VittlesVamp

Pate The Jewish Way

How 'bout a little livah? At Brooklyn's Mile End Delicatessen the answer to that question is a definitive "YES!" It's a thing of grace and schmaltz, sprinkled with chopped egg, a deep ruby onion relish and snippets of bright green chive.

It has made me long for more Chopped Liver in 2011. Towards that end, I'm on a mission to find my late grandmother's Chopped Liver recipe. I hope it resides somewhere in Mama Vamp's special recipe vault. Needless to say, if I find it, I'll share it here, so livah can be enjoyed by one and all.

Birthday Week - Part 3 - A Lasagna To Love

Chef Sara Jenkins once helped me find religion. It came in the form of a Porchetta Sandwich served at her aptly named Porchetta storefront in the East Village. The sandwich was a revelation -- stuffed with slabs of juicy swine laced with fennel and garlic, christened with golden brown crackling on top.

So, why was I surprised when Chef Jenkins helped me find true love at her newest East Village hot spot, Porsena?

I shouldn't have been surprised in the slightest; and yet, I was awestruck when it presented itself. This time her magic came in the shape of a puffy, parmesan crusted beauty -- her version of the classic Lasagna, complete with delicate layers of pasta and an intense tomato ragu.

The moment it landed on my birthday table I could not resist. I ravished it.

I'll leave you with this slightly altered quote from Shakespeare: The course of true love never did run smooth. Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. Love is a Lasagna.

Birthday Week - Part 2 - The Traditional Lunch At Otto

Tradition can be a good thing.

In my case, the past few years I've developed the ritual of celebrating my birthday with a lunchtime repast at Otto, where I indulge in a lusty meal of cheese with truffle honey, seasonal veggies, a series of house-cured meats, a plate of warming pasta (in this case, Linguine con Cavolo et Speck), vino and olive oil gelato.

Once again, let me say tradition can be a good thing. Martha and Tevye would be so proud!

Birthday Week - Part 1 - Sea You At Millesime

That picture up there? It is of Lobster Pot-au-Feu. Two pounds of succulent crustacean, cooked in a sublime, deeply satisfying seafood broth, served with creamy sauces on the side for -- should you choose -- an extra dab of opulence.

This would have been the star of my multi-course dinner at Millesime last night. Would have been, except for all of the other brilliant dishes that came before.

It was a starry, starry night.

Starting with an icy plate of sweet, buttery West Coast Oysters and glasses filled with a dry, citrusy Sancerre, my pal Laurel and I happily settled into one of the bustling seafood brasserie's red leather banquettes to peruse our options. Lucky for me, one of my friends had recently settled into Millesime as a sous chef, so he promised to guide us in the right direction.

Did we need guiding? Not really, he admitted. There wasn't a bad pick on the menu.

Having yet come even close to tasting the kitchen's transcendent Lobster Pot-au-Feu, we were still in a position to withhold judgement. Oysters and wine were lovely, but they had yet to show us the culinary gravitas we expected from the much-praised San Francisco chef Laurent Manrique.

It didn't take long for us to be wowed. A puffy, piping hot, cheese and black pepper souffle magically appeared at the table, soon to be smothered in chunks of crabmeat glistening in a ginger beurre blanc. You could hear the clatter of our forks scraping every last morsel from the ramekin.

To off-set the richness of the souffle, a tartare of hamachi with a fragrant lime and ginger cream followed. Once again, utensils were put to good use, gathering up each and every bite.

Then, the menu's Grande Dame arrived -- Quenelle Jean-Louis. Firm pike dumplings slathered in a lavish lobster sauce, baked until lightly brown and bubbly, it made me audibly moan with pleasure. It was masterful. It was was the French food of yesteryear. This type of culinary hedonism may be frowned upon in certain circles, but I say "Vive la difference!"

And then there was the Pot-au-Feu.

After that I kind of draw a blank. There was cheese. There was something chocolate. None of it made much of an impression.

How could it, after all that star power?

Star light, star bright, first wish I make tonight?...A chance to revisit Millesime -- after a week-long fast.

Strapless Apron Brings Holiday Cheer - Enter For A Chance To Win This Sassy Candy Cane Number

I'm not always taken with the pitches that hit my in-box, but I was kind of delighted when I heard from Susan & Veronica, a site from a couple of fashionistas who decided to sex up aprons.

GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! We're not talking about a slutty French maid's uniform. We're talking about seriously adorable aprons that are meant to help show off your figure, while you're slaving away in the kitchen.

And, we have a special giveaway for one lucky tweep! Just include my handle @VVamp in a tweet along with the hashtag #iwantthatapron and you'll be in the running for a free Cutie Cane Strapless Apron. Pictured above, this holiday hottie usually runs $49.95.

Contest ends Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3pm Eastern, so start tweeting to me accordingly. A winner will be selected at random through Random.org.

Join in! Be a part of the very first VittlesVamp giveaway!

Faux Thanksgiving

I missed it. The turkey. The stuffing. The cranberry sauce.

I truly enjoyed my casual makeshift Thanksgiving in Philly's Chinatown with Mama Vamp, but I still longed for the classic tastes of T-Day. And so, I decided to invite a passel of pals over for a faux Thanksgiving celebration with all the trimmings.

As you can see from the photo above, Mr. P had quite a time carving the bird. It was dry brined for 24 hours and then made even more divine with the addition of truffle butter under the skin, before I slipped in the oven for a three hour, skin-browning roast.

Homemade Sourdough Stuffing with Pancetta and rich brown Gravy accompanied, as did a Celery Root and Apple Puree, Haricots Vert with Toasted Pinenuts, and a Cranberry and Pomegranate Relish.

I cooked enough for an army.

My table ate enough for an army.

People actually took thirds. I wept with joy.

Even dessert went off without a hitch -- Pumpkin Flan served with fresh Whipped Cream.

The only think left at the end of the meal was the turkey carcass. And, right now, that's being put to good use too. Adding it to some water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fresh herbs, it is all bubbling away in the name of soup.

So, in conclusion: When it comes to diamonds, I only accept the real thing. When it comes to Thanksgiving, I'm perfectly content with a facsimile.