On a Roll!

Inspired by a teammate's recent post on shredded pork, I developed an immense appetite for some shredded goodness. But 6 hours of cooking were a huge turn off. I know slow cooking is a beautiful thing, but when I want something, I want it ASAP. So naturally, I started thinking about using the pressure cooker. I went to Fairway, got a piece of smoked pork butt, threw it in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes (and used the "natural release method" for the pressure to subside, IE, allowing it to sit while I went for a run with Olive and Hiro) and voilà! -the meat just fell apart between my fingers! I mixed in some BBQ sauce (a smoky flavor.. maybe one day I will attempt to make my own, but honestly.. there is only so much a girl can do in one night!) and served it on a brioche bun with slow-sautéed onions and peppers. Wow, I think I saw Jesus that night.

I decided recently that I need to do more baking. I have a lot of kitchen toys that are just sitting there most days, collecting dust, AND I have a big appetite for desserts (as well as a boyfriend who has an even greater appetite for desserts!), so I really wanted to do more pastry. To start, I picked something relatively simple: upside down apricot cake. I did my best to make this recipe less of a calorie/cholesterol bomb than it was (subbing butter with Earth Balance and part of the sugar with Splenda) .. but it still turned out to be ridiculously decadent. But so fucking good.

My next pick was inspired by our recent trip to France, where the pastries are obviously insanely good. I wanted to make something with an almond filling, which both me and Daniel totally adore. So I picked an Almond Pear Tart .. of course I modified it to be a little less heart-attack inducing but there is only so much you can do when a recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter! It turned out so beautiful that I was afraid to try it - what if the flavor is a let down? Well, holy shit, it was not. I was sitting on the sofa literally going "um, I think I took this to a whole new level." Damn right I did. I also think it motivated Daniel to wake up this morning and do a bike workout.. or at least talk about doing one.

Boeuf Bourguignon.

Because this blog does have "eat" in its title, some pictures from my effort to make Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child.

You start with oil, butter and bacon, of course.

You pat the beef dry with paper towels and display it on a white cutting board to take a nice picture.

Then you do a million other steps, all of which you forget to take pictures of .. oh, except the onions ..

.. and mushrooms ..

.. all of which are sauteed in butter - naturally! While the beef is braising in the oven for 3 hours, you realize you're starving and you run out to buy some cheese - how French! - and consume tons of it with crackers and wine.

When the meat is done and your whole home smells like butter and beef, you take a nice picture of the beef ..

.. and conclude that you're entirely too full of cheese to eat much of it. Refrigerate and reheat it the next day, when the flavor developed into even more orgasmic dimensions.

Bon Appétit!

Warning: This recipe was developed by Julia Child to prevent weight loss by long distance runners despite training as much as 50 miles per week. Reading this post alone is equivalent to consuming a tablespoon of butter. Eat some bread.

Holidayz.

Greetings from Slovakia where I have spent the last 5 days shopping, drinking and eating.  Above, the latest accomplishment of my mom: caramel wafer torte.  Every bite shortens your life by at least 13 minutes.  Finally, she agreed to start compiling her recipes and photos and I need to teach her how to blog it all.  Until then, I will gladly serve as her proxy.

And This Is Why I Love My Mother.

Or: Why I was an obese child.

And this is just the beginning.  Every year, she makes roughly 30 different varieties of cookies and cakes.  Last year I dodged the Christmas bullet by avoiding dairy and eggs.  This year I am considerably more lax and - more importantly - she has figured out the wonders of vegan baking.  Between that and my dad's wine-tasting plans, the only thing I can do is bring my running shoes and pray that it doesn't snow.

Follow Ups.

It's turning out to be a rich day on a variety of fronts, for many issues that I have written about in the past, so why not simply round it all up in one post?

Immigration:  How timely that there is a new study out from NCPA about the $52 trillion in government program liabilities from Medicare and Social Security.  Their conclusion?  "Social Security and Medicare can be reformed so that each worker saves and invests funds for his own post-retirement pension and health care benefits. The burden for the current generation of workers would be substantial: saving for their own benefits while at the same time paying taxes to fund the benefits of current retirees. However, over time Social Security and Medicare would be transformed from pay-as-you-go programs in which each generation is dependent on the next generation of workers/taxpayers into funded programs in which each generation pays its own way."  Or, as I suggested, you could also expand the pool of young bright attractive (kidding) workers by importing them.  

Gay right and useless NY democrats:  Via JMG, we're hearing that we will be, after all, shafted by the Democrats in NY state senate.  "And thus ends our hope for marriage equality in New York in the near future. In 2010 there will be a redistricting in New York state, a process that the Democrats will at least now be able to control. Therein may lie our hope for marriage equality in 2011."  Really, no comment at all except to say that I pray every night for the Republicans to magically transform into a decent party and kill the Democrats in the next election.  

Healthcare: Ezra Klein and Andrew Sullivan have spent the last 2 days exchanging jabs on the topic, and it's delightfully full of clashes: progressive vs libertarian, personal vs theoretical, American vs British.  One of the ironies in the exchange is that Klein, an American, defends the UK system of healthcare, while Sullivan, a Brit, likes it Americana style.  It started with this post by Klein about rationing, and it quickly got personal when Sullivan responded: "I prefer freedom and the market to rationalism and the collective. That's why I live here."  Klein comes back saying the Brits are more satisfied with their system than Americans are with theirs, ergo it must be better, to which Sullivan goes all metaphysical: "there is a cultural aspect here - Brits simply believe suffering is an important part of life, especially through ill health. Going to the doctor is often viewed as a moral failure, a sign of weakness.. It was one of my first epiphanies about most Americans: they believe in demanding and expecting the best from healthcare, not enduring and surviving the worst, because it is their collective obligation. Ah, I thought. This is how free people think and act. Which, for much of the left, is, of course, the problem." Of course it doesn't stop there and it goes on and on.  The beauty is that while Klein tries to argue with data, Sullivan operates with ideology, personal anecdote and cultural relativism - and yet Klein continues to humor him - with reason and data - for which he deserves some props.

Veganism:  OK that one has been completely neglected here for a long time, but there's a nice article over at the American Prospect about the environmental benefits of eating less meat - and the unpalatability of the argument: "Why are environmental groups and even politicians willing to tell Americans to drive smaller cars or take the bus to work but unwilling to tell them to eat less meat?" 

Naked Sushi Model

Funny thing:  I worked with this girl back in my investment banking days.  

With the crumbling down of Wall Street, should I expect to see a naked sushi model in my neighborhood sushi joint?  Bodega?

EAT: VeganMOFO 2008!

I will be participating in Vegan Month of Food organized by the PPK (a website/ community which played a significant role in my conversion to veganism.. as can be seen in this entry on my old blog..).  For those of you visiting from PPK, welcome and hope you enjoy my food-related entries as well as all the rest.  

EAT READ PLAY: Friday Metapost

Not much has really happened since the last entry but somehow I still accumulated a lot of material.  First there was the Century Bike Ride last Sunday.  Unfortunately I didn't take my camera, so here are some crappy shots I made with the iPhone.  Apart from feeling great from the 40 mile bike ride in unbelievable weather, it was a further expansion of my NYC horizons.  Highly recommended as a sight seeing tour of places you will probably never go otherwise.  Also the last straw for me in my decision to get a new bike.  It's just insane how many options there are.. I need someone to hold my hand in the store.

Then, another week - another fun work trip!  Last week was LA, the city - this week was LA, the state, as in Louisiana.  The picture above is a shot of the river in Baton Rouge.  Kind of pretty, I guess.  The whole town felt deserted since they were just recovering from Gustav and there was still a curfew in place.  The culinary aspect of the trip would have been probably amazing, if I ate fish.  Alas, even heavy layers of southern hospitality and niceness couldn't hide the annoyance on the waitress' face when I told her I can't order anything on the menu.  A whole lot of drama later, they ended up making me an amazing dish out of their sides.  I hate to admit that the totally not vegan white chocolate bread pudding looked so good that I couldn't resist taking a bite, only to spend the rest of the trip with a giant stomach ache, fueling my suspicion that at this point I am probably lactose intolerant.  The bright spot, if there was one, was that on the way back to civilization, I saw the most amazing sunset from the plane - I am really such a sucker for them.  Here's a pretty week attempt to capture it.

On the campaign front, not much to comment on since not much actually happened if you don't count pigs with lipsticks, but quite a bit of good commentary (or maybe that is all I read while travelling..). Especially enjoyed Herbert's reminder that the fasionable derisive use of word "liberal" completely disregards that it is liberal values that have made this country better.  Great article from congressman Frank about Palin and family values.  Well not much happened until yesterday, when Palin spoke for the first time since her nomination acceptance speech and did reasonably well, that is, if you standard of "reasonably well" is that she can answer questions without hesitation and with confidence.  Clearly we are well beyond applying the same critical standard to her than we would to anyone else who ever thought of being involved in this election.  I do have one major gripe, however, which I posted today as a comment responding to Krugman's sharp column.  

Another significant case in point is last night's ABC interview with Ms. Palin. What I am referring to here is her response to the question of her readiness and her initial reaction to being approached by Mr. McCain's team. Every normal human being would have a moment of hesitation or self-reflection and - if formulated properly - it is a perfectly understandable emotion, something one should not be afraid to admit. But no. She chose to claim that she "didn't blink". The idea we're supposed to get is that she is determined and sure of herself.

But really, in the world we're living in with all its complexity and all its problems she expects us to believe that she didn't stop for a moment to think if she can handle the task, if she is ready? I can confidently say I don't know anyone who could honestly say that. I can't help but think that Ms. Palis is either lying or completely naive.

In fact, I would take this even further and suggest that her inability to even so much as recognize why she _should have_ hesitated (i.e. that she actually acknowledges the difficulty and complexity of governing this country AND that she possesses the critical thought to assess her own readiness) in and of itself makes the prospect of her being the VP truly scary.

(update- the Saturday editorial in the Times sort of picked up on the same theme "This nation has suffered through eight years of an ill-prepared and unblinkingly obstinate president. One who didn’t pause to think before he started a disastrous war of choice in Iraq. One who blithely looked the other way as the Taliban and Al Qaeda regrouped in Afghanistan. One who obstinately cut taxes and undercut all efforts at regulation, unleashing today’s profound economic crisis.  In a dangerous world, Americans need a president who knows that real strength requires serious thought and preparation.")

Finally, how could I forget the anniversary of 9/11?  On that note, here's a photo tribute and a good book I started reading this week on my way from Louisiana that deals with the post 9/11 world and the role of the US in it: "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman.  Love the idea of Chapter 18 - see here.

Meanwhile, two more strike outs in alternative careers:  first a reminder that going back to school isn't just about passionate discussions of politics and economics even if Krugman is your professor; later, a blog which provides enough details about the life at CIA to turn a reasonable person off from culinary school.  So, so much for being a chef.. but at least this looks like a promising read!

EAT: "Simply the Best".. Part 2: Crispy Okra Salad

It's been a while since part 1 of Simply the Best - my personal collection of most unique and special dishes - but jetlagged and bright awake at 4:45am I finally have the time to finish an entry that was started a long time ago - second installment of Simply the Best. So, for part 2, I am featuring crispy okra salad, Kararee Bhindi, at Dévi restaurant (website, NY Mag, map, one of my top 3 Indian restaurants btw), a recipe created by the restaurant's chef and owner Suvir Saran. It's uniqueness stems from the fact the it takes a fairly uncommon vegetable (by my standards at least) and uses it is in an unexpected way - fried - in combination with yummy Indian spices. It makes you go "who knew?". The second reason why it is perfect for being shared on this list is that despite its uniqueness and supreme yumhood, it is surprisingly easy to make - as I recently found out when I needed something to do with a pound of okra I got in Chinatown (for 50c!!). Here's a link to the recipe on Suvir's site. Enjoy!

PLAY/(EAT?): Chinatown - Don't Ask / Don't Tell

It may sound almost like a cliché but one of the reasons to love this city is unquestionably how suddenly you can find yourself in a completely different world. One moment you're in Soho, admiring $450 sunglasses in Ilori; a short walk later, you're in Chinatown walking by buckets of mysterious creatures at various points of the life-death continuum. The vegan in me shivers; the photographer holds the vegan's nose and takes pictures furiously. Who the hell knew crabs were so colorful?

EAT: Hummus - The Debate Continues

Perhaps my declaration of finding the best hummus ever was premature! Inspired by this and this, I boiled my chickpeas for 45 minutes. Granted, they were canned. But the results were amazing. Yes, I'm a dork.

EAT: Breadmakers

One of my favouritest photos from the wedding in Beirut. These 2 ladies were making bread on the spot - or really little breads with 3 different toppings - cheese, minced meat or za'atar. It was such an incredible little snack to have during the cocktail hour. Fresh, warm, fluffy.. YUM!

I asked about the shape of the bread making grill apparatus and no one could explain. I have to investigate, of course :)

Update: Of course I couldn't help myself and had to find out immediately. The dome or upside-down-wok-looking aperture is called "saj" and the bread they were making "manakeesh" or "markook". Not entirely sure how those are different but I will most probably need to find out. Fantastic. PS: this website has a lot of cool Lebanese food photos.

EAT: The Ultimate Hummus Recipe

Originally posted on Facebook but definitely worth saving..

If you love hummus as much as I do, you might have also wondered what is the secret to making hummus creamy without loads of tahini and olive oil. Smooth and rich yet light and fluffy. And while you may have wondered, I have been obsessing, for years. Many recipes, cans of garbanzos, cloves of garlic and lemons later, I am proud to announce that the search for the smoothest creamiest most delicious hummus technique is now over. My life purpose has been fulfilled, now I can retire into the mountains, hummus in hand. The secret ingredient? Garbanzo flour in lieu of whole chickpeas. Find the recipe here.

Reader's response: I had no idea that you were a hummus fanatic, but i'm excited to give this a try, even though it seems a bit like sacrilege. Is it as good as Sabra?

My response: I know, right? The culinary snob in me cringed and shed a tear at the thought of using powdered anything. I mean, what is next for me - a pre-made mix of guacamole spices? But then I justified it to myself as molecular gastronomy of sorts :) Funny you should ask about Sabra- my quest for the perfect hummus has (not-so) secretly been all about emulating the flavor and texture of their product (why someone would do that when you can simply go in the store and buy it is a whole another issue.. a man's gotta have hobbies, I suppose), which is to say, yes, this is the closest I ever got!

EAT: "Simply the Best".. Part 1: Vegetable dumplings

Introducing Simply the Best: my personal list of favorites in restaurants around the world, a running tally of the most outstanding delicacies I have come across and feel the need to share with the rest of the world, my own "Can't Miss This" index. It could be the $5 appetizer that will make a $100 dinner worth it; or the dumpling that will make me travel to the Upper West Side from Brooklyn. It's the thing that makes you forget the rest of the menu, no matter how good or bad. Sometimes a dish that is commonplace or boring - transformed into one that's amazing and unique; other times something that you have probably never tasted before and probably can't get anywhere else. It's the item the waiter always recommends. It's the stuff dreams are made of.

Vegetable dumplings - LAND (website; NY Mag; map)

Who doesn't like a good vegetable dumpling? Probably not many. Nice as an appetizer, easy to share, not too heavy - good enough, but that's about it, right? While few would refuse a dumpling, not too many think of it as a something they love, let alone as a reason to travel to remote parts of the city. However, the dumplings at LAND are exactly that. Filled with a scrumptious mixture of mushrooms, peanuts, corn (I think), wrapped in a gentle green skin, these little wonders are made on the premises and are so labor intensive, that the chef/owner David Bank considers them a loss-leader on the menu, according to the article referenced below. Given the trip uptown, they aren't exactly economical for me either - but oh-so-worth the schlep!

Source: http://newasiancuisine.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/tantalizing-thai/

Next: Simply the Best Crispy Okra Salad.

•eat•read•play••

Welcome to EAT - READ - PLAY, an outlet for me to chronicle, publish, post and fool around. With no singular intent in mind, the posts will generally fall into one of three categories, as the name suggests: EAT, focused on food, restaurants, recipes and other culinary stuffs; READ, the more cerebral lot will cover articles, books and other random discourse and PLAY, the catch-all category ranging from cultural events to travel to my athletic endeavors. Enjoy and comment--

A.