Eat 'Em With Your Hands

Traditional Meat Pie

Right off the bustling intersection of 1st Ave and 1st Street in the East Village is the Tuck Shop, an Aussie hole-in-the-wall joint featuring savory meat & veggie pies and rolls.

What makes this place extra cool is the friendly staff, good prices, Aussie beers, and the few prized seats at the bar facing the big ol’ pie display case. While gobbling down my traditional meat pie, I notice the varnish is worn off in the precise spot where they pull the pies out of the display case and plate them. Yep, they serve that many.

Those pies are calling my name

Sucking down a Cooper’s Pale Ale, while listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers on the sound system, I couldn’t stop staring those good looking pies in front of me. My next order was the Prawn pie, a special on Fridays for the past 3 years. Big hunks of prawns, mushrooms and cilantro ooze out of the center after taking a big bite.

Let me tell you, one pie is more than enough! They are small but very filling. I nearly exploded finishing the second pie.

Prawn Pie (available only on Fridays)

Usually crowded at night, locals clearly need a regular pie fix and they do a big take out business - hey its portable after all! So swing on by and grab a tasty Guinness, Steak and Mushroom or a maybe a Chook Pie. And don’t forget what the sign says - eat ‘em with your hands.

Death By Chocolate at The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment

Savory entries filled my first plate

What do deconstructed brownies, coconut dusted chocolate lollipops with mango sticky rice, and pirate mole dumplings have in common?

They were three of the 24 entries in the Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment -- the third in a series of themed cooking competitions hosted by Nick Suarez and Theo Peck at the Bell House. I previously covered their wildly popular Brooklyn Beer and Cheese Experiments and this time I got myself on the press list!

Judges included Food52.com’s own Merrill Stubbs and Amanda Hesser. Yes, that Amanda Hesser that did a cameo of herself in Julie & Julia.

Jesse Forster & his Chocolate Stout Chipotle Chili

I was pleased to see previous contenders, and my personal favorites, Bonnie Suarez and the Working Class Foodies.

As expected, Bonnie’s serving station was a treat for the eyes, and her black beans simmered in bittersweet chocolate and garnished with roasted cauliflower and pork belly was a treat for the soul.

Bonnie Suarez's dazzling presentation

Competitor Roopa Kalyanaraman Marcello blew me away with her Thai Chocolate Ice Cream and mini cocoa cones. As the founder of her newly launched Raspberry Bakeshop, she had a level of professionalism that many of the competitors lacked. Her talents won both the judges’ and audience awards.

Check out Roopa's mini cones

A word about those coconut dusted chocolate lollipops with mango sticky rice: YIKES! I threw mine out after one confusing bite. I saw two women chewing on them and making strange faces. I asked them what they thought and after saying they didn’t get it, they threw theirs out too. Yes, sometimes there is too much experimentation.

Be afraid, be very afraid

Sunday mornings are made for Scrapple

Yes, folks its time to talk Scrapple.

If you are from Delaware, Southeastern PA, Southern NJ or Northern Maryland, you may be familiar with this regional breakfast food. But if you aren't from these areas, you are likely very confused...and hopefully a little intrigued.

Scrapple is seasoned pork scraps packaged in a brick shape that you slice and fry up to delicious crispiness. As we enthusiastically say in the family, "scrapple is everything but the oink!"

Here is how my family cooks scrapple:

Defrost your scrapple (as its always sold frozen) and cut it into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise.


Place your slices in a skillet (ideally a cast iron skillet) over medium heat with some bacon grease and fry for about 5 minutes each side. I generally don't have bacon grease sitting in a jar in my fridge so I was forced to use olive oil.


Don't forget to cover the pan with a splatter guard! Scrapple will hiss and pop while it fries. You may also want to open a window or turn on the stove vent in case it smokes.



Once cooked, here are a few suggestions on how to eat scrapple:
1. plain - like I prefer
2. with eggs, pancakes, etc.
3. with ketchup on top
3. as a sandwich on two slices of toast

Crispy on the outside, and mushy on the inside, scrapple does not look terribly appetizing. But its the spices that make scrapple a savory breakfast treat. For me, scrapple also conjures up happy childhood memories so I'm admittedly partial to this pork offal.

I picked up this batch of scrapple last weekend from the High Hopes Hog Vendor at the Union Square Greenmarket. (On the Barnes & Noble's side).

Enjoy and don't be shy.....Let me know if you love it or hate it.

Food Writing Forum with Judith Jones

Judith Jones

The New School recently hosted Judith Jones reading from her latest book, “The Pleasures of Cooking for One.”

Dressed smartly in a suit and matching scarf, Judith sat before an intimate audience and read passages written richly, reflecting her over fifty years of editorial experience. She paused in between sections to speak about her own experience cooking alone.

She explained that grocery stores work against the solo cook. Meats are sold in bulk packages, fresh herbs come in large bundles, and fresh vegetables often go to waste after using only a small bit of them in your food. She joked that you can protest in your local supermarket, or you can be creative and reincarnate your food.

A clever way to reincarnate is to place homemade pesto, chicken stock or tomato sauce into ice cube trays in your freezer. Then you can pop them out as needed to enhance your dishes.

The recipe style in Judith’s book is different from typical cookbooks in that she is less rigid in her measurements. She intentionally uses phrases such as 'a splash of,’ ‘a dash of,’ or ‘a pinch of’ to teach people to experiment and learn the feel of amounts in their own hands.

She noted that this book is not for someone looking for quick and easy recipes. Instead, this is for someone who would happily spend time in the kitchen to indulge themselves on single servings of broiled lamb chops, cheese souffle, and Lobster Bisque.

Listening to Judith Jones speak is a treat. Her humor runs deep, her enthusiasm is boundless and her stories about food, much like her writing, is timeless. When speaking about successful chefs like Julia Child and Lidia Bastianich, Judith remarked that energy is a large part of success. Still working at the age of 85, I’d say the same holds true for Judith Jones.

Technorati tags: Judith Jones, Lidia Bastianich, Julia Child, cooking

Brainfreeze in Chinatown

Chinese Ice Cream Factory Storefront

Located in the heart of Chinatown, The Chinatown Ice Cream factory at 65 Bayard Street has traditional flavors of ice cream and sorbet. But I skipped the lemon sorbet for I was on a mission to try one of the Asian flavors on the menu:

Black sesame

Taro

Ginger

Green tea

Lychee

Red bean

Durian

Pandan

One scoop of ginger, please

Its very bubblegum happy for the kiddies when you walk in. My only concern was the patrons consisted of white folks and American Chinese. It disappointed me, but still where else was I going to find these flavors?

I played it safe and ordered a scoop of ginger for $3.75. It was very creamy and loaded with ginger flavor and even a handful of real ginger bits were mixed in. I was pleased as I strolled back through Chinatown.

Next time, I'll be more bold and taste the Durian or the brand new Zen Butter.

Oh yeah, I also found some frogs for sale at a popular Chinese fishmonger. And no, they weren't being sold as pets.

Ribbet, Ribbet

A profile of Micki Trager and al di la trattoria

Micki Trager in front of al di la

Micki Trager is a very lucky person.

She has found pure happiness working in the kitchen at al di la, a revered Northern Italian trattoria on the corner of 5th Avenue and Carroll Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Micki and I sat down for lunch in al di la’s dining room and I learned more about her life, her culinary experiences, and her unwaining interest in food.

First, a few words about Micki. She is the type of person who has grabbed a friend and driven two hours to Frank Pepe’s pizzeria in New Haven for their legendary clam pie. She gets food. It excites her and like me, she enjoys talking about food easily without over-intellectualizing it. Micki also admits that she’s tired of mediocre food and overly hyped restaurants. She wants to eat good, rustic, country food - from whatever country.

“I’m honored to work here,” Micki says while radiantly smiling. Having initially been a enthusiastic diner at the well known trattoria, she began doing prep work in the kitchen while attending the French Culinary Institute. She has since worked her way up to making the lasagnas, as well as handling more prep work and filling in for the pastry chef when she is unavailable.

Micki's gorgeous lasagna

And speaking of those lasagnas....Baked in individual serving dishes, the lasagna features fragrant rosemary and a rich bechamel sauce. It is comforting, perfectly portioned and of course anything with baked cheese on top is going to be one of my favorites.

I also sampled the light but sinful coffee caramel custard which Micki introduced to the restaurant’s chef and co-owner Anna Klinger after coming across the recipe. The custard has an ideal amount of sweetness and the coffee flavor compliments the caramel, without overpowering it.

Coffee Caramel Custard

When I asked about the atmosphere in the kitchen, Micki said it obviously gets hectic due to the unending crowds, but you won’t find anyone barking orders and saying "Yes, Chef" like on Realty TV. Instead, the kitchen largely works in sync during the lunch and dinner rush.

Countless reviews can be found online bestowing praise upon al di la, and locals continue to pack the restaurant even in the current recession. The reason for this, as Micki explained, is the food at al di la has been consistently good since its opening in 1998. In fact, the food in many respects has gotten better.

Micki has made her mark at al di la over the years and her enthusiasm for food is apparent in the food that she makes. She seems to have found it all in her work. Still there is one thing Micki wants -- her friends to not be intimidated to make her a home-cooked meal.

The Chocolate Show

Jacques Torres Pumpkin Pie Bon bons

Held at the spacious Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th street, The 12th annual Chocolate Show packed in vendors and chocoholics for a decadent weekend. Upon walking in the venue, the air was chilled and you could smell rich chocolate in the air.

My favorite chocolate treat was found at Jacques Torres’ booth. I lost myself in his pumpkin pie bon bons consisting of chocolate ganache on the outside and a sweetened pumpkin pie puree concoction on the inside. So wickedly seasonal.

Samples of Woodland Bark Chocolate

Berkshire Bark Chocolates commanded a formidable crowd. I reached my hand underneath the arm of another woman to gain access to a chocolate treat. My go go gadget arms rewarded me with a sample of their Jumpin’ Java chocolate bar. It contained Belgian dark chocolate, roasted almonds, homemade espresso coffee, caramelized cacao beans, and crushed coffee beans. Since I love coffee flavoring (but despise drinking coffee) this was an ideal sampling for me.

Ice cream stick from a cooking demonstration

Feeling unsettled from eating several chocolate samplings and jolted around by the bustling chocoholic crowd, I sat down for one of the countless cooking demonstrations.

Steve Klc of pastryarts.com led a wonderful demonstration about chocolate, wine and spice. The spice was cinnamon. The wine - a tawny port, oak aged for 15 years from Ficklin Vineyard. Steve clued the audience in on the the trick to pairing desserts with wine. The secret is the dessert must be less sweet than the wine. His dessert was a rich chocolate creme overtop a chocolate crumble topped with caramelized nuts and a lemon gelee. His glorious creation provided different textures and flavors in each bite.

Steve Klc making the chocolate creme

Chocolate Creme and Port wine pairing