pappa al pomodoro

i love soup. i could eat it all of the time, except, sometimes i find that i am hungry about an hour after i eat it. i’m always looking for more filling soup recipes. something hearty and relatively healthy,  something comforting and something that will hold me over until my next meal. enter: pappa pomodoro.

ina garten’s recipe is really simple to make, and it makes about 8 servings, so it’s perfect for a crowd (or in my case, for lunch for the next week). it’s also a great use for a somewhat stale loaf of bread! note: i omitted the pancetta in the topping, and the soup was still very flavorful.

pappa al pomodoro

serves 6 to 8

recipe courtesy ina garten’s back to basics

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
• 1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed
• 2 (28-ounce) cans good italian plum tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

for the topping:

• 3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
• 2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper

heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. add the onions,

carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

for the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. the basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. stir in the parmesan and taste for seasoning. serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

dirt candy: vegetable love

in the past, i couldn’t really say that the idea of going to a vegetarian restaurant had me doing jumping jacks in my apartment to contain my excitement. typically, i wouldn’t seek out a vegetarian restaurant over the ever-growing list of restaurant i want to try, but dirt candy won me over. the menu items sounded so appealing, so different and quite different than the vegetarian meals i would have ever thought to make for myself.

we left the restaurant happily filled, after eating more than our fair share of jalenpeno hush puppies and fried cauliflower (and more), and surprisingly, the meal felt indulgent. as we left the tiny, tiny restaurant, i couldn’t help but look at all of the equally happily filled diners, gleaming with excitement over legitimately decadent things like “carrot buns.”

starter: jalenpeno hush puppies  (puffy, fried balls of hush puppy goodness, with chopped jalepenos and the lightest maple butter)

two appetizers:

carrot: steamed barbecue carrot buns, cucumber & sesame ginger salad (my personal favorite of the night. these buns were so doughy, and the vegetable filling was so tender and flavorful)

and

squash: butternut squash broth, squash dumplings, delicata coconut cream (really light and definitely not too sweet)

our entree, cauliflower: buttermilk battered cauliflower, waffles, horseradish, wild arugula (anything fried with a dipping sauce, sign me up!)

our dessert: popcorn pudding with salted caramel corn. i’m not quite sure the pudding tasted like popcorn, but i loved it anyway.

vegetarian or not, dirt candy is definitely worth a visit. warning: you may end up craving carrot buns!

dirt candy: east 9th st., between ave. a and 1st ave.

where else? elsewhere

on wednesday evening, sister and i met for an impromptu dinner.

we both wanted something “good” and on the light side. it was about 9pm, and we were a couple of block south of times square, across the street from a “whopper bar.” i wasn’t encouraged.

first instinct: walk north and west.

we passed a well-jammed, flashy new shake shack and, across the street, smith’s bar (its neon sign seeming subdued, its retro fonts, cooler relative to its new neighbor’s)  and as we edged the hell’s kitchen neighborhood, don giovanni’s (whose “bella mia” – fried egg, artichoke, pepperoni, mushrooms– makes my list of favorite ny pizza pies, even though i only had it once about 15 years ago), and the fancy marseille…

then we remembered ELSEWHERE.

the thought was inspired; the meal was genius.

here are the photos:

menage a trois:dates stuffed with roaring forties blue cheese, pancetta, and fresh orange marmalade…

according to our server, chris, this was the newest addition to the starters section of the menu, and one of his favorites. it turns out chris is very, very trustworthy– this was the first of a few good tips.

i love dates in any form. (in fact, i am right now typing this without the use of my right thumb and index finger, as they bear the sticky, sweet traces of a fancy medjool date, a healthful at-home “dessert.” i digress.)

this appetizer is perfect: the sweet paste of a med-jewel, plumped with a mild blue cheese. pancetta bits are a crisp flourish. the difference maker here? the fresh orange marmalade and the magic carpet orange slice it all lays on. at first, i wasn’t sure we were supposed to eat it? the bitter rind had been mellowed, probably poached, but still provided an effective contrast.

mussels with a beautiful butter and white wine sauce…i spooned the sauce like soup. my question: is bread no longer compulsory at fine dining establishments these days? this is another instance where i would have made good use of a spongy loaf…

bay scallops with celery root puree and  i think a little dried sage?

i don’t love scallops–in fact, i ordered these as a test of whether or not i really liked them. (i do.) they were given a nice, golden crust. i liked that they were petite.

but below is the showstopper:

chicken liver pâté toast with apple butter.

my sister ordered this (chris gave a hearty endorsement).

she had high but realistic hopes, i.e. good pate on a few dainty toasts.

this was a pate orgy.

two big baguette toast slices, blanketed in faintly minerally liver puree. a thick stripe of homemade apple butter, a little runnier and a lot sweeter, was a perfect touch. the thyme sparkled on plate and palate. creme fraiche, with cute little pink peppercorns, is served on the side.

if you like liver of any kind, this super-sized chicken liver pate toast appetizer should not be missed.

***

as to the desserts…

on my first visit to elsewhere, i wasn’t enthralled by the sweet selection. but wednesday night’s dessert menu was almost entirely different. chris raved about the encyclopedic dessert repertoire of leigh friend, the dessert maven at both elsewhere and casellula cheese & wine cafe. i was mightily tempted by a couple of items this time, including the bourbon chocolate ice box cake… but we opted for ice cream:

2 scoops red velvet ice cream and a swing marshmallow chocolate crunch (as suggested by new best mate, chris)

red velvet ice cream? i expected a vanilla or cream cheese based ice cream with bits of red velvet cake. but ms. friend, my friend, is much more thoughtful. it was icier than a regular ice cream, i could discern bits of refreshing cream cheese, a hint of cocoa. chris confirmed that there was no cake in the mix, but all of the “red velvet cake” flavors here (down to the touch of food dye) make it an authentic and truly interesting interpretation.

the marshmallow chocolate crunch was more traditional: creamier and sweeter. i loved the chewy marshmallow pieces and the airy, crunchy, chocolate balls…

DELIGHTFUL, DELICIOUS and DUNZO.

***

elsewhere is in the theater district/lower hell’s kitchen.

403 w. 43rd st. (off 9th ave), new york, ny 10036

212-315-2121 or reserve via opentable.com

istanbul, turkey part 3: ciya sofresi

ciya sofresi, a restaurant on the asian side of turkey, had some of the most unique and memorable dishes of our entire trip. after a brief (and somewhat tumultous) ferry and cab ride to this little food hotspot, we gorged on plates and “half-portions” of what we would be later wishing we knew how to make.

the walls of this restaurant are crowded with write-ups and excellent reviews (food and wine, travel and leisure, new york times) from media outlets across the globe. we soon learned why. below are some photos (and attempted descriptions) of the food at ciya.

eggplant, chicken and tomato stew

roasted and stuffed portobello mushrooms with yogurt

one of my favorites: wheatberries with herbs, tomatoes and spices

my mom’s favorite: yogurt, saffron and leek soup with lamb

pressed bulgar wheat with yogurt sauce

creamy garlic and dill soup with rice balls

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ciya sofresi must not be missed if you visit istanbul! we were too stuffed for dessert, but rumor has it that the dessert is absolutely outstanding, and completely unique (think semolina cakes with cinnamon and dates or creamy figs with walnuts), as well.

balaboosta: “go and see ‘em some time…”

the translation is “the perfect housewife,” but say the yiddish term “balaboosta” to me (or better yet, “let’s go to balaboosta”)  and the first thing i imagine is that most undomestic of goddesses, mae west, hip-leaning against a doorframe, diamonds all down her décolletage, declaring in her best hollywood-by-way-of-brooklyn delivery, “i got ya ba-la-boos-ta right here…”

is my imagination a little wild?

it’s nothing compared to the dishes coming out of einat admony’s kitchen.

imagine a marriage of the falafel and the meatball. in the wrong hands, it’s “feel awful” to the nth power. but at balaboosta, it’s a savory bonbon. it’s light and a well-proportioned ratio–equal parts grass-fed beef and ground chickpeas. (though perhaps they are smart to offer only three to a plate?) the trio comes to you with a tahini dipping sauce in a deceptively deep bowl. there will be some sauce left over and you’ll be aching for some sort of pita bread to swipe every last lick.

and then imagine grilled pizza, with carrot puree. you might fear the sweetness?  in reality, it’s not unlike the the sweetness of a tomato sauce, but without the acidity. it’s suave, but earthy (like the grilled pizza dough it sits on) with creamy goat cheese to add a spike of salt and the merest tang. caramelized onions are more forwardly sweet, but the right touch.

crispy cauliflower is one of the  best good/bad appetizers i’ve had. it’s a deftly deep-fried affair, rendering the thick stalk more like tender meat–or even clean, freshly fried calamari?  currants, pine nuts and the zing of citrus dressing give this dish the air of a high-toned salad rather than something possibly deeply taboo.  (it’s a small plate, anyway. share it, and enjoy every bite.)

the patatas bravas here are catalan style–served with a garlic aioli. and these potatoes are fierce. don’t skip them.

i will order them next time, for sure, along with the crispy cauliflower (take 2),  fried olives, “mortar and pestle” hummus,  grilled lamb chops (or chicken under a brick), and date-banana bread pudding…

***

here are photos from the first visit:

libby: champagne, fresh pineapple, sage

cassava chips

crispy cauliflower with currants & pine nuts

falafel wrapped meatballs with tahini sauce

(second photo, the better to see the pretty tahini)

patatas bravas with za’atar and roasted garlic aïoli

grilled pizza with carrot purée, caramelized onions, goat cheese & cilantro

warm spiced apple crumble with ricotta ice cream and burnt caramel sauce

***

the room is airy, with wide windows that offer a buzzed-about view of the open kitchen, as well as the bar and restaurant.

it’s homey, without being square. it’s smart and sophisticated, i’m guessing very much like ms. admony herself.

***

special thank you to ms. mollie, for the recommendation. and ms. rachel for the company.

***

balaboosta is located at 214 mulberry st, new york, ny 10012-4130

reservations via open table or (212) 966-7366

Open Mon-Thu,Sun 5:30pm-11pm; Fri-Sat 5:30pm-12am

(i wanna be with you) elsewhere

one of my favorite, early memories of my cousin jason reaches back to when he was probably 4 or 5 years old. he arrived at our house for a weekend visit–and i don’t know what was cooking or baking on that day–i just remember his eyes (extra-round), his little neck stretched and craned as he wandered  through the room, really following his nose. and then he asked in his most innocent, high-pitched drawl, is that butter?

butter? i was a teenager at the time, and while i knew what smells were conjured by different whole dishes (the vinegar and garlic from adobo; the meaty, sweetness of spaghetti sauce; the mustiness of my mom’s awful, awful chicken curry), my food senses were not so evolved. i was fascinated that this little guy could be so attuned to a single note. he continued to develop a keen palate. our family thought we had a future chef on our hands. (instead, we have a wonderful gourmand…)

a couple of weeks ago, he sent  a link to elsewhere restaurant’s menu to my sister and me. it’s a butter hit parade: bacon butter popcorn, biscuits with brown butter and crushed black pepper, salt-baked fingerling potatoes with bacon butter and anchovy mayo… there was no question he’d found the perfect place for us to celebrate his 30th birthday. i only wondered how elsewhere had eluded me to that moment.

elsewhere opened in december of last year, and apart from a modest mention in florence fabricant’s diner’s journal, there seemed to have been little buzz. but this is the second enterprise undertaken by brian keyser and megan johnson of casellula,  a wine and cheese and tapas utopia in hell’s kitchen. so while their devotion to cheese is duly-noted here (hooray, the shushan snow!), elsewhere gives them the opportunity to flaunt a little more with mains. though with so many dishes to tempt, you’ll likely still be inspired to share the big plates, too.

as is true of some of new york’s best new restaurants, elsewhere keeps to local, sustainable, seasonal food; herbs from their back garden are front and center in these very fine dishes.

this is the best sangria i have had in new york.

i like mine juicy and strong, but balanced. hibiscus is the surprise charm here.

my sister was driving that night, so she “settled” for a their special hot chocolate with just a splash of bourbon. you like how she rolls?

bacon butter popcorn.

bacon.

butter.

popcorn.

smoked caviar, puffed rice and herb crème fraîche. jason surprised me by making this choice, but like i said, he’s got a good palate.

this is really a “snap crackle and pop” dish:

the snap of chopped green beans, the crackle of puffed rice, and the pop of salty caviar bubbles.

luscious crème fraîche and bright chives don’t hurt the cause one bit.

5 SPOKE TUMBLEWEED POUTINE, you made me love you. i didn’t want to do it. i didn’t want do it.

(actually, i did. and you will too.) i had no earthly idea what a “5 spoke tumbleweed” was–it’s a cheese. and it melts perfectly, with gravy and fries.

a nice grapefruit-glazed cod with escarole and chorizo–the second lightest dish at our table, after the caviar.

i wasn’t sure what a chorizo-crusted pork chop was going to look like. bits of sausage cobbled around a big slab? but actually the chorizo is sort of minced and mixed with a panko crust. less intimidating than in my imagination, but still seriously hearty and good.

this was my favorite of the entrees. they try to fool you with ho-hum description: braised rabbit, spinach, olives and mushrooms. maybe the kitchen wants there to be leftovers for themselves? I wouldn’t blame them. you’re looking at 2 kinds of rabbit meat, the sweet white and dense dark. the mushrooms, spinach, and olives laze in a reduction that is pert and salty. this dish is properly dressed–they don’t skimp or drown in sauce. i would make someone order this, next time too.

in my opinion, the desserts comprise the weakest section of the menu overall; 1 fruit, 1 chocolate, 1 custard, a selection of ice creams and sorbets and a cheese course. with the front and middle sections being so heavy, it’s probably prudent on their part? but to trouble things a little more, this is also where the most exotic combinations exist–rose snow, pistachio, kumquat, lime custard, anyone?  i felt a little like i was about to “settle” rather than go out on a real high note?

i opted for the palate cleansing sorbet:  pineapple pink peppercorn.

this is george michael circa 1992 –just too funky for me.  pineapple, like lemon, can be too intense to the point of bitterness, or just too aromatic. that’s what happens here. and the crunch of the peppercorn wasn’t as interesting as i thought it would be. the experience was rather like eating potpourri…

but the sweet potato cake with brown sugar sour cream, buttered pecan ice cream was perfect–this is the nfl meets dancing with the stars. thick-bodied, but still so light on its toes.

opt for that, or the cheese plate, and you won’t be sorry.

***

one of my favorite things about elsewhere is the actual dining experience. the food is of-the-moment and eclectic, but it’s not a trendy scene. the room is wide and welcoming, with a dining garden (home to a 30 year old ficus tree), and the spirit of the service is the same. they let us linger over this meal, allowed us to feel really at home.

for a lovely occasion–or none at all– you’ll find elsewhere is just the right place to be.

(and yes, i’m referencing a fleetwood mac song in the post title)

***

elsewhere is at 403 w. 43rd st., new york (between 9th and 10th avenues)

you can call (212) 315-2121 or reserve via open table

porsena: carry me home

i don’t have an italian grandmother (which always sounded really fun to me, beacuse then i would get to eat some of the ravioli, pasta and lasagna grandkids of the always-cherished italian grandmothers rave about), but if i did, i imagine her food would be something like the food i ate at porsena. opened not too long ago by chef sara jenkins of porchetta, this intimate (but very sparsely decorated) italian restaurant features amazing traditional italian dishes with personal touches on each one. meals like this make you want to finish your plate (which we did), even though you’re probably incredibly stuffed and ready to be carried home.

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we began our meal with the mussels ($9) and the green bean salad ($9). the mussels slept in a delicate broth of saffron, white wine and butter, which we sopped up greedily with the garlic toasts served alongside them. the excellent green bean salad was creatively integrated with fennel, celery, toasted almonds and pickled red onions. this dish (the lightest dish we ate all night) was a surprising star. the dressing

cannolichie con una marea di formaggi ($17), which means pasta with many cheeses. i really loved the type of pasta used in this dish. it was not too thick, round and curly, but different and more hearty then the fusilli i’m used to. the sauce was slightly thin for my taste, and although i loved the flavor of the sauce initially, it become a little overwhelmed by the blue cheese toward the end.

the lasanga al forno ($18) was absolutely, no questions asked, fantastic. extremely thin layers of pasta were rolled out and placed between layers of meat ragu and bechamel sauce, topped with cheese, and baked in a terra cotta dish in the oven. crispy, bubbly, saucy, creamy – this dish had it all.

we ended the night with a walk home. even though it was freezing cold, i needed to walk off some of that pasta. but by lunchtime the next day, i would be lying if i said i wasn’t craving it again.

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porsena: 21 E 7th St, new york 10003 (between 2nd and 3rd ave), phone: (212) 228-4923

cafe select: more, please!

cafe select has been on my hit list for quite some time, and when stephanie suggested we go there for dinner (she had been just one week ago and was still raving, so i knew it had to be good), i jumped at the chance. i studied the swiss/international menu during the day, and had already decided what i wanted for dinner. i knew, just knew, we need to have the highly recommended (and confirmed delicious from steph) ricotta fritters and butternut squash risotto. luckily, my dining companion was on board.

the restaurant is small, cute, somewhat dark, and incredibly charming (the staff? not so much). as plates breezed by as before we ordered, my list of “wants” expanded.  was i craving zurich veal? did i need roasted figs wrapped in speck and stuff with goat cheese? (yes, we did, but they were out of them.)

we went with our original plan and started with the ricotta fritters with speck, which were served with a drizzle of infused olive oil, tomato compote and some greens on top. they were surprisingly light and fluffy, and melted wonderfully in my mouth. i could have eaten these all night.

next came our entrees, one of which was the hanger steak “select” ($21), served with crispy fingerling potatoes, watercress salad, and beef jus. the steak was by far, one of the juciest i’ve ever tasted and definitely one of the most flavorful. the juiciness of our medium-well remained consistent throughout the entity of the steak; sometimes the outside of a steak is so jam-packed with flavor, and the inside is dry and bland. this was not the case.

our other entree, butternut squash risotto ($18), was the real show-stopper. dare i say it was the best risotto i’ve ever tasted? fragrant with sage and a hint of ginger and topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and some grated parmesan cheese, this risotto was so decadent and creamy, and almost too good to be true. it was perfect to split, as it was definitely not a light dish, but it was enough to warrant a second (or third, or fourth trip).

we ended the meal with the warm apple strudel and vanilla gelato with caramel sauce. the strudel pastry was flaky, buttery and nicely layered, but there seemed to be an absence of apples in this “only ok” dessert. next time, i think i’d try the toblerone mousse or chocolate bread pudding.

would i visit again? absolutely. and if i go at lunch, i know i would be able to resist that wonderful sounding croque monsieur or rosti swiss hash browns staring me down on my on-screen menu..

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cafe select:  212 Lafayette St, New York 10012

phone: (212) 925-9322

recipe: slow-cooker pulled pork

my history with slow-cookers goes back about one year. i had wanted one for awhile, and thinking that they were expensive, when i saw one at a garage sale for $20 i snatched it up right away. for two reasons, it turns out i got majorly ripped off.  one, slow-cookers are really affordable! you can get a pretty good one in the $20-$40 range almost anywhere. and two, the slow-cooker i so quickly bought at the garage sale didn’t come with….a lid. how did i not notice that?

cut to this christmas, when my boyfriend’s mom gave me a slow-cooker for christmas (thanks, mrs. renzulli)! i was so excited about all of the new hassle-free meals and tender meat i would be cooking in this helpful little gadget.

i knew i wanted to start with pulled pork and this recipe does not disappoint. the pork comes out perfectly, and you feel as though you have slaved over the stove for hours; juicy, incredibly moist and so flavorful. my favorite toppings for this yummy meat served atop a nice fresh bun? coleslaw, caramelized onions and grated cheddar cheese. try it, you will love it!

all of the ingredients placed in the slow-cooker

the finished product (look at all of the juices!)

love these sandwiches so much..and there were leftovers for days!

recipe: slow-cooker pulled pork

serves 6

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup bbq sauce
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
• 6 crusty rolls
• toppings of your choice

directions:

in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sage, apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cut pork in half lengthwise; add to slow cooker, turning to coat. cover, and cook on low until meat is  falling apart and easy to shred, about 8 hours (or on high for 6 hours).

skim off and discard any fat from the, and with two forks or a pair of tongs, pull the meat apart. place the pork in a serving bowl and serve with rolls and any toppings you like!

recipe: roast chicken with stuffing

why do we only eat stuffing on thanksgiving? this is a question that has really irked me for quite some time. stuffing is one of my favorite foods, and i only get to have it once a year! seems unfair. however, it dawned on me that i could make an easy, virtually no-fuss stuffing inside of a simple roast chicken. roast chicken itself makes for an excellent weeknight dinner, and now that you’ve got stuffing, you no longer need to make a side dish! the leftover chicken is perfect for sandwiches the next day, too.

recipe:

ingredients:

directions:

below: the ingredients for the stuffing (i also included scallions because i had them in my fridge)

below: the chicken, stuffed, right before it went in the oven

below: the roasted, stuffed chicken, crisp on the outside and packed with a delicious, moist and really flavorful stuffing

below:  the stuffing!