GREETINGS FROM BEHIND THE STOVE
I haven’t left the stove. Except to travel a whole huge bunch last month, eating, going to school, eating. I feel as though this time of year is all about making something a little bit new out of something classic, and so I play with all the holiday staples and, by Thanksgiving, I feel more stuffed than the bird on the table.
I’ve also been doing a lot of soups – a neat wild mushroom soup with goat cheese, a spiced-way-high tomato-orange soup that took me back to a trip to North Africa, a kid-friendly potato-Cheddar. I’ve spoken to my editor Kathy Dzielak and she’s going to try to find space on our Sunday Dining page next month for these soup recipes. Would that interest you? I’ve always wanted to do a page called Sunday Suppers, a page that would be about cooking, real-people cooking – not showy, TV-style stuff, not glitzy chef food, but hang-around-the-kitchen-on-a-Sunday fare. Anyway, that’s the kind of food I most love cooking at this time of year.
Especially while watching football. Oh, brother, I’m really nervous right now, waiting for today’s games. My beloved Packers have shocked, stunned, left speechless even the most devoted Cheeseheads, and I find myself in a constant state of anxiety about what’s to come this season. I don’t know whether their game against the Panthers will be televised locally today, but I do know I’ll be cooking as they play – my way of cheering them on. (No kidding: Those cheese-based soups all evolved during Packer games, a superstition – “Tuna,” anyone? – I now can’t shake.)
OK, OK. I want you to see/read/hear where I’ve been (and, in part, what’s been keeping me from being here with you), so please let me refer you to www.southernfoodways.com post-haste. That’s the Web site of the Southern Foodways Alliance, which last month held its annual symposium down at Ole Miss, in Oxford, Miss. I went and lapped it all up. If you go to this Web site, you can key in to the lectures I heard and, if you’re hip to the ways of tuning in via computer, you’ll only miss the feedings and after-hours revelry.
The feedings: Ed Mitchell’s barbecue (he’s from North Carolina and a reigning master of that genre) rocked my taste buds. The fried catfish we ate at Taylor Grocery, a quick hop from Oxford, was textbook terrific, and the hickory catfish dip something I’m aching to recreate back here at home. It’d be fabulous for New Year’s Eve. Anyway, if this kind of thing tickles your culinary fancy, you might want to consider joining the Southern Foodways Alliance (Yankees are welcome) and learning more, as I am enjoying doing, about the culinary culture of the expansive and wonderfully, devoutly vernacular South.
Closer to home, there are some new restaurant openings that are making savvy diners curious. I’ve been getting lots of e-mails about Kanji in Tinton Falls, Kicky’s in Matawan/Aberdeen (I think it’s in Aberdeen, though the correspondents have been calling in Matawan), and Vivas in Belmar. Kanji is Japanese, Kicky’s a melange of French and Asian, Vivas Latin, with some nods to the chef’s (Wil Vivas) previous stint at Bistro Ole in Asbury. Anyone care to weigh in here? Chefs, too, are welcome to talk about their new restaurants here.
A couple of ending notes: To all the nice folks who wrote me nice notes about Grace Lowry’s pumpkin pie recipe, which we published in this past Wednesday’s Food section – it IS as delicious and easy to make as it looks and sounds; I’m glad you are inspired to abandon your supermarket pie plans and plan make Grace’s pie – I ate a huge piece while at Grace’s house and pouted when every last morsel was gone. It’s the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever eaten. And to all the curious people wondering if brining is worth the trouble for the Thanksgiving turkey: It IS worth it and it’s really no trouble at all. You simply need to plan ahead, giving your bird a couple of days in the brine. Those new brining bags the kitchen shops are selling are handy indeed, offering easy instructions. Don’t be timid about trying something a little bit new.
Say, anybody out there have some turkey tips they care to share? Be it a brining tip or something else? Speak up and out, please!
Cheers,
Andy
11.18.07
I’ve also been doing a lot of soups – a neat wild mushroom soup with goat cheese, a spiced-way-high tomato-orange soup that took me back to a trip to North Africa, a kid-friendly potato-Cheddar. I’ve spoken to my editor Kathy Dzielak and she’s going to try to find space on our Sunday Dining page next month for these soup recipes. Would that interest you? I’ve always wanted to do a page called Sunday Suppers, a page that would be about cooking, real-people cooking – not showy, TV-style stuff, not glitzy chef food, but hang-around-the-kitchen-on-a-Sunday fare. Anyway, that’s the kind of food I most love cooking at this time of year.
Especially while watching football. Oh, brother, I’m really nervous right now, waiting for today’s games. My beloved Packers have shocked, stunned, left speechless even the most devoted Cheeseheads, and I find myself in a constant state of anxiety about what’s to come this season. I don’t know whether their game against the Panthers will be televised locally today, but I do know I’ll be cooking as they play – my way of cheering them on. (No kidding: Those cheese-based soups all evolved during Packer games, a superstition – “Tuna,” anyone? – I now can’t shake.)
OK, OK. I want you to see/read/hear where I’ve been (and, in part, what’s been keeping me from being here with you), so please let me refer you to www.southernfoodways.com post-haste. That’s the Web site of the Southern Foodways Alliance, which last month held its annual symposium down at Ole Miss, in Oxford, Miss. I went and lapped it all up. If you go to this Web site, you can key in to the lectures I heard and, if you’re hip to the ways of tuning in via computer, you’ll only miss the feedings and after-hours revelry.
The feedings: Ed Mitchell’s barbecue (he’s from North Carolina and a reigning master of that genre) rocked my taste buds. The fried catfish we ate at Taylor Grocery, a quick hop from Oxford, was textbook terrific, and the hickory catfish dip something I’m aching to recreate back here at home. It’d be fabulous for New Year’s Eve. Anyway, if this kind of thing tickles your culinary fancy, you might want to consider joining the Southern Foodways Alliance (Yankees are welcome) and learning more, as I am enjoying doing, about the culinary culture of the expansive and wonderfully, devoutly vernacular South.
Closer to home, there are some new restaurant openings that are making savvy diners curious. I’ve been getting lots of e-mails about Kanji in Tinton Falls, Kicky’s in Matawan/Aberdeen (I think it’s in Aberdeen, though the correspondents have been calling in Matawan), and Vivas in Belmar. Kanji is Japanese, Kicky’s a melange of French and Asian, Vivas Latin, with some nods to the chef’s (Wil Vivas) previous stint at Bistro Ole in Asbury. Anyone care to weigh in here? Chefs, too, are welcome to talk about their new restaurants here.
A couple of ending notes: To all the nice folks who wrote me nice notes about Grace Lowry’s pumpkin pie recipe, which we published in this past Wednesday’s Food section – it IS as delicious and easy to make as it looks and sounds; I’m glad you are inspired to abandon your supermarket pie plans and plan make Grace’s pie – I ate a huge piece while at Grace’s house and pouted when every last morsel was gone. It’s the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever eaten. And to all the curious people wondering if brining is worth the trouble for the Thanksgiving turkey: It IS worth it and it’s really no trouble at all. You simply need to plan ahead, giving your bird a couple of days in the brine. Those new brining bags the kitchen shops are selling are handy indeed, offering easy instructions. Don’t be timid about trying something a little bit new.
Say, anybody out there have some turkey tips they care to share? Be it a brining tip or something else? Speak up and out, please!
Cheers,
Andy
11.18.07
posted by Andrea Clurfeld at 9:15 AM
11 Comments:
HI AC - I'm in Charleston tonight (11/18) and plan to hit some of your places you mentioned - but first, I'm being treated to High Cotton for dinner - so I'm VERY excited!
Hi Andrea -
Very glad you're back and glad you took some time off, which you deserve. DO NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY the comments of posters with personal agendas, like the "chef" who thinks you have to announce your reviews are your opinion in every review you write. These people do not understand and won't understand so don't bother with them. We who read you for excellent food commentary and insight not to mention outstanding recipes do not want you to waver.
Tell your editor we'll take soup recipes and any more recipes you can do for us and I agree Sunday is a perfect time to be inspired to cook.
I have two Thanksgiving side dish questions for you and we will be shopping after work Tuesday, if you could reply by then. I love brussels sprouts though no one else does, so how can my wife and I prepare them to please a crowd. Second question is about wine - wondering if you could recommend one red and one white.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Jason
Also glad to get your nibbles again and can't wait to read what you've been cooking, for us, I am sure.
Went to Vivas, not pleased about the wait in unpleasant conditions. This no-reservations policy some restaurants have in order to make it look like crowds are waiting to get in is for the birds. False popularity. We told manager who acted like it's better to wait than to have a reserved table. IMHO food suffers under uncontrolled circumstances, including the chefs being besieged one minute and with nothing to cook the next. Planning is needed for Vivas to make it. Management is at fault.
Have not been to Kanji or Kicky (dumb name, IMHO) but have been to Isabella in AP and cannot recommend. Back to Drew's, which is better than ever. Another favorite is the overlooked Portofino in TF, tho you have recommended it faithfully and correctly. Sushi is forever and always at Kazu, another recommendation from you.
To Charleston Diner - give us your report after you eat around. We are planning to visit friends in SC this winter and want to eat at the better restaurants.
I was seriously concerned about your sanity when I read your review of the Peking Pavilion. My family and I have long awaited its return. We have dined there for dinner and lunch a number of times since it has reopened.
The Sesame chicken is to die for. The roast duck with orange sauce is lucious. It's also nice that they have vegetarian dishes. We have one or two in the family.
Perhaps you should go back and find out why there is always a long wait and many willing to do so.
Do you have a personal agenda.
If you want regular chinese food, please do go to China town and leave more room for those of us willing to wait to eat the delicious and devine fusion food served by the delightfully efficient and pleasant wait staff.
Mrs. Kuo has brought back the Peking Pavilion bigger and better, and I for one of many, am delighted.
Merrille
Memo to "Merrille" -
Before you start making accusations about sanity, I beg you to refresh your reading skills and re-read Ms. Clurfeld's review of Peking Pavilion. She praised most of the food. I'll repeat - She praised most of the food. What she explained to readers was that Peking Pavilion was not a Chinatown type of Chinese restaurant. This is important information to the dining public, which is made up of people with diverse tastes in food after all. She also, accurately IMHO, described the setting as loud and made of glass and concrete. This is important to diners who might be looking for a more intimate, subdued setting to know. Do you wish Ms. Clurfeld to give a false portrait of a restaurant to suit your personal agenda? She also stated that the food today is better than it was before the fire. You seem to agree with her there. Why the misrepresentations of what Ms. Clurfeld wrote? An "agenda" of yours?
For those of us dependent on honest portraits of restaurants, Ms. Clurfeld performs a commnity service. Perhaps, Merrille, you should mark that as her lone "agenda" item.
Ms. Clurfeld - I met you at Lidia's signing last spring at Barnes and Noble. Lidia was extremely late and you were waiting along with everyone else, talking to people and answering many questions about restaurants. Upon our request, you recommended a restaurant for theater dining in New York and we followed your advice and very much enjoyed our evening. This is my belated thank-you. Your sanity is INTACT.
Keep up the honest work.
Bob from Manalapan
Hear, hear, Bob. When I read Merrill's post, I thought I'd read the wrong review. My problem with Peking Pavilion, aside from the noise and disorganized service, is that all the dishes marked spicy aren't hot but sweet. I'll continue to go to West Lake for serious Chinese. Merrill can have PP!
Andrea --
I adore soups. I am part of a progressive Christmas dinner party. Every 3-4 years I have one of the courses. I always pick soup and salad. I know that is more than one, but it gets hard to move that many people more than 4 times in one night.
I have the honors for soup and salad again this year. Hurry with something yummy!
Jason-
Why shouldn’t she have to state in her column that it is one person’s opinion? Is she speaking for the masses or just her opinion? Did you know that her review is based on 1 visit & not multiple visits? The NY Times will do 2-3 visits before making an opinion. Jason, as a CHEF I do not have a personal agenda, I was just pointing out an important part of her article. She actually stated in her article that peoples tastes differ, what pleases her might not please others & vice-versa. The problem is, you are one of the mindless zombies that will take her opinion as Gospel and not give the persons establishment a try. Did you ever ponder the thought that your taste buds might actually differ from hers? Put yourself in the owner or chef’s position, how would you like your work quality to be judged by one person, and have that one person’s opinion passed on to thousands, without the ability to respond to the opinion?
As for your comment of “These people do not understand”; we understand Jason, it is you that does not get it. Your response to my comment is proof alone. You have no substance behind your comment.
I think another good idea to add to her column would be a line like: “If anyone else would like to share his or her opinion on this review please post your comments on the following Web Link”.
Now I’ll play nice.
WINES for turkey; RED - if you like a dryer go with a Pinot Noir, else a nice Zinfandel.
White – dryer Chardonnay, else a Sauvignon Blanc.
RECIPE – Brussels sprouts – 1 ½ pound sprouts half larger ones. ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, salt, fresh ground black pepper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl then roast in a pan for about 35-40 minutes until edges start to brown, in a 350-degree oven. This recipe is simple & works for people who usually do not care for Brussels sprouts.
Chef – Steve
To "chef" Steve -
Did YOU ever think that Ms. Clurfeld works for a newspaper that may have something to do with the number of visits she is able to make? That she is an employee not an owner of a newspaper? As an employee not an owner of a business myself, I understand this necsssity to follow orders. Ms. Clurfeld makes no misrepresentations in her articles.
Fact is, the column clearly is by Andrea Clurfeld and clearly her opinion. It has her BYLINE on it or do you not understand what that means? Find me the other restaurant critic columns that state THIS RESTAURANT IS BY OUR RESTAURANT CRITIC NOT BY THE MASSES and maybe I'll understand where you are coming from.
Perhaps before you became a chef to the dining public you should have been better educated in restaurant reviews and that they are for the PUBLIC not the chef. From reading Ms. Clurfeld's restaurant reviews and food work, my sense of things is that she knows cooking very well and her experience in dining in many venues speaks in every article she writes.
Thanks for your recipe for Brussels sprouts, but Andrea's sounds more interesting and flavorful.
Hey y'all:
For those whom wanted my Charleston Dining tips:
There are numerous eateries in town; be sure you budget whether you want to splurge once or every dinner (there's every price range out there).
High Cotton on East Bay Street has a $5 tenderloin burger and fries that is TDF for happy hour from 5-7pm. Night prior we ate in their dining room - espresso dusted venison medallions for me, pecan encrusted fresh grouper for mom - excellent service and very good food!
Maverick restauant also owns SNOB (SlightlyNorthofBroad) across the street.
Thoroughbred Club and Charleston Grill are in the Charleston Place hotel - both are terrific venues for a drink/live music (piano at former, jazz for latter) most nights. Food looked excellent at both, we only had drinks there though.
Hit Market Pavilion hotel for their rooftop bar overlooking the town and the river and Ravenel Bridge - go to Fleet Landing on the riverfront for a beer at Happy Hour (or snacks too), and don't forget to bring your manners - they are more civil than anyone I know. They EARN "Politest City"!
PS: Make sure you shop on King Street (High #s are the Arts/Design district, Low #s are retailers national and local, hit Ben Silver for amazing menswear www.BenSilver.com)...
BONUS POST - SAVANNAH DINING TIPS:
(it's a 2 hr drive from Charleston)
GO GO GO, to Mrs. Wilkes' House.
It is legendary for home cookin'.
www.MrsWilkes.com
It's an old boarding house, and everything is served family style...you sit at a true communal round table of 10 people. $15 gets you 6 meats, 12+ sides, plus sweet tea and dessert. I cried it was so good, I never thought okra was so tasty til I had it there.
Get on line between 11am and 2pm, lunch only and cash/check only.
The Olde Pink House dates from 1771 and is best described as Williamsburg in Savannah - but the menu is a melange of old favorites and new twists - I had black vinegar BBQ duck confit with vegetable crepes - for $18.95!
(Take THAT, Moonstruck and everyone whom serves duck for $30+)
Mom had the greatest chicken pot pie @ $16.95 she (or I) ever tasted - they used a sweet potato biscuit "crust" and used a porcini cream base instead of chicken - try it and I swear you won't ever look at a Campbell's can ever again, or Marie Callender!
Even if you don't score reservations upstairs (hard to come by), you can get the SAME menu downstairs at their tavern, the original kitchen of the house, with a fantastic pianist there with a fireplace, big chairs - think Yankee Doodle Tap Room and Molly Pitcher bar rolled into one.
YES, we did go to Paula Deen's Lady and Sons (both are fans), I had Fried Green Tomatoes at $6.95 which were 6 plump and juicy slabs dredged in flour with red pepper coulis and marinated onions - MMM!
Even if you don't want her $12.95 buffet (have to save room for Turkey Day today) - you can get $1.69 piece of fried chicken which is juicy, albeit mom thought a bit more oily than Mrs. Wilkes - though I noticed no meat left on her bones. :)
Finished with a Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake (think pumpkin pie/mousse atop a dense yellow cake bar (like a brownie density only yellow cake) - I swooned.
But the real treat was that...
PAULA WAS THERE! She took pics, autographed books, and her husband told my silver haired mom "You have Paula hair, and are beautiful" (Paula has silver hair very much like my mom).
My mom hasn't smiled like that in years...and is STILL glowing.
Other than that, do hit the guides, there are excellent eats of all budgets, use the tour guides on the trolleys as a start but ASK the shop owners and hotel workers where THEY eat.
Picnic in Forsyth Park, anywhere.
Six Pence British Pub on Bull Street is good for beers, games on TV and an excellent shrimp salad sandwich $7.95 with whole crunchy fresh shrimp, dill mayo, on choice of bread with crunchy pickle on side.
Review of Thanksgiving at Mansion at Forsyth Park's 700 Drayton to follow tomorrow (driving back after meal).
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