Bacon & Eggs

A beautiful breakfast courtesy of Applegarth Farms.

Dan X TED

Farming Intensively vs Farming Extensively… brilliant!

 

 

You love foie gras, but feel guilty about that gavage business? There is hope yet…

Tags: Dan Barber, foie gras, TED

Taco Truck (an understatement)

Last week, Heidi (fellow Digest-er) and I got wind that Kimchi Taco Truck would be situated in Long Island City—5 minutes from my office, for a week only! This called for an emergency lunch plan. We hightailed it over there and luckily, it did not disappoint.

We ordered the Braised Pork Tacos with jicama pico de gallo and sauteed kimchi. Next, came the BBQ Beef Kim-Cheesesteak—deeply satisying with the spiced-up meat and the mellow tang of the sauteed kimchi playing nicely off one another. To round out the meal, a side of Spicy Rice Cakes with a roasty-earthy chili sauce, scallion and queso blanco, and a few Kimchi Arancini’s with mozzerella—perfectly fried, crispy and light.

ok, this one tastes better that it looks

I was impressed by the truly fusion flavors. It wasn’t just a crude pairing of a Korean condiment thrown on top of a taco or sandwich. The flavors are skillfully integrated with traces of Italian, Mexican, Korean, and even Middle Eastern influences. Upon first bite, it’s hard to identify what you’re eating and where it’s from and that’s what makes it so exciting.

Tags: Kim-Cheesesteak, Kimchee Taco Truck, Long Island City

Diner Magic

When I first moved to New York, in the early 90′s, one of the most magical spots in a city full of magical spots was Florent. I loved its in-the-middle-of-nowhere locale, its beautiful cross section of patrons–-best of all you could get a decent steake au poivre at 2 in the morning. When I first walked into M.Wells, I got a bit of that Florent magic. Ok, so it’s lacking in the tranny department, there are no views of cow carcasses or celebrities, and I suppose the overall seedy factor is missing, BUT it is located in an old chrome diner on a less-than-quaint corner of Long Island City. The highbrow/lowbrow menu inspires a giddy anticipation that permeates the bustling crowd of hungry guests. The owners, a husband and wife team from Quebec created an internationally-inspired menu that consists of tasty items like escargot and bone marrow, hotdog with sweet bacon chili and slaw, tourtieres studded with foie gras, and smoked fish bibimbop. The banana pie is perfect in a deceptively humble kinda way.

Tags: Florent, Long Island City, M. Wells

Hot Pot 101

chicken hot pot

 

As mentioned previously, I’ve been really digging Japanese home cooking. So much so that I signed up for a Japanese Hot Pot class (with my girls Randi and Melly) taught by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat at Tadashi’s restaurant, Matsuri. In two hours they prepared, cooked and served 3 distinctly different hot pots. The first was a clean broth with chicken and vegetables, the second was a dashi and seafood stew accompanied with udon, and the third was a miso soup with pork belly, followed by a rice porridge made of the same broth. All delicious, easy and healthy. For recipes and tips, scoop up their lovely book, Japanese Hot Pot.

Randi and Tadashi (for the record, Tadashi requested this shot of the two of them together)

 

Tags: Harris Salat, hot pot, Matsuri, Tadashi Ono

What I’m Craving

This snow-filled winter has me craving Japanese food. I’m not talking sushi and sashimi; I’m talking about Japanese comfort food like steamy hotpots, spicy bowls of ramen, and smoky, grilled meats. Some gems around the city:

Takashi: Fantastic yakiniku establishment. In addition to the grilled meats, they also have an impressive offal and raw selection (which includes not one, but three types of cow’s stomach)… and yes, save room for the homemade icecream.

Totto Ramen: They use a chicken-based broth that is no joke! Nothing trendy or hyped (I’m lookin at you Ippudo) — the cramped, modest digs are exactly what a ramen joint should be.

Robataya: This place specializes in Robata cooking. The roasted homemade rice cake is a real study in restraint. After getting your grill fix, try rounding out the meal with one of their Rice & Noodle dishes. Be sure to sit in the front room around the grill for the real deal experience.

Hakata Tonton: The specialty of this Japanese soul food joint is the grilled pig feet (don’t knock it til you try it, seriously). The chef’s menu at $38 is too affordable to pass up.

Tags: Hakata Tonton, Robataya, Takashi, Totto Ramen

Wild mushrooms

I stumbled into an incredible specialty ingredient shop in the East Village called Trufette (aka S.O.S. Chefs). Apparently, it’s where all the in-the-know chefs (David Chang, Gabrielle Hamilton) go for their secret ingredients. Though they carry quality ingredients like truffles and foie gras, what makes Trufette feel special, like a far away market are the drawers and shelves full of spices, powders and oils. If you’re looking for argan oil, Tasmanian Peppercorns or Himalayan pink salt, you’re in the right place. The vivacious owner of the joint seduced me into her mushroom walk-in, where there where crates upon crates of gorgeous fungi from all over the world: Maitake, Morels, Bluefoots, Porcini…. I ended up walking out with an armload of Chanterelles, Hen of the Woods, and King Oysters. The wallet took a serious hit, but c’est la vie.

WILD MUSHROOMS ROASTED IN PARCHMENT

1.5 lbs of wild mushrooms

5 tbsp of olive oil

2–3 tbsp of fresh herbs (thyme, tarragon, rosemary, etc.)

a splash of dry sherry

1.5 tsp of sea salt

lemon

Toss first five ingredients together. Distribute mushrooms between two sheets of parchment (approx 12 x 15″), wrap up packages and arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. Open packets, add a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a squeeze of lemon, voila!

Tags: chanterelles, hen of the woods, king oyster, mushrooms, recipe, S.O.S. Chef, Trufette

Last Meal #1

Spicy Miso Ramen @ Minca

Tags: Minca, ramen

My eggstra special lunch at 75 Gold.

lemony slivers of honey crispin apple too!

Savory, slow roasted tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions and meaty hints of spicy pepperoni folded into the fluffiest, thyme-y omelette.

When’s the last time someone brought you a perfect plate of lunch in the middle of your working day? Thanks, chef cruz. xo.

And sorry, no reservations.

Tags: Homemade

Tong Sam Gyup Goo Ee

Tong Sam Gyup Goo Eee – go on, say it -  is the phonetic translation of the Korean words that literally mean (loosely): 3-layered pork belly strips, grilled tabletop. It’s also the name of an authentic, specialty pork belly restaurant in a smaller enclave of Flushing called Murray Hill.  It serves up unctuously delicious pork belly, grilled right on a massive stonelike dome which essentially comprises the structure of your table. The pork fat drippings drizzle their way down to caramelize the homemade kimchee that is layered around the circumference of the grill. Add to that, healthy heapings of mung bean sprouts and though at this point, you may be deliciously confused – it’s all working out perfectly. Now all these bits are free for the ssam-making. Wrap all the ingredients up in fresh red leaf lettuce leaves, add shredded pickled daikon, pungent bean paste, spicy pickled peppers, and my favorite – a single black peppercorn – and the ssam is ready to eat!

Once you’re beginning to contemplate the design of your last ssam, your server comes by to professionally assess the level of hungry still alive in your eyes, then brings rice to incorporate all the remaining tasty bits – of salty, caramelized goodness to stir up the most delicious fried rice. These pictures do little justice to the full experience.

layin the pork belly down

sprouts and all

finale of pork belly kimchee fried rice!

Tags: Korean barbecue