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

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving

a photo collage…

Tags: Thanksgiving

This post is brought to you by the letter U

While enjoying the meal described below, Heidi inquired about the definition of the word “unctuous”. During same meal, hubby wanted to know the meaning of “umami”. We all had a general sense of what these words implied, but none of us knew the exact definition. So, for the record…

UNCTUOUS: Pronunciation: \ˈəŋ(k)-chə-wəs, -chəs, -shwəs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English
1 a : fatty, oily b : smooth and greasy in texture or appearance

UMAMI: Pronunciation: \ü-ˈmä-mē\
Function: noun
Etymology: Japanese, savoriness, flavor
a taste sensation that is meaty or savory, often referred to as the 5th taste sensation (along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter)

Cafe La Nueva

a proper Colombian brunch

Fellow Digest contributor, Miss Heidi, was house sitting in my Jackson Heights hood this past weekend. To assimilate her into our awesome ethnic, foodie culture, hubz and I took her for a glutinous, Colombian brunch at Cafe La Nueva (85-02 37th Ave). We gorged on the Bandeja Paisa platter that included: grilled skirt steak, crackling, egg, rice, beans, sweet plantain, avocado and spicy aji verde sauce on the side.

As scrumptious as all that was, Heidi was most taken by the bright, fragrant, citrus flavor of her lulo (aka naranjilla) shake. Yums!

Tags: brunch, Cafe La Nueva, Colombian, Jackson Heights