keftedes me spanakorizo: spinach, rice and three cheese fritters

(anything round and fried with cheese is appealing, but it’s not always necessarily good , or rather, well-done. but these light bites should not be missed.)

loukaniko: lamb & pork sausage, fennel, orange & coriander

(mmmloukaniko. translation: spicy meat treat)

octapodi salata: sliced grilled octopus salad, roasted peppers, tomatoes and baby greens, lemon and olive oil emulsion.

(perfect, gentle charring, and bright lemon bursts)

gyro me arni: slow roasted leg of lamb wrap, sumac marinated onions, tomatoes, romaine, yogurt garlic sauce

(the sole dull moment: clean-cut lamb, in a wan wrap. no pep. this gyro and i will never meet again.)

tsoureki poutinga: bread pudding with golden raisins, chocolate, samos caramel, warm almond milk

“poutinga” sounds very much like a very bad word in tagalog. but this “poutinga” is very nice and creamy…

***

molyvos is at 871 seventh avenue (btwn 55th & 56th streets) new york, ny 10019

phone: 212-582-7500, reservations via opentable

there’s no good reason why i waited 20(ish) years to make the short trip over the bridge to peter luger’s (though it isn’t so easy to snag a table–plan weeks in advance, dial the reservation line with fingers-crossed) but the praise, piled high like a bowl of their famous schlag (below), is well-earned.

i always expect landmark joints to be a bit cramped and dim, but luger’s is the opposite. two dining halls are separated by a bar (near the entrance). it’s not cozy, but if you’re lucky as we were, you won’t need to stay long past your reserved time for your table to be ready. it’s a mixed crowd, a little bit post-work, a little bit tourist, with some special-occasioners. the service is swift and polite. there isn’t much drama in the presentation — well, except for the giant porterhouse… it’s offered sliced, and at an angle so that all the glorious drippings pool on one side of the plate. the waiter prepares a plate for you with meat, and sides. it’s a confident play. i liked it.

as to the steak–hand selected by meat maven/3rd generation owner jody storch, and dry-aged, it’s the best i have had. finer than the steak for two at minetta tavern (though their presentation is impressive), tender and distinct from all others. i’ll remember this one for a long time.

and for dessert, a cool key lime with a fearsome bowl of schlag.

schlag is utter deliciousness and no mere whipped cream — it’s thicker and sweeter. if you’re interested to try to make it at home, here is a recipe, courtesy of an unnamed source. i haven’t tried it but kathie lee gifford and hoda (on msnbc?) linked to it. (and you know if “klg” got it really wrong, “the internet” would really let her have it. so, enjoy…)

***
peter luger steakhouse
178 broadway
brooklyn 11211
reservations: 718.387.7400

for more details (directions, hours) at the location in brooklyn and in long island, click here

***

all photos © anita aguilar

like the way she oozes?

***

recipe by louise hodges, from carmack, mississippi (via saveur magazine)

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
3 cups cake flour, plus more for pans, sifted
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 9″ cake pans, and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together milk and vanilla in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high and beat until batter is smooth, about 5 seconds. Divide batter among prepared pans, and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel any large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks, and let cool.

FOR THE ICING:
3 1/2 cups sugar
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 (15-oz.) cans evaporated milk
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda

2. Make the icing and assemble the cake: Whisk together 3 cups sugar, butter, milk, and egg in a 6-qt. copper saucepan or Dutch oven; set aside. Heat remaining sugar in a small skillet over high heat, and cook, swirling pan, until sugar melts into an amber caramel, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour caramel into milk mixture, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; attach a candy thermometer to side of pan, and cook, stirring bottom constantly with a wooden spoon, until thermometer reads 232°, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla and baking soda; let sit for 1 minute. Using a hand mixer, beat caramel mixture on medium-low speed until the consistency of loose pudding, about 1 minute. Immediately place one cake on a cake stand and pour over 1/2 cup caramel icing; top with second cake and pour over 1/2 cup icing. Top with third cake and pour remaining icing around the top edge of cake and then over the center. Quickly spread icing over sides of cake; let icing cool completely before serving. Store at room temperature.

Serves 10-12

***

a few cake notes:

i’d never baked a butter cake before. my cousin marie had once mentioned that butter cakes tended to be more dry than those with oil or shortening, which made me a bit reluctant to try? but my sister and i fell in love with the photo from saveur’s march 2012 issue and knew had to make it our next “occasion” cake (i.e., easter 2012).

i baked two batches of the cake.

the first time around, i split the batter in two (no room in my oven for 3 pans). this was a failed experiment as 1 pan (the non-stick) was done far in advance of the prescribed cooking time. the edges shrank away from the sides of the pan, browned like nabisco zwieback toast. the other, in the aluminum springform, could stay in the oven longer, and was truer to the baking time. (is it a fact that the results between non-stick and aluminum are so very different? i’d never noticed it before, but am now leaning away from non-stick altogether.)

with the second batch i tried the nifty trick of using just one pan and baking it for somewhere around “time and a half.” this proved to be too vague (and stressful), exposing my lack of experience. i needed a live consult (mom?!), not just the internet. i wanted to ask:  what do you do when the center of the cake passes the toothpick test, but its wide “midriff” remains wet and unset?  how much longer can you leave it in? do you have to cover it with foil to save the edges? do you have to protect the bottom? can you protect the bottom?!

do you just…give…up?

i extended the baking time to over an hour. the midriff had set (mostly) — when i turned it over to start the cooling process a few drops of thick batter seeped out. that’s never happened before. i figured the cake was ruined. but it turned out to be more moist and delicately crumby and over all, better than the cake that was baked to the recipe’s time.

so, if you try this recipe, try underbaking it for better results.

for best results, opt for a tried and trusted butter cake recipe of your own.

***

but PLEASE DO make the caramel icing. it’s time consuming, but worth the result.

a few icing notes:

**2- 15 oz cans is not a typo. i have never seen a 15 oz can of evaporated milk in the groceries i’ve been to in the tri-state area. i thought it might be a mistake? but i bought enough cans for 30 oz and judging by the (perfect) results, the number of ounces is proper.

**you do not need a candy thermometer.

**when you “immediately pour caramel into milk mixture” the caramel will harden and crackle, like so:

it may even look like long shards of amber glass, a la dale chihuly. fight the panic. it will eventually (eventually) melt into the milk, giving the mixture a gorgeous warm hue.

**lick whatever lingers on spatulas and beaters…

the icing is a bit runny at first, which i like. but it’s also good and sugary when it cools.

***
all photos © anita aguilar

there’s a wonderful addition to the union square market brigade: las delicias patisserie.

the recipes, developed by deborah brenner, are  south american variations of  french and italian pastries.  and the pastries are handmade, vegetarian and kosher dairy  (non CY), baked with regionally produced organic flour and humanely produced dairy products, from purveyors that subscribe to the tenets of free trade and the non-exploitation of labor.

that’s a long list of good attributes.

add another: the medialunas are divine. the chocolate and almond versions are smaller, rounder, and sweeter versions of the croissant (a touch of apricot glaze makes la différence). a perfect little indulgence to start the day–or enjoy in the mid-afternoon…

i met carlos on last friday at union square.

i loved his energy and enthusiasm for the products and his role with the company.

and i love the perfect way he says, croissant.

las delicias also sells a second line of gluten free products — , which have earned raves from zabars and gluten-free bloggers.

***

in the ny area, you can find las delicias in manhattan and brooklyn:

manhattan:

zabar’s: 2245 broadway (@80th street)

g-free nyc : 77a west 85^th street (between columbus & cpw)

greenmarket on 79th st. & columbus : every sunday (no gluten-free yet – but check them out on facebook for updates)

brooklyn:
red horse cafe : 497 6th ave (between 13th st & 12th st)

crespella: 321 7th ave (between 4th ave & 8th st)

park slope community market (every sunday, rain or shine –except easter:  5th Ave. and 4th Street in front of ps 51, near 337 5th avenue)

***

photos © anita aguilar

the first two dishes are some highlights from our meal at osteria mozza, nancy silverton’s fantastic pasta/italian restaurant in l.a.

the mozzarella, pesto and artichoke crostini gave us a great first impression of osteria mozza; it delivered the perfect cream-to-crunch ratio, and the toasted pine nuts and breadcrumbs at the top were the perfect accompaniments.

and the ricotta and egg raviolo just melted in our mouths. it was in a browned butter sauce and topped with fried sage.

next stop: susan feniger’s street restaurant. street is the kind of place you cannot leave without a full agenda of all of the thing you didn’t get to try this time, but will come back for. on this occasion, our highlight was the kaya toast, with coconut jam, egg, dark soy, and white pepper. sopping up the egg and soy with the incredibly flavorful toast was seriously a dream come true.

another highlight of this trip was simplethings pie shop.  a wide variety (the menu changes daily) of cute little personal-sized pies are served up in a cute storefront that also serves some light food and drink. the key lime was my favorite!

the kogi bbq truck was bar none, the best food experience in all of los angeles. it also provided an comedic experience that i will not forget. with two hours until our flight (and still full from lunch) we realized that we could NOT leave l.a. without going here. we found the nearest location of the truck (28 minutes away, but in the same direction as the airport) and raced there with the slight possibility that if it took too long, we would miss our flight. but it was worth every bite (and we ended up making the flight). the blackjack quesadilla is filled with spicy pork, jack cheese and carmelized onions, and it’s topped with the best salsa verde i have. ever. had.

up front: eggs “bar tabac,” baked with ratatouille and (spicy) merguez sausage;

“eggs norvegienne”: poached eggs, scottish smoked salmon, hollandaise (and some good looking potatoes) in the way back.

***

bar tabac: 128 smith street (at dean st), brooklyn

***

photos © anita aguilar

the closest you’ll come to “fast food”  is whole foods market (on the concourse floor) or the retail counter at bouchon bakery cafe (on the 3rd). i like the bouchon bakery cafe, though like a traditional food court, it lacks real ambiance. there’s the above-mentioned “hum.” intimacy comes from proximity — tables are small, knitted together and cordoned several steps away from the kitchen and the retail counter. it’s a configuration that seems hardest on the servers — i witnessed more than a few near-collisions between servers and mall strollers (some, with strollers). my own sister (a former ballerina) gracefully spun and sidestepped a gal holding a tray of impeccable hash du jour. but i wonder how many meals have crashed along the way?

it would be a pity, as all the bites i’ve had from their seasonal menus have been worth savoring, particularly when those bites involve oozy melted cheese and freshly baked bread.

here are a few snapshots from a recent lunch, one of the most memorable of the still-young spring season. the rich gratin is a winter comfort food carry over, perfect for these cooler days and nights. the delicate boudin blanc is the promise of lighter weather and appetites.

creamy cauliflower gratin…

gruyère cheese (and i’m guessing a wonderfully obscene amount of cream?) & breadcrumbs

bouchon bakery “franc-furter” - boudin blanc, with caramelized onions, on brioche.

i’m not sure if they poach this boudin blanc– it’s hard to imagine a true grill preparation yielding such tenderness. i think the grill mark is purely for the eye. (i like it.)

crêpe cake – crêpes layered with vanilla diplomat served with pineapple sorbet & coconut crumble.

this selection is not too sweet, not too heavy…exactly what we needed to round out the meal.

***

bouchon bakery cafe is at  10 columbus circle 3rd floor, new york 10019

bakery hours:
mon-sat:
8:00am-9:00pm
Sun: 8:00am-7:00pm

cafe hours:
mon-sun:
11:30am-7:00pm

***

all photos © anita aguilar

i owe a debt (a drink?) to patrick and tyler of the bent spoon who noticed how disarrayed i was by all the tempting choices and patiently talked me through the merits of the different egg creams and shakes.  i came close to a rendezvous with an orange egg shake (it’s like a creamsicle, they said. and i’m guessing it would far exceed my childhood memory. hard to resist). but in the end, i went with the toasted almond, with candy cap mushroom egg cream. the chance of finding that flavor on a menu elsewhere seemed slim.

despite their talking me through it, i was having trouble picturing the egg cream. my mind saw a fizzy shake, made with toasted almond ice cream, with bits of chocolate “mushroom” candies–something like the guylian chocolate sea shells –floating about.

but what anton created was lighter and more subtle than i’d imagined it would be. the soda cut the richness of the milk, and the flavors seemed to come in waves:  first, a bit of nuttiness, then sweetness, but then a bass line that i couldn’t quite get.

until anton reminded me: mushroom.

right: candy cap mushrooms aren’t candy, after all.

i marveled at the inventiveness of the drink. anton revealed that the idea of incorporating the mushroom was inspired by a dessert he enjoyed during a recent trip to california. his technique: steam the mushrooms with the milk so it picks up just a hint of their natural sweetness and earthiness. he amplifies the flavors with the toasted almond syrup.

i’m not actually sure how much i love egg creams–i’d like to try a good chocolate one–but i was fascinated and impressed by the exotic one that was my first.

p & h sodas and syrups are handcrafted in in brooklyn. if you visit their blog, you’ll see the list of retail shops where bottled syrups and sodas can be purchased and restaurants who serve them. bottled sodas can also be ordered online.

not candy caps–just pretty candies….

it was a miscalculation to visit the valentine’s gift shop & soda fountain early in the day (and on a relatively full stomach). but this is new york — when it comes to any worthwhile event, unless you’re endowed with or pay for VIP access, you’ve got to get in on the action early. maybe this is true for metro dwellers, worldwide? anyway, this seems especially true for food events. there’s pushing and waiting and waiting and waiting and, worst of all, the “sorry, we’re all out of that” retort. even when they break the news nicely, it’s a bummer.

i wasn’t familiar with the event or the space itself, so it seemed best to get there shortly after the 11am open.

the venue was small, with room enough for 13 or so vendors and their wares. there were a few countertops where you could set down a coffee and a snack. but it was tight quarters, especially with everyone so puffed up and swaddled in winter layers. so, “early” was smart. but i should have skipped the morning bagel (and probably the aloo paratha and samosas the night before). i would have liked to load up on the savories and sweets from pie corps. i deeply regret missing their smores pie. i’ll have to hope they return to the seaport when the new amsterdam market is in full swing this summer, or otherwise stalk them in bk.

i did have a little room for a few other treats–one can always make room for a few tastes of artisan ice cream, no? and perhaps a fresh egg cream?

so, this will be the first of a few posts to celebrate what i sampled at the valentine’s gift shop and soda fountain — and am happy to highly recommend, starting with:

meet patrick and tyler, who were there representing the bent spoon.

they didn’t really need to twist my arm to sample their artisan ice creams–”ri-cuddle me” ricotta ice cream? (yes!) oh, it was beautifully balanced: a delicate cheese and cream blend (jersey dairy, all the way) and with a surprise of bright citrus notes.

the “strawberry mascarpone”: a thicker, heavier weight, if memory serves. i’ve had ice creams, commercial and homemade, that strive for a cheesecake flavor. but i didn’t realize how imperfect the others were, until i tried the bent spoon’s version.

the “i’m-slightly-bitter chocolate” : apropos to the valentine’s holiday? pshaw! this gently chocolately, creamy goodness could make even the most lovelorn and the deepest cynics feel a little “warmer” on the inside…

how cute are the cones?

but i opted for a few take home pints, the better to share lovin’ spoonfuls:

figs! if you love them (as i do) tyler says this will blow us away…

(you knew there was more ri-cuddling to be done…)

this one sounds exotic, no? patrick said that this is best, drizzled with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. in fact, he said, that if i wasn’t going to try it that way, then i probably shouldn’t bother…

i believe that was a throwdown.

i accepted.

i am looking forward to sharing these soon. and will definitely report back…

i love the small touches they add to these pints–who says penmanship is a lost art?

the folks at bent spoon work closely with local dairies and farms in nj for all their ice creams and desserts. if you live in or will be near the princeton area, you should treat yourself with a few scoops (or pints).

***

the bent spoon is at

35 palmer square w
princeton, nj 08542

(and hopefully this summer, they’ll be back at the new amsterdam market? to stay in-the-know, follow them on twitter /fb)

the cannibal's "sloppy lamb"

when the new york weather was cool, but mild enough to enjoy lunch outside (not this recent glorious tuesday. i mean, back in october) allison and i convened at mad square eats where we met casey, of  the cannibal. he prepared for us a memorably delicious and hearty sloppy lamb sandwich.

casey!

how cute is he, in his "stackhouse" jersey?

the sloppy stuff and i go way back.

in elementary school, one of my classmates –let’s call her miss b– would bring manwiches for lunch.

i want to say she had them every day –that’s what it seemed like to me, anyway. but surely any and every time she sat across from me it was the most terrible torture. not that her actual sandwich inspired envy — a modest amount of manwich, spread between two slices of untoasted white bread (never a bun, so that the sauce would soak through. the whole thing transformed into a mottled orange mess as she cuddled it.) she ate with a creepy, finger-licking gusto– the scene was an appetite suppressant, really. but i could separate the experience of watching her with my understanding of the thing itself: a saucy ground meat fest. i wanted my own.

a short time later, i started cooking on my own, using the “i can cookbook” by sophie kay (which i still have). sloppy joes (or, in ms. kay’s volume “the texas dean”) were what i made best and most often. i overstuffed mine (that is, when i bothered to eat it properly, with bread).

i hadn’t made a single one since…the 80s? but casey and the cannibal’s “grown-up” lamb version got me thinking…

i found a recipe online. this source has meat-cred: daniel holzman, of the the meatball shop .

here’s how it turned out:

I ate it (with gusto) every day for a week.

hope you’ll try it and like it, too:

Lamb Sloppy Joes

Recipe by Daniel Holzman, chef of The Meatball Shop via men’s health

What You’ll Need:
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb shoulder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 bell peppers (green, yellow, and red), seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp paprika
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
pinch of cayenne
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
8 brioche or kaiser buns, toasted
How to Make It:
1. In a large pot, sauté the lamb in the olive oil over high heat, stirring frequently until browned and beginning to crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the lamb from the pan and reserve , being careful to leave any oil and rendered fat in the pot.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the vegetables and spices to the pan and continue to cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, vinegar, sugar, 1/2 cup water, salt, and reserved lamb. Bring the stew to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Serve on buns.

***

ps. i chose to make this without the red, green, and yellow peppers — i made a side salad with good greens instead.

***

photos © anita aguilar