VittlesVamp

Pasta Envy

I'm about to embark upon my annual 24-hour fast in the name of Yom Kippur and its blow-out-sale on penitence and redemption.

I have most certainly sinned over the course of the last year. This is a necessary Yom.

But there is only one major sin in the culinary realm that I can think off -- mad kitchen skills envy. The object of my jealousy is my pal Nick and his gift when it comes to making pasta.

Just take a look at the glorious squid ink fettuccine he made. In its raw form, it looks like a Jackson Pollack. Don't you agree?

Well, it wasn't just beautiful. It was delicious too. Here it is served up with a coconut milk-rich Thai curry...

Notice the crustaceans to ensure that this was full-fledged sin for a nice Jewish gal from "Lawn Giland."

Sin is so darn tasty!

And, with that timely confession, I'm off to have my "final meal" before the holiday begins.

No Sleep Till Barcelona

Time to break out the tapas! Planning a trip to Spain for May and decided to get a head start with a little help from my friends.

Sangria was poured. Asturian cider was gulped. Pinxtos were eaten. We're talking about toasts piled with sweet piquillo peppers and rich bits of glistening sardine, skewers of baby tomato, manzanilla olives and mouthpuckering white anchovies, and more toasts with even more piquillo peppers, this time stuffed with buttery blue cheese and hot peppers for good measure.

Platters of Serrano ham and lomo, alongside Manchengo and Idiazabal cheese were nibbled. Chorizo was stewed in wine and shrimp was sauteed with good olive oil and slivers of garlic. All was consumed with gusto.

Then the Spanish Tortilla was served toasty warm from its oil slick pan, dotted with red pepper, onion, and eggplant, slathered with homemade, garlicky good aiolli.

Dessert was densely perfumed Olive Oil Cake infused with orange zest and topped with a flurry of sliced almonds.

While I'm hoping that culinary stops in Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona kick it out of the parque, it's nice to know that I can get my Español on closer to home -- or at home as it were.

Christmas Eve, Jewish Guilt

Ever since I was a little girl, growing up surrounded by malls and diners on Long Island's North Shore, I dreamed of Christmas. I would flip through my mother's December issue of Better Homes and Gardens, entranced by page after page of holiday decor, Christmas cookie recipes, and glittering, gorgeous, ornament-festooned Christmas trees.

It was torture.

For I am a Jew.

No Christmas for me. "How about a Hanukkah bush?," I asked?

"No, we're Jewish! There is no such thing as a Hanukkah bush!," was the reply.

Mama Vamp had a mean streak back then.

But that was a long time ago, in a land far away. (Maybe, not so far away, but it's not like I've visited the Walt Whitman Mall lately.)

I'm grown-up now and could quite easily purchase a Christmas tree for my home. I could live out my Better Homes and Gardens holiday dreams. Yet, I don't.

The closest I have come is my annual Christmas Eve pilgrimage to Otto in the West Village for Italian fare and a merry glass or two of Prosecco. Mama Vamp even deigned to join me one year.

Last night, however, was different from all other Christmas Eves before. It was one in which I was invited to a spectacular Christmas Eve repast with presents under the tree, festive caroling (if singing along to Adele's "Hello" counts), and children dressed in their holiday best. And, the food...

Unsurprisingly, the feast was planned and prepared by two Jewish gents - my pal Peter and his comrade in bromance, Josh. It was a holiday miracle for that little Jewish girl who grew up on the Island: Two nice Jewish boys cooking up a Christmas Eve dinner that would have me too full to ever dream of sugar plums again.

First up? Ham. Not just any ham. We're talking a platter of sliced, luscious Iberico. They followed that up with Beau Soleil oysters with a tart mignonette. The remnants of the bivalve wonders are pictured above.

That was only the start. In the kitchen, the pair were prepping a massive Prime Rib, aged for no less than 50 days...

They lovingly saved the drippings for their fatty goodness, dribbling them generously into muffin tins to bake up Yorkshire Puddings.

As if that wasn't enough by way of rich starch, Peter whipped up a Potato and Sweet Potato Gratin. And, because something green was called for, there was a heaping pot of Creamed Spinach...

But the meal's pièce de résistance, was an "only Peter could come up with this" creation: Torchon of Foie Gras served with Manischewitz en Gelee, Roasted Peanuts and Toasted Challah...

Which brings us back to Judiasm. The Manischewitz gelee snapped it all back into place for me.

I was enjoying myself thoroughly, but at the same time I had to recognize that Christmas is not my holiday. It never will be.

Then my friend Max rubbed Kosher salt in the wound. This afternoon, I read his latest on Saveur - an ode to the importance of Jewish Christmas, extolling the virtues of "finding freedom in a holiday that leaves you out in the cold." And, as he eloquently rhapsodizes about Sichuan specialties and dim sum in Flushing, he shares a worry.

Is "Jewish Christmas" becoming too popular a phenomenon for its own good?

To that I say "Bah humbug!" There is enough Lo Mein to go around. And, I do not see Gentiles around the globe giving up their twinkling trees and Christmas hams for our Hunan holiday.

So tonight, no guilt - just a Jewish gal at home in Brooklyn with Chinese delivery for dinner.

Thank Full

You're expecting a photo of a turkey. I get it. Hate to disappoint. In truth, I made a gorgeous bird on Thanksgiving and then - as I traditionally do - turned the carcass into gorgeous gumbo. But, thought I'd take a breath post-turkey-palooza to reflect on some of the tastes I've been particularly thankful for over the past year...

For example, I can't help but smile thinking about that plate of juicy Himalayan lamb dumplings from a Momo truck in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Then there was the classic Porteño breakfast of a freshly baked Medialuna served alongside a serious cup of coffee, which I consumed fairly regularly when I was living in Buenos Aires this summer.

Once home, I tried my hand at recreating Argentina's great steak dinners at a pal's Brooklyn apartment, complete with wine from Mendoza and a Mallmann-esque fire pit in the backyard.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I made "all gone" when presented with a plate of chilled Gulf shrimp at Peche in New Orleans.

And then there has been the spirted New Orleans-style indulgence of a well-crafted Pimm's Cup at my Brooklyn local, Jack the Horse Tavern.

Can only hope that I'll have a few more food and drink memories to regale you with before the year is out.

Barcelona By Way Of Brooklyn

There is nothing like a trip to Europe without a passport and jet lag. Not that I wouldn't want to hop aboard a plane bound for Barcelona or Madrid right now, but I was lucky enough to get a taste of el estilo de vida Español when a bevy of foodie friends descended upon Chez Vamp for a Spanish feast that was nothing short of exquisite.

There was Paella, of course -- in this case, graced with wild Patagonia Shrimp, Monkfish Cheeks and Littleneck Oysters. Admittedly, that was the low point of the Spanish groaning board. (What can I say? It may look beautiful above, but my socarrat skills are sorely lacking.)

My pals were really the ones that made this dinner sing, with an array of tapas and pinxtos that would make a Catalan proud. Heck, we even indulged in a jar of Banderillas -- little plastic swords balancing tiny sour pickles, slivers of sweet red pepper, olives and pickled onions. Downed in one briny, mouthpuckering bite, we moved on to attack the rest of the Barcelonean banquet.

A major highlight: a platter laden with wafer-thin ruby red slices of Jamon Iberico Bellota, Jamon Serrano and Serrano de Lomo. It was all gobbled up within minutes of being laid on the table.

Thankfully, there was more to come. Much more.

Vegetables took centerstage long enough for us to pretend that maybe we were eating healthy. (Didn't I hear something about the Mediterranean Diet being great for your waistline?) There were Grilled Artichoke Hearts with brightening splash of fresh lemon juice, a hearty Tortilla Espanol and Steamed Broccoli with the traditional red pepper Romesco Sauce, warmed with toasted hazelnuts.

Then, bringing us back to the sea, we oohed and ahhed over a gorgeous plate of Razor Clam shells stuffed with diced clam meat along with chopped eggs, a garlic aioli and fennel fronds...

And, yes, there was dessert too. Pears poached in Sherry, served with Turron Ice Cream and topped with toasted almonds and dried cherries.

It was all quite splendid. The recipe most requested at the evening's end? No surprise: my Sangria.

Didn't I mention that I stirred up a pitcher at the night's onset? No? Well, perhaps that's because it was gone even quicker than the platter of Spanish ham.

So, here it is. May it quench your thirst and put a bit of Flamenco in your footstep all summer long...

Sangria

1 bottle Spanish red wine
1/2 cup brandy
3/4 cup triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1/2 Granny Smith apple
1/2 orange
6 strawberries

Pour wine, brandy, triple sec and orange juice into a larger pitcher. Stir. Add a cup of ice and the fruit cut into bite-sized chunks. Allow to chill the fridge for at least an hour, so the fruit gets soaked through with the Sangria mixture. Serve in glassed filled with ice.

Cookie! Cookie! Cookie! Cookie! Cookie!

'Tis the season. Time for cookies to come out of the oven and take center stage.

And, take center stage they did at my pal Max's cookie swap last night. His dining room table was brimming with cookies by the dozen, a mind-boggling array of freshly baked treats.

My fave? I had two. First up, savory buttery coins dotted with briny black olive bits. Hoping that this is the recipe, so I can make them at home. My second pick was actually my own cookies. A tad full of myself? Perhaps, but my Crunchy Jumble cookies won plenty of kudos from other party guests.

A classic from my childhood, this cookie marries the traditional chocolate chipper to the snap, crackle and pop of Rice Krispies. They are all at once light and buttery and remarkably crisp, studded with chocolate for good measure.

I'd say that I'd make them for next year's cookie swap, but the truth is that I don't want to swap them at all!

Crunchy Jumbles

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl combine butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture. Incorporate flour mixture one-third at a time until well mixed. Add cereal and chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon on cookie sheets with parchment paper. Bake 15 minutes. Makes 30 - 36 cookies.

Mum's the Word

It's magic. Undeniable magic. A meal can be great -- but it is made more so by a mother's love.

I bore witness to this culinary phenomenon earlier this week at my pal Claire's West Village home. Arriving for dinner, I met her parents, who had come to call from Yorkshire, England. Lucky for me, besides bringing the usual parental glad tidings, Claire's "Mum" had brought along her all-time favorite recipe for Lamb Roast with Potatoes and Onions.

Pictured above, this was a marvel of a dinner. The lamb was so tender that it fell off the bone with the gentle touch of a fork. The potatoes were a toasty deep brown, crisp and soft all at once, and the roast onions were caramelized and addictive.

Still, I had to wonder if the meal would have been quite as comforting if I hadn't been sitting next to the beaming "Mum" chef who served us with such pride and pleasure.

After giving it a bit of thought, I concluded that the answer on that score has to be "nope." It was "Mum's" presence, her unmitigated motherly joy in preparing and serving the dinner that gave it a maternal je ne sais qua that took a very good meal into the marvelous zone.

That said, if anyone has similar tales to share when it comes to Dad-made fare, I'd love to hear about it. Equal-opportunity parental cooking fans, it is your time to shout out!

T-Day Rewind

This year's Thanksgiving kicked my culinary ass. Mama Vamp grabbed the head of my table and my foodie friends delivered the goods -- in the form of dishes aplenty to add to the feast.

First up, the requisite nibbles of bar nuts, cheese, grapes and olives, alongside a round of Applejack Manhattans. Then I served an amuse bouche that was sure to amuse everyone's bouches. Pictured above, I set before my guests the most elegant riff on nachos that this earth has ever seen: artisanal low-salt potato chips, served with a bit of rich creme fraiche and a spoon of brackish caviar, all showered with freshly snipped chives.

Nachos of the gods!

Next up, my pal Emi set the stage for our appetizer of Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche, laying out bowls of the traditional toppings of crisp plantain chips, still-warm popcorn, and slices of bright green lime for squirting.

Then bowls of the glorious crustaceans arrived...

Low moans of pleasure were heard as every last bite was downed.

Now, it was time for the main event. The bird...

What a pretty bird she was, dry-brined for 24 hours with two types of salt and slivers of garlic, and fragrant herbs tucked under the skin. But what is a bird without fixins? We had them all: Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, two kinds of Cranberry Sauce, Creamy Celery Root Puree, Kale Salad with Roasted Squash and Mushroom-Onion Gravy. Then came the starch parade, led by a Cajun classic of Shrimp and Eggplant Dressing...

...And my archaeologically-inclined pal Kristin brought a heaping tray of Wild Rice Dressing, just in case the Cajun-style version wasn't to everyone's liking...

Both dressings were a big hit with the crowd. But, putting us all over the starch precipice, was a mammoth platter of homemade Sweet Potato Rolls, fluffy and just itching for a generous pat of butter.

We also laid waste to several bottles of wine, and a couple of pies from Four and Twenty Blackbirds. The slices were piled high with whiskey-scented whipped cream and the room fell silent as we greedily devoured every morsel.

There wasn't much left at the end of the evening...

To think this photo was taken midway through the meal. A few white meat scraps, a lone wing and the carcass was all that was left to me at the evening's end.

Thankfully, that is just enough for me to cook up pot of gobsmacking Turkey Gumbo over the weekend. Who wants to come over for a bowl?

P.S. Special thanks to my foodie friend Max for his gorgeous photos of the feast!

Chez Vamp Goes Southeast Asian

Once in a while an idea goes beyond good and ventures into genius. Such was the case when a few of food fanatical friends and I decided to put together a Southeast Asian fete.

The plan was such: Meet up in Brooklyn's Chinatown one Saturday morning for dim sum at Pacificana and then go food shopping for ingredients along Sunset Park's 8th Avenue. Following the grocery gauntlet, we'd hightail it back to my apartment to cook en masse.

As soon as we had set a date, the recipe search began in earnest. Several of Chef Andy Ricker's recipes were under consideration in order to add a little Pok Pok into the proceedings, but none of us could resist checking out SheSimmers and a couple of Singaporean food sites as well.

Finally, after weeks of planning, the day arrived. Emi, Jim, Max and I hit Sunset Park with high expectations.

Happily, those expectations were well met at Pacificana. Dim sum was glorious -- if not a bit gluttonous. (More Har Gow please!)

After the last bit of Fried Radish Cake was demolished, we left the table and descended upon New York Mart with a vengeance. To give you a taste, pictured above is just one of many overstuffed baskets from our shopping spree.

Weighted down with bags of groceries, we grabbed the subway, jockeyed past a woman who almost impaled us with a scabbard and antler horns (don't ask) and made our way to my apartment to unload bags and bags of duck meat, holy basil, wonton wrappers, cilantro, garlic, napa cabbage, soy sauce, fresh ginger and so much more. Within moments I'd cracked open a few beers for the team and my pal Emi cracked open her recipe journal...

... and started to make homemade Chinese dumplings...

She wasn't alone in the kitchen for long. Minutes later, Chad, Sandra and Ori arrived, with even more ingredients in tow. Soon the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen" was laid to rest, as chopping, stewing and steaming began. It was a whirling dervish of culinary craziness, as my small kitchen became home to five cooks and two sous chef volunteers.

The sights and smells were beguiling, from Chad's rendition of Pok Pok's Long Bean, Cucumber & Tomato Salad and Steamed Fish with Lime and Chile...

...to Jim's melt-in-your-mouth Taiwanese dish Three-Cup Chicken and Max's killer riff on Thai Pork Larb, subbing out pork for duck and adding shrimp chips for extra crunch...

And then there was my dinner offering of Fried Oyster Omelette, based on a recipe from the master of Singapore hawker cuisine, K. F. Seetoh...

We downed it all with a round of Kaffir Lime Leaf-infused Gin & Tonics, capping off dinner with homemade Coconut-Pandan Ice Cream made by yours truly.

Let me just say that at the meal's end, we weren't just sated, we were giddy with pleasure. (OK, maybe the G&T's helped a bit there too!)

There is no question: This experiment will have to be had again. Maybe next time, we'll try Sicilian cuisine or perhaps Indian fare. Open to ideas and recipe suggestions...

Summer of Ceviche

On scorching days, my fancy usually turns to oysters, ice-cold, lightly briny beauties splashed with tart shallot mignonette. This summer, oysters have been had, but a new seafood favorite has emerged as well -- ceviche.

Just a few weeks ago, I reveled in a bowl of Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche at Sunset Park's El Tesoro Ecuatoriano. Unlike any rendition I'd had before, this irresistible ceviche featured tender shrimp floating in a tomato-lime chilled soup, topped with a shower of fresh popcorn and fruity hot sauce.

I was enthralled. Two bites in, and I was officially hooked on ceviche -- and I was on the prowl for more.

Visiting Chimu in Williamsburg a week later with a gal pal, I insisted we order their Peruvian-style Ceviche Mixto. Replete with raw mussels, crab, shrimp, and delicate white fish, enlivened by lime and cilantro, the ceviche was divine.

And, returning to Billysburg this past 4th of July, I joined a few friends in Maison Premiere's enchanting back garden for bracing Sazeracs, live Dixieland jazz, and Sea Bream Ceviche. Pictured above, this shell-plated dish included hints of coconut milk, lime juice, sharp red onion, bright scallion and sweet mango. Not sure if it is an "old New Orleans recipe," but who the heck cares when it's this delicious.

Now, I'm intent on making my own ceviche. Lucky for me my Ecuadorian pal Emi was willing to part with her family recipe. She says that it is best consumed on an ungodly hot day as a brunch or lunch dish with a really cold beer. Sounds good to me!

I'm definitely going to make some soon. But, if you get to it before me, give me a shout and I'll head over with an icy six-pack of Coronas!

Emi's Ecuadorian Ceviche

1 lb of either large prawns or fish (mahi mahi or sea bass are the best)
4 large tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
1/2 can of tomato paste
8 limes
1/2 orange
2 TBSP mustard
black pepper
salt

Take each tomato and cut it in half. Grate one of the halves and chop up the other one. Do this for all 4 tomatoes. Add to a big bowl. Julienne the onion. Add to the tomato mix. Cut up the seafood. If it is fish, dice the fish, if it is the prawns, devein and shell them and then cut each of them in half lengthwise.

Put about a liter of water to boil in a pot. Once the water boils, blanche the seafood (dip it in the water until it becomes white). The fish should be blanched for about 30 seconds (don't overcook it!) and the prawns anywhere from 30 seconds to about a minute. Put the seafood in a bowl. Turn off the pot when you finish. DO NOT THROW OUT THE WATER.

Add the seafood to the tomato and onion mix. Add the 1/2 of tomato paste to the tomato-onion-seafood mix. Mix thoroughly.Squeeze the eight limes onto the mix. Mix thoroughly again. Ladle in about one or two cups of the water that was left over from blanching the seafood into the mix. Mix thoroughly again. Add salt & pepper to taste, as well as the mustard. Mix again. Squeeze the orange juice onto the mix. Mix thoroughly. Taste. Add limes, salt, pepper and/or mustard if needed.

It should be refreshing, but salty and slightly sweet (only slightly!). The lime flavor should be present but not predominant.Chill for about an hour or hour and a half. Serve.

Serve with sides of popcorn, corn nuts, and plantain chips (the thinner, salty kind) that can be added to taste by the people who will be doing the eating. It is customary to also have a few limes cut into quarters served with the ceviche in case people prefer their ceviche a little more on the sour side.