aliwaks
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Will I have to wait until next Yom Kippur to atone for this?
My boss had brought in lox, bagels and cream cheese and invited me to have a nosh. (As if an invitation were even necessary). My phone was ringing off the hook, so by the time I could I hit the snack station, all the garlic & onion bagels had been consumed.
All that was left was a...[Primal shriek!!]blueberry bagel![/shriek]
I winced as I spread the plain Philly cream cheese on the blueberry bagel! and topped it with lox. Pulling my cloak up to hide my identity, I retreated to my desk to eat my experiment.
The sweet-'n-salty taste wasn't exactly on par with chocolate-covered pretzels, but lox on a bagel still is hard to beat.
If only I can get over the shame...
I agree that the blueberry bagel is a shonda, what i don't understand is why you would put lox on it in the first place, i think it would be bearable with butter and cream cheese...the thought of the two tastes together make me shiver, maybe its me but i would hvae eaten the lox with just cream cheese and forgone the faux-bagel..or just waited and gotten myself a real bagel
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Epstein's Bar
82 Stanton St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 477-2232
Apparently it is not named after the virus but, rather, according to CitySearch, "it's actually a tribute to Welcome Back Kotter's fun-loving Puerto Rican Jew, Warren Epstein--a hero of the bar's owners."
actually his name was Juan Epstein,
there is a restaurant in stanford Ct ( and if anyone lives in the area please please take a photo), it is in Sheraton and you can see the sign clearly from 95.. the place is called Vulvi and what actually makes it fantastc is the logo which is a thick V with a very pronounced ummm shall we say slit at the base ....
now every time I pass it I imagine the meeting at the Sheraton Corp. prior to this restaurant going in to thier hotel...I figure it went like this "hey umm I have just one small issue about the logo, dontcha think it kind looks a bit well umm uhh..(blush, blush blush) oh never mind, I guess its ok"
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I use a mix of cornbread & sourdough (usually I buy package mix and bake with fresh herbs because I cannot bake very well at all )
2 packages of jiffy cornbread with fresh sage and thyme regular size loaf pans of cornbread
1 big round loaf sourdough (torn up and dried up)
1 cup each minced carrots, celery,onions,
1 cup diced fresh fruit ,
3/4 cup dried fruit,
1/2 # sausage
1 cup nuts...
and our secret family ingredient..
one sleeve of ritz crackers crushed up fine
I mix those all together with couple of beaten eggs (seasoned with S & P) , about a cup of melted butter and a cup of turkey or chicken stock ,
I mush it all up in a big bowl with my hands maing sure all the little bits are incorporated so each bit has a bit of everything
after it's all mixed together, sautee a bit in a pan (like you would meatloaf mix) and tase for sesaoning
then plonk it all in a pan and bake for an hour or so..till its done..sometimes I cook it in springform pans and serve it in wedges like a bread pudding
This year the flavorings will be these incredible yellow Heirloom apples that look like a dutch still life and taste like an uber apple but are a tad woody for eating raw, prunes, Italian pork sausage and chestnuts,
Last year I used granny smith apples, dried cherries, andouille sausage and pine nuts, the year before pears, dried cranberries, chicken apple sausage and pecans
the cornbread/ritz cracker/sourdough combination is something my mother and I discovered a number of years ago both of my grandmother's made a ritz crakcer stuffing from some haddassah cookbook ..it tasted alot like the stuffing for kishka and we (my mom & I) have improved on it each year.
I think this year is going to be the best one.
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My favorite sweet potatoes I ever made were whipped with maple syrup & chipolte and lime infused cream, I swirled a chipolte maple reduction over the top and it was a lovely deep red over orange oh my goodness they were soo good.
However this year the kitchen taliban has decreed that everything must be traditional..as in no "weird" ingredients. So I am making twice baked sweet potatoes
Wednesday night I plan to roast them, slice them in half, scoop them out and mash them up with vanilla, some brown sugar, a little bit of orange juice & orange zest, put the mash back in the skins.
Thursday I'll top them with baby marshmallows, toasted pecans and bit more orange zest and then pop them back in and cook till bubbly
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I'm freakin' out here, brining has been banned in my household due to a foul-up last year which was not entirely my fault/ For some reason my father refused to purchase a new 5 gallon bucket (last years had been filled with some sort of pool related chemical) and I had to use a garbage bag/plastic tub contraption that did not work out too well.
So now I have a 23# turkey, too big I think ( I send my Dad a list he shops I cook when I get there on Wednesday night...I know it kind of sucks not being able to hand select my produce also he is not as discriminating a shopper as I am and tends to "forget" things he doesn't want to buy...last year the bucket and chives he claimed he had chives what he had were dried chives and some scallions that were past thier prime)
anyhow...lots of ideas floating around but still have no idea what is best
I usually do a compound butter under the skin (this year sage, orange zest, shallots) stuff the cavity with cooresponding aromatics...should I tent the breast? Should I try to flip the damn thing? I know there will be some sort of freak out if i attemt to ice the breast.
How many hours per pound do I cook it? I'm thinking 5 hours @ 350, I'm a high heat cook so I get really confused with the long slow.
I'm dying to butterfly the f**ker but the Kitchen Taliban has also banned this option.
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HATED IT!!!
Here are all the ways I figured one could be injured and possibly die at The Melting Pot.
1. Touching to pot to see how hot it really is (or am I the only one who did that?)
2. Poked in the face with wayward fondue fork
3. Salmonella poisoning from having to wrench bits of raw chicken apart and cram them on above fondue fork (shouldn't we get antibacterial wet naps with the raw chicken?)
4.Brain may explode due to irritating narrative from wait staff ("who here likes GARRRRLIC?)
5. Inside mouth burn from too hot cheese
6. Choke on very stale dry bread that has not sufficently sopped up the melt-y cheese from a bag mix
Food Comments:
Went with a large group, which was awkward because it was really hard to eat anything that was not directlyt in front of you unless you were sitting in the center then had some access to all fondue pots. I am not so much a fan of that kind of dining since it turns into a food frenzy.
And I hated this one server who just went on and on and on I felt like I was dining in the Magic Kingdom with his cretaively perky narrative from hell
Ok the mexican one with chips was better than the nachos at the movies
The traditional fondue was at but kirsch-y for my taste well for all of our tastes if was a piping hot cocktail of kirsch and cheese hmmm not so much with that one
The tomato basil was ok
Its just that the bread sucked, it just did, would have liked a mixture of bread tecture options (bread sticks? toasty croutons?)
I can't get over tiny little cut up pieces of peeled baby carrot, I felt like I was 3 years old.
The apples were good
My salad was swimming I mean swimming with dressing disgusting
The meat fiesta or whatever it was that we had, kind of grossed me out with raw chicken on a plate with all the other things
The one that was supposedly fried never got fry-y was just weird
The other ones tasted industrial amounts of dried herb mix
I don't think I really like boiled meat
we did not stay for dessert so I cannot comment on that but I cannot say I get too excited about sprinkling oreo crumbs on my out of season strawberries
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poked my nose in there the other day, all I could get out of the red headeed gentleman I spoke to was that the chef was local
Wonder how long they'll be able to afford the exhorbitant rent at that locale with no liquor revenue. Seems dicey to me.
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Some suggestions:
Sliced chicken, basil, chopped fresh tomato, smoked mozzerella
Proscuito, evoo, arugula, mozzeralla
Provolone, salami, green olive tapenade
Grilled zucchini slices, evoo, roasted garlic, fresh ricotta
Sauteed mushroom, proscuito, taleggio & whisper of white truffle oil
Roasted peppers, goat cheese fresh basil
Oven dried tomatoes, goat cheese, mozzerella, basil
dessert paninis: dulche du leche, ricotta & fresh peach
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Also both continentels have very very limited lunch menus, which something i care not for
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I do have a certain nostalgic fondness for canned sweet potatoes, drained mashed & mixed with canned crushed pineapple, oj, maple syrup then covered with tiny marshmallows ..Thanksgivings of my youth.
When I was in India as a child we poured condensed milk on toast that we made on the wood burning stove on the front porch of our bed-sit, same milk sweetened our tea, haven't had it since then but can still taste it.
Other than that have canned cardomon flavored condensed milk I picked up in a Middle Eastern market in West London..still waiting for the right recipe to use it,
Have canned harissa, coconut milk, tuna in oil (pasta) and tuna in water (tuna salad), anchovies (though prefer jarred packed in salt), got a tremendous canned foie gras in Paris, beans as I am way too lazy to cook from dried, and canned creamed corn is just what it is and nothing can compare. (Childhood meal, roast chicken, frozen creamed spinach, canned creamed corn, carrot sticks, brother would add ketchup to all )
Also quite fond of canned jellied cranberry sauce but the can has to be kept in the freezer a few hours before opening as my Bubbe Bella always did for special meals,
Ice cold canned peaches (as a side dish to fried chicken, mashed potatoes & corn...my brothers favorite meal).
Canned sauerkraut mainly because it comes in small portions, tinned baked beans...yum with added mustard, sauteed onions & maple syrup.
My Nanny Mattie made her tsimmes with canned carrots and sweet noodle kugel with canned fruit cocktail, always looked for the slice with the cherry, in fact fought visciously with my cousins for that slice since each can usually only had like one or two cherries in it.
Guess I have many memories of canned foods I didn't even realize til now. Thanks.
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Public House just opened...don't know much about them though think they may be a brew pub
(and no Victor and Rich I am not doing thier PR
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I'll agree with Katie on Caribou...nice for lunch you can get a cozy booth, Rouge is alway a nice choice for lunch though not exactly romantic the people watching should set you up with lots to talk about at dinner, Tria is open for lunch as well.
sadly there are not too many places open for Lunch on the weekends here esp taht are romantic..
but oooh heres an idea picnics are romantic, why not pop over to dibrunos pick up some cheeses, pates and other delites, go over to the farmers market on the square grab some fruit, its a quick jaunt over to the state store on 19th & chestnut they should have something decent chilled, pour whatever that is in to a thermos find a grasyy spot and have a picnic ?
You could go to Rittenhouse or for a less populated spot theres a park on 25th & spruce that has a really nice community garden you can look at
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how about sorrel? or lemon verbena? or Chervil?.... all should be available at the Union Square Market or you can make a really pretty one with chive blossoms
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peking duck "quesdillas"come to mind
shredded dock in flour tortilla or if there is asian market near you rice paper with hoisin, scallion & cucumber
or non asian :
mini saffron dried cherry risotto cakes with slices of rare duck breast and drizzle of reduced pan sauce/zinfandel will look really pretty tied with a blanched scallion
a good make ahead as well you could make the cakes tomorrow and freeze then re-heat
baby duck club sandwiches:
toast + mustard + duck + toast + tomato + herby-mayo+ arugula+ toast
those are my duck suugestions
or petit duck wellingtons with shitake mushrooms & pate de foiegras
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i take a bite at one end then ,,,, slowly pull some of the kernals up then in the elusive type wrighter style taught to me by the sholin monks, i slowly pull the kernals up row by row clean cob no fuzzies when im done .
Mee too!!! am quite obsessive about it one row at a time, can't look messy , sometimes I do twist kernel by kernel off with my fingers, but only if I'm having a conversation whilst eating
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You're right near Chinatown too....they love large parties.
Also, The Smoked Joint isn't too far away.
Thanks Tarte Tartin now I won't be accused of being a sneaky PR person...however was going to say that I have had 1 birthday and attended 2 birthdays at Lolita and the wait was not too bad we got there like an hour before we wanted to eat, gave our name & went and had cocktails at El Vez till the hostess phoned...it was not much of a bother and really its the best choice
if you feel the urge to go downtown Vietnam has huge flaming cocktails and is the food is soooo reasaonable that it makes up for your bar bill
(of course there's always the 'Joint ...what a great place
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Try FISH in Sausalito. http://www.331fish.com/I'm making a trip out to Marin to visit my Aunt and would like to take her out...she's quite the foodie and am looking for someplcea I can take ther thats reasonable liek $100 for two for dinner.Preffably ethnic, last time I was there we were guests of Chez Pannisse , don't think I can pull that off again.
So excited to be going west!! Will be at Thursday (July 21st) Farmer's Market in Marin sitting at the Master Gardener Table, come say hello.
adorable menu. usually get fish tacos at this place in Mill valley few blocks from whole foods but this could be a new adventure, thanks!!!!
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I agree with Holly on Honey or you could try Sabrina's on ummm I think Christian & 9th?
Ants Pants is fantasic @ 23rd & south, their outdoor patio could hold your group, they have fresh squeezed juices and some truly yum egg dishes
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I loved purple cows when I was a kid: grape juice & vanilla ice cream
Also graham crackers mashed up in applesauce
Milk & Pepsi inspired by Laverne & Shirley
bowlful of cookies and milk from my pre-lactose intolernace days
I'm sure i eat more wierd things but can't think of them right now...
oh yeah rice with fried eggs & sauce for breakfast
and when i was super dieting : Cream of rice with egg whites, equal, chocolate protein shake & spray butter..... actually it was kinda good
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You know how you can buy those rotisserie chickens? Costco has really yummy ones. I have to sneak them in the house and hurry to slice them.
You slice them? What restraint!!! I just rip the skin off, crisp it in a pan and eat it standing up in the kitchen, then the wings and the butt then I put in back in the fridge. Sometimes I share with my cats.
Anyways I am to much of a libertine to believe much in feeling guilt from experiencing pleasure
There are times I feel really truly guilty, as opposed to oh god why did i eat that , people with body fat should not eat things like that!!
So I feel really truly guilty when I buy meat products that are neither responsibly raised or processed either from laziness (real guilt) or thriftiness (guilty: new shoes vs lamb that was kindly grown, less guilty: rent vs free range chicken)
That and cold egg rolls eaten in the middle of the night standing over the sink and I have felt a twinge of guilt whilst lying in bed eating chocolates but only if I am alone
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ok I would freak the f--k out if someone served me horse without telling me.
When I was in France I asked how they made thier frites for fear that they would have been fried in horsefat Supposedly this makes for the best frites ever..but I care not.
Of course my French is so bad that they may have thought I was asking if the frites had been fried in hair fat.
Not disclosing ingredients that are out of the ordinary is just hubris, just because one cooks well and is perhaps more adventurous in thier choice of foodstuffs is no reason to force other people to feel the same way about certain items.
Alot of people, myself included have aversions to certain types of meat and should have the freedom of choice to eat or not eat them. Irrational as it may be I have no problem with lamb but don't eat rabbit or goat, serve me horse, dog, snake or any type of insect without telling me and our relationahip will end right then and there. Sauteed cat may be the most wonderful dish ever created but I'm not gonna eat it, nor should I be tricked into it.
If someone doesn't like something why would you make them eat it, do you know so much better than they what they enjoy?
Can't quite figure out why anyone would care for someone enough to cook for them but not enough to respect thier boundaries.
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I'm making a trip out to Marin to visit my Aunt and would like to take her out...she's quite the foodie and am looking for someplcea I can take ther thats reasonable liek $100 for two for dinner.
Preffably ethnic, last time I was there we were guests of Chez Pannisse , don't think I can pull that off again.
So excited to be going west!! Will be at Thursday (July 21st) Farmer's Market in Marin sitting at the Master Gardener Table, come say hello.
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The smell of fresh basil will lift my spirits enourmously
Fresh pineapple makes me extremely flushed and mildly hyper
Cucumbers are soothing, cucumber soup will lull me into a pleasent stupor
Fresh mint is reviving esp in ice tea
Ice cream sundaes make me happy at first then bloated and depressed actually almost any sugar/milk combo will do that a mixture of lactose intolerance and guilt I suppose
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I happen to be a big fan of pork chop bones, in fact would be pleased beyond belief to find then on a menu..then again I'm a bone gnawer. usuallly when I make pork chops I have the bones one day and reserve the meat for the next
one restuarant in NYC Prune I think had a dish of pan dripping with ends of bread BRILLIANT!!!
back to topic at hand:
Flavored mashed potatoes exhuast me, esp. stupidly flavored ones ( Blueberry Uch!)
Baby carrots that obviously come from a bag also tiring
Excessively overelaborate crab cakes Yawn
I agree with raspberry vinaigrette..unless it is the height of season and absolutely perfect,
I also have a personal vendetta against anyone who serves underripe tomatoes , especially in something that highlights them, Caprese Salad in January shame on you!!!
And for f--ks sake I wish they would stop squiggling any old dessert sauce on plates,
eG Foodblog: Marlena - Life is Delicious Wherever I am
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
Marlena,
SO pleased that you let me in on your blog.. just wonderful. I miss you and Alan!. ARRGH one of these days our vivts toSan fran will co-incide though Sandy will most likely have an aneuyrism with both of us in the kitchen splashing olive oil about in copoious amounts.
I had a enourmous rush of food memories, memories of your kitchen, of duck breasts with physalis aka cape gooseberries. They just showed up in the markets here this week...so excited will be using them to dress the set of a food demo next week at Dibrunos for Katy Sparks along with tangerines and bowls of brown eggs..they are just so lovely and would never have known of them had we not found them at Tesco...anyhow.
Also should let everyone know that in my Aunt Sandy's kitchen is the most wonderful photo of Marlena in full Marlena red lipstick standing amidst a herd of lovely sheep holding a microphone and a purse.
On to food are begelah similar to pletzls? Pletzls area round flat-ish chewy breads covered in everything you would ever want (onions poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, soomething caraway seeds) and are one of my most favorite foods.esp when slathered in sweet butter. I get them at Russ N Daughters when in in NYC, along with bialys, my second favorite bread product. My maternal great grandmother was from Bialystock and they have been a fixture of that side of the family for as long as I can remember--the paternal side is much more bagel oriented
You have inspired me to make chicken tonight with perserved lemons and olives..I wish i had thyme so i could make some fresh zaatar, actully there probably is some deep in the recesses of my scary freezer..pseudo fresh zaatar is better than none