Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Not much to look at but boy is he tasty! How I fell in love with barracuda

When we travel to the Bahamas to visit my husband's family don't think we are lounging poolside at the Atlantis resort knocking back Goombay Smashes all day and night.  Oh no--we stay in the small fishing villages of the Abacos where you are more likely to hear my husband and relatives say things like--"Let's go out tonight and get that big barracuda!".  And they do.

Next thing you know there's my sister-in-law hustling in the kitchen to pan fry it and serve it up with some peas and rice.  And it's delicous.  I wasn't around to see the catch deskinned and such, but what was brought to the kitchen were some beautiful, white-fleshed steaks that tasted much milder than the barracuda's menancing grin would suggest.  I'm going to see if it is available locally and if it is-- I suggest that you check it out.  Atlantic wild-caught barracuda doesn't really appear on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list--perhaps a good thing. 

Besides--won't your friends love you if you tell them that you're serving grilled barracuda instead of another slab of salmon?

As we were leaving folks were going on about wild boar--can you say sausages?!?  Oh I can't wait to return.

Cheating and other Distractions

This is me, and a bike, at a winery not in the Finger Lakes. 

So what's cookin' in the 'Cuse?  Lots--I've just been too busy preparing for a triathlon, cycling through Sonoma wine country, midwifing the inaugural edition of Edible Syracuse (you did get the latest Edible Finger Lakes magazine didn't you?), and doing my job at church and campus to post about it.  So what's the cheating about?  It's about enjoying far more meals and wine in NYC and California than I have at home.  And the distractions?  Well, that's just called life.  But here, in a few photos, are the standout moments of the past month and a half.

Inpatient for the food truck craze to hit Syracuse, I keep my eyes peeled for them when I travel.  If you see this ice cream truck on the streets of NYC--run toward it as fast as you can.  You'll be rewarded with artisanal ice cream combinations and perfectly pulled espresso shots.  

While in Sonoma I got off the bike long enough to participate in a cooking class at Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg.  Here, Chef Victoria Blumenstein shows me a new way to fry up calamari.  And yes, I was (and remain) skeptical, prefering Danny Meyer's method instead.  Still, it was a fun afternoon and I learned a lot with the other dishes she prepared.

This delicious, locally raised (Sonoma County) pork cheek sandwich is only half of this happy moment at Bovolo cafe.  The other half is that this locavore bistro is in the back of a fabulous bookstore on the square in Healdsburg--good food AND books!  Now we're talking!

The meal that welcomed me home:  pizza at Niles Country Gourmet near Skaneateles.  Now first understand--this picture may not look like much--it was taken by my phone at night.  And the pizza may look like it has a whole bunch of stuff just dumped on it.  And I know I'll lose you when I say that it was a $58 pizza pie.  No--that isn't a typo.  But let me tell you:  it was INCREDIBLE!  Sandie Becker calls this the Zach pizza and with ingredients like bison lardons, pistachios, artisanal cheeses, hand made whole wheat crust, proscuitto and other charcuterie made of local, organic meats, arugula, spring onions, spinach, and on and on--I'm just sayin':  You Want This Pizza.  It fed three of us with leftovers--a bottle of red wine washed it down and we were happy happy.  Call the restaurant ahead of time to let them know you're coming, bring a big appetite (it will help to have run a few miles before hand) and prepare to be amazed.

It is good to be back.

I want one of these...

for Syracuse.

It actually comes from a cool grocery named Farm to Market--we already have one of those--we call it the Syracuse Real Food Co-op.  But I just had to have this t-shirt.  So if you see me sporting it around the 'Cuse just know that it is a placeholder till I get one from the 315. For what it's worth--here's the front:

Oh, and please excuse the hazy iPhone pics...

Exiled in Anaheim

Where have I been? I've been at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. This is day eight of eleven. Each day has begun with meetings at 7:00 or 7:30 am and ended around midnight. It is exhausting but worthwhile work.

But it has presented a challenge for this foodblogger. It isn't that there isn't good food in the land of Mickey Mouse--the mom and pop Mexican restaurant we scoped out on day one was fantastic. It's just that there has been no time to eat.

Thousands of Episcopalians wander around the Anaheim Convention Center subsisting on energy bars for breakfast and candy from the exhibit hall for lunch. Oh--and coffee.

We'll have time for a decent (read: delicious and slow) dinner tonight and tomorrow. I'll have my camera in case anything is blog worthy. And my committee work is now done so I'll be able to sleep in till 7:00 am instead of 5:30. And I'll be home by Saturday. Regular blogging will return next week.

NYC Eats

Okay, consider this a photo deluge of some great food to be found in New York City--it is by no means comprehensive--just deliciously memorable.  Actually, for all the great food the Big Apple has to offer, it can be awfully difficult to figure out where to eat--especially if you want to eat fresh food in season without breaking the bank.  So if you're considering a trip downstate this summer, check out these eats. 

Get Fresh Table and Market, Brooklyn

The New York Times is one of my guides to good food and that's how I got the tip about the fairly new Get Fresh in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  This brightly painted, homey restaurant does the locally-sourced, seasonal menu and contains a pantry shop at front to take some tasty vittles back home.  I took my Mom there for lunch back in May and enjoyed a simple pasta dish loaded with cauliflower, black-eyed peas and house-made cheese while my Mom went the breakfast sandwich route--both were great. 

Cabrito, Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Now this is the kind of fresh Mex I'm talking about.  Just over a year old, Cabrito in the West Village brings the heat.  Michael Welch and his wife Zoe Becker--the team behind Edible Finger Lakes--turned me on to this place.  Michael had met the chef the week before and we were drawn there by the prospect of eating Finger Lakes-sourced pork.  Alas, we were too busy chowing down on Lengua y Tomatillo Tacos (that's braised cow tongue), short ribs and house-made chorizo and missed the local pork.  Butif you go, do like we did--order up a bunch of food, share liberally, and then walk to the corner and grab some gelato--hmm, hmm, hmm!

House-made Chorizo Taco

Lengua y Tomatillo Taco (braised tongue)

Shrimp and Tamarind Ceviche

More food and EFL Publisher Michael Welch in action after the jump...

My Home Town

The Flatiron Building, Empire State Building and Chyrsler Building

Growing up in NYC I really do think of it as just my hometown.  It was a wonderful place to grow up--even in the recession ridden 1970s and the go-go 80s.  The thing is, with all of my moving around, I've now lived in Syracuse longer than anywhere else, except New York City.  So when people ask me where I'm from, I'm beginning to say, "Syracuse' instead of, "I live in Syracuse, but I'm from New York City". 

I'm in NYC now and expect that the next couple of days will be my last time here for a little while.  I've been back home (meaning, Mom's house) just about every couple of weeks for the past month and a half--it's been great!  The thing is, every time I return, I find more and more of the City that I know and love, gone.  Yeah, things change. 

But the one thing that hasn't changed is all the incredible food that is being served up in restaurants, snack bars, and cafes across the city.  And the kicker is, much of what New York City considers local actually comes from up here.  Just try shopping the Union Square Greenmarket and see how many vendors are from the Finger Lakes.  Or ask a sustainable/local food restaurant where it's meat or produce comes from, and sometimes the answer is Ovid or Binghamton.  I take an immense amount of satisfaction (and glee) in knowing that the food that is highly sought after by chefs and foodies in Manhattan is the same stuff we can get at one of the many farmers' markets in our area on any given day.  It is nice to know that folks downstate our supporting our local economy in this way.

Later in the week I'll post about some of the meals I've enjoyed over the past couple of months in Manhattan and Brooklyn.  But really, I look forward to coming home to the "Cuse too and to getting back in the kitchen and in front of the stove.

Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns Center

Talk about being lucky in food!  I went to Stone Barns Center to check out how its developed since my first visit three years ago.  This time, my plan was simple:  visit the gift shop, walk around the grounds, maybe grab a nibble from the Cafe.  But on a late Friday afternoon my friend Steph and I rolled up to find the gift shop open (check) and the Cafe closed (bummer).  But it was a pleasant evening and after walking around the property a bit and peering through the closed doors at the Cafe we decided to get a drink at the bar of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.  After all, why not make the best of a not-so-bad situation?

We sat down and asked for some nibbles and the bartender brought out a 3-course prix fixe menu--sweet!  Just like my first visit, Dan Barber was in the kitchen but this time, I'd actually get to eat the food that came out of it.  Three years ago I spied Barber in the kitchen and begged his assistants for an interview (like 3 minutes worth) but it was not to be.  Ever since, it has been fun to watch him take the reigns as the Alice Waters of my generation--a thoughtful, literary, passionate, sustainable agriculture-locavore chef. 

Blue Hill has been a media darling--both the one at Stone Barns, and the original restaurant in Manhattan (also known as "date night central" for the Obamas).  I can't speak for the operation downtown but there is no doubt in my mind that Blue Hill earns every good word that gets written about it.

Let me note a few highlights and then let the photos speak for themselves.  But trust me, they hardly do justice to this exquisitely elegant meal at the bar.

• No reservation, no problem.  Dinner at the bar is one of the best (and more affordable) ways to eat at a high profile restaurant--this is how I was introduced to the Union Square Cafe years ago.
• Dinner at the Blue Hill at Stone Barns bar offers two choices per course.  Steph and I ordered both sets and were then able to sample everything.
• Kudos to the well-trained bar staff who could speak about the food, its origins, and how to grow some of the ingredients at home.
• Eating at the bar didn't mean skimping on any of the restaurant niceties:  an amuse bouche, careful and attentive service, elegant presentations.
• Don't forget to enjoy the bar--the Purple Basil Mojito and Elderflower Sparkling Wine Spritzer were super-refreshing on a hot night.
• Cooking in season means making the most of what's available--Peas were the star of our meal--check it out:

Amuse Bouche:  Pea Burgers with Chamomille Spritzer

First Course:  Mesclun Salad with Farm Fresh Egg

That's right--egg!

First Course:  House-made ravioli (stuffed with local cheese) with peas, pancetta, and pea shoots

Berkshire Pork medallions with pork belly, peas, and farro

Roasted Sea Bass with peas and pistachios

Strawberry Sorbet, marshmallow and mint

Flourless Chocolate Cake, coffee ice cream, sea salt

Coffee Service:  coffee poured table side--with sugar, sugar alternatives, and warmed cream

Everyone needs a Spiritual Advisor if it makes the Food this Good

Put this in the "I didn't see it coming" department.

To begin, I first heard about John Shields and his restaurant, Gertrude's, several years ago when one of my best friends moved to Baltimore.  It was eerie--Mary knew I was all into delicious, sustainable food and her brother happened to get John Shields' business card after giving him a taxi ride.  Four years later, we finally get to Gertrude's when I swooped in on a business trip and there's John near the host stand. 

So I knew I was going to love the food--more on that later--but I totally have a chef-crush on John Shields.  It's not just that he honed his cooking skills in Berkeley--in the gourmet ghetto where I spent five blissful years.  There he fell in love with New American cooking style that has so influenced this country's restaurant scene.  And it isn't just that he writes for Edible Chesapeake (Edible Finger Lakes' sister publication).  What I love is that he learned to cook from his grandmother and named his restaurant after her.  And it is at Gertrude's that he reinterprets the New American style for the distinctive cuisine of the Chesapeake Bay. 

But wait, there's more!  John's business card listed his title as Spiritual Advisor.  Now, as a spiritual advisor myself, I was intrigued to say the least.  What he means is that he thinks of his kitchen as a kind of Benedictine monastery and he's like the abbot--or spiritual adivsor to those who are working so hard to turn out great food from his kitchen.  I'm a Benedictine--meaning that I seek to balance prayer, work, study, and rest/play into my life as a spiritual discipline.  The Episcopal monasteries of Holy Cross and the Society of St. John the Evangelist shape my spirituality greatly.  I'm not sure how John run's his kitchen (restaurant kitchens are not known for being quiet, meditative places).  But I can imagine that if he's infusing any sense of balance in the way things work behind the scenes then it's got to be good.  Plus, it isn't every day that I hear words like "food and faith connection" coming from the mouth of a chef.  Having contributed to a book about food and faith, that pretty much sealed the deal on the chef-crush.

I've only been to Baltimore about a dozen times but have never been offered information on the provenance of the crab without asking.  What I learned was that most crab served up in the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere actually comes from Thailand.  It's a familiar story--it is cheaper to fly it in from Thailand where it is more plentiful than to source is from the Chesapeake.  But Gertrude's does carry local crab on its menu so I had to have it.

 

A simple lunch of a crab cake and spinach salad turned out to be far more scintillating than you would imagine.  I ordered the Clayton's Cambridge Crab Cake which was the crab cake du jour--made of jumbo and lump MARYLAND crabmeat.  I've eaten a lot of crab cakes in my life but this one was a CRAB cake.  Tender, rich and flavorful (you know, not all crab tastes like much) this has to be the best crab cake I've ever eaten. The texture was of a "melt in your mouth" goodness.

My friend Mary had a perfectly grilled piece of salmon with a spinach salad and her husband Mark and I indulged in an extraordinary cheese cake made with locally sourced goat cheese.  We finished the meal with a stroll through the museum's outdoor scupture garden--visible from our restaurant table.

I can't wait to get back to Baltimore (to see Mary, of course) but to check out dinner at Gertrude's.  And maybe I'll even make it into one of the exhibits in the museum.

Eating my way through the Holy Land

 

What an incredible place!  There are many words that come to mind--holy, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, pilgrims, confusing, smells of honeysuckle, beautiful...I could go on and hope to say more when I have more internet access.  And of course, the food is amazing.  This photo is one of my first meals here--about 20 minutes outside of Tel Aviv.  Here is another photo of the area we stayed upon our arrival.  More soon, I hope.

Cookin' in....Jerusalem?

I know, I know.  I've not been here much and now I'm leaving the country.  I have a bunch of half-written posts about cocktails and spirits in the Finger Lakes, meals and recipes I'd like to share, and reminders about signing up for 2009 CSA shares (do it now!).  But in a few hours I'll be boarding a bus to JFK Airport with students and other Syracuse University chaplains to lead an interfaith trip to the Holy Land.

This trip represents nothing less than a lifetime goal to journey to this part of the world and visit the lands that are so sacred to so many. While it seems that I've lost my really nice camera in our move I still plan to pack a small camera and my iPhone and I hope-really hope--to be able to blog about the sights, foods and people of this special place.  You'll be able to find food posts here at Cookin' in the 'Cuse and a group blog here.  Our itinerary will be on that site as well.  One of the other travelers on this trip will be Jen from Fresh Cracked Pepper, so between the two of us there should be some good food blogging.

I suspect that many of my posts will be just a couple of photos and some brief text.  We'll fly to Tel Aviv by way of Frankfurt.  I'll try to be back here with a report on breakfast in Germany.  Thanks for hanging in!