Quick Salt Pickles

I am usually the one who is out at night. A play, a drink with a friend, a late night of work, or a weekend out of town, and when this happens, despite Chris' sweet calls wondering how soon I'll be home, I know that he secretly relishes the time alone. Our room becomes slightly less claustrophobic, he can spread out on the bed, leave dirty socks on the floor and watch whatever he wants on TV, without the nagging, tickling, squirming, dirty dish making wife around. 

But tonight the roles have reversed. Chris is off with a friend at a baseball game and everyone is out of town for the July Fourth holiday. So I shut the windows, turned on the AC and hooked my laptop up to the TV.

You see, I recently discovered (like two days ago) that you can instantly watch Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on Netflix. Not an episode or two, not a bunch of clips, but 9 full seasons of badass, international, food-porn. 

I'm staying in tonight. A poor man's (woman's) vacation.

My lack of desire to cook has not gone away so after a trip to the farmer's market, I decided to quick pickle some cucumbers and radishes and toss them into a salad of leftover odds and ends from the refrigerator.

About half way through an episode in India, I started to get a craving. At this point I'd already eaten a large salad with peaches, goat feta, pickles and red onion, with some good crusty slices of sourdough. But I thought to myself, "If I were in a restaurant, that would have just been the appetizer!" I learned this sort of gluttinous justification from my mother, "a cupcake is really like only one layer of a two-layer cake, so why not eat two!"

So I paused Anthony, put on a pair of pants and flip-flopped over to the Pakistani Tea House on Church Street. It's open all night and frequented by cabbies and hardcore locals who don't need white linen napkins at every meal. The food resembles what you might find in an Indian restaurant and it's fresh, it's cheap and really, really good. 

I got a little curry chicken, some saag and some lentils. Now I needed a beer to go with meal number two, so, warm paper bag in hand, I flip-flopped down to the neighborhood bodega, and picked up an additional box of cereal and carton of milk, to justify using my debit card for a bottle of beer. New York is great sometimes.

When back at home, I gobbled down my take-out, as Tony gobbled down his. Discovered the food-porn episode, grabbed my beer, spread out on the bed and while admiring the sock-free floor, pondered which episode to watch next.

Heaven.

David Chang's Quick Salt Pickles (Master Recipe) (makes about 2 cups)

2 meaty Kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/8" thick disks

or

1 bunch radishes, well scrubbed and cut into wedges through the root end

or

1 large or 3 small daikon radishes, peeled and cut into very, very thin slices

1 tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1. Combine the vegetable with the sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl and toss to coat with the sugar and salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Taste: If the pickles are too sweet or too salty, put them into a colander, rinse off the seasoning, and dry in a kitchen towel. Taste again and add more sugar or salt as needed. Serve after 5 to 10 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Green and Purple Salad

I have not felt like cooking lately.

Could you tell?

I've been busy. Started dancing again, working, reading, auditioning, running around the city. Warm weather has set in and I'm counting down the days to my summer vacation in August, and for some reason, spending an hour or more making an elaborate meal every night has not been appealing. 

Anyone else feel that way? 

I am into assembling. For now.

Getting really good ingredients, that don't need much work, doing a little rinsing, a little chopping, perhaps some warming up in the toaster oven, and leaving it at that. 

What I love right now? Rotisserie chickens, sardines packed in olive oil, 9-minute boiled eggs, chopped greens and veggies of any kind, humus, olives, goat cheese feta, vinaigrette with shallots, French mustard, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil, good bread, fresh pasta and sauce, and Greek yogurt with organic fruit, or honey and walnuts.

Any of the above with a crisp, dry glass of white wine, and I'm in heaven.

Tonight I made a salad of bitter greens, the kind that puts hair on your chest, and wolfed it down with a good crusty sour dough, slathered in bright yellow pastured butter.

This is what I want. Greens, greens, greens. A slice of bread. A glass of wine.

It's nice to be back. 

I promise I will cook something again, eventually. 

It is pie season after all.

Green and Purple Salad for two

1/2 bunch of dandelion greens, washed well and chopped

1/2 head of radicchio leaves, rinsed and chopped

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and chopped

1/8 cup fennel tops, finely chopped (looks like dill)

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced and chopped

1/2 cup goat feta cheese, cubed into 1/2" pieces

1/4 cup good green olives

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt and pepper

crusty loaf of sour dough bread + good salty butter

Toss together the dandelion greens and radicchio in your salad bowl, layer with fennel, onion, feta and olives and splash a little balsamic and olive oil on top. Give a nice grind of black pepper and pinch of flaky salt. That's it.

This salad would also be great with frisee or escarole, and a little cucumber, some radishes and a couple sliced cherry tomatoes. And if you need something more substantial, cook up some bacon or boil an egg, and serve on top.

Kim Boyce's Focaccia and Easy Steamed Artichokes

Two weeks ago, as I entered the restroom at Movement Research for the first time, before settling onto a handmade cotton mat and letting all my bones and muscles drop into the creaky wooden floor for an hour and a half long Alexander Technique class, I saw a poster hanging on the wall that, as if by divine inspiration, had flown in through the cracked window and adhered itself to the opposing wall the moment I turned the knob.

The poster appeared to be a block print, black and red ink on a rectangle of pure white, with roughly four images printed at the bottom. First, a bowl of cherries with stems intact, second, a bowl of pits and stems, third, a bowl of pitted cherries ready for a pie, and above the bowls, a set of hands were engaged in de-stemming a single cherry.  At the top of the poster was written: Process.

Not only was it a reminder to engage in the process of the class I was about to take, but it also rang out as a message for the year, a message for life. Take it one step at a time. Don't get ahead of yourself. Engage in the process of things, the result will follow. There is joy in work.

I have been wanting to bake bread in my toaster oven for over a year now and I keep chickening out at the last minute. I attempted a loaf several years ago in my Brooklyn apartment and it came out a heavy brick of whole wheat flour that dropped like a rock into the trash can, so I wasn't so sure baking bread without a kitchen would be any more successful.

But Saturday afternoon, determined to get over my fear, I went to the market, bough a packet of yeast and some spelt flour, smoothed open Kim Boyce's cultish new cookbook, Good to the Grain, carefully read and re-read the recipe and got to work. 

My first packet of yeast didn't bubble like it should so I started another bowl, with slightly warmer water and a fresh packet, and now able to compare two attempts, noticed a delicate bubbling on the surface of the second bowl indicating activity. Step one done. Then I added the dry ingredients and olive oil which came together almost effortlessly into a soft, scraggy ball and then kneaded it for ten divine minutes like the recipe says. Soft, yeasted dough, gently pressed under the palms is like taking a long, mind-clearing stroll by the beach. I'm not exaggerating. Nice and elastic, I nestled my dough into an oiled bowl, covered it with a clean dish cloth and two hours later discovered a plump, doubled mound ready for a punch and the next step. Cut into thirds, two of them reserved in the fridge for later, and pressed into a 9 inch, oiled cake pan, I gave it one more rise, then a glug of olive oil and into the oven. Twenty minutes later Chris and I sat down to a supper of steamed artichokes, garlicy greens, sardines in tomato sauce, calamata olives and hot, crusty focaccia.

I did it. And so can you. 

Making focaccia from scratch may seem like too much work but one days work yields three days of bread. So, on night two I stretched my dough into a rectangle, topped it with sauce, chopped broccoli rabe, mushrooms, goat cheese and olives, and we had homemade pizza in under half an hour. I think I'll do the same tonight.

It's all about the process.

Kim Boyce's Focaccia from Good to the Grain, 2010

Olive oil for the bowl and pans

1 package active dry yeast

pinch of sugar

11/2 cups spelt flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading

1 tbs. kosher salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. olive oil

Herbs, spices or other toppings of choice

1. Lightly rub a large bowl with olive oil. Add 1 1/4 cups warm water, the yeast and sugar to another large bowl. Stir, and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes, until it begins to bubble. (If it doesn't, it may be inactive; throw it out and start over with a new package).

2. Add the flours, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead together, adding 1/2 cup of flour to the dough as necessary to keep it from sticking. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is supple and elastic.

3. For the first rise, put the dough into the oiled bowl, turning it so that the top of the dough is coated with oil. Cover with a towel and leave for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. (A dough is proofed once it has fully risen. How can you tell if a dough is proofed? Gently push a floured finger into the dough. If it springs back the dough needs to proof longer. If a dimple remains, move on to the next step.

4. Generously oil a baking sheet or 3 9-inch round pans with olive oil. 

5. For the second rise, place the dough on the baking sheet or divide the dough into 3 pieces and put one piece in each of the oiled pans. Stretch the dough out with your hands so that it covers the surface of the baking sheet or pans, and dimple it with your fingers. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour.

6. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven (or put a single rack in the middle  if you're using one baking sheet) and preheat to 400 degrees F.

7. After the dough has completed it's second rise and has puffed up on the sheet or in the pans, top it with 1/4 cup of olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, herbs or spices, or the toppings of your choice.

8. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool slightly in the pan before slicing and serving. Focaccia is best eaten the day it's made.

9. If you wish to store the focaccia dough for future use, after the first rise is complete, wrap the dough tightly in plastic and and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pull all or part of the dough out when you wish to use it; bring it to room temperature before shaping the dough and continuing with the recipe.

Easy Steamed Artichokes

Cut off the tops and stems of your artichokes (large). Fill a large pan with an inch of water and either rest your artichokes on a steamer basket or on their stems sliced in half lengthwise. Cover with a lid and steam for forty minutes. Melt some butter or just eat them plain. When you get to the heart, scrape off the fuzzy part, drown in butter and enjoy.

Yogurt Parfaits

When I was little I wasn't allowed to have sugar. And so I obsessed about it. 

During the first few years of my life, my mother made recordings of me talking at various ages, using her 1980's plastic tape recorder. Several of the tracks are of me telling stories about candy, a little lady in particular who, when she went out shopping, only bought candy and it was always red.

This was my ultimate fantasy. A pantry full of cherry flavored suckers and candy bars. But at my house sweets were for ultra special occasions, like angel food cake for a birthday, and for several years I thought that rice cakes were indeed cake and that a sundae was plain yogurt layered with honey and wheat germ. A parfait my mother called it, served elegantly in a wine glass.

Every now and then my father would slip me a candy bar followed by, "now don't tell your mother", but I always did. How could I hide my exuberance over such divine confections!

I am still obsessed with sweets, so is my mother, but I have to say that yogurt parfaits are still among one of my favorite snacks. For breakfast, an afternoon snack or after dinner, rather than satisfy a gnarly sweet tooth, they divert it to something better.

Sunday morning we had one cup of yogurt left, one banana, a couple tablespoons of shredded coconut at the bottom of the bag, some leftover canned apricots in the fridge and some toasted pecan bits left from the night before. Not very impressive on their own but gently layered in a glass and served with a cup of coffee and some popovers, which only require eggs, milk, flour and butter, we had a splendid Sunday brunch.

Next time I'll even break out the wine glasses.

Elizabeth is blowing out her candles, but I'm sizing up my first slice.

Coffee

Chris, my wonderful husband, has a tendency to overdo things. 

He once dumped a half a bottle of eucalyptus oil in his bath water producing a toxic cloud of eye watering, cough breeding eucalyptus fumes that filled our small room and gave him hours of tingly skin despite numerous showers. He applies giant mountains of pimple cream on his chin and forehead at bedtime which crack and fall off before the lights go out. He eats too fast at dinner a couple nights a week which predictably turns into a fit of rage inducing hiccups. And he once insisted I remove my red nail polish before going to a Yankees/Indians ALCS game after we'd already locked up and started towards the subway because the Indians have the color red in their logo. 

But I was aware of these tendencies from the start.

When I first met Chris he was mostly subsisting on cans of Progresso soup, turkey sandwiches from the 24-hour bodega across the street, free beer and wine at art openings, cereal and coffee. His coffee pot was a small, stained Mr. Coffee that had traveled with him through undergrad, into grad school and down to NYC. It was the saddest, dirtiest little coffee pot you have ever seen, and beside it always sat a stack of limp paper filters and a can of Chock Full O'Nuts surrounded by a light dusting of coffee grinds. 

During the first year we were dating, Chris was working part time out in Queens, giving him time to work on his art, so there were days when he just stayed home, writing, reading and sketching.

On one particular day I came to meet him for dinner in the early evening and when he answered the door, I was met with a sheepish look. 

"I'm a little jittery," he apologized. 

"Oh no, why?" I said, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I think I may have had too much coffee."

"Oh, how many cups did you drink?"

"Eight."

I don't think Chris slept very well that night.

This happened more than once but over the years Chris has cut back. He now drinks mostly tea and I stick to my one cup in the morning. His Mr. Coffee didn't last very long either, I think Santa brought him a Cuisinart programable coffee maker that Christmas. But when I got rid of my Brooklyn apartment we decided a hot water boiler was more useful so I switched to a Chemex coffee carafe, which I now think makes the best coffee period. No wires, no settings or programs, no filters and pots and lids to wash or moldy hidden corners, just a clean hourglass shape with a paper filter to toss when you're done.

About a month ago a high school friend of Chris', Keith Hamrick, sent us a variety box of his freshly roasted coffee. He and his wife, started Northbound Coffee Roasters up in Northern California and now we're spoiled for life. Chock Full O'Nuts was the choice all through college, cheap and okay, but now that I have a little more money in my pocket, I've become a fan of Irving Farm, Stumptown and other New York roasters. But I have to say, Northbound is awesome. Chris and I discuss what cup we'll have in the morning like we're selecting a fine wine. The Kintamani from Bali and the Yirgacheffe are my favorites. Spoonbender is a delicious classic French Roast and the Shakiso and Sibereon Bourbon, light and complex, are perfect afternoon roasts. 

I must say though, for all of Chris' overdoing, I am equal parts klutz and this morning after a lovely breakfast of popovers, as I raised my mug of northbound coffee to my lips (it was room temperature by now), I let out a little cough and didn't spill but dumped coffee all over myself. My pajama bottoms were soaked, coffee was dripping down my front and after the initial shock I scanned the floor and was relieved to discover I hadn't gotten any on the carpet.

"How did you do that?" Chris asked "You just threw coffee all over yourself."

"I have no idea. No idea." I said laughing as I shuffled to the bathroom. 

Bent over the bathtub washing out my pajamas in a dish bin, Chris called from the other room, "How about another pot of coffee?"

What Keith Sent us:

Spoonbender

Inspired by the powerful forces around

the mountain that get us all bent, this 

blend is roasted on the dark side to bring

the fruit and earthiness of the cup to light. 

A classic Northern California French roast.

Siberia Estate Bourbon, El Salvador

Four Generations of the Silva Family have

tended this farm since 1870. Bourbon refers

to the cultivator, named for the Island of

Bourbon (now called Reunion) where it was

originally cultivated. Creamy nut tones with 

ripe orange underneath, and cinnamon 

accent highlight this light roast.

Shakiso, Ethiopia

A wet processed coffee that is grown in the 

Guji district of South-Eastern Ethiopia. The

cup has a clean and clear sweetness, like 

a light brown sugar taste with a mild citrus

accent.

Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

Produced by the Oromia Coffee Farmers

Cooperative Union, the largest fair trade

coffee producer in Ethiopia. This washed 

coffee is prized for its rich floral acidity and

deep chocolate undertones. Medium Roast.

Kintamani, Bali

This coffee is a unique one. Bright, wild fruits

rule this cup. Berry-Like aromatics and flavor 

hit the senses like a fruit bomb. Earthy and 

Spicy flavors create a backbeat of body. Take

a chance on this one. You will be left wanting 

more. Medium Dark Roast.

Mr. Bones BBQ

It was BBQ chicken that finally did me in. In fact it was just the smell of BBQ chicken that got my mouth watering and an itch to roll my sleeves up.

When I was a child I ate meat. Chicken liver, fish, corned beef hash, pork chops, chicken skins, meatloaf. We ate lots of vegetables and fruit as well, but for a while there was a time when ordering the steak tips at Hoss' was my all-time favorite carnivorous indulgence. My mother, as I've written before, is a fantastic cook, but there is something about an all-you-can-eat buffet that trumps fish poached in parchment and a perfect roulade, especially when you're in elementary school. At Hoss' the waitress would take your order, steak tips and a baked potato, and then you were free to cruise the salad bar for garlic bread, chocolate pudding and mandarin oranges. With my plate of disparate treasures followed by a hot cast-iron skillet sizzling with bite size beef tips placed neatly in front of me, I was in heaven.

Then 7th grade rolled around and I went from the public school system, to a private school across the street from a biodynamic dairy farm, where gardening is part of the curriculum and where, during the final hot weeks of June, if we played our cards right, and pleaded with enough faintness in our voices, we could run down to the creek for final period and jump in with our clothes on.

I was vegetarian in a matter of weeks, and handing out home-made anti-vivisection leaflets with my vegan friend Dev in The Body Shop at the King of Prussia Mall. I got a pair of Doc Martins, ripped holes in my jeans and stopped brushing my hair, and from then on my mother made two meals at dinnertime.

But time passed and college came. A new set of friends with a new set of eating habits, and I started craving meat again. I think I'd been craving meat for a while, I'd been eating fish for over a year already, and then on a visit back home, perhaps it was summer vacation, I remember going with my parents to a church that was having a BBQ chicken dinner. I probably ate potato salad, carrot sticks and pie for dinner but that was the last time I turned down a drumstick. There is something absolutely irresistible about a local firehouse or church stoking up huge BBQ pits and serving plates of fall off the bone BBQ with homemade cole slaw, sweet corn on the cob and chewy white rolls. Years of careful questioning, "is there meat in that?" ended.

I was converted. 

Then I discovered that a love of BBQ was not just in my bones but my family's as well. My mother's cousin Charlotte has been running Mr. Bones BBQ on Anna Maria Island in Florida since 1992. They are an award winning ribs joint with an international menu and friendly kitchy dining room, complete with a beer coffin where you can grab a cold one at your leisure. My kind of place. A couple weeks ago Charlotte sent up a box of Mr. Bones sauces and their rub, and I got out my electric skillet, heated up my toaster oven and tried them all. The Classic sauce is sweet, smoky and tangy (from the tamarind), the Hot BBQ Sauce is fiery without wiping you out, and the rub is a spicy salty mix that is great on meat but also good mixed with a little olive oil for bread dipping, and stir-fried with rice. It's easy to taste why they're award winning. If you're curious, call them up and they'll have Mr. Bones on your doorstep in a matter of days.

As I was making BBQ chicken in my toaster oven on a cold, early March night, I wondered if perhaps my timing was off. It's not exactly the season for such things. But then I thought about my last post and the fact that a good handful of the restaurants people recommended as do-not-miss were BBQ joints here in New York. BBQ is actually season-less I've discovered. There is nothing about the sauce that has to do with what's available at the farmer's market, a good baked potato isn't hard to find year-round and as for vegetables, any will do, especially a nice crunchy cole slaw.

So here is a mid-winter BBQ dinner, and, if you want to fly South to Mr. Bones for a bone suckin' Spring Break, last time I checked (which was yesterday), flights are about a hundred and fifty bucks.

Thank heaven for BBQ chicken.

              

BBQ Chicken

For BBQ without a BBQ I washed and patted dry four chicken thighs, covered them in sauce and put them uncovered in a glass casserole dish in my toaster oven at 350. I cooked them for about 50 minutes basting frequently and adding more sauce along the way. During the last 10 minutes I turned the oven up to 400 for a final sizzle of the skins. And that's it!

Homemade Buttermilk Cole Slaw

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 grated carrot

1 tbs. chopped parsley

1 tbs. chopped tarragon

Mix everything together. If you have a mandolin (not the musical instrument, the slicer), that gives the cabbage a nice even shred, but you can also cut the cabbage head into quarters and then along one of the chopped sides, thinly slice the cabbage with a knife. 

Buttermilk Dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip), homemade if you're feeling fancy (I was not)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1 minced garlic clove

pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper

Mix everything together and pour over your slaw. Give a final mix and refrigerate while the chicken cooks.

Steamed green beans and some crusty French Bread or a baked potato round out the meal.

New York: Eat & Stay and Momofuku Shortcakes

My dear friend Joanne has great ideas. Earlier this week some friends visiting from out of town asked Jo for eating and lodging recommendations in NYC, not too expensive, but not necessarily budget. So, being the great organizer that she is, she sent out an email to all her New York friends asking for a favorite affordable hotel and handful of restaurants we think should not be missed. She has generously allowed me to publish them here and in return, I've attached as many links as possible for easy browsing. 


And on the cooking front, I never intended to post heavily on dessert, the heart of this blog is really dinner, however last night Chris and I went to our friends apartment in Greenpoint again and had a stellar, very classy, pot luck sort of meal. I was in charge of dessert so here is a sweet treat from the Momofuku Cookbook. 


And if you have any favorite places to eat and stay in New York, please leave a comment with link!


-----------------------------------


We love going to yakiniku west in east village (not my hood) on
Sundays and Wednesdays for discount kobe specials and Mondays for
discount short ribs.  It's Japanese-style Korean BBQ, meaning
basically less sauce, more refined cuts of meat. On those nights,
those dishes are half off, making for a pretty inexpensive night of
gorging.

Bonchon is amazing to try for Korean fried chicken - this is a new
discovery of mine.

Tanoreen down in Bay Ridge is great Lebanese food.

Can't think of any places in Greenpoint that I'd be dying to
recommend.  Oh, but also, Daisy Mae's on far west side, 50's, in
Manhattan for really good ribs - recommend the Memphis dry rub.

I could go on and on and on....

-------------------------------------

In my neighborhood of Chinatown I recommend the following places to
eat, which are safe, clean, delicious:

New Chao Chow -- 111 Mott St - get the wide noodle soup w/ Chicken
Xi'an Famous Noodles -- 88 E Broadway - tiny tiny place - 3 seats, get
the lamb noodles.

Hotel - This place is clean and very inexpensive, like around
$200/night,  Its in Tribeca http://www.cosmohotel.com/

-------------------------------------


Gotta say I'm partial to the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Tribeca, it's
clean, affordable and downtown. My family always stays here when they
come to ny. As for restaurants, Blau Gans in Tribeca, Emilio's Ballato
on Houston, Gahm Mi Oak for bib bim bop in Korea Town and Angelica Kitchen 
in the East Village. Spain is a great, weird, old Spanish
restaurant on 13th street where you get a free tapas with every drink
you order at the bar. City Bakery and Grandaisy Bakery (on Sullivan
street) for sweets, bread and lunchy things.

-------------------------------------

The Jane Hotel is the hot spot these days, perfectly located on the
WSH and very affordable ($70/night). It's got a kinda mariner theme
but not in a cheesy pirate's way. I think each room looks like a
cabin...

What are the dates? If Andrew and I happen to be out of town, our
apartment could be a possibility.

For food- my favorites still are Freeman's Alley, Smith & Mills,
Ruby's for Australian burgers, Park Meridian burgers (there's a
theme), La Esquina tacos, Peasant or Bacaro for Italian.

For fun- Bar 119 for dive bar dancing on Saturday nights.

------------------------------------

Westville on West 18th Street. Here is a B&B I have passed many times --www.innon23rd.com. Veneiros, 10th Street between 1st & 2nd Aves.;
Bergamote, 9th Ave. & 20th Street.

------------------------------------

-(cheap!) Vanessa's Dumplings *for sure* on Eldridge between Broome and Grand.
- (not as cheap) the Fried Chicken at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll
Gardens (http://www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com/)
- (not so cheap) Beauty and Essex on Essex between Rivington and Delance

------------------------------------

there is this amazin place to stay, it is a hostel sort of at this
women's house. She devided her huge loft into sections and then also
has tents in her backyard. My friend from Israel stayed there I will
find out the name. 


*Erica here: I think this might be it: New York Loft Hostel

-------------------------------------

In Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens:
Prime Meats for dinner/drinks
Brooklyn Inn for drinks (where my party was)
Fairway Steakhouse (for cheap dinner prix fixe and cheap wine, or brunch)

------------------------------------

ok, a few suggestions:

in korea town, there is a rooftop bar on top of a hotel (drawing a
blank on name, will try and figure out). it's awesome and cheap. did
you come there with me and bjorn after we went to new jersey that one
time?? somewhere in the 30s, easy to find with a google search!


*Erica here: I think this might be it: Me Bar

the burger joint is an amazing burger place in the meridian hotel on
57th b/w 6th and 7th. it has the best burgers and is a VERY odd place,
hidden by a thick red velour curtain and then there's a neon sign.
have you been? very awesome.

westville is so yummy, as we all know.....

oh man, brooklyn is a WHOLE other story!!

Now on bberry. Hmm...cheap lodgings? That's tough. Though if they're
looking for dirt cheap I know of a few hostels in bklyn and I think
the 92nd street y has rooms or beds.....in terms of hotels, I know a
couple places on upper west that run around 250/night which is super
cheap for that neighborhood! There is a holiday inn in the park slope
area but its not super cheap or anything.

There are so many places to recommend for eating in bklyn! Can you
give me a sense of their style? Do they want total dive or something
lovely or cozy or just delicious? What are they into?

Am I taking this task seriously enough!!??

----------------------------------------

Hey darlin! The only b&b's I know of are in Brooklyn south slope area.
I don't know the names of these places but I know they exist:) good
luck!


*Erica here: Here is one I found: South Slope Green B&B

----------------------------------------

small older guest house in west village_ Abington Guest House.  Quiet
- not trendy.

beautiful, near Central Part on West Side -  hotel but not cheap on
upper west side:  Excelsior House across from Museum of Natural
History on 81st.


No leads on the B&B's, but as far as eats:

-(cheap!) Vanessa's Dumplings *for sure* on Eldridge between Broome and Grand.
- (not as cheap) the Fried Chicken at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll
Gardens (http://www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com/)
- (not so cheap) Beauty and Essex on Essex between Rivington and Delancey

-------------------------------------------------------

-Burger Joint in the Lobby of the Parker Meridian on 57th

-Shun Lee Cafe

That's all for now.

Cheers

------------------------------------------------------

yo yo jo

back at the beginning of law school, instead of doing my summer job, I
used their computer to make this
http://gotham.bnegross.com/

it's kind of broken (cuisine colors don't work), but the basic idea is
there: just click different regions on the map to reveal restaurants
placed by me and some of my colleagues at the US attorney's office.

downside: some of those places have since closed (but not that many I
don't think...maybe i should update it)

-----------------------------------------------------

Love the idea - can I get a copy when it's over? My territories cover
mostly Williamsburg and Soho/Nolita.

HOTELS:
West Village - The Jane Hotel has these crazy, $70 /night (I believe)
little bunks - CHEAP for NYC, and with Cafe Gitane just below it. I've
had many meetings in the cafe.

RESTAURANTS:

Williamsburg - The Commodore has an incredible "Adult Cheese"
sandwich, Garden Salad and Mild Chicken Sandwich. Atmosphere professes
a kind of abandoned beach bar - but a great place to jump into and
dine, along with -

Pies and Thighs - the most incredible pulled pork sandwich and chicken
biscuit this side of the Mason Dixon.

Fatty Cue in lower Williamsburg has the most amazing (and the only)
"Polynesian street food" I've ever had.

Pates et Traditions has AMAZING crepes (esp. the savory ones) and has
become a favorite brunch place of mine. Try the La Socca appitizer and
the chicken curry crepe...hard to explain how good it all is.

Mother's Bar - a pretty great/cheap hamburger that legitimately feels
like your mother made it for you.

Grand Morelos - the best cheap Mexican in NYC...maybe the only good
cheap Mexican in NYC. Try the Tortas and Cemitas. Always ask for
quacamole.

Diner - Great bizarro gourmet brunch in antiquated diner car.

COCKTAIL BAR: Hotel Delmano - my favorite cocktail bar in Williamsburg.

COFFEE SHOP: Roebling Tea Room - the best couches in Williamsburg for meetings.


Bushwick -  Il Passitore - is amazing and cheap Italian food.


Manhattan - Bianca - really cheap Italian food. Try the chicken liver
appetizer (seriously).

Via De La Paca - slightly less cheap but still cheap Italian food. The
bruschetta plates are great and the Mama Mundo platter amazes me.

Frank - is even less cheap, and has little legroom - but is divine.

Ruby Rosa - has the best Vodka slice in Nolita...NOT Palmadoros.

COFFEE SHOP: Ceci Cela - great little place with a hidden back-room
worth discussing screenplays within.

Gotta run, but hope that helps.

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So I think they most affordable hotel in the city in the Ace when it
comes to something hip and centrally located.
In my hood there is a great tapas place that has the sickest happy
hour around and really great beer. It's called Sip on Amsterdam
between 109 and 110.
Two of my fave bars downtown are DBA which is great for Sunday
afternoons and No Malice Palace which is great late night bar that
plays great hip hop and has couches.
O and a good bar for tourists cause it's in the middle of soho (and a
personal fav daytime drinking spot cause the rad people watching) is
Spring Lounge on Spring and Prince. I
Fave affordable ish restaurant is Westville in the west village.
Fave mid range breakfast is Little Giant in LES.
Best bagels in my opinion are Absolute Bagels on Broadway between 107 and 108.
Lastly, in my hood people MUST check out St. John the Divine.

---------------------------------------------------

The Jane Hotel has rooms for 99$ a night. Little tiny rooms with
shared bathrooms but they are cute.

Also there is an apartment on like jane or 12th and 8th avenue has a
great view of the city- its high up. it was about 250 a night i think?
but has a kitchen and was really special. the email for the owner is :
Clifford Hart <seehart@aol.com> My parents stayed there and LOVED IT

also the b & b on 8th ave is really cute, next to bon bonniere-
abingdon guest house: http://www.abingdonguesthouse.com/ my parents
stayed there once and liked it

there is also one across the street : Incentra Village House
32 8th Avenue, New York, NY (212) 206-0007

looks good- haven't had anyone stay there.

Bars- the rusty knot on the west side highway while its still light
out- sunset (good view of the sunset from the bar plus small foods and
great drink specials)

Food-
A slice of pizza at Bleecker Street Pizza the "nona maria" is divine
Noodles at the "noodle bar" on carmine sitting at the counter
breakfast at shopsins in the essex market wed-sunday, they close by 2,
cheap and good pasta at pepe verde
jamaican infuses small Japanese place "AKI"
If they wander to williamsburg- "5 leaves" has great brunch and dinner

all my suggestions are economical fun and delicious!


-------------------------------------------------

Esperanto 
145 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009 (212) 505-6559 ‎ 
There's a cool whiskey bar next door called Louis'
Chez Oskar in Fort Greene is nice
211 Dekalb Avenue, New York -(718) 852-6250
My favorite dive bar in all New York, maybe ever, it's really, really divey, 
is Nancy's Whiskey Pub in Tribeca 1 Lispenard St New York, 
10013 - (212) 226-9943


-----------------------------------------------
Bozu- Williamsburg BEST Sushi tell them they have to order the sushi Bombs.
Little Korea for Korean BBQ or Yaki NIku West which is on 9 between 2 and 3 for Korean BBQ. It's a cute place.
Brooklyn Bowl, If there is a good show, the line up is on their website. 

momofuku shortcakes


1 large egg
About 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I only used two teaspoons and it was very salty)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, cut into pieces, chilled
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
About 1/2 cup confectioners sugar


1. Crack the egg into a small graduated measuring cup and whisk it to thoroughly mix the white and yolk.   Decant or spoon off half of it )you can discard this part of the egg or use it for another use). Add enough cream to the egg in the measuring cup to make 1/2 cup. Stir briefly, then put the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.


2. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment and stir them together. Add the butter and shortening and turn the mixer on to it's lowest setting. Mix the fat in until the batter is gravelly, with pea-sized lumps everywhere, which shouldn't take much more than 4 minutes. (I don't have a stand mixer so I combine the ingredients with my hands as I would a pie crust, breaking the butter into the flour mixture.)


3. Once you've got the sandy, lumpy, dryish, short batter together, grab the cream mixture from the refrigerator and stream it into the batter, stirring it in with the machine still on its lowest speed. Do this for as short a time as humanly possible, just until the liquid is barely absorbed; do not overmix. Let the dough rest in the mixer bowl 10 minutes.


4. Scoop the batter into little balls, using about 2 tablespoons for each (you can assist their shaping lightly with your hands) and line them up on a baking sheet. You should have 8 balls (I got 14 using two heaping tablespoons for each). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and as long as overnight.


5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment or silpats.


6. Pour confectioners sugar into a wide shallow bowl. Roll each of the shortcakes through the the sugar to coat very lightly, tap off the excess. and place the dusted cakes on prepared baking sheets, with enough room between them to allow them to double their footprint while baking.


7. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (mine needed 15-20). The cakes will spread and then rise-the baking powder in it will give them the final poofy kick and the confectioners sugar on the outside should crackle when they're ready. Overbaked is preferable to underbaked with these cakes. If their centers fall after you pull them from the oven, bake them for another 60-90 seconds. Transfer to a wrack and let cool.


8. Serve with either rhubarb or strawberries (I used both) and a generous dollop of whipped cream.


momofuku poached rhubarb


1 1/2 pounds peeled rhubarb (I think you could even use 3 pounds with the same amount of liquid) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (4 cups)
1 750 ml bottle of elderflower syrup, 3 cups (I used one cup as the syrup is expensive and more lychee juice)
the juice strained from 2 or 3 cans of lychees (save the lychees for another use or just eat them)
2 cups sugar (don't cut down on this)


1. Heat the oven to 225 degrees (I turned it up to 250)


2. Combine the rhubarb, elderflower syrup, lychee juice and sugar in a medium oven-safe saucepan and cover with a lid. Poach the rhubarb in the over for 35 minutes until tender.


3. Remove the pan from the oven and let the rhubarb cool almost to room temperature with the lid on.


4. Remove the rhubarb from the poaching syrup with a slotted spoon and serve at once (figure about 1/2 cup per serving, and make sure to use some of the poaching syrup as part of the dish--drizzle it over the shortcakes and rhubarb), or store the rhubarb in the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

macerated strawberries


4 cups strawberries, preferably a naturally sweet and not-too-big variety like Tri-Star, hulled
1/4 cup sugar


One to two hours before you serve them them, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar; the sugar will draw out the juices from the strawberries. Serve cold or at room temperature allotting about 1/2 cup per serving . Use the macerating liquid as part of the dish--pour it over the shortcakes and strawberries.


whipped cream


1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
pinch of kosher salt


Combine the heavy cream, sour cream, confectioners sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer or by hand until medium peaks form. The whipped cream can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to a few hours. Rewhisk before serving.