eG Foodblog: johnder - Bouncing Around Brooklyn

[johnder]

Next -- some awesome fried shrimp balls, simply served with lemon and a grilled pepper.  I can't remember the name of these peppers, but they must be in season because it is the 3rd time I have had/seen them in the last week. 

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Shishito probably.

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Yes, that is it! It was really good.

[johnder]

I recall your demo days a while back jd - what a renovation! Outstanding job!

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Thanks johnnyd. It was hell, but now I can enjoy the fruits of our labor. I think we are enjoying it so much that it is hard for us to stop and fix the last few outstanding items that need to be done.

[ludja]

Is Thomas Beisl near your neighborhood?

(The kitchen really looks great; what a transformation of the space. Love that large countertop space in the foreground.)

[Safran]

[Everything that you see was done by us with the exception of the countertops which we sub contracted out.    We are glad we did because the large prep space piece weighed almost 550 pounds and was just about the limit of the size the could install in one piece.

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The kitchen is kickass funky! Now, confess...what kind of background do you have (or good genes???) that you could whip up a kitchen of this caliber...

[Kim Shook]

John, I am so enjoying this blog! I have rarely been able to go to NY, but love it with a great passion and cram in experiences when I do go. I also armchair travel to there a lot! My NY lust is building with your blog - thank you so much!!

[MissAmy]

Your kitchen is amazing, like a dream kitchen out of a magazine. Even more amazing is that you did it yourself. Congragulations on a job well done.

[johnder]

Ok, so this morning I had a 9am conference call that I decided to take from home. Given I had a few minutes before the call I decided to make a quick iced coffee using my Rancillio Silva pulling a shot of some Sweet Maria's coffee that I roasted at home.

I am almost out of coffee so tonight before I head out to dinner I am going to roast a new batch using my IRoast2. I will make sure to take lots of pictures while I do.

I think I need to get a new grinder, the one I have, even though it is a burr grinder, isn't giving me the fine grounds now that it once did.

When I am in a rush I will just pull a shot, dump it into these cool Bodum vacuum glasses (which are a double wall glass that has a vacuum between them, hence preventing condensation on the glass) dump in a sugar cube, top if off with some wicked Ronnybrook farms creamline milk and a few ice cubes.

I also had a few pieces of flat bread with some sea salt butter.

[johnder]

On the way to the subway I decided to take some pictures of the neighborhood so people can see the eclectic mix of stores. The 3 pictures you see below are one side of the block between 11th and 12th street on 5th avenue.

So I included this photo above because it shows commonwealth, a bar I go to often. They have an awesome jukebox, and a pretty sweet beer garden in the back. I may go there for a beer on Sunday, so hopefully the weather will be nice and I can get some photos of the yard.

Tacos Neuvo Mexico is awesome. It isn't high on the decor factor or ambiance, but the food rocks, and is really cheap. Some mornings when I am walking to work they get their meat delivery and I see them carrying in whole pigs, lambs and goats for the weeks menu. They specialize in tacos and offer about 15 to 20 types, all served with copious amounts of cut radish and limes on the side.

There is the seafood market that is closest to my house, but not super impressed with the quality, but I have to say their fried fish smells good when I walk by. I sure wouldn't want to live above that place though.

Timboos is an old timer bar. I took this photo at 9:45 am, and you can see they are open for business. There usually is one or two older gentleman sitting there in the morning drinking a bud and chatting with the bartender.

Then in was into the subway and off to work.

[johnder]

Your kitchen is amazing, like a dream kitchen out of a magazine. Even more amazing is that you did it yourself. Congragulations on a job well done.

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Thanks MissAmy!

[johnder]

John, I am so enjoying this blog!  I have rarely been able to go to NY, but love it with a great passion and cram in experiences when I do go.  I also armchair travel to there a lot!  My NY lust is building with your blog - thank you so much!!

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Thanks Kim! Too bad I can't get a commission from the NY tourism council on this blog. If there is anything you, (or anyone else) would like to see, let me know and I can see if I can fit it in this week.

[johnder]

Is Thomas Beisl near your neighborhood?

(The kitchen really looks great; what a transformation of the space.  Love that large countertop space in the foreground.)

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It is pretty close to me. Maybe a 10 minute bus ride away. I haven't heard of this place, but I think I will have to check it out.

The countertop was very important to me. We tend to have a lot of dinner parties and having space to plate up all the dishes was a prime factor in the layout.

[johnder]

[Everything that you see was done by us with the exception of the countertops which we sub contracted out.    We are glad we did because the large prep space piece weighed almost 550 pounds and was just about the limit of the size the could install in one piece.

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The kitchen is kickass funky! Now, confess...what kind of background do you have (or good genes???) that you could whip up a kitchen of this caliber...

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As I briefly mentioned here, I had a lot of experience with my parents doing a similar thing when I was younger, so that sure helped. Aside from that, just a lot of patience, reading and learning as you go.

The running joke is now that I can quit my day job and just start flipping houses in the red-hot real estate market in Park Slope.

[Megan Blocker]

I thought the Village started north of Houston St., but perhaps I'm wrong.

I'm very much enjoying this, johnder!

You work near the River Cafe. What do you think of that restaurant?

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En is on Hudson and Leroy, which is a block or two north of Houston, so I think it falls in the WV. I am not sure what you would call the area South of Houston to Canal? Anyone?

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SoHo?

ETA: Wow, the kitchen looks AWESOME.

Edited September 26, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Rebecca263]

Wow, I go to the hospital for ONE day and look what I miss! OK, you guys made this blog just for me, I can tell. It's Brooklyn, where I want to live, GREAT coffee, at home and out, a pate sandwich which caused my daughter to actually cry (Kiddle has loved pate since toddlerhood, and I have the photo to prove it!), fresh tofu(Rebecca adores fresh tofu), DRINKS, apricot brandy(the favorite drink addition of my Dad!) PEGU, where I think right now after paying for my medical care, I could afford an olive, lots of walking shots and of course, THAT KITCHEN.

So, I'm nursing myself with a cup of bean soup(is not the freezer a miracle of modern science?) and reading this blog and I just want to say- Thanks, John! I can't wait to see your bean roasting set up. I mean, your drink mixing. I mean your mushroom extravaganza, I mean the pork belly, I mean, um, well, you know what? Everything.

[johnder]

So the plan for the rest of the day (aside from work) is:

Stop by the resturant supply store in the city to pick up a bus tub that I can use for the sous-vide pork belly. The previous one I had experienced an tragic accident that rendered it unable to hold water.

I may stop by Astor wines and liquors to see if they have anything interesting I need to add to my ever growing booze collection.

Then am going to head home, start the spice mixture for the dry cure of the Pork Belly and go through some cookbooks looking for insperation for the dinner Saturday.

Tonight is dinner at Applewood, which is at 8 -- most likely I will have a cocktail (or two) before dinner at home. Any suggestions?

[docsconz]

Sounds great. I am curious about the mushrooms. I look forward to seeing what you get. I also look forward to your thoughts on the Flying Pigs pork. It comes from my neck of the woods and I have become friends with the farmers. They are good people and do a wonderful job of raising top quality pork in as humane an environment as a pig could ever hope for. In addition, Jenn Small was a panelist on Sustainability at last weeks International Chefs Congress. Some topnotch restaurants in NYC like Mas (Farmhouse) and Savoy use their pork.

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I actually first met Jenn and Mike at the Grand Army Plaza greenmarket. We got to talking and found out after first trying their bacon I was hooked. I have also been to a few "Meet the Farmers" dinners at Applewood in which they had a meal planned around the their product and they spoke fo 15 minutes about what they are doing, and how they are raising the pigs.

A year or two ago they started selling their chickens that they just let roam around the farm mainly for egg laying purposes, but at the end of summer they sell the chickens off -- man are the chickens good. Taste nothing like store bought fancy organic ones, way more flavor and texture.

We actually have a summer house in upstate NY, it is on Canada Lake, which is about one hour west of Albany, in the southern most part of the Adirondack park.

Where about are you doc?

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I live near Lake George about an hour north of Albany.

As much as I love the pork from FPF, the chicken may be their greatest treasure. I can't say that I have eaten better.

[docsconz]

I thought the Village started north of Houston St., but perhaps I'm wrong.

I'm very much enjoying this, johnder!

You work near the River Cafe. What do you think of that restaurant?

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En is on Hudson and Leroy, which is a block or two north of Houston, so I think it falls in the WV. I am not sure what you would call the area South of Houston to Canal? Anyone?

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SoHo?

ETA: Wow, the kitchen looks AWESOME.

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Yes, Soho, for SOuth of HOuston..

[johnder]

SoHo?

Right. Duh. As a native New Yorker I should have known that.

[Rebecca263]

...-- most likely I will have a cocktail (or two) before dinner at home.    Any suggestions?

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Of course you will including something sour and sweet, ala apricot brandy?

[Sneakeater]

En is on Hudson and Leroy, which is a block or two north of Houston, so I think it falls in the WV.  I am not sure what you would call the area South of Houston to Canal?  Anyone?

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Hudson Square? (New realtors' term for far west area around the tunnel entrance -- which genuinely used to be called Hudson Square before it was torn up to make room for that entrance.)

Edited September 26, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

most likely I will have a cocktail (or two) before dinner at home.    Any suggestions?

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I think a nice Vodka and Tonic would be nice.

[Nina C.]

John -

So glad you are blogging! I had been thinking that all the NY bloggers had been Manhattanites; although I haven't checked for sure, it is certainly great to have our fair Borough represented.

Your kitchen turned out so nicely. My favorite part is the combination of the red color and the tile floor. Jacques Torres is a favorite destination of mine - my favorite things to get there are his pastries especially the chocolate doughnuts and croissants. How lucky you get to go there on weekdays when the buses of tourists haven't taken over.

[johnder]

So I ran out in between meetings to grab some lunch and walked by Brookly Bridge Park. Luckily there is a pretty sweet park literally across the street. Unfortunately I don't have time to enjoy it on this beautiful day.

I did manage to snap a few pictures of people who do have time to enjoy it though.

Here is a picture facing north, with the Manhattan bridge visible, notice the peopel relaxing.

Another picture facing south, this time the Brooklyn bridge.

Lunch was a bagel from La Bagel Delight. It isn't my favorite bagel place, but it is the only one nearby. My main complaint about them is they don't put enough "everything" on the everything bagels. This could probably start a war with fellow New Yorkers, but the hands down best bagels (in my opinion) are Terrace Bagels. They are amazing. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, not too big, not too small, plenty of the "everything" on the everything bagel. Perfect.

I will get some on Saturday to show you the real deal.

I ran into this dog just chilling outside a cafe, he was looking at me like I should take his picture, so I did.

Anyway, here is my bagel, which I am quickly scarfing down before my 3pm meeting.

[johnder]

...-- most likely I will have a cocktail (or two) before dinner at home.    Any suggestions?

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Of course you will including something sour and sweet, ala apricot brandy?

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I am not sure if I will have time to take home the brandy today from work. Given I am heading into the city to pick up some stuff, I am probably not going to schlep the bottles around with me. But rest assured, I have tons of other bottles to work with.

I think a nice Vodka and Tonic would be nice.

You know me too well Sneaky. Alas I used my lone bottle of vodka to make tinctures.

[Rebecca263]

That's a pretty naked 'everything' bagel, I concur. It looks like a plain begel that inadvertantly has some 'everything bagel' blood in it's background, seriously. It should be called 'hint of everything' bagel, or a 'whiff of everything' bagel.