Long overdue: Oscars Night

In pure procrastination fashion, I've neglected my dear blog. Rohit has promised to guest appear, hopefully moving from a supporting role to a co-starring one, since he is the cook of the two of us, though I am the writer. Together, I hope to tackle this blog, bringing it to the forefront of cooking and eating literature. One step at a time.

Many a meal has been bypassed, but one of them is one of my favorite nights of the year: Oscar Night. I love movies and I love the red carpet, but truly, the best part of all is theming the meal with the Best Pictures that are nominated each year. Normally, I have one dish, drink or dessert only for the Best Pictures, because I have to limit it to something and I can't have something for every actress, actor or best soundtrack nominated. This year, I have to thank to Academy for nominating not 5 or 6 movies, but TEN. Rumored to be an effort to get people off the couches and back into the movies, 10 movies were selected in the running, making my job a little more intense than I was used to. Nevertheless, the show must go on. And with a larger group than ever before (23 of us!) we cooked all weekend long.

And the nominees were:

UP IN THE AIR: A movie spent mostly in airports, airline lounges and hotel rooms, we served packaged pretzels while the appetizers came out, as well as mini liquor bottles at the bar.

PRECIOUS: The quintessential scene shows Precious bolting out of the M&G Diner in Harlem with a bucket of fried chicken under her arm. Natch, friend chicken was the option, and a clear hit with the guests.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS: Though I couldn't bring myself to watch this movie (the first 25 minutes of it show a brutal scalping which happens repeatedly throughout the movie and I can't stand the sight of blood, ketchup-ed or not), I was told that there was a particularly gripping scene where the ultimate villain eats a piece of apple strudel suggestively in front of the woman he has been seeking. Though I'd never made it before, Apple Strudel it was.

Elsie's Apple Strudel

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
6 Granny Smith apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored, chopped
1/2 cup plus 11 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups walnuts, toasted; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped, 1 cup finely chopped
6 (17x13-inch) sheets phyllo pastry or twelve 14x9-inch sheets phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen
Powdered sugar

Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar and salt; stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add raisins and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts. Spread apple mixture in rimmed baking sheet; cool.

Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter. Transfer 1 large phyllo sheet to baking sheet (if using small phyllo, place 2 sheets of phyllo on baking sheet, overlapping slightly). Brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts. Repeat with 4 more large phyllo sheets (or 8 more small sheets), melted butter, sugar, and walnuts. Top with remaining phyllo sheet; brush with butter.

Spoon cooled apple mixture lengthwise down phyllo, starting 3 inches in from 1 long side and leaving 2-inch border at short sides. Using parchment paper as aid, roll up strudel lengthwise. Place strudel, seam side down, on parchment. Tuck in ends to enclose filling. Brush strudel with butter; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake strudel until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Using serrated knife, cut into 8 slices.

AN EDUCATION: Although most of the movie takes place in the UK, the main character yearns to visit Paris, so I made a cheese souffle for the vegetarians and had guests bring bottles of French red and white wine for the bar.

Classic Cheese Soufflé

This recipe was adapted from a version in The Way to Cook by Julia Child.
Yield: Makes 4-6 main course servings

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
4 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400F.Butter 6-cup (1 1/2-quart) soufflé dish. Add Parmesan cheese and tilt dish, coating bottom and sides. Warm milk in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture begins to foam and loses raw taste, about 3 minutes (do not allow mixture to brown). Remove saucepan from heat; let stand 1 minute. Pour in warm milk, whisking until smooth. Return to heat and cook, whisking constantly until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in paprika, salt, and nutmeg. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, whisking to blend after each addition. Scrape soufflé base into large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm or room temperature soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions while gradually sprinkling in Gruyère cheese. Transfer batter to prepared dish.

Place dish in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 375F. Bake until soufflé is puffed and golden brown on top and center moves only slightly when dish is shaken gently, about 25 minutes (do not open oven door during first 20 minutes). Serve immediately.

DISTRICT 9: One of this year's strangest picks, I didn't expect to like this sci-fi creepfest, but the baby prawn grew on me, and since the movie was set in South Africa, we made Prawns Peri-Peri.


Prawns Peri-Peri
Yield: Makes 3-4 servings

18-24 large prawns (large shrimp)
200 g (3/4 cup) butter
10 ml (2 teaspoons) crushed garlic
30 ml (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
30 ml (2 tablespoons) peri-peri sauce (recipe below)
salt, milled black pepper

Peri-peri sauce
50 g (1 1/2 ounces) red chillies, very finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
500 ml (2 cups) olive oil
pared rind of 1 small lemon (use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin in thin strips)

Preparation:

Sauce: Mix the ingredients together in a bottle and shake well. You can make the sauce ahead and store it in the fridge; the flavour improves with age, reaching its peak at two weeks.

Slit prawns down their backs and devein. Leave heads on, or remove them if you prefer. Depending on the size of your frying pan, cook them in one or two batches.

Heat the butter gently and add the garlic and lemon juice. Don't let the garlic burn. Add prawns and peri-peri sauce. (Shake first to make sure you get some of the chilli and garlic as well.)

Sizzle for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked. Season with salt and pepper and tip into a warm serving bowl. Garnish, if you wish, with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with rice or bread and butter.

THE BLIND SIDE: Julie was kind enough to make her infamous deviled eggs, a perfect tailgating food, and we stocked the bar with good old fashioned Coors Light.

THE HURT LOCKER: The ultimate underdog, this film was made with a tiny budget and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the ex-wife of James Cameron, the arrogant director of Avatar. Taking place in Iraq, we made homemade banaganoush with toasted pita bread, as well as a tabbouleh salad for the dinner table.

Baba Ghanouj
Yield: Makes about 5 cups

3 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
8 garlic cloves
1 cup well-stirred tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 cup sour cream
Olive oil for drizzling

pita triangles
chopped onion
chopped drained bottled peperoncini (pickled Tuscan peppers)
chopped pitted Kalamata olives

Preheat broiler or prepare grill.

Prick eggplants in several places with a fork. On a broiler pan or in a shallow baking pan broil eggplants about 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning every 10 to 15 minutes, 45 to 55 minutes, or until charred all over and very soft. (Alternatively, grill eggplants on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals in same manner.) Cool eggplants until they can be handled and peel off and discard skin, Transfer pulp to a colander set over a bowl. Let eggplant pulp drain 20 minutes and discard any liquid on bowl.

In a food processor blend lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt to taste until smooth. Add eggplant pulp and pulse until a coarse purée. Add tahini and sour cream and pulse just until combined well.

Transfer baba ghanouj to a shallow bowl and drizzle with oil. Serve baba ghanouj with accompaniments.


"Overnight" Tabbouleh
Prepare a day ahead, and chill overnight. Look for bulgur (also called cracked wheat) in natural foods stores and supermarkets.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
2 1/2 cups bulgur (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
3 1/2 cups (packed) fresh parsley leaves
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Preparation
Place bulgur and onions in large bowl. Finely chop parsley in processor. Add to bulgur. Finely chop carrots in processor; add to bulgur. Finely chop bell pepper in processor; add to bulgur. Add tomato juice and next 5 ingredients; toss. Cover; chill overnight. Mix thyme into tabbouleh. Season with salt and pepper; serve.

A SERIOUS MAN: A seriously strange movie. I don't know the Bible all that well. Nor did I understand most of this movie, a Coen Brothers original. But there were Jewish people in it. So my mom graciously brought a noodle kugel, a dish she isn't very fond of, but that I, as an honorary Jew, have grown to love at Thanksgivings since the Blumms began joining us.

AVATAR: The favorite that everyone thought would win, naturally the option was to make everything blue. Which we did: we served Cool Blue Martinis, basically vodka with a splash of blue curacao. But we also needed some greenery so Ro made this spectacular salad in honor of the Navi forest, using plenty of colors and textures reminiscent of the film.

Cool Blue Martini
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients
3 oz (about 1/3 cup) gin or vodka
1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) dry vermouth
1 teaspoon blue Curaçao
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, strained
Garnish: 2 lemon twists

and finally, my favorite part of the show:

UP: This adorable movie made me cry in the first 15 minutes, and continued to make everyone fall in love with the silly, yet extremely realistic characters. An old man flies his house to South America using thousands of balloons. Pretty cool, huh? What else would you make, but this lovely cake? I made a coconute cake, food colored the coconut and then shaped marshmallow clouds and used Dum Dum lollipops for the balloons.

Fresh Coconut Layer Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups cake or pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coconut milk, regular whole fat milk, or a combination of coconut milk and regular milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
10 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs


Fluffy Coconut Frosting
2 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups fresh grated coconut

Preparation:

Grease two 9-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper or waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper and sides of the pans; set aside. Heat oven to 350°.

Heat the coconut milk or milk with 1/2 cup coconut and the 1 teaspoon vanilla until hot. Put in blender and process until coconut is finely chopped. Set aside.

Sift the cake flour into a bowl with the baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until light and creamy. Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, scraping the bowl and beating for about a minute after each addition.

Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping sides of the bowl frequently.

Slowly add about one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture along with half of the milk/coconut/vanilla mixture. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape the bowl and repeat with another one-third of the dry mixture and the remaining milk mixture. Scrape the bowl and repeat with remaining flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and continue beating on low speed for a few seconds.

Spoon batter into the two baking pans, spreading evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned and sides pull away from the sides of the pans. Cool in pans on racks for 15 minutes. Invert onto racks which have been sprayed with a little nonstick coating to cool completely.

Frosting:
Bring the 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil; cover and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Uncover and boil, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot enough to spin a thread when a little is dropped from a spoon, or to about 230°. Remove from heat and set aside. In the bowl of electric mixer -- with whisk attachment if available -- beat the eggs until fluffy and soft peaks form when you lift the beaters or whisk. Still beating on high speed, gradually add the sugar syrup in a thin stream. Continue beating until the frosting is fluffy and holds peaks.

Invert one of the cakes onto a serving plate; frost top and sides with frosting. Place the second layer atop the first and frost the top and sides liberally. Sprinkle fresh grated coconut over the top of the cake and toss coconut gently onto the sides.

It was a lovely evening. And the winner was...

THE HURT LOCKER!

East Harlem Taco Tour

Mother's Day is such an arbitrary holiday. I really despise it. Along with Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Grandparents' Day, and any other day that forces you to appreciate family members or loved ones. Truly, one should appreciate them all the time. Restaurants, flower shops, candy stores and retail in general reap the benefits of these ridiculous commemorations. Maybe people look at me with particular curiosity when I tell them that I'm not doing anything for Valentine's Day. In fact, two years ago, I spent Valentine's Day with Rohit and my parents, enjoying a wonderful meal of duck breast at home in Chelsea. It was damn good.

But this Mother's Day, I did do something with mummy dearest. She biked up to Harlem and I took her on an East Harlem Taco Tour. Spanish Harlem, is really more Mexican Harlem. There is an abundance of taquerias, food trucks and grocery stores that cater to the homesick Mexican or simply anyone who craves a real, honest to goodness taco or gordita. (And no, it's nothing like Taco Bell).

We started at the El Paso Taco Truck. Our food blog guides had told us about the lengua, which, yes, means tongue. I wasn't intrigued, but we tried it nonetheless. Mom said I was doing "kanna ruchi" but truly, I didn't like the smoky texture of the meat. I made her eat most of it. She claimed she wanted to save herself for the rest of the samples, but I know she didn't like it either, since when something is good, we eat all of it without complaint or excuse. Then we headed to a few of the little supermarkets along 116th street. The pork taco tasted strangely like the lengua, so I was rather put-off, but we journeyed onward. At Taco Mix, we tried the famous al pastor and when we saw that they had huaraches, we couldn't help ourselves. Into the bottomless pits they tumbled. The Taco Mix al pastor was certainly the best of the lot and I will certainly be back there at some point soon. Huarache, however, is best left to the ball-fields folk. Mom introduced me to some Mexican-style FrozFruits, in a chickoo-like flavor and one with mango and chillies! The latter was exceptional. We decided to leave East Harlem and all its Little Mexican glory and head to W 116th street to share a red velvet cupcake from Make My Cake. Finishing up the afternoon with a visit to the Studio Museum of Harlem made this the perfect Day with my Mother.

Diet?!?!?!?!

I hate that word. I hate everything it means, everything it encompasses. I hate those stupid Nutrisystem ads on tv. I hate the Hydrocut ads, with the before and after. I hate cutting anything out of my life because what kind of life is worth living if you can't sample the world's tastiest foods? I have always been on the larger side, mainly because I didn't know the concept of working out until my senior year of high school. Until then, I was content to share a pint of Ben & Jerry's with a friend (or, let's be honest, by myself) and not worry about the consequences. Now I work out. So I don't feel quite as badly when I do end up eating a whole carton of Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Lately, though, I have noticed a significant change in my body when I eat vegetarian foods. I'm not as incredibly stuffed when I finish a vegetarian meal. I don't feel sluggish or lethargic. I don't feel guilty, even when I have completely overdone it. In fact, I feel like I have done the world a good turn. Or at least, myself. So somehow I managed to talk myself into a diet of sorts last weekend. Or rather, it's an experiment to see if it works. And if it works, I'd like to stick to it. Here it is: five days out of the week, I will be a pescatarian. I'll only eat seafood as my "meat" option. No chicken, no turkey. On two days of the week, I can eat whatever I want. This weekend, when we hit Fairway, our buying habits changed significantly. No more package of ground turkey. No more lamb shoulder. No more whole chicken. Instead, lots of vegetables. A package of quinoa. A package of wheatberries. A lot more cheese. We'll see how this pans out, but last night, I was so excited about all the new purchases, that I totally outdid myself cooking last night. Here is what the newly formed vegetarians ate last night:

Lemon-scented Quinoa Salad (from 101 Cookbooks)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 can garbanzo beans, or dried equivalent
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped

Tahini Dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup tahini
Zest of one lemon
scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

While the quinoa is cooking make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt.

Toss the cooked quinoa, beans, cilantro, red onion, and half of the dressing. Add more dressing if you like and season with more salt to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of cilantro.

Serves 4.

Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes Salad: I blanched a generous handful of green beans, halved a pint of cherry tomatoes and made a red-wine vinaigrette with olive oil and chopped shallots.

David Pasternak's Salt Baked Branzino

This recipe is one I've seen served at many Italian restaurants, and while the presentation is awe-inspiring, I can't understand how restaurants charge so much money to make this dish when it is so incredibly easy to make. I kid you not. All you need is a cannister of salt and some egg whites.

We bought a beautiful branzini from Fairway on Sunday night and yesterday, I stuffed the cavity with some lemon slices, sprigs of thyme and olives. Then I took a little less than 2 cups of salt (this was about a 2 lb fish), mixed it with two egg whites and covered the fish whole in in (put some parchment paper on a baking sheet so that the salt doesn't stick to the pan). Let the fish bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 400F. This was so easy to make and comes out looking really impressive. Don't tell people that it's easy to make though, since it truly looks like people spent hours slaving. The fish was moist, flavorful and succulent.

Finally, in honor of the Kentucky Derby on Sunday, I made Blackberry-Bourbon Juleps:
(courtesy of Bobby Flay)
Serves: 4

1 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried
1⁄2 cup simple syrup
1 big bunch of mint leaves
Crushed ice
11⁄2 cup bourbon

1. Divide the berries among 4 mint julep glasses or rocks glasses. Add 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup and 8 mint leaves to each glass and using a muddler, mash the berries and mint together. Add 1 shot of bourbon to the mixture and stir.

2. Fill each glass with lots of crushed ice and pour 1⁄4 cup of bourbon over the ice in each glass. Garnish with lots of mint sprigs and serve.

I felt like I ate a ton but didn't feel full or overbearingly heavy in the stomach as I do after a meal of lamb or even turkey burgers. So far, so good. We'll see how long this lasts. But tonight is Cinco de Mayo. Is it possible to enjoy a Mexican meal without meat?!

In which I overdo it (a bit)

The Time Out New York 100 Best Things We Have Eaten and Drank this year is one of my personal challenges. In that, I would like to try everything on it. What makes it even more challenging is that I have 2008's list in my wallet, shrunken down to a smaller size as well as 2007's list. I'm making my way through it, slowly but surely. But you really have to make an adamant effort to get to certain neighborhoods, since some of the foods just aren't around them. One of those is the Lower East Side. There are a TON of great restaurants on the LES. Most of the time, if you just walk into one, it will most likely satisfy. However, for those living in Central Harlem, the LES isn't the most convenient destination. On Sunday night, Rohit and I attempted to scratch off three of the top foods and drinks to be had in NYC. Our first stop was Macondo, a place I have eyed before when getting off the F train. In the summers, this breezy place resembles some of the surfer shack type bars I saw in Costa Rica, with their garage doors open to the passing breeze and the cocktails strong and cheap. We stopped to sample the Aguacate + Mezcal, a frozen concoction made of honey, avocado, agave nectar, midori, cointreau, lime juice, and scorpion mezcal. Always a little wary of frozen drinks, I was a bit hesitant. But, boy, was this unreal. It had the sweetness of something that goes down wayy too easy, yet the subtlety of something made with class. We also sampled the Maracuya + Vodka, a bright orange cocktail with flecks of jalepeno, passionfruit, sobieski, canton ginger liquor and lime juice, which was actually my preferred drink, even though it technically did not make it onto the TONY 100. See? Sometimes they aren't always right! We shared some fried oysters pressed with panka crumbs and a poblano-cilantro sauce. Delectable. Even though we'd planned on hitting Clinton Street, I got a little greedy and we ordered the Almondegas, a Brazilian meatball made with guave sauce and tetilla cheese. Melt-in-your-mouth. I was rather impressed by the tastes we had and would certainly come back here for dinner, provided we could sit at the window bar as we did on this particularly balmy Sunday afternoon. After quaffing a bit, we headed to Frankie's Spuntino.

Even though Frankie's is not on the TONY 100, this is another example of when I think it should be. The restaurant is adorable. It's small, dark, and seems like it could be someone's personal kitchen. We sat at small wooden tables and shared the Frankies’ Greens with Cipollini Onion Cider Vinaigrette, the Roasted Cauliflower and their signature dish, the Home-made Cavatelli with Faiccos Hot Sausage & Browned Sage Butter. Heaven is a place on earth. That dish should definitely be on the list of best things they have eaten all year. Perhaps it has been in the past? After another bottle of wine (I was reeling at this point), we walked to Cake Shop, which boasts vegan desserts and live music. We didn't stay for the latter, but picked up a pumpkin whoopie pie and the peanut butter bomb. Peanut butter? Chocolate ganache? As Joey says on Friends, "Put your hands together." Nothing could be better. I'm usually not a fan of the whipped cream, but on Whoopie Pies, there is no cutting corners. Although I was sated to the brim, of course I dug in.

Two days later, we were seeing a movie and I shopped around for a pre-movie picnic. The mission was to stick to the TONY 100 list yet again. This time, I hiked across town to Sullivan Street Bakery, which is no longer on Sullivan Street, but on W 47th Street between 10th and 11th aves. It was a rather annoying hike, but I knew that Jim Lahey wouldn't displease me. I have had the pizza bianca before, but not recently enough that it counts, and certainly not recently enough to qualify for the TONY 100. I grabbed a slice of that ($2) and took advantage of the being in Hell's Kitchen to purchase a piece of pistachio baklava from Gazala Place, which I thought was rather outrageously priced at $6. Hopping on the 6 train, I ended up at Amsterdam Ave between 84th and 83rd streets, where I had called Flor de Mayo ahead to order a pollo a la brasa, a whole roasted chicken, Peruvian style. After picking up the succulent bird, I headed down Amsterdam Ave towards Levain Bakery, to grab one of their famous chocolate chip walnut cookies. Finally, my arms weighed down by the chicken, pizza bianca, and baklava, my final TONY 100 stop for the day was Salumeria Rosi, for their unparalleled proscuitto. I was told to keep the proscuitto out of the sun so as not to let it dry up. With a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, the picnic was complete.

Setting everything out on a table (we sat at the island where Amsterdam Avenue, Broadway and 66th street intersect) and ate until we couldn't eat anymore. Part of my character is this weird obsession with checking things off lists. Whether it's making lists of books that I read, movies I watch or best things to eat in NYC, I feel compelled to fulfill all of them. I don't know how healthy this is going to be for me in the long run, but for now, my box-checking obsession on the TONY 100 (including both years 2008 and 2007) are shaping up to be very, very tasty.

Boston Bites (ie What I Ate this Weekend)

Okay, there was certainly more than a few bites. The weekend in Boston spent with Daniella and Will was a gastronomic adventure. I had read up some of the city's best offerings, and there were some that I just had to try (yes ma'ams and sirs, iced cream was at the top of the list). But first things first:
Friday evening, we were greeted by Daniella at South Station and by Will at her place who was cooking up some Beef Steaks in a Port Balsamic Sauce. Mmm...what a welcome.
The next morning, we headed out to explore the South End neighborhood, where Daniella bought an apartment last year. There were a lot of options on Tremont Street, but we chose Metropolis, which was packed and seemed cheerful, which is always a good sign. After only a 10 minute wait (no, Toto, we're not in New York anymore), we tucked into some delicious brunch: both us couples ordered the same exact thing and shared: three pancakes (one banana, one chocolate, one blueberry) and the omelette of the day: spinach and applewood bacon with roasted potatoes and wheat toast. We tried our best to restrain ourselves, since we were planning on eating dinner a mere 6 hours later. After brunch, Rohit headed to meet his aunt in Roslindale and Daniella, Will and I headed for a nice long, 6 mile walk along the Charles and though Cambridge. Taking the Mass Ave bridge, we walked through MIT directly to Toscanini's, voted best ice cream in Boston. Boy, was it! It was heavenly. It tasted like gelato. I got Burnt Caramel and Hazlenut. Daniella got Burnt Caramel and Gingersnap Molasses, which had full chunks of gingersnaps in it! Will got Sherry, which not too surprisingly, tasted just like sherry!
What to do next? Hmm...when in doubt, walk to Harvard Square to Will's favorite restaurant in Boston to drink margaritas until we had to meet for dinner! The Border Cafe served up some excellent margaritas which our server promised had no added sugar, but were made with pure agave. Mmm... we each polished off two and reeling, got on the Red Line for Scampo, dinner at the Liberty Hotel, where we met Kate, Matt, Brett and Caroline. It seems like Barbara Lynch owns half of Boston. This restaurant, along with three others that I know of, were on my mom's list of restaurants to hit (B&G is another one) It was excellent. Scampo specializes in pizzas and pastas, so while the rest of the table ordered pastas, the four of us shared two pizzas (white clam and bacon and white asparagus, burrata, and walnuts). Daniella and Will had tandoori scallops and Rohit and I shared what I will unabashedly claim to be the best gnocchi I have ever had. Yes, folks, even better than Gennaro. These little pillows literally melted in your mouth. I don't think I chewed more than twice for each one. They were made with potatoes and mascarpone. Heaven. We were stuffed to the gills, so we skipped dessert.
Brett, Caroline, Rohit and I headed to the Beacon Hill Pub, where we played a rather pathetic game of darts (Rohit and I were beaten solid) and found Bin 26 Enoteca, the best wine bar and we were informed by the owner, the only wine bar in Boston. Bin 26 was charming. We ordered a bottle of the house wine (a very reasonable $32), a cheese plate and some olives and essentially waddled home in the misting rain afterwards.
The next morning, after a rather unpleasant night for me (very allergic to cats, sadly) Rohit and I stopped at Flour bakery, near Daniella's apartment, for a nice little breakfast, consisting of a lemon ginger scone and a croissant. Both were excellent. Rohit headed to the convention expo to pick up his things and Daniella and I headed to Shilpa's place for brunch. The girls outdid themselves: more scones (orange ginger), a feta and beet tart (the signature dish from Rupa's girls only Valentine's Day party, a torte, and some potent Bloody Marys. Phew. Lots of food in one morning. Shilpa's apartment was really darling and her cat, Luka, is one of the prettiest all-black cats I have ever seen.
The next hour was spent in bliss: Daniella and I took a nap in the water fountain in the park. I needed it. After a quick pick-me-up at Flour- yes another one!- we got Chai Lattes and shared a wonderful pecan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie , we walked to the ICA to see the Shepherd Fairey exhibit, aka the guy who made the Obama poster. It was an excellent show, even though we had about a half hour to see the entire exhibit. Propaganda art, gotta love it!
Finally, the four of us met back at Daniella's place where we deliberated over where to go for dinner. East Coast Grill, it was! We ordered pork and crab dumplings and mussels steamed in coconut milk to share. I order a pulled pork sandwich, Rohit ordered the ginger noodles with scallops and shrimp, Daniella had the bluefish special of the day and Will ordered the beef brisket sandwich with two ribs: one sweet and one murderously hot. Habanero and scotch bonnet pepper hot. Painfully hot. He succumbed after three bites. Then it was off to Christina's, next door, the runner up for best ice cream in the city. It was definitely a runner up. Toscanini's has them beat! Together, we had peppermint stick, carrot cake and Mexican chocolate. The next morning, with Rohit already starting his run, the three of us hit Uptown Cafe for some coffee and pastries to fuel us while we waited for the runners. Looking back on the weekend, I felt rather gluttonous while I watched the runners sprint to the finish line, but at least we walked a lot. Boston has some great food. There are a few things still on my list that we didn't have a chance to try out. But don't worry; I'll be back for Bartley's!

"The Runners Are Coming!"

This was the ebullient shout from a child while we were waiting for the runners to show up at the Boston Marathon this weekend. The wheelchair participants had already been through and boy, were they inspiring. Daniella, Will and I were waiting on Commonwealth Ave between Charles Gate East and Massachusetts Avenue, just before the downhill underpass which leads to the the last uphill climb before the finish line. We watched the women finalists, including a triad of elites running together as they made their way to the last 400 meters. We watched the men, admiring two Kenyans in similar garb who chose to run together. And then we looked out for Rohit who was making his way to his own triumphant finish.
Rohit's goal was to make it under a 3 hour marathon and I say he accomplished his task. He finished in 3:00:25. I blame the 25 seconds on a water station, but we were so proud. So proud, in fact, that we went straight from the family meeting area to B&G Oysters, which has been voted the best lobster roll in the city. That is certainly a victorious meal. Daniella, Will, Rupa, Meenakshi, Arup, Rohit and I were settled into the seven seater banquette, ordering Harpoon IPAs, Pabst Blue Ribbons, and Radebergers. We ordered a selection of oysters, both from the East Coast and the West Coast. We deemed the East Coasters far more flavorful and succulent. We ordered a rather tame fried calamari to share. But then we got down to brass tacks. A sore, but beaming Rohit and I shared a Lobster BLT and the famous Lobster Roll. The lobster roll was excellent, if a little dry for our taste. Perhaps the roll itself would have fared with a dab of butter after it had been toasted. But it paled in comparison to the BLT, which was absolutely perfect. The bacon wasn't greasy, which helped balance out the richness of the lobster. The fries were cripsy and fragrant, having been fried with bits of parsley. Both dishes were served with pickles and the best cole slaw I have ever had. Not too soupy, not too mayonnaise-y. An excellent race with a well-deserved meal.

Food with no Soul

Have you ever sat down to a meal at a restaurant everything smelled fine, tasted fine, the right ingredients were in the right place with the right proportions, the price was probably a little higher than you were willing to spend, but somehow you leave feeling just a little...empty even though you're technically full?

My brother Neil calls that eating "food with no soul." It's what you get when you take perfectly all right tasting food, combine it with a decent decor, ambient music, adequate service and a nondescript restaurant theme. It's not that the food isn't good; it's that it lacks that feeling you get when you eat something.

While I am writing this, I am tucking nicely into a smoked mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwich, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. Even though this sandwich was made hurriedly last night in my kitchen, while I was slightly tipsy from a three hour dinner with friends, every morsel of the sandwich had soul. I can't explain it; it's an indescribable feeling surrounding food.

Most homemade food has soul, although I have been to a few peoples' homes where they served food that I felt was thrown together without preconceived thought or love of the food they were serving nor the people they were serving it to.

Food without Soul usually happens in a rush, when people are distracted, lots of times at restaurants when I get the feeling that the cooks in the back are disgruntled with their lives and couldn't care less about what they are dishing up (I just read Waiter Rant and am feeling a bit cynical).

Last night I was dining out with friends at Red Eye Grill. Again, perfectly tasty food (they are known for their seafood). I ordered a seafood paella, and Rohit ordered a crab/shrimp cake. Both were fine and would have won points in any paella or crab cake contest. There was just something lacking. Maybe it's emotion. Maybe, more specfically, it's love. For me, food with no soul, much like many Little Debbie cakes, are not worth the calories, the time or that empty feeling you get even after you leave the table stuffed.

India Represent!

(Note: this event actually took place on February 22, 2009)

This year's Oscars was possibly the most triumphant yet. I had seen about 6 of the nominated movies and felt very strongly about one of the contenders specifically. Slumdog Millionnaire (SM) mania has swept the nation -- and the world -- in the past few months. The story of the underdog making his way into wealth and simultaneously finding love is a fairytale indeed, especially during these harsh times. And, of course, it made making the themed dinners I throw for the Oscars that much more fun since SM takes place in Bombay and what better food to have in Bombay than chaat??

The Nominees:

SLUMDOG MILLIONNAIRE: BHEL PURI (I can't take credit for this: Mom had prepped all the ingredients, brought them, and her own mixing bowl over, as well as newspaper in order to make genuine cones to eat the chaat from.

FROST NIXON: This one was a toughie, since the entire movie doesn't mention or eat a particular food at all. The obvious thing might have been to serve something with FROSTing, but I thought I would be a little more cerebral than that. In the movie, Nixon calls Frost in the middle of the night, rather intoxicated, on the night before their third and final interview and proceeds to psych him into feeling terribly worried about the next morning's impending conversation, the rather ominously-themed Watergate. The following morning, after sleeping off the effects of his multiple Scotches, Nixon doesn't recall the conversation, nor does he remember calling Frost in the first place. "What did we talk about," he asks Frost. "Cheeseburgers," Frost answers. And BRAISED SHORT-RIBBED BURGERS it was.

MILK: Again, another obvious choice would have been to serve milk and cookies, but please, I'm a little more challenging than that. In the movie, Harvey Milk's lover makes dinner for him. For dessert, Milk gets a pie in the face. In this capacity, I made BANANA CREAM PIE. I had never made it before, so it was interesting. Suffice to say that it wasn't the most popular dessert I've made, including with me.

THE READER: German food. What is there to say? I made a Braised Red Cabbage Salad. Nothing too exciting.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: Yet another movie without much food, but there was a bit of drinking in the beginning, so I whipped up a batch of rather red-sticky looking Hurricanes, straight from Emeril's Kitchen.

The night was fab, a smaller event than usual, but we were chuffed when SLUMDOG took it home! It must have been the bhel.