A Few Weeks in May

On May 5th - Cinco de Mayo - it seemed as if we were having a real springtime in Hudson.  Finally.   I celebrated the Mexican national holiday at brunch with friends who served not Margaritas and burritos, but smoked salmon and asparagus topped with an herb-filled cold, cream sauce, and eggs baked in butter and cream.  They said it was French food to honor not the victors but the losers. The Battle of Puebla on May 5th  was a significant victory for the outnumbered Mexican army over the invading  French and gave our neighbors to the south a push towards establishing unity within their country.  The US government aided the Mexican army to achieve their victory and so Cinco de Mayo is happily celebrated stateside as well.  

Dessert is made easy when you own an illustrious ice cream  parlor on Warren Street 

Right on the heels of my first outdoor meal of 2013, I jumped on Amtrak headed towards New York City to meet one of my oldest friends, Nally Bellati who had just arrived from Italy.  Our plan was to meet at Uniqlo on 5th Avenue and 53rd street - I mean, where else?   Nally took the E train from Chelsea and I got on it at Penn Station - and don't you know, there she was standing in the car that I was about to board. It was NOT planned.  Uniqlo, the Japanese give-away fashion spot was filled with tempting colors and we were seduced into many purchases but wound up returning everything.  Our mid-town plan was made so we could see our friend, designer Christopher Young's stunning, Gatsby-themed windows at Tiffany.  The whole city is quite Gatsby mad right now.

Crispy Swedish Bread, Danish Rye  Bread, Brown Butter, Sea Salt

Cardamom Panna Cotta

We were both  hungry and couldn't quite figure out where to eat - it's always a problem in mid-town  for me.  I don't have a business expense account(!), and also tend to favor ethnic food when I'm in the city.  In the end we decided to return to the reliable Aquavit.    The restaurant calls itself a Scandinavian country dining experience.  However, this Michelin-starred place with its Arne Jacobsen chairs puts quite a sophisticated spin on "country dining".  The original food concept comes from the great Swedish chef, Marcus Samuelsson.  While no longer involved with the restaurant - Samuelsson's imprinteur   is clearly evident.   The restaurant serves a thoroughly satisfying prix fixe lunch.  Both Nally & I ordered the crudités salad  served with a shower of crushed sunflower seeds, salmon, pale and subtle, napped with cauliflower puree, and a fine twist on panna cotta infused with cardamom and filled with almond paste.

And the main event was still to come - A big party at John Derian to celebrate his collaboration with the French ceramic company, Astier de Villatte (go to their link right now - it's extremely witty).
John's new shop - yup - another one, at 8 east 2nd street, right in between the his shops at #s 6 & 10 - was decorated like a French, country farmhouse  complete with straw-covered floors, and the piece de resistance - aside from John's beautiful designs on Astier de Villatte's very sturdy but delicate plates, mugs, vases, urns, compotes, was Livia Cetti's  jaw-dropping flower arrangement - paper flowers cut from hand-painted paper.

Cream of Asparagus Soup - recipe on Register Star column



Poached Eggs on Roasted Asparagus

Rhubarb Compote (sweetened with orange jam) on sliced Pain Viennoise topped with Roasted Cinnamon and Passion Fruit Ice Cream

Then Nally, and her husband, Manfredi came to Hudson for a few days.  Food was involved, of course - I've written about our at-home meals in my weekly column - Susan Simon Says (what else?), Food for Thought - which you can find here .  Once you get there click on Columnists and scroll down to mine.  Thanks.   We also had fine meals at Le Gamin, and Wasabi in Hudson - and at The newly reopened, resplendent in red and pink stripes, The Red Barn, in Ghent.  Nally says that
The Red Barn's mussels are deeeeeeeeeeee-liscious.

 

 

And then back to NYC for a dinner given by James and Mark to celebrate the publication of their Brooklyn apartment in New York magazine's special issue, design hunting, and the magazine's longtime design editor, Wendy Goodman.   James and Mark chose the Indian restaurant, Panna II in the East Village  - not for its food - apocryphal, maybe - but the word on the street is that all the Indian restaurants in the east 6th street area, between 1st and 2nd avenues share the same kitchen- no matter - the atmosphere trumped any food concerns.  The tiny room was a forest of Christmas lights, chili pepper lights, Christmas, Halloween, Easter and birthday banners.  Mark and James had arrived before the guests to cover the tables with shocking pink linens - "Pink is the navy blue of India", Diana Vreeland famously said - a copy of the magazine, place cards carried like bejeweled rajahs and ranees on the howdahs of  elephant holders, and cake pops made by Big City Little Sweets decorated in themes found in the couple's Park Slope apartment completed the table setting.

Whew.   May isn't over yet.   More to come

SUSANSIMONSAYS:
Great time at lunch with Nally and Louise Fili at Gramercy Tavern.  But, I must say - that Gramercy Tavern seems to be a shadow of its former self.  Oh, the rooms are still pretty and the attentive  Danny Meyer service still reigns- no complaints.  But, what happened to the food?   Greasy carrots, overcooked fish.  Nope.  Too many good restaurants in NYC to run back there.

 

Where Have I Been?

brunch in Kingston

more brunch - classic American breakfast 

 

Well, let me  just start out by saying that I'm an Aries.  Aries rules the head.  So, I'm head, strong.  I'm under the impression that the whole time that Aries is the featured constellation is time for celebration - or sloth.  A cosmic excuse for not doing all that needs doing.  Somehow I wind up doing lots anyway.  I've just wandered a bit from usual routine. 
I celebrated my actual birthday with the same group of friends with whom I've feted it for the past 8 years.   It was a fine time with lunch, shopping, drinks, and dinner in Hudson, and brunch the next day in Kingston which luckily for us took place on the most beautiful weekend that we've experienced this spring.  Luck is often a factor in the life of an Aries.

I entertained an old friend, the painter, Robert Cronin  who kindly lent me a few of his fabulous paintings (and, over the years, has gifted me with some too) to enlivened the atmosphere of my home.  He just seems to know what I like.  We had a nice lunch together.
I made grilled lemon chicken:
.  boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2-inch strips
.  marinated in lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, a dried herb such as oregano or thyme, hot pepper flakes and olive oil - overnight, or 4 hours before grilling.
.  add salt and grill, or sear in a piping hot cast iron skillet for 90 seconds on each side.
 and farro salad with:
 chopped olives, crumbled feta cheese, chopped fresh mint, olive oil toasted pine nuts, and few drops of apple-lingonberry vinegar (thanks IKEA).
.  tossed local salad leaves and a selection of local cheese - all blooming rinds made with cow's milk, goat's milk, and sheep's milk - (I threw away the labels and can't remember their names - after all, I'm a year older)
.  a few chocolates, some dates, and some almonds.
Which gave dear Bob the strength to hang the paintings he brought.

There was a nice day in NYC.  Lunch with Aries friend, Louise Fili at Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria about whom, and which I've waxed rhapsodic many times on this blog.  Dinner with another Aries friend, Roy at Takahachi - along with Rita and David.  I've talked about this Japanese restaurant too.  I seem to be provincial when it comes to restaurant choices.  I stay with what I like.

Joanne Rossman Purveyor of the Unnecessary and Irresistible



sweet and sour fried oysters with pineapple sambal, market greens, Myers and Chang

wok action at Myers and Chang

 

counter at Sofra

That is until I went to Boston last weekend.  Yup, Boston on April 20th.   I had a longtime engagement and as long as the city was open, I had no intention of staying away.  So I signed some copies of my book, a translation of an Italian culinary guide, "Italy Dish by Dish" at Joanne Rossman, Purveyor of The Unnecessary and Irresistible .  Joanne then guided me through the culinary delights of her adopted city. And, oh my, go to Boston for many reasons, not the least of which is to EAT.  In this city, dominated by women chefs, we sampled the establishments of two of the most celebrated; Joanne Chang at Myers & Chang the Asian fusion (but heavily Chinese) restaurant that she owns with her husband, Chris Myers in the city's South End, ice cream at Toscanini in Cambridge where I let the taste of their renowned burnt caramel flavor linger until I could no longer find it, and  breakfast at Ana Sortun's Sofra bakery and café in Cambridge which was slurpalicious - you can't even begin to imagine. 
I wrote all about my Boston experiences for my column in the Register Star - it will appear on Friday the 26th April.  Go to the paper's site, click on columnists then scroll down until you find me.   As a matter of fact, you can go to some of my older columns for some real recipes.  I've been at my column even if I haven't been here!

SUSANSIMONSAYS:
SATURDAY, APRIL 27th I'll be at the Hudson Public Library at the Friends of the Library's colossal cookbook sale from 11am - 1pm to answer cooking questions - or just meet you and talk food!

Easy dinner - when you've been shopping at Russ and Daughters in NYC and come home with some salmon roe.  Baked very sweet, sweet potatoes from Miller's Crossing at the Hudson Farmers' Market, slit open, filled with crème fraiche then topped with salmon roe.  This dish has it all - and it's healthy.

 

A Match Made in Heaven

Every time I hear the word, marry - and these days it seems to be ubiquitous - I think of how often I, and other food writers use one word , marry, to mean, "go with, perfectly".   Huh, now there's a thought.

.   Franks and Beans
.   Rice and Beans
.   Peanut Butter and Jelly
.   Cream Cheese and Jelly
.   Bacon and Eggs
.   Ham and Eggs
.   Ham and Cheese

.   Asparagus and Eggs
.   Shrimp and Grits

.   Tomatoes and Mozzarella
.   Spaghetti and Meatballs

.   Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato

.   Fish and Chips
.   Wine and Cheese

.   Prosciutto and Figs (or Melon)
.   Gin and Tonic

And so on.  These are some of the classics.  You have your own favorites.   I have some new favorites too.   Actually there are some marriages that I crave, David Chang's Spicy Noodles at his seminal NYC restaurant, Momofuku.  The dish contains noodles, served at room temperature tossed with copious amounts of seriously spicy Chinese sausage - the kind of spiciness that makes your eyes tear up and your nose  run - paired with crunchy, sweet cashews and raw, baby spinach leaves to cool it all down. 

Everyone in Hudson seems to be craving a breakfast dish on Bonfiglio and Bread's menu that's a bowlful of croutons, yogurt, lardons, sliced avocado, topped with two perfectly poached eggs, chili oil, and lime zest.   I make my own, sort of, version with Bonfiglio's toasted quinoa bread saturated with extra virgin olive oil, sheep's milk yogurt and topped with sliced avocado, kumato tomatoes, a spritz of lime juice and Japanese sesame seeds and salt.
The thing about all these dishes is that they are made up of  different ingredients put together to make something even better.  Rather like a good marriage - don't you think?
Now, I wouldn't want to marry, like marry in the dictionary definition, any of these dishes because I'd gobble them all up and then, ahem, where would I be?
But, man, oh man - could people just think a minute before they open their mouths in opposition to same sex marriage with comments like  "The next thing you'll want to marry your dog, or a duck, or a turtle, or your son"   Puh-leez.   I love my dog, and we're a cute couple.  Marriage, I prefer my own species.
Confuscius ,551-479 BC,  said;
"Marriage is the union of two different surnames, in friendship and in love..."  That's it.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

 

It Might as Well be Spring

Or so, the calendar says.   Could have fooled me.   The next line to "It might as well be Spring", is, "I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm".  That's it.   It seems as if we're just being blown around - teased beyond comprehension.  Basta.  I want the weather outside to be friendlier.  The reminder that Spring really and truly is about arrive is the appearance of green vegetables from sunnier, warmer climates: artichokes and fava beans.    I've had a thing for fresh fava beans ever since I ate them for the first time in Italy, decades ago, where they appeared, of all places, piled in a bowl alongside the fresh fruit that was served after dinner with cheese.  What a concept.   The nut-like, slightly farinaceous, fresh fava beans turned out to be just the right company for cheese - especially soft, fresh pecorino - sheep's milk cheese.  However you prepare fava beans - make sure that once they're removed from their plush pod you slip their pale green skin from the bright green bean.

INSALTA CON FAVE E PECORINO
Fava Beans with sheep's Milk Cheese

In the Italian regions; Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, the arrival of fave happily coincides with the arrival of fresh pecorino, a young sheep's milk cheese.   This simple combination can open or close a meal.

Serves 4

4 pounds fava beans, shelled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh pecorino cheese (not the aged pecorino used for grating)
 a baguette from Bonfiglio and Bread in Hudson - or a loaf of the best Mediterranean-style bread available

1.   In a large pot of boiling water, cook the fava beans for 2 minutes.  Immediately plunge them into ice water to halt the cooking.  Slip the skin off each bean .   Put the beans in a large bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss together.
2.   Divide the fava beans equally among 4 plates.  Divide the cheese among the plates.  Serve at room temperature with the bread.

note:  If you can't find first-choice fresh favas, it's possible to find frozen ones in some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern grocery shops.  Follow package directions for cooking and removing skin.

FRITTELLA
Spring Vegetable Medley

I tasted frittella for the first time, in the early spring, in Sicily, when I was a guest at the agricultural estate, Regaleali.  In addition the  world-class wines that the estate produces, the land grows the food that supplies the large Tasca d'Almerita family, and the cooking school founded by the Marchesa Anna Tasca Lanza.   One day, Anna served frittella, made with the stars of the springtime harvest - artichokes, fava beans and peas.   The flavor - sweet, sour, and salty, and texture of the dish were instantly pleasurable.

Serves 6

2 artichokes, about 1 1/2 pounds total weight
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups shelled fava beans (about 2 1/2 pounds in their pods)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 pound peas, shelled, or 1 cup frozen petite pois
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

1.   Prepare the artichokes: cut the lemon in half.  Squeeze both halves into a large bowl filled with water.  Work with one artichoke at a time.  Remove the outside leaves from the artichoke by bending them backward and pulling down.  They will snap at the "meaty' point of the leaf.  Pull away the leaves until you see only pale green ones.  Cut away the remaining leaf tops.  Cut the artichoke in half and use a sharp paring knife to remove the fuzzy choke.  Place in the lemon water.   When both artichokes are prepared, thinly slice each half and return the pieces to the lemon water.
2.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the fava beans for 2 minutes.  Immediately plunge them into ice water to halt the cooking.  Slip the skin off each bean.
3.  In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the fava beans and cook for 5 minutes.  Drain the artichokes and add to the pan.  Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes.   Add the peas, water, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, Stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, 15 - 20 minutes.
4.   Add the vinegar and sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Remove from the heat and serve hot or at room temperature.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

Whenever you spot baby artichokes, grab a bunch. They are so easy to prepare - just pull off a few of the tough outside leaves, cut off the spiky ends of the leaves, and cut in half.  They shouldn't have a fuzzy choke, so they're ready to cook.  Braise them, steam them, cook them into a risotto or, my favorite, roast them.   Heat the oven to 350 degrees F., rub some olive oil and flaky sea salt on them and roast 'til crispy, about 15 minutes.   I recently enjoyed roasted artichokes crowded on top of fresh, creamy goat's milk cheese that was smeared on matza.  Oy, so good.

Chicken Almond Rounds

center, Lisa Dolan, founder Hudson Reads, & Children's Book Festival

One of the best ways to raise funds is to offer people tasty food, free-flowing drinks, and an opportunity to engage in conversation with other people. 
Last Saturday, my friend Chris  & I did exactly as described.  Chris, & her husband, Bert are the proprietors of The Red Barn, and they kindly donated their restaurant space so we could host a cocktail party to raise money to benefit the Hudson Children's Book Festival .  The money that we raised is targeted for children who might not have the opportunity to shop, and buy a book directly from one of their favorite authors and illustrators who participate at the festival.  Now, at least 200 kids will have that opportunity.
While Chris & I put in some extra hours planning and making the event happen - it was kind of a no- brainer for us.  Before Chris became a restaurateur (and baker - see her at the Hudson Farmers' Market) she produced commercials in NYC, and I had a catering business there for 26 years.  We know how to put an event together.



Bard College classmates at the fundraiser

For my contribution to the food, I went straight to my catering menu and chose two appetizers that were unfailingly popular, and the most requested items on my list. No matter how I tried to introduce new tidbits to my cocktail menu everyone always asked for Chicken Almond Rounds and Smoked Salmon Focaccia.



Bert works his magic in the Red Barn kitchen

Chicken Almond Rounds are labor intensive.  You can make them a two, or even three day project in order to ease the work load. 
Here's what I wrote about them in my  book, "The Nantucket Table" (Chronicle Books, 1998)
"Before coming to Nantucket in 1953, the pioneering and entrepreneurial James Beard had a business in New York City called Hors d'Oeuvre, Inc. opened in January 1939.  The shop offered New Yorkers who were entertaining - giddy with the end of prohibition - a great variety of cooked cocktail-party food.  One of the most requested items on this way-before-its-time take-out menu was an onion sandwich on brioche bread.  This was snack dear to Beard's heart as it was one made for him as a child by his mother.   Two slices of brioche were slathered with mayonnaise, then sliced onions were placed on one slice, and the other was placed on top to make a sandwich.  Three rounds were cut from the sandwich and were squeezed a bit to let some mayonnaise ooze out, then were rolled in chopped parsley.   These little onion rounds gained ingredients as time passed.   I learned about the Chicken almond rounds about fifteen years ago, far into their evolution."
btw - James Beard's Nantucket hamburger joint was called, ahem, Lucky Pierre.

CHICKEN ALMOND ROUNDS
Makes 4 dozen one-bite sandwiches  (are you reading this, Ned?)

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup good-quality commercial mayonnaise, plus more as needed
2 celery ribs, peeled and finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
24 very thin slices white bread
1 1/2 cups roasted salted almonds, chopped in a food processor to the consistency of fine gravel

1.  Place the chicken breasts in a large skillet with water to cover.  Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, with the cover askew.  Lower the heat a notch and simmer gently until the chicken is opaque throughout.  Remove the chicken from the liquid and let cool.
2.   Place the 3/4 cup mayonnaise in a bowl, and add the celery, onion, tarragon, salt , and pepper.  Stir to mix well.  Break the chicken into large pieces.  Working in 2 batches, use a food processor to chop the breasts until they resemble oatmeal.   Add the ground chicken to the celery mixture.   Carefully combine with a rubber spatula.
3.   Line up 4 bread slices at a time.  Spread each slice with some of the chicken mixture, forming a layer 1/4 inch thick.  Cover each slice with a second slice.  Repeat until you have 12 sandwiches.   Using a 1 1/2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, cut out 4 rounds from every sandwich, gently pushing them free from the cutter after every two cuts.  Keep the pairs of rounds stacked together and cover with damp paper towels until all of the sandwiches are cut.

4.  Pour the chopped almonds into a baking dish or onto a dinner plate.  Holding a stack of sandwich rounds between thumb and forefinger, spread a film of mayonnaise around the cut edges.   Roll the stack through the chopped almonds until the edges are completely coated with the nuts.  Re-cover the stacks with the damp paper towels until all are coated.

5.   To serve, separate each stack back into two sandwiches.

Day one:     make chicken mixture and refrigerate.
Day two:     make the sandwiches and cut into rounds.
Day three:   roll the sandwiches in the nuts.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:    While the cocktail party has passed you can still make a donation.  Here's the info.   Every penny that you contribute will go directly towards a gift card that will allow a child to shop at the May 4th book festival:

Make your tax deductible check to:   HUDSON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT ENDOWMENT FUND
 and mail to:       Lisa Dolan
                           Hudson Reads
                           102 Harry Howard Avenue
                           Hudson, NY 12534



crudités & pita chips with butternut squash-tahini

 THANK YOU 

Lunch at the Bocuse

It  had to be the snowiest day in a while.  The stuff was gushing out of the sky in big wet drops - and sticking - oh geez - sticking.  But I had a date - a date for lunch at the new Bocuse restaurant, named for the legendary French chef who is considered, among other things to be the creator of novelle cuisine , at the Culinary Institute of America - the CIA in Hyde Park, NY.  Nothing was going to stop me.  Allegra (now why would I schlepp a dog along?) & I took off down slippery route 9 in my Subaru Forester - and true to its publicity -  all its wheels were on the road, working like crazy to keep us from sliding off.

We arrived, miraculously, just a few minutes late.   My dining companion,  CIA graduate, food writer, blogger, Marissa Sertich,  was at the table, with its  stunning view of the snow-blanketed Catskill mountains and the icy Hudson River, waiting with a smile.   Now, before I go any further - you know that the Culinary Institute is a school, and all of its 5 restaurants, from a cafe, The Apple Pie Bakery, that serves sandwiches, soups and salads to the utterly elegant - worthy of competition from any big city 4 star restaurant - Bocuse are student operated - with a little help from their chef/professors.  The waitstaff are students - all eagerness and grins.  

We  ordered a prix fixe meal that included an appetizer, entree and dessert.  We each ordered soup to start.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to taste one of chef Bocuse's signature dishes, Soupe aux Truffes V.G.E.  The chef created the dish when, in 1975, the French president, Valery Giscard d'Estaing awarded him the Knight of of the National Order of the Legion of Honor.  The soup, beef broth with a tiny dice of vegetables, and slivers of  black truffle was served in its own Bocuse-designed tureen, topped with puff pastry, then baked. Crack open the egg-glazed topping and inhale the unmistakable aroma of truffles.  Marissa had lobster bisque, deconstructed, and served with snowy foam that mirrored the outdoors.

Entree choices were straight out of the classic French kitchen.  I had lemon sole with lemon sauce and steamed vegetables.  Marissa's duck a l'orange was a modern version of everyone's favorite - 1950s-1960s dinner party meal.   They were all well-executed, tasty and attractively presented.

 

 

Dessert.  Oh gosh.  Dessert is almost always my preferred course.  I usually ask for the dessert menu at restaurants before I order my entree.  Wouldn't want to spoil my appetite for dessert!     Marissa told me the the pastry chef/instructor was famous, and I can't remember his name.  He's brought the game, in all the CIA's restaurants up to a very high level.    I ordered Mont Blanc - one of my all-time favorite desserts.   I was not disappointed with what I was served - but it wasn't a classic Mont Blanc which is a meringue filled with chestnut puree and topped with whipped cream.   My dessert was a little chestnut-swirled hut, sitting on a pound cake foundation, filled with black currants and decorated with meringue sticks - a scoop of cassis ice cream sat beside it.  Very nice.  Marissa had  cheese cake - details not noted, by me.   Guess from the photo.  Tasted good too.  

I buttered a roll and asked the staff to wrap it up for me to bring to Allegra.  They did and graciously added a few extra rolls to the package.

The whole Bocuse experience was delicious, and a delight.  One that I recommend.

 Allegra's patience was rewarded with a buttered roll, and a chance to dash around the CIA soccer field.  She completely forgot that she had waited for me in the car.  Why did I bring her along?  For the company. 

By the time we drove back to Hudson the only sign of snow was on the ground  - the road was clear.  Mark Twain famously said about the weather in New England, "If you don't like it, just wait a few minutes."  He could have been talking about this part of New York State.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

On Saturday, March 16th, Chris Jones and I are hosting a cocktail party, benefit, to give all the children in the Hudson City School district  an opportunity to attend the May 4th Book Festival AND have the means to buy an autographed book from one of their favorite authors.
Come to The Red Barn on route 9H in Ghent, 5 - 7pm for a drink, some really good snacks, and music.  A donation of $25.00 is requested.