Gotham Gal

Food and Wine, An Entire Year of Recipes

AMEX sent me Food and Wine, 2006, An Entire Year of Recipes in the mail for being a good customer.  That's frightening.  Great gift.  I scoured through the book and make a recipe tonight.  Delicious.  Sorry, no pictures.

Beef Sukiyaki Noodles - takes about 1/2 an hour tops, easy dish.  No surprises I didn't exactly follow the recipe so I will give you my recipe.

1 lb. dried fettuccine (don't use fresh, too sticky)
a little bit more than a 1/4 cup of soy sauce
a little bit more than a 1/4 cup sake
a little bit more than a 1/4 cup water
2 heaping T. sugar
1 1/2 lbs. beef sirloin cut thinly into 2 inch strips across the grain
2 medium sized sweet onions cut into 1/2  inch wedges (they fall apart which is perfect)
12 large shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps cut into quarters
4 scallions cut into matchsticks, white part and a little bit of the green part only
1 bunch watercress (cut off the thick stems on top)
3/4 lb. firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes (firm)

Cook the pasta until al dente.  While it is cooking making the dish.  The key here is having everything cut up and ready to go before you begin.

Combine the soy sauce, sake, water and sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T. vegetable oil until it is really hot.  Add the sirloin (season with kosher salt) and cook for about 2 minutes tops because you want it just partially cooked.  Take out and put on a plate for later.

Add another T. oil and then add in the onions.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  Then add in the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened.  Add in the scallions and watercress and cook for about a minute, stirring until the watercress gets soft.  Return the meat and the juices that have accumulated on the plate and add in the tofu.  Mix.  Add in half of the soy mixture and bring to a boil, one minute tops. 

In the meantime, drain the pasta and divide into 5 bowls ( or less depending on how many you are feeding but I was feeding 5).  Pour the meat mixture over the pasta even amount in each bowl and the sauce from the pan.  Then take the last half of the soy mixture and pour evenly over each bowl until empty.

Serve.  Really a big hit.  A bit of a variation of the every day meal.  BTW, this could easily be made with more veggies and no meat if you were so inclined.

The Ever Growing Meat Market

I was walking through the Meat Market today and saw a bit taken back by the huge new Theory store on the corner of  9th/Greenwich and Gansevoort.  I didn't walk in but my guess is the store has to be at least 5000 square feet.  It takes over half the bottom floor of the new building that has finally opened.  Wow.  It is unbelievable what has happened on that side of town.

The DVF building on the corner of Washington and 14th Street looks almost ready to open.  It went up in about 2 minutes.  There is a really interesting glass structure on the top of the building.  Not sure what it is there for maybe a cool office?

I still love seeing the guys out on Washington with their white meat coats on among the fashionistas.  I hope that doesn't change but am afraid it just might.

New Taxis

I got into a new taxi today.  It was one of those small jeeps.  What was interesting was the partition.  There was a partition between the driver and the passenger in the front seat.  A bit claustrophobic for the driver.  This particular driver did not like it at all.  Interesting but sort of strange.

Classic Thanksgiving Pies ( or any time for that matter )

Three pies.  A serious undertaking.  The key was my three sous-chefs, Josh, Emily and Jessica. 

Let’s start with the crust.  We made that the night before so it could sit in the refrigerator over night.  I broke all the cardinal rules and doubled the crust recipe in the Cuisinart.  But, it worked.  We did it twice. 

In a Cuisinart (using the dough blade) we put in 5 cups all –purpose flour, 2 t. salt and 2 T. sugar.  Pulsed a few times so that was incorporated.  Now we put in 4 sticks of unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch pieces.  Make sure this butter is very cold.  Then we pulsed again until the dough resembled tiny peas.  Don’t worry about over mixing here, it is when you add the water that you don’t want to over mix.  Now take ½ cup of very cold water, while you are pulsing and pour in.  If you need more water, go ahead but just a little at a time. The dough should start to stick together.  Pulse a few times.  If it isn’t completed gelled, that is okay.  Take off the top of the Cuisinart and you will see that when you push the dough together with your fingers, it should stick together.  Now divide into four even balls and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least a few hours, or like we did, over night.

The next morning we had to precook a few pie shells.   This is always tricky.  The key is lots of tin foil. 

Take a ball of dough that had been refrigerated and put in the middle of two pieces of plastic wrap laid on a counter.  Now lay two more pieces of plastic wrap over the ball.  This is the no mess way of rolling out the dough.  Roll out the dough in between the pieces of plastic wrap until the dough is large enough to fit in a 9 inch pie plate with some for an overhang.  Push the dough down and roll the overhang up and using the index finger and thumb to create a fluted edge.  Lots of practice on this one but the practice comes from making these crusts over and over again.  You don’t want to over handle your dough.  Take a fork and create holes all over the bottom of the pie crust.  Use tin foil to lay over the pie and up the sides of the pie crust.  The tin foil should be tight but not too tight against the pie dough. I use old beans or rice to fill up the pie and then bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until browned.  Be careful when you take out the tin foil out.  Sometimes it sticks to the dough because although the trim is baked, the inside isn’t quite finished. Then let the crust bake for another few minutes until the pie crust is browned inside too.  Set this aside to cool because this is the crust to use for pumpkin and pecan pie.

Pecan Pie is probably one of the easiest pies to make.  We went for the Maple Pecan Pie.  We doubled it and then split it in half for each pie.  This recipe is for one.

2 cups of pecan pecans ( ½ cup for decoration)
½ cup granulated sugar
4 T. unsalted butter
1 cup maple syrup

Chop 1 ½ cups of pecans into tiny bits.  Pour this into the pre-cooked pie crust.  Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, stir in the sugar until melted.  Now beat in the eggs then add in the maple syrup.  Warm this up on the stove until it is hot to the touch.  Pour this over the pecans in the crust.  I used the large pecans and put them around the pie to create a design. 

Bake at 275 for about an hour in the oven or until the middle is soft when gently pressed, don’t let it get hard.

Pumpkin Pie (recipe for one)

16 ounces canned pumpkin puree
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk ( I used 2%)
4 large eggs

In a food process mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt for about a minute.  Transfer this mixture to a medium sized saucepan.  Bring this to a simmer – the pumpkin mixture will pop a little so beware.  Cook and stir constantly for about 5 minutes or until thick and shiny.

Whisk together the cream and milk in a bowl.  Add this to the pumpkin mixture and bring to a simmer. 

In the food processor  process the eggs until combined about 3 pulses.  When this is done add in half of the pumpkin mixture and process.  I couldn’t fit the entire mixture in my processor because I doubled the recipe.  So I took out this first batch and put in a bowl, then processed the rest and then mixed it all together in a bowl.  It worked out fine.

Pour the batter into the pre-baked crust and bake at 275 for about 25 minutes or until the center wiggles like Jello.  Serve with whipped cream.

Apple Pie

An American favorite.  I have made many apples pies and this is my own recipe. 

12 apples (this year I used 8 Red Delicious and 4 Wine Saps but in the past have used Granny Smiths and Macintosh) The apples need to be peeled and sliced.  I use an apple slicer, then peel each slice and then slice them in half again.
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ stick unsalted butter

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan.  Take all the apples which should be slice in a large bowl and pour all the remaining ingredients over them and thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon.  Now add that mixture to the melted butter.  Cook at a medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the apples start to get soft – don’t let them get too soft.  The apples should be sweet.  Let this cool.

Roll out the crust for the bottom of the pie and put in the pie plate.  Put in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.  When you have rolled out the top crust, put that in the refrigerator and take out the pie plate.  Being cold helps a lot because although the apples have cooled, they aren't cold and the crust gets soft and hard to work with.

Using a slotted spoon, put all the apples in the pie.  The slotted spoon is key because you don’t need all the juice in the pie.  The pie will get mushy.  Layer the top crust over and create your pie.  Remember to cut air vents for the pie to breath before you put it in the oven.  I wrap tin foil around the pie before I put it in the oven like a hat.  It helps the edge not melt over the side and creates a prettier pie. 

Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes or until the top if golden brown.  I wasn’t sure if the apples were really bubbling when the crust got golden so I put tinf oil over the top of the crust so it wouldn’t burn and let the pie cook another 5 minutes or so.  The tin foil will stop the crust from browning anymore.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

What's up with the dogs?

What's up with the dogs?  Call me crazy but I find it incredibly rude and pretentious to wander through stores shopping with your dog.  Unless you are in need of a seeing eye dog, you should not be allowed to go into stores with your dog.  People have allergies, people are scared, some people just don't like dogs....SHOCK!

I grew up with a dog.  We have a dog, Lucky.  A 11 year old golden retriever mutt that we saved from the pound 10 years ago.  He is a sweet dog but I don't take him out shopping. 

This past weekend, I was strolling and shopping through East Hampton with Jessica and Emily.  We were in Scoop.  That alone is anxiety ridden.  There were 4-5 dogs also shopping there.  These weren't tiny lap dogs they were medium to full sized dogs.  I heard barking at one point.  Also, it is hard to get through when there is a dog pulling their owners leash across the aisle.  At one point, one of the parents had given the family beagle ( a big beagle ) over to their 7 year old.  The next thing we knew, this boy was in our dressing room with the beagle jumping all over us and our clothes.  I pushed the dog down and asked the boy if he could pull the dog out.  He tried to.  Then the father called him and saw what had happened.  Do you think the father could have apologized or said anything.  Not a word of acknowledgment.  No surprises there.  Anyone would would travel through a store with their dog in tow says something in itself.  I can do whatever I want.  No rules for me. Dogs are meant for homes and parks not for shopping.  If your dog is lonely at home, get them a sitter or another dog to hang out with.  It is completely inconsiderate of people to bring their dogs shopping period.

Another dog story to share.  My friend was at the post office yesterday and a woman brought her dog in.  The postmaster told the woman is it against the law to bring a dog in the post office unless it was a seeing eye dog.  The woman ranted and raved on how that was not fair.  People in line were a bit taken back by this woman.  Then the woman actually said if you can't bring dogs in the post office, you shouldn't be able to bring children in either.  Children vs. dogs?  Doesn't that just sum it up?  I admit I have seen people walking their dogs actually walking with their dogs in their arms.  Purpose?  I have also seen people with a dog in a baby bourne (the front packs where you put very young children instead of a stroller).  I peeked to see the baby and instead I saw a dog.  Yikes. Although, I have yet to see a dog in a stroller. 

I am a dog lover, believe me.  But, dogs are not people and they aren't children.  They are certainly man's best friend but that doesn't mean they should sit at the table and eat with you or should they help you shop.

Bazooka

Bazooka is the perfect stick of bubble gum.  Classic.  We always pick up a handful at the counter of Candy Kitchen in Bridgehampton on the way out of town or back into town which ever way you want to look at it.  We were all aghast to see that Bazooka had changed their packaging.  Emily said it made her feel old. 

No longer a hard square wrapped up with a comic inside.  Now it is a long piece of gum, not as hard (which is actually good), and the comic strip is printed on the inside of the label (hard to read).  Alas, at one point everything changes.  When all the small square pieces of Bazooka get chewed and blown, the packaging of years past will be no longer.  Welcome in the new.

Italy

We are going to Venice, Florence, Siena and Rome over Christmas break this year.  We have been a lot of places but at the end of the day Italy is my favorite country.  The food, the culture, the history, the art, the shopping, the people, the beauty.  Take your pick. 

I booked the air and the hotels but just gathered lots of information on what to see, where to eat, what to do, etc. and let the kids help in the decision making.  It was a fantastic project.  I highly recommend it. 

We spent hours on it this weekend.  We read the books, read the magazines, hunted the web.  The key was really cross checking.  If a restaurant popped up a few different times, we'd take it more seriously.  If we only heard of it once, it went on the back burner.  Certain Gelato places were absolutely a must, a mozzarella bar in Rome is right up our alley and popped up more than a few times, etc.  That was the gist. 

We finished the project off Sunday morning.  I emailed all the concierges this evening and we are off to the races.  What is great is that when we get there, the kids were involved in the process.  They will remember what they read and decide if the review was right or wrong.   No surprises, they are serious critics and are interested in checking out the food and design.  Finding the grooviest store and the best gelato.  Going to the Markets and getting a vibe for the city. 

Everyone picked their books this morning.  The girls are reading some of my favorites that we have saved and Josh picked a bunch of new ones out.  They are concerned we won't get our reading in because we won't be lounging on a beach but I am not too concerned.  This is going to be a great trip.

The Cure

Rarely do I stay up late to finish a book but this book just drew me in.  It is a fascinating true story that is intense and unbelievable.  The book is called Cure. 

The story of of a family who had their whole lives ahead of them until two of the kids are diagnosed with a rare disease called Pompe.  What is incredible is how the father refused to accept the diagnosis and decided to take matters into his own hands.  He was a serious type A person to begin with but this breaks all boundaries.

John Crowley quits his job as a marketing executive, becomes a CEO at a start-up biotech company that is working on cures for the Pompe disease and in one year grows the company and sells it to Genzyme Corp for a news breaking $137.5 million dollars.  Part of the deal is he goes to work for Genzyme and rolls up the other 3 organizations with in Genzyme that was also bought and working on the same disease and picks the winner.  He then proceeds to use his kids as tests for the drug.  He saves his kids life.

The ups and downs of the disease, the deterioration of the family unit, the growth of a young biotech company being funded by Venture Capitalists, the naivete of John Crowley was probably his biggest asset otherwise he would have never pulled this off.

It is a true American story.

Cranberry Chutney

I did not take a picture, so sorry but we have been serving this chutney at Thanksgiving for the past 5 years or so.  It is delicious.  I believe it originally came from Food and Wine.  You can easily double, triple or do a multiple of five based on how many people you are having.  We tripled it for a group of 26 and had plenty left over for the next day.

Cranberry, Ginger and Pear Chutney

1 cup plus 2 T. light brown sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8 by 1 inch strips ( made them even smaller)
1/4 t. cayenne pepper (important for the added oomph)
pinch of kosher salt
2 lbs. of firm pears (we used Bosc), peeled, and cut into 1/3 inch dices
3/4 lb. fresh cranberries (roughly 3 1/2 cups)

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, ginger, cayenne and salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat.  Add the pears, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.  I set the timer and it took about 8 minutes, so fyi.   Once they are done, strain the liquid into a bowl and transfer the pears into a separate bowl.  Return the liquid to the saucepan.

Add the cranberries to the liquid.  Cover and cook over moderate heat or until the cranberries just begin to pop.  It takes about 3 minutes.  Strain the liquid into a bowl and at the cranberries to the pears.  Return to the liquid to the pan until it starts to boil and reduce down to 1/2 cup.  This takes about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the cranberry/pear mixture and let cool  Served chilled or at room temperature.  Can stay in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. 

This is good all year round.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is definitely one of my favorite holidays. I like the traditions, mostly the food we make every year. But the best part is that Thanksgiving is a true American holiday.

There are so many things that I have to be thankful for. My family is healthy and happy. I have many great friends and some really close to my heart friends. I celebrate life to the fullest. I live in a city that never sleeps. Fred and I have created opportunities for ourself that most people never get to experience. I am truly blessed to have 3 kids and a husband that make my life fuller every day.

I love what I do every day. I really enjoy blogging and am thrilled to have an audience out there that enjoys reading what I put out there from recipes, to reviews to color commentary.

Happy Thanksgiving to every one. May it be a very good year..