Marie Fromage

Spring Fun Fromage: Tarentaise Reserve

Throw open the doors and fling open the windows – the sun is out and spring is here! 

Today’s beautiful weather found me running errands around town and into Ideal Cheese Shop in Midtown.

The knowledgeable folks behind the counter turned me on to Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise Reserve: an aged, Alpine-style raw cow’s milk cheese from Vermont with a tangy, vague nutty stink. Hello gorgeous! You are coming with me to a rooftop party tonight!

They also introduced me to a crisp French Jenlain Printemps Ale paired with an aged Gouda. It’s a zoomy combo, perfect for park picnic fun, so keep that in mind for your next day date with your honey.

 

When Life Gives You Blueberries…

The midsummer season is bursting with amazing fresh blueberries!  Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry crumbles – all of these are terrifically delicious but no friend to those who try to walk on the light side. Sure, blueberries can always be added to yogurt or thrown into a smoothie, but sometimes the craving calls for CARBS.

Below is a recipe for low fat blueberry scones that I found on Weight Watchers.com* that answers the blueberry + carb siren song with little diet damage.  I tinkered with the ingredients without altering the calorie count and kicked-up the flavor by swapping-out honey for maple syrup and adding a bit of fresh lemon zest. I also added a few tips for creating a more tender scone.

These freeze well and are fabulous toasted. Add a side of fruit and a glass of milk (or a small piece of cheese. CHEESE!) and it is a very satisfying, scrumptious, low-guilt breakfast. 

“Lite” Blueberry Scones

Yield: 12 scones

 Ingredients:

 1¼ cup blueberries
2 Tbs. sugar

1¼ cup, plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

¾ cup cornmeal
 1 Tbs. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 heaping tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 cup low fat buttermilk (1.5%)
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
Cooking Spray

 Hardware:

2 baking sheets
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Big bowl
2 medium bowls
Rubber spatula
Microplane grater or regular grater (use to zest the lemon)
Fork

The How-To: 

Pre-heat oven to 400°.

Coat baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, gently mix blueberries with sugar and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and the 1¼ cup of flour.

Add the butter and using a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs when butter has been cut in completely.

In another medium bowl combine buttermilk, maple syrup and egg.

 Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Using a rubber spatula fold everything together just to combine; do not overwork the dough.

Add 1 Tbsp. flour to the blueberries and sugar and toss to combine (this will help keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the scone).

Gently, GENTLY fold the blueberries into the batter. Try to avoid smashing the blueberries because their juice will bleed into the dough.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup (or even better – an ice cream scoop if there’s one about the same size) measure out 6 scoops of dough per baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.

 Bake until scones turn a light golden brown, about 10-15 minutes (oven temps vary – set time for 10 minutes and check for color, add a few more minutes bake time if necessary).

*Adapted from WeightWatchers.com recipe “Blueberry Breakfast Tops” (scones are 4 points per serving).

 

I can now cross this place off of my "must dine" France restaurant list! Great article in April Vanity Fair about storied Paris bistro L'Ami Louis:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/04/lami-louis-201104

Little Cheese Pub

Get Your Cheese On…

 Little Cheese Pub

In a town that’s lousy with wine bars (some excellent, many blah) it is with great joy that I welcome the Little Cheese Pub in Chelsea, where serious fromage is being served every which way imaginable.

Got a hankering for mac & cheese?  Over at the cozy Little Cheese Pub there are at least six varieties to choose from, with Dutch Kaas (aged gouda) mac & cheese with a beer pretzel topping being the one that made me swoon.

How about grilled cheese?  You won’t go wrong with the grilled cheese made with Vermont cheddar served with a crunchy house-made pickle.  

What if you just want straight-up CHEESE?  Here’s where the Alpine-leaning menu shines, with carefully selected artisanal cheese choices, many of the deliciously raw variety.  For example, among the 30+ cheeses listed is a hard-to-find Consider Bardwell raw goat’s milk cheese – clearly the folks at Little Cheese Pub know their stuff.

The inspired minds behind the operation are Chef Daniel Angerer and his wife Lori Mason of Klee Brasserie, who were recently in the news for “The Breast Milk Cheese Incident” (which was just an experiment, it was never served in their restaurant).

But it does point up the fact that there truly is a personal touch at work here and most everything at Little Cheese Pub is house-made: the pasta for the mac & cheese, the pickles and the delectable desserts - cheese cake with vodka-brined cranberries anyone?

At the moment they are waiting for their liquor license to be approved (expected by the end of this month).  In the meantime you are welcome to bring in your own bottle to enjoy, with no corkage fee!  And when that liquor license does kick-in it will unleash a wide selection of craft beers and reasonably priced quality wines.

But don’t wait for the beer to arrive – Little Cheese Pub is ready, willing and able to meet your cheese needs right now!

P.S. – kids are welcome (high chairs are available).

Little Cheese Pub: 362 1/2 West 23rd St. between 8^th & 9^th Aves (Chelsea); 646-863-7291; www.littlecheesepub.com
Open for dinner every day & brunch on weekends until 3:30pm. 

Dining with the Dignitaries – United Nations Delegate’s Dining Room

Planning a visit to NYC any time soon?  Do you live here and going to the U.N. has always been on your to-do list?  Want to expand your belly and your knowledge of world affairs at the same time?  Then make a reservation to have lunch at the United Nations Delegate’s Dining Room. Yes it’s true, they will grant access to the likes of you (and me) – as long as you behave.

Really, it’s open to the public?

It is indeed, but you have to plan and make sure you have the time to spend – this will be a long lunch (and not so leisurely). You must make a reservation by calling 212-963-7626, no walk-ins allowed. The best time to do this is when the dining room opens at 11:30 a.m. Otherwise you will have to leave a message with your reservation request and then call back to confirm.  Don’t expect them to call you back.  It’s the U.N. – they’re busy!

What’s the best reservation slot to request?

The Delegate’s Dining Room is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday – I recommend you make the reservation for 11:30 a.m. Don’t worry, it only seems early.  By the time you actually sit down to eat you’ll be well into the lunch hour.

Why?  Why so long for lunch?

Here’s the thing – it’s the U.N.!  There are several security hoops to jump through before you actually get to the door of the dining room, so you have to make time for that.  There is also a massive renovation project underway at the 55-year-old United Nations, so there are many detours.
 
Once you make it past the first three checkpoints – yes, three - and turn over your I.D. (to be retrieved on your way out), you are handed a badge to wear around your neck and then you are directed back outside of the main lobby.  From there you must walk down some stairs and across a walkway along the river for about three city-blocks. Enter the Secretariat Annex, go through another security check point, go up a flight of stairs, go through yet another security checkpoint and finally – FINALLY! You have reached the entrance to the Delegate’s Dining Room.
 
At this point about 30 minutes had elapsed since we arrived at the U.N.  “You really have to want it”, my dining companion said.

Enter the doors of the dining room and check-in with the host. If things are running smoothly you will be seated upon arrival. However by the time we got there the line was long and we had to wait another 15 minutes or so before we were seated, bringing the entire door-to-dine time to 45 minutes. Ugh.  Bring your walking shoes!

Is it fancy?

Remember yourself, it’s the U.N.! Proper attire is required, which means jackets for men and no jeans, shorts, sneakers or flip- flops. Represent your country and look respectable.
 
The room is looking its age, but there are comfy chairs, white tablecloths, jacketed waiters to bring your beverages and floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views of the East River. It’s a bit like an executive corporate dining room – but with a sweet view.

What’s on the menu?
An international buffet is offered, with a different country featured on any given day.  “Seoul Food” was the bill of fare on the day I dined there, which featured an array of authentic and delicious Korean dishes and a dessert bar. I ate acorn jelly! Go with an open mind and palate and you will be satisfied.

How much is it?

The meal cost us about $20 each, which included tax and tip. Beverages are extra.

 Would you go back?

Hmm, I have to think about that for a minute. It was a lot of effort to get there and the dining room, aside from the sweeping view, was pretty generic.  The food was fine but not life changing.  And things were a little chaotic at the maître d' desk. However, it’s not every day that one gets to go inside the United Nations and I would happily accompany a friend who’d like to check it out for the first time, so there you go. Yes, I would go back.  

Meet, eat and support world peace all at the same time. 

For more information visit the United Nations web site and click on “Visiting UN Headquarters”.

(All photos courtesy of Mary Connolly)

Sears Chef Challenge

This week I threw my video hat into the ring to be considered for the Sears Chef Challenge!

Star-blogger Nichelle Stephens (Cupcakes Take the Cake; Keeping Nickels; Pepsi We Inspire) organized a group of fellow food bloggers to help us each produce a quick and sparkling video presentation of  a recipe for the Sears Chef Challenge, all done up in a cool photo shoot loft located in Tribeca.

 On hand to make their video bid were fabu bloggers Mouth of the Border, Fabulous Foodie, Not Eating Out in New York, The Wandering Foodie, A Gluten-Free Guide and Versailles Delivery, among others.

And what did Marie Fromage prepare for her on-camera demo? Something cheesy, of course!

I presented a recipe for “Easy Breezy Cheesy Cocktail Quesadillas”. Check it out (click here if you can't view the video below) and see the recipe details below.  Wish me luck.  Let there be cheese! 

Recipe: Easy Breezy Cheesy Cocktail Quesadillas

Yield: 4 wedges per quesadilla

This recipe is great for company because it’s quick on prep time and goes great with wine.  There aren’t a lot of ingredients* to this dish, but each ingredient is a flavor powerhouse on it’s own and a little goes a long way.  Put it all together and it’s a tasty flavor explosion!

Ingredients:

5 ½ inch corn tortillas; you will need 2 per quesadilla.

Oil-cured wrinkly black Moroccan olives, to taste; chopped fine.

Mild Peppadew peppers, to taste; sliced into strips. 

Freshly-grated full-fat cheese**, to taste.  Use a semi-soft cheese, such as fontina or a gouda.  

Optional garnish:

Sour cream, low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt.

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro.

1. Heat a skillet or griddle over a high flame.  When pan is hot reduce flame to medium and spray with cooking spray.

2.  Add a tortilla. Sprinkle with some chopped olives, sliced peppers and grated cheese.

3.  Top with another tortilla and press down gently. Allow to cook until the bottom tortilla is lightly browned, then flip over and cook the other side.  Cook for about 2 ½ - 3 minutes per side.

4.  When both sides are toasty brown remove from heat and cut into wedges. 

5.  Arrange on a plate, add a dollop of sour cream and serve it up!

* Most of these ingredients can be found in the “gourmet” section of your supermarket or at a gourmet food/cheese shop.

** I am currently obsessed with Marieke Gouda, an aged cow’s milk cheese that’s about as close to authentic Dutch Gouda as you can get in the States, made in Wisconsin!

Taking Stock & Making Stock: Chicken Stock

When the temperature is hovering at around 15° outside and snow is piled all around, no one in their right mind would venture outside if they didn’t have to.  Grand plans to run errands get shafted in favor of staying wrapped-up in the Snuggie and watching back-to-back episodes of “Law & Order”.

It’s also the perfect time to make some chicken stock.  

Liquid love. Jewish Penicillin.  The culinary mother ship, the source all savory delights. Any stock, but chicken stock in particular, is the culinary building block for great cuisine found in the best restaurants around the world.

Make this and you can once and for all do without the canned or boxed high-sodium stuff from the supermarket.  

What makes a good stock?  No special tricks or skills really, just a pile of bones. You need bones to make a proper stock.  A great way to have a bunch of bones on hand is to save the carcass (gross word, but that’s what it is) of the picked-over roast chicken you got at the supermarket and freeze it. If you make your own roast chicken, save the bones from that too along with the neck.  When you get a large storage bag or two filled-up up with bones you’ll have enough to make a good stock. 

Ingredients:

Chicken bones – bones left over from about 3-4 roast chickens should do it.
Cold water
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, cleaned and roughly chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
A bay leaf
A bunch of parsley stems
Leek greens (if you have any handy; optional)
A pinch of whole black peppercorns
NO SALT (it’s best to keep the stock neutral and add the salt to-taste within the context of a recipe)

The How-To:
 
Place the bones into a large pot and cover with cold water.
 
Bring to a boil and skim off the foam that comes to the surface.
 
Reduce to a simmer and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems, leek greens and black peppercorns. Let it simmer for about 2 hours, frequently skimming off the foam and fat that floats to the top.

Place a clean pot into a sink filled with ice water.  Pour the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into the pot.  Discard the solids.  Stir the stock rapidly until it cools down.  Once cool, remove it from the sink and place in the fridge and let it cool completely overnight.  A layer of fat will form on the surface – just remove and discard it and voilà, you’ve got stock!

So I’ve made a huge pot of chicken stock.  Now what?

Portion out the stock into 1 cup containers and freeze to use as-needed.  Also, pour some into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, empty the cubes into storage bags and stash in the freezer.  Then grab and go!

Stock suggestions:

* Use as a base for countless soups.  In this photo I’ve added a pinch of salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste, a squeeze of lemon and a heaping mound of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Mmmmmm….  

* Use instead of water when making rice (or any savory grain dish).

* Make gravy.

* Use instead of oil to “sauté” vegetables for a lighter dish.

* Use instead of butter to make “lite” mashed potatoes.

* Use your imagination!

 

 

 

 

Craic

This is your appetite on craic. 

For starters, it’s pronounced “crack”, an Irish term that means crazy fun times with friends. Well this here is some good times in a bowl meant to be shared, and it’s pretty addictive too, hence the name.

 

Think fresh popcorn, crunchy sourdough pretzels, silky homemade caramel and roasted almonds drizzled with semi-sweet and white chocolate.  Umm hmm.  Want to really send folks over the edge?  Add some crispy bacon to the mix.  Oh yeah, now we’re talkin’.

Trust me, you want this for your Super Bowl party. It’s easy to whip up, more or less.  You can do it the gourmet way (yes you can) or the quick way (if you must) – see my recipe below.  Enjoy some good craic!

The Ingredients:

 5-7 cups plain popcorn.*

15 Pennsylvania Dutch-style sourdough hard pretzels with salt, smashed into bite size pieces.

1 cup roasted, unsalted nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts, macadamia or a mix – the choice is yours; nuts optional).**

5-6 strips of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled into tiny bits (optional).

Caramel***

½ a bar/2 oz./6 squares semi-sweet chocolate (Ghirardelli chocolate works great for this and is widely available). ****

½ a bar/2 oz./6 squares of white chocolate (Nestle’s Premier White Baking Bar works well for this and is widely available).****

The How-To:
1) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) Place broken pretzel pieces into a very large bowl.

* 3) Popcorn

Quick Way:  buy a bag of naked, salt-free popcorn if you can find it. 
Gourmet Way: make your own.
 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
 1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Add kernels and oil to a 3 qt. pot and stir to coat the kernels with oil.  Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and heat over a medium flame.  Shake, shake, shake the pot vigorously until kernels start to pop and keep shaking until it sounds like most of it has popped.  This will take about 5 minutes, more or less.

Add to bowl of pretzels and combine.

** 4) Roasted Nuts

Quick Way: buy a can of roasted, unsalted nuts
Gourmet Way: Roast your own.
Heat oven to 350°F.  Place raw nuts on baking sheet in one layer and roast for 10 minutes or until browned and fragrant.

Add to bowl of pretzels and popcorn and combine.

 *** 5) Caramel

Quick Way: unwrap a 14 oz. package of caramels.  Place caramels into a microwaveable bowl and heat on high for 3 minutes or until caramels are melted, stirring after each minute.
Gourmet Way: make your own (adapted from “Barefoot Contessa”)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
5 Tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp sea salt

Add the cream, butter, and sea salt to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Once butter has melted stir to combine, remove from heat and place a lid over the pot to keep it warm. Set aside.
In a deep pot combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium flame and continue to cook until the sugar turns to a golden color. Swirl the mixture, don’t stir, and stay close as it can go from gorgeous golden to burned brown quickly.

Once the sugar mixture turns golden, slowly add the cream mixture (note that it will bubble-up vigorously). Add the vanilla and combine. 

Add a candy thermometer to the pot and cook the caramel until it reaches just a bit beyond 248°F (the “firm ball” stage).

Once the caramel has cooked to the firm ball stage, slowly and carefully pour it over the pretzel-popcorn-nut mixture in a large bowl (add the bacon bits now if using). Carefully toss like a salad to combine. 

Spread everything onto the prepared baking sheet and press into one layer.

 **** 6) Semi-Sweet Chocolate & White Chocolate

Start with the semi-sweet chocolate.  Break the chocolate into pieces and melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until chocolate is completely melted.  Then, using a fork, drizzle the chocolate all over the pretzel-popcorn-caramel mixture.

Repeat same process with the white chocolate.

Place baking sheet with mixture into fridge and let cool for about 30 minutes.  Once cooled, break into pieces and serve!

A Cheesy Kick-Off to 2010

Happy New Year! Cheese is busting out all over – have you noticed?  It seems like cheese is on the tip of everyone’s tongue lately.

Here’s a round up of all of the action to get your new year off to a properly cheesy start!

Something Stinky This Way Come: Drunken Goat 

No, it’s not the smelly old bar fly sitting next to you at the pub.    This is a Spanish, semi-firm goat’s milk cheese that is soaked in a vat of red wine for a couple of days before its aged. The end result is sweet, creamy and mildly gamey with faint grape notes and a purple rind. Simply delicious.

Cheese Master Martin

Martin Johnson’s Joy of Cheese has announced the new dates for his tastings around town.   January’s cheese has the blues (in a good way), February will be all about the Brits and will feature a fresh new venue - The Clerkenwell on the Lower East Side!

Get the latest on upcoming tastings at the Joy of Cheese web site:  thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Get a cheese recommendation of the day - friend the Joy of Cheese fan page on Facebook.

Martha Stewart Cheese Show

Cheese is such a hot topic that Martha Stewart recently had a great show that covered American artisanal cheese makers,   how to put together a cheese plate, how to make your own goat cheese, fondue, everything you ever wanted to know about cheese and more!

Cheese News
 * A Vermont cheesemaker crafts quirky curds with political leanings. (New York Times)

* Everyone’s go-to food scientist, Harold McGee, talks about how a truly delicious and unorthodox pasteurized Camembert is made. (New York Times)

Audio Cheese

* Cutting The Curd :  New York’s cheese queen, Anne Saxelby, can be heard every other Sunday at 2:30pm via the Heritage Radio Network , broadcasting live from Roberta’s in Brooklyn. www.heritageradionetwork.com

* Cheese balls get some respect on NPR’s “Kitchen Window” (with recipes!). www.npr.org

Cheesy WTF

 * Cheezghetti.  “It looks like spagetti but is really provolone cheese!” Pairs well with beer or apple juice, in case you were wondering.

* Because what you really want is a frosty mug of cheese. “We want consumers to be more familiar with cheese, so we’ve made a liquid version that makes it more accessible. It’s also good as a salad dressing.”

* In England, folks roll perfectly good cheese down a hill for sport.

We Make Sexy Cheese, Yes? Who knew that mozzarella making can be so seductive?

And Finally, Make Your Own Cheese Eats, courtesy of Saveur. 

Cheese: Shushan Snow, Gottino, Cheesy News, Cheesy Reader, The Battle of the Fromage

"Life is nothing, if you’re not obsessed."

- John Waters

-

Something Stinky This Way Comes:  Shushan Snow from 3-Corner Field Farm

It’s like a Brie or Camembert but with a twist!  Think slightly tangy buttery richness.  This is a sheep’s milk cheese that gets better the longer you let it sit on the counter.   I mean just look at this thing, oozing goodness all over the place. It’s made in small batches with lots of care from the folks up at 3-Corner Field Farm in the Hudson Valley.  How can you get your hands on some?  Stop by their stand at the Union Square Market or order it directly from their web site.  3-Corner Field Farm:  www.dairysheepfarm.com

A Glass of Wine, A Piece of Cheese and Thou: Gottino

 It’s raining, it’s cold.  You just want a glass of wine and a little something to take the edge off of the dreary day, sans attitude and scene. Gottino fits the bill with that and more - a wine bar with a dead-serious chef at the helm so the small plates pack a creative favor punch.   Think cozy Italian farmhouse that stops short of being too precious and instead settles into a warm and sophisticated tasty zone. 

 And oh boy, the cheese.  If it’s on the menu when you’re there, try Quadrello di Bufala (a washed-rind cheese made with buffalo milk) paired with a little taste of wild honey or funky but amazing Nettle Meadow Kunik (a bloomy rind mix of goat and Jersey cow milk) paired with black cherries.

You can take your mother there, you can take your lover there.  You can even spend an afternoon there on your own and be perfectly content. I recommend all three, with a side of formaggio.

52 Greenwich Avenue between Perry St. & Charles St. (Greenwich Village); 212.633.2590; www.ilovegottino.com  

Cheese News: Murray’s Cheese Moves to the Mainland

The New York Times reported last week that Murray’s Cheese, the New York City cheese institution, will be opening 50 mini-shops within Kroger Supermarkets around the country.  Why this is good: if it’s going to be set up like I think it will be set up, taste buds around the nation are about to be treated to fromage of all stripes, fresh as can be and sliced to order.  Why this is bad: word in cheese circles has it that Murray’s is getting a little too big, trying to have exclusivity over some of the smaller cheese producers which makes it hard for the little cheese shop in your neighborhood to get in on the action.  Which sort-of makes Murray’s the Walmart of cheese.  Good cheese, but still.  I love you Murray’s, but there really isn’t enough cheese to go around, so save some room for the little guy. 

Cheesy Reader:  Culture Magazine

There’s a fantastic new glossy to be found on newsstands and in cheese shops around town, “Culture Magazine”, which is devoted exclusively to cheese eaters.  Get the word on what’s hot in the world of fromage, tips on the cheese plate, cheesy movers & shakers, as well as a centerfold to hang over your bed and drool over. www.culturecheesemag.com

And Finally, Some Cheesy Fun:  Iron Chef America Battle of the Fromage