VittlesVamp

Beef in Buenos Aires

You've been more than patient.

In all honesty, I had intended to write this bife-focused post a while ago, but an incredibly hectic work schedule got in the way. (It does pay the bills - including those for steak!)

To start things off, I have to say that the title of this post is a bit of a misnomer.

I most certainly was thrilled by bovine delights in Buenos Aires. Bife de lomo at Don Julio, unquestionably my favorite classic parrilla in town, is lip-smacking beefy goodness. For a modern twist on the traditional steakhouse, La Carniceria is a genius, meat-riffic spot for mammoth cuts of beef and inventive sides. And, for a steak sandwich that's so luscious that you'll wonder why you would ever slap anything but lomo between two slices of bread, I suggest you head to La Rambla cafe.

Furthermore, with meat counters that celebrate beef in all of its moo-worthy glory - like the breathtaking one above - I couldn't resist cooking up steak in BA either. Beautiful butcher shops aside, even the packaged steaks at Jumbo (Argentina's local answer to Walmart) were killer.

But, the very best bife I had on the entire trip was not in BA. It was in Mendoza, at Francis Mallmann's 1884, where fire reigned supreme in the courtyard and asado-savvy chefs prepared various cuts on open flame.

Now I'm sure you're wondering a la Wendy's: "Where's the beef?" Or in this case: "Where is my food porn photo of steak?!?"

I am sorry to disappoint. I was salivating so, that when my gargantuan plate of Rib Eye with Chimichurri and Patagonia-style Potatoes hit the table, I didn't have the wherewithal to snap a decent photo of the dish.

Deal with disappointment.

Or better yet, book yourself a plane ticket to Argentina and get your beef lovin' freak on. I highly recommend it.

Skipped GoogaMooga For Kick-Ass Fruit Salad At Talde

In truth, I had no intention of going to the Great GoogaMooga Festival this past weekend. Too many people. Too many lines. Hall & Oates? Not so much.

I just said "no."

Instead, I said "yes" to Talde with my pal Margo. Figured we might be able to score a coveted brunch table with all the foodie fah-fah over at Prospect Park. We were right. Huzzah!

And let's just start by saying that the food was darn right killer. The Shrimp Toast with Fried Egg and Chinese Sausage Gravy is all it's cracked up to be and more. (Next time, we're definitely going to take Chef Dale's recommendation and order it up uncut, split it down the middle to let the yolk start to ooze and gobble it up sandwich-style!)

But there was one dish that stopped us in our tracks -- Fruit Salad. That's right! Fruit Salad.

The picture above doesn't give this dish its due. Gorgeous ripe fruit glossed in honey with star anise, five spice powder and lime. Then it's all piled high atop a rich blend of roasted bananas and tofu whip.

Oh my freakin' goodness! Sheer Asian-inspired fruity-tooty brilliance!

So, yes, you'll find me camped out early evenings at Talde's bar with a cocktail and an order of that genius Shrimp Toast, but also expect to see me weekend mornings grinning like the Cheshire Cat in front of an order of glorious Fruit Salad -- especially when the GoogaMooga is in full-swing.

Bo Ssam -- A Good Read & A Great Meal

It's a dirty secret. A great recipe isn't just all about great food. It's also about a good read -- the kind of read that has you drooling from the first ingredient to "serves 6 to 10." Such was the good read a month ago in the New York Times Magazine, when they featured the recipe for Chef David Chang's Momofuku Bo Ssam.

Wandering through the shelves at Kalustyan's, searching for various Korean ingredients on Chang's list, I could see that I wasn't alone in appreciating the recipe's finer points. As I purchased the store's last container of Kochujang chili paste, the cashier remarked that they couldn't keep the stuff in stock over the last few weeks. "Why is this chili paste so popular all of a sudden?"

All I can say, is I hope other Kalustyan's patrons had as much success with the recipe as I did, evidenced by the photo above of mind-blowing slow-cooked pork butt.

Below, you'll see equally over-the-top accompaniments including Kimchi, the requisite Ginger-Scallion and Ssam sauces, as well as a batch of homemade Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon.

Paired with series of rich, chocolatey Imperial Stouts, the meal was an undeniable winner. And, to cap off the porky, stouty goodness, my guests and I indulged in a Belgian-style Biscotti lager as a malty companion to one heck of a dessert...

...a warm Banana Tart Tartine that oozed caramel and almost garnered as many oohs and aahs as the Bo Ssam itself.

So that's what a good read can get you. A great meal.

And to that I say, if you can't read, hoping you're enjoying the photos on this blog.

However, if you can, get to it and find me my next go-to recipe.

2012: The Year of the Egg?

We are used to seeing the humble egg grab the spotlight on Sundays, when brunch is the preferred meal du jour and dishes that range from the classic Eggs Benedict to Colonie's savory Duck Hash with Poached Egg and Fingerling Potatoes (pictured above) are taking centerstage.

But lately, I've been seeing a bit more of the freshly cracked, gentle white and yellow eye appearing on evening menus -- and we're not talking about "breakfast for dinner" here. For example, Danny Meyer's Manhattan hot spot The Modern showcases a Slow-Poached Farm Egg with Maine Lobster, Artichoke Purée, Crosnes and Sea Urchin Froth on its Bar Room Menu. One of Chef Thomas Keller's most famous French Laundry dishes is a riff on "Bacon and Eggs," sporting a spoon filled with a soft-poached quail egg with applewood-smoked bacon and beurre monté. And, proving that the egg is more than just an American phenomenon, "The Hen and the Egg" is the signature dish of René Redzepi, the chef at Noma in Copenhagen, arguably the most lauded restaurant in the world.

To top it off, WD-50 molecular gastronomy whiz Wylie Dufresne presented a dynamic lecture about the wonder and glory of the egg at a recent TED conference.

So, is the egg going to finally overtake pork belly as the "it" ingredient of 2012? Poached, sunnyside up, scrambled or hardboiled, my bet is in.

The Discovery Of A New Ingredient: Celery (Don't Laugh!)

As an avid home cook, there is nothing more pleasurable than the discovery of a new ingredient.

Unless of course, it's the discovery of several workman finishing up my kitchen renovation. Please let it be done this week!

OK. Back on track. Except for the completion my kitchen renovation, there is nothing more delightful than discovery of a new ingredient.

Introduction to a new foodstuff can send me into a joyful tizzy. I'm like a kid with a new toy. A new kind of Heirloom Tomato at the greenmarket. Bring it on! A chance to experiment for the first time with Piment d'Espelette? I'm practically giddy!

But who knew that a boring, mainstay ingredient could suddenly make my knees wobble with heady exultation? Who knew that CELERY would be my new "It" ingredient.

Damn that Chef Michael White. He knows what he's doing. Well evidenced by a towering plate of luscious Adriatic-style Seafood Salad with olives, lemon, caper -- and celery -- from his casual Soho outpost Osteria Morini. Shockingly, celery didn't make the cut for a mention in the menu listing, but gosh darn if it didn't leave a lasting impression.

Translucent ribbons of pale green celery were sweet and lightly crunchy, a perfect foil for the moist shrimp, scallops, squid and octopus. I lapped them up with glee. In the past, I often found that chunks of stringy celery were for picking out of a dish, not for twirling and tasting with relish. Oh, how wrong I was. In the hands of a talented chef, celery is food for the G-ds!

Clearly, celery will be at the top of my shopping list, the second that my renovation is complete. Not sure what I'm going to be doing with it, but it's bound to be good, if not worth of adulation by the G-ds.

For the record: Kitchen in flux or no, you can't keep The Vamp down when she's inspired!

Rum Deserves Better

I adore rum cocktails and aged rum as a slow sipper. So, I was mighty delighted to be offered an invite to a Rums of Puerto Rico event at the Empire State Building, excited to potentially meet some of PR's finest rum producers and a few keen mixologists as well.

Unfortunately, what I got was a sad list of unimaginative cocktails at the bar (Rum and Coke anyone? or how about a Rum and Orange Juice?), a lot of thumpa-thumpa music blaring in my ears (if that complaint makes me old, so be it!), and political speeches aplenty. Throw in two bartenders who put on a pathetic homage to Tom Cruise in the 80's flick "Cocktail" and an odd appearance by Food Network star Claire Robinson (it's not like she's Puerto Rican or a bartender), and you've pretty much got the evening's festivities down.

Even the gift bag (pictured above) was disappointing. Think rum cake and cigars. Seriously.

I hope the producers of this rum reception think more about the rum the next time they come to town. I'd love to learn -- and taste -- more. If the Cotes du Rhone folks could turn their annual event from Cotes du Wrong into Cotes du Right, I have every faith that the Rums of Puerto Rico team can deliver.

Until then, you can find me at the bar at The Edison Hotel's Rum House, downing a Tortuga or two (or three).

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 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.

Will Room 4 Dessert Return?

Pastry chef extraordinaire Will Goldfarb may have moved to Bali, yet it looks like the Big Apple might lure him back in some way, shape or form.

Home for the holidays last weekend, Goldfarb tempted New Yorkers at Nolita's Veloce Club with a special ticketed series of Room 4 Dessert four-course dessert tastings paired with cocktails.

It felt like the sort of occasion that couldn't be missed. When would I ever be in Bali? One look at the menu (pictured above), however, and it seemed that an airplane ticket might not be necessary. Just a Metrocard. The balmy breezes of Goldfarb's new Indonesian island home still hold fascination, but now I was given hope -- hope for pastry wunderkind's return to the island known as Manhattan.

Let it be so! Don't toy with me!

Forget about the seasonal standard of sugar plums dancing in my head. This gal is shooting for dreams of Will Goldfarb's warm chocolate muscoado mousse and lemon cloud truffle!

Cotes Du Right

Last year, I wrote about a swank Cotes du Rhone event that I attended in celebration of a new ad campaign touting the wine's gift for accompanying fancy fare and casual grub alike. At that time, I took the event programmers to task for only focusing on the posh half of the equation, delicious as it may have been.

This year, they went to the other end of the spectrum, inviting a select group of foodies to a pizza party at Chelsea's Co. The pizzas were paired with some of the Rhone Valley's loveliest bottles by Blue Hill Sommelier Thomas Carter. I enjoyed all the vin, but officially developed a crush on Carter when it came to his selection of Vidal-Fleury, Cote-Rotie 2005, a ruby red beauty offering hints of pomegranate, dark cherry and tobacco. (Why aren't there more sommeliers at pizzerias?)

The pizza was equally divine: Bianca Tradizionale, featuring mozzarella, pecorino, black pepper and pork strutto by Chef Nate Appelbaum of Pulino's; Corn Pie, showcasing corn puree, mozzarella, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and chili pepper from Chef Jim Lahey, our pizzeria host for the event; Brussels Sprout Pizza, with fior di latte, pancetta afumicatta, garlic and parmesan from Chef Matheiu Palombino of Motorino...

...Margherita Pie spotlighting sweet tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil by Chef Mark Iacono of Lucali; and a thick-crusted Sweet Pie with chocolate, Salvatore Brooklyn ricotta and raw honey from Chef Heather Carlucci of Print Restaurant.

It was an amazing meal accompanied by a selection of sensational Rhone Valley wines. And, just reliving it now, I really don't know if I can ever have pizza with Chianti again.