Hot Dog Roller

Put your fears of burning hot dogs away for good; pick up a Charcoal Companion’s Hot Dog Roller (now available at Garber Hardware). This grilling gizmo is essential for perfect hot dogs, bratwursts, and sausages. Just place the contraption on the grill, let it heat up for about 5-10 minutes, and plop your desired dogs on top! A few spins on the stainless steel rollers will allow any kind of sausage to fully cook without charring the skin; each set of rollers accommodates five hot dogs. After spotting these rollers at Garber, one of the Dish assistants immediately affirmed their effectiveness. Her bratwurst-obsessed father in Chicago swears by it every time he grills (every week all year round), and wouldn’t dream of going back to directly cooking brats. Try one today and you’ll never go back either!

Homemade Cotton Candy

While doing some preliminary research for a Garber Hardware/The Dish’s Dishes side project, TDD discovered a method for making cotton candy at home! We couldn’t believe it was possible, but discovered after reading a few complicated instructions, that anyone can whip up a batch of fresh, frothy, pink fluff! You don’t need a giant cotton candy machine, just an old whisk and wire cutters. Head into

Garber Hardware for the wire cutters for the best deal and friendly service.

The process will require both your hardware store-MacGyver mentality and your culinary skill. Cut off the rounded ends of the whisk with the wire cutter. We hear that you can get precut whisks for projects like this, but this is much more fun.

Ingredients:

5 cups sugar

1 1/3 cup light corn syrup

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon water

red food coloring

a candy thermometer

1. Spread the tines of the whisk so that they are evenly separated. Place two long wooden spoons underneath something heavy so that they securely stick out over the edge of your table.

2. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, place sugar, light corn syrup, and water over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture until a candy thermometer reads 320 degrees F.

3. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the bottom of a heatproof glass bowl, remove the sugar mixture from the heat and carefully add it to the bowl.

4. Stir with your new whisk to incorporate the color. Working quickly, lift the whisk from the hot sugar and let it drain for 1 to 2 seconds until even streams fall from the tines. Move the whisk to the wooden spoon area high enough for the sugar to gently rest on the wooden spoons. Wave your whisk from left to right using broad strokes so that the thin layers of sugar collect into a pile on top of the spoons.

5. Collect the piles and either roll onto a rolled-up piece of paper or enjoy on the spot!

Tomato Fennel Salsa

I have a fairly rigorous process by which I weed out Culinistas™, and part of this process is a cooking interview. Culinistas™ are forced into an environment in which they do not have very much information and in which time is of the essence. This exercise has ended in tears, in messy kitchens, in clean kitchens, in five star meals, and in slop.

However, when a prospective prepared, among other things, fennel in two different but incredibly delicious ways, I was floored. She braised half the bulb and made a tomato fennel salsa with the other. To make this refreshing salsa, chop tomatoes, fennel, and red onions very finely, toss them with a vinegar and olive oil combination; season the concoction with salt and pepper, and voila!

What you will end up with is an absolutely light and uplifting accompaniment to anything from seared tuna to a topped for guacamole and chips!

Grandma Hints

My grandmother gave me a recipe booklet called Top Nosh from her temple in Naples, Florida. My favorite part of the book is the Household Hints in the back, which are extremely useful.

For instance, did you know that if you refrigerate your candles, they will burn longer and not drip? Or, to remove gum from your hair, rub a chocolate bar in it and then wash it? Also, a little baking soda on a damp cloth will remove grease from the oven door. I also learned that a mixture of half salt and half hot vinegar will clean and polish brass.

Also included is a whole section of secret pie-making tricks. I discovered that if you put marshmallows at the bottom of a pumpkin pie, they will rise to the surface and make a great topping. As evidenced by Top Nosh, secrets from a grandma are always the best.

Snack Dragon: Fuel for the Fiery

My brother’s girlfriend is one of the pickiest eaters I know. And, while I sometimes don’t understand her idiosyncrasies (no pie? she claims it’s a texture thing…) I do know that when she gives something her stamp of approval, it must be very, very good.

A few weeks ago, she let me in on her late night secret, Snack Dragon, an East Village taco shack that’s been in its current location–complete with newly awarded permits, refrigeration, and a little extra seating, —since August 2006.

The haunt is a sliver of a spot, painted a cheery electric blue, with a few indoor barstools situated by the tall bar. The remainder of the indoor space is the prep area, where one of three women expertly prepares four-bite tacos. The storefront, if you can call it that, is a take-out window, where the two primo seats are positioned. Loud rock music blares as hungry East Villagers chow down on their dragon fuel.

Josephine Jansen is the proprietress and claims that: “if you haven't tried a taco you haven't really lived.” The few seats at the counter and the outdoor spots are steadily filled with people gobbling chorizo tacos, carne asada, and pollo verde. The menu also contains several dishes with quinoa for those who—despite stumbling in at 2am—are still concerned about watching their weight. Regardless, everything is topped with beans, cheese, homemade salsa, fresh cilantro and sour cream.

My personal tipster’s favorite thing on the menu is the nacharitos: a crispy tostada, topped with all the fixins’ and cut into fours like a mini pizza. What I liked the most was the chicken taco, which was an excellent combo of dense chicken, creamy sour cream and tangy salsa, served up on a blue corn tortilla. Best yet, everything on the menu is about $4.

Until last month, there were no set opening hours, but now, the Dragon has officially begun opening for East Village breakfast at 11am. To ensure that everyone gets their fuel, they remain open late into the evening: until 1 a.m. Sun - Wed, 2 a.m. on Thurs, and 4 a.m. on Fri & Sat.

Snack Dragon is located at 199 E. 3rd Street (between Ave A & B).

Anne Saxelby Eating

A few years ago, I started to receive The Art of Eating quarterly. This is not food writing for the mainstream but rather, it’s a magazine for those who truly admire the culinary arts. I must admit, at times (even often), it’s a bit over my head. However, when I received my copy in the mail last month, the cheddar cheese article in which Ed Behr—the editor and publisher—details tracking down a truly traditional version of the American classic instantly struck me.

He claims to have found it in a year aged cloth-bound cheddar made by Jasper Hill Farms in conjunction with Cabot Creamery, and I am happy to report that it is available at Anne Saxelby Cheesemongers. The cheese is everything it’s hyped up to be: velvety, earthy, sweet and salty. The texture is both hard and then smooth; and the sweetness is rich. The day I had it, I made myself the best cheese sandwich I’ve ever tasted!

Dinner and Song at Bar-Bo-Né

On a tip from a client, I headed to Bar-Bo-Né in the East Village for an Italian dinner al fresco. We went on an enchanting evening: the back patio was packed with young couples and people celebrating various events. On more than one occasion, whole tables were breaking out into song while others were being serenaded. Clearly, the mood was merry. The host passed from table to table, making sure that everyone was happy with the food and the atmosphere.

And happy we were. If the encouragement from the impromptu musical wasn’t enough to endorse a wonderful dinner, the food could certainly stand on its own. When dining there, be sure to get the asparagus fries. A battered and fried pile of bright green asparagus arrive piping hot with a cool, tangy dipping sauce. They would be enough to split as an appetizer, but then you’d miss out on the refreshing radicchio and Parmesan salad and the saffron steamed mussels. There are enough mussels for a main course, and regardless of when you order them, you’ll be sopping up the jus with the grilled filone bread that tops the mussel mountain.

For the entrée, stick with one of the pastas. The trofie with pesto reminded me instantly of Cinque Terre, the five small towns on the Mediterranean coast of Italy. And the linguine with clams and pancetta was ideal for the summer evening. I know I’ll be back for pappardelle with braised short rib ragu and I can’t wait to dive into the squid ink tagliatelle puttanesca. As for true mains (secondi), order the seared salmon with spaghetti squash and shitakes.

The patio is charismatic and pleasant that it swayed my dinner guest and I to linger in our seats long after we’d finished our food. We contemplated dessert, but decided we were too full. Instead of dropping a check and trying to turn the table, the host took pride in our high spirits and content dispositions. He brought out two glasses of Muscadet, compliments of the house.

After a half an hour of lounging, we summoned the check. We didn’t want to leave the magical patio, but had late night plans elsewhere. Before we could walk through the restaurant, however, the host saw us out and wished us well into the evening.

Madhouse

When my roommate went to Vermont last month to shoot a documentary, I received a text message about dangerously addictive potato chips. Not a fan of chips in general, I was a bit skeptical of the whole notion. However, my roomie convinced me to try them, and has proved to be an adept epicurean in his selection. Madhouse Munchies potato chips come in Sea Salt, Mesquite BBQ, Creamy French Onion, and Sea Salt & Vinegar and contain no trans or monosaturated fats. They are hand kettle cooked for a super crunchy texture and can be purchased directly from the company website. You also can (and should!) enter your chip bag number in on the website, which will automatically donate two cents to Share Our Strength in the company’s Chip-In for Hungry Kids effort.

Eggplant Caviar

I’m headed off to Russia this week and in preparation I’ve been trying to acclimate myself to the food I’ll be eating while abroad. I learned to make one of my favorites: eggplant caviar. Here’s how I did it:



2 medium eggplants

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon sugar


1. Preheat oven to 375˚. Quarter eggplants, drizzle with olive oil and roast 30 minutes with the garlic.

2. Cool, skin, and mash. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mash until smooth.

3. Chill several hours or overnight and serve with toasted points.

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Revisiting Orchard St

A few weeks ago, I stopped in to Little Giant, the restaurant where I used to work, to say hello to an old friend and mentor. It's been a short two years since I worked and lived on Orchard, but my how things have changed! Julie decided to give me a little introduction to the new tenants on the street.

She prompted me with, "Do you want to try something really delicious?" Of course I did, but when we walked into a clothing store, I was utterly confused.  Valley is not only a clothing store but also a waxing boutique and the only place in Manhattan to get real açai, (the Brazilian berry that has more antioxidants than blueberries) and a full bottle of red wine. Sisters Nina and Julia, who did time in South America and in health-conscious L.A., run the shop and are succeeding at being the neighborhood one-stop shop for debonair girls.

We requested our açai and Julia slipped behind a secret door leading to the kitchen. When she emerged, she was holding a tray with two small wooden bowls of what looked like a berry sorbet with granola on top. Their mother, we discovered, makes the fantastic granola using an Aga oven in the Berkshires. The pinkish-purple frozen heap turned out to be the mysterious açai. Apparently, the berry itself, which tastes like a mixture of chocolate, blueberry and banana, is frozen and then blended into a puree without the addition of anything except the occasional banana. The berry smoothie is both refreshing and exotic.

Speaking of exotic, the following pit stop was the much-publicized Roasting Plant. Here, in Wonka-like fashion, beans shoot through tubes from roaster to grinder to cup when you place an order. It's an unbelievable process that truly delivers the goods.

The tour was lovely, and upon returning to the restaurant I discovered that things have also changed at Little Giant. Before it was the sticky toffee pudding that revolutionized the block, but now everyone is drawn to LG for the salted caramel pudding. Served in a mug with olive oil crème and a thin tuile, there's not much better in town. It's simultaneously sweet and savory, and is delicious when paired with either a tea or an after-dinner drink. There's another new addition: LUNCH. In an effort to serve the neighborhood, Little Giant is now open for lunch, so those craving swine and biscuits don't have to wait til sundown.

Debra's Granola

Fairway shoppers are some of the luckiest in the city, not just because of the dirt-cheap prices compared to other Upper West Side grocers. Fairway is the only place in the city that carries a continuous stock of Stark Sister's Granola, the delicious invention of Debra Stark. She developed the granola from her grandfather's family recipe, available in Nutty Maple, Lo-Fat Raspberry Blueberry, and Original Maple Almond, for her Concord, Massachusetts natural food store.

After you purchase your first pound, you'll want to experiment with the recipes she features on her website. The Nectarine Granola Cobbler is a stand out. If you can't make it to Fairway, you can order it directly from Debra's Natural Gourmet. Dish clients will be receiving samples this week.

Aurora: Version Soho

I had the chance to go to Aurora in Brooklyn about a month ago. I'd heard that this much-loved Williamsburg Italian spot was opening in Soho and I wanted to scope out the original before diving into the offshoot. My experience then was impeccable, and I am happy to report that the Broome Street rendition is just as delicious.

My copy editor/literary agent, a self-proclaimed picky eater with a penchant for mushrooms and pasta, was in heaven when she and I sat down to eat at one of the rustic tables last month. Traditional, spot-on dishes like the pizzetta with proscuitto and buffalo mozzarella and the octopus and wax bean salad are stand out starters. Follow them up with one of the "fatti in casa" pastas. Of course, we were partial to the ravioli, which came ladled with morels, hen of the woods, and crimini 'shrooms. This Aurora captures the same earthy, homey vibe as its original, with Italian speaking waiters and fare that's just simply fantastic. Welcome to the 'hood!