Hello? Its 7pm. Where's my event?

Tonight's event turnout was so dismal, I passed on the free wine and just left.

Yes, you heard me.

The Eat Your Feelings Emotional Cook-off was a huge, honking, dud of an event.

Though it was my first sojourn to DUMBO, which I'll have to venture back to explore another day, it was 7pm. The event was supposed to be starting now. Where were the people?

The author of "Eat Your Feelings: Recipes for Self-Loathing," Heather Whaley was there as were about 8 others who seemed to be friends or possibly relatives huddled around her like she was the quarterback giving a play.

Umm.....this is a FREE event with FREE wine in a cool indie bookstore. Where are the freaking people already?

The wine woman had nothing to do. All those full bottles of wine lined up on the table in military formation. It was the saddest thing I've seen, except for that possibly time when I saw a car run over a mama duck with all the little baby ducks walking in line behind her.

I knew this event wasn't going to get any better. It was 7:10 and having been to countless events, I knew this event was deader than Michael Jackson.

I think there was supposed to be a talk or something. And there was some food that was made to challenge the recipes in the author's funny cook book. But I saw about two dishes on the table and one looked like chips and possibly guacamole. What the hell kind of cook off is this?

The staff never even made an announcement for the five other people milling about the book store who may or may not have been there for the event but were perusing books looking all incognito like yours truly.

Oh well, no love lost here. I got a hot lead on a baking demonstration this weekend. So stay tuned for that!

Say it with me now, I'm Julia Child

Someone once asked Julia Child about the way she prepared chickens. They asked, "Why do you slap the chickens?"

Julia replied in her trademark voice, “Because I think they like it!”

Imagine hearing Judith Jones, the book editor responsible for publishing Child’s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking, tell that story and doing so in her best Julia Child impersonation. Damn, my life amazes me at times.

I sat with about fifty other women and three men at the McNally Jackson book store in SoHo last week listening to a panel of three women discuss and reminisce about the legacy of Julia Child.

The panel consisted of the aforementioned Judith Jones. Also present was the author of Julie & Julia - Julie Powell, and former food writer for New York Magazine - Amanda Hesser.

The moderator gave a rather lengthy introduction and kicked off the event by asking Amanda to tell us about her personal experiences with Julia Child.

Judith Jones

Julie Powell

Hesser was given the mic and she responded in a flummoxed way that she didn’t know she would be asked specifically about her experiences with Julia Child. She didn't really have any stories. Uh oh! Can I say....awkward moment?

Amanda recovered from the obvious stumble to recount her only tale of interacting with the great Julia. Hesser once had to pick Ms. Child up from the airport and she told Julia all about her two years learning to make French bread in France. Much to Amanda’s surprise, Julia in her contrarian way, told Amanda that everything she had learned was completely wrong. Guess those artisan bakers in France don’t know what they are doing!

Unfortunately, Amanda didn’t contribute much to the rest of the panel discussion. Which makes me wonder what the heck the person who booked the panel was doing. Or perhaps there was a breakdown in communication. It wasn’t Amanda’s fault but what a mortifying experience to have in front of an audience.

Julie Powell took the microphone next and in her slightly spastic, wildly gesturing manner started to explain that she never met Julia. She only knows Julia from cooking through the epic cookbook. Its funny, Julie Powell speaks exactly how she writes. If you’ve read her book, than you know exactly what I mean. She’s exuberant, over the top, with absolutely no sensor and she almost physically acts out her words. Julie credits Julia Child with inspiring her to find her voice as a writer and she proudly considers Ms. Child a feminist icon.

The highlight of the night was Judith Jones. Now 85 years old, I can easily say that they broke the mold when they made Judith. She has a lifetime of culinary knowledge, an impressive career as an editor for Knopf, she speaks thoughtfully and frankly I wish she was my grandmother. I could sit and listen to her tell stories about the old days for hours and hours.

Judith doesn’t seem her age. She is up on current trends, she told funny stories about Julia Child, she recounted reflective stories about French cooking and put the legacy of Julia Child in perfect perspective.

The key for Julia being so popular today, according to Judith, is that young people want the real thing. And Julia was the real thing. All 6’ 2” of her. I plan to read Judith’s memoir, The Tenth Muse soon because of one little fact -

Judith spent 3 1/2 years in France as a young woman. She would soon be leaving Paris for good and was sitting on a park bench thinking how much she loved Paris when she inadvertently got up and left her purse behind. She returned and it was stolen. In her purse was her passport, wallet and ticket back to the States. Judith decided it was a sign that she should stay in France. She quickly found gainful work and soon after met the man who would become her husband. Geez, lucky much?

Oh and if that doesn’t make you ooh and ahh......here is another dazzling factoid.

In 1950, while in Paris, Judith Jones pulled the French translation of The Diary of Anne Frank out of the reject pile and insisted it be published in English. Atta girl!

Its 11 am, perfect time for flautas

Fluatas are hiding under all the fixings

Since I’m still new to Brooklyn, I finally found some time to go exploring Saturday morning. I made a bee line over to Fort Greene for the flea market. I’ve heard so many cool things about Fort Greene from, well everyone, and I knew the flea market had some trendy local food vendors so I figured it would be perfect for me.

I saw McClures Pickles, and the Kumquat Bakery with their teeny cupcakes and People’s Pops with their popsicles made of local greenmarket fruit and herbs. I considered trying the raspberry pop or cantaloupe basil, but at $3.50 each, I figured it wasn’t a good return on my investment that day which was colossally stupid of me since it was probably their last day of the season. Check them out at there website here.

Ravenously hungry, I devoured a blueberry walnut muffin with crumbly brown sugar on top from a large bakery vendor that didn’t have a sign up. I forgot to ask their name because I was stunned to see the Red Hook vendors right next door. Ever since I watched Anthony Bourdain visit the Red Hook Vendors on his show No Reservations, I’ve been very curious about the authentic Mexican food these vendors serve.

Hot, Medium-hot, & mild salsas

Having only $5.00 in my wallet, my choice was simple. Three chicken flautas were exactly $5.00 so I put in my order and chatted with another woman about our unusual need to eat Mexican at 11 am.

The guy behind the counter put sour cream, shredded lettuce, and a homemade salsa on top and handed over my prize. Much to my surprise, the flautas were not hot or even warm. I suppose they made them the night before perhaps and had them sitting out. Why I have no idea. The quesadillas and tacos ($6.00 for a serving) were freshly made but not my flautas.

Adding some guac to a quesedilla

The flautas weren’t the epic tasty treat I was hoping for. However, the salsa was fresh, and a delight.

But I was happy anyhow since I love Mexican.

Concord Grapes

I just have to rave about the concord grapes I bought at the Greenmarket. I’ve never had grapes that had much taste. But these little suckers pack a punch. Its like biting into a jar of Welch's grape jelly.

Unbelievable flavor.

The Silence of the Lamb

After having such a rip roaring good time at a pig butchering demonstration (click here), I craved more blood, meat and sinew. Instead of pig, Jeffrey Ruhalter of Jeffrey’s Meat Market, butchered a grass fed Colorado lamb. Already hacked into four large sections when we arrived, this formerly 50 pound lamb was given the impromptu name of Fred. (The goat lying nearby was also christened Fred, so it seems Fred was the name du jour.)

Jeffrey announced in his usual grandiose manner, “We’ll start at the nose and end at the toes.” Except this lamb’s head was already removed. So we technically started at the neck, which due to frequent movement, is firm and sinewy. Perfect for braising.

The man - Jeffrey Ruhalter

Interestingly enough, Jeff explains that sinew breaking down is how we get the common place terminology - “fall off the bone.”

Saturday’s demonstration was more A.D.D. than the pig demonstration, but having the attention span of a fruit fly, I went right along with the abruptly changing flow.

Myself and Robecca (my lamb compadre) were treated to an astounding five tastings in the demonstration. Five tastings which reflected the ambling afternoon we spent with Jeff.

Tastings included:

1. Pasteles

2. Dry aged beef
3. Colorado rack of lamb
4. Nova salmon lox
5. Lamb loin with Jeffrey’s secret seasoning

Since Jeff is such a fixture in the neighborhood, it sometimes happens that locals come in and bestow gifts upon their mighty butcher. This is how we came upon our first tasting of the day: homemade pasteles. A tiny, possibly Puerto Rican woman sold two pasteles to a deliriously drooling Jeffrey for what appeared to be a mere $2.

Homemade pasteles

Pasteles, are a Latin or Caribbean dish similar to a tamale that is made from plantains, green banana, yuca, taro, potato, pumpkin, and spices. It can also have meat inside the filling. Cooked by boiling the pasteles in parchment paper, the actual preparation of is so very labor intensive, it is typically only made for Christmas and Easter. We sampled the still steaming pastales by dipping the plantain mixture into hot sauce, which gave it a much needed kick.

Returning to our aforementioned lamb, Jeff carved out lamb shank, lamb breast, lamb loin, lamb chops, and some lamb fat, which is a main ingredient in lanolin. If you ever get the urge to rub yourself with some lamb fat, remember its very beneficial for the skin!

One key topic Jeffrey focused on was the different textures present in different cuts of lamb. Since most people are only familiar with eating the lamb chop, they are unaware of the buttery and often deeply flavored other sections of meat.

Best lamb chops ever!

A second topic Jeff devoted a big portion of time to is that Master of Evolution himself - Charles Darwin. Specifically, Jeffrey spoke about the genetic similarities between goat, lamb, and pig and he literally showed us the same cuts of meat from all the animals on the table. It was astounding to see the almost identical similarities once you get under the skin. Its just that 1% genetic variation that makes a pig a pig, and a goat a goat.

Jeff enthusiasm for his work oozed right out of him just as it did in the pig demonstration. He even stopped at one point to simply say “I love this shit.” As if we didn’t know that already? The man is born to be the showman butcher that he is, taking his craft to a higher level with his generosity and love for his local community.

The lamb that Jeff cooked for us, was in a word - heaven. Packed with bold flavor and the right amount of fat for even more taste, I simply had never encountered such a damn fine lamb chop. Considering its only the third time I’ve ever had lamb (outside of shawarma), I find myself ruined and destined to live out the rest of my days buying the best cuts of meat from Jeffrey’s Meat Market.

P.S. The lamb had no head, but the goat did and here it is!

Brooklyn Cheese Experiment Recap

Righteous Burn table layout

The second installment of Nick Suarez and Theo Peck’s Brooklyn cook off competitions, the Brooklyn Cheese Experiment, was another success for the twosome. Unfortunate for me, I only had a limited time to spend at the venue hurriedly tasting, photographing and speaking to the competitors. But I made the most of my short time.

Since this was round two for me at The Bell House in Brooklyn, I knew to bypass the serpentine line and just cut my way in where ever I could. Oddly enough, the few contenders I stopped to visit with, turned out to be big winners. I must have been a good luck charm!

I thoroughly enjoyed the gentlemen labeling themselves as Chefs, Pirates, & Brothers, who created the #12 entry Righteous Burn. They created a quasi cheese steak with Asian marinated shredded beef, red onion and bell pepper sitting on mini Eggo waffles and topped with torched Swiss and Gruyere cheese. The flavors seemed slightly off, partially due to the bold cheeses they selected, but the meat and cheese combination was exactly what I had hoped to find at the event. I didn’t quite get the waffle part though.

The only non savory dish I found was the Ricotta Cheesecake made by the powerhouse sibling duo Working Class Foodies (otherwise known as Max and Rebecca Lando). The dish featured home made ricotta cheese, a shortbread crust, and home made sea salt dulce de leche. The samples were micro sized due to samples running low by the time I got to their table, but the taste was superb and not too sweet. Rebecca Lando had competed in the Brooklyn Beer Experiment and the two plan to launch their official website soon. Right now you can find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Mini samples, but big cheesecake flavor

I spent some time speaking with Bonnie Suarez who turned out to be the judges #1 pick for her three cheese crackers and tomato, ricotta, basil soup. I told Bonnie that she had one of the best presentations at the event and she agreed that some of her neighbors had messy stations. I asked her more about her crackers, and she divulged that she adapted a cheddar cheese cracker recipe she already had. Bonnie added Parmiggiano, Piave, and Provolone cheeses to make the flavor more complex for the competition. I actually thought the crackers tasted like a gourmet version of a Cheez-It.

Bonnie Suarez's Crackers and Soup

I have to say, my problem with the event, was the same problem as for the beer event. The layout and flow of the event was flawed. A bottleneck exists in the corner because the contestant tables create a narrow space making the line of hungry hipsters grind almost to a standstill. Hey Nick and Theo, great event again, but please address this bottleneck next time.

Emeril at the Edible Garden

Lidia or Emeril. Emeril or Lidia. For me there is no choice. Hands down,I prefer Lidia. But when I was buying a ticket for the closing weekend of the Edible Garden at the New York Botanic Garden, I didn’t know which chef would be present on which day. The schedule wasn't announced yet. With my Murphy’s law luck, I bought a ticket for Saturday, which turned out to be Emeril’s day.

When Emeril stepped onto the stage, he seemed, dare I say tired. Maybe he was jet lagged. Maybe he was hung over. Whatever the case, I paid $35 for a ticket and he wasn’t acting like Emeril. I was unimpressed.

There I sat in a rickety plastic folding chair, getting partially rained on, surrounded by hoards of Emeril fans from all walks of life. I sat uncomfortably and glazed over in boredom for 12 minutes listening to Emeril’s uncharicteristically monotone description of making Aqua Fresca in a blender. Really? Cantaloupe, pineapple, sugar, ice and water? I think my six year old nephew could come up with something similarly light and refreshing. But he did say it had something to do with Mexican's and “Katrina,” so I should be more sensitive.

BAM! That one word. It snapped me out of my zombie-like state. The dreary audience, which matched the weather that day, woke up and started clapping and hooting from hearing Emeril’s over done catchphrase.

I couldn’t help but think.....that’s all these people came for? That one word? A word that he now uses to sell minty fresh toothpaste.

Emeril seemed to shake off his doldrums at hearing his own catchphrase and instantly he became more jovial, more playful with his garlic, pepper, and bacon.

His cooking demonstration started with a spinach salad French style. It featured plentiful bits of bacon (with drippings) and a fried egg on top. The dressing called for shallot, garlic, red wine vinegar and....BAM....more bacon drippings.

The main dish was Po’ Boy Vietnamese Style. Pork tenderloin sat in a happy marinate of lime juice, red pepper, scallions, garlic, fish sauce, salt and pepper. Slices of grilled pork were layered upon grilled bread with a slathering of herb marinade and jalapeno slices on one side and a heap of pickled carrot diakon on the other.

Emeril’s grilling tip of the day was to refrain from putting meat on the grill right out of the refrigerator. The chilled meat will stick. Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before you even think of approaching the gill.

Shoot for an internal temperature of 145-148 degrees for your pork tenderloin. Being a little pink on the inside won’t kill you, because it will continue to cook a few degrees more while it rests after grilling.

Once the demonstration ended, I wandered the vendor stands lined up nearby. I sipped on crisp Pear Cider and a light Apricot wheat beer. I tasted creamy Vanilla Goat Milk Ice Cream and chomped on 70% cacao nibs from a chocolate bar that cost over $6.00. I actually got more excitement from my free samples than from Emeril.

But like I said, I was really there to see Lidia.

That's Some Pig!

Here's looking at you!

Here piggy pig pig. Yes, some may find it offensive that I say that as my lead in. I’ll also flat out say, if you are into animal rights you may want to avoid this post (and pictures) altogether.

For the rest of you red blooded carnivores, follow me!

I attended a gloriously entertaining pig butchering demonstration by the talented and charming Jeffrey Ruhalter. Jeffrey is a fourth generation Master Butcher who operates Jeffrey’s Meat Market in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side. He also runs an emergency restaurant supply business, appropriately named “Who Fucked Up The Order?”

Jeffrey Ruhalter doing what he does best.

Four of us gathered for the Saturday morning demonstration and were treated to an informative 2 ½ hour presentation of butchering complete with stories about Jeff’s family history in the butcher business along with the history of the changing Lower East Side. We learned that back in the old days, people asked for kidneys, lungs, spleens and hearts. Not so much anymore as you can imagine.

Despite the occasional expletives that pepper his lively and humorous stories, Jeffrey is most proud of being a poor man’s butcher. He made local headlines during the current economic crunch by hosting Jeffrey’s Recession Dinners, where patrons can get a free quality dinner on a first come-first serve basis after showing proof of financial distress.

As Jeffrey talks and carves away, you see how much passion he has for his work. Referring to the variety of meats in his butcher shop, he says, "If its dead, its here!"

Onto the butchering of Miss Piggy -

Our pig was alive the day before I met her clammy, disemboweled self. Tipping the scales at 56 pounds, she spent her short 11 week life rooting around an upstate NY farm eating proper pig food (not grain fed) with no added hormones. That proper piggy diet would make her extra moist and delicious.

Jeff used his knives to remove the head and carve off the skin, snout, and jowls, leaving a grotesque skinned head lying on the table with an eyeball staring right at you. How cool is that? The guy next to me touched the eyeball with his finger. That, my dear reader, is even more cool.

Next Jeff and I split the pig in half using the band saw. Yes, I think mentioning my food blog at the beginning of the demonstration got me that special honor.

Cutting pig feat on the band saw.

Jeff described each step of breaking down the pig. He boasted about the Boston Butt which is one of his favorite cuts. (After serving portions of a Boston Butt roasted for 40 minutes, slathered in his secret sauce, I had tasted heaven was ready to worship at the Church of Ruhalter)

He carved out spare ribs, pork belly, slab bacon, pork chops, tenderloin, and even lopped off the tail. He offered methods of cooking all parts of the pig, including the head which he pointed out you could make a wonderful porchetta or soup with.

Towards the end of class, we drew for cuts of meat to take home. We continued to nibble on hunks of meat that Jeffrey had cooked for us along with some pieces of crusty, crunchy french bread. Passersby joined in and sampled our oink fest. Jeffrey then cracked open some bottles of Corona. It was then, that I knew I was in love.

Pig parts

Jeffrey answers questions while we have beer.

The only negative I should mention is you should avoid attending in a larger group because you will not be able to hear much of the demonstration. Between the bustling market, the buzzing of the band saw, and the other butchers at work, it can be a bit noisy. Very small groups are best to get up, close and personal to the man and his pig.

If you are in the NYC area, you MUST attend one of the butchering demonstrations. I highly recommend it. His knowledge, passion, charisma and history make Jeffrey Ruhalter a true New York Institution.

Campfire Cooking Challenge

Tim Love cooks campfire style!

Its 1:30pm and I’m a half hour early for the Campfire Cooking Challenge in Central Park.

Sitting on a dampened bench from the morning rain, I nibbled on a free bag of Pop Chips. I watched the faux grass stage in front of me as members of Adventure NYC set up three Jet Boil brand propane cooking stations, stocked two shelved pantries with cooking items, and adjusted mirrors over two large work tables, tilting them to an angle that allowed the audience to view the table surfaces.Three chefs (including one I instantly recognized from Top Chef Masters) would soon entertain an enthusiastic audience preparing gourmet but authentic camp-inspired dishes while awkwardly squatting over propane burners.

I was thrilled to have a front row seat.

The competing chefs were:

Lee Ann Wong - chef, TV producer and contestant on Top Chef Season 1.

Michelle Perello - chef of Frances in San Francisco.

Tim Love - chef of The Lonesome Dove in Ft. Worth and contestant on Top Chef Masters.

Le Ann Wong tastes her dish.

Michelle Perello sautes after adding olive oil.

The three chefs battled it out cooking one land and one sea protein each that they selected via a draw of chef knives in the same manner you’ve seen on any cooking reality show.

Land proteins included rack of lamb, rabbit and duck. Sea proteins included manila clams, sockeye salmon, and trout.

At the start of the 45 minute cook session, I eagerly watched prep work in the mirrors over the table. (Ingenious idea to whoever thought of it!)

The chefs’ true personalities were displayed in their cooking style as the clock ticked away.

Michelle quietly and calmly cooked, spending the majority of her time at the prep table. Lee Ann grew increasingly frantic. Her malfunctioning propane burner only added to her anxiety. Tim Love remained witty and smooth while cooking and answering the emcee’s questions. Tim even kept his Southern charm going after accidentally flipping his pan seared trout right onto the faux grass floor.

The emcee holds up the duck for the audience.

The panel of judges off to the side had the opportunity to taste the following savory dishes:

Michelle

Dish 1: Steamed clams with fennel, chorizo, and Porcini mushrooms

Dish 2: Rabbit Cacciatore style with a wine reduction

Lee Ann

Dish 1. Miso marinated lamb with braised beans

Dish 2. Spicy seared salmon with an Asian sauce served over couscous with an asparagus, tarragon, shallot salad

Tim

Dish 1. Crispy duck served over chili garlic Ramen noodles

Dish 2. Trout stuffed with a tomato and chili hash.

Presentation of the watch to Michelle.

The winner of the challenge was Michelle Perello who the judges agreed had the best tasting dishes by far. Her prize was a Victorinox Swiss Army watch presented by their spokesperson and a trip for two to Switzerland.

This was the first live cooking competition I’ve attended. I have to say, its just like watching Top Chef on TV, except for two key differences. In person you can smell the food (hooray!), but you never get to see the appearance of the final dish (boo!)