For I have Slacked. It has been 18 days since my last blog post...
1) I hope that's not too sacrilegious to anyone out there...
2) I don't have any fans, so I'm thinking it's OK...
So, in typical Ash OCD fashion, I can't wrap my head around the idea of a quick, in-and-out blog post. I feel like my ideas have to be thought (thawed?) out, developed, and explored deeply. But, that results in me just simply not having the time to blog at all and thus, getting anxious and depressed that I haven't been blogging and then "what's the point of this damn blog anyway?"
Plus, I've even gotten feedback from some folks that my blog postings are too long... So, I am going to try and go against the current of my OCD-ridden instincts and try to blog shorter posts, more often... We'll see how that goes.
I have also gotten feedback that I need photos on my blog... and videos! (People probably say that because I am in the video industry.) OK people! I'm just getting into this blogging thing- jeez- cut me some slack for awhile until I get my up-and-running groove down!
So, let me go back a bit and tell you about the Bacon, Beer, and Cheese pairing class I did at Astor Center on July 9th. Unlike my last experience with an Astor Center class, I'd have to say: this one was disappointing...
Here's why:
The class was taught by Josh Ozersky (Grub Street!) and Mary Izett (NYCDAT). Chris Cuzme- another NYCDAT person- was supposed to be there also but failed to show. So, being an avid reader of Grub Street and being aware of "Meat Me in Manhattan" and his burger book, I know "Mr. Cutlets'" as a real, live New Yorker who's "in the know" about food, and especially, about meat. I was excited to put a face to a name, but more importantly, to hear him talk about bacon while sampling some of his favorite slabs.
Granted, I should have been aware of the possibility that, with a class which involves three such gluttonous and cult-following tastes, the class would become more of a novelty and attract the "what could be better than eating bacon and drinking beer" crowd. (FYI- there WAS someone in the crowd that, when Mary mentioned that hops were related to cannabis, asked "Can you make weed beer?" Only to be followed by chuckles from his friends- don't think there were any high fives in there- but there might have been.)
So... the bacon:
Well first of all, Cutlets didn't really tell us anything about bacon. He would commonly say things like, "I could give you all the details of this bacon, but I'm sure you guys just want me to shut up so you can eat your bacon." Since when can our mouths not chew when our ears are listening? No, Grub Street! We are here to hear about bacon from you! Tell us the stories! Give us the grub! Tell more than we wanna hear! We paid $65 for this class!
Perhaps he sensed a vibe in the room that that people were in it for the novelty of it. But I felt kinda like all his incredible meat-related credentials were for naught. He coulda been anyone up there distributing meat.
One thing I want to impart on speakers at Astor Center: People, or at least some people, do wanna hear. If we wanna eat a bunch of bacon, we can go out and buy bacon and save ourselves some of the $65 and two-hours that we spent on the class. I mean, if I were an editor of Grub Street, you can be damn sure that I'd flaunt my food knowledge all over damn town- whether I think people wanna hear it or not.
The other thing about the bacon portion was this: We tried six bacons. And the first one was Oscar Meyer. Now I'm all for comparison and such but, if you're taking a class on bacon, chances are you've tried Oscar Meyer. I did appreciate, however, the fact that he didn't bash it and gave it its due place as the best bacon to put on a bacon cheeseburger. "The reassuring taste of childhood."
But, coming to a class on bacon, I wanted to try artisinal bacons. Bacons I hadn't had before. Bacons that were special and rare and "wow!" But three out of the six bacons were supermarket bacons. Nothing special. Even Cutlets himself said they were nothing special. So, we got three special bacons and three unspecial bacons. Maybe the class shoulda cost $32.50...
My favorite bacon that we tried was the Benton's Smoky Country Hams Hickory Bacon. This bacon was damn good. Josh called it "the bacon that conquered Manhattan" because Tom Colicchio and David Chang were once driving around Madisonville, Tennessee and found this bacon and loved it and brought it back. Momofuku uses this bacon. I learned that they use old time, traditional techniques to make this bacon. Pork preserves really well : i.e. people used to just eat pigs - cows are relatively new in the eating world. So people would eat ham and bacon all year long. Take a pork belly, salt it and sugar it, and let it sit there for a long time. That's what we call an ambient cure- it gets infused with the flavor and smell of everything around it- no temperature controls, no special pig. Smoking came later (as we know with fish!) "Andrew Jackson would like this bacon." This was good bacon- airy, smoky, thick, salty, and fatty.
Check out these meat markets:
Jubilat- 17th and 5th- Bklyn; Eagle- Windsor Terrace, Bklyn; M&I Market- Brighton Beach; Munchen- Ridgewood, Queens; Black Bull- Astoria; Calabria- Bronx; Esposito- Bleeker
I also learned that, according to Mr. Meats, the best way to cook bacon is in a sheet pan in the oven on 375. Pots don't work cause they're round. Pans are even cook. That makes sense.
Onto the Beer:
So, Mary knew what she was talking about. She knew a damn lot about beer. She spoke of the brewing process and handed some hops and barley around. And we sampled some beers; the best being the Ommegang Rare Vos Amber Ale. And she told us her favorite places to get beer in the city. This is the part where I learned about Jimmy's 43... These were her picks:
Whole Foods Bowery; Jimmy's 43; American Beer; Bierkraft; Eagle; Greenpoint Beerworks
But the confusing part came when she double-dutied as the cheese sommelier... (?)
She really didn't seem to know much about cheese. She kept referring to a class she took on cheese and she had this kind of sad- but good intentioned- slide show about her cheese-making class. It would be like me being hired as the bread baking expert because I have taken a bread baking class. I think that if you are going to offer a class about Bacon, Beer, and Cheese, you really ought to have an expert in all three areas. Don't double-duty. I thought maybe Chris Cuzme who had cancelled that day was perhaps the cheese guy. But, no- he was another beer guy. I didn't think the cheeses were anything special. My favorite was the Jasper Hill Farm Constant Bliss- really creamy. And we only tried five cheeses. What happened to that damn sixth cheese? We got six beers and six bacons... Plus, all the cheese came from Saxelby's.
The class ended with some tasty dark and milk chocolate pig candies from Ronnie Sue Chocolates in the Essex Street Market. YUM. (I typically prefer dark chocolate, but the milk chocolate of these were killer.)
A few other notes about the class:
1) Speakers were not wearing microphones. It was so hard to hear what they were saying. Especially if you are in the back of the room or off to a side. I think everyone should be miked.
2) The "follow along and write notes" tasting menu they gave us was not in the order that we tried everything. Therefore, the cheeses on our plates were all arranged in the incorrect order. This made it really confusing to follow along.
So, alas- the class was more of a novelty. But, I will go back to Astor Center. I love what they're doing and I whole-heartedly support them.
Hmm... I guess my short blog experiment didn't go exactly according to plan...
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A Love For All Things Food and Drink
A few ideas on:
Meatpaper: I love that 'zine and feel like it's still early enough in its publication that maybe I could pitch a few ideas to those girls. I have actually had dreams of meating them (get it?) on the street and spewing off any number of meat-related article ideas to them. I am a die-hard meat eater. I love all things meat and almost always order my various meat dishes rare- "bloody," in fact. I also, however, am an animal-cruelty activist and have never been able to justify these two aspects of my personality. I tend to be an argumentative person (in a good, constructive, intellectual way) but have never been able to argue myself out of this conflict of interest. It intrigues me and I have even read philosophy books to try and find some way to justify my actions, but haven't found any resolution. I tried to cut the "less justifiable" things from my diet: foie gras; all things baby (lamb, veal); anything endangered; anything that is caught/farmed in ways that hurt marine life or the environment such as trawled rockfish or farmed salmon. But, I couldn't do it. Plain and simple. Lamb tastes too good. I've heard you should be able to kill anything that you eat. I don't believe that. But I do believe that there is this inherent struggle that people other than me find with being at the top of the food chain. An interesting topic, to me. And another idea for me to pitch to the Meat chicks (I keep making puns.)
CSAs: I LOVE the idea of them. I would feel cool as hell being "part" of a real, working farm. And I think that's part of the reason that the idea of it appeals to New Yorkers. We are starved for green and land and the idea of farming is so out of our everyday life that it's cool. We use our fire-escapes as lame-ass gardens with potted plants and buy hibachi grills for out there to feel like we aren't in the city. However, as far as we are from "the farm," we have more access to it than most people who live closer to the farm. In my neighborhood alone, I can go to three greenmarkets per week. So, I don't think that I would ever sign up for a CSA.
Home brewing: I just got back from Eugene, Oregon. Wild place- the home of the home brew, it seems. Everyone there brews his own beer. And what a difference. They serve it in small glasses, and it reminds you that you want to sip this beer. Not guzzle it down. Funny that I think I'm going right to the source when I bring my growler to Whole Foods :)
Burrata: As much as I LOVE Cacio e Pepe, I have to say, their burrata ain't nothing compared to that of DiPaolo's.
Cooking classes: I have never liked cooking classes. What can you learn about cooking in a few hours? I have taken many and always felt like they were a waste of time and money. The ones I felt were the most beneficial were the very, very specific classes- and even these, were a series of classes. I took a class series of seven classes on baking sourdough breads. So, not only was this 28 hours of class, but it was all about bread. And not only was it all about bread, it was all about sourdough bread. And I still left there feeling like, "Damn- I thought I'd know a whole lot more about sourdough bread after these classes were over." I think doing a generic class like, "The Essentials of Cooking" is silly. It's too broad. What knowledge do you come away with? I think these classes appeal to more of the young-couple-who-just-moved-in-together-and-think-it-might-be-cute-to-take-a-cooking-class-together crowd. It's mainstream and accessible and easily marketable. But, if I were a cooking classes, I'd stay away from that crowd and cater to people who have a deeper love and respect for the industry. And I know I'd have a bottom-line you need to think about, but I think there are ways to do that with cooking classes that don't water it down too much. Make them more targeted or offer a series of classes so that the take away is valuable. Do things around holidays: Have someone from Veniero's come before Easter and show how to make that kick-ass ricotta-cheesecake; do a class on how to assemble the perfect cheese plate with someone from Murray's; do an entire class on pulled pork. Or the other key may just be a different spin on the class- incorporating a little cooking into a food theory class. Have a class about The Cuisine of Morocco, which incorporates a few simple Moroccan recipes in there but is more of a history and educational class on the spices and the regional cuisine, traditions, cookware etc. Things like that.
The modern culinary world: The culinary world right now is exploding. Everyone and their mother has a food blog. The term "foodie" (which I despise!) is used about as often as the word "food." The Food Network, Iron Chef, Top Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, and the likes are some of the most popular things to watch on TV; it's no longer people in "the industry" that know who Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, and Wylie Dufresne are; the James Beard Awards are a coveted ticket; and half the books on the display tables at Barnes and Noble are food-related. Thus, anything in the "food-industry" is not a hard sell in this day and age. If people know about it, they will come. So, it's just getting people to know.
Urban chicken raising: I dig it! (Although illegal in Manhattan...)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/dining/19yard.html?ex=1347940800&en=f845e9a338a72fb7&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Ash
Meatpaper: I love that 'zine and feel like it's still early enough in its publication that maybe I could pitch a few ideas to those girls. I have actually had dreams of meating them (get it?) on the street and spewing off any number of meat-related article ideas to them. I am a die-hard meat eater. I love all things meat and almost always order my various meat dishes rare- "bloody," in fact. I also, however, am an animal-cruelty activist and have never been able to justify these two aspects of my personality. I tend to be an argumentative person (in a good, constructive, intellectual way) but have never been able to argue myself out of this conflict of interest. It intrigues me and I have even read philosophy books to try and find some way to justify my actions, but haven't found any resolution. I tried to cut the "less justifiable" things from my diet: foie gras; all things baby (lamb, veal); anything endangered; anything that is caught/farmed in ways that hurt marine life or the environment such as trawled rockfish or farmed salmon. But, I couldn't do it. Plain and simple. Lamb tastes too good. I've heard you should be able to kill anything that you eat. I don't believe that. But I do believe that there is this inherent struggle that people other than me find with being at the top of the food chain. An interesting topic, to me. And another idea for me to pitch to the Meat chicks (I keep making puns.)
CSAs: I LOVE the idea of them. I would feel cool as hell being "part" of a real, working farm. And I think that's part of the reason that the idea of it appeals to New Yorkers. We are starved for green and land and the idea of farming is so out of our everyday life that it's cool. We use our fire-escapes as lame-ass gardens with potted plants and buy hibachi grills for out there to feel like we aren't in the city. However, as far as we are from "the farm," we have more access to it than most people who live closer to the farm. In my neighborhood alone, I can go to three greenmarkets per week. So, I don't think that I would ever sign up for a CSA.
Home brewing: I just got back from Eugene, Oregon. Wild place- the home of the home brew, it seems. Everyone there brews his own beer. And what a difference. They serve it in small glasses, and it reminds you that you want to sip this beer. Not guzzle it down. Funny that I think I'm going right to the source when I bring my growler to Whole Foods :)
Burrata: As much as I LOVE Cacio e Pepe, I have to say, their burrata ain't nothing compared to that of DiPaolo's.
Cooking classes: I have never liked cooking classes. What can you learn about cooking in a few hours? I have taken many and always felt like they were a waste of time and money. The ones I felt were the most beneficial were the very, very specific classes- and even these, were a series of classes. I took a class series of seven classes on baking sourdough breads. So, not only was this 28 hours of class, but it was all about bread. And not only was it all about bread, it was all about sourdough bread. And I still left there feeling like, "Damn- I thought I'd know a whole lot more about sourdough bread after these classes were over." I think doing a generic class like, "The Essentials of Cooking" is silly. It's too broad. What knowledge do you come away with? I think these classes appeal to more of the young-couple-who-just-moved-in-together-and-think-it-might-be-cute-to-take-a-cooking-class-together crowd. It's mainstream and accessible and easily marketable. But, if I were a cooking classes, I'd stay away from that crowd and cater to people who have a deeper love and respect for the industry. And I know I'd have a bottom-line you need to think about, but I think there are ways to do that with cooking classes that don't water it down too much. Make them more targeted or offer a series of classes so that the take away is valuable. Do things around holidays: Have someone from Veniero's come before Easter and show how to make that kick-ass ricotta-cheesecake; do a class on how to assemble the perfect cheese plate with someone from Murray's; do an entire class on pulled pork. Or the other key may just be a different spin on the class- incorporating a little cooking into a food theory class. Have a class about The Cuisine of Morocco, which incorporates a few simple Moroccan recipes in there but is more of a history and educational class on the spices and the regional cuisine, traditions, cookware etc. Things like that.
The modern culinary world: The culinary world right now is exploding. Everyone and their mother has a food blog. The term "foodie" (which I despise!) is used about as often as the word "food." The Food Network, Iron Chef, Top Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, and the likes are some of the most popular things to watch on TV; it's no longer people in "the industry" that know who Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, and Wylie Dufresne are; the James Beard Awards are a coveted ticket; and half the books on the display tables at Barnes and Noble are food-related. Thus, anything in the "food-industry" is not a hard sell in this day and age. If people know about it, they will come. So, it's just getting people to know.
Urban chicken raising: I dig it! (Although illegal in Manhattan...)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/dining/19yard.html?ex=1347940800&en=f845e9a338a72fb7&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Ash
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Love Note to Russ and Daughters and The Astor Center: FOOD/FAMILY/PHILOSOPHY
To Russ and Daughters, Re: A Taste of Appetizing with THE Mark Russ Federman at Astor Center,
I was at the event at Astor Center tonight and just wanted to say how much I DID NOT want it to end! I could have stayed there all night eating herring and salmon and listening to Mr. Mark talk about the Russ family, fish, and the Lower East Side. What an incredible event. I feel so lucky to have been there. See you in the store!
Ash
A few things I learned about salmon:
"Lox" comes" from the germanic word "lachs," which means salmon. Lox are salt-cured; not smoked.
Smoked fish didn't come onto the market until the early 1920s. Before then, smoking wasn't commercially viable because there was no refrigeration, etc. Smoked salmon came from Nova Scotia, thus "nova" is smoked.
You can never call American salmon "organic." They don't have the restrictions yet to say what constitutes American salmon as "organic." The Irish do have regulations, so they can call their salmon "organic."
Old-school Jews liked the salmon from the top of the fish, near the head. Not near the tail.
A few things I learned about Russ and Daughters:
Bagels weren't sold at Russ and Daughters until the 1940s. Before that, they ate their fish with black bread. Now they sell hand-rolled, boiled bagels.
Mark Russ Federman likes Schnapps... (like Peach Schnapps???)
Herman is a dominican artistic slicer even though he wanted to be an engineer. He started in 1976 when he was 18 (he looks like he is only 30 years old now... he attributes it to the herring.)
Joel says he was from The Austro-Hungarian Empire (Poland...)
Started in 1907 with a pushcart on Hester Street
Had a store in 1914 on Orchard Street
Joel Russ started by helping his sister out in the herring business and then got his own cart
Nicki is Mark's daughter
Josh is Mark's nephew. He dropped out of engineering school to help out with the business.
Joel Russ had a son who died at age 1 and a half.
Mark has some sisters.
Ida was the third sister of Hattie and Anne - she passed away. Birth order: Hattie (95), Ida, Anne. Anne is Mark's mom.
Mark and other Russ children were only allowed to work on the candy side of the store- not behind the fish counter.
They were paid $1.10 / hour.
Capchunka (sp?) is a fish cured whole with the guts and it could kill you like blowfish. No longer sold in the store (but there is still a sign!)
Mark was friends with Abe Lebewohl! He called him Abey.
Appetizing is the opposite of a deli. Where they could not mix milk and meat, deli was for the meat and appetizing stores were for the things that were eaten with dairy (cream cheese, butter) like fish.
The super heeb is super popular.
Abe Lebewohl once said to a group of food writers asking about the health of his food: "What am I gonna tell you? My food's gonna kill you."
I loved The Jews of New York. Favorite part: Anne saying, "I'm not a braggadashian." (about Nicki's ability to cut salmon.) (That goes out to mom!)
Fish with the bone is the best (isn't everything?) (Stillman doesn't think so about the filet mignon but does it anyway at Quality Meats...)
The Lower east Side is endangered but we are doing something to stop the madness... (from whole fish to Whole Foods...)
Marco Pierre wrote about Russ and Daughters on Grubstreet! http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/06/marco_pierre_white_has_an_impr_1.html
Mark is writing a book. He swore us to secrecy about the name but then I found it all over his website so I feel I'm not revealing anything: "From Pushcart to Posh" How things are changing, etc.
Difference between whitefish and chubs (Dad this is for you!): Chubs are just small whitefish, sweeter, harder to find, lots of bones=yum.
Salmon I ate tonight:
Wild Pacific Nova "Western": May not be here forever. Also called Chinook/Nova. From Alaska. Smoked. Wild. Good. Tastes like your basic really damn good lox.
Gaspe Traditional Eastern Nova: My second favorite! Mild/buttery. From Nova Scotia. Farmed. Really really good. Smoked. Best with black bread because the bagel overpowers it. It's just too delicate!
Scottish: This was my least favorite. From Scotland. Smoked. Not as creamy. Very salty. Tougher. Has to make a long trip here from Scotland! Smokier. Europeans like it, according to MRF.
Irish "Organic": My second least favorite. Mild. Rich. Nice flavor. But more bland than the others.
Gravlox "Dill Cured": Fresh salmon with salt, pepper, and dill. They used to bury it in the ground (thus "grave-lox.") You can impress your friends and make this at home! Buy two halves of really good fresh salmon. Rub salt, pepper, and dill on it. Put the two sides together and put it in the fridge with some weight on it. Keep turning it and enjoy! It's very dilly. Good, but not buttery, like I like.
Wild White King KS Kippered Salmon: Hot smoked! (Not cold smoked like the others.) Very good. Thick, white, salty. Stronger flavor.
Pastrami Cured Salmon: New-age. Pastrami spices: coriander, peppercorn, etc. Healthier. Best with mustard and dill. Tastes like pastrami. I say if you want that, go to Second Ave Deli...
Belly Lox Salt Cured: This was delicious melt in your mouth tastiness. The first type of lox sold at Russ and Daughters. "Jewish sushi." Salt-cured! Raw, not smoked. Best with a bagel and cream cheese. Amazing, salty, delicate, fatty. My favorite.
A few things I learned about herring:
Beet salad is good with herring
Herring should be eaten with a starch (bread/potato)
It's good for you! Has a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids
Herring I ate tonight:
New Holland Herring: My favorite and how lucky that this tasting was in June cause that's the only time they sell it!
Schmaltz herring/North Atlantic Herring: oldest most authentic. My second favorite. Very fishy/smoky.
Pickled Herring: marks events/traditions. What I had growing up. Need to know texture of the fish for this to be good. Lasts forever and sauces well. Good sauces: mustard and dill; sherry; ginger; curry and fennel. Good with cheese.
Herring with Cream Sauce: Swedes invented it. Pickled.
Matjes (Ma-chis) Herring: Good cocktail herring with a drink. I didn't love it. Thought it tasted kinda metallic?
Herring in Mustard and Dill: French invented. Pickled. Yum.
Other Things I Ate Tonight:
Sable: "Poor Man's Sturgeon", smoked, replaced carp, which makes gefilte fish. They used to put garlic on carp to cover the fishy bottom-feeder taste. This was yummy, white, and smoky.
Smoked Yellowfin Tuna (not bluefin= mercury!) with wasabi flying fish roe- YUM. My favorite.
Whitefish Salad- chubs/whitefish with baked salmon and trout roe.
Smoked Salmon Tartar- dill, creme fraise, capers, salmon that wasn't cut right.
To Astor Center:
Just had the pleasure and luck of running into you at Mud after coming from the Russ and Daughters event at Astor Center. I'm really glad to have met you, as I've been wanting to tell someone over there at Astor Center how much I LOVE what you guys are doing over there.
First off, I LOVE your wine store.I always scope out the staff picks and have to say that your staff hasn't let me down yet. I also love the under $10 bottles and the "seasonal" selections. That big bucket you have when you first walk in with the super cheap deals on cheap wine with is always a good deal and they typically taste better than 3 buck chuck. I love the Tuesday deals and the tastings and the discounts you get if you're a member. I also love the fact that you carry the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, which is a damn fine wine for cheap. (Any chance I may be able to sway someone over there to carry the Morgan Double L Vineyard Pinot Noir; the Elyse Petit Sirah or their Zinfandel or their Petit Syrah Port; or a Davis Bynum Pinot Noir?)
But... as much as I LOVE your store, I have to say, I LOVE your classes at the Astor Center as much if not more. I am still reeling over the fact that, for a mere $45, I got to sit six feet from Mark Russ Federman for two and a half hours (yes, he gave us 30 extra minutes) and eat his fish and hear stories about his family. I feel like these classes are the best kept secret in New York. (Probably not what you want to hear!) What a bargain and what an experience. I want to go to all of them. Next up on my list: Bacon, Beer, and Cheese (really, what could be better?) Wanted to do the Colin Alevras private tasting event but I can't make it. Funny enough, I will be out with a waiter from The Tasting Room that night. (What happened to The Tasting Room? I was sad enough when it moved to Elizabeth Street...) I will also be sure to be at the Gastronomica Forum with Darra Goldstein, as I LOVE Gastromica. In this vein, could I persuade someone over there to pleeeaasse try and get Sasha Wizansky and Amy Standen in as guests? They are the editors of Meatpaper, which is my favorite, favorite magazine and I want to try and beg them for a job:) I'd be sure to bring as many people as I can to this event if you can get them to come. Unfortunately, I think they are in San Fran. But, who knows? Maybe they'll plan a trip here soon.
Anyway, that went off on a tangent. So, back to the point. Keep doing what you are doing. It's perfect and great and amazing and just what New York needs and wants. Thoughts for more classes: more farmers to talk about how the food gets to your plate and CSA programs; butchers cause they are cool and people need and want to learn more about what to ask for when they go into a butcher shop and the difference between pork butt and pork shoulder (aren't they the same?), and a food writer to talk about how the hell to break into that coolest of cool profession... Also, like you did with Russ and Daughters tonight, have people from the real NY institutions come in and talk. This is an experience like no other. These would be good: People from Kossar's Bialy's, Moishe's Bakery; Di Paolos, The Doughut Plant, Katz's, Yonah Schimmel's, Economy Candy, Ess-a-Bagel, Lombardi's Pizza. Also, classes on microbrewed beers would be fun or something on soju and all those other korean wines would be cool. Or oh! A class on those crazy miracle berries would be kinda hip and current. (https://securemail.ruderfinn.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html)
Things I personally think you should stay away from: Cooking classes/knife-skills classes, things like this. Leave those for CIA and ICE.
Anyway, I think I've had too much MUD... Thanks for your card. Pass on my praises to Doug, Leslie, Andrew and everyone else there at the Astor Center.
And keep on keepin' on.
Ash
I was at the event at Astor Center tonight and just wanted to say how much I DID NOT want it to end! I could have stayed there all night eating herring and salmon and listening to Mr. Mark talk about the Russ family, fish, and the Lower East Side. What an incredible event. I feel so lucky to have been there. See you in the store!
Ash
A few things I learned about salmon:
"Lox" comes" from the germanic word "lachs," which means salmon. Lox are salt-cured; not smoked.
Smoked fish didn't come onto the market until the early 1920s. Before then, smoking wasn't commercially viable because there was no refrigeration, etc. Smoked salmon came from Nova Scotia, thus "nova" is smoked.
You can never call American salmon "organic." They don't have the restrictions yet to say what constitutes American salmon as "organic." The Irish do have regulations, so they can call their salmon "organic."
Old-school Jews liked the salmon from the top of the fish, near the head. Not near the tail.
A few things I learned about Russ and Daughters:
Bagels weren't sold at Russ and Daughters until the 1940s. Before that, they ate their fish with black bread. Now they sell hand-rolled, boiled bagels.
Mark Russ Federman likes Schnapps... (like Peach Schnapps???)
Herman is a dominican artistic slicer even though he wanted to be an engineer. He started in 1976 when he was 18 (he looks like he is only 30 years old now... he attributes it to the herring.)
Joel says he was from The Austro-Hungarian Empire (Poland...)
Started in 1907 with a pushcart on Hester Street
Had a store in 1914 on Orchard Street
Joel Russ started by helping his sister out in the herring business and then got his own cart
Nicki is Mark's daughter
Josh is Mark's nephew. He dropped out of engineering school to help out with the business.
Joel Russ had a son who died at age 1 and a half.
Mark has some sisters.
Ida was the third sister of Hattie and Anne - she passed away. Birth order: Hattie (95), Ida, Anne. Anne is Mark's mom.
Mark and other Russ children were only allowed to work on the candy side of the store- not behind the fish counter.
They were paid $1.10 / hour.
Capchunka (sp?) is a fish cured whole with the guts and it could kill you like blowfish. No longer sold in the store (but there is still a sign!)
Mark was friends with Abe Lebewohl! He called him Abey.
Appetizing is the opposite of a deli. Where they could not mix milk and meat, deli was for the meat and appetizing stores were for the things that were eaten with dairy (cream cheese, butter) like fish.
The super heeb is super popular.
Abe Lebewohl once said to a group of food writers asking about the health of his food: "What am I gonna tell you? My food's gonna kill you."
I loved The Jews of New York. Favorite part: Anne saying, "I'm not a braggadashian." (about Nicki's ability to cut salmon.) (That goes out to mom!)
Fish with the bone is the best (isn't everything?) (Stillman doesn't think so about the filet mignon but does it anyway at Quality Meats...)
The Lower east Side is endangered but we are doing something to stop the madness... (from whole fish to Whole Foods...)
Marco Pierre wrote about Russ and Daughters on Grubstreet! http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/06/marco_pierre_white_has_an_impr_1.html
Mark is writing a book. He swore us to secrecy about the name but then I found it all over his website so I feel I'm not revealing anything: "From Pushcart to Posh" How things are changing, etc.
Difference between whitefish and chubs (Dad this is for you!): Chubs are just small whitefish, sweeter, harder to find, lots of bones=yum.
Salmon I ate tonight:
Wild Pacific Nova "Western": May not be here forever. Also called Chinook/Nova. From Alaska. Smoked. Wild. Good. Tastes like your basic really damn good lox.
Gaspe Traditional Eastern Nova: My second favorite! Mild/buttery. From Nova Scotia. Farmed. Really really good. Smoked. Best with black bread because the bagel overpowers it. It's just too delicate!
Scottish: This was my least favorite. From Scotland. Smoked. Not as creamy. Very salty. Tougher. Has to make a long trip here from Scotland! Smokier. Europeans like it, according to MRF.
Irish "Organic": My second least favorite. Mild. Rich. Nice flavor. But more bland than the others.
Gravlox "Dill Cured": Fresh salmon with salt, pepper, and dill. They used to bury it in the ground (thus "grave-lox.") You can impress your friends and make this at home! Buy two halves of really good fresh salmon. Rub salt, pepper, and dill on it. Put the two sides together and put it in the fridge with some weight on it. Keep turning it and enjoy! It's very dilly. Good, but not buttery, like I like.
Wild White King KS Kippered Salmon: Hot smoked! (Not cold smoked like the others.) Very good. Thick, white, salty. Stronger flavor.
Pastrami Cured Salmon: New-age. Pastrami spices: coriander, peppercorn, etc. Healthier. Best with mustard and dill. Tastes like pastrami. I say if you want that, go to Second Ave Deli...
Belly Lox Salt Cured: This was delicious melt in your mouth tastiness. The first type of lox sold at Russ and Daughters. "Jewish sushi." Salt-cured! Raw, not smoked. Best with a bagel and cream cheese. Amazing, salty, delicate, fatty. My favorite.
A few things I learned about herring:
Beet salad is good with herring
Herring should be eaten with a starch (bread/potato)
It's good for you! Has a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids
Herring I ate tonight:
New Holland Herring: My favorite and how lucky that this tasting was in June cause that's the only time they sell it!
Schmaltz herring/North Atlantic Herring: oldest most authentic. My second favorite. Very fishy/smoky.
Pickled Herring: marks events/traditions. What I had growing up. Need to know texture of the fish for this to be good. Lasts forever and sauces well. Good sauces: mustard and dill; sherry; ginger; curry and fennel. Good with cheese.
Herring with Cream Sauce: Swedes invented it. Pickled.
Matjes (Ma-chis) Herring: Good cocktail herring with a drink. I didn't love it. Thought it tasted kinda metallic?
Herring in Mustard and Dill: French invented. Pickled. Yum.
Other Things I Ate Tonight:
Sable: "Poor Man's Sturgeon", smoked, replaced carp, which makes gefilte fish. They used to put garlic on carp to cover the fishy bottom-feeder taste. This was yummy, white, and smoky.
Smoked Yellowfin Tuna (not bluefin= mercury!) with wasabi flying fish roe- YUM. My favorite.
Whitefish Salad- chubs/whitefish with baked salmon and trout roe.
Smoked Salmon Tartar- dill, creme fraise, capers, salmon that wasn't cut right.
To Astor Center:
Just had the pleasure and luck of running into you at Mud after coming from the Russ and Daughters event at Astor Center. I'm really glad to have met you, as I've been wanting to tell someone over there at Astor Center how much I LOVE what you guys are doing over there.
First off, I LOVE your wine store.I always scope out the staff picks and have to say that your staff hasn't let me down yet. I also love the under $10 bottles and the "seasonal" selections. That big bucket you have when you first walk in with the super cheap deals on cheap wine with is always a good deal and they typically taste better than 3 buck chuck. I love the Tuesday deals and the tastings and the discounts you get if you're a member. I also love the fact that you carry the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, which is a damn fine wine for cheap. (Any chance I may be able to sway someone over there to carry the Morgan Double L Vineyard Pinot Noir; the Elyse Petit Sirah or their Zinfandel or their Petit Syrah Port; or a Davis Bynum Pinot Noir?)
But... as much as I LOVE your store, I have to say, I LOVE your classes at the Astor Center as much if not more. I am still reeling over the fact that, for a mere $45, I got to sit six feet from Mark Russ Federman for two and a half hours (yes, he gave us 30 extra minutes) and eat his fish and hear stories about his family. I feel like these classes are the best kept secret in New York. (Probably not what you want to hear!) What a bargain and what an experience. I want to go to all of them. Next up on my list: Bacon, Beer, and Cheese (really, what could be better?) Wanted to do the Colin Alevras private tasting event but I can't make it. Funny enough, I will be out with a waiter from The Tasting Room that night. (What happened to The Tasting Room? I was sad enough when it moved to Elizabeth Street...) I will also be sure to be at the Gastronomica Forum with Darra Goldstein, as I LOVE Gastromica. In this vein, could I persuade someone over there to pleeeaasse try and get Sasha Wizansky and Amy Standen in as guests? They are the editors of Meatpaper, which is my favorite, favorite magazine and I want to try and beg them for a job:) I'd be sure to bring as many people as I can to this event if you can get them to come. Unfortunately, I think they are in San Fran. But, who knows? Maybe they'll plan a trip here soon.
Anyway, that went off on a tangent. So, back to the point. Keep doing what you are doing. It's perfect and great and amazing and just what New York needs and wants. Thoughts for more classes: more farmers to talk about how the food gets to your plate and CSA programs; butchers cause they are cool and people need and want to learn more about what to ask for when they go into a butcher shop and the difference between pork butt and pork shoulder (aren't they the same?), and a food writer to talk about how the hell to break into that coolest of cool profession... Also, like you did with Russ and Daughters tonight, have people from the real NY institutions come in and talk. This is an experience like no other. These would be good: People from Kossar's Bialy's, Moishe's Bakery; Di Paolos, The Doughut Plant, Katz's, Yonah Schimmel's, Economy Candy, Ess-a-Bagel, Lombardi's Pizza. Also, classes on microbrewed beers would be fun or something on soju and all those other korean wines would be cool. Or oh! A class on those crazy miracle berries would be kinda hip and current. (https://securemail.ruderfinn.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html)
Things I personally think you should stay away from: Cooking classes/knife-skills classes, things like this. Leave those for CIA and ICE.
Anyway, I think I've had too much MUD... Thanks for your card. Pass on my praises to Doug, Leslie, Andrew and everyone else there at the Astor Center.
And keep on keepin' on.
Ash
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Thoughts on the Last Supper at San Domenico
Ate at San Domenico last night for the "last supper" in its current location. Had a reservation at 10, and yes- we were admittedly a little late (10:10), but we had to sit at the bar for 30 minutes and weren't seated until 10:40, which irked me a tad. Bartender gave me the full wine list, which was bottles only and then never came back, so I had to sit sans drink for too long before I could get his attention and ask for the wine by the glass menu, which I feel should be standard when sitting at the bar. Initial impressions: cruise ship dining room. A little too glitzy, a few too many waiters carrying a bit too-fancy looking things on trays. You feel the old-school charm, like it probably was one of "the places" to go in '88. I was suprised it didn't have carpeting. Was also suprised they didn't serve baked alaska- it seems like the type of place that would. The prix fixe dinner was good. I really liked the carpaccio of swordfish and the duck pate. The rib steak was perfectly cooked and the salmon was flaky and delicious. The caviar and the spinich served with the salmon were good enough to be a meal themselves. I wasn't a huge fan of the mushrooms served with the steak- they pieces were too big, rendering them too chewy. As for desserts, they were out of the napoleon (curses!) but the tirimisu with a little ice cream was a good second choice. Wine list is excellent. I drank a Ciro, which was tanniny and great. They had a nice Moscato d'Asti on the dessert menu and lots of Brunellos from Castello Banfi. They also had a really cool prociutto slicer which I overheard a girl say to the waiter, "what is this?" and he said, "a slicer" and she said, "Oh- i'll have to try some prosciutto next time" to which he responded, "there won't be a next time." A poignant moment... Anyway, I felt good to be there- a true part of history to be at the last public meal for San Domenico. I assume it wasn't the usual crowd, as they advertised their $55 prix fixe on websites such as Daily Candy, but hey- perhaps not a truly authentic experience, but an experience nonetheless.
If you have $600 to burn, you can still get in on the alumni chef reunion tasting menu dinner tonight. Proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of NYC.
On Sunday, they will have a tag sale where they auction off "stuff" from the restaurant- artwork, tableware, etc. (Actually, their tableware is pretty cool- it all says San Domenico on it.)
If you have $600 to burn, you can still get in on the alumni chef reunion tasting menu dinner tonight. Proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of NYC.
On Sunday, they will have a tag sale where they auction off "stuff" from the restaurant- artwork, tableware, etc. (Actually, their tableware is pretty cool- it all says San Domenico on it.)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Goodbye San Domenico
San Domeinco: http://www.sandomeniconewyork.com/is closing its (Central Park South) doors after 20 years in business. Don't miss out on your chance to eat there one last time- and all with a 1988 price tag. I plan on being there at 10pm tonight.
On another note, support the slow food auction:
http://slowfoodusa.org/support/auction.html.
I myself am jonesing for the NYC Culinary Tour For Two: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250258136422&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=015 with Mrs. Mama Marisa Tomei, but may have to settle for the Insider Tour of the Union Square Greenmarket: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250258548724&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=015.
Thanks Girl Gastronome for the tip:)
On another note, support the slow food auction:
http://slowfoodusa.org/support/auction.html.
I myself am jonesing for the NYC Culinary Tour For Two: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250258136422&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=015 with Mrs. Mama Marisa Tomei, but may have to settle for the Insider Tour of the Union Square Greenmarket: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250258548724&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=015.
Thanks Girl Gastronome for the tip:)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Post One; At Home / Tuna Wrap and Soup
Hello? Anyone out there? This is Ash. And I am announcing my entrance into the blog world. Here I come! Hide your food... clean your plates. Cover the eyes of your vegetarian friends... I have arrived!
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