Mmmm... brined, grilled chicken

Loosely based on Tyler's brine for pork chops - see his recipe for more exact measurements. I did it like this:

Fill a large bowl about halfway with cold water. Salt it until it tastes like seawater. Add a little brown suger - you want to only just be able to taste it. Add some whole peppercorns and the herb(s) of your choice. I usually go with thyme for chicken, but rosemary would be nice too. If you have some wilting parsley in the fridge, chuck that in. A piece of lemon zest, a clove of garlic. Whatever aromatics you have around.

Submerge the chicken in the brine. I advocate using skin-on (important for the grilling later), de-boned chicken thighs. Stick it in the fridge for about 1 - 2 hours. (No more than that, or the proteins will break down too much and the meat will get mushy.)

The science behind brining: There is more salt in the brine than in the chicken; therefore, salt moves into the chicken, giving it flavor. There is more water in the brine than in the chicken; therefore, water moves into the chicken, giving it moisture. I'm told by Summer Brother this is called osmolarity, and it's how your kidneys work.

After an hour or two, remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Grill! (Even if you don't eat the skin, the chicken will taste better if grilled with the skin on. It also gives you a margin of error, for both overcooking and accidental charring.)

If you're feeling ambitious, Tyler's garlic-herb dressing makes a great sauce to serve over it.

I served the chicken with some grilled vegetables, a quick pasta salad and some marinated artichokes (from a jar). Grab a bottle of white and you've got a party!

Colicchio and Sons

Occasion: Brunch with Karen, Josie and Jana
Location: Colicchio & Sons on 10th Ave at 15th (colicchioandsons.com)
Edibles: I had the eggs with crispy prosciutto and mushroom ragout; Josie had the burger; Karen had the ricotta and veggie fritata; Jana had the poached eggs with red-eye gravy (I think)

Musings: I wasn't crazy about my dish. It was very soupy, very salty, and the chef inexplicably decided to use whole peppercorns in the mushroom ragout. I encountered quite a few and was forced to be very uncouth and spit them out. Everything else looked fine and tasted fine (I cadged a bite from Karen and Josie) but nothing was mind-blowing.

The dining room is very sleek and spacious, with fantastically high ceilings. I appreciated that they weren't stingy with the AC on a day when it was hot as balls. It's also worth noting that they let us sit around and chat undisturbed for a good long while after we finished eating. (No one was waiting for a table - we're not jerks.)

Still, I suspect it will be quite a while before I come back - partly because of the ho-hum food, but mostly because 10th Ave is SO far west and is a huge pain to get to from where I live. You forgot the cardinal rule of real estate, Tom! Location is everything!

Top Chef DC, Ep. 2

Original Air Date: June 23, 2010

1) Cafeteria food, sigh. Second only to airplane food for being a complete and utter tragedy. For my high school years, my mom abdicated all nutritional responsibility and just gave me $5 for breakfast and lunch in the school cafeteria. Thank God that was when I had the metabolism of a teenager. (Hey - if you think it's amazing now, you should have seen me then.) My brother got two granola bars every day, in about three rotating flavors purchased in bulk from Costco. My mom CAN cook; she just doesn't like to.
2) Jacqueline: spotty technical skills + spotty food science. If you have a grainy mixture (ep. 1), you can only fix it with heat if the bits will melt, like chocolate. Liver, not so much. (Well, I guess you can cook the bejesus out of it, until everything disintegrates into mush. But that's going to taste terrible.) For her pudding: sugar can be used to mask too much salt, or fix too much acid, but it does not break down starch - enzymes break down starch... into sugar.
3) Angelo and Amanda share the prize for Stupidest Idea. Celery in a tuile? Sherry-braised chicken? To serve to kids? Completely unhinged.
4) Awesome, cutthroat Judges' Table. Maybe the best ever. Sabotage! Two pounds of sugar! Peanut butter is evil!

Diego Felix NYC Dinner

Occasion: A private dinner cooked by Diego Felix. Elizabeth co-hosted, and our fellow diners were Jessica and Davinder, Bindi and Eric, Mamie, Brigid, Yining and Summer Brother as a last minute replacement for Jill.
Location: my place
Edibles:

Musings: Diego is the Real Deal. I am more obsessed with him than ever after seeing him in action. The man at work:

He was so happy about the fish, he kept exclaiming about its freshness, stroking it fondly, and holding filets up for anyone nearby to sniff. It was adorable.

Putting the finishing touches on the huancaina sauce. Sanra told me that in Argentina they use a locally produced cheese sold as feta. The feta in New York is more authentically Greek, and is consequently much stronger and saltier than the recipe calls for. When in the US, they substitute a queso fresco.

Looking for a place to stash the roasted veg.

Closeup of the veg. How gorgeous is that?!

The rest of the Colectivo: Sanra and her sisters. Diego explained that when they're on the road (mostly stateside to visit with Sanra's California-based family), he likes to think of their various adventures as the "Colectivo Felix." The Casa is in Argentina, and it's a separate endeavor for him. (If you're in Buenos Aires, I highly encourage you to experience Diego in his natural habitat - Casa Felix.)

The dinner was amazing. My favorite course was the app - that ceviche blew my mind. I think this is how he did it. (There were so many things going on, I could hardly keep track!) Plunge the seafood very briefly in boiling water; immediately remove to an ice bath to stop the cooking (a.k.a. blanch and shock it). Julienne some red onion; keep it and the seafood in ice water until needed. Dress with lime juice just before service (presumably to keep the acid from overcooking the delicate seafood). This method departs somewhat from the traditional way to make ceviche - that is, adding acid to raw fish, and using it to chemically "cook" the fish. I will definitely be attempting to replicate it sometime soon.

The shrimp, scallops and fish (trimmings from the fish filets in the main course) were all incredibly plump and moist and flavorful. A really refreshing dish for the weather. Just awesome.

Diego also served us each a shot of the savory, puckery ceviche liquid. He claimed it's a South American hangover cure, and I believe it.

The main was a quinoa-crusted blackfish on a bed of roasted vegetables. Although yummy to be sure, I thought the crust on the fish could have been crisper, and found the Malbec-berry sauce a tad sweet.

The chocolate-covered alfajores for dessert were just decadent. Chocolate, cookies, dulce de leche - you had me at hello. We also got to try some Argentinean dessert wine (late harvest Torrontés) and mate.

For me, the best part about the dinner was getting to watch the magic happen. It was like peeking into a restaurant kitchen, but also surprisingly like the controlled choas of my family's kitchen when we're doing holiday meals - chatty, messy, fifteen things going on simultaneously, spoons stuck in people's faces for tasting.

This meal was as good a representation of my food philosophy as any: techinque but no fuss; local, seasonal ingredients; unbridled passion and enthusiasm for food; friends and family to share it. Thanks to all the participants - hope everyone had a great time!

Top Chef DC, Ep. 1

Original Air Date: June 16, 2010

1) Welcome back, Top Chef! Though from what I've heard from Sylvia on the restaurant scene there, perhaps DC's not the most qualified city to be hosting this season.
2) I think post-baby Padma looks gorgeous and glowing, but the above outfit is just not flattering.
3) Silver fox and chef extraordinaire Eric Ripert is a new judge!!!!!!!! Hubba hubba!!

4) If you name your restaurant "Rat's", you deserve to have it go out of business.
5) Peeling potatoes with paring knives is ridiculous. I am a potato-peeling machine with my horizontal peeler, and I defy Tom Colicchio to tell me why it's any less legitimate.
6) A surprisingly high correlation between the fastest mise en place chefs and best elimination challenge chefs. Except for Tim, poor shmuck.
7) Looks like Angelo's got some skills. Unfortunately, he is a total blowhard and I hate him already. And dude? Monte Carlo is not in France.

Fishs Eddy

Occasion: Picking up some supplementary glasses and cutlery for the Diego Felix dinner!
Location: Broadway between 19th and 20th (fishseddy.com)

I love, Love, LOVE Fishs Eddy. It's cheap (I started shopping here when I was a student), functional (almost everything is sturdily made and goes in the dishwasher), whimsical and charming. I have pieces from lots of different collections, and my experience is that they mix and match very well.

My personal Fishs Eddy inventory:
- Lots of the now discontinued Cynthia Rowley line: plates with shoes along the rim, soup plates with underwear on them, and bowls with colorful people walking around.
- Three large alphabet bowls.
- Nursery rhyme water glasses. This trip completed my set - I started out with just two of the Little Red Riding Hood but now I have all four designs.
- Half a dozen of their dirt cheap and dishwasher-safe wineglasses. These come out every time I have people over, and have returned their original investment many times over.
- Four old-fashioned ice-cream cups. A housewarming gift from Karen.
- Two huge yellow serving platters. I bought these on clearance for about $2 each and have used them every single time I've entertained since. Love 'em.
- Two long, skinny platters for hors d'oeuvres.

For Karen and Josie's wedding, we New Yorkers put together a gift box of the NY Skyline collection. Fishs Eddy also stocks funky vintage china, stuff with old hotel logos, old airline flatware, stuff like that. If you're more of a minimalist, they have tons of stuff that's just plain white or clear glass. The 99¢ room in the back is a particular treasure trove for the basics.

This trip, I picked up an enormous alphabet platter on sale for $10 (same pattern as my bowls), some short water glasses for 99¢ each and extra knives, forks and spoons at the same price. I also couldn't resist a couple of glasses in the Strip Tea line. They were comparatively expensive at $6.50 each but getting to use a drinking glass featuring a guy pole dancing in buttless chaps is kinda priceless, isn't it?

Mmmm... chicken hash

Another great one pot meal. Leftovers reheat up great, either in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Chicken Hash
(based on Ina's recipe)

2 cups of cooked chicken, cubed or shredded into medium, bite-sized pieces
1-2 onions, chopped
4 red or yellow peppers, de-seeded and chopped
2 potatoes (I like Yukon Golds), cubed and cooked
¼ cup tomato paste
splash of white wine or chicken stock (or water as a last resort)
a pinch of thyme
salt and pepper to taste

I use dark meat almost exclusively when I cook chicken. Dark meat has a higher fat content and fat = flavor. The fat also keeps the meat moist. And dark meat's cheaper than white meat. Basically, it's a winner all around.

If you start with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, you can roast the chicken in the oven or poach it. I tend to choose poaching because bring a pot of water to the boil is always faster than preheating an oven. You can also shortcut this recipe by buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, though I generally find them to be dry and woody.

Cube the potatoes (skin on or off, depending on how you like it) and boil them until they are just cooked through. Beware not to cook them too long, or the potatoes will completely disintegrate when you try to combine everything. Set the potatoes aside with the chicken.

In a large pot or pan, sauté the onions and peppers in a little oil over medium heat until they're browned and softened. Add the tomato paste and stir everything around for a while, to cook out the raw tomato paste flavor. Deglaze with a splash of white wine or chicken stock.

Add the cooked chicken and potatoes. Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste. (Instead of thyme, you could also use a pinch of cumin or paprika.) It's nice to garnish this dish with some fresh green herbs. I like cilantro, but parsley or scallions will also work.

Additions: If they're in season, it's great to add some avocado to this dish (off the heat, just before you're ready to serve). Or if you're eating it for breakfast, go ahead and throw a couple of fried eggs on top.

Top Chef Masters Season 2 Finale

Original Air Date: June 9, 2010

1) Wow, how can Rick hope to compare to Marcus and Susur's insanely dramatic life stories? (For those of you that don't watch the show, Marcus' birth mother died of tuberculosis in Ethiopia when he was three and he and his sister were adopted by a Swedish family. Susur moved from Hong Kong to Canada to be with his first wife - who was a passenger on Korean Air Flight 007, which was shot down in Soviet airspace in 1983.)
2) That picture of Rick as a child had me laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair. What a cute, goofy-looking kid he was! Marcus was an adorable child, too. Susur looked really different when he was younger - his face filled out into a completely different shape.
3) Marcus only used half his budget?
4) Dishes I most wanted to eat: Rick's first (a glazed oyster, hamachi and scallop crudo); Marcus' second (salt-cured duck and foie gras ganache); Susur and Rick's third courses (Thai lamb with Chiang Mai sausage and venison with a stuffed cippolini onion, respectively). I don't have a lot of familiarity with either Scandinavian or African cuisine, but Marcus' food just seemed weird.
5) For new readers, I thought about my own "cook's journey" meal during last season's finale. My answers are here.

[P.S. Thanks to Summer Brother for his "technical assistance" in getting me this ep after my DVR failed to tape it. Bad Gadget!]

Taste of Times Square

Occasion: Taste of Times Square - neighborhood restaurants offer up some small plates, get some publicity
Location: Times Square, natch. Tents were set up on Broadway between 45th and 47th, and on 46th between Broadway and 9th Ave
Edibles: tickets were $1 and plates cost between 1 and 5 tickets; my choices described in further detail below

Musings: Thanks to my co-worker Charles, who threw the brochure on my desk just as I was getting ready to head out. Never one to say no to a food event - especially one right outside my doorstep - I immediately agreed to join him.

It was bright and sunny, the perfect weather to wander around and nibble. I lost Charles almost immediately, so I did a first pass by myself. Eventually, Amy was able to escape work and I did a second lap with her. The eats:

Bond 45 - Italian meatballs with olive focaccia (2 tickets). Decent but didn't blow me away.

Encore - Pulled BBQ chicken on a brioche bun with corn relish (2 tickets). Yummy. Really good flavor on the chicken.

Brasserie 1605 - Crabcakes with chipotle aioli (3 tickets). Great crabcake. Almost solid crab. Thumbs up to the chef for resisting the urge to cheap out by adding a lot of bread as filler. That napa cabbage slaw was horrible, though.

Carmine - Shrimp fra diavolo (3 tickets). Disappointing. Not very spicy and the shrimp were rubbery.

The Library - Seafood ceviche (2 tickets) and strawberry shortcake (1 ticket). The ceviche was EXCELLENT - one of the two dishes I went back for seconds on. I loved the watermelon, and the chill and acidity of the ceviche were wonderfully refreshing on a warm summer's night. The shortcake was meh.

Shula's Steak House - Blackened tenderloin tips with bbq and béarnaise sauce (3 tickets). The other dish I had seconds of. Surprisingly tender and juicy for meat cooked in advance and served out of a chafing dish.




And a special mention goes out to the Times Square Visitor's Center, which apparently sells hand-made fudge. I bought a chunk of peanut butter chocolate fudge for $3 that lasted me as many days in the office, one little bite of heaven at a time...

Travertine

Occasion: Dinner with PA.... ultimately without PA. Let's just say we had some logistical difficulties.
Location: Travertine on Kenmare between Bowery and Delancey (travertinenyc.com)
Edibles: Elizabeth and I shared the gnocchi with braised pork shoulder and crackling to start, then I had the skirt steak and she had the prosciutto-wrapped cod; Abby had the garganelli with morels and sugar snaps

Musings: I'll start with a disclaimer that this is not the most objective of reviews. We all arrived grumpy because of the scheduling snafus with PA, and the restaurant did nothing to improve our moods.

Even before the food arrived, things were rubbing me the wrong way. Everything from the Twilight décor, complete with black crystal chandeliers, to the bored aspiring models they'd hired as waitresses. Our table, too small for three people, with my chair positioned six inches from some steps. Everything irked me.

Their pricey wines are listed as quartinos, defined as little carafes holding 8 oz., almost twice the standard New York pour. I was served a fairly miserly amount in a glass, with no carafe. When asked, the waitress insisted that the pour was a quartino and I just couldn't tell because their wine glasses are bigger. Complete BS.

The food was pretty uneven. The gnocchi were about twice the size they should have been, dense and pasty as a result. (Even crackling couldn't save it!) The prosciutto on Elizabeth's cod was soggy and the portion was tiny. Abby's garganelli, supposedly voted the best pasta in the city (by who?), was good but not great. The skirt steak, I'll admit, was pretty tasty.

My inclination is to write this place off completely as expensive and mediocre. Anyone out there think I need to give Travertine another try?

Top Chef Masters Season 2, Ep. 9

Original Air Date: June 2, 2010

1) The Quickfire challenge was very poorly articulated. What were the rules as to how far you could stray from the original recipe? (The lawyer in me immediately interpreted the maximum possible latitude. This is why lawyers only beget more lawyers - we are trained to think around the rules.) Though I guess it was a moot point in the end since they all had to morph their dishes into soup.

2) I liked seeing the camraderie among the chefs this ep. They were more chilled out and complimentary towards each other than I've ever seen before on this series.

3) Susur should stay away from novelty platings. He doesn't have the subtlety to pull them off. I hated his Marge Simpson plate and cringed at the concept for his dessert in this ep. The former was like something off Olive Garden's kids menu and the latter, a Hooter's dessert special.

4) Jonthan can clearly roast a chicken like nobody's business but he was totally checked out of the competition, mentally. He just flat-out refused to play ball on the Elimination challenge. His words were clearly the hardest, but still.

Kitchenette

Occasion: Brunch with Ben and Rebecca in our old law school stomping grounds
Location: Kitchenette on Amsterdam between 122nd and 123rd (kitchenetterestaurant.com) [Note: another location downtown on Chambers]
Edibles: lumberjack breakfast for me, with berry pancakes, eggs, turkey sausage; omelet for Rebecca; blueberry French toast and a Bloody Mary (an unusual one made with white wine and wasabi) for Ben

Musings: Usually crazy crowded, we inadvertently hit the sweet spot after the regular semester but before summer session when Columbia is deserted.

Kitchenette's food appeals to that inexplicable Southern belle in me. (Also the lumberjack in me, I guess.) This plate made me SO happy when it arrived:

The pancakes were thick and fluffy and the turkey sausage was a nice departure from the usual breakfast meats. Two minor dings: Ben's French toast was too dense and cake-y for my taste, and the cheese grits that came with Rebecca's omelet were deemed too salty by her and too thick by me.

The bakery case is worth a look-see. While waiting for Ben and Rebecca to arrive, it took everything I had not to buy a whole pie to take home (knowing from experience that I would not have the room to eat any dessert). Dinner here is likewise excellent. I'm particularly fond of the turkey meatloaf, buttermilk-honey fried chicken and mac and cheese.

Crooked Knife

Occasion: Welcoming Winnie back to NYC, and to the east side!
Location: Crooked Knife on 30th between Park and Madison (thecrookedknife.com)
Edibles: a burger for me; fish and chips for Winnie

Musings: A lackluster and expensive pub. The burger had plenty of meat, but was totally unseasoned. Just a hop and a skip away, Shake Shack is vastly superior.

Fig & Olive

Occasion: Post-ballet (Don Quixote) with Brigid
Location: Fig & Olive on Lex between 62nd and 63rd (figandolive.com) [Note: two other Manhattan locations]
Edibles: I had the crostini trio (crab with lemon cilantro mayo; salmon and ricotta; bell pepper and goat cheese) and the beef carpaccio; Brigid had the tuna carpaccio and a side of sautéed spinach

Musings: The salmon crostini was bland and oddly slimy. The roasted pepper and goat cheese one was nice, but the crab one was SUPERB - I wish I'd just gotten three of those. The carpaccio was tasty but very insubstantial, sort of like the illusion of eating beef.

Good eats and conveniently cross-town from Lincoln Center, though the kitchen closes too early for it to be a good after-theatre place. We barely squeaked in after an average-length ballet with a 7:30 curtain. No way you'd make it after an 8:00 opera.