Megan Blocker

It's in the freezer, waiting to be made into stock! I actually have another one in there, too...I'm not using my last batch fast enough, I guess! I did truss it myself, while talking on the phone. Lots of intrafamily phone calls tonight... ← Forgot to tell you all about where I bought the chicken. I went to Schaller and Weber, the German market/butcher, whose New York store is a block north of my apartment. We ran in and grabbed some milk and a Murrey's chicken! Schaller and Weber has the best windows in the neighborhood. Exhibit A: their stein collection.

Oh, for the wine folks, I should mention that dinner was consumed with a bottle of pinot blanc from the North Shore of Long Island...very light and soft, and went well with the chicken.

It's in the freezer, waiting to be made into stock! I actually have another one in there, too...I'm not using my last batch fast enough, I guess! I did truss it myself, while talking on the phone. Lots of intrafamily phone calls tonight...

I'd forgotten about that. I have four DIFFERENT kinds of bacon in my fridge or freezer at any given time. I'll detour 100 miles for a new kind of bacon. Megan, we must know about your bacon habits. ← Aw, man. I had no idea people would think that was so funny. I totally would have lied about it. I do love bacon, but I don't eat a lot of it as a primary ingredient (I use it mostly in pasta or stews)...probably because I eat so few lunches and breakfasts at home. Interesting question...mostly, no. If I do have dessert when I'm eating alone, it's either because I bought something at a bakery on the way home (an impulse buy like a cupcake), or it's a piece of fruit or some yogurt with brown sugar swirled in. In the summer, I eat a lot of berries; in the winter, it's mostly oranges. That said, I always make dessert when I have people over, even if it's just my little brother on a Tuesday; I find it makes the most mundane meal into an event.

OK, dessert! So, as mentioned above, a very sweet vendor sent me a fruit basket from Harry and David last week. I like fruit, but a dozen pears and a dozen apples is a lot for even me to handle, so I decided to use some of the pears in a pear tart tatin this weekend, once they'd ripened up a bit. Before we started dinner, I made a half-recipe of pate brise (I make mine with about 1 1/4 cups flour and one stick of butter) and put it in the fridge to rest. Once we'd gotten the chicken in the oven, I peeled and halved the pears, then put them in a skillet full of butter and sugar and sprinkled them with a bit of cinnamon. Cooked those for about half an hour, over low heat, until the caramel had turned dark brown, then let everything cool down a bit. I rolled out the pastry and tucked it in over the pears in the skillet (kind of like putting little kids to bed, with all the folding under and securing of corners!) and put the skillet in the oven for about 30 minutes. The result: Oh my goodness! So delicious! This is my first tart tatin of any kind (baking it, not eating it - I am an expert at the latter), and I was surprised by how easy it was. We needed a little teamwork to invert the tart onto the plate, but otherwise it was a breeze. And the upside-down element lets the pastry get so fluffy...excellent. And the pears were wonderful, sweet and juicy. Yum.

So, here's how our dinner went down! We hung out and talked for a while when we got back from downtown, then got down to the business of prepping dinner. First, we peeled and chopped the vegetables; we put the carrots, onions, brussels sprouts and parsnips into a roasting dish and tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Once they were almost done, I pulled the veggies out, glazed them with a bit of balsamic, and tossed them back into the oven for a couple minutes. The result: Then, we made the gratin. Sliced up some La Ratte potatoes and put them in saucepan. Poured in enough milk and cream to almost cover, added a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, and scalded the cream. Poured the whole lot into a gratin pan and grated some nutmeg and Parmesan down over the top... Finally, the chicken! I just rub mine all over with butter, shower with salt and pepper, and roast in a skillet. Really simple, really delicious. One serving, all ready to go: It was a great dinner...really warm and homey. It highlighted some local ingredients and let each of them shine through to their fullest. Nothing too fancy or innovative at all, but very satisfying and fun to cook together. That coming from someone who has trouble sharing her kitchen - I'm a little too independent sometimes.

Abra, thank you for the fabulous suggestion for Valentine's Day...I am now drooling, even after eating a HUGE dinner (details to follow, of course)! La Ratte, as far as I know, is a firm, waxy potato, similar to Yukon Golds, but even less grainy in texture. They look like giant fingerling potatoes. They do really well in purees, and were lovely tonight in a gratin dauphinois. Here's a link to some information on them. As for India - no, you haven't missed! I am headed there for a week, flying out on March 1st. I'm going for work, and I'll be in Mumbai and Bangalore. We're flying through London, and I'll be staying there for three nights on the way back. It should be a pretty amazing trip. I've never been to Asia before, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Pan, first of all, thank you so much for all the recommendations! Second, thank you for the congratulations. Third, bread and butter pickles are a sweet pickle made with cucumbers, and, according to Epicurious.com's food dictionary, are generally "made from thin slices of unpeeled cucumber; usually pickled with onion and sweet green bell pepper, and flavored with mustard and celery seeds, cloves and turmeric." They're quite good with barbecue; I'm planning on having some with leftover roast chicken later this week.

Just got back from the market a few minutes ago...we took the subway down to Union Square to go to the Greenmarket, which is markedly smaller (and less crowded) in winter than in spring or summer. Aside from my very cold, camera-wielding fingers, it was a much more pleasant experience...how a girl who can't stand crowds ended up in Manhattan, I'll never know. First stop, Rick's Picks, a pickler, where we chatted with Rick himself and bought a jar each of the Phat Beets. Lisa also got some Mean Beans, and I got the Bee 'n' Beez, which are bread and butter pickles kicked up with a bit of ginger and some cherries. Normally I find bread and butter pickles a little insipid, but these have some bit to them. Their menu and labels are really well-designed... We stopped off on our rounds for a pear cider and an apple cider doughnut. The cider was really rich, kind of like apple cider with less of an edge to the flavor. And is there really such a thing as a bad doughnut? Next up, another thing I'm not usually fond of - dried flowers. However, they had lavender, which I love...I bought a bunch for my nightstand. Finally, we got down to the business of dinner. We decided to make a pear tart (I got a Harry and David basket at work last week, replete with a dozen pears), roast chicken, roasted vegetables, and a potato gratin. So, we picked up some red cippolini onions, some la ratte poatoes, and orange and yellow carrots. This is a potato paradise! The carrots were awfully pretty, too... We also passed Flying Pig's stand, and a booth selling what is apparently some seriously good bacon. No, really, look! It was a great afternoon...lots of good people-watching, and we are both big cold weather fans, so we love being outside in the crisp, clear sunshine. Now we're relaxing and contemplating some hot chocolate...

Any suggestions, Abra? That chocolate souffle may be just the thing! Got up this morning a little late...my little brother got engaged last night (!) and he called to tell me at 10:40. I had already guessed a couple of days ago that this was going to happen, but it still got me all excited, and I couldn't get to sleep till 1:00 AM! So, congrats to Jeremy and Miriam! Anyhoo, woke up this morning and tidied the apartment a bit in anticipation of my friend Lisa's arrival, then decided to make some coffee. I typically go out for my coffee, but I bought a can of illy last week for a dinner party and have been drinking that at home ever since. I use a French press, partly because I love the flavor of steeped coffee, and partly because it fits so easily in my cabinet and doesn't take up precious counter real estate. Square inches are always hard to come by here in Manhattan. I had my coffee with a little cream (another dinner party remnant - normally I go for skim milk, but what the hey) and some turbanado sugar. Lisa's here now (she says hi), and we're going to go make a plan for our afternoon. We'll be back later with a full report!

Thanks, Klary....oooh, they were. It's the most generous helping I've ever seen. Quite intimidating, really.

Not really...I've never been a habitual visitor...any suggestions? Doesn't have to be Chinese food...I would love some good Vietnamese!

Oh, stop! I have never, ever been to Hoboken in my entire life. Crazy, right? Any other suggestions over that way?

For dinner tonight, I paid a visit to Cafe d'Alsace, an Alsatian brasserie that opened in my neighborhood about a year and a half ago. It's constantly bustling, partly because the food is solid and always satisfying, and partly because we are a neighborhood in which good, unstuffy restaurants seem to be in short supply. It's improved drastically in the last few years, but some stereotypes about the Upper East Side have reason for being. Between the three of us, we made it through two bottles of this Alsatian pinot noir...a bit lighter and more peppery than many of the pinots we're used to - we loved it (hence the second bottle). I started with a perennial favorite of mine, the bone marrow. It's served in an obscene portion; sometimes, I make it through all three bones. Tonight, it was just the two. I could handle a little more greenery, maybe some capers, on the side... My friend Rachel had the goat cheese tatin, which looked divine (one of my deep, dark foodie secrets - I'm not a big cheese person, so I didn't try the tart). For my main, I had the baeckeoffe, a traditional Alsatian dish. Kind of like a baked stew, with broth, herbs, potatoes, lamb, oxtail...so tasty. This one was a bit more brothy than I've had in the past, and was served without a spoon. Otherwise, perfect comfort food. Warm, earthy - melt in your mouth lamb - and just meant for a cold, cold night. In Alsace, it's served with a mustardy green salad, and I missed that accompaniment. I mean, come on, it's me - I need my salad, kids! In the background, Tamara's pork chop in apple and calvados sauce - huge, and delicious. Last, but certainly not least, DESSERT! I ordered the mandiant, billed as a sweet brioche with grillotes; really almost a bread pudding, especially once you pour the creme anglaise down over it. I love this dessert - it's not too sweet, but it has that cakey texture that's just so satisfying. Tamara ordered the profiteroles, which were a special tonight. The choux was a dark golden brown, and the ice cream was creamy. Best of all, the bittersweet chocolate sauce. Overall, a wonderful meal. Service was prompt and friendly, the sommelier was pleasantly flirtatious, and I'll still be in bed by 11. I had a nice, bracing walk home in the cold...walking home on Second Avenue on a weekend night is always entertaining...a mix of people hailing cabs, desperately trying to escape downtown, and people spilling out of the fratty bars that line the Avenue, desperately puffing on their cigarettes in the cold. So picturesque. (That's New York, all about the glamour.) I haven't cooked in a while, though, so I'm psyched for tomorrow.

For lunch, hands-down, Bar Room at The Modern.

We-ell, the answer on the V-day front is...I'm not sure yet! I'm single right now, so I was thinking about going out and eating alone at the bar at one of my more favorite local spots (Bar Etats-Unis), where they have fabulous wines by the glass and an incredible chocolate souffle (I'm tempted to say it surpasses all other molten chocolate desserts). Or I may cook in...we'll see. Will definitely keep eG'ers posted on D&Co and Momofuku...

Thank you. Today started out much like any other morning, except that I was late to work (am planning a trip to India, needed my passport for the visa, forgot it, had to turn around and get it - grrr....), so I was also late in getting my caffeine dose. I finally made it over to the kitchen around 11:00. We have a Flavia machine on all the floors...it's not terrible but it's not great, either. No, that's not my CoffeeMate - ick! Our offices are actually in two buildings in the same block, and the other building had an electrical fire on Tuesday - everyone is ok, but three of our floors are without power. I had thought that the floor with the cafeteria would be closed, but it wasn't! We get free lunch on Fridays, so my friend Liz and I headed over around 12:30. It's a pretty nice cafeteria, though poorly laid-out and too small for the almost 2000 people in our New York offices. You walk down a long hallway to get there... Once in, you walk smack into the salad bar: Just beyond, the desserts! From the actual seating area, looking toward the cafeteria...you can see how small it is, and how the salad bar is smack in the middle of everything. It was pretty calm today, probably since so many people are working from home due to the fire. I ended up getting a special sandwich, roast beef, mixed greens, and caramelized onions on grilled ciabatta. We took our lunch back to our offices, where I indulged in, what else? Am now home and getting ready for dinner at Cafe d'Alsace with a business associate. Conveniently enough, the restaurant is only a couple of blocks uptown from my apartment! See you post-meal!

Well, not yet, but I've deducted points from your overall score.

Now that is a fabulous idea.

Remember, it's completely okay to eat tortes or cakes for breakfast. Well, it is in our household anyway and that includes whipped cream! A nice Kleiner Brauner* or Kapuziner* alongside balances the sweetness. Looking forward to another great blog; good luck juggling everything with work. *Kleiner Brauner = Viennese speak for a demitasse of espresso with a dash of milk *Kapuziner = Viennese speak for a strong dark coffee with enough milk added to match the robe color of the Capuchin Monks ← Excellent tips, Ludja...after looking over the Cafe Sabarsky menu, is there a particular torte or cake you'd recommend?

That's so true! I feel like such a wimp complaining about 25 degree highs! It's supposed to be in the low 30's tomorrow...I suppose that means tank top and grass skirt? Oh, and a quick aside - I did not bring my camera USB connector to the office this morning (dang!), so no pics till tonight. I promise not to make the same mistake twice.

Well. A very good question. Clumsy and accident-prone as I am, I use a peeler. I have, on occasion, when there haven't been enough peelers to go around, used a paring knife. My digits have survived intact, though only by sheer chance, I suspect. That said...I peel regular and English cucumbers, but leave the peels on when I eat kirbies! I find that the two former have bitter skins, but that the skins on the latter are mild and add a pleasant tension to the outside edge of the cuke slice. Gosh, I do love cukes.

I know, I've been a little under the radar of late...but I'm back and ready to party, dude! D&Co. is definitely in the offing, I think...

Good morning! So, since Irishgirl is such a good food detective (and in possession of a ridiculous memory!), I suppose this post won't come as much of a surprise to all of you. I'm very excited to start my second eG foodblog, and I think we have some fun things in store for the week! For those of you who don't know too much about me, a quick intro. I've lived in Manhattan since graduating from college almost six years ago, and have become more and more obsessed with food over that time. I'm a fairly competent cook (nothing to some of the folks here on eG, let alone the pros), and an avid eater and drinker. I'm also a huge caffeine addict, so you'll be privy to my coffee and Diet Coke consumption (I swear, I could be their spokesperson). Last time I blogged, I was, blessedly, off of work for most of the week. This time around, the situation is reversed - I'm working for most of the blog, but will be off of work next Friday. So you'll get to see a lot of my more mundane culinary world...the coffee machine in the 8th Floor kitchen, the lunch places near my office, the grocery store... However! I also have lots of far more interesting things planned (requests and suggestions are VERY welcome)...here's a tentative agenda: Friday: Dinner at Cafe d'Alsace Saturday: Union Square Greenmarket, Schaller and Weber, dinner at home! Sunday: Laundry, a movie...Dylan's Candy Bar! Monday: Rockefeller Center, not sure about dinner yet... Tuesday: Lunch at The Modern Wednesday: Valentine's Day Thursday: Way up in the air! Friday: Breakfast at Cafe Sabarsky, Dinner at Degustation...lunch in Chinatown? Saturday: Totally open! It's pretty cold here in the city, so I've traded in my typical culinary adventure footwear (Pumas!) for some warmer trappings (Uggs!), the better to maintain my stamina and actually get to all the places promised...so, bundle up and come along for the ride! Off to get some coffee...of course.

And churros with hot chocolate for dessert (Pierre Herme's classic hot chocolate is my personal fave).