eG Foodblog: Megan Blocker - Food and the City

[Susan in FL]

Ahhhhh wonderful. I was tuning in this morning, anxious to hear about your evening, and I enjoyed it so. You took us there! Well written and well photographed... Thanks for taking the time to post before your busy day ahead.

[BarbaraY]

I have never been to NYC and know only what I have read and seen on TV. I truly enjoy reading posts and blogs by those who see the real city and live your daily lives there.

I think I could just about kill for the breads alone since I live in a very rural area where, if one wants good bread, they had best make it themselves.

I'm curious about your shopping trips. Do you carry all your purchases home yourself or use some sort of public transportation? Or you just take care not to buy everything at once?

[M.X.Hassett]

Wow Megan that was some night. Brava

[Megan Blocker]

I'm curious about your shopping trips. Do you carry all your purchases home yourself or use some sort of public transportation? Or you just take care not to buy everything at once?

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Mostly, I carry things back myself. If the store is within walking distance (which, when carrying a heavy load, is for me about ten blocks), then I walk. Otherwise, I might take the bus or subway...if I'm feeling ultra-luxurious, I'll take a cab.

When I do my monthly big grocery shopping (stocking up on basic meat, which I freeze, plus flour, sugar, soda, oils, vinegars, and other heavy items), I usually have the groceries delivered, which costs $3.00 extra (plus I tip the delivery man, usually $1 per bag, or so). It's worth it - I live in a walk up, no doorman, and getting in the door (actually, two doors, plus the door to my apartment) with all the bags is a nightmare.

Off to do some baking now...will be back soon!

[Megan Blocker]

Am currently in the midst of cooking up a storm...the madeleines are cooling, the creme brulees, too. The sweetbreads are soaking. Those things are gushy, man. Next up...marinate the lamb, make the salad dressing, caramelize the shallots, and prep the potatoes. Also, make the creamy garlic sauce.

Then, clean apartment. Set table. Clean self. All before 7 PM.

Whew!

Edited February 25, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Rehovot]

Yum, orange madeleines--Proust would swoon.

My most memorable New York dining experience a couple of years ago was in a very tiny Indian restaurant with red lights all over the place. I remember a whole block of these... Is this a NY institution, or was I just way off the beaten path?

Fun blog! Good luck with your dinner! Everything sounds great.

[Megan Blocker]

Yum, orange madeleines--Proust would swoon. 

My most memorable New York dining experience a couple of years ago was in a very tiny Indian restaurant with red lights all over the place. I remember a whole block of these... Is this a NY institution, or was I just way off the beaten path? 

Fun blog! Good luck with your dinner! Everything sounds great. 

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Thanks, Rehovot! I'm now taking a quick break...I think you're thinking of East Sixth Street, which has tons and tons of Indian restaurants between 1st and 2nd Avenues...

Click here for some picks from the NY Times!

[Megan Blocker]

Hi, Megan. I'm glad you're feeling better! Having blogged myself, I know how time-consuming it is to edit and upload photos, so I'm quite amazed at how many photos you're inserting into this blog! I also noticed your night photo. I have such trouble getting night photos to come out without glare that makes them unusable. What kind of camera do you use, and do you carry a tripod?

I have to say, I'd never heard of "SoHa," and I'm sorry I now have. I still think "NoLiTa" is a ridiculous name and don't accept it, especially as there really is no Little Italy to speak of for it to be north of. But it just goes to show how things change in New York, with nomenclature not the least of them. I relatively recently found out that York Avenue used to be called Avenue A (you can see the evidence in the form of street signs on a public junior high school on York in the 70s or so). My father still refers to Park Avenue South as Fourth Avenue, which is what it was called in his childhood. Lots of avenue names were changed to aid in real estate promotion, and the real estate promotions changed the neighborhoods. Those changes were of course reflected in the nature of the restaurants and food shops that serve those neighborhoods. It's an interesting process, and the longer one lives in New York, the more one observes seemingly unimaginable things taking place, like the gentrification of the South Bronx, a once-chic neighborhood that was more recently synonymous with urban decay, neglect, and building-torching. But if you ask me, rich or/and poor, Harlem is still Harlem!

Hmmm...speaking of East Harlem, do you go up to Patsy's from time to time?

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Hey, Pan!

I don't carry a tripod...for night pictures, I usually try to light the food with a three-headed lamp I have from my college dorm days. It's not stylish (though it's not a huge eyesore, either), but it's really good for spotlighting food. It helps avoid the glare from the flash...

As for my camera, it's a hand-me-down from my mother, who just uses her new husband's camera these days. It's about five years old, I think, and was top of the line when she bought it back then. It takes short home movies as well, which is really fun.

I've just read the name off of it: Sony CyberShot 3.2.

As for Patsy's, no, I've never been! I have to admit, other than going to visit my brother (he's at 110th and Amsterdam) I don't get much farther north than 96th Street on a regular basis...which is odd, because I used to live at 99th and Amsterdam myself!

[Megan Blocker]

So, this morning I went out to do the shopping. Normally I would just walk down to Citarella, which is about ten blocks south of my apartment (20 blocks to a mile, approximately, so about half a mile's walk). However, I could not face the idea of the walk this morning (though I am feeling well-recovered now!), so I took the bus.

Arrived at Citarella, and, of course, it was really freakin' crowded, with everyone bumping into everyone else and giving each other dirty looks. Ah, yes, the dark side of the UES.

I, of course, was in sweatpants, a hooded sweater, and sneakers. Meanwhile, all of the UES matrons were out in full gear - pressed slacks, smart scarves, patent leather flats. At least I remembered to throw some blush on so I didn't look like the walking dead (I am naturally very fair, even more so when...tired.).

Here's the view of Citarella from the outside, looking northeast.

I didn't buy anything from this section, but thought you all would get a kick out of it. It's a whole cooler chock full of pre-prepped fresh veggies. I mean, how lazy do you have to be not to chop up a red onion? I've never understood this kind of convenience food, probably because I find slicing and dicing so therapeutic.

I picked up some shallots (which I mistakenly left off my shopping list but remembered while on the bus, thank God) and then headed for the meat counter. They didn't have sweetbreads, which kicked off a mild panic attack. However, they did have gorgeous loin lamb chops, and I bought six (two for each of us). When I got them home, I trimmed the fat off, put that in the freezer, and am now marinating the chops in a little smashed garlic, some bruised rosemary, and some olive oil. I'll do them on the grill pan just before dinner.

So, now I was nervous - I needed sweetbreads, but I didn't have time to go gallavanting all over town. What to do? First, I stopped in at Gristedes to get some of the more mundane things I needed (sugar, etc.), and as I was walking up Third Avenue hoping against hope that Eli's might have something, I passed Leonard's, a small butcher and seafood shop. Score!

The adorable old man behind the counter told me he did have sweetbreads, but only frozen. No probs, I said, I can defrost them. He brought me two big 'uns and sent me on my way. Here's what the frozen ones looked like when I got home:

Got those working under some lukewarm water (remember, no microwave) and decided it was time for lunch. I called up a Chinese place and ordered a lunch special ($5.00 total, my friends) of sesame chicken for delivery. It came fifteen minutes later, and I sat down to this:

I started making myself eat brown rice about two years ago, and now I prefer it to the white, most of the time. I also got a very kind fortune:

Edited February 27, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Megan Blocker]

Megan,

Cute Feet!

SB

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Thanks, Steve! Cute feet are one of the few good things about being 5'3". That and not having to duck under low-hanging branches.

And, Rebecca, I always believed you were a woman of impeccable tastes, and my suspicions have now been confirmed.

[Pan]

Megan, I'm impressed that you're cooking an elaborate dinner after waking up with a wicked hangover. You did drink a lot last night.

I didn't realize that Citarella had an East Side branch. I know Citarella from their location on 75 St. and Broadway.

So, you used to live on 99 St. and Amsterdam. Was El Malecon a regular source of dinner for you in those days? Have you been back to the area to have Indian food at Indus Valley, on Broadway and 99th? That's a really good place.

[Megan Blocker]

Wow Megan that was some night. Brava

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Matt, I just have to tell you - the diva in me is loving this compliment. Thank you.

[Megan Blocker]

Megan, I'm impressed that you're cooking an elaborate dinner after waking up with a wicked hangover. You did drink a lot last night.

I didn't realize that Citarella had an East Side branch. I know Citarella from their location on 75 St. and Broadway.

So, you used to live on 99 St. and Amsterdam. Was El Malecon a regular source of dinner for you in those days? Have you been back to the area to have Indian food at Indus Valley, on Broadway and 99th? That's a really good place.

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I know - tell me about it! I wasn't sure if I'd be able to motivate - thought I might just have my friends for cocktails and then go out somewhere for dinner, but I really wanted to try cooking the sweetbreads. It's been an interesting day (I mean, those things are REALLY gushy.), and I can't wait to show you guys all the stuff that I did. I"m very proud of the hour I spent removing the membranes.

Yeah, I didn't know about the East Side Citarella till I moved over here about three years ago. It's not as big as the West Side outpost, but the meat and seafood counters are just as good.

Yes, I did go to El Malecon on occasion...though those were the days (directly post-college) when most of my food and drink budget was going to, um, liquid sustenance. I have since been back to eat at Regional, and have been to Indus Valley a few times - it is REALLY good. I'm not normally a huge Indian food person, but I do like that place.

[prasantrin]

I'm going to have to print out this blog when it's finished. Why use a guide book when you have Megan's virtual food tour? I'll just follow all the pictures to the places of interest (all food related, of course), and I'm all set!

This is such a fabulous blog! Thanks for the Jacques Torres pics, and no pets? What kind of building doesn't allow pets!?!?!?!??!

[srhcb]

Cute feet are one of the few good things about being 5'3".  

Ok. Although GF's DL says she's 5'3", but I think 5'0.75" is probably more like it?

SB (knows from personal experience that another presumed advantage of petite women, that they don't eat as much, is patently false, especially when it comes to chocolate!)

[Megan Blocker]

Whew! Dinner is over, the boys have gone home, and the dishes are done. Yessss!

So, here's how it went down.

After I defrosted the sweetbreads under lukewarm water, I followed Julia Child's directions for soaking and blanching them. I soaked them for two hours in cold water, changing the water every fifteen minutes or so, and then peeled the outer membrane off of them.

Once I had the membranes off, I separated the lobes of the sweetbreads and removed the fatty thing that joins them. Then I cut them into smaller, nugget-sized pieces and soaked them in more cold water, this time with a tablespoon of cider vinegar.

THEN, I blanched them in salted water, simmering them for 15 minutes and plunging them into cold water for five. Then I drained them and set them aside. Meanwhile, I made a simple alfredo sauce (four cloves of garlic, cup of cream, two tablespoons of butter, black pepper, all cooked down until thick and creamy) and set that aside. Just before serving, I dredged the sweetbreads in a little flour seasoned with pepper, fried them in a little butter, and drained them on paper towels to get rid of any greasiness. I cooked some capellini, tossed that with the alfredo sauce and some grated parmaggiano, and plated everything with the sweetbreads on top.

While I was soaking the sweetbreads, I made the madeleines and the creme brulee. Here's the mixer churning up the custard for the creme brulee:

And here are the dishes...

And the cooling cremes!

The madeleines took no time at all to go from this...

...to this.

I pop the madeleines out of the pan and cool them on a paper towel, not a wire rack, in order to prevent any denting of the sponge cake!

Before Miles and Hall arrived, I set the table and chilled the white wine (an Australian Riesling) - the boys also brought a German Riesling, so we barely dipped into my white.

We had a great time - I hadn't seen them for about six weeks, since they've been traveling abroad. I got to hear about all their adventures, and they were great sports about watching me put the finishing touches on all the dishes. Of course, they especially enjoyed watching me torch the creme brulees - everyone's a pyro at heart, after all.

Dinner was great - we started with the sweetbreads:

With these, per Susan's suggestion, we drank a dry Riesling, and the pairing worked well!

Next up were the lamb chops, which I started on my grill pan and finished in the oven. They were cooked to medium rare, and served with potatoes roasted in some schmaltz. We totally forgot to photograph those, though! We had the lamb chops with a bottle of Chianti. Nothing like the hair of the dog.

Third course was a spinach salad with a sherry vinaigrette and caramelized shallots. This was really good, and quite pretty!

Finally, we had the madeleines and the creme brulee. Hall has a big soft spot for madeleines, which is something I didn't know until today. I will definitely be making these for him again - whenever he wants - because he is just so cool. (Can you tell he's reading this? )

Because I'd been doing dishes as I went along, I only spent twenty minutes or so cleaning up after the boys left. We talked for ages once we were done with eating...

So, that's all, folks! Tomorrow and the other remaining days of my blog promise to be somewhat calmer. We're supposed to get a little snow, so I hope to get to show you how pretty New York is with a dusting of white. You'll also get to follow me to the laundromat tomorrow (there will be coffee involved - a carrot and a stick, my friends), and to work on Monday. Blech.

[snowangel]

So, that's all, folks!  Tomorrow and the other remaining days of my blog promise to be somewhat calmer.  We're supposed to get a little snow, so I hope to get to show you how pretty New York is with a dusting of white.  You'll also get to follow me to the laundromat tomorrow (there will be coffee involved - a carrot and a stick, my friends), and to work on Monday.  Blech.

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Megan, you've given us such a tour! And such a beautiful dinner tonight.

Tomorrow, how about a typical Sunday. And on Monday, a typical lunch and dinner for you.

[Susan in FL]

You're awesome, Megan. Your mother must be proud. If my son didn't have a girlfriend I adore I would be pushing you two to meet. What a dinner!

[Daniel]

That dinner looks really good.. Was this your first time making sweetbreads. How annoying to have to add the defrosting step.. Sounds like you did everything perfectly.. Did the butter burn at all while cooking.. I find a mixture of butter and oil or using clarified works good..

Also if I followed the bottle count correctly, there were two Rieslings and a Chianti.. Thats a nice amount of drinking, did we miss anything..

Thats funny you taking the bus to Citarella.. I am cooking dinner tomorrow night and had them deliver to me today.. This is also an option for days when the bus is too tough ..

Have a happy Sunday..

[fou de Bassan]

Megan, your photos are fantastic! I'm enjoying the tour of New York, but the clincher for me in this fab blog was the hot chocolate photo There's drool everywhere now.

[Lori in PA]

Megan, I'm enjoying the blog much. Your life is very different than mine, which makes your photos and essays especially interesting. Suggestion for the required pet photo for the petless NYCer: get a pic of one of those dogwalkers with a bunch of pooches ranging around -- I think seeing that was one of my kids' favorite parts of their visit to NYC a few years ago!

[Safran]

Megan,

I can't believe you made all that and had guests "the day after the night before"...I'd still be in bed. Amazing! And the food looked WONDERFUL! This blog is awesome! Am so enjoying this!

[Rebecca263]

Megan, dear, do you have enough diet Coke in the apartment? I've never eaten sweetbreads, and honestly, they seem so exotic to me that I don't think I would ever attempt to prepare them (gushy?! )! Well, unless someone actually asked for them, anyway! What brand of pasta do you prefer? We rarely get to eat spaghetti, because I don't have a machine to cut my pasta into strands. I DO like Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat varieties. I notice that your pasta was a durum flour, do tell!

[Megan Blocker]

You're awesome, Megan.  Your mother must be proud.  If my son didn't have a girlfriend I adore I would be pushing you two to meet.    What a dinner!

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Wow - thanks, Susan!

Was this your first time making sweetbreads. How annoying to have to add the defrosting step.. Sounds like you did everything perfectly.. Did the butter burn at all while cooking.. I find a mixture of butter and oil or using clarified works good..

Also if I followed the bottle count correctly, there were two Rieslings and a Chianti.. Thats a nice amount of drinking, did we miss anything..

Thats funny you taking the bus to Citarella.. I am cooking dinner tomorrow night and had them deliver to me today.. This is also an option for days when the bus is too tough

Yes, this was my first time making sweetbreads! I was really annoyed about the defrosting thing...especially given the microwave situation. In all honesty, unexpected defrosting is the only downside to not having a microwave - if I forget to take the meat out of the freezer in the morning, you know it's pasta with garlic and oil for dinner that night.

The butter did start to burn a tiny bit, but not too excessively - if I were to make a larger crop next time, I would definitely need to clarify it first, or do the whole butter/oil thing.

Yes, two Rieslings (though we only made it through half of the second bottle) and a Chianti. I think I had about three glasses total, so not too much. Those boys - what lushes!

Suggestion for the required pet photo for the petless NYCer: get a pic of one of those dogwalkers with a bunch of pooches ranging around -- I think seeing that was one of my kids' favorite parts of their visit to NYC a few years ago!

:laugh:

Lori, this is too funny - on Friday when I left my apartment, there were literally four dog walkers outside my building, two walking uptown and two walking downtown, and each with at least four dogs. I tried to get my camera out, but by the time I turned it on, they were all too far to get a picture showing the hilarity of the situation. If I spot some later this week, I'll do my best!

I can't believe you made all that and had guests "the day after the night before"...I'd still be in bed. Amazing!

Thanks! I have to say, in the annals of my hangovers, that was really on the mild side...though I rarely cook that much even when barely hungover, so I suppose it was a new thing for me, along with the sweetbreads.

I've never eaten sweetbreads, and honestly, they seem so exotic to me that I don't think I would ever attempt to prepare them (gushy?! ohmy.gif wacko.gif )! Well, unless someone actually asked for them, anyway! What brand of pasta do you prefer? We rarely get to eat spaghetti, because I don't have a machine to cut my pasta into strands. I DO like Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat varieties. I notice that your pasta was a durum flour, do tell!

We-ell, they're really only "gushy" until you soak them in the water and vinegar, then they firm up quite a bit. By the time you blanch them, they're pretty firm - sort of like little pillows of meatiness. I love them, because they have a really mild, sort of generic "meat" flavor that goes so well with all different kinds of sauces and preparations. The gushiness does make that membrane freaking hard to peel off, though. One of the cooler things about them was the way they smelled when I blanched them - they made my kitchen smell like...essence of meat. So good.

As for pasta, when it comes to dried, which is what I used last night, I'm a fan of De Cecco. I find that they have the best taste and texture for a good, low price. After all, the beauty of pasta is that I can pull five meals from a $1.50 box.

[Megan Blocker]

Megan, lovely to see you blogging!  Pegu definately please since I have to vicariouslyy live through others visiting that marvelous .  That garlic soup is on my list to make as well.  What is your very favourite thing to cook?

We'll be back in NY in March with my 13 year old son.  Suggestions on where to take him to eat?  He likes spicy things and is branching out in being willing to try new things.  We'll probably do one fine dining experience with him but the rest will be more casual.  As he's 13, places that serve large portions are particularly welcome

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Hey, Marlene! I've been thinking about this, and I definitely agree with Pan's Grand Sichuan recommendation. If you need a good lunch place in a somewhat touristy region, I would also recommend Chelsea Thai, where Lisa and I went on Thursday - the food was awesome and cheap, and the portions were pretty big. Plus you've got all those bakeries and markets to fill the rest of his gapingly large teenage appetite.

Of course, if you're going to be in Chinatown, I'm sure people have loads of suggestions...I have to admit that I haven't spent huge amounts of time there, so I'll let my fellow New Yorkers guide you...

Another place that I love is Kasadela, which is a little Japanese izakaya in the East Village. It's sort of like Nobu-lite - the chef/owner used to work at Nobu, and the dishes reflect that. As for Ryan's appetite, this place serves small plates, which seems counter-intuitive, but you can just keep ordering until you're full!

For the finer-dining experience, I might go for Hearth. I just love it there, and have never been disappointed in a meal. I also feel like it has a typical New York sensibility, sort of upscale, downtown casualness. Smithy, this would also be a place I would send you!

And, of course, you should all check out Katz's for a sandwich and a pickle.

ETA: Another more upscale option is Etats-Unis, which is in my neighborhood (on 81st just west of 2nd Avenue). It's very good - a tiny French place with a small, ever-changing menu. I love it there, and they also have a small wine bar across the street where you can get some of the same menu items in a more casual, boisterous atmosphere.

Edited February 26, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)