foodie nyc

'Tis the Most Shizzle Bedizzle Time of the Year

Special occasions call for special wines. Well, at least with my family and friends, which is to say I'm a lucky dude.  I contribute by doing most of the cooking and even bringing a few bottles myself now and then.

This Xmas blew me away more than any other in the wine department.  My body has been soaked in a tasting of three New World Pinots (including an amazing 2000 Sine Qua Non, which one taster - fine, it was me- rightly summed up as "the shizzle"), an insane 2000 Bordeaux ("shizzle bedizzle"), a fine Burgundy ("will be the shizzle with more aging"), a tasting of three Spanish wines from the excellent 2001 vintage and an amazing '95 Pahlmeyer Cab from Cali ("another shizzle bedizzle"). 

Wine lovers and those curious about the new foodienyc wine rating system based on lame Snoop Ebonics should follow the jump for more details....

Music in the Kitchen: December 2005

Cooking is all about the intangibles.  What the hell does that mean? Well, to me it means feeling like cooking is fun.  And inspirational. Music plays one of the most important roles in my cooking because it gets me into the kitchen.  And it keeps me there - singing, playing air drums, and generally keeping me full of positive energy.

So each month I will publish 15 of my favorite songs for the kitchen.  These aren't always going to be full of fresh new releases - they'll simply be what I consider great cooking music.  All suggestions and recommendations are welcome.  For those interested, I will publish these Music in the Kitchen lists on iTunes as an iMix.  Here's this month's list.  Enjoy.  (Special thanks to Heather for helping me make this list look less like a high school project. Typepad blows!).

Chipotle Braised Short Ribs, Turnip Puree, Cilantro Gremolata

I love the winter for possibly only one reason besides skiing - drinking Jim Beam. Just kidding. It's braising.  There is nothing like taking a beautiful, fall-off-the-bone piece of meat out of the oven after three hours of slow, steady braising. I love the smell of the reduced, aromatic cooking liquid that has absorbed all of the flavors of the meat. 

Other than searing the meat correctly and braising it at a low temperature, the only other key to braising is creating a flavorful liquid.  It will eventually be your sauce, so creating the braising liquid can be fun and creative.  I braise with aromatics, like lemongrass, chilis, dry spices, herbs, wine, even juices like apple cider.  For this dish that I made for Gothamist, I chose the smoky, spicy flavor of chipolte peppers.

I like to serve braises with something rich and creamy- for some reason braised meats to me are perfect with a comforting puree.   Parsnip puree was my mashed potato of last year (and this year, really), so I've experimented here with turnip just to try something new.  Turnip puree is earthy and has a distinctive yet mellow flavor - perfect for the massive, rich flavors of smoky chipotle and braised short ribs.

Finally, I like adding a blast of fresh herb and crunchy texture to the soft braised meat and the creamy puree.  I made a gremolata out of chopped cilantro, toasted almonds and lemon rind as the finishing touch to the braised short ribs.  Now if I could only work on the skiing part....

Recipe follows.

Henry's Drive 2002 Shiraz

Other than fascinating me by interchanging a's with er's (and vice versa) at the end of their words, the many Aussies I work with are generally the most happy-go-lucky people I've ever met.  Come across Australians while traveling outside of the country, and they are the first to say hello and have a drink with you.  I joke with all of them that Australia is party central, and they never disagree.

Well, my idea of an Australian party is drinking their amazing Shiraz all night. I don't care what the wankas or tossas say about Aussie Shiraz being over-oaked or overripe.  I find them amazingly flavorful with deep long finishes, and of course the oakiness they've become somewhat known for.  One of the best I've had is from Henry's Drive. 

I splurged a year ago and picked up a couple of bottles for $30+ each (this is expensive for me. i am not a collector yet, wine snot).  I cracked the first with a rich dish of braised beef in chipoltle.  I would argue that a dish with smoky, rich, spicy flavors needs a New World wine and indeed I am yet to be incorrect on this.  The 2002 Henry's Drive Shiraz (not the Reserve, which I've heard is even better) has a long, intense, ripe fruit finish that we truly enjoyed.  If you own it or buy it, note that you must let this breathe for at least 30 minutes.  The difference is substantial.  Worthy of the price,  here's where you can track it down.

Restaurant Notebook: December 14, 2005

Every few weeks I will give a list of recommendations based on notable and recent dining experiences I've had.

Recommended, You'll love it

Centrico - Simple, flavorful Mexican inspired cuisine, with Iron chef competitior Aron Sanchez visible in the open kitchen doing the cooking.  Great drinks - really enjoyed a pineapple jalapeno martini. Fellow diners loved the sweetbreads. A seared rare tuna appetizer pretty much what you'd expect - not remarkable. Queso fundido with poblano was very good.  Nice ceviches - again simple and straight forward citrus based dishes. Fish tacos are again simple, clean flavors very well executed. A phenomenal braised short rib dish in an ancho chile broth.   Very nice wine list and the prices are pretty affordable.  Nice space, nice atmosphere.

D'or Ahn - What a great little space.  The owner was very lovely, exceedingly humble yet clearly passionate about her restaurant.  She gives each table her time and attention.  Nice sake and small but nice wine list.   Tasted a few dishes that were really nice - a fried beef app was crunchy, a touch sweet and had a great beefy flavor.  Braised short ribs in celery root puree was nice - tender and flavorful.  A ribeye main course was phenom, with a mung bean/oxtail cake that I found inspiring for my own experimentation in the kitchen.  An excellent braised pork belly dish with a risotto made of millet.  Finally, a Korean bouillabaisse had lots of great flavors, saffron being the star of the show. Also really loved a grilled cheese savory dessert - crispy, crunchy and cheesy.  I will be back here again soon.

Cesca - I love eating at the Cesca bar.  One of the best bars for eating a meal in my opinion.  I've been to this restaurant possibly ten times as it's my neighborhood stand-by of choice and it is remarkably consistent.  Love the meatballs in brodo, virtually all of the pastas and if you can make it there on a Sunday, get the Sunday sauce.  It's the shizzle.  Had a sausage dish with polenta that was new to the menu last week - perfectly done.  I thank Cesca at least once a day for making the UWS a better place.

Recommended.....but

5 ninth -  I did a special tasting of 6 or so of their dishes and then we had our agency holiday party here last night.  I think they are a bit inconsistent, but overall pretty good.  The sturgeon dish we had one night was phenomenal, then fishy the next.  Crispy chicken with a version of mac and cheese was phenom on two occasions. Braised lamb excellent on two occasions.  Fried oysters with an Asian type of slaw was mealy and soggy on one occasion, perfect the next.  Monkfish with an uni sauce was excellent as well. Great space, fun atmosphere, good service.  I think now that the buzz of this place has simmered down, the atmosphere and service has been improved vs previous critical disses.

Experimenting: Tap and Cheese

Experimenting is what makes cooking fun for me. Ideas just randomly pop into my head, but it's usually when I'm thinking about food the least.

I was walking around the city, doing a little Xmas shopping, happily secluded in my own little Ipod world (The Joggers rawk, by the way).  Then it hit me.  I craved mac and cheese and decided to make a version on Sunday, my big cooking day.  Then later on that night I saw Alex Lee on Iron Chef America make a fontina cheese based fonduta (cheese sauce, dude).  I thought about making my mac and cheese with a fonduta, but maybe holding the eggs that are in a typical fonduta (i guess this could be a fontina bechamel then, but whatever). 

A few hours later I was walking to the subway and bang.  Tapioca.  Tapioca has a neutral flavor to me, but the texture is obviously phenomenal in the mouth.  I would make the tap just as I would a mac and cheese.   Boil the tap until it was just cooked through.  Make a fontina cheese sauce (bechemel-esque, butter, flour, milk, fontina).  Combine the tap with the cheesy sauce in a casserole dish and cover with panko bread crumbs.  Broil the crumbs until crunchy and warm the tap and cheese through.  It was just as I hoped.  The texture added a different element to the dish, which was exactly what I was looking for.  And it had all of the satisfying, creaminess of a standard mac and cheese.  The key here is serving it very hot.  The tap, when it begins to cool, clings together and firms the casserole up a bit too much.  Good thing it's easy to just rewarm and reheat if needed.

UPDATE: I have created a recipe based on Megan's request in the comment section.  It's a bit of an approximation as putting a recipe together wasn't my intention when making this, so I hope my backtracking was successful.   

Full recipe follows.....

Bacon, Camembert, Sage Frittata

Saturday night dinner began with a bottle of a nice Spanish red (2002 Telmo Rodriguez "G", a nice value).  Then before I know it, I'm sipping on an amazingly foamy, fizzy drink made with rum and ginger beer at a fantastic and pricey cocktail lounge called Pegu Club. A few ginger beer/rum cocktails later, I'm cruising toward a Sunday am hangover.

I was in too much pain to head out to brunch, so I needed to satisfy my hangover myself.  Bacon. Check.  Eggs.  Check. Multiple cheeses, including a Camembert and Gruyere.  Check.  Sage.  Done.  A frittata it is.

After about 15 minutes of prep and about 15 minutes of oven time, I had a crusty, golden brown frittata featuring  smoky bacon, creamy and tangy Camembert, gooey Gruyere and the earthy flavors of sage. 

The key to a good frittata, in my opinion, is a golden brown exterior along with a fluffy, creamy interior.

The method to my frittata madness is after the jump.

Best and Worst Food Shows of 2005

I watch a decent amount of food related TV.  Not an obsessive compulsive amount, but probably more than most. I find it oddly attractive, mainly because I find most of it so nauseating.

In fact, I can count the quality, informative and entertaining food shows on one hand.  Why is this? Why can't networks and production companies crack the food tv code?  Some are informative but boring as all hell.   Many feel contrived and recycle the same theme of "My friends are coming over and I want to make something simple yet fantastic!".  They remind me of the Gourmet and Bon Appetit features of smiling, happy guests, clinking glasses and laughing hysterically over a perfectly manicured dish of something simple yet not too complicated.  The cook, in a perfect Williams-Sonoma apron, prepares food in a yuppy suburban kitchen with amazing soft, natural light, smiling and laughing, as if this was the only thing they were doing for the entire day.  Why is this the stereotype that food network people think we all want to see? Am I the only one that finds this so cliche?

So here you go, nameless, faceless internet.  My list of the best and worst of food TV for 2005.

Worst.  Shows.  Ever.

Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee.  I cannot sum up how shitty this show is any better than this post.  The concept is beyond awful - this show should be called "Half-Assing It", "No One will Know You Can't Cook" and "I Spent More Money and Just As Much Time to Make Food that Sucks".  The crap she makes is actually what I avoid eating on virtually any occasion.  Listening to her talk about serving fun, yummy treats can be used as a form of torture for any food loving person.  Who makes the decision to air this show? Are they mentally challenged?

Taste of America.  I have discussed this debacle on this site already.  Hey -  food programming director of the Travel Channel.  Here's a news flash.  If you were to cast someone as the host of a light hearted show, this person would actually need to be funny, interesting and engaging.  Wow - I just had a great idea.   If it's a food show, maybe the person might have some food experience so they could, you know, talk about food and stuff.  No joke, this show will leave your brain in neutral for about 3 days.  Avoid at all costs.

Anything Paula Deen.  Paula seems like a nice person and she does have a ton of personality, which is all positive.  My issue with her shows are pretty simple to articulate.  Her voice has the same effect on my stomach as a raw oyster gone sour.   Second, and more to the point, her food has got to be the most unhealthy shit one could ever hope to eat in one sitting.  Eat this food a few times a week and watch yourself expand into multiple forms of yourself.  Think butter, cream, cheese, lard, Crisco, fried meat all in the same dish.  This post sums it all up.

$40 a Day.  I will not waste my time or yours debating whether Rachel Ray is annoying or not.  But how the hell is a show about spending $40 a day while on vacation a good idea? Who the hell goes on vacation in order to find a restaurant with the cheapest entrees and not order a freaking glass of wine or beer with dinner?  Fucking save up for a few weeks so you can tip people more than a dollar at a restaurant.  This show is my idea of what a vacation to hell would be like.  Great idea, guys.

Passable and Fixable

Everyday Italian with Giada DeLaurentis.  The food suggestions here are relatively thoughtful and good for the everyday home cook, most look pretty tasty.  I find Giada mesmerizing to look at - her large head has been well documented and she has an amazing cleavage stylist.  Nice work, guys. 

Barefoot Contessa.  Makes some pretty good suggestions for entertaining and home cooking.  I like the close in shots of the food while she is preparing it - stylishly done but also helpful to actually see what is happening to what she is preparing.  She does a good job at talking through her dishes and is generally interesting enough.

The part that needs fixing for these shows is the above rant I make about fake, cliched scenarios of friends coming over, happy hostess serving them, fun laughing banter while eating.   Stop! I know that's what the focus groups tell you what people want, but it's such a generic formula that plays like a broken record over the entire food network.  Michael Chiarello's show is exactly the SAME SHOW AS THE ABOVE TWO but just a different host, yet the food network makes sure the cliche is extended for maximum viewer enjoyment in back to back to back epsiodes. Earth to Food Network.  Think of a new cliched theme to these shows, quick. Or just make it stop!

Good Stuff

I will not suggest the below shows are must see TV.   They are the least offensive of the bunch and all have exceedingly positive qualities.   They are not perfect and questionably interesting for non-food geeks, but this site is for food geeks, so....

Good Eats. Do everything Alton Brown says. Thank him for his uncliched approach to cooking tv.  The guy is passionate, articulate, nerdy and interesting.  His scientific approach can alienate the less intense cooks in the home, but whatever. 

Anything Iron Chef.  You know how I feel about Iron Chef proper and Iron Chef America.  Iron Chef proper is the best food show ever created.  IC America is pretty entertaining if not lacking in many areas that I've articulated on the site in detail.   This is Tivo material for me.

Simply Ming.   Why did Food Network ditch the Minger? Who the hell would think that this dude wouldn't be better than Sandra Lee on their network? Why do people eat fried meat with Crisco, butter and lard in the same dish? I don't know.  Simply Ming is a great show.   Ming makes a master recipe, say a sauce or condiment and shows you how to use it in multiple dishes within the show.  Great idea.  He brings on a well known chef who then does something entirely different with the master recipe.   Track it down on PBS and Tivo it.

Anything Lydia Bastianich.  I love this woman as does everyone else with a pulse.  Proof that the Food Network has no idea what they are doing, she has grown to be a superstar from her awesome PBS shows.  No cliches here.  Lydia makes everything real time in the kitchen of her real home.  No bullshit parties with fake people coming over.  Sometimes her family pops in to eat and help, but they are real, unscripted people and they aren't presented within the fake Bon Appetite or Gourmet scenarios.   

Crispy Cod, Apple Cider Chickpeas

My latest recipe for Gothamist is based on one of the best dishes I had at NYC hotspot Cookshop.  You may have read my previous thoughts about Cookshop, but generally I recommend it despite the fact there are a couple of clunkers on the menu. 

I liked the idea of making a chickpea stew, which was served with a fantastic piece of crispy, moist cod.  I thought I'd slowly braise the chickpeas in apple cider, allowing the cider to reduce and create an apple cider reduction and basically infuse its flavor into the chickpeas.  I added sage for a burst of earthy herbaciousness, crumbled in some ricotta salata for a firm and creamy counterpart and finished the chickpeas with crunchy pomegranate seeds.

I would have added bacon or chorizo to the chickpea stew, but I generally felt like a lard ass after a big meal the night before and kept it bacon-free.  Think about adding this, as the porky, smoky flavors would be a nice match.

My full recipe is below......

Excellent Zin from Sonoma

This is a classic Zin from Sonoma.  Huge fruity explosions of fruit, oak and earthiness, along with a decent amount of alcohol.  What I love about Zins are the big, long finishes and the Hartford 2003 from Russian River Valley has this in spades. 

I do not agree with critics of Cali Zins that suggest their dominant flavors aren't fit for food, as compared to Old World techniques with more finesse.  You just need to know what to serve with a huge, dominent wine like this.  Beef, bacon, creamy, smoky.  You get the idea. But an aggressive wine like this also takes to alternative flavors that an Old World wine would never be paired with.  Take curry, for instance.  Dominant flavors of sage and rosemary.  Chipolte.  Smoky bacon or sausage.  Merguez.  Charchoal 'Q.  I could go on and on.  So I recommend you track down this Hartford and enjoy it with big, rich, distinctive flavors and revel in being over the top for a night.   Trust me, outrageous works in moderation.

Maple Glazed Pork, Brie & Chive Parsnip Puree

Without prior knowledge, I was given pork chops and parsnips for a recent dinner at home.  I had a piece of brie in the fridge, along with some chives and a bottle of maple syrup.  I have been inspired to utilize maple syrup in my cooking recently, thanks to the generous Ideas in Food maple syrup giveaway.  (I've come up with two dishes but haven't cracked my best creation yet).

Anyhoo, I seared a pork chop to create a crust in a pan with very hot oil.  I then slowly roasted it in a low oven to finish cooking.  I basted the pork with maple syrup when I was about 3-4 minutes from taking it out of the oven so as not to burn or over caramelize.  I wanted a subtle background type of sweetness, not a big, thick glaze on the pork. (If I had more time, I would have brined the pork first). 

I was really happy with this parsnip experiment.  I boiled the parsnips in large chunks in water until soft.  I pureed them with salt, pepper, chopped chives, a squeeze of lemon juice, a shot of half and half, and about two tblsp worth of brie for about 1 1/2 large parsnips.  Creamy, a touch sweet, these parsnips were a real treat.

After deglazing the pan from the roast pork with just a touch of stock,  I spooned the juices that had mixed with maple syrup drippings over the pork and finished the dish.  Serve with a side of veggies.