Turkey Choucroute Garni

    My internship at Saveur magazine has come to an end. During my stay one of the recipes we tested for the Thanksgiving issue (out now) was a variation on an eastern European dish called choucroute garni. A traditional choucroute garni usually consists of saurkraut, potatoes, riesling and a mix of various meat products such as tongue, sausages (such as knackwurst or bratwurst) and bacon. This variation uses turkey in the place of some of the meats, slab bacon and Granny Smith apples. Watch as Hunter Lewis, kitchen director (and my boss) prepares the dish and take a peak inside the test kitchen.

Above photo by Todd Coleman

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Beer Glorious Beer

This Friday, September 24th, NY Craft Beer Week begins. A week to celebrate local beers produced by small breweries. With deals, dinners and events, the festival spans throughout the 5 boroughs. The festival is only in it's third year and last year received lackluster media coverage, let's hope the word gets out this year because it's a great festival to celebrate something we all love.

How it works: For $10 a "passport" is purchased which allows you to try one of three featured beers at each bar for $3.  There are more than 80 bars participating and each bar features beers from breweries such as Captain Lawrence, Brooklyn, Goose Island, Coney Island and Victory.

This festival is not only about drinking beer. It is also about paring beers with food. During last year's festival, then Chef de Cuisine of Per Se, Jonathan Benno, hosted a seven course dinner and instead of wine, every dish was paired with a beer provided by Brooklyn Brewery. They did some really interesting and amazing stuff including "bacon beer." This year, as the festival expands, many more restaurants are taking part. Eleven Madison Park, applewood, Craftbar and Hearth are just a few of the more than 30 restaurants that are offering special "beer menus." Each restaurant will feature a unique menu meant to be paired with beers.

In recent years beer had something of a renaissance. You are more likely to find beers from smaller and lesser know breweries than ever before at bars and even some supermarkets. And speciality beer markets, bars and restaurants are opening more than ever making it easy and effortless to taste and enjoy new and diverse beers. This festival is a clear reflection of that.

There are so many fantastic beers out there too many to mention here. However what I think is probably the best beer I've ever had: Brooklyn Breweries "Blue Apron Ale". A beer I had at Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville, CA. It is (or was) made especially for Thomas Keller's restaurants. I was lucky enough to try it once and I have not found it since. Was it because I had been wine tasting for hours? Maybe.

 

Here's to hoping you find a favorite during beer week. Time to order another...

Homemade Peanut Brittle

    My email inbox is inundated daily with recipes and other food related information. Serious Eats, Cooking.com, Time Out New York, America's Test Kitchens, etc. all send me multiple emails a day. Usually, I take a quick look and delete them. However, last week, I received an email from Tasting Table with a recipe called "Grandma Frankie's Peanut Brittle" adapted from Melissa Perello (one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in 2004) from the Frances restaurant in San Francisco. For some reason I wasn't so quick to delete this one. Probably because I really love peanut brittle and since I have never made it before, it stuck out to me.

So this weekend, I decided to give it a shot. Most of the ingredients are house hold staples; granulated sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, water and baking soda. And the remaining two ingredients, are nothing too extreme; light corn syrup and raw peanuts. Raw peanuts meaning peanuts that have not been roasted or treated already. These may be a little bit harder to find than anything else. Any specialty market, health food grocer or high-end market (such as Whole Foods or Fairway) should carry them.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:          2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups raw peanuts

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon baking soda

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook undisturbed until a candy thermometer registers 260˚, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peanuts. Wait 5 seconds, then give the mixture a brief stir. Continue cooking, swirling the saucepan occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture turns deep golden brown, about 3 minutes.

 

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Add the baking soda (the mixture will foam) and stir until incorporated.

3. Pour the peanut mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, and spread into an even layer. Let the brittle stand until cool and hard, about 25 minutes. Break the peanut brittle into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.

Recipe notes: Definitely put the sugar, corn syrup and water mixture in the biggest sauce pan you have. Adding the baking soda during the last step, will cause the mixture to foam and almost double in volume. 

I didn't have a rimmed baking sheet to use for this so I used a pyrex casserole dish instead (above). This caused the time that the brittle needed to rest and cool to be much longer than the 25 minutes suggested in the recipe. 

The final product was delicious. I was surprised that there was no salt in the recipe. It seemed like a perfect match for peanuts and would also create a salty caramel brittle. Also, the final product was a little bit wet on the surface and came off on my fingers, which in no way deterred me from eating half on my own.

Saveur Magazine

 
 

Tomorrow I will be starting an internship in the test kitchen of one of the top food magazines,Saveur magazine. From what I know at this point, the magazine receives recipes from many different sources for each issue. These recipes sometimes need to be tweaked here and there before they are published so that they are appropriate for home cooks and also that they meet the magazines standards. I will be testing the recipes and sourcing ingredients that are submitted and in some cases, multiple times. Obviously, I will know more once I start. But I look forward to sharing the recipes, tips and experience here, to the extent that I am allowed, as I did while at FCI. And although I am not permitted to share the details (I had to sign a confidentiality agreement), I will also be recipe testing for the Amateur Gourmet's cookbook over the course of the next year. If you haven't read his book or blog, I highly recommend checking them both out. Stay tuned!

Eye In the Sky

    Apologies for the lack of entries lately, a lot is in the works. I hope you'll stay with me, many posts are coming. In the meantime, here is something to tide you over. Love him or hate him, Time magazine writer and blogger Josh Ozersky does have access to most every big name chef in New York. In this video from his personal website, Josh sits with Daniel Boulod in his "skybox" office above the kitchen at his flagship restaurant Daniel. With a bird's eye view, Daniel explains how his classic French brigade kitchen works. 

Ozersky has caused quite a stir lately after being called out by Village Voice critic Robert Sietsema about a piece he wrote on Time's blog. Whatever your opinions about that, this video is still pretty damn cool.

    If you're interested in what's being called "Ozersky Gate" here is the low down.Or here.

Vegetables Take Center Stage?

Although it's common knowledge that meat can be bad for our health, in the past few years meat has become all the craze. Home butchering, nose-to-tail- eating, pork belly, lardo, charcuturie, haute cuisine burgers and hot dogs are what we've been eating or at least seeing on menus across the country.

But in the past month it appears vegetables are making their move. On Parade Magazine's Blue Plate blog, Chef Mark Fuller of Seattle's Spring Hill restaurant predicted that vegetables are the next big food trend. "Chefs are defiantly sourcing much more locally so it would make sense to showcase the beautiful ingredients from our farmers", he said. Only a few weeks later Chef James Boyce who cooks at Cotton Row Restaurant in Hunstville, Alabama, also told Blue Plate he believes vegetarianism will be the next big trend "due to the high cost of meat and fish." Given what we have seen on the menus lately, it is not the case yet, but they might be onto something.

For a week in May, Animal restaurant in Los Angeles will be halting business for seven nights to host guest chef Jeremy Fox's "Vegetable Dinners." If the name doesn't give it away, Animal is a restaurant that does not shy away from meat. A recent menu feared pig ear, miso cured foie gras and crispy rabbit legs.

Recently superstar chef Mario Batali and partner Joseph Bastianich joined in the Meatless Monday trend by embracing meatless mondays at all of their 14 restaurants. Each restaurant will offer at least two vegetarian options that will be marked with the meatless mondays logo below.

Batali told the Huffington Post, "The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet. Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn't a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet, and support the farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably. That's why I'm such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement." Batali's latest cookbook entitled "Molto Gusto" features recipes where vegetables are the main dish and meat the side dish.

John Fraser and Bill Telepan of the UWS restaurants Dovetail and Telepan respectively have also instituted Meatless Mondays. Dovetail offers a 3 course menu (plus dessert) for $38 which includes fennel confit, barbeque parsnip rib, tokyo turnip and apple ceviche and gnocchi with artichokes, basil and green garlic pesto. Telepan offers a five course, $75 meal that highlights locally sourced peas, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and strawberries.

And finally, while appearing on 60 Minutes, Chef Jose Andres of PBS's Made In Spain, The Bazaar (Los Angeles) and Mini Bar (D.C.), told Anderson Cooper that he believes meat to be "overrated" and "slightly boring." "I believe the future is vegetables and fruits. They are so much more sexier than a piece of chicken."

It's hard to argue with chefs and restaurants of this caliber. And with the obesity epidemic reaching new heights, these chefs might be doing more than they realize for the health of this nation.

A Gift From the Tapeworm

As a thank you for reading this blog (and the others), I wanted to share this great deal with you guys. It was news to me to hear that a year and a half ago Flip Burger opened in the basement of Bloomingdale's on 59th Street. Apparently, I'm not alone there. In an effort to spread awareness Flip is giving away free burgers to anyone who texts "Flip3" to the number 89800. I'm not one for these types of things but I tried it and it worked. And to say the burger was good would be a lie. It was amazing. The menu is a little more complicated than it needs to be. First choose your blend of Pat LaFrieda beef "Hearty" (short rib blend), "Sweet" (brisket blend) or even "Refined" (American Wagyu). Or there is also turkey, tuna, mushroom, lamb, veggie or chicken. Then choose your bun, cheese and toppings. To make things easier I ordered the "Flip Burger": "hearty" beef, American cheese and caramelized onions on a classic bun served with "skinny fries." The burger was a perfect medium, juicy and flavorful. Having been mildly disappointed in the past months by several burgers, including the likes of Bill's Burger Bar, this burger hit the spot. I highly recommend you stop by before May 15th when the deal ends. Enjoy!

For a more in depth review read here. And thanks to Jesse for the info on the burger.

Munchies: The Video

Chef Andrew Carmellini and his restaurant, Locanda Verde, have appeared a few times on this blog. He is a great guy and a great chef. The latest installment in VBS.TV's series "Munchies" (which previously featured the Frankie's guys) has Carmellini and friends (who include Cesare Casella and Del Posto's Mark Ladner) eating at Char No. 4 in Carroll Gardens, Torisi Italian Specialties and of course ending up at Locanda. Just a warning, these videos will make you jealous and hungry. After watching you may be thinking several things. "How can I become friends with these guys?" "I want to live like that!" And probably, "100 layer lasagna? Was Ladner kidding?" No he wasn't.

NOLA

 

If I haven't made it clear or you don't already know, New Orleans is one of my favorite places. And of course it is one of the best food cities in the world. Over my trips there I have been lucky enough to enjoy food prepared by Mario Batali, Thomas Keller, Michael Mena & Gale Gand (all at a charity event); John Besh, Paul Prudhomme, and of course Emeril Lagasse, among others. I have been to Brennan's where the bananas foster was invented. I have had what is probably one of if not the best steaks of my life at Upperline Restaurant. I have devoured beignets at Cafe Du Monde and sucked down spicy crawfish at Frankie & Johnny's. But by far my favorite meal, in fact a life changing meal, was the charbroiled oysters at Acme Oyster House. Once I put one of these babies in my mouth, I felt foolish that I had never had one before. (That is after my eyes could focus again and they picked me off the floor.) The oysters are covered with cheese, butter and garlic and then placed under a fiery hot broiler. They arrive bubbling and hissing with excitement.

I have looked around New York, even out east on Long Island where oysters are abundant and they are nowhere to be found. In fact, even the New Orleans style restaurants in New York like Mara's Homemade, don't have them. Although I prepare them at home, I finally gave up looking and happily gave in to the fact that they are a delicacy that should be enjoyed only in New Orleans.

My most recent visit also took me to the Edible Schoolyard and to sections of the city still devastated by Hurricane Katrina. However,in  the wake of the city's tragedy, the restaurant and food scene has been booming. The people's spirit and the remarkable spirit of the city, unwaivered. I left the city inspired and amazed in an entirely new way. And so last week when I opened the dining section of the New York Times, I was happy to see that Sam Sifton penned an article entitled The Taste Of a Comeback. Read it and begin to appreciate N'awlins for the amazing city that it is.

Maialino: One Of the Best Meals You'll Have

Maialino, Danny Meyer's latest in the Gramercy Park hotel, was easily last year's most talk about restaurant opening. It also happens to be the best new restaurant I've been to in a while. It's the type of restaurant that you can go back to no matter how may times you've been. Check out my review for Eat Life here. Although I wrote it in February and the menu has since changed a bit, there is no doubt it will be as satisfying. This place should not be missed.

Kentucky Derby Traditions

    I've never been too interested in horse racing or the Kentucky Derby but after doing some research for a food2 entry, that might change. Check it out here.

St. Anselm

Joe and Kim Carrol are slowly taking over their small area of Williamsburg. They first made their mark with the specialty beer bar Spuyten Duyvil which was followed by bbq wonderland Fette Sau directly across the street.  Their newest venture, a restaurant called St. Anselm, right next door to Spuyten, was initially intended to be hot dog joint that specialized in "Newark-style" deep fried hot dogs. However, the menu has expanded significantly and now includes nose-to-tail items like beer battered brain, smoked sweet breads, fried gizzard confit, marrow croquettes and foie gras pierogies; there is house made sausage, head cheese and scrapple. There are also White Manna style burgers and of course some interesting beer selections.

If a recent meal at Fette Sau (above) was any indication, St. Anselm, will be another weapon in their arsenal.

Pizza Pt. 2: Lil Frankie's, Artichoke Basil's, Franny's, Roberta's and L'Asso

    My unintentional pizza tour continued to Lil Frankie's Pizza in the East Village. It had been a while since my last visit, but after a few pints at d.b.a. down the street, it seemed like the right time to revisit. With Supper and Frank among it's sister restaurants, Lil Frankie's certainly has it's foot in the Italian pool. While the menu does feature entrees and pastas like Supper and Frank, it's all about the pizzas here. The featured combinations range from robiola cheese, prosciutto di parma & truffle oil to zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms & radichio. But I stuck to the basics and ordered the Salame Piccante pie. Why every pizza place doesn't have soppressata or some variation, other than pepperoni, I'll never know. Lil Frankie's gets it right. The wood burning oven produces a dough that is smokey, crunchy and light. The meatiness and mild spice of the salame, was a perfect combination with the cheese, sauce and dough.

Artichoke Basil's Pizzeria and Brewery on East 14th Street, unlike many of the places I have visited of late serves pizza by the slice. While I felt it was necessary to get the namesake slice (above), I might not get it again. It was delicious, but extremely heavy. Think spinach artichoke dip on pizza dough. The kind of slice you might need to be drunk to fully enjoy. I also tried the margherita slice (below) which was good. The fresh basil and crunchy crust really added that extra something that separates this from an ordinary slice. I tend to like a pizza with a decent amount of sauce and that is light on cheese, and this slice definitely had that going for it. However, the crust was a little over cooked and was a tad dried out. The biggest obstacle though facing Artichoke's is the space problem. The entrance way which is also where you wait to order and you eat if you're not taking it to go, is tiny. And I mean tiny. With only 6 or 7 people, it was difficult to manuevre. I also got the feeling that the people working there didn't care in the least about how long customers had to wait or whether they enjoyed their food. Ultimately, I have to say the pizza failed to live up to the hype.

 

Franny's located on Flatbush Avenue, is another story all together. Opened in 2004, FCI graduate, Andrew Feinberg and his wife Francine Stevens focus is on simplicity. Franny's has quickly become one of Brooklyn's most popular restaurants. With fans like Dan Barber, Alice Waters and mostly everyone in Brooklyn, at any time of day, during any season, Franny's is packed. And surprisingly, it wasn't until just weeks before opening that the couple decided to serve pizza. They certainly have a following now.  Although pizza is the main attraction, the menu consists of a several delicious appetizers (beets with hot pepper, walnuts and pecorino rossellino & caulflower zeppoles), pastas (baked paccheri with pork sausage ragu) and charcuterie. The pizzas aren't cheap though. The meatball pie I ordered, below, although incredibly satisfying, was $17. The crust is soft and smokey and along with toppings like buffalo mozzarella, clams, provolone piccante and hot peppers, Franny's in turning out some of the best pizza in New York. On the back of the menu, Franny's lists their resources. Everything from their meat to flour and even cleaning products are featured. Simply prepared, delicious local ingredients.

 

Roberta's located on an desolate block in Bushwick, is also a game changer. The pizzas are exceptional. The perfectly salty charred crust works in harmony with toppings like pesto, mozzarella, mushrooms and artichokes (The Madd Martigan); the Margherita with proscuitto (below); tomato, brussles sprouts, cotto, sweet onion and pecorino romano (Lion Hart); or the incredibley creamy and indulgent Guanciale & Egg (very top). Although they turn out some of the the city's best pizzas, it doesn't stop there. The menu also features roasted marrow bones, veal sweetbreads and grilled skirt steak. Or during brunch what some consider the best fried chicken in the city, ricotta pancakes and a porchetta sandwich. And in true locavore style the rooftop is also a greenhouse that sources some of the vegetables and herbs that they use in the kitchen.

 
    They can't all be winners can they? L'Asso located in Soho had a similar problem to Artichoke's although without the rave reviews and loyal following. The space itself really needs help. And while I did not have the pizza, I will not be returning to try it.

Pickle Juice

As I made my way across a cold and rainy Manhattan from Soho to the West Village with no idea where I was headed, my patience began to fade. I was hungry, it was late and the rain and cold did not help. Walkng down Hudson, we ducked into the dark dungeon that is Fatty Crab. I had just taken my mock midterm in culinary school and did fairly awful (consomme was cloudy, chicken not fully cooked). But it was a quick glance at the drinks menu that turned my mood around. The Recession Special, a PBR tallboy, a shot of whiskey and a shot pickle juice for $8. Pickle juice you say? yes, pickle juice. I had no idea that pickle juice shots would become a common practice in several bars. Among them, the Breslin and Death and Co.

As I investigated, I found that pickle juice shots are really just the tip of the iceberg. Pickle juice, is being used in all sorts of interesting ways. I wrote about it for food2.

No Reservations: Techniques

    Those of you who watch Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations on the Travel Channel, know that he travels around the globe to far and exotic locales, eats all sorts of interesting foods and explores different cultures. But on Monday night our host will be in the kitchen at Les Halles for "an hour of instruction." And he has brought some amazing friends with him. Jacques Pepin, Thomas Keller, Scott Conant, Laurent Tourondel and Dave Pasternak will all demonstrate "how to cook a number of very basic things." So tune in this Monday for Tony's version of "home ec."

Chef/Restaurant Updates

I felt an update was in order on three prior stories.

    First, on a post written long, long ago. It appears that Thomas Keller is unfortunately not in fact opening an Ad Hoc restaurant in Manhattan anytime soon. Although he did recently tell NBC that he would "love to do a Bouchon Brooklyn." Keep hope alive.

        Second, I recently reviewed Tom Colichio's newest restaurant, Colicchio & Sons. In a nut shell, I was disappointed and unimpressed. I never like to give a restaurant a bad review, but I was happy to see that I was not alone. New York magazine's Adam Platt, Time Out New York, the New Yorker, The Village Voice, among others, agreed. And then there was the down right cruel review from the Columbia Spectator which has gained a lot of attention. However, I was shocked when Sam Sifton gave the restaurant 3 stars in his recent New York Times review. Which shows how different ones perception can be and also the inconsistency of a meal at Colicchio & Sons. Also, after changing the menu from al a carte to a $78, 3 course prix fixe, customers complained enough that it was recently changed back to the original a la carte.

        And lastly, Michael Psilakis, whom I wrote about for Eat Life, has since left his Michelin starred restaurant, Anthos. This is the second restaurant owned by Psilakis and partner Donatell Arpia that he has left recently. The other being Mia Dona.

Gnocchi

    During the Fall and Winter months, it felt like I saw gnocchi everywhere I looked. Of course there were the usual suspects, like Frankie's (Gnocchi Marinara & Fresh Ricotta) or Supper (Spinach Gnocchi, Marinara Sauce, Roasted Garlic Cream). But I also found Parmesan Gnocchi at BLT Steak; Ricotta Gnocchi, Kobocha Squash, Chanterelles, Onions, Pepitas, Parsley Pistou at Flatbush Farm; Gnochetti, Ruby Red Shrimp, Controne Bean Puree, Rosemary at Marea; Gnocchi, Chestnuts, Bone Marrow, Black Truffles at Colicchio & Sons; or Ricotta Gnocchi, Snow Peas, Wild Mushrooms, Chesnits, Brandy Cream at Metrazur.

Once I had the "Gnudi" at Mia Dona, my perception of gnocchi changed for good. Instead of heavy potato based gnocchi, then chef Michael Psilakis, used ricotta cheese and the result is a light, fluffy gnocchi that can really pair with anything (as you can see how it being served at the restaurants above).

That meal inspired the gnudi dish I made for my menu project during school and my recent recipe for Food2.com (above). Check it!

Big Thank you to David Needleman for the photographs! And for being my guinea pig.

Colicchio & Sons

A journey to the Meat Packing district can go one of two ways. Either
you have a great night, or vow to never return. Although the
neighborhood has quite a stable of excellent restaurants, the
neighborhood as a whole seemed to feel more like Vegas in New York,
than actual New York. The restaurants are sprawling and flashy. And so is Tom Colicchio's new restaurant, Colicchio & Sons.

As far as big name chef-tv personalities go, Tom Colicchio, is one of the most recognizable. Even a household name to some. His credentials to this day are still impressive. As Executive Chef he opened the now Manhattan landmark, Gramercy Tavern, which lead to his first of several James Beard Awards. This time for Best Chef-New York in 2000. After setting out on his own to open the groundbreaking Craft, suddenly, success came rolling. Craft has spawned, Craft Bar, 'wichcraft and Craft Steak with locations in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta. And last but by no means least, he is known to the masses as the co-host and head judge of Bravo's Top Chef.

When traffic at restaurants were slowing down due to the recession, Colicchio made some moves at his. At Craft, taking advantage of the under-booked private dining room, he created "Tom: Tuesday Dinner" where he himself would create and prepare multi-course menus. Also at Craft, his executive chef, Damon Wise, started "Frugal Fridays" and at Craft Steak it was "Half Steak", a half priced menu in the restaurant's bar area. While these were all interesting and incredibly smart ideas, they were not enough to keep Craft Steak's New York location a float. A few months ago it reopened as a new venture, Colicchio & Sons. Seemingly it's genesis being the Tom: Tuesday dinners.

Although the Vegas style and feel is not unique to Colicchio & Sons (see neighbors Del Posto or Morimoto), here, one is initially greated by a warmth that seems in contrast to it's size. Maybe its the new addition of a wood-burning oven up front? Maybe its just the low lighting. The front bar area, now referred to as the Tap Room, which is easily the size of many other restaurants, has ten or so tables where you can order from the Tap Room's menu, featuring a la carte items such as warm octopus and potato salad with paprika and capers or bone marrow with egg and white anchovies. The Tap Room also offers an extensive and interesting beer selection including North Coast Brewing Co.'s Brother Thelonious Abbey Ale.

The true enormity of the space is revealed upon entering the main dining room, where the intimacy quickly dissolves. And it is here, in the main dining room where the disappointments begin. The menu was recently changed to a $78, 3-course prix fixe and includes 13 appetizers, 11 entrees and 8 desserts. For a new restaurant, that seems excessive. Nevertheless, the meal began with an amuse buche of smoked fish. Velvety, smokey and unfortunately the highlight of the meal.

    The Sea Urchin & Crab Fondue and the Squid with Cavalo Nero (Black Kale) Risotto, Spicy Tomato & Cacao Nibs were delivered shortly after the amuse. The fondue was pleasantly creamy, sweet and briny, but would have benefited nicely from the accompaniment of some crusty bread or crackers of some sort. The squid on the other hand was overcooked and rubbery. The bitterness of the kale dominated the flavors including the sweetness of the otherwise excellent spicy tomato risotto.  

 

Entrees of Roasted Rabbit with Fennel & Olives (below) and Striped Bass with Razor Clams & Pea Shoots (very top) continued to underwhelm.

        The rabbit and the bass, like the squid, were overcooked. The rabbit was tough and bordered on flavorless. The bass was dry and under seasoned. 
    Colicchio is way too talented a chef and restaurateur for this meal to be an accurate reflection of what can or should be expected at Collichio & Sons. A chef of his caliber returning to the kitchen, is something to rejoice in. And that's exactly where he was, as I discovered when I snuck into the kitchen after my meal. The most noticable misstep might be the amount of dishes on the menu. The size of the menu seems to fall in line with everything else Vegasy about this and the other restaurants in the neighborhood, too big. They might be biting off more than they can chew. Also, what appears to be the idea or theme of the restaurant, is at odds with the space. The desserts below were delicious but certainly not enough to rescue the meal. Banana-Pecan Upside-Down with Rum Caramel Banana Sorbet & Malted Milk Ice Cream and the Sorbet trio.

The neighborhood, the size and the price, not the food, are all deterrents for a second chance at Colicchio & Sons.You can file this trip to the Meat Packing under "vow to never return."

BLT, minus the LT.

    Never a dull moment. While this week's media coverage was heavily dominated by Keith McNally and Nate Appleman's soon to be opened Pulino Pizzeria, there were actually other things also going on in the restaurant world. Florence Fabricant reported for the New York Times yesterday that another well known chef, Laurent Tourondel, (the LT in the BLT chain of restaurants), finds himself out at the very restaurants that bare his name.

Just days shy of their sixth anniversary, Tourondel and his partner Jimmy Haber have divided their restaurants in what they both call an amicable split. 

Tourondel will continue to be executive chef at BLT Market in New York and other BLT restaurants that are located in hotels, including among others BLT Burger in Las Vegas and BLT Steak in Miami. The chef says the split was his idea so that he could set out on his own. Seems a little strange, no? Um, the restaurants are named after you!

Food 2

 

 

 

 I am now a contributor to the site Food2.com. My first post, about a New Orleans tradition, the king cake (above), has just been posted. Check it!

*A HUGE thank you to Emily Parfait for all the help on this post including the photographs above.

 

Red Wine Braised Short Rib and Caramelized Onion Quesadilla with Goat Cheese and Arugula

This recipe came together from a few different places. The initial inspiration came from a recent Bon Appetit cover that featured a short rib grilled cheese. The rest came together from a quesadilla served at Mesa Grill, Tom Valenti's red wine braised short ribs (Tom is partially responsible for the popularity of short ribs) and my friend's dietary restrictions recommended by her doctor.

Serves 8

• 5 lbs bone in short ribs
  


• 2 cups dry red wine
  


• 1 quart beef or chicken stock
  


• 3 celery stalks
  


• 2 carrots
  


• 1 large white onion
  


• 2 bay leaves
  


• 5 thyme sprigs
  


• 1/3 cup white vinegar
  


• 2 red onions
  


• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  


• 1 bag baby arugula

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
   


2. Place wide oven proof pot (dutch oven is ideal) on stove and turn to medium-high heat. Add oil to pot. Liberally season short ribs with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot enough, brown the short ribs in batches nicely on all sides. Remove and place on plate. 
   


3. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft but without much color, about 7 minutes. 
   


4. Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves and thyme. Stir.
   


5. Add stock, vinegar and wine. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, return the short ribs to the pot so they are covered with liquid. Cover pot and place in oven to braise until meat is tender and falling off the bone. About 3 hours.
   


6. When the short ribs are done, remove from the braising liquid and place on work surface. Remove bones and shred meat. Note: This can be made 2 days in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. 

For Caramelized Onions
Thinly slice the onions. Add oil to a pan over medium- high heat and add onions to pan once hot. Season with salt. Stir frequently until beginning to brown about 10 minutes. Add sugar and continue to cook until completely caramelized another 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve.

To Assemble

Brush a little olive oil on tortilla and place it on a grill pan on medium heat. Add a layer of short ribs to the tortilla. Then add caramelized onions, the arugula and sprinkle goat cheese generously. Add the other tortilla on top and brush with a little olive oil. Flip the quesadilla carefully and apply pressure using using the top of the grill pan. If you do not have a grill pan, this can be done in a regular large saute pan and pressing down with a smaller pan. Once browned and heated through, remove from heat, cut into quarters and serve.

R.I.P. El Bulli

 

While the majority of us have only watched from a distance, a vast distance, at Ferran Adria's masterful creations at the world's best restaurant, El Bulli located in Roses, Spain. Sadly, that is as close as we will get. Mr. Adria announced this week that he will close the restaurant permanently in December 2011.

El Bulli receives over 2 million reservation requests per year for the only 8,000 places. This is in part, because the restaurant closes for half of the year so Adria and his staff can work on the techniques and recipes for the next season. It turns out that the restaurant was losing a ton of money and instead of closing for 2 years, as orginally planned, the team wants to focus on an academy for culinary study where talented chefs can advance molecular gastronomy wizardry and creativity to new levels.

Certainly, this is disappointing news, but I wouldn't be surprised if whatever Mr. Adria comes up with next, will be bigger and better than El Bulli.