Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Quote of the Day

One time he got a phone call from somebody looking for 10 rabbits at the last minute, so he called up his “bunny guy” and had them at his counter within the hour.

“They were still warm,” said Ruhalter. “It turned out that they were for ‘The Martha Stewart Show.’ ”

-An article about Jeffrey Ruhalter, of Jeffrey's Meat Market on Essex St. Jeffrey is a relative of mine, and I've yet to introduce myself. That day will soon come.

-R

Duck Ragu Lasagna











FINALLY.


I'd been wanting to experiment with this one for a while now, and it's a good thing Suzanne and Patricia were there for moral support to say the least.


THINGS LEARNED:


1. Lots of specialty foods operations are closed on Mondays, some of which include Raffetto's and Aphrodisia. Be warned.


2. Try to find fresh duck if possible.

3. Marjoram is a lie. It doesn't exist.


On to the recipe:

A few things changed in our recipe. First of all, we bought pasta (still fresh of course), used pecorino romano, and chervil instead of marjoram. Also our carrots were in matchstick form.

This was a really rich dish. It would be best served in small portions with a very acidic side salad. Upping the vegetable quantity would help as well.

I have to say that there was too much duck fat to handle. It would take a lot for me to say this, so know that it is true.

On the other hand, I didn't feel particularly gross or heavy after. I think because this sort of thing is so innately satisfying, it doesn't take much to register as a completed meal.
Best parts were the crispy bits, 'course.
-R

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Buckwheat Honey

I'm a honey slut. I put it in my smoothie in the morning, I drizzle it on my skyr in the afternoons, and let it melt into my tea in the eve. I will be experimenting with different sorts of honeys in the upcoming months.

I bought a pound and a half of the stuff from Whole Foods about 3 weeks ago (aaand it's gone today.. oh dear). You know, the "organic Amber" honey. It tasted good, like honey, but there was nothing particularly remarkable about it. And then I saw that it was sourced from at least two different places, and that thrilled me even less than the flavor, so I told myself that the next time, I would buy a more interesting honey.

Flash to today and the Buckwheat Honey that I just opened. This is a whole other animal. This was the sexiest honey I've ever tasted. It's almost purple, and reeks, and is faintly smoky. It would be amazing as a component of a glaze for barbecue or whatnot. I had it over my skyr, and it was awesome as well.

Of course, honey is honey. Nutritionally it's all the same ... the flavors just come from the different sort of flower the bees use. But, man is it a different experience..

I bought McLure's brand. Any honey suggestions?

-R

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Raffetto's


okay. i'll keep this short. fresh pasta that they CUT FOR YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES AS THICK AS YOU WANT for 2.50/pound.


Raffetto's. it's been around since the early 20th century. 144 Houston St. Go there. Just go. Just do it. They carry other Italian imports.


And apparently, the fresh ravioli is the star of the place. I have a feeling my thick cut fettuccine isn't going to let me down, though.


-R


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Homemade Chicken Soup


The real deal.
And you don't have to use a whole chicken. Just buy a pack of drumsticks. 4 or 5... toss them in a big pot with whole black peppercorns, celery, one onion, carrot, dill, parlsey, a few garlic gloves and get boiling. After it boils feel free to add some potato. Then, after, feel free to add some already cooked fresh pasta or rice.
Yom.
-R


Sunday, November 1, 2009

Sixth Street CSA

So excitement: this week I just turned in my forms for a CSA! Sixth Street Community Center gets most of the produce from Sun Valley Farms and R-Best produce: see the lovely spread of edibles for the season.


Sample Deliveries
November
December
January
Empire (red) apples
Mutsu (green) apples
DeVoe pears Bananas
Arugula
Kale
Onions
Russet potatoes
Broccoli
rabe
Japanese turnips
Cranberries
Carrots
Celery
Pumpkin
Green leaf lettuce
Asparagus
Cherry tomatoes
Rome apples
Jonagold apples
Bosc pears
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
Yellow onions
Russet potatoes
Alfalfa spouts
White beets
Celeriac
Radishes
Squash
Lemons
Eggplant
Peppers
Cherry tomatoes
Arugala
Carrots
Fuji apples|
Ida red apples
Seckel pears
Satsuma tangerines
Bananas
Blue potatoes
Yellow onions
Pumpkins
Radishes
Broccoli
Carrots
Kale
Zucchine
Romaine lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Gold bell peppers
February
March
April
Empire apples
Seckel pears
Red grapefruit
Tangerines
Bananas
White mushrooms
Tomatoes
Bok choi
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Romaine lettuce
Garnet yams
Yellow onions
Chevre
Empire apples
Red grapefruit
Bartlett pears
Bananas
White potatoes
Shallots
Green beans
Broccoli
Celeriac
Green leaf lettuce
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Carrots
Cauliflower
Spartan apples
Blood oranges
Mangoes
Bananas
Grimini mushrooms
Green bell peppers
Broccoli
Green cabbage
Carrots
Kale
Green leaf lettuce
Jewel yams
Zucchini
Yellow onions
Eggplant
Tomatoes

I'm pretty sure there are still spots left, it's a lot to put down for the whole season, but it breaks down to about $30 a week..and you'll probably have more that you can eat. Point of contention: there's bananas and stuff on there...and upon further investigation a lot of the stuff is from R-Best Produce. So, I'm going to see where it's actually coming from and give an update.

S.