VittlesVamp

Baking For A Cause

One of my dear friends was glum. He was a glum, gangly, gluten-free man. Let's just call him "G.G." for short, since the glum has since been eradicated. I like to think I helped stamp out this difficult case of glum by baking. Specifically, by baking Flourless Chocolate Walnut cookies, dark, chewy, sinful and pictured above.

What can I say? When a friend is feeling poorly, I turn to my trusty whisk, cookie sheet and oven. This time, with gluten restrictions, I had a challenge to surmount. And, with Francois Payard's assistance, I rose to the occasion -- sans flour or yeast -- deliciously.

Payard's beloved patisserie is gone now, but his book Chocolate Epiphany lives on, as does this recipe for gorgeous, glum-fighting cookies.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2 3/4 cups walnut halves
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the walnut halves on a large-rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. (1) Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and coarsely chop them. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower temperature to 320. Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. (2) In a large bowl, whisk (or combine in an electric mixer on low speed) the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and salt followed by the chopped walnuts. While whisking (or once you change the speed to medium), add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (do not overbeat or it will stiffen). (3) Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks. Let cookies cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Elettaria Exits

Guess my pal's birthday dinner won't be held at Elettaria after all. Just got a call from their reservationist and tonight is their last night, so tomorrow's table for four is cancelled.

Should I blow out the candles earlier than expected?

Ouch!

Chef Sara Jenkins -- The Culinary Queen Of The East Village

I remember 50 Carmine in all its rustic Italian glory, from then-chef Sara Jenkins' flavorful Paparedelle with Wild Boar Ragu to her winning Tangerine and Olive Oil Cake. It was undeniably Mediterranean comfort food taken to a new level.

Then Chef Jenkins disappeared from the scene only to reemerge with a seductive swine-focused storefront, aptly named Porchetta, that graced the East Village with Roman-style sandwiches worthy of worship.

And, just recently, she turned her attention to another restaurant, Veloce Pizza, also in the EV. The place itself is just as low-key as her other two ventures and the food is just as exquisite.

My recent dinner there started simply enough with a deceptively uncomplicated appetizer of Bruschetta with Fresh Ricotta. Pictured above, you can see that the creamy mound of soft, delicate cheese was ample and seductive. Snowy white and fluffy, topped with sprinkling of cracked pepper, a few chili pepper flakes and a drizzling of olive oil, it was slathered on toasted slabs of bread -- providing me with a low moan and wide smile.

Then there was the main event: the pizza. Dining with a vegetarian, it was still surprisingly difficult to make a choice.

Five Onion with Leeks, Scallions, Sweet Onion, Chive, Red Onion and Ricotta?

Arugula, Mozzarella, Fontina, Sweet Onion and Cherry Tomatoes?

We bypassed both -- and other veggie-friendly options as well -- and opted for the plainly named Mushroom...

Needless to say, in Chef Jenkins hands, plain is never without its abundant charms. In this case the charms came in the form of both Hen in the Woods and Oyster Mushrooms, Fresh Thyme, Mozzarella and Gran Padano Cheese. And, the crust? Superlative. It had just enough heft and vibrance to stand up to any series of ingredients.

Dessert? Of course! A small bowl of silky, sublime Panna Cotta served with Pistachios and shavings of Dark Bitter Chocolate made me moan once more. I added a glass of Prosecco, just to linger a bit a longer.

What will Chef Sara Jenkins take on next? I don't know. I don't care. I just know that I'll be there, fork at-the-ready.

A Pitcher Of Sweet Tea

Sweet Tea is a staple of the American South. And, this summer it became a staple in The Vamp's Yankee kitchen as well.

It doesn't quite cut it in terms of real "cooking," but there is a deep satisfaction in the dark steeping of Earl Grey tea. The adding of sugar, gentle squeeze of lemon juice and requisite stir are just activity enough on a hot August afternoon. And, it may not make the apartment smell like freshly baked Blueberry Crisp or even a Roast Chicken, but the clean, crisp scent of tea leaves and citrus is cool and welcoming.

The only problem is, once chilled, it goes down so easy that I find myself needing to make up a new pitcher twice a week.

Not a bad problem to have, if I do say so myself.

Another pitcher coming up!

Banh Mi, Oh My!

I needed to somehow get past my chicken fixation. My pal Bethanne had just the thing. I may have been visiting D.C. on business last week, but we snuck in a purely personal side trip to Vietnam -- by way of the Fall's Church Eden Center.

Crammed with 120 different stores, ranging from bakeries that offered delicacies such as Taro Cake and Durian Shakes to a series of music stores blaring Saigon's hottest bands, it definitely felt like I should have brought my passport.

Instead, I simply came hungry.

A little hole in the wall quickly took care of my large appetite with a stellar sandwich - a Banh Mi filled with Shredded Pork from the lauded shop Nhu Lan. The bread was light and crisp on the outside, soft and ethereal on the inside. The vegetables where crisp, the spring of cilantro fragrant and the homemade mayo had an undeniable zing.

All in all, $3.00 well spent. And, now I guess I'm back on a pork kick...

Capitol Chicken

So, I go to D.C. for a meeting and where do I end up for dinner? Arlington, Virginia's favorite Peruvian poultry haunt El Pollo Rico. Clearly, I just can't get enough chicken. And, in all seriousness, I don't think I could ever get enough of this chicken!

Pictured above, this was one heck of a spit-roasted,cumin-dusted beauty. The golden French Fries which seemed to be deep-fried in it's decadent juices and the golden icy Inca Kola rounded out this scrumptious, finger-lickin' good meal.

How could it not be a bodacious bird, when it comes complete with spicy lime and mustardy mayo dipping sauces, as well as kudos from Anthony Bourdain and a confident URL that declares Ilovethischicken.com?

Now, I just need to find a Peruvian chicken joint that's on par with El Pollo Rico in NYC. Otherwise, I'll be angling for another meeting in our nation's capitol soon!

Restaurant Reboot Alert: Watty & Meg's

Looks like the owners of the new Cobble Hill corner restaurant Watty & Meg's took their middling to bad reviews to heart and decided to do something about it. Word on the street is that plans are in the works for an official reboot next month.

In an effort to get the kitchen in high-gear with high-appeal fare for finicky Brooklyn foodies, scenesters and hipsters alike, they've already brought in a Bouley alum as chef with an Insieme alum at-the-ready as sous. The menu is starting to receive an overhaul accordingly, with tweaks and refining to come.

New American cuisine will still be the name of the game, but if a test-run brunch dish of Barbecued Duck Hash with Duck Egg and Cured Duck Breast is any indication, King's County customers will be lining up for tables at the "new and improved" Watty & Meg's. Heck, there might even be a Manhattanite or two in the mix.

Chicken Again?

Yes. Chicken again.

A totally different take though. This recipe is sort of an Italian riff on an Asian stir-fry, complete with a garlicky good rice pilaf on the side.

Lovingly prepared for a lovely colleague for dining during a working lunch, I decided to put some homemade pesto to use alongside grape tomatoes, zucchini, a few precious slivers of pancetta and two plump chicken breasts. I tossed them all together stoveside with some cream, butter and the previously noted pesto. Voila! Lunch -- as pictured above.

My work pal was duly impressed with my kitchen performance. Even more so once he took a bite.

The new "Next Food Network Star" can eat their heart out. I'm eating chicken.

Pollan's "Here" Isn't My Here

I feel like inviting Michael Pollan over for dinner. His diatribe in yesterday's Sunday New York Times Magazine was so darn sad, it inspires me to make him a chicken.

Titled "No One Cooks Here Anymore," Pollan's article presented a ying-yang view of food in the U.S.-- comparing past to present. For page after wistful page, Pollan waxed poetically about his childhood watching Julia Child in all her public television glory take on boeuf bourgignon,, duck a la orange and mousse au chocolat. Then he turned to his current despair in discovering that cooking has become a "spectator sport" in America and that suburban Moms are buy frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, lest they deign to go through the arduous task of making the lunchbox classic themselves.

Michael: The women that buy frozen PBJ don't want to cook and have availed themselves of any tool necessary in order to avoid it.

On the flipside, there is a reason that gourmet supermarkets like Whole Foods and local greenmarkets are flourishing. There is very strong microcosm of the U.S. that has thrown themselves full-throttle into the culinary arts. Whether it simply comes to appreciating fine food or actually hitting the stove, it's a revelation.

Hasn't Michael Pollan seen how many people share photos of everything they consume on Flickr and alike? He might see it as part of the "spectator" aspect of food these days, but I think it has more to do with the savoring. These amateur foodies and photogs are snapping a fleeting image of a plate that goes beyond sustenance, taking it further into the realm of art.

Cooking hasn't disappeared. It's morphed. It's being cherished by a group of fervent foodies who don't -- and won't -- give up on the pleasures of the frying pan, whisk and blender.

Case in point: This weekend alone I whipped up tart and creamy Avocado Dressing, made Fettuccine with a rich Lemon Cream Sauce, brewed a pitcher of fresh Sweet Iced Tea, put together a fragrant batch of Basil Pesto, and indulged in the culinary hug that is making a Roast Chicken with Asparagus, Potatoes and Carrots (see above).

I made the bird for a friend who is in a bad way. Not Michael, mind you. Another pal.

But, Michael: The offer still stands. Just let me know when you're ready. Roast Chicken will be yours. I'll have my roasting pan on standby and the butcher on speed dial.