Extreme Pocket Food

Meet Patrick. Pat likes to keep food in his pocket. A normal person might keep a treat like a piece of candy or gum in his or her pocket, but not Pat. Oh no, Patrick’s pocket food is kind of extreme. Extreme pocket food.

Case No. 1: In early May I was sitting on my computer looking at Facebook. In the News Feed I saw my sister’s status update. It read,  “‘Oh man, I keep doing that.’ –Patrick (as he pulls old string cheese out of his pocket).”

And the responses?

Patrick: “It’s not an isolated string cheese incident…”

Sonya: “Pat’s response- ‘It could happen to anyone!” No Pat… it doesn’t happen to people who DON’T put cheese in their pocket.”

I was, of course, amused by this occurrence but didn’t think much of it. Just Pat being Pat, I guess. But it didn’t end there…

Case No. 2: A couple of weeks after the pocket cheese incident I visited Sonya and Pat in Maine. Within the first 24 hours Pat reached into his pocket, and what did he pull out? String cheese. Old string cheese at that—warm, mushy, weird string cheese.  

“Ahh, I totally forgot about that!” he exclaimed. 

When I questioned why he puts string cheese in his pocket in the first place he informed me that, “You know, sometimes you just need a snack.”

But wait, that’s not it…

Case No. 3: It’s early August and I’m in Maine again. The first night was great—we went out and about on the town and lived it up. The next morning Pat walked into the kitchen and suddenly made a loud, exasperated “Oh man, how long has this been here? Ugh.”

“What?” I questioned.

“I just pulled bacon out of my pocket,” he replied. “I haven’t worn these pants in months.” 

And then he proceeded to show me the weird old bacon that had been living in his pants for who knows how long.

When I questioned Pat about his choice of pocket food he said, “Pocket bacon is for Maddy…usually.” Maddy is his dog, but I’m guessing that Pat likes to chew on some pocket bacon from time to time as well.

And I just have to wonder, if I’ve been witness to this forgotten pocket food three times in the last three months and I don’t see Pat that much, how often does it happen when I’m not around?

Is this a normal thing? Are there other extreme pocket foodies out there? If so, what do they keep in their pockets and do they ever remember to actually eat it? 

I for one will be investing in lots of string cheese and bacon—it sure beats gum. 

Nosh (or Tasting the Apocalypse)

Portland, Maine, is filled with amazing restaurants serving up superb food, creative cocktails, and delicious microbrews. One such exceptional restaurant is Nosh, located at 551 Congress Street.

We hit up Nosh the other night for some drinks and eats. Since the rapture is upon us we decided to try the Apocalypse Now burger. This ridiculous burger consists of a pork and beef patty, American cheese, crispy pork belly, bacon, foie gras, house mayo, and cherry jam, served on a brioche bun. This burger may be the most over-the-top decadent and indulgent food I’ve ever eaten. We split it three ways and that was plenty satisfying—eating the whole thing would have probably been too much, although if you’re having a hard time sleeping it might be good to just devour one of these Apocalypse Now burgers. It’ll put you right to sleep, for sure. 

Because the burgers have pork in them they need to be cooked throughout, which sounds unfortunate but the burger really doesn’t suffer much. And while I might be wary of putting jam on a burger it worked out perfectly—it wasn’t intensely sweet or anything and it added a nice flavor. You really can’t go wrong with the Apocalypse Now burger. Seriously. When a piece of foie gras falls out of your burger while you’re eating it, you know you’re in the foodie capital of the world.  

As if the Apocalypse Now burger wasn’t enough, we also ordered the Pork Belly Poutine. The poutine was a combination of fries, gravy, melted cheddar cheese curds, and strips of pork belly. How absurd is that? Think about it—you’re sitting there eating your fries, enjoying yourself immensely, when all of a sudden you pop a fry in your mouth and realize it’s actually a piece of pork belly. How can you not be happy in that situation? The fries were nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and the gravy and cheese curds tasted phenomenal and didn't load down the fries too much.

In addition to the burger and fries we each had an oyster shooter. These shooters had an oyster swimming in vodka, clam juice, bloody mary sauce, and Sriracha, with a smoked salt and pepper rim. They had a really nice spiciness (how can you go wrong with Sriracha?), but it did overshadow the flavor of the oysters and was a bit overpriced.

For drinks I ordered a glass of Malbec, Sonya went for a Tempranillo, and Pat got Allagash Black. Allagash Brewery is located in Portland, Maine, and they make fantastic beer. The Allagash Black is a Belgium strong dark ale that is malty and chocolaty. I was perfectly satisfied with my Malbec, but after I had a taste of the Allagash I was a bit jeally—it was quite delicious.

Whether you are in the mood for tasting the apocalypse or just want some pork belly with your fries, Nosh is a great spot to hit up for on a night out. It’s one of the many must-eat-at restaurants in Portland that you’ve got to try if you’re in the area.

Home-Made Double Downs

Earlier this year my friends and I made the decision that we had to experience Double Downs. If you're thinking "that's what she said," then get your mind out of the gutter--it's a sandwich!

Well, it's sort of a sandwich. Double Downs are a product of KFC where they place bacon, cheese, and sauce in between two fried chicken fillets. Whaaaatt? Now, we're all a little bit too pretentious to actually go to KFC, so instead we decided to make them from scratch.

My friend Billy was put in charge of creating the Double Downs. Not everyone can be lucky enough to have a friend from the south like Billy who knows how to make amazing fried chicken. Seriously...it's ridiculous. And the chicken is obviously a key aspect to the perfect Double Down experience, so we had to put that job in the hands of an expert. 

He started off by pounding the meat. Hard. After pounding the chicken into cutlets he rubbed them with salt, white pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Next the chicken was dipped into an egg wash and battered with flour. Then he fried them to perfection in vegetable oil.

With the fried chicken "bread" ready to go, bacon, pepperjack cheese, and this cilantro mayonnaise I had made earlier were sandwiched between the fillets and placed in the oven for about ten to fifteen minutes so the cheese could melt and meld all the ingredients together. 

I had actually made the mayo as a dipping sauce for shrimp earlier in the day, but there was a lot leftover and it seemed perfect for the Double Downs. Basically it was a combination of mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, crushed red pepper, and sea salt, all blended together. I bet horseradish, pesto, or red pepper mayo would also work really well with this recipe.

I was so excited when the Double Downs were finally ready. I don't even know if I can describe how ridiculously amazing they were. First you've got the crispiness of fried chicken, which knows no match. You know what I'm talking about--that beautifully crispy exterior that gives way to juicy meat on the inside. And not just one piece of fried chicken, but two! Talk about over the top. Next you've got the bacon, and you all know how wonderful bacon is. Combined with the fried chicken it's a double dose of decadence. But then the pepperjack cheese melts all over the sandwich, adding yet another rich quality to the already divine flavors. And mayonnaise! Come on, you know it's the perfect comfort food. What else could you want to put you in a food coma?

These are a perfect late-night snack when all you want to do is get the itis and lie around watching movies. I wish the photos came out better, so you can see just how delicious they were, but I think that at least the picture of me with the Double Down conveys how much happiness these little fried chicken-bacon-cheese "sandwiches" can create. As much as I'm not a fan of KFC, I've got to admit they came up with a great idea with the Double Downs. My recommendation--make them at home and experience one of the most amazing, crispy, and gooey things you can put in your mouth. Enjoy!

 

Thought for Food: Chocolate Air, Denny's, and Bacon Cologne

"I always try to eat locally, in that if something is within arm's reach I jam it in my mouth."

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Thought for Food - Chocolate Air, Denny's & Bacon Cologne
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Mary Queen of Scots

When the Rooks recently converged in NYC we decided to try out brunch at the restaurant where our amazing pastry-chef cousin, Heather, has been working. So on a Sunday afternoon we headed to Mary Queen of Scots on the Lower East Side for a tasty meal and delicious desserts.

First we delved into a tray of various baked goods—scones and muffins galore. And they were served with clotted cream. Oh, clotted cream! How I love thee. It was perfect to spread on the lovely scones and muffins. These treats were gone within minutes, and we were primed for the rest of the meal.

We also indulged in some cocktails and coffee throughout the meal. We ordered bloody mary’s, which were off the hook with just the right blend of tomato juice, spices, and fresh grated horseradish. What a great way to start off a lazy, winter's Sunday.

 

I opted for the Black Pudding Benedict with Meyer lemon hollandaise and arugula salad. I had never tried black pudding before, and I was intrigued. Basically the black pudding (also called blood pudding) is a type of sausage made from cooking blood, spices, and oats. The flavor was reminiscent of regular sausage but had a different kick to it, and the texture was more crumbly. There was also something in the flavor that just popped in a way I’ve never experienced before. The initial taste is great on it's own, but then after a moment it builds in complexity and there’s just a Pow! on your taste buds. I don’t know if it’s the blood or some kind of spice, but either way it is awesome. And the eggs were perfectly poached, oozing luscious yellow yolk over the black pudding and accompanying bread.

All the other plates were scrumptious as well. My mom opted for the House Smoked Scottish Salmon with a potato bap bun, horseradish crème fraiche, and caper berries. Sonya ordered the Corn Crumpets with Peekytoe crab, apple piccalilli, and shaved radish. And my dad opted for the French Toast au Fromage Blanc with chipolata sausage, maple syrup, and fruit.

Patrick (our resident Scotsman...well, kind of. I mean, he likes scotch but he's not actually from Scotland) of course ordered the Full Scotch Breakfast with Ayrshire bacon, chipolata sausage, grilled tomato, great northern beans, free range eggs, and a potato scone. Lucky for us Pat likes to share, so we all got to try the phenomenal Scottish bacon that came with his breakfast. It was amazing, and every mouth got to savor a little bit of the thick, hearty meat.

After our fabulous meal it was time for dessert. Heather’s desserts were seriously out of this world. I mean, I always knew that I had an awesome cousin, but I had no idea that she could kill it like that in the kitchen. We tried four amazingly scrumdiddlyumptious desserts, and even though were already stuffed from brunch we still devoured every bite. These desserts were not only visually stunning (as you can see) but also decadent, delicious, and perfectly executed. You’ll need to hit up Mary Queen of Scots if you want to experience these exceptional treats yourself.

Chocolate Stout Tres Leches Cake 

with stout foam, chocolate pretzels, dulce de leche, and malt ice cream

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

served with sweet potato curd, poached cranberries, and topped with orange sherbet

Acorn Squash Cheese Cake 

with a maple emulsion, walnut brittle crumble, acorn squash seed tuile, walnut sorbet, and toasted acorn squash seeds

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

These peanut butter sandwiches were probably my favorite of the desserts. The soft chocolate cookies are filled with milk-chocolate-and-peanut-butter cream and served with caramelized bananas that are flambéed with Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon, caramelized honey ice cream, and chocolate cookie crumble. What? Can you say "amazing"? I was very impressed with all the desserts, but this one definitely stands out for me as I recollect our fabulous meal.

Mary Queen of Scots was a great place to grab brunch and devour some delicious desserts. I can't wait to go back and check out their dinner menu sometime. It's definitely worth a visit to the Lower East Side, so enjoy and don't forget dessert!

Song of the Week: Who's Got the Bacon?

August

I recently met up with some friends to dine at August in the West Village. August is a nice little bistro-y restaurant located at 359 Bleecker Street that serves European fare. We started off with good conversation and delicious cups of coffee. I was impressed by the elective selection of music playing over the speakers at August—the music ranged from “The Sun King” by The Beatles, to Lou Reed, to that song that goes “I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl that looked good I would call her.” And to top it all off, the food that followed was incredible.

As soon as I saw “Grilled Lamb Belly with Tzatziki and Black Sesame” on the menu I knew exactly what I was ordering. Lamb belly? I never even knew that lamb belly was a thing, but I was pretty sure that I would love it. Apparently it’s the midsection of the lamb that is located just below the loin. It arrived in a cast-iron pan –a nice hunk of lamb belly encrusted in black sesame seeds and sitting pretty on a bed of tzatziki. The meat was incredibly flavorful and tender. It fell lovingly off the bone, and the warm meat juxtaposed nicely with the cool Greek yogurt tossed with cucumber and dill. The dish was also served with fresh dill and mint leaves. Absolutely heavenly. As my friend Phil described it, it was “dill-licious.” 

Annie ordered the tarte flambé—an alsatian onion and bacon tart with crème fraiche. It was another beautiful creation. The bacon was cut into thick pieces and it seemed like the onions had been caramelized. The tart was baked in a wood-fired oven, giving it a rustic and smoky quality, and the crème fraiche added a nice creaminess to the savory flavors.

Phil opted for the August burger, which had also tempted me when I perused the menu. The burger was topped with bacon, cheddar, and a fried egg, and it was served with smoky mayo and fries. There’s just something so sexy about a bright yellow, luscious egg yolk oozing sensually into the crevices of meat and bread. The meat was cooked to a nice medium-rare and the thick-cut bacon was perfectly crisp. It was definitely one of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted.

The smoky mayo was a high point of the meal. The mayo was smooth and creamy and each bite revealed subtle layers of smoky flavor. But where did the smoke come from? We asked our server and he told us that they smoke the oil first before adding it to the mayonnaise. However, he didn’t know what smoking the oil actually entailed. My guess was that they simply brought the oil to its smoking point, but when I did a quick search online about smoking points many websites claimed that bringing an oil to its smoking point makes the oil taste bad, and the mayo tasted amazing not bad. [Note: doing a Google search on “how to smoke oil” will return many results for how to smoke hash oil but very few relating to food] Despite not being able to figure out how the concoction was created, it was still the perfect condiment for dipping the crispy, salty fries in.

Lunch at August was a nice treat—what’s better than eating good food and catching up with friends? I would definitely head back to August again, and I know there dinner menu is even more extensive than their lunch options. I highly recommend August to anyone looking for a fine meal in the West Village.

There'll be Parties for Hosting...

Every year I have a holiday party and celebrate the season with good friends, delicious food, and tasty libations. Here's some of the food highlights of this year's party...

Cheese and Crackers

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Gorgonzola-Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Clementines

Hot Peppers Stuffed with Meat

Feta and Olives

Veggies and Dip

Skanky Vodka Martini with Blue-Cheese Stuffed Olives

 

Candy Cane Cocktail

Baked Brie

 

Tate's Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I saved the best for last. I just started referring to this dish as "The Creation" since I don't know what else to call it. Look at these photos--don't you just want to eat it up? Everything about it is sexy--baguette, butter, brie, proscuitto, and fig and walnut butter. If you want to know how to make this decadent, delicious, and indulgent treat, check out my friend Eric's blog, Open Wide, for the recipe. Everyone needs to experience a taste of this heavenly creation at some point in their lives.

Happy holidays everyone! Hope you are all eating well...