VittlesVamp

Link Love

The link in question is Chef Donald Link.

Many friends have asked if I hit any great new restaurants on my recent trip to New Orleans. In truth, besides the market stalls, dives, luncheonettes and holes-in-wall that I ventured to during my walking tour, my standout faves where two old faves from Chef Link - Peche and Cochon.

In fact, first meal of the trip was a late dinner at Peche, kicking off with a half dozen of Gulf oysters. Those lovelies did not disappoint. Neither did his Cajun rendition of "Shrimp Toast" enrobed in sesame seeds and topped with slices of pickle. And, the main was spectacular. Pictured above, it was a whole Speckled Trout, flash-fried and served atop a tamarind sauce, showered with pickled carrots and daikon, roasted peanuts, and loads of cilantro. Also gobsmackingly good were the turnips. Yes, you read correctly. Take a look...

This seemingly banal side dish was featured in the New York Times Magazine with a recipe. Seriously. If the Citrus-Glazed Turnips are on the menu, they're a must.

Now, lets talk about my late lunch at Cochon. This where we sat, with the wood-burning oven throwing off a heady scent that made my mouth water.

That oven was put to good use in the service of the kitchen's Wood Fired Oysters with Chili Garlic Butter...

And, that was followed by the restaurant's namesake - Louisiana Cochon served with Braised Green Beans, Pickled Pears, and Pork Jus...

Hellz to the yassss.

And, in case you are wondering, some real warmth and hospitality came our way from both the back and front-of-house at both Peche and Cochon.

These are what you call oldies, but goodies - so, so good. So, while looking for the shiny new hot spot is certainly with merit, don't sleep on the merits of a standby that consistently stands and delivers.

Imported from Philadelphia

The idea that Philadelphia is a force on the New York restaurant scene is funny to me. Then again, not so much.

I mean, Friday Saturday Sunday just captured the Best Restaurant in America nod from The James Beard Awards.

And, recently hitting Chef Michael Solomonov's Brooklyn outpost of Kfar, I was easily convinced that hyper-critical New York diners would fall in love with his modern Israeli menus.

Just look at that gorgeous bowl of creamy Hummus topped with a cascade of Crispy Mushrooms. Take a gander at that fresh-out-of-the-oven pita.

Thinking about making a reservation?

Take a long look at the snapshot below and you'll think no longer.

That's a Flintstone-sized Bone-In Short Rib with Amba and Passionfruit, served up with Braised Cabbage in a Tomato Amba.

Need to apologize to my pescatarian and vegetarian friends for that photo. Suggest that they don't scroll further, lest they see...

That.

In Philly now and paid call on Solomonov's Laser Wolf restaurant in the Fishtown neighborhood. It is impossible to get into the Williamsburg branch, unless you want a 10:30pm table. I felt triumphant scoring a 7:45pm res on a Monday night at the original location.

Yes, that Bone-In Short Rib should look familiar. Yes, it was large enough to be served at Fred Flintstone's table. And, just to make sure that there was enough meat on hand, we had two skewers of Koobideh, made of ground lamb and chicken.

By the way, did I mention the platter of 10 Salatim that landed on table before the meat even arrived? Cucumbers with Harissa, Moroccan Carrots, Babaganoush, Lebanese Potato Salad - need I go on?

Yeah. I can see why this is a hot ticket spot in New York.

What will be imported from Philadelphia next? I look forward to finding out.

Listen Up! Podcast Chat with Gesine Bullock-Prado, Author of 'My Vermont Table'

A friend convinced me to start hosting monthly podcasts on New Book Network in their Food Channel. In truth, she didn't need to convince me that hard. Or, actually, at all.

Know the author of a recent cookbook on food/drink-related tome? Send them my way. I can't wait to chat them up!

My first cookbook author interview is with Gesine Bullock-Prado and we talk about her latest title, "My Vermont Table." Hope you can check it out: https://newbooksnetwork.com/a-vermont-table

Haute Indian Winter in Brooklyn

After my trip to London, I couldn't stop thinking about the superlative Indian restaurants I visited there. I needed a replay - but London is far. And, the high-end Indian spots in NYC are so popular that it is hard to score a table. So, I needed to put the matter in my own hands. Well, my hands and my pal Brett's hands as well.

We started with the above - a brunch of Bombay Scrambled Eggs from the late great Chef FLoyd Cardoz, and Curried Potatoes and Cashews, a riff on a Madhur Jaffrey recipe.

It wasn't just good. It was delicious.

A dinner party idea was born. And so it was...

That plate of Dal? It was in-freakin-credible. Brett outdid himself.

Next up, an Indian Chicken Rice Pilaf scented with coconut milk, ginger, tumeric, and more. Alongside, an umami-packed Oyster Mushroom Curry.

And then there was dessert...

Hell-to-the-yes! Tejal Rao's Quick Mango Kulfi recipe is pure genius. The trick? Canned mangos from India. Seriously. Canned. Soooo good.

Do I still want to return to London's haute Indian restaurant scene? Do I want to nab a reservation at Sona and Semma in Manhattan? Yes and yes! But in the meantime, I am trying my best to get Brooklyn to deliver as best as my kitchen (and Brett's) can muster.

My Beard in Philadelphia

Not the type of "beard" you might be thinking of (unless you know me really well). Yes, I am talking about a James Beard Award-winning chef. In this case, Chef Cristina Martinez, the brilliant Mexican chef from Philadelphia who just took home the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic.

Some of you might know her from her featured appearance on Netflix's "Chef's Table," where her restaurant South Philly Barbacoa was spotlighted, along with her amazing culinary skills, her immigration activism, and her overall bad-assery. She is a force on several fronts.

So, I didn't have to think twice about taking MamaVamp to her second restaurant - Casa Mexico - when I came to town.

Started with some Agua Frescas...

I sprinkled some salt into my Watermelon juice. So delicious. And, then the food started arriving. First up, a superlative version of Chicken Enchiladas...

That was followed by Pork Carnitas and Shrimp Tacos that had my tongue buzzing and my eyes rolling back in my head.

When my eyes settled back, I saw her. Chef Martinez, who was working alongside her staff to keep the front room in order. I shouted out a simple "Congrats!" and "Thank you, your food is amazing!" She nodded back with a smile. She knows her food is good. No. Not good. Great. And, yet you could tell that she appreciated hearing it from a customer nonetheless. I cannot imagine that she doesn't hear it all day long. If she doesn't, she should.

Rice Crack Persian-Style

Rice had always been one of those foodstuffs that was a challenge for me to make -- that is, until I finally bought myself a rice cooker. That device has served me well.

Made me brave enough to raise my hand when it came to being in charge of the Tahdig for a Persian dinner party with friends. For those of you who don't know, Tahdig is a gorgeous mound of fragrant Basmati rice, heaped into a pot to be browned and crisped at the bottom. It's sort of rice crack. And, now I had to make the rice crack.

Well, as you can surmise from the photo above, I did it. Well, almost. This isn't proper Tahdig. It's Samin Nosrat's Persian-ish Rice. And, allow me to say that it is an amaze-balls recipe. Worked perfectly!

Am I still scared of rice? Less and less each day. Sure that there are other grains out there that will thwart me, but between my rice cooker and Ms. Nosrat's recipes for the rest of my rice escapades, I got this!

Hummus Is Where The Heart Is

Finally was able to get to Philadelphia and see Mama Vamp.

Did we celebrate? My mother made a special request - that I bring cocktail supplies to make her something special that we could sip together. I packed up a shaker, a jigger, and small bottles of St. Germaine and Applejack. Montparnasse cocktails were shaken and poured into good crystal coupes. We raised them, toasted to being in good health and lucky enough to be together.

One round and we were hungry. Very hungry. Some things don't change. Thank goodness!

It was a beautiful Saturday and Philadelphians were out-and-about, masked up, sitting outdoors at local cafes. Wait times for a table were upwards of a half-hour. Not surprised. We kept walking and then saw it - Dizengoff - Chef Michael Solomonov's Center City Hummuyisa. In other words - a trip to Tel Aviv without the flight.

Yes. This was lunch. Gorgeous, light, fluffy hummus. One platter topped with roasted cauliflower and pistachios, and another with roasted brisket, beefy in a rich tomato and onion sauce. Swiped the plates with freshly baked pitas and thick slices of Persian cucumbers.

Oh, yes.

It made me question why I haven't made Solomonov's hummus recipe as of late. The difference between the homemade stuff, using his recipe, and the stuff in the market? They aren't even close. A comparison isn't fair. Solomonov's hummus is revelatory. The secret ingredient? Ice water. Seriously. Ice water.

I may have been leaning on my "Meat and Greek" combo throughout the pandemic, but "Hummus and Friends" may be my next go-to. It'll make me think of Mama Vamp. And, I have a strange feeling that even if I start making the hummus at home, I'll be visiting Dizengoff again with my mom the next time I am in Philly.

Her face lit up tasting its creamy goodness. Maybe the company had something to do with the smile too - but that hummus sure didn't hurt!

My Parisian Pandemic - In Brooklyn (Merci Monsieur Lebovitz)

I was supposed to go to Paris late March. Supposed to go. Didn't go.

Perhaps that is why I discovered David Lebovitz's Instagram Live "Apero Hour" from Paris, a civilized and joyful respite from the pandemic, 12noon Eastern, Monday through Saturday.

Well before all this, I had been an admirer of Lebovitz. Earlier in his career he was a cook and pastry chef at Berkeley's Chez Panisse. He moved to Paris decades ago and has been writing about his experiences - glorious and exasperating and everything in-between - ever since. I had often cooked recipes from My Paris Kitchen and enjoyed reading his memoir-meets-cookbook called The Sweet Life in Paris, but it wasn't until I stumbled on his genius recipe for Almond Cake that I became an ardent fan. It's the bombdiggity! Just let one mere crumb of this dessert past your lips and you will instantly become a fan girl (or fan guy)!

His "Apero Hour" IG Lives began as a substitute for a book tour to promote his latest tome - Drinking French. The COVID-19 crisis had most of the world in lockdown, so instead of visiting bookstores to talk about the cocktails, apéritifs, spirits, and other drinks that are the cornerstone of French café and bar life, he took to Instagram. At 6pm Paris time he makes a drink from his Parisian kitchen - sometimes accompanied in-person by his utterly charming partner Romain. And, once in a while, he is joined remotely by a guest bartender, distiller, or another drinks-focused author, who could be located anywhere in the wilds of France or the deepest darkest depths of Brooklyn.

It has become appointment viewing for me.

As a result, I've purchased some new cocktail ingredients - including Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum (who knew it was made by the French?). I have shaken and stirred a new range of drinks for sipping during Zoom happy hours and alike. I have made Lebovitz's Rosemary Gimlet, followed his recipes for making a Montparnasse, The White Lady, and a Daiquiri (using the aforementioned pineapple-infused rum - YUM!). I also tried my hand at drink recipes offered by his guests, including a stellar Margarita from Ivy Mix of Brooklyn's Leyenda and the bitter and brilliant Tunnel Cocktail from Franck Audoux, the owner of Cravan in Paris (snapshot of my rendition above.)

In addition, I connect with a makeshift community of sorts when I log on. Several of us "regulars" chime in and chatter with each other, as well as David, in an effort to make "Apero Hour" our own.

And, lest you think that I've solely been imbibing thanks to Mr. Lebovitz, I can attest to the fact that I have been trying more of his food recipes too. In fact, his Shallot Marmalade...

...is up there in genius, swoon-worthy territory. And, his "Apero Hour" featuring French cheeses, inspired me to buy a serious slice of Brie de Meaux to go alongside some of the marmalade.

Sure I will be exploring more of his recipes - and those he recommends - in the coming weeks. I have already added certain spots like the bar Combat and the Fédération Française de l'Apéritif to my Paris map for when I can finally return to the City of Lights. Until then, and for as long as he'll allow, I will be virtually visiting David Lebovitz's kitchen for my fix of France.

Merci, David Lebovitz! Merci!

A Dining Dream Come True

I am such a fan girl sometimes. I have always swooned at the notion of visiting the James Beard House for one of their gourmet dinners. Passing by the West Village townhouse I always try to steal a glance through the windows, craning my neck to get a look at the tables inside - jealous of the guests, aching to be one of them.

Well, last night I wasn't just a fan girl. I was a dinner guest.

And, it was everything it was cracked up to be - from kicking off the evening with a flute of NV Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, Brut and bits of Korean Bacon with Spicy Mustard to Steak Tartare served with addictive crispy beef tendon puffs and glasses of NV R. Geoffroy, Champagne Rose de Saignee Brut.

That was just the beginning. The food was courtesy of Cote, the new hot gourmet Korean steakhouse in Flatiron.

Let me say, the steak was freakin' sublime. We had a Vertical Tasting of Dry Aged Rib Eye. What is that, you ask? Think about a rosy red slab of seared beef aged for 28 days, next to one that was aged for 55 days, next to one aged for 110 days. Oh, yeah. They brought the funk. They brought the kimchi jam!

I could go on, but why make you even more green-eyed with jealousy than necessary?

So, fan girl no more, I might need to step up and buy tickets to a few more of these James Beard Foundation dinners. Next time I hope they seat me at the table in James' bedroom, mirrored ceiling and all. I think that'll suit me just fine.

Foodgasm in Bangkok - Pt. 2

What's better than going to a world-renowned food market in Bangkok?

Going to said market with a local chef by your side.

Luckily, my hotel was keen on making my foodie dreams come true and the Lebua's Thai Chef de Cuisine Prayong Khundongling graciously escorted me to Or Tor Kor Market, guiding me through colorful aisles filled with pristine produce, dried fish and seafood piled high like jewels, bags of every type of rice imaginable...

...stalls packed with mangosteens and Thai rose apples, bottles of freshly pressed sugarcane juice, tray after tray of just-laid and pink preserved eggs...

...whole roasted ducks and chickens, bowls overflowing with dried chili peppers, and enough platters of Thai specialities to keep anyone happily grazing for days...

And, as if that wasn't enough to get my foodie on, Chef Khundongling whisked me away from the market and back to the hotel kitchen to teach me how to make a few regional dishes, including Gaeng Kiew Wan Khae (Thai Green Curry with Lamb), and Yam-Sam O (Pomelo Salad with Prawns)...

It made for a swoon-worthy lunch.

I followed that up with an all-important local tradition - Thai massage.

Two-hours of brilliant stretching and pummeling later and I was ready for another hard-hitting session of relaxing by the pool with a G&T in hand.

And, after all that, a final dinner in Bangkok meant hailing a cab and heading over to one of the most popular restaurants in town - Issaya Siamese Club. Just off a small side street, the restaurant is the flagship of famed Thai chef, cookbook author, and TV personality Ian Kittichai. Hidden from view until you walk through its gates, Issaya ushers guests through a lush garden, onto a magical terrace, and into an exquisite dining room brimming with tropical flowers and a mix of Thai and Moroccan antiques.

Oh, and then there's the meal. What a meal!

A blur of beautiful plating, intoxicating aromas, and intense flavors, I had a hard time not moaning at my table, especially when tucking into dishes such as a fork-tender Australian Veal Cheek Simmered in House Blended Spices, served with a generous drizzling of coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves.

Okay, I may have moaned a little. And, yes, it might have gotten me a bit of attention.

But, at least some of that attention was from Chef Kittichai himself, just returned from snagging number 21 at the 2017 Awards for the Top 50 Restaurants in Asia. He was utterly charming and I was delighted to thank him for such an amazing dinner. He smiled and thought it wise to send me off with a special opportunity to continue my Bangkok foodgasm at home...

...presenting me with a signed copy of his Issaya Siamese Club Cookbook.

So, I may be back in Brooklyn, but New York has plenty of Thai groceries available, and I'm armed with some mighty fine recipes.

There's no reason for this foodgasm to stop now - or ever.