Marie Fromage

A Cheese Pumpkin

A cheese pumpkin has absolutely nothing at all to do with fromage.  It’s a pumpkin through and through, named a cheese pumpkin because of its beige exterior and slightly flat shape. A close relative of butternut squash, it also has a creamy texture and sweet taste, which makes it the perfect specimen to use for cooking and baking. The ubiquitous jack-o-lantern is just too stringy to use for cakes and pies and no where near as tasty.

However being Marie Fromage, I thought to myself, why not make a real CHEESE pumpkin! And I got right to work.  Be the hit of the Halloween party and bring one of these little babies to the table.

 Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese 

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

Pinch of smoked paprika

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Flat leaf parsley

Twisted pretzel sticks 

Equipment:

Stand mixer: with bowl and paddle attachment

Rubber spatula

Plastic wrap

Medium-sized mixing bowl

Plastic spoon

A pair of spectacularly clean hands

1) Shred the cheddar cheese while cold.  Set aside and allow the cheese to come to room temperature.

 2) Combine cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Beat the cheese mixture until smooth.

 3) Spread out a few sheets of plastic wrap.  Mound the cheese mixture onto the plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Cover with the plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours.

 4) When the cheese ball is firm, remove from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap.  Using your spectacularly clean hands, shape the ball until it is as round as possible, then flatten the top slightly.

 5) Now the sculpting begins!  Using the handle of a plastic spoon, carve the “ribs” of the pumpkin into the cheese ball. Smooth the edges with the spoon.

 6) Place the chopped pecans in a bowl and place the cheese pumpkin on top. Press the pecans up along the sides of the cheese pumpkin, about half way. 

7) Place cheese pumpkin on a plate. Sprinkle the top of the cheese pumpkin with a pinch of smoked paprika. Add a twisted pretzel stick into the top to resemble the stem. Add flat leaf parsley to resemble the vines and leaves.

 8) Serve with your favorite cracker and enjoy!

 

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).

 

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!

Piadina Italian Flatbread - If You Can Make Pancakes, You Can Make These

Piadina

I had my first piadina while taking a pasta making class at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese in Bologna, Italy.  The chef made these for our midmorning snack and served them warm and layered with prosciutto and cheese.  My head nearly blew off by how tasty they were.  

This is a great bread recipe for the summer because there’s no need to turn on the oven!  If you can make pancakes, you can make these.

Makes 8 Piadina

3 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 ¼ cups half & half (add a Tablespoon or 2 more if needed).

1.  Combine the flour, salt and baking power in a large bowl.

2.  Add the half & half. Using your hands (that’s right, your spectacularly clean hands) combine with the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

3.  Turn the contents of the bowl out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead the dough until it comes together in a firm ball.

4.  Place in a bowl, brush the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil, cover with a clean dishtowel and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour.

5.  Remove dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces.

6.  Roll each piece into a ball with your hand, then roll into a more-or-less round shape as thin as possible (think pizza or pasta dough).

7.  Pre-heat a flat griddle (or large cast iron or heavy stainless steel pan) and brush with olive oil.

8.  Add the dough round and cook until lightly browned for about 2-3 minutes per side.

9.  Place on large plate and proceed to cook the other rounds, stacking them as you go.

So now you have all of these Piadina in your house.  What now? Use your imagination – the possibilities are endless!  Here’s a couple of serving suggestions:

* Quick pizza: spread with pesto or tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese and put it under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

* For breakfast: toast it lightly and top with eggs, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, etc.  Also good for breakfast – spread it with peanut butter and drizzle with honey or top with a banana.

* Spread with hummus and top with olives and tomatoes.

* Cut it into quarters and toast until crisp in a 350° oven. Serve with your dip of choice.

* Layer it with ham and cheese or whatever you fancy for a quick sandwich.

 

Storage suggestions:

Layer each Piadina with paper towels or wax paper, then wrap with plastic wrap; they should be good for a couple of days.  They also freeze well – allow to cool completely, layer as described above, wrap in plastic and then with foil.  Use as needed.

(Photo credit: all photos by Mary Connolly); Copyright 2009 Mary Connolly All Rights Reserved

 

Bites: Not Your Mamma’s Grilled Cheese; The Asian Bloody Mary; Food, Inc; Dred Scott Trio

Cheese

 Something Stinky This Way Comes (with recipe): Halloumi

Halloumi is a firm Greek sheep’s milk cheese that holds up well to grilling, making it a delicious alternative to the usual hot dog & burger backyard BBQ fare.  Cut it into cubes, thread it on a bamboo skewer with your favorite veggies, brush with a little olive oil and lay it on the fire for cheesy kabobs. And here’s another serving suggestion that’s sure to please meat eaters and veggies alike!

 

Grilled Halloumi with Chili Oil

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

 Makes about 30 slices.

 3 blocks of Halloumi cheese, approximately 8 oz. each (available in the “gourmet cheese” section of most supermarkets). Cut into slices approx. ¼ inch thick.

 1-2 red chili peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped (you may also use dried crushed red pepper flake, about 1 teaspoon or to taste).

Fresh thyme (1-2 sprigs, leaves removed from stem).

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of ½ a lemon (lime would work well too).

1) In a small saucepan heat the oil on a low flame until it barely simmers. Remove from heat, add the chopped chili pepper, cover and let the flavors mingle as the oil cools down.

2) Using a non-stick pan (no oil needed), add the Halloumi slices.  Cook until toasty brown, about 2 minutes per side. 

3) Place on a platter and drizzle with the chili oil. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and thyme leaves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Eats

 Marie Fromage, Gastro Chic & Joey Deckle walk into a bar…

and give birth to the Asian Bloody Mary, “the dangerous brain child of three food people drinking sake.”  Get the back story and Gastro Chic recipe here!

Food, Inc.

Food, Inc. is a new film currently terrifying eaters in major cities around the country.  

It’s a “Scared Straight” for the supermarket shopper, a horrifying indictment of the American industrialized food system featuring Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) and several other notable beacons of food sanity.  You won’t look at a piece of chicken breast the same again.  Or vegetables for that matter.  And you may want to rethink your late night Hot Pockets habit while you’re at it. It’s an important film to see if you care about where your food comes from.  But don’t plan on going out to dinner afterwards! For movie locations and more information, go to www. foodincmovie.com.

And since we’re on the subject, I also recommend that you pay a visit to the web site “Food Politics”, written by learned food lady Marion Nestle.  She’s lately become my go-to gal for getting my food facts straight and has more interesting things to say about this film, among other things, such as the safety of our food system.  Raw Toll House cookie dough anyone?

Music:  The Dred Scott Trio

Several years ago an edgy, swinging jazz pianist named Dred Scott decamped from San Francisco and landed in New York City, much to the delight of metro-area music fans. Dred Scott, drummer Tony Mason and bassist Ben Rubin can be found pretty much every Tuesday night at midnight at the cozy Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side, throwing down their fun, itchy, careening, cosmopolitan and sublime musical brew.  

It’s worth risking a little late-night music hangover at the day job to see this group play live.  They will soon be celebrating the 4 year anniversary of their residency at Rockwood and are on their way to becoming a Big Apple music institution.  But if by midnight you’re in bed and you can’t make it down to Rockwood in person, pick up their CD “Live at The Rockwood Music Hall” for an irreverent virtual concert in the comfort of your jammies. 

For more info go to their web site, dredscott.com.  Purchase “Live at The Rockwood Music Hall” on iTunes, Amazon.com and other fine retailers. 

Rockwood Music Hall: Lower East Side; 196 Allen Street (between E. Houston and Stanton); 212.477.4155


(Photo credits: Grilled Halloumi – by Mary Connolly; Asian Bloody Mary – courtesy of Gastro Chic; Food, Inc. - courtesy of Magnolia Pictures; Dred Scott – courtesy of The Dred Scott Trio)

Bites: Play It in the Key of Building, Saint-André, Tomato Time

Cheese of the week:  Saint-André 

Yes, it's everywhere (at least where I live).  Yes, you can probably find it right now in the "gourmet" cheese section of your supermarket.  But just because it's everywhere doesn't mean it's not special and delish!   This is a French triple-cream cow's milk cheese made in the Brie tradition; only it's creamier and more butter-like. In the style of easy summer entertaining, here's a serving scenario: you've just laid out the surf & turf, the cold beer and crisp white wine are flowing. You're stuffed, but you also want to serve just a little something for dessert. Present a wedge of room temperature Saint-André with some fresh figs, pear slices and some super-thin ginger crisps - the perfect coda to a satisfying feast.

Play It in the Key of Building

They don't get much cooler than David Byrne.  With his latest project the musician, visual artist and bicycle enthusiast presents us with the opportunity to actually "play" an abandoned waiting hall located within The Battery Maritime Building, via an old church organ that's been rigged up to the walls, pipes and ceiling girders. Hit a few keys and the walls groan, pipes clank and girders sing, creating a delightfully eerie atmosphere within the crumbling space. But things this neat don't last forever - this is the last weekend so don't miss it!

CREATIVE TIME PRESENTS
Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne

The Battery Maritime Building

Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Noon - 6PM (Free)
LAST WEEKEND: Closing August 24, 2008
The Battery Maritime Building
10 South Street, New York, NY
Entrance on the South side, facing the Staten Island Ferry Terminal

Tomato Time

The tomatoes are here!  The tomatoes are here!  This is that special time of year when these ruby orbs of deliciousness are at their peak and in abundance.  Buy local – head over to the nearest farm stand and load up on the heirloom and Jersey varieties.  And because they are at the peak of perfection there’s very little that you need to do to enjoy full on tomato glory.  Here’s a suggestion that’s barely a recipe and more of a collection of high quality ingredients that create the perfect simple meal:  

Ingredients:

-       Crusty baguette, cut in half 

and then cut lengthwise

-       A few ripe tomatoes, sliced thin

-       1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half

-       Extra virgin olive oil (use the best quality you can find)

-       Sea salt (use Maldon if you can find it)

1)    Pre-heat grill (or use a ridged grill pan if indoors).

2)    Place the bread cut side down onto the hot grill and toast until browned, about 2 minutes at the most.  

3)    Rub half of a garlic clove over the toasted side of the bread while still warm.

4)    Arrange tomato slices on the bread, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.  Yum!

Photo Credits: Saint-André (Mary Connolly); Play the Building (David Byrne, Playing the Building, Battery Maritime Building, New York, NY, 2008); Tomato Time (Mary Connolly)

 

Bites: Ricotta Salata with Recipe, Young @ Heart Chorus, An Appetite Grows in Brooklyn

Summertime, and the livin’ is BUSY!  I’ve been running all over the place, from city to sea to mountain, collecting fun things to share with you.  Here’s the latest…

Cheese of the Week: Ricotta Salata, with Recipe

 

This is a firm, white, slightly salty and milky sheep’s milk cheese, similar in texture to Feta cheese. And like Feta, it is just as versatile and can be used in a similar fashion.  Cube or crumble it up and toss with salads, or grate or shave it over grilled veggies.  Heck, it even tastes great with watermelon and mint!

I recently used it in a grilled corn recipe that takes your taste buds way beyond butter.

 Fabulous Fiesta Corn

 8 ears of corn, husks and silk removed

½ pound Ricotta Salata, grated

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 Tablespoon of chipotle pepper powder (or use half this amount if you prefer less spice)

3-4 limes, halved and juiced (with extra limes for garnish)

Salt & pepper to taste

1)    Combine mayonnaise, chipotle powder, lime juice, salt & pepper in a bowl and set aside (this can be done a few hours before use, but be sure to keep it chilled if not using right away).

2)    Pre-heat the grill.

3)    Using a basting or pastry brush, coat the ears of corn with the chipotle-lime mayo and place on the grill.  Grill, turning frequently, until the corn is lightly charred.

4)    Remove the corn from the grill and, while corn is still warm, brush on more of the mayonnaise mixture. 

5)    Then, roll the corn in the grated Ricotta Salata.

6)    Garnish with extra lime wedges and serve immediately!

Young @ Heart Chorus

What do you get when you throw a bunch of musically inclined nursing home residents together with a rock band? Pure magic people, pure magic!  I had the supreme pleasure of seeing this group at The Beacon recently, and the memory of it still brings a smile to my face. The chorus members ranged in age from 73 to 92 and performed with a feisty, ironic spirit that turned rock songs inside out to reveal an alternative perspective. 

“I went down to the Chelsea drugstore to get my prescription filled…” 

Songs like the Ramones chestnut “I Wanna be Sedated” take on a whole new meaning when sung by an elderly man with a cane in a wheelchair, as does the Bee Gees dance hit “Staying Alive” sung by a man connected to an oxygen tank.  Surprising.  Even more surprising was their edginess, humor, agility, professionalism, poignancy and pure joy.  They were all having a blast up there!

 Directed by Bob Cilman, the chorus came together in a nursing home in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1982 and has since gone on to thrill audiences around the world. 

 I have to make sure I retire in Northampton so I can be in that chorus!

 Stay tuned for news of the release of their documentary on DVD this September, available on Netflix.

 An Appetite Grows in Brooklyn

I spent a recent summer Sunday with my friend Kit Kat exploring the culinary delights of Fort Greene, Brooklyn.  Fort Greene has had quite a bit of buzz about it lately, reaching beyond BAM's performing arts charms with a unique and soulful food culture. Here is a highly selective sampling of what we devoured:

 Cake Man Raven:  first stop on the food tour was a visit to Cake Man Raven, famous for his version of the classic southern Red Velvet cake. We shared a huge hunk of luscious, moist cake with a decadent cream cheese frosting. Cake Man Raven:  708-a Fulton St. Brooklyn, 718.694.CAKE (2253)

Habana Outpost – Eco Eatery:  Not only can you get your drink on in the form of icy, tangy margaritas, you can munch away on classic Tex-Mex fare with a guilt-free conscience, knowing that they, in their own words, “use earth-friendly practices in their design, construction, and day-to-day operations. Habana Outpost aims to reduce wasteful consumption and promote sustainable solutions.” Well gosh, thank goodness for that.  Hey waiter, can we get another round over here?  And please bring us some of that famous grilled corn I heard about.  Hey Mr. DJ, turn it up, I love this song.  Kit Kat, I think we’re gonna be here for a while…

Habana Outpost:  757 Fulton Street Brooklyn, 718.858.9500

Brooklyn Flea: this fantastic and slightly controversial new flea market features the usual collection of antique and vintage house wares, furniture and clothes.  But what makes it exciting is the young, innovative local artisans selling hand-crafted and unique furniture, jewelry, clothing - and delectable foods!  And since food is my focus, here’s who was there that day:

Kumquat Cupcakery:  This little bakery creates mini cupcake creations for delivery or pick-up when they are in residence at the Brooklyn Flea.

 Be sure to try the chocolate peanut butter cupcake – pretty petite and pretty amazing, a one-bite flavor bomb.  Bet ya can’t stop at just one!

Crop to Cup - Family Farmed Coffee: Basically, this is a coffee farmer representative who buys high quality Arabica beans directly from farmers and then sells to us, but they also reinvest 10% of their profits back into farm family communities.

Sure, that’s all well and good, but how does it taste?

I enjoyed a small cup of “Uganda Bugisu” created by the contributions of 300 farm families in Buginyanya Sub-County, Sironko District, Uganda.  It was an exceptionally smooth, naturally sweet brew, no sugar or milk needed.  So I bought a bag! Coffee with a conscience does a body good.

Whimsy & Spice: founded and run by a husband and wife team (he’s a pastry chef, she’s a graphic artist) they offer treats inspired by the spices and flavors of India and the Middle East.  For example, I picked-up a sack of their Rose & Black Pepper Thumbprint cookies, which were meltingly tender and sweet with a subtle bite from the black pepper. A fascinating flavor combination for a cookie that tasted great.

Salvatore Bklyn, Handmade Goodness:  “If cheese were a rock star, it’d be Salvatore Bklyn.”  They’re talking about their fresh and creamy whole milk ricotta cheese, and I have to say I agree.  Try a spoonful over fresh berries and toasted almonds drizzled with honey  - a special summertime treat.

Blue Marble Ice Cream:  Their shop is based in the Boerum Hill neighborhood, they source their milk from the Hudson Valley, and the vanilla ice cream they were scooping up at the Brooklyn Flea was fresh, creamy and true.

 Brooklyn Flea: located at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave. Takes place every Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

 Fort Greene is a proud, deeply entrenched, food-loving community with a funky, artsy twist that’s just another thing to love about living in NYC.  

Photo Credits: Ricotta Salata (Mary Connolly); Young@ Heart Chorus (Young@Heart Photo Archives); Fort Greene (danomyte.blogspot.com); Brooklyn Flea (brownstoner.com); Rose & Black Pepper Thumbprint Cookies (Whimsey & Spice)

Bites: Cheese on the Grass; Say It with Flour; Restaurant Tailor; Pizza Time with Recipe

Le Fromage Sur L’Herbe (The Cheese on the Grass)

Summertime and the livin’ is easy. But is the living easy on your cheese? The Cheese Mistress recently gathered fellow friends of the fromage in Central Park one recent 95-degree Saturday to share their favorite curds. The question was: what cheese could withstand the withering heat?

I turned to my friends at cheese institution Ideal Cheese for the answer. "Go Firm” was the solution! I walked out with two delectable selections, both of the raw milk variety (and always the tastiest, in my mind). One was Ossau-Iraty Vallee d'Aspe, a nutty, raw sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque region of France. The other – my favorite of the day - was a spunky aged Spanish goat cheese called Murcia Curado. At the picnic, other cheeses that withstood the heat were several varieties of cheddar, aged Gouda, a Morbier, and an especially tasty Italian Piave. We washed it all down with icy, crisp white wine and beer while stretched out languidly on a shady patch of grass, and almost forgot we were in the middle of an urban oven.

Say It With Flour – Dessert Delivery

Tired of sending just flowers? Does the fruit basket seem a little, well, old school? Want to really stand out from the crowd and make a memorable impression with a huge caloric impact? At Dessert Delivery, they think you should “say it with flour” and send someone your very best in the form of fresh baked deliciousness.

I was recently the lucky recipient of a huge, gooey, luscious Cookies ‘n Cream birthday cake, sent to me at work by an extremely thoughtful friend. For survival reasons I shared it with my co-workers, but it was so good I really just wanted to disrobe and eat it alone in private! They use the freshest ingredients available and turn out decadent cakes, cookies, brownies and other goodies that can be brought right to your door or straight to the door of a special someone.

Dessert Delivery is a charming local neighborhood bakery with national outreach; they deliver within Manhattan and across the nation -- and thank goodness, because far-flung friends will want this! Just pick-up the phone and that cake can be yours.

Dessert Delivery: 360 E 55th St. between First and Second Avenues (Midtown East); 212-838-5411

Tailor

Short ribs braised in root beer. Vanilla-smoked carrots. Caraway ice cream. Cats laying down with dogs - what the heck is going on over there at restaurant Tailor? Chef Sam Mason is in the house pushing salty-sweet flavor combos to the extreme, with mostly successful results. Sam Mason is former pastry chef from “molecular gastronomy” temple WD-50, so it should come as no surprise that my palate was going to be challenged –in a good way. It began with the cocktails…I ordered a “Blood & Sand”, which is a mix of scotch, sweet vermouth, Redbach beer and topped off with orange foam. Gastrochic, always up for a challenge, ordered "The Waylon”, a mix of bourbon and smoked coke, which was very refreshing!

With our appetites primed and ready, we moved on to the food, beginning with a plate of thinly sliced veal surrounded by a scattering of white chocolate beads filled with crispy marrow, parmesan crumble and drops of huckleberry sauce. Following this creation was a dish of what seemed like savory Foie Gras and cocoa bars sprinkled with a peanut butter sand and crisp slices of pear. All delicious! Still up for the challenge, we forged ahead with a plate of meltingly tender roasted duck over spaghetti squash, Hon Shimeji mushrooms and a lightly sweet raisin broth. Then the show-stopping dish arrived, the plate of goodness that continues to haunt me to this day: cubes of roasted pork belly nestled in a creamy miso butterscotch sauce, punctuated by tender briny slices of artichoke. I wanted to lick the bowl clean and then climb inside – it was that good. To top it all off, if you can image that was possible, we spilt a dessert of “French Toast” – a deep fried block of brioche with a scoop of maple ice cream, crispy raisin “paper” and…bits of bacon!

All this culinary derring-do plays out against a warm, industrial-chic backdrop reminiscent of a turn-of-the-20^thcentury apothecary.

Worth going back? While I wouldn’t take the relatives visiting from Des Moines here, I would return with open-minded foodie friends in search of fun, eccentric and memorable flavor bombs.

Tailor: 25 Broome St. bet. Sullivan & Thompson Sts. (Soho); 212-334-5182

Easy Flatbread Pizza, with Recipes!

Ah, I have opened the windows and flung open the doors. It’s time for easy living and the fun foods that go along with it, and flatbread pizza is the name of the game. I especially like to serve this at parties because it’s a quick and easy hot hors d'oeuvre that you can crank out and barely break a sweat.

Save yourself the trouble of making the pizza dough and get some already baked flatbreads, such as Turkish Pide bread, Armenian Lavash, or, short of that, a round of Boboli bread – all available at Whole Foods and other markets. Put your effort into the toppings, all of which can be done ahead of time. Here are some suggestions:

* For all of the pizzas, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Peppers & Olives

The colors of this pizza really make it pop!

- 1 red & 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced and combined

- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pits removed

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- Approximately 1/2 pound Fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to taste

- Sea Salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

1) Place flatbread on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over the flatbread and spread the minced garlic over the entire surface.

2) Scatter the bread with a layer of the mixed peppers. Add a dash of sea salt.

3) Scatter the olives over the peppers; drizzle with a bit more olive oil.

4) Drape the fresh mozzarella over the peppers and onions and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

5) Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and a bit of sea salt. Slice and serve immediately.

Pesto & Mozz

This lush pesto freezes beautifully, so whip up a batch when basil is in season in the summer and you can enjoy it all winter long.

For the pesto:

- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried

- 4 garlic cloves, peeled

- 1 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (in 350 degree oven until fragrant and light brown, about 15 minutes)

- 1 cup olive oil

- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano (don’t skimp by using that stuff in a can – splurge for the real thing, the flavor can’t be beat)

- Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste.

For the pizza:

- About 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1) Add the basil, garlic and pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped.

2) With the motor on low, slowly pour in the olive oil.

3) Turn off the motor and add the grated cheese and stir to combine. Add a generous amount of pepper and taste, adding salt if necessary (the cheese is salty, so adding more salt may not be needed).

4) Place flatbread on a sheet pan. Spread surface of the bread with a layer of pesto. Add a layer of mozzarella and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Slice and serve immediately.

Miracle Sauce & Mozz

This sauce was made famous by Italian cookery legend Marcella Hazan. You will be amazed by how easy and incredibly delicious it is.

For the sauce:

- 2 cans of imported Italian plum tomatoes (try to use San Marzano if available)

- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half

- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

- Sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

For the pizza:

- About 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

- Fresh whole basil leaves

1) Into a large pot add the tomatoes (with their juices) and crush.

2) Add the onion and butter. Bring to a low simmer and cook, uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Remove the onion and discard. Add pepper and salt to taste.

4) Place flatbread on a sheet pan. Spread surface of the bread with a layer of sauce and dot with fresh whole basil leaves. Add a layer of mozzarella, scatter a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano across the surface and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Slice and serve immediately.