Gotham Gal

Sangria

We love to entertain. We have an annual clam bake on the beach every summer the weekend before Labor Day. Families. If you are out on the East End, you are invited. We don't want anyone to feel like they need to shlep out here. If you are here, you have friends staying at your house..bring them too.

Each year we have had the standard lobster, clams and corn. This year, we decided to go with a different menu. We opted for Greek. We're on the ocean and we just had the Olympics. It was a blast.
The beverage of choice this year was Sangria. I pulled a recipe off the web and thought I'd share.

As always, I sort of played around with the ingredients but with Sangria, you really can not go wrong.

This should serve about 100 servings.

2 Gallons red Zinfandel
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup Contreau
2 quarts orange juice
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup superfine sugar
1 quart club soda
1 bottle sparkling white wine
8 nectarines sliced up
6 apples sliced up
8 oranges sliced up
couple handfuls of ice cubes

Again, this recipe is your basic. You could just do 2 quarts of club soda and no sparkling white wine, you could do less orange juice and more lemon juice, etc. I definitely would try to stick with the superfine sugar because it easily mixes up. Bottom line, you can't go wrong.

Riding Giants

Riding Giants is the movie to see when u are spending the last few weeks of summer at a beach. The movie is the history of riding big waves. All the top surfers from the 50's thru today. As each generation passes, every wave gets bigger as each generation seeks out the next big challenge.

The movie actually made me think about the Olympics. I grew up watching Marc Spitz and Olga Korbut and thought those achievements were beyond incredible. Now, the athletes performing today are doing stunts that were not even conveivable at that time.

The other surfer film, which we saw last summer, was Step Into Liquid. I actually preferred this film. U got to see surfers from all over the world with just an incredible passion for the sport.

One thing that I found missing from the Riding Giants or at least the questions that I had when leaving is what are these surfers doing today? The passion of these men and women are incredible. Each of put themselves in situations that are so dangerous yet exhilerating at the same time. Their passion about the sport, their personal focus and love for the sport is intoxicating. It is an impressive group. As always, the cream has risen to the top. What do these people do for income, are they married, do they have kids that they are teaching the same sort of passion to, how often do they still surf? To have that type of faith in yourself to go out and ride waves like that is so incredible that I am interested in how that drive shows up in another parts of their life.

Maybe I am the only person that feels that way, but I would love to get a book on the surfers that tell their whole life story.

Hearth

I don't even know where to start. Hearth is a foodies dream come true. The food is exceptionally delicious from beginning to end. The restaurant has a nice vibe too. Open kitchen in the back, bar in front with 6 stools and light is streaming in everywhere around the brick walls that the restaurant is made up of. Not too formal which is perfect for the location of the East Village. Before I write about each taste, I want to write a bit about how Hearth came to be.

Years ago, when I was in a start-up company, we did not yet have an office, so we spent one day a week sitting at Grammercy Tavern. We loved the place. The front room, where no reservations are taken, happens to be one of the best spots in NYC. The food is good, the service is great and the atmosphere is wonderful. We'd sit there from lunch through dinner. We'd start with a lunch meeting, move into a afternoon meeting with a cookie platter and then into another meeting with a cheese platter and wine and then finishing off with dinner. It was great. I can not even count the amount of times that I have eaten there if I tried.

Next came Craft. Craft was opened by Tom Colicchio who was the chef at Grammercy Tavern. He remained at Grammercy, overlooking everything, but was interested in a new undertaking. Interesting concept - and around the corner from Grammercy. All the food there is a la carte and prepared a variety of ways. For instance, you can order a veal chop either baked or grilled, you can order the vegetables either roasted, grilled or steamed. In essence, you put together your own dish. It is a real foodie place but very expensive once u order up your entire meal. The atmosphere there is always warm and inviting. Tom then opened Craftbar next door. This is less expensive, a little hipper and the food is a bit different. All very good. Then, he opened Witchcraft next to that. Witchcraft is take out. They have incredible sweets and delicious sandwiches and salads. The entire group of restaurants together like that is very smart and they all play off each other.

Next came Hearth. Hearth is owned by a guy who started Craft with Tom, named Marco Canora and his partner, Paul, who comes from Grammercy Tavern. To me, how could that not be an unbeatable combination. I have been trying to get there since they opened.

So, let's talk about the food. It was so hard to make a decision because everything sounded incredible. The menu is changed monthly based on what is seasonable - I like that. We started with Marinated Sardines. 3 sardines, completely deboned and filleted. They were served in a light olive oil with very chopped pieces of carrots, celery, fennel and parlsey over the top. The taste was explosive in your mouth. The buttery sardines with the crunchy soffrito crudo was delicious. We also had the red wine braised octopus. The octopus was almost dark red. It cut like butter and the taste was layered of wine. This was served with a celery root puree that u could dip the octopus into with a small salad of celery and potato on the side. Each appetizer was beautifully presented and most important, the right amount of food. Small, delicious but just enough. I hate when they give u so much food that when u leave u feel too full.

Next was our main courses. It was so hot out last night that fish seemed the way to go. We had the Poached Alaskan King Salmon. The salmon was a small square piece - no skin - poached rare that fell apart once u started cutting away. Next to the salmon was a braised bean concoction mixed with a summer bean vinaigrette. Different and delicious. Almost southern Italian in taste and color. We also had the roasted monkfish. The fish was sliced into round pieces which was charred on the ends through roasting. Perfectly cooked. This was served with a piece of Japanese eggplant and a roasted tomato proscuitto combo. All beautiful and complimentary of each other.

Dessert was a must after having this incredible tasting food. The pastry chef is Lauren Dawson. I am not sure of the story of where she came but she is also quite the chef. We split the Milk Chocolate Tart with Peanut Brittle Ice Cream. The chocolate cream was in a semolina tart. The ice cream had pieces of peanut brittle through out and the combination is one of my all time favorites. It was hard to eat it slowly and savor each bite, but we tried.

All and all, a fantastic experience. We left content but not full and could not stop talking about how amazing the food was. I actually made reservations for October before I left. I will attempt to become a regular there.

Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue

Another night at Summerstage with the luck of no rain. We saw the Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue which consists of a variety of country artists which are Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Dave Rawlins and Buddy Miller. It was a bit of a mixed batch but the voices on all of these people are so incredible that it is hard not to stand up and take notice.

I happen to be a big Gillian and Dave fan. Their voices are amazing and they rock out on guitar, banjo and harmonica. Pretty talented pair. I also like how they goof on each other during their performance. They sang a few new songs which sound good. Hopefully a new album en route or maybe it is off their new live album they just released.

2 memorable songs last night. Emmylou Harris sang Orphan (one of Gillian's songs) while Gillian and Dave were on stage. It is one of my favorite Gillian songs. Also, her and Dave sang a song about a higher place with Buddy Miller and Dave and Gillian kept on chiming in with their amens while they jammed out on their guitars.

We sat in the bleachers. I think this type of concert was more condusive to lying in the grass, watching the stars and listening to the music. Regardless, you can't beat sitting out beneath the stars and listening to music.

Inflation

How come no one is talking about inflation? Prices are up everywhere. The dollar is so bad. Europeans are having a heyday. Traveling to the US is now a bargain. The prices in the grocery store are up. The fall clothes are outrageously expensive. I can't imagine that the economy isn't going to sink to an all time low.

I hope that when the debates between Bush and Kerry take place, that there is some question and answers about how either of them will restore the economy. I think the question that every American should be asking themselves before they go into the voting booth is "am I better off than I was 4 years ago"? If the answer is a resounding "NO", then pulling the right level, for change and Kerry should not be too difficult.

Outfoxed

Why I am torturing myself going to see all of the documentaries this summer that make me furious at the right wing of our country, I have no idea. Outfoxed sent me reeling. The movie basically looks at how Fox is a propaganda network for the GOP. Rupert Murdoch, who is a serious conservative, has used his power (considering he owns the majority of newspapers, networks, radio etc. in the world) to promote the right wing agenda.

His network spends the entire day staying on GOP message. By the time the day is over, you have no idea where the information came from - true or false - but somehow it is the gospel. There is nothing like true "fair and balanced" journalism. It is purely one sided propaganda. Although the tagline for the Fox network is "fair and balanced".

There were interviews with a variety of non-profit organizations that monitor this type of stuff. So, what really infuriated me is how did our government let this happen? What type of democracy are we? I would hope that if Kerry (please become our President) becomes elected that there will be changes made in the Media. The Media is controlling our country, our thoughts and our views. The fast food industry spends billions of dollars promoting their fat producing unhealthy food. The fruit and vegetable industry spends almost nothing. Fox network spends all day promoting a GOP agenda. There are only a few large media outlets that have made our country more interested in the love story between Ben and Jennifer than health care. It is pathetic.

So, what do we do? I do not trust the government that we have in place now. Do you contact the FCC? I don't know the answer.

I hope that bloggers are in some way the beginnings of change in the media sector. You can find your own pundits. You can find different pundits that have opposing views and make your own decisions. Admittingly I read the NYTimes cover to cover everyday. It this a fair and balanced newspaper or is it a newspaper that is leaning towards the left? I like it but I am left. What do we do as citizens to stop where we are now and continue down a different path. Is it that money holds the ultimate power with the government and the media? Yikes. I could go on forever but this movie is very disturbing and you have to ask why and how did we get to this? How could we leave the next generation a false democracy? What should we do?

Tamarind Restaurant

Since we (my husband and i) are having a childless summer (3 kids in sleepaway camp for 8 weeks), we have almost gone out for dinner every night. As someone who loves to cook, I'm a little over the going out thing. But, last night we couldn't decide what we felt like.

First we thought that we'd stay in the neighborhood and go to Cru which just opened around the corner on 9th and 5th. Closed for the night. Drag. One of the great things about summer in the city for dinner is that you can pretty much walk into any restaurant and get a table for 2. It is a beautiful thing. So, now what should we do? How about Indian food? Great.

I have been really wanting to get up to Kalustyan Masala Cafe. Kalustyan's store is one of my favorites. They have everything from olive oil to nuts to seasonings and a bonus of a small cafe upstairs with wonderful food. Unfortunately last night, the restaurant, Masala, was closed and the cafe at Kalustyan's is for lunch only. We were not having much success. There are so many Indian restaurants on Lexington Avenue from 23-29th but we did not know which one was good. Many are vegetarian which we did not want. But, now we had a hankering for Indian food.

We walked down to Tamarind. We'd been there before and the food was great. Obviously so do a lot of people because the place was jammed. We sat at the bar and finally got seated about 20 minutes later. The guy running the place is exactly who'd you want to run your restaurant. He was charming, attentive and chatty with everyone in there.

We decided that we would order 2 entrees, a vegetable, a bread and a rice and split it up. One of the entrees was the Masaledar Lamb Chops. 4 2 boned lamb chops that have been marinated in nutmeg, cinnamon and indian spices. They were delicious, bone sucking and really spicy. We also had the Curry Fish. The fish yesterday was cod. They choose the fish seasonably. The curry was rich, spicy and delicious yet the fish was perfectly cooked and not overcome by the curry sauce. Our vegetable was Japanese Eggplant cooked with peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut. The eggplant was falling apart and the sauce was spicy and delicious. We got some nam bread which is like odd shaped pita bread to mop everything up. We also had some vegetable basmatic rice with raisins and nuts. All and all, the meal was absolutely delicious.

I love Indian food. When I think of Indian food, I immediately think Tandoori or Curry but the truth is, it is so much more. The spices are wonderful. The different tastes are all over the map. The spices explode in your mouth. I am going to have to start experimenting with Indian food at home because come this fall, the restaurant gig we have going is going to cease to once a week...well maybe twice a week.

Ribs

I love ribs. Grew up eating them. I make killer ribs. I'm sharing the recipe.

3 racks of baby backs ( you could use the fattier pork ribs or more baby backs, just make more of a rub)
2 bottles of beer

Take the ribs and 2 bottles of beer and equal amounts of warm water and put them in a container, in the refrigerator, over night. This isn't necessary but it makes a huge difference. The ribs are brining.

If you want to eat around 7ish. Put the ribs in the oven around 11:30/12 at 180 degrees.

Take them out of the beer. Rub them down with the following rub.

4 T cumin
3T sugar
4 T kosher salt
1T pepper
3 T paprika

Mix the rub thoroughly before mixing all over the ribs. Then, put them in the oven in a non-stick pan or on tin foil over a pan because it will get sticky.

When u are ready to put them on the grill, take them out of the oven. They could hang out in the oven for hours and hours.

Put them on a grill that is at a low/med temperature. I use Bone Sucking Sauce which I buy by the gallon. But, u could use any barbecue sauce that u like. Throw the ribs on the grill and brush the sauce all over them. When the sauce has set (a few minutes) flip then and do it again. That is basically all u need on the grill. To set the barbecue sauce onto the ribs.

Serve them up with sauce on the side. I use a scissors to cut the ribs up before serving. It is just quicker and easier than cutting them with a knife.

On the side, I serve cole slaw (which I posted a few days ago) and a sliced tomato salad with sliced onions, basil (chiffoned), grilled corn (taken off the cob and sprinkled on top of the tomatoes and onions) then put dabs of goat cheese on top of the salad and a drizzle of olive oil over the top. For dessert, I served homemade peppermint and chocolate chip ice cream with carmelized bananas and chocolate sauce over the top.

The perfect summer meal.

Books

Summer is winding down. I can't believe it. I have been on the reading roll. For a while I was hooked up on finishing a book for my book club but unfortunately it went into the pile called "life is too short". I'm not one for old novels. We are reading Middlemarch by George Eliot and I can't get into it.

Here is what I have read so far this summer. The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Eldrich. She is a fantastic writer. I had never read any of her books before but she has won a variety of awards, owns a book shop out west and is continuing to churn out highly acclaimed books. The characters are interesting. The setting is out west after WW2. Really enjoyed it.

The Kite Runner is one of those books that everyone is talking about this summer. Last summer, it was the Da Vinci Code which I did not like but the Kite Runner is great. Quick read. A bit trite but interesting perspective. A story of an Afghanistan family, their roots and then coming to America. I literally read it in an afternoon.

Life of Pi, another quick read and hot book. It was ok. It would not be a recommendation from me.

The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel was next. I really liked this. Very well written. Interesting look into life in rural areas. Interesting characters. I'll read another one of Kimmel's books.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night was really good. This book has also gotten a lot of press. It is written through the eyes of an autistic boy. Very clever. Very insightful. Quick read. Really liked it.

The Known World which won the Pulitzer Prize this year is an interesting read. I admit that I whizzed through certain sections but it is an interesting book. Insightful look into the world of slavery. The story focuses on a slave who buys himself freedom and then what happens having the position. I did not love this book. It is not easy to get through but I did because the content is very interesting.

Plainsong is about a small city outside of Denver and how characters come together. I really liked this book. It is one of those books u start and are not sure but just continue to turn the pages. Real life stories.

I enjoyed Shirley Hazard's The Great Fire, so I read Greene on Capri, A Memoir by her. Enjoyable. I'm going to read Transit of Venus next. She's a great writer.

I am right now reading A Ship Made of Paper that takes place in the suburbs of New Jersey. Race relations, affairs, etc. Well written. I like it.

None of these are as good as Middlesex which was my favorite last summer. Also, it is tough to come across a novel so well written and complex as that book. But, hey, my summer hasn't ended and there is still a big pile next to my bed for summer reading.

Lucinda Williams under the sky

There is nothing quite like seeing an outdoor concert. U can hear the trees rustling behind the music. The sky is lit up in your small area. It is really wonderful. I grew up going to Merriweather Post Pavilion which is located outside of DC. I believe I saw Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne, James Taylor and even Neil Diamond - yikes!

Last night we went to another summerstage concert to see Lucinda Williams. As always, Lucinda rocks. There are not many women in music who can belt it out and rock on a guitar like her. She stands in the company with Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Patty Smith and Bonnie Raitt. All women who have had fantastic careers and can still put on a helluva show.

I could listen to Lucinda's albums again and again. I would also go see her in concert again and again. She was absolutely fantastic.