Ham and Cheese Waffles

Happy Monday, all - how was your weekend?  Those of you who are following along with me, reading FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT, how did you fare?  I had a lovely weekend with many, maaany indulgences; my Friday night was positively Bacchanalian.  But that's one thing I love, among many, about Mireille Guiliano's philosophy: have fun now and compensate later.  I fared a bit better on Saturday, and Sunday I got right back on track with much more realistic portions of both food and drink.  This morning it's back to walking and light meals.  And I already feel a difference.  I do. I may not actually be lighter but I certainly feel it.  The biggest contributing factor to that, I think, is that I'm no longer eating until I'm full...I'm eating until I'm satisfied...which are two totally different things.  Even Adam said to me, "I forgot how great it feels not to be stuffed!"  Adam and I are thoroughly enjoying rediscovering flavors and textures, and Bug said that my walks along the river sound nice and she'd like to join me.  I feel like our household has come back online.

I'm fully engrossed in Chapter 6 of FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT where Mireille Guiliano is discussing the importance of seasonality.  Those of you who have tasted a summer tomato from the farmers' market and compared it to the flimsy things available from other countries in the winter will know what I'm talking about.  Eating foods in season is a key secret for the French woman (though, is it really a secret?) Here is a passage from FWDGF:

In the end, seasonality is the key to the French woman's psychological pleasure in food - the natural pleasure of anticipation, change, the poignant joy we take in something we know we shall soon lose and cannot take for granted.

Man, I love that.  Just...love.  I never embraced seasonality before "going French" and, once I did, it was a whole new world.  Now, am I major stickler for it?  No.  I have been known to buy a pint or two of cherry tomatoes to get me through the winter.  But asparagus or strawberries?  I never (seriously, never) buy them out of season because I feel like they are just that much better in season than out.  I'm very lucky in that I have the Union Square farmers' market a short walk from my apartment so I get a lot of my produce there.  But Fresh Direct (a grocery delivery service in NYC) also has a ton of seasonal, local options.  And I know other cities and towns around the U.S. are the same - when we lived in Olympia, WA, there was a gorgeous market, and my parents living in Folsom, CA also have great access to local, seasonal produce.  Seek out your local markets if you can.

So, speaking of seasons, this is the time of year when the California girl in me is freaking out: my friends and family on the West Coast are already enjoying asparagus and the like...and the Northeast is still in hard-core root vegetable weather.  I'm So Over Winter Produce.  It's this time of year that I question my decision to live in this region (don't worry; I get over it).  So I end up making things like Ham and Cheese Waffles:

These have the perfect interplay between salty and sweet and, with a little crunchiness on the outside, these waffles are intensely satisfying.  I served a little spinach salad on the side, and it was a lovely breakfast-as-dinner meal. (SEASONALITY NOTE: I get my spinach from Satur Farms through Fresh Direct.  Satur Farms is based in Long Island but they do grow in Florida during the winter months)

HAM AND CHEESE WAFFLES
Recipe from Bon Appétit (March 2012 issue)
Makes 12 waffles

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large egg whites
3 large egg yolks
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup soda water (I used seltzer, which worked fine)
1 cup thin strips of ham
1 cup sharp white cheddar, grated
Non-stick vegetable oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat waffle iron until very hot.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until medium-soft peaks form.
4. Whisk egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, and soda water in a medium bowl; gradually whisk into dry ingredients.  Gently fold in egg whites (don't overstir!).
5. Coat waffle iron with non-stick spray.  Pour small amount of batter onto iron (amount of batter needed will vary according to machine).  Scatter about 1 tbsp. ham and 1 tbsp. cheese over each waffle.  Add a small amount of batter to cover.  Cook until golden brown and cooked through.  Transfer to a baking sheet; keep waffles warm in oven between batches.  Serve with butter and warm maple syrup (I also liked jam on mine).

NOTE ON KID-FRIENDLINESS: It's waffles.  Always a hit.  I made one waffle with no ham or cheese for Bug.  But she finished it and wanted more...so she just ate a ham-and-cheese waffle and loved it.  She ate more leftovers the next day.  Instead of a spinach salad on the side, Bug got apple slices.

A NOTE ON FRENCHNESS: Yep, this is how we eat while we're embracing a French lifestyle and even losing weight.  The key is portion control.  Pre-2005...and even two weeks ago...I would have eaten two full squares, maybe more.  Not this time.  I had one square and stopped: was I satisfied?  I decided to have half of another one.  Delicious.  Then I stopped.  Eating only 25% less may not seem like much but it is little choices like this that add up over time.

WINE NOTES: Yep, I've got wine notes for waffles.  Treat it like brunch and go for bubbles: Prosecco, Cava, or Champagne.  I'm a particular fan of the Llopart Rosé Brut Reserve Cava 2008, which I get from Fresh Direct - the pink hue has such a celebratory feel to it.

Eat, drink, and embrace seasonality.

Cannellini Beans with Rosemary, Thyme, and Lavender

Man, it's hard for me to come here to post lately.  I can't even claim insane busy-ness...or a family tragedy...or anything remotely close to anything earth-rocking.  So where have I been?  Well, I find when I'm online, I immediately go to Pinterest.  I pull up to my boards, take a seat, get comfy, and I don't seem to move for ages.  Seriously, I'm addicted.  So if you're missing me here (ha!), then do head over there and say hi!

But I've finally broken free for a bit to stop by and share this gorgeous recipe with you: Cannellini Beans with Rosemary, Thyme, and Lavender.  Cannellini beans are one of my favorites: they're creamy, rich, and ridiculously versatile.  I love that you can mash them up with roasted garlic and olive oil and - bingo! - you have a satisfying crostini topping.  White beans with bacon?  Sublime.  White beans with thyme?  Perfect pairing.  A little sprinkling of crushed red pepper?  Even better.  In a soup?  Of course.  Pureed?  Yep.  I've even been known to eat them with breakfast.  I'm beginning to sound like Bubba in Forrest Gump, aren't I? 

And the best thing?  For me?  Is that they come in a can!  I know purists and cooks more advanced (or snobby) than I am will sniff at how easy it is to soak dried beans overnight, etc, and blah, blah.  But, you know, some things are just quicker from a can.  Easy as that.  If I can take this shortcut, then I'm taking it.  There are many, many other places where I don't cut corners when I'm cooking; opening a can of cannellini beans is practically a gift to myself.

I thought I'd tried damn-near every preparation - it seemed that way - so I was particularly excited when I read this one in one of my new favorite cookbooks, The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider.  I have to confess that I've never used lavender in a recipe before so I was completely intrigued.  Sally Schneider has a note before the recipe that has some serving suggestions: "[these beans] make a fine little meal on their own, with some shavings of Parmigiano, aged goat cheese, or ricotta salata [...] They are also a classic accompaniment to grilled or roasted lamb."  I'm not a big lamb fan so we just served the beans on their own, but feel free to give the pairing a try yourself!

And - bonus! - this is a one-pan recipe!

CANNELLINI BEANS WITH ROSEMARY, THYME, AND LAVENDER
Inspired by Sally Schneider's The Improvisational Cook


Serves 4-6


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
Pinch of dried lavender
4 cups cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (about 2 cans)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice


1. Combine olive oil and shallots in a large (12-inch) heavy skillet.  Cook, covered, over moderate heat until the shallots are soft and golden, about 5 minutes.  


2. Stir in rosemary, thyme, and a pinch of dried lavender (note: careful on that pinch - lavender is very potent!).  Saute, stirring, for 1 minute.


3. Add beans and 1/3 cup water to the pan.  Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice.  Adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Spoon the beans into 4 bowls.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each serving.  If desired, serve with grilled baguette slices.


LAVENDER NOTE: Dried lavender wasn't easy to find. I ultimately found it at the Union Square Greenmarket.  You can order it online at Lavender By The Bay (the same sellers at Union Square).


WINE NOTE: I paired this with the Cupcake Pinot Noir, which you can get at Trader Joe's.  The beans brought out all the berry in the Pinot Noir - very nice.


NOTE ON KID-FRIENDLINESS: I know, I know.  I haven't made many kid-friendly meals lately.  This was served on an "Adult Dinner"night after Bug had gone to bed.  She won't touch cannellini beans.  


Eat, drink, and look for new ways to dress up old favorites.

RIP Herbs...

Just back from vacation so I'll be up and running this weekend - I have a stellar recipe I can't wait to share with all of you.  But I wanted to make an announcement:

I KILLED MY HERBS.

Remember these?

 Well, when you don't water them for two weeks while you're out of town, this is what happens:

Likewise, the garlic chives I so bravely rescued during our move to Manhattan?  Here's BV (Before Vacation):

And the AV (After Vacation):

When we arrived home and I saw the state of things, I yelled, "They're dead!  My herbs are DEAD!"  Adam, being a brilliant stater-of-the-obvious, replies, "Well, yeah.  What did you think would happen when we left and didn't arrange for someone to water them?"  I sputtered, "But...but...I thought they'd be okay!"  Adam just raised his eyebrow at me.

I'll be getting some new ones at the market this weekend but, in the meantime, I'm in mourning.

Eat, drink, and study basic horticulture (read: plants need water)!

Urban Herb Gardens

When we moved to Manhattan from Queens in March, we had to give up our lovely balcony.  Aside from sunbathing and dancing on it, I also grew herbs in planters.  Now, I'm not a big outdoorsy gal and I'm perfectly happy living in a concrete jungle, thank you...but, nevertheless, growing herbs just made me feel in touch with something simpler and sweeter, you know?

I told you all about my garlic chives before but, for those of you who don't know the story, it involved me transplanting the chives in my pajamas, barefoot, at midnight before Moving Day because I just had to take them with me (this is the third year that they've grown back...the same plant).  Well, the chives have thrived in our living room window and I've been enjoying them immensely.
 

 So I decided to take it a step further.  A couple of weeks ago, we were at the Union Square Greenmarket and the Oak Grove Plantation stand had herbs galore on display - Bug and I couldn't stop sticking our noses into all the plants.  I felt sad about our lack of a balcony until I saw this:

Hmm...I asked Adam, "Do you think we can just put these on the radiator in front of our living room window?"  And being the adventurous guy he is, Adam said, "Well, we won't know until we've tried."

So here's what I loooove about these herb planters: you can order them with any combination of four herbs that you want.  It cost me $22...which isn't cheap.  But I was able to fill it out with what I wanted: lemon thyme, rosemary, and a double order of sweet basil.  Do you have any idea how much this saves me in the long run????  When I buy cut herbs at the market, it'll cost me anywhere from $3-$5 per bunch.  And what if I need a bunch of rosemary and a bunch of basil?  That can easily cost me almost $10.  For only one week of herbs!  Believe me, this planter will pay me back in dividends by the time this summer is over.  Not to mention that they look positively lovely in my window:

And we loved them so much and it went so well that Bug bought herself a French lavender plant last weekend (with her own allowance - there's hope for the girl yet!):

Eat, drink, and don't let a lack of outdoor space stop you!

Pea Shoot Pesto

I've mentioned pea shoot pesto here before in the briefest of passing and, for that, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry because it is one of my absolute favorite things to eat in early summer.  I tripped upon a recipe in the New York Times back in May 2009 for the pesto; it sounded delicious but I dismissed it pretty quick.  I mean, where am I going to get pea shoots?

I shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly, of course.  The next time I was at Union Square, I found a stand with pea shoots.  I approached the purveyors and mentioned the article in the Times for pea shoot pesto.  Being the smart folks they are, they had a copy of the recipe and were able to tell me the exact amount of shoots I needed.

In 2010, pea shoot pesto was a regular feature at my table.

Here we are in 2011 and pea shoots are at the Union Square Greenmarket again.  Greener Pastures are the folks to talk to - you'll know them by the yellow school bus behind their stand.  They're known for their wheatgrass juice but I know them as my connection for pea shoots.

And wondering what the fuss is about with pea shoot pesto?  Sometimes I find that basil pesto can be overwhelming and overly rich.  Especially when paired with tomatoes - basil pesto can overpower the fantastic flavor of tomatoes in season.  Pea shoot pesto has a brightness and delicacy to it that I like infinitely better than its basil sister.  And pea shoot pesto is every bit as easy to make:

PEA SHOOT PESTO
from The New York Times


1/4 c. grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. pine nuts
3 c. pea shoots
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves


In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts, tossing occasionally until golden, about 3 minutes.


In a food processor or blender combine pea shoots, pine nuts, cilantro, Parmesan, garlic and salt.  Pulse until roughly chopped.  With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil; blend until well combined.  Scrape pesto into a bowl.  Taste for seasoning.

There have been a few times when I've forgotten to buy cilantro so I omitted it from the recipe; I have to admit that I didn't miss it much.  So feel free to leave it out if you're cilantro-adverse.  Likewise, last time I made this, I used fresh green garlic (instead of the dried kind you get at the supermarket) and it was incredible.  I'd recommend it always in this recipe, but it's in season for a pretty short window so you'll likely have to forge ahead with regular garlic.

The NYT recipe pairs the pesto with pork chops, which sounds really amazing.  However, like a kid who eats all the cookie dough before making cookies, I've never gotten that far with this recipe.  I love to serve it on grilled bread (you know me and the grilled bread recipes!) with a few slivers of shaved Parmesan on top.  I also loved it with a slice of prosciutto over the pesto, and you can see in the (rather dark) photo above that I also topped it with a fried egg. Add a salad, a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, and you have a light spring or summer meal.


Eat, drink, and experiment with pestos.

Grilled Fontina and Vegetable Antipasti

Choosing this recipe for a weeknight meal came more from the awesome bread I had from the farmers' market than it did from its ease and simplicity.  We bought a loaf of Farm Bread from our favorite baker at the market: Rock Hill Bakehouse; it's dense and jam-packed full of flavor but the downside?  It goes bad.  And fast.  So I try to incorporate it into my meals as much as I can before the mold moves in.

Looking through my saved magazine recipes, I found this one from Food and Wine: Grilled Fontina and Vegetable Antipasti.  The online recipe has all the measurements (the original print version I have doesn't have any amounts or measurements) but the beauty of this recipe is that it's perfect for improvisation, especially if you're nervous about improvising.  Here's how mine turned out:

GRILLED FONTINA AND GRILLED ANTIPASTI

adapted from Food and Wine

8 1/2-inch thick slices of peasant bread

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 oz. sliced Fontina cheese

1/2 c. (4 oz.) roasted red peppers, sliced thin

1/2 c. (4 oz.) marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped

3 pickled jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped

1 stalk green garlic, sliced thin (optional)

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Brush the bread on one side with olive oil and arrange, oiled side down, on a work surface.  Top half the slices with Fontina, peppers, artichokes, and jalapenos.  Close the sandwiches.

Preheat a skillet, panini press, or grill (I have a stovetop castiron grill).  Grill the sandwiches over medium heat  until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.  Use a panini press - or a spatula - to put pressure on the sandwiches; this helps the cheese melt and melds the flavors together.  Flip the sandwiches to toast the other side.  Take off the grill, halve the sandwiches, and serve right away.  Serves 4.

You can treat these ingredients as guidelines rather than rules; it really is all to taste.  I added fresh ground pepper.  And I also had some fresh green garlic (not the usual dried kind) from the farmers' market so I sliced that super thin and added that as well.  I'm not a fan of olives but maybe some olives might be good too?  If you like more heat, you can add more jalapenos.  It's all up to you.  Fun, right?

I'm on the bacon bandwagon and I love myself a chunk of rare steak.  But I do try to keep it to a minimum and, more often than not, we eat vegetarian meals around here.  This one is packed with flavor, and the variations are endless.  Lastly, I can easily deconstruct it for Bug: she just had cheese on hers (a.k.a. a grilled cheese sandwich).

Eat, drink, and don't skimp on flavor just because it's a weeknight.

Mint tea

Come winter, you'll hear me wax poetic about hot drinks to warm you to the bones when it's freezing outside.  But right now, I'm all about the summer drinks to refresh you when the sun's beating down.

We were at the farmers' market (Union Square, of course) last weekend and there was a stand (the name of which I can never remember) that had iced mint tea.  Two big coolers full of tea and two small chests with ice.  You can get a small 6 oz cup for $1.00 or a 12 oz cup for $1.50.  Bug begged me to get a cup and, after talking to the purveyor, I learned that the tea had a scant amount of caffeine; other than that, it was sweetened with local farmers' market maple syrup.  Bug and I both had a glass (Adam hates mint so he passed) and it was incredible.  You know when you just drink that perfect drink on a hot day and you just sigh and say, "Ahhhhhh!" when you drink it?  Well, that was this drink.

Naturally, I immediately realized that I could easily make this on my own.  So I bought myself a bunch of mint and went home to give it a go.  I separated the mint into these long tea bags I have:

But I think you could probably put the mint right in the water and then strain it out.  As the water was about to boil, I took it off the stove and let it steep on the countertop for about 10 minutes.  I took out the bags, squeezing the water out of them before tossing them, and then stirred in maple syrup.  Of course I tasted it, tasted it, tasted it to make sure I was adding the right amount of syrup.  Once I got it to the right amount of sweetness, I added it to a pitcher:

And I sipped all week long.  Absolutely wonderful.

Today we went back to the market and bought another cup of their iced tea.  Bug noticed a card with the ingredients: mint, maple syrup, sugar, lemon juice, lime juice.  We didn't add sugar, lemon, or lime to our tea; Bug told me that she didn't think we needed the sugar since it was sweetened with the syrup.  We did agree, though, that lemon and lime juice would be awesome additions.  So we'll try that next.  And that, in a nutshell, is why I love cooking and creating in the kitchen.  Last weeks' tea was great.  But let's add lemon and lime juice to see what will happen.  Maybe it'll be even better.  Maybe it won't.  It's always interesting and always fresh because even I don't know what will come out of my kitchen sometimes.

Eat, drink, and refresh.

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!

Roast Chicken

We went to the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday, and I was so excited about the sun beating down that I  insisted Adam go do the shopping while I watched Bug on the playground, thus allowing my skin to darken from white to...something closer to off-white.  Adam brought back the bounty (sugar snap peas!  strawberries!  asparagus!) and announced that he also got a whole chicken from our favorite stand: Grazin' Angus Acres.  A whole chicken?  What?  We don't tend to eat chicken - it's dry and bland more often than not, it seems - but here's the story Adam told me:

He went to the Grazin' Angus guys to get the eggs and flap steak we love.  They told Adam about the chicken and, of course, he was dismissive.  Long story short, they all but challenged Adam to try it and even went so far as to say, "If you don't like our chicken, you won't like any chicken."  Big words.  But this is one of the joys of buying from a purveyor you know and trust: we knew that these guys weren't saying all this lightly and we have learned to trust both them and their products.  So Adam bought a chicken - all that was left was a rather large one that cost us a cool $37!  And they were holding it for us while Adam sat in the sun with me, relaying this story.  The Grazin' Angus guys also told Adam that all the chicken needed was salt and pepper on the skin.  If you have some gorgeous fresh herbs, stuff those in the cavity.  But that's all.

This is where I kind of lost it.  "Not even lemon?  You sure?  Because I have a le..."

"No, no lemon."

"Seriously?"

"Laura, I'm just telling you what the man said to me.  Ask him yourself when we pick up the bird."

Fine, I will, I thought.  So we pick up the chicken and he tells us that, ideally, you want a 500-degree oven for an hour and 15 minutes; this will create a lot of smoke so, if you're living in an apartment like us, then you can do 450-degrees for the same amount of time.  He confirmed salt and pepper on the outside.  And then I asked, "And in the cavity?"

"Herbs, maybe.  Rosemary is fine.  Just a small amount of thyme - thyme can overpower it."

"And what about lemon?  I have a le..."

"Don't you dare put lemon in my chicken!!!!"

I threw up my hands and begged for mercy, hoping he'd still let us walk away with his chicken (he did).  And our interaction ended with a promise that "you'll be spoiled by our chicken, just like we spoiled you with our eggs and beef!"

We got home and I cranked the oven to 500-degrees.  I knew it would smoke too much for our little 900-square foot apartment but I had to at least try, right?  I sprinkled the outside with kosher salt and fresh pepper, and I crammed the cavity full of rosemary.  I was soooo skeptical.  I wasn't a believer and had no trust.  So I put a ton of rosemary in that thing.

Then it was in the oven.  At 20 minutes, I had to take the battery out of our smoke alarm.  At 35 minutes, I turned the oven down to 450 degrees.  Adam told me the whole floor smelled like roast chicken.  You're welcome, neighbors.  At an hour and 15 minutes, it came out.  Easy as that.  And here's the result:

The verdict?  Outstanding.  The meat was so juicy, of course, but what struck me most was the sweetness.  I had never tasted chicken that was sweet...and flavorful with little help from me.  It was gorgeous.  And the juices had pooled up in the bottom of the platter so we dipped our bites in the juice, which took it up to a whole other level.  The only thing I might have done differently was add more salt and pepper before roasting but, really, I'm being nitpicky.  It was damn near perfect.

We ate it with raw sugar snap peas (from the Migliorelli Farm stand in Union Square) tossed in olive oil and flake salt:

And black-pepper Parmesan bread (from the Rock Hill Bakehouse stand) dipped in olive oil and course sea salt:

What an amazing Saturday meal!

And what about Bug?  Well, she liked the peas and she liked the bread.  We told her she had to at least try the chicken (which she normally won't touch).  When she asked for the wing, we were skeptical.  But what do you know...she ate the whole wing.  Then she at a leg.  In short, she loved it.  Do I think she'll be a chicken eater from now on?  Of course not.  I'm certain this was a fluke.  But between Bug eating the chicken and the Grazin' Angus Acres guys...clearly, I'm not always right.

Eat, drink, and happily admit defeat.

Playing catch-up

So I certainly haven't been as prolific in my blogging lately.  However, unlike in the past when my excuse was laziness, I can happily confirm that the reason I've been slagging lately is because of my glittering, happy life.  Seriously! 

Here's what I've been up to:

• Renewing my YALSA membership.  I have lovely YA librarian friends who are encouraging me (or harrassing me, in some cases) to get more involved with teen librarianship and literature.  I do love YA books, YA librarians, and YA authors (oh, you know the clique of which I speak), and I would love the opportunity to hang with them some more.   I'm already a sucker for all things Georgia Nicolson and The Luxe ...why not put my obsession to good professional use?
  
  
• Visiting the Jackson Heights farmers' market.  It opened for the season yesterday and it was the first time I had ever been there.  I was pleasantly surprised by the selection: turkey, whole chickens, strawberries, asparagus, various lettuces, buffalo mozzarella.  And I was assured by my friends who live in the neighborhood that this was just the beginning; more vendors join the group as the season progresses. 
  
  
• Also in Jackson Heights, my friend Lori turned me on to Espresso 77.  Amazing coffee drinks and incredible pastries.  I was tempted by the spinach scone but resisted.  Lori said they have also had peach-ginger scones as well as Gruyere scones!  On top of it all, they had t-shirts on the wall with sayings like "I Love Queens" and "Jackson Heights" printed on them.  Given the enormous rainbow flag waving outside the shop, the word "queens" takes on such fantastic connotations (not to mention that the day I was hanging out in JH there was also a huge gay pride parade).  Lastly, I took this picture at the accoutrements station (in case it's difficult to see, the sign says "visualize queens"):
  
  
  
  
  
• Still working on the possible collaboration with Edible Queens.  I'll keep you updated.
  
  
• Starting culinary school at ICE tomorrow.  Feeling panicky.  And sleep-deprived.  Here is a picture of my ensemble:
  
  
  
  Those of you who know me will know that I immediately cracked a smile once this photo was taken.  And I really do love my knife that much - my Favorite Kitchen Item.  The 10-inch Wide Wusthof chef's knife, in case you're wondering.  As evidence of my true self, I offer this:
  
  
  
• Thinking about those two School Library Journal  reviews that are a week late...
  
  
• Recovering from a dinner party last Thursday night (fish tacos with lime-cilantro crema*), another one on Saturday night (crostini with various locally-produced toppings - one of which was the pea shoot pesto), and then one more dinner party last night (grilled asparagus and grilled lettuce from JH farmers' market; grilled corn and fantastic bread from Food Cellar  in Long Island City; strawberries marinated in balsamic for dessert).  And it's not over: we have guests - Amy , Lisa , and their daughter Ella - arriving on Thursday.  But they are the Best Houseguests Ever so I'm not sweating it too much.
  
  
• Looking forward to trying the new restaurant, Aged, in Forest Hills with Jenn (of Reading Rants...whose blog I'm having difficulty linking to right now).  It's clearly off to a rocky start, but I'm willing to dive in.  We'll see...

So I think that's everything...yeah.  I think so.  Maybe.  I'm just completely discombobulated.  Book reviews are coming soon...ish.  Stay tuned!

* Note: I don't use the low-fat versions the recipe calls for.  I'm all about full-fat, thank you.

Close enough to smell her!

Alice Waters, that is.  At Union Square.  This morning.  I stood about five feet from her.  Then she walked by me, passing within about 2 feet of me.  Adam kept whispering, "Say something!  Say something!"  Bug was just confused as to why we were all a-thither.

No, I did not take a picture.  No, I didn't say anything.  Don't bother giving me a hard time about it - Adam already harrassed me within an inch of my life.  I won't regret not saying anything, though.  I was just thrilled to have seen her, not to mention that the market was insane - it was not a good time to stop someone and tell them you believe in their philosophies...you think their ideas about school lunches are right on...you love Chez Panisse...you love her Edible Schoolyard project...you think she's absolutely lovely...you want to invite her over for dinner...

See why I didn't say anything to her?  I'm embarrassing.

Eat, drink, and keep those heroes on a pedestal until they prove otherwise...

Joie de Vivre!

The First Strawberries of the Season!

(taken by my phone)

Kevin, this one's for you...

I have a friend, Kevin, who I met through Adam...and he's all about the food. And the drink. Being Oi-rish and all. For reasons I can't quite guess, he's a regular reader of my blog. But he confessed to Adam that he'll often get halfway through a post and realize that it's about kids' books. And my posts have certainly been kid-lit-heavy lately, as all my foodie photos are locked in my computer right now, held captive by the evil tyrant, Time Warner.

So this foodie blog post is dedicated to my friend-in-food, Kevin. Cheers!

- I finished reading A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg, known to the food blogosphere as Orangette. The recipes are inspiring, though the only one I've tried at this point is Burg's French Toast (read: fried French toast...and it is out-of-this-world). I pretty much agree with the reviews I've read about the book: the passages about her late father are poetic and poignant. I enjoyed her stories of Paris. However, I also agree with the reviews when they mentioned Molly's relationship with her now-husband: the passages about their relationship just got overwhelming and leaned toward the saccharine and cloying. They lacked - at least in the writing - the emotional depth seen elsewhere in the book. Overall, though, an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to making her Butternut Soup with Pear, Cider, and Vanilla Bean! And thanks to Molly for including the recipes from her book on her website - it's great to be able to link to them!

- Listen up, all you New Yorkers! There's a new kid on the block at the Union Square Greenmarket: Grazin' Angus Acres. If you haven't met them yet, do so immediately. They're super nice and helpful: during our first encounter, we asked for a skirt steak. He (unfortunately, we didn't get his name) pulled it out of the cooler but also pulled out a flap steak (which we had never heard of). He gave us a lesson about flap steak, which is actually more complicated than I expected, but here's the bottom line: it is incredibly similar to a skirt or flank steak but costs half the price. Grazin' Angus also has breakfast sausage and hot dogs to swoon over - there are no words, truly.

Lastly, they're eggs are unreal. My friend Josh picked up some meat one morning from GAA. When he opened his bag, the purveyor saw eggs from another stand. He challenged Josh: give me one egg from that dozen, and I'll give you one of our eggs - see which one is better. He marked GAA's egg with an "x". Josh confirmed that Grazin' Angus' egg kicked arse all over its competitor. Adam picked up a dozen last weekend and I've never tasted anything like it.

Don't visit the market without stopping by their booth. This is their first year so we want to make them feel extra welcome so they'll come back forever and ever.

- This article in the NY Times made me long for a hamburger. But I was dismayed by Shake Shack and Rare being so low in the rankings - I always counted them among my faves. On the other hand, I've never had a Peter Luger burger. Must put on to-do list.

- You might have heard about a little thing called the James Beard Foundation Awards...the 2009 winners were recently announced. In particular, I want to congratulate Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page who won in the Reference and Scholarship category for The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs (Little, Brown). I haven't reviewed Flavor Bible here (though I own it), but I did review What to Drink with What You Eat - both books are culinary library essentials. Karen and Andrew were the first people I met "in the industry," and they were both incredibly generous and authentic. So congratulations to them both - their success is well-deserved!

Eat, drink, and cheers to Kevin!

My Last 12 Hours in NYC

Adam over at Amateur Gourmet started this: what would you do in your last 12 hours of whatever city you’re living in?  In his case, he posted about his last 12 hours in NYC if he had to leave it and never come back.  Clotilde posted about her last 12 hours in Paris.  While the very idea of leaving NYC and never coming back fills me with sadness, I still think this is a fun way to appreciate the place you live.  So here are my last 12 hours in NYC:

9:00 a.m. Coffee and a lemon poppy seed muffin at Guy & Gallard, the one on Lexington and 34^th.  It’s certainly not the best place in the city by any means, but it has enormous sentimental value for me – Adam and I went there on our very first trip to NYC and believed it to be quintessentially New York.  Now I understand that isn’t necessarily the case…but still…

10:00 a.m.  Because in my version I have an endless capacity to eat and enjoy, I would head over to Chelsea Market and grab an Americano at Ninth Street…now that is real coffee.  Then I’ll take my coffee into 202 for breakfast (where the wait staff always makes you pour it into one of their coffee cups so you’re not advertising someone else’s coffee in their restaurant).  I’ll order their French toast with bacon and syrup…some of the best I’ve had.  I’ll spend some time after breakfast browsing the ridiculously beautiful, expensive clothes.  Before I leave that neighborhood, I’ll stock up on some cupcakes at Billy’s Bakery to have with my lunch.

11:30 a.m.  After walking all the way down to the NYU area, I’ll be prepared to try on some clothes.  My last 12 hours would not be complete (for me, anyway) without a stop to Purdy Girl, one of my favorite clothing boutiques in the city.  While in that neighborhood, I’ll collect the fixings for a picnic lunch: a stop at Murray’s Cheese and Amy’s Bread.  Some olive oil at O & Co.  I’ll bypass Magnolia (you would be wise to do so as well) since I stocked up on Billy’s earlier (the only cupcakes worth having).  I don’t have a favorite wine shop in that part of the city so I’ll just pop into any old place and get a pinot noir (of course!) to have with lunch.

1:00 p.m.  Picnic in Central Park, one of my favorite things to do ever, in any city.  I like to position myself near a walking path so I can people-watch while I nibble and sip.  And lots of the musicians set up near the paths – last time I picnicked in the Park, there was a young woman playing the violin beautifully while we dined.  There really isn’t anything more perfect in the world, I think.

3:00 p.m.  Strolling through the park until dinner.  Bethesda Fountain, the Mall, Sheep’s Meadow.  I’d walk and enjoy all my favorite places.

4:00 p.m. Before dinner I’d head to Ginger Man, my favorite place in the city to have a beer (or two).  I’d have the Franziskaner Hefe, like I always do, along with their stellar soft pretzel accompanied with spicy honey mustard. 

5:00 p.m. Four hours left!  This is a tough one: do I pick a restaurant I’ve been dying to go to but have never been?  Or a tried-and-true?  I think I’d have to go to either Union Square Café or Gramercy Tavern – I’ve never been to either, and I don’t know if I could feel complete leaving the city without at least eating at one of them.  So I think I’d pick Union Square Café because Ina Garten says in one of her cookbooks that it’s her favorite restaurant in the city…and we all know she has impeccable taste.

8:00 p.m. Post-dinner drinks at The Campbell Apartment.  Naturally, I’d walk through Grand Central to get there, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.  I’d have their Prohibition Punch – it’s wicked….and so delicious.

9:00 p.m. I’d leave the city via the ferry so that I could get one last look at one of, if not the, most famous skylines in the world.  And oh, how I would cry!

Eat, drink, and love where you live

Note: I picked up the picture from Google images (www.nyctrip.com, according to Google)

The $300 Challenge

So I mentioned earlier that we're on a budget.  Big Time.  I shared that we normallly spend (about) $500-600 a month on food, including beer and wine.  That's an estimate...we've never had a budget in 11 years of marriage.

So I've taken a challenge to get our food down to $300 a month.  Beer and wine isn't included in that, as Adam and I agree that we were treating both as nearly disposable.  Now Adam and I buy beer and wine out of our "personal" account.

So here' s the weekend food shopping total:

Union Square market: $46

Natural Foods: $62

Cheeses of the World (some of the nicest purveyors in the city): $26

Minus $17 for the Dogfish Head beer we bought at Natural Foods...  Bringing our weekend shopping to $117 total.  According to my calculations, this should get us EIGHT meals.  EIGHT!  Here's how it'll play out:

Last night: Shrimp with corn and tomato salad, bread with olive oil and balsamic

Tonight: Plums with prosciutto, goat cheese, baby arugula, and champagne vinegar

Monday: Nachos (I had a can of black beans and a bag of tortilla chips begging to be used...)

Tuesday: Soft-boiled eggs with Artichoke Bread Fingers (courtesy of Chocolate & Zucchini)

Wednesday: Grilled Cheese (Kiddo loves grilled cheese made with smoked mozzarella) with Thick-Sliced Onions (the onion recipe is courtesy of Mario Batali)

Thursday: North American salad (I don't have to buy a single ingredient for this - it's made from food I already have on hand.  Thanks to Nigella Lawson's Feast!)

Friday: Naan paninis - I "discovered" some incredibly fresh naan at Whole Foods.  They tasted great used as a pizza crust, but I thought I'd try them as panini bread in place of the thicker, breadier foccacia.  I'm using some salad greens, leftover prosciutto from tonight's meal, and some Taleggio I bought at Cheeses of the World.

Saturday: Pasta (Adam found some fresh at the Union Square Market) with roasted garlic and scallions - this is something I've totally made up.  Never made it before.  We'll see how it goes...

So, I don't know...I still think that's going to get me over $300.  And other than Kiddo's lunch food and cereal in the morning, we don't spend anything on breakfast or lunch on the weekdays...Adam gets free breakfast and lunch at Google (don't even get me started...) and I have a bagel for breakfast (which I buy from my personal account) and I always eat leftovers for lunch.

Eat, drink, and figure out where else to cut without sacrificing quality...

Being sick can be a good thing! Really! I'm serious!

So I've been a sick dog the past couple of days. There are few things I hate more in this life than being sick. I feel helpless, I can't get all the things done I want to, and I have to depend on other people to do things for me. Grrrr...

However, two wonderful things happened to me during my illness. First, I still had to go to my Food Studies class since I couldn't very well miss the first lecture! I had to get my NYU ID card beforehand (I'm official now!) and ended up in the Union Square area. Passing by Heartland Brewery, I saw a beacon, if you will, of the change in seasons: a banner advertising their Smiling Pumpkin Ale. I immediately went inside. I ordered an ale...and resisted ordering a second since I was going to class, after all. I have been savoring this first seasonal pint of Smiling Pumpkin Ale for three years now, and I was going to do it again this year...running nose be damned!

The second wonderful thing? I stayed home from work again yesterday, but I still had to take Kiddo to the bus stop. Rather than go upstairs and crawl back into bed, I had to walk to the newsstand to get the New York Times (Wednesday is Dining Section Day - read the flour article!). I glimpsed the Starbucks across the street and wondered... Could they? Would they? So I took a peek inside...and sure enough, Pumpkin Spice Latte up on the board!!! But that wasn't even the coolest part! The barista was as geeked up about it as I was!!! That doesn't happen very often, particularly in NYC. But he and I got into a real conversation about how much we love that Pumpkin Spice Latte has become the heralding of a new season. The nutmeg, the cinnamon, the whipped cream... Heck, even having a hot drink is a celebration!* I scuffled back home, cradling my latte and enjoying the quiet city streets, taking pleasure in something so small. Sometimes paying $5 for a small coffee seems like a bargain for the joy you get in return...**

It's these moments that I savor and even make me forget that I'm sick. Besides, if I hadn't been sick, I wouldn't have stayed home from work. In which case, I wouldn't have been able to go to class early on Tuesday and had time for the pumpkin ale. In which case, I wouldn't have had time to walk the streets and savor my pumpkin latte. Sometimes being sick is a sign that you need to slow down, take care of yourself, rest, and take stock of some things. I can't look at being sick as a bad thing for me right now - it allowed me to watch the nearly-overnight change in the seasons in New York City.

Eat, drink, and welcome autumn!


* For god's sake, please don't ever try the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. It's disgusting. And just wrong. Or at the very least, if you do like it, don't tell me about it. I don't want to know.

** It must be said that I'm not going to start having $5 coffee drinks every day. I can't afford it. And it cease to be a special treat anymore. I'll probably only have 2-3 more the rest of the year.

'Tis the season of Union Square!

This is the first chance I've had to blog about this but last weekend was just awash in loveliness. It was the first sunny weekend NYC had seen in ages: 70s and sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky. We got going early - out of the house by 9 - and ate bagels on the subway to Union Square. And you can see the gorgeousness with which we were greeted. Radishes! Rhubarb! Herbs!Walnut cranberry bread! And what about those peppers, you say? Well, Adam took that photo alone...I have no idea where the kiddo and I were. We get home and I'm looking through the photos and I see the pepper one. I say, "There were peppers?!" Adam grins, "Yeah, cool picture, huh?" I say, "And you didn't buy any??????" At that moment, Adam realizes his grave mistake. Alas! The peppers that could not be Mine. But that is the joy of spring and summer - so many more opportunities to come!


And to finish this post, I'm going to break my own unwritten rule: don't post pictures of you and/or your family. Mostly because I'd like to keep my blog somewhat professional. However, Adam snapped this picky while I was showing Isabell how to smell herbs: rub the leaves gently between your fingers to get the oils going and smell your fingertips. He captured a young foodie in the making!


Oh, and one more food-related tidbit: for the next three Saturdays I'm taking Cooking 101 at the Institute of Culinary Education! More cooking classes! Huzzah!!!!


Eat, drink, and bask in the sun.