There is no argument to be had. The crullers at Daily Provisions are transcendent. One bite into the Maple Glazed version, pictured above, and I knew I was dealing with some incomparable, brilliant f*cking donut genius here.
It seriously warrants this review:
YES!!!!!
You expect them together on the produce aisle, but not necessarily together on a plate. Except for a squeeze of citrus atop steaming veggies, fresh fruit and vegetables aren't always seen as a natural pairing.
Yet, two posts below, you'll see an image of a Charred Cabbage Salad from a visit in July to Portland's Canard -- and that cabbage was served with sliced peaches, toasted pine nuts, and a shower of Parmesan.
Good stuff.
And, even more recently, I was surprised and delighted at a local fave called Colonie to tuck into a Watermelon Salad with charred Shishito peppers, smoked ricotta, brown butter, fresh oregano leaves, and toasted pumpkin seeds. On another evening at the same restaurant, I was greeted with a special Tomato and Strawberry Salad.
Yes, yes, tomatoes are also considered a fruit as well as a vegetable, but still!
Tomatoes are a great foil for fresh fruit. In fact, I have been known to make a salad of tomatoes, peaches, red onion and cilantro. Delicious combo!
Have you encountered any couplings between fruit and veg this summer? Could they beat out Bennifer as the new "it couple"? We'll see...
Yes, it has been about a year since everyone started making sourdough. I resisted that trend.
Still, ever once in a while I have succumbed to recipe mania. Seems like every few months a new "must-make-recipe" hits social media, as more and more people look for guidance in navigating meal prep during the pandemic.
First up was the Caramelized Shallot Pasta by Alison Roman that had everyone cooking down copious amounts of shallots with briny anchovies, tomato paste, and more. I heard about people making jar after jar of it to put on top of everything from fish to eggs. Sounded like a magic stuff.
My review: Meh. Very meh.
A far superior option if you have a yen for shallots is a Shallot Marmalade from David Lebovitz. Brilliant accompanying cheese or on top of a seared pork chop.
Admittedly, it isn't meant to serve as a sauce for pasta. When I want an easy pasta, I often find myself just browning butter and tossing in a few sage leaves to sizzle. I pour that over a plate of ravioli and shower it all with grated Parmesan. That's it. So good!
But then another pasta recipe started making the rounds. This one emerged from the depths of TikTok and quickly claimed the spotlight: Baked Feta Pasta. The hype around this recipe is off the charts.
It's appeal is simplicity. A brick of feta cheese on a baking dish, accompanied by a tumble of grape tomatoes, chopped garlic, a few lashings of olive oil, a grind or two of black pepper and a sprinkling of hot chili flakes. Into a hot oven for 45 minutes until melty.Stir everything together for a sauce. Toss in cooked pasta and add a handful of basil leaves. Eat.
Easy to make? Yes. Delicious? Um. Not so much. Don't get me wrong, the resulting bowl of cheesy pasta is fine. Absolutely fine! But, absolutely no more than fine.
Lesson learned: viral during a pandemic. Ironic? Sure. Worthy of accolades? Not necessarily.
Remember Oyster Happy Hours? I recall them all too fondly. I cannot tell you how much I have sorely missed inexpensive shellfish slurping and cocktailing with friends.
And just when I figured that Oyster Happy Hour wouldn't be on the rotation for a good long time, I stumbled upon a sign at the new Cardinal Mkt on Henry Street, not too far from my apartment. Was I seeing things or was this a chalkboard inviting patrons to an Oyster Happy Hour? It wasn't a mirage. It was a bonafide Oyster Happy Hour - one that was offered up in a makeshift patio out on the street, but a real deal Oyster Happy Hour nonetheless.
Dare I? I don't usually sit out front of restaurants these days. I usually keep my dining out to garden locations. But, there was no one else sitting on the patio. There wasn't much foot traffic on the street either. I dare!
One slurp and it was all sortsa like Proust's madeleine. The briny, boozy memories of Oyster Happy Hours of long ago came flooding back. Oh, yes! This was pleasure. This was joyful. This was just the fix I needed before the weather turns frigid cold and I start to want my oysters in chowder instead of on-the-half-shell.
Will I return for more? Most likely. In addition, I'm going to be getting shucking lessons soon. If we end up back in lockdown I think I had better be prepared. I will make my own Oyster Happy Hour, if need be!
Fried chicken has finally done it. It's not only turned Rob Lowe and Reba McIntyre into Colonel Sanders, but it has become a go-to main dish item on fancy restaurant menus - and we are not just talking about in the South.
Case in point, consuming a platter of "everything lickin' good" fried chicken at Chef Thomas Keller's Napa restaurant Ad Hoc. Take a look at that platter of deep fried, poultry deliciousness above. Tell me you wouldn't forgo some foie gras for a serious taste of that!
The East coast is smitten as well. I was picking nubbins of crust off of the table after ravaging this beauty at Brooklyn's Freeks Mill...
Oh, then there is Korean fried chicken - a category all its own. In fact, it seems that the Korean fried chicken-chain Bonchon is nipping at KFC's heels - or, ahem, wings as it were.
Note to self: Must get to Atoboy in Manhattan before the summer is over.
Open to other fried chicken must-do suggestions too! Where do you go for your fave fried chicken fix?
There is no question that I like meat. Meat and fish both. Cannot visualize going vegetarian, but I have been seeing more and more vegetarian options on restaurant menus - and have found myself intrigued.
Cauliflower steaks galore, people!
In truth, cauliflower has been a bit overplayed. But, there are other vegetables that are calling to me these days...Above are some gorgeous blistered green snap peas with Aleppo oil and crispy pita from Brooklyn's Celestine, and below are some of the kitchen's beautiful roasted baby carrots with crushed cashews...
Now, these are vegetarian mains I can get behind!
So, share vegetarian recipes if you've got 'em. No mock duck or mock anything though. If I want meat, I'll have it. If I do go veg, it is because I want the veggies out, loud and proud. Bring out the best in a beet or the finest in fennel, and you got me! Dare I say it? Produce pride!
It was at a conference that I spied a new form of culinary profession - the Hot Saucier.
What, pray tell, is this new gourmand occupation? It is a gentleman or lady who is the resident expert on all things hot sauce. In this case, it was a gent overseeing a table of about 100 different hot sauces, able to explain their provenance, ingredients, flavor profile, and heat level.
Will this role take hold at restaurants across the country? Not sure. Certainly better than those "water sommeliers" they dreamed up a few years back.
Which is it? I am so confused. Is the issue simply perception? Is "Eastern Mediterranean" more palatable to our delicate sensibilities? Or are the terms "Eastern Mediterranean" and "Middle Eastern" interchangeable and I am making a fuss about nothing?
Any which way, there is no question that this fare is all the rage in New York City - from Gramercy hot spot Nur with its fresh-from-the-oven oversized bagels to Soho's Shuka with kebabs aplenty to Dumbo's Celestine, featuring dips with a view.
The flavors are bright and textures lush. No wonder it is the "it" cuisine of the moment. But, we still do need to figure out what to call it...My vote? Delicious.
Everything tastes better on a stick. At least that's what the internet would have you believe.
Well, one trip to Nargis in Park Slope and I became a believer. This skewer-centric hot spot served up meat aplenty -- a seemingly endless supply of meaty kebabs topped with slender rings of white onion. The kebab is to Uzbek cuisine what yakitori is to Japanese fare: awesome meat conveyed on a stick. But when it comes to Uzbek kebab think lamb instead of chicken. Mind you, the standard white meat chicken kebab was offered, but so was a skewer of chicken hearts, and so was minced lulya, and so was veal liver.
I could get used to men bringing me meat on sticks. It reminds me a bit of a long ago trip to a Brazilian-style rodizio. And, word from across the pond is that sticks are the new bowls.
So, expect me to head home soon, toss out my bowls and gather up some sticks for my next dinner party. Or maybe I'll just invite my guests to meet (meat) me at Nargis.
Resistance is futile.
Bread is my downfall. I once found Satan in a bread basket, so why shouldn't I hear the tempting strains of Sirens calling out to me, when presented with warm Parker House rolls at a new LIC hot spot?
Sing on, you starchy Sirens!
Parker House rolls have been "on trend" for quite some time now. And, well before hitting LIC's Bellwether last night (home to the Parker House rolls pictured above), I have inordinately fond memories of slathering butter on piping hot Parker House rolls at Chef Tom Colicchio's now-defunct Craft Steak, and then his Colicchio & Sons in the same location shortly thereafter.
I have yet to bake up a tray of these browned, puffy, delights in my own kitchen. I imagine sprinkling Maldon sea salt atop before thrusting the dough in the oven, waiting breathlessly for the "ding" of timer to release them from the constraints of my stove - and then enjoying them with unrestrained glee.
Sing no more Sirens! My hips cannot handle it! Parker House no more!!!
Yeah, maybe I have a bread problem.