Ed's Chowder House

Occasion: Post-ballet (the Mariinsky doing Anna Karenina) dinner with Winnie
Location: Ed's Chowder House on 63rd and Broadway
Edibles: chowder sampler, a couple of raw oysters, and a share of the scallop ravioli

Musings: Wow, for a place calling themselves a "Chowder House," the chowders they make are pretty lame. The New England and the corn were both insanely, insanely rich, and not in a good way. I actually like Hale & Hearty's corn chowder better.

Winnie did make an offhand comment that I thought was interesting. She said, "Maybe I've been eating crappy canned chowder for so long that I can't tell what a good one is supposed to taste like?" I immediately disagreed. While some foods are an acquired taste, chowder is not one of them. I mean, it's not like it's durian or sea urchin or something - there's nothing challenging in a simple chowder at all. Either the chef gets the texture and flavors right, or they don't.

I would assert that, for 90% of foods, you can tell whether it's good or not just by putting it in your mouth. I think the visceral reaction is absolutely valid. Think about the last time you had a great piece of fruit.

That's not to say that you should give up on something after a single try. I'm always trying to get people to try tofu that's properly and flavorfully prepared.

Anyhow, back to Ed's. Winnie and I were both cream-and-butter'ed out by the chowders but we still enjoyed the scallop ravioli (which has a creamy sauce). It's really quite yummy. It's only an appetizer portion but given its richness I don't think you need more.

If I ever come back to this place, the meal to get is the raw oysters to start and the scallop ravioli.

Big Apple BBQ

Location: On the streets bordering Madison Square Park

Met up with Winnie, Erin and Hsinpei for another meat-a-palooza. I swear I eat vegetables too. (I do! Sometimes.)

Stop #1: Ubon's - $8 for pulled pork shoulder sandwich with a side of coleslaw

Nice enough. Very tender and moist. Most of the flavor I got was from the sauce, though.

Stop #2: Pappy's - $8 for ribs and a side of beans

The ribs were, once again, undercooked for my taste. The meat was hard to chew and I was not impressed with their flavor (which was basically just bbq sauce slathered on at the end and brûléed). It was also unfortunate that we happened to get the stubby little ribs that come at the tip of the rack. The ends always get a little burned and dried out, compared to the bigger ribs further up. And the beans were sort of watery and sad. Thumbs down, Pappy's.

Stop #3: Blue Smoke Bake Shop - $6 for blueberry crisp à la mode

Now, I'm normally hating on Blue Smoke for their crappy food. And I stand by that. But I will say that they serve a nice dessert. (We weren't quite done with the meat yet, but passed right in front of Blue Smoke Bakery while waiting in line for Ed Mitchell. So we dispatched Erin to pick up... let's call it an unusual palate cleanser.)

This was the first dish of the day that made me go, "WOW!" Really good crisp topping and not too much of it, a light hand with the sugar in the berries, and a scoop of perfectly textured vanilla ice-cream. Yum.

Stop #4: Ed Mitchell - $8 for a chopped whole hog sandwich, with a side of coleslaw

While waiting in the long-ass line (after the blueberry crisp), I saw someone making pork rind crackling. At this point, my head pretty much exploded with joy. I had to get me some. When it was ready, they passed out a few shards to the people in line. It was amazing.... and so I had to get some more.

I went up to the lady and shamlessly played up my bacon-themed t-shirt and love of all pork products. Happily, she found me at least moderately amusing and rewarded my antics with a *massive* piece of crackling almost as big as my head!! Oh, happy, happy day!!!!

Yeah, we also got some of their whole hog, but nothing could really compare to that crackling. Here they are chopping it up:

And here's the sandwich:

I liked the more varied texture of the whole hog, but it was also sort of bland. Coleslaw was pretty generic, not as good as Ubon's.

But the crackling..... oh, the crackling.......

Mmmm... pasta salad

I basically threw this salad together with odds and ends I already had in the pantry/fridge. Despite the lack of premeditation, the flavors melded really nicely so I thought I'd share.

Pasta Salad with Chicken and Vegetables

rotini (but really any pasta will do), cooked, drained and cooled to at least room temp
shredded rotisserie chicken (I used Pio Pio's excellent chicken for extra oomph)
chopped red pepper
chopped celery
julienned sundried tomatoes in oil (in a jar, from Trader Joe's)
basic vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Ludicrously easy to prepare - just throw everything together in a proportion you find pleasing. (Though you don't want to overdo it with meat and veg - it's a pasta salad, not a chicken salad - and you don't want to drown it in vinaigrette). It can be easily scaled to feed any number of people.

The dressing will hold up well without refrigeration so you can safely bring it to a picnic. It will also keep at least a day in the fridge if it's been dressed, longer if you keep the dressing separate.

Goes without saying that you can add or substitute ingredients at will. I happen to like the color from the peppers and the crunch from the celery. They're both fairly watery, bland vegetables so the intense bursts of flavor from the sundried tomatoes are nice. Meat-tooth that I am, I always want to put animal protein in but you can substitute some kind of cheese (feta, etc.) for the chicken if you have vegetarians.

Enjoy!

Fette Sau

Occasion: Continuing shenanigans with Yining
Location: Fette Sau on Metropolitan Ave in Brooklyn (fettesaubbq.com)
Edibles: we (okay, I) ordered...
2 slices of brisket
1/4 lb pulled pork shoulder
1/4 lb boneless beef rib
1/8 lb of thick-cut bacon (the guy wasn't really supposed to let us order so little, but he let us do it)
1 link of spicy sausage
2 St. Louis style pork ribs
small coleslaw
piece of cornbread

All of the above came out to $40 including tax. Meat-a-palooza!

Before:

After:

Musings: I was chatting with these two hefty guys (I'm talking like 200+ lbs each) while waiting in line. Very nice guys. Told me about an all-you-can-eat Korean bbq place in Queens. After I paid, I heard them order, "What she's having." So there you have it - confirmation that I'm competitive way above my weight class.

My favorite bbq item is baby back ribs. Sadly, these were a bit underdone for my taste. One of my co-workers, who competes in bbq competitions, says that the proper doneness for a rib is when you can take a clean bite, without having to pull (underdone) or having the rest of the meat fall off the bone (overdone). By that standard, Fette Sau's ribs were cooked perfectly - but I personally like them with the meat falling off the bone.

The pulled pork had good texture, though it was slightly lacking in flavor. I don't think it matches Wilfie's awesome pulled pork sliders, or even Great Jones Cafe's. It needs a generous squirt of bbq sauce to be even halfway decent. You can take a pass on this one.

My favorite was the beef rib, a cut so tricky I've never attempted to cook it myself. Absolute perfection here - tender, robust and flavorful. Yining's favorite was the brisket, with the beef rib gaining slightly as we made our way through the tray. So surprisingly enough, in a restaurant named for the majestic pig, the beef won the day.

The sides are also worth mentioning. The coleslaw is actually pretty exotic for a place like this, with hand-cut cabbage, peppers and chunks of apple. The dressing is thin and tastes like sesame - it's got tahini, I think. I'd definitely recommend an order of it to give your palate some relief from all the meat. The cornbread, which is about six inches square and two inches thick, is light and fluffly. Also excellent.

All in all, the best bbq joint I've been to in the city - there isn't even a close second. Fette Sau, I'm going to be back soon. Real, real soon.

Asia Dog

Location: Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg (asiadognyc.com)

The Vietnamese-style Vinh dog (on the left) was disappointing. The carrots and the daikon weren't pickled long enough and tasted pretty bland.

The Thai-style Sidney dog (on the right) was better. The mango relish is a lovely condiment for a hot dog (though it'd be even better with a homemade chicken sausage). I think the ingredients minus the fish sauce would make a great lobster salad too. Yining immediately agreed that we have to try it.

Regular dogs (beef, chicken or veg) are $4 each or two for $7. Organic dogs are $5 or two for $9.

All told, Asia Dog was not particularly memorable and, by itself, is not enough to drag me off my island. The flavor combinations are thoughtful and interesting but the hot dog is dragged down by the grocery-store quality meat and bun. They should definitely consider making their own sausages. Or, at the very least, sourcing some fresh local stuff.

Ted's Bulletin

Occasion: Brunch with Sylvia
Location: Ted's Bulletin on 8th St SE in Washington, DC
Edibles: I had the biscuit with sausage gravy and Sylvia had the French toast

Musings: Ted's Bulletin is a cute place for brunch. The décor has a sort of retro, deco thing going on but not in a fussy or pretentious way. As you can see from the pictures, they serve extremely generous plates of hearty food. Prices are reasonable too. A place like this would be mobbed in New York.

Biscuits and sausage gravy - when it's on the menu, I pretty much have to order it. Ted's Bulletin's version of it involves a beer biscuit. Great in theory, but in practice it gave the biscuit an unfortunate bitter aftertaste. The sausage gravy was excellent, though, and I scraped up every little bit of it.

The French toast was tasty too.

For next time: I noticed they had homemade Pop-Tarts on the menu. I was intrigued but - alas - didn't have the room to try them.

Sylvia - great catching up with you!

Doughnut Plant

Location: 23rd between 7th and 8th

Doughnut Plant makes these huge, very chewy, very bread-y doughnuts, $3 each. I got one of the fresh strawberry and one peanut butter and jelly.

The strawberry had a nice scent, but any flavor of fresh strawberries was overwhelmed by the amount of sugar in the glaze. I liked the balance of the PBJ doughnut (a jelly-filled doughnut with peanut butter glaze) better. But I personally thought they both had way too much glaze, which tended to crack and get all over everything.

An interesting novelty, but I don't think this is going to be the next dessert craze.

Northern Spy, part II

Occasion: Pre-movie (Cinema Komunisto at TFF) brunch with Josh
Location: Northern Spy Food Co. on 12th between A and B (northernspyfoodco.com)
Edibles: I had the biscuit and sausage gravy, with two baked eggs; Josh had the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich.

Musings: I've been wanting to come back here, ever since that first dinner with Winnie and Gabrielle - gosh - a year ago. Not too much to add. The décor is as charming as ever, and the food is hearty and unfussy. My gravy was good, the biscuit was nice and fluffy, and the egg yolk provided the perfect amount of unctuous ooze over everything.

One niggle. They did seat their dining room sort of awkwardly, i.e too many people at once. The kitchen got slammed and our food took ages to come out.

Social Eatz

Occasion: Lunch with Meredith and Mike, with lots of ex-Death Star crew
Location: Social Eatz on 53rd between 2nd and 3rd (socialeatz.com)
Edibles: I had the bulgogi burger and fries, and a bite of Meredith's spring rolls and chop salad

Musings: Social Eatz is the new eatery of Top Chef Season 7 finalist Angelo Sosa. It's Asian fusion - not exactly a shocker for anyone who's seen Angelo cook on TV. But I actually like the concept here - Asian-inspired burgers, tacos, etc. Casual streetfood, in a yuppie diner setting. The menu's got some cheeky, fun items like the Imperialist Hot Dog, and some cringingly pretentious ones like the Chili-Kissed Tilapia Tacos.

The shrimp and chicken spring rolls were flavorful, but surprisingly heavy considering the ingredients. The chop salad not a hit with the table - it's a tiny little portion, and the so-called six minute egg was barely cooked long enough to hold together. Meredith rightly avoided the egg; the runny yolk would have completely drowned the small amount of lettuce.

I got the bulgogi burger with a side of fries. First of all, potatoes are dirt cheap, Angelo - your burgers should come with fries. Second, my burger was way underdone. I mean, it was literally half raw. Not rare. Raw. I practically like my steaks still mooing, but that burger was on the borderline of what I'd eat (v. what I'd send back and ask them to cook longer). Another person in our group left her burger patty half uneaten for the same reason. So please ask your diners how they like their burgers.

That said, I think the concepts of the bulgogi burger, bibimbap burger and Korean taco are genius. I love the salt-sweet flavor of the beef, accented by the tart bite of the pickles. I'd come back to try those latter two.

Ember Room

Occasion: Pre-theatre (Importance of Being Earnest) dinner with Amy, Howard, Brigid, John and Josh
Location: Ember Room on 9th between 45th and 46th (emberroom.com)
Edibles: I had the miso eggplant and the oxtail; Josh had the shrimp satay and Korean BBQ fried rice; we also had the mushroom salad, chocolate baby back ribs and the slider trio on the table, among others (I don't remember precisely who ordered what)

Musings: Ember Room is a new Todd English restaurant in the Hell's Kitchen / theatre district area. Unsurprisingly, the service felt like it hadn't quite settled down into a comfortable routine yet. We were eating pretty early and the restaurant was half-empty, but they had a bit of a delay in seating us and then didn't have enough menus to go around once they did.

The waitress recommended that we order tapas-style and share, but the portions are so small that they're really only practical for two people to share, not a whole table. The only dish big enough for multiple people to try was Amy's mushroom salad.

I was not impressed by the food, as I'm generally not by fusion cuisine. I thought my two dishes tasted overly sweet, and flavors were heavy-handed and muddled. It's like the food that was all the rage twenty years ago when chefs though it would be rad to put soy sauce, miso and wasabi in everything. With all the delicious, authentic and cheap Asian food available in the city, why bother with this junk?

The hunt for a good theatre district restaurant continues....

Burger Joint

Occasion: Dinner with Josh before the Phil (harmonic, that is)
Location: Burger Joint, behind a velvet curtain in the lobby of the Parker Meridien. No joke. Hotel's on 57th between 6th and 7th. (parkermeridien.com/eat4.php)
Edibles: burger and fries, chocolate milkshake

Musings: For its bizarre location and retro ambiance, A+ for sure. For the burgers, B. They don't season their patties, and the bun is generic grocery store stuff. Not as good as my beloved Shake Shack.

Ben & Jack's Steakhouse

Occasion: Dinner with Josh, after a NYCB Gilbert and Sullivan recital
Location: Ben and Jack's Steakhouse on 44th between 2nd and 3rd (benandjackssteakhouse.com)
Edibles: steak (natch), a side of creamed spinach, and a hot fudge sundae for dessert

Musings: Doofus that I am, I invite a boy out for a casual night of Victorian-era operetta... and then realize after hitting 'send' that it's on Valentine's Day. Josh was a good sport about the awkward date and not only found a found a last-minute reservation, but one involving giant slabs of red meat! Yay! (Hey, I offered to foodcart it, but he insisted.)

As soon as I walked into the place, I knew I was in for a good meal. Ben and Jack's smells like a steakhouse should smell - liked seared cow and high cholesterol. The décor is pretty stodgy and Republican; if you like the look of Sparks or Ivy League alumni clubs, you'll be more than comfortable here.

The steak is presented starkly on a huge plate with no garnishes whatsoever. Doesn't need it, though. The chef got the doneness on mine - the rare side of medium rare - spot on. The beef was juicy and tender and robust. Pure heaven.

The creamed spinach was a nice side; a single order was plenty to share. I think they must make it with chicken broth or bacon or something - it tasted too savoury for a purely vegetarian dish.

The finale was a decadent hot fudge sundae. They'd run out of their famous schlag (whipped cream) by then, but I didn't think the sundae was in any way diminished.

What a meal! Thanks, Josh!

[Postscript: Just so you know, I picked up the check on the next dinner. I'm a modern girl and all.]

Bubby's

Occasion: Dinner with Yining before Nerd Nite
Location: Bubby's on Main Street in Brooklyn, tucked under the Manhattan Bridge (bubbys.com)
Edibles: pulled pork tacos and a milkshake for me; a burger for Yining, with a side of collard greens

Musings: Tonight was actually my second time in this place, the first occasion being Rachel W. and Simon's wedding. The space is actually perfect for a smallish wedding - there's a raised area that works great as dance floor and a nice long bar that wraps around behind it. Tables can be set up alongside the ground floor windows (stunning view!!) and the menu makes for a nice, casual event.

For dinner, Bubby's is a bit of a bust. It's never a good sign when you walk into a place on Friday night and it's pretty much empty. I was psyched to try the fried chicken.... before being told that it would take 35 minutes. Why would it take 35 min to make fried chicken? I mean, don't you have a deep fryer up to temp for fries and stuff?

Yining's burger was average; I note that the collard greens were nicely done (I thought I could taste apple cider vinegar). My tacos were okay, but both Móle and the Endless Summer foodtruck are vastly superior.

Oh, and yeah - when your milkshake costs $7? It shouldn't taste like it was made from a powder. Shake Shack's kicks your ass.

Very disappointing, Bubby's.

Great Jones Cafe

Occasion: Dinner with Sheila, Rachel W. and Simon
Location: Great Jones Cafe on (duh) Great Jones between Lafayette and Bowery (greatjones.com)
Edibles: we shared a plate of creole chicken wings to start; I had the jambalaya, Sheila had the roast chicken, Rachel had the pulled pork sandwich and Simon had the catfish po'boy

Musings: A tiny little place - only about ten tables. Add the fact that the food is good and cheap, and you better believe it fills up fast.

There was something intriguingly zingy about their chicken wings. They were sloppy and greasy, but in a good way. I could've easily eaten an entire order by myself.

Of the mains, I thought Rachel's was the standout. Really succulent and flavorful pork, of the same calibre as Wilfie & Nell's amazing sliders. Very jealous that it wasn't my order. My jambalaya looked quite homely and unappetizing, but after chatting and eating for a while, I looked down at my plate with some amazement to see that I had pretty much hoovered the whole thing without noticing. Very hearty and filling for sure. A lady at a neighboring table had the gumbo, and that looked really good too.

Big thumbs up.

The Redhead

Occasion: Dinner with Gabrielle and Winnie
Location: The Redhead on 13th St between 1st and 2nd (theredheadnyc.com)
Edibles: sausage flatbread; shrimp and grits; buttermilk fried chicken; homemade tater tots; bacon brussel sprouts; dessert - sticky toffee pudding, apple cobbler, beignets

Musings: Knowledge is power. Or, as G.I. Joe used to say, "Knowing is half the battle." (I always wondered what the other half was. And then I realized: winning.) Gabrielle used to live in this neighborhood, and so knows this place pretty well. She pointed us toward a few things that I wouldn't necessarily have ordered going in blind, and her advice was flawless.

We started with the sausage flatbread. Sounds unremarkable, but it was really crisp and the sausage was really quality stuff. Yum. The shrimp and grits were lovely - the sofrito in the sauce really made this dish, I thought. The tater tots and the brussel sprouts were nice, but didn't really blow me away. I'd skip these on future visits; there's really enough food without having to order extra sides.

That buttermilk fried chicken - in a word, spectacular. I think they brined the chicken. It was really moist and savory. Great crunchy crust. And perfect sides. The spinach and apple salad on the side was particularly addictive, and just the thing to refresh the palate.

I also had a great cocktail (the Ginger Snap - ginger syrup, rum and citrus) and a great dessert (sticky toffee pudding). Thumbs up! Thanks to Winnie and Gabrielle for squeezing this visit in before the end of the year.

Landmarc

Occasion: Catch-up dinner with Jill and Amy
Location: Landmark, on the third floor of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle
Edibles: I had the pork chop with spinach and roasted apples and onions; Jill and Amy, possessing more self-restraint, had salads

Musings: Landmarc straddles the fine line between being appealing to tourists and still acceptable to locals. The décor is a sort of a generic sleek-modern. It's a gigantic space and the benefit is that you rarely have to wait for a table. The view over the renovated Columbus Circle is pretty nice, particularly so at this time of year with all the twinkly lights.

One small minus - it's very expensive to drink here. They don't have any wine by the glass; the smallest unit is the half bottle (so if you normally get two glasses, you will not really be affected). Cocktails are $10-15 and even a draft beer is $8.

Food is similarly priced. I was a little hesitant because it was so expensive, but I was ultimately more than pleased with my main dish. I asked for the chop to be cooked just under medium, and it was perfectly done. Really tender and juicy, with just the hint of blush. Kind of blew my mind, actually. Sigh - bliss is a perfectly-cooked slab of meat.....

The sides were well-chosen, and balanced the richness of the meat and the sauce nicely.

We didn't get it tonight, but their little dessert samplers are fun and tasty. You can also get cotton candy - whimsical! Even if you don't order dessert, you can still have a sweet bite because they give you some homemade caramels with the bill - a classy touch.

Mmmm... Thanksgiving feast

Yining and Summer Brother joined Real Brother and me for Thanksgiving this year. I decided to forego turkey for the second year in a row, and chose rack of lamb as our protein. Entertainment activities included a marathon Rock Band session during prep, and mahjong for beginners after dinner, before dessert. I had a ball; I hope everyone else did too!

Rosemary Roast Rack of Lamb

I cooked three racks of lamb (about eight chops per rack) for four people and we finished them all. Meat-tastic!

Pretty simple to cook, actually. As with all roasted meats, the trick is to let it fully come to room temperature before you apply any heat. Give the lamb a quick rub with salt, pepper, and finely chopped fresh rosemary. After a good sear in a hot skillet, pop it into a 400° oven for about 15 minutes. The meat should still have lots of give to the touch. If you have a meat thermometer, La Martha's meat temperatures chart calls for 145° for medium rare, before resting.

Something delicate like lamb is very sensitive to cooking time and the smallest variation in temperature. Our first rack rested the shortest amount of time, and came out the slightest bit underdone in terms of texture. I think it had the best flavor of the three racks, though. The second rack (in the turned-off oven an extra 5 min) was a touch overdone. I think if I had kept it under foil on the countertop, it would have been perfect. The last rack (in the turned-off oven an extra 5 min and rested 5-7 minutes more than the others) was plainly overdone. It was still pink in the middle, but had lost the pliant texture of the first two. The flavor was also much more pungent - it was quite gamey and tasted almost like liver, inexplicably.

(In the interest of full disclosure: I actually stuck the lamb in the oven without searing, as the recipe called for, saw that it looked pretty anemic and unappetizing, and then seared it on the stovetop ex post facto. Worked fine.)

Buttered Green Beans

Wash and trim the green beans. Sauté in butter until cooked but still crisp. Salt and pepper to season. (How easy is that?)

Roasted Butternut Squash, Carrots and Potatoes

Peel and cut up the squash and carrots. I used fingerling potatoes and they didn't need to be peeled. Make sure everything is in about same-sized chunks for even cooking. Toss with salt, pepper and a glug of olive oil. Into a 375° oven for 20-30 minutes.

Balsamic Mushrooms

Mushrooms shrink A LOT! Buy way more than you think you'll need. I used baby portobellos this time around, but you can also use regular white button mushrooms.

Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil; season with salt and pepper. You want to really sweat out most of the moisture in the mushrooms. If your pan is a bit crowded and you can't evaporate the liquid quickly enough, you can just pour it out carefully.

When the mushrooms are mostly cooked and shrunken, add a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and heat a few minutes to reduce. Done! The balsamic gives the mushrooms some pizzazz. This side was a real hit with Summer Brother. Also good at room temperature and out of the fridge, in the summer.

Sweet Potato Pie

I'm not going to write out the whole recipe, since it wasn't particularly successful. You can get the source recipe here.

Here's the rundown:
- I couldn't be bothered to mess with my own piecrust, so I used a Whole Foods frozen pie crust, baked blind. Worked out great. It's a pretty salty crust, but I like it that way.
- Since I could only find white sweet potatoes, I used half sweet potatoes and half yams to get that orange-y color.
- I put in just the smallest pinch of cinnamon since it makes me gag. I replaced it with a dash of vanilla extract (maybe ¼ tsp?). I couldn't taste the vanilla at all, so think maybe ½ to 1 full tsp next time.
- I used half the amount of allspice in the recipe, and it was still WAY too strong. It was a new jar and pretty fresh, but I'd still use caution next time.
- It tasted too eggy - more like a sweet potato quiche than a sweet potato pie. Fewer eggs next time. (3 eggs in this particular recipe. The Alton recipe my sister used called for 5 eggs!!)

Popover Cafe

Occasion: Post-movie (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1) brunch with Robert
Location: Popover Cafe on Amsterdam at 87th (popovercafe.com)
Edibles: I had the Kobe corned beef hash; Robert had the smoked salmon scramble

Musings: I've heard some rave reviews about this place and have been wanting to come for a while. How did it measure up to expectations? Well, let's just say that my old UWS favorites Kitchenette and Good Enough to Eat should not be too worried.

We had a 45-minute wait, but that's pretty much the case for any half decent brunch place on the weekend.

I must say I was disappointed with the food. Their eponymous popover was stone cold and kind of rubbery. I'm not a popover connoisseur or anything, but I think BLT Steak's are better. The fancy $15 Kobe corned beef hash wasn't even as good as the stuff they service in my office canteen, and I'm pretty sure that stuff comes frozen in giant sacks from Costco. The eggs were dry. My hot cider had a ton of cinnamon sprinkled on top and all over the rim of the glass, giving you a mouthful of dust every sip.

Which is all a pity, because Popover Cafe's a cute place - homey and unpretentious. Anyone out there want to talk me into a second visit?

Mmmm... Oktoberfest, Part Deux

Same deal as last year. Lots of booze, lots of würsts from Schaller & Weber.

Two new salads this year. They went pretty quick - always a good sign for a debut recipe.

Potato and Macaroni Salad
(based on a Martha recipe)

boiled and halved fingerling potatoes
cooked and drained macaroni
sliced raw sugar snaps
lots of bacon bits

Dressing: Greek yogurt, olive oil, S&P

A slight tweak for this one: I wasn't crazy about the sugar snaps - the pea husks were a bit fibrous. I did like the color and the crunch, so I'll probably try snow peas next time.

Cucumber and Avocado Salad

cucumber
avocado
yellow and orange bell peppers
(all roughly chopped)

Dressing: red wine vinaigrette with lots of mustard

Nothing could be simpler. I'd never put these three things together but I think it worked out well. I think it'd be tasty with some toasted nuts sprinkled on top - maybe walnuts or pecans.

Mmmm... roasted pork tenderloin and corn salad

Another Movie Night in the books! Yining played host this time and screened The Princess Bride. She turned over her kitchen to me and, as always, I was happy to cook in a venue where I could abandon the dirty dishes to someone else's tender loving care. Our menu:

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

For six people, I roasted two tenderloins. It's a pretty simple process. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear off in a skillet to develop a nice brown crust. Yining happened to have a little leftover prosciutto in her fridge, and I draped each tenderloin with a piece. Finish cooking in a 375° oven for about 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 145° on a meat thermometer.

The key to a properly cooked piece of meat is letting it come COMPLETELY to room temperature before you start cooking. I can't emphasize this enough. I've been guilty of violating this rule myself, and it invariably bites me in the ass. (Refer to the turkey debacle from last Christmas.) The science is simple: if the interior of the roast is cold, it will take a much longer time to come up to temp, and you will end up overcooking the exterior to achieve it.

Mustard Sauce

1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 small container of Greek yogurt
salt to taste

Drain some of the liquid out of Greek yogurt. To do so, line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth if you're a fancy cook, or two sheets of kitchen paper towel if you're not. Let the yogurt drain for 15 minutes. In a dish, mix the yogurt with the mustard; season with salt. Done.

(I prefer the strong tang of Greek yogurt, but you can also use regular yogurt. You just have to strain out more liquid since it's runnier to begin with.)

Confetti Corn Salad

I thought the sweetness of summer corn would go great with the pork. In the fall, roasted apples with rosemary would be a nice side too.

6 ears of fresh corn, raw, with the kernels sliced off
2 red or orange bell peppers, de-seeded and diced
½ red onion onion, diced
a big bunch of cilantro, chopped
½ stick of butter
a splash of cider vinegar
S&P to taste

Sauté the corn kernels in the butter. You can cook the onion and the peppers or leave those raw for texture - your choice. Whatever you cook, let it come to room temperature before you toss in the other ingredients (to avoid inadvertently cooking them too).

This makes a gorgeous, colorful salad. Leftovers are great the next day.

Mascerated Berries

Strawberries these days are usually huge and picture perfect - and taste like nothing. For long-distance transportation, strawberries are picked early and ripened with ethylene gas in warehouses. If you cut one open and the bright red color is only skin deep, that's a sure sign. A sun-ripened berry is red all the way through.

To inject some flavor, I usually toss sliced strawberries in dark brown sugar and let them sit for a while before eating. This process is called masceration. A fancier version is below:

strawberries
blueberries
a drizzle of honey
a splash of port

Chop the strawberries. Combine with half the blueberries. Roughly mash the other half of the blueberries and add. Season with a good drizzle of honey and a splash of port. Let mascerate for at least half an hour, up to overnight. The pectin in the mashed-up blueberries with create a sort of glaze with the juices and the honey and port impart great flavor.

We served the berries with Costco mini brownies. Alternatively, spoon over angel's food or pound cake, yogurt or ice-cream.

Gerald and Mike, you're up next!