The Mighty Humble Blueberry

I’m thrilled to tap about a dear and respected friend and colleague, Nancy O’Mallon’s documentary, The Mighty Humble Blueberry. Last year, I worked with Nancy on some post-production projects related to the doc. Just recently, she shared with me she’s been invited to screen at this year’s second annual NYC Food and Film Festival.

This has me delighted, as it’s my first successful foodie introduction. I had raved to Nancy about George Motz’ new festival, and during a lunch meeting with George last year, told him about Nancy. Looking forward to catalyzing many more symbiotic relationships throughout my just budding food career.

If you cannot wait until summer to see The Mighty Humble Blueberry at Water Taxi Beach, it is currently screening online, free through June 30th at Independent Features. It’s listed under the documentary category.

Read more about the project at Nancy’s blog About Blueberries.

Folks, the weather in California couldn’t be perfect-er. It’s been hot and sweaty up and down the coast. But this isn’t the first time I’ve brought the sun when I’ve arrived here. Thanks aren’t necessary. Sharing is caring as we well know.

Buen provecho amis du soliel..

 

A Food Stroll through the Lower East Side

New York is one of those places, maybe THE place, where you can have a laundry list of food places that you want to hit. At least I do. I keep a running list of restaurants I want to try (which is always growing as new additions open), and markets to shop in. Well, I finally made it to a few on my list today, in a neighborhood I haven’t spent much time in since living in New York – the Lower East Side. First, a stop at Il Laboratorio del Gelato (www.laboratoriodelgelato.com), on Orchard and Broome was in order. Not the best weather for gelato with the pouring rain, but one taste and it was worth it. I tried the Pistachio and the Dark Chocolate. Trying to balance the umbrella with the cup, I dug in. Both were dense, creamy, and not overly sweet, the way a good gelato should be. Next, Essex Street Market (www.essexstreetmarket.com) - a place that carries a part of historical New York into the present. The Essex Street Market has been around since 1940, opened as a location for the area’s pushcarts and street merchants to do business. As with so many things in New York, the Market has evolved to meet the needs of the neighborhood, providing a welcome culinary continuum.

My first stop was Saxelby Cheesemongers (www.saxelbycheese.com). Since I’m basically obsessed with cheese, I can never pass it up. After the trip to Vermont, I find myself checking to see which artisanal Vermont cheeses are carried where. To my delight, they carried quite a few, as well as many from the Northeast. I had a nice chat with Anne about artisanal cheeses, my grad program, etc. It’s clear she has a passion and a commitment to all the wonderful artisanal cheesemakers out there. I decided to go with a little Jasper Hill’s Bayley Hazen Blue and the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. Mateo and Andy really know what they’re doing up at Jasper Hill (www.jasperhillfarm.com). The Bayley Hazen Blue is smoky, nutty, and creamy without the tang of many Blues. The award-winning Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is well-balanced and rich, where you can practically taste what the cows have been nibbling on.

The great thing about The Essex Street Market is that you can walk in and find things that are practically non-existent in many mainstream grocery stores, but without the high price tags of a “specialty” store. All kinds of meat, seafood, and produce line the aisles. I saw papayas as big as my head, and almost every kind of dried chile you can think of. I was looking for jars of nopalitos (cactus) and queso fresco for an ensalada de nopalito, and some plátanos. Viva Fruits & Vegetables was a one-stop shop for all.

As I grabbed my bags, my only thought as I was leaving The Essex Street Market was, “Why haven’t I been here sooner?!”

Erin Laverty is a Master’s candidate in Food and Culture Studies at NYU. She is a regular contributor to Kiwi magazine and is developing a deep appreciation for artisinal cheeses and all things terroir.

 

The Lovely Downward Spiral: When PMS and Research Deadlines Collide

For the past few days, I have been on a culinary adventure. Here, I use the term lightly, very lightly. I usually consider myself a healthy eater and I love to cook. So, I make fantastic dishes at home and use posh ingredients, like pancetta, crème fraiche, organic eggs, English cheeses, etc.. But all of this fell by the wayside this past week. It all began with a visit to my neighborhood bakery.

I am a creature of habit and always get a tea biscuit with coffee. I know that this is a mismatch, but I love them together. Anyway, I was dreading the rest of the day because I was finally going to start typing up two final research papers for my Master’s classes. I was also PMSing. Although, now I think I was just saying I was because I swayed from my norm. In a moment of madness, I ordered a cherry crumb cake and cheese danish. OMG! It was so bad and yet so absolutely fantastic. The cherry filling was so tart and lovely; the cheese danish was heavy and had perfect ribbons of icing on top.

How could I have missed out on this for so long? Well, this act released the flood gates and I decided then and there that I was going to indulge myself until I was done with the assignments. I need to focus on studies and do not have the time to cook and eat healthy, right? I rationalized that it was better to get convenient take-out and hit the library, then to risk a bad grade because I was busy cooking. Here is the list of foods that I demolished during these past few days.

Oh, by the way, I still am not done with the papers so the list is not complete…

The List:
Cherry crumb cake
Cheese danish
Nutter butter cookies (Big-n-Soft), #2
Chips Ahoy chocolate oatmeal cookies (Big-n-Soft), #2
Double chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles, #2
Barbecue ribs and chicken tenders country platter with French fries and cole slaw; served with a soup, so I ordered chicken noodle because I felt I was coming down with something.
Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies, #3 (not enough in the “On The Go” pack)
BK Double Whopper (whoppers are a phenomenal creation)
BK Large Fries (fabulous)
Meatball parm hero (I did not know that these are also called grinders)
Trader Joe’s entertainment crackers (very buttery and lovely)
Irish porter cheese (should not be on this list)
More 7-Eleven coffees than I should admit (a safety blanket)
Chocolate chip scone (a first time trying; bought from same place the country platter was ordered from; actually very good, crumbly, and will go back for them soon)
Powdered Donuts, #2
Hostess Donettes crumb version (these are so moist and cakey, they should be illegal)

I still have the weekend to get through. I would like to return to reality and cook again. But until these papers are done, I will continue to be a junk food junkie. I saw Michael Pollan on ABC news late last night, and he was holding up a Twinkies package (apparently they do not rot). He would not be proud of me, because I have not had Twinkies in decades and the timing seems perfect…

Ms. Tweed has been exploring the food world since 2002. Along the way, she finds herself back at university and is currently working towards a Masters in Food and Culture Studies. She enjoys experiencing life through the medium of food, and sharing her highs and lows with others. This is her first time writing for Daily Prandium.

Invite Lady N Tweed for tea. E-mail her at: Lttt77@aol.com

 

Eat Younger

As the owner of a skincare studio in Breckenridge, Colorado, I am not only interested in using the best topical treatments to retain youthful, healthy skin but also in understanding which foods benefit the skin from within. What we eat affects every organ in our bodies, and skin is no exception. The latest studies warn against eating sugary foods and high-glycemic carbohydrates because they trigger cellular-level inflammation, allowing free radicals to damage our cells. The theory is that a quick rise in your blood sugar will release inflammatory chemicals that contribute to the aging process. When blood sugar goes up rapidly, sugar can attach itself to collagen in a process called “glycation,” making the skin stiff and inflexible. Losing this elastic resilience of young skin will give you deep wrinkles and make you look old. This is not good!

I’m a big fan of cheat sheets so I created some to take with you to the grocery store.

Foods to limit or avoid:
Sugar: Weakens collagen bonds! (Fructose, Corn Syrup, Glucose, Dextrose, Maltose and Sucrose, etc.)
Starches: Pasta, Bread, Potatoes, Rice (White flour, white bread, and white rice are not as healthy as their whole-grain counterparts; if you eat potatoes, baking them with the skins on is best. Make sure to eat nutrient and fiber-rich carbs instead of empty “white” varieties.)
Red Meat
Butter
Cheese
Saturated Fats
Trans Fats: Hydrogenated oils found in almost every pre-packaged food; they slow metabolism and fat burning, and cause accelerated aging.

Note: Anything you put into the bloodstream has a toxic affect on the liver and skin. Alcohol and caffeine are two examples.

Caffeine: When applied topically to the skin, can prevent the occurrence of skin cancer caused by UV radiation. It has also been found to be an effective antioxidant, scavenging OH radicals, thus producing another mechanism for its anticancer properties. Conversely, the production of DHEA, melatonin, and other vital hormones start to decline and caffeine speeds up that downhill drop. Caffeine increases cortisol, a stress hormone, levels in the blood for up to 18 hours. Caffeine dehydrates the body and contributes to the aging of the skin and kidneys. It has been shown to inhibit DNA repair and slow the ability of the liver to detoxify foreign toxins. Caffeine also keeps people from sleeping properly.
Alcohol: Causes small blood vessels in the skin to widen, allowing more blood to flow close to the skin’s surface. This produces a flushed skin color and a feeling of warmth.

Tip: Gaining and losing weight causes skin to sag and wrinkle. Maintain a healthy weight via diet and exercise. Exercise regulates hormones, reduces cortisol (which has been proven to lead to acne) and insulin levels.

Foods for optimal skin:
Water: Always drink lots of water to keep skin hydrated and to flush out toxins. Here’s how to figure out how much water you need each day: Take your body weight and divide by 2. Divide this number by 8. The resulting number approximates how many 8-oz. glasses of water you need each day. If intense activity is performed, add 2 extra glasses to that number.
Whole Foods: Foods as close to their natural state as possible without additives or processing minimize inflammation and oxidation “rusting.”
Artichokes: Rid the digestive system of toxins and carcinogens; a great source of folic acid, which can help ward off cervical cancer and is beneficial to women who plan to have a baby.
Enzymes: Break down complex food molecules into small molecules, and releases energy from food; acts as a catalyst in many cellular functions. (Pineapple, Papaya, etc.)
Leafy Greens: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, collard greens, kale, bok choy, cauliflower, mustard greens, swiss chard, broccoli, spinach
Orange Foods (rich in beta-carotene): Cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, mangoes, butternut squash; dark leafy greens are also rich in beta-carotene. (Rich in fiber, anti-inflammatory)
Garlic: High in antioxidants; promotes circulation
Good Fats: Avocado, nuts (almonds, etc., rich in Co-Q10, an antioxidant that boosts cells turnover), seeds, olive oil (has a high level of Vitamin E, reduces age-related diseases and gives a youthful appearance from the inside out.) Fats are used to produce the materials in the sebaceous glands that lubricate the skin. They also assist in the absorption of fat-soluble Vitamins A,D,E,K.
Grains: Quinoa, barley, buckwheat, bulgar wheat, rye, millet, yellow corn, amaranth, spelt, cous cous, wheat germ, flax seed, wild rice, brown rice, oats.
Antioxidant-Rich Fruits/Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. (high in antioxidants); red grapes
Herbs: Rosemary (boosts liver function, reduces inflammation, has high levels of Vitamin E), ginger (boosts metabolism), tumeric (antioxidant, cancer-fighting), licorice (helps with digestion and removal of toxins)
Agave Nectar: Low glycemic sweetener to replace sugar
Proteins: Used by every cell of the body to make other usable proteins. They duplicate DNA and make muscle tissue and keratin. Collagen is made from protein. (Fish, Eggs, Dairy, Beans, Meat, Soy). Amino Acids are obtained from eating proteins.
Green Tea, White Tea, Rooibos Tea: Rich in antioxidants and low in caffeine.
Soy: Anti-inflammatory, balances hormones.
Wheatgrass: High in antioxidants.
Tomatoes: Rich in lycopene, a cancer fighter.
Cocoa Powder/Dark Chocolate: High in phenols (antioxidants) and flavanoids (antioxidants)Cold Water Fish: Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which improves cellular function and reduces the body’s production of inflammatory substances that can damage the skin. Salmon, halibut, herring, snapper, bass, sardines, and trout. Salmon also contains high amounts of protein and Coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant that boosts cell turnover, plus it’s rich in dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), which increases tone in the skin.

bot waters are naturally flavored and provide B vitamins as well as hydration.

Christina Komeshian is a Licensed Esthetician practicing in Breckenridge, Colorado. Her background includes working as a freelance beauty writer for newspapers and magazines, including Nylon. As a high school student she worked at a health food store and an organic farm in Putnam County, New York. This is where her appreciation of natural foods began. She recently created a line of bite-sized organic cookies with health benefits.

E-mail Christina Komeshian at Skindrop Facial Studio.

 

Go west young prandium woman

One of the girls in class brought tiny homemade chilé and cheese tamales for everyone. Seeing them in their cooler reminded me of the tamale lady in San Francisco. I think I’ll try finding her this weekend. Wish me luck. Either way, by tomorrow night this time, I’ll have enjoyed a day’s fill of Mexican comer.

During another presentation earlier tonight, I was enlightened of the tortilla likely used at Chacho’s. It’s called pan araba. They’re a cross between a flour tortilla and a pita, and were an import or creation of a Lebanese immigrant.

I need to get some shuteye. In the morning I’m heading out early to the airport. Daily Prandium will post tomorrow from San Francisco about fast food incubators. Then over the next several days, Daily Prandium invited friends and colleagues to write guest posts. Be sure to bring your eyeballs back here and show them your digital love.

Before shutting down for the night, two things..

First. I never leave Gotham for CA without first stopping for my favourite slices at Bleeker Street Pizza.

Then second and most important. I already miss my bugs. They are my heart’s lovests.

Bon woof..

 

Party rages on at the apple

Kind of moody spooky. The apple remains and I’m figuring the residents have been enjoying quite a time for themselves. Though a few birds have come around to check things out. Maybe it’ll be time soon for the residents to mosey along. I’ll serve up an eviction notice when I return, if they’re not gone by then.

Hasta luego..

 

That’s not Mister Cone

But the shiny new ice cream trucks rolling around town are sure to give the old hometown favourite and Mister Softee a run for their sprinkles.

The hand model was a no-show, so sorry if this isn’t the most artful picture. But the crispy crunch with chocolat and vanilla twist is my new favourite cone. If only they served it with a cherry on top. It’s always something more with this one—incorrigible girl.

The first ice cream cones of the season, and every one to come, were enjoyed in honor of Nick and Rosy.

Buon appetito..

 

Picturing pesto ricotta omelette

Here are pictures from the study-aid omelette I made the other day.

I confess. The past few omelette’s I’ve made stuck to the pan. The key really is to lower the flame once the beaten eggs are poured in. Slow cooking takes patience, but pays off in spades. Now I’m back on track and posting the proof in pictures keeps me honest.

Since I’m down to one last happy egg, today I made a bowl of tubettini pasta. I mixed it with heaping tablespoons of Fairway pesto and ricotta. Now that is convenience food.

Buen provecho..

 

Specialty food—belly button

The final write is on through Monday night. I’ll head out momentstarily to sequester at the library for the rest of the afternoon. The technology dogs above are still mad I left them for the food dogs above. They’ve decided to pull a trick in what is a now-customary semester-end curse. This time they killed my modem. The cable guy is off from stalking for the weekend and isn’t available until Monday. Since stealing the neighbors signal hasn’t proven reliable, I’m out the door as soon as now-customary procrastinatory chores are finished.

I am stealing enough signal to post this for you and you and you. It seems I rang the seasonal death knoll for citrus fruits too soon. These are navels from California. I picked them out at dearly Fairway specifically for their belly buttons. My favourite part of the fruit is the baby orange inside. I have no idea what it is called. But I love the tangy and sweet flavour of its little bit of flesh and delicate skin. It’s almost like a kumquat, but better. If you know what it’s called, please leaf a comment. Grassyass.

Buen provecho..

 

Water on Tap—Upper East Side edition

For this week’s Water on Tap, Daily Prandium checked in with health food restaurants in Gotham’s Upper East Side to see if they filter tap water served to patrons.

Candle 79 154 E 79th St | Btwn Lex & 3rd Ave	“Our tap water is actually triple-filtered through clay.”
Candle Cafe 1307 3rd Ave | At 75th St	Yes
Effy’s Cafe 1638 3rd Ave | Btwn 91st & 92nd St	No
Good Health 1435 1st Ave | Btwn 74th & 75th St	“No we don’t. I’m sorry we do not.”
Healthalicious 1594 2nd Ave | Btwn 82nd & 83rd St	No
Josie’s Kitchen 1614 2nd Ave | At 84th St	No answer, will call back
Pita Grill 1570 1st Ave | Btwn 81st & 82nd St	Yes
Recharge 1452 2nd Ave | Btwn 75th & 76th St	“No, it’s just regular tap water.”
Slice, The Perfect Food 1413 2nd Ave | Btwn 73rd & 74th St	No
Vitality Health Foods 1412 1st Ave | Btwn 74th & 75th St	No
Wildgreen Cafe 1555 3rd Ave | At 88th St	No

Salud..

The archive:
Water on Tap—Uptown edition
Water on Tap—Upper West Side edition

 

Locked in the tower, again

Today begins my customary semester-end sequestration. With the exception of happy hour drinks tomorrow to celebrate with folks from the program who are graduating, I’m back in lock down mode. It will last through Monday night when final edits are finished for the paper I’ve been writing. The working title is currently—Bottle versus tap: a historical look at preferences for mineral and spring waters. I’m interested in taste preference related to mineral waters from around the world. I argue that a so-called bottle versus tap debate has been going on long before the current debate recognizes. I believe taste plays are role in water choice. Conversely, I think this preference is either overlooked or rejected. Most folks discuss points related to safe water supply and ecology. A colleague challenged—Don’t fall into that trap; water doesn’t have taste.

As it turns out, there’s quite a lot of references to historical figures who preferred a particular mineral water. Granted, for several examples, I have yet to find primary and academic-worthy citations. But I believe I found enough to make my case. To name a few, from either category, Leonardo da Vinci drank Pellegrino; Hannibal and Julius Cesar drank from the original Perrier springs and were responsible for building its early infrastructure; Louis Pasteur ordered Badoit 50 bottles at a time; and George Washington made a bid to purchase Saratoga Springs. And then, yours truly prefers Pellegrino and Badoit when I’m being fancy, seltzer when I’m not—everyday. Pour de l’eau sans gas, je préfère Fiji, Vulvic, and Poland Springs. Je déteste Evian. Too soapy.

Last week I gave a six minute presentation during class on the topic. Thankfully, I wasn’t mortified afterwards. It went quite well actually. After giving some presentations I have been less than thrilled about during grad school, this brought relief, a deep exhale, and a bout of the proud giddies. I’m hoping this marks a lifting of dark academic clouds. During a reception following a James Beard panel at Fales, also last week, one of my professors commented—You know you’re making progress in graduate school when you’re not embarrassed by your papers. I’d say this rides the same commuter rail.

Returning to day one of sequestration..

I admit. I’ve been mostly worthless. Yesterday’s ten hour day knocked me on my derrière. I think after a couple days of it, I’ll acclimate. During the heyday of www bubbles, 14 to 17 hour days were the norm for a stretch. They didn’t stop me from a healthy social life and making advances up rungs of the corporate ladder. But for now, until then, ufa.

I’m awake. Tapping here is warming my fingers to the keys. I’ll likely be up until 3. That’s EST. The reality is, despite setting clocks at home to PST, I won’t touchdown in the PST until next Wednesday. Just in time for lunch. I’ll post about it that night. I’ve been itching to tap something I hadn’t gathered enough material for when I was there in January. I’m excited about it, but will stay focused on water water everywhere for the days ahead.

In typical grad student form, I’m heading to the kitchen to procrastinate, I mean to make a salad. The late night family meal threw my appetite for a loop. The salad was way too salty for my sub-threshold sensitivity. And animal protein that late usually disturbs my sleep. It did. In one of the dreams, I met a friend’s dad. Instead of being a darkish, chubbyish guy, about Monsieur’s age, with an accent, he was very white, with buttery-sand blond hair, like a fictive Wild Bill Hickok type. He was very American, in a Wild West sort of way. Minus the laconic speech. More gregarious. A dream in unlikelinesses.

Salad turned into breakfast for dinner. I made another omelette. I’ll be chasing wild dreams for another night.

Pre-summer spring-end procrastinating grad student’s omelette
Feeds one procrastinating grad student

Two eggs* beaten
Dollops of Fairway fresh ricotta
Dollops of Fairway fresh homestyle pesto
Olio
Good butter
Sel
Piper
Crushed red pepper flakes

Heat good butter and olio in favourite pan for making omelettes. Palm the handle to swirl melted butter and olio around entire bottom and sides. Pour in beaten eggs and turn the heat down to medium-low, or lower. Patience is key with omelettes. Palm the handle again, gently, to swirl eggs around the bottom of pan. This is a thin omelette, so don’t let the eggs spread too thin and crawl up the sides of the pan. Once the bottom just seals, use a fork to flick bits from spooned dollops of ricotta and pesto down the center of the omelette. Fold each side of the omelette in on the center. The omelette should be not quite three inches wide. Press gently, then turn over to let eggs set on both sides. Cut in four even-ish pieces. Serve with your favourite crackers or break of bread.

I’ll post the picture soon. In the meantime, this is what I share with you and you and you..

Bon appétit..

*To save my tapping fingers, all eggs listed in my recipes are always happy brown eggs from chickens who are not fed hormones or sub-therapeutic antibiotics; they are generally organic. If certain MIT scientists prefer conventional eggs and ecologically irresponsible agricultural practices, then I say—shove it. The debate is over. You are wrong and sorely misguided.

 

Working for my daily prandium

Last week I started working at a restaurant, a small hip Italian bistro in the West Village. I’m not telling you which place. If you’re in my grad program, then you know where. Otherwise, tant pis.

As part of the training, I shadowed servers on three nights. Tonight was my first solo. I covered for another server. It was quite an experience. I haven’t worked at a restaurant since January 097. It seems some changes—for the better—have evolved since then. The kitchen and service staffs seem to get along respectfully. And patrons with attitudes went out with tall and mullet hairstyles. I think I can handle this.

It didn’t hurt that my first table of the night left me a $230 tip. Pretty cool. Though my take home was only so much more than that for the entire night. Tips are split between servers, bartender, bussers, the kitchen runner, plus $40 off the top of the pot for the dishwashers. I wondered when I would eat my words. When I met with the owner about the job, I said I didn’t mind splitting tips. This one will come back to me sometime. I’m certain of that.

The table that left the fat tip were four business casual schmucks, obviously imbibing and dining on expense account. They were cool enough. Flirty well within tolerable levels. They ordered a $500 bottle. I don’t remember if it was the 062 Francesco Rinaldi Barolo or the 082 Antinori Tignanello. They also ordered a $250 bottle, several rounds of ketel citron and sodas, Tappetto Volantes, and shared a bunch of pastas and apps. The wines were on advice of the owner, the food on mine.

The last table of the night was another story. The flirt was a bit more excitable and spilled his glass of 099 Monte del Drago Musella, I had just refilled, allover his shirt and pants. He was a good sport and showed great humility. He poured the entire glass of soda water and bowl of salt I brought allover his pants. Poor fella, I almost felt sorry for him. But seriously, the birthday girl was sweet and gorgeous. Why was he flirting with me in the first place.

Going forward, I’m not sure if I’ll tap about restaurant antics. I am going to tap about the family meals. They serve one during the daily staff meetings, just before the first seating. A second family meal is served late at night, around 1 am. I didn’t cook the family meals, obviously, so the recipes are approximations. No measurements will be given. Though I’m going to get nosy. I’ll start taking pictures too, and post them next time. The early family meal, typically a pasta dish, serves the entire staff. The late night meal is animal and vegetable, and serves the six or seven of us left.

Pasta a la familia 0507008

Boxed penne rigate
Tomato sauce base
Onions
Fennel
Garlic
Tilefish—leftover from prior nights’ special, still fresh enough and not fishy smelling
Sel
Piper
Chopped parsley
Other unknown herbs and seasonings
Olio

Fresh ingredients were sautéed and tossed with pasta in a large flat-bottom pot. Everyone served themselves, or perhaps another.

No eyebrows raise if someone takes a second helping. I learned why seconds are a good idea.

Late night family meal 0507008

Tomato base
Onions
Fennel
Garlic
Paprika (?) rubbed chicken
Sel
Piper
Chopped parsley
Other unknown herbs and seasonings
Olio

Again, fresh ingredients were sautéed in a large flat-bottom pot. After a while on the stove, chopped chicken was added and it all stewed while the abbreviated staff started closing the restaurant. Per cooking description, the dish was like a stew, but not soupy. I’m not sure I could determine if it was truly tasty, or if I was just chaika-famished by two am.

A salad of fine chopped romaine lettuce and avocado with lemon, olio, sel, and piper was tossed and served with toasted, seasoned bread crumbs on top. This salad was way too salty. Exhaustion and hunger will not affect my detection of this. I watched the cook toss in the salt and nearly dropped. I said nothing. I’ll wait a few weeks. But that much salt is ree-dee-cull-ous.

I noticed that family meals are prepared in such a way they are conducive to shoveling action. They are eaten quickly and quietly, especially the late family meal, though the staff sits together.

Typically I won’t note something from a feminist perspective. But I was the only female left to close. Everyone left their plate at the table when they finished eating. I picked them up and brought to the dishwasher. Otherwise, gender issues are copasetic.

Buen provecho et bon nuit..

 

It looks almost like a black hole

But it’s a bowl of oat bran. They say it’s good for the heart.

Bon nuit..

 

Feliz palomitas

Despite an unrelenting craving for a hot, fat California burrito, I opted to stay in for Cinco de Mayo this year. Instead, I made some huevos and palomitas. Fairway is selling paloma dorada and paloma blanca by India Tree. These bags of dry zea mays kernels were quite the splurge. I won’t tap the price here, just in case Monsieur is reading. He wouldn’t be pleased with me, not one bit. But the retail price is at about a 17,300% markup from CBOT pricing for a bushel of corn. Viva value-added! Viva subsidies!

No recipe is necessary for this huevos dish. It is very simple. Heat three corn tortillas in a covered cast iron pan on medium heat. Add slices of cheddar between the bottom and middle tortillas and let it melt a bit before turning over. Heat good butter in another, smaller cast iron pan. Crack two brown eggs into the pan and turn the heat down to let them fry slowly. When the cheddar is melted, place the hot tortillas on a plate. Once the eggs have cooked and been turned to let the whites set for a quick moment, they go on top of the hot tortillas. In diner-ese, this is considered over easy. Scoop two heaping tablespoons of black bean and roast corn hot salsa over the eggs. Mash of half an aguacate with jus de limone tops the salsa.

Instructions from the bags of polomas were mostly ignored. They were cooked stove top, but I tend to prefer mine a little burnt, with half pops.

Buen provecho y buenas noches..

 

Prandium this week

Since last posting Prandium this week, I’ve enjoyed quite a few restaurant cena. The other night, one of the Restaurant girls introduced me to black truffle-infused honey at Otto. On bread with fresh ricotta, I have fallen for my new obsession. Though, it took four wine tastes before settling on a fifth variety. Typical, it was a $22 quartino that I preferred. I went by taste alone and wasn’t looking at prices. Ouch. Restaurant girl confirmed, the first four were dull. And the Vespa Bastianich 02005 was indeed worth taking a crack at the austerity budget for a midweek splurge.

Then as mentioned in yesterday’s post, there was brunch at Clinton St. Baking Company. Twice I bit and imbibed with friends at Dell’anima where a minor cock-off is brewing. Two of my colleagues are developing cocktail book proposals for their final projects. S, my favourite wine guy, had the bartender mix me one of the concoctions he’s working on. Delicious. Of course. He currently places as my new favourite genius friend. Dinner at La Lunceonette for Monsieur’s birthday was not so fortunate. It was beyond disappointing. We made up for this, yet another failed French bistro experiment with lunch at our favourite, Balthazar. Variation on a black truffle theme. The papillote de sole, newly on the spring menu, was served with flecks of it.

Before I forget, a friend in from Colorado and I enjoyed vegan fare at Angelika Kitchen. I wound up in a scarily deep slumber on the subway ride home after. And then an unexpected and special treat. During Food History presentations last Tuesday, one presenter who is working on a paper about medieval feasts brought in lunch for everyone—henne dore golden cardamon chicken and fruytes ryal rice artichokes with blueberry rice.*

Not a bad restaurant week for Daily Prandium. My personal foodways have indeed taken a turn and my re-education into Gotham restaurant fare is well under way.

As for prandium at home, here is the list..

Café au lait (Porto rico fair trade beans & Fairway milk)
180th street café con leche
Oat bran
Liberté yoghurt
Huevos (NY)
Corn tortillas
Canadian six year aged cheddar
Roast corn and red bean hot salsa
Loaf of Fairway bread
Romaine lettuce (Salad bowl, CA)
Endive (CA)
Aguacate (Viva Mexico)
Baby carrots
Asperges (NY)
Whole wheat pasta
Ricotta
Pastina
Pancakes
Gasp, sliced fresh strawberries (CA)
Dried apricots (CA)
Achem, yoghurt and green onion Kettle chips
Berkshire bark tropical heat bar
Maple syrup (NY, VT, Canada)
Olio (Italy)
Balsamic vinegar (Italy)
Dijon moutard (France)
Melinda’s XXXtra hot sauce
Garlic
Sel
Cracked piper
Crushed red pepper
Seltzer (NJ)
Fairway fresh squeeed orange juice
Martinelli’s apple juice

Bon appétit..

*Recipes were taken from Over 100 Recipes From Medieval Manuscripts. Spelling was reproduced here as printed there.

Just in. I phoned Otto. They’ve printed this week’s menu, and the Vespa bastianich is now priced at a one dollar savings whence I imbibed—$21.

 

Sakura crush

Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens was a well-attended event yesterday afternoon. Despite the crowds and traffic, luckily, we were able to find a parking spot on the street right near the entrance. More good karma. Just as we began to make our way towards the rows of sakura, the sun made an unexpected cameo appearance. It warmed the morning chill right out of my bird bones.

As promised, more photos of sakura for you and you and you..

I did not prepare bentos or precious sandwiches with the crusts cut off for a romantic picnic under the sakura. My friend and I planned for an early breakfast at Clinton St. Baking Company instead. We thought we were smart planning to meet early, just after they open, and grab a table before the lines form. Granted, everything is house made, and follows suit with trends in local, sustainable, and food thinking, but this is not the only brunch spot in town, by far. Folks, there are nearly 200 other spots for brunch throughout Gotham. But there’s something about this place. Despite our plans, when I put our name down by 10:30, the wait for a table was an hour. What is it about a brunch spot, like a Clinton St. Baking Company or Isabella’s that warrants one to three hour wait times? In my brunch connoisseuresque leaning, am I missing something? Please, enlighten me and leave your comments.

In the meantime, here concludes the 02008 season of the hunt for pink sakura.

Itadakemasu..

 

Rainy day oat bran

The time is 12 noon Pacific time. Have you enjoyed your cholesterol lowering oat bran today?

Buen provecho..

 

Daily Prandium—May edition

Welcome to the May edition of Daily Prandium. I hope you enjoyed last month’s as much as I enjoyed eating, foraging, and tapping it all. As usual, there are plenty of goodies to tap about upcoming. May will see new seasonal produce arriving from nearby farms—asparagus, beet greens, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, rhubarb, and summer squashes. I’m sure to prepare plenty of omelettes with these late spring yumnesses. To celebrate the season, I’ll be heading out to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden tomorrow afternoon for their Sakura Matsuri. If you haven’t already read, the sakura are in full bloom. Hopefully, expected rains will unexpectedly pass through by then to enjoy their full pink-glowing splendor.

More tapping from Daily Prandium will include four new editions of Water on Tap. Up next, we’ll check in with health food restaurants in the Upper East Side. Later this month, Daily Prandium is heading back to California for a little post-semester r & r. I’ve invited some friends and colleagues to submit pieces as contributing writers during my absence. More on that as the time nears. I’ll be posting a piece—about fast food incubators—from San Francisco, before heading home to Big Sur to clear the noggin, hike my body ready for summer fun, and relax at ‘clothing optional’ mineral baths. When I return, I’ll be joining Norm Weinstein for his Gotham-revered knife skills classes at ICE. And of course, I’ll join Wildman Steve Brill on his foraging adventures. There will be plenty of goodness, as my cravings and the season permits.

Daily Prandium thanks you for your continued eyeball support.

Buen provecho..

 

Blueberry pancakes and senseless self-promotion

After a meeting with a fella from my department, I followed a craving for blueberry pancakes to Coffee in the West Village. This is one of the exceptions to my no blueberries except from New Jersey in July rule. I’ll eat a muffin with fresh-frozen blueberries too, if it looks delicious enough.

Coffee wasn’t the first place I stopped. I sat down at a place on 8th avenue, then walked out. I seldom ever do that. But the menu looked uninteresting; it couldn’t displace my craving, and the place was hardly full. Considering that particular strip of brunch spots are all overfloweth, I took as a bad sign of victuals to come.

I wanted blueberry pancakes so much so, I feel I might have willed the perfect short stack into being. I liked the sign hanging out front at Coffee. It’s small, raw, and folk-style in wood. The place is just off the main 8th avenue brunch drag. You wouldn’t know to look for it. The sign is just noticeable enough. I didn’t expect they would serve blueberry pancakes. Really, I just wanted to see the space inside and maybe order a beverage. I was thrilled when the folks behind the wood counter pointed to the hand written paper sign tacked up on the counter—short stack blueberry pancakes with maple syrup $4.00. Perfection. I ordered them and an apple juice.

When I sat at my little table, I noticed Malcom Gladwell sitting at a table near the window. He had a stack of papers he seemed to be editing. After a few minutes, he got up and moved from the table facing into the cafe, to a table near the wall, facing out the window. He was obviously not interested in being noticed that day. A woman who walked in noticed him too. She had a warm, smirky smile on her face when she looked over at him a couple times, almost schoolgirl-like. She must read the New Yorker.

I didn’t think it was fair he moved from his table. I planned to vibe him while I sat there, as sort of a revenge. I’ve seen him several times over the past year. Though we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. We will eventually. I think he’ll become my next new genius friend. I digress and won’t tap into that here.

The reason for revenge..

Last fall, I was in the research room at Bobst library searching information on GIS mapping software and CAFOs. Gladwell was sitting at the other end of the row of workstations. When the woman working next to me left, he gathered his things and took her seat. Then, he very obviously and intently watched my computer screen, or me, while I worked. It was a little discerning. I knew who he was. Though, in my brand of illiteracy, except for one article, haven’t read him. So in return, I very obviously ignored him. I was physically compelled to. At the time, I had nothing to say to him, and didn’t want to reinforce his behavior. As I writer, I give him something of a pass. Though, as a potential leering perve, tsk tsk. I finished my research and left without saying a word.

Returning to blueberry pancakes with maple syrup $4.00..

I got exactly what I craved and willed. The short stack was served in a five inch cast iron Lodge pan. Coffee is after this cast iron huntress’ heart. It’s not a Griswold, but then again, not all of my cast irons are either. My favourite happens to be a very generic sort with only the pan number stamped on the handle and ‘eight inch skillet’ on the bottom. That one is responsible for my tortillas and fried egg variations. The maple syrup was real, and the butter, well, it always makes it better.

On my way out, I did something, which until that day, have never done. Since my sorry attempt at a vibing revenge was foiled, I handed Gladwell one of my very professional business cards. It’s essentially a piece of paper from a mini lined composition notebook. The sheet is turned sideways with Daily Prandium (.com) handwritten on it. No phone number. I almost never give that out anymore. No e-mail. Just the site and my name. I’m sure he tossed it. I’m sure plenty of folks pass him their card. I’m sure he’d hate this site. I’m sure I’m too simple and plebian-minded for his reading tastes. But I did it. I figured at some point, I’ll have to begin promoting myself a bit more. This is Gotham. I didn’t date a blue chip art dick for nothing. I took notes during his lectures on nutshells and whatnots. Gladwell seemed the perfect Someone to pop my senseless self-promoting cherry on.

Buen provecho..

 

A good prandium

For those of you still wondering what the hades prandium is, here is a pretty near-perfect picture of one. The natural lighting is just about spot on too.

I’m still crunching, like a hard pretzel, through tomorrow night.

For those of you considering early retirement. Don’t do it. Or, if you do, be sure to devise an exit plan into something interesting and creative. What keeps the carbon fixated to you. Drive yourself there on the desperation of whatever makes you batty and cry and scream at the moon. Whatever that silly place is, you must escape from. After enjoying too much leisure, when you’re just about to turn off to the access road into loserdom, go back to work. At that juncture, your work won’t be work, or it will be work, but it will mean something. And the folks you bend elbows with, and toast to good works done, will be amazing and interesting. You’ll crave those folks and what great works they create, and wish you had thought of it first.

This concludes Daily Prandium’s tapping for today.

Buen provecho..

 

Rain days

The monsu and its residents seem to be enjoying their new locale.

Rain days in Gotham are perfect for staying in and getting work done. If it rains straight through the 13th, is fine with me. I won’t feel guilty about missing the great outdoors or mornings at the park. Though, the poodles will grow more restless and start pushing me around. 16, actually it’s 15, days left in the term. Much to look forward to this summer, beginning with a long hike on the 15th.

Buen provecho..

 

Sakura are blooming

Seventeen days left. Still working on edits and writing. But wanted to share and care some beautiful sakura with you and you and you. If you’ve any romantic inclinations, this is the season to prepare a picnic lunch for a special someone.

Don’t forget, next weekend is Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. According to their CherryWatch, the trees are all at their peak bloom. Maybe I’ll sneak out there for a mid-week interlude.

Bon nuit..

 

A bowl of oat bran

Have you eaten your oat bran today?

Eighteen days left in the term. Writing and editing continues.

Buen provecho et bon nuit..

 

Smoke break

Writing and editing under deadlines. If I were still a smoker, now would make a fine time to step out onto my balcony. But, the only thing smoking, or smoked, in this house was the brook trout from the greenmarket. I’m drinking a glass of seltzer instead.

Bon nuit..

 

Prandium this week

I’m not going to my dearest Fairway again this week. The news reports of worldwide grain shortages actually have me somewhat scared away. I don’t want to contribute to a run on the markets here in Gotham. Usually on each trip, I buy some extra dry good anyway to keep a well-stocked larder. On the last gathering, I splurged on beluga lentils. Also, except for the usual salades and omelettes, with this being the last 20 days stretch of the term, I’m not cooking much, and the appetite wanes again.

But, here goes prandium. Notice, just one trip to the greenmarket makes for a more local prandium. Save for seasonings, coffee, and whatnots, a goal is to incorporate more local as the season progresses. Prandium this week should keep me honest..

Café au lait (Porto rico fair trade beans & Fairway milk)
180th street café con leche
Oat bran
Liberté yoghurt
Huevos (NY)
Corn tortillas
NY State extra sharp cheddar
Mixed baby greens, spinach, and arugula (Salad bowl, CA)
Endive
Aguacate (Viva Mexico)
Baby carrots
Asperges (Viva Mexico)
Smoked brook trout (NY)
Nasturtiums (NY)
Radish sprouts (NY)
Pretzels (NY)
Pastina
Dried apricots (CA)
Popcorn (Northeast organic(?) home pop kernels)
Triscuits
Beth’s triple ginger cookies
Maple syrup (NY, VT, Canada)
Olio (Italy)
Balsamic vinegar (Italy)
Cabot’s good butter (VT)
Dijon moutard (France)
Melinda’s XXXtra hot sauce
Garlic
Sel
Cracked piper
Crushed red pepper
Seltzer (NJ)
Apple cider (NY)

Buen burp-echo..

 

Fruitarian in Siberian spring

02007 vintage cold storage apples have seen their days. Please don’t make me eat another one, with their puckering skins and flesh turned to meal. A monsu from the last bunch I bought at the Morningside greenmarket’s been sitting on my counter top for weeks. A round black bruise has been growing on one side of it. There’s a tiny pin prick at the center of the black. So, obviously someone’s in residence. Today, the monsu and its’ residents migrated to my balcony where they will live out the remainder of their days.

I cannot eat anymore grapefruit either. I did finish off the last bag but the flesh was dull and not very sweet or juicy. The season for citrus and cold storage fruit has officially ended.

While the wintry-mixed season finally sur-endured some weeks ago, bringing supple skin days and the return to flip flops and sandals, the most brutal season of the calendar has arrived. Now is the winter of this semi-fruitarian’s discontent. I might as well move to Antarctica. There won’t be any luscious, fresh, juicy fruit until June when Northeastern strawberries arrive. In all honesty, I’ve fallen out of love. The wait is on for my true love and fountain of youth, blueberries, who return to me in mid July.

But in a deluded and desirous hope of finding non-cold storage fruit, I headed to the Union Square greenmarket this afternoon. Not lucky there. Instead, I gathered victuals for a fine prandium fit for the locavore set—smoked brook trout, radish sprouts, nasturtiums (a close second to blueberries in the pantheon of my food obsessions), pretzels, and apple cider. Ok. When I abandon the fruit form of apples and citrus, will resort to the juice and cider form for a fix. Today I’ve imbibed about 48 ounces worth.

The trip to the greenmarket was interesting on another note. I ran into M, a colleague from last term’s Food Sociology. She earned a plum opportunity to work as TA this term with my favourite provocateur of the corn—Marion Nestle. She’s not even getting her PhD in our program. But she’s too cool and interesting a person, so I hold no grudge. I’m not a policy or regulations wonk. Those Marion shooting stars set when she ’schooled me in nutrition’ one night after class, and when I started finding my voice, which happened to be in disagreement to her stance on those golden GM widgets. But I actually don’t mind the moniker another colleague dubbed me—the girl who debated Marion Nestle. I digress. But, twist my arm. M suggests I come back Friday. Another farms’ cold storage apples are still edible. Sure.

At the nasturtium’s tent, the fella farmer asked if I’m from the land o’.. The wheels turned quick on the question, and on response—Yeah—even quicker. Then he motioned to the guy next to him. I hadn’t seen KC in about five years. Last time was at a barbeque or party up in hippy hades ville. The plebian hades ville we survived, has graduated a respectable roster of anarchists and freaks. He’s an artist working somewhere out in Brooklyn, has an installation up at MASS MoCa this year, has been working the greenmarket nearly two years, and has cast about and squatted allover pebble earth. I’ve never worn my anarchist on my sleeve like KC. Years ago, I remember him asking me at dinner if I was a republican—You seem like you’re a conservative republican. I think he was one of the folks up there perpetuating that particular lie about me; there’s been plenty of those. I suppose my aesthetic has pegged me a lot of things, but not really ever who I am. Pigeonholing is a head knocking curse up breezy mont blueberry.

No lie. My shuffling ipod played Bad Reputation when I walked away. This was an anthem I’d listen to with a pollywog who went off to become a rock star of another sort. I still wonder if hidden somewhere inside there’s still a little skate betty anarchist. It wouldn’t mean she’d turn into a frakk up if she ever let her out to play. And yes, it’s all related, but not tapping that here either.

Buen provecho et bon nuit..

 

Water on Tap—Uptown edition

For this week’s Water on Tap, Daily Prandium phoned six health food restaurants in the nearly upstate neighborhoods of Gotham. Contact information for these establishments are listed here.

To refresh your recollection, the premise of this series is simple—to learn if health food restaurants filter tap water they serve to their customers. It began in response to a recent AP report finding prescription drugs in the water supply. Please note, this series is not examining the type of water filtration currently used at these restaurants, nor does it make any claim that filtration will remove prescription drugs. Daily Prandium simply believes the tap versus bottle water question falls within a murky area between environmental implications and impact, and health concerns.

(V) Vegetarian Sandwich Bar 1259 Park Ave | Btwn 97th & 98th St	Closed for the holiday; will call back
El Barrio Juice Bar 308 E 116th St | Btwn 1st & 2nd Ave	No
Next Door 813 W 187th St | Btwn Pinehurst & Fort Washington Ave	Unknown; call back to speak with a manager
Raw Soul 348 W 145th St | Btwn St Nicholas & Edgecombe Ave	“Yes, we have a filter for the water we serve customers.”
Tamarind Gourmet 3161 Broadway | Btwn Lasalle & Tiemann Pl	“No, I do not filter the water.”
Uptown Juice Bar 54 W 125th St | Btwn Lenox & 5th Ave	“No, we don’t have [a filter].”

Salud..

The archive:
Water on Tap—Upper West Side edition
Water on Tap—Upper East Side edition

 

A fiddlehead fancy

On a warm, variably sunny and cloudy Sunday afternoon in April, along a swampy riverbank somewhere upstate, a girl and her two poodles, a Slow Foodist from Munich, a wacky naturalist foraging guide, and a bunch of amature foragers went on a hunt for the elusive fiddlehead fern..

Ouch.. That’s not a fiddlehead. Be sure to wear your gloves when handling young stinging nettles..

Beware.. Don’t confuse curly dock with larry dock or moe dock. Guffaw snort*..

Spring beauty.. ..may taste like a peanut, but it’s hardly worth the work to gather enough to clean, prepare and eat..

Nope. They’re not the new band.. ..at the Mos Eisley Cantina. And dutchman’s breaches won’t fit no matter how many veggies you eat..

That’s not a fiddlehead either.. But the purplish flower of wild ginger makes a perfect subject to sketch..

Hark. What is that the poodles sniff.. It seems we may be onto something..

Fiddleheads. Pluck pluck.. Fiddleheads. Pluck pluck.. Fiddleheads. Pluck pluck..