Happy Hookerland

I started this post so long ago and just never got very far. But just as a paean to the feasts of summer, thought I’d just put up some tasty pictures to get you salivating in anticipation for the joyful months ahead.

Red Hook Ball Fields (crossing my fingers in hopes that they’ll be back in full force)

best ceviche ever

hungry yet?

tamales

was so long ago, I’ve completely forgotten the name of this fruit.

picnic at Prospect Park, that king of parks

 

Oko, Park Slope frozen yogurt

word travels fast in this town

Crave Ceviche is a new restaurant that opened just last week, but when I dropped by this past Monday night around 7:30pm, it was like an overstuffed taco, with people pouring out the door. Granted, Crave isn’t very big, it felt as small as my EV room, but is probably about the same size as the first room at Pearl’s Oyster Bar.

After nearly an hour wait (once A heard ceviche, no other food existed that night), we made it to a cozy bar corner (and by cozy, I mean tight squeeze) where we were immediately and cheerfully greeted by our wide-eyed waiter from behind the bar. Crave offers a Mexican style of drinking beer, sort of a beer cocktail, where they add lime, salt and hot sauce to whatever beer you choose. In Mexico, it’s called michelada, but at Crave I think they called it mordido style (I definitely spelled it wrong, but I can’t remember what it really is), so maybe it’s a Spanish version? I found it a bit gross, but then I also don’t like bloody mary’s or any salty drink except margaritas, really. I just went with one of their pricey sangrias ($9! for a not very generous glass). They do call themselves a wine bar, so there is a pretty good wine list, as well.

Now on to the food! The menu is divided by appetizers, sashimi, entrees, sides and a non-fish section. Ever since going to the Red Hook ball fields(post coming soon, I promise), I’ve been craving Latin American food. Naturally, the pupusa dish shouted my name, although it did do battle with the hamachi special which sounded nearly as seductive. The pupusa came with a pile of red snapper interlaced with carrots, microgreens, a couple of slices of a very hot pepper, radish and some other crunchy elements that I don’t quite recall. The ceviche part was “ceviche’d” (a verb the restaurant used) in naam pla (fish sauce), lime and kalamanzi (also spelled calamansi, a citrus native to the Philippines). It did have an almost sharp acidity but the pupusa – which is a thick, corn tortilla from El Salvador usually stuffed with a variety of different things – tempered the citrus. My dish was basically a salad with South-East Asian seasoning, which meant lots of good flavor and perfect for the summer heat.

A decided to go with their UES banker dish – the arctic char ceviche’d in champagne and sea salt, garnished with truffles, strawberries, chives and caviar. It tasted just as good as it sounds. The arctic char – related to salmon which is why it resembles it in the picture below – was incredibly tender and practically melted in my mouth. The champagne imparted a very light, slightly sweet flavor to the fish, which really needed almost nothing. This dish, along with the others in the sashimi section, were served in two sizes, “a little” and “more.” This was the more portion.

Good thing A ordered another dish since that one was a bit small, more as it may be. The filet mignon slider, ceviche’d in Worcestershire sauce (although they spelled it oddly – wostershire or something weird like that) and lemon tasted very much like it looked, a regular old steak sandwich, albeit with some very tasty manchego cheese. I could have used a pickle. It did, however, come with another sandwich staple. Potato chips. Homemade sour cream and onion potato chips. Nice and fluffy, but not enough sour cream and onion flavor. I like Blue Smoke’s homemade potato chips better. Heard their burger’s not bad either.

Anyway, to cap off my meal, I decided to have an oyster shooter, a special of the day served with a dash of cocktail sauce and blood orange (you eat it like a tequila shot). I saw the couple next to us slurp theirs down in obvious enjoyment and once they heard me order one, they asked for a couple more, but were sadly informed that I just took the last one. Muahahaha.

We were given a complimentary dessert cup of caramel covered with a chocolate and chili ganache at the end of our very satisfying meal. I would return to Crave Ceviche. IF I didn’t have to wait an hour.

crave ceviche 946 second ave (50th st)

A Public Space

Teehee I am so witty and punny (A Public Space is also my favorite literary magazine). M, a friend who recently graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education, was very adamant that we go to Public, only a few weeks after he went for the first time, because he was craving their all their food.
I’m a little bit lazy, and I have much catching up to do, lots of posts backed up, so I will try and minimize my editorials. Public is an airy space, leaning on the cavernous side. But it’s beautifully lit, according to M, it’s by the same people who brought you the pretty lights of Sapa.

Marinated White Anchovies quinoa croquettes with spicy saffron aioli – really flavorful, as you can imagine, what with the anchovies and all. The croquettes had the texture of a softer falafel ball. I loved the pickled red onions that came with the dish, their acid cut right through and brought everything together.

It appears they’ve taken this dish’s description down from the website, so I will just have to give you what I remember, which is fried sweetbreads. They were a bit heavy and large. I like the sweetbreads at Momofuku Ssam Bar and Trestle on Tenth better. M was daydreaming about them since the last time he went, though.

My main dish, on the other hand, had me dreaming about it for days after – Snail and oxtail ravioli with pickled shiitake mushrooms, oven dried tomatoes, pea shoots and smoked paprika oil. I love love love oxtail dishes in general (especially when my momma makes them in a stew), and this one was definitely one of the best I’ve had – it was meaty and the ravioli had a thicker wonton wrapper feeling. Yes, it’s heavy, but are you starting to see a trend here? Everything, at least to me, is high-end comfort food with a twist, so I wouldn’t go if you’re not super hungry.

Chocolate chili mousse with passion caramel sauce and golden nuggets – VERY rich. It’s like eating a huge hunk of pure chocolate essence, but with a bit of kick from the chili.

Sticky toffee pudding with Armagnac ice cream and hot caramel sauce – best dessert out of the ones we had. It was like eating a gooey mess of happiness with each bite, L definitely gobbled that baby down. Sounds just as intense as it tasted.

Yuzu cheesecake with macadamia nut crust, blackberry sauce and basil seeds – a little lighter than the other two desserts, but no less flavorful and it came with the best dessert wine pairing.

I would definitely go back to Public. They also have a bar scene, but a romantic vibe going on, so it’s good for lovey dovey dinners and bigger, more boisterous groups. Plus, they give you free house-made soap in their bathrooms! I mean seriously, why wouldn’t you want to go? (Good call, M! We will return whenever the cravings start. I feel a quiet rumbling already)

Public
210 Elizabeth St. (near Prince St)

I love me some snacks.

I get hungry fairly often throughout the day. I’m not really one of those people who can just eat 3 square meals and be a happy camper. I need to be munching every few hours or so, like a cow chewing the cud – a beautiful image I know. I thought I would share a few of the things I’ve been snacking on, since they’re mighty tasty.

I strolled by the Blue Ribbon Bakery (the little shop near the restaurant) and engaged in a impromptu honey tasting. And boy, was it fun. They had four types of honey, each one either from a different flower, processed differently or from different seasons. I decided to go with the autumn flower, because I liked the grainy texture and it wasn’t as cloying sweet as a couple of the other ones. It does have a really intense flavor, though, and a little goes a long way.
Continuing deeper into the Village, I stopped by Murray’s Cheese, and picked up this kooky yogurt from Iceland. The label looked homemade-ish and slightly more ghetto than your regular Dannon. Damn, that stuff was thick and a bit sour, which is how I like my plain yogurt, because the honey balances it out. But I could only eat half the cup, because the texture was so thick (and even thicker with the added honey) that it was almost like eating glue – in a good way, if that’s possible. Since then, I’ve tried the honey with other yogurts, and I’d say greek yogurt, specifically Fage, is really great with it.

Looks yummy, though, doesn’t it?

On one of those steamy summer days, I decided to drop by Vosges because I saw a peanut butter ad in their window. Visions of chocolate-peanut butter ice cream were floating through the bottomless stomach in my mind as I entered their Soho chic store. I didn’t see any peanut butter, but the skinny (how do you work in a chocolate shop and stay skinny is beyond me) lady behind the counter offered me a sample of their bacon flavored chocolate. And HOLY PORK GODS, it tasted like bacon and chocolate and it was pretty fantastic, actually. I know, my first reaction was EW? But I was instantly converted.
They also let you try their ice cream before you buy it. The skinny (seriously, how?!) hipster guy said wattleseed was his favorite, wattle-what, I’m sure you’re asking me as I asked him. I don’t think he actually explained what it was, but it tastes a good deal like coffee ice cream AND it has little chunks of macademia nuts in it, so can it really be that bad? I really enjoyed it and the flavors got better as I ate more of it. Ah, I just looked up wattleseed in wikipedia – it’s in the Australian Acacia family and apparently has a high nutritional content. I knew my body was getting something else out of the ice cream besides a happy, warm feeling inside. I didn’t sample it, but they had an Indian curry flavor that sounded intriguing and I’m sure I’ll be back soon to try it.

My health trend continued when my stomach insisted I find chocolate chip cookies immediately. From my office to Milk & Cookies was quite a hike, much longer than I anticipated, but boy, was it worth it. It was a cute little shop with a little kid feel (they host parties for children and adults) and relaxed vibe. After choosing the chocolate chip, I was trying to decide between the oatmeal raisin and the mint chocolate, when the woman helping me said they were both her favorites and that I should ditch the chocolate chip cookie for those two instead.
And as you can see, that is just what I did. No regrets here, none at all. The mint chocolate was better by a smidgen. I could use one of those cookies now.

Blue Ribbon Bakery
35 Downing Street (at Bedford)

Murray’s Cheese
254 Bleecker Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)

Vosges Haut-Chocolat
132 Spring Street (between Green and Wooster)

Milk & Cookies Bakery
19 Commerce Street (between 7th Ave and Bedford)

In case you didn’t know, it’s time for Season 3 of Top Chef

On Tuesday, Bravo decided Top Chef Season 3 needed just a leeeeetttle more press, so they pimped Sam and Ilan out to have a little rematch in Union Square. I could barely hear a thing and I still don’t even know who won this contest, but everything smelled tasty as hell. Below are some photo ops that I managed to take advantage of. I’m not really a celebrity whore who loves to take pictures with them, etc (except for that one I took with Mario), but I decided hey why not, they’re here. Unfortunately Tom Colicchio ran away before I could grab one of him.

Lee Ann Wong from Season 1 works for Top Chef now, so she was there, chilling. She’s so cute!

Ilan’s so full of it. Winner of Season 2. I don’t know how.

Everybody’s favorite diabetic hottie chef, Sam. The girls were swarming him. I will say that in person, he is pretty hot. I felt like he was irritated by his good-lookingness or other people’s (read every straight woman and gay man within 50 ft) reactions to his looks – like I know I’m good looking, you know I’m good looking, let’s move on. But hey, you agreed to be on TV, so deal with it.

Now I will stop adding to the Top Chef furor. Thanks for letting me borrow your camera, J!

WHOO-HOO!

My uncle’s restaurant in Brooklyn Chinatown (which I wrote about here) was reviewed today in the NY Times by Peter Meehan! It’s a very flattering article, thanks PFM!

Review of Lucky Eight

More than a Snack

I recently changed jobs from the food wasteland of Midtown to the food oasis of Soho (or at least, relatively). With the weather so nice and a culinary feast (or so it feels after months of Subway) no matter which block I meander down. Before I actually started working, K and I happened upon Snack, which I’ve walked by a few times, but have never ventured inside. It’s a small nibble of a place with a row of 4-5 two people tables squished against what’s more like a hallway than an actual restaurant. But hey, that makes it cozy, right?

K hadn’t had lunch yet, so she went with the Vegetarian Souvlaki, which featured a cornucopia of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, butter beans doused in tzatziki and wrapped in a cushy pita. I didn’t taste it, but K enjoyed it immensely, groaning under the weight of all those beans and fresh veggies. I would imagine from its size that one of those babies would really fill you up. Since I had made a trip to brgr for lunch earlier that day, I decided to just get a snack, really (ha. ha. a pun!). So I went with their baklava, which was served pie style, rather then the rectangle format I’m used to. The layers of fillo at the top were really thick, but it was great – nutty(obviously), with cinnamon dusted on the sides, and honey drizzled all over the place. I wouldn’t say it was the best I’ve ever had. I prefer the fillo a little thinner and crispier. I had one of their frappes, which according to them is a Greek style iced coffee and that was worth going back for. It was strong, but not rip-your-stomach-lining-into-shreds strong.

I did go back once I started working and had the Roasted 2.0 with a cup of their mint lemonade. The Roasted sandwich is served on stirato bread, which is this sort of flat, crunchy bread that’s difficult to bite into. The eggplant that’s inside is roasted quite nicely, still a bit firm with good flavor. Although I almost feel like it would be better with a boiled egg inside. Their lemonade, though, is supremely refreshing. It seems that they get their drinks right every time. On my next trip, I think I’ll try a different sandwich, and maybe not on stirato bread – it’s messy and I end up looking like a geriatric whose teeth aren’t sharp enough to rip through some bread.

Snack
105 Thompson Street (between Prince & Spring St)

Rice-a-Roni, that San Francisco treat!

This post is long overdue, and it’ll be more like a picture montage rather than anything resembling a written entry. Let’s get started.

I went to San Francisco about a month ago, originally to see if I wanted to live there, but since things have changed and I’m staying in NY, this turned into a brief, amazingly fun fooding trip. This picture makes me think of SF just as much as a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. Their row houses or whatever they’re called are so colorful and beautiful. I wouldn’t mind living in one of these.

Treats from the famous Tartine Bakery:

The BEST pain au chocolat I have ever tasted. I’m tempted to say even better than in Paris, but I don’t really remember the ones I had there, so I could be unintentionally provoking the anger of Parisians everywhere.

At the Ferry Building Market, more scrumptious goodies. Had a really good mushroom leek tart from this stand.

A myriad of fancy mushrooms await you at the Ferry Market. I’ve never even heard of these varieties.

Gelato at the Ferry market: on top of both cups is pistachio, bottom of the left-hand one is pumpkin, on the right is mocha. I wouldn’t recommend the pumpkin, but the pistachio is YUMMY – creamy and smooth, with a great pistachio crunch.

Boredom & leftovers work wonders

I didn’t feel like making the trek to Manhattan tonight, so I decided to stay in and cook for me and my brother. I had been craving pasta, and I knew we had some linguine in the cabinet. So I tossed it together with some leftover olives, among other things. I also wanted to make meatballs because I had made it once for my mother’s party. This time I put my own spin on it and took a little from different recipes. I don’t really have set measurements for the linguine since I just sort of tossed in things I thought would taste good and guesstimated the amounts.

linguine with olives

• 1/2 box of linguine
• olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer)
• handful of olives
• 2 plum tomatoes chopped up
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
• 3 shallots (tiny onions)
• salt and pepper to taste
• parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to sprinkle on top

Boil the pasta to the point before it becomes cooked because you’re going to cook it again in the pan. While boiling the pasta, start sauteing the garlic and shallots in olive oil. I usually add the salt here, so that the oil doesn’t jump out of the pan, little secret I learned from my momma. When they’ve browned nicely, add the pasta and 1/3 cup of the pasta water(maybe? I just poured some in, not drowning the pasta, but maybe about 1/2 inch from the bottom). It keeps the pasta from drying out and the water will eventually get soaked up by the pasta ( I learned that from Lydia Bastianach). Toss the pasta a bit, then add pepper and the olives. The last thing I added was the tomatoes so that they still retained their freshness and don’t become mushy, because I wasn’t making marinara sauce.

meatballs

• 1 lb beef
• handful of chopped parsley
• handful of chopped basil
• 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of flour
• olive oil

Lightly mix all the ingredients, except for the olive oil and flour, together with your hands. Get all that stuff mixed together evenly as you can. Then start rolling small balls, about an inch or smaller, in a circular motion in your palm and then roll them in the flour. Tap off the excess flour. It’s a lot easier to roll them all first before you start cooking unless you have another person helping you to turn the meatballs in the pan, otherwise it’s like a juggling act.

In a pan, heat up the olive oil, about 3 tablespoons. Then, lower the heat to about medium low, spacing out the meatballs so that they can cook evenly, drop those babies in. Let each side brown deeply and continually rotate them. They take about 5-8 minutes to cook, but keep an eye on them because they can burn really quickly. Eat them while they’re hot, although they’re still tasty at room temperature.

A Family Affair

Every Friday, my entire family (grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins) gets together and eats dinner. Needless to say, it’s fairly nosy with lots of shouting and laughter. These dinners used to be at my grandparents’ house, then when they moved, their apartment and every once in awhile, a Cantonese restaurant in Brooklyn Chinatown. The kids would congregate around the television, relishing TGIF (oh, how I miss the days of Family Matters, Step by Step, Perfect Strangers, Boy Meets World), while the adults would be around the dinner table discussing whatever it is grown-ups talk about.

Last summer, my uncle opened his own restaurant on Eighth Avenue (Bklyn Chinatown) and 52nd Street, called Lucky Eight (there was much debate on what the name should be, I suggested On Rice and Men, hehehe). Another of my relatives is the chef, previously he had been a four star chef in Asia. It’s much classier than most of the other places in the neighborhood and serves really great Cantonese food for a great price. The waiters speak English and the menus feature lots of pictures so you won’t have a mystery dinner. Below are some of the dishes we had this past Friday. I don’t know their names, since my uncle usually orders in Cantonese, so I will give my own interpretation of what the dish is.

Giant crab with chow fun – this was my favorite dish of the night. It’s really flavorful, and the first time I’ve ever had crab sitting in noodles. We normally get crab with steamed egg which is also heavenly and really rich.

Steamed fish topped with scallions, parsley and ginger in soy sauce. I think the fish is probably sea bass, but don’t quote me on that. It’s a really great way of cooking fish, because it keeps it tender and delectable. I like especially like eating it with the scallions and ginger, adds extra punch. My grandmother loves the sauce and spoons gallons of it over her rice.

Eggplant with squid and a myriad of other goodies like snow peas and mushrooms. It’s sort of like a hot pot dish, but keeps the eggplant intact and not overly mushy like other eggplant dishes. I love eggplant, so I like this dish a lot with it’s smoky flavor and chunky eggplant pieces. Really good with rice.

Sauteed chicken with Chinese broccoli. I usually don’t like chicken cooked this way because it’s dry and tasteless. But here, it’s really moist and flavorful.

This is my grandmother’s favorite dish and we’ve ordered it at basically every restaurant we go to. It’s green beans sauteed with minced pork. It’s pretty salty, but it’s really great when the green beans are fresh and not overcooked.

So yes, it may seem like I’m biased, but I really wouldn’t lie about food of all things. I’ve eaten lots of Cantonese food, to the point of being sick of it sometimes, and this is truly the best Cantonese place in New York. If you ever want to go, just let me know, and I’ll be there. I would recommend going with at least 3 other people so you can share a good number of dishes, family style. Don’t be intimidated by the trek to Brooklyn, it’s really easy to get there, just take the N train to 8th Avenue and walk down to 52nd Street.

Lucky Eight
Eighth Avenue and 52nd street