A COUPLE OF NICE WINES

Joined by some wine-loving friends, last night I sampled a couple of lovely wines. Just FYI:

The 2005 Plume Bleue, a vin de pays D'Oc from Laurence Feraud of Domaine du Pegau in sunny southern France, is a blend of syrah and grenache with a load of ripe fruit. It's easy-drinking, this rustic red, right for unfussy meats and poultry. It's imported by Hand-Picked Selections, Warrenton, Va., and retails for about $10.

The 2005 Cantina del Taburno Beneventano Greco is a seriously fruity Italian white that we used to wash down a potently accented seafood salad of octopus and squid. I'd call this vivacious, sporty thing right for kicked-up seafood. It was selected by Marc de Grazia for Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y., and sells for about $13.

The best way to find the wines you want is to call around to wine shops where you live and find out if they deal with the area distributors who stock wines from specific importers. Keep calling until you find someone who says (for example), Yup, we get in Skurnik's wines. Then ask if the shop has the specific bottle you're after or if they'll order it for you. Walking blind into a wine shop, expecting to find a specific boutique bottle, pretty much is a waste of time.

Anyway, I'm off this week and I plan to try to get some non-work eating and cooking in. If I cook up anything spectacular, I'll report in. I'll be in NYC for the Beard Awards festivities Sunday through Tuesday (May 6-7-8); I'll touch base with y'all about the awards after I get back home.

cheers,
Andy
4.29.07

FROM THE HIGH SEAS

Want to know what fishes are ripe for eating?

The folks who track these things for the state sent over a few notes that might be of interest to those of you in search of the freshest things that swim.

Day boat sea scallops are in good supply and of excellent quality, while there's a good supply and good quality for mackerel, ling, fluke (until April 30) and butterfish. There's excellent quality tuna and tilefish out there, but supplies are limited.

If you're into Cape May Salt Oysters, the state folks report that "supplies are very good ... with excellent quality."

The fish officials will be issuing a Jersey Fresh seafood availablity report every couple of weeks. If y'all are interested in hearing what they have to say, I'll be happy to post info (such as the above) on this blog.

So where are you eating and/or what are you cooking this weekend? And, restaurant chefs, any unusual specials this weekend or coming up next week?

cheers,
Andy
4.27.07

THIS JUST IN

Next to hearing from readers about their restaurant and cooking adventures, my favorite missives come from the state Department of Agriculture. I LOVE learning what's going to be in season in New Jersey from the Ag Department's fountain of info on edibles, Bill Walker.

And this just in re: Jersey Fresh crops heading our way. Right now, be on the lookout for spinach, kale, dandelion greens, arugula and cilantro. Do a saute of spinach, kale, dandelions and arugula in garlic-infused olive oil and serve it over cooked white beans. After eating this for supper, you'll be able to flatten a super-hero with a flick of your wrist.

Look ahead to mid-May for the following: collards, dill and leaf lettuces. I know you're all wondering about strawberries. According to Bill's Jersey Fresh report, the earliest local varieties are expected to be ready for harvest in mid-May, with the bulk of the crop coming in late May. Memorial Day and strawberries, perfect together.

Now, recently a contributor to this blog had a terrific idea I heartily endorse: How about you folks reporting in with what you're finding at the produce markets, farmstands and farmers' markets? Just post whenever you snag something fresh and fabulous and let us all know where you got it and how you prepared it once you got home. I'll be on the road all spring, summer and fall, scouting for local produce and artisanal food products, letting you know right here and in my Foraging column (Wednesdays, in the Food section of the Press) what I find. Please chime in with your finds -- as often as you can.

cheers - and thanks,
Andy
4.24.07

LET IT BE SPRING

It’s the sun before more rain later this week, and so this afternoon I met friends up at Sickles Market in Little Silver. Sickles, except for a few spring peak-plant days, is typically closed on Sundays. But last weekend, it began to open its doors –“now and forever,” they’re saying – on Sundays.

The market was a veritable party. Everyone who’s been hibernating all winter was out and buying produce, cheeses, little jars of this and that luxury item, and tons of Chef Kevin’s prepared foods. My pal Pam, a “greens-and-beans” fiend, stocked up her cart with a garden of kale, chard and spinach. We bought a bounty of bouncy frisee and a boatload of mesclun. Somehow I came away with a battalion of Meyer lemons. Yeah, right – there’s no “somehow” about it; I packed up a few pounds of the kind, gentle things quite purposefully. And shallots – 3 pounds of shallots. Did I mention the marinated artichokes? Two quart containers of those guys, from the Sickles olives-et-al bar. My friend Laura Osborne, who’s now working at Sickles, gallantly double-wrapped them for me.

I’m going to be making one of my all-time favorites, a stew of cut-up, bone-in chicken in a lemon-white wine sauce with artichokes, shallots and capers. It’s lemon-lemon-lemon. (I’ll sneak in a few preserved lemons, I’m sure.) Then, I’ll serve it over egg noodles and be very happy. It’s such a sunny dish. I can’t imagine anything more perfect for the onset of real-deal spring.

What do you cook to herald spring?

Cheers,
Andy
4.22.07

Qs FOR YOU

1) When you dine out at a restaurant, are you more likely to order from its regular menu or select one of the restaurant’s nightly specials?

2) When choosing a restaurant, do you prefer a BYOB or a place with a liquor license?

3) What’s the most important factor for you in picking a restaurant for a night out: a) cuisine type, b) proximity to your home, c) scene and setting, or d) reputation?

4) What new restaurant in Monmouth/Ocean (and by new I mean that it’s been open about a year or less) has most impressed you?

5) How much do you typically spend – per person – on a non-fast-food restaurant dinner?

Comments, insights, reasons why for any of the above will be hungrily consumed (by me).

Cheers,
Andy
4.19.07

READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Here's some recent news adapted from my overflowing IN e-box.

The International Association of Culinary Professionals presented its awards Saturday night to cookbook authors and others in the culinary professions. Among the cookbook winners are:

The IACP Cookbook of the Year, awarded to authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page for"What to Drink with What You Eat," based on advice from America's best sommeliers.

American: "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook" by Matt Lee and Ted Lee.

Bread, Other Baking and Sweets: "Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own" by Andrew Whitley.

Food Photography and Styling: "Simple Chinese Cooking" with photos by Earl Carter.

Reference: "The Spice and Herb Bible" by Ian Hemphill.

General: "The Improvisational Cook" by Sally Schneider.

Health and Special Diets: "Lunch Lessons: Changing the way we feed our children" by Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes.

International: "Cradle of Flavor" by James Oseland.

Single Subject: "A Passion for Ice Cream" by Emily Luchetti.

TAKING THE LOCAL

As I was shopping for the story on earth-friendly products (see tomorrow's Food cover in the Press), I made a point of looking for foods locally grown or locally crafted. I'm not talking about something made with ingredients grown hundreds of miles away, then manufactured elsewhere and sold by a locally owned business, but real-deal local fare.

One supermarket I was shopping at posted a sign touting the earth-friendly benefits of buying local goods. So I scouted this market for local products. I really looked hard and read a zillion labels. Nothing. I couldn't find anything New Jersey born and bred. I asked the folks at the courtesy counter, who told me to ask around the various departments. "The department managers will know,'' I was told. But I'd done that, I replied. Nada.

Anyway, a couple of managers were called to the courtesy counter and only one, a fellow who worked in produce, said he had anything from the Garden State. Eagerly, I walked with him to produce, where he pointed out mushrooms grown in Pennsylvania and onions hauled in from New York. "Pennsylvania and New York aren't New Jersey,'' I said. He shrugged. That's considered "local'' at this market, I was told.

I asked the supermarket's managers why they put up signs imploring folks to buy local if they didn't have one food item from New Jersey in their store. They didn't know why. One manager read the "buy local'' sign I'd pointed out and, rather than taking it down, straightened it slightly, then walked away.

Once our local farmstands and farmers' markets open for the season, I hope you'll take the opportunity to buy local. And when the locally operated large produce markets sport Jersey-grown and Jersey Fresh produce, I hope you'll patronize those farmers and food artisans rather than toting home produce from Chile and Argentina. The buy-local concept is a good one. Our supermarkets would do well by our hard-working growers to take it to heart.

Cheers,
Andy
4.17.07

MORE, PLEASE

I'm supposed to be thinking and writing about summer eating right now, but my mind keeps drifting back to the foods I had last week at Zaitooni Deli in Red Bank.

My friend Lucy told me about Zaitooni. She works in Red Bank and found this new Lebanese/Middle Eastern spot shortly after it opened on Mechanic Street. She felt certain I'd find it special.

Right she was. (I wrote about Zaitooni in today's Eat Out column, which appears in Jersey Alive!) And right were we to order a mini banquet. The thing is, now all I feel like eating is Zaitooni's parsley- and mint-strong tabbouleh salad, its soul-warming hummus and baba ghanouj, and its fava beans laced with garlic, lemon and olive oil. I'm supposed to be in a July state of mind, but I'm living last week's cheese manoushi pie.

I've got to move on, I know. But I hope you check out Zaitooni and find your own version of tabbouleh bliss there. Meanwhile, I'm going to be cooking tapas this weekend, in preparation for a little tapas party on Monday night. If we get monsoon'd out by the nor'easter, I may be stuck in a Middle Eastern eating mind-set for weeks.

Well, that wouldn't be so bad, would it?

Where are you eating and/or what are you cooking this weekend?

cheers,
Andy
4.13.07

EVERYONE LOVES LIDIA

Last night at Barnes & Noble in Freehold Township, a few hundred people were waiting to meet Lidia Bastianich - to ask her to sign copies of her cookbooks and maybe to share a food tip or two. Traffic in and around NYC was making Lidia late but, considering it was a school night and there were threats of any-minute downpours, the Lidia fans were plenty patient.

They were there to meet a woman who has guided them through her really good recipes, recipes that work and result in memorably delicious meals. Her recipes aren’t showy or fussy; her food isn’t layered in tilting skyscraper style or maneuvered onto plates in ways that let you know 84 hands have touched what you’re about to eat. No, Lidia’s food is real food. It is the sum of its good ingredients.

The chef/TV star/cookbook author makes that clear through what she serves in her restaurants (most notably, Felidia in NYC), what she prepares for the cameras on her PBS TV series, and what she writes about in her cookbooks. I loved hearing Lidia’s warm-hearted fans talk about their Lidia adventures – about what they cook (her lemon chicken, her risottos), how sincerely she greets diners at Felidia, how natural she appears on TV.

In an age of rock-star chefs and poof-the-magic-dragon kitchen techniques, there’s something very, very right about the genuine affection home cooks have for Lidia Bastianich. Very right, and as comforting as a bowl of Lidia’s cannelloni.

Cheers,
Andy
4.12.07

THINGS DON'T GO BETTER WITH ...

The first few months of 1982, I had a hideously long commute from my then-home in Frenchtown to Newton. It was a lot of back-road driving, very scenic, really, but ardously long. I don't drink coffee and was never much of a cola-beverage person, either, but I started having a couple of Cokes a day to help stay awake during those back-and-forths.

I hated the cloying sweetness of the stuff. Pretty soon, I hated the buzzy head effects, too. There's something about caffeine that doesn't like me.

So I gave up cola beverages. Last week, I realized I've spent the last 25 years cola-free. I know most folks find this freakish. But, frankly, it gives me the creeps to see people wash down perfectly lovely savory foods with sugar-infused fizzy drinks. Doesn't the soda mask the flavor of the food? Shudder.

People I love and respect swear Coke enhances the flavors of some foods - and they're not just talking burgers, 'dogs and pizza. I have no reason to doubt their fine palates. But since I've decided to shoot for another 25 cola-free years, I won't be conducting any experiments to see if anything really does go better with Coke.

cheers,
Andy
4.10.07

MILKING IT

Good Friday? Well, not so good for us milk chocolate lovers. Dark chocolate is taking over the chocolate world. I'd go so far as to say the dark chocolate Easter bunny population is multiplying at a rate that's positively endangering its milk chocolate kin.

I know, I know. Dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate. All culinary connoisseur types say so. Must be something wrong with my taste buds if I like the taste of the lighter milk stuff even a smidgen. Geesh, even Hershey's has jumped on the bandwagon with a new "extra dark'' chocolate.

Oh well. It's not that I don't like dark chocolate (nothing like a fine dark chocolate ganache), but I fear milk chocolate Easter bunnies soon will be an extinct species. Then I'll be hoppin' mad.

Happy holidays!
Andy
4.6.07

PIEROGI NATION

My “in” basket is overflowing with folks talking about pierogis, which were featured in my Food cover story today in the Press. (I found the homemade pierogis at the new and wonderful Jan’s Deli, 24 Wilson Ave., Englishtown, to be the best, best, best I’ve ever had in these parts.)

Anyway, I’ve heard from folks who reminisced about grandmothers, people who were near tears just at the notion of someone taking the time and trouble to make pierogis by hand, wistful lovers of the little comfort-food pockets who wish they could skip out on their jobs to get to Jan’s NOW. And here I thought I was the No. 1 pierogi fan at the Shore. Who knew we were a Pierogi Nation?

It is such a delightful food. The owners of Jan’s Deli, Stanislawa and Jan Data, came here from Poland 10 years ago and dreamed of opening a grocery where they could share the culinary traditions of their homeland. They are warm and welcoming people and gladly will share their pierogi preparation tips with you. I hope you stop by the grocery, meet them and score a couple dozen pierogis.

I prepare the fresh pierogis a bit differently than most. First, I slowly sauté some onions in unsalted butter in a deep-sided skillet on the stovetop. (Since discovering Jan’s Deli, I prefer the unsalted Polish butter sold there.) When they’re golden and soft, I remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate and then add water to the same skillet, not cleaning it out. How much water? Enough to just cover the pierogis – in order to boil, then simmer them. Anyway, I add the water, raise the heat to high, let the water bubble, then place the pierogis in the skillet. When the water starts to evaporate, I reduce the heat, season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, and let the pierogis simmer until there’s essentially just a film of liquid in the pan and the pierogis are cooked through and have turned golden at the edges. About a minute before serving, I return the sautéed onions to the skillet to warm them through. Sour cream? Sure, but with the Datas’ fabulous fresh pierogis, not necessary.

I’d love to hear how you cook your pierogis, oh you fellow residents of Pierogi Nation.

Cheers,
Andy
4.4.07

THE "C" WORD

I’m reading Nancy Silverton’s new cookbook called “A Twist of the Wrist,” and giving tons of thought to its premise that there are many “quick flavorful meals” to be made with “ingredients from jars, cans, bags and boxes.” I agree; there are indeed. Silverton zeroes in on lots of provocative packaged and prepared foods, some commonly found in supermarkets, some of rare breed that need tracking down and/or ordering, some of brands and producers simply not found in these parts.

So as I’ve been reading, I’ve been tallying searching and shopping time vs. kitchen time and I think it’s pretty even-steven. You’re either going to put your time into acquiring good ingredients or you’re going to put your time into a little elbow-grease in the kitchen. You know, getting involved in the “C” word – cooking. The difference is the money. Buying some of those primo ingredients cost bucks, some of them substantial. A boxed quart of good stock will set you back maybe $4, while making a good stock from throw-away cooking scraps costs, well, the price of the water from your faucet.

We all know this: You’re either going to invest in time or money to eat. (Even if you do dinner for four at the local drive-through fast-food joint, it’s still going to cost you a twenty. Minus the tab for antacid.) We’ve pretty well convinced ourselves, however, that we don’t have time to cook, that all the shuffling to and from work and activities and obligations has exhausted our already-short supply of cooking time. So what Silverton’s book does is tempt us back into the kitchen with “Boneless Pork Chops with Yam Puree and Sauteed Bitter Greens,” a recipe that only calls for 30 minutes of your time, and Chicken with Potato-Lentil Curry, Green Masala Yogurt and Fresh Cilantro,” a recipe requiring just 20 after-shopping minutes.

Frankly, I think Silverton, who is one of the most respected (and deservedly so) chefs in the country and has written several praise-worthy cookbooks, has a dual-edged point with this book: For folks who have the money to buy verjus, piquillo peppers, imported tuna belly in olive oil and chef-sanctioned salsas (from Frontera, from Coyote Cocina) and/or enjoy spending the time hunting down small, artisanal producers of organic broad beans, ZerGut eggplant puree and jarred onions (“an invaluable resource” “used exclusively” to test recipes in the book) from Patsy’s or Aunt Nellie’s (don’t use the Rolland brand, which is a “different product”), this cookbook is a gold-mine of idea for every meal. But for those who don’t have the money to spend on some of these ingredients or the time to shop various markets and catalogs for them, whirring a bunch of herb leaves and olive oil in a blender to produce pesto suddenly seems a small price of time (3 minutes? Maybe 4?) to pay to make delicious recipes. Specifically, her delicious recipes.

I think what “A Twist of the Wrist” (Alfred A. Knopf; $29.95) does is give folks a choice. A choice beyond flat burgers and pressed chicken and oily pies and mayo-laced subs. That’s a “C” word that’ll get your gastric juices flowing.

Cheers,
Andy
4.3.07