A Day in Brooklyn (Part 1)

Ever since seeing Anthony Bourdain’s and Andrew Zimmern’s Travel Channel trip to the Red Hook Ball Fields, I’ve been drooling to check out whether the eating’s are really as good as they looked!

So, with an open calendar on Saturday, we decided to take a pilgrimage to Brooklyn, which is a foreign country for me, although it is my “place of birth”.  Our plan included two stops, one in Red Hook, and a second in Williamsburg to check the neighborhoods, and to see whether all the foodie hype is warranted.  This blog is on the Red Hook experience, the Williamsburg portion of the trip will be shared later in the week.

For those outside of the city, getting to Red Hook is likely to require a visit to Google Maps; our trip included a drive over the Whitestone Bridge, heading West on the LIE, and taking the BQE over the Kosciuszko (pronounced kahs-kee-OSS-ko—don’t you love this name) Bridge exiting at Hamilton Avenue in Brooklyn.  Of course, if you live in or around the city, there’s probably an easier way to get there by subway….

Anyway, the ball fields are very close to the highway exit, and we had no trouble finding both the park and a nearby parking spot (free!) We arrived just after noon, hungry for lunch!

Our first observation was that the food area is actually a lot smaller than it looked on the food channel show.  About 10-12 trucks and stalls are spread around the perimeter of one corner of a city block. 

Second, we were both pleased and a bit skeptical that the vendors did not seem busy, and most of the picnic tables that are located in the parks interior adjacent the food area were relatively empty.  So, we headed over for Pupusa’s which are fried Ecuadorian corn cakes filled you’re your choice of meat, cheese, and vegetables. 

The owner said the pork pupusa’s were the way to go—so we had a spicy pork and a pork with cheese pupusa, a deal @ 2 large filled corn cakes for $5.  The pupusa’s are served with a spicy pickled pink cabbage relish, and homemade hot sauce.  We also had fried plantain chips on the side, and a sweet drink called horchato, which is made with rice, morro seeds, and other spices including cinnamon. Although perhaps a bit too sweet, it helped to cut the heat from the delicious spicy pupusa’s!  We also had a delicious fresh watermelon drink from one of the vendors specializing in unique beverages and fresh fruits.

Everything was fantastic, and although we wanted more, we saved room for Mexican food and a seviche.

By this time it was about 12:30, and the lines were starting to build.  Everyone we met on the lines and at the picnic tables were very relaxed, friendly, and excited to taste all the great street foods (including the large group of local firemen)!

We scrambled to get on line for the Mexican food, and ordered 2 tacos, a fried pork and a chorizo.  These were also excellent, made corn tacos, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, onions, jalapeno’s and cheese.  We added the homemade green salsa, and than feasted.  We had a split vote on whether the taco or pupusa was better, but you wouldn’t go wrong with either.

Finally, we headed over to the seviche cart, and had the shrimp seviche. This was my favorite for the day, as the mix of fresh lime juice, red onion, cilantro and shrimp was delicious, and adding in the spicy green hot sauce to the container was the key.  We ate and drank every last drop!

Well sated, we were unable to try to empanadas, the corn on the cob slathered with butter, cayenne, and queso (cheese), but this will be on the itinerary for our next trip.  Do keep in mind that you definitely want to be here no later than noon, because if you are there after 12:30, plan for some serious lines!  And, if you’re taking pictures, make sure to snap them before you get too excited so that you don’t end up with several photos with half eaten plates of food!

Before leaving the neighborhood, we did stop at nearby Sixpoint Craft Beer Brewery hoping to purchase some of this highly rated beer, but as they only sell by the keg—this wasn’t in the cards.  We did stop at the cool bar next door, Rocky Sullivan’s and have a pint of the pale ale (excellent) and were on our way. 

BTW- if you need, IKEA and a Fairway market are right in the area.  And we did see a sign for Steve’s Key Lime Pie’s which are supposed to be the best in the city, but as we were headed to Williamsburg and forgot to bring the cooler, this will need to be part of our next visit. 

Best Thai: Sripraphai

The availability of thai food in the NYC area has exploded over the past few years— and overall, this is a very nice development.  Once concern is that this proliferation may also be linked to a broader move towards “Asian Fusion” restaurants, which strike me as a homogenized, Americanized version of the unique flavors from each country and area.  This trend ultimately drives a loss of the specialness of different cuisines, and increased prices for less authentic food.  When you observe the proliferation of asian chain restaurants like the Kona Grill (to pick on a chain that is really not too bad), you worry that we are headed down a path of no return.

Fortunately, there are areas in and around major cities where the unique food cultures are still preserved.  In the NYC vicinity, areas like Flushing, Jackson Heights, and Astoria still offer very authentic cuisines of each culture.

Last night, after picking up my wife at LGA, we headed to our favorite thai restaurant, Sripraphai, http://www.sripraphairestaurant.com/, in Woodside Queens (note: a new Sripraphai has recently opened in Williston Park, LI).

We started with the terrific crispy thai watercress salad with seafood and chicken.  This amazing salad has a terrific combination of seafood and shrimp cooked and marinated in a sauce which contains cilantro, fish sauce, and lime juice, coupled with the lightly fried watercress.  Delicious!

After wolfing down a few curry puffs, and having the tom yum shrimp soup (shrimp with thai hot and sour soup), we moved on the several excellent main courses:

• Sauteed crispy pork with chili, garlic and thai basil
• Green curry with chicken
• Shrimp with drunken noodles S

All the dishes were well spiced, but Sripraphia will spice to your liking, so don’t be scared.  And, accompanied with some delicious brown and coconut rice, and some thai iced tea with tapioca balls…  it was a terrific way to celebrate my wife’s return, and my return from a nasty two week virus.

Of course, the fact that we have a few leftovers is not a bad thing..  of course, they’ll be gone by the end of the day!

Fluffy Matzoh Balls

Well too much time on the beach has driven a strange reaction from my body (got a flu—no not the Mexican Swine Flu # ah1 n1—who thinks of these names anyway—we should go with the hurricane name approach!  So, just call this one Porky!)

While sick, I haven’t had the appetite to enjoy too much food, but decided to follow-on from a 2^nd consecutive year of great Passover matzoh ball soup, to take advantage of the inevitable leftover matzoh meal.

Historically, I’ve been matzoh ball challenged, producing dense golf balls that were nearly impossible to eat… However, over the past couple of years—I discovered the secret… Seltzer!

That’s right, just a half cup of Seltzer, and a half day or more of leaving the batter covered in the refrigerator, makes all the difference.  So here’s the recipe:

Fluffy Matzoh Balls

Ingredients

4       Eggs, beaten

.25    Cups oil 

1        Tsp salt 

.5       Cups Seltzer

          Pepper to taste 

1        Cup Matzoh meal

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  After ingredients are well mixed, add in matzoh meal and mix again till stiff. (note: you can also add in a bit of chopped scallions, garlic, parsley if you like.)

Put in refrigerator, covered, for 3 or more hours—or the day before. 

Boil a large pot of water. 

Remove matzoh batter from the fridge, and mold into balls (note they will expand to at least 2 to 3X original size), and place balls into boiling water. (you can either use your hands—gets a bit messy, or if you’re not overly worried about shape—just use a soup spoon.)

Partially cover the pot after it’s filled with the balls, letting them cook for about 30 minutes, then remove from the pot!

Depending on how big you make them, this recipe should yield about 20+ balls.

They are now ready to place into your favorite chicken or vegetable broth, or any soup you enjoy!  Or, they’ll stay fine refrigerated for a few days… use when you like!

Finding Fish

Well, last day out in P-Town, back to work tomorrow.

It’s been a relaxing few days, and while the weather hasn’t been great, we’ve managed to take some walks on the beach with the labs, bike ride along the dunes, see the whales spout, watch a few movies, do a bit of shopping …and of course eat some excellent fish.

Surprisingly, however, finding fresh fish has a bit of a challenge.

I mean, finding restaurants to sample the chowda, a lobsta and oysta roll, the fisherman’s platter —no problem, but to actually buy locally fresh fish that can be quickly and simply prepared, well that’s an entirely different matter.

We started down this path on Monday afternoon, as the storm had moved in, and after an excellent lunch at the Bookstore Restaurant in Wellfleet, http://www.wellfleetoyster.com/, overlooking the oyster beds and the Wellfleet Harbor. (The chowder was arguably the best we ate on the Cape, and the fresh oysters and the Oyster Roll were delicious). We were tired, had rented Slumdog Millionaire (fantastic movie if you haven’t seen it), and were looking forward to a light dinner with a salad and fresh fish.

We stopped at the Catch of the Day Fish Market in Wellfleet (closed), and the Truro Fish Market (also closed). In Provincetown, the local fish market that used to be on the pier has permanently closed (although rumored to re-open in town soon), and every other local market visited (at least 4-5, including a natural foods market …) had no fish. As a last resort, we stopped in at the local Stop and Shop Supermarket, and although they had fish, it was neither local nor fresh!

What a joke! Here you are right on the ocean, near oyster beds, a bountiful ocean of local fish including cod, tuna, scrod, scallops, and lobsters, and no fresh fish!

No fish to be found! We had struck out on our fish quest!

Tuesday’s weather was equally uncooperative, so we decided to head to Harwich to see a movie—17 Again! Sounds like a great concept; of course what Zak learns is that rather than turning back the clock, look to make the most out of your personal relationships, family and friends today. It’s a sweet movie, not much thinking required, but a good rainy day flick.

Of course, before the movie we had a good lunch at Sir Cricket’s in Orleans—the the usual assortment of fried fish, chowder, and the lobster roll. (Yes, the diet does start tomorrow). The lightly battered cod was the best here, and while it was all good, overall Sir Cricket’s probably was 3rd on the places we sampled, with The Lobster Pot #1, and The Bookstore 2nd.

There was, however, an excellent side benefit of lunching at Sir Cricket’s; they have an excellent fish market right next door! We returned after the movie, and bought some fresh cod, scallops, and a homemade salmon cake (although the salmon was not local).

Got back to our beachfront condo, and heated the salmon cakes, baked the lightly seasoned scrod with a bit of salt, pepper, Old Bay Blackening Spice, and a squeeze of lemon, sautéed the scallops in some olive oil, spices, a bit of white wine and lemon, and ate the excellent fish alongside a delicious salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, olives, cucumber, feta cheese, with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

Clearly one of the best meals we ate over the last few days! And, light, healthy, and quick to prepare!

All for now, there could be a stop at Sally’s Apizza in New Haven on the return trip for a white clam and bacon pie, so check in tomorrow.

Chowda on the Cape

It’s a beautiful morning as I sit looking out at the Atlantic.

I’ve already been out with the dogs who had a great walk along the beach, with a leisurely stroll back through town including a stop at the Wired Puppy, http://www.wiredpuppy.com/, for a cup of Joe for me, some biscuits for the two Labs, and to procure a cool baseball hat for a bit of added warmth.

The sun is shining but it’s still only in the early 50’s at best; although all in all a nice day for the Boston Marathon and the Patriot’s Day festivities-- of course, what’s not to enjoy, I mean, go to the tavern, grab a BEAH or two or three… and enjoy the day off!

We’re up in P-Town for a few days of R&R…

Last night we went to the Lobsta (ok- Lobster) Pot, http://www.ptownlobsterpot.com/, for some seafood after the drive up from Stamford. Since we’re off season, didn’t mind heading to a well-known touristy spot, especially one with Award Winning Chowda. We had a great meal.
Started with some excellent Bloody’s that had a good spicy kick, and included a celery stalk, green olive, lemon and lime wedge, and a zesty pepperoncini.

The Chowder was excellent, nice soft bites of clam and potato, tasty cream broth, the real McCoy.

Next came a mixed salad bowl with 4 delicious dressings, including a soy ginger and citrus mustard, and a bread basket with some nice dinner roles, and excellent pumpkin bread.
We passed on the lobster (a bit too tired to fuss), but had an excellent fried fisherman’s platter (clams, mussels, scallops, tuna and cod—all fresh), and then a spicy Thai bouillabaisse with a similar assortment of fish, embedded in a delicious noodle broth with cilantro and fresh chili.

We were too tired for dessert, but the hot brownie sundaes looked excellent.

Plan to take advantage of today’s good weather to do some bike riding, beachcombing and more good eating!

Disappointing Ted’s

We were up around Meriden, CT the other day and thought that this was the perfect opportunity to try Ted’s Restaurant—home of the “steamed cheeseburger”.  I’ve been wanting to go to Ted’s (and Louis Lunch—which is next up) for a while.  Both receive quite a bit of press, and have been serving up their burgers for many years—Ted’s since 1959. 

Ted’s has the look and feel of a small diner, with a large counter, and a few tables both inside and out.  The menu focuses on the steamed burgers, which include the usual free sides (including nicely sautéed onions), and extras like bacon, and extra cheese.

The burgers are prepared in special steamer ovens (which you can also purchase) and then topped with a white cheese that is prepared in a small rectangular tin that is akin to a raclette cooker.  When complete, the cheese is poured onto the burger, and the trimmings are added. 

Ted’s also offers traditional home fried potatoes, with our without the same melted cheese.

The burgers were moist and tasty, although they didn’t quite fill out the entire bun—I’d say a bit less than a quarter pounder.  While quite good, I prefer my burgers grilled or fried—I missed that bit of crunch!  The potatoes were fine—it’s just I kept looking for my eggs and bacon, think that a crispier fry would be a better match.

My wife and dad were equally unimpressed, and Mrs. Bully was unhappy that the bun was not toasted!

Anyway, don’t mean to be overly harsh on Ted’s, I mean the place was cool, the burgers decent, I just wouldn’t go out of my way to make a special trip!

Headed up to the Cape for the next few days for some R&R, so there may be some oyster and clam discussion over the next few days!   

Comfort in Chi-Town!

I was back in Chicago on business last week, but fortunately had some time to combine the trip with some pleasure.

Took a trip with some friends out to Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, http://www.chickenbasket.com/, located on Route 66 in Willowbrook, Illinois. This place was recently visited by Guy Fieri (so how do I get his job) of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Dell Rhea’s opened in its current location in the early 1960’s and has a very distinctive look that combines an institutional décor with a 60’s vibe that includes some retro cool pink lighting.  There are excellent daily drink specials in the cocktail lounge, e.g. 5 for $10 Miller Bucket Nights on Tuesdays, and you can enjoy excellent homemade potato chips while enjoying a drink or two and listening to music of The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jackson Browne and Springsteen.

The reason to go to Dell Rhea’s is the fried chicken, which, depending on whether you order the basket or meal, is accompanied by either fries, mashed potatoes with gravy, or cheese grits.  Both the fried chicken and the mashed were great, although I prefer my fried chicken a bit more crispy.  There’s a salad bar which includes the renowned cole slaw, and chicken soup with dumplings, but it really didn’t do a whole lot for me.  We were full before dessert, so I didn’t get to try the homemade pie, but it is known to be excellent. 

So, if you have a yearning for some Fried Chicken, take a trip on Route 66…

Was able to get some tickets for the Cubs game on Wednesday, and a pilgrimage to Wrigley is always an unmatched pleasure—this is the nations best ballpark (even if the team is not)—but hope springs eternal in this 101^st year since the last Cubs World Series (1908).

Of course, no day at the ballpark is complete without a Chicago dog or two, so headed out to Hot Doug’s, http://www.hotdougs.com/, located at California and Addison.  Hot Doug’s was recently visited by Tony Bourdain, and the dogs here did not disappoint. There is an amazing variety to choose from including sausages made from buffalo, lamb, pork and duck.  I had a Keira Knightly (fire dog) and a Dave Kingman (“zesty Sante-fe style spicy chicken) with the works (spicy mustard, caramelized onions, the neon green relish, a pickle, celery salt, and with added sport peppers).  My mouth is still watering!  And, the fantastic perfectly prepared fresh cut French fries, with a Diet Dr. Brown’s cream soda—ok, you get the picture, a perfect meal as a precursor to a Cubs win!

Did I say Cubs win?  Well at least the sun was shining, we had great seats right next to the bullpen, and the ballpark looked great!  I still have high hopes that the Cubs can take down the curse of the Billy Goat this year!

A Great Pie is Hard to Find!

I haven’t done the research, but my guess is that pizza is America’s most popular food.  I’ve been fortunate to have eaten more than my fair share of slices, and thought I’d take a short at letting you know where to find some great pies!

First, it seems to me that there are really 3 primary types of pizza:

1.      Traditional Thin Crust.

2.      Deep Dish Pizza.

3.      Stuffed Pizza’s.

Traditional think crust pizza is most ubiquitous, with the best pie’s typically best found in the east coast.  Thin crust taste can be impacted by thickness, e.g. a cracker type crust, oven type e.g. coal brick and wood fired ovens, and type of flour, e.g. white or wheat.  Ingredients also vary widely, typically including all meats and vegetables, with most having a tomato based sauce.  White pie’s however, are popular in the Connecticut / New England area, and include clams, garlic and bacon. 

For great Thin Crust Pizza, I’d offer up the following places:

o       Da Fara Pizza in Brooklyn NY: made by 70+ year old Dom DeMarco. This is not the easiest place to get to, even for NY’ers, but the pizza is out of this world.  Pie’s are lovingly prepared by Mr. DeMarco with hand sliced fresh vegetables, individually grated fresh mozzarella generously sprinkled over each pie, and beautiful basil springs scissored over each pie.  These pizza’s are genuine works of art that are likely to require your patience (waits can be long), and a bit of tolerance (don’t look to close at your surroundings).  That said, if you love great thin crust pizza, this is the mecca!

o       Grimaldi’s Pizza, also in Brooklyn, http://www.grimaldis.com/index.htm.  Fired in coal brick ovens, thin crust, with a bit of crunch and blackened coal flavor.  Delicious sauce.  A great pizza, and for those out of town visitors, makes a great day trip combined with a fantastic walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (see one of my earlier blogs).

o       “New Haven” Pizzeria’s: These places offer up a chance to sample the fantastic white pizza’s (no tomato sauce), also with the great thin crust.  Recommended New Haven places include Pepe’s, http://www.pepespizzeria.com/, and Modern Apizza, http://www.nearhome.com/ct/newhaven/modern/, with Harry’s, http://www.nearhome.com/ct/newhaven/modern/, and Luna Pizza 2 doors down from each other on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford offering up equally terrific pies.  Of the four here, I’d rank order then as follows: Pepe’s, Harry’s, Luna, and Modern—but of course you cannot go wrong.  Keep in mind that if you’re not adventurous enough to check out a white clam pie, the traditional red ones are equally great!

I have to confess, I’m not a real aficionado of Deep Dish Pizza.  That’s not to say it isn’t good, it’s just that it’s never been “that good”, that I’d make a special trip to try some.  This pizza was born in Chicago through Pizzeria Uno, and has been franchised across the country.  Having lived in Chicago for 5 years, and still a frequent traveler to the city, I’m happy to eat a good deep dish pie, but I’ve never been overwhelmed.  I had high hopes for Burt’s Place in Morton Grove after seeing Tony Bourdain proclaim it amazing (e.g. great chewy focaccia like crust, fresh ingredients, …) on a recent No Reservations show, but after eating their last week, my views remains the same. Lou Malnati’s, http://www.loumalnatis.com/, also makes a nice pie—just set your expectations appropriately.

I have a very soft spot in my heart for Stuffed Pizza’s.  These 3-4 inch thick, double crust (exterior and interior crusts with a thick layer of cheese and your selected ingredients in-between) pizza’s are mostly unique to Chicago (there are a few franchisees outside of the Windy City).  I began eating them at the original Edwardo’s restaurant on Howard Street (no longer there—and I still remember the fresh basil and oregano growing in the window), and also prefer Giordano’s Pizza, http://www.giordanos.com/main.php.  I recently ate pizza at these two, as well as Burt’s, and there was no question in my mind that these were greatly superior. My favorite pie’s are stuffed with spinach and mushroom, but my kids love the pepperoni and/ or sausage which are generously layered, and sandwiched between the two crusts.  We’ve had friends who have characterized these as “not pizza-- quiche’s”, but pay no attention, these are outstanding.  A great option that I recently took advantage of here is getting a half baked, frozen pie from a Giordano’s within 2 miles of O’hare, that I brought home on the plane,  Defrost, put in the oven for about 40 minutes and you’re in for some deliciousness…

Taco x 3!

Taco, Taco, Taco.  I just love taco’s!

 

This week, within a three day span, our family had taco’s on 3 consecutive days.  The great news is that not only were there no complaints, but everyone was ready for more. 

Taco mania started on Sunday afternoon.  After taking the two labs for a walk along the sound, my wife and I were hungry.  We had wanted to try out the famed Taco Truck, “El Charrito” so we took a drive over to Jackie Robinson park in Stamford, across from Beamers “café”, and found the yellow painted refurbished Good Humor Ice Cream Truck.  We ordered the carne adobada (spicy pork), pollo (chicken), chorizo (mexican sausage), and cesina (salty steak) taco’s then sat on a picnic table for about 10 minutes while our taco’s were made to order. 

What we received back were four excellent taco’s in a warmed corn tortilla with beautifully fresh ingredients, appropriately spiced meats, black refried beans, with chopped onions and cilantro, accompanied with homemade spicy red and green sauces.  Wow!  We could have eaten several more, and at $2.50 a pop, they are a bargain.  And, if you call ahead on 203-940-0922, your taco’s will be ready when you arrive. We’ll be back! 

Monday night, we decided to cook a simple dinner at home.  We had purchased fresh scrod that day, so we decided to make fish taco’s.  The beauty of making a taco dinner, is that it’s so quick and easy.  Our approach to taco’s is very straightforward.

1.      Cook the protein (ok-  so now I am talking like some fancy chef).  On Monday night, we seasoned the fish with a bit of salt, pepper, cumin, and grilled it on a cast iron skillet.  When cooked, we squeezed some lime over the scrod and flaked it with a fork.

2.      Cut up all the stuff, meaning whatever you like to put on your taco’s.  We typically include tomatoes, avocado, refried black beans, some spicy peppers (jalapeno’s, chipolte’s …)  If we’re cooking meat or chicken, some cheese shredding is also required.  And, if we have some extra time, we might also mix up an easy guacamole with lime, onions, spicy peppers, cilantro…)

3.      Grill any additional ingredients.  We usually have grilled peppers and onions available to the mix, sometimes mushrooms. 

4.      Take out your favorite salsa’s, spicy sauces, and wraps.

5.      Lightly grill the wraps, combine all your favorites, seal the taco, heat again (particularly important if you want melted cheese.)

If you can master these steps, you’ll be eating great taco’s in less than a half hour.

The fish taco’s (2x) were excellent on Monday, and the spice rubbed skirt steak taco’s, marinated for at least an hour with some cumin, chili, garlic, onion, lime, and a couple of tablespoons of oil, (3x) were equally sublime…

And of course, any leftovers are easily reheated for a quick snack or dinner!

Spicy and Tasty (Redux)

Chinese food is incredibly comforting to me!  If I’m stressed out, feeling out of sorts, or just looking for a quick pick-me-up, nothing does the job better than some really good Chinese.  This is no doubt the product of our regular Sunday Night Cantonese food dinners when I was growing up.  We’d typically go to a local favorite restaurant in NJ where we’d have wonton soup, spareribs, moo shu pork, fried chicken with vegetables, and some chow fun.  Periodically, we’d venture into Chinatown and go to Wo Hop where the eating would get kicked up bit with a wor suey kow soup, fried dumplings, and a butterfly shrimp.  My tastes have changed a bit over the years, and I now prefer the more incendiary szechwan offerings. My son is in from college for Spring break, and when asked what food he wanted to go out for last night--- his quick response was Chinese, and we all agreed a trip to Spicy and Tasty Restaurant on 39-07 Prince Street was in order.

 

A trip to Spicy and Tasty is always great, but there’s always a bit of mystery to the meal in that you’re never exactly sure that the items you order are exactly what you were planning to eat.  It’s hard to know whether that’s due to communication that gets lost in translation, or whether the dishes served there simply have different names.  In any case, the food is almost always excellent!

 

Last night we all pigged out, but went traditional, with no risk taking on spicy beef tendon or stinky tofu.

• Hot and Sour Soup
• Dan Dan Noodles
• Mild Spicy Chicken Szechuan Style
• Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce
• Shrimp and Green Hot Pepper in Black Bean Sauce
• Dried Sauteed String Beans

 

It was a feast!  Everything was excellent, and while the heat got a sweat going for me (I don’t know what it is, but the red Chinese peppers, even the tiny ones that you cannot extricate from the food), cause me to start perspiring.  You know you’re in trouble when the waitress brings you a few napkins, unsolicited!  (Of course this doesn’t impact my appetite or the ability to enjoy the dishes, just gives my dinner companions a good laugh.)

 

The best dish of the night was the “mild spicy” chicken.  We had the “deboned.”  The chicken is dusted in spices, including szechwan peppers which make your mouth tingle, then deep fried with green pepper, garlic, and spicy dried red peppers. The taste is amazing, but you may want a bit of rice to cut the “mild spicy”.  

 

The dried sautéed string beans here are the best we’ve had anywhere.  The ongoing challenge is to order the right dish, as the Chinese String Bean with Dried Pepper is actually minced green beans in a slightly sour sauce, the Chinese String Beans with Minced Pork is made with the long Chinese string beans (also good), but the real winner is the Dried Sauteed String Bean, which is in the vegetables section and not “starred” as spicy.  These bean are so good that my “meat only” son loves em’.

 

Of course, a meal in Flushing is quite reasonable, with the tab here coming out to under $75 for four. 

 

After dinner we headed to Ten Ren, for some bubble tea.  If you haven’t had bubble tea, you’re missing a great drink which is made with tea (e.g. black, green), tapioca balls, and fruit flavors (e.g. mango, green apple, lychee).  The drink is served either hot or cold, with or without milk.  I usually keep it simple, preferring the iced green tea with milk.  The drinks come with oversized diameter straws that are used to suck up the round chewy tapioca balls.  After the Szechwan food at Spicy and Tasty, the sweet drinks are a great finish!

Well sated, we came home and relaxed further by enjoying the March Madness!

 

 

The Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake!

Is there anything more comforting and great tasting than Chocolate? 

 

The better news is that dark chocolate contains flavonoids which act as antioxidants that are good for your heart! A small amount of chocolate can help to lower blood pressure and reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol. Of course small is the key word here.

 

Creating delicious chocolates has become its own art form, and the good news is that there is a great deal of art to be appreciated.  Of course, fine chocolates can be quite pricey, but this can help to make sure that you capture the health benefits without going overboard.

 

A couple of years ago, we did a chocolate taste test throughout Manhattan.  While almost all the chocolates were quite good, the best were at Kee’s located on Thompson Street in Manhattan http://www.keeschocolates.com/.  Of course, it’s also hard to go wrong with Jacque Torres, Vosges, and Michel Cluizel’s creations, but the clear best were the Thai Chili and Smoked Salt truffles at Kee’s.  And the exciting news is that they now have a retail storefront in a bank building in Midtown Manhattan. 

 

Last weekend, we took a day trip to Kent CT, for a hike along the Housatonic River with our dogs.  Kent is a quaint New England town, boasting a number of interesting art galleries and shops. One important find was Belgique Patisserie and Chocolatier.  The store itself is charming and has excellent coffee and beautiful pastries.  Of course the reason for taking this schlep is to taste the fantastic chocolates. The round chocolate mendiants (“little beggars”—one bite and you’re begging for more) with candied fruit, nuts and ginger on top are one of the best foods I have ever tasted; this place can give Kee’s a real run for their money.   Unfortunately there’s no way to get these except by visiting the store.  But if you take the journey and get some exercise on one of the many nearby hiking trails, you can alleviate your guilt and indulge yourself.

 

Now that your taste buds are salivating, here’s an easy, dangerous chocolate cake recipe—from a friend in Australia.

The Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips

A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

Ice Cream (optional)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on a high setting. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow the cake to cool a little, and you’re ready to go… Of course, you can also carefully remove the cake from the cup, and put it onto a plate with a side of ice cream!

You may ask why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because you can eat delicious chocolate cake at any time of the day or night in only 5 minutes!

Enjoy the Health Benefits!

 

 

Comfort Food in NOLA

While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, the best place for comfort food in the US is also the nations biggest party town- New Orleans.  New Orleans has a special energy, with its unique culture and architecture, fantastic jazz, blues, and zydeco music, and of course delicious and innovative food (note that many of the nation’s most recognized chefs both current and historical, e.g. Paul Prudhomme, Emeril, John Besh, Susan Spicer, …, come from NOLA). 

 

The town has mostly rebounded from Katrina, although the current economic climate is clearly impacting the local economy which is primarily tourism driven.  We visited the city end of last year with some friends, for 4 days of birthday fun.  We rambled around the French Quarter and Garden District, listened to music at the Zoo’s Swampfest and at clubs in the Fabourg Marigny area, and visited the devasted 9^th Ward.  We purchased one of Robert Guthrie’s unique New Orleans inspired watercolors (note: we have several from other trips as well) http://www.robertguthrie.com/ . We ate excellent meals at some of the city’s finest restaurants like Herbsaint and Couchon http://www.cochonrestaurant.com, yet our most memorable eating was “comfort food” at local joints serving up their New Orleans specialties.

 

There is nothing better than starting the day with a beignet and chicory blended coffee at Café du Monde in Jackson Square http://www.cafedumonde.com/.  The café is an institution, and even if the confectionary sugar covered powdered “donuts” are a bit too heavy for your liking, with a terrific cup of java and a jazz musician playing while you’re enjoying a relaxing bite in the French Quarter, it’s a place that you cannot miss.

 

After spending some time roaming around the Quarter, checking out the local artists, the fabulous verandas overhanging the historic cobblestone streets, and browsing and shopping at the daily French Market, you’ll work up an appetite for a New Orleans lunch.  There are many options here including a delicious gumbo laden with seafood and spicy sausage, a bowl full of spicy crawfish, or simply grabbing one of the local “sandwiches”. 

 

New Orleans has transformed the sandwich into art, and from my perspective, the nation’s best sandwich is the muffuletta at the Central Grocery, a traditional Italian market which has been around since the early 1900’s. The muffuletta itself is a focaccia like round loaf of bread, with a diameter of approximately 1 foot, which is sliced in half horizontally and quartered, and then covered with an array of Italian meats, provolone cheese, and then topped with olive salad and olive oil. It’s a truly amazing sandwich that you can either eat inside on the Formica countertops, or preferably on a park bench overlooking the Mississippi River. This incredibly tasty sandwich easily feeds a family of four.  Note that the grocery is only open during the day, but closed on Sunday, and there are lines that form out the door, so check the store times, and go early. 

 

Po’ boys are another special New Orleans sandwich that typically consist of either fried seafood (e.g. oysters, shrimp, catfish…) or meat (roast beef, pork or sausage), on a warm, crusty French bread.  Toppings may include lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo or spicy creole mustard… or gravy on the meat.  There are many po’boy restaurants throughout the city and we’ve enjoyed the Ferdi Special- ham, roast beef with debris—the small, delicious bits of leftover roast beef that fall into the pot, and gravy, at Mother’s on Canal Street http://www.mothersrestaurant.net, which is absolutely a must visit classic place, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Heading further uptown, a recent newcomer, Mahoney’s on Magazine Street http://www.mahonyspoboys.com/, makes a mean Fried Shrimp po’boy, and don’t miss getting a side of the fried green tomatoes!

 

Of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without comforting oneself with oysters, whether raw, fried or bbq’ed.  A fantastic variation of the oyster po’boy can be had at Casemento’s Restaurant http://www.casamentosrestaurant.com, a bit further uptown on Magazine Street from Mahoney’s.  Casemento’s is a historic place established in 1919, and still has the original green and white tile floors and walls, with the tin roof ceiling.  And, be sure and take a trip to the bathrooms in the outdoor courtyard.  You’ll also be rewarded on this journey with a trip through the narrow kitchen where the fish frying will be in full swing.  The fried oysters here are heaped onto thick slices of buttered and fried pan bread (don’t worry, your cholesterol will recover at some point), and accompanied with lettuce, tomato and mayo. One bite and you’ll be in heaven!  They make a mean soft shell crab loaf as well!

 

Heading back to the French Quarter, the raw oyster wars are fought across Iberville Street by rivals Felix’s Restaurant http://www.felixs.com/  and the Acme Oyster House http://www.acmeoyster.com/.   Both serve incredibly fresh, large gulf oysters, which can be eaten with or without a cocktail sauce that you can fix to your spice preference.  It’s easy to quickly gulp down a dozen or two of these sliders with a bloody mary or beer…  For a change of pace, check out the amazing chargrilled oysters at the Acme, which are heated over an open flame, and include a splash of Tabasco topped with seasoned butter, worcestershire sauce, and romano cheese.  Very Decadent!

 

My mouth is watering as I remember these outstanding comfort foods!  Take a trip to New Orleans, it’s a special town!

 

The Bully is Back!

The Bully has been AWOL now for several months…  and I apologize to my readers. 

My initial goals were too ambitious, trying to put out a column every other day is a great deal of work, and over the course I several months, I found the blog more of a job than a labor of love.  When this happened, I put on the brakes.

A great deal has happened since that time, and much of the news has not been great.  While President Obama’s election is clearly a victory for helping to remove pre-conceived barriers to individual, country, and world progress, it remains to be seen whether he’s the right man to address the historic economic, environmental, and political challenges remains we face.

New York sports teams continue to struggle, but there is Jets hope with Rex Ryan.  Now if we can only stop talking about A-Fraud (can’t he just go-away) and let us Yankee fans enjoy the new stadium and the recent spending spree…

My bullies will not help to solve these issues; but hopefully they’ll provide a little bit of levity and enjoyment to both you and me, as we watch our 401K’s plan becoming 201K’s, and hope for our teams to do better as we spring forward today.

My plan is to update the site twice weekly. I believe this is a doable, even with a heavy work load that is increasingly challenging in today’s business climate.

I will continue to blog about food, restaurants, quick getaways, and cooking as in the past, but plan to focus on a couple of trends that I see emerging:

1. A return to comfort food as people seek relief from daily pressures, reversing a period of over the top excesses. 
2. More home cooking, consistent with the comfort food focus, but with a continued emphasis on fast, but high quality, tasty meals. (Is it any surprise that there is discussion about whether both Conde Nast’s Gourmet and Bon Appetite magazines can survive independently?)
3.  The ongoing movement to more natural, local, fresh ingredients--- whatever this means.  There’s a great deal of noise in this space, and a good deal of price inflation in the grocery and at restaurants based on the use of these terms.  My sense is that people will continue to ask for, seek out, and expect this “higher quality” food, but will not pay more than a small premium.

The good news is although this blog has been silent, I have been actively eating and continuing to explore food around the country, and I look forward to sharing. 

Look forward to your feedback and ideas, and hopefully to your increased feedback and participation.

Thanks for your encouragement to re-start this blog!