Monday, October 31, 2011
Day 629 : A bright orange cheese for Halloween
Looking for a bright orange cheese for Halloween and not in the mood for an orange cheddar? Then you should look to the French aged cow's milk cheese Mimolette of course! Hailing from Lille, this round crater like cheese has a bumpy uneven greyish exterior, due primarily to the mites introduced to the cheese during its aging process. Waxy and crumbly on the interior with nutty, butterscotchy, and caramelly notes, it has that classic aged cheese crystallization. Rich and round with a rustic meatiness to it, this is a cheese that has a nice weight to it. Perfect with a glass of Calvados for a boozy cheesy Halloween treat.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Day 628 : Brunch at Beauty & Essex
Today I ventured down to Beauty & Essex for brunch. Ever since it opened last year, I had wanted to try Chris Santos' new sleek clubby small plates joint hidden behind the front of a pawn shop on Essex Street between Stanton and Rivington. Why do you recognize the name Chris Santos? That's because he is the executive chef of Stanton Social and a frequent judge on Chopped.
Walking in through the pawn shop into a dark and sultry room, the space stretched as far back as the eye could see and had the feel of a great jazz age cocktail bar replete with the requisite leather couches and dark corners to do dark deeds, granted it was brunch time so one didn't get to witness any of those, but I imagine at night time there would be quite a few.
The menu was a mixture of sweet and savory inventive takes on American classic comfort food both of the brunch, lunch, and dinner sort. The cocktail list looked excellent and very creative as well. There were quite a few things that I thought looked fabulous, definitely a place to come back to. Granted, it was a meat heavy menu, but there were plenty of options for those of us who don't eat meat...We started with a tomato tartare served on a parmesan crisp with a quail's egg and grated parmesan and chives. It was a burst of flavor in your mouth -- refreshing and light with a burst of creaminess from the quail egg and an aromatic finish from the chives.
Walking in through the pawn shop into a dark and sultry room, the space stretched as far back as the eye could see and had the feel of a great jazz age cocktail bar replete with the requisite leather couches and dark corners to do dark deeds, granted it was brunch time so one didn't get to witness any of those, but I imagine at night time there would be quite a few.
The menu was a mixture of sweet and savory inventive takes on American classic comfort food both of the brunch, lunch, and dinner sort. The cocktail list looked excellent and very creative as well. There were quite a few things that I thought looked fabulous, definitely a place to come back to. Granted, it was a meat heavy menu, but there were plenty of options for those of us who don't eat meat...We started with a tomato tartare served on a parmesan crisp with a quail's egg and grated parmesan and chives. It was a burst of flavor in your mouth -- refreshing and light with a burst of creaminess from the quail egg and an aromatic finish from the chives.
All served in quite a cute presentation as Santos is known for...
Next up my friend split their three cheese fondue served with duck fat potatoes, apples, pears, strawberries, and croque monsieur squares. A cheesy decadent sharable dish that she thoroughly enjoyed. I had their kale, apple, radicchio, caramelized pecan, and goat's cheese salad, hold the pancetta. A crisp refreshing yet filling salad, perfect for brunch time!
Overall a delish and satisfying meal in a fun atmosphere, a definite place to return to, for brunch, dinner, or cocktails.
Beauty & Essex
146 Essex Street
NYC
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Day 627 : A roast for a snowy day
It's snowing and it's October! The last time this happened in New York City was 59 years ago, crazy to think right? It's not a common sight to see snow, full trees of leaves, pumpkins, and people dressed up in Halloween costumes, but I guess we have global warming to thank for this rare occurrence.
On a day like today, there's really nothing better than cuddling up inside and reading a book and roasting some veggies -- they will give you that much needed warmth on this unseasonably cold snowy day.
Roasted Cauliflower to me is a classic late Fall / Wintertime food -- filling and rustic, when prepared correctly, it just melts in your mouth. So why not roast some cauliflower with some grated Gruyere and Parmesan with some herbs and spices while you're watching a movie and staying indoors today?
1 head of cauliflower
1 shallot
Oregano
Rosemary
Crushed Red Pepper flakes
Paprika
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
EVOO
Grueyere
Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350. Break up the cauliflower into floret pieces. Dice up shallot. Toss all together with EVOO, herbs, and spices in a baking dish. Place in the oven for fifteen minutes or until the cauliflower just starts getting golden brown. Pull out and top with a nice amount of grated Parmesan and Gruyere. Cook for another ten to fifteen minutes or until the cheese has gotten a nice golden hue to it as well. Decadent yet satisfying, rustic and homey -- just the right sort of mood for a day like today.
On a day like today, there's really nothing better than cuddling up inside and reading a book and roasting some veggies -- they will give you that much needed warmth on this unseasonably cold snowy day.
Roasted Cauliflower to me is a classic late Fall / Wintertime food -- filling and rustic, when prepared correctly, it just melts in your mouth. So why not roast some cauliflower with some grated Gruyere and Parmesan with some herbs and spices while you're watching a movie and staying indoors today?
1 head of cauliflower
1 shallot
Oregano
Rosemary
Crushed Red Pepper flakes
Paprika
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
EVOO
Grueyere
Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350. Break up the cauliflower into floret pieces. Dice up shallot. Toss all together with EVOO, herbs, and spices in a baking dish. Place in the oven for fifteen minutes or until the cauliflower just starts getting golden brown. Pull out and top with a nice amount of grated Parmesan and Gruyere. Cook for another ten to fifteen minutes or until the cheese has gotten a nice golden hue to it as well. Decadent yet satisfying, rustic and homey -- just the right sort of mood for a day like today.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Day 626 : Opening Alert -- Yet another grilled cheese joint
Grilled cheese -- that classic simple comfort food that when paired down to its most basic is simply two pieces of bread and a hunk of cheese in between but when done right it is heavenly. Grilled cheese has been "hot" for the past year and change. I know you're thinking, really, did she just say that? Grilled cheese? Hot? Hasn't it always been something that we enjoyed? By hot I mean, restaurants, food trucks, carts, pop-ups and more specializing strictly in grilled cheeses. Why have one or two or even three grilled cheese outposts when you can have dozens right?
So I'm writing to tell you all about another grilled cheese place opening next week down on the Lower East Side -- Little Muenster located at 100 Stanton Street.
9 grilled cheese combinations are on their menu now featuring cheeses spanning the gamut from Kraft singles to Stilton and Midnight Moon to name a few. But instead of revealing all of their grilled cheese combinations right here for you, I recommend you check it out yourself next week.
So I'm writing to tell you all about another grilled cheese place opening next week down on the Lower East Side -- Little Muenster located at 100 Stanton Street.
9 grilled cheese combinations are on their menu now featuring cheeses spanning the gamut from Kraft singles to Stilton and Midnight Moon to name a few. But instead of revealing all of their grilled cheese combinations right here for you, I recommend you check it out yourself next week.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Day 625: How to Save / How to Splurge Dispatch # 35
It's so rainy and gross out nothing sounds better than a warming glass of red wine and some cheese and for under $15 you can easily get a decent bottle of wine and 1/2 pound of cheese. First stop- venture into Zabar's and pick up a 1/2 pound or however much you want of Doux de Montagne, a French semi-soft cow's milk cheese that is round and buttery with creamy slightly nutty notes and a clean finish. Next stop, West Side Wines to grab a bottle of Cuvee Jean-Paul, a Vacluse Rouge from the Southern Rhone valley for $10.99 a bottle. A medium bodied red wine full of red fruit notes and a smooth finish. Next stop - your apartment to cuddle under a duvet and watch a movie.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Day 624 : A CSA for Cheese?
Yes you heard it right! Cricket Creek Farm is starting a weekly cheese specific CSA strictly for all you Brooklynites out there.
Traditionally when one thinks of a CSA, one thinks of the boxes of fruit and veggies delivered to your neighborhood on a weekly or biweekly basis -- community supported agriculture.
You either sign up for a holiday special that runs from November 14th through December 26th for $80 or you can sign up for a full winter share which starts on November 14th and goes through March 19th for $215. With each you will get 3/4 of a lb of cheese on a weekly basis. However should you decide to sign up for the double share, you would get 1.5 lbs of cheese on a weekly basis.
It's a great way to stimulate the farm's revenue while providing you with a weekly delivery of delish farm fresh artisanal cheese.
Traditionally when one thinks of a CSA, one thinks of the boxes of fruit and veggies delivered to your neighborhood on a weekly or biweekly basis -- community supported agriculture.
You either sign up for a holiday special that runs from November 14th through December 26th for $80 or you can sign up for a full winter share which starts on November 14th and goes through March 19th for $215. With each you will get 3/4 of a lb of cheese on a weekly basis. However should you decide to sign up for the double share, you would get 1.5 lbs of cheese on a weekly basis.
It's a great way to stimulate the farm's revenue while providing you with a weekly delivery of delish farm fresh artisanal cheese.
Day 623 : SCS Version 9.0, Dispatch # 2
I wanted to take a brief moment to apologize for the blogging delays over the past few weeks, everything will fall back into a rhythm shortly....Needless to say, lets get going with yesterday and today's posts...When figuring out what sort of cheeses to discuss in this week's spotlight, I decided to settle on two fresh spreadable cheeses, the goal was to have two goat's milk cheeses but it seems that Mexico is not necessarily that well known for cheese made with goat's milk. However the cheese I chose today from Mexico is traditionally made with a mixture of cow and goat's milk.
Hailing from Kemah, Texas is CheesyGirl Cheese Company a completely vegetarian cheesemaking farm meaning that the cheese is made with completely vegetarian rennet. They craft five distinct goat's milk cheeses -- Plain Jane (a straightforward chevre); Femme Fatale (infused with their own special blend of herbs); Hottie (infused with jalapenos and cayenne and my personal favorite); Cara Mia (infused with sundried tomatoes, oregano and extra virgin olive oil); and Buff (their one aged goat's milk cheese). Each of their spreadable young goat's milk cheeses are fresh, alive, tangy, citrusy, grassy and all around fantastic -- raw and infused with the local terroir.
And what of our Mexican counterpart?
How about one of the most well known and easily accessible fresh creamy cheeses crafted in the region? Queso Fresco! Yes you see queso fresco crafted in the US as well but it does originate in Mexico. Queso Fresco is traditionally made with a mixture of cow and goat's milk and is young, milky and tangy. There is a greater roundness of mouth feel with the queso fresco than the CheesyGirl's chevres due to the cow's milk. But this simple straightforward fresh cheese is a delight on its own or is a very versatile ingredient to include in a variety of dishes.
The great thing about spreadable soft cheeses is that they can be used in an endless number of ways -- there is never a shortage of ideas when it comes to how to utilize a soft cheese that's for sure!
Hailing from Kemah, Texas is CheesyGirl Cheese Company a completely vegetarian cheesemaking farm meaning that the cheese is made with completely vegetarian rennet. They craft five distinct goat's milk cheeses -- Plain Jane (a straightforward chevre); Femme Fatale (infused with their own special blend of herbs); Hottie (infused with jalapenos and cayenne and my personal favorite); Cara Mia (infused with sundried tomatoes, oregano and extra virgin olive oil); and Buff (their one aged goat's milk cheese). Each of their spreadable young goat's milk cheeses are fresh, alive, tangy, citrusy, grassy and all around fantastic -- raw and infused with the local terroir.
And what of our Mexican counterpart?
How about one of the most well known and easily accessible fresh creamy cheeses crafted in the region? Queso Fresco! Yes you see queso fresco crafted in the US as well but it does originate in Mexico. Queso Fresco is traditionally made with a mixture of cow and goat's milk and is young, milky and tangy. There is a greater roundness of mouth feel with the queso fresco than the CheesyGirl's chevres due to the cow's milk. But this simple straightforward fresh cheese is a delight on its own or is a very versatile ingredient to include in a variety of dishes.
The great thing about spreadable soft cheeses is that they can be used in an endless number of ways -- there is never a shortage of ideas when it comes to how to utilize a soft cheese that's for sure!
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