Applesauce in the Big Apple

I was inspired by the apples I saw at the farmer's market last week and decided to try my hand at making applesauce. And it was so easy!

I started with ~4lbs of assorted apples (macintosh, granny smith, empire, gala, etc.). I peeled them and cut them into pieces and added them to my favorite large red pot with about 1 cup of apple cider. I simmered the apples and cider over low heat for about 1/2 an hour. The result: a big mushy pile of apples! To be clear: I did not have to mash/puree/blend/process anything -- the apples just fell apart while cooking.

A few dashes of cinnamon later, I had apple sauce! 2 quarts of it! And it is delicious.

I am hoping that all of the vitamins in those apples and the homemade soup I ate for lunch again today will send my sniffles packing! I don't want the last few days of my twenties to be this crummy and tissue-filled.

Soup on a sick day

I have been fighting off a cold -- sore throat, sinus pressure, runny nose, etc. -- since Saturday afternoon and decided to call in sick today. And there are few things as comforting for a cold than a steaming bowl of soup. So I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite soups of all time: winter minestrone from the Daily Soup Cookbook (see p. 26). Forget the fact that was 75 degrees and sunny today, and also autumn and not winter.

I have made this soup dozens of times and have tinkered with the printed recipe a little bit. In case you don't have this wonderful cookbook, here's my version so you can make it yourself:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large spanish onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 head of savoy cabbage, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 bunch fresh basil stems, tied with string

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

8 cups vegetable broth

1 butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups uncooked spinach pasta

1 cup basil pesto*

1) Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sweat for 3-4 minutes until tender.

2) Add the cabbage and sweat for an additional 5-6 minutes until wilted.

3) Add thyme leaves, basil stems, salt, and pepper and stir to coat the vegetables.

4) Add broth, squash, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and summer for 10 minutes.

5) Remove basil stems and discard. Add the pasta and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until tender.

6) Add the pesto and stir. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated parmesean or pecorino cheese.

*pesto is exceptionally easy to make if you have a food processor. Just place 2-3 cups of basil leaves in the food processor with 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese, 3 tablespoons of pine nuts, and a pinch of salt. Pulse while drizzling in 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil.

Restaurant review: La Grenouille

With less than one week to go until her daughter's wedding, my friend Kate's mom hosted a very elegant dinner party last night at La Grenouille to send her off into matrimony in style. And I was lucky enough to have been invited.

I had never previously been to La Grenouille, which first opened its doors over 4o years ago in the same East Side townhouse, but had read many wonderful reviews, with particular praise being heaped upon the beautiful flowers that decorate the restaurant. It offers very traditional french fare with two separate prix-fixe menus from which diners can mix and match: one that is seasonally inspired (e.g., heirloom tomato salad with roquefort cheese, braised duck with cherries), and one with classic french dishes (e.g., sauteed frogs legs, dover sole with mustard sauce).

We began this celebratory dinner with french champagne and some delicious homemade breads: small loaves flavored with picholine olives, and mini baguettes. I was particularly excited about the elegant silver bowl full of cheese straws and light and nutmegy gougeres which also arrived at our table.

For my first course, I had warm asparagus with a perfectly poached egg, wild mushrooms, and micro greens. It was fantastic. Kate shared some of her lobster and tarragon ravioli which were stuffed with tender and succulent lobster meat imparted with a delicate tarragon flavor.

Our waiter's french accent left me a little uncertain about what exactly I was ordering for my entree - I believe he said it was filet of beef in an armagnac sauce with sauteed swiss chard and a potato dauphinois (which is essentially a potato gratin). But it was incredibly tasty and looked just as beautiful: sliced red rare beef with a burgundy colored sauce, creamy white scalloped potatoes, and deep green wilted chard.

The warm apple tart I had for dessert was not only beautiful -- the apple slices were arranged in such a way that it looked like a blossoming rose -- but so delicious that it made me sing. Literally.

La Grenouille is a classic -- impeccable service, old school french waiters and captains with commensurate old school accents, huge arrangements of colorful fresh flowers, and a beautiful townhouse setting. And our meal there made a special occasion even more special.

***

Thanks, Seib Family, for including me. And congratulations, Kate!

Details:

La Grenouille

3 East 52nd Street

New York, New York

(212) 752-1495

Dinner for 6: I don't even want to guess, but instead thank Mrs. Seib again for her generosity.

Restaurant review: Union Square Cafe

Before my sister came to town and we celebrated my mother's birthday with home made boeuf bourguignon on September 18th, as previously documented, Judd and I took my mom to Union Square Cafe on her actual birthday, September 14th. I had called there on the morning-of and was surprised to hear that they had a table for 3 - could Frank Bruni's recent mixed review in the NY Times have cooled off their business? Every other time I've eaten there, I had had to plan several weeks ahead. So I was a little nervous about what our meal would be like.

But Union Square Cafe is still worth a visit. I started the night with a Venetian Spritz, a delicious prosecco and aperol cocktail (aperol has a bitter orangey flavor). Things kept getting better when our bread basket (complete with tasty flat breads) came with a large square of butter dusted with sea salt and chopped fresh herbs - a small but elegant touch. Our first courses were not great: I ordered a fairly underwhelming salad of mixed greens, candied pecans, peaches, and manchego cheese. The problem was the greens - it was mostly watercress which I don't like. My mom ordered fried calamari which was served with spicy anchovy mayonnaise. This has been on USC's menu for years and I've ordered it in the past but never has that mayo tasted so fishy - ICK! My mom, a blossoming food critic since she's started watching Top Chef, thought the calamari was too greasy and needed to have been better drained on paper towel before being served. So there.

Judd arrived at our table with our entrees -- he had gotten stuck at work -- and things got back on track. The proscuitto-wrapped scallops both my mom and I ordered were fantastic. They were served with sauteed corn, golden chanterelle mushrooms, and watercress (which I hastily removed and set on my bread plate). Judd had duck confit with fingerling potatoes, wilted greens, and a stone fruit mostarda. I didn't try the duck, but the mostarda was wonderful - sweet and sour stewed plums, apricots, and peaches - and he was very happy with the dish. We splurged on sides and ordered both broccoli rabe and polenta with robiolino cheese and pesto - YUM! Our waiter also sent us some garlic potato chips - thanks, nice waiter.

For dessert, we ordered a chocolate chip bread pudding for my mom and the dessert I have ordered EVERY time I have eaten at USC because it is out-of-control delicious: a warm banana tart with honey-vanilla ice cream and macadamia nut brittle. My heart skipped a beat just thinking about it again. That dessert is reason enough to go to Union Square Cafe. But it's also a beautiful restaurant with excellent service and sophisticated but un-stuffy vibe. And despite the abundant bitter watercress they served me, it's still one of my favorite places.

***

Details:

Union Square Cafe

21 East 16th Street

New York, New York

(212) 243-4020

Over-the-top dinner for three: ~$300.

Boeuf Bourguignon

In honor of my mother's birthday which was last Monday, September 14th, I decided to make her Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon for dinner. We had all seen "Julie and Julia" a few weeks ago and so it seemed like a fun idea. I have also loved Julia Child since I was a child. While other kids were watching cartoons and "Saved by the Bell," I was watching Julia Child's "The French Chef," "Cooking with Master Chefs," and "Julia Child and Jacques Pepin Cooking at Home" on public television, along with Jeff Smith's "Frugal Gourmet," Martin Yan's "Yan Can Cook" and Mary Ann Espoisito's "Ciao Italia." (which is still on!) I still love to spend Saturday mornings watching cooking shows on public television, but I digress.

When I told them about my dinner plan, several friends and coworkers pointed out that there were less complicated and time consuming recipes for boeuf bourguignon than Julia Child's (e.g., Ina Garten's recipe from "Barefoot in Paris," and this recipe, adapted from Ginette Mathiot's "Je Sais Cuisiner" which was recently published in the New York Times). But I was determined to give Julia's recipe a go since she was, after all, the inspiration for this dinner party.

I had reviewed the recipe (actually, recipes, plural since the mushroom and onions get their own recipes) from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" several times and knew this version of boeuf bourguignon would take several hours. So on Thursday morning at 6am, I headed to Fairway to shop so that I could start cooking right after I got home from work (and dress shopping at Vera Wang with Ciara!).

Step one: cook lardons (fat slivers of bacon) in a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Step two: remove lardons and set aside. Brown 3lbs of "tender stew beef" inthe bacon fat, in batches.

Step three: Once beef is browed, set it aside with the lardons. Add one sliced carrot and one sliced onion to the remaining beef and bacon fat, stirring to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

Step 4: Once the vegetables have browned, return the beef and lardons to the pot. Add two tablespoons of flour, toss to coat the meat and vegetables, and put pot in a hot oven for 7 minutes. Toss meat and vegetables again and return to oven for seven more minutes. (I was very skeptical about this step.) Set pot back on stove over medium heat. Add one bottle of red wine (I used Chianti), tomato paste, crushed garlic cloves, several sprigs of fresh thyme, two bay leaves, and beef broth. Once liquid comes to a boil, cover and put pot back in the oven for 2.5 - 3 hours. It was after 9:30 by the time I got to the step of putting the pot in the oven. I was going to be up late.

Step 5: While stew is in the oven, brown 24 small white onions in a mixture of butter and olive oil. (Note - it takes a LONG TIME to peel 24 little onions.) Add fresh thyme and beef broth, cover the pan, and braise the onions over low heat for 40 - 50 minutes. Set aside.

Step 6: Also, while the stew is in the oven, saute 8oz of quartered mushrooms in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Set aside when mushrooms have just begun to brown (5-7 minutes later). I used cremini mushrooms.

Step 7: Once meat in the stew is tender enough to break apart with a fork, remove pot from oven. Strain contents over a bowl.

Step 8: Wash out pot, and return only the beef and bacon pieces. Add cooked mushrooms and braised onions. It was after 1am when I did this. I covered the pot and put it in front of an open window to let cool overnight. I placed the bowl with the cooking liquid in the refrigerator so I could take the fat off more easily in the morning. Our apartment smelled delicious as I fell asleep.

Step 9: At 5:45 am on Friday morning, I added the de-fatted cooking liquid to the pot with beef, mushrooms, and onions and put it in the refrigerator. And reluctantly headed to work.

Step 10: When I got home from work, I reheated the beef stew; Step 11: made polenta with sheeps' milk cheese from Patricia Wells' "Paris" cookbook; Step 13: blanched brussels sprouts and sauteed them in a little butter. A surprise birthday bottle of champagne from Kate arrived in the process - thank you! And then it was time for dinner - FINALLY!

I am exhausted just thinking about this laborious recipe again. I made a big mess on the stove, dirtied and subsequently hand-washed a large portion of the pots and pans that we own, and probably gained several pounds from our very rich meal. But it was worth it for my mom's reaction:

Happy birthday, Mom!

Restaurant review: Dell'anima

Last Sunday night, in the midst of a quiet and cool Labor Day weekend here in NYC, my sister, Judd and I decided to try someplace new. Both my sister and I keep lists of restaurants that we'd like to try - among the many sets of lists we keep - and we both had independently heard of and added Dell'anima to our lists.

Dell'anima is a small and bustling Italian restaurant in the West Village. It has an open kitchen where they hand make all of their own pasta. Figuring that the quiet tone of the long holiday weekend would make it easy to get a table, we arrived at 8:15pm. And proceeded to wait over an hour for one of the few tables they keep for patient walk-ins like us. Go figure. But we eventually found some free seats at the bar and passed the time sampling a few glasses of their mostly-Italian wine list.

Once seated, we started by sharing grilled bread with five different spreads: broccoli rabe pesto, mashed avocado, scrambled eggs with bottarga (ICK!), mashed octopus (double ICK!), and lily confit (I can't really remember what that tasted like - see my earlier reference to the hour spent waiting at their bar for our table). This had been a gift from our waiter for ignoring our requests for something to snack on while we waited at the bar. Which was good because I wasn't too impressed.

Next, I had an arugula salad with lemon and shaved parmigiano reggiano. It tasted just like it sounds, which is to say, quite boring. But I was trying to recover from my week of fried seafood. My sister, whose love of salad is unmatched, ordered an heirloom tomato salad with shaved fennel, beans, shallots and pesto. It was tasty, but Judd out ordered both of us with his "tajarin" (it was like fettuccine) alla carbonara. It was excellent.

For my entree, I had risotto "alla pilotta" flavored with homemade sausage, salumi, and pecorino cheese. And that was as delicious as it sounds. My sister played it safe but smart with an excellent tagliatelle bolognese. And Judd got chicken "alla diavolo" which was incredibly spicy. Too spicy, in fact, for my taste. We shared a very small plum tart with vanilla gelato for dessert. It was one of the only two desserts they offered. And it was very nice.

The service at Dell'anima was underwhelming. I realize the restaurant was busy, but it was also very small and they seemed to have enough staff to have better managed the diners. There were long breaks in between our courses, which, I must admit, were made more tolerable by the four glasses of Vermentino I enjoyed over the course of the evening. They also only have one bathroom!? Nothing kills a pleasant wine buzz faster than a long wait in a hot hallway outside the kitchen to use the bathroom.

In sum, I liked the food enough to give Dell'anima another try. But I'll be sure to have a reservation when I do. And maybe go on a weeknight.

**

Details:

Dell'anima

38 Eighth Avenue

New York, New York

(212) 366-6633

dinner for three and a lot of wine for two: ~$180.

Cape Cod Eatin

Just back from a wonderful week in Wellfleet with my mom and sister. Gorgeous weather allowed us to spend many relaxing hours and the beach. Which was great. But the main attraction on Cape Cod is not the natural beauty or family fun. It's the food. The two things I most enjoy about my family's annual summer pilgrimage are 1) grilling and 2) eating seafood, preferably fried (lobster rolls are also acceptable). And I got in plenty of both.

I had an idea to have a Cape Cod version of a steakhouse dinner on our first night in Wellfleet. At my suggestion, my sister spent big bucks on three delicious steaks from Lobel's (thanks again!) which we brought up to Wellfleet with us in a cooler: filets for me and Kristy and a ribeye for my mom. We grilled them and served them with creamed spinach, corn on the cob, and a sliced tomato and onion salad inspired by my first and only meal at Peter Luger's.

I was quite pleased with how everything turned out.

Later in the week, we stopped by the Friendly Fisherman in Eastham for lobster rolls. Here are some photos of their enormous lobster rolls (we estimated that at least two lobsters died to make each over-stuffed lobster roll) along with their excellent onion rings.

No post about Cape Cod dining would be complete without mentioning Arnold's in Eastham, my very favorite fried seafood purveyor. Their fried clams are superb. And you don't have to take my word for it -- Food and Wine Magazine has declared their clams the best in the world. I ate lots of them on each of our two meals at Arnold's last week, as well as their fried scallops.