were the final blow. I could only manage one mini biscotti, but had them pack up the rest.

What can I say? That meal was pure joy. Kudos to my fellow diners for crossing the finish line!

Iron Chef Super Chef Battle

Original Air Date: January 3, 2010

1) Interesting contrast of styles: Créole-Italian (Lagasse/Batali) versus Tex-Mex Philippino (Flay/Comerford)
2) Love the Batali tomatillo-block in the garden! HA!! I'm always saying Bobby Flay is a hack who can't cook anything without using the following three ingredients: cornmeal, chipotle chilies, tomatillos. He, of course, uses all three in his menu for this challenge - a Flay hat-trick, if you will.
3) A scandale erupted afterwards, when it turned out the chefs hadn't used actual White House produce to make the meals. (You can totally tell by the sweet potatoes - the ones they use are much heftier than the little skinny ones they dug from the garden.) But why not? They seem to have harvested enough. Maybe they had to do a second taping?
4) I don't like the style of camerawork in Kitchen Stadium - the quick, out-of-focus zooms made me dizzy, and sometimes they zoomed in so close you couldn't even tell what food you were looking at. I also didn't like all the repetitive recapping and previewing they did. The show could easily have fit into an hour, hour and a half max.
5) Emeril's turkey roulade looked gross (especially after he bungled the deep-fry) but Batali's two dishes of sweet potato and egg yolk raviolo, and quail and lardo with pear caponata, made both me and my brother have to wipe a little drool off our chins. Batali rules!
6) Iron Chef allocates 10 points for taste; 5 for plating and 5 for originality, for a total of 20 points. So are they saying that if a dish is gorgeous and super original, that's the same as if it tastes fantastic? Not equally important in my mind at all! I think it should be more like 14 for taste, 3 for plating and 3 for originality.

Brick Lane

Occasion: Dinner with Ben
Location: Brick Lane on E 6th between 1st and 2nd Ave (bricklanecurryhouse.com)
Edibles: aloo gobi (a potato and cauliflower dish); chicken tikka masala; tandoori prawns

Musings: I used to come here all the time with Karen, Indian being a cuisine that's both easy to share and accomodating to vegetarians. I like the atmosphere of Brick Lane - warmly lit, with a muted gaudiness. It's location on Curry Row means it's literally surrounded by direct competitors, but it always does brisk business.

Our food was yummy, as always. A smidge spicier than I usually like, but all the more excuse for a second Kingfisher. I took the few spoonfuls of leftovers home, and the curry developed even more muscle overnight (as it tends to do). Those pungent, savory spoonfuls, plus a generous bowl of rice, stretched far enough for another meal.

In an unexpected and wonderful surprise, I was also presented with a bottle of cassis-flavored apple cider vinegar - all the way from France! Thanks, Ben!

[Note: Brick Lane is also home to famous Phaal Challenge. It involves the (supposedly) spiciest curry in NYC. Follow the link to see a picture of the chef wearing a gas mask while cooking it, no joke. If you finish it, you get a certificate of achievement, your picture on the restaurant's website (the "P'hall of Fame" - hee!) and a free beer to douse the flames.]

Le Creuset

As an avid soup-maker, I LOVE my three Le Creuset Dutch ovens. I believe they're popular with the pros too - every chef on Food Network seems to have a few. Some thoughts below, if you happen to have some spare shelf space in your kitchen.

Pro: They're durable and well-made enough that you can probably leave them to your kids.

Con: They're not cheap.

Pro: They're enameled cast iron: the heavy cast iron regulates the heat, and the enamel makes its interior cooking surface non-reactive. These pots are very versatile - you can boil, stew, roast, deep-fry, and even bake in them. I mostly use them for soup, but my littlest one also came in handy during my holiday dulce de leche spree.

Con: They're really heavy, even when empty. It's a bit of a wrestle to wash them, and you have to be careful not to chip the enamel.

Pro: The bright colors just make me happy. (I have a large blue one, a medium green one, and a little yellow one.)

Mmmm... beef and vegetable soup with lentils

A good casual recipe for when you feel like flinging some things in a pot and letting them simmer away while you read a good book on the couch. As long as you have the three ingredients in the title in reasonable proportions, it's hard to go wrong.

Beef and Vegetable Soup with Lentils
(based on Giada's recipe)

1 lb of stewing beef (don't bother using expensive cuts of meat - as with any wet cooking method, even economical cuts will come out very tender)
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
a 32 oz. carton of beef stock (nobody makes their own, not even Ina)
water
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of chopped tomatoes, with juice)
1/2 cup dried lentils, rinsed, with stones and other debris picked out
salt and pepper

Optional seasonings: oregano; rosemary; bay; garlic; fresh parsley; Worcestershire sauce; soy sauce; tomato paste; a glug of red wine or Guinness (I wouldn't use all of them at the same time, but play with it until it tastes good to you.)

Brown the beef in some oil. Remove the beef to a dish and throw the onion, carrots and celery into the pot; sauté the vegetables a bit. Return the beef to the pot, along with any meat juices that have collected in the dish. Plonk in the tomatoes and pour in the beef stock. Top up with enough water to make it look like a soup (enough to cover the vegetables and beef by an inch or two, at least).

When it comes to a boil, taste before you start seasoning, as different brands of beef stock contain wildly different levels of salt. Start playing with the herbs and whatnot until you're satisfied. Err on the side of caution - the flavors do deepen as it cooks. Reduce to a simmer and let it be, for 30 min to 1 hour.

Some 20 min before you intend to eat, put in the lentils. If you stir through and can barely see the lentils, check the impulse to add a lot more. Don't worry - they expand.  The soup is done when the lentils are tender. I check the seasoning one last time before serving.

Variations: You can sub out the lentils for cannellini beans, pastina, etc.

Mmmm... apple crisp

My birthday present for Amy.

This is a pretty forgiving recipe - you can tinker with it quite a lot and still have a delicious product! It will also fill your home with marvelous smells. It looks complicated written out, but it really didn't take me very long to throw together.

Apple Crisp

(based on Ina's recipe; her product on the right)

Filling:

4 lbs of apples, approx. 7-10 (Ina suggests McIntosh or Macoun but I use Granny Smith)
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (I consider this optional, since I hate cinnamon.)
1 tsp ground nutmeg (I grated from a whole nutmeg - much more flavor. Whole nutmegs last forever so they're a good pantry item.)

Topping:
1 cup flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal (the old-fashioned kind, NOT the quick cook)
1 stick of butter, cold, diced

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large chunks. Combine the apples with the rest of the filling ingredients - the zests, juices, (3 tbsp) flour, sugar and spices. Pour into a large baking dish. If the apples come close to the top of the dish, bake with the dish on a cookie sheet so you don't have to clean your oven of any juices that bubble out!

Topping: Combine the (1 cup) flour, sugars, salt and oatmeal. Either 1) cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter if you have it, or a knife and fork if you don't or 2) mix on low speed in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. The butter should be the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the juices are bubbling around the edges. Serve warm. (I like room temp leftovers straight out of the baking dish too.) Good with ice-cream.

Variations: I made myself a tag-along one with some frozen peaches and leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving (resilient little suckers!) mixed in with the apples. Would also be good with half apples / half pears, with raspberries, blueberries, etc.

Salt

by Mark Kurlansky

My review: 3/5 stars

Finally finished! The main problem I had with this book was that it was at the same time too interesting to do a speed skim, yet too slow and meandering for me to want to pick it up for fun reading.

There are lots of great novelty recipes, some hundreds of years old, for things like making salt beef or pickles by the barrel. I wasn't as interested in economic, legal, anthropological or engineering tidbits. Kurlansky obviously did a lot of research - the bibliography is 13 pages long - but did all of it need to go in the book? The sheer breadth of time and subject matter covered, plus the lack organizing principles or a central thesis, made this a hard book to stay focused on.

Thanks to Yining for the (very extended) loan!

"I bought the rock in Spanish Catalonia, in the rundown hillside mining town of Cardona. An irregular pink trapezoid with elongated, curved indentations etched on its surface by raindrops, it had an odd translucence and appeared to be a cross beween rose quartz and soap. The resemblance to soap came from the fact that it dissolved in water and its edges were worn smooth liked a used soap bar.

I paid too much for it - nearly fifteen dollars. But it was, after all, despite a rosy blush of magnesium, almost pure salt, a piece of the famous salt mountain of Cardona. The various families that had occupied the castle atop the next mountain had garnered centures of wealth from such rock.

I took it home and kept it on a windowsill. One day it got rained on, and white salt crystals started appearing on the pink. My rock was starting to look like salt, which would ruin its mystique. So I rinsed off the crystals with water. Then I spent fifteen minutes carefully patting the rock dry. By the next day it was sitting in a puddle of brine that had leached out of the rock. The sun hit the puddle of clear water. After a few hours, square white crystals began to appear in the puddle. Solar evaporation was turning brine into salt crystals.

For a while it seemed I had a magical stone that would perpetually produce brine puddles. Yet the rock never seemed to get smaller. Sometimes in dry weather it would appear to completely dry out, but on a humid day, a puddle would again appear under it. I decided I could dry out the rock by baking it in a small toaster oven. Within a half hour white stalactities were drooping from the toaster grill. I left the rock on a steel radiator cover, but the brine threatened to corrode the metal. So I transferred it to a small copper tray. A green crust formed on the bottom, and when I rubbed off the discoloration, I found the copper had been polished.

My rock lived by its own rules. When friends stopped by, I told them the rock was salt, and they would delicately lick a corner and verify that it tasted just like salt.

Those who think a fascination with salt is a bizarre obsession have simply never owned a rock like this."

A New Year

It's a whole new year, y'all.

Along with my wishes for your general health and happiness, I hope 2010 is full of all the delights the culinary world has to offer. Full fat milk. Real butter. Bacon, on or in pretty much anything. Potatoes cooked in duck fat. Caviar. Lobster. Steak. Fruit at the peak of its ripeness. Parmigiano-Reggiano. Chocolate chip cookies. Fresh, crisp vegetables in every color of the rainbow. New restaurants. New world cuisines. New recipes. Old favorites. Food cooked with enthusiasm, imagination and love.

And if you're going to sin... sin magnificently!