foodie nyc

Top 10 Reasons to Join Me at Saturday Night Tastings

Before this blog was even a fleeting thought in my mind, Foodie NYC was a six course tasting event, serving fifty guests whenever I could muster the energy outside of my day job.  Our events have built a nice little following over time, especially as we've begun to master the logistical challenges of creating a disposable restaurant in event spaces throughout the city. 

As time has gone on, Foodie NYC has evolved, especially as this blog has become an outlet to share my food (and writing) with you.  Traffic is very good, I've made lots of connections with many readers and bloggers and I've come to enjoy exchanging food thoughts with you.  As key aspects of my life have also changed recently, the event side of Foodie NYC needed a bit of a refresh. 

So, with that in mind, I've just announced a new dimension to the Foodie NYC tasting events.  Saturday Night Tastings is a more informal, social version of our traditional  sit-down events. I'll be creating and serving a menu of tapas-style bites and continue to pair them with wines I've personally selected.   By making the events more social and condusive to meeting friends or new people, I'm hoping I can bring the readers of this site together within a casual, fun tasting environment. Instead of reading about my food, I'm hoping to give you the opportunity to taste it and chat with me about it!  That's what I love about this site and I hope Saturday Night Tastings can bring this blog to life.  Literally.

Anyhow, in honor of the launch of the Saturday Night Tastings series, I offer you the Top 10 reasons you should should come to the event on March 17:

10) When you think of braising, you get all warm and tingly inside. 

9) You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you.

8) You wonder who else reads this god-for-saken blog.

7) The idea of drinking green beer on St Patrick's Day makes you want to hurl.

6) You suspect I'll make something like this for you

5) Drinking and eating? Who doesn't like that?

4) You've been reading this site for a while and you want to HUG me

3) You've been reading this site for a while and want to SLAP me

2)  As the event will end at 9:30 pm on a Saturday, you've realized that this is really only a tastier, more adult version of "pre-gaming".

1) You wonder whether Sandra Lee will make a guest appearance and would pay money to see my reaction as she offers me St Patrick Day tablescape tips.

You can  read more about the Saturday Night Tasting series here. 

I hope to see you on March 17!

Pink Peppercorm Braised Cod, Pink Peppercorn Fondue

Around this time last year, my initial obsession with pink peppercorns was unveiled for all of the internet to ignore. Just kidding - my pink peppercorn exploratory attracted about .0001 percent of the hits that "Sandra Lee's breasts" or "Giada's cleavage" bring to this site, and that counts for something, right?

No, I guess not. But hey, I'm not fooling myself by thinking that an exploratory of pink peppercorns is as eye popping as the wunderbra goodness of Giada.  Thing is, though, if you wanted to open someone's eyes at your dinner table, you could enhance your cleav to Giada status (not an option for many of us..I never got my hands on Kramer's Bro), or you can present an ingredient that doesn't get much exposure and will impress your guests with its bold, fragrant and even slightly exotic flavors.

I brought the pink peppercorn to a fish dish in two tasty ways.  I began by toasting a bunch of the PP in a dry pan and grinding them finely in a spice grinder. I then decided to infuse some of the PPs into a mild veggie stock by simmering them in stock for 15 minutes and then letting them steep for a while longer off the heat.  I seasoned the cod and submerged it in the PP broth and placed it in a very low oven (about 200) to braise at low temp to ensure juiciness.  The thicker the cod, the better the results.

In the meantime, right before serving, I created a pink peppercorn fondue.  You can read about the methodology in my previous ramblings about pink peppercorn fondue here.  I simply plated the cod and drizzled the pink peppercorn fondue around the fish without any extra garnishes (other than sprouts)  - I just wanted to ensure the pink peppercorn was a staring element on the palate.I suppose many sides would work well here - potatoes, root veggies are a few off-the-cuff thoughts.

The pink peppercorn infused itself into the fish, while the fondue added the richness of a creamy, decadent sauce that brought out the natural, floral brilliance of the PPs I enjoy. 

OK...Sorry for interrupting you - please continue with to your Giada cleavage Google searches and forget this pink peppercorn randomness ever happened. 

Related: 

The Foodie NYC Pink Peppercorn Archives

Ginger Broth, Carrot Couscous

I enjoy seeking out special, meticulously prepared cocktails on occasion.  OK...frequently.  Whenever I see a cocktail featuring fresh ginger syrup or fresh ginger beer, I know I'm in the right bar.  Drinks that are primarily infused with fresh, spicy ginger tend to leave me craving for another. 

But after the crappiest ginger beer drink I've possibly ever had at Death & Co recently, I found the need to scratch my own itch.  Being a weirdo and all, the idea of a ginger stock popped into my head. I decided to make a scaled back version of a vegetable stock (some carrot and onion), but with the addition of a heaping pile of roughly chopped ginger (I used a little over a 1/2 lb). I would simply sweat the veggies and ginger in a touch of oil, then cover them with cold water and let the stock simmer at low heat for over an hour, being careful to avoid a heavy boil and a cloudy broth.

After straining the ginger and veggies, I was left with a spicy, pungent clear ginger broth that was light and fresh, yet packed with ginger flavor.  I paired the ginger broth with large pearls of Israeli couscous, which I previously cooked in a carrot juice.  (Carrot and ginger are a combo everyone loves, right?). I added some fried shallots and mint to garnish.   You should experiment with this ginger stock - it's an interesting and flavorful base for a soup, risotto, or a pot of steamed shellfish...you name it.

White Chocolate, Blood Orange Beet Salad

(ed note:  I am making a version of this dish this coming Sunday, so I thought I'd re-post this blast from the past, circa 2006, for my your amusement.  I noticed in this post that I neglected to mention that I added a touch of truffle oil to the blood orange, white chocolate dressing.  It added a bit of earthiness that worked well with the beets.  I am not a big truffle oil person, but it works here.  I remember mentioning this dish to people around the time I made it, and many thought I was on crack.  I wouldn't lead you astray - try experimenting with these flavor combinations...)

I like to occassionally challenge expectations people have about chocolate. 

Take this beet salad I came up with while randomly browsing through the market one afternoon.  Beets are sweet and earthy and I thought they would benefit from a bit of rich chocolate flavor.  But for it to work, I wanted to balance the chocolate and beets with a sharp, citrus acidity and some fresh mint.  After roasting the beets and toasting the pine nuts, I created a dressing with the blood orange juice, olive oil, mint, and then a tablespoon of melted white chocolate.  I tossed the beets in the dressing then and drizzled a little more around the beets on the plate. 

In concept, this dish might create a few skeptical winces.  But my taste tasters have assured me that this dish is nothing short of tasty.  I agree, mainly because of the judicious amount of chocolate I used and the fact that the earthiness of the chocolate makes such a great combo with the beets.

Finally, I would most likely pair this salad with an rich white wine...again, not a traditional pairing for chocolate.

Cravings: Caracas 'Los Muchachos' Arepa

Maybe about once a week, the right side of my brain starts to twinge.  My stomach growls.  I begin to look around nervously.  I begin to drool.  People speaking to me begin to sound like that teacher from Snoopy.  My IQ drops 10 50 points. I nervously check my watch and realize it's almost time for dinner.  My boss asks me to do something and I look at her as if insane.

Instincts tell me exactly where to go and what to do.   "Los Muchachos", I whisper to myself. I bundle up for the cold and walk out of the office as if under hypnosis. "Los Muchachos", I whisper as I pass people on the street.  I begin to lightly foam from the mouth.  People pass me and look in horror - I hear a woman wonder whether I have rabis. I don't even notice - I just barrel my way toward 7th St and Caracas Arepa Bar. 

I head right to the counter, at this point gasping for breath and sopping wet, as if it were pouring rain outside.  The woman doesn't acknowledge me as she continues to play with the cash register.  I do not notice that she's not paying attention to me. All goes silent. I just whisper "Los Muchachos".  She knows who it is. 

I jest....I obviously do not have rabis. 

But I admit that Caracas Arepa Bar does have a hold on me.   Caracas has many Venezuelan arepas on the menu, but none like "Los Muchachos".  The arepa - made from corn flour - has a crisp, chewy texture that gives way to grilled, smoky chorizo and a broiled/fried spicy white cheese.  There are jalapenos inside, as well as slices of soft, sweet red peppers that balance the spicy flavors within the arepa. I am addicted to the "Los Muchachos" and urge you to run down and try one.  I can't think of a better way to spend $5. 

Potato Basket, Potato Shitake Puree

Michel Richard is one of my all-time favorite chefs.  While I’ve only tasted his cuisine at Citronelle once, he’s been able to influence me from afar. If and when I have the time to experiment with cooking ideas each and every day (someone help me make this happen!), I’d want to model myself after the likes of Chef Richard.  Unlike the molecular gastro-chemical, guar gum, rocket science infused innovation going on these days, Richard understands the primal experience of enjoying food.  His dishes come across as simple and approachable – honest ingredients that we know and love - yet he's able to utilize complex, sophisticated techniques to create surprises for his guests.

Richard’s new cookbook, Happy in the Kitchen, is a must own.  I’ve been enjoying it thoroughly but haven’t really experimented with many of his ideas yet.  I had been excited by many of his dishes, one of them being a potato basket.   He creates long, thin ropes of potato with a vegetable turner, then wraps them around the bottom of a cucumber.  He then plunges the bottom of the cuke into hot oil, frying the potato and forming the basket.

After enjoying a terrific potato basket salad at Blackbird last week, I realized the culinary gods had spoken – potato baskets were in my future.  I finally kicked myself in the rear and went to pick up a Benriner vegetable turner for around $65. 

My first attempt at a potato basket is above.  I stuck closely to Richard’s recipe in the cookbook, filling the baskets with a silky, rich potato puree.   I added another element of earthiness by folding chopped shitakes into the puree, which I cooked previously with garlic, olive oil, chili flakes and chopped rosemary.  I garnished the baskets with whole baby shitakes and a handful of garlic sprouts. 

I enjoyed the textural contrasts in each bite of this dish – it’s a great idea that immediately begins to spark others.  As long time readers know, whenever I get hooked on a new piece of kitchen equipment or ingredient, I tend to O.D. on it.  So you’ll be seeing other iterations of the potato basket in the coming weeks.  I already have been thinking about a beet basket….a yam basket….a plantain basket...daikon basket...celery root basket.....If it were summer, I’d certainly do a fruit basket (sans frying).  Any other ideas I should consider?