SNOW! AND THE FORECAST

Gray skies and white flakes falling - cooking weather!

But before I leave for the store (stocking up is what this weather is all about), I'm communing with my new pottery and making final decisions about what to give which friend for Christmas. It's match-making. I scored some wonderful pottery up at the show at the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, where legendary pottery Karen Karnes each year curates a show of some 30 potters from all over the country. Much of the work is table-friendly, oven-friendly, serving friendly. I love seeing the food I cook in such beautiful pots. (For future reference, the show is an annual one, usually the first weekend in December.)

OK, now, some story notes for the future to answer your questions: First, the cookbook story is coming out this Wednesday (Dec. 5) in the Press. And as for specifics, I can't reveal before publication which books I picked for the story. But you only have to wait till Wednesday!

The next Wednesday, we'll have some party tips in a story and, the following week, Dec. 19 we have something super-special for Christmas Eve - on the feast of the fishes. For New Year's, if all goes according to plan, we'll be introducing you to a Asian specialty that's quite off the beaten menu. Fingers crossed!

I'm very curious about what y'all are cooking for the holidays. Staying with traditions? Trying something new and different? Please tell me about it.

cheers,
Andy
12.2.07

BUYING TIMES

I’m sitting between piles of books and piles of menus. I’m looking through my book notes, thoughts scribbled as I tested recipes and read text, and making my final decisions about which cookery books of 2007 to include in my annual favorite books roundup. The photo shoot for the books is Tuesday, so I’m in Serious Selection mode. The menus are from some of the better restaurants I’ve reviewed this year and I’m sort of doing the same there, though I do have a few weeks left before I have to narrow down those selections for a year-end Dining Companion column.

Hmm. Meanwhile, I’ve taken home printouts of e-mails, questions from readers wanting info on restaurants, recipes, recommendations of food products. One e-mail jumped out at me, mostly because it’s so off-the-beaten-question course.

“Where do you shop for holiday gifts if they’re not food gifts?” the reader wants to know. How funny. How indicative, too, that these are Buying Times. We’re all in a what-to-get mind-set and looking for advice anywhere we can get it.

Well, I’m hardly an expert and, frankly, really believe my shopping strength is in the edibles category. I’m not a huge clothing person and, other than a pottery habit that I satisfy at craft fairs and shows (such as the one this coming weekend up at the Art School at Old Church, in Demarest), I probably spend more money at the Hungry Puppy pet shop in Howell than anywhere else.

But I love Jesse on Main Street in Manasquan, where Donna, the owner, always has beautiful handmade objects at reasonable prices. (Her new collection of scarves, both fuzzy and warm and funky and artful is terrific. She also has the greatest totes and bags around, tapestry-type oversize ones that could be used for travel or everyday.) I adore the clothing at Dreamkeeper, which is on Morris Avenue, off Third, in Spring Lake, though I haven’t been there in way too long (Terry, the wise and witty owner, is probably super-mad at me, but I’ve honestly been too busy wearing all the clothes I’ve bought there to shop!). Dreamkeeper is always filled with unusual, extraordinarily wearable things. It’s also a more than reliable shop, I’ve found, for the kinds of dressy duds I need for special dinners and events.

Where else? Well, like I said, I’m not a huge shopper. My girlfriends are going to the new Anthropologie at The Grove in Shrewsbury. If I had a spare afternoon, I’d haul it out to B. Adorned, a magnificent jewelry store in Lambertville. Evelyn, who owns B. Adorned, is the single most talented jewelry designer I know and everything she makes is out-of-the-ordinary and eye-catching.

That’s really about it. I seem to do my best shopping under the supervision of my buddy Alison Cook, the restaurant critic of the Houston Chronicle – if you haven’t tapped into her blog, Cook’s Tour, you’re missing one of the great voices in food. Whenever Alison and our mutual eat-for-a-living pals travel together, we always try to steal a couple of hours to check out local stores. Come to think of it, Alison once told me she finds great gloves and mittens at dollar stores. “Since I always lose them, I don’t want to spend more than a dollar on them,” she reasons. Since I’m desperately in need of gloves and mittens, I’ll have to give that a try. Anyone know of a good dollar store?

Cheers,
Andy
11.25.07

TALKING ANYTHING BUT TURKEY

I'm moving on. Done with turkey. Shredding the last vestiges and dabbing it with mole and lime juice, then stuffing it in tacos with a sizable side of guac. Over and out. Oh, I'll enjoy hearing how my friend Rick's first brined turkey turned out - he was gulping over his decision to serve his little experiment to 12 guests yesterday, no time for a practice run - but that kind of turkey talk is all I can tolerate right now. I know it's beloved and I know I've suffered through way, way too many way, way overcooked ones, making me un-Americanly turkey tired, but I'm ready for other food.

The other night, I did duck confit over slices of Jersey sweet potatoes cooked in chicken broth and studded with diced prunes. I spiced it up with a shake of chipotle powder. It was simple and seasonal. I simmered adzuki beans with white miso, then sliced and sauteed a bunch of Asian vegetables (shiitakes, sprouts, baby bok choy, Chinese chives and spinach) with ginger, orange and soy, then combined the beans and vegetables. It was a stew-y soup and good for re-charging personal batteries. You know what else I did? Sounds silly, but tasted wonderful: I slathered olive oil on one of those newfangled heat-and-serve naan breads, warmed it in the oven a bit, then layered it with potatoes and onions I'd sliced super-thin, then browned and softened by further cooking in broth with lots of spices. I next layered the potatoes and onions with some sliced piquillos and a bit of mild cheese on the naan, and baked it till the topping melded and melted. It was a cross-cultural pizza and really fine with a big green salad.

People always ask me what I eat when I'm not working. Well, I'm really always working, but if I'm eating home, that's the kind of thing I do - quirky fare, without borders, without recipes.

How about you? It's cooking season. Please tell me what you're cooking or, if you are going out, where you are going and what you're eating. Restaurant chefs - what are your specials this weekend?

cheers,
Andy
11.23.07

THANKSGIVING WINES

I hope you don’t mind if this is a little rushed. I wish, truly wish, there was money and time for extensive testing of wines right for turkey and all the classic T-day side shows.

But I’ve some thoughts to share. First, I continue to find prosecco to be endlessly versatile when a wide range of flavors is on the table. This bubbly from northern Italy is light enough not to weigh down a big meal and personable enough to stand up to forward flavors. All of Mionetto’s prosecco are terrific and would do nicely for the opening round T-day foods – nibbles and bits, oyster stew, smoked fishes, that kind of thing.

I’m also finding German rieslings quite companionable for big birds. Donnhopf is one producer that’s available in our area and works for turkey, sweet potatoes, sausage stuffing, sauced-up green beans, bacon-dotted Brussels sprouts, creamed onions – all the quintessential Turkey Day fare. Give it a try; you may be surprised. (If you can’t find a Donnhopf, ask for something else Terry Theise imports through Michael Skurnik. Theise has a brilliant palate.)

Personally, I find West Coast zinfandels too heavy and too alcoholic for Bird & Co., though they seem to be recommended so widely. And the Beaujolais Nouveau I’ve tried this year are aggressively raw; I just don’t see them with Thanksgiving fare. (I’d give a nod to regular Beaujolais, however.) But if you’re doing sausage-pocked stuffing and veggies spiked with bacon or pancetta, a Rhone Valley red (or California Rhone Ranger) would do you well.

Truth be told, if you are looking for a fruity white cause you like fruity whites, think about a white from the Rueda region of Spain and be done with it.

Mostly, I think your T-day wine should be relatively uncomplicated. After all, the tastes on your table likely swing from gamey to sweet, from creamy to mild, from butter-rich to bland. Keep your wine straightforward and simple.

Cheers,
Andy
11.20.07

CALLING ALL FANS OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This is for the poster in search of a preparation for Brussels sprouts that might win over some anti-Brussels sprouts folks. Since I did this dish last year, I've been doing riffs on it - such as, chopping the Brussels sprouts, cooking them along with minced onions on the stove top in a large deep skillet in some chicken broth, then adding lemon juice and zest, capers and mustard. I toss it with pasta and enjoy. P.S. I'll offer some Thanksgiving wine recs tonight, after I get back home. I'm thinking New World viogniers, German rieslings and some Rhone Valley reds.
cheers,
Andy
11.20.07

BRUSSELS SPROUTS
WITH MUSTARD-LEMON-CAPER SAUCE
2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, about 4 dozen
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper


For the sauce:
One-quarter cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
3 large shallots, very finely minced
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
One-half cup tiny green capers
One-half cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Rinse and trim Brussels sprouts. Layer the sprouts on the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. Dot with the butter, sprinkle the olive oil atop the sprouts, then season with salt and pepper. Roast in the 450-degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until tender and able to be pierced easily with a knife.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a very large skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in the zest of the lemons, cook a minute, then stir in the lemon juice and the capers and cook 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the mustard. Stir briskly to fully incorporate the mustard into the liquids. Add the parsley, then spoon the roasted Brussels sprouts in the skillet. Toss the sprouts with the mustard-lemon-caper sauce and, when well coated, transfer to a serving dish and serve. Serves 8.

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

IN A SOUTHERN STATE OF MIND

I spent several days in Charleston and figure I consumed about 40,000 calories. I say this not because I’m a calorie-counter or a glutton, but because when you’re visiting for a short period of time a city where food is a central focus, you feel obliged to sample all you can. Especially, I guess, if you eat for a living.

You do two dinners some nights. Not two full dinners, but a handful of dishes at a 6 o’clock rez, then a complete lineup at your 8 p.m. seating. You have a major lunch and you also do a mid- or late-afternoon feeding. During my time in Charleston, I packed in an oyster roast, a jaunt to the country for barbecue, a soul-food repast and visits to five restaurants.

I’ll admit, I’m a bit worn out. But as I write this, I’m wearing my Sweatman’s BBQ (Holly Hill, S.C.) T-shirt and dreaming of those oysters I sucked down at Bowen’s Island, which justly deserves all the accolades it’s received – including a James Beard America’s Classics’ award.

After I got back here to the Jersey Shore, I tucked into Nancie McDermott’s “Southern Cakes” (Chronicle Books; $19.95). It’s got a coconut layer cake on the cover and dozens and dozens of cake recipes within. Southerners are serious about their baking, devout in their baking traditions, and Nancie not only documents the backgrounds of all the classic Southern cakes, but makes the how-tos seem conquerable for a truly bad baker like me.

One thing isn’t explained that well, however: I’ve bookmarked “Southern Cakes” to note the recipes I want to try (Hummingbird Cake, Buttermilk Cake, Pear Bread, Daufuskie Island Carrot Cake), but I’m waiting till the temperatures register true fall before I rev up my oven. It was 85 degrees with 90-plus percent humidity in Charleston when I was there. How can those kindly, warm-worded folks bear to bake in that weather?

Yet they do. Baking season is year-round in the South. I’ve got to tip my hat to those bakers. Especially the one who made the buttermilk pie at Hominy Grill in Charleston. Fine pie.

So what have you been up to while I’ve been gone? What/where have you been eating?

Cheers,
Andy
10.10.07