eG Foodblog: phaelon56

[phaelon56]

It appears that it's my turn....

I was coaxed into this but had already begun thinking about volunteering. As a single guy I tend to cook only on occasion and thought this might serve as the impetus to have some extra fun in the kitchen and also get out to a few more restaurants.

Alacarte had to wrap up early due to personal obligations - I might just as well get a head start on this.

My story: Growing up in an Irish household in Syracuse NY afforded me exposure to little other than a meat 'n potatoes menu but a two year stint as busboy and waiter opened a new world of food and drink. Syracuse restaurants have begun catching up to larger metro markets in recent years with more progressive menu items and a wider array of ethnic offerings. Extensive personal and business travel and a recent four year stint living in the NYC metro area allowed me to explore even more options.

My currently favored cuisine when dining out is Vietnamese but I remain fond of Polish, Thai, Ethiopian and Afghani food, among others. Syracuse is a city of 150,000 with suburbs perhaps twice that size. Traditionally a blue collar town and now struggling with a failing economy, our options remain limited but recent years have seen a real French restaurant open in the area, two additional Vietnamese restaurants and a contemporary Mexican influenced bistro. I remain hopeful that we'll see continued improvement. We still lack an upscale high end steakhouse, all the Italian restaurants are red sauce joints and there is not one single seafood restaurant in town.

Presently working as a sales engineer in the world of network analysis and troubleshooting tools, I've walked a rather circuitous career path. The food related aspects of my carer started off with a flourish - at age 14 I was employed part time by my uncle, a Standard Brands food salesman, to serve as "Mr. Peanut" at grocery store openeings and similar events. The costume was hot and heavy and the pay was low but an unlimited supply of dry roasted peanuts had great appeal at the time. At age 20 I spent a summer working on a tomato ranch - yes Virginia - tomato ranches really do exist! We grew 5,000 acres of tomatoes and as the only gringo among the large force of laborers, I was treated to some incredible homemade food on occasion during the morning "taco break".

More recently, I spent a number of years tending bar on weekends for a catering service, primarily serving at weddings and barmitzvah's for the more affluent portion of Syracuse's Jewish community.

My interest in quality coffee, something that dates back 25 years or more, was elevated to the status of current obsession a few years ago. At this point I roast my own beans (when time permits), make my own espresso blends and serve up killer lattes on a daily basis at my home espresso bar.

I hope to mix it up during the coming week: a farmer's market visit, dinners at a few of our more interesting local restaurants (including a new place in which one of the partners worked front of house at Nobu a few short years ago), an artisan bakery visit and maybe.... just maybe.... some real cooking in my own kitchen.

Speaking of my kitchen - after four years of cramped apartment living, I'm more than a bit thrilled to have a REAL kitchen again. The previous owner of the home which I acquired a few months ago was at one time co-owner of a local restaurant. He did extensive renovations - the kitchen has a few very minor quirks but overall it's a great place to work and entertain in. I'll get some better and more realistic photos up later but here are the ones the realtor used to lure me in (the perspective is exaggerated - the rooms are not nearly as large as they appear).

View into the new kitchen

View from the dining area towards the peninsula

[slkinsey]

Nice kitchen!

I might as well tell you now that I will get eGulleters to hound you to the very ends of the earth until you post a picture of yourself dressed up as Mr. Peanut.

[phaelon56]

Friday lunch:

Went to Las Delicias restaurant in the hippy-dippy "Westcott Nation" neighborhood. Decided to get the fish special for take-out and ate a delicious beef empanada at the counter while I was waiting. My buddy Francisco, the Dominican owner, kept asking if I wanted to try some "Viagra" while I was waiting. He grinned when I insisted that I'll wait for my declining years to consider the offer and handed me a small bowl of.... what the hell is this stuff? I did not have the camera with me but it was, in essence, a fake crab salad. A thin mayo style dressing coated a mix of radiatore, spaghetti and a few pieces of shell pasta. Mixed in with the surimi were some corn kernels, tiny bits of chopped olive and a few unidentifiable veggie type items. Weird but tasty enough. So.... what is the Spanish food item word that sounds something like "viagra"?

I was so full I took a pic of the food when I reached the office and put it away for later - maybe tomorrow's lunch. I think the fish may be swordfish steak but it's tough to tell with all the sauce. The style of this dish is more or less identical to his Bacalao (salted codfish), a dish that I enjoy very much. I always get the yellow rice - they also have incredibel flan but today is not the day for that.

[phaelon56]

Nice kitchen!

I might as well tell you now that I will get eGulleters to hound you to the very ends of the earth until you post a picture of yourself dressed up as Mr. Peanut.

Hound all you like - oddly enough there was never a picture taken. Perhaps just as well.... if there had been it might be plastered all over the Internet by now!

[Knicke]

Phaelon,

It's still a pretty nice looking kitchen even if the space is exaggerated. At least you've got quite a few windows, that's always a big plus.

- a wistful apartment dweller

[JPW]

Phaelon,

I spent many years in exile in Binghamton, just down the road. How much snow on the ground right now?

Perhaps you'll favor us with spiedies, upstate NY's culinary donation to the world.

How about a stop by Dinosaur BBQ for us?

PS - I wish my kitchen had that much space.

[bloviatrix]

I love all the windows in your kitchen. It's a shame there's not much sun in that part of the state. (is Syracuse weather as bad as Ithaca's?)

[JennyUptown]

Lots of current or former Central NY-ers in the house. I've seen many a movie at Carousel Mall.

[phaelon56]

It is in fact a very nice looking kitchen "in the flesh", so to speak. One of the nicest features is the light - loads of it all day long both in the kichen and in the adjacent dining area.

JPW - speidies are far less common here than they are just down the road in Binghamton but I'll see if I can find a place that has them. We have about six inches of snow on the ground, all of which fell last week. It was a rough winter - almost 160 inches of now fell between late November and early February - we've had quite the reprieve since then.

Blovie - I lived in Ithaca for four years back in the 90's when working for Cornell University. Syracuse is just as overcast as Ithaca but much colder and typically has double the snowfall every year.

Dinosaur BBQ is on the must visit list for this week but I'll have to plan the timing of the visit carefully - it's typically a one to two hour wait for a table any night of the week and I rarely have that much time to hang out waiting for dinner.

[bloviatrix]

Lots of current or former Central NY-ers in the house. I've seen many a movie at Carousel Mall.

I've been to the Carrier Dome (saw the Rolling Stones in Sept '89).

[slkinsey]

Nice kitchen!

I might as well tell you now that I will get eGulleters to hound you to the very ends of the earth until you post a picture of yourself dressed up as Mr. Peanut.

Hound all you like - oddly enough there was never a picture taken. Perhaps just as well.... if there had been it might be plastered all over the Internet by now!

Dude... it's way too late for that.

[Dahomechef]

Nice kitchen--would be great to see it "accessorized."

Used to live in Buffalo, at least they had good local beers in upstate. Still true?

[phaelon56]

Sam - I'm shocked but I swear it's not me. My costume was a hard fiberglass shell - far more realistic, not to mention.... highly stylish. Not only that... I never made nice with the kiddies like this putz in the picture

We still have some good beers in the area and perhaps more so than in the past. Back in the day.... it was Genny Cream Ale (the Green Monster), Genny Twelve Horse Ale and Matt's beer balls by Utica Club. FX Matt Brewing (maker of Matt's and Utica Club) has gone on to produce the very likable Saranac range of products and also does plenty of contract brewing. They were actually the folks who produced Brooklyn Lager for the first couple years it was back on the market until Brooklyn had their own facilities. Back when I was a wicked drunk.... uhhh.... I meant to say beer aficionado, I also enjoyed Black Horse Ale, produced in Dunkirk NY near Buffalo.

Locally, we now have

Middle Ages Brewing - British style ales

and producing formidable Belgian beers in nearby Cooperstown

Brewery Ommegang

[Schielke]

We better start seeing some of those espresso antics coffee-boy!

Ben

[bloviatrix]

Matt's Beer Balls. God, I had forgotten about those things.

[ludja]

Lots of current or former Central NY-ers in the house.  I've seen many a movie at Carousel Mall.

I've been to the Carrier Dome (saw the Rolling Stones in Sept '89).

ah... the young Stones...

[phaelon56]

Friday dinner:

Sauteed chicken livers with a soy sauce, ginger, white champagne vinegar, honey and garlic sauce - includes plum tomatoes and scallions

Oven roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary and thyme

String beans sauteed with fresh OJ, orange zest, balsamic white vinegar, turbinado sugar and toasted almonds

Drinking Ame - a juice and herbal beverage - great for us non-drinkers

Friday dessert:

Asian pear poached in Merlot with star anise, vanilla and turbinado sugar - served with Edy's "Dreamery" vanilla ice cream (their answer to ben & jerry's - very good indeed)

In a hurry - will be back this evening to discuss if necessary

[phaelon56]

Saturday breakfast:

My espresso bar

A very good latte - the latte art is primitive but we can't all be artistic!

Fresh donuts straight from the fryer at the farmer's market - more this evening on the market visit but this donut was the BEST I have ever had - just amazing.

[Jake]

Looks wonderful.

I've never heard of Ame...where does one purchase it?? What does it taste like?

[suzilightning]

. Back when I was a wicked drunk.... uhhh.... I meant to say beer aficionado, I also enjoyed Black Horse Ale, produced in Dunkirk NY near Buffalo.

which was koch's (pronounced cook's)brewery. we used to go on the brewery tour at least once every two months or so.

usually had molson's import at the dorm parties. actually drank more jenny's pee when first hanging out with johnnybird in his hometown of poughkeepsie

suzi

suc fred

class of 76

[suzilightning]

Lots of current or former Central NY-ers in the house.  I've seen many a movie at Carousel Mall.

I've been to the Carrier Dome (saw the Rolling Stones in Sept '89).

ah... the young Stones...

hah

johnnybird saw them at carrier in 1981(he was a stumpy at the time - student at school of environmental science and forestry- alrighty then a chorus of i'm a lumberjack anyone?)

i saw them twice in 1975 - rich stadium and buffalo memorial aud

[suzilightning]

what a great kitchen - i covet it tremendously. so sorry you have all those lovely windows but no "rare celestial object " to brighten them.

interesting that you mention ame. i was having a discussion with a patron and they mentioned this. i'd be interested to taste it.

can't wait for the dino visit.

[Blondie]

Lots of current or former Central NY-ers in the house.  I've seen many a movie at Carousel Mall.

I spent several of my teenage years in Manlius.

[Mayhaw Man]

which was koch's (pronounced cook's)brewery.  we used to go on the  brewery tour at least once every two months or so.

Koch's was the family brewery of Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch (just ask, he'll tell you-over and over again )

I used to have friends bring down Black Horse to New Orleans many years ago. Love that stuff.

Tell me about this Ame stuff. I am always looking for something new for the table (as there is no longer wine on mine).

Edited to say that you really should invest in some decent coffee equipment. A bad cup of coffee is a bad thing.

[phaelon56]

Wow. Lots of former CNYer's here is right.....

I forgot about the term "Stumpy" - four of my mom's five brothers went to the Forestry School (it was free tuition at the time - a big factor).

Ahhhh... Molson's. We were pounding down the Molson's lager and Molson's Export around here when no one outside central and northern NY knew about it (apart from Canadians).

Ame (accent mark on the "e" - pronounced ah-may) is really good - I like the white more than the red and the rose is third on my list but they're all pretty good. IMHO much better than dealcoholized wine and it doesn't suffer the cloying sweetness so typical in juice made from wine grapes. Here in the Northeast, Wegman's sells it but I've seen it online for about the same price ($5.50 to $6 for the 750 ml bottle).

Ame info and reviews

The farmer's market:

During the week our Regional Market is open only to the wholesale restaurant trade except on Thursday mornings. Saturday mornings it's strictly retail. During the growing season we have lots of fantastic local produce. In the winter the produce is generally much cheaper than the supermarkets - sometimes the quality is as good, other times it's a mix of cull and cosmetic blemishes but with a bit of careful selection there are fantastic deals. We also have some vendors with things like grass fed free range beef and lamb, free range poultry, amazing assortments of locally produced cheese, fresh fish etc. It's a darn good market for such a small city.

Entering view:

Sam Heller's maple products - I got maple sugar candy and maple cream. Those are one gallon jugs of maple syrup for $33 on the front corner of the table.

Fresh whole fish - cheap. I got "dry" scallops at $7 a pound. These are fresh shucked and sold in their own liquid. $6 per pound gets "wet" scallops - that's what the grocery store generally sells. The "wet" variety have preservatives added to a water solution and they are stored in the water. I never knew. Bought a pound of the "dry".

Cabbage at a reasonable price - lots of it. Check out the potatoes on the floor. It's a bag marked as # Unclassified, meaning no quality grade assigned. Lots of blems, I'm sure, but it's only $1.00 for the 50 lb bag - not a typo - that's really cheap. I have loads of potatoes already and I'm a single guy but I think it's pretty cool that families on a budget can find bargains like this.

"Salt potatoes". These are a bit smaller than most baby new potatoes and pretty much unique to this area. The salt is in the cooking method. They're boiled in very briny water and are typically eaten dunked in melted butter. It helps to eat them at an outdoor fair where you eat them from a little paper hotdog style boat and a wooden stick that serves as the fork. While you're spilling the drink that's in your other hand the butter will move to your shirt as if by magnetism. The custom originated with local Irish immigrants who worked with the evaporating pans where local brine was boiled down and/or left in the sun to cull the salt. I mean ther custom of cooking style - the spilling butter on the shirt while getting drunk is a newer development around here. The workers brought small potatoes and threw them in buckets of the brine to cook for lunch. Did I mention that they're incredibly tasty when eaten with steamed clams on the side?

Very nice produce here. I bought a big head of broccoli at $1 and cauliflower was only 75 cents a head! (I'm from eGullet - if they'd known the price might have gone up due to the roasted cauliflower addiction).

Cheese. All kinds of cheese. Buttercup Dairy is in northern NY state near lake Ontario. They sell cheese and related products from some other NY state producers. Their own brand of cheese is purchased from the Cuba Cheese company in the Southern tier - out near Hornell NY. Cuba Cheese has an outstanding product called "Reserve Cheddar" - aged three years. Buttercup buys the initial cheddar in bulk and does their own aging. I buy the 5X - aged for FIVE years! This stuff melts in your mouth and has a tang and mouthfeel like no other cheddar you will ever eat. Sometimes living up here has its benefits.

Buttercup Dairy's display

Cuba Cheese online store

This last one has absolutely nothing to do with the market but I just had to have a good latte after all that food shopping. Here's a double ristretto shot showing "the Guiness effect". Gotta love that crema!