A seasonal item, soft-shell crabs are considered a delicacy that look like giant sea bugs. I’ll admit, they are pretty awesome deep-fried or sautéed, but munching on what looks like a giant spider can kinda freak people out.
If you ever wondered “what is a soft-shell crab?”, it’s a blue crab that is molting making the shell soft and the entire crustacean edible. The season runs from about April to October, and the crabs really should be enjoyed fresh. Frozen crabs aren’t bad but just don’t do it justice. read more
It’s official, we’re in the “-ber” months. While some may argue summer isn’t over until September 23rd, the beer selection tells me otherwise. As the North East moves into the third temperate season, so has the breweries. Lighter beers, weisses and wizens are being replaced with some of my favorites such as Brooklyn Brown Ale, Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale, and Paulaner Oktoberfest. read more
I started drafting this whole post a while ago. Between work and the oh-my-god-it’s-so-warm-outside-let’s-all-go-to-the-park-and-drink opportunities most other items have fallen off my radar. One would think writing a quick post about a sandwich wouldn’t be that hard. However, you sir, would be wrong. When you try to describe a sandwich, it all comes off as esoteric. “Oh, the crisp bread pairs nicely with the tender pork. Hrmm, yes, yes. It does. So nice.” So, in an effort to post this recipe, not sound like a tool, and get back to oh-my-god-it’s-so-warm-outside-let’s-all-go-to-the-park-and-drink-ing, here’s a pork sandwich. read more
When I first moved to New York City, I lived in the East Village and was fortunate enough to be near some great restaurants and coffee shops. My favorite was this little place on the corner of E. 11th and Ave B that served basil lemonade in the spring/summer months. It’s a nice change from traditional lemonade or iced tea and from lame baristas who actually use pickup lines like, “You know soy latte is Spanish for ‘I am latte’.” Gag. read more
I’ve eaten my share of Caesar salads, and I can say with conviction that not all caesar dressings are created equal. There are Caesar style dressings that skip the eggs and there are dressings that use either an egg yolk or mayonnaise base. Some dressings use anchovies while others don’t. Then, there are some Caesar dressings that look and taste like Italian dressing and are served over iceberg lettuce in a taco bowl. I’m looking at you Friendlys Restaurant circa 1992.
With all of these variations, I opted for a traditional version from the Culinary Institute of America, which uses egg yolks and anchovies. Like most salad dressings, this recipe starts with a base of acid and emulsifiers. Base + oil = salad dressing.
To create the base, I mashed the garlic, anchovy, salt, and pepper together and whisked in the lemon juice and egg yolk until smooth. While some may be skittish about using raw egg, it is necessary because it acts as an emulsifying agent and helps ensure the oil doesn’t separate out. Next, the actual emulsion is created by slowly pouring a thin stream of oil into the base whisking constantly until smooth. Slowly is the operative word. If you add the oil too quickly, your emulsion will break and that no es bueno. read more
I’m pretty consistent with my breakfast rotation – bacon, eggs and toast, steel cut oatmeal, or fruit and yogurt. Even when I go out to brunch, I always order the same things and rarely venture into the carbohydrate-fueled options of french toast or pancakes.
I’ve rejected the notion of a pro-french toast breakfast because traditional recipes are either too soggy, too sweet, or use too heavy of a custard base. I don’t need to eat bread pudding for breakfast. This recipe provides a good balance of sweetness and richness with a 2:1 ratio of eggs to cups of cream and a sweet bread like challah or brioche. read more
Warm weather in New York City is characterized by the following ubiquitous sights, which include but are not limited to an increase in: 1) Bitchy, tiny dogs 2) Ray-ban Wayfarers on everyone 3) Mediocre compulsory brunch where regularly priced pancakes are now $10 more and its only an additional $15 for all you can drink André mimosas 4) Outdoor dinning and 5) Iced coffee consumption.
While I can do without brunch, I cannot do without iced coffee. In the spring and summer, I drink an offensive amount of iced coffee. Not Starbucks-trenta-oh-my-god-that-is-actually-the-size-of-your-stomach offensive but enough to fill out of a few punch cards at my favorite spots like Café Grumpy, Ninth Street Espresso, Jack’s, and Mud. read more
I just solidified my plans for an upcoming trip to my friend’s house in Cape Cod and all the talk around fresh seafood and clam chowder got me in the mood for something that originated in the ocean. When I got to the fish market, they were selling clams and oysters on the half shell, and I decided to pick up some littleneck and cherrystone clams myself. At first, I wanted to fry them, but since I have been living of Bugles and iced coffee this week, I chose to err on the healthier side and do my own raw bar.
Yes, I know what you are thinking and, yes, eating raw clams and oysters is weird. They look like gross blobs of fat, and you have to slurp them down. It contradicts most dinning etiquette and eating raw food feel primal at best. But, I eat sushi and once my friend Molly introduced them to me at Fatty Crab, I got over it. read more
I’d like to say I made ice cream because the weather has been nice lately but, I made this about 2 weeks ago and I’m fairly sure it was snowing. Hazelnut ice cream is probably my favorite ice cream and, in this version, I added chocolate-hazelnut spread to the ice cream base. I would have used Nutella, but apparently WholeFoods doesn’t consider Nutella a whole food. I guess identical ingredients at a higher price are more sustainable.
One of the biggest factors in creating a smooth, creamy ice cream is the amount of butterfat, or fatty part of the milk, it contains by weight. Heavy cream is about 36% butterfat, half-and-half is about 12% butterfat, and whole milk is around 3.5% butterfat. I use a ratio of 1:1 of cream and milk, which produces an ice cream of 12% butterfat by weight including the sugar and egg yolks. To put that into perspective, ice cream must contain at least 10% butterfat according to the FDA and Ben & Jerry’s is about 16% butterfat. read more
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