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eG Foodblog: Megan Blocker - Trading Pumas for Uggs

Megan Blocker

By Megan Blocker
in Food Traditions & Culture

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Hopefully, by the time I get up tonight, or the very latest, off work in the morning, we can get a glimpse of some serious porn :raz:

We want porn, we want porn :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:

This is Caroled's Mama speaking, and what have you got that CHILD up to? For sooth and for shame. :raz:

She's sleeping now, to go out to work tonight in this SNOW---about a foot all over the yard and driveway---just got it "blown" and hope no more fills the gaps. I've already READ and seen---she'll be pea-green I saw it first, and most pleased when she wakes to this glorious little "week-night" dinner.

We both love your wanderings, and all the lovely things you find.

Thanks, Rachel!

For sheer porn factor, I think the award has to go to the close-up shot of the foie gras...just oozing its goodness everywhere. Ahem.

For lunch today, my friend Faith and I went to The Modern, where we ate in the Bar Room. This was my third trip to the Bar Room, and I enjoyed it just as much the third time around (which is a lot).

I've branched out on each trip, trying new things on the menu (which is hard when you've enjoyed something so much once), but this time I did two repeats. :shock::laugh:

We started with the lovely, warm bread, served with butter sprinkled with salt.

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For Faith's first course, she ordered the mushroom soup, which came with little fried ravioli filled with (I think) chorizo. Quite delicious - the soup was earthy and complex, and the ravioli were crispy and spicy - good for dipping!

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I had the steak tartare, which came with a little poached quail egg and some wheat toast. It was good - quite tangy, which is how I like it. The cooked egg was a different texture than I've been used to - I liked the soft with the slightly chewy meat.

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For her second course, Faith chose the duck confit, which I had the last time I was at the Bar Room - it's a very mustardy, tangy version offset by a frisee salad with a sweet, fruity dressing. Really good.

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I had the roasted garlic gnocchi (my second rerun of the meal). I love these...they're rich and buttery, but the crispy sweetbreads are a delightfully light contrast. The crispy sage leaves taste like fall...yum.

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Finally, dessert. We both ordered a cup of coffee, and decided to split the beignets (rerun #2). Oh. My. Goodness. These are so good...light and airy, coated with powdered sugar while still hot, served with caramel and a maple ice cream...and mango marmalade, which I didn't love - too sweet.

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I am now officially eating a salad tonight in front of Gilmore Girls. It seems slightly sacreligious, but my tummy needs a break! :laugh:

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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I ran head-on into a wall of fatigue this afternoon...not sure if it was sugar coma from the beignets, or a reaction to my flu shot, but I was flat-out exhausted. I tried the best remedy I know, double Diet Cokes...

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For dinner tonight, something decidedly lighter...I whipped up a quick salad dressing with shallots, mustard, sherry vinegar and olive oil. Used it to dress a salad of romaine, red onion, cucumber, tomato, leftover roast chicken, and some frozen corn (I love frozen corn and peas - almost always have them on hand, especially in the winter).

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"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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ludja

ludja

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Fried quail and waffles. What a brilliant take on a southern classic.

Thank you for the pics, Megan.

and rosemary maple syrup... Sounds great.

I'm also lusting after the garlic gnocchi and crispy sweetbread dish from The Modern!

I hope you got to watch Gilmore Girls tonight, Megan and fill us in on the food. I may miss part of the show tonight.

(Here's a thread where some of us Gilmore Girls fans note the epicurean references in different episodes. The writers/producers must be seriously into food.)

Hope you feel better!

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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maggiethecat

maggiethecat

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OK, I'm reporting the post with the foie nuggets. Steven, Dave and Chris will hear about this, you betcha. That is XXX porn dear Megan, and Daniel needs to put in some time in solitary, far from the prison cookies he might corrupt.

Or he could put in six month's community service by cooking for me.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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amapola

amapola

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I had the roasted garlic gnocchi (my second rerun of the meal).  I love these...they're rich and buttery, but the crispy sweetbreads are a delightfully light contrast.  The crispy sage leaves taste like fall...yum.

gallery_26775_2587_17692.jpg

These look to die for! It's between breakfast and lunchtime over here and I'm getting seriously hungry, looking at this dish... It's almost as if I can smell it.

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MarketStEl

MarketStEl

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When I walked in the door, Daniel was walking through the front hall with a leg of bayonne ham in both hands, cradled a bit like a baby.

Whenever I see this term, I have to remind myself, "France, NOT New Jersey." :laugh:

First course: cromesquis with foie gras...Daniel described these in an early email as "foie gras nuggets," and indeed they were.  Foie gras, gelatin and some port, dredged and fried...melty, rich goodness...(photos courtesy of Daniel himself, BTW)

[...]

The inside...

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Talk about a "money shot"!

(Don't tell PETA, but there's a foie gras tasting taking place soon at an undisclosed location in Philadelphia. The poor organizer hadn't realized when he proposed a series of tastings--this one's the third--that about twice as many people as the undisclosed location could handle wanted to participate! Of course, for this tasting, participants will have to submit to background checks to avoid terrorist infiltration. :smile: )

Great photos, as usual, and I see that the weather hasn't sapped your energy. Speaking of weather, do you have to work today (V-Day, 2/14)? Widener is closed today.

Edited by MarketStEl (log)

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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Catew

Catew

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People close on V-day?

Lord, that's a little excessive..

I'm a little bit south of Sandy but share the same weather: the college is closed due to snow and ice. Almost everything here is closed due to the unsafe road conditions.

Megan -- how is the weather in NYC today? I'm really enjoying your blog and can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings!

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Chufi

Chufi

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Dinner at Daniel's... :wub: something the rest of us can only hope for.. Thanks for sharing that!

Megan what's the yellow stuff underneath our steak tartare? btw I would be exhausted after a lunch like that too! Don't tell me you had to go back to work after that :shock:

You know I learned the Diet Coke trick from your first blog? Whenever I buy a bottle at the cafetaria at work, after an evening of maybe one or 2 glasses of jenever too many, I think of you, and your quote: "it will cure whatever it is that ails ya".

And it DOES work! Nice legacy huh? :smile:

Klary Koopmans

~ The Travels of Verjuice & Chufi

~ Eat cheap, travel far

~ Dutch Cooking recipe index

website

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Great photos, as usual, and I see that the weather hasn't sapped your energy.  Speaking of weather, do you have to work today (V-Day, 2/14)?  Widener is closed today.

Ugh, YES, I am at the office. I took the bus to the subway, and I'm wearing jeans, and it's really, really icy out there. The streets are just covered in a couple inches of slush and ice...living in a neighborhood of restaurants and bars has a major drawback on snowy mornings, which is that the proprietors haven't been out yet to shovel/salt/sand the sidewalks. It's just nasty.

A lot of folks commute in from Jersey, and none of them are here, which is probably safest. I'm hoping this means I can go home early this afternoon, as the weather is supposed to get worse in Manhattan over the course of the day.

OK, I'm reporting the post with the foie nuggets. Steven, Dave and Chris will hear about this, you betcha. That is XXX porn dear Megan, and Daniel needs to put in some time in solitary, far from the prison cookies he might corrupt.

Or he could put in six month's community service by cooking for me.

:laugh: :laugh: No way - dibs!

Megan what's the yellow stuff underneath our steak tartare? btw I would be exhausted after a lunch like that too! Don't tell me you had to go back to work after that  :shock:

You know I learned the Diet Coke trick from your first blog? Whenever I buy a bottle at the cafetaria at work, after an evening of maybe one or 2 glasses of jenever too many, I think of you, and your quote: "it will cure whatever it is that ails ya".

And it DOES work! Nice legacy huh? :smile:

The yellow stuff was more egg yolk, though I'm not sure what kind of egg...probably regular chicken egg, but who knows! I did go back to work...I really was ok till about 4:00, which makes me think it was a sugar issue and not a food coma.

I LOVE that you've adopted the Diet Coke cure-all! Megan Blocker: Hangover Advice Since 2006. :wink:

Edited by Megan Blocker (log)

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Megan, I just got caught up.  I'm so glad I didn't miss your blog.  I'm enjoying it all, especially your dinner with Daniel.

Ann

Thanks, Ann!

I've been meaning to mention this to all of you...if you are interested in dining at Daniel's place, it's actually relatively easy to do! While what we attended was just a dinner party, Daniel and Alicia have started this cool eating club called Bite Club...you can check out their website here! You join the club and then choose which dinners you'd like to attend.

So, you see, you too can enjoy cuisine aux Daniel et Alicia! :wink:

Edited by Megan Blocker (log)

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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So, last night after dinner I spent a while doing some actual work, and then decided to make myself a cup of hot chocolate. My best friend Louisa sent me a copy of Pierre Herme's "Classic Hot Chocolate" receipe a couple months back (copied from the book I gave her for her birthday), and I've been addicted ever since I first tried it in January.

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You melt bittersweet chocolate and add it to milk, water and sugar that's been brought to a boil. Stir and let cook over medium heat till one bubble pops on the surface, then turn off the flame and use your nifty immersion/stick blender for about a minute to get it thick and frothy.

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Ooooh, so good. A nice liquid dessert. :wink:

ETA: Louisa and I both agree that this is the closest we've come to recapturing the chocolatey magic of Prague's hot chocolate, which is so dark and rich that it's served with sugar on the side.

Edited by Megan Blocker (log)

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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I tried to order in Wu Liang Ye for lunch today, but the wait was an hour and a half (no doubt everyone else had the same idea), so I decided to venture around the corner to Fresco on the Go.

The scene outside is even nastier than it was this morning...note the icy slush...

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Fresco is just around the corner on 52nd Street...Today Show viewers will recognize the Scottos from their appearances - they were just on the other day talking about sexy Italian food (ah, Valentine's Day and the hard news items it produces). I personally don't care for the actual restaurant, but the on-the-go place has some good sandwiches. It's a bit pricey, though - you never spend less than $10.50.

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Today it was packed inside, so I just got the special sandwich, which was all ready to go. Barbecued chicken and coleslaw...

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I also got some olive oil potato chips, half of which I handed off to an office pal.

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People are heading out already...apparently the roads are getting really bad. I'll probably stick around till about 5:00, then go home and get ready for single gal's (as in me, singular, not a group of us) dinner out! :biggrin:

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Daniel

Daniel

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I tried to order in Wu Liang Ye for lunch today, but the wait was an hour and a half (no doubt everyone else had the same idea), so I decided to venture around the corner to Fresco on the Go.

The scene outside is even nastier than it was this morning...note the icy slush...

gallery_26775_2587_9178.jpg

Fresco is just around the corner on 52nd Street...Today Show viewers will recognize the Scottos from their appearances - they were just on the other day talking about sexy Italian food (ah, Valentine's Day and the hard news items it produces).  I personally don't care for the actual restaurant, but the on-the-go place has some good sandwiches.  It's a bit pricey, though - you never spend less than $10.50.

gallery_26775_2587_13408.jpg

Today it was packed inside, so I just got the special sandwich, which was all ready to go.  Barbecued chicken and coleslaw...

gallery_26775_2587_2030.jpg

I also got some olive oil potato chips, half of which I handed off to an office pal.

gallery_26775_2587_11869.jpg

People are heading out already...apparently the roads are getting really bad.  I'll probably stick around till about 5:00, then go home and get ready for single gal's (as in me, singular, not a group of us) dinner out! :biggrin:

Megan, I recently connected Rosanna Scotto to Scottos.. Today would be a great day for some Sichuan.. Good call!! Also maybe a little something flamable to the hot chocolate might help keep away the cold.. :biggrin:

Edited by Daniel (log)
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ludja

ludja

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..

Friday: Breakfast at Cafe Sabarsky, Dinner at Degustation...lunch in Chinatown?

...

Remember, it's completely okay to eat tortes or cakes for breakfast. Well, it is in our household anyway and that includes whipped cream! A nice Kleiner Brauner* or Kapuziner* alongside balances the sweetness. :smile:

Looking forward to another great blog; good luck juggling everything with work.

*Kleiner Brauner = Viennese speak for a demitasse of espresso with a dash of milk

*Kapuziner = Viennese speak for a strong dark coffee with enough milk added to match the robe color of the Capuchin Monks

Excellent tips, Ludja...after looking over the Cafe Sabarsky menu, is there a particular torte or cake you'd recommend?

I've only eaten there three times at lunch and have always ended up ordering a torte special. These have always been very good; I think two of the times the torte was a type of Kastanientorte (Chestnut Torte).

Despite my teasing to order a torte, if you want a less desserty-type thing for breakfast with coffee the Gugelhupf or Topfentorte might be nice. Well, I just remember you're likely familiar with the Alsation version of Gugelhupf (a typically yeast-raised coffee cake)! Topfentorte uses a fresh German/Austrian cheese called "Quark" in German-German. Desserts made with Topfen/Quark are often less dense and sweet compared to American cheesecake type recipes. I love both types of cheesecake and ricotta-based ones as well...

They list and describe some tortes I don't recognize by name but that seem quite Viennese classcial in concept and flavor. It's all to one's taste but if I was ordering a torte, I'd be tempted by the Adeletorte with apricot mousse, the Klimt torte with chocolate and hazelnut or the Sabarskytorte with chocolate and rum.

I tend to be wary ordering Apple Strudel or Hotel Sachertorte over here, but I'd hope that Cafe Sabarsky would do them well. Apple Strudel *is* nice at breakfast and with coffee.

Have fun choosing what strikes your fancy that day!

---

Coleslaw is so great on bbq sandwiches. I never really encounterd it before I went to North Carolina where it is a classic served on a soft bun with NC pork bbq. Your chicken bbq-coleslaw sandwich looks mighty fine though!

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Megan, I recently connected Rosanna Scotto to Scottos.. Today would be a great day for some Sichuan.. Good call!! Also maybe a little something flamable to the hot chocolate might help keep away the cold..  :biggrin:

You LUSH! :wink: I totally should have added some bourbon...

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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suzilightning

suzilightning

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there is nothing, NOTHING better than slaw on a 'que sandwich.

be CAREFUL getting home. all the sleet and freezing rain here has turned to snow and we have just had some peeks of sun through the thinning snow but it is still dangerous out on the roads..

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

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Lady T

Lady T

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:cool:

That frozen howling mess came through Chicago yesterday; the only thing worse than the morning commute was the one in the evening. Do be careful.

:wacko:

On the other hand, you've got the hot chocolate recipe that'll make everything right again once you've gotten home. A little Cognac would be a fine addition, too...

:biggrin:

Me, I vote for the joyride every time.

-- 2/19/2004

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lovebenton0

lovebenton0

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megan, i'm enjoying your blog tremendously. dinner at daniel's and alicia's was certainly a gorgeous, enviable highlight, but it's been great peeking through your entire week with you.

makes me want to visit nyc. haven't been there for many ummm.... many years.

Judith Love

North of the 30th parallel

One woman very courteously approached me in a grocery store, saying, "Excuse me, but I must ask why you've brought your dog into the store." I told her that Grace is a service dog.... "Excuse me, but you told me that your dog is allowed in the store because she's a service dog. Is she Army or Navy?" Terry Thistlewaite

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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As for India - no, you haven't missed!  I am headed there for a week, flying out on March 1st.  I'm going for work, and I'll be in Mumbai and Bangalore.  We're flying through London, and I'll be staying there for three nights on the way back.  It should be a pretty amazing trip.  I've never been to Asia before, and I'm really looking forward to it.

There are egulleteers in London, you know...

All right, just posted a topic about my trip to London - post away!!!

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Genny

Genny

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Happy Valentine's Day Megan! :wub:

How wonderful your blog is...again! I loved your last one, of course :) But you're making me COLD! I've been terribly MIA from eG of late but this is the perfect way to jump back in.

Everything looks so fantastic! You live/eat so well! What is it you do for work? Is it mentioned on the prior blog? Is it the same as then?

The best additions to hot cocoa are homemade marshmallows and peppermint schnaps! It'll warm you up in no time!!

Thanks for blogging and being so fascinating!

Genny

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