Smorgasburg

Smorgasburg in DUMBO is my new favorite NYC experience.

I knew of its existence but it never rose to the top of my consciousness until this last Saturday when Cup of Jo reminded me of it.

Smorgasburg takes place in the old roof-less tobacco factory along the East River in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), which boasts one of the coolest views of any market, to my mind:

Brooklyn Bridge seen through the factory

Manhattan Bridge in the distance

So our Sunday was spent in the best way possible: eating and drinking.  It started with grilled cheese sandwiches from Milk Truck, a lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound (which pairs insanely well with Maine Root Soda), and an arepa con queso:

Then we moved on to Smoked Brisket sandwiches (I can't find the vendor name...crap):

Then it was mini homemade Pop Tarts (with plum jam in the middle!) from Anarchy in a Jar and gourmet S'mores from S'More Bakery:

We refreshed ourselves with Grady's Cold Brew coffee (I bought this bottle so I could continue to enjoy it all week) and cherry shaved ice from People's Pops:

Stuffed and drowsy - because, yes, we did eat all this between just the three of us - we went home to Manhattan via one of NYC's transportation gems - the East River Ferry:

An outstanding day: one of our best in the seven years we've lived in New York.

Eat, drink, and wear loose pants.

Jamie Oliver's MEALS IN MINUTES

I bought the new Jamie Oliver cookbook yesterday: MEALS IN MINUTES.  I could lie and tell you that I got it at my local indie...but...yeah.  I paid full price at Barnes & Noble, guilty as charged.

I can't wait to try the recipes - you'll see some of them here soon (note the tabs I've already inserted for the recipes I want to take on).  I'm particularly excited about this one:

It's Quick Lemon and Raspberry Cheesecake.  You pound gingersnaps and hazelnuts with a rolling pin then, after mixing them with melted butter, you press them into the bottom of individual dishes.  Add store-bought lemon curd.  Sprinkle raspberries over the curd.  Top with creme fraiche (or mascarpone or cream cheese) that has been stirred together with some sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.  Last but not least, grate chocolate on top.

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is my kind of "baking".  Future dinner party guests can expect to see this one soon.

Eat, drink, and move to the 'burbs to make room for your cookbook collection.*





* Note to self: count how many cookbooks, reference books, and food memoirs I own.  I'll share the number with y'all when I do.

Big Gay Ice Cream

I finally, FINALLY went to the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck last night with my pals Jen, Jack, and Chris (Note: I probably don't need to even tell you this, but the pics were taken with a phone camera...):

I ordered the vanilla with fig balsamic syrup.  The syrup was delicious but Jen, Jack, and Chris had the right idea getting the Monday Sundae (twist ice cream, Nutella-lined waffle cone, dulce de leche, sea salt, and whipped cream).

Desserts

See?  Sometimes even I bake:

 Paula Deen's Oreo Truffles

Sea-Salted Smoky Almond Chocolate Bark

Gingerbread

Dessert?

A chocolate-covered onion from the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

Best Dessert

It has been well-documented here how little I like to bake.  And my complete lack of a sweet tooth.  I know I sound like a proverbial broken record - how many times have I talked about this?

All my blah-blahing aside (because, yes, there is part of me that takes a little pride in my love of all things savory), there is one dessert that I cannot resist: strawberries tossed with balsamic vinegar.  And preferably spooned on top of vanilla ice cream.

Thanks to this past Saturday's Union Square Greenmarket, I had three pints of strawberries.  One whole pint we ate on Saturday, of course, while still sitting in the park.  One pint would be eaten on Sunday morning.  But Saturday night we had a pint for dessert.  Here's what you do:

Hull the desired amount of strawberries.  If they're very large, feel free to halve them but, otherwise, you can keep them whole.  Place in a large bowl.  Add good-quality balsamic vinegar* and sugar to taste.  I know my lack of measurements may be frustrating to some of you but you've got to trust me on this.  Some people like it more vinegary, some with lots of sugar.  It's up to you.

Okay, you need measurements?  Here's a good place to start: I recommend a pint of strawberries with a half-tablespoon of vinegar and a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.  Taste it.  Want more bite?  Want more sweetness?  Adjust accordingly.  Did you add too much vinegar?  Easy fix: add more sugar to even it out.  Spoon it over vanilla ice cream...and make sure to get the juices from the bottom of the bowl and drizzle that over the strawberries and ice cream.

Easiest dessert ever.  And the balsamic is a surprising addition that your dinner guests may not expect at first bite, which makes this seem much fancier than it really is.  The other thing is that if you're one of those people who insists on buying strawberries from the supermarket in February (rather than when they're in season), then this is one of the only acceptable ways to eat them.  Me, I wait until those first strawberries in May or June - there's nothing like them after eating no other fruit but apples all winter.  I was in heaven eating this dessert.

Eat, drink, and lick the bowl clean.


* Don't know if you have good-quality balsamic vinegar?  A good test is whether it's the consistency of syrup.  It should have a thick, syrup quality to it and, for heaven's sake, it should never leave your mouth feeling sore!

Celebrating Winter with Friends

I've missed being here so much and I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to come back here: it's a sign that my life is returning to some amount of normalcy.  I was drowning in all things NCTE and ALAN before Thanksgiving (check out the recaps here and here) and then I was on the loveliest trip ever to Anguilla for the holiday (photos forthcoming).  Christmas and ALA Midwinter are looming larger and larger on the horizon but, for right now, I'm here.  And I'm determined to enjoy this moment and not think about the rest.

Our first weekend back from the sunny beaches of Anguilla we were faced with 40-degree winter days and I thought that there wasn't a better way to brave the weather than to hole up with good friends - Jenn and Phil - and catch up on all our news.  On the menu: Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Creamy Parmesan Polenta, and Grilled Sausages.

Jenn and Phil are regulars at the Lutz table and we've settled into a nice routine where we cook and they bring dessert. Often, it's petits fours from this wonderful bakery near Jenn and Phil but, last night, it was Salted Maple Walnut Thumbprints, made by Miss J herself.  Fabulous.

Things are always crazy during conference time at work and the holidays compound that.  My blog dropped off...I didn't contribute to the holiday fair at Bug's school like I had intended...I haven't set my fantasy football teams for three weeks.  But there's always time to get together with friends, to catch up over food and drink, and to share laughs and smiles.

Eat, drink, and prioritize.

Foodie Books for Kids: Dessert

In April 2009, I shared my thoughts on the darling book Dessert First by Hallie Durand, illustrated by Christine Davenier.  It really was a divinely sweet book, and Davenier's illustrations were pitch-perfect with the whimsy and the humor.  And Simon and Schuster's publicity package was attention-grabbing, for sure.

Fast forward more than a year and I'm now in publishing.  I don't get all the ARCs and review copies from other publishers at work anymore, for the most part...though, if there's a book I'm dying to have I send an email to my counterparts in other houses, begging for a copy (Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and Jane by April Lindner being my two recent "book begs").

So imagine my surprise when I recently received a package at my home; it was from Simon and Schuster and addressed to Pinot and Prose.  Strange.  Open it up and this is what was inside:

Just Desserts!  The next book in the series.  Isn't that packaging clever?  Designed to look like a bakery package, twine and all.  Here's what was inside the bakery box:

Hardcovers of Just Desserts and Dessert First, along with a paperback copy of Dessert First.

I haven't had the chance to read it yet - can you believe I'm already reading Fall 2011 books?! - but I'm looking forward to it.  And I want to thank Simon and Schuster.  I'm guessing that the book came to me only because of a glitch in the database somewhere...but I'm glad for it.  What a fun treat to receive.

Eat, drink, and get your Just Desserts.

The Wild Pair*

I apologize for the total absence of blog posts lately. I could give you all kinds of stories about being super busy and "oh my god, my life is so crazy"...but that's not really the case. The truth is that Adam and I have been without Bug for THREE WEEKS. You parents understand. THREE WEEKS. So I've been spending time with Adam - eating, drinking, dating, laughing, catching up on TV shows, watching Alice in Wonderland, visiting with friends. Blogging really took a backseat to getting in touch with Adam again and, while I missed blogging, I'm unapologetic about spending that time away.

But I'm back and excited to be. I really want to tell you about a wonderful restaurant we ate at while visiting my in-laws in Oregon: Wild Pear.

I can't imagine any of you will find your way to Salem, Oregon but, if you do, I can't recommend Wild Pear enough. The ingredients are local and seasonal, and the mood of the restaurant is cozy and relaxed. I started by ordering the Cubanisimo Rosado:

Last year on our annual trip to Oregon, the Cubanisimo Pinot Noir was recommended to me and I loved it. Clearly, I am now a Cubanisimo fan.

I ordered the Lobster and Seafood Melt:

Served on foccacia, it was topped with dill havarti, tomatoes, red onion, and a creamy dill dressing. It was actually a little too dill-y for my tastes...but I should have known better. Dill cheese AND dill dressing? I read that and ordered it anyway. My loss.

Adam had the French Dip and it was excellent - almost like a Philly cheesesteak - French dip hybrid:

The sweet potato fries were even better. And how adorable is that bucket?

But the major coup was had by MC, my mother-in-law; she ordered the Chicken Hazelnut Salad Sandwich:

Chicken, hazelnuts, dried cranberries, red onions...and that creamy dill dressing. What is it this place and dill? Nevertheless, it didn't take over the sandwich. The balance here was perfect - it was sweet, nutty, and earthy. Thanks to the onion, it even bit back a little. So hands down to MC. She won the Best Orderer this day - a fine, fine competitor.

As we were getting ready to leave the restaurant, our server says to us, "Funny that you ordered the Cubanisimo...the winemaker is sitting right over there." He pointed to a rather pretty woman sitting by herself, drinking a glass of wine and reading. Naturally MC and Adam urged me to give her one of my Pinot and Prose business cards...but I just couldn't. Totally chickened out. She had an air of celebrity about her (seriously, I really love Cubanisimo's wines) and I got too stargazy...

After lunch, we walked around downtown Salem a bit where I discovered Cherry Redd (careful with the link, this may not be work appropriate for some of you). Bought myself these fab shoes:

After all that walking and shoe-trying-on, it was time for dessert so we stopped at Napolean's Creperie and Gelato. Everyone ordered gelato, of course, but I was hearing the siren call of the espresso affogato.

It was creamy and rich. Which I deserved because I worked very hard earlier. You know, trying on shoes and eating.

Eat, drink, and always give out your business card.

* Yes, I realize I spelled "pair" differently - it was a play on the fact that Adam and I have been child-free for three weeks. Get it? We're the Wild Pair. But my post here is about Wild Pear. Clever, right? Right?

The Day Pinot Was Replaced by Porter

As most of you know, Adam is a beer guy. And he's getting more and more obsessed every day to the point where I'm certain he's going to start homebrewing in our bathtub, thanks to Sam Calagione (the head of all things Dogfish Head) putting ideas into his head. Or he's going to leave me for Sam.*

Adam is also notoriously difficult to shop for and, as such, our families have bombarded him with beer and its various accoutrements for birthdays and holidays. This includes magazine subscriptions. So Adam is reading the latest Beer Traveler and there's a list of the 150 perfect places to drink a beer. One of them is Henry's 12th Street Tavern in Portland (it's #25). So we go there for lunch a couple days ago.


The beer list was insane. Here's a glimpse:


Even I found lots that I wanted to try. Like this Laurelwood Organic Tree Hugger Porter (Portland, OR):


I also tried a sample of the Oakshire Amber (Eugene, OR), which I loved - it was unique and complex in its flavor.

But the STAR of the whole experience? The gorgonzola fries:


I could use all kinds of flowery language and purple prose to describe them but I just can't. Crispness: perfect. Seasoning: perfect. Amount of gorgonzola: perfect. We had one plate of these among five of us, but we could just had two plates and called that our lunch. Next time, no doubt.

The dessert wasn't half-bad either:


That's the creme "brewlee" sampler. They use Widmer Hefeweizen to make the one so there's lots of clove and ginger and spice in it. The chocolate one uses Black Bear XX chocolate stout (of course) and it's so rich that one bite will suffice. Shortbread finishes it out.

Our hope is that Henry's is going to become a tradition - it was fantastic.

Eat, drink, and be open-minded about beer.

Note: The server told us that the waffle fries used in the gorgonzola fries are not housemade but that the fries that came with the burger were. The waffle fries were better by leaps and bounds. The house fries were lukewarm and rather soggy. Stick with the gorgonzola appetizer.

*While visiting the Dogfish Head Brewpub recently, Adam actually met Sam Calagione's son who isn't much older than our Bug. Adam is thinking of arranging their marriage...

Compost Cookies & some thoughts on baking paraphenalia

The time has come: I'm well aware of my shortcomings...but now Bug has gotten old enough that she can call me out on my faults too. Friday was a snow day in NYC and I decided to try Compost Cookies, which I heard about from Amateur Gourmet. When I told Bug about my intention to bake cookies, she said (verbatim): "Mommy, you can be my sous chef because you can't bake and I can."

Oh, dear. My reputation had preceded me.

So, playing sous chef, I did most of the baking of the Compost Cookies. Like Adam (Amateur Gourmet) said, you can omit the corn syrup from the recipe - it was fine without them. But I did have some problems, as evidenced below:

Can you tell? They were flat as pancakes and I have no idea why. Adam (my husband, not Amateur Gourmet) thought that it was because I was using older baking soda. Do you bakers out there concur? Where did I go wrong?

But, daaaaaamn. The flatness aside, these are incredible and MY kind of dessert. Bug and I added crushed pretzels, crushed potato chips, dark chocolate chips, coconut, and some leftover sprinkles from an earlier baking project. Oh, and we also added about a tablespoon of peanut butter chips I found at the back of the cabinet that hadn't gone bad yet. Really, the sky's the limit. You could throw in oatmeal, raisinettes, nuts...anything! But what creates magic is the interplay of sweet and salty. It's dessert gold, guys. Gold.

I'm going to be a lazy blogger (oh, shhh, you love it and you know it!) and only link to the recipe. Here it is, courtesy...of all things...Live with Regis and Kelly. Lordy.

And here's one more thing before I close this out: STAND MIXER. I've never owned one and never felt like I needed to. When the Soul Twin become a full-blown veterinary cardiologist (for real!), she told me she was going to buy me a stand mixer. She swore that the only reason I wasn't a baker was because I didn't have one. Yes, I rolled my eyes at her. Then I said, "Where the hell would I fit a stand mixer in this kitchen?!?!" She looked around and said that she saw my point. Crappy NYC kitchens.

BUT...this recipe made me rethink my stance. I used my hand mixer. And you'll see from the recipe that you need to use your stand mixer for TEN MINUTES. My arm nearly FELL OFF. Not to mention that my batter failed to double in size like the recipe said. Hey, maybe that's why my cookies were so flat... Hell, this is exactly why I loathe baking. Why is it so complicated?!

Nevertheless, I'm kinda eyeing this pretty baby now (I adore the retro red with the glass bowl!):

If the baking doesn't pan out, I can use this for sausage and pasta! Now THAT is what I'm talkin' 'bout, Willis!

Eat, drink, and keep trying...I guess.

Guest post: Don't judge a burger by its cover

Well hello again. Long time no see. I know it has been a while since I guest posted for the lovely wife, but today there is this:

What is it? A hamburger? Well yes.....sort of. Even at the Goog, there are days when you just....get bored. I guess the same is true for the pastry chef, because today, she gave us this little gem.

What you see here is a dessert burger. A sweet roll as the bun, raspberry and simple syrup for ketchup, green coconut for lettuce, chocolate brownie for the patty, and whipped cream for the mayo. A sight to behold indeed. What could possibly go wrong with this concoction? Too much! Too much! Now as a disclaimer here, I am not a big "sweets" guy. No sugar in the coffee, no mixer in the whiskey, no chaser to the tequila. This thing was like stuffing a Care Bear into a My Little Pony, dipping them in Magic Shell, then rolling it in Pride Rainbow sprinkles. TOO SWEET. I had one bite just to say that I did.

But hey, at least it looked cool.

Other guest posts by The Husband:

Octopus Stew

Thumper

Bacon Pot Roast

Duff? Duff who?

Look, look, look!

And who says children's literature and food don't mix? Not me. No way. They intersect in more ways than I could have imagined when I started this little blog.

Eat, drink, and serve cake.