This little piggy became a sandwich

The only block in the East Village that was featured in Time Out New York's best of New York City, was 7th street between 1st and ave A. However true, the focus seemed to be on full course, sit-down dining. Yet there are also a few quick (and wallet friendly) bites you'd be a fool not to try...
I love Caracas, an Arepa Bar that always has a line out the door. My favorite is La del Gato. It starts with the arepa, a delicate corn cake-like pocket that is crispy, soft, chewy, and gritty all at once. Then they fill it with guayanés cheese, which has the texture of mozarella with a more tart flavor, then fried sweet plantains, and avocado slices. Ah! Heaven. It's an explosion of Latin flavors and delicate textures.Yes. It is as good as it looks. There is also a new seafood place next door to Caracas, but I haven't tried it yet. Lunch tomorrow? On down the block, across from the Bourgeois Pig (which has half price bottles of wine on Monday and Tuesday) and one of my favorite Village vintage stores, is Porchetta, http://www.porchettanyc.com. They have all of 10 items on the entire menu. I tried the sandwich. Now I'm from North Carolina, where they know a thing or two about cooking a pig. But I have to say, I have NEVER had anything like this. The meat is sweet and juicy, rubbed to perfection, and accented by the crunchy bits of pork skin that are tucked away inside. I tried to only eat half of it, but let's be honest...I'm lucky I didn't run back for another one. It was truly incredible.
Back across the street to Butter Lane (http://www.butterlane.com). Now I know Magnolia has the run of the cupcake business, but Butter Lane has many more flavors of cake and frosting (and they taste better). They use farm fresh ingredients, rich cocoa, and real vanilla beans, and they serve Seattle's own Stumptown Coffee. Try a Banana cupcake with peanut butter frosting, or one of they're seasonal varieties, I had chocolate with mint-chocolate frosting. Hey, you know I love Chocolate.
And on top of all that, on the corner is 7A a 24-hour diner that serves good food at any hour, and I have been there at most of them. These places may not be at the top of the gastro pyramid, but maybe they should have included this part of the block. I guess the moral of this story is that 7th street is full of choice places to satisfy your appetite, and I'm lucky enough to live on 8th!

Time for Pie

Whatever your flavor, you're going to like one of these pies...



I stopped by Momofuku Milk Bar (http://www.momofuku.com/milkbar/) the other day and bought three of the best cookies I have ever eaten. Go now. I was inspired by everything that I saw, and more than that wanted to eat everything that I saw. They had something called Crack Pie, and my cookies ingredients were things like pretzels, potato chips, and coffee grinds. My head began racing with new ideas for pie.
I was reading Time Out New York and they mentioned donating pies for Thanksgiving, and I decided that that was the perfect way for me to spread some holiday cheer. I have to be honest, I made four different pies in a two day period and didn't make the crust on all of them, but sometimes a store bought crust is necessary. And with a great filling, no one will notice ;)
I decided to stick with traditional apple and pumpkin pies to donate to the Bowery Mission, which is in my neighborhood. For the pumpkin pie, I combined 1 can of pumpkin with 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1tsp vanilla. Mix well and pour into a nine inch pie shell (that you have poked with a fork or knife). Bake at 375 for about 45-50 minutes. *make sure you put a pan under the pie to catch overflow* I set a fire in my oven.
The apple pie was made by reducing apple cider until it became a rich syrup and combining it with sliced apples. I added a sprinkle of cinnamon and a little fresh nutmeg, along with a couple tablespoons of brown sugar. Added that to a pie crust and topped with a crumble topping made of 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup oats, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Bake this pie at 375 for about 45-50 minutes.
I made a second apple pie the same way as above, but I also added 1/3 cup chopped candied ginger to the mixture, along with 1/2 tsp vanilla. However, I made this crust. I bought some decadent Pure Irish Butter, cubed 1/4 cup of it and 1/4 cup cream cheese, and cut it into 2 cups of flour, 1tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, along with as many Tablespoons of cold water it takes to wet the dough. Divide in half, wrap in plastic and chill for 10 minutes. Roll the dough out into a circle and lay inside a greased pie plate, cut slits along the bottom to keep from bubbling up. Fill with the apple mixture and cover with the other rolled crust. I cut a fun turkey in the top of mine. Get creative with different shapes of cookie cutters.
The last pie is the most involved, but my favorite. A real Momofuku inspiration, Peanut Butter Cracker Pie. This pie comes from my favorite childhood snack, peanut butter crackers. My mom used to whip up a plate of saltines slathered in JIF; I used saltines to make the crust, and an all natural peanut butter whipped together with fresh cream and topped with a fresh-made concord grape jelly. This is going to be a new favorite of yours, I'm sure. If you have a peanut allergy, use almond butter, or sunflower seed butter.
Pre-heat the oven to 350. Start by taking one sleeve of saltine crackers and crush them. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and stir. Melt half a stick of butter and stir over the crackers. Press into a pie plate and bake until golden, about 10 min. While that's going, take 4oz cream cheese, and 8 oz peanut butter (however crunchy or smooth you like it) and cream them together. Then add 2/3 cup sugar and combine. Whip a pint of cream to stiff peaks and fold in about a teaspoon of vanilla. Then fold the cream into the peanut butter. Pour this into the golden crust and stick it in the freezer.
Where's the complication? you ask. Here. Home made concord grape jelly! well not real jelly, but something close. For this you will need to put about 2 1/2 cups of concord grapes into a small saucepan. Add only about a tbsp of water and cook them over med-low heat until they turn a bright color and start to break down. Stir occasionally and smash the grapes to dislodge the seeds. After they are bright and smell nice and grape-y, you will need to push them through a wire strainer to remove the seeds and skins. Then return to the saucepan and add 1/ cup of sugar and if you have it, a little orange zest. The jelly will thicken once you've added the sugar, but it shouldn't be too thick. More like a sauce. Let it stand at room temp for 10 or 15 minutes, then spread over the top of the pie. Let stand over night in the freezer. (for this moment i like to make a smaller personal pie, so that i don't have to wait all night to eat it!)
You should take the pie out of the freezer about 20 minutes before serving it, it becomes like a frozen mousse. And just take a look, i don't have to tell you how good this is going to be...

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The Holidays are my favorite time of year, solely for the sparkling decorative lights, and the food. Every year Trader Joe's comes out with a slew of Holiday goodies. Pumpkin butter, which you guys already know I love, cookies, egg nog, breads. Ah! the flavors. My favorite thing they offer, by far, are the Candy Cane Joe Joe's.
Joe Joe's are TJ's version of Oreo cookies. Not organic, or particularly healthy, per se, but they are made of all natural ingredients with no preservatives or artificial flavors. And man are they delectable. The regular vanilla ones have vanilla cream with real bean specks! The middle is so creamy and the wafers are right on par with traditional Oreo's. These are the only ones that I have ever found that rival the original, and may even surpass them due to the natural aspect.
Beginning in November they release the Candy Cane Joe Joe's. These are like the original, but mixed into the creme are bits of real candy canes. They are chocolaty, minty, and refreshing. I love to crumble them on top of vanilla ice cream, or in yogurt if I want to save some calories. I suggest you go buy a box, or two. You're going to love them.

Here's another blog I found that has a recipe to make your own. I'm definitely going to try this one! http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/03/02/say-it-aint-so-joes/

Burgers, Shakes, Cider & Doughnuts

Last week my friend Keren and I went to my favorite burger spot, The Shake Shack (http://shakeshacknyc.com). It's a cute stand in Madison Square Park on 23rd street in Manhattan. Right by the landmark Flatiron Building. It's a beautiful park, with seasonal art installments and performances. I like going to the Shake Shack in the winter, because the line is never as long. And they have heaters out so that you don't get too cold while you're waiting for them to freshly cook your burger and fries. And yes you have to get both.
My favorite is the Shack Burger that is topped with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, and there shack sauce (which I think is thousand island). The burger is always perfectly cooked, and the tender bun is toasted. The burger is the perfect size, and the fries are crinkle-cut and crispy. Another great thing is that the shack is powered by wind energy, and relatively inexpensive. The Shack Burger with fries is $7.50.
They also have a vegetarian option, a Portabello mushroom , stuffed with munster and cheddar cheeses and fried. It's incredible. And if you're feeling particularly gluttonous, you can get that on top of a burger. That's called the shack stack.
They offer hotdogs also, and have a rotating daily frozen custard menu. Some of the flavors this month are Pumpkin, poached Pear, and Apple Cider.
Oh! And this time of year they are offering hot chocolate with fresh marshmallow, and hot apple cider with doughnut holes from my FAVORITE doughnut place, The Doughnut Plant (http://doughnutplant.com) and I'm from North Carolina, the land of Krispy Kreme. And keren and I shared a Pumpkin-Pie-Oh-My! (custard blended with Pumpkin Pie and topped with whipped cream). Now I didn't say this was a healthy lunch place, but man is it delicious.
Next time there's a somewhat warm, sunny winter day, take a trip to the shake shack. I promise you won't be disappointed.

With these you'll always be invited back

So I know that Thanksgiving was last week, but I'm still going to list these recipes, because they can easily be carried over to Christmas.
I didn't prepare the Turkey this year, so I opted to take a few side dishes to my friend Chris's. As always, I went to the Green Market to find something to prepare. I knew that I wanted to make an apple pie, cornbread and cranberry sauce, but my vegetable remained to be determined. I work right by the market now, which is fantastic because I can stop by as they're packing up and get even better deals. I picked up a bag of Broccoli for $2.00 and decided that I would make a Broccoli casserole. I also bought some fresh cranberries, coarse corn meal, and a 3 lb bag of apples for $1.00, also one bunch of Rosemary. All of my fresh ingredients for less than ten bucks! You really can't beat that.
I have some Gruyere in the fridge, and pick up a block of cheddar, bread crumbs, and some button mushrooms.

For the Broccoli casserole: I start by blanching the broccoli. Then I chop one medium yellow onion and saute it in 2 T of butter until translucent. I add the sliced mushrooms and continue to cook over medium-low heat until they soften and start to brown. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the onion and mushrooms are caramelized and golden. Turn heat up to med high and add 2T butter. Add 2 T flour and stir continuously until it has been entirely combined with the butter. Add one cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Turn heat back down to low and add a little fresh ground nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. When sauce has thickened, add 2T cream cheese and stir until combined. Add the broccoli and about 3/4 to 1 cup mixture of the Gruyere and Cheddar. Stir mixture together until the cheese has melted and all broccoli is coated. Pour into a greased ceramic pan and top with more cheese and some breadcrumbs. Sprinkle a little Parmesan on there if you have it too, or those crunchy onions if you like them. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min, until bubbly and golden. If you're taking them to someone's house, prepare it up the the last step and wrap with tin foil, so you can bake it when you get there.


For the Cranberry Sauce: Put 1lb fresh cranberries (rinsed) into a small saucepan, and pour 2/3 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup cherry juice over them. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the cranberries have popped open. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and one small grated apple and stir. Remove from heat and add the zest of half of a lemon. Leave at room temperature to cool.

For the Cornbread: Combine 1 and 1/2 cup coarse ground cornmeal with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup sugar, 3 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt . In a smaller bowl, combine 1 egg with 1/4 cup oil (I like grape seed or coconut) and whisk together, then add 1 cup whole milk or half & half , 2 T orange marmalade, and 2 T melted butter. Pour wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add one cup frozen sweet corn and stir. Pour mixture into a greased and pre-heated iron skillet. Sprinkle with sea salt and chopped Rosemary and bake at 400 until golden.I love to top the fresh cranberry sauce onto the warm cornbread. The tart flavor of the cranberry nicely compliments the fresh, piny taste of the rosemary. And the broccoli casserole takes broccoli wih cheese sauce to a whole other level. It is unreal. And you can substitute cauliflower, green beans, greens, even pearl onions. Whatever you have or love. I basically just created a home-made cream of mushroom base. These are three staple recipes that are so quick and easy you can whip them up that morning. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Countdown

It's Monday of Thanksgiving week, so it's time to plan the menu and go shopping. I'm going to give you a shopping list of my Thanksgiving musts, and then follow up with some recipes over the next couple of days. Today is the day to get your Turkey, especially if it's frozen. Here is a sample menu of things that I have at my house.

Brined, Roasted Turkey with root vegetables
Brussells Sprouts with Panchetta and shaved Parmesan
Fresh Cranberry/Apple sauce
Caremelized Leek Stuffing
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Rosemary Cornbread
Apple Pie with Ginger crust

You will need:
a Turkey (1 1/2 pounds per person)
coarse sea salt
brown sugar
unsalted butter
1 qt. half and half
1 dozen eggs
stone ground cornmeal
Parmesan cheese
pancetta
brussells sprouts
regular and sweet potatoes (about 3 pound of each)
other veggies to roast around the bird (broccoli, carrots, turnips, etc)
stuffing mix
garlic
onions
flour
walnuts or pecans
fresh rosemary, sage, thyme
fresh cranberries
a 3 lb bag of apples
candied ginger
lemons and an orange

Check back tomorrow for some recipes from the above menu, and good luck with the crowds!

Beefy, Beany, Barley Stew

I know i haven't posted in a week....But that doesn't mean that i haven't been cooking. I wanted to use the left over stock that i had from the French Onion soup I made. I also realized that I haven't put many recipes up that contain any meat, so I decided to make beef stew. It's a staple from my childhood, and a great dish to have this time of year. It's really great to clean out your fridge with a stew, so you don't have to stick with the exact recipe. Use what you have, and what you like. You can also use this as a guide for a day after after Thanksgiving meal. My secret ingredient is cherry juice, which really gives this dish some interesting depth and flavor. And along with some red kale, it gives it a very nice color. While my stew is cooking I'm going to watch The Proposal, and have a cup of delicious tea from Trader Joe's. My friend Michael gave me this beautiful vintage teapot.

Below I'm going to list what I put into my soup, and feel free to use anything else you'd prefer. Just make sure you don't over cook the Beef before you add the stock, or it will be tough.

Beef Stew: *Beef stew meat *any color onion (i had a red one) *carrots *fennel *potatoes
*kale (or any other green) *dried mushrooms (oyster or shitake) *1/2 bag of 17 Bean and Barley mix (TJ's) soaked overnight *garlic *beef stock *chicken stock *cherry juice *wine *thyme *sage *salt *pepper *water *and of course, butter

Start with a pot on med-high heat, I used a dutch oven, and toss in a half T of butter. Toss in the onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and fennel and cook for about 3 min. Add another half T of butter and toss in the shrooms, carrots, and potatoes. cook for another few minutes. Add some more butter and toss in the beef. Saute until lightly brown. De-glaze the pan with some wine, whatever you like. Then add the kale, stock and juice. You'll want to use about a cup and a half of juice in all. Add the bean mix, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to Med-low and add herbs, a couple T of each if fresh. Then cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Adding water if the stew starts getting to thick.

Now it is a stew , so it should be pretty chunky. And be careful! This smells so good that you're going to want to try it immediately, and I blistered my mouth in a really hot potato. Try this recipe as a guide for any kind of stew you'd like to make. Like I said, use your leftover Turkey, and root veggies for a quick and easy way to use some of your Thanksgiving leftovers. Enjoy!