Megan Blocker

I finally made latkes tonight! They were delicious. I grated the potatoes (russet) and onion by hand, squeezed them dry, added some toasted breadcrumbs, an egg, and salt and pepper. Then, I fried the suckers up in schmaltz. Served with sour cream and homemade applesauce (Granny Smith, lemon juice, sugar, and a bit of water). Wonderful dinner!

Well, I've finally gone and made latkes - and with schmaltz, no less! They were very good...I had them with sour cream and homemade applesauce (Granny Smith's, lemon juice, sugar, and a touch of water). Delicious!

It would be very surprising if it turned out that many Per Se patrons take public transportation... ← It would also be surprising if they didn't have a hard time getting a taxi...

Wow, Yetty! Those lunches put our corporate fare to shame!

Ah, yes, StudioKitchen! I have a reunion outside Philly in May...perhaps I can do a double-purpose trip!

Wendy, what a gorgeous, festive dinner! Reminds me of the year (many, many moons ago) I made my father make roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with me out of one of the "American Girl" books (for those in the know, I think it was the original Christmas story for Samantha) - yours looks a little better...

I assume you speak of CIA, Matt? So far on my NY-ish list are Babbo (can't believe it, but I've never been), Per Se, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. More to come - am headed to Europe next year for the first time since I started earning my own money, and will need loads of advice!

I had never even thought to consider this as a place to eat (it's just been re-done and opened in November, I think), but Gael Greene mentions it this week in her "Ask Gael" column on nymetro.com. She didn't love the service (too "amiable," not disciplined enough), but she seems to have enjoyed the food... Anyone been here since the renovation? I can't remember the last time I ate in a hotel dining room, as opposed to a restaurant that's set up shop in a hotel. Maybe this really is the latter, though Gael seems to present it as the former in her (admittedly tiny) piece. Here's a link to the Waldorf's dining page: click!

New York Magazine Digest - 12/19/05 Reviews No reviews this week, presumably due to the upcoming Christmas and Hanukkah holidays! Openings and Buzz Openings Each week, New York highlights new restaurant openings. This week, the winners are: Del Posto: Dani: Spiga: Agnanti Meze: Also mentioned: Baci and Abbracci and the new Balducci's! Features Bring Out the Bubbly A list of three spots ideal for toasting the new year with a glass of champers, including the aforementioned Del Posto, and the bar at Country. Hangover Helpers Some aid for those who may have, ehm, over-indulged on the 31st, in the form of a list of restaurants serving hangover-mending soups. Reasons to Love New York: Because You Can Get a Nice Plate of American Hackleback Sturgeon Roe at 3 A.M. Included as part of this week's cover feature, "Reasons to Love New York," this small piece explores Mas (farmhouse), "the snug, stylish restaurant where they serve the delicate Gruyère-laced choux-pastry puffballs daily until 4 a.m." Amateur Night for Pros New York provides a step-by-step guide to the perfect New Year's Eve, complete with a 24-hour spa and a picnic on the beach. Bank Branch Crushes Restaurant It seems that the UWS branch of Nick and Toni's is having some real estate issues - their lease is up, they're renting month-to-month, and a large bank is vying for their storefront on W. 67th Street... Holiday Forgiveness for Jean-Georges? Vanity Fair's publishing side held their holiday party at J-G's Perry Street - despite the magazine side's lambasting of 66 (Dumplings that taste like "liver-filled condoms," anyone?). Ask Gael Each week, veteran critic Gael Greene offers her opinion on a restaurant or trend. I Wouldn't Mind a Dose of Vintage Hotel Classic This week, Gael volunteers her opinion that the Waldorf's dining room is "rather dowdy" and the reservation system "hopeless," but the food she declares to be "boldly flavored adventures."

Order in!!!! I do agree with what's been said above, though - stovetop braising is the way to go. Not too much smoke, easy to do, can be made ahead...

As Mikeycook notes above, Gramercy Tavern is most definitely a place for American comfort food in a lovely, unpretentious setting. Which is exactly why my friends and I decided to head there for a little Christmas cheer. They do a gorgeous job with the space at Christmastime, particularly in the bar, which is hung with kissing balls of various shapes, sizes and materials. My dinner there tonight was delicious - not terribly adventurous, but gorgeous ingredients and excellent execution. I started with a glass of the Moncuit (it's the holidays - have to have Champagne!). Our first amuse was a white bean puree and a salsa verde on a small toast point. Delicious - the mellow flavor of the beans contrasted really nicely with the piquant, slightly spicy salsa. Next up was an amuse of farro topped with smoked caviar (salmon roe, I think), a sprig of chervil, and some parsley puree. This was good - very salty, and not as good as the earlier, simpler amuse, but still tasty. For my appetizer, I had the roasted sweetbreads. These were HUGE (don't worry - I managed to choke those suckers down), and served with bacon, onions, pickled Jerusalem artichokes and sherry vinegar. I really enjoyed this - the sweetbreads were creamy and rich, and the bacon and onions were cooked really well - crispy enough to contrast with the sweetbreads, but not burned at all. The vinegar gave it a nice little punch. I decided to turn my evening into a tour of the cow - I had the sirloin with cranberry beans, salsify, wild mushrooms and (yes, more) bacon. It probably goes without saying that the meat was exceptionally tasty and tender, and cooked to my idea of perfection at medium-rare. I'm not normally a huge fan of beans, but the cranberry beans were truly delicious - buttery and full of flavor, and not a bit chalky. The bacon was crunchy and mixed well with the softer mushrooms and steak. Our dessert amuse was a sheep's milk panna cotta flavored with blood orange and topped with blood orange sorbet - again, totally delicious. Sometimes I find panna cotta to taste just like what it is - jellied milk - but this one was creamy and just sweet enough. My dessert of choice was a warm chocolate and raspberry tart. This was a bit on the rich side after the dinner I had, but I figured why the hell not? It's Christmas! Finally, the petits fours - one was chocolate and too rich for me to touch at that point, another was a lemony tart, which was ok, and the third was a lychee jelly - DELICIOUS. My friend Miles described it as tasting a bit like gin at first, then mellowing into more of a Concord grapey flavor. Works for me, since I love gin, not so good for Miles, as he does not. The service was just what you expect at a USHG restaurant - smooth, hospitable and comfortable, but not overbearing. A wonderful evening, all in all. So, now I'm sitting on my couch, contemplating a late-night jog...but I think maybe another glass of wine is just what the doctor ordered instead!

This morning I had to conduct an admissions interview for my alma mater, and took the interviewee to a new cafe just around the corner...I had the most ridiculous chocolate croissant - it was so delicious. I'm definitely going back! Not quite as good as yesterday's risotto, but not too shabby!

I own about thirty cookbooks right now, and have cooked out of almost all of them at some point...these days, I'm really into basic, hearty French food, and mostly using the following: Barefoot In Paris (Ina Garten) The Gourmet Cookbook Bistro Cooking (Patricia Wells) Around the holidays especially, I delve into those books rich in appetizers and nibbles, particularly The Martha Stewart Cookbook, The New Basics Cookbook, and The Junior League Centennial Cookbook.

BEAUTIFUL biscotti, Alinka - as usual!

This afternoon, I made a risotto - sweet corn (from the depths of my freezer) and thyme. It was delicious!

Exactly - strong is delicious (at least to me), but Starbucks is just...burnt. It may be strong as well, but the thing I don't like about it is the scorched taste, not the coffee flavor or the caffeine content. They purposely over-roast their beans - it's their "thing," and plenty of people like it. Just not this one!

Exactly - boiling water does it every time. Just used it to clean hardened molasses-gingerbread mixture from my stove.

To me, it's not the confirmation two days in advance that's annoying, though I can see Michael's point on this one - it's that they expect the customer to initiate the call!

Shocking!

I may try and grab a drink at the bar one night...it's about a block from my office, so worth a peek...camera phones akimbo!

Yay! Glad you're feeling better, Chufi...that looks good!

Seriously? That just seems like bad service. "Please call and confirm that you'll be dropping several hundred dollars here in two days' time." LAME. Can't wait to hear a full report! BTW, tb86, I keep wanting to type "Guilt" as well - !

Daniel's getting fresh! Love that lamb shank, Ling...and that foie gras looks unbelievable. I can feel it melting in my mouth from here...

As am I! Thanks to all of you for your kind words...Melissa, we do indeed share two great loves, and I'm so happy we get to nurture them in the same place!

That's a great recipe! And you can always leave off the shredded coconut if (like me) you just can't stand the stuff...