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.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
(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.
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!
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.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
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.
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!
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)