Urban Food Guy

Political (and funny) Ice Cream

2012-02-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

I love this man.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Has anyone had one of these ice creams? I like the idea of chocolate covered potato chips in ice cream....

The Food Stamp President

2012-02-09T09:45:00.002-05:00

Apologies for such a slow week here at UFG, my damn flu doesn't want to leave and tonight I am making a dinner party for 18 people, tomorrow it's just 5, but still when all you want to do is curl up in bed it makes it a challenge.

My friend Jane sent this video to me and event though it seems kind of obvious what he is doing in it I was surprised by how moved I was by the end of it. As much as anything it is about the value of taking care of each other and feeding people is one of the most primary ways of doing that.

Sheep Herding Rabbit

2012-02-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

Saw this today and it made me laugh, this rabbit takes away the job of sheep herding from the dog and is very good at his job! The sounds track is hysterical... for more on this bossy bunny go here.

Burns Supper

2012-02-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

The flu has swept in and knocked me on my ass so my apologies for not having more original content and some cooking to share. Luckily there is Kevin TV to save the day. Actually I found the process of making Haggis really interesting - never having eaten it I didn't realize that it is cooked in intestines but that the intestine were not part of the dish.....enjoy:

Episode 30 - Burns Supper from Kevin Kossowan on Vimeo.

Introducing: The Bacon Milkshake

2012-02-05T14:59:00.002-05:00

Just when you thought the unnatural obsession with bacon couldn't go any further fast food chain Jack in the Box has introduced the above. I'm surprised it is garnished with fake cherry and not a piece of bacon, but I guess that might push the food costs up too high. Turns out that what gives this milkshake it's flavor is bacon fat not actual bacon. I wonder how long before you see the local version of this on a menu in Williamsburg? Made from sustainable Heritage bacon? 5,4,3,2,1....

These shakes are only available in certain markets : The South and the West coast so if you live somewhere else you are going to have to wait or make your own. Funny thing about this recipe is that mostly it's a maple shake with some bacon fat thrown in for good measure.

And just in case you want more bacon with your bacon, here is one a commercial for Jack In The Box that is truly horrifying (at least to me)...you may now eat the bride? For real, watch:

Super Bowl Rum Punch?

2012-02-04T13:04:00.003-05:00

A lot of food sites like to capitalize on holidays or special occasions to present an array of dishes and recipes suited to what ever it is going on. Given that tomorrow is the super bowl, I was thinking maybe I should give in and try and come up with something perfect to serve while people who watch the game can eat/drink while they are watching.

Of course this here site is filled with pizza recipes my go to favorite food for casual dinning. They can be made in advance and warmed up when ready - If you make them on sheet pans I find the squares a little easier to eat. I am particularly found of goat cheese, thyme, olives and anchovies on pizza and think it is best served at room temperature.

I'm not much for jalapenos poppers or spam Panini cut into eights or cheese dips out of jars served with GMO corn chips. So if pizza isn't your thing my search has lead me to these videos of the Two Fat Ladies making a Jamaican Christmas. I'm not suggesting you make the entire meal, but traditional rum punch and jerk pork sandwiches could do the trick and make for a very festive afternoon of food and football.

Jennifer makes the punch and it is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... she talks about how you should drink the booze of where you are, so in Jamaica it makes more sense to drink rum then the Whiskey you'd have back home. Punch seems to me to be a perfect idea for any festive gathering and rather suited for a football game as you make a big batch and you don't have to worry about making drinks for the rest of the day.

For those people reading who live somewhere with a back yard the idea of roasting an entire suckling pig on a jerk pit might be a fun adventure or might seems a little ambitious for Super Bowl Sunday, but it certainly would be delicious and as they point out can easily be a leg of pork done in an oven. Just marinade it the day before.

I think it's hysterical the way they refer to the whole pig roasting as if it was a pet not an entire dead animal roasting over a fire. Love these gals, thanks again to Chris and Skip in Asheville for turning me onto them!

Here is the punch:

Here is the pig:

I love her idea of finely chopped ginger...

And finally the feast in all it's glory - you have to watch until the end when the ladies sing carols!

Fake Meat

2012-02-02T23:58:00.001-05:00

Above is the Citrus Ribs and below is the Duck.

So I was walking down Hester Street near Center street when I noticed May Wah Vegetarian. May Wah is a grocery store that sells every kind of fake meat imaginable. I knew you could get this kind of food at certain Chinese Vegetarian restaurants (Vegetarian Paradise being my favorite place to go for fake meat) but it never occurred to me you could buy it at a store....I was so excited by the idea of fake ham steaks I immediately went in. It's not a big store and most of the good stuff is in freezers that line the back wall. The selection was overwhelming. When I finally made up my minde (citrus ribs and duck) I asked the guy at te cash register how long they have been here. Since 1994 he tells me. So I'm not sure how I missed them all these years, but I sure am glad I have finally discovered them. The two packages of fake meat I bought cost something shy of 7 dollars, so way cheaper then real meat.

I fried the duck in hot oil that I had cooked scallions and fresh ginger in and the ribs in dark soy with some sweet chili sauce and fish sauce. After they were fried I put them in the oven to dry them up in the hopes of making them a little crispier

I made some bok choy and rice to go along with our dinner of fake meat. Let's face it, it's not meat, but it really is good.

The Bowery is a Changin'

2012-02-01T23:50:00.000-05:00

The long awaited Bowery Diner next to the New Museum has finally opened! It may look like a diner, but from what I can tell the quality of food they are serving is way above your average greasy spoon. I can't wait to go eat there. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The other noteworthy place to open on the the bowery (well actually Houston street) is the very Williamsburgesque Bowery Coffee.

Cute dog not included. But isn't he cute? Wozza Wozza

Foley Square: Farmers Against Monsanto Rally

2012-01-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from this mornings rally sponsored by OSGATA (Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association) in front of the court house on Foley Square, where oral arguments have started in a case against Monsanto.

Simply put OSGATA and farmers are trying to prevent Monsanto from harassing them with lawsuits if one of their (Monsanto) seeds has blow over the fence and taken root in a non Monsanto field. Monsanto seeds are deeply problematic (on many levels but...), especially if you are trying to grow organic and your neighbor has thousands of acres of GMO corn, soy, sugar beets, etc. Wind, birds and nature in general is not propriety and doesn't understand that Monsanto "owns" nature now. Basically it's the largest intimidation scheme in the history of the planet to ensure a monopoly for Monsanto: grow our seeds or we will sue you, because we found one plant in your field that is ours, means you are stealing (untrue and what was Monsanto doing in that farmers field - trespassing?) doesn't matter how it got there - we don't care we are suing you.

So today we were in Foley square encouraging the justices in the court house to do the right thing by farmers and the planet and put Monsanto in it's place.

Cards were handed out of Monsanto's history. Highlights include Sacharine, Agent Orange (along with Dow Chemical) and GMO's Damn they sure have been busy!

The crowd - I'd say maybe 75 people?

Funny I guess farmers don't pose much of a threat we were there for a good half hour before any police showed up.

Some of the many signs:

The new Frank Gehry apartment building loomed over the proceedings. The 1 percent always get the good views!

Moonshine, Heritage Corn and Sorghum Molasses

2012-01-30T23:25:00.001-05:00

I love this farmers sly aside about GMO's

The Perennial Plate Episode 89: Moonshine and Molasses from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.
Sorghum Molasses

Join Me: Rally with Farmers Against Monsanto

2012-01-29T23:36:00.000-05:00

On January 31, family farmers will take part in the first phase of a court case filed to protect farmers from genetic trespass by Monsanto’s GMO seed, which can contaminate organic and non-GMO farmers' crops and opens them up to abusive lawsuits. In the past two decades, Monsanto’s seed monopoly has grown so powerful that they control the genetics of nearly 90% of five major commodity crops including corn, soybeans, cotton, canola and sugar beets.

The judge has agreed to hear oral arguments in this landmark case to decide whether or not this case will move forward. If you'd like to show your support for family farmers and their right to grow food without the threat of fear and intimidation, please RSVP to attend the Citizen's Assembly.

I pledge to attend and affirm the following principles of Citizen's Assembly.

Walden

2012-01-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

This is my friend David who I went to Walden with this past Thursday and below is the very beautiful and insanely delicious bowl of Cauliflower soup he had:

Smooth, rich, light intensely flavored Cauliflower soup with brown butter, brioche croutons and fried Sage. I had an almost equally delicious watercress, beet and sunchoke salad and to snack on when we first got our bottle of wine ($29 for a nice red vin du table). To get us started we shared a home made pretzel served with honey mustard, it wasn't in a traditional pretzel shape but it didn't matter it was delicious!

Walden is the kind of local, corner farm to table bistro that every neighborhood should have. I loved it so much it made me have fanatises of moving so I could be closer.

My pictures suck, I hate using a flash so to get a better view of the place check out their website.

The two mains we had were: Hake served on a ragout of tomatoes and olives which was very flavorful and amazingly only $11! I had a Cassoulet $16) which was the least successful of all the dishes we had, the beans were perfectly cooked and the Duck rich and unctuous but it was dry, and the generous amount of bread crumbs it was topped with made you cry out for some more rich tomato sauce which is typical in the cassoulet's I have made or eaten before.

For dessert we had home made chocolate chip cookies (4) which are baked while you wait - yummy.

A short walk from the Lorimer L train stop Walden is a CASH ONLY restaurant that is well worth the trip. The room is simple and comfortable and the service was friendly and attentive. I can't wait to go back. They don't take reservations, so we went early but didn't really need to as the place was empty it wasn't until about 8:30 that people started to come in. They also have a lovely bar which would be a fine place to while away an evening eating small plates and sipping delicious and very reasonably priced wine.

Cookie Monster Panics

2012-01-28T00:02:00.002-05:00

Pinto Beans Olla!

2012-01-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

It's funny how a simple clay pot can change your life. After finally finishing seasoning it I could not wait to take it for a spin and makes some beans!

It's so easy and they really are the best beans I've ever made .

Rinse and pick over 1 lb of Pino beans then pour them into your Olla (or heavy bottomed pot), cover well with hot water (several inches above the bean line) add 2 whole cloves of Garlic, 1 Onion quartered (I used red) and 1 Bay Leaf. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer, make sure as the beans cook you keep adding HOT water so they remain soupy.

No need to presoak the beans, add salt and freshly ground black pepper when the beans are done to your likeness. You need a good teaspoon or more of sea salt and as much pepper as you fancy. Served here with broan rice, roast chicken and salsa verde!

Mysterious Fruit

2012-01-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

Fruit....Or is it a vegetable? It grows on a vine. The Jamaican home care attendent who is taking care of Neil's mom brought it back from her recent trip home and said she didn't know the name of it and that all sorts of scientists were studying it. I wanted to cut if open, but we were not sure if she wants it back...

Any ideas resourceful readers?

Olla Seasoning

2012-01-26T14:16:00.000-05:00

An Olla is a traditional Mexican clay pot that is used to make beans in. Wide at the bottom and narrow at the top with a lid these rustic clay pots need to be seasoned before using and are not to be used on electric burners or warmers.

Ever since my first trip to Mexico I have coveted the beautiful clay ware that is used for every day cooking. It wasn't unti this trip that I found a really good supplier of it in Puerto Vallarta. I bought two large platters, a jug, a big covered dutch oven type pot and an Olla. I brought almost all of it back in my carry on luggage. The Olla was the only thing that got packed in my suitcase. I worried about it the entire flight.

It's taken a while to get up the nerve to finally start to use my clay ware as I'm afraid it will crack and break the minute it even comes near a flame. Turns out my fears are unwarranted. After reading about how to season clay ware I choose to go with Diane Kennedy's method of filling the pot with hot water, placing it over a low flame and adding a head of garlic to the water and letting it slowly evaporate.

The reason there are two heads of garlic in here is because this that she suggests doing this twice, I figured I might as well keep the old garlic from round one in - it might help. My understanding is that garlic has resin like qualities that help seal the pot.

This takes FOREVER. I had to keep turning it off to go out or to go to bed. If you are an early riser and plan to be at home all day I would think you might be able to get it done before bed time. As it was it worked out fine so don't worry about stopping and starting.

After round two finally finished I did something that I had done to my Spanish cazuela which is take a clove of garlic sliced in half and rub the bottom of the pot with it. I figure you can't be too safe, and these pots are very rustic thin and cheap. My entire load of clay ware from Mexico cost about 30 dollars.
Still I want to try and make my Olla last as long as I can.

Pinto beans have been weighed and hopefully tomorrow or the next day I will have a recipe for you.

Oh and if you do consider buying some clay wer beware you should never cook anything acidic in them as it leeches lead from the not so high quality interior glaze. So keep it simple and after you have cooked you beens remove them into another pot if you want to add tomatoes or lime juice or vinegar.

Homemade Apple Jack

2012-01-25T11:05:00.000-05:00

After having just posted about apples this latest installment from Kevin TV seems to be a natural follow up. I know I have been posting a lot of Kevin Kossowan's videos, but I love them, it almost makes me want to move to Edmonton, except for the cold, and a few other things, the fact is after 26 years of living in Manhattan even moving to Brooklyn is conceptual leap that makes me nervous so I'm just really glad Kevin TV exists so I can live vicariously. His website is amazing and filled with a lot more than videos, I love the aesthetic, the lack of advertising (how does he do it) and the general feel is so great, my favorite food site discovery this year.

Episode 29 - Applejack from Kevin Kossowan on Vimeo.

Golden Russet Apples

2012-01-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back I was at the market buying apples: The Winter Fruit. I had bought two different kinds Crispins and Baldwin - I was about to eat a Baldwin after paying and the farmer said: Don't eat that one - try this. And went over and picked up a Golden Russet from a crate that was sitting on a table amongst the dozen or so varieties he was selling.

I'd seen these apples before but never given them much thought, in part because of the way they look, the skin is pear like, think Bosc, and the word Golden made me think that it was some sort of cross between golden delicious and something else. I am not a big fan of delicious apples and admittedly I like and have always eaten green or red apples - or some variation thereof.

Not wanting to be rude I took the apple and bit into as I walked away thanking the farming for the free apple. Golden Russets are a revelation! They have a very distinction flavor and texture and do sort of remind me of Asian pears only sweeter and with a more intense flavor.

So this week when I went to buy apples I hunted down this vendor (Red Jacket Orchards) and bought I bunch of these delicious heirloom fruits.

Of unclear origins they are thought to have been discovered growing in New York State in the 19th century. The website orangepippin has a ton more information if you want to have an apple nerd out.

For sure I am going to use these apple for cooking and eating through out the season. Next time you are at the market look around - these days more and more varieties are available, and these are worth the effort.

Pickled Chili Peppers

2012-01-23T19:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wanted to make a quick stir fry so on my way home I stopped at myt local Chinatown produce shop and picked up some Bok Choy, ginger and spring onions. When I got home I went to the fridge and took out the jar of hot Thai chili peppers I had put up several months ago. Chopped up two and added them to the onions and ginger in some hot oil. After a few minutes I added the Bok Choy and light soy and cooked a few more minutes until wilted. You can ass some chicken cut up and fried to this along with maybe some dark soy sauce or leave it vegetarian and serve over rice.

Chili's grown like a weed so if you have a window sill, roof or back yard grow a few plants, then preserve them and you will have enough to last you the Winter and beyond. Because they are so cheap I always end up buying too many hot pepper leaving them to mold and dry up in the fridge. This is a perfect anecdote to this problem.

Chili's are very light so the only problem I found with pickling them is that the chilies kept floating on top of the brining solution. My solution to this was to put a small ramekin on top of them to weigh them down. Works like a charm.

Stem 4 cups of hot Thai Chili Peppers and put aside in a bowl.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan add 2 cups of hot water, 1 cup rice vinegar, 3/4 cups of sugar, 4 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Heat over a medium flame until the sugar has dissolved and remove from heat.

In a sterilized jar (or jars I used a quart jar I had, but it doesn't matter) pack the hot peppers and pour over the brine. Cover and put in the fridge.

Two Fat Ladies Stewed Red Cabbage to go with Christmas Goose

2012-01-23T11:26:00.001-05:00

This seemed an appropriate follow up to my thoughts on Paula Dean her food and her recently revealed diabetes. My friends and UFG readers Chris and Skip posted this on Facebook and I realized that I have never actually seen an episode of the Two Fat Ladies, not sure why it took me so long as they are truly amazing, so British, dry, smart and fun. Jennifer who is stuffing the goose in the follow up episode sounds to me like a British Bette Davis.

I have a feeling in the coming months we will be seeing much more of these gals here! Love them.

Oh and please, if you have thoughts on Paula Deen please scroll down and share them in the comments section after my essay about her. I would love to get a conversation going and also I enjoying hearing from you.

Oh Paula

2012-01-22T15:24:00.004-05:00

photograph from the Food Network website

It doesn't seem like much of a news item, yet Paula Deen's acknowledgement of her diabetes seems to have a life of it's own. The commentary and vitriol just keeps coming from all sides. Hell, it almost makes the Republican primaries look tame.

What's interesting to me are the plethora of people coming out against her kind of cooking. A lot of people are very angry and quite nasty. And some even manage to be both yet funny in their comments on her "revelation."

My favorite mean spirited, yet funny example is this now oft-quoted, imaginary recipe of Paula's for Fruit Salad:

1 lb Skittles, 3 Cups Ranch Dressing.
Mix well and serve at room temperature.

I actually worked for Paula when I did cooking at the Food Network and as it happens one of the things I made for her show was a layer cake (I forget how many layers or what it was called) with tons of cream cheese frosting that was suppose to be garnished with crushed Skittles. Unfortunately no one in the kitchen could figure out how to actually crush Skittles - they are almost indestructible! In the food processor they got all gummy - turns out you need to freeze them first with liquid nitrogen. The cake pictured above is her version of the classic Mexican Tres Leches Cake with the guild the lily over the top garnish of, yes, Skittles.

Surprisingly, I want to say something that is in defense of Paula's cooking.

A lot of which is not to my liking at all. She uses too many packaged products and not enough ingredients, and she does go over board. But this is the thing: she has an audience who enjoys watching her show and what she does is a reflection of that audience. Nobody has ever been forced to eat a deep fried twinkie or a donut hamburger, they have done so of their own free will. I'm not saying I think it's good, but in the case of desserts, well they are desserts. And one can choose to not add the extra candy or other crap that might be in the recipe, you don't have to use Skittles to that cake, really you don't. The bottom line is that her dessert recipes when they stick to the traditional actually use the basics: butter, sugar, flour and dairy. Even with those ingredients it's up to the individual making the recipe to buy the quality of butter that they feel they can afford and want. Ditto sugar. Most people are not yet exclusively using organic goods.

So without going into too much of tirade here I think that Ms. Deen is a charismatic business woman who made a name for herself as the over the top southern cook, but in reality all she has been doing is providing entertainment for people who basically already ate like that. The problem, as I see it, is more about our culture and what foods are actually available depending on your economic status then it is how we were taken down a dark corn syrup alley of temptation by this Southern Temptress.

I loathe recipes that have brand name products suggested as ingredients, so I just don't make them. And as someone who writes about food and constantly thinks about food, farming and sustainability I am keenly aware of how many food blogs and websites that are out there that make a point of being virtuous about what they cook and publish on. It's our choice as to what we choose to make, eat and watch.

Is Ms. Deen an opportunist? She is now plugging her son's cooking healthy show (aptly named Not My Mama's Meals) ) and has teamed up with a pharmaceutical company to pitch a diabetes drug? What do you think?

If she were Newt Gingrich she would be lauded for admitting the error of her ways and doing the right thing now she's realized how wicked she once for making Paula's Double Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream

At the end of the day The Food Network is interested in ratings, which is why most of what they produce is reality TV. The fact is we live in a time when more people watch more cooking shows then ever before and cook less than ever before. People aren't watching these shows so that they can be inspired to cook, they are watching them for entertainment.

So when Anthony Bourdain tweets about Paula's diabetes ("Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later") you have to take into consideration that he called Alice Waters a bit too Khmer Rouge for his liking for her instance on healthy, traceable, sustainable food.

So you're either too healthy or too unhealthy in Mr. Bourdain's world unless of course you are Mr, Bourdain who apparently is perfect. Although, let's recall that as a chef Mr. Bourdain's claim to fame was making steak and french fries - not my idea of health food - even though I love to eat them, on occasion. I don't want to eat most of Ms. Deen's food, but on occasion to eat something as a treat if that was your thing, why not? For me it keeps coming back to personal choice, she exists because there is a market for her and her food, as much as that pains me, but it's reality. Just like there is a market for Anthony Bourdains' acerbic wit and arrogance, which I often love to watch.

The bottom line is, well the bottom line. Food TV is about entertainment, it's not about food. If you

are really interested in food you'll spend more time doing things like going to farmers markets in all seasons and being inspired by what is available. Joining a CSA or reading cook books and making dinner parties instead of ordering and watching people on TV make food. To be that is really whats at issue here, Paula Deen is just another cook wanting to suck on the corporate teet. Tons of chefs do it, suggestion brand name products in recipes to ensure advertising dollars.

If you are looking for healthy inspiration your first big mistake is to be looking for on a corporate TV channel. Those days ended with Julia Child.

ps

just after I wrote this I noticed Frank Bruni's article in the NYT - check it out.

Top Hops

2012-01-20T19:54:00.001-05:00

Orchard Street South of Delancey has become one of the most interesting couple of blocks on the lower east side. Just this week self proclaimed beer advocates Top Hops have opened up a retail shop/bar at 94 Orchard.

It's a cavernous space with a open area and very bright lights as you walk in, the middle section is the bar/tasting are and in the back many, many fridges filled with every possible kid of beer imaginable.

They still seem to be working on their lighting as the beer fridges where under lit and the bar area so bright you could do an autopsy. Given they have only been open 4 days I'm sure they are still figuring things out. Certainly this is hands down the most serious beer place on the Lower East Side.

Turn Your Mason Jars Into Travel Mugs

2012-01-20T00:59:00.000-05:00

Such a simple clever idea. Cuppow has created a sip lid that be used with a Mason jar. So when you aren't canning you have yet another wonderful use for all your old canning jars! Perfect.

CUPPOW! from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.

We Have A Right To Know

2012-01-19T16:00:00.000-05:00

Great new video by Robert Kenner (Food Inc).

Watch it then spread the word here.

Ox Tail Stew

2012-01-19T15:19:00.000-05:00

This is a continuation of the video called Kill Floor which I post a few days back. Kevin points out what a tremendous amount of stuff is left for garbage because so consumers aren't interested in the less known parts of the cow like Ox tail, beef cheeks (which actually are both big in NYC) as well as tripe and organs. I think NYC is not typical, we have to many creative chefs to let any of this go to waste!

Episode 28 - Bin Food from Kevin Kossowan on Vimeo.

SOPA in a Nutshell

2012-01-18T16:15:00.001-05:00

for more click HERE

Imagine A World Without Free Knowledge

2012-01-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

or free recipes for that matter.

Here's how you can help stop internet censorship

Flan Impossible!

2012-01-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

So I have been a little obsessed with this Flan Impossible since I saw the recipe. It turned out great, but I have some reservations about the use of condensed milk and sweetened condensed milk in the flan part. Couldn't I use cream and sugar? So look for my version in the coming weeks.

The recipe calls for the milk/egg mixture to be blended but I used a whisk and it was fine.

The cajeta is supposed to be spread on the sides and bottom of the pan which is buttered mine kept sliding off the side and into the bottom so when you add the chocolate batter it was basically sitting in a puddle of Cajeta - it all worked fine.

The cake is supposed to be loosely covered in foil. I tried but..

Some of it stuck to the cake. I'm not sure it's needed but if you use it be careful, although in the end the cake worked out fine.

This is a great fairly easy cake that will wow your friends.

2011 Web Blog Awards

2012-01-16T11:59:00.000-05:00

Today at 10pm is your last chance to nominate your favorite blogs for a Bloggie - they have a food category - just saying

Animal Sanctuary

2012-01-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

This is a nice contrast to yesterday's posting instead of killing animals this woman shelters them. She has a wonderful perspective on being a vegetarian and on her relationship with the animals she takes care of.

The Perennial Plate Episode 87: Animal Sanctuary from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Stephen Colbert's First Campaign Ad

2012-01-15T13:14:00.000-05:00

A must watch and oddly related to the below post - he's so brilliant.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

The Kill Floor

2012-01-15T13:12:00.000-05:00

This is a must watch video by Kevin Kossowan - this is the third video of this Edmonton based videographer that I have posted. He has a way with a camera and a sensibility that I find very
beautiful, simple and often very powerful, particularly in this most recent episode.

The first 14 minutes of this video is a talking head interview with a very articulate, compassionate guy who owns a small scale, local meat processing plant. The guy interviewed is so smart and makes so much sense. When he speaks about how important animals are to our farming ecosystems and how essential it is to raise animals with compassion and love on a farm not in a CAFO.

Animals raised in this manner provide milk, mow the lawn (eat grass, grubs, maggots and other pests), provide fertilizer and in the end, provide meat. The end of their lives should be just as compassionate - but let's face it - killing an animal is upsetting - but a necessity if you want to eat meat. And one would argue that there is a right way of doing this and a wrong way. These guys are on the forefront of doing it the right way.

Slaughtering something is not an easy concept to grasp, in part because, as is so astutely pointed out, most meat eaters just want to see their meat presented on a slab of styrofoam wrapped in plastic in the meat section of the grocery store. Facing the reality of how a cow becomes a steak is something most of us never really do. I think, to actually live sustainably, to be a steward of the earth and an affective opponent of factory, mass produced, processed foods we need to understand just how this is done and how we can do it humanly. The last few minutes of the video show the process from start to finish. You don't have to watch it, but you must watch at least the first 14 minutes which is the interview portion of the video.

It is also interesting to me how we have such a different sense of fish. Just yesterday at Whole Foods they had an entire sword fish on a table being carved up off the bone, it was quite a gory scene, but no seemed to mind. I'd think most people just thought: Wow look at how fresh that fish is. Yet we know that a lot fish we eat are indeed sentient beings just like cows, some are even way smarter than cows like Octopus for example. Yet we don't seem to have any problem with eating them, that's OK but killing a fuzzy sad eyed cow is profoundly upsetting because we have anthropomorphized them since childhood. It's interesting to me to think about how we would go out and put worms on hooks and catch fish which we would gladly gut, filet and fry up, but to do that with a chicken is pretty much unthinkable.

Watch this:

Episode 27 - The Kill Floor from Kevin Kossowan on Vimeo.

Essence of Giant Water Bug

2012-01-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

Ok first off I have to say, as any of you who read this blog often will know, that I love Chinese grocery stores. I love them because of the vast array of items they sell, for there dedication to fish and meat with there face on (as upsetting as that can often be for people) and especially for all the weird shit you find that boggles the mind of a Westerner. This particular item has to be the winner, hands down, of the most strange item I have ever encountered. Water Giant Big Essence. Now of course the first place my mind goes is: What do you use it in? The second was to check the ingredients which all seem to be synthetic to me, water bug was not listed as an ingredient. It was in the "extract" section next to coconut and other extracts you'd use for baking. So....does this mean: Almond Water Bug Cookies? Water Bug Butter Cream Layer Cake? Taro Water Bug Mousse?

I had heard in Thailand that the "meat" of a water bug tasted no unlike lobster and that they were routinely fried and served in bars as snacks. If indeed they do taste like lobster I would think they would be good in a stir fry with lots of vegetables served over rice. Where I get lost is how they make the transition to an "extract" which to my understanding of it is only used in sweets. But maybe this is used for savory dishes? Anyone who is reading this that has any information about it please let me know I would really be interested in knowing what this would be used for,

As Chinese New Year is approaching all of Chinatown is preparing so lots of red lanterns and other decorations as well as celebratory sweets and baked goods.

Here are a few of my favorite items to celebrate the New Year:

The above is filled with candy. The plastic tree below is filled with, not surprisingly, fruit jells, that can be picked right from the tree!

Lastly I just thought this was fun as when read quickly could easily be called: Me So Easy. Maybe I'm projecting?

Sunset View

2012-01-14T15:13:00.000-05:00

Love it when the skyline of Manhattan reflects the setting sun. The view from our window, I rarely see this - usually not home at this hour or not paying attention.

How To Feed The World

2012-01-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

I came across this video on Vimeo and think it does a great job at breaking down the issues surrounding world hungry and how to feed the ever increasing number of people on the planet. It was made for ages 9-14 but I think works just fine for everyone.

How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on Vimeo.

Friday Funny: Hot Dog

2012-01-13T13:47:00.000-05:00

Actually it's more like cute dog ;-) So adorable!

Needlessly Alarming?

2012-01-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest ad from Mayor Blomberg in his fight against obesity and peoples bad eating habits:

The soda industry repsonds:

Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association, said the campaign is needlessly disturbing.

“Instead of utilizing scare tactics, the beverage industry is offering real solutions like smaller portioned containers and new calorie labels,” Friedman said.

I think the campaign is just right, it tells it like it is and it might just (and I say might) make some people realize that, oh, say water might be a better alternative to soda, even diet soda is not good for you.

Mayor Bloomberg should be applauded for his tough stance on this critical health issue.

Cajeta

2012-01-11T15:23:00.002-05:00

So I was looking at this cake recipe that had me intrigued first of all it's called Flan Impossible! (I feel the need for some reason to add the exclamation mark). The first thing the recipe says is you will need 1 cup Cajeta (homemade or store bought). I was like Cajeta what? Maybe I've been living under a culinary rock all my life,but I had never heard of Cajeta, and thought it was irresponsible of Saveur Magazine to just list it and breezily move along as if every house wife across America had Cajeta in their larder or a recipe close at hand. Dutifully I did a Google search and found out that Cajeta is another name for Dulce De Leche. Which recently I seem to be obsessed with as only a week ago I posted this recipe for making it using cans of sweetened condensed.

I like this recipe better, mostly because it uses real ingredients and gives you some options to play around with.

You can use Goat Milk or Cow Milk, I used Goat Milk, apparently Cow Milk Cajeta is popular in Cuba, but in this Mexican version Goat Milk and cinnamon are used.

In a large 6 Quart or bigger heavy bottomed pot add 2 Cups of Sugar and 1/2 gallon (2 quarts) of Milk.

Over medium high heat bring to slow rolling boil, stirring occasionally then immediately take it off the heat. In a small bowl add 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda and 1 tablespoon of Water, stir until dissolved. Pour into the hot milk and stir briefly. Depending on the kind of milk it will foam up considerably. Wait for this to subside (about 5 minutes and I gave it several stirs to help it along) then return it to the heat. At this point you can add a 2" stick of Cinnamon or a Vanilla bean pod. I think the vanilla is better added as an extract at the end. I used cinnamon which is nice but in a way I think you might want to make it just plain. Maybe adding a pinch of salt and some run at the end (maybe a pt of butter) but really this recipe should be all about simplicity. Adding all those things starts to make it something else, which could be equally delicious but something other than Cajeta.

You want it to be a gentle boil - and you need to keep an eye on it, stirring it often. This takes at least an hour or more.

When the mixture has boiled down to a nice thickness you are down. If when it cools you end up with more of a fudge then a thick sauce add some water and whisk until you get it to where you want it. This may require reheating it. I found it easy as long as I kept watching it. This is especially true in the later part of the cooking.

This is delicious on toast or ice cream on your fingers poured over, well, anything. - it's just fucking delicious! And a great thing to have in your fridge - put it in a fondue pot and serve with sliced apples and you have a fancy last minute dessert for company.

Cool Slow

2012-01-10T11:56:00.000-05:00

The Essex Farm grocery store in the Essex Street Market is one of my favorite on the Lower East Side, they sell fresh herbs for a $1 and have an amazing selection of produce and groceries with an especially impressive array of Mexican goods.

They also sell a few prepared things that sometimes when i am feeling lazy will avail myself to - one of them is pre-chopped cole slaw: red and green cabbage and shredded carrots all ready to be tossed with your favorite dressing (I also add currants, shredded apple and some nuts). The labeling on it changes, I found this weeks version particularly funny:

"Could I have a large portion of cool slow please?"

Damn, if I had a restaurant I would certainly call my Cole Slaw "Cool Slow" too good!

Jasper Hill Farms: Making Harbison Cheese

2012-01-09T11:09:00.001-05:00

This little film shows what goes into making one delicious round of Harbison cheese. It really makes me appreciate how labor intensive the process is and how worth it - it is to purchase local farmstead cheese. The craft and quality is just the best. My favorite is the guy in the woods making the elm strips: incredible.

A Tale of Two Restaurants

2012-01-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

Red Rooster and Vandaag are two restaurants that opened last year to much buzz and both I've wanted to visit, but have been remiss until just the other day when I was able to go to both of them on the same day.

Red Rooster is Marcus Samuelson's packed bistro in Harlem that Sam Sifton of the New York Times gave 2 stars. Vandaag is unique in that it's a restaurant serving, in theory, Dutch food. In reality it's a local look at Northern European cuisine. It also got 2 stars from the NYT. Both have serious chefs serving delicious food (from what little I got to sample) and both have beautiful, albeit very different, rooms.

Red Rooster is casual and comfortable with a big open kitchen that almost invites you in, book shelves with brick-a-brak, wall paper of old recipes and communal tables.

Vandaag is all minimalist modernism clean lines and hard surfaces with a whimsical use of color.

Where the two restaurants differ is service. I'd been warned that the service at Red Rooster was bad, really bad, but I thought it was bad in the slow-it's-so-crowded-we-are-overwhelmed-way. Indeed the restaurant was scarcely populated when I went in for lunch on Thursday. The weirdness started at the host desk when I asked to sit in the dining room not in the bar area (which is very nice I just wanted to experience the main dinning room). The hostess seemed disinclined to seat me there, but finally relented. And sat me at a communal table facing the kitchen.

I would have thought for a single person sitting in a restaurant you might want to have given them a view of the room, but it was so empty I could easily have moved if I had wanted to and I love watching people at work in the kitchen.

Then there was the waitress. Who was very perky (too perky for me) who actually said:

"Hi I'm ditzy (my name added I don't remember hers) and I'll be your waitress today. What kind of water would you like to drink? Would you like some corn bread it's really super good and I highly recommended it. It's only 5 dollars."

Seriously it was more like Hooters in Houston then a sophisticated 2 star restaurant in NYC.

I choose tap water and although well aware of the trend of restaurants to want to up the bill by adding extras like bubbly water, it's not a trend I like. Eating out shouldn't be like buying a used car. If I want Fiji water or Pelegrino I can ask. Ditto the corn bread which in this instance should have been free given there was no carbohydrate included in the meal (3 delicious crunchy coated chicken legs on a small pile of collards). What really confused me about the service was how uninformed she was about the food she was serving. I asked about the kind of meat used in the hamburger: the waitress gave me that Deer in the head lights look and ran off to ask another waiter. He came over to me and pronounced proudly: It's ground chuck.

I guess I wasn't clear, so I asked again:

Where is your meat from? Is it from a farm or a factory? Is it grass fed or corn fed or .....

It should be pointed out here that this kind of conversation is totally unnecessary in just about every restaurant in Brooklyn. And the sourcing of food is a major conversation just about everywhere in NYC these days so the fact that it wasn't just outright stated on the menu was a little off putting to me. It is a point of pride for most restaurants to have a list of the farms they source from publicly displayed.

The second waiter came back and said: yes it is grass fed.

After all that I ordered the chicken. $18 and a beer $7.

Dinner at Vandaag couldn't have been a more different experience.

There is an assuredness and intelligence to the service staff here; an attention to every little detail that I greatly appreciated. I was just sitting at the bar having a burger (the beef is sourced from a farm upstate and the bartender said it was mostly grass fed but he thinks because it's winter it may have been finished with grains). The wine list is all German and Austrian so the sommelier or manager (not sure) came over and we had a lovely conversation about the wines what they were like, what I preferred, narrowed it down to 2 wines, he poured me a taste of each...lovely.

The burger was perfectly cooked, and served on a homemade English muffin. Both meals ended up being the same exact same amount. I look forward to going back to Vandaag for dinner. I'll give Red Rooster another year to see if they can figure out the service thing.

I totally stole the above picture which was taken by Theo Morrison for the NYT because mine all sucked.

Funny

2012-01-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

I saw this poster coming home last night. I love New York

Ice and Smoke

2012-01-06T01:29:00.000-05:00

This beautiful and informative video is from Kevin Kossowan who won the Perennial Plate contest. He lives in Edmonton and is one gifted video maker and foodie. This is about ice fishing and smoking your catch.

KevinTV - Episode 26: Smoke & Ice from Kevin Kossowan on Vimeo.

Japadog Opens in the East Village

2012-01-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

Started as food cart in Vancouver Japadog is preparing for world dominance! As the name suggests Japadog is a uniquely Japanese take on hot dogs. I could never eat at the cart near my hotel in Vancouver because the lines were always too foreboding. They now have 4 carts and one store in Vancouver and as of today a place in NYC in Japan Town aka The East Village. They have chosen a very auspicious (well at least to me) space (30 St Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenue) as it was for many, many years the location of Go Sushi where I ate many times over the years and was one of the first, big (ish) Sushi places in the East Village (I think it must have opened in the late 80's but don't quote me on that). At that point there was maybe 3 or 4 places in all of the East Village to get good not so expensive Sushi - two of which are still there Hasaki and Natori.

My suggestion is go early if it is anywhere near as popular as the one in Vancouver it will be mobbed!

Kirsten Gillibrand: The Farm Bill Listening Tour

2012-01-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

It was a packed house up in the Bronx at Hostos College yesterday where Kirsten Gillibrand was having a listening tour about the upcoming Farm Bill. She is the first New Yorker in nearly 40 years to serve on the senate agricultural committee and I for one am very glad she will be bringing our message to congress.

It was also nice to see so many people from organizations that I support standing up and speaking so eloquently about a range of topics from food in schools to fracking and water safety to how to make your roof green.

It made me proud to be a New Yorker and especially happy that we are being so well represented by Ms. Gillibrand.

Gillibrand for President 2016? I can see it.

Nerd Moment

2012-01-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

So I was reading an announcement today for a new sustainable Southern Cooking restaurant that is opening today on Avenue C called Bobwhite Counter which looks really good I'm really excited to go try it out.

Years ago I used to have a Southeast Asian import store called Lao Lao Handmade on Avenue C. I was a bit ahead of the curve in my excitement for the potential of Avenue C so it is good to see it is evolving into a really interesting (and busy) food street (it use to be mostly just a drinking destination).

On their website Bobwhite Counter has a great introductory "about us" type essay which ends with the phrase:

"...and maybe even a few coveys of Quails"

A what? Coveys? At first I thought it was typo - given my own predilection for typos I automatically assume everyone else has the same issue - but no! Coveys (KUHV ee) is actually a real word which means: A flock or group of Quails.

There you go, your nerd moment for the day.

Now you know where I am going for lunch!

So cute and so tasty!

It's Back!

2012-01-04T18:36:00.001-05:00

I wrote about this limited edition little disk of cheese heaven a few months back. When I first got it, the folks at Saxelby were keeping it in the back, hidden away, only available for those in the know. So you can imagine my surprise and glee when yesterday I saw it proudly displayed out front and center. $29.99 per round and worth every penny, hurry up and get yours while you still can!

Sons of Essex

2012-01-03T19:57:00.000-05:00

It seems like every new restaurant that is opening in lower Manhattan looks like something that belongs in Williamsburg. I wonder how many barn board ceilings the Lower East Side can take before someone gets another idea? Don't get me wrong I love the Ye Old aesthetic that's taken the town by storm. What I most love is the ye old food philosophy that goes along with it.

Take care for example Sons of Essex which opened about a month ago on Essex street across the street from the Essex Market. The sign board out front advertising their lunch sandwiches made me want to stop everything and go in and sit down. It's great to see a menu that takes into consideration it's neighborhood. The Sloppy Judah manages to figure out a good way to use Manishewitz wine, while at the same time making reference to the historic jewish community that first populated the Lower East East many years ago. The LES Chicken sandwich makes good use of local Gus's pickles and adds a nice spin by battering and frying them. The last item is just plain fun, I love the combo of peanut butter and banana and think the idea of tempera frying it before smushing it between jelly slathered white bread is, well: genius. Of course I have yet to sample any of these, but if they are only half as good as they sound they will be pretty damn good.

My take on it is that the dinner scene is pretty happening and busy, but they have a small take away store fron with coffee, pastries and I'd imagine sandwiches which would allow you a taste of what's going on with out having to commit to a dinner reservation and rounding up friends. For sure, at the very least check out their site. The menu is a lot of fun: Grilled Cheese Salad?

Eating Mexican in Puerto Vallarta

2012-01-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

This trip I wanted to make more of an effort to get to all the Mexican restaurants that people liked and talked about. So I made a list and tried to get to them all. El Arrayan I missed because I went on a Tuesday and they are closed on Tuesday. Red Cabbage I went to twice, once by myself and once with Neil and a friend. I wasn't sure how Neil would deal with the menu but I felt it was a place he should see. At the end of town on the river this arty little restaurant has been serving up traditional Mexican food for 30 years. The room is covered with pictures of Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivero, the tables painted with poetry. At the end of my first meal the owner came over and chatted. The highlight for me was the Squash Blossom Quesadilla and piquante sauce. Red Cabbage has a daily special which I had both times, both times a slow cooked pork both times very tasty. This is a serious restaurant that needs more then two visits to really get a sense of, I really appreciate that they have a dish on the menu that Frieda and Diego had at their wedding, they also have the classic Mexican feast dish Chiles en Nogata as a regular item on the menu. For those not hankering Mexican a few international items are offerred along with a long list of Vegetarian option. Neil had the vegetarian Mexican plate and found it bland and not to his liking, but Neil is very specific in his taste and hot sauce is available which would liven up anything, so I would recommend this place to veggie and fish eaters.

My favorite dish which I hope to be able to recreate here at home is Quesidilla de flor de Calabaza (squash blossom). The leaves on either side of the tomato rose were a kind of oregano.

Yummy muy piquante sauce for the quesidilla.

My special del dia stewed pork.

Mama Rosa is over in the Centro district which is also called 5 de diciembre. Just up the street from the arguably most famous restaurant in Puerto Vallarta (Cafe des Artistes ). Mama Rosa is a very traditional Mexican restaurant, a lovely room with great service.

The tasty complimentary amuse buche.

I had the classic mexican dish Chilies en Nogata as part of the very reasonable 199 peso prix fix menu offered (about $15). To begin was a Jicama salad.

For desert was a passion fruit cheese cake thing.

For me, when I eat Mexican food or Thai food in Thailand or German food in Berlin is search out authentic flavors and presentations. This food was a bit on the fancy side for me and not so tasty, like so many restaurants in Puerto Vallarta I feel like the food has been watered down or gussied up to appeal to Gringo tastes. The sauce on the Nogata was a little too sweet for me, the carrots (and I found this in several restaurant in PV) tasted of plastic packaging. The dessert was rubbery and bland (and can I just tell you again how much I HATE maraschino cherries?. This is a highly regarded restaurant that is very charming and many people like, I only went once and if I had more time I would like to have gone again to get a better over view of the cooking. They are closed on Monday and also offer breakfast.

The other place of "note" that I went based on many recommendations was No Way Jose. The restaurant ins on two levels. When I got there the downstairs street level space was empty save maybe one table, I asked if I could sit upstairs. The host was apprehensive and said I may have to wait 15 minutes as it was full, I said sure I'd wait. As a single person I didn't want to sit in an empty restaurant.
When it was clear that I was insistent on sitting upstairs the host said to follow him and we could see what the situation was upstairs. Against one wall is a small stage with a Mariachi band playing, the waiters are performing theater all over the room with flaming three tired drinks concoctions and the feel is very lively, most of the tables are large parties, but indeed a third of the seats are empty. The room has a hight clay tile roof and is very much a traditional rustic style Mexican restaurant.

The service was solicitous and prompt. The food thatI had mediocre. After the band finished it's set they wandered the room to go table to table to see if anyone wanted a private serenade (this is typical everywhere, but I hate it. I actually saw a guy who was having dinner with his girlfriend/wife and paid the band not to play and go away). All in all I felt this place was a typical tourist place selling an idea of Mexican food and culture, but with little authenticity.

In the end the two places that I ate at this year that really stood out were Red Cabbage and Fredy's Ocho Tostadas - Fredy's food was vibrant fresh and so delicious - the room bright simple down to earth. Red Cabbage has a sense of history both as a place and in terms of the menu. Very different kinds of restaurants yet they both share the same goal of serving high quality authentic Mexican food.

Goose Burgers

2012-01-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest installment from the Perennial Plate folks. Basically about what makes an invasive species and how to deal with them. What till have the credits for the highlight of the video. Oh and can I just say Goose Burgers are now very much on my radar they look amazing!

The Perennial Plate Episode 85: Goose Dilemma from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

New Years Eve Menu

2012-01-02T01:54:00.000-05:00

Homemade Dulce De Leche

2012-01-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

This was the easiest thing to make and quite surprising to me. Buy three 14 ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk (organic is available for about a buck more). Pierce each tin once with a can opener. It's the kind of can opener we used to open can's of juice with when we were kids, now everything is twist off , so it made this seem like an old fashioned thing to do.

Cover the tops of the tins with tin foil, get as tight a seal as you can and place the tins in a heavy bottomed pot of hot water and bring to a rolling boil. The water should come up to within an inch of the top of the tins. The tins may bounce a bit, the water may get a little milky and even developer a scum. Water may spil onto the top of the tins: Not to worry.

Fill the pot with more hot water when ever it starts to get low. Do this for 4 hours. Yes it is a time commitment, but worth it! You need to be checking in every 20 minutes or so.

When the 4 hours are up turn off the heat, with tongues carefully remove the tins, discar the tin foil and let sit until they have cooled enough to be able to handle comfortably: 10-15 minutes.

Remove the lids with a can opener and you have dulce de leche. I made mine into a fondue and dipped pineapple, green apples and homemade date nut bars into it.

Now I'm thinking about making ice cream... if you have the time this is a much cheaper way to get Dulce de Leche which can be fairly pricey depending on the brand and the size. To make the fondue I emptied the cans into a large metal bowl, whipped into a nice consistency and then kept warm over a pot of simmering water. When it was time for dessert I poured it into my fondue pot and served it with the above mentioned dippings. Sour works best but the date nut bars were pretty awesome. And if you got the link you'll notice that the bars there are just called Date Bars, I felt with the heaping cup of pecans that I added that the nuts should get equal billing.

This recipe was adapted from the wonderful book Fondue by Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan published by Ten Speed Press.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T14:24:00.000-05:00

OK so this should probably be a photo of festive food or a recipe for canapes or something, but alas, it's an awesome video of how Sydney rang in the new year with the most amazing fireworks display think I have ever witnessed. Have a great New Year and thanks for visiting this year I have great plans for a bigger better dot com site launching (fingers crossed) this spring. Stayed tuned!

Dee's Coffee Company: Best Coffee and Baked Goods in Puerto Vallarta

2011-12-29T19:08:00.000-05:00

At Dee's Coffee Company the coffee is organic, they don't do brewed just Americano and espresso drinks and all the baked goods are made in the back. The sweets have an old fashioned baked goods feel that remind me of growing up in Canada, walnut cranberry loaf, dates squares and awesome brownies. They also do several variations of all day breakfast, my favorite was a multi grain bagel with eggs, cheese and tomato, thought they could do with some more readily available salt and pepper, which always seems elusive to me, but that's a small problem given the immense amount of joy this place gave me while I was there. Oh and don't forget to get the password for the free wifi!

Yummy!

The kitchen at the back of the shop where all the magic happens.

Mercado Del Mar

2011-12-28T13:20:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I just threw these pictures up as I was leaving to catch my plane, so now I am finally settled back home and wanted to give you the dirt on this great mercato in Puerto Vallarta which is where the best chefs in town get their seafood. Located in Centro or the 5 de Dicembre neighborhood it is a good walk from the hills about Los Muertos beach, but easily reached by taking the Tunnel bus and getting off at the cemetery or it's a nice 30 minute or so walk. The key is to get here early. By noon the best stuff if gone.

The market is on San Salvador street on the corner of Brasilia and is worth going even if all you want to do is look as there is much more here then just fish as you will see in the pictures below.

This is probably the best most authentic and diverse market in Puerto Vallarta and a must visit for anyone interested in cooking.

This blue carp reminded me of a fish I saw in Bangkok at Chatachuk market, which was for sale alive there as a very attractive addition to a goldfish pond. This was the first time I have seen a blue carp since then, the amazing thing about it when it was still swimming (the one in Bangkok) not only was it this insane color of blue but the scales were tipped with a metallic gold, it was so beautiful it made you want to have a goldfish pond just so you could buy it. The one pictured above was a one off and not selling very well. My guess it was by catch and so they gutted it and were trying to sell it....which is too bad as they are so stunning swimming about it's a shame to lose such a beauty.

Home made pork rinds.

In addition to fish and produce there were several places to eat and a good butcher or two.

Secret Recipe

2011-12-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

This recipe for Coconut Shrimp and Mango Sauce is on the menu at Fredy's Ocho Tostadas.

When I get back home I will try and decipher it in more precise measurements. Until then it looks like a great dish for New Years and could easily be down with Monk Fish or other white meaty fish (even chicken).

Double click to embiggen:

Occupy Wall Street Farmers March

2011-12-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

This is s a very moving video of the occupy wall street farmers march that took place December 4th was made by the folks at Food Democracy Now. The footage of the farmers and supporters giving speeches (with a microphone) is at La Plaza Cultural where Neil and I have out community garden plot.

Fredy's Ocho Tostadas

2011-12-26T14:06:00.001-05:00

This is my favorite new restaurant in Puerto Vallarta a 40 minute walk from old town, behind the Municipal Stadium. They are not open for dinner, hours are 11-7 and they are closed on Tuesday.
Fredy's: 413 Ecuador street at Rio Guayaquil.

The food is seafood with an italian twist done from a Mexican perspective: Awesome!

I'm not sure how taco chips came in to being, but here and elsewhere the tosado rules (which makes sense her given the name of the place).

Love the open kitchen and the very open inside outside space that is the restaurant.

This white fish ceviche was made transcendent by the addition of sweet potato which when mixed with the chili infused lime vinaigrette was amazing. A real revelation. The corn used was also not like sweet corn we know it was chewy and almost nutty.

The story goes that long ago there where three brothers who owned one restaurant - now there are three restaurants all with similar names, they had some sort of family fight, but from what I can tell this is the place to eat, one of the others is further a field in the Marina - word on the street is that it is OK with really great ceviches but lack luster mains. I can't confirm that as I have not been...if you decided to do a sampling of all three let me know!

Neil looking very happy after his perfectly seared local yellow fin tuna.

My super yummy seafood pasta.

Me looking equally happy and very full after my lunch.

And yes Fredy is spelt with one "d" it's not just my bad typing!

Happy Holidays from Puerto Vallarta

2011-12-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays, thanks for reading looking. Have a happy, healthy, holiday. My plans for the 25th this year include having breakfast on the beach, Seafood for dinner and to be sipping a frozen Margarita by the pool in the evening while I watch the fireworks across the bay. I've had enough Turkey for one life time and have to admit as I get older I don't miss the cold one bit (though the last few days in NYC have been very warm with highs of near 60F ?). Enjoy your holidays where ever you are and however you may celebrate them.

From The Farmers Mouth

2011-12-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

I saw this video on Facebook, it is part of Perennial Plates' video competition. This is the one I voted for:

KevinTV - From The Farmer's Mouth from Kevin Kossowan on Vimeo.

Saturday Markets Old Town Puerta Vallarta

2011-12-23T13:41:00.000-05:00

These flowers are suspended in jello and made by injecting milk solids that are flavored with a needle. I bought one and will get back to you on this mysterious art (I thought they were paper weights).

Lots of baked goods...

And art...

Off the street and into the school yard.

The entertainment.

Ley's Grocery Store

2011-12-22T18:05:00.003-05:00

Ley's is the big Mexican grocery store in Centro. These are just some of the images from my visit - I have to run, but check back for more along with some comments.

If you could, wouldn't you want to only clean with a product called: Fabuloso!?

The staples: Limes

chilies...tomatillo

aloe, more chilies....

This was the biggest cinnamon I have ever seen...

Basically $18 a kilo which would work out to be $9 bucks a pound - pretty good.

Love this: Extra Pasion! Make cereal like candy and give it a sexy name: SOLD.

The only reason I took this picture is because the phrase Hot Cakes is something I always associate with Eva Gabor's character in Green Acres when I was a kid. Her's were always inedible, but she kept making them anyway.

This is the traditional Mexican Hot Chocolate that is now owned by....

This was my favorite section: The tequila sale table.

This box had a colorful flask in the box that you got if you bought this promotion.

The value jug:

The margarine section.

In all of that one brand of butter (nice packaging) salted and unsalted, but you had to really looked amongst the dozens of kinds of margarine.

A little local flavor.

Never have I ever seen so many kinds of powder drink flavors. It almost, but not quite, makes me want to try them.

Colored jello cubes in custard..at least that's my guess...festive.

The candies at the feet of the clowns seems like over kill to me.

Face masks were worn by everyone preparing food. It look very surgical.

But then the meat was in big vats that unmasked customers could pick over...

Little baby delicious apples.

Conagra has cornered the market in microwave popcorn.

With lots of local flavors.

And this was so weird (and cheap) that I had to buy a bottle: locally made Lambrusco. Traditionally an Italian lightly frizzante red wine.

Dumpster Diving

2011-12-22T17:21:00.003-05:00

The Perennial Plate Episode 84: Dumpster Diver from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Off the top of my head I don't remember when I posted another video about dumpster diving, but it seems to me someone has made a full length movie documenting this movement which seems to be particularly big in the Pacific Northwest (I'm thinking Portland) but by no means exclusively.

Anyone who has ever worked a catering jobs knows how much food goes to waste, so it's great to see folks who aren't turned off by jumping into a large garbage bin to sort through discarded food, a lot of which, as you will see, is perfectly edible.

Oh I am so glad to have my computer back! Did I say that already? Well it's worth repeating wheeeeeeee!

Yarita Bakery

2011-12-22T17:15:00.002-05:00

Panaderia y Pasteleria Yarita is an old world style traditional Mexican bakery at 44 Basilla Badillo is a treasure trove of sugary goodness.

How can you choose just one?

I think these coconut tartlettes are my favorite.

Love an open kitchen.

It's hard to tell from this picture but these icing sugar coated cakes are pink.

Nasa We Have a Problem

2011-12-20T11:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my computer woke up very unhappy.

I was able to find and take it to a computer fix it store- which is run by a guy from Saskatoon and his buddy from Hamilton (Canada where I was born). Tonight or maybe tomorrow I should have word on it's condition. Please send good wishes to my computer and hope it can be saved! Otherwise I will continue to blog but without pictured until I can find a way to do this from an internet computer place.

Happy holidays! Guess what I want for Christmas!

Street Food on Venustiano Carranza

2011-12-19T14:14:00.000-05:00

It's not that I haven't seen or blogged about street food in Puerto Vallarta before, but now I am noticing more and more of it. Not just a stand where people pick something up to go either places with chairs on the streets where you can eat and hang out. There are 2 (maybe 3) such stands next to the huge Pharmacia Guadalajara that reminded me of Bangkok where they will set up complete make shift restaurants on the side walk.

Just up the street on Venustiano Carranza is a bustling local restaurant that stood in stark contrast to the fancy place next store (Casa Naranja) which was empty while the other place (name to come) was happening. It seems maybe easy to say this is a reflection of the economy, everyone here is complaining that this is one of the slowest high seasons they have seen.

An Evening Stroll Along the Malecon

2011-12-17T21:37:00.002-05:00

The Malecon is the boardwalk that goes along the beach from the south side to the north side and where many local food vendor set up shop in the evening.

Corn the staple grain of Mexico.

Piñata by the Sea

2011-12-17T20:54:00.000-05:00

This scene was accompanied but a very long sound track which was obviously some sort of traditional Piñatas song as the words Piñata were repeated over and over again.

Apparently the 5 points represent sins so when you beat the points off, defeating sin, you are rewarded with sweets and gifts!

The Piñata is on a wire so that it can be moved in and out of reach of the child with the stick.

Once broken open it's a free for all....

Wintermarket IV

2011-12-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that this Sunday will mark the 50th New Amsterdam Market at the site of the old Fulton Street Fish market.

This is a great place to stroll around and take in the best New York food vendors, farmers and artisanal food producers there are. It's also a wonderful place to get the foodies in your life wonderful, local, handmade (grown) presents for the holidays that they will love and devour!

If you haven't already gone to the New Amsterdam Market it is a must do and the perfect place to go for seasonal inspiration.

Much more on life here in Puerto Vallarta later. Right now I'm busy visiting old haunts and catching up with friends trying to search our what's new and interesting food wise. Tomorrow is the local farmers market, I'm so psyched!

Bananas Meet Graffiti

2011-12-15T19:51:00.001-05:00

One of the things I love about being some place tropical is how even on a city street you will come across a Durian tree or Orange tree. Yesterday I had just left my apartment for the first time and was walking down a steep set of stars when I came upon a great big bunch of green bananas. Perfect, I think and get out my camera for a little photo shoot.

It took me a while to realize that the graffiti covered wall was ruining the tropical paradise vibe I was going for.

So just as I am about to turn around and shoot them from a different point if view I look more closely at the wall.

Nice: Kill Canadiens. It's always funny to me that where ever you travel in the world the people who hate you and are most concerned with issue pertaining to preserving their language and culture make sure to write the graffiti they want you to read in the language you will understand. And usually with a few, often times funny, spelling mistakes. Yanquees Go Home I saw once in Spain. And lots of Anglos go home type stuff in English in Montreal (which is against the law in Quebec - English signs, but I guess OK if you are protesting the damn English!).

Needless to say that I know longer take this stairway.

Here is the picture I was looking for:

Speaking of Banana's, Colleen's Breakfast place which used to be at the Swedes Restaurant moved then got displaced and now is homeless! She makes the most amazing Banana Bread French toast, totally over the top and not at all what you should be eating if you want to be seen on the beach, but just the trick if you are hung over ;-) I hope she finds a place before Neil gets here as he loves her cinnamon bun french toast.

Back Again: Puerto Vallarta Year 3

2011-12-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

I love it here. I stayed up all last night to get to the airport at 4 am and really just want to go to bed, but I'm determined to go out and have a little something to eat! I bought Neil's favorite snake food: Salsa Fresca, Mild local Cheddar and Tostados (and beer for me!)

Christmas Cottage Cake

2011-12-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

This video is more inspiration then anything else, and beautiful. I found it while trying to stay awake until 3:30 when I have to go to the airport to start my yearly journey to Puerto Vallarta (this will be my third year). So While I am on the plan you can contemplate making this for christmas.

The video is made by stupidcreative.co.uk
and the cake by recipesfromanormalmum.com

Christmas Cottage Cake from Stupid on Vimeo.

Perennial Plate at Prune

2011-12-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

I was so bummed when I found out that as part of their road trip they were going to be in NYC and that Daniel was cooking a dinner at Prune. The last time I went to Prune they served me those hideous black canned olives and celery sticks as a little amuse, needless to say I wasn't amused. What is it with people and those hideous chemically altered to look black unripe green olives in a can that people think worthy of existence? It sure ain't about taste....anyway, I digress, that was the last time I ate at Prune and would love to have been able to go to this shin dig, but sadly was out of town, so it's great to catch a glimpse of it in this weeks video.

The Perennial Plate Episode 83: A Dinner on 1st Street from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Be Veg?

2011-12-11T12:20:00.004-05:00

The video below is about an ad campaign running in the Toronto subways called: Be Veg.ca.
I was vegetarian for a decade and believe, as Michael Pollan does, that people should have a plant based diet and that CAFO's are horrible things that need to be eliminated. I do not think that means you have to be a vegetarian or a vegan, I think that means we all need to eat less meat and know where our meat comes from. All I want to point out her eis that is some middle ground options, a lot of vegetarians eat fish, dairy and eggs there is a lot of gray area which I feel it is important to point out.

It's unrealistic to ask people to make a drastic change in the way they eat and not present them with the alternatives, which are: Eat local, sustainably, compassionately raised, food for straters - eliminate the factory from all your food not just the meat/dairy/egg part.

Grass fed Cows live longer and happier lives and are making a invaluable contribution to the lives of the farmers who raise them. As do the chickens, two animals that would be extinct if it were not for farmers. Yes factory farming is disgusting inhuman and totally not acceptable, but to suggest the best way to battle it is to not eat any animal products is, to me, not realistic. It is an option and one that many people are taking being vegan is an option,which if fine and good, but it's not for everyone. And if you want to still eat some meat or animal products in your diet there are ways to do it humanely.

Our diet has developed over decades, cheese is a way of preserving food so it last longer so we can have something to eat in the winter and to use al the left over milk the cows are producing. If we were to truly only eat food from farms, if we were to ask every time we went to a restaurant: Is your meat from a farm or a factory? Then ask what farm? Or say: Oh I don't eat factory meat then more and more food vendors would start supporting sustainable agriculture and more and more people would start eating it. This seems to me to be more of a sensible transition....but before anyone makes a decision they need to read Wendell Berry, Joel Salatin, Michael Pollan and in particular Richard Wrangham's: Catching Fire.

It is so important for us to be compassionate to animals, and the factory farming of them is disgusting, but that is not the entire story it is only part of the story and most people don't seem to realize that Farmers have a had go of it and need to make a living, animals have been an intrinsic part of agricultural life for centuries. They provide free fertilizer (allowing us not to have to by chemical fertilizers), they mow the lawn, eat larvae, maggots and insects that would otherwise be hazardous to the crops or annoying to both people and animals and their eggs and milk provide important food sources that can either sustain the farmer and her family but also be sold at market. And these are only some of the things farm animals can provide. The important thing is to make the distinction between factory farming and real local family farming. Animals and humans had developed over the years a symbiotic relationship they depend on us for life as we do on them. Chickens and cows would become extinct if it were not for humans keeping them safe from the wolves in the woods. And vegetables would not thrive with out there help either. So to suggest we should just abandon them because they are cute and have intelligence and feelings is to me simplistic and narrow minded. The issue at hand is how can we get back to a more sustainable compassionate way of farming that doesn't involve CAFO's and businessmen crunching numbers treating life like a commodity.

Oh and for the record lots of other cultures eat dogs, the market I went into in Hanoi had pet dogs running around all over and cooked ones for sale in the food stalls.

I admire any campaign that takes on the evils of factory farming, but I think that there are other compassionate options than "going veg" and that the conversation needs to be expanded to include them.

Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower Two Ways

2011-12-10T14:11:00.000-05:00

Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts are the only things left at the market that aren't a root vegetable or a squash like thing. Oh OK well maybe you might be lucky and see some Broccoli but for the most part these two stalwarts are still around and make a delicious paring. Easy to prepare I have been making them a lot lately and have two favorite recipes for making these two Autumn favorites sing with flavor. Even for those people who don't really like Brussel Sprouts I think these two versions might actually change your mind about how delicious they can be. I've chosen to mix them together, but by all means if you want to make either of these recipes with just Cauliflower or just Brussel Sprouts they work just as well.

Version 1

Preheat the oven to 425 F

Both of these recipes call for a combined weight of 3 pounds of vegetables which have been cleaned trimmed and chopped into bite size pieces. If the Brussel Sprouts are really big quarter them, if they are really small leave them whole and if they are somewhere in the middle halve them.

Spread out 1 cup of walnuts on a baking sheet and bake till brown (about 10 minutes) remove from the oven and let cool. When cook enough to handle roughly chop. Reserve.

Toss the prepared sprouts and Cauliflower with about 1/3 cup of olive oil using more or less, just make sure they are well coated. To roast them I used two baking sheets so as not to overcrowd them. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, at the half way point give them a stir and turn the pans around.

While they are coking in a medium size bowl add: 1 heaping tablespoon of Grain Mustard, 2 tablespoons of local Honey, 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar and whisk until emulsified.

Stir in: 1, 2 ounce tin of Anchovies finely chopped, 3 tablespoons of Capers rinsed and roughly chopped, 2 large Garlic cloves finely chopped, 2 Shallots finely chopped, and 2 Tablespoons of roughly torn fresh Mint - taste and season with salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste.

Add half the dressing to the cooked vegetables and toss in the walnuts. The dressing is pretty strong, I love it but taste it and you go so that at any point you think it is enough you can stop and reserve the left over for a later date.

Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

(This was adapted from a recipe on Food & Wine's website)

Version 2

Same oven temperature, same prep and amount of vegetables as above, just a different dressing.

In a medium bowl add: 1/4 cup Fish Sauce, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar, juice of 1 Lime, 1/4 cup palm sugar, 1 clove Garlic finely chopped, 1-3 Thai red birds eye chili pepper thinly sliced seed included (I start with 1 chili and if I want more heat add more depends on the crowd, I love heat some people don't). Lets sit for about 5 minutes to let the palm sugar time to melt then whisk together.

Add: 3 Tablespoons roughly chopped mint, 2 Tablespoons of very thinly sliced Cilantro stems, 1/2 cup Cilantro leaves and mix.

The original recipe calls for puffed rice to be added as the very end, I found this to be an impossible item to find in Chinatown so I bought puffed rice crackers, broke them up with my hands until they were no longer in clumps and browned them in a hot skillet for about 1 minute. Keep a keen eye on these as they will burn in a second if you aren't watching (I burnt mine twice!). You want 1 cup of browned puffed rice.

When the vegetables are cooked, place in a large bowl and toss in the dressing.

Taste and season with salt and freshly grated black pepper, adding more hot peppers if you want. Toss in the puffed rice and serve. You may want to add more lime juice for an extra zing, I made this several times and more often than not I used the juice of 2 Limes as I really liked how the fresh citrus flavor livens everything up.

If you are vegan you could replace the fish sauce with Usukuchi (light soy sauce). I've never done this replacement so if you do try it please let me know how it works out!

(This recipe was adapted from a recipe in David Chang and Peter Meehan's Momofuku cookbook)

Apples Dressed Up

2011-12-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

By simply changing the form of an apple pie you can also change the way it is perceived when it is brought to the table. This classy rectangle of pastry and apples looks so much more dressed up than a pie. Not really sure why that it, maybe it's the the fluted edges I trimmed with my ravioli cutter, or the sheen from the glaze that is made using the skin and cores of the apples. I particularly like this trick as it makes use of something that you would typically just discard. Use tart green apples like Crispin or Granny Smith.

Apple Tart

Make a basic pie dough - I used my galette dough adding 2 Tablespoons of sugar (from the 1/2 teaspoon called for in the original recipe).

Preheat the oven to 375 F

After the dough has been chilled at least for 30 minutes or as much as over night. Split it in half, reserving one half for another use and rolling the other half out into a large rectangle on a sheet of parchment paper (I use a cookie sheet as my guide and make it so that the pastry will fit inside the sheet easily). Don't get too stressed about the edges, use a knife or a fluted ravioli roller or what ever you want to trim the edges and even the whole affair out.) Once you have it trimmed just pick up the ends of the parchment paper and place on the cookie sheet. Put it in the freezer.

Peel , core and slice 4-5 tart apples, placing the cores and peel in a heavy bottomed saucepan.

Add 1 cup or water and 1 cup of sugar to the pan and bring to a simmer, cook until thickened - remove from heat strain through a fine sieve discarding the solids and place the syrup back into the pan. You may need to reheat it to thin it when the time comes to brush it on the tart.

Slice the apples thinly so that can be fanned out onto the chilled dough.

Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of sugar over the apples and place in the oven. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, the pastry should be browned and the apples soft.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. With a pastry brush spread the glaze evenly over the apples. Serve with unsweetened whip cream, or add a splash of Calvados. I served my with Calvados Ice Cream I had made for another reason. Calvados Ice Cream is just basic Vanilla with 2 Tablespoons of Calvados instead of adding any Vanilla Extract (I did use 1 Vanilla bean).

A simple, delicious, seasonal sweet that is a nice variation on the traditional apple pie.