Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread

The song starts at about 3 minutes and 40 seconds in...

Life is a Feast

Today marks the one year anniversary since I started writing this blog. On July 27 of last year I wrote of it being “A Time to Eat,” a moment where we should be free to engage in the pleasures of food, to truly taste and appreciate all that food has to offer.

One year later it still is a time to eat, and yet my perception of food has changed over the last year. Sitting down to write about food a few times a month has further engrained in me, not only an appreciation for food, but all that motivates that desire for and the appreciation of the flavors of both food and life.

It is also a time of change. Much has changed for me over the last year—there have been ups and downs, love and anger, laughter and tears, and stress and relaxation. I finished my master’s degree, got myself accepted into a doctoral program, traveled to new places, reconnected with many old friends and made some new ones as well. Now I’m preparing to leave my job, relocate to a different state, and start a new chapter in my life.

And food has been there the whole time. Despite all the changes in my life it still remained a time to eat. I continued to engage with food on a daily basis and found that I could pour desire, confusion, or whatever emotion I was feeling into cooking or eating or discovering something new about food. I recognized that food has been used this way for ages, that it is a means to connect with people around the world and in the past. That it is a way to discover insights into the minds and stomachs of people who live far away or existed long ago.

Over the past year I also realized that a dish of food could be deconstructed—that each component could be traced back to different roots and that they carried different stories. Each bite can offer something along the lines of time travel into the past of each ingredient and the memories inherent in different foods.

I’ve traveled and written of travels and how food informed me about a place. In Albany I dreamed big while attempting to glean the gems of the Albany dining scene—the restaurants that help to satiate the growing foodie population in the Capital Region. In Hawaii I experienced perfection on the beach. In New York I tasted decadence. I reflected on delicate Loch Fyne oysters in England. The world quivered in each bite in each dish in each restaurant or kitchen—it filled the food with connections to lives and loves and births and deaths. Each little ingredient reacting to and experiencing the circumstances of the world until it eventually make its way to be eaten by you.

On this blog I also introduced the songs and quotes of the week to feature others who have reflected on food or created art that is crafted around the experience of eating. We’ve read the words of people throughout the ages who have waxed eloquent on food and eating, and we’ve listened to songs by musicians whose topics ranged from strawberry fields to eating grits for dinner to cooking breakfast for the one she loves.

For restaurant reviews I linked my blog to Urbanspoon, which has yielded over a thousand views by complete strangers. The numbers are bit mind boggling to me, as the current count is 789 views of my Hawaii restaurant reviews, 68 for Albany, and 308 for New York City, but I have to admit it’s pretty sweet.

I wrote of food in the context of various topics, such as sex, painting, and memory. Is there anything that food can’t be connected with? Does it not weave seamlessly into our lives? These connections will continue to be topics on this blog, and I’m always open to new suggestions from all you foodies out there.

Overall it’s been a good year for writing about food. There have been plenty of tasty meals, great people, and amazing times in my feast of life. And I’m sure there’s much more of it all headed my way…

Camping

Going camping is a great way to spend time in the summer, but just because you’re roughing it in the wilderness doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. I recently went camping with my sister in the beautiful Shawangunk Mountains of New Paltz, New York, and we cooked ourselves some fabulous meals over the campfire.

When cooking food while camping tin foil is your best friend. You can wrap almost anything in tinfoil, throw it in the fire, and soon have a meal. We wrapped up everything the night before, stuck it in a fridge, then transferred it into the cooler before we hit the road, and when Friday night came after a day of hiking and waterfalls, we were ready to cook and eat.

On the menu was barbecue chicken, potatoes, and corn on the cob. For the chicken I opted for pre-cut wings. I wanted to use the small pieces to help speed up the cooking process, and since all the pre-cut wings are close in size it would ensure they all cooked at the same speed. In a bowl we tossed the wings with barbecue sauce. Now usually I try to avoid pre-made sauces that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, but I have to admit that something about Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce has a hold on me. We mixed together two different kinds—original spicy and hickory brown sugar, coating each wing in the sweet and spicy sauce. Then we piled the chicken into the tinfoil and stuck it the fridge so all the flavors could melt into the meat overnight.

Similarly, we tossed baby red potatoes (again opting for a small size to help speed up the cooking process) in olive oil, salt, and pepper and wrapped them in foil. For the corn we set out squares of foil and rubbed a stick of butter on one side of the foil and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. Then we carefully wrapped up each cob so it would be coated in the butter when it cooked.

When it was time to eat we built the fire and let some coals form, I moved the sticks out of one section of the fire and placed the chicken and potatoes in the heat. I knew the corn would take less time to cook, so I simply placed them on a rock by the fire and moved them closer when the other food was nearly done. Because I couldn’t tell how hot the temperature of the fire actually was, I simply had to guess on the cooking time. After twenty minutes I rearranged the chicken and potatoes, hoping to ensure an even cooking process. After another twenty minutes had gone by I decided to check to see if they were done, and voila, they were perfect! The meat was just cooking through and fell delightfully off the bone. The potatoes were nice and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside where some cinders and found their way into the foil packet. And the corn was perfect—sweet and buttery and perfectly cooked.



We swallowed it all down with some Sailor Jerry’s dark rum mixed with just a splash of home-made lemonade, appropriately sipped in Dollar Store Christmas mugs. The dinner was a success, followed by a dessert of toasted marshmallows and a late-night snack of Jiffy Pop.



For breakfast I woke up and stirred the still-hot ashes, placing just a few sticks and twigs to get the fire going again. After we got some hot coals we threw in the remaining potatoes so they would heat up again. Then we placed a small pan on the coals with just a bit of olive oil. I cracked in four farm-fresh eggs and stirred them up. They fluffed up beautifully with rich white and yellow colors. After a little salt and pepper they were done.

Breakfast requires coffee, even when you’re in the woods, so we made cowboy coffee. In a small pot we added coffee grounds and water and set it on the hot coals. It took a very long time, but eventually the water began to bubble and the grounds sunk to the bottom of the pot. Although it’s best to use a ladle to scoop out the hot coffee, we didn’t have one, so instead we just poured in out of the pot right into our mugs. Despite a few grounds in the coffee, it was dark, rich, and tasty. After a hearty, campfire breakfast we were ready for more hiking and swimming and the general awe-inspiring beauty of the Shawangunk Mountains.

So foodies, don’t fret! Even in the woods you’ll be okay without your caviar, shaved truffles, and extra virgin olive oil. Some of the best food is cooked simply over an old-fashioned campfire, so pack up your tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, and a cooler full of fresh ingredients and tinfoil, and get cooking!

A Merrier World

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

--J. R. R. Tolkien

Mango Walk

Louis' Lunch

While doing some historical research at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, last month, we took one of our lunch breaks at a fabulous little spot called Louis’ Lunch. This burger joint has been around since it started out as a lunch wagon in 1895, and it holds the title of the oldest hamburger restaurant still in operation in the United States. The menu is simple—burgers, chips, and soda. The burgers are more like burger sandwiches on two slices of white bread rather than on a big, thick bun. Each burger is made to order, which accounts for the crowded atmosphere as hungry customers wait in lines that creep around the restaurant and out the door.

The Web site for Louis’ Lunch claims that their “burgers are made fresh daily; hand-rolled from a proprietary blend of five meat varieties and cooked to order in the original cast-iron grills dating back to 1898.” The Lassen family, who has owned and operated Louis’ Lunch for four generations, “hold firm on their desire not to offer any condiments. The Louis Lunch experience is about the taste and simplicity of a fresh burger grilled to perfection. Cheese, tomato, and onion are the only acceptable garnish.”

A cheeseburger with tomato and onion (known as the “Cheese Works”) was precisely what I ordered. The bread was nice and toasty, the meat was perfectly cooked, the onions were just right, and the tomato was a thin slice of delight. All these components were held together with gooey melted cheese. I enjoyed my Cheese Works immensely, all washed down with a ginger ale made from a soda company in East Haven called Foxon Park.

As we dined, a sign above us indicated that we should not expect to get things our way. Rather, we would get things their way, and we would like it:

Apparently the person I was with didn’t take the sign seriously enough and attempted to ask the cooks for ketchup. They told her it was a bring-your-own-ketchup place, which seemed to perturb her a bit. I, however, was very satisfied without any ketchup at all.

For a reasonably priced, delicious, and historic burger you should definitely check out Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut. And even when the line is out the door, it’s still worth the wait!

I Shall Remember that Sundae

"I shall remember that sundae all my life. In a sumptuous confectioner's shop, light, airy, full of fragrance, we were served with a mountain of coffee ice cream, sprinkled with cream and scattered with walnuts, honey, peanuts, and various fruits. When I carried the first spoonful to my mouth…my taste buds experienced a violent ecstasy. A whole opera of sensation rolled off my tongue…"

--Henri Troyat

Mamoun's Falafel

The last time I was down in New York City, my sister and I took a jaunt to Mamoun’s Falafel in the East Village. She claimed it was the best and yet the cheapest falafel around, so I knew I had to try it out. She was right—it was amazing.

For $2.50 I got a falafel sandwich with falafel, tomato, lettuce, and tahini sauce all wrapped up in a little pita pocket. The falafel was still warm and rather than being placed in the pita as fully formed spheres of fried chickpeas, it was chopped up into little pieces with just the right amount of crunch paralleled with perfect softness. The veggies accompanying the falafel were cool, crisp, and refreshing, and the tahini was delightful.

I also tried some of their hot sauce, which Mamoun’s Web site claims will make anything taste magical. Now, just to warn you, their hot sauce is actually hot unlike some places that claim to have “hot” sauce when it’s actually tamer than a stroll through the park. I have a pretty high tolerance for heat and spice thanks to living one summer in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Provence, China, where hot numbing peppers and other intense spices abound in the cuisine. But Mamoun’s sauce blew me out of the water. My sister warned me it was very hot and said just to use a little. Knowing my high tolerance I put on what I thought was just a little. The flavors were incredible in the sauce, but when I took a big bite of a particularly drenched section of the falafel it was just too much. My eyes started watering and my nose running and the sauce burned the outside of my mouth where it had smeared. Luckily I had a cool beverage, but truth be told I had to avoid that section of the falafel for the rest of the meal. My advice is to take a bit of the sauce and just dip the falafel pita into it so that if it’s too hot for you, at least you’ve salvaged the rest of your sandwich. It was, however, quite magical.

Despite my overheated incident, the falafel at Mamoun’s was truly the best I’ve had. It’s difficult now to fork over seven or eight bucks for an inferior falafel, but since the East Village is a bit of hike for me right now, it looks like I’ll be waiting a while for more fabulous falafel. If you find yourself in the area, definitely take a walk over to Mamoun’s Falafel for some of the best, and cheapest, falafel out there.

A Spoonful of Sugar

A Table Without Love

"A table without love is like beef without mustard, an insipid dish."

--Anatole France

Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows

Roast Pig and Independence

"But what was most remarkable, Broadway being three miles long, and the booths lining each side of it, in every booth there was a roast pig, large or small, as the centre attraction. Six miles of roast pig! And that in New York City alone; and roast pig in every other city, town, hamlet, and village in the Union. What association can there be between roast pig and independence?"

--Frederick Marryat, describing a Fourth of July celebration (1837)

MOMA Food Art

Food at the Museum of Modern Art

No More Biscuit Rolling Here

Waffles

"If you read my blog, you'll know that I'm a pilates freak. And by pilates, I mean waffles."

--Zach Galifianakis

Grits

Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?

America's favorite father as a food critic...


Marge: Who wants pork chops?!

Homer: [carefully tasting the food] Sorry Marge, I'm afraid this gets my lowest rating ever. Seven thumbs up.

Marge: You always liked my pork chops.

Homer: Marge, I'm sorry, but your cooking's only got two moves, Shake and Bake.

Marge: You like Shake n' Bake. You used to put it in your coffee.

Homer: People change, Marge. My palate has grown more sophisticated.

Marge: Oh yeah, what's a palate?

Homer: Oh ... it's a ... special time in a boys life when ... got to go! [rushes out]

--The Simpsons, "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"

Fish

Anyone who reads this blog probably knows by now about my obsession with oysters, so I don’t need to regale you with more adjectives describing my undying passion for these beautiful gems of the ocean. I will, however, share my new found NYC seafood spot—Fish. I first heard about Fish back in November when I met my sister Sonya’s boyfriend, Patrick for the first time. (Note: If you want to bond with me just mention oysters and it’s likely we’ll be friends forever.) When Pat found out I was into oysters he informed me about the best oyster deal around—the Red, White, and Blue Special at Fish. You get a half-dozen Blue Points or clams and your choice of a glass of red wine, white wine, or Pabst Blue Ribbon for just eight bucks. That’s right, eight dollars. At most restaurants you’d be paying eight bucks just for the wine, let alone six succulent oysters.

So ever since that fateful November day I’ve been dreaming about this mythical Red, White, and Blue Special. And finally—seven months later—I made the pilgrimage with Sonya and Patrick. It was everything I desired and more.

We each ordered a Red, White, and Blue Special. I opted for white, Sonya went for red, and Patrick upgraded from blue to black (Guinness). In addition to the half-dozen Blue Points I decided to try two other varieties—a Kummomoto from the West Coast and a Malpeque from eastern waters. I tasted the Kummomoto first—I’d never tried West Coast oysters before and I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t you absolutely love that the flavors of oysters change depending on what waters they lived in? As Pat phrased it, West Coast oysters taste more buttery and less briny. The seemed to have a less intense ocean flavor while still remaining delicately decadent.

A West Coast Kummomoto and an East Coast Malpeque

The Blue Points were simple and classic East Coast oysters—highly enjoyable and garnished with just a squeeze of lemon. While I don’t usually add Mignotte sauce (vinaigrette made of shallots with lemon or sherry vinegar) I decided to try the Mignotte at Fish and found it to be probably the best I’ve ever had, elevating the flavors of the oysters rather than masking them.

Blue Points

Sonya ordered a lobster bisque, which was smooth, creamy, and complete with thick pieces of lobster. Pat’s clam chowder was amazing—nice juicy clams and potatoes swimming in one of the best chowder broths I’ve tasted. Rather than being super thick and dense like many clam chowders, this broth was very light while still retaining a creamy texture.

Lobster Bisque


Clam Chowder

Then came the Angels on Horseback—raw oysters wrapped in double-smoked bacon with horseradish and cocktail sauce. The genius of this appetizer is that it combines two of my favorite foods—bacon and oysters. If I didn’t enjoy them I don’t know if I could live with myself, but of course they were absolutely delicious—a little over the top and indulgent, but still delicious.

Angels on Horseback

With its exquisite raw bar, casual atmosphere, and the fact that servers wear shirts that say "Sex, Drugs, and Lobster Rolls," Fish exceeded my expectations and is definitely worth a visit for any lover of seafood. If you’re in the West Village, be sure to stop in and try the best oyster deal around!

ALTA

Tapas are a great way to dine out. Rather than each person ordering an individual meal, everyone can enjoy a taste of each dish. And since portions are small, it’s the perfect opportunity to order multiple plates, each one offering new flavors, spices, and textures.

At ALTA, located at 64 West 10th Street in New York City, I enjoyed an amazing meal of tapas with great company—my two sisters, Sonya and Tara, and Tara’s friend Suzanne.

We started off the night with drinks at the bar as we waited for our table to be ready. There was tasty sangria, robust Rioja wine, and mojitos. The mojitos at ALTA were phenomenal—light and refreshing, just as a mojito should be. Thankfully they didn’t overload the drinks with sugar as many bars make the unfortunate mistake of dousing the clean flavors with cloying syrup. Instead the mojitos were loaded with large leaves of bright green mint and just a hint of sweetness—simply lovely.

We ordered a bottle of Rioja to accompany the meal—a red wine from Spain that’s the perfect companion for tapas. To start we ordered a medley of Moroccan cured and Arbequina olives called Bella di Cerignola. They were delicious, salty olives that ranged in size and color. The most interesting were the super tiny olives—I’m not sure what they were called, but they were pretty damn cute and tasty.

Bella di Cerignola: Moroccan Cured and Arbequina Olives

After the that the dishes just kept flowing—crispy balls of fried goat cheese swimming in a little pool of lavender-infused honey; striped bass sashimi with truffle soy vinaigrette, crisp artichoke, and chive oil; beef Carpaccio with horseradish crème frâiche foam and orange supremes; avocado relleno with crabmeat and shrimp, frisee, and orange segments (we got two of these with one on the house because they had accidently made an extra plate in the kitchen); decadent seared foie gras on pan roasted brioche with mango ginger chutney, Persian pistachios, and bee pollen; pulled pork empanadas with sweet and spicy cilantro dipping sauce; braised short rib of beef with beet-barbaresco taglierini and fresh grated horseradish; and house-made Jonah crab ravioli with asparagus, sun-dried tomato, brown butter, and verjus emulsion.

As the meal progressed I became dizzy with the variety of flavors, the quality of ingredients, the rustic red wine, and the exquisite execution of each and every plate—each bit was a new journey in salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savory (umami). Together they combined to release the perfect bust of happy chemicals, warming the body and tingling the mind and taste buds.

While each dish was excellent and decadent, I was particularly taken with the beef Carpaccio and the seared foie gras. Both dishes were completely new experiences for me. I’ve been interested in ordering beef Carpaccio for quite a while now, but every time the opportunity arose the person I was with wasn’t as thrilled as I was at the prospect of raw beef, and not knowing if I’d like it or not I didn’t want it to go to waste if it wasn’t to my taste. But when I saw it on the menu at ALTA I knew the moment was right—and it certainly was. It arrived with the beef spread thin and bright red, almost glowing on the plate, with just the light of the candle on the table enhancing its delicate appearance. It was adorned with horseradish crème frâiche foam and orange supremes. The taste was exquisite—the garnishes elevated the flavor of the beef to heights that would make one swoon.

Carpaccio of Beef with Horseradish Crème Frâiche Foam and Orange Supremes

But then there was the seared foie gras on pan roasted brioche with mango ginger chutney, Persian pistachios, and bee pollen. It was absolutely heavenly. Now, I’ve had pâté before, but I’ve never ventured into the realm of foie gras. I’m definitely hooked. The liver melted into the brioche like butter—it was smooth and velvety and rich and sensual and everything you could ask for in one simple bite, like a universe of flavors condensed into one mouthful. Beautiful.

Seared Foie Gras on Pan Roasted Brioche with Mango Ginger Chutney, Persian Pistachios, and Bee Pollen

The best part about the whole meal is that my “vegetarian” sister, Tara, ate her first piece of red meat in about ten years. I was so proud. Tara was a vegetarian for a very, very long time. About a year-and-a-half ago she started eating fish, and more recently she added chicken to her diet again. Suzanne had also refrained from eating red meat for years, but at ALTA they both unleashed, consuming the raw beef Carpaccio, seared foie gras, and braised short ribs with gusto…there was no holding back. My friend Jonas has been quoted as saying that eating meat again after being a vegetarian is like getting over an eating disorder. So for all you vegetarians out there who are ready to rid yourself of your wayward diet, apparently ALTA is the place to do it.

If you’re in the city, do yourself a favor and head to ALTA for delicious tapas, good wine, and an unforgettable dining experience. You won’t regret it.

Fried Goat Cheese and Lavender Infused Honey

Striped Bass Sashimi with Truffle Soy Vinaigrette, Crisp Artichoke, and Chive Oil



Avocado Relleno with Crabmeat and Shrimp, Frisee, and Orange Segments

Pulled Pork Empanadas with Sweet and Spicy Cilantro Dipping Sauce


Braised Short Rib of Beef with Beet-Barbaresco Taglierini, and Fresh Grated Horseradish


House-made Jonah Crab Ravioli with Asparagus, Sun-dried Tomato, Brown Butter, and Verjus Emulsion