Fresh Hot Delicious

Pinche Taqueria

2009-03-21T09:14:00.004-04:00

The search for good Mexican food in New York brought me, unexpectedly on Wednesday night, to Pinche Taqueria, on Mott Street. The night began at the new Zero + Maria Cornejo shop on Bleecker Street, and then we were hungry so we headed south on Mott Street. That's where the old Zero was, close to this terrific little taqueria. Mari had the fish tacos ($3.95 each) loaded with thinly-sliced cabbage and a squirt of lime. I ordered the carnitas ($2.95) -- juicy, braised pork. Both are loaded on a double layer of corn tortillas, topped with guacamole and served on sheets of white wax paper in a metal pie tin. They go great with a can of Tecate. We ordered the elote, too. The grilled corn was good, but was slathered in a little too much mayo for my taste. Next time I'll ask for the corn sans mayo, but plenty of butter, crumbly cotija cheese, red pepper and lime. This place passes the test. Can't wait to go back.

Pinche Taqueria
227 Mott Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 625-0090

333 Lafayette Street
(212) 343-9977

Rest in Peace, Eileen Blake

2009-02-26T23:43:00.008-05:00

I learned today that Eileen Blake, of Eileen Blake's Pies and Otherwise, in Martha's Vineyard, passed away over the summer. I never met Mrs. Blake, but I've had her wonderful strawberry rhubarb pie, and met her husband, a retired military man, who sits in a white gazebo in front of the Blake home, where the pie's were prepared, surrounded by stacks of pies for sale. This is a big loss. Her pies are part of the short tradition Mari and I have enjoyed -- getting off the ferry in Vineyard Haven, then stopping to buy pie along the road up island, to Aquinnah. I was looking forward to making that stop on State Road this summer. Will the pies live on without Mrs. Blake? Maybe. Her husband once told me that she had a team of helpers -- had to, given the number of fresh pies she produced each day. But it just won't be the same.

Chipotle Haiku

2009-02-24T11:11:00.006-05:00

Whole wheat tortilla
Pinto beans and shredded beef
Red sauce like fire. Yum.

Chipotle Haiku
is new in the blogosphere.
A friend said to look.

I like what I read.
The posts make my stomach growl.
Check it out yourself.

chipotlehaiku.com

Photo credit: Greefus Groinks

Hungry?: An Airport Alternative

2009-02-02T17:18:00.007-05:00

Plane food used to be fun. At least it was when I was eight. Remember when the meals came sealed in foil and each component was served in little plastic containers that fit together on the tray like a jigsaw puzzle? It was so satisfying. It made the flight go faster too. These days you're lucky to get served a bag of peanuts on a cross-country flight. Two weeks ago, I flew from New York to Salt Lake City for the final days of the Sundance Film Festival. U.S. Airways offers $2 beverages and snack sacks for $5 and $7. A can of Starkist tuna and a tub of apple sauce? Uh, no thanks. So by the time I reached Phoenix, where I had a layover, I was starved. Most of the restaurants at Sky Harbor are pretty bleak. The food is totally bad for you. Cinnabon. TCBY. Burger King. These are the options. But in Terminal 3 I found an alternative: Blue Burrito Grille. I usually resist restaurants that add an e to grill (just as I shun Italian restaurants that call themselves Ristorantes. Never good.) This place, however, held promise. It bills itself as healthy Mexican food. Which translates, for the most part, into canola oil instead of lard. I ordered a chicken machaca burrito. I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't weight five pounds, like some burritos at places that shall remain nameless because I actually do really like their cilantro-lime rice. Instead, I got a sensible, satisfying serving. Then there was the meat. Juicy. Juicy. Juicy. Shredded, not cubed. (Ick.) The rest was simple and fresh: a chewy flour tortilla, iceberg lettuce and a little cheese. But here's what I almost forgot to mention: the hot sauce. I dabbed my pinky in the little container to test it out before applying it to the burrito. It tipped me off that I was about to eat something good. The hot sauce actually had some heat to it. Best airport food I ever had.

Blue Burrito Grille is an Arizona-owned and operated business. Sky Harbor has two locations. In Las Vegas, they're at near the C gates at McCarran Airport. And guess what? There's a Blue Tortilla Grille at the Salt Lake City airport too, near the B gates.

Gazala Place

2009-01-04T20:01:00.004-05:00

sagg pita
Originally uploaded by winyang

In Phoenix it was all about the tortilla. Now that I'm back in New York it's the pita that rules. The thin, hand-rolled, whole wheat pita at Gazala Place, on Ninth Avenue, is delicious, and even better dipped in Gazala's babaganush, a smoky blend of charcoal-grilled eggplant, tahini and olive oil. The spinach pie is another yummy gem -- a little purse of spinach, onions and spices baked in a pita shell. It's small in size but long in the oven. When I called to check on the delivery that was taking longer than expected chef Halabi Gazala answered and blamed the spinach pies for the delay. It was definitely worth the wait.

Gazala Place
709 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10036
(212) 245-0709

Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Pie

2008-12-30T22:00:00.003-05:00

Atlanta filmmaker Bailey Barash's short film, Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Pie, is a beautiful portrait of Edna Lewis. I wrote about Ms. Lewis in a blog post this summer, and about Scott Peacock, her friend, collaborator and later, her caretaker, in my post about the wonderful Watershed restaurant in Decatur. Check it out.

Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Pie

The Best Tortillas in Town

2008-12-29T20:48:00.017-05:00

When my mom and I pulled up into the parking lot at Carolina's Mexican Food I was a little skeptical. After all, there are bars on the windows, and security screen doors. But I've had these tortillas before -- mom's gotten them to take out. What I haven't had is the pleasure of a real-life trip to Carolina's. On this Phoenix visit I made sure to go for lunch. And I'm so glad I did. My green chile burro with refried beans and beef was all wrapped up in one of Carolina's terrifically chewy flour tortillas. Mom had a cheese tortilla (I called this a cheese crisp when I was a kid in AZ, and a quesadilla when I moved to New York and no one knew what a cheese crisp was). It came wrapped in foil and paper, and folded up into fourths. You could really appreciate the tortilla with this simple preparation. It was thin, stretchy and a little smoky from the char marks. Dip it into Carolina's hot sauce and it's just perfection. When my sister finally arrived she got a green chile burro too, but with a twist. She likes hers enchilada style, with red sauce and shredded iceberg lettuce on top and a side of sour cream. I ordered another tortilla, this time topped with nothing but butter. On my next trip I might get bold and order menudo. Carolina's serves the soup on Saturdays only, by the pint and by the quart. You can even bring your own pot and they'll fill it up for you.

A side note: Carolina's is a favorite with the local law enforcement. (You can see a couple squad cars in the picture above.) Fire fighters like it too. When we were there a crew from the Chandler Fire Department chowed down next to us. This says a lot. For those of you who don't know Phoenix let's just say that there are tons of good Mexican food places in the valley, and that Carolina's is not even close to Chandler. It's that good.

Carolina's Mexican Food
1202 East Mohave
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 252-1503

Photo credit: abrunete

Ranch Market

2008-12-28T11:01:00.009-05:00

One of the things I miss about living in Phoenix is the terrific Mexican food. It's everywhere. And if you want to make it yourself Ranch Market is one of the best places in the valley to get the ingredients you need. Ten-pound bags of fresh masa (for tamales), mountains of nopalitos, soft tortillas. Yum. The store offers plenty of prepared items as well. My favorite find was a batch of deep, smoky-flavored guajillo chile pepper sauce from the store's salsa bar. It's so good I found myself eating spoonfuls straight from the container.

Pro's Ranch Market
5833 South Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 276-3800

Photo credit: Phxpma

Ostrich Eggs

2008-10-11T11:24:00.008-04:00

Last night in the produce section at Whole Foods I found ostrich eggs. These suckers are huge, and heavy. They were displayed next to duck eggs the size of chicken eggs and spotted quail eggs the size of foil-wrapped chocolate eggs available around Easter. I wonder how you crack an ostrich egg. Like a coconut? The shell is incredibly thick. Plus, the ostrich egg is about the size of a grapefruit, which would make it hard to smack and crack on a bowl. Each egg serves eight to 10 people and costs $39.99.
Ostrich egg fritatta, anyone?

Photo credit: teejayhanton

Truffles for All!

2008-08-25T17:32:00.003-04:00

These Democratic donkey truffles from Moonstruck Chocolatier are awfully cute. Find them in Moonstruck's Election Connection 4-pack ($15) alonside a pair of equally charming GOP elephants. Dem donkeys are a slightly spicy blend of milk chocolate, cinnamon and crushed almonds, while their Republican counterparts feature dark chocolate extra-bittersweet ganache.

Moonstruck Chocolatier
moonstruckchocolate.com

Wine and Cheese Heaven

2008-08-21T18:26:00.004-04:00

I can't recommend Caselulla more highly. Go here. The staff is warm, friendly, completely accomodating. The food? Divine. Try the bite-size peppadew peppers, stuffed with buffala mozzarella and wrapped in a slice of speck. The christorras in a blanket are out of this world. The pig's ass sandwich is a total must-have. Yes, you read that correctly. The pig's ass. It's a riff of the traditional Cubano, with sweet ham, cheddar cheese and thin-sliced bread and butter pickles served with a side of chipotle aioli. Save room for dessert. The chocolate layer cake comes with a pint of Meadowbrook Farm sweet cream, which is poured onto the plate and over the cake tableside. It's deliciously decadent from beginning to end.

Caselulla Wine & Cheese Cafe
401 West 52nd Street
New York, NY
212-247-8137

Brownies, Part Deux

2008-08-19T17:56:00.006-04:00

These brownies are of the fancy-pants variety, and they're really good. Chewy. Fudgy. Richly flavored. Not unusually, I might add, which is a pet peeve of mine. The caramel sea salt brownie was a tasty little morsel. I also liked the blondie. Mmmmm. Mari's brownies come in assorted flavors, some signature, like classic and coconut, others seasonal, such as Mighty Mint and L'Orange. Cherry bomb, above, might have been a Fancy Food Show special. That's where I met Mari Tuttle and sampled just about every one of the flavors she had on display. The rest of the year, Mari's brownies are available online or at Blue Tree, on Madison Avenue (check store for availability).

Mari's New York
marisny.com

Blue Tree
1283 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212.369.BLUE

The Most Delicious Brownies

2008-08-15T10:06:00.004-04:00

These brownies are among the best I've ever had. Every time I make them, I'm asked for the recipe. I'm happy to share. It comes from The Farm of Beverly Hills. (I found it on epicurious.com.) I have to wonder, do people in Beverly Hills actually eat treats so rich and wonderful? In little, tiny bites, perhaps. That's all you really need. No time to bake? You can order Famous Farm Brownies straight from the source

Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
6 large eggs

1 1/4 cup cake flour
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter a 13x9x2-inch metal pan, and line with parchment paper
Melt butter and chocolate over simmering water (I fill a sauce pan about an inch high with water and rest a rounded copper bowl on top.)
Remove from heat and let cool for about two minutes, then whisk in eggs one at a time
Pour chocolate into a large bowl and mix in sugar and salt

In a small bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder
Add the flour mixture, bit by bit, into the chocolate mixture. Fold it in gently, being careful not to overmix

Bake for 40-45 minutes

Cool on a metal rack for at least two hours.

These brownies are fudgy and rich. They're not easy to cut cleanly. One trick is to turn the brownies out from the pan, then put them in the fridge to cool. This stiffens them up a little and makes them easier to cut without losing too much brownie goodness on the knife.

Edna Lewis in Edible Brooklyn

2008-07-27T08:44:00.005-04:00

The latest issue of Edible Brooklyn includes a story about the legendary Southern chef, Edna Lewis. For a short stint, she cooked at the late Gage & Tollner, on Fulton Mall. But she is most closely associated not with New York, but with the state of Georgia. There, she inspired Chef Scott Peacock, of Watershed, that wonderful restaurant with the fried chicken and the brown sugar crusted bacon that I wrote about in my post, Eating in Atlanta. The pair wrote a cookbook together, The Gift of Southern Cooking. Peacock was Lewis's friend and caretaker until her death, in 2006. She was his mentor and muse.

Edible Brooklyn is available, for free, at locations throughout the borough. I don't know why, but the Edna Lewis article is not availble in the online version. If you want to read it, pick up a hard copy fast. The issues run out quickly. I got mine at Bierkraft, in Park Slope.

Good Enough to Eat

2008-07-20T09:00:00.006-04:00

It’s called the Fancy Food Show – and sometimes it was the presentation that was fancy. Politics inspired the display at the Sabra booth today, where the New York-based maker of dips, spreads, salsas and salads, hired award-winning sand sculptor Kirk Rademaker to craft Obama, McCain and Clinton busts from 100 pounds of hummus.

“If the food industry is any indication, Obama will win the election,” said the company’s public relations woman, Ilya Welfield. Most visitors to the Sabra booth expressed their support for the Illinois Senator, she said.

Thousands of food industry players, including big distributors like Atalanta, with their mountains of cheeses and cases of meat, and smaller companies, like Artisan Biscuits, a cookie maker from Derbyshire, England, gathered at this year’s 54th annual Summer Fancy Food Show. The three-day event wrapped up today at the Jacob K. Javits Center.

More than 2,400 exhibitors from 80 states and countries spread out over three floors of the convention hall, displaying more than 180,000 foods and beverages to the 24,000 food distributors, buyers, retailers and other food-industry folks in attendance.

The Fancy Food Show is the annual event of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. The not-for-profit group was founded in 1952 to foster interest in the specialty food market. The show is open only to the trade. Exhibitors come to introduce new products; attendees come to sample the wares and make purchasing decisions.

“I come to ‘look’ at the chocolate, quote unquote, but I really come to eat,” said Margie Schmidt, owner of Schmidt’s Candy in the Woodhaven section of Queens. The shop has been in the family since 1926, she said. For 20 years, she’s been coming to the show.

Trends are always evident, Schmidt said. One year it was coffee. Another year, salsa and chips. This year: chocolate.

Brooklyn Fudge owner Amanda Jones was exhibiting at the show for the first time. Her company is eight months old. Born and raised in Virginia, Jones said her treats are based on a recipe from her Great Aunt Mae. The most popular flavor is dark wasabi pecan, made with the spicy green paste typically used as a condiment for sushi.

“That was a Brooklyn influence,” said Jones, with a nod to what she described as the borough’s opinionated taste testers.

Moonstruck Chocolatier offered election-themed confections: Election ’08 donkey and elephant truffles, individually wrapped or in an Election Connection four-pack.

Serendipity 3, the New York City restaurant famous for its extravagant ice cream sundaes and celebrity clientele, passed out samples of frozen hot chocolate. Serendipity snow globes, cookie jars and the company’s own chocolate-scented candle and perfume were also on display.

Show organizers honor outstanding foods each year. The award for outstanding new product went to Aux Delices des Bois black truffle butter, from Transatlantic Foods. Coach Farm’s triple cream goat cheese was named the 2008 outstanding cheese or dairy product.

Sheila Flanagan’s honey lavender fromage blanc was a finalist in the award contest. Based in Warrensburg, N.Y., the cheese maker said she infuses the milk with lavender tea, and then adds honey at the end.

At the Tropical Blossom Honey booth, Doug McGinnes said the bees are disappearing. He offered hand-outs that explained the phenomenon, called Colony Collapse Disorder, and samples of gall berry honey, which the Edgewater, Fla., entrepreneur described as “a great honey with an awful name.” The mild, floral-flavored honey comes from the nectar of the Florida holly bush, McGinnes said.

Where does all the food go at the end of the show? Three hundred City Harvest volunteers were scheduled to flood the aisles at 4:00, to collect an estimated 100,000 pounds of olive oils, cheeses, jams, crackers and other items for food pantries and soup kitchens across New York City.

At 3:00, Margie Schmidt, the candy maker, sat outside the exhibit hall, surrounded by plastic bags filled with samples and other items collected at the show.

“I’ll waddle home,” she said. “I should walk back to Queens. Forget the train.”

Note: This story was an assignment from Professor Beth Whitehouse, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Tomatoes with Oil and Salt

2008-07-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

Heat dulls the appetite. It makes me lazy, and I like to cook as little, or as quickly, as possible. Preferably, with no flame involved. Here is a delicious snack I've been enjoying lately that fits my requirements well: Grape tomatoes -- or fat and heavy heirlooms, if you have them -- with oil and salt.

I take a small dish from the cupboard, a dish I can hold in the palm of my hand. I then grab a handful of the tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter. (Never keep them in the fridge, unless you like them mushy.) Wash the tomatoes, slice them in half, toss them in the bowl then squirt with olive oil (I keep a squeeze bottle filled with olive oil, for treats such as these) and sprinkle salt on top. The snowflakey Maldon sea salt is my favorite, for its brightness and crunch.

Oh, yes. Don't forget a little squeeze of lemon juice. Eat this, and then use a slice of crusty bread to sop up the tomatoey juice that's left in a little pool in the bottom of the bowl. It tastes like summer.

Photo credit: Ben McLeod

This is Good

2008-07-18T11:35:00.004-04:00

The more I think about it, the more I think there should be a pasta subsection on this site. Because that is all I seem to make. And why not? It's fast, easy and tastes good. Last night, it was orrechiette with fresh corn and shitake mushrooms. Preparation is easy. As you boil the pasta, slice the kernels off the cob. (I use one cob per person.) The fresher the corn the better -- and the messier. You should really have a splash guard for this, or a drop cloth, because corn juice squirts all over the place. After you cut the corn scrape the cob down to bring out more of the milky juice. It's sweet, and adds even more flavor to the dish.

Next, peel, smash and slice as many garlic cloves as you like and sautee this, with olive oil, in a skillet set on low heat. Once it's tender, about one minute, add the corn and increase the heat to medium.

Add more olive oil as necessary as the corn cooks, then add sliced shitake mushrooms and about a quarter cup of chicken broth.

Add salt and paper to taste, then fresh parsley for color. Stir in as much finely grated fresh parmesan as you like. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Mix it up with the corn, then add bits and bobs as needed -- a little more oil or broth, a but more salt and pepper or cheese.

This is even nicer with a crisp white wine. It's fast, easy and summery. Enjoy!

The Fifth of July

2008-07-05T21:18:00.004-04:00

This weekend, in honor of Independence Day, I went shopping at Ikea. The Swedish superstore opened in Brooklyn on July 18. Mari and I have been there three times already. And today, as Mari waited on line to pay for six bowls, a pack of "Groggy" coasters and a banana-leaf basket, I waited on line at the Ikea Bistro. There were about 150 people there with me.

"Is this the line for a cinnamon bun?" one lady asked, determining whether or not she would join the line. And then, as she walked away, she looked at me and mouthed, with a wink, "I don't need it that bad." Other people apparently disagreed. A three-shelf rack that was supposed to display cinnamon-bun six packs was completely bare.

An orange-vested parking lot security guard, who must have ducked in on his break, hoping for a hot dog, but finding an achingly long line instead, and frustrated co-workers unwilling or unable to serve him, had a similar reaction: "This is ridiculous," he said. He walked away empty handed.

After 20 minutes on line, and a whole lot of time spent listening to the Ikea soundtrack: UB40's "Red, Red Wine" and Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About," I finally made it to the front.

I looked at the woman on the other side of the counter. She looked right back at me. "Burnt out," she said. "I am burnt out."

I acknowldged the people behind me -- way, way behind me.

"This line?" she said. "From 12:00. It doesn't stop." It was 6:30 at that point. The store closes at 10. She said she'd be there until 11.

How many hot dogs do you sell? I asked.

"Countless," she answered, after a pause.

"I'll have four," I said.

At fifty cents a pop, how could I resist?

Hot Dog Man

2008-07-02T16:48:00.006-04:00

Raisal Islam doesn’t like hot dogs, but six days a week, 10 hours a day, he sells them at New York’s Penn Station.

“Can I have a frank?” a customer asked. Islam pulled a bun from a drawer underneath the grill. He opened the bun with tongs, then picked up a hot dog and placed it inside the bun. He put the hot dog in a scalloped paper tray.

“A dollar twenty-five,” Islam said as he handed the man his hot dog. The man gave Islam two dollar bills, and Islam rang up the sale.

“This is a hard job,” Islam said. His shift begins at 2:00 p.m. and ends at midnight.

Penn Books is the name of the store where Islam works. The store doesn’t sell any books, just magazines, newspapers, sundries and drinks—and 200 to 300 hot dogs a day. It stands between a KFC and a Haagen-Dazs store, in the Long Island Rail Road concourse. The hot dog stand is up front, facing people who pass by on their way to catch a train.

“The pay is not so good,” Islam said. He earns $7.15 an hour – minimum wage in New York State.

A year and a half ago, Islam, 23, was still in Bangladesh. He is the second oldest in a family of five boys. He came to the United States alone.

Islam hopes to go to school next year. Maybe the City College of New York, he said. In Bangladesh, he studied chemistry. Someday, he might want to work in a pharmacy.

After work, Islam will take the A train to Ozone Park. He lives there by himself, in a one-bedroom apartment. Rent is $500 a month.

On Sundays, his only day off, Islam likes to cook. “I eat the food of my country,” he said, meaning fried rice, fish and meat, not the American hot dogs he sells.

Islam went back to turning hot dogs on the grill. He stirred a pot of stewed onions. The sauerkraut he didn’t touch.

Note: This story was an assignment from Professor Beth Whitehouse, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Kimchee Love

2008-06-17T18:33:00.004-04:00

I could eat a whole jug of this stuff. For the uninitiated, kimchee is spicy, fermented napa cabbage. It's crunchy and hot. Delicious alone, or with rice, fried egg or grilled beef. That's what I like to eat at Kang Suh, a 24-hour Korean barbecue restaurant in midtown Manhattan. Top a lettuce leaf with the marinated kalbi beef, a dab of rice, a smear of salty plum paste, a tangle of slender scallion greens and finally, a bite of kimchee. Wrap that baby up like a little lettuce burrito, eat and enjoy. Or just crunch away on kimchee alone....

Kang Suh
1250 Broadway (at 32nd Street)
New York, NY 10011
212-564-6845

Photo credit: The Flooz

Dashboard Recipes

2008-06-10T13:16:00.007-04:00

There's a heat wave gripping New York City. It's about 100 degrees outside. People think this is hot. I say, try growing up in Arizona. That's real heat. Hairdryer heat. Oven heat. The kind of heat that makes you hide. At least that's how I experienced it. On this blistering day, I am blissfully indoors. And instead of baking in the midday sun I'm writing to tell you about baking food in your vehicle. When I was a teenager in Phoenix one of the local radio stations had a morning program where they did a daily dashboard recipe. I don't have ingredients to give you. Just use what you like (personally, I'd stay away from meat since that could get you sick). Basically, the instructions were this: in the morning, park your car in direct sunlight. Let there be no shade. Place your casserole dish on the dashboard. By the end of the day, whatever is in that casserole dish is dinner. Your car is a slow cooker. A crock-pot, if you will. I've never tried this. I've never fried an egg on the sidewalk either. But when I was seven years old I did cook a hot dog in a solar oven. (It was the 1970s, and it was a school project.) On a day like today, I bet you could cook up something good on your dashboard. Or on your windowsill, if you don't drive. If you try it, would you let me know how it turns out?

Photo credit: Michale

Street Meat

2008-06-05T12:03:00.004-04:00

When I was a kid we called this kind of cart a roach coach. But I have a different perspective now. To me, if it tastes good, attracts a long line and wins a coveted Vendy Award, for goodness sake, it's probably safe. That's why I was excited to hear about Kwik Meal. This cart sets up in midtown Manhattan, on the southwest corner of 45th and Sixth. Go early, because the line can be intimidating later. I ordered the lamb plate -- chunks of slow-roasted meat marinated in coriander, cumin, yogurt and green papaya served with basmati rice, salad a creaky yogurt sauce on the side. Delicious!

The Power of Chocolate

2008-05-22T18:56:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was in San Francisco for 15 minutes. Not really. But as I nibbled on bits of a dark chocolate bar, from Recchiuti Confections, shared with me by a generous co-worker, I was transported from the heart of midtown Manhattan straight to the city by the bay. It was a really nice trip, and pretty terrific chocolate. It gives my fave Green and Black's a run for its money. The other deliciousness: S'Mores Bites. Imagine an airy marshmallow, on top of a homemade graham cracker, covered in dark chocolate. Check out the Recchiuti website. Order chocolate. Pretend you're in San Fran. And if you are lucky enough to live there, be sure to check this place out in person.

Recchiuti Confections
One Ferry Building, Shop #30
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415)834-9494

Good Guacamole

2008-05-19T12:54:00.004-04:00

There's more than one way to make guacamole. Some people like it with red onions and tomatoes. Others add diced jalapenos and stretch the recipe with sour cream. At the Barrio Cafe, in Phoenix, guacamole is prepared table side and studded with pomegranate seeds. All are good options. These days, I like my guacamole two ways. One is made with roasted garlic (this takes a little more prep time but is well worth the effort.) The other recipe, shown below, is quick and easy. It's also totally delicious. Be warned: Once you start eating this guac you won't be able to stop.

Ingredients
2 ripe Haas avocados
fresh-squeezed lime juice (usually half, or to taste)
2 cloves finely minced garlic
chopped cilantro
salt

Method
1. Cut avocados in half. Remove the pits. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place it in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Mash the avocado flesh with the back of a fork.

3. Add lime juice. (This adds flavor and prevents discoloration.)

4. Add minced garlic, a handful of chopped cilantro and salt, about a 1/4 teaspoon to start.

Add more lime juice, garlic and salt, bit by bit, to taste. It usually takes me about three tries before I hit upon the right flavor combination. You can eat this guacamole right away, or let it sit for about an hour so the flavors marry (even better!) Serve with corn chips and, if you like, cold beer. This recipe serves two. If you want to make more, my rule of thumb is one avocado per person.

Photo credit: Laura Bell

Celebrities! They're Just Like Us!

2008-05-15T18:55:00.008-04:00

Who doesn't love a good celebrity sighting? Here are my favorites: Jessica Simpson and her enormous bodyguard at Bergdorf's, buying shoes; former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, outside Bottino, in Chelsea, getting into the back seat of a car with two male pals in the front (he was fresh off his split with Mrs. McGreevey, having revealed in a press conference, sparked by a sex scandal, that he was, indeed, "a gay American"); and Alec Baldwin, outside Neo, on the Upper West Side, with his daughter, Ireland, whom he famously called a "little pig" in that scathing voice-mail message.

What does any of this have to do with food? Well, it brings me to my favorite celebrity sighting of all. It happened in the middle of the day, at Dean and DeLuca, in Soho. I was waiting to pay for my spicy tuna roll when I saw someone familiar standing behind me on line. This man was holding a dozen eggs and a carton of milk. He was dressed in standard incognito-star gear: big sporty coat and a baseball cap with the brim pulled down low. Could that really be him, I wondered. Well yes, it could be. It was David Bowie, the Thin White Duke.

Suddenly, I was 16 again. I pictured my teenage bedroom, with my giant White Light/ White Heat poster, with Bowie, cheekbones chiseled, taking a drag off a cigarette with the tip up in flames. It was a funny moment, because at 16 I never thought I'd be in New York, 20 years later, with David Bowie behind me on line at my local lunch spot. But here I was, and so was he -- not Ziggy Stardust, just a man buying milk.

Pie, Glorious Pie!

2008-05-13T00:01:00.002-04:00

The June issue of Bon Appetit has a good lookin' slice of sour cherry pie on the cover, and now that summer is in sight I want to tell you about the best pie I've ever had. It's found only in Martha's Vineyard, at a roadside stand called Eileen Blake's Pies and Otherwise. Mrs. Blake's husband sells the pies from a little gazebo in front of the Blake home, which is where his wife and her team of helpers bake all those pies. Inside the gazebo, the pies are stacked up five-high in plain white boxes, with Mrs. Blake's name and number stamped on the side. The top of the box is see-through and it's usually steamed up because the pie is still warm. When we visit the island, Mari and I make Eileen Blake's our first stop. We buy two pies usually, both strawberry rhubarb. The pie is delicious on its own, but even more delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The crust is key. It's flaky and light. Not just a casing for the goodness inside, but a treat all its own. We've yet to try any other kind of pie from Mrs. Blake, but there are several to be had: blueberry, apple, peach and lemon. Perfect summer flavors. Sure, there's pie to be found elsewhere in the Vineyard -- at the Menemsha Market, and the Black Dog Bakery, but Mrs. Blake takes the cake, or the pie, I should say.

Eileen Blake's Pies and Otherwise
State Road
West Tisbury, MA
(508) 693-0528

Photo credit: cobalt123

Peas, please

2008-05-11T09:49:00.007-04:00

There's something so sweet about this poem. When I was a third-grade teacher, it was one my students memorized. Here it is:

I eat my peas with honey
I've done it all my life
It may sound kind of funny
But it keeps them on my knife
-- Anonymous

Starting in June, you'll find fresh peas at New York City farmers' markets. Enjoy!

Farmers' Market Federation of New York

Photo credit: Mizelle Biscotte

Eating in Atlanta

2008-05-08T19:36:00.008-04:00

This week I traveled to Atlanta for work. It was a good trip, but totally exhausting. Really, really exhausting. One night, I was so wiped out I couldn't even eat. Horror! At dinner, I sent my meal back to the kitchen and myself home to bed. I pulled up the sheets, shivering with fever. I was utterly spent. I wasn't the only one to fall ill on the trip. One colleague lost her voice before the plane even landed. Another nursed a cold for the first three days. Fortunately, there was one terrific restaurant, in Decatur, that delivered the comfort-food cure -- Watershed. How much did we love this place? So much we went there twice.

Sunday brunch was the reason for our first foray. Two of us had the special, a fluffy three-egg omelet stuffed with asparagus spears and creamy goat cheese. Served on the side were roasted new potatoes and the freshest mound of salad you ever saw. It looked like it came straight from the backyard garden of this gas-station turned bright-and-airy restaurant. Another one of us went for a stack of buttermilk pancakes (a classic). And me? I devoured a plate of creamed spinach studded with bits of country ham and garlic, two poached eggs and a pair of corn cakes dressed with warm maple syrup.

There were other goodies too. The first was candied bacon, ordered on the side by one of our omelet-eaters. This candied bacon is about the best thing on Earth: thick, meaty wedges of country-style pork coated in brown sugar and fried up in a skillet which, I suspect, could only be cast iron. The other wonderful thing about Watershed are the biscuits. To start off the feast we shared a bread basket piled high with sweet eggy brioche, warm English muffins and homemade buttermilk biscuits, served with housemade raspberry jam and orange marmalade. The biscuits were so good, so flaky and light, that we got a six-pack to go.

On Tuesday we went to Watershed for dinner. Tuesday is fried-chicken night at the restaurant. The place was packed. I briefly considered ordering the roast duck breast with glazed sweet potatoes and local greens, but resistance is futile to the charm of fried chicken. It arrived on a heavy-duty diner plate, heaped in a four-piece mound beside a pile of mashed potatoes and crisp, garlicky green beans. Also enjoyed at our table that evening: salmon croquettes with creamy stone-ground grits, butternut squash pancakes with braised cabbage and gingered beets and a big ol' bowl of shrimp, sausage and oyster gumbo. Of course, I saved room for dessert -- which, for me, was Watershed's Very Good Chocolate Cake. It lived up to its name. The cake was nice and moist, chewy and dense, and was served with a generous dollop of sweet whipped cream.

I think it was at that point in the evening that I entered my food coma. We walked out slowly, smiling, into the mellow Georgia night. The delicious food, the welcoming waitress (who remembered us from brunch two days earlier and greeted us warmly when she came to our table) made everything, and everyone, better. It is good to be home, but I do wish I had a little piece of Watershed here with me in Brooklyn.

Watershed
406 West Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 378-4900
watershedrestaurant.com

Photo credit: my_amii

Sweet Memories

2008-05-01T21:16:00.012-04:00

When I was a little kid growing up in Mesa, Arizona, there were two women in my neighborhood who liked to hand out junk food to kids. One of these women we knew simply as the Cereal Lady. The other, the Marshmallow Lady. Looking back, I have no idea how we honed in on either of these women as a source for sweets. They didn't have any kids my age, as far as I know. And I didn't recognize them from school or from Bashas, the local grocery store. Somehow, these women just found a niche, and the kids followed. After school, we'd get a little team together and ride our bikes over to visit the ladies.

The Cereal Lady gave out the most sugar-coated stuff available at the time, which was 1978: Cap'n Crunch, Apple Jacks, Lucky Charms. That kind of stuff. Each batch of cereal was portioned out in a little plastic sandwich bag fastened with a twist tie. After a few pleasantries we'd take off with our booty, munching all the way, riding with no hands.

The Marshmallow Lady was next on the agenda. I'd ring the doorbell and she'd answer right away, holding a holiday tin. She'd lift the lid and let us take a look. Fat, fluffy marshmallows stood ends-up inside, arranged in a pattern of pink, brown and white -- strawberry-flavored, chocolate-flavored and plain. We were allowed to pick just one. Did we eat it on the front porch, making small talk with this woman who's name I still don't know? That part, I don't recall. It's the illicit thrill of taking candy from strangers that stands out most in my mind.

Photo credit: PinkCupcake

One Plum Poem

2008-04-30T18:13:00.005-04:00

It's the end of April, and the last day of National Poetry Month. To mark the occasion, I offer one of my favorite poems, by William Carlos Williams:

This is Just to Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Photo credit: valcox

Happy Birthday, Ben and Jerry!

2008-04-29T14:34:00.012-04:00

It's Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's and I've just polished off a generous scoop of sweet cookies and cream. It's an annual tradition, and this year's event marks the company's 30th birthday. There were about 200 people lined up outside my local Scoop Shop, in midtown Manhattan. All told, it took me and a pal 22 minutes to get what we came for, from the time we entered the store to the time we walked out with our trophy cones. As I sauntered past those at the end of the line, who looked longingly at my delicious treat, I wanted to say your time will come! Twenty minutes, tops! The shop had already served about a thousand scoops, according to the young man who made my cone. And this was only about 2 hours into the eight-hour event. I wonder how many gallons of ice cream they'll go through today. And I wonder if anyone there would notice if I went back for seconds, or thirds.... It's my ice cream dream!

Ben and Jerry's
benandjerrys.com
Click here for a list of BJ's Top 10 flavors.

Photo credit: utterz.com

Five Good Things to Eat and Drink

2008-04-27T20:11:00.014-04:00

I love food. And I love the weekend, because there's more time to eat and drink. Here are five things I enjoyed over the past two days. I think you'll like them too. Here they are, in chronological order of enjoyment:

Saturday afternoon
French almond macaroons at Payard Patisserie and Bistro. In case you hadn't noticed, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. So it's surprising that I've never been to Payard. I happened upon it after a visit to the Met-- where I saw a pen and ink drawing by Claes Oldenberg that I want, called Flying Pizza -- and ate a disappointing but much-needed-for-sustenance cheddar cheeseburger at Three Guys diner, across from the Whitney. After that burger I wanted something sweet, and then Payard magically appeared. The macaroons caught my eye. They're $1.75 each or you can pick out a selection of 12 or 20 and have them packed up in a pretty little box tied up in a bow. It's a real treat. Crispy and light on the outside and chewy on the inside. Soooo good.

Payard Patisserie and Bistro
1032 Lexington Avenue (between 73rd and 74th)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 717-5252
payard.com

Sunday morning
A banana smoothie. I always seem to end up with bunches of overripe bananas in my freezer, thinking I'm going to bake banana bread. But I haven't been feeling that ambitious lately. Here's something else you can try: take one of those bananas, peel it with a knife, and cut it up in bite-sized chunks. Toss them in a blender with a little bit of liquid. I used coconut water, which I decided tastes gross on its own but works quite well in a banana smoothie. Add a teaspoon of honey and give the combo a whiz in the blender. Keep going until it's nice and shakey. Pour it in a glass and drink it with a bendy straw. It's tasty.

Sunday afternoon
Bogota Latin Bistro in Park Slope, Brooklyn. This place is consistently good. I had arroz con pollo. It comes with a side of sweet plantains and a cup of black beans, plus a vinegary sauce to pour over the rice. It's totally satisfying. Add a beer and and the meal's complete.

Bogota Latin Bistro
141 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 230-3805
bogotabistro.com

Sunday evening
Baked sweet potatoes with olive oil, maple syrup and crunchy Maldon sea salt. Wash the potato, cut in half, then slice into strips about the size of fat french-fry wedges. Put the sweet potato slices in a baking dish, drizzle with a nice dose of high-quality olive oil and real maple syrup. Sprinkle with salt then toss the mixture together so all the potato slices are nicely coated. Pop this in a preheated 425-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then, mix up the potatoes again and pop back in the oven to bake for another 20. I made one batch -- with one sweet potato -- and Devon and I ate it up so fast we had to make another batch, in a bigger dish, so we can have it to eat during the week. This is so tasty, and good for you too. Enjoy it while you can. The weather will turn hot again soon and you won't want to turn your oven on.

Sunday, later in the evening
Flowers Sonoma Coast 2006 Pinot Noir. Tastes like berries. Sip, relax, savor. I have nothing more to add.

As Mari and I like to say on Friday nights, quoting R. Kelly: "It's the freakin' weekend!" Enjoy it. I can't wait for the next one.

Photo credit: jslander

A MoMA Meal

2008-04-19T12:53:00.006-04:00

My stepdaughter Devon and I have stumbled into a little ritual: On Friday nights, she meets me after work and we head over to the Museum of Modern Art to eat, and see some art too. We're members, so we spend the $40 bucks we saved on admission on dinner at Cafe 2 instead. We love this place. You wait on line, place your order at the counter, take a silver stand with your order number clipped on top then take a seat at one of the long communal tables. This is what we like to eat: the three-bruschetta plate (one with creamy gorgonzola, honey and toasted walnuts, another with fresh mozarella di bufala and olive tapenade and another with cured tuna, black olives and lemon), roasted beets with fresh ricotta and aged balsamic, spicy calimari salad with shaved fennel, sun-dried tomato and tiny black garbanzo beans called ceci neri. The last time we went I tucked into a steamy bowl of rigatoni in a pink sausage sauce. Devon enjoyed sweet butternut squash ravioli with brown butter. To drink, she gets lemonade, and I order light, sparkling prosecco. When it's time for dessert we head to the counter with the sign that says "More Food." (I like that. It's so direct.) There's a nice assortment of goodies here, including fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, a creamy chocolate pudding, carrot cake and ricotta cheesecake. And then, when we're thoroughly fed and feeling happy, it's off to wander through the masses and get some culture. I heart New York. I really do.

Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019
moma.org

Cafe 2

I Scream, You Scream

2008-02-17T18:52:00.005-05:00

I have always loved ice cream. In my earliest memories I am three years old sneaking Eskimo Pies. We had a freezer-on-the-bottom style fridge, which made it easy to reach in and grab what I wasn't supposed to take. As a preeteen, it was Baskin Robbins pumpkin pie ice cream that got me excited at the start of fall, and five-cent-a-scoop cones at Thrifty's (yes, they really were five cents a scoop, and no, this wasn't in the 1950s, but the early 80s, I swear). Anyway, the point is that I have a definite weakness for the sweet, creamy treat, and today I finally stopped in the new Brooklyn ice cream parlor that I have been meaning to try. It's called Blue Marble, and it's on Atlantic Avenue between Bond and Nevins. I think you'll like it. All of the ice cream is homemade from oragnic ingredients, and the cups and spoons are biodegradable. It's cool and cute but what's most important is that the ice cream is terrific. It's not too heavy on the milk fat (like it is at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, in my opinion), and not too sweet. I had chocolate chip, which harkens back, slightly, to the Eskimo Pies of my childhood, but all grown up. Check it out.

Blue Marble
420 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
bluemarbleicecream.com

What's For Lunch

2008-02-12T20:22:00.003-05:00

I had a great lunch today. Catfish tacos with pineapple salsa, purple potatoes, baby bok choy, and creamy coconut carrot soup. Fresh, healthy, colorful and totally tasty. The amazing thing is, I didn't pick up my meal from some overpriced midtown take-away, it was what's for lunch at the Calhoun School, on Manhattan's upper west side.

A few years ago, Calhoun made a radical move. It dumped its industrial food service provider and hired a guy who goes by the name of Chef Bobo.

Chef Bobo came to Calhoun via the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) on a recommendation from Dorothy Cann Hamilton, the cooking school's founder and a parent of a Calhoun kid. It's a match made in heaven. Chef Bobo wanted to teach young people how to eat, to taste, to train their palates, to help them gain an appreciation and a respect for food. And Calhoun wanted to upgrade the quality of the food with which it nourished young minds and bodies. Win-win!

Chef Bobo and his staff rotate menu-creating responsibilities. This week, Chef Andrew Gerdes is on duty. Tomorrow, he's serving up black bean and cheddar burritos and Mexican skirt steak. On Valentine's Day, pumpkin soup, roast turkey with cranberries and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

In addition to his cafeteria duties, Chef Bobo also teaches Calhoun cooking classes and posts his recipes on the school's website for the curious kids who want to enjoy the same good food at home. Chef Bobo's Good Food Cookbook, with 150 kid-tested recipes from the Calhoun kitchen, was published in 2004. After the meal I had today, I'm sold. Chef Bobo's my new kitchen hero.

Calhoun School
calhoun.org

Twinkie Cake

2008-02-09T18:51:00.004-05:00

Newtown, Missouri, is celebrating it's sesquicentennial. Mrs. Glendoris (Brown) Crownover contributed this recipe to the community cookbook, which neighbors have put together in honor of Newtown's 150th birthday. I can't wait to try it!

Twinkie Cake
1 (6 ounce) package vanilla-flavored pudding mix
1 (6 ounce) package banana-flavored pudding mix
10 cream-filled Twinkies, cut in half
2 (eight ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained
1 (ten ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
1 (eight ounce) container dairy whipped topping [Eds. note: Cool Whip]
2 cups walnut pieces

Prepare pudding according to directions on package. Spread Twinkies, cut side up, in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Top with vanilla and banana puddings, pineapple, cherries and whipped topping. Top that with walnut pieces. Chill.

For more delicious Twinkie recipes, check out the Hostess website.

Mexico

2008-02-09T17:41:00.005-05:00

There's no excuse for my absence, but I'll offer a few anyway... Work. Applying to graduate school (and getting accepted, I might add). A death in the family (Granny.) I've been a bit distracted lately. But I'm going to try now to make up for lost time. And so I'll start with this...

I've just returned from a week in Tulum, on the Yucatan peninsula, in Quintana Roo, Mexico. We stayed at a place called Zamas. From the front porch of our cabana we could see the bright blue Caribbean waters. From the back porch, the jungle, full of palm trees, mangroves and birds. We spent our days in the water, in the sun, in the sand, and mealtimes at the hotel restaurant, Que Fresca.

At Que Fresca, brightly colored tables and chairs are arranged in the sand. A thatched roof overhead protects guests from the sun. The open-air dining room looks out onto the ocean. It's windy there. The sound of the waves crashing onto the beach and the breeze brushing through the palm leaves sets a laid-back mood.

Our favorite lunch was the tequila fish tacos. They came topped with lettuce, tomato and a vinegary chimichurra sauce, three to an order, perfect with guacamole and chips and cold Sol, the popular cerveza. Once, I ventured beyond the tacos and took a shot at tostadas. They didn't disappoint. Each crispy corn tortilla was piled high with layers of melted cheese, white rice, black beans and sliced avocado. A side of sweet sectioned oranges provided a nice sweet/salty balance.

For breakfast, we found ourselves at Trecelunas. It's just a short walk down the narrow road from Zamas. The coffee was strong. Muy importante. Our first time there I ordered pan frances y frutas (French toast with fruit). It came topped with slivers of toasted coconut. So good. This was a nice place to sit and watch the sarong-wearers. They also had lots of good guide books to borrow.

One morning after breakfast at Trecelunas we picked up a pair of barefoot Austrian backpackers. We drove them to the main road, then stopped into the local supermarket. Its panederia was tremendous. Our favorite bakery item the big, fat cakey donuts rolled in granulated sugar. The ones sliced in half with a cream filling were really tasty, and they hit the spot on the ride back to Cancun on the last day of our trip. I am ready to go back, and soon.

Zamas
zamas.com

Trecelunas
trecelunastulum.net

Photo Credit: brighterworlds

Kansas "BBQ" City

2007-10-19T17:56:00.003-04:00

Have you tasted real Kansas City barbecue? Until recently, I hadn't. So when I had occasion to fly to KC earlier this month, I made a point of finding out where to eat. I searched the web for tips. Arthur Bryant's sounded just like the old-fashioned kinda joint I had in mind. And it didn't hurt that Calvin Trillin called it the best restaurant on the planet.

On the plane, I made sure not to tank up on peanuts and snack packs. Didn't want to ruin my appetite, you know? I headed to the restaurant as soon as I landed. Man, is this place good. Even the parking lot smells good. Good and smoky and sweet. Inside, I sidled up to the counter. It had one of those cafeteria-style racks on which to slide your tray, and little windows to place your order with the people behind the plexiglass. Through the stacks of Wonder Bread loaves, I could see the glow of the smoking pit, and the racks of ribs firing up inside. Heaven!

I went with a sandwich -- pulled pork -- with a side of baked beans and a cup of coleslaw. It's all served up on melamine plates and little compote cups. Visualize this: a heaping mound of saucy pulled pork framed by four fluffy slices of Wonderbread to soak it all up. You eat this sandwich with a fork (there's no way you're squeezing the meat between the bread) and you best do it fast before the bread turns to mush. And then there were the beans -- thick, rich and molasses-sweetened, studded with thick chunks of chewy pork. Heaven! (Did I say this already?) Now, I almost diverted to a place called Little Jakes Eat It and Beat It, just for the name, but when I couldn't find the address I went back to plan A. I'm glad I did. Now I just want to back to Kansas City.

Arthur Bryant's Barbecue
1727 Brooklyn Avenue
Kansas City, MO
816-231-1123
www.arthurbryantsbbq.com

AB's has three locations. This one's the original and, I've heard, the best. Check out the restaurant's website for more info.

Photo credit: avogadro

Tagliatelle with Carmelized Onions, Garlic and Fresh Parmesan

2007-04-30T19:18:00.002-04:00

This is one for the record books. A dish that I dug up from the dregs of my kitchen. Got a pound of pasta on hand? You're cooking!

Here's what I rustled up:

A half a package of tagliatelle
olive oil
butter
one large yellow onion
one garlic clove
fresh and dried sage
salt and pepper
frozen peas
vegetable broth
fresh parmesan

This is what I did, and what you can do too:

Boil water for pasta.
Cut an onion in half then slice the halves into thin wedges.
Dice a clove of garlic.
Put a large saucepan on the stove, turn the heat to medium low and add about 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan.
Allow the butter and oil to heat then add the onion and garlic.
Cook this down a little then add the sage.
Cook down the onion and garlic until they're nice and soft and sweet. They'll start to look golden brown.
Add a splash of vegetable broth to scrape down the pan.
Add about half a cup of frozen peas.
Keep cooking then add a little more broth, about a quarter cup.

Meanwhile, while this is going on you should be boiling the pasta. Tagliatelle needs to cook for about 11-12 minutes.

Your onion and garlic mixture should be nice and fragrant by now. The color will be deep. The taste will be sweet. Take the hunk of parmesan and use a vegetable peeler to slice off a few strips of cheese and add it to the mix.

Drain the pasta, then add two cups of the pasta to the onion and garlic mixture in the saute pan. Use tongs to mix this up well. Serve in two bowls. Top with a few fresh parmesan peels and eat up.

Yes, You Can Cook!: The Beauty of Pasta

2007-03-20T17:55:00.002-04:00

I love pasta. It's so simple. So yummy. And it's pretty easy to make. You just boil water, right? Then throw some pasta in until it's done. Pasta is fast and good, and it can be even better if you choose some high-quality noodles and decorate it with other yummy stuff. Here's a dish that I made last night. I did it after work, when I was really hungry, and before long I had a delicious and nutritious meal. You can too!

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Garlic

This is what you'll need:
Dried pasta (I used orechiette -- little ear-shaped shells. The brand, my fave, is Benedetto Cavalieri)
I bunch broccoli rabe
5 cloves of garlic, or as much as you can stand
olive oil
salt and pepper
Fresh ricotta and parmesan or pecorino romano

1. Boil water. Add a little salt to the water, and when it boils add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions. Don't overcook. The orrechiette package advised said 11-12 minutes. I set the timer for 11 minutes but it was al dente at 10. That's how it should be!

2. While the pasta is cooking, peel the garlic cloves then chop them into little bits. Set the garlic aside. Next, thoroughly wash the broccoli rabe then chop the greens into three-inch chunks, or whatever you like. Set the greens aside in a bowl. Don't bother to dry them. The extra water in the pan will help them cook down.

3. Heat a large, high-walled skillet on low heat. Add enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic to the heated pan then stir the garlic so that it doesn't burn. (Burnt garlic tastes bitter, and we don't want that.)

4. Now, add the washed greens to the pan. Stir them up to incorporate the garlic and oil. Turn the heat up to medium them cover the skillet with a lid. Let this cook down for a few minutes then mix it up again. Add salt to taste. Keep this up until the greens are tender and still have a nice color. If you leave them on longer the greens will take on an unpleasant olive-green cast. They will look very unappealing, and we don't want that either.

5. By now, the pasta should be just about ready. When it is, drain the pasta in the sink. Scoop a cupful of pasta into each serving bowl. Top with the broccoli rabe. Mix it up just a touch, but leave a bunch of greens heaped on top so it looks pretty. Add a dollop of fresh ricotta (do NOT buy the supermarket gunk. Get real, fresh ricotta.) Grate a dusting of parmesan or pecorino romano on top. Add a little fresh-ground black pepper. Drizzle with a little bit more olive oil. If you like a little zip, top the dish off with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

EAT! This is so good and so easy. Just use really good ingredients, watch those pots, and you can't go wrong.

Wine and Chocolate

2007-03-17T23:16:00.002-04:00

It's Saturday night in New York and I'm enjoying two of my very favorite things: wine and chocolate. I want to tell you about a particular wine and a particular chocolate that I am liking very much, and that's because I think you will too. The first is Marimar Estate pinot noir. Grown in California's Russian River Valley, this wine is fruity and smooth and so easy to drink. I've been meaning to pick up a bottle for a while (they're about $35 bucks a pop) and now that I have I know I'll be wanting it on those nights when I only have a $10-bottle budget. This pinot is a perfect match for my other favorite foodstuff, Green & Black's organic chocolate. Mari especially loves the caramel variety. A 3.5 oz. bar sells for about five dollars at Dean & DeLuca in New York City, or $2.50 on sale at Fairway. But trust me, price doesn't matter with this stuff. If you come across it, get it. The caramel variety is a cocoa-rich (65%) milk chocolate shell with a creamy caramel center. It's such a treat with the Marimar pinot. Now, I'm no "expert" on wine and chocolate pairings, but I know what I like. This is a delicious combination. Try it. Mari liked it so much that she's fallen into a blissful, satiated slumber in front of the fireplace. And I'm enjoying it so much that I'm at the computer writing about it.

Marimar Estate
www.marimarestate.com
2002 Pinot Noir
Available at Red, White & Bubbly
211-213 Fifth Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn
(718) 636-WINE

Green & Black's Chocolate
www.greenandblacks.com

From the "Only in New York" file...

2007-03-15T08:15:00.002-04:00

I've been sick and I haven't been posting so much, so to make up for lost time, here's a reprise of a story that originally appeared on mrbellersneighborhood.com. It involves one of my favorite subjects -- ice cream -- and a Humvee.

***

Hummers get a bad rap. In Brooklyn, there's benign Hummer, a gentle giant, if you will, and he lives in Park Slope. He's yellow and black, like a taxi. His license plate says ICES, and when he's not cruising Fifth Avenue he's usually parked on Union Street minding his own business, a popular neighborhood place for homemade ice cream and Italian ices known as Uncle Louie G's. During the blackout this summer [August 2003], a crowd gathered outside the store. Uncle Louie G's has no indoor seating, so customers sat on benches and stood in groups exchanging stories, flickering flashlights and eating waffle cones in the dark. Then the Hummer rolled up. The crowd parted as he slowly moved from street to sidewalk. He parked there and kept his lights on, illuminating the area for the ice cream eaters. The party continued, though I don't know for how long -- I had a hot fudge sundae then headed home -- but I'm willing to bet it went on well into the night, or at least until the ice cream melted.

The Matzoh-Ball Cure

2007-03-14T21:40:00.004-04:00

Last week I lost my voice. My friend Mark, who was visiting from San Francisco, had fun addressing me as Laryngina in his e-mails. There were a lot of e-mails when he first arrived, and that’s because I couldn’t speak above a whisper. Now that I’m on the mend -- my voice is in the husky stage, with hints of squeakiness when I get too excited –I want to recommend my all-time favorite cold cure and tell you where to get it.

It’s matzoh ball soup from Carnegie Deli. This soup comes in a quart-size container and sells for $6.90 (that includes the tax). You get two perfect matzoh balls bobbing in a deeply flavored golden broth. The matzoh balls are substantial, about the size of a pink dime-store bouncing ball, with a tender consistency. There aren’t any noodles or cooked carrots floating around in the broth to mess things up. (That’s how it’s served at Mendy’s, on the concourse level of Rockefeller Center. Don’t go there. They serve noodly broth and a single tough matzoh ball, and charge more than what you’ll pay at Carnegie.) This stuff is good, and it will cure you. Go to the take-out counter, place your order and get a receipt, then pay for it at the register behind you. Now go back to the take-out counter and give them your marked receipt so you can get your soup. There’s nothing better. But now that my voice – and my appetite -- is back, I might have to order up a pastrami on rye too. OMG, yum!

Carnegie Delicatessen & Restaurant
854 Seventh Avenue at 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 757-2245
www.carnegiedeli.com

Photo Credit: larryfishkorn

What You Crave

2007-03-03T23:01:00.002-05:00

How did it happen so quickly? This afternoon, Mari and I had our friend Heidi over for lunch. Our plan was to take her to the neighborhood vegan/organic cafe/wine bar, called Smooch. Not that any of us are vegan or strictly organic, but the place actually has good food and is cute and not a bad place to hang out on a Saturday afternoon. But lo and behold, Smooch was all done up with lavender balloons when we arrived, and it looked as if a baby shower was in progress. A definite no. Suddenly, Mari had a brilliant idea -- White Castle! -- on Myrtle (formerly known as Murder) Avenue. Boy, is this place good. And packed too. Eleven sliders, three sacks of fries, and three fried apple pies later we were feeling mighty fine. Come on? How can you resist? The teeny tiny patties, the itty bitty onion bits, and the light-as-air buns -- Yum! Sometimes, you gotta go for the good stuff.

Find the location nearest you. Go to www.whitecastle.com.

What's in a Name?: The Origin of Fresh Hot Delicious

2007-02-23T20:32:00.002-05:00

What is it about the name Fresh Hot Delicious that makes some readers instantly thing I've created an X-rated blog? One friend got all excited when he saw the title. Another said she almost didn't open the e-mail announcing this blog's arrival for fear of what she might find. Of course, it now occurs to me that I have indeed created my own version of food porn. That's what I call my glossy Gourmet, my Bon Appetit, the sexy Saveur that arrives on the mail each month. Subconsciously, I suppose I've chosen the most apropos name for this little experiment after all. But if you want to know the truth, Fresh Hot Delicious has nothing to do with pornography. It's about popcorn.

I chose the title Fresh Hot Delicious because it's a common three-word enticement that appears on old-fashioned popcorn bags. You might not have seen this before. Certainly not if your popcorn experience is limited to the movie-theatre and microwave variety. There's nothing interesting about an AMC popcorn bag. Orville Redenbacher is so not hot. But back in the day, popcorn bags were cool.

I know this because my mom was, and still is, an avid collector. When I was a teenager, she was always asking me and my friends to "bring back a popcorn bag!" whenever we went anywhere. At 16, I found this more than a little embarrassing. Now I see the wisdom in this eccentricity. She has an amazing collection with hundreds of bags. Forgive the tired pun, but it really is pop art. The graphic design is awesome. The images are pure Americana. There's Jumbo the prancing circus elephant, a cowboy shooting popcorn from a pistol, a rocket blasting off with a trail of popcorn from its tail pipe. My mom's got 'em all.

My mom started collecting popcorn bags in 1968, when she was a teenager on a date with my dad. He took her to the Pioneer Drive-In movies, in Mesa, Arizona, to see a film called "Our Man Flint," starring James Coburn in a James Bond spoof about a hipster spy, a band of villains, and according to IMDB, a "plot to take over the world with an earthquake machine." The popcorn bag was a teenager's romantic souvenir. Three years later, I arrived on the scene, and more than three decades after that my mom has the coolest collection ever. That's how I came up with Fresh Hot Delicious. People, get your minds out of the gutter!

Get Roasted

2007-02-20T21:06:00.002-05:00

Here's an entry that definitely qualifies as both fresh, hot and delicious. It's about roasted vegetables, and lately I've been loving them. Tonight, it's baby Brussel sprouts with whole garlic cloves. Last night, it was a full-on roasted veggie feast: cauliflower, sweet potatoes, pencil-thin asparagus and fat and juicy portabella mushrooms. My partner, Mari, and stepdaughter, Devon, couldn't get enough. This is one of the easiest dishes to make. All it takes is salt, pepper and olive oil and a hot oven. This is what you do:

Roasted Cauliflower
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

First, wash a head of cauliflower, slice off the end and break it up into bite- size florets. Put them in a medium bowl.

Then, break up a head of garlic, peel the cloves and cut off the nubby ends. Add the garlic cloves to the the bowl of cauliflower.

Next, measure a quarter cup of olive oil and add it to the bowl with a sprinkling of salt and freshly-ground pepper. Stir it up until all the cauliflower is coated.

Finally, spread the cauliflower and garlic mixture evenly on a roasting pan or cookie sheet. (I don't have one, so I just used a rimless cookie sheet rigged up with tin-foil walls to keep everything together.)

Bake for about 40 minutes. Halfway through the baking, use a spatula to turn the cauliflower and garlic mixture.

The veggies are done when they are nice and brown and the garlic is easily pierced with the tip of a knife.

OMG, sooooo good. Try it!

Have Some Dim Sum

2007-02-18T10:26:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the year of the pig! If you're like me, you'll want to mark the occasion with food. I have a place in mind. It's called Dim Sum Go Go, and it serves the yummiest little dumplings all day long. This place isn't the most visually interesting -- there's not much going on in the way of decor, save a big fish tank in the back of the room, and no, despite the name, the wait staff does not wear bell-bottoms and knee-high boots -- but the food is spot on, and cheap. Mark your order on the menu card, and stacks of steam baskets will soon arrive at your table. The dumplings here come three to an order, and most orders are only about $2 each. Now, I've always ordered the vegetarian options (not because I don't eat meat, but because my teenage stepdaughter, Devon, has sworn off all food that once walked or swam). But here's the thing -- these veggie dumplings are seriously good, and they're what I want when we go here. If you're a skeptical carnivore, don't worry. You won't miss the meat. (But if you really really must have you're pork bun, don't fret. It's on the menu.) Anyway -- back to the dumplings.... Each of these little packages comes filled with the tastiest veggie combinations: Bamboo hearts, soybeans, corn and mushrooms. Some of the dumpling are wrapped in pale pink and green-colored skins. Pretty! My favorite dumpling here is stuffed with cilantro. Smear a little bit of fresh ginger-scallion paste on this baby and you're taste-buds will be so happy. Can I skip my run and go here now?

Dim Sum Go Go
5 East Broadway
(between Catherine and Chatham Square)
212-732-0796

Open 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Red Velvet Cake

2007-02-14T17:18:00.004-05:00

Today the New York Times ran a story in the Dining Section about red velvet cake. This cake is one of my favorites. I was introduced to it in 2003 when I heard about a guy called Cake Man Raven, in Fort Greene. The 120th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge was coming up, and he was creating a replica of the bridge out of red velvet cake. Needless to say, I was intrigued (and impressed -- on the night of the party, two guys from Fireworks by Grucci, the company responsible for the Macy's 4th of July Spectacular, rigged this cake up with 120 Roman candles and shot them off, on cue, at midnight). Since then, I've come to believe that Cake Man Raven's red velvet is the best in the city. Yet Florence Fabricant and her panel of tasters at the Times failed to mention it. According to the article, they conducted a blind tasting of cakes from 19 different bakeries and take-out shops throughout the city. Was the Cake Man Raven Confectionery among them? If it was, could it really be possible that his red velvet cake didn't even rate? I find this hard to believe. You can judge for yourself. Here's the NYT article. And here's my article that appeared last year in Saveur. A recipe is included in both. Does anyone want to weigh in here?

Cake Man Raven Confectionery
708-a Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 694-CAKE
www.cakemanraven.com

Sex Sells Food

2007-02-14T03:27:00.003-05:00

A friend has informed me that he fully expected to see nude women on Fresh Hot Delicious. And so, for Valentines Day, that's exactly what he'll get. You can too. Well, almost. The picture here is just a taste of what's on the menu tonight at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone. This midtown restaurant/bar/lounge is hosting a Valentine's Lingerie Beauty Pageant. Ladies get half-price food and drink all night long. Appetizers include Crispy Oysters with “sexed-up” Russian dressing and a caviar garnish. Double Breasted Roasted Organic Chicken is offered as an entree. Wow.

Hawaiian Tropic Zone
49th Street & 7th Avenue
(212) 626-7312
http://www.hawaiiantropiczone.com/

Thick & Rough Oatmeal

2007-02-13T17:43:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a box of instant oatmeal thinking that it would be a quick and healthy alternative when I have a morning time-crunch and have to leave the house without eating breakfast. What a mistake. The stuff looks and tastes like wallpaper paste -- or at least how I imagine wallpaper paste might taste. I decided that I just had to get up earlier, and that I had to make my oatmeal the real way. No instant packages. No quick-oats. Just good old-fashioned oatmeal. And while Quaker will do the trick, I do have a personal favorite: It's Thick & Rough Oatmeal, by the Silver Palate. Did they have to choose such a suggestive name, I wonder? No matter. The stuff is good. It's nutty. It's toothsome. Total brain food, in my opinion. And the preparation is so poetically simple. Try it! You'll like it!

Thick & Rough Oatmeal

One cup water
1/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup oats
Honey, to taste

Add the water and raisins to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the oats, then reduce to low heat. Stir regularly. Add honey to taste.

This whole affair takes about 5-10 minutes. Adding the raisins first makes them nice and plump.

Silver Palate's Thick & Rough Oatmeal is available at Fairway or at www.silverpalate.com. It's $2.99 for a 16-ounce box.

Food Day in the Joint II

2007-02-11T20:17:00.003-05:00

Food day at the Arizona State Prison Complex, Lewis, has come and gone. Mom and Jazz packed the regulation Igloo cooler, the guards opened all the GladWare containers and poked a fork in each one, checking for contraband, and all Evan could eat was four tacos and an ice cream sandwich. The first thing he wanted, at 10:00 in the morning, was the tacos, with garlicky ground beef, sour cream and cheese all rolled up with soft corn tortillas and a dose of El Pato hot sauce, his favorite. The ice cream sandwich was a homemade affair -- just a scoop of vanilla ice cream squished between two chocolate chip cookies. A few other families visited, Jazz said. What did they bring? Sushi, for one thing. Chorizo and eggs. Lots of tortillas. This is the stuff the guys were craving. A little taste of home.

Pitza Pitza!

2007-02-11T19:10:00.002-05:00

The vegetable "pitza" at Bedouin Tent, a Middle Eastern restaurant on Atlantic Avenue, is the bomb. It's a 10" pie with a soft, chewy pita crust, with green pepper, tomato, Kalamata olives and fresh mozzarella. A drizzling of olive oil and a dusting of Lebanese zatar, a blend of powdered thyme and sesame seeds, adds a really nice flavor. The very-nice proprietor tells me that most zatar blends have a heavy lemon flavor -- like the one you can get at Sahadi's -- but this Lebanese zatar is different. You can get it a spice shop on Atlantic Avenue between Third and Fourth Avenue, "next to the mosque," he says.

This place has been around for ages, or at least since 1990, when I first moved to Brooklyn. It was called Moustache back then. Years later, the name has changed but the pizza is still just as wonderful, and you still can't walk out without an on-the-house nibble of basbousa, a semolina cake sweetened with yogurt and honey.

Bedouin Tent
405 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 852-5555
Open 11 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Cash Only

Vegetable pizza $8

A Crazy-Good Cake

2007-02-11T00:13:00.001-05:00

My favorite thing about having a friend over for dinner -- besides the wonderful company, of course -- is having a reason to bake. This cake has become one of my all-time favorites, and it's worth the extra effort 'cause it's so ridiculously good. The recipe is a slight adaptation of one I learned at a French Culinary Institute workshop with Gina DePalma, the pastry chef at Babbo. (I substituted almonds for walnuts and vanilla for dark rum or grappa.) Here it is:

Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake

1 1/4 cup almonds
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment.

Toast almonds on a tray in the oven for 12 minutes. Let them cool a little, then pop them in a blender or food processor with the cocoa powder and grind 'em up.

Chop up the chocolate and melt it with the butter. I combine the two in a small copper bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate and butter until it's nice and smooth. When it's done, take the bowl off the water and let the mixture cool.

Next, dump six egg yolks into the metal bowl of an electric mixer. (Save three of the egg whites in a separate bowl. You'll need them later.) Using the paddle attachment, mix the egg yolks and light brown sugar on medium speed for about four minutes. The mixture will get nice and thick. When that's done, mix in a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the vanilla. Then pour the chocolate and butter mixture into the bowl of the electric mixer. On low speed, blend it with the egg yolk and brown sugar mixture, then fold in the almonds and cocoa. Now, scrape this all into a separate bowl and wash and dry the electric mixer bowl. You'll need it to whip the egg whites.

Pour the three egg whites and a pinch of salt into the bowl of the electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat them on medium speed until they are stiff but not peaking. At that point start to add the granulated sugar then switch the mixer to high speed and beat until the eggs are softly peaking. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate and nut butter then pour the mix into the springform pan.

Pop the cake into the oven for about 40 minutes. Take it out when the cake just starts to puff up and crack. Cool it on a rack for at least 20 minutes. Then remove it from the springform pan and carefully peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake. When it's totally cool, dust the cake with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Make sure to use good chocolate and butter in this recipe. Usually, I like Callebaut chocolate but this time I used Lindt instead. It was all I could find in the 'hood. The butter was President. A little pricier than Land O'Lakes, but worth it. That said, use whatever you can get your hands on. It'll still be delish. Three of us at half the cake.

Food Day in the Joint

2007-02-09T15:15:00.002-05:00

Four times a year, the Arizona Department of Corrections has a Food Day, where inmates' families can bring a little picnic to the prison. My brother, Evan, went in just before Thanksgiving. He's serving six years for a drug offense. Since then he's been subsisting mostly on ramen noodles, which he buys from the commissary. The cafeteria doesn't serve many vegetables, he says -- duh, no shocker there -- just cooked carrots, and he's getting pretty sick of roast beef and powdered mashed potatoes.

At Evan's request, my mom is making tacos and my sister's baking chocolate chip cookies. Tacos were a good call. Any meat that comes into the prison must be boneless, for obvious reasons. Fruit and corn on the cob are strictly forbidden. When my sister asked why, a guard told her that some prisoners use them to make hooch. Yum! Can you imagine? Smuggling a corn cob, or an orange, in hope of making homemade liquor? These are things you don't give much though to on the outside, but once you're in.... Makes me want to eat a peach -- and drink a good glass of wine -- just because I can.

So, more to come on this one. Stay tuned. I wish I could be there. In the meantime, I'll check out my sister's chocolate chip cookie recipe at the Crisco web site. My mom will bake with nothing but butter. That's why Evan asked my sister to make the Criso variety. According to her, these cookies stay super soft. Go to the Crisco website to see for yourself.