Me vs. The Menu

Cookies (what I've learned)

Measure exactly.  Use unsalted butter.  Sift the flour with whatever the recipe calls for.  Whip the sugar and butter for no less than 10 minutes - creamy needs time.  When it all comes together you're only 1/3 of the way there.  You've got to cool the dough for a while; a long, long while.  The colder the better.  When it comes time to cook, use the top rack with another empty pan underneath.  Watch the first batch closely, times vary from batch to batch, but usually not within the same batch.  Enjoy cookies all the time - making them, eating them, and sharing them.

my LOST meal

  +    =

Along with what seems like the entire world, I decided to tune into ABC for tonight's epic LOST series finale.  As a tribute to the show's never ending surprises and twists, I decide to have some salmon steaks made up as I went along...kind of like the storyline (or "arc" for you writer-types).  After a quick trip to the neighborhood grocery, here's what I came home with - salmon steak, cilantro, garlic, scallions, lime, honey, and peanut oil.  Assemble as follows - First, make the sauce by blending 2 cups loose parsley, 3 tablespoons peanut oil, 5 cloves garlic (perhaps too much, but I heart garlic), 2 pinches of salt, 1 tablespoon honey, and a little water until it has a consistency to your liking.  Second, cook the salmon in a cast iron skillet (my favorite).  Bring the skillet up to medium for about a minute, add the oil and raise the temp slightly.  Next, add the seasoned salmon (salt & pepper only) to the skillet and cook on one side for about 4 minutes.  Flip the steak over and add the thinly sliced scallion.  Cook the steak until the scallions are crispy and the salmon is to your liking.  Layer the salmon steak over the crispy scallions and add the cilantro-honey glaze.  It wasn't perfect (that's why there's no pictures) and the exact ingredients, quantities, and procedures might evolve, so I'll keep trying.  If you try it or if you have some suggestions let me hear ya...also, if you have thoughts about the finale, you should probably post them here.

smorgasbord (most...links...ever)

( image taken from living-language.org )

Webster's defines "smorgasbord" like so...

Main Entry: smor·gas·bord
Pronunciation: \ˈsmor-gəs-ˌbord\
Function: noun
Etymology: Swedish smörgåsbord, from smörgås open sandwich + bord table
Date: 1879
1 : a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes)
2 : an often large heterogeneous mixture : mélange

With that in mind, let's catch-up on a few things...

First, I won the yearly Cinco de Mayo guacamole contest at work.  More clear, I tied.  Even more clear, I cheated.  Well, not exactly "cheated" more like "campaigned for votes in a effort to draw attention to my obviously superior recipe in an attempt to garner support."  Is that really cheating?  I thought so too; so I stepped down from the champions' podium and allowed the real winner to bask in office culinary glory.  It was deserved...who would have thought a great guacamole recipe would come out of New Jersey?  Anyhow, here is the guacamole recipe I used.

Second, who doesn't love cast iron cookware?  I know I can't live without mine.  Mostly I use a plain old fashioned 12" skillet by Lodge .  I got mine years ago, but I think it's finally coming into form.  I use it constantly - on the grill (at least when we were in Texas), on the stove top, and in the oven.  The best part - it's super easy to clean.  Just don't use soap.  Warm water, scrub it down, and pop it in a warm oven for fifteen minutes to dry.  Finally, a lite coat of olive oil keeps it ready for the next use.  Now, I know these have become increasingly popular and there are a variety of options out there, but I've got my eye on this one by Fjorn.  By the way, check out Fjorn's philosophy against "throwawayism."

Third, several months ago I came across a recipe for Momofuku Milk Bar's compost cookies.  This unusual recipe features a foundation of crushed potato chips and pretzels. Throw in a good mix of whatever you deemed best in cookies and you have a fantastic treat.  They were devoured at both the wife's office and mine as well in minutes.  About David Chang - he opened his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village in 2003.  According to his website, momofuku means 'lucky peach' in Japanese; it could also be a reference to Momofuku Ando the inventor of instant noodles.  In the years that followed, Chang opened Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Momofuku Ko (a 12 seat restaurant that takes reservations in advance, online only, on a first-come-first-served basis, without regard to social status or income.  I'm still gaming to get into this one), Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar, and recently the French-Vietnamese inspired Má Pêche inside Midtown’s Chambers Hotel.  As a cookie recipe with chips would seem to suggest, Chang has a penchant for recipes with odd ingredients.  If that sort of thing interests you, there is a cookbook available and this interesting blog which features the recipes geared for two.

Fourth, I've been on a Breaking Bad marathon recently.  If you haven't seen this show and you love really tense, engaging, uncomfortable, character-loving-then-character-hating dramas check it out.  iTunes - get it.

Finally, and so I can give you more links than anytime before, here are a few recipes I have lined up in the queue:

Lemon-Scented Pull-apart Loaf

Brussels Sprout and Pancetta Pizza

Chocolate Bourbon Truffle-Turtle Tart

Baked Falafel

Flaky Cheddar and Ham Biscuits

Raspberry Buckle

Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp

Orange Chicken

Sopa de Lima

Food Art is Food Fun!

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and we're having the annual guacamole contest at my work.  Hopefully I'll do better this year, than I did  last year.  Either way, I'll report in after tomorrow with the recipe for my submission - until then it's a super secret.  Not that big of a deal, not like Food Art - check it out.

Quick Question

Do you prefer sea salt, kosher salt, or table salt?

Lest we think these are the only choices, there are apparently loads more available.  Then there are those arguments about the health benefits of one over the other; or maybe not.  And if that's enough to inform your choice, there's even a book about the History of Salt.

Me, I use sea salt on prepared foods, table salt in recipes, and kosher salt where specifically called out.  I use pickling salt when I'm in a quandary.

I'm back!

It's true, it's true, it's true - after the long break for various reasons, I have finally returned.  Make no mistake, I have missed it.  I just haven't been blogging.  That's all going to change now that I have put other distractions behind me (or maybe just beside me).  Why should you believe me?  Well, I have a new goal - the International Food Blogger Conference.  Yes, there really is one of those, in fact there's two...check out the Food Blogger Connect.  And I really want to go; Maybe not this year; I need to post a little more regular first (need fiber so to speak).

Anyway, I'm headed back to an old favorite tonight, Craft Bar, and I'm going to check out a new place (for me at least) this weekend, Hecho en Dumbo.

Well, see you next time?

Whirlwind Weekend

Here's a quick summary of my weekend:

Friday Night - homemade mojitos with homegrown mint.  Out by 9:30 (it was a LONG week).

Saturday - rode my bike from Queens to Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge and then back to Queens.  Before I left I had a filling breakfast of migas made with chives from the window garden.  The same chives made some GREAT cheese fries earlier in the week.

Saturday Night - enjoyed a great birthday party for a friend at Sea Thai in the Meatpacking District.  Followed up the great food at an even better price with a walk up and down the High Line.

Sunday - after enjoying migas leftovers, I went to play soccer for a couple of hours, came home for grocery shopping and decided to bake a cake.  In between baking and icing the cake, I cleared out the cupboards - spices only last so long you know.  Lunch was a insalata caprese with some more home grown goodness - basil.

Sunday Night - the wife had a great idea to make pork chops with new potatoes.  We could have used some of the rosemary we have growing on the fire escape, but instead we just bought some fresh stuff from the store.  Capped off the weekend with a slice of the cake made earlier. Finally, watched a movie.

That's about it...

FYI - Look Left

I thought about creating a blog about "places I want to eat" but instead I just created the two lists to the left.  For now the links in both RECENT VISITS and FUTURE VISITS lead to a webpage for each establishment.  One day, or as I go forward, I will link to my posts about the particular adventures in the RECENT VISITS.  Both columns are set to default to the 15 most recent entries.  If you have any suggestions of places to check out, please forward them along to the Me vs. the Menu review board or post them in the comments section for all.

That's it - tonight is a short entry, I'm tuckered.

Fa la la la la, la la la lafel!

One of the best things about moving to New York is the opportunity to try all types of food I've never had before, much less even heard of.  One of the things I had never experienced before moving was falafels.  Well, now I'm head over forks for them - between my many visits to Crisp, and my vegetarian experiment, I can't get enough of them.  I've even got a famous street vendor near my place in Queens ( King of Falafel ) and a co-worker highly recommends ( Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant ).

  

(tonight's dinner - falafels with feta cheese, pita, and store
bought tzatziki.  Don't fear the store bought stuff - saves
time and money.)

Here's an easy recipe:

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
·  one 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
·  one medium onion, finely chopped
·  one tablespoon minced garlic
·  two tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
·  one teaspoon coriander
·  three-quarters teaspoon cumin
·  one-half teaspoon salt
·  two tablespoons flour
·  oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

Preparation:  Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl.  Add flour and combine well.  Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together.  You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.   Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball.  Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 minutes).

Grill Fixins

In a previous post of ten or so links, I gave one for a folding grill.  After uploading the post, I went and ordered one of the grills.  Turns out they were sold out.  So in case you were inspired by the link as I was, and wanted to get yourself one, as I did; here is a couple of links to alternative locations to purchase the grill, and one alternative grill (I think I might actually get instead):

Folding Notebook Style Grill -

A+R Store - $48 + shipping for matte black finish

A+R Store - $68 + shipping for stainless steel finish

Amazon - $48 + free prime shipping for matte black finish

For the British Audience (or the slightly more cultured) - 24 Euros + shipping for matte black finish

Here's the one I think I'm going to get now...Bayou Classic Fold and Go Portable Grill.  I just love the name and it comes with a super-sharp carrying bag (not to mention a larger grilling surface) for $37 + free prime shipping.  Cheaper, bigger surface, and 14 lbs compared to 8 lbs of the notebook style.  I'll let someone else convert the pounds to stones for the more cultured folks, but I will recommend these fantastic folding grill-tensiles.