Restaurants: September 2003 Archives

This is a restaurant in Chelsea Market that is committed to using organic ingredients. It's a cute little place, with only a few tables, but reasonably priced.

We went there yesterday after some gallery-hopping. While we were having lunch, though, Todd started to feel nauseated, so I had to wolf down my food (a meatloaf sandwich with a sweet and spicy tomato chutney and mustardy coleslaw) so we could go. But we'll definitely go back. We like to spend our free time visiting galleries in the area and I never know where to eat. (Todd is feeling better, and it wasn't the chicken pot pie. It's much more likely that he was sick with disappointment about the photography exhibits we saw that morning. Nothing outstanding, although I really liked the series of tract houses and old barns at Robert Mann galleries, and the 360 degree views of famous sites like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Louvre at Laurence Miller were kind of interesting.)

This is a restaurant in Chelsea Market that is committed to using organic ingredients. It's a cute little place, with only a few tables, but reasonably priced.

We went there yesterday after some gallery-hopping. While we were having lunch, though, Todd started to feel nauseated, so I had to wolf down my food (a meatloaf sandwich with a sweet and spicy tomato chutney and mustardy coleslaw) so we could go. But we'll definitely go back. We like to spend our free time visiting galleries in the area and I never know where to eat. (Todd is feeling better, and it wasn't the chicken pot pie. It's much more likely that he was sick with disappointment about the photography exhibits we saw that morning. Nothing outstanding, although I really liked the series of tract houses and old barns at Robert Mann galleries, and the 360 degree views of famous sites like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Louvre at Laurence Miller were kind of interesting.)

I always noticed this bread at the fruit and vegetable place near my apartment, and wanted to try to make something with it. It's probably close to three feet long and very soft. (And only 99 cents! I don't understand how these pitas and breads can be so cheap. Especially when it's about $5 to buy a loaf at a bread shop and $2.50 to buy a loaf of supermarket bread. I know the quality doesn't rival the bread shop bread, but it's "daily bread" quality and always fresh.) It says on the package to keep it refrigerated, but I had to fold it in half to get it to fit in the fridge. Todd would shake his head every time he opened the door. So I made a pizza.

I spread marinara sauce over half the bread, then grated some Parmesan over that and sprinkled it with oregano and red pepper flakes. Added shredded mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced proscuitto and more mozzarella. Baked it on the oven floor for about 12 minutes with the oven at 450 degrees. The bread made a good crust. As I suspected, it didn't have a huge amount of flavor, but it was thick and light, kind of soft but crisp on the bottom and firm enough to eat slices out of hand without them drooping. I think the bread might make good panini. It seems that slightly thick, light bread, like focaccia, compacts and gets crusty in a press, making a nice, crisp, thin sandwich.

It's popular among those who consider themselves food enthusiasts in NYC to criticize the titular cakes from Cupcake Cafe, and so I feel the need to defend them. A friend is getting married this weekend and the buttercream-laden cupcakes were featured at her shower here at work, so I've had a couple in the last few days.

They're good for the type of dessert they are: elaborately decorated, very pretty. They're small, which is good because they frosting has the texture of pure butter and the cake is pretty dense. But I feel like it strikes a good balance. The size is perfect for the richness, the slight dryness of the cake complements the moist buttercream. There's just the right hint of sweetness without going anywhere near sweet or cloying. I don't feel sick when I'm done eating one, but I'm definitely done. Too-light desserts don't give you that satisfied feeling. Straight from the fridge, Cupcake Cafe cupcakes are fantastically decadent.

And now a study, as reported in The New York Times, says there are benefits for your health, too.

It has whole cherries in it and is now one of my favorite condiments. It's actually somewhat like a jelly, with tons of the cherries making up the bulk of it. I made jam bars from it about a week ago, and this morning I mixed it with some thickened yogurt for breakfast (it felt like a sinfully rich breakfast, but I can't imagine it's that bad for you - just plain, nonfat yogurt and a spoonful of the cherries).

Thickening yogurt is easy, and I like the finished texture better than the regular yogurt: I line my strainer with a paper towel and put it in a bowl that's deeper than the strainer. Then I fill the strainer with the yogurt, fold the paper towel over the top, put a small plate on top and weigh it down with a jar of something. Leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, and all this liquid comes out of it, which you just throw down the sink.

A box of phyllo contains about 28 sheets, but once it's open you have to use all of it in a week. So I've been trying out different phyllo recipes the last couple of nights. Last night I made salmon fillets in phyllo, and tonight I made banana-chocolate triangles. Both recipes were from the recent issue of Everyday Food, but I took a lot of liberties with the fish.

I cut a 3/4 lb salmon fillet in half and skinned it, then seasoned it with salt and pepper. My fillets got gradually thinner on one side, so I folded that side under to make the whole thing even. Then I laid out a phyllo sheet, brushed it with melted butter, sprinkled dried sage on it, then added another sheet, which I brushed with more butter. Centered 1 fillet about 3 inches from 1 short end, brushed it with Dijon mustard, then rolled up the near end and folded in the sides. Then I rolled up the fillet in the phyllo sheet and brushed it with an egg wash. Repeated that for the other fillet and baked them in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

For the banana-chocolate triangles, I halved a banana lengthwise and cut it in 1/2-inch slices, which I tossed with sugar and chocolate chips. Laid out a sheet of phyllo and brushed it with melted butter, then sprinkled on sugar. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets. Cut the sheets lengthwise in 4 long strips, then mound some of the banana mixture on one end of a strip. Rolled up, using that corner-to-side technique that gives you a triangle at the end. Repeat with other 3 strips. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Make sure to let these cool before biting into them - the banana and chocolate get melty and really hot.

Next is a tomato pizza with a crust made from phyllo.

This was an easy recipe - an egg white is the secret to getting the sesame seeds to stick, and you pound the breast thin so it'll cook through before the seeds burn.

First I pounded two small chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness, salted them, then dredged them through slightly beaten egg white mixed with more salt, and then through sesame seeds. Set that aside to allow the whites to dry out a little, and heat a good amount of oil (a scant 1/4 cup?) in the pan. Cook the breasts on each side about 5 minutes. I sliced them up and served them over arugula with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top. (I wanted to do an Asian dressing, but my sesame oil had gone bad and everything I tried turned out kind of foul. The vinaigrette was good with it, though.)