This, That, The Other: 3 Recent Eats

1. A Black Seed Bagel

I had few days off work recently, and I spent them trying to do some fun New York-y things. I went to see some art, I had a fun solo lunch at Russ & Daughters, I went to see GONE GIRL at 2.40pm on a Tuesday. And I finally went to eat a bagel at Black Seed. Trekking into the city on a Sunday, and negotiating endless bread lines (yes, they are bread lines) at whichever Hip New Eatery? As people trying to sound like old men from New York say: fuhgeddaboudit. But late morning, mid-week — I had little to lose. The line wasn’t too bad, and I wrangled myself a place to sit by the window. I ordered an everything bagel (they don’t do pumpernickel! Maybe that’s the ***Montreal Bagel*** thing? I’d never eaten a ***Montreal Bagel*** before, so I don’t have anything to compare it to) with their beet cured lox (6.9/10) and some avocado. Of course, it was a little pricey, as was the Stumptown, but I knew that going into this. There’s always that brief moment of disappointment upon receiving a bagel that is smaller than anticipated, but truth is, it’s a size that probably makes more sense than the classic, doughy behemoths New York bagels often are. It’s very SoHo, and a little shame-inducing: “I cost more because I’m smaller and it’s for your own good,” and you’re like, “Yes bagel, you’re right and I’m a glutton for ever having wanted more :-/” Unless you are very hungry. Sometimes I am so hungry and I want every bite of those giant bagels. Anyway, I enjoyed my small and expensive Manhattan bagel, and I ate it sitting perched at the window seats, between two other solo bagel-eaters, looking out at all the people walking by in their dumb, cool clothes.

2. Possibly my final bottle of Grady’s Cold Brew Coffee for the season?

The weather has cooled right down but I can’t seem to say goodbye to cold coffee season. Last year, my pal Zach got me onto Grady’s Cold Brew – literally, without any doubt, the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted. I didn’t know it was possible. Grady’s is impossibly smooth and rich, without even a tinge of acidity. It’s also fairly concentrated; 1 part Grady’s needs like, 2 parts milk, and a bunch of ice. Oh my god. I wait all week to drink this stuff in bed on a Shabbos morning. I buy a big bottle of it (I usually need to make a special trip to a grocery store slightly nicer than the ones in my neighbourhood) and just ride it out. No more than 2 cups in a day, though. I never considered myself caffeine-dependent until I went to the store for my fix, and they were out. I began to panic – my emotional response was like, pretty real and also embarrassing. We made our own cold brew that weekend – it wasn’t bad!

That special milk-hitting-the-coffee moment of ekstasis (ἔκστασις),

3. Roasted Cauliflower with Green Pea Pesto & Mushrooms

I made this recipe up. I actually feel my cooking has improved lately, especially my veggie dishes. I don’t eat much meat, and I get way more excited about which vegetables and fruits are in season. I recently realized that one of the reasons I don’t buy or cook meat often is that it’s just messier. Animal fat is just harder to clean, and I think scrubbing grease of pots, plates, and containers was actually starting to bother me. Anyway, roasted cauliflower is always delicious. I toss it in some grape seed oil, add some salt and pepper, and sometimes a little curry powder or a pinch of cumin seeds, and roast it until it’s nicely browned. Then I sauteed up some green peas (I actually love frozen peas – I use them in anything, and they are a yum high-fiber addition when I don’t have much fresh produce around). I took about half the sauteed peas and blended them with a handful of basil, some fresh garlic, a few pine nuts, olive oil and salt. Green pea pesto! I don’t think I invented this, but it’s new to my repertoire. With the remaining half of the peas, still in the pan, I added sliced mushrooms until they were cooked through. Then I tossed the cauliflower, peas and mushrooms, and pesto, all together. Added a few more pine nuts, and a little lemon zest. Ta-da!

(Aforementioned recipe is on the top right.)

DDDDINNER: How to Eat a Sandwich for Dinner and Feel Like a Winner

So you want a sandwich for dinner but you don’t want to feel like a loser? Split it open and call it a TARTINE.

Tartines are basically fancy-pants, open-faced sandwiches.  Not only do I not feel like a lazy slob, I feel a little bit elegant!

Tartines are also dead simple. Take some bread, shmear some shmear, neatly arrange your toppings, slice it on the diagonal and plate.

Tonight I made two. Both involved “Organic Peasant Bread” and cream cheese that I, myself, mixed with hand-chopped chives (can you feel the fancy!).  One got topped with a generous layer of smoked salmon, the other with my beautiful little heirloom tomatoes and some smoked salt.

(It is now peak season for heirloom tomatoes and I can’t get enough. I don’t even really LIKE tomatoes but I’ve totally bought into the heirloom mania. Good job, Tomato Growers Association.)

I will be eating this again tomorrow but in regular sandwich shape. 

Tartines are awkward for lunch.

DDDDINNER: What to Make When You Want Easy

 

My mom is Chinese and she is an amazing cook (and baker).  We had beef (or chicken, or tofu, or whatever) chow mein on the regular, and these crispy, yet chewy, noodles held a steady role in my childhood.  She’d whip up a batch whenever we “didn’t know what we wanted to eat,” or when we were in a rush because I “had to go to the mall” and I thought this was just what you did when you were hungry and wanted a quick fix.

I had no idea how lucky I was.

Of course, there are tons of Chinese children who view this as NBD (and billions of people must count for something) but I am pretty sure none of my friend’s Russian immigrant parents were cooking with bok choy back then, and the same thing goes for the suburban Jersey households of my teenage years.

Right. Where am I going with this.

I think I just want to share this dish because it is the perfect comfort food, and the ease with which to prepare it forms an inverse relationship to how amazing it tastes, so everyone should be making this. Now.

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Plus, it especially easy when those noodles come pre-cooked. This is where I give a hearty shout-out to my friends (be my friends!) at Twin Marquis, distributors of noodley goods that are authentic and kosher and cheap, and without whom many mom-delicacies would become difficult to achieve. Seriously, go find their stuff. It’s in every little shop in Chinatown and you can buy a pack with some change.

There are also few rules, and I’ve used udon and lo mein as a base for many different dishes. But I fairly confident that what I made the other night was especially inspired, so here goes: Salami Lo Mein.

Seems obvious, but I didn’t make the connection until I found myself with 3/4 a salami log and a desire to eat fried rice but not to make it. Somehow noodles seemed easier.

Without further ado:

• 2 packages cooked lo mein noodles (or “Cooked Noodle” as TM calls them)
• 3/4 salami log, chopped into little chunks
• 0.5 lb fresh shiitake
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch scallion (I found these amazing purple ones at the farmers’ market but any old green ones will do)
• a few cloves of garlic, minced
• hoisin sauce
• chili garlic sauce
• soy (regular and dark mushroom)
• veg or olive oil

1. Saute the salami chunks in a hot pan. these babies cook in their own grease.
2. Add white parts of scallion, garlic and shiitake, sauteing until mushrooms start to go limp. add oil if necessary.
3. Turn heat to low and add noodles (break apart with hands)
4. Add hoisin, chili garlic sauce and soy sauces to taste
5. Turn off heat and mix in green scallion bits and cilantro

You can do this is in under 30 minutes (20 if you practice).

FULL DISCLOSURE: I actually made these as the centerpiece of a very casual Shabbat lunch but there is a strong case for having this as a weeknight dinner. Or midnight snack…