cloud city

basket cheese and venetian risotto

Basket cheese!  We went to DiPalo's to get some prosciutto di San Daniele and parmesan, for making Mario Batali's Venetian Risotto with the fresh peas we had gotten earlier at the farmer's market.  It was the first time we'd been in since the renovation.  Much more spacious, and our wait for service was short.  We were curious about the basket cheese in the display.  The counter woman explained that it was similar to ricotta, just a bit more solid, so it could be sliced, and, perhaps, served on toast with jam for breakfast.  Of course, she offered us a taste.  I love this!  ... The risotto came out beautifully, too.  We're definitely getting the hang of it, and the combination of flavors in this recipe is fantastic.

OMG JPB!

We made the wagyu strip loin we had bought at Japan Premium Beef, to eat with friends on Saturday night.  Wow!  This was easily the best steak we had ever made at home.  It was a steak I would have been happy to pay a lot of money for at a restaurant.  We cooked it very simply, salted, seared stove top in a very hot pan, and finished to medium rare in a hot oven.  The flavor and texture were outstanding.  We served it with a romesco sauce, and roasted potatoes and ramps.  It perfectly complimented the special bottle of cabernet sauvignon that we opened.  We also made good use of the ground wagyu we got there (on special for $4.99/lb!) in simple burgers.  It was a little difficult to work with, since it is ground quite coarsely, and requires a bit more handling than normal ground beef to make it stick together in a patty.  The marbling of fat gave these burgers huge flavor, and delicious crisped edges.  I can't really say enough about this place.  If you want some truly great beef, try it!  We'll definitely be shopping here again, despite the expense. 

Meyer Sidecar at Mercat

Meyer Sidecar at Mercat, originally uploaded by cloudcity.

Mercat

Mercat, originally uploaded by cloudcity.

Japanese Premium Beef

Japanese Premium Beef, originally uploaded by cloudcity.

hunting and gathering in the east village

we had to stop at the old-school cabinet of wonders that is Video Games New York on 6th Street east of Bowery, so we had a bit of a wander around the east village while we were at it.  first, back to the truly fantastic Abraco for the BEST iced latte in town.  then we stumbled upon Montana Knox in an alley.  the artist was in residence, and i could not resist this t-shirt.  i almost wish i was a tourist, because what a great souvenir this would be!  one more door down the alley was a marvelous little chocolate shop, Bespoke Chocolates, where we both fell in love with the dark chocolate truffle with the liquid caramel center, rolled in crushed pretzels.  stopped at Mercat for a light dinner and drinks, Barcelona style.  loved the padrones, little green chili peppers flash fried in olive oil and sea-salted.  the perfect bar snack, giving edamame a run for its money.  also peppers stuffed with shortribs, an octopus and arugula salad, and lovely cocktails.  we'll be going back here.  last stop of the afternoon was at the new wagyu-beef-only butcher shop on Great Jones, Japanese Premium Beef, for steaks for a dinner with friends.  the Japanese butchers were very friendly and helpful, and were actually from the prefecture that contains Naoshima, the art island we visited in '07.  will report on the beef after we eat it tomorrow!

an aromatic afternoon

we went uptown to see the ernesto neto installation "anthropodino" at the park avenue armory.

  the pamphlet we were given says it is a "visceral and physically resonant experience of the body."  a skin of layered mesh was stretched over wooden bones, and in places stretched into long, pendulous extrusions filled with aromatic spices.  turmeric, clove, lavender, ginger and others.  it was either like being inside some kind of sea creature or like visiting some sort of alien outpost.  and it smelled wonderful.  more pictures on flickr: here.  afterwards, we stopped in at the marvelous ito-en tea shop on Madison.  we sniffed just about everything on the wall of glass-bottled teas before settling on jasmine pearl, ginger tangerine sencha and cinnamon rosehip rooibos.  i made the jasmine pearl in my beloved ingenuiTea once we got home and enjoyed its luscious scent of summer flowers and grass.

 

 

what to do with fiddleheads

i figured out what to do with the fiddlehead ferns!  i've made this recipe twice now.  it is light, simple and flavorful - a good showcase for the fiddleheads.  i made it with spaghetti rigate instead of angel hair pasta.  i like the way the thicker, ridged noodles hold the flavors.  the second time i made it, i substituted ramps for the scallions called for.  crazy seasonal, man.  i had the ingredients for the "essence" spice mix, so i made that, too.  turned out great, and we've been putting it on everything.  it gives a spicy, savory kick to the pasta.

another fantastic dinner at momofuku ssam

this place just seems to get better and better.  consistently innovative and delicious.  we had a great dinner there the other night - see the pictures below.  also enjoyed but not pictured were an icy martini, dirtied with pickled ramp juice, and a perfectly done grilled branzini, with a crisp, slightly smoky skin and a salsa of tomatillos, jicama and pepitas.

Chicken Fried Chicken at Momofuku

Chicken Fried Chicken at Momofuku, originally uploaded by cloudcity.

Crazy dish made from whole pieces of chicken breast and leg meat, pressed together and cut into bricks, then double-fried. Served with pickled ramps, morels, swiss chard, and a smear of poached egg yolk. Quite unusual, but absolutely delicious.