Hot Dish Review

Happy Carnival & Mardi Gras! I am dedicating this post to my dear friend AD, who has (almost) completed her book about her world travels! Rio was her first stop in February 2010, and I was lucky enough to join her:
AD is prepared to travel the world, staying mostly in youth hostels and carrying a light load in her backpack. I, on the other hand, have never stayed at a youth hostel. Gansevoort or The Delano in South Beach is more my speed. But what the hell, I am hostile at times, so I decided to rough it with her in Rio de Janeiro. (Check out her blog, lots of great photos!)

I discovered staying at Cidade Maravilhosa Hostel is the closest thing to camping without a tent. We did have AC, but only from about 8pm to 10am. Believe it or not the bed was comfy….I slept like a baby every night.

Breakfast was provided in a common room with a festively printed plastic tablecloth. Bread, crackers, cheese, ham, coffee were always out as well as various fruits like watermelon, apples, and bananas. There was often a semi-sweet bread, almost like cake, that I would eat a small square of with a traditional Brazilian chocolate goo called brigadeiros, made of condensed milk, cocoa, and sugar. Condensed milk, we discovered is a common ingredient in Brazil.

On the second morning I found the mini baguettes in a basket under the little buns. It became habit for AD and I to steal a couple of them each day, along with apples and bananas for (free) lunch on the go! My best discovery, however, was the panini press. One of the kitchen/cleaning ladies had made a panini that second morning. Too late for me that day but on the third morning I found the press and made a ham and cheese panini with a mini baguette. With coffee, fruit, and a sweet pastry, I had my daily routine, after which me and AD were off on the adventure of the day….Carnival, Ipanema beach, the botanical gardens, Cristo Redentor, the tiled steps and tram at Lapa, the beach at Leblon.

We became scavengers. We rode the subway and the bus. I washed my hair once that week, never put on make-up, and wore only swimsuits and cover-ups every day (dude, it was 95 degrees!). The shower in our room was scalding hot so we showered in our swimsuits on the common deck, the scene of the Fat Tuesday cookout.

Ricardo, who runs the hostel, is a big man. The entire staff was so helpful and welcoming. They invited us to the cookout, just $20 Reals (about ten bucks US) for unlimited steak, sausage, salad, rice, salsa, and caipirinhas. Everyone we met was from a different country. Our roommates, A and S were from New Zealand. T from Australia shared a room with M from Morocco. France, Israel, Germany, England, Denmark….people from all over the world staying together. It was really an incredible experience.

Grilled steaks were cut up and served as appetizers. There was lots of meat, some well-done and tough, others medium rare and tender. I saw the kitchen/cleaning ladies making the salsa downstairs earlier. It was simple Brazilian fare. Authentic.

The best part of the cookout was when Ricardo ran out of limes for caipirinhas. He sent a kid that worked there to get more but the store was out so he bought black grapes instead. Uva caipirinhas! I watched as he crushed the grapes then added condensed milk, sugar, and cachaca to the shaker. I can’t wait to recreate them at home!

It wasn’t a luxury trip, it was an adventure. I wouldn’t change one sweaty, dirty minute! Thanks AD.

As I awoke from my slumber yesterday morning, visions of bacon, eggs, and coffee danced in my head. I have a repetoire of breakfast dishes I make, constantly revolving to escape boredom.

But that morning I had a secret weapon…..the leftover croque monsieur from the night before. I immediately knew what I had to do. The monsieur would become a madame!

In France, the lowly ham ‘n’ cheese has been elevated to an art form. Sauce bechamel, fine European cheeses, ham cured by local butchers, and artisan breads are used to create the rich and decadent croque monsieur.

The addition of an over easy fried egg transforms the sandwich into a croque madame. Get it? Of course you do. I placed the leftover sandwich in a glass casserole and reheated it in the oven. Meanwhile, I cracked an organic egg and heated my skillet.

Four minutes later, voila! I slid the egg on top of the bubbly, cheesy sandwich, and enjoyed every bite.

So There I was, driving towards Brookhaven on a recent Friday night. I would be dining at a restaurant, but unlike most weekend dining experiences, There would be no crowd. In fact, There was no menu.

The establishment’s proprietor BB, who also happens to be a CIA trained chef, had lured me There with the promise of a decadent croque monsieur, a fancy French version of the pedestrian American ham ‘n’ cheese.

Having eaten the rich sandwich at a sidewalk cafe along the Seine in Paris, I knew how a proper croque monsieur was made. The challenge recreating it in the USA is finding the quality ingredients required. Aged gruyere is an everyday grocery item in Europe. Amazing freshly baked breads can be purchased on practically every corner.

BB was left to forage for his ingredients at the nearby Publix. He came up with a round of sourdough, some gruyere, a chunk of pecorino, proscuitto di parma, and ham. For the sauce, he substituted regular milk for the usual heavy cream.

JV, who will be the restaurant’s manager, joined us for the impromptu meal. We chatted about everything from music to meat while BB whisked his sauce. I served myself a Guinness, skipping back and forth between the bar and the kitchen, camera in hand. BB grated a bit of nutmeg over the bubbling skillet. “Bechamel?” I asked. Something like that.

But There was more. BB had made chicken pot pies earlier in the day, popping them in the oven before prepping the croques. They were enormous individual pies, with homemade fresh herb crusts, filled with all the usual goodies. However, just as a croque monsieur is no regular sandwich, his pot pie beared little resemblance to the Swanson’s in every college student’s freezer.

They came out of the industrial size oven sizzling, the rich chicken broth bubbling out of the slits in the crust. While they cooled, BB assembled the sandwiches, topping them with the bechamel and more grated gruyere for good measure. He stuck ‘em in the oven to brown as we dug into our pot pie appetizers, diced carrots, potatoes and tender chunks of chicken mingling nicely with crisp bits of crust.

I served myself another Guinness from behind the bar, awaiting the piece de resistance. Don’t let its size fool you, the croque was a monster, inflicting arterial damage with each bite. It was a serious sandwich, the kind one must eat with a knife and fork.

It was an evening of honest comfort food, with a side of relaxation, peppered with laughter. Tune in tomorrow to read what became of the leftover croque monsieur!

Happy Valentine’s Day dear Hot Dish readers!
My obsession with chocolate covered strawberries began more than fifteen years ago when I received my first box via FedEx on Valentine’s Day….a surprise from my boyfriend (at the time) SS.

They were from Mary of Puddin’ Hill, a confectioner in Texas that double dips them in high quality milk chocolate then ships them priority overnight, packed in a layer of mini marshmallows. Awesome.

Since then, I have received them almost every year, often buying them myself when I was manless (I know, pathetic). This year, however, I decided I would prefer dark chocolate. Puddin’ Hill only offers milk chocolate so I opted for Godiva. LC picked up a dozen enormous long-stemmed beauties!

We devoured them with a bottle of Gloria Ferrer Brut. Simply divine.

Please enjoy my Mexican reruns as LC and I bask in the sun on the beach!
Arriving at Capella Pedregal around 1pm last Thursday, B and I quickly made our way to the swim-up bar in front of one of the resort’s restaurants, Don Manuel’s.

I say quickly, but first we had to assess our 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath villa, stocked with groceries I had ordered the day before. Our mayordomo was to make guacamole for us, but alas we did not get a personal assistant. Most impressively, however, the ingredients were placed in our refrigerator…..the exact ingredients I use for my kickass guacamole! Of course, I got the recipe from a Mexican cleaning lady twenty years ago. More on this later…..

The first order of business was a Corona Light with lime. Then we slipped on our bikinis and dipped our toes in one of our 2 balcony infinity pools (yeah, I’m serious).

Finally down at one of the infinity pools, we chose 2 deck chairs near the bar, overlooking the white surf and the turquoise waters of the Pacific. Handsome Latino servers happily decked out our comfy padded loungers with fresh white towels as we gazed momentarily at the blue blue sky.

Now it was time for tequila! And a snack, too. B and I ordered two shots of Herradura with salt and limes plus two margaritas. Chips, salsa, and guacamole started us off. The chips were very thick. I was hoping this was not typical to Cabo San Lucas but as the days wore on, it became evident that it was the standard. As were white corn tortillas that were wrapped around our shrimp tacos rather than the coarse, intensely corn-flavored yellow ones.

The shrimp were plump and fresh, as I would expect sitting ten feet from the ocean, and their guacamole was authentic and chunky. Pico de gallo and a habenero salsa provided some kick.

As did our unexpected second shot of tequila. That kick put me to sleep on the chaise lounge to the sound of the crashing waves and the Latin acoustic guitarist that played poolside as the sun set.

A good start.

Usually, I don’t blog about my interviews with chefs or cookbook authors. But really, I should. I’ve had the pleasure (or displeasure, as the case may be) of interviewing some of the most talented, witty, and downright notorious folks involved in the food industry: Ted Turner, Bill Kurtis, Richard Blais, Jeffrey Chodorow, Scott Serpas, and Chris Kinjo to name a few.

Recently I was asked to do a review of a new cookbook by chef David Tanis called The Heart of the Artichoke. He’s not the kind of chef that has a show on The Food Network or has an international food empire like Wolfgang Puck. No, chef Tanis is flying under the radar, creating singularly perfect meals at Chez Panisse in Berkeley half the year, living in a flat in Paris the other.

The Heart of the Artichoke is the follow-up to his New York Times best seller A Platter of Figs. In both, Tanis gives readers more than just recipes to follow, he offers a glimpse into his passions and personal kitchen rituals….you know, the quirky things we cook for ourselves when there is no one else to impress. Sometimes it is those private moments we spend in the kitchen that can be almost meditative, therapeutic.

In the foreword the author says of his book’s title “The artichoke is ripe with metaphor and parable possibilities. Getting past the thorns to the sweet center…not at all like reaching up and harvesting a sweet peach, eating an artichoke requires a bit of work.”

Tanis gives readers great ideas for simple meals for each season, twenty menus in all, from Spring lamb to Wintery duck confit, all of them artfully photographed. There are recipes for larger groups too, perfect for festive celebrations.

When I asked Tanis which season was his favorite, his reply was “It’s always the season that’s coming! After the harvest you’re up to your neck in tomatoes, so you’re ready for squash. It’s normal and natural, until we started getting raspberries from Peru.” Tanis was an advocate of cooking seasonally long before it was trendy.

He was thoughtful, introspective, and witty with an edge, selecting his words as carefully as ingredients for a complex stew.

The Heart of the Artichoke is much more than a recipe book, it is an invitation to slow down and enjoy the process of cooking, to savor the journey.

That’s what you’ll be hearing from savvy suburbanites and horny hausfraus (rumor has it the handmade bar is outfitted with vibrating barstools!) in Brookhaven. My friend BB, an Ivy League Wall-Streeter, tossed out his Oxford shirts and strapped on a tool belt to build his new upscale pub and restaurant, slated to open its doors to someone other than inspectors and alcohol distributors very soon.

Not only is BB hands on during the design and construction phase, he has also been cultivating his own organic produce nearby, including heirloom tomatoes and figs. Did I mention he’s also a CIA trained chef?

Unpretentious, local, and fun, There recreates the relaxed vibe of The Spotted Pig in Manhattan. The prime corner space is more glass than sheetrock, with modern furnishings to match. Burgundy leather booths add warmth to the otherwise cool space, lit by green lamps that cast a supernatural glow along the dark wood bar.

Chef Ryan Hickey, last serving as Todd Ginsberg’s sous at Bocado, will be manning the kitchen, serving up goodies like boar sausage and smoked trout deviled eggs. My sneak peak at the menu revealed signature burgers served on Holeman and Finch breads and salads that promise to rival the city’s best.

I’m hoping to see BB’s truffled lobster mac and roasted Brussels sprouts on the menu this Winter….pure comfort food!

305 Brookhaven Avenue, in Town Brookhaven complex

Sure, I could drive to McDonald’s and get a delicious Egg McMuffin any day of the week for $2, so why try to recreate this fast food classic at home? Because I can make mine in my pajamas! (or lack of, as the case may be)

You may remember my discovery of Jimmy Dean’s D’Lights….microwavable breakfast sandwiches with turkey sausage, egg white and cheese. They are a quick, tasty and low calorie alternative to McDonald’s sausage McMuffin with egg. But it was LC’s Mom that introduced me to the homemade Egg McMuffin.

She had experimented with cooking the eggs individually in coffee mugs, then topping them with turkey ham and cheddar sandwiched between two toast English muffins halves. Initially there were issues with the egg squishing out, but eventually, she perfected her method.

As with any microwavable food, cooking times may vary. So I checked online and found several variations on how to cook eggs in the microwave. One gave a longer cooking time, but at 50% power, so I thought I’d give it a try.

My first attempt looked good, but the egg yolks were very runny and the cheese had melted too much, both oozing out of the sandwich onto our hands and dripping on the floor….messy! On the second go round I adjusted the cooking time, but still had the dripping cheese issue.

The third time was the charm! Here’s how I did it:

Homemade Egg McMuffin

1 Omega 3 egg
1 English muffin, split (any variety)
1 Slice Canadian bacon or ham
1 Slice light cheddar cheese

Spray the inside of a coffee mug or microwave safe cup with cooking spray. Break the egg and cover top of cup with damp paper towel. Cook at 50% power for 1 1/2-2 minutes, checking the yolk for doneness (I like mine semi-soft).

Toast the muffin halves, butter lightly, then melt the cheese on both sides. Nuke the Canadian bacon until warm. Flip the cup onto a muffin half and season the egg with salt and pepper. Top with meat and second muffin half. This method keeps everything in place.

It’s not rocket science, just microwave science. Tasty!

It didn’t work last year so we had beef stirfry to start off 2012!
This year I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Many cultures believe that it’s lucky to eat certain foods on New Year’s Day, so after brunch at Diesel, LC and I ordered their “superstition sampler” to go….collards, black-eyed peas, rice, corned beef and cabbage.

Then we stopped by Kroger for provisions, including an acorn squash to roast later. (Not that it’s lucky or anything, I just wanted to experiment with it.)

When we got back to my place, I noticed the sampler’s cornbread was missing, but otherwise it looked tasty. A box full of good luck for only $6! Later, I transferred the contents onto a plate and re-heated it in the microwave, serving it with the roasted acorn squash (recipe tomorrow!).

The collards weren’t nearly as flavorful as those at Whole Foods, and the peas with white rice were expectedly lackluster, livened up somewhat by the tangy cabbage. In a blind taste test I would not have guessed the meat was corned beef, it tasted more like the ham that was on my Benedict earlier….no complaints about that.

The sampler isn’t so much about flavor as it is about results. All I can say is….immediately after consuming the superstition sampler I got lucky! LOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR HOTDISH READERS!

‘Tis the season to get fat…..
Few things are better than fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, especially on a chilly night. Served with an ice cold glass of milk, they are the antidote to the winter blues as well as that tiny bikini you think you’ll be wearing in a few short months!

Since I was a kid, my favorite has been the tube of dough, usually Pillsbury. Sure, I know it’s pedestrian. I can’t have Babette’s dried cherry tart with creme fraiche all the time!

The dough used to be dense enough to slice, then cut into quarters but they’ve changed the consistency so now it is best handled with a spoon (which often ends up in my mouth rather than on the cookie sheet!)

These days one can find all natural cookie dough at Whole Foods. And there are gluten-free mixes too (I think SAVI Urban Market might have some). Pillsbury and Tollhouse both make chocolate chunk, flavors with nuts, and ready-to-bake varieties but why mess with a good thing? I like the old-fashioned roll of dough. Baked until chewy and just starting to brown.

It’s cold outside so just snuggle up with a dozen warm chocolate chip cookies….f*ck the bikini, you can join a gym tomorrow.