THE SECRET OF FEEDING KIDS (and more)
I have stumbled upon the secret of feeding kids and it involves an endless supply of duck confit.
Laugh, go ahead, but the vast majority of kids I know love duck confit. This evening, for a Labor Day patio party at the home of friends in Little Silver, I did two batches of burritos: One sported shredded chicken, made with a bit of lime and a dab of chipotle, layered with avocado and chopped lettuce, while the other featured shredded duck confit spliced with mango chutney and piled with fresh mango and chopped lettuce. I bet on the adults lunging for the duck and the kids picking on the chicken.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The adults, laying back after an opening-round spread that included various melons wrapped in prosciutto di Parma, Fra’mani salumi, whipped salmon spread, baba ghanouj, hummus, piquillos stuffed with burrata, and various nibbles and bits, let the kids have at the mains first. I ran out of duck confit-mango burritos and had to buzz back to the kitchen to assemble more.
Jake, tasting a mango: “I don’t like mangos.” Jake, tasting a burrito with duck confit and mango: “I like mangos as long as they’re with duck confit.” He’s a single-digit.
Craig: “Where’s my duck confit? Don’t let anyone have my duck confit! Can I come into the kitchen for more duck confit?” He’s also a single-digit. The duck confit was brewing in a pot on the stove top. He is no fool, this kid.
Nick: “I don’t want chicken, I want duck confit.” Yes, yes, single-digit, too.
Sarah: “Pleeeeeeeeeease let me help you make the duck confit burritos. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!” She recently turned 10.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to duck confit burritos. My 8-year-old sous chef pal finds duck confit ragout (braised with lots of vegetables in orange juice and chicken stock), served over wide noodles to be her edible bliss. Another 8-year-old I know likes his duck confit tossed in a salad, with tangerine segments and pecans. He eats it before I even have a chance to dress it.
Maybe they just like saying it. Duck cohn-fee. I don’t know. But I do know they like eating it.
Anyway, it’s been a busy, busy weekend. I got pretty choked up yesterday afternoon at a party for a friend’s upcoming 35th birthday. You see, it was for my beloved Liza, who I hired 19 years ago this week to work as our bureau’s assistant when the gang of us were all packed into the old Freehold Bureau on Spring Street. Liza was 15, a few days away from turning 16, and we all fell in love with her instantly. Here we are, 19 years later, and Liza’s a wife and a mom – and doing extremely important work helping to prevent young folks from turning to drugs, alcohol, gangs. I can’t believe she’s on the cusp of 35; but I know the world’s better for her being all grown up and doing the good she’s doing.
Of course there was food – tons of grilled fare and salads, but the best was the rice and beans. Love 'em.
So, no chains for me this weekend. Ooops. Did I hit a nerve?
You all know from my reviews how I cherish those small chef-owned places, restaurants where there’s a person in the kitchen who just has to cook, who gets jazzed about a gorgeous in-season ingredient and lets it fly with minimal razzle and absolutely no gimmickry. A voice from the stove. An original. Chains give us formula, and we’ve plenty of that around. So I’m pained at the thought of another chain, but I honestly and truly think (agreeing with a poster below) that we’ve set the stage here for chains: They would not be coming our way if they weren’t making money at our Shore, and they’re making money 'cause locals are patronizing them.
Sighing,
Andy
9.3.07
Laugh, go ahead, but the vast majority of kids I know love duck confit. This evening, for a Labor Day patio party at the home of friends in Little Silver, I did two batches of burritos: One sported shredded chicken, made with a bit of lime and a dab of chipotle, layered with avocado and chopped lettuce, while the other featured shredded duck confit spliced with mango chutney and piled with fresh mango and chopped lettuce. I bet on the adults lunging for the duck and the kids picking on the chicken.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The adults, laying back after an opening-round spread that included various melons wrapped in prosciutto di Parma, Fra’mani salumi, whipped salmon spread, baba ghanouj, hummus, piquillos stuffed with burrata, and various nibbles and bits, let the kids have at the mains first. I ran out of duck confit-mango burritos and had to buzz back to the kitchen to assemble more.
Jake, tasting a mango: “I don’t like mangos.” Jake, tasting a burrito with duck confit and mango: “I like mangos as long as they’re with duck confit.” He’s a single-digit.
Craig: “Where’s my duck confit? Don’t let anyone have my duck confit! Can I come into the kitchen for more duck confit?” He’s also a single-digit. The duck confit was brewing in a pot on the stove top. He is no fool, this kid.
Nick: “I don’t want chicken, I want duck confit.” Yes, yes, single-digit, too.
Sarah: “Pleeeeeeeeeease let me help you make the duck confit burritos. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!” She recently turned 10.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to duck confit burritos. My 8-year-old sous chef pal finds duck confit ragout (braised with lots of vegetables in orange juice and chicken stock), served over wide noodles to be her edible bliss. Another 8-year-old I know likes his duck confit tossed in a salad, with tangerine segments and pecans. He eats it before I even have a chance to dress it.
Maybe they just like saying it. Duck cohn-fee. I don’t know. But I do know they like eating it.
Anyway, it’s been a busy, busy weekend. I got pretty choked up yesterday afternoon at a party for a friend’s upcoming 35th birthday. You see, it was for my beloved Liza, who I hired 19 years ago this week to work as our bureau’s assistant when the gang of us were all packed into the old Freehold Bureau on Spring Street. Liza was 15, a few days away from turning 16, and we all fell in love with her instantly. Here we are, 19 years later, and Liza’s a wife and a mom – and doing extremely important work helping to prevent young folks from turning to drugs, alcohol, gangs. I can’t believe she’s on the cusp of 35; but I know the world’s better for her being all grown up and doing the good she’s doing.
Of course there was food – tons of grilled fare and salads, but the best was the rice and beans. Love 'em.
So, no chains for me this weekend. Ooops. Did I hit a nerve?
You all know from my reviews how I cherish those small chef-owned places, restaurants where there’s a person in the kitchen who just has to cook, who gets jazzed about a gorgeous in-season ingredient and lets it fly with minimal razzle and absolutely no gimmickry. A voice from the stove. An original. Chains give us formula, and we’ve plenty of that around. So I’m pained at the thought of another chain, but I honestly and truly think (agreeing with a poster below) that we’ve set the stage here for chains: They would not be coming our way if they weren’t making money at our Shore, and they’re making money 'cause locals are patronizing them.
Sighing,
Andy
9.3.07
posted by Andrea Clurfeld at 6:25 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Andy and fellow foodies. Anyone besides me think there is too much salt in expensive restaurant food these days?
I always thought the purpose of haute cuisine was to develop complex and interesting flavors in the food. Anyone can throw in a handful of salt and say "bam."
I want to experience food that is full of flavor—not just salty.
What's a diner to do?
s long as it's good sea salt, I don't mind salt.
That said, salt should compliment food and not overshadow other tastes, so if that's what the poster means, I agree.
Andrea, you are right on about chains and I applaud your decision not to feature them in your articles.
You all must try Drew's Bayshore Bistro in Keyport. The food is unbelievable.....cajun creole is his specialty but every dish is superb! The voodoo shrimp is spicy and served over jalepeno cornbread in a spicy worcheshire cream sauce and Ive ordered it as a main course.' He used to be a chef at Joe & Maggie's in Long Branch before it closed. It's my favorite restaurant at the shore!
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