Tag Archives: NY Times

Post DIY Stock, DIY Thanksgiving Stuffing??

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What comes after making your own Vegetable Stock? Thanksgiving stuffing, or dressing as called by some, cannot be far behind. Thanksgiving is all about tradition, and we have always made stuffing from the Pepperidge Farm cubed bread in a bag. But as I am getting bolder in my DIY ways, I am tempted to veer off course and try my own hand. This article by Julia Moskin from the NY Times has me thinking….

At the end of the day, the Pepperidge Farm bagged variety is nothing more than seasoned bread. But it does have a strong track record and brand.

What’s your preference?

True Confessions: I Heart Snails

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As many of you know, I have been a vegetarian for a looong time (ok, pescatarian). I have not eaten meat/chicken/turkey of any kind for over a decade. But, admittedly a few escargot have passed these lips. I remember first tasting snails as a little girl. For some reason, my mom kept a set of large shells in a plastic tube and she would actually prepare escargot once in awhile. The actual snails were sold in a can, and my mom would make the decadent butter, shallot and parsley sauce. After gobbling up the snails, I’d dunk bread in the heavenly butter sauce and sop up every bit. That may be my “madeline” moment  from childhood.

Bizarre, I know. But my mom didn’t bake, so I had snails. I really don’t know how snails are categorized (fish, fowl, insect??), apart from being gastropods. Wikipedia calls them gastropod mollusks, so does that put them in the same category as fish? But the snails commonly served as escargot are definitely terrestrial, not maritime.  I guess that’s why I haven’t been able to let them go despite the fact that when I think intellectually about what I’m eating, it’s totally gross.

I enjoyed Jeff Gordinier’s tongue in cheek NY Times article entitled, “The Snail Wrangler.” It’s about the elevation of the common snail  in today’s restaurant supply chain. It reminded me of my fondness for escargot, despite the obvious contradictions with my usual eating habits.

Please don’t think less of me for divulging this weakness…and feel free to share any of yours.

Restaurant Sub-cultures – Terms of Service by Ben Schott

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I found this article by Ben Schott in today’s NY Times absolutely fascinating. The articles’s entitled “Terms of Service” and lists insiders’ lingo at some of New York City’s top restaurants. Ever wonder what they say behind closed kitchen doors? Or when that snooty reservationist puts the receiver down?

Some abbreviations are downright funny, some offensive, some clever. Interesting also how the -phrases used represent the establishment’s culture and vibe. I did find a few surprises, too. Who ever thought the clientele at Daniel, Daniel Boulud’s formal restaurant on the Upper East Side, would be referred to as Original Gangstas?

Happy reading and let me know what you think…

Back on the Chain Gang

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I am getting geared up for my CSA pick up tomorrow morning. I’ve been missing me some Wolfe Spring Farm. And to hit the pots and pans again. Fortunately the weather is cooperating and the heat has lifted, too. I missed last week’s pick up due to our Maine excursion, but I am getting psyched for tomorrow. When I am not in town to pick up at Wolfe Spring, we give the pick up to our neighbor, Dan Doern. Through the grapevine, I heard that we missed out on:

  • Mini eggplants
  • Squash
  • Salad greens
  • Awesome garlic
  • Yellow shallots (which I’ve never seen before)
  • String beans
  • 1 tomato
  • And a repeat offender: Beautiful sunflowers

[Dan sent me an update today,7/22/12, adding on the original list. He said that he also picked up new red potatoes, broccoli, zucchini. Dan said he,

took the whole potatoes, sliced zucchini, the whole mini-eggplants and pieces of broccoli, tossed them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, lots of fresh oregano from our garden, lemon and orange slices, dumped them in a roasting pan and slow cooked them.    They were delicious!]

Also in time for the weekend, there was an article after my own heart in Wednesday’s Dining section of the NY Times. Entitled “Raw Panic,” Julia Moskin writes about the home cook’s anxiety at mid-summer when you’ve brought home more fresh fruits and veg from the market than you know what to do with. I want to try this recipe for veggie fritters tomorrow, using beets and leeks:

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pick up. And tell me about your vegetable anxiety. Or tell me that I’m crazy for having vegetable anxiety.