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!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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.
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!
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!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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.
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.
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!
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!
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