Mary had something very special she wanted to share, so we called John and Scotty away from the studio to join us. As expected, it was pretty ridiculous. First, a puréed soup of celery root, leek, and jicama with a phenomenal 1993 Kalin Semillon, then John made unbelievable sashimi from more of that beautiful Kampachi plus a tartare from the trimmings and a ramp and micro-shiso and chives from the deck. (I grilled/smoked the collar…
cookblog Posts
I made it to the fish market in Chelsea, and as is so often the case I couldn’t make up my mind. Thus we had a seared Toro appetizer with pepper and ponzu, then Black Cod in the skillet with the leftover kale/watercress/basil mixture cooked in the juices after the fish came out, then the mung bean/ramp mixture plus wine, lemon, and miso cleaned the pan up and became a sauce for all. Many layers…
Reaching the bottom of the fridge, I made a pot of brown rice (I always make too much so there’s plenty for Christine & Milo to make breakfasts and lunches from) and threw some mung beans in a pot- actually into the still-hot water I cooked Milo’s pasta in. Washed bok choy and did a quick sautée in the wok with olive and sesame oils plus garlic, lemon juice and ponzu. Wilted chiffonaded kale in…
So today the fridge needed thinning, and thus the last of the lamb from Christine’s birthday, chopped, browned along with onion and carrot until all crispy. Then water, a can of kidney beans, a bit of remaining tomato paste, and the remains of the parsnip purée also from last Monday, sweet potato, broccolini stalks, zucchini, anellini, thyme, and after about 10 minutes basil leaves and the broccolini tops. Served with fresh pepper and good oil…
Tonight a dinner with other new friends, also courtesy of an event at Pasanella & Son, this time in Brooklyn, and in a building I’ve admired since we moved here no less, which followed a stroll through the Botanical Garden. Bread and cheese began, with a crisp, minerally, and herbaceous Greek white from Santorini which tasted, appropriately, like a Greek island (chalk and oregano.) Then a dry Austrian riesling was a perfect match with a…
A simple pasta made with ground bison, crimini and dried porcini, plus herbs and garlic and tomatoes, but caramelized and then cooked slowly to really get at all those deep flavors, with penne and a side of blanched watercress. It was so good that Milo had a second dinner sitting on my lap after he had just eaten his own dinner. I had it with a Crios rosé (100% Malbec) by Susanna Balbo which is…
I went for a lovely meal at the equally lovely home of some new friends, Kris and Ken, who have elevated love of food and wine to an extraordinary level and delight in sharing it. We began with a creamy shrimp risotto which we had with both a 2003 Riesling and a Savennières, both of which I’ve forgotten the names of. Next a gorgeous salad of wilted frisée and squab, with an oxidized 1989 La…
A simple meal, with a few friends at their place in Saugerties. I made some ramp pesto and kumquat-habañero chutney ahead of time, and marinated venison loin in tequila, white wine, chile powder, cumin, jalapeño, and garlic for a couple of days. The venison (see below) seared up in a cast-iron skillet, and then the chutney mixed with duck broth reduced in a pan went over it, as did the marinade which I dumped into…
Ironically, given that I spent all afternoon cooking, there wasn’t much to eat, since it’s all destined for Christine’s birthday on Monday. But I found more chicken thighs, and cooked them in a faux mole of ramp pesto, onion, and tomato paste, plus some water, tequila, and the usual seasonings, covered until all tender. Then I pulled the meat apart and cooked some more while I made a quick salsa of grape tomatoes and jalapeño…
Tonight Pasanella & Son had their inaugural tasting dinner in the new back room featuring the wines of Franco Martinetti. Dinner was a decent buffet, but as usual the focus was on the wine: Flight 1:2004 Sine Cura (Barbera/Cab Sauvignon) light, pleasant, well made- a good picnic wine2004 Barbera “Bric Dei Banditi” nice toasty almond nose, fresh Flight 2:Montruc Barbera:1998 well made, a bit austere, but elegant2003 beautiful nose, much riper and rounder- almost southern…