Apartment Dining

The New York Times has an article about a number of prominent folks in the Brooklyn culinary scene. I feel lucky to live near so many of these stores and producers, particularly The Brooklyn Kitchen and Mast Brothers Chocolate. If all else fails when it comes to my job hunt, maybe I’ll learn a craft and go from there. I could see myself becoming a baker by day and writer by night…

Polenta seemed to be everywhere I turned this week. Mark Bittman made a breakfast pizza with it, Anthony Bourdain came across it in one of his travels during a late-night marathon of No Reservations, and an unopened bag of cornmeal was sitting in my kitchen, originally intended for a cornbread that never happened. This creamy cornmeal dish, similar to grits, is a blank canvas for a wide range of flavors. I decided to go the simple route since it was my first time making it, choosing to flavor it with chicken stock and parmesan cheese. I then paired it with maple pork loin chops and collard greens for a plate of serious comfort food. » Read the rest of this entry «

My friends and I have recently started a Monday night tradition: trivia night at a local bar. We have placed almost every week, taking home first place a few times and occasionally winning third, the prize for which is a pull from “The Bag of Mystery.” We typically arrive around 8PM, which I felt lent itself perfectly to getting together for dinner before. 

When cooking for friends, I prefer to use recipes from my library rather than create something new. My dinner party nightmare preparing a dish, having a room full of people waiting, and only having an inedible mess to serve. Luckily, things have turned out alright over the past two weeks and I prepared two pasta dishes that are now going into my regular dinner rotation. I didn’t initially plan on posting anything about them since I didn’t create them myself (which is why there are no photos), but they’re so delicious and easy I had to share. They are from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper and I’ve provided links to the recipes below. 

Greek Cinnamon-Scented Tomato Sauce with Pasta: I have never thought of adding a dash of cinnamon to a tomato sauce, but this was truly fabulous. The warmth of the spice adds a real depth of flavor and the goat cheese is an added twist. You can easily forgo the chicken chicken or lamb for a vegetarian version.

Pasta with Chopping-Board Pistachio Pesto: This recipe is so simple to prepare and full of great flavors. It calls for a chopping board, but I decided to make it even easier and just pulse the pesto ingredients in my food processor, taking care not to puree it them oblivion. Serve the pasta up with some garlic bread on the side and you’re set.

I love the Belgian food found at Resto in Murray Hill in Manhattan, particularly the frites with a variety of dipping sauces. I wanted to recreate the experience at home (without the frying), but rather than turning to a bag of frozen fries, I learned how easy it was to make them from scratch along with a quick garlic caper mayo. » Read the rest of this entry «

Although I rarely drink coffee now due to health reasons, there was a period of my life when I was drinking two to three lattes a day at work, enjoying the occasional redeye (drip coffee with a shot of espresso), and brewing my own coffee at home on the weekends. I worked as a writer for a company specializing in espresso machines and other gourmet beverage products, so I learned more about coffee, tea, and espresso over the course of a year than most people learn in a lifetime.

It’s with my knowledge of all manner of coffee makers that I would like to make a declaration: the French press is the ideal mode of apartment coffee brewing. It’s compact, it’s economical, and it brews a rich, flavorful cup of coffee. Rather than spending three or four dollars every morning on the way to work, a French press can brew a quick cup that you can pour in a travel mug and go. But where do you begin? » Read the rest of this entry «

In one of my Farmers’ Market Pick posts about roasting carrots, I mentioned the local celebrity and peeler salesman, Joe Ades. He passed away on Sunday and the New York Times has a short article on him. You can also view a video of him in action (ignore the obnoxious overlay ads). He was fascinating to watch and that peeler really is great. I’ve used it every other day since buying it last fall and I hope I never lose it.

I’d love to be able to have friends over for dinner, set a beautiful table, and not force people to sit on the floor and wrangle with their plates. Unfortunately, our apartment doesn’t have enough space for proper entertaining, so we almost always go out for dinner when people visit Ramsey and I in Greenpoint. 

Lucky for us, northern Brooklyn boats a fair number of moderately-priced restaurants that let us enjoy good food on a recession budget. Here are four of my favorites where you can get a meal for $15 or less (beverage not included). » Read the rest of this entry «