VittlesVamp

Rudi Had A Little Lamb

The head was sawed just so
And everywhere that Rudi went
Carnivores were sure to go...

And, so it was last weekend, when Master Butcher Rudi Weid butchered the carcass of a 110 lb sustainably and humanely raised lamb, straight from the pastures of upstate New York at the Institute of Culinary Arts in Manhattan. In the able hands of the expert butcher, bones were cleaved, glands were extracted, a liver was sliced and shanks were hewed. It was all for a good cause, with proceeds benefitting Slow Food NYC's Harvest Time program.

After the lamb was broken down, we nibbled on a pre-cooked lambie (darn if those deep-fried testicles weren't tasty!) and the bidding began on Weid's gorgeous cuts...

But, alas, The Vamp was out bid on everything from a leg to stew meat. I even came up short on these glorious, roasted half heads...

Guess I'll just need to hit the greenmarket for a sustainably farm raised lamb carcass of my own. Then I'll just need to get a professional bone saw and I'll be ready to go.

(Figure that's a not-too-subtle hint for a holiday gift. Get me a cleaver too and you'll have one happy Vamp on your hands!)

Vendy Adventure - Part 2

Have you been watching your computer screen with bated breath wondering if I was able to secure the necessary serving trays for the Vendy VIP tables?

How could you doubt your Vamp? Of course I did! And, when I returned to the Queens Museum of Art with Mr. Dan, the trucks began to offer Vendy volunteers and board members some early tastings, starting with the gloriously, sweet and decadent Belgian offerings of Wafels & Dinges. As pictured above, it is a dessert to be reckoned with.

The rest of the fare ranged from Cravings' Taiwanese grub...

...to the spicy chow from Jamaican Dutchy...

...to the crack-cocaine allure of Schnitzel & Things, deep-fried, crispy Schnitzel...

The "Things" were tasty too.

No surprise, but dinner was a big "no" when I got home.

Vendy Adventure - Part 1

Having joined the Vendy Awards planning committee several months ago, I had anxiously looked forward to the "big day." The day when a bevy of popular New York City street vendors would descend upon Flushing at the Queens Museum of Art, the Unisphere ominously in the background, awaiting a crowd of street-meat fans and a collection of glittering judges (sadly, not actually wearing glitter).

Well, yesterday, the "big day" finally arrived with the sound of my alarm going off at 5:30am. Ugh. I am not a morning person. But in the name of the Vendy Awards and the charitable organization they celebrate and support - the Street Vendor Project - which provides vendors with legal representation and much more, I arose.

Hitting Manhattan's Ceci-Cela for early a.m. croissant and coffee for the team with my murse-wearing pal Kyle, we soon ventured forth to Queens en masse in a high-stylin' van. Still, I could hear my bed calling my name all the way from Brooklyn. Hmmm. Maybe I could nap during the trip. Zzzzzz...

Once we parked at the museum, the caffeine started to kick in. Within minutes, we were put to work and then the beloved trucks and carts started pulling in one by one, like debutantes arriving at the ball. It was an amazing sight to see, from spying the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck getting all gay-ed up (see above) to gazing at the unstoppable smile belonging to Freddy, the King of Falafel, as he set up his station (see below).

And then, there was a crisis. The party rental company had dropped off the tents, tables and chairs with no problem, but had forgotten about the all-important serving trays for the Vendy's first-ever VIP table service guests. Unfortunately, the folks at the Queens Museum of Art didn't have trays to lend and they categorically refused to let us rip the priceless canvasses from the wall to create makeshift ones.

What's a Vamp to do? OMG! I suddenly realized that the museum is located in Flushing, and Flushing means only one thing to a Vamp -- CHINATOWN. Surely, there we could find a kitchen supply spot with ample wares and the necessary trays could be purchased lickety-split. I quickly corralled the amiable Dan, another committee member, to join me on the hunt. Why Dan? He had wheels and an ulterior motive: he desperately needed coffee.

We headed to the parking lot, stopped along the way by our main museum rep, who suggested we hit the nearby Western Beef instead of going farther afield. So, we did.

There were no trays there, but joyfully for Dan, this Western Beef outpost laid claim to another outdoor eating favorite, brethren of food carts and trucks -- the food stand.

He finally had his shot of caffeine. But, before we ambled back to the car and headed to Chinatown, we spotted a sign that assured us that all would go well on our quest.

It wasn't exactly a thumbs up or anything, but I decided it was good luck nonetheless.

Balls Aplenty

And, as long as we're talking about balls, let us not forget one of the most important balls of all -- the Matzoh Ball.

I'll be whipping up a batch for my annual Passover seder later this week. The matzoh meal dumplings pictured above aren't mine. These lovely beauties are dotted with fresh dill. Mine are flecked with fresh rosemary. (And, they are quite yummy, if I say so myself!)

How Did I Miss This One?

I can't believe it. I missed it completely.

International Waffle Day.

It was this past Wednesday, March 25th, and I plumb forgot. At least I didn't let Pancake Month slip away without notice. But, I feel ashamed to have not made sure that the flapjack's breakfast brethren, the sweet maple-syrup drizzled waffle, also made the grade -- or at least a calendar entry reminder on my Blackberry.

Thankfully, I've learned my lesson. I've already marked October 9th and November 28th on my calendar. (World Egg Day and National French Toast Day, respectively.)

Red, White & Blue

This blue has nothing to do with Lady M heading to the altar. Nor does the hue combination have anything to do with my recent 4th of July gathering.

In this case, we take a short break from Lady M's next "Blue" to talk about the red, white and blue of the French flag and take a moment to honor Bastille Day.

The New York Times has done so with stories about the attempt to create an authentic bistro in the East Village with Resto Leon, and a profile of the 87-year old Chef Grand-mère who offers up a little slice of La Belle France at the Theater District's own Chez Napoleon.

And after a quick jaunt to the Smith Street Bastille Day festivities, which seemed to attract more beer drinking hipsters than Francophiles, I am more sure than ever that a trip to France can only be found in the unexpected corners of our five boroughs. Bathazar might be marvelous, but it's only an American's wet dream of a Parisian brasserie. Still, I'm okay with that -- and can appreciate it's charms. Especially, if the New York Times and others keep pointing me in the right direction if I'm looking for genuine je ne sais quoi.

Vive la France!

Sauerkraut Days

How can you not fall in love with a four day event devoted to one of the most under-praised condiments in the book - sauerkraut?

Tomorrow kicks off the 106th Sauerkraut Days celebration in Ackley, Iowa. Highlights will include free sauerkraut and wieners, a German band, a kids cabbage toss and a Sauerkraut Queen coronation.

Sounds like a damn fine weekend of fun to me. Gassy. But fun.

Puck vs. Park

It's become an annual tradition. I trek to the Puck in the blustery cold. There, I swirl and sip some of Italy's finest wines, while enjoying the view. The view consists of a steady stream of attractive Italian men in attractive Italian suits.

Aaaah, the Tre Bicchieri, sponsored by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food, showcasing over a hundred different vino in all its glory.

This year, however, I wasn't enchanted.

This year, it wasn't at the Puck. Instead, it was at 583 Park Avenue.

Suddenly the stifling crowds of signores didn't feel hip and cool. Nope. They simply felt stifling.

Who knew that uptown could feel so...uppity? Even tastes of an Elena Fucci Aglianico del Vulture Titolo 2005 and a Pietracupa Greco di Tufo 2006 couldn't dissuade me from exiting bid haste.

I can only hope that next year, it's back downtown. Otherwise, I may have to find my Italian wine and Italian men elsewhere.

Bleating in Chelsea

How could I resist an invitation to an event called Goatstravaganza NYC? Puh-leeze!

Last night, myself and about a hundred or so other fascinated urbanites piled into Aronson's Flooring on W. 17th Street to sample artisanal goat's milk cheeses from Saxelby's Cheesemongers, taste goat's meat pate from Focolare Bar and Bistro, guzzle glasses of Goats do Roam vino, pet real live goats in the middle of Manhattan, and listen a reading by the married authors of "The Year of the Goat," a book chronicling their flight from a one-bedroom rental in Fort Greene, Brooklyn to a more fulfilling life in the countryside raising goats.

What fools these Brooklynite goat farmers be.

Little did they know that they were only a couple of subway stops away from some jim-dandy take-out Goat Curry at Boerum Hill, Brooklyn's Brawta. Goodness knows, they could have saved themselves a whole lot of trouble.

Dishing At The Taste of New York

It's a must-do on every New York foodie's annual agenda: New York Magazine's Taste of New York benefit event for City Harvest. And after experiencing last year's festivities, I entered the Puck Building this past Monday night with anticipation and a dollop of dread. I adore the glitterati gourmands that line the ballroom sharing delectable tidbits from their über-fabulous restaurants, but the crushing herd of attendees leaves something to be desired -- mostly elbow room.

Still, sliding in a wee bit early thanks to a press pass, I was able to enjoy my fair share of the fare and even got to chat with celebrated chefs Tom Valenti and Marcus Samuelsson. The big win though came in the form of an exchange with Flatiron Lounge mixology maven Julie Reiner (pictured above), in which she confirmed the rumor that has been circulating among Kings County cocktail cognoscentis: Reiner will indeed be opening a new cocktail lounge on Brooklyn's Smith Street later this year. She's naming the Boerum Hill watering hole after a classic gin drink - The Clover Club - which, cocktail shaker in hand, she merrily whipped up at the event.

After that bit of happy Brooklyn bar news, I sailed through the rest of the bash rather quickly, noticing a decidedly sweet trend this year. Each dessert seemed harder to resist than the next. Los Dados tempted me with deep fried, cinnamon sugar-coated Churros served with a choice of warm Dulce de Leche or Chocolate Sauce.

Pastry master Pichet Ong of P*ONG illicited moans of pleasure with a twist on a New York City classic - Cheesecake. His beguiling version was composed of goat's milk chevre, surrounded by a toasted walnut crust and graced with a splash of cabernet-poached huckleberries and basil oil.

Even Chinese-themed treats made the rounds. Rickshaw Dumpling Bar served up Chocolate Shanghai Soup Dumplings coated with black sesame seeds, squirting hot, molten chocolate lava when you took a bite, and Chinatown Brasserie offered up whimsically decorated Coconut Custard Bao which were exotic, playful and delicious all at once.

A Taste of New York - How sweet it is!