foodie nyc

Peanut Butter Dulce and Pork Belly? You Had Me At Hello!

As you may recall, I  asked you to send me your favorite dishes you've recent cooked at home.   As a prize for the winning selection, I'm giving away a free seat to my upcoming Foodie NYC tasting on 3/30.   

I received many interesting and delicious dishes, so this choice was very difficult to make.   Thanks to all of you that sent in your entries!   

But, in a sense, the winner came down to the fact that I may have drooled on my keyboard when I saw Chicken Fried Gourmet's Peanut Butter Dulce De Leche paired with Pork Belly.    Not only did the pairing completely intrigue me,  but the utter deliciousness of Michael's dish speaks for itself.

From the words of Michael himself, via his blog Chicken Fried Gourmet:

I wanted to do something different with the Peanut Butter Dulce De Leche (surprise) and not follow the usual theme of making a dessert.....My first thought was pork belly. The inspiration came from Sam Mason's Tailor, where he does a miso-butterscotch pork belly. As you can tell from previous posts this is one of my favorite meats to prepare recently. I wanted to do just simple flavors with the PBDDL so there is really not a lot of things going on with this dish other than the usual accompaniments.

I started by marinating the pork belly in a mixture of PBDDL, bourbon, fresh garlic and olive oil. I then vacuum sealed it and put it in the fridge for 3 days. From the start the dish was made to be of smaller proportion. Originally we were going to have this on Saturday night with friends where we all made two small dishes. It would sort of be like Tapas but not Spanish themed. Everything was on track till Louisiana’s crazy weather sidelined two of the couples with flu like symptoms. Since I had already spent so much time on the dish I decided to just go ahead and make it the main course.

I wanted to have as few ingredients as possible in order for the PBDDL flavor to come through. I settled on some micro arugula dressed in balsamic dressing with crushed peanuts to top it off. I added a “paint” of the PBDDL under the belly and added 3 drops of balsamic syrup to cut the sweetness of the PBDDL. All day Friday I kept obsessing on if I should add a “base” to the dish..... The 2^nd idea, and the one I went with, was a sweet potato ice cream. It follows a basic ice cream recipe but I add two roasted sweet potatoes then strain before making the custard. Looking back I would have added more sweet potatoes for a more pronounced flavor. It was still good though.

This dish was a hit.   It was filling but not to the point where you felt like you had to save up to go see your cardiologist.   The ice cream played well with the sweetnees of the PBDDL and the savoriness of the pork belly.

To thank Michael for this delicious bit of inspiration, he'll be receiving a complimentary seat to the Foodie NYC 3/30 tasting event. 

Be sure to check out Chicken Fried Gourmet for more pictures of the winning dish here.

Thanks to all those who participated and congrats, Michael.

I Want to Cook For You (And Serve You Wine)

I sometimes feel guilty that most of the food I discuss on this site is mine. 

OK, I guess I don't.  I mean, it's my site, right?

Just kidding.  I'd love one of your dishes on this site.    Plus, I've done these contests in the past with the hopes of meeting a long time reader in person...and it's worked out well. 

So, I'm giving away a free seat to the upcoming March 30th tasting, which you can read about here.

So what do you have to do to win?

Just submit a favorite  dish you've made at home with a general method of preparation and a few sentences about why you made the dish.  While a photo of your submission is not required, it will count in your favor when choosing the winning entry. 

Entries must be received by midnight on March 16th.  I will announce the winner on this site on Monday, March 17th.

I'll be choosing the winner based on creativity and your ability to make me either drool or laugh,  which believe it or not, is not very difficult to do.  (I drool frequently.)

If you live in another state or cannot attend the tasting on March 30th, you will be given the option to receive a seat to a future event or pass your seat onto a friend that can attend the tasting in your place.

Please send all submissions to me at joe at foodienyc dot com.

Have fun!

Save the Date: The Next Tasting Is In Sight

I'm very closing to announcing the next set of Foodie NYC tasting events for the weekend of March 28-30.   

Read more here.   

I'm going to be doing a theme for this event, most likely inspired by my upcoming trip to Puerto Rico.    I did an event last year based on my trip to Umbria/Tuscany, which made for a personal and interesting dining experience for my guests.

I'm also thinking of  giving away a free seat to this event by doing a potential contest, like I did with my chocolate tasting event a while ago.

Stay tuned, more to come....

When the Eve is the Main Event

There are a few events I look forward to each year, and there's no doubt that Christmas Eve is at the top of the list.   It's probably no surprise to you that I'd describe it as a food and wine extravaganza.   Add the family and traditions that have seemingly been a part of our Christmas Eve since Italians starting simmering garlic in olive oil, it's such a fantastic night for me that it makes Christmas Day seem like a bit of an afterthought.   (I did not feel this way while I was growing up and waiting for Santa to come the next morning, of course.)

Here are some of this year's highlights.   

Before we get too far into this, you need to know that we follow the Italian tradition of eating only fish on Christmas Eve.  We are not hard core seven fish traditionalists, though I would bet that we do have seven varieties over the course of the night each year.   We are pretty consistent about sticking to the fish tradition, which I've come to enjoy, as it's a challenge to keep the main courses interesting each year.  Well, there was the time that Uncle Beef decided to randomly serve braised beef as a main course, in a controversial maneuver that shocked and appalled everyone over the age of forty.   We don't talk about that often.  (OK, we do.  It was pretty funny).   

The other element that never changes is the pasta course, which is the classic Alio Olio recipe that I've discussed on this site before - simply olive oil, garlic, peperoncino, parsley, parmiginano reggiano and a thin cappellini-like pasta (thicker than angel hair, thinner than spaghetti).   It's a classic dish that I end up craving from time to time, mainly because it reminds me of being a kid on Christmas Eve.    Uncle Beef, in the midst of a few " cool down beers" one year,  added diced pancetta to the pasta that led to raised eyebrows and hidden sighs of pleasure.    While I have been fending off such renegade behavior over the years (such as an unfortunate capers episode and the threat of a sardines), I was greeted this year with a plethora of pancetta and a craving for a return to the renegade pancetta behavior of the past.   I don't fight pork fat - I only crisp it with serve it with a smile on my face.   

Before the pasta course, we had a fantastic mussel soup - possibly my most satisfying bites of this year's dinner.    Judy made a great crab stock, which was added to a base of garlic, ginger, onion, peperoncino and fire roasted canned tomatoes.   After the soup simmers for a while, the mussels and a nugget of butter is added right before serving.   The mussels add their juices to the broth, while the nugget of butter balances out the acidic qualities of the tomato.  A last minute handful of tarragon brought it all together.  (Note:  I was too busy to take a picture of this dish, so the photo is from Judy's mussels from '06.  The version I discuss above was soupier than the picture.  That's for those family members keeping  track of such detail...all two of you.)

The other enduring tradition for our Christmas Eve is wine.    Only recently did the wine quality take off to another level, though I believe the quantity consumed has maintained a fairly consistent level best described as...hmmm....generously foolish.   This year's highlight for me was the 1998 Chateau Angelus Grand Cru Bordeaux from St. Emilion.    I had been holding onto this wine for a while and was happy I brought it, but I had meant to bring a Chateauneuf but grabbed the wrong bottle while rushing out the door.   I didn't realize until we got there that I had brought the Bordeaux, thus embarrassing myself continuously by mentioning Chateauneuf throughout the evening.    Good thing I can cook, eh? Well, at least I could appreciate the amazing, herbacious nose of the Bordeux and the long earthy finish.   

Finally, the main course this year happened to be outrageous.   Judy made a whole salmon stuffed with kashi which was moist and delicious.   The other main was based on a post I had written a long time ago - essentially a recreation of an unbelievable cod dish I had a few years ago at a restaurant called BLT FISH.    The cod is marinated in soy, white vinegar and acacia honey, then broiled and roasted.   The exterior crust is a caramel colored golden brown, while the sauce is salty, sweet and rich.  It's so good that I had to fight off this random Jewish dude who keeps showing up to Christmas Eve dinner, or I think he may have chugged it straight from the pot.

Since I take pride in not following recipes and find the  Food Network only vaguely satisfying, a few people found the fact that this dish came from a recipe and from foodnetwork.com a bit humorous.     Chef Laurent Tourandel, the genius who created this recipe, must have made this dish on a Food Network episode, as googled the dish up popped his recipe on the Food Network.  So, in a nod to my duplicitous actions, I offer you the Chef Tourandel's recipe, courtesy of the Food Network - and take zero credit for the idea.   Make this cod - it's a show stopper.

(NOTE:  Missing from the list of Christmas Eve traditions are the fried smelts.  I would describe them for you, but writing about them makes my stomach turn.  Nothing like gagging on little bones and fishy meat...mmmm.)

The Weekend Tasting Series Menu: October 2007

Sorry for the outage here lately.   I've been recuperating from The Weekend Tasting Series while also taking a bit of a hit at work.   Overall, I thought the experience was a complete success.   Some of you may know that I'm my harshest critic, yet I feel satisfied that the experience lived up to my initial vision.   I thought I'd share the menu(s) and discuss a few cooking highlights for me.   

Coming Full Circle

As I mentioned a while ago, I think the most exciting part about this blog for me is chronicling my cooking adventures for you on an ongoing basis, then seeing my menus come from the ideas on this site.  For instance, you've read about savory waffles here before.   And the idea behind Fig Rockefeller.  And my favorite pork recipe.   Or my thinking behind Vanilla Bean Ginger Bouillabaisse.   

In many ways, it's a full circle interaction with those of you who actually come out and taste the finished result.   I am a big fan of many blogs out there, food and otherwise, but what I often miss is the ability to be able to connect the website to a real, human experience.   I'm excited that I'm posting food ideas and dishes on this site, but also giving readers a chance to actually enjoy them in person.   Integrating the blog with my events wasn't always a goal, but I hope it continues.    It seems to be mutually fulfilling for me and the guests who I spoke with at the events.

The Beauty of Smoked Duck

I'm going to save the smoked duck breast I featured in the third course for another post, but overall, it's certainly going to be part of my future arsenal.    Go out and give it a try.   Hudson Valley has a great smoked duck.   You can even order some  at Fresh Direct.   One evening during the events, I served it warm as an accompaniment to soft cheese pierogies in a sage sauce.    On the other nights, I served the smoked duck as an accent to slices of seared duck breast.    Smoked duck and I are now beyond dating.   We've kind of in lust right now.   We're approaching love, so when it hits that level, I'll do a post.

Williamsburg Felt Like Home

I haven't spent much time shopping or cooking in Williamsburg (Brooklyn, for those of you reading from elsewhere.)  I really didn't go to a big market for much of the ingredients I needed to fill in the gaps on a daily basis during the weekend.   I went to a local, small butcher shop, a fish shop, a produce store, all within a few blocks from each other.   I felt like I was thrown back in time to the quaint, hometown I have in my head, but  seemed to have missed by only a few years before the invention of one stop shopping.   Quite refreshing.

Flavoring Bechamel

You know the traditional bechamel sauce.   I love spiking it with a single, pronounced flavor.    In this case, smoky, spicy chipotle as a drizzle with fresh, warm figs.

Bottlerocket Rocks

I picked up all of my wine for the events at Bottlerocket.   These guys are the real deal.   They have a passion for pairing wines with food and flavors, and I really enjoyed working with them to pair the wine with the menu.   Of the wines we served, I think the consensus favorite was the Clos du Prieur, Syrah, 2003.   Big, delicious but not a crazy fruit bomb.    A great, untraditional pairing for curry and pork.

Hope you can make it to the next set of events.   The mailing list is the best way to find out about them the moment they are announced.

(PS.  For those of you who attended the events, the above is the menu from 10/14.   After the jump are the menus from 10/12 and 10/13.)

A Weekend of Tastings

I always wanted to do my Foodie NYC tasting events on consecutive days.     In my grand plan, my tasting events would pop up at different locations for an entire weekend a few times a month.   My mailing list would receive notice a few days in advance of the next tasting weekend and...voila.   We'd have a mini restaurant up and running for the weekend.    Not a restaurant, per se, because it would have a more intimate vibe and personality all its own. 

And now, it's finally coming to fruition.    I had been holding out on doing events for the summer, mainly because I was enjoying my personal life.  But in reality, I had been waiting to execute this weekend tasting series idea.   I had also been hoping to launch a new name and website with the new weekend tasting idea, but that could take a while.  That plan is still in the works, however.

In the meantime, I'm happy to announce the launch of The Weekend Tasting Series on Oct 12th.   All of the details are located here.  I'm sure I'll be posting cooking ideas as I prep for the event and will most certainly share the menu and pictures afterward.      

Longing For A Modern Day Harvey's

I recently finished reading The Devil in the Kitchen, an uncensored memoir written by the infamous British chef Marco Pierre White.

Chef White's career preceded my awareness of great restaurants and chefs, as I was just a teen when he became the first British born chef to earn three Michelin stars. But I had tracked down his first book, White Heat, which I had heard was unlike most cookbooks I had previously owned.

The food wasn't a huge focus for me when I first read White Heat.  Rather, I found myself fixated on the raw, brutal, unrefined nature of Chef White's writing and appearance.   Equally perplexing was the elegant, refined and thoughtful approach to cooking that contradicted his brutish nature.  I remember reading White Heat and catching myself with my mouth gaping (sometimes smiling), as if watching a train wreck heading for a crash that's somehow avoided.

When The Devil in the Kitchen landed in my lap (thanks Laren), I was skeptical about the quality of the story Marco was going to tell.  I pictured an inarticulate, slightly emotionless, brutal behind-the-scenes story about how White used to torture his kitchen staff in the pursuit of perfection.  I'd read about Mario Batali's abuse at the hands of White (in the book Heat), as well as Gordan Ramsay's war stories with White and wondered if this would be a shallow, surface level book that you'd read and forget about weeks later.

To some extent, this book is just that.  The difference is that the restaurant war stories are absolutely hilarious and shockingly unbelievable.  I've personally never seen or heard of someone getting kicked out of a restaurant by a superstar chef for complaining to a waiter, or getting into a fist fight with a chef in the kitchen.  And rest assured, the stories are just damn funny coming from Marco's brutish voice.   Somehow, Marco's unrefined, simplistic writing style adds to the humor and drama of his story.  Yet, his real and honest voice allows White to get very personal.  Even when he glosses over some of his feelings while discussing emotional points in his life, his tone of voice somehow communicates his choked back tears. Curse word after British slang after typo, I questioned the editors of this book but then realized the editors are one of the stars here - they did an excellent job leaving Marco's voice unpolished and unprofessional.  It makes the book.

There are many aspects of the book I can discuss here, but I'll just focus on the one thought I had over and over again as I read about Marco's rise to three star perfection.

Marco's first restaurant was called Harvey's, a small restaurant that Marco brought from nowhere to Michelin star fame.  The stories behind the day-to-day life at Harvey's are one of the highlights of the book.  As I read about Harvey's, I remember thinking about how I've never been to a restaurant like this in my life.  At any given night, White makes it seem as if you'd witness a guest getting kicked out of the restaurant, guests getting into fist fights in the kitchen, chefs getting into brawls in the back alleys behind the restaurant, chefs having sex with guests in back rooms, movie stars acting like clowns in the dining room....it seemed to go on and on.

Harvey's seemed to have adapted the personality of Marco - the dichotomy behind his thoughtful and perfect cuisine and his brutish, unpredictable, over-emotional tendencies.   If a modern day Harvey's were within my current reach,  I would want to dine nowhere else.

In my opinion, high-end restaurants these days avoid displaying the personality of their owner (Babbo has always been one of the exceptions, thankfully).  These days, it's all about following a formula to accomplish a goal of delivering refinement, trendiness, or a theme/genre.

Dining at Harvey's meant entering the world of Marco and knowing that while you'd get an amazing meal, something could happen at any given time that could be a little bit offbeat, quirky, or down right wrong. And that's one of the reasons why people went to Harvey's.  Harvey's wasn't able to be replicated next door, as there was only one Marco Pierre White. 

I long for this type of restaurant in NYC.  But thanks to The Devil in the Kitchen, I somehow felt like I was transported to Harvey's - and damn was it tasty.

Pork, Meet Dork

I woke up this morning, assessed my pre-shave beard scruffage in the bathroom mirror, then quickly noticed I had a shit-eating grin on my face.

I looked around the corner and confirmed Sandra Lee was not in my bedroom. 

Then I quickly realized the cause of my pure, uncompromised joy.

As I applied my shaving cream, I confirmed the events of last night's activities.

A few minutes after walking by Molto Mario's table on my way to our seats at Momofuku Ssam, a guy from his party came over with a plate of pork ribs they couldn't finish.  Mario looked right over at me (not unintentionally, I assure you.  He is obviously addicted to Foodie NYC and reads this blog obsessively.  It wasn't like I was the only member of our table in his line of sight at the time) and said something about the ribs being delicious. Curiously, there were Daisy May's wet naps on the plate (?). Our server refused to comment on such matters after further inquiry.  Impromptu, fall-off-the-bone BBQ goodness is how I would describe the start of the night at Ssam.

Next, we proceed to have the 'fuku pork buns.  You know how I feel about them.

At this point, I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I cut myself shaving.  Chin = bleeding.

Many other deliciously excellent things followed, but that's for another post.

Ah, right.  The reason for the excursion to Ssam - (not like you need one) - was the Bo Ssam, a.k.a. Ridiculous Berkshire Pork Butt Extravaganza.  I lost sense of time and Mario at this point, as I could only concentrate on the combination of pork butt wrapped in bibb lettuce and dosed with a truly excellent ginger scallion sauce.  A bit of hot sauce sometimes topped these seemingly endless bites of heaven. (Pork Butt photography courtesy of pork aficionado Laren).

I then thought about my preposterous activities upon leaving the restaurant.  I came home and anxiously unwrapped two little gems Laren brought back from Salumi, the pork haven in Seattle.  I recall  thinking that eating a slice of this salumi after the above feast was unwise and possibly even unhuman.  Yet I couldn't turn down the bizarre coincidence of eating leftover ribs from Mario and salumi from Pappa Batali in the same night.  At this point, I wondered whether I'd reached pork dorkiness.  I looked down at my protruding stomach and the multiple gashes on my shaven face and realized that why yes, I am a pork dork.

But after all those highlights, all I can think about is the cardamom-orange salumi I had from Pappa Batali's Salumi.  The intoxicating earthy flavor of the cardamom and the distinct pop of orange zest/rind was unusual, captivating and just insane - I can't get over how much I loved the combination of these flavors.  Truly inspirational.

By this point, I'm done with my shave and despite all this pork dorkiness, I somehow managed to escape with only two chin wounds.  Damn, I better not shave the day after I convince Sandra to finally stay over.  One would consider that a risk to my health, right?

Pancetta Popcorn Arugula Salad

A while back, I had an excellent salad at The Tasting Room.  Baby greens were tossed with popcorn,  pancetta, radishes and a crumbled soft cheese (goat?).  The texture of the popcorn, crisp pancetta and the spicy, peppery radish were an excellent combination.  The salad wasn't perfectly executed in my opinion, as the large, whole radishes and large dollops of cheese could have been more thoughtfully  integrated.  But the idea behind the salad was a great one worth exploring at home.

I've riffed off of these flavor combinations a few times now.  In this version, I took the peppery bite of the radish and replaced it with arugula. The popcorn is very roughly chopped, as the whole kernels seemed a bit too large in a single bite for my tastes.  For the creamy element, I tossed in a crumbly goat cheese that was reminiscent in texture to a ricotta salata.   In fact, I've also used ricotta salata in this dish with nice results.

A standard lemon, EV olive oil dressing would be great for the salad.  On this given night, I gave myself the challenge of featuring booze in every course I made.   I had a Thai chili infused martini at Koca Lounge that I enjoyed, so I pureed chili into vodka in a food processor, brought the mixture to a boil, cooled and strained it, then seasoned with EV olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of lemon juice.  The spicy notes made the dressing a welcomed addition to the salad, but as you'd expect, the vodka lent little flavor on its own.   But with all of these flavors going on at once, that wasn't such a bad thing.

Foodie NYC Restaurant Notebook: April 2007

Some recent restaurant thoughts and experiences to share with you.....

Public - A recent dinner at Public was one of my culinary highlights over the past few months.  I love the wine list at Public.  Open minded diners can explore a range of Pinots from New Zealand, many of which are affordable and very tasty.  An appetizer of foie gras with a corn pancake and black vinegar, blueberry reduction was simply outstanding.  A snail and oxtail ravioli entree really blew me away - huge, rich, smoky flavors made for an excellent pairing with the NZ Pinots. Getting back to Public for brunch is at the top of my to do list.

Mercadito - I live a few blocks away from Mercadito and tend to pop in for the beer batter fish tacos frequently.  But recently we went for dinner and covered much more of the menu.  I am a passionate lover of ceviche.  Without doubt, I'd say the best ceviches I've had to date were from Chef Douglas Rodriguez when he has at his peak years ago at Patria, OLA, etc (what's he up to, btw?).  The three ceviches I had at Mercadito were of that quality.  Perfectly balanced, well-textured and barely cooked fish made for explosively fresh tastes and textures.  "Flavor bombs" were how these ceviches were described at the table.  A large, whole grilled red snapper entree was also perfectly moist and char grilled. 

The New Version of Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar - I'd been to the original Jack's just once.  I loved it and as you can see, it inspired one of my better culinary efforts a few years ago.  The new version of Jack's is almost like a mini version of Degustation, but with a few tables around the bar.  In two visits over the past few months, I've been nothing short of impressed with the food at the new Jack's.  A butter poached lobster dish was rich, tender and luxurious, while a simple spaetzle truffle mac and cheese dish was homey and satisfying.  A lobster profiterole dish was great on one occasion and only good on the next.  The new Jack's is flying under the radar as Degustation is (deservedly so) getting much of the buzz within the Lamb empire.

Minca - This place can be called Momofuku lite, in my opinion.  Lite in the sense that menu is not as varied, they don't have those amazing pork buns and don't feature Berkshire pork like Momofuku.  Otherwise, the ramen and noodle based dishes are just excellent.  The shrimp gyoza are absolutely cravable.  Sitting at the bar, you are right next to the guy preparing your ramen and it's certainly a site worth watching.  I frequently head here for a solo dinner, as there's a decent amount of cooking entertainment to fend off boredom.

Koca Lounge - Really great drinks are being made at Koca Lounge.  I had a super soju martini infused with chili.  Ceratinly one of the more memorable and inspiring drinks I've had recently, though I suspect it's too spicy for 75% of the population.  The taro fries are a reason to visit this restaurant as well - they are literally addictive and phenominal.   We had a hot pot with perfectly flavored broths, accompanied by very high quality dippings like thinly sliced rib eye, large prestine shrimp and a wealth of vibrant veggies.   I wonder how the restaurant will do in the warm months considering the hot pot theme, but I hope this place can hang in there. 

Osteria del Circo - I can't tell you how impressed I was with the passion of Mauro Maccioni, one of the owners of the restaurant and the Le Cirque empire.  Yes, I read the Amateur Gourmet experience which slightly confirmed some of the stereotypes I'd formed against the Le Cirque restaurants in the past.  I went to Osteria with an open mind, however, and was overwhelmed by the passion Mauro has for the authentic, traditional cuisine of his heritage.  He brings back little treats from his excursions to Italy that are worth calling him over to discuss - all you have to do is express interest.  There is little doubt that he'll go back to the kitchen and craft you something special. After a dialogue with Mauro about the salumi I experienced in Tuscany, he arranged serving a slice from the very shop I visited in Chianti, which they happen to carry for personal consumption in the restaurant.  It's refreshing to see someone this passionate and open to sharing his culture and food with customers. 

A Small Bite, A Big Winner

Thanks to all of the excellent submissions to the Foodie NYC Small Bites contest.  There were many fun and interesting ideas, which made the decision difficult.  I could have gone in a couple of different directions, but Rachel from Fresh Approach Cooking sent in an idea that I found inspirational.

As you can see to the right, Rachel created a dish she calls Thai-style Duck Bites.  The dish is very simple to put together.  Inspired by a Thai soup, Rachel tossed a spicy, tangy marinade with shredded Peking Duck and stuffed the duck into a cucumber.  The thought of ginger, kaffir lime (a favorite of mine), soy, Thai basil and a touch of sugar to enhance the flavors of duck certainly sounded tasty.   Countering the richness of the duck with the freshness of a cucumber is also a nice touch.   Best yet, Rachel's Thai Style Duck Bites sent me thinking about other possibilities - perhaps a duck confit stuffed into a quickly pickled sweet and sour cucumber?

Since all good ideas inspire others, Rachel wins a free ticket to the upcoming Foodie NYC small bites style event on March 17.  Great job, Rachel and thanks for sharing this tasty dish with us!

The Foodie NYC Small Bite Contest

As you've read here, my next tasting event will feature a wide range of small, tapas sized bites.

But I don't feel like being the only one around here thinking about creating tasty tapas at home.  I need to channel your inner inspiration to keep me inspired as I work my way through the recipe development stage for new dishes.

As such, I'm offering you the chance to win a free ticket to my March 17 Saturday Night Tasting event.  All you have to do is send me an idea (via email only) and general preparation guidance on how to make a creative, tasty small bite that would be perfect for entertaining guests.  Send me an email by midnight on March 12 with your ideas.  I'll announce the winner on this site on March 13.

There are zero guidelines or limitations on the type of cuisine for this dish.  It can be savory, vegetarian, meat or fish based, a dessert...whatever inspires you! It just needs to be a small bite of tasty food.  Extra special points will be given to entries with a photo, or a story that makes me laugh.  But a great idea will win regardless!  With your permission, I will post your winning entry on this site as well.

If you live outside of NYC and/or would not be able to attend the March 17 event, you will be able to transfer your winning ticket to a friend or receive a free pass to a future Foodie NYC event of your choice.  I hope to receive many submissions...have fun and remember, me love you long time!

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!

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. 

Menu from Tuscany/Umbria Tasting

Sorry for the lack of stimuli around here lately.  I've been preoccupied with many things, but mostly preparing for the Tuscany/Umbria tasting event we held on October 15.  Here's a look at the menu.  Thanks to all of you for coming!

Inspirations from Tuscany and Umbria

October 15, 2006      

tomato water with mussels and fried mint

pecorino truffle honey crostini

                        

zucchini sformato

arugula juice, tuscan olive oil,  country bread

                        

tegamaccio

cod, shrimp, tomato bread stew

                        

braised rabbit

with porcini gnudi and fried sage

                         

tuscan brodo

lamb, creamy white beans, glazed carrots

                        

polenta cake

basil sorbet

It's Official - October 15th Tasting

Our next foodie event is scheduled for October 15 - read all about it here.

This is going to be a special tasting for me, as the entire menu will be based on my recent travels to Tuscany and Umbria.  You've read a bit about the trip on this site, with hopefully much more to come.  But creating a tasting for 50 or 60 of you out there based entirely on what inspired me during my travels is very exciting - it makes the entire event more personal for me.  I'm used to expressing my traveling experiences in photos or words, but to be able to convey my experiences to you through food and wine will be an exciting challenge.    Hope you can make it!

Cravings: Black Cod with Acacia Honey

(Ed note:  This is a new series I'll be writing on this site, called Cravings.)

One of the best dishes I've had so far in 2006 was at BLT Fish, in the fancy upstairs restaurant. 

I generally believe that of the two times of I have eaten upstairs and the 5 times I have eaten downstairs at BLT, I have had some of the freshest fish a person can enjoy in NYC on a given night.  The fancy dining room upstairs features a Black Cod, which is marinated in Acacia honey and vinegar, then roasted in the oven to achieve a slightly caramelized exterior, brilliantly accentuating the luscious, moist piece of cod that flakes into chunky, juicy pieces.  The  exterior of the cod is earthy, a touch sweet with just a slight background of acidity.  The caramelized texture of the roasted honey works to highlight the freshness of the pristine fish.  I need to learn to make a dish like this....this is A+ material.

Latin American Tasting Menu

I apologize for being MIA recently.  I've been really under the pump at work - late nights, early mornings, lots of stress.  Good times! On top of that, we had our last foodie event last Sunday, which took the rest of my free time to plan, practice my dishes, etc. I have been doing zero cooking other than practicing for foodie and I am always torn about whether to post my works in progress for upcoming events here (I like to keep the menu a relative surprise for guests that attend). 

Anyhow, our event was a total success.  I thought the menu was well executed, other than a few minor gaffs that haven't kept me up nights.  I think we are serving very good restaurant quality food at our events now, which hadn't always been the case.  I think we've finally found the formula for producing great food for a crowd without industrial restaurant equipment.

As I told the guests on Sunday, I was very careful about calling this event 'Flavors of Latin America'.  I wanted room to be able to express some of the flavors and techniques of the region in my own way.   

Here's the  menu we served.

Flavors of Latin America

        June 11, 2006
          55 People

Fried Yuca Chip

asparagus, chili aioli

Wild Salmon Popcorn Ceviche Spoons

lime, chili, mint

2004 Montes Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

***

Spring Salad

morels, asparagus, jicama, baby carrots, tortilla, pisco sour reduction

2004 Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay, Alexander Cuvee

***

Braised Oxtail Not Really Empanadas

creamy plantain soup

2004 Norton Malbec Reserve

***

Cuban Mojo Pork

yuca mash cake, black bean sauce

2002 Zuccardi Malbec "Q"

***

Duck Achiote

Peas, banana, red onion, queso blanco, quinoa

2002 Zuccardi Cabernet Sauvignon

  ***

Dulce de Leche, Bay Leaf Flan

strawberry salad, coconut tuile

2004 Santa Julia Tardio

FoodieNYC Restaurant Notebook: May 10, 2006

Every so often I will give a list of restaurant recommendations based on notable and recent dining experiences I've had. These aren't reviews.  No one I know speaks in terms of stars ("Babbo is so three star - you should go!"), so I won't either.

Highly Recommended - You'll Love It

Nougatine - Jean Georges now offers a more casual, less expensive option within his flagship restaurant on the UWS.   It has a serene if unremarkable atmosphere.  It remains a bit stuffy, yet it has energy thanks to a bar that was packed with diners and drinkers alike.  I've dined at JG proper in the past and was completely blown away with the innovative nature of their cooking, plating and flavor combinations.  Hey, that's why JG has four stars.  Nougatine does not really offer that level of innovation.  It focuses on simple, straightforward, perfectly executed dishes featuring the highest quality ingredients.  Indeed, it's the same staff and quality ingredients from the JG kitchen.  We had a tuna tartar dish that was very good but not unique or memorable at all.  A foie brulee was the most innovative dish on the menu and beyond fantastic. A crunchy layer of carmelization was atop a rich, creamy base of foie below.   A strip steak entree was very nicely executed.  The quality of the steak was great - phenomenal beefiness made the dish a standout.  An organic salmon dish with Asian vegetables was again not special in theory, but the quality of the salmon was extraordinary.  Only an average cheese plate at the end of the meal was not up to par (uninspired selections, served too cold, just boring).   Another bonus of the restaurant is access to the JG wine list.  We had a 2001 Rioja for $40 bucks that was excellent.  We got out of there for about $120 ish, which is less than Cesca, Compass, Telepan and many other options within this caliber in the UWS area.

Beppe - I've been to Beppe twice recently.  It's a very casual, homey Italian restaurant with a low key (read: untrendy) atmosphere.  The simple pasta dishes are executed perfectly.  A rabbit tagliatelle, for instance, had braised pieces of rabbit within the pasta, while a clear, flavorful stock/brodo took it over the top for me.  The homemade sausages at Beppe, served as an appetizer, are a favorite.  They have a hint of cinnamon that I find an intriguing and excellent touch.  The fries cannot be missed - they are insanely good.  Insanely.  Good.  Main courses are usually whole grilled fish or simple braised meats.  I've had a braised beef cheek dish with vegetables twice and loved it both times.  Simple Italian classics done right and relatively inexpensively are the hallmarks of Beppe.  The wine list is long but very expensive (not in keeping with the prices of the food or the style of cuisine) in my opinion. 

Upstairs at Bouley -  This restaurant makes me wish I lived in Tribeca.  A very small restaurant that doesn't accept reservations.  Two cooks in the exposed kitchen.  Two sushi chefs at a small sushi bar.  That's it.  The menu is equally as small, with about four or five choices for both appetizers and mains, and a few  selections featured from the sushi bar.  The dishes are very simple and seasonal.  I had a crab salad with asparagus that was excellent, followed by cod in a pea broth that was simply grilled to perfection. The cuisine is very similar in concept and execution as Bouley proper - refined and clean in flavor (i.e. not overly busy with lots of ingredients) but just a bit simpler at Upstairs.  The service can be a bit unorganized and manic. For instance, there are occasions in which have to run across the street to Bouley proper to get the wine you order from the wine list.  They also have some outside seating as well which will be nice for the summer months. 

En Japanese Brasserie - I love the atmosphere and design of this restaurant.  It is elegant, sleek and modern, yet it is mellow and relaxing. Sit at the large communal type table that forms the perimeter of a tranquil pool. We did a $50 pp ten course tasting of their favorite dishes on the menu, served in small bites.  The sashimi we had was very fresh and flavorful.  A tofu tasting was served in a few styles of preparations that were intriguing and unexpected for a tofu novice like myself.  Multiple fish preparations-a shallow fried cod, the ubiquitous black cod miso, sashimi with rice in fish broth - were spot on.  A braised pork belly dish was meaty, flavorful and juicy.  They also have an xxcellent sake list with detailed tasting descriptions for guidance.

A Voce - I've been to A Voce only once thus far and tasted only a few dishes.  I was with a large party, however, and was able to gauge reactions to individual dishes.  Overall, the restaurant is very good and reasonably priced.  I very naturally started to compare the restaurant to Babbo, which I find to be a compliment to A Voce.  Appetizers and salads were a strong point.   The duck meatballs are phenomenal - simple, rich, homey and yet a new taste for me.  A porcini salad with lentils was also very nice - simple and uncomplicated.  A few of the pasta dishes were also a success.  Ramps with parm and speck was an excellent pasta that a few people really loved.  I had the lamb ragu with ricotta and papardelle.  It was very tasty, but I found the balance of ragu to pasta way over the top. I think I would rank both Babbo and Lupa's pasta execution as both superior to A Voce.   Many at the table did not find the entree section of the menu intriguing - only one out of 10 chose an actual entree which tells you something.  Finally, I find the space a bit uninviting and a little tacky, but that's just me.  I personally find A Voce a notch below Babbo in terms of food and wine (though A Voce has a nice list), but still very good overall.   I'd encourage you to make a reservation there.

Recommended, But.....

Jovia -  I found the food at Jovia to be generally unfocused.  One of my biggest pet peeves is overwhelming a dish with flavor upon flavor, ingredient upon ingredient, and in the process losing the essence of the dish.  I found this happening very frequently at Jovia, both in duck and cod entree courses.   I am a tortellini in brodo aficionado, having O.D.'d on it at the source of its conception (the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy).  Jovia's version is pretty weak in comparison.  Finally, the prices are relatively expensive, most likely due to the very nice townhouse in which the restaurant is located.  I wouldn't discourage you from going to Jovia, but I'd rather eat at A Voce or a handful of other ambitious Italian restaurants right now for more focused flavors at a cheaper price.

Urena - I've been to Urena twice now, but have only eaten once.  We had to actually leave the first time we were there, as we were not seated after waiting 45 minutes for a table we reserved.  On our second visit, we did actually get to eat.  The food is pretty good but not great.  I had a braised short rib dish that was very nice.  Otherwise, I would say that the interpretation of Spanish cuisine is uninspired.  For starters, there is chorizo in about every dish.  There are the cliched flavors of Spain (manchego, salt cod, etc) continually repeated over the entire menu and multiple dishes I tasted.  Many of the flavors lacked balance - everything was rich, salty or smokey....that was about it.  I found the menu to be quite small and limiting.  In fact, the tapas are sadly not offered at the table, making this only an appetizer, entree menu.  Finally, the decor here is beyond horrendous.  I actually found it painful to be in the restaurant, as I continued to get flashbacks of eating in Jersey strip malls.  I think the food is OK, the wine list small and generally well chosen, but the atmosphere is an F.  The desserts are actually very good and quite original.  You could do a lot worse, but you have many other choices for more inspired Spanish cuisine in the city.

Chef Tasting Menu at Tru

I have always wanted to eat at Tru.  I have two of chef Rick Tramonto's cookbooks, Tru and Amuse-  Bouche.  Amuse is a book that I used to be obsessed with and continues to serve as inspiration.  We went to Tru the night before we went to Charlie Trotter's, so I will inevitably compare the two later on in this post.

We made a reservation at the chef's table, a secluded room right off the kitchen.  It was an excellent atmosphere - we had our own server and wine expert  - an excellent touch. 

Our tasting at Tru was a nine course, chef inspired menu.  They basically ask if you have any food issues - other than that, we'd know what we were eating as the courses were served.

What we really enjoyed about this experience was that the kitchen would prepare two dishes with the same main ingredient, which allowed us to enjoy two preparations within the same course but also the range and creativity of the kitchen.

My Birthday Tasting at Tru
March 14, 2006

Amuse

I was a little disappointed with the amuses, considering I have been in awe of Tramonto's Amuse book for years.  I really appreciate the whimsical, innovative approach he takes to these little bites to start a meal, and unfortunately we just didn't get it.   This hit me a little harder than most, as I had all of these expectations coming in....

Yuzu marinated fluke, young coconut, daikon

Fresh but not a lot of flavor coming across here.  No yuzu.  No coconut.  Very forgettable. Felt like I could have been served this dish at an average NYC restaurant.

Mushroom terrine

Awesome.  This was the mushroom terrine in the Amuse cookbook, which I find really inspiring.  Awful plating choice to me.  Really need to use a white dish to accentuate the layers and layers of mushrooms in the terrine, but very good taste.

Crab salad, lemon "cloud" (?) (pictured above)

The crab was very fresh, just a touch sweet.  The cloud, as described by the server, was a light wisp of texture which is a nice idea.   Unfortunately it didn't have any flavor.

First

Osetra Caviar, Cauliflower Creme, Lemon Confit

This was phenomenal.  The caviar (which I rarely enjoy for obvious reasons) was salty and tasted of the ocean, while the cauliflower creme was chilled, rich and earthy.  The lemon balanced the flavors.  Very nice dish.

Second

New Zealand Langoustine, Thai Chili, Lemon, Watercress

A roasted langoustine was placed on chunks of raw langoustine.  The langoustines were an inspiration - sweet, succulent, very fresh and star of the dish.  Very interesting to compare the roasted flavors with that of the raw - the raw was much sweeter to me.   The zing of the chili worked to play with the sweetness of the langoustine.  Excellent.

Roasted New Zealand Langoustine, Baby Carrot, Turnip, Fennel, Langoustine Jus

I only got a bite of this, as I was fully entrenched in the above langoustine dish but remember again the excellent quality of the langoustine and jus, which was as rich and flavorful as you'd expect a reduced lobster stock to taste. 

Third

Duck Bouillon, Duck Prosciutto

A clear, dark, brooding soup with vegetables and pieces of duck prosciutto at the bottom of the soup.  It had an amazing duck flavor but was so overly salty that we just couldn't enjoy it very much at all.   A total bummer and not something you'd expect from a restaurant of this quality.  Did more than one person taste this before serving? I'd say not.

Veloute of Duck, Duck Confit

The same overly salty duck stock was made richer and creamier, which helped the saltiness a bit, but again only barely.  The confit was rich and excellent and the soup would have been a winner if we could have overcome the salt.  But we couldn't.  Both of these soups were a disappointment to me.

Finally, I think these heavy, meaty soup courses were out of order within the tasting.  They should have come after the fish dishes below.  If we were doing a wine tasting along with this, I would have been pissed.

Four

Nova Scotia Halibut "a la panacha", Sea Urchin, Uni and Citrus Jus (pictured at top of post)

One of my favorite dishes of the night.  I didn't get any plancha flavors here.  In fact, the fish was so remarkably moist that I would have bet it was sois vide or steamed.  The sea urchin tasted of the salty sea, while the rich uni sauce was balanced with citrus and had the richness of the langoustine stock I mentioned above.  In fact, I would bet the langoustine stock was the base of this sauce. Great dish.

Grilled Nova Scotia Halibut, Razor Clams Casino, Bacon, Spinach, Clam Spinach Sauce

Another excellent dish.  The halibut was moist yet had the nice flavor from the grill.  The razor clam was breaded with and the color of pistachio.  Maybe it was spinach, not sure.  Didn't have the bacon in it, so not sure why it was called "casino".  The sauce was fresh and light, a nice balance with the clams.  Didn't get a hint of bacon in this dish.

Five

House-made Farfalle, Chicken Wing confit, Bayonne Ham, Foie Gras Glaze

This was my favorite dish of the entire tasting.  Next to the chicken wing confit was a little piece of soft chicken (the one that looks like a sausage), which we found out was cooked sous vide.  It was remarkable - soft like a pillow in the mouth but very much retaining its chicken flavor.  As for the foie gras, again, no flavors present but I didn't care.  This dish was excellent.

Farro Risotto, Braised Oxail and Foie Gras, Fried Shallots, Red Wine Beef Jus

Again, no visible pieces of foie or not really any flavors of it that  I could pick out.  All I could really appreciate was the farro and the beefiness in the dish.   Al dente in texture, the farro absorbed all of the flavors of the oxtail and beef jus, as this was the main taste in the dish.  Very basic and homey in flavor, yet very good.  A definite winner.

Six

Roasted Prime Ribeye, Braised Short Rib, Pearl Onion, Bacon Lardons

If I were even in a state of being able to eat this dish, I would have gobbled up ever thing on the plate.  Nice char, perfectly cooked, excellent meaty flavors.  Short rib was also excellent, if not excessive. Simple expression of high quality beef.  Very good in taste but lacking points in originality to me.  Was looking for a little more inspired technique or ingredient combinations here. 

Grilled Ribeye, Fondant Potatoes, Bearnaise Reduction

Great grilled flavor on the high quality ribeye.  The potatoes were a little overly saturated with fat - just way too dense with cream and butter.  The bearnaise in combination with the potatoes was pretty heavy handed to me - needed something to balance the beef and potatoes, not add to the richness.  Further, I think this dish is executed at the same level at 2 star restaurants in NYC.  A tasty but uninspired dish.

Seven

Cheese Course

Wow.  Possibly one of the nicest cheese courses I have ever had (Chanterelle and Artisinal in NYC still take the cake for me).  No limits on how many you can choose - a little slice of each was a great experience.

Eight

Duet of Desserts

I am not going to get into dessert details, because I don't pay as much attention to this as others do. I know, I suck.  Whatever.  The famous homemade root beer float Gale Gande created is phenomenal, without question. 

Nine

Mignardises and Lollipops

Just to send you off in style, the mignardises come with their own cart.  There must be about 12 little choices for you - homemade dark chocolate truffles and many many more.  I had a lavender lollipop wich I thought was a great idea.   I could get a floral flavor but wouldn't be able to pick out lavender if my life depended on it.

Thoughts and Conclusion

The service was excellent, as was the experience of being at the chef's table.  We were given an unbelievable amount of attention and care. 

However, as I mentioned, chef Tramonto is one of my favorite chefs because of the inventive approach he takes to his cuisine.  This was sorely lacking.  There were very few times that I was blown away at any point during the meal, which should just not be the case.  All of the food tasted great, but that's only part of what makes a 4 star restaurant in my opinion.  Have a look at the Tru website.   The featured dishes on the site and in his books are nothing less than innovative.  Now have a look at the menu above - pretty tame in comparison.

I am a stickler for being able to taste flavors and elements of a dish that are pointed out on the menu.  The descriptions from the server and a menu we kindly rec