Danny Bowien on Chinatown & Pork Pancakes

Confession.  We spend many hours of the day Chinatown, NYC.  Probably too many hours. 

But, we eat damn well, that's for sure.  It's clear, Chinatown has grown on us.  For the better.

We are smitten with this video of Danny Bowien on Nowness, a chat with the new golden boy chef on the block; his inspiration, what motivates him, why he loves what he does, and what he likes to eat (pork pancakes). 

Danny Bowien: Mission Chinese on Nowness.com.

It is true, the charm of the people of Chinatown is wildly endearing, family owned restaurants that make really good food, with little expectation of fame or notoriety in this crazy city.  It's an inspiration, to say the least. 

And, we know where we're going for lunch tomorrow....

The Augustus Cocktail - The Bloodiest

It's the weekend.  Whew.  We made it through another week, dear readers.  This is cause for celebration.  And the brunch hours are upon us.  You're craving a Bloody Mary, you say?  So are we.  So are we.

When the common mixture of Tomato Juice and Vodka just isn't enough, we recommend upping the ante and adding more garnishes - Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto to that oh so dull Miss Mary.

The Augustus Cocktail

1 oz Vodka (we used Absolut) served in a highball glass filled with ice
Fill with V8 or Clamato
4-5 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
4-5 dashes Tabasco or Habanero Hot Sauce (these ladies like it hot)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 lime
Garnish with Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Jalapeno slice, stalk of celery, and green olives.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Absolut's Retro Limited Edition Host Bottle

  

We'll be in the kitchen mixing one of these delicious numbers up, so you know where to find us.

xxEE

Meatball Madness 2011

Last Thursday eve we were invited to attend Meatball Madness, the kickoff event of the New York City Wine & Food Festival. Hosted by the flawless Giada De Laurentis, we'd like to re-title this meaty extravaganza, "the ultimate omnivore's throw down." 30 of New York's top chefs rolled up their sleeves to create some of the most deliciously concentric meatballs we've ever tasted. While some steered away from the Italian approach, each presentation tasted like a true culinary paean to Italian nonna's everywhere.


As we write this, we might unbutton our pants a notch (if it's alright with you), because we sampled more meatballs in one evening than we could have ever imagined, and we still want more.

Pulinos Meatball - Photo by Matt Duckor of NBC's The Feast

Bottega Falai Forkscape

While all of the meatballs were delicious, we were star-stuck, or rather meat-struck, at chef Harold Dieterle's Kin Shop creation: fork-tender goat meatballs (that grabbed third place), coated in a bright, spicy, creamy Tatsoi Penang curry sauce speckled with boiled peanuts. Nolita's neighborhood hub, Rubirosa, made a nod to the Italian tradition with a seriously succulent creation, served on top of a bed of homemade pasta in the lightest marinara sauce worthy of its neighborhood's culinary history. And who could forget those gorgeously rich rabbit meatballs from Maialino or Fedora's salty sweet chicken meatball paired up with maple rice and crisp briny pickles.  

Kin Shop - Photo by Matt Duckor of NBC's The Feast

Vegetarian Meatball

Little Owl's Chef Joey Campanaro swept away the winners circle in first place with his comfort filled gravy meatball slider, garnished with crisp dandelion greens and fennel salad on a crusty cheese clad bun that had us going for seconds... and thirds.


To refresh our palettes between nibbling sessions, we took to libations.


We should preface that it's no secret we're big fans of the cocktail, in love with Campari, and swoon upon hearing "Negroni," so it comes as no surprise that we were dazzled upon discovering the ultimate boozy oasis, commanded by our favorite spirit, Campari.

Sweet, Sweet Salvation - in the form of a Negroni

One of our favorite NYC bartenders, Richie Boccato, shook up the classic Negroni, a liquid ruby in both taste and appearance that was gorgeously tangy, bitter and sweet in one sip. Just when we thought a change to tradition couldn't get any better, the Cooking Channel's cocktail aficionado, Darryl Robinson, stirred up a spin on the classic Negroni with its fizzy sister, Negroni Sbagliato. An effervescent knockout, this Campari and Sweet Vermouth combo soared with a kiss of Prosecco and a twist of citrus. We spotted the Meatball Madness Queen, Giada De Laurentis, sipping upon a glass as she served up her own Italian style meatballs.


When the meatball hangover lifted, we jumped at the chance to find out the potion, er, recipes, for those Campari creations. Richie Boccato and Darryl Robinson were kind enough to let us in on their secrets. Herewith, a dram of inspiration for the next time cocktail hour strolls in. We guarantee that these recipes will steer you straight towards Italy upon every sip. But whatever you do, don't forget the ice.


Classic Negroni, courtesy of Richie Boccato

1 oz Campari
1 oz Gin
1 oz Sweet Vermouth


Negroni Sbagliato, courtesy of Darryl Robinson

1 oz Campari
1 oz Prosecco
1 oz Sweet Vermouth


We're still feeling like we need to unbutton our pants a notch or two, but then again, we lived, "la doce vita," if only for an evening and would like to do it again, a.s.a.p.



xx Miss Helen Hollyman
www.ulookhungry.com

Time Travel. Human Flight. Gourmet Ketchup.

Some things were believed to be unachievable. Gourmet ketchup may now be crossed off the list with the introduction of Sir Kensington's Gourmet Scooping Ketchup, a fancy (but not-too-fancy) compote of vine ripened pear tomato puree, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, coriander, allspice, onions, mustard, and other (shhh!) secret ingredients.

The ketchup comes in two varieties, the Spiced Flavor, infused with chipotle peppers, cilantro and lime juice, "spicy enough to entertain without overpowering."
And the Classic, the "magnum opus of sauce - a classic reborn."

You may ask, "Who is Sir Kensington, and what hath he wrought? What alchemy and wizardry enabled its existence?" The answer of course, lies in the story of Sir Kensington himself.

Well, we'll reproduce directly from the source, because some history just shouldn't be rewritten.

Birthed to a landed merchant family in Great Britain, Sir Kensington attended Oxford University for his undergraduate study. He graduated the top student of England, with degrees in Industrialism, Philanthropy, and Culinary Arts. After a brief appointment in Constantinople advising Her Majesty on global trade and commerce, Sir Kensington returned to Cambridge University to pursue graduate degrees in Exotic Financial Derivatives.

Progressing into knighthood, Sir Kensington ascended to the highest echelons of European society, inviting international luminaries to weekly symposiums hosted at his country home in Buckinghamshire. Given his culinary academic history, he realized the secret to fruitful conversation would be the gastronomic fuel on which it ran. Sir Kensington recruited a bevy of culinary masters, seeking to stimulate the mind, body, and palate of his guests. He secured the finest foie gras, the freshest watercress, and the rarest caviar to match the caliber of his distinguished guests.

It was during one such symposium that Catherine the Great of Russia requested ketchup to complement the fine Kobe beef brought by the Emperor of Japan. After having his servants search the world over, Sir Kensington found that no such product existed, so he became determined to create his own ketchup worthy of connoisseurship by his distinguished guests.

Sir Kensington spent months locked away in his personal kitchen laboratory, laboring tirelessly on his ideal and elusive ketchup, and speaking only to his most trusted personal manservant, Dr. Manningham. During this time, Sir Kensington is rumored to have invented the food processor, the waffle iron, agave nectar, and the wire whisk as stepping stones necessary for his final and most triumphant concoction. Finally, he emerged from his study with a formula for a gourmet ketchup the likes of which the world had never seen. In beckoning his manservant to sample the sauce, Sir Kensington exclaimed the immortal words, “Oh, Manningham!” The result was a product of such refinement and distinction that it deserved to be scooped, not poured, spooned, and not squeezed. It was a product of such deliciousness and class that he bestowed it with the honor of his own namesake: Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup.

And what more can we tell you about his background?

Well, those seem like qualifications enough to taste the man's ketchup.

Americana Redux - Montana Knox

Every once in a while we come across an incredible artist who is creating really great work that is, gasp, humorous! no! blasphemy! We laughed out loud when we saw this bandana by New York artist Montana Knox.  A re-patterning of the Americana classic - with all sorts of food paraphernalia - juicy burgers, ice cream cones, doughnuts, hot dogs, mustard!  Yes! Mustard!

Doughnut Bandana for Bandits
(click for a larger, and thereby better view)

 

 A Tasty Close-Up

Our Sentiments Exactly

The Store: Art and Apparel (Read: Hot Steez)

We like your style, Mr. Knox.

(and your neon)

Photo by Saul Simon-MacWilliams

Go visit Mr Montana Knox at the best address in NYC:  

4 Extra Place, off E. 1st St.
(212) 529-5669
www.montanaknox.com

Thou Shalt Not Go Hungry

A short made by the group Global Mechanic featuring the fifth of the 10 commandments.  Be prepared to be mashed for thy sins.

The 10 Commandments: No. 5 Thou Shalt Not Kill from Global Mechanic on Vimeo.


Found via my love for you is a stampede of horses.  gracias.

Foodzie Roundup: An Introduction

Introducing Foodzie, essentially Etsy for food. We think they should have called it "Eatsy", but that's neither here nor there because it is awesome. Foodzie serves as a platform for small local gourmet producers to get their food in front of a wide audience, and allows you access to an exciting selection of goodies from specialized purveyors. Everybody wins. The website is divided into helpful categories of sauces/condiments, snacks, coffee/tea/drinks, cheese/dairy, meat/seafood, bakery, chocolate/candy, and gifts. Posts are also demarked with banner labels when they are local, and, ingeniously, you can browse a google map in search of purveyors from a particular region. Here are some of the selections that we found most mouthwatering.

...

Skillet Bacon Jam, Skillet Street Food, Seattle, Washington

Really, this deserves its own post. It's own shelf in my pantry. It's own place in my heart. To make their spreadable porky condiment, the Skillet Street Food team says, "we take a big bunch of really, really good bacon and render it down...add a bunch of spices, onions, etc...and let it simmer for about 4 hours...give it a quick puree, and blast chill it...and you have bacon jam..."

Stewed Organic Dry Farmed Tomatoes, Happy Girl Kitchen Co., Moss Landing, California
Preserved 100% organic Northern California tomatoes. Just looking at these things, you can feel the warm California sunshine on your face. Who wants to go on a bike ride? That is, after a quick morning Mary made with her spicy organic tomato juice.

Rosemary Hannahbells Thimble Cheese, Shy Brothers Farm, Westport Point, Massachusetts

American artisanal cheesemaking is so exciting right now, and these thimble sized French-style buttons are just the start of it. The "very shy" Santos brothers operate their third-generation dairy farm out of Westport Point, Mass. They're conscientious of environmental impact, treat their animals with respect, and never use antibiotics or hormones with their dairy cattle.

Sea Salt and Black Pepper Biscotti, Three Tarts Bakery, New York, New York

The three tarts - literally, three tarty ladies - operate a charming bakery out of Chelsea, New York. Here they bring you a lovely addition to your next cheese plate. Also perfectly suitable for dunking in that glass of red wine, which you are of course also drinking.

Shallot Confit with Red Wine, Quince & Apple Preserves, Madison, Wisconsin
The adorable DIY midwest couple of Matt and Clare personally produce limited edition collections of seasonal smears and jams. This shallot confit is "a robust, self-assured preserve with an elegant streak. Bold red wine brightens the deep caramels of slow-cooked shallots." Please, someone send me a turkey sandwich so I can comingle my flavors.


Alfajores Sampler Box, Maitelates Alfajores Cookies, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Maitelates (my-tay-lah-tes) are Maite Zubia's twist on a unique Chilean family recipe for Alfajores (al-fa-hor-es): delicate, caramel-filled shortbread-like cookies. A favorite at the Ann Arbor farmer's market, Maite sandwiches two buttery hand-made cookies with her famous homemade Dulce de Leche, made with fresh Michigan creamery milk. She then dips each alfajor in rich Belgian Chocolate. Her 12-cookie sampler box includes:

Classic Alfajores, filled with pure caramelly Dulce de Leche
Almond Alfajores, enhanced with ground roasted almonds and almond extract
Coffee Alfajores, rich with Ethiopian espresso
Coconut Alfajores, made even chewier with unsweetened coconut
White Alfajores, sweetly coated with Callebaut White Chocolate
Strawberry, adding nice fresh fruit flavor
Michigan Cherry, Dulce de Leche & Cherries
Quince, Quince and Sugar (no Dulce de Leche)
Dulce Peanut, Dulce de Leche & Peanut Butter

The Cure

Maybe last night was a fun one for us, two too many Pear and St. Germain Martinis. They just looked so lovely with the little gold flakes on top! So hard to resist!

Today, we suffer. Oh, how we suffer.

We need a cure, with the quickness. Forbes tells us to drink water, Gatorade, take B6 & B12, and to eat tripe soup. Forbes, we believe you, except for that last one.

But we know the real cure: Green Chile - on pretty much anything.

We present to you, dear readers, the 2009 Chile Verde Champion Recipe:

CHEF BOY-R-BOB CHILI VERDE



Ingredients:

2½ lbs of pork tenderloin cut into 3/8 to 1/2 inch cubes

2 tbs. bacon fat

1 cup of diced onion

4 cloves of garlic – pressed

4 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped

2 green chilies seeded and chopped

4 serrano peppers thinly sliced

1 lb of green chilies (canned or frozen) – divided in half

1 14 oz. can of chicken broth

1 14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 7oz. can green salsa verde

1 tbs. cumin

1 tbs. powdered green jalapeño

2 tsp. powdered green chili

2 tsp. corn starch for thickening

Salt to taste

Tabasco green pepper sauce (as needed for heat)

Allow for 3 hours of cooking time*

the salt level drops each time you add the green chilies so be sure to add salt each time

Instructions:
In a 6 quart pot, brown the pork in the bacon fat. Add the remaining ingredients (using only half of the frozen or canned green chilies *) to the pot and simmer for 2 hours. You may need to add some water during the cooking time to keep the mixture covered.With 30-40 minutes of cooking time left add the remaining green chilies *10 minutes before the end of the cooking period adjust the thickness, salt and heat.

My So-Called Mustard

Remembering our youth and reveling in our relative adulthood, we’ve been watching back-to-back episodes of My So-Called Life. And in the process we have most certainly developed a major crush on Angela’s dad, Graham Chase, the 40-year-old hunk with aspirations to become a chef.

...

via My So-Called Gallery

Of course, when deadbeat drunk French Chef Stefan Dieter fails to perform as culinary professor, Graham is tapped to teach the class. More than anything, though, our crush is solidified when Rayanne roots through the fridge to find out just how fetishistic about mustard our main man is.

"Who's into the mustard?"

"My dad."

"Well, you know what that's about. Sex. I mean, all you really need to survive is mild yellow. All this other stuff is purely recreational."

- Rayanne and Angela

...

Many Mustards, proof that variety is the spice of life

And we think you'll agree that a house with no mustard is a house of heartbreak.

via The Mustard Museum