Saturday, November 27, 2010

Food for Thought

We just go the sweetest gift: a philosopher friend visiting from Austria brought us lovely little chocolate hazelnut nougats by Ildefonso. The teensy bite-size chocolates are individually wrapped in cellophane and gold paper and nestled together in a small box. The chocolates were created in 1880, when a Manner chocolatier visited the Ildefonso in Toledo, Spain, and composed these in homage to the beautiful cathedral.

Each chocolate is wrapped with a quote, like this one:

Wer stark ist kann es sich erlauben leise zu sprechen.

("Speak softly and carry a big stick.")

- Theodore Roosevelt

Seven layers of chocolate and hazelnut nougat, all wrapped up in wisdom.

I couldn't find any US retailers who sell the chocolates (if you find one, please comment away!), but 130 pieces can be purchased for 46 Euro online at Austrianshop, a terrific source for many hard-to-find Austrian goodies, like the Alpine herbal soft drink Almdudler (second only to Coca-Cola as Austria's most-consumed beverage), Mozartkugeln (a wide variety of candies dedicated to Austria's master composer) and authentic Austrian gingerbread, sausages, and beer.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Great Grandma Minnie's Chocolate Cake

Ok. Ok. Ok. I'll spill the beans. I'll share the family recipe.

For 50 years, on every single Thanksgiving, my mother has been treated to an amazing chocolate ganache-enrobed triple-decker German chocolate cake with whipped cream separating each layer, originally introduced to the family by her Grandma Minnie (who "refrigerated" it on the attic stairs because the icebox was too small), who first ate the cake made by her mother Great Great Grandma Ida. Now my mom makes it for our Thanksgiving crowd, respun and undeniably all gussied up.

And now we share it with you, because, really, you are our extended family. And we're thankful for that.
Great Grandma Minnie's Chocolate Cake
...
The Recipe Revealed

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspon salt
6 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2/3 cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla

Filling
6 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Icing
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons hot water
4 tablespoons butter
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

More after the jump...

Thursday, November 25, 2010

This Thanksgiving We're Thinking About Turkey

With the mashed potatoes on the stovetop, the stuffing's onions slowly caramelizing, the bread dough on the rise, and the chocolate pecan pie in the oven, we can't keep our minds off Turkey.

And away we go...

The Blue Mosque via Steven Ford

As the historic center of the spice trade, Turkey's bazaars serve as a conduit for the world's boldest colors and brightest flavors. The following are our favorite resources for a trip around Istanbul and Turkey's outer regions in search of new tastes:

Martha Stewart in Istanbul - In this entire hour-long episode, Martha serves as personal tour guide to Istanbul by boat, on a walk through the spice market, and gazing upwards at the 400-year-old Topkapi Palace, the former-cathedral mosque Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. She takes us to Ulus 29, a restaurant re-spinning Turkish classic pastries and kebabs with a modern twist.

Cafe Fernando - This award-winning Istanbul-based baking, photography and travel blog, written by Cenk (Jenk), covers traditional recipes, local restaurant reviews, and an extensive image collection, transporting you to the heart of Turkey's contemporary eating and cooking culture.

Istanbul Eats - A homegrown restaurant review site run by - and read by - locals. Come here for authentic cheap eats, organized by neighborhood, cuisine, and cost.

Turkeys for Life - Expat couple Julia and Barry take us around Fethiye, Turkey, where they settled after several holiday trips away from England. Their quirky personal recommendations of where to eat, where to drink, and what to do, sound like they've been live streamed from the local pub, and they probably have been.

Istanbul Culinary Institute Walking Tours - The culinary school hosts in-depth food tours, such as a recent trip with food writer Filiz Hosukoglu featuring a visit to a copperware handcraft market, demo and tasting of katmer (a regional sweet with clotted cream and pistachio), a tour of a baklava production facility, lunch at a local house with a demonstration of home cooking, and participation in a pistachio harvest. Half-day tours of the spice markets, fish markets, and street foods are also available for around $60.
...
In our research, we've uncovered many gorgeous personal photos from the region, and we wanted to share.

Sesame-dusted simit, a circular snack traditionally sold on the streets of Istanbul in glass carts or carried in a big stack on the seller's head, are made of flour, butter, eggs, olive oil, and milk. Simit are thinner than a bagel, with a larger central hole, and are a whole lot crispier. No lox schmear required.
Simit via AfRO

Istanbul's countless spice markets serve as a conduit to the tastes of the world.
Spices via Shoko!!

The starchy sweet Turkish delight can be made of dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts, and is most often flavored with aromatic rosewater, mastic or lemon.
Turkish Delight via canmom

Hamsi, the Black Sea seasonal fish, are available fresh at Turkey's fish markets beginning in October of every year, served as hamsi ekmegi (deep fried and on bread with arugula and onion) or uskumru ekmegi (fresh on toasted bread).

A shared pot of Turkish tea, served in small clear glasses with lumps of beet sugar, is seen as a symbol of friendship and hospitality.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

That's Wild: The Tastes of the Last Frontier

Today in the New York Times, Oliver Strand and Joe Distefando dig into chefs' hunger for truly seasonal ingredients: wild harvestable fruits, flowers, nuts, leaves, pods and needles. They write, "Increasingly, in an era when truffles are farmed and Whole Foods sells fresh porcini, the ingredients that chefs seek are not the ones anyone can order; they’re the ones that few have ever heard of. They are the most unusual, not the most expensive. And even if they’re plentiful, they’re exclusive: you need either to know where to go and what to gather, or who to call." If you're in search of your own resource, start by talking to the farmer purveyors at your local greenmarket, go online to Vermont's Wild Gourmet Food, or head over to lower Manhattan's regular New Amsterdam Market.

Or head on out for a night out on the town.

Whether it is sea buckthorn sorbet at Toque in Montreal, trout with sumac berry at Tennessee's Blackberry Farm, or licorice fern at Eleven Madison Park, chefs are utilizing the best, most exciting, most unusual ingredients found in the American wild.


Jeff Ross of Blackberry Farm forages nearly 5,000 acres of woodlands for

Monday, November 22, 2010

Seed Bombing

Hunky farmboys Ken Greene and Doug Miller of The Hudson Valley Seed Library are dedicated to preserving heirloom varietals through their seed packs, available on the cheap so that green thumbs like you will plant them, grow them, and love them.

For those of you looking to build a substantial edible garden, the New World Gift Basket ($31) includes a collection of heirloom veggies such as Calico Popcorn, Costata Romanesco Zucchini, Dragon's Tongue Bean, Fox Cherry Tomato, New England Pie Pumpkin, and Sweet Salad Pepper. But of course, the baskets are fully recycled paper seed-starting trays that can be used to get that garden going. Otherwise, a la carte selections are available on their site for $3.50 each or $3.00 for members. Each seed pack is designed by a different New York state artist, and we like their style. Here are a few of our favorites:


The Kaleidoscope Carrot, which sprouts a rainbow of colors including purple, yellow, white, red and (yes) orange:


The New Yorker Tomato
, a juicy red tomato with bright acidity and full flavor:


Calico Popcorn
, a colorful collection of fall popcorn kernels that grow into 6-inch cobs:


Ragged Jack Kale
, your "wavy, frilly, soft and tender garden friend":


Piracicaba Broccoli
, the Hudson Valley Seed boys' favorite garden variety broccoli, with its "endless sweet florets":

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Redux: Family Heirlooms

We've found the perfect Thanksgiving gift for the hostess with the mostest: vintage sterling silver serving pieces, hand-stamped with personalized labels.

Wooden Hive scours flea markets and house sales for beautiful, loved, and historied silver pieces, and refashions them for new a new life. Custom orders are welcome, and we think these would make a beautiful way to commemorate a special occasion, whether a wedding, a 50th anniversary, or a note of gratitude to Mom.

Give Thanks serving fork $15.99

Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Ham, $59

For the cheese plate, $27

Garden Markers for Basil, Dill or Thyme, $17

Place Settings for Noah, Gracie and Jordan, $7.50

The Reindeers, an ornament collection, $59

Thanking Mom for everything she does, $6.50

Friday, November 19, 2010

2011: A Caramel-coated Year

2010 has come and nearly gone, and as we all plunge towards the holidays, we're all thinking about how to sweeten up next year. Ladies and gents, add to your gift guide a year's worth of caramels.

The husband and wife team behind "Have It Sweet Confections" of Burbank, California produce hand-made all-natural artisanal caramels, nougats, and marshmallows, and they've created the caramel-lovers' ultimate collection. Get your orders in quick. The holiday deadline is December 8.

For $112, your year could be looking like this:

January: Heavenly Vanilla Caramel
February: English Tea Time Caramel
March: Callebaut Belgian Dark Chocolate Caramel
April: Fleur de Sel Caramel
May: Mayan Dark Chocolate Caramel
June: Marzipan Caramel
July: Cloud Nine Caramel
August: Dark Chocolate Mint Caramel
September: Autumn Spiced Vanilla Caramel
October: Scaramels
November: Pecan Pie Caramels
December: Gingerbread Caramels

Each month, as if delivered by some benevolent sugar fairy, a full 1/2 pound of caramel will be delivered to your door. Cut into two 1/4 pound bars, each wrapped in its own lovely parchment and raffia packaging, you can keep one for yourself and give one away, if you so chose.

You want a closer look at the Fleur de Sel caramel, don't you?


Monday, November 15, 2010

Let's Bring Back: Eccentrics & Fabulous Fêtes

Some people have the amazing ability to change the world dramatically. These people define our world - and everything we accept to be reality.

Ms. Peggy Guggenheim was one of those characters - the one woman who defined the American art scene in the 1930's and 1940's. Peggy Guggenheim was a wealthy heiress who started the Art of This Century Gallery (1942 - 1947), which featured work from international artists such as Calder, Dali, Arp, Breton, Braque, Chagall, Chirioo, Kandinsky, Klee, Ernst, Pollock, and Duchamp to name drop a few. Her gallery featured the work of contemporary Surrealists, the Dadaists, Abstract Expressionists, Futurists, Kinetic Sculpturist, as well as up-and-coming American artists. Ms. Guggenheim was an original bon vivant, an influential woman of outrageous style and taste, and a powerful philanthropist.


Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone ByWhat a better person to channel than Ms. Guggenheim for a celebration of a book that is a call to revive the lost arts of our culture, Ms. Lesley M.M. Blume's Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By?

To launch the book Miss Blume, along with the hostesses of The Society threw a lavish fête on Thursday, and yours truly, the Gastronomista Girls were in attendance. The party was catered by our friend and frequent collaborator, the ever-talented Jennifer Lynn Pelka (whose gold-dusted chocolate delights you might remember) who served up quite an extraordinary menu of foods inspired by the artists of Peggy Guggenheim's early collections.

The fashions of the evening were to be 1940's inspired - although many guests came sporting other Modern Art inspirations - from Surrealism to the Dadaists (we were hoping to see a fashionista inspired Le Violin de Ingres by Man Ray - but alas).

A few we appreciated:

Let's Bring Back: Dapper Gents

Let's Bring Back: Poetry in the Salon

Let's Bring Back: The Ladies of The Society

Let's Bring Back: Warm Sweaters and Killer Color Combinations
Let's Bring Back: Chainmail
Lisa Salzer wore 40 pounds of metal - and made it look light...

Is it a shoe - or an Ice Cream Cone?
We will go with the latter.

Servers wore Magritte Inspired Bowlers
Photos by the Billy Farrell Agency.

Zacapa Rum put together killer concoctions for the night - there was a punch bowl of Pickford Punch, Zacapa served neat, and (our favorite) the Zacapa Rum Manhattan. We traditionally like our Manhattans with Bourbon (Old Man Emerson likes his Atomic), but we are now obsessed with the Rum reinvention of the Classic.

You know what they say...
Birds of a Feather..Flock Together
Photo by the Billy Farrell Agency.

Zacapa Manhattan

2 oz Zacapa 23 Rum
¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes Orange Bitters

Stir with large ice cubes until well-chilled, strain, and garnish with an orange twist.

Delicious. Bottom's up!
Zacapa Neat.

We simply must spend a few minutes on the curious delicacies that were served - with inspiration from Peggy Guggenheim herself and the Futurist Cookbook, each course with its own back-story. Pelka served hand-held vintage-feeling Waldorf salads (honoring the institution where Peggy and her artsy friends spent many of their nights), "Drunken Liver" (since Peggy Guggenheim claimed she was drunk for five straight years), and delicious hazelnut butter cookies in the shape of the pipe in Magritte's iconic "C'eci nest pa une pipe" painting.

Click Me for a Bigger, and Therefore Better View

Here are a few of our favorite shots from the night:

Cape and New Brunswick Oysters with Champagne Mignonette
The first bite from the last night on the Titanic, when her father died.
Photo by the Billy Farrell Agency.

Our favorite: a Calder Meat MobileEveryone was invited to take a bite.
Photos by the Billy Farrell Agency.

"Totalrice"
Arancini balls building on the blasphemous Futurist idea of making
Risotto with beer, rather than wine.
Photo by the Billy Farrell Agency.


Noses!

Italian Breasts in the Sunshine
Based on a classic Futurist recipe, Almond cakes with raspberry nipples
&
A Piece of A Pollock
Pelka presented Ms. Blume with an edible version of Jackson Pollock's dripped paintings: dark chocolate brownies with dripped white chocolate and salted caramel. Guests were invited to hack off their own piece and chow down.

Referencing Dali, a Surrealist-inspired graveyard of melting candy
Candy Handmade by Pappabubble

The Hostess with The Mostest...

 

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