Truffle Cheese

If you find yourself in Columbus Circle craving something truly decadent and delicious, stop at the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The all day dining menu features a little gem: grilled cheese with tomato soup. Of course, this isn’t any ol’ kids sandwich. Here, the cheese is polder blanc, a goat gouda with a creamy texture. It gets the royal treatment of a thick layer of black truffles generously shaved atop. The bread is brioche and it’s cut into finger food strips lined up with cheese and truffle in between each and every one. The line up results in pulling apart each finger for open-faced toasts. A teacup of heavenly rich tomato soup is provided for dipping, and, inevitably, slurping—as you will surely want to take in every last bit. Likewise, after you’ve taken in your meal, don’t forget to take in the views.

The John Dory

April Bloomfield’s endeavor in fish, The John Dory, has all the kitschy funk that make The Spotted Pig and The Rusty Knot perennial go-tos. Shell mirrors, giant fish tanks, and fish etchings, drawings, and wall paintings everywhere you look situate the restaurant more in Florida than along the pubescent restaurant row of Tenth Avenue. It also has a range of lighter cuisine for those who don’t care for the belly busting burgers at Spotted and a reservationist for those uninterested in wading around an understaffed, over-crowded amateur hour at The Knot.

At The John Dory, patrons can opt to sit at tables or along the oyster bar, which looks into the slender open kitchen where Bloomfield and her team perform their maritime magic. I suggest this observation deck, which will help you hone in on your order. A raw bar, a crudo selection, and a full list of tantalizing appetizers fight to be your first taste. We opted for the kampachi with ginger crudo—an intricate dish of three sashimi slices topped with red onions, ginger, and crumpled nori bits. We selected the langoustine salad, which came with fennel and an ample brush stroke of saffron aioli. This was one of my favorites, though I wish the portion was a little larger. The most decadent of appetizers was the oyster pan roast—a little pot of cream dredged oysters accompanied by a long crostini covered in a thick layer of butter that had been enhanced withuni. We paired it with the wild mushroom salad, whichwas the first amply-sized dish and came topped with mâche and slivers of Parmesan.

We split the pan-roasted cod. The fish was cooked to flakey, buttery perfection. It rested on mantecato, a sort of brandade-esque potato-salted fish mash. Atop the fish was a pile of artichoke chips—maybe potatoes that had been fried in an artichoke infused oil—and a roasted chile of which we ate a little with each bite of fish. We had a side of the fall caponata, a spectacular rendition of the classic. This one was a sweet and tangy mix of sunchokes, cipollini onions, sultanas, and pine nuts.

Sex Pistols, Nirvana, and Radiohead were heavily featured on the soundtrack. It was an added bonus for us, but seemed a little out of place based on the splurge-level prices. To save a little, skip dessert—the only subpar aspect of the evening—it’s not the point anyway.

NaanStop Gourmet Indian

“Have you ever wished you could have all the flavors of a full Indian meal, without all the hassle and mess that usually accompanies it?” This is what Naanstop’s founder, Remy Varma, wants to know. Based on this premise, he has devised a naan sandwich that will satisfy Indian food lovers and those who think they aren’t, alike.

It is the gourmet Indian answer to fast food, a departure fromfeel-horrible-pass-out-on-the-couch Indian. No, NaanStop, which can be naan-wrapped or served over rice or salad features fillings likespicy pulled pork vindaloo, chicken tikkamasala, and halibut and masala-coleslaw. Don’t miss out on the add-ons like pumpkin-cauliflower soup, spinach-pecorino kulchas, and desserts like pistachio-cardamom squares and spiced brownies. Better yet, the sandwiches are crafted from the kitchen at the Michelin starred Devi near Union Square. Chefs Hemant Mathur and Suvir Saran pay close attention to every detail in their take out venture—this isn’t 6th Street cuisine.

Sushi Zo

Zo is for sushi adventurers. It is for those willing to eat anything the chef offers and for however long the chef decides to slice fish for you. I ate at Zo with three veterans who made very clear that our visit was the longest and most varied feeding they’d experienced. They also made clear that I was to keep my mouth shut—save for stuffing in glistening pieces of every kind of fish imaginable—when the waitress asked us our preferences. Like Sasabune on the Upper East Side that brags a serious sushi chef, there is no menu. There are no choices. The waitress will ask about food allergies, but it’s better to come with people who are unscathed by such predicaments; for you will be rewarded with five types of toro, ama-ebi, amberjack, anago, ankimo, abalone, giant clam, ikura, uni, and many more.

Apple Pan

LA may be known for their sushi and their fresh, organic cuisine, but they’ve got some serious burgers out there, too. My favorite was at Apple Pan, a relic that hasn’t changed anything since it opened in 1947. The wallpaper is red plaid and the layout consists of one U-shaped bar with red bar seats bolted to the ground—no crowding—that surrounds a central griddle/food prep area where two people assemble burgers and man the deep fryer.

Here, you must order everything as is on the menu, no substitutes. The man who took our order looked like he’d been taking burger orders at Apple Pan for quite some time and didn’t seem like a special requests kind of guy. Go for the hickory burger: a toasted bun painted with mayo, topped with an ample amount of iceburg, then burger patty, cheese, and then topped with their special hickory sauce. The lettuce is key. It keeps the whole thing crunchy as the hickory sauce seeps to all layers. The patty is thin but flavorful, and combined with the sauce, there’s no doubt about its big flavor.

The burger comes wrapped in parchment paper; no plate so as to facilitate gobbling the burger as fast and efficiently as possible. Fries come on a plate and I suggest ordering themsince they arrive in a jiffy and will save you from reaching over to your neighbor and stealing his burger. You can ask for your fries well done here, which means they’ll leave them to soak up even more oil in the deep fryer.

A girl who was with me ordered a tuna melt claiming that it was fantastic here. She ordered hers on rye with cheddar cheese. The only non-burger on the menu, I was skeptical until I took a bite and decided that this was a legit thing to order if for whatever reason you may be in a non-burger mood at Apple Pan.

However, if that’s the case, I suggest just going straight to the apple pie, which comes à la mode. It tastes great after wolfing down piping hot greasy meat, but it probably is just as good if eaten solo. The cool milky ice cream and the warm, soft apples make for a sublime combination.

Come in late night and have a full Apple Pan meal and you are sure to get a very good night of sleep.

Malibu Seafood

After I came to understand that’s it’s sunny every day in LA, I realized that you could truly have the perfect afternoon anytime you want by hopping on the Pacific Coast Highway and driving to Malibu Seafood. There are three sections of fried options at Malibu Seafood—the fish shack located along the PCH that serves up the tastiest lunch along the beach. Only after you finish reading about a la carte fried oysters and clam strips, shrimp sandwiches, and fish and chips should you then consider checking out the grilled options such as the squid steak sandwich and the ahi tuna. It’s all wonderful, but there is something truly spectacular about dining at picnic tables from little red and white cartons, eating with your hands a myriad of crispy fried fish as the sea breeze wisps across your back. It sounds like a dream, but it’s the exact reality at Malibu Seafood.Your lunch can even be flanked by a swim in the ocean or a hike into the canyons that serve as a backdrop for the whole occasion.

M. Cirino of A Razor, A Shiny Knife

The day after a theatrical dinner party for 30 people, hosted by A Razor, A Shiny Knife, I am with Michael Cirino, the gentleman who heads this lunatic group of performance-loving chefs. I am watching him clean up while simultaneously fielding requests for extra-thick bacon and roasted garlic. There was an article about his culinary venture in the Times a few weeks ago and now he’s hosting parties nearly every week. The previous evening had been an amalgam of performance theatre and performance cooking, which is exactly what he is going for. Cirino’s concept is to throw parties in which social, educational, and theatrical elements are all represented. Cooking is his art of choice and he invites guests into the kitchen to help him create it.

He grew up in a large Italian family where there was as much action in the kitchen as while gathering around the table. With Cirino’s dinner parties, he recreates this feeling of merriment and celebration, but his cooking adds a new layer of allure. After taking a class taught by Harold McGee, Cirino naturally fell into the cooking=science thought camp. FerranAdriá-esque cooking experiments ensued.

The result is dishes like mole papardelle with duck ragu. Instead of braising the duck in mole sauce, Cirino prefers to make the pasta from the sauce and serve the duck ragu dry atop it. Looking through his website, www.arazorashinyknife.com, there are all kinds of culinary inventions like this. There is mushroom bread pudding and raisin granita; there is a long list of inventive pasta infusions (beef broth? Pheasant egg? Check. Check).

At each event, his friends and helpers include celeb-chef minions and full-blown culinary intelligentsia in their own right. He strives to push himself to learn new techniques and also to teach his skills to the attendees. He wants everyone to have a vested interest in the food they cook, pointing out that it adds to the shared experience.

For the time being, the price of an evening is just enough to cover grocery costs, usually ranging between $60-100 per person. He still has a “legal-type day job” to pay the bills and doesn’t know exactly what the goal of his operation is; however, the passion and drive are there and he seems to have a pretty good nose to follow.

mmmmMCM

This newsletter is not to plug our own events; however, the mosaics of Michael Curry are just too gorgeous not to mention.  On October 14th at 423 W.55th, The Dish’s Dish will be catering an event for a show of Michael Curry Mosaics. He works with stained glass, Venetian glass, and mirror to create artworks that catch and refract light in transcendent ways. As backsplashes in kitchens, as tabletops, as window panels and as stand-alone pieces of art, Curry works masterfully with his materials to enhance any room. Head to his opening to see his stunning new works and nibble on DISH-catered cuisine while you are there. You may be inspired to (finally getting around to) decorating or redecorating your apartment—and to hire The Dish’s Dish for your house warming party thereafter.

Carlos Coffee at Fives Leaves

I wanted to check out Five Leaves, a new café that’s come to the periphery of my neighborhood, because of a) the Smith & Mills connection to its design and b) the Heath Ledger connection to its inception. I was surprised when, one day, while grabbing a coffee from its convenient to-go window, I saw Carlos. Carlos is a highly skilled barista who I patronized many years ago at Brown, in the Lower East Side. I hadn’t been there in a long time until a few weeks ago when I revisited the place, and of course saw Carlos, which left me nostalgic for daily access to perfect cappuccinos—sweet steamed milk, velvety foam, and caramel-y smooth espresso. He was such a pro that he’d even finish off the top with a steamed milk design of a tree or a leaf or a heart. I was then doubly surprised to see him resurface at Five Leaves. More than the design and the Heath Ledger connection put together, you should go to Five Leaves for a Carlos coffee.

Crab Dip

Something that I’ve particularly grown to love is crab dip. Not scorched essence of crab flavored cream cheese versions but instead, real, chilled, chunky crab dip made with more fresh crab than cheese. The best proportion combo is to use half the amount of cream cheese as you are using crab. So, if you use half a package of cream cheese (4 oz), go for a whole cup of crab—fresh if you have the access. This ensures nuggets of pure seafood in some bites and a mixture of crab and cheese at the bare minimum. You can add a little mayo and milk to smooth everything out, but you want those hunks of crab intact—it’s always so exciting to get one! Don’t forget the salt and cayenne pepper and maybe a hint of Tabasco for a little color and kick. Find some crunchy crackers and you’ve got a meal.

Créme de Kiawah

Just a ways from Charleston, there is a small, sweet island called Kiawah. Vacationers and year-rounders alike go to take in the gorgeous beaches and swim in the warm, refreshing ocean. After a day of sunshine, we saddled up to the bar at Rosebank Farms Café. Wanting to stay light on our feet, we split a crab cake, which came atop a white corn patty and collard greens. Spicy red pepper jelly dotted around the plate made for an ideal accent in which to dip each bite. We are avid crab cake eaters and were especially so on this weekend, but this one was surely a highlight.

Thereafter, it was onto an almost too buttery-it-was-so-fresh piece of tuna splashed with sweet barbecue sauce and topped with fried onions. Drunken butterbeans and rice were afterthoughts to the fish. The taste and texture of the tuna led us to believe that we weren’t the only ones who had been swimming in the ocean that day.

Scarpetta Barosa Means Italian

I was all geared up to wax poetic about Scott Conant’s new place on 14th street that’s been garnering all kinds of praise. I dined there prior to the Bruni three stars and Platt’s exclamation of the food as “almost priestly.” And I cannot deny that the food at Scarpetta made an impression on me. However, the crowd was boisterous, making the already brazen dining room too loud. In the Diner’s Journal last week, Bruni talked about a restaurant’s clientele adding to (or subtracting) from a restaurant experience. Did he have Scarpetta to himself when he reviewed it?

I think I could have put all the pomp aside and chosen to focus on the high quality food if I had not, the very next night, gone to Barosa, a real Italian restaurant in my very Italian neighborhood. I do not have space to discuss each individual aspect of the two evenings so I will analyze the first impressions, because they both essentially mirror the dinners that ensued thereafter.

At Scarpetta, I sat at the bar before being seated. I ordered a cocktail on their list that, it turned out, tasted like cough medicine. After one sip I ordered another drink. The bartender did not ask me if anything was wrong with the one I’d just ordered and was ignoring; he simply poured my new request. All fine except while closing out before we went to the table, we saw that we had been charged for this putrid syrup. We made no fuss about it, but something about the first interaction—this act that left me feeling ripped off and not personally cared about—wholly permeated the dinner. The entire thing felt programmed (as have the reviews: Ah! Scott Conant! We are supposed to like him, right?! These reviews seem a little hyperbolic).

At Barosa, we were greeted with a warm welcome from the owner, told we could sit anywhere that was open (the restaurant was equally as full as Scarpetta), and when I asked about a four-top, our host proclaimed, “whatever makes you happy will make me happy.” Ahhh, well said. The repast that followed was friendly, delicious, and came with a free tiramisu when they’d run out of our requested cannoli.

Conant’s family is Italian and he may cook a wonderful rendition of spaghetti, but before you believe Bruni’s claim that, “it’s the best dish of its kind in the city,” just give it a try from the fellas in Brooklyn. A three-star Italian restaurant should be more than Italian food; it should be an Italian experience.

My Birthday

The Icebox cake recipe dates back to 1930, when it was first printed on Nabisco Chocolate Wafer boxes—classic cookies that are difficult to find now. Any old chocolate wafer is fine to use, but it’s important to use fresh whipped cream in my opinion, sweetened with plenty of sugar and vanilla. August is my birthday month and this year I want an icebox birthday cake. Icebox cakes are so cool—actually literally. This no-bake treat is simply layers of whipped cream and chocolate wafers that get mushy while the zebra-like stack sets up in the fridge. When it emerges, cleanly cut into the layers to reveal the black and white sheets of cream and chocolate. Garnish it with chocolate curls or raspberries or birthday candles and it’ll surely be a crowd-pleaser. Or, a me-pleaser.

My [Dinner] at Paloma

It all seemed like a dream. The Greenpoint restaurant emerged like an oasis on a relatively deserted neighborhood block. High ceilings, walls of rotating artwork, a projector showing an old movie, and lively music invites diners to take a seat at Top Chef Season Three contestant Camilla Becerra’s Paloma.

We started out our meal with charred octopus served with a citrusy garlic aioli and scallops accompanied by red lentil fritters. Both tasted heavenly—the charred flavor balanced by the cool aioli and the crunch of the fritters with the tender bivalves. We had to pinch ourselves to ensure this was reality.

The seabass special with beet greens and a pico de gallo plus a vegetarian stuffed poblano engorged with calabasa pumpkin, quinoa and cheddar made up dinner; plus a side of onion rings for good measure…hey, if this was a dream, why not go all out?

A caramel chocolate tart, a slice of nectarine mascarpone pie and a Tom Colicchio spotting later, we weren’t sure if we’d woken up yet. So, unless it was a figment of my imagination, get to Paloma!

Charleston Gems

Dining out in Charleston was a seafood lovers dream. From crab dip to she-crab soup to thick rings of calamari… anything from the ocean ended up on our plates. We did our best not to overeat at every meal and had to resort to ordering mostly appetizers at each restaurant because we knew we wouldn’t be able to control ourselves once the food was dropped at our table.

Of course our first stop was 82 Queen, the restaurant where my sweet friend used to work in another life and where he expertly learned to make the crab cakes that I reference every few newsletters. Crab cake lived up to—maybe even defied—its reputation. Served with a tomato remoulade and a splash of red pepper coulis, the plump puck of crab was a perfect way to pop our Charleston dining cherry. She-crab soup was also incredibly tasty, especially after I was instructed to dribble a few drops of sherry onto each spoonful. Shrimp and grits were barbecue-y and creamy. We were grateful for the small portion, knowing that we’d have been in food comatose for the rest of the day had we been presented with any more.

At Blossom, we miraculously avoided the calamari—an item on which we consistently are feeding—but could not resist ordering another crab cake. This one came with asparagus and mustard. We liked it as we like most crab-packed cakes and these were especially so, though nothing rivaled the nostalgically delicious 82 Queen rendition. The scallops at Blossom were fantastic in their own rite. Accompanied by sweet onion polenta flecked with applewood smoked bacon and a drizzle of brandied apple jus, the scallop dish was a frenetic fusion of crispy and creamy, of sweet and savory. An herb-roasted portabella mushroom salad with pecorino and apples was an excellent supplement to the seafood.

The culmination of our dining exploits came at Fleet’s Landing where we indulged in fried green tomatoes with blue crab, old bay dusted shrimp, cold crab dip—our favorite of the trip, and, because we could resist no longer, “steak” calamari—which turned out to be extremely thick, buttermilk-drenched, and addictive.

We were able only to put a small dent in the sea-soaked world of Charleston cuisine; however, I foresee us diving back in very soon. You can never have too many crab cakes.

My Favorites from our Sophomore Year

My favorite “frills” new restaurant of the year was Elettaria. Chef Nawab is just doing such interesting things on the plate and the space is truly stunning. I don’t know if this restaurant has staying power, or if the chef will run out of ideas, but it is truly inspired cuisine.

My favorite “a little frilly” new restaurant is Naka Naka. It isn’t very new, but it’s very good. It’s a small Japanese restaurant in Chelsea; very quiet, very romantic.

The “no-frills” newbie that takes the cake is Miss Favela, the Brazilian place under the Williamsburg bridge that cranks fun music and flavor-packed food out all night.

My favorite outdoor dining/I would like to have a private dinner party in their garden restaurant is BoBo. The townhouse resto was doomed with a bad chef but then got a really, really great chef. Everything we tasted was delicious and the space is so lovely. Sit outside for sure.

My favorite Brooklyn restaurant is not a new one, but it’s outstanding. Go to Savoia, in Carroll Gardens, for the artichoke and calamari fritter and for the eggplant caponata with shrimp. These dishes should be in the 1000 Things To Do Before You Die book.

The most decadent dessert I had was a caramel chocolate tart at Marlow and Sons. It was a solid wedge of the two title ingredients held up by a graham/shortbread crust and dusted with salt. Brilliant.

My favorite little piece of perfection was the “spices” truffle from MarieBelle. I have no idea what was going on with it, but it was heaven.

As far as dining in, the crab cakes that my boyfriend makes are probably the very best food of that type that I’ve tasted. He learned while working as a restaurant in Charleston and has since perfected them. I gave the recipe in a spring DISH and I suggest that every guy learn to make this recipe. Every girl, too.

When I have cooked this year, I have found myself going back to the Honga’s Lotus Petal Cookbook. Honga’s Lotus Petal is my family’s favorite restaurant in Telluride, Colorado. Since we have been patrons (18 years!), Honga has had to move her restaurant to a larger location three times because she keeps getting more and more popular every year! This year, she and I swapped cookbooks and I have used her recipes as many times as I’ve cooked the recipes in my own.

No Nonsense

Inevitably, there are always a few restaurants that you go to again and again that aren’t anything special, but then again, they just are.

My favorite no-nonsense restaurant that I tried for the first time this year is an old place on my block called La Locanda. Here, the Italian owner makes the fusilli and cavatelli each day. The single room is stark but the tantalizing smells and friendly neighborhood atmosphere compensate for it.

Besides homemade pastas, bread too is made in-house, calamari comes with a tasty spicy sauce, a plate of marinated mushrooms will last a week, and mozzarella en carozza is fried to a golden brown. Don’t miss asking for your pasta arrabiata, they do this spicy rendition here perfectly.

2nd Anniversary Dish!

This issue marks the closing of the DISH’s second year! Every week for 104 weeks on end, the DISH has been here to feed you tasty morsels of information about New York’s ever-evolving dining scene. We’ve eaten healthy, unhealthy, in dives, and in four-star restaurants. We’ve also tested recipes, talked to chefs, and shared home-cooking secrets.

Starting with Volume 3, the DISH will be enhancing its format by shifting to a monthly newsletter instead of weekly. YES, it will still come on Tuesdays; however, only the first Tuesday of each month.

With this new format, we will be expanding our focus to encompass not just the five boroughs of New York, but instead, every nook and cranny of the globe! From Nicaragua to Nigeria to the Netherlands, the sky’s the limit to this new year of tasting! With the new worldly content, we hope to expand your palates, your curiosity, and your imagination!

Jordan’s Lobster Dock

A couple of weeks back, I got the urge to check out Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. This is a part of Brooklyn located North East of Brighton Beach and Coney Island, and for some reason, it kept popping up on my radar. A year ago a friend’s friend had mentioned his family’s business out there, then my uncle had been to a car dealership around the area, and then TimeOutNY had mentioned a must-try (which we did not try) restaurant in the neighborhood. With all of that, I decided it was day trip time.

We started out in Coney Island and walked up from there along the boardwalk, dipping into the interior when we got to Brighton Beach to check out the various foodstuffs in which the neighborhood specializes. We then walked up to Emmons Avenue, essentially the main strip along the bay (the Sheepshead Bay).

It was altogether otherworldly; at least, non-New Yorky (err Manhattan-y?). There were mini cruise ships lined up along the dock advertising sea bass tours. The people were urban in terms of diversity, but the shops were set up in a series of small strip malls interspersed with yacht clubs. We walked the entire bay until finally, we came to Jordan’s Lobster Dock, set back just one street from the bay, but still at the head of the Atlantic Ocean. It was my friend’s family business! The bare bones seafood shack was perfect—one of those places you’re sure doesn’t exist anymore in New York. But this place was hopping—no table service resulted in brisk dining and no-frills cashiers yelling numbers for patrons to come pick up their various seafood platters. We saw fish and chips, battered shrimp, and thick cut steak fries go by on treys before we made a decision.

We went for a classic lobster roll, which came with sweet potato fries. The roll was comprised of first a toasted hot dog bun, then a crisp piece of lettuce, and then a heaping—I mean supersize-it heaping—mound of straight up lobster. A few packets of mayo plus a lemon wedge came alongside it so that we could individually doctor our roll. With the delicate fries, it was plenty to feed two people, but we wanted one more thing and so went for the crab cake, of which lately I’ve eaten a ton. This one is professional—a little small, but very professional.

After lunch, we walked outside to the distinct smell of movie popcorn. Following our noses, we walked right into an afternoon matinee: one more reason to make the trek to this wonderful and authentic part of town!

Ear Fare

As far as late night bar food goes, I think I can confirm the sneaking suspicion I’ve had for about two years now. The Ear Inn’s food is really the best.

I used to live a few blocks from this wonderful watering hole and my former roommate used to always mention, modestly, how extremely decent he thought the food was at Ear. There was also the added bonus of it being opened quite late, making it a great nocturnal option.

I finally found myself simultaneously there and hungry; I ordered the shrimp and crab cake platter thinking it would be one of the more compromised things on the menu. To my luck and astonishment, I was pleasantly surprised with a delicious plate of two piping hot and very meaty cakes plus herbed buttery rice and boiled carrots. Dish approved!

Batch of Unusual Sweets

I stopped into Batch, Pichet Ong’s P*Ong bakery follow-up on tenth street, and found some unusual treats last week. The least curious, but by no means dull, were two cupcakes. There was a Chocolate Devil’s Food variation, which was chocolate cake/chocolate frosting but surprised with a caramel layer within. There was also a Carrot/Salted Caramel delight in which the cake was carrot and the frosting was caramel with a salty sprinkle on top. It had a lime fill that gave the cupcake an extra thrill.

The other two goodies were shots in the dark that turned out to be successes. A passion fruit rice pudding was mellow and creamy while the Muscat grape crumb cake was spicy and sweet all at once. I found out later that the rice pudding was somehow dairy-free, which was perhaps the most remarkable thing of all!

Madecasse Interview (part II)

TM: The idea came from our joint Peace Corps experiences, but also our private sector experiences (Brett's was in Madagascar): Kind of an appreciation and realization that we could use capitalism creatively to change some things in Madagascar.

Dish: I see. And did the Malagache government invest or help you with your venture? Or did Peace Corps? It seems daunting to start a company that exports out of one of the poorest countries in the world. How did you get started with it?

TM: No assistance from government or Peace Corps. Brett's last 2 years in Mada were spent exporting seaweed. The same company also exports vanilla and he got hooked up with them. Challenging, yes. Daunting, sometimes. It helps knowing the language and how things are on the ground, but there are a number of challenges we face simply because we operate in Madagascar (communications, infrastructure, etc).

Dish: I hear ya loud and clear. Writing my Madagascar cookbook was a similar uphill, but very fun and eye-opening battle! So, how did you decide what products to export? Your product line. I LOVE that you are doing a chocolate—soup to nuts—IN Madagascar. What’s that one they have there? Jacques or something? I always loved that.

TM: Right. The ONE they have there is Robert. We're working with the manufacturer of Robert to create our new line, coming out in the fall. The idea with our business model is to partner with local manufacturers that already have the capacity (i.e.equipment) but don't have the market knowledge/access to the U.S. The economic benefit of doing everything in Madagascar is that chocolate is worth roughly 4x the amount as the cocoa required to make it.

Madagascar has some of the best cocoa in the world, but until this project they have never exported actual chocolate to the U.S. market. In terms of the product line, it took a couple of wrong turns to get where we are today. But the starting points are the areas where Madagascar has a global, sustainable competitive advantage - vanilla and cocoa.

Dish: Right on. That sounds like an extremely viable and logical way of going about things. We're about out of space, but could you tell our readers where they can find the delicious chocolate and various Madecasse spices in New York?

TM: Sure. They're available at all Garden of Eden locations, all Amish Market locations, Zabar's, West Side Market, Grace's Market, The Chocolate Room (Brooklyn), Blue Apron (Brooklyn) and a number of others.

Dish: Fantastic. I'll be looking out for it.

Madecasse

After living in Madagascar several years ago, I have been unable to get it out of my system. Thus, when I bumped into  Madecasse , a new company dedicated to producing high-end exports like chocolate and vanilla from Madagascar, my eyes popped out of my head and my jaw hit the ground.

Started by a former Peace Corps member who spent time on the Red Island after college, Madecasse is very dedicated to improving Madagascar’s economic conditions. In an interview with one of the founding members, I was pleased to discover that the Madecasse business model is one that promotes Madagascar, as opposed to takes advantage of its resources.

Look for Madecasse chocolates and spices all over town! And see the interview to the right.

Madecasse Interview (part I)

Dish: So, when did you go to Madagascar for Peace Corps, and what were you doing?

Tim McCollum: I left in August of 1999, a couple of months after college graduation.

Dish: And how long did you spend there/what were you doing?

TM: I was there for two years. My primary project was teaching English at Lycée (High School) and C.E.G (Elem. School). I also did a couple of secondary projects - built a library, coordinated mentorship programs, polio vaccines, etc.

Dish: That is fantastic! So did you have the idea to start Madecasse while you were there or once you returned to the US?

TM: After I returned I spent 6 years with American Express. About 2 years ago my business partner (Brett) and fellow PeaceCorps volunteer returned to the U.S. and we started this together.

Bittman Picnic

Mark Bittman gave quite a few picnic ideas in Wednesday’s New York Times. I couldn’t get through the article without being utterly overwhelmed. Finally, I paired down my perfect picnic via Bittman.

I’d start with the Thai Gazpacho—that quick blended soup of tomatoes and cucumbers in which the author most expertly adds stalks of lemongrass and cilantro. Then I’d go for an intermezzo of tomatoes and peaches, an inspired combination. Following that, I’d get heavy with the olive and caper couscous. And I’d mix those assorted mushrooms right in. Then I’ll take one of those cornbread cubes. I know I’d enjoy the canned tuna and anchovy mashup, though I maybe in the minority. I am full, but yes please I’ll have one lamb meatball. And I must have dessert: angel food cake!

Ceviche della Máma

Ceviche is a funny thing. Raw fish gets marinated in citrus—be it lime, lemon, grapefruit, or orange—and is then safe to eat, since the citric acid “cooks” the fish. Depending on which citrus you use to cure your fish of choice determines which type of ceviche you are making—Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Chilean, etc. Moreover, these regions have specific types of fish that they use more typically as well as their particular types of spices and herbs.

My mom made a mean ceviche last weekend. While perhaps more commonly eaten as an appetizer in small portions, my mother knew how much I would love it and that I’d most likely want it as my full meal (which I did) so she doubled the recipe. Have I mentioned lately how great a chef she is? This is her recipe. She got it from Departures Magazine and then doctored it up to be Donenfeld-perfect. Use it and be prepared for people to start lining up at your door.

My Mom’s Sea Bass Ceviche

3/4 lb very fresh sea bass, cut into 1/2 " cubes

3/4 lb very fresh halibut, cut into 1/2 " cubes

1/2 lb very fresh scallops, quartered

12 limes for juicing

2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced

1 large red pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced

1 large yellow pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced

1 avocado, pitted and sliced into chunks

1 small red onion, finely diced

11/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

1. Place the fish in a bowl and marinate with juice of five limes, season with salt and pepper. Marinate for 3 hours or set a small plate on fish for one hour to speed the curing process.

2. Place vegetables in separate bowl and repeat steps above.

3. Using fine mesh strainer, drain excess liquid from bowls.

4. Combine fish and vegetables and add chopped cilantro.

5. Adjust seasonings and stir in the juice of two more limes. Serve with chips and crackers.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

William Poll Chip Heaven

Last week at the Fancy Food Show, I tasted a lot of, what seemed at the time, delicious food. However, when doing a recap while brainstorming for this newsletter, there was only one standout product.  William Poll Potato Chips—you name the flavor—are spectacular. Garlic, Sesame, Shallot and Pepper, Rosemary, Herbs de Provence…those are just a few of the incredible flavors in which these super crispy, super thin, super flavorful gourmet chips come. As if the taste isn’t

enough to get anyone hooked, these Yukon Golds are baked, not fried, upping the health factor just a nudge.
If the chips aren’t enough for you on their own (or, if you are having guests over and think they will be skeptical if all you serve is chips), try some of the William Poll Dips. The mushroom and the lobster dip are superb and decadent. The sundried tomato will be perfect on a panini. The ginger and garlic will go great with shrimp. Chips and Dip!

Sneaking to Savoia

Savoia is probably my new favorite Italian restaurant. On a tip from my uncle, I went on an impromptu tasting mission to Carroll Gardens on a pleasant Sunday evening not so long ago to give the place a whirl. After one meal, I am a total convert. Of course, it does help that a fifteen minute wait was remedied by a glass of gratis prosecco handed off by a doe-eyed bartender. Ahhh… Italia.

It’s a big deal for me to claim this Italian restaurant as my favorite. If there is anything I have learned since moving out of Manhattan, it’s that Brooklyn is big... And click-y. It’s the neighborhood—Carroll Gardens is not remotely close to my part of Brooklyn. Also, my neighborhood is Italian and just the idea of going to another haunt for pasta and peroni induces a chill down my back, imagining a mobster from two blocks over giving me the axe from disloyalty. But one bite of anything on the menu and you will be sneaking there every weekend.

A plate-sized pancake of pan-fried artichoke and calamari was our fritter starter. Crispy, not greasy batter held chunks of choke and calamari rings, packing the punch with each bite. A tomato salad came out as a heaping mound of too-flavorful-for-the-start-of-the-season slices, augmented by paper-thin ringlets of onion, a heavy hand of oregano and fresh leaves of basil.

Shrimp and eggplant caponata was a hands-down favorite. An ample portion of fresh, flavorful caponata took over a dinner plate only to get crowned with at least six sautéed shrimp. Homemade white and foccacia breads made for excellent scoops for the decadent dip.

We eyed the pizzas and the pastas all around, knowing that we didn’t have much more room in our stomachs. While the pizzas looked fantastic, they looked devastatingly large at that point in the meal. We opted for a fusili which came with sun-dried tomatoes, shrimp, and got robed in a creamy pesto, unlike anything either of us have had before—in New York, the United States, Italy, and elsewhere.

This was the best. I didn’t think I’d be able to eat much, no matter how tasty, but I managed to uphold my half of the entrée, even venturing to the other side for a few last bites.

Five Front, and Dinner for Four in the Back

Before a St. Ann’s Warehouse play last week, I went to the charming Five Front Restaurant. The garden in the back was lively, as it seemed that several other people had my same idea for a pre-play meal. And, although this put quite a strain on the waitress—there was one for the ten or so tables back there—she was nothing but gracious and apologetic as she tried to keep our dinner moving at the pace we needed to go.

The group dining outside was eclectic to say the least, and seemed to very much reflect DUMBO’s current population. There were a few young couples, a few couples with strollers wheeled up to their tables, several tables of artistic types, and one table of seven—mom, dad, and a whopping five children.

The crowd was not the only feast. To start, we had the fried calamari and shrimp, which came with a fantastic, cooling herbed tartar sauce. The crab cake appetizer also came with a wonderful sauce. A thick, all crab pattyperched on a smear of chipotle aioli. I also had gazpacho, a summertime favorite of mine ever since my mother and I attempted to make some and ended up with what seemed like ten gallons (we kept adding things to get it juuust right!). The Five Front gazpacho was billed as a cucumber gazpacho, but came out a typical tomato-based chilled soup—not that I minded.

Everyone opted for the same entrée, the trout. A long, thin piece encrusted in cornmeal was served over a summer succotash of vegetables. A mound of shoestring cut fried potatoes rounded out the dish. It was bliss to get a little fish, a few veggies, and some toothpick-sized fries on each forkful before taking a bite. Even my grandmother finished her plate—an accomplishment for a woman who stands under five feet and who is known for only being interested in dessert these days.

Speaking of dessert; we did order and finish dessert, despite our small rush. A tiramisu, assembled specifically on our plate, was perfection—one of my favorite desserts. Layers of espresso-stained mascarpone cream divided soft chocolate sponge cake instead of ladyfingers. My hurry-up anxiety instantly left me when the delicacy arrived. It disappeared in one minute, and we didn’t skip a beat getting to the play on time.

July 4th Hints

Staying in the city this Friday? Me, too! I suggest stopping off at Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, buying as many lobsters as you can afford, buying a few clams and oysters while you are at it, finding someone with a roof, hauling a Weber grill up there, bringing along lasts weeks New York Magazine in which dissecting a lobster is explained, and instead of boiling the lobster (and sautéing the clams and shucking the oysters), throwing everything on the grill.

The clams and oysters open right up and the lobsters, if you cut them in half, brush them with olive oil and grill them, will be nearly as easy. They’ll get a delicious char-taste and prove to be a satisfying feast as you gave as fire works over the river. Half guests bring cocktail sauces and aiolis to seal the deal.

Blue Water Lunch

I hadn’t been to Blue Water Grill—that long-standing BRGuest establishment in Union Square—since my maiden year living in Manhattan. I liked it fine back then, but it always struck me as contrived, and that feeling has stuck with me all this time.

However, after lunch there last week, I must say, that no matter how staged this place is, the food is phenomenal. This is a well-oiled machine to say the least. A lunch with five people in which we ordered variations on the same drink (iced tea! Lemonade! Arnold Palmer!) without the waiter mixing up a single one, was unbelievable. The food—my plate was a marinated seafood salad with two huge shrimp, a massive half of a lobster tail and one claw, a fistful of calamari, and a few mussels—was even more outstanding. Said salad was impeccably dressed and our appetizer oysters were fresh and varied. Other entrees looked delicious but were gobbled up before I could taste. A good sign!

Franny’s Finally

I’d wanted to go to Franny’s since it opened a few years ago. The lure of crusty, oozy, ooey, gooey pizza is not one that I can often resist and Franny’s was not supposed to be so forever situated on the restaurants-I-want-to-try queue; however, circumstance after circumstance never allowed me to make it to this mecca.

First it was the Brooklyn thing…but then I moved to Brooklyn. Then, a few times I tried to go but they were closed. Then I tried to go when they were opened but the line was too long and we were too hungry.

Finally, last night, some great spirit brought my uncle and me together at Franny’s. He was the one who had originally mentioned it to me when they opened. And last night, when, on the spur of the moment, I decided to call him, I had no idea that he would be up to come to Brooklyn. I had no idea that I would be up to make the pilgrimage (after all, said restaurant is in South Brooklyn and I live in North). But there we were, hugging each other on Flatbush Avenue on a Monday night, ravenous for pizza. After an hour wait—during which we sat at the bar eating stewed zucchini followed by swings of Six Point Sweet Action—we were led to the garden. Only six tables are situated out back—a total anomaly for a Manhattan restaurant (so much wasted space!!) but par for the course in Brooklyn.

We decided to go for one salad, one pizza, and one pasta; this being the maiden voyage. Escarole doused in a hefty portion of shredded Parmiggiano Reggiano with intense notes of citrus arrived first to whet our appetites for the main events.

Next came the pasta—unfathomably delicious penne pasta with zucchini and mint and light cheese—and the pizza. The pizza was a single serve, but we chose to split it, since we’d had several rounds of appetizers during the wait and also had pasta. I was glad we’d made this decision because I know that I would have continued to plow through as much food as was put in front of me. Our pizza—tomatoes, olives, garlic, and oregano—was fantastic. Everything you read is true.

And then some. We squeezed in a chocolate sorbet for dessert, which we liked almost as much as the pizza and pasta! Save the wait, this was a perfect Monday night meal—one I’d been anticipating for ages.

Popcorn

Back in December, I was gearing up for my first Christmas tree and it was decided that this one would be a classic popcorn-and-cranberry rendition. Not finding any microwave popcorn that was unbuttered, I decided to purchase a bag of kernels and pop them the old-fashioned way—stovetop. That single $1.79 purchase has lasted six months now (and counting), despite a routine (I’d say weekly) habit of popping. For this reason, I highly suggest investing in this two-pound delicacy. This way, you can make your popcorn to your liking—with butter or oil (or both), with gobs of salt or none, with spices—chili, cayenne, and pepper is a good combo—or with cheese—try Parmesan and pecorino. You’ll have such a surplus; when you’ve finished the bag, you’ll have perfected your snack!

Lobster Roll

I can’t write about Ditch Plains again, but I was recently back. The lobster roll was too luring to forget from the last time I went. I won’t wax poetic for too long, but the hot dog bunned Mt. Everest mound of lobster salad is the best in the city. It may be more expensive than Mary’s or Pearl, but that’s because they give you twice as much meat!

Anyway, we decided this time around that the key is—besides the typical loading it with mayo, toasting the bun, and chopping both green onions and chives into the mix—is to mix in a pitch of Old Bay seasoning in with the rest.The Old Bay is both smoky and refreshing. It is distinct and yet blends with the seafood effortlessly.

Even if this isn’t the Ditch Plains secret, who cares? It’s special enough for me—and I am happy to claim it as my own discovery. I know that Old Bay won’t go to waste so long as I’m near water this summer.

Late Night at Ditch Plains I

When my boyfriend and I found ourselves wandering around at midnight, famished per usual having missed the dinner hour due to a 4:30pm lunch, we were in heaven when we rode a wave right into Ditch Plains. I’d been to this restaurant when it first opened a little over two years ago, but I’d immediately written it off. Originally, the place had been teaming with frat boys and Carrie Bradshaws, and I didn’t want to inflict that kind cacophony on my guest of the moment. Also, previously, this location had been Yumcha, the beloved Chinese restaurant Quentin Dante so lovingly opened only to have it closed shortly after due to horrible complications beyond his control. So, it’s fair to say that I’d been avoiding this place as a late night epicurean option—for which we consistently need—for fair and honest reasons.

However, after all my other efforts had been thwarted on a recent Saturday, I gave in to my restaurant rolodex of a mind, which kept landing on the mildly surf-themed Ditch Plains, named after the Hamptons sweet spot for catching waves.

When we opened the front door, I was surprised and relieved that the diners I’d associated with the fancy fish shack in the past had either gone home to bed or found another place to play drinking games. The place was perfect—quiet yet lively, with a few tables of people finishing up and a few just getting started. It wasn’t so crowded that we missed the hard wood and steel and glass interior design, which explains so much about the restaurant: Ditch Plains isn’t trying to be a New England seafood pit stop; it claims itself by Manhattan aesthetic. And with rockin’ music streaming at a reasonable level, this place fully creates the ideal vibe of a late night refueling point.

Moreover, never in Manhattan have we experienced such friendly service at a post-midnight meal. Our waitress was beyond pleasant; we loved her. She was witty and sweet, nonchalant and efficient. We gave her wine; she gave us dessert. She offered suggestions in an unhurried manner. The kitchen here is opened until 2am every single night. So, when you cruise up at midnight, there won’t be anyone hassling you that the kitchen closes in ten minutes—major bonus for the late night dining set. Our sweet waitress was used to folks like us. (Cont. top article)

Oak

Near my apartment in Brooklyn, there is a fantastic place called Oak. I have walked passed it a million times and written it off each and every time until a few weeks ago when I learned of the backyard garden.

Feeling peckish, I popped in for an early evening/late afternoon bite. The food was delicious and the garden was the ideal place to eat it. The menu is comprehensive, offering European cuisine with a slight emphasis on Spain. Gingered sea scallops were quivering with freshness; they arrived on a mound of arugula salad with fennel and red onion tossed in tasty citrus vinaigrette. A tuna panini proved to be gourmet with the addition of capers, olive tapenade, roasted tomatoes, and basil. I liked the drink selections. I only wish the fig tree growing next to our table was in bloom. Next time!

Late Night at Ditch Plains II

The article bellow leaves out a certain aspect of the meal… oh yeah—the food! Read this article second.

So, that lovely waitress served us lovely food. The late night menu does not skimp on tasty options. Warm crab dip served with bagel chips came out bubbling in a French onion soup bowl. Fish tacos came three to an order and were loaded with strips of breaded white fish, lettuce, tomatoes, and a spicy sauce the tied the whole thing together wrapped tightly in a corn tortilla. We defaulted to the lobster roll ($27!!!) after peel and eat shrimp were unavailable. After one bite, we were glad we did. THIS is the best one in the city. Forget Pearl, Mary’s, and Ed’s. Enormous chunks of lobster pile into a delicious, doughy (we think gourmet) hot dog bun. Splitting it is easy enough, especially with the homemade sweet potato chips that we aptly used in chaser fashion: one bite of lobster roll, three chips, repeat. Perfection. We can’t wait to miss dinnertime again.

Kittichai

I hadn’t been to Kittichai in several years, but upon returning last week with a few family members, I was reminded of how delicious each dish really is. Despite the restaurants über-hip décor and wait staff, the pretense stops there. The Rockwell Group headed up the interior design and architecture of the space in 2004 and since then, those staying in the Sixty Thompson Hotel have been treated to a lavish, extravagant version of hotel dining. The principals responsible for Indochine, Bond St, and Town are behind the concept, which includes a Feng Sui dining space, waiters clad in designer duds, and a chef imported from the Four Seasons in Bangkok. Of course, all of this is old news if you’ve read Zagats in the past four years.

What’s new, however; or, at least, what’s refreshing is the fact that after these four years, the place is still hopping—and it is due to the outstanding quality of the food. While presented with much pomp and production, so as to match the ambiance—each dish proved to be honest and unique. From tuna tartare—presented with mini tuile cups and a giant pitch fork looking thing for decoration—to sea bass tempura served in what looked like a Thai or Chinese spice box, the appetizers were pure in taste and flavors. Fluke sashimi was as good, if not better than a similar dish at Nobu.

Entrees like the pineapple braised short ribs in green curry and tiger prawns with garlic sauce and green beans had my brother and I practically licking our plates. Four enormous prawns lined up on the plate next to cubes of watermelon—perfect to ring in summer and the short ribs where fall-off-the-bone fantastic. Another stand out was the sea bass with morning glory, also called water spinach. The delicate sautéed greens and the crispy-skinned fish was a dream for my grandmother. We were lucky she shared. Other choices looked fantastic, too:a Thai omelet with lump crabmeat, crispy rock shrimp with grilled eggplant, the list continues.

Whether you are going with friends, with family, on a first date, or your anniversary, rest assured this is the place for a beyond doubt wonderful meal.

Lil-Love

That last visit to Florent got me crazy for white Lillet, a French aperitif from Bordeaux. It was my first time noticing this dainty bottle behind the bar and wanted a taste. As sweet as can be, several types of oranges, macerated into a liqueur, improve upon the base of white wine.

Served on the rocks with a twist is how I like it best, but if I’m going to be sipping more than one, I like it cut with a little soda water to minimize the alcohol. At 17%, this is a very potent elixir for an alternative to ordinary wine. Lillet with orange juice is terrific in the morning to cure an evening of a little too much fun.

It’s a lovely summertime beverage to take on picnics, serve seaside with lobster and scallops, or simmer with honey and cinnamon to pour over grilled peaches.

Florent, Such a Lovely Place

Florent closes at the end of this month and so, a few weeks ago, with inescapable rock ballads from the 70s, 80s, and 90s stuck in our heads from The Eagles concert at Madison Square Garden, Florent seemed like an excellent place to go for a post-concert meal.

Having been around since 1985 and serving the population of post-clubbers, rockers, performers, and queens since day one, this crew depends on the fact that, “you can find it here, any time of year” and any time of day for that matter. I wondered where they’d go once this legendary diner closed its doors.

“So I called up the captain, please bring me my wine.” Thereafter, we put in an order for mini-crab cakes and steak frites after surveying the menu, and the scene, both of which seemed endearingly nostalgic already. We reflected, “such a lovely place.” For one thing, in a 24-hour joint, the friendly wait staff like those at Florent is a rare and wonderful thing. Secondly, the food—our steak, which “as I stabbed it with my steely knife,” I thought, they “just can’t kill the beast.” I was already missing the place, knowing this would be one of my (if not the) last meals here.

Party Crab

I hadn’t been to Fatty Crab in a while and was pleasantly annoyed to see them lining people up to wait for two-tops at 10:30pm on a Tuesday night. The food is so tasty there; it’s a great place for culinary aficionados to keep in mind if they are out for a late night and start getting peckish. You can keep the party going but get the food in your belly for which your hangover will be thanking you tomorrow.

Don’t miss the squid salad, with dozens of psychedelic slivers of super spicy red peppers. Wash it down with a large Hittachino beer, or if you don’t want any more drinks, follow it up with sweet baby bok choy. Shrimp sambals make a great healthy late night meal, made up of a lettuce wrap, greens, and lightly sauced shrimp. Any wild evening won’t be so bad after Fatty Crab.

Wildwood Lunch

I had a fantastic lunch at Wildwood BBQ with a few associates last week. Besides the pulled pork and braised beef brisket that is protocol at these NYCBBQ establishments these days, I had a delicious finger food starter that set this smoke shop apart from the rest.

Bottle caps. Bottle caps should be at more restaurants in New York. They should be freebies at BBQ joints in my humble opinion…They are my new favorite.

Bottle caps are slivers of (I think) canned jalapeño peppers that get breaded and deep-fried. The result is little saucers of crispy fried dough encasing a spicy button of punchy surprise. At Wildwood, they get served with a ranch dressing for cooling off your mouth. I went the route of feverishly continuing to pop them though, which I recommend. Next time you go, ask for at least one order for the table. These buggers are so tasty though; you’ll need more. See if you can eat just one.

Bobo Residence

I’ve been spoiled lately on the likes of Brazilian festivities, a private townhouse dinner, …lovely Minneapolis. Ok, ok; I haven’t actually been to Brazil or gone to any friend of mine’s townhouse this week, but my dining experiences have been such that I’ve really been delving into truly immersive experiences.

On a whim last week, I went to BoBo, a restaurant situated in a townhouse in the heart of the West Village, but that, oddly, has managed to fly under the radar since it’s opening in September. Sure, there is no sign out front, and their opening chef garnered so not so good reviews, but this—now with a new chef—is exactly the type of place New Yorkers love: quaint and lovely yet invokes the feeling that there could be some tabloid worthy couples lurking, food spectacular and delicate without being overly fussy or too designed on each plate. The place has character to say the least; each room feels like the room of someone’s eccentric West Village place.

The best part of the house is surely the terraced backyard, where I sat for an early dinner on a Friday night. Shockingly, the place—both indoors and outdoors—was less than a quarter full. Summer cocktails like Pimm’s Royale made with no. 1 and Spicy Cucumber Margherita’s are must-tries if you are in the mood for drinking. If wine is more your speed, there are plenty of very reasonably priced bottles—a nice comfort in what could have been a pretentious endeavor.

Food changes each night, depending of what (new) Chef Jared Stafford-Hill—formerly of Hearth—finds at the market. Scallops served crudo-style with beet wedges and baby asparagus tasted of spring. Equally as satisfying was the seared tuna served with a stack of white beans and arugula. A delicious piece of local Halibut was perfectly golden and crispy on the top, flaky and moist within. It came smathered in tapenade and rested upon springtime leeks and other first-of-the-season vegetables. The mushrooms, which came as a side dish were phenomenal. Salty and buttery, cooked but crispy, it was a fight to hold the little Staub cocotte in which the medley of chanterelles and buttons and oysters came.

Dessert was a chocolate soufflé for two, plus the still not packed terrace where we lingered for another hour or so. Go soon!

Twinspirations

I spent last week in Minneapolis on some business and was pleasantly inspired by a delectable steakhouse treat when I arrived and was taken to the legendary Manny’s.

What caught me off guard were not the carts of huge slabs of meat so garishly wheeled from table to table from which diners could make their Lipitor-inducing dinner selections, but the portabella fries special appetizer. Enormous mushrooms were cut in thick strips, rolled in a chili flake-enhanced breading and deep-fried to a dark brown. The mushrooms were plump, encased in the thick blanket of crusty breading. I had to cut them with fork and knife because biting directly into them would result in the ‘shroom juices escaping down my chin. Needless to say, I didn’t care if I was full for the main course—these were heaven.

Miss Favela

When Miss Favela, a new Brazilian restaurant located practically beneath the Williamsburg bridge, popped up out of no where on a running route recently, I knew that I had to try out the brightly painted spot. Every thing about this place is saturated in Brazil from the hanging flag to the colorful flower-pattern cinder block, to the blaring music, to the açai cocktails.

The food is fantastic and all-about-Brazil as well. Cod fritters arrive in a no frills red plastic basket as does a shareable portion of fried yucca. Sautéed shrimp in a saucy soup of coconut milk, red peppers, onion, and garlic is ideal in which to dip those yucca sticks. Other enticing options were various types of meat (steaks and ribs) and vegetarian options of Brazilian rice and beans and vegetables.

The wait staff is eager to please, if a little green. However, sit outside and after a few drinks made with Brazilian cachaça, it doesn’t make any difference.

Welcome Commerce

I finally ate at Commerce with a great buddy last week. When we arrived, the place was hopping and we instantly fell into the good spirits. Having not seen him in a while, my friend and I spent a long time after being seated to catch up—chatting and laughing—without a single glance at the menu. Instead of our waiter getting frustrating or giving up on us, he remained patient until we ordered and courteous throughout the meal. We even remarked at the end of our meal how pleasant the waiter was—helpful but not hawking, enthusiastic but not overly gushy, an overall excellent balance.

This balance was not in our food. No. We were the ones who overly gushed. We loved our food. We effervesced and ooh-ed and ahh-ed when the waiter came to ask how everything was.

We couldn’t get enough from the start, with just the bread: a warm basket of homemade mini soft pretzels, olive rolls, sesame sweet buns, ciabatta, and sourdough. We could care less if we disobeyed parents across the country and filled up on bread.

To be fair, we were lucky that we didn’t, because our appetizers were
perfection. Roasted sweet potato tortelloni with hazelnuts, pomegranates and beurre noisette were rich while remaining light. The potato puree inside the homemade pasta was a velvety texture that was irresistible. Fluke sashimi was also irresistible. Served in a wide bowl with lime, lemon, jalapeño, and slivered radishes, the grapefruit-section-like slicesof fish carried excellent flavor. We couldn’t decide which starter was better. I also saw two dishes of oysters that I vowed to get next time.

Entrees didn’t slow the pace of deliciousness. I smiled with every bite of a soft shell crab nightly special while my friend was busy cherishing each morsel of braised beef, bone marrow, and sirloin steak as if he were dining at grandma’s house. The meaty dish came on a bed of cauliflower mash, which helped to sop up the jus of the cuts of beef. When the waiter asked how things were, we practically jumped up to kiss him—but then we would have had to put down our forks.

Dessert capped off the meal in the form of a delicate, creamy,cakeycoffee something or other. By that time, we didn’t know what call anything except outstanding.

Little Giant

With a little time to kill on Saturday night, I popped in to Little Giant to say hello to Tasha and Julie, LG’s chef-owners and all around babes of the restaurant industry. Having worked there as an original waitress, I feel a special kinship to the place, and everytime I stop in, I am never disappointed.

This time, it was a recommendation from the bartender about a certain Belgian beer called Dupont Saison Farmhouse that was outrageously good. It had a citrusy zest that was refreshing, while also carrying a richer note of vanilla and spice to balance out a slight lemony bitterness. It is a perfect, crisp beer for summertime. The bubbly-factor on the finish would pair up well with clams fresh off the grill or with scallops lightly seared in brown butter.

An Egg to Perk Things Up

Asparagus has been at the Greenmarket for a while so when I made it for dinner of Sunday, I decided to perk things up a little. The addition of an egg to the tall, skinny trees isn’t anything new, but I’d read somewhere that Dan Barber was frying a soft-boiled one in panko as a new rendition. I gave it a try to spectacular results.

**Grill one bunch of asparagus, then follow directions below.

First, soft-boil one egg. Cool and peel the egg very gently. Then, set up three dipping bowls: one with a little flour, one with a beaten egg, and the last with panko. Roll the egg in the flour, then beaten egg, and then panko.

Heat enough oil in a pan to cover the robed egg for frying. When oil is very hot, slowly dunk the egg, frying for 2-3 minutes. When it is browned, remove and place it atop the grilled asparagus. Before serving, cut crispy egg in half to allow yolk to run out.

(k)Not Rusty Food

What was supposed to be a drink with a best buddy of mine quickly became a full-on feeding frenzy by the time we’d finished reading the menu at Rusty Knot, the newest venture to be churned out by veterans of The Spotted Pig. This new, yet designed-to-be-a-dive bar is located along the West Side Highway on the corner of West Eleventh. It instantly feels tacky and out-of-touch upon walking in… but kind of in a good way. The so-bad-it’s-good thing is in its highest form here—it’s your grandma’s basement.

The fare also takes from that era (or before); however, there is no hint of mothballs as far as the experience of the kitchen is concerned. In a way, the food offered is World’s Fair food—things I imagine you’d find among the food carts at one of these 19th century events, and everything is top-notch.

Pickles, oysters, meat pies, and mussels all surface on the menu—the sort of old New York staples that have become so posh in this day and age. Everything here, however, is made with much more precision and years of culinary school than the dishes by which they were inspired.

Mussels are prepared with bacon and breadcrumbs. Each in individually assembled and then served back in their shell. Peel and Eat Shrimp are a fantastic burst of the sea. Simply prepared and halfway shelled, I ended up ordering two baskets of them, which are messy to eat but clearly worth it.

The Chicken Liver and Bacon Sandwich, though I was hesitant to take a bite turned out to be spectacular. Served on a crusty but soft loaf, I enjoyed this immensely. I can also imagine that it would be ideal drunk- food, which might be an ulterior motive. $3 Meat Pies were also winners in that sense, as I can imagine myself sitting at the bar popping them back in between beers all night.

And speaking of the bar, specialty drinks and excellent variety of scotch and bourbon will keep you happy that you trekked all the way to the western most hot spot in Manhattan. Have a glass of Four Roses Bourbon, also a grandma-era throwback since it took a 45-year hiatus of availability in our town until it resurfaced only last year. If that’s too strong, get the Rusty Knot—a rum and sour mix drink—or a Dark and Stormy, also made with rum but this time cut with ginger beer and served in a tall silly tiki glass.

Weelicious

A friend of mine told me about Weelicious; and, though I don’t have a baby of my own, I cannot help but visit this website at least once a week. A new mother who lives in LA and is devoted to coming up with new and exciting purees for her fourteenth-month-old baby boy posts the content.

This ambitious mommy whips up little dishes like avocado and cherimoya mousse and Hawaiian Snapper. Her recipes are mostly purees, as is driven by the age of her child; however things like cilantr’os have recently snuck in to the blog—she makes a cilantro-olive oil sauce, mixes it with O-shaped pasta, and tops the mix-up with cottage cheese to add tang and protein (I’m jealous!).

These are great ideas if you’re looking for new ideas or hoping to turn your tikes into gourmands!

Napa Style Shrimp Pizza

In Napa, known for its vineyards and what imbibing comes with those expansive fields of grape vines, I was caught off guard when I found myself inhaling a seafood pizza instead of the aromas of a cabernet. Said pizza was an interesting combination of toppings that included sweet shrimp, red onions, cilantro, chives, and mozzarella cheese. The shrimp-cheese combo was what threw me off; however, after one bite, I seized all qualms. The gooey mozzarella, instead of overpowering the pink and white curls of shrimp that dotted the pie, enhanced their sweetness. The textures worked off of one another as harmoniously as their flavors—while the cheese was a melt-y mess, the shrimp had an ebullient spring in each bite that uplifted the cheese. This combination was boosted even more by the onions, which after baking were oh-so-sweet, and by the cilantro and chives, which gave the pizza an herbal freshness and kick.

Resounding Flavors at Elettaria

First impressions and last impressions at Aktar Nawab’s Elettaria are what are most memorable although the entire dinner certainly gets a standing ovation for its theatre-spectacle like qualities that truly shaped our evening.

Running late for a 9:45 reservation on Friday night, our 10:10 arrival didn’t miff the hostess one bit. We were received with a warmth and friendliness that don’t surface too often, especially in a hot-off-the-presses restaurant owned by a locally famed, slightly presumptuous chef.

The dining room is set up in three rows of tables with the kitchen situated in the back of the restaurant, open for all to see as five or six chefs work the line with Aktar front and center. Aktar’s passion is clearly in pairing interesting flavor profiles that might seem bizarre until first bite.

On the menu, he lists the star components of each dish like the fried quail with pomegranate molasses, bacon, and a fried quail egg. This appetizer—wow; four chicken mcnuggets on crack. The flavor is outrageous in the best way—tangy, sweet, and meaty—and the texture follows suit with a moist, crispy, almost melt-y quality. The cured kanpachi is also an appetizer not to be missed. It is delicately presented with flecks of fried garlic, honshimeji mushrooms, and hearts of palm.

Our main courses were the weakest aspect of the meal, but they were satisfying nonetheless. Wild striped bass atop a heaping mound of fantastically flavored fried white rice with saffron, cippollini onions, and poppy seeds was expertly prepared. Mattar Paneer, traditionally an Indian dish of a sort-of farmer’s cheese and peas in a sweet, red sauce gets the royal treatment of ricotta cheese dumplings, baby carrots in addition to the peas, and a comforting red curry sauce.

The meal crescendo-ed with dessert: two golf ball sized fried milk doughnuts made (presumably) with sweetened condensed milk and served with rose water, ginger custard and chai gelato. Spectacular. Encore!

I am already planning my next visit, when I plan on drinking the 8th wonder (my favorite bourbon, Buffalo Trace, gets infused with cardamom and mixed with lemon and vermouth) and dining on the bavette with kohlrabi and king oyster mushrooms.

27th St Rec

I highly recommend the sweet potato fries at Blue Smoke on 27th Street. Holy Cow! The side dish is a basket of very thick-cut wedges of steak fries. They get some sort of maple syrup treatment before slow roasting to gooey perfection on the inside-crispy crunch on the outside.

They also come with a maple dipping sauce, which works as a cooling counterpart to the piping hot orange batons. We ordered a portion for the table, and while it was a good move so as to sample the goods, to me, they trumped everything else (which was also very good) and I’ll certainly be hoarding my own next time around. I could make a meal out of them.

After vowing my allegiance, my commitment was confirmed by Gridskipper, as these fries were voted the best of!

Aktareference Glossaria

The menu at Elettaria is sure tasty. However, I can’t shake the feeling that chef Aktar might be trying to snub us. I give his restaurant kudos for being exploratory and delicious, but a glossary of terms and ingredients would certainly be helpful. Here are a few things I wish I’d known before I’d dined (and, for the record, it was too noisy to ask the waitress about any of this):

Resala:A mild preparation of something cooked with ground and fresh herbs/spices, sometimes fruits and fresh cream.

Lugaw:Filipino rice porridge—rice porridge is, confusingly listed in the subtext beneath the dish; not style the rest of the menu follows.

Soubise: A cream sauce thickened with pureed onions.

Keema: Southeast Asian term for a type of mince meat.

Fenugreek:A plant commonly used in curries in leaf form and as a ground spice.

Rasmali: A cheese dessert often made with ricotta.

Kano-Yumma

At Kanoyama, the located-in-the-midst of-the-East-Village-yet-still-widely-unknown sushi spot, Japanese food aficionados are treated to an ideal meal. The space used to be Iso; however, when its sushi chef/owner was ready to leave, the staff of the previous version decided to take a stab at it themselves, not wanting to give up the little niche and devoted following they’d developed. They seem to be carrying the torch like naturals.

The décor is bare bones, feng shui, classic Japanese design. Currently, fresh cherry blossoms arch over most tables offering a sense of privacy in the packed, single room restaurant. Waitresses are knowledgeable and patient as you decide what to order—they know how many great options pile up between the stellar menu and the outstanding daily specials.

On a recent visit to Kanoyama with my grandmother and older brother, we were treated to a feast of fish flown in from Japan as well as freshly grated wasabi—something difficult to find, even in the finest sushi restaurants in town. The shrimp tempura roll was of standout quality and came loaded with kaiware, cucumber, and avocado. The ikura roll (salmon roe) was a favorite of my grandmother and mine. The 5/5 Go-Go Roll is an appetizer that comes from the sushi chef, which is made up of a bundle of julienned vegetables, bound together by a piece of juicy fluke and smeared with a ginger sauce. The five bundles disappeared quick from the plate at our table. Another special treat from the sushi chef is a fresh wasabi that can be ordered on demand. A small dish of the stuff is grated and then brought to the table—its flavor and texture are completely different than the usual variety and it offers a unique and more refined flavor to add to the sushi.

Specials like homemade tofu and fish flown in from the coasts of Japan are always items for which to watch. Eel and shira ebi (little white shrimp) are some of the highlights. The yellowtail neck, which comes grilled still on the thin sheet of bone and just sprinkled with a little salt is an adventurous dish that almost anyone will end up loving.

Be sure to arrive early or make an early reservation as the place fills up quickly, even on weekdays; however, more importantly, the earlier you’re there, the more variety of fish you’ll have.

2 Scallops

If you happen to be in the West Village and have a craving for delicious scallops, consider stopping into Kingswood, the space that opened in the Jefferson space about a year ago. Sit at the bar and get lost in the line up of three meaty, melt-y sea scallop appetizer. They come perched on a bed of sunchokes, quinoa, and golden raisins with a splash of Meyer lemon and chamomile.

Almost directly across the water, in Greenpoint, there are also tasty scallops. So, if you’ll be dining in Brooklyn this evening, you can still have a scallop fix. At 68, two scallops come crusted in crispy yucca drizzled with a spicy, refreshing salsa verde.

The ambiance of both restaurants is sultry and simultaneously funky—a perfect backdrop for dining on sumptuous, sweet scallops.

Freeman’s Old Fashioned

They might have an out-of-date name, but Old Fashioneds, made well, are always in style.

Old Fashioneds at Freeman’s are a reason to wade through the mob that has been clogging the alley that bears the same name since the restaurants’ opening several years ago. Old Fashioneds aren’t a signature cocktail of the bar; however, the bartender makes a perfect one. He dissolves a cube of sugar in a healthy shot of Bourbon in a rocks glass. He mixes in bitters and garnishes the beverage with a wide strip of orange rind, which serves as a swizzle. Between the expertly tailored drink, the speed at which the bar tender will make it for you and how easy it is to down one of these puppies, giving yourself a limit prior to taking your first sip is advised. The last time we saddled up at the bar, four rounds of Old Fashioneds had been drunk before we realized that we might need to slow down.

Hunkering Down at Smith’s

When the mastermind’s behind two of my favorite restaurants in Manhattan teamed up, I could only imagine what they’d stir up together in the kitchen. Smith’s, the resulting union between Danny Abrams of Mermaid Inn and Cindy Smith of Raoul’s is a delicious take on seasonal cuisine. Everything about the restaurant from décor to dish makes the most sense when you know who is behind it.

From Danny, details like the pistachio-colored walls and a breezy, café-esque vibe put diners at ease. From Cindy, notes like the black leather banquettes, the mirrored ceiling, and the hidden velvet bar in the back hark a sultry, clandestine evening.

Food-wise, Abrams is probably the one who brings the Charred Cape Cod Baby Squid, served with lemon confit, olives, and pancetta. Thanks to his influence, you may also enjoy Grilled Dorade or Line Caught Wild Striped Bass. A Steamed Egg served with creamy polenta and Portuguese Sardines crusted in Parmigiano Reggiano, served on a foundation of tomato confit seemed more Raoul’s-style. Smith may have also had something to do with the Rib-Eye Steak, served with a bone marrow gravy.

Whoever is responsible for the Homemade Corzetti served with thick cut mushrooms and bathed in a walnut puree is either a genius or trying to kill us. The side portion of pasta was so rich that between two people, we could not bring ourselves to take the last bite, not matter how delicious it was, which it was.

To end things on a light note, we tried the Meyer Lemon Tart, which served as an ideal finish to the hearty meal. Other options that tempted were the Warm Apple Cake with ginger ice cream and caramel as well as the Hot Chocolate accompanied by a plate of cookies.

I didn’t feel so full exactly but certainly was aware of the richness involved with each dish, much like how I feel after an evening at Raoul’s. The food is decadent but doesn’t slow you down. More, it’ll get you in the mood to walk back to the bar and sample one of the Smith-crafted cocktails like their signature drink made with Bulleit bouron, maple syrup, and lemon. Unfortunately, when you finish your meal, the bar will most likely be packed to capacity. Something both Smith and Abrams have also brought with them is hype.

Crawfish

I went to my first crawfish boil a few weeks back. It was in honor of a little boy’s first birthday and, while his memories of it may turn out to be foggy, I think the guests will remember this celebration for a long time to come.

His dad grew up in Louisiana and, since moving to New York, discovered an online source for overnight shipping of live crawfish for when the craving strikes. He borrowed a commercial sized stockpot and set up shop in the back yard, dumping the live crustaceans into a broth of zesty Cajun spices.

Batch after batch of crawfish was served up all afternoon long with corn and potatoes that had stewed in the jus as well so as to develop the specific flavor of the boil. Subsequent batches got spicier and spicier as they stewed for longer. Yum!

Squid Three Ways

Squid’s been showing up on my meal ticket quite often lately. Besides the squid I had recently at Smith’s (delicious!), I’ve enjoyed it prepared very differently at a few other places as well. At Surf Bar, an aquatic themed restaurant where the dining room floor is covered in sand. There, it’s served in a red basket with a little dipping sauce and truly does evoke being seaside. Later in the week, I was at a friend’s house and savored them stuffed with quinoa and golden raisins. The following day, I noticed that one of the fish stands in the Union Square Greenmarket had fresh squid for sale. Having had my fill for a while, I opted not to purchase a portion, but am glad to know that if the craving hits, I’ll be able to experiment with my own.

Dishes to Relish

There are many items on the menu at the Williamsburg stand-by, Relish, that I could eat everyday. The Tuna au Poivre served with grilled vegetables is always ever so slightly seared to a satisfying pink and accompanied by a charred medley of eggplant, fennel, and zucchini. The plate is drizzled with a rich but not heavy brown pepper sauce that never ends up leaving a single trace of existence after I’m finished eating. There’s the simple salad, which manages to awe, even though it is composed of the barest of components: greens, tomatoes, and a light vinaigrette. I start thinking about the Calamari a few days before I saddle up in one of the booths and find myself contemplating a return visit only a day or two after I’ve indulged. Cornmeal-crusted and served with a spicy, chunky tomato sauce, the appetizer comes with enough ringlets that it could easily make an entrée for most patrons.

But what I love most at Relish is something that I could not eat everyday. The onion rings, served in a shallow bowl as a side, appear in my dreams. I wake up salivating, thinking about them, even if I haven’t had them in weeks. They are cut thick and dipped in a spiced flour blend before getting dunked in the deep fryer. They arrive to the table piping hot in a shallow bowl, beckoning for everyone at the table to grab one fast. They are oily and slippery: just as they should be. Like the souped up diner décor, this is the most accurate culinary reflection of the theme, so to speak. This is diner food done with an awareness of the essence of the dish brought to the front and center of the experience. Imagining the perfect diner onion ring is fully realized in Relish’s version. A greasy, messy pile of crispy, fried batter encasing a slimy, oil-shocked onion is everything it should be in this rendition.

And that is why I dream about them. These are the onion rings of your wildest dreams. And so, to know that when I am craving something like this, I can find exactly it, my mouth waters with the thought of it.

I can’t eat them everyday, as the onion rings of a wild dream are no doubt heavy undertakings; however, every few weeks, when the timing is right, I’ll plunk down in the corner booth and peer out over a tower of bliss with a dreamy smile.

Superfine

Superfine sugar is a recent discovery of mine. I accidentally bought it thinking it was powdered, and what I ended up with was a shortcut in baking delicious treats. Superfine sugar is, as the name suggests, a tiny granule of sugar. They dissolve more easily than the larger crystals in cold and hot liquids. They also make for a more finely textured dough or batter, which can often be the difference between a good cookie and a great one.

I used it most recently in the airplane and car shaped rolled sugar cookies, which received rave reviews from those who had a chance to taste test them. The bakers in the bunch commented on their smooth consistency.

Superfine sugar is also great to use for mixing drinks, from iced coffee to bar drinks that call for simple syrup or sugar.

Making Impressive & Easy Sugar Cookies

This is the easiest and most impressive recipe for rolled sugar cookies. Get any shape cookie cutter you’d like, make this dough and you’re contribution to a potluck or a child’s birthday will certainly be lauded. I recently made them in airplanes and cars.



½ cup butter, softened

2/3 cup superfine sugar

1 plus 1 tablespoon egg

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 2/3 cups flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1.Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix together and then in the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2.Chill for an hour; then preheat oven to 400º.

3.Roll out the dough on floured surface. Cut into shapes and bake 7 minutes.

Restaurant Perfect

Along a tree-lined block in Manhattan, twenty or thirty people are having the best meal of their lives. The lighting sets a warm glow that sparks a mood of intimacy, inspiring romance and epiphanies alike. There is never a line or a wait to be seated, and there is no pretense at the door. Diners are greeted with genuine, heart-felt smiles that make any and everyone feel at home. The service here makes your senile grandmother feel like she is young and remembers everything; it makes your catty college friend who works in PR forget about her blackberry and start talking in a normal pitched voice.

The menu truly offers up something for everyone. Hearty fare and light dishes mingle with each other throughout. However, if you don’t see something that calls to you, there won’t be a problem. Your waiter will gladly make any changes or substitutions. Want your tuna made the way the chef has chosen to prepare the pork? Alright. Prefer splitting an entrée as your appetizer and then going for a few appetizers as your main? The staff won’t be thrown off in the least.

They also won’t hover or rush you. But they will refill your water glass just when you start to run a little too low. They are by your side if you think of something you need and they are invisible if your focus is fixed on your dining partner. You can linger as long as you’d like or dash in for a quick dinner one-two-three. Prices aren’t high, and neither is the noise level. The chef comes out each night and greets his patrons. His food is delicious. You’ll clean every plate but you won’t feel full or weighed down. You’ll want to go dancing or take a walk; the food leaves you elated. The wine list prices bottles at cost, or you can bring your own bottle if there isn’t one you like or want to try.

The chef sends everyone home with a complimentary muffin or brioche for the morning to remind you of your sweet evening. The perfection of the evening doesn’t translate into an event or a culinary outing; it simply rests in the realm of a good, comfortable, satisfying time. The restaurant has declined any honors and mentions in culinary circles so as to maintain the specialness of the experience. It’s almost impossible to imagine that a place like this exists in our city, and even after visiting, you’ll feel like it’s been a dream.

Spam Hits NY

Forget Niman Ranch pork and Hudson Vally foie gras, chef’s newest addiction in Spam. That’s right; it’s appearing on menus across the city. In the past week, Dish detectives have spotted spam and truffle omelets on a brunch menu at an expensive uptown Sunday go-to. We’ve seen pats of it served as an appetizer with a smear of black mission fig jam and toasted slivered almonds.

The best preparation we’ve encountered so far was a reinterpreted Cumin-spiced Spam, in which a rogue genius chef in the kitchen has chosen to serve over lentils, Cara Cara oranges, parsley, and crème fraiche. We haven’t yet sampled the Spam sorbet that’s sitting in our test laboratory, but consumer reports are looking good. “Cold or hot, Spam hits the spot!”

Chang Gets Knighted!

Last week David Chang, the chef extraordinaire who has made his name with his East Village Empire of Momofukus, was knighted. He is the first celebrity chef to be awarded with the title, following in the footsteps of legends such as Elton John, Bono, and Mick Jagger. With the onslaught of good press and worship that began in the lower Manhattan neighborhood and that has radiated out, extending across America, this seemed like the next natural step for Chang.

He has been lauded as the recipient of the James Beard Award, honored as a Best New Chef in Food & Wine, and named Chef of the Year by Bon Appetit.

In Buckingham Palace, the Queen, hearing about the renowned Bo Ssam, asked Chang to prepare the dish of pork butt, oysters, and kimchi after the knighting ceremony. Unfortunately, she hadn’t reserved it 24 hours prior, and, as Chang explained, “those are the rules your highness.”

Crab Cakes

I’ve been eating a lot of crab lately. And I’m not complaining. It’s to be expected. I was in Florida two weekends in a row and not to mention, I live with someone who grew up in the South. Seafood, especially fried, abounds in this household. We also groove on sushi quite a bit and especially dig tempura. But, the best thing I’ve have, I must say, were the crab cakes, made for me at our apartment.

The recipe comes from a restaurant called 82 Queen in Charleston, where the chef of my Sunday evening crab cakes worked at one point in his stint working in the restaurant industry. The quaint, historic restaurant opened in 1982 and maintains a devout following of patrons today.

These very crabby cakes are loaded with chunks of the stuff and get a little extra kick from the addition of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Fried til they are golden, these guys are best served fresh from the pan. They aren’t difficult to make but will surely impress.

At the restaurant, they are served with a red pepper coulis that you could whip up if you have a little extra time by simmering red peppers and garlic and then processing them in a food processor.

82 Queen Crabcakes

1 Lb. Lump Crabmeat

1⁄2 Cup Mayonnaise

2 Green Onions chopped fine

2 Tsp. Tabasco

1 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 1⁄2 Cups Coarse Bread Crumbs, divided

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

1⁄2 Tsp. Ground Thyme

2 Eggs

¼ Cup Half and Half

1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

1.Combine above ingredients thoroughly, using just ½ cup of the breadcrumbs.

2.Form into desired cake size, about 4 oz. Set Aside.

3.For the breading, make egg wash eggs and Half and Half.

4.Dip crab cakes in egg mixture, then roll in the remaining bread crumbs until they are just coated. Sauté in butter or olive oil until golden brown. Serve hot. Makes four.

Fizzy Lizzy

Gulf Coast Tangerine, Mount Fuji Apple… these are just a few delicious flavors of Fizzy Lizzy, a fairly new “grown up” soda available at Gourmet Garage, Fairway, and the likes. Of all the fancy pants bubby drinks I’ve had, nothing compares to the quality to Fizzy Lizzy. The flavors, be it pineapple, grape, or grapefruit are the stars of each bottle, which smartly states on the neck, “shake my hips before placing to your lips” as a way to request shaking up the pulp and fruit bits.

At only 100 calories per bottle, they are a great alternative to cloyingly sweet beverages.

And, since they are “adult” sodas, try making champagne floats with the different flavors and garnishing them with their featured fruit.

Googleteria

Make friends with someone who works for Google. I have a sweetheart friend who recently started working at the Eighth Avenue office and kindly invited me for lunch at their in-office cafeteria. I had heard rumors about the cafeteria but hadn’t fully considered the possibilities. In the morning of the day that I was to eat with him, he emailed me the menu for that afternoon, which included coconut vanilla shrimp, Guinea hen, corn bread pudding, cashew paella, and a whole slew of other tasty options. There was a raw bar; there was an antipasti station, and there was a dessert stand with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries that tricked me into thinking it could be the peak of summer.

I couldn’t decide on hardly anything and ended up with a shmorgas of marinated mushrooms, shrimp, roasted eggplant, poached salmon with wakame, pesto pasta, and berries and carrot cake for dessert. I’ve used google to search for recipes many times before, but this was my first full tasting.

Naka Naka

A restaurant in which chopsticks rest on paper cranes… I was overjoyed to discover that a Japanese restaurant like Naka Naka exists in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. It is a pocket of a restaurant that seems to be a romantic’s paradise. The space allows for no more than twenty people, though it could easily be redesigned to accommodate double that. The majority of the seats allow for diners to sit side by side, giving them a chance to hold hands rather than to be separated by a sea of food across a vast table.

The music is low and sweet. I remember enjoying it but don’t remember quite what it was—something along the lines of Ella Fitzgerald-esque tunes? Anyway, it was at a level in which I could hear my company without the slightest strain.

The wait staff was equally accommodating to the mood of romance. A young man and young lady took turns waiting on us, presenting a board of specials tableside, translating, giving recommendations, and, ultimately serving us exceptionally good izekaya cuisine. They strode from the kitchen across a platform that sits square in the space, housing what looks like a Japanese version of a writer’s den: an intricate arrangement of wooden compartments and levels. The platform didn’t seem to hold a specific purpose, but I appreciate that the owners haven’t slanted their restaurant to align with Western ideas of a dining space. The plates also fall in the vein of tradition, as each one is petit and particular.

Small dishes of king crab sunomono—a vinegary dish with cucumbers—expertly fried squid tempura in which the batter was flecked with nameshi—Japanese dried greens that offer a forceful but delicious flavor—a smattering of straight vegetable tempura in which there was no trace of excessive oil use, just a pillowy light case of golden batter surrounding the likes of sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus, and onions made up the bulk of the meal. Sushi was also fresh as could be. Orbs of Ikura popped individually in my mouth.

And, every time a dish was cleared, our endearing placemats were revealed: a psychedelic scene of a geisha girl amidst squirrels and trees with a distant city in the background. It seemed to be a mirror of where we sat, surrounded by good vibes, transported far from the hustle of the city.

Fry Sauce

I just learned about something called fry sauce, which is, at the heart of it, a sauce in which one dips fries. No, it’s not ketchup, nor is it mayonnaise; it is a combination of the two…and just about anything else that you might want on hand as a dip. You can add barbeque sauce, mustard, sweet and sour sauce, honey, garlic and lemon.

Apparently this fry sauce is widely used in Utah and, at most fast food chains in the area, it’s available there along with the straight ketchup. I have no doubt that the restaurant fry sauces are fantastic, but the best one I’ve had recently was a homemade version in which I added Worchestershire sauce. The result was a punchy flavor, resulting from the fermented nature of the sauce. Experiment at home and don’t limit its use to fries.

Ali’s P2 White Chocolate Cookies

My friend Ali is a very coveted young lady. In fact, lately, it seems that the majority of my boy friends are developing crushes on her. I don’t blame them: she’s a high-spirited, low-maintenance, smart, funny, beautiful girl. And, after googling her, I discovered that, at the tender age of fourteen, she submitted a fantastic recipe for cookies to a website where, twelve years later, the recipe is still receiving five out of five stars, with heavy traffic.

Not that she needs the extra boost, but Ali’s recipe for Pumpkin Pecan White Chocolate Cookies is tasty enough to make any man swoon.



2¼ cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 ounces white chocolate

½ cup pecan halves



1.Preheat the oven to 300°. Chop the white
chocolate into chunks.


2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla then stir in the pumpkin puree until well blended.


3.In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. Stir the dry mixture into the wet one.


4.Fold in the white chocolate chunks and the pecans. You might want to toast the pecans for a nuttier flavor.


5.Grease a cookie sheet and drop heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, at least two inches apart.


6.Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing and cooling on a wire rack.

The recipe yields about 36 cookies and the cookies are still great if frozen and then thawed within a month.