eG Foodblog: johnder, slkinsey, weinoo (2011) - A tale of two boroughs

[weinoo]

Oh, good morning, by the way. Today's plans may have to be altered. I was going to drive out to Queens with some friends and check out a few good places, including the Ridgewood Pork Store and then Ali's Kabab Cafe in Astoria for lunch.

But, I'm not driving anywhere today since we had a decent snowfall overnight. And those places are rather cumbersome to get to via public transit. Stay tuned...I'm only on my first cuppa and it's too early to speak to anyone else about plans.

First I have to have breakfast.

[weinoo]

Back up in my bread post, I showed the steps I followed baking a multi-grain loaf from the booklet that came with my Cuisinart food processor.

I stored it overnight on my counter, in one of these...

That's a canvas bag that I picked up the other day at Cocktail Kingdom, when John and I visited. They're sold to be used for smashing ice and interestingly enough when I mentioned to Greg that they would be cool for bread service, he told me that a restaurant had just ordered 100 of them for that purpose.

This morning, I sliced the whole loaf so I could freeze it...

This bread happened to come out really nice. Check out the crumb...

And, since i had some leftover fritatta, it goes nicely on toasted, homemade bread, don't you think?

[Shelby]

*swooooon*....

As if I wasn't blissed out enough by the covert pictures at Fairway, then you have to go and show me the shopping porn shots at Eataly.

Excuse me for a moment, I have to get in my car, drive to the nearest MegaMart and give it a swift kick, 'cause it can't compare to either of those places.

Nice work on the incognito photo shoot, Johnder. You have a future in espionage, I think !

If only I could snap my fingers and be inside Eataly! What an inventive concept that place is!!! Sigh.......could you pm me some fresh fish???

[Shelby]

Whew -- dinner done. While the bird and bones were cooking (hmm, that seems like a good name for a restaurant) I had one of these... (well I shared with 2 other people)

It is a large format beet from my beloved Brooklyn Brewery. Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster created this one in the strong saison style format. It went down very easily...

Next up, the bruschetta.

Bones out of the oven, with the completed parsley salad.

Duck fat potatoes out of the oven (it really wasn't that much duck fat, it just was an optical illusion.) The potatoes were hit with some maldon when they came out of the oven. After cooling the pan, the sucked up the remaining fat from the roasting pan.

The finished chicken.

The chicken overall was moist and very tasty. I liked they actually gave the innards in the bird. While I was cooking I sauteed the liver quickly in a pan with a pat of butter and salt. When it was almost done, I pulled it out and spread it over a piece of bread with a splash of lemon and pepper. It was a secret chefs treat.

Those bones are making me salivate.

Is it not common for the innards to be in whole chickens that you buy?

[weinoo]

If only I could snap my fingers and be inside Eataly! What an inventive concept that place is!!! Sigh.......could you pm me some fresh fish???

Indeed it is, Shelby. As a matter of fact the two masterminds behind it, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich were both there, sitting at a table with a guy who looked to me like the former wine guy at the original John Dory. No pix though; remember we're not supposed to be impressed.

And this is a tough week for fresh, local fish. No boats going out on the east coast during these storms. They'd have to be nuts.

[Shelby]

If only I could snap my fingers and be inside Eataly! What an inventive concept that place is!!! Sigh.......could you pm me some fresh fish???

Indeed it is, Shelby. As a matter of fact the two masterminds behind it, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich were both there, sitting at a table with a guy who looked to me like the former wine guy at the original John Dory. No pix though; remember we're not supposed to be impressed.

And this is a tough week for fresh, local fish. No boats going out on the east coast during these storms. They'd have to be nuts.

Oh yes, you must remain stoic and cool Me? I'd have started staring and sweating and swooning to see famous people like that!

[C. sapidus]

I look at our apartment in Washington, DC as our "country home." I get very nervous around trees, lakes and bugs.

Fortunately, Washington, DC is completely free of bugs. Besides Significant Eater’s job, do you have any connection with the DC area?

Sam, I know squat about opera but the video that you linked was wonderful. Do you have a link for any of your performances?

Johnder, lovely meal, and I hope you will continue to report as your gorgeous country house takes shape.

You are all doing brilliantly with the blog, and I am accumulating many new places to visit on our next trip to Manhattan. I do hope that the snow will not keep at least one of you from shedding some light on where a visitor (probably based in the East Village) should go for a good Indian or SE Asian meal in and around NYC. Please?

[johnder]

[

Those bones are making me salivate.

Is it not common for the innards to be in whole chickens that you buy?

It depends. Most of the time I will buy Murray's chickens and more often than not they won't have any innards. Especially not a liver that looked as nice as the one I got in the bird last night.

Mitch would know for sure since he cooks them more than me, but I am not sure if Empire birds still have them or not.

[weinoo]

Mitch would know for sure since he cooks them more than me, but I am not sure if Empire birds still have them or not.

Not to my recollection. It's tough, because the livers (if they're to be kosher) have to go through an even more rigorous process I believe.

Maybe I'll buy a bird for dinner tomorrow night.

[weinoo]

I believe any one can visit Cocktail Kingdom. Just make an appointment. And bring a granny cart.

Oh, one last post before I race out to meet some friends for lunch.

Granny cart. Often used to schlep groceries but since much of my shopping tends to be farther away than my immediate neighborhood, I don't use it for that too often. It helps to get stuff to and from my car, which is in a parking lot a couple of blocks away, or to take my laundry to and from the basement ...

When my wife and I were in Paris recently, they have much cooler granny carts - they are covered. But this one is heavy duty and needs to be.

[FoodMan]

Onto a little nightcap for tonight.

I am lucky enough to know Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and he was generous enough to part with some amazing demerara sugar from the island of Mauritius a while back. This sugar, as Splificator can attest to, is the most amazing demerara sugar you have tasted. It has this rich, haunting flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.

It makes a perfect foil for an...

Old Fashioned.

I am sort of breaking out all the stops here. I am using both the orange and aromatic bitters from Hermes. For those that don't know Suntory Japan used to make and sell these bitters a few years ago. They were only distributed in Japan and if you asked them about it trying to obtain them, they denied ever making them. Unfortunately they aren't making them anymore and basically they are an extinct product which is a shame because the orange bitters are to this day the best orange bitters I have ever tasted. I have 2 full bottles left of each after these current ones run out and I am sad when the day comes that I wont have any more of them.

I am also using one of my favorite bourbons, Four Roses. But not just any Four Roses. This was a barrel selected by master distiller Jim Rutledge and the owners of the Rickhouse bar in San Francisco. They basically had a private bottling of a Four Roses bourbon.

My mother, who is an avid ebay follower managed to score these silver old fashioned muddling spoons as well. They have the muddler bottom and bakelite knob. They are one of my prized cocktail possessions. I am lucky to have a set of 5.

I. Want. One. NOW....

but I suppose my poor version of an Old Fashioned will have to wait till after work.

[Chris Amirault]

Impressive granny cart, Mitch. When I lived in Park Slope 25 years ago, it was the most important thing we owned.

Really enjoying the blog and eager to see what the weekend brings.

[Shelby]

I believe any one can visit Cocktail Kingdom. Just make an appointment. And bring a granny cart.

Oh, one last post before I race out to meet some friends for lunch.

Granny cart. Often used to schlep groceries but since much of my shopping tends to be farther away than my immediate neighborhood, I don't use it for that too often. It helps to get stuff to and from my car, which is in a parking lot a couple of blocks away, or to take my laundry to and from the basement ...

When my wife and I were in Paris recently, they have much cooler granny carts - they are covered. But this one is heavy duty and needs to be.

Put some mountain bike tires on that sucker and I could use it out here in the garden!

[weinoo]

Well, the best laid plans sometimes go awry. As they did today. I was going to show you the Essex St. Market, but when I got there to meet my friends for lunch, it was closed. Tightly. Employees probably couldn't get in along with deliveries being suspect. Ah well, such is life.

So we walked around the corner for lunch at one of my favorite little local joints...

Which is even more fun when the people watching includes...

We all shared these for a starter...

Croquettes of escarole and proscuitto. With a little tomato sauce on the side to dip them in, they were a nice pairing of fat and salt along with sweet and acidic. Poifect.

I followed it with..

and...

And then we all had these...

Everyone went in their separate directions. I decided to go here...

The Pickle Guys are where you go when you want pickles and repartee. From the front looking back...

Check out everything they offer...

I came out with a quart of new pickles and a pint of pickled mushrooms, and then walked home from there, but figured I should stop and check in on this guy...

Who must've eaten a lot last night, because he now looks like this and is literally 8 feet tall...

[Shelby]

What? You didn't like my boots?

The Pickle Guys are going to be immediately googled when I leave this site. That was an awesome shop.

The snowman is even cuter now!

[Pierogi]

....including the Ridgewood Pork Store ....

You have seriously got to love a place called "Pork Store".

[Chris Amirault]

The Pickle Guys rock.

Mitch, have you ever been to the Tenement Museum? It's like three blocks from your house. I've been twice, and it's amazing. The kitchens are treasure troves of information about immigrant NY.

[kathryn]

Mitch, you might be the only person I know who can go to inoteca and not order the truffled egg toast.

For Indian skip 6th St (aka Curry Row) and head uptown to Curry Hill. My favorites are Chennai Garden, Saravanaas, Tiffin Wallah. Stop in a Kalustyan's beforehand.

For SE Asian, Manhattan is pretty weak. Laut is OK dependent upon what you order but can be pretty unreliable for Malaysian -- stay away from the other parts of the menu. Rhong Tiam used to be great for Thai, now it's less a restaurant and more a takeout joint. Go to Queens for Thai -- Sripraphai, Thailand Center Point, Ayada, Chao Thai. Vietnamese can be pretty weak too, but I know Mitch likes Co Ba and O Mai (I haven't tried).

[johnder]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the non existant posts from me today. It has been back to back meetings and last minute stuff to do before I head out to Vail tomorrow. I am going to be heading home soon and putting together things for tonights not so mystery basket cookoff.

I also may attempt to make some sort of dessert tonight. Which is a rare thing.

Mitch and Sam(?) -- look out!

[Chris Amirault]

John, where in Red Hook do you get your hooch? (Forgive me if you mentioned this.)

ETA: just wiped away a tear for LeNell's.....

Edited January 27, 2011 by Chris Amirault (log)

[weinoo]

Fortunately, Washington, DC is completely free of bugs. Besides Significant Eater’s job, do you have any connection with the DC area?

You are all doing brilliantly with the blog, and I am accumulating many new places to visit on our next trip to Manhattan. I do hope that the snow will not keep at least one of you from shedding some light on where a visitor (probably based in the East Village) should go for a good Indian or SE Asian meal in and around NYC. Please?

C. sapidus - thanks for the props. I do have a sister in suburban DC - i.e. Maryland. But the main reason is Sig Eater's job.

Mitch, you might be the only person I know who can go to inoteca and not order the truffled egg toast.

For Indian skip 6th St (aka Curry Row) and head uptown to Curry Hill. My favorites are Chennai Garden, Saravanaas, Tiffin Wallah. Stop in at Kalustyan's beforehand.

For SE Asian, Manhattan is pretty weak. Laut is OK dependent upon what you order but can be pretty unreliable for Malaysian -- stay away from the other parts of the menu. Rhong Tiam used to be great for Thai, now it's less a restaurant and more a takeout joint. Go to Queens for Thai -- Sripraphai, Thailand Center Point, Ayada, Chao Thai. Vietnamese can be pretty weak too, but I know Mitch likes Co Ba and O Mai (I haven't tried).

kathryn's advice is as reliable as you're going to get, and I do think Co Ba is about the best Vietnamese you can find. But sadly, as she says, SE Asian in Manhattan is pretty weak.

[weinoo]

The Pickle Guys rock.

Mitch, have you ever been to the Tenement Museum? It's like three blocks from your house. I've been twice, and it's amazing. The kitchens are treasure troves of information about immigrant NY.

I've been to the Tenement Museum a number of times. I wouldn't be surprised if I had a grandparent or two whose kitchens resembled those. It's a great visit.

[johnder]

John, where in Red Hook do you get your hooch? (Forgive me if you mentioned this.)

ETA: just wiped away a tear for LeNell's.....

I luckily tend to get a lot of stuff along the way at various events and stuff, but I almost always go into a liquor store when I visiting some other town. I have come across some pretty amazing things, including Malacca gin and Beefeater crown jewel.

However, when I do buy booze it is usually at Astor or Warehouse wine and spirits in the village.

[johnder]

I am confident enough in my meal tonight that I am actually going to tip my hand to my competitors and lay out what I am making.

Since I am cooking for 3 people instead of two, I realize I have a shortage of scallops so I am going to stretch them out. That, combined with the 37 bazillion feet of snow outside, I figured I would do a little homage to spring.

I am going to do a hot pot of vegetables, spring onion, ginger, shitake mushrooms, radishes, artichokes and a bit of habenero with a broth made from the mushroom soaking water a touch of butter and a little dry vermouth. I am going to quickly sear the scallops, and then serve them in the bowl full of the veggies and some of the broth and lay a few pieces of speck and a sprinkle of alleppo pepper on top.

For the entree a pasta with the cavalo nero, garlic, hot pepper, buttered breadcrumbs and a fried egg and a few drops of banyuls vinegar on top.

And for desert -- if it works, Jaqcues Pepin's apricot clafouti.

[Shelby]

Oh yum, eat a few bites for me *drooling*