Marie Fromage

Bites: Clear the Room with Red Hawk; A Cheesy Read; Edible Tweets; Lamb Face Sandwich; Cape Escape

Cheese

Something Stinky This Way Comes:  Cowgirl Creamery’s dense triple-cream, cow’s milk washed rind Red Hawk.  Whoa, this one stinks to high heaven!  You may be asked to please take that thing outside or to open a window.  Not recommended for eating in cars.  But boy oh boy, this is a lusty one. Creamy and tangy, it hits all the right cheesy notes.  Look for it at your favorite fine cheese counter or buy it online at www.cowgirlcreamery.com.

A Cheesy Read:  The Cheese Chronicles

Liz Thorpe sure knows her way around a cheese cave.  As the Vice President at Murray’s Cheese in NYC she’s seen a curd or two in her day and has a deep knowledge and respect for American cheese making.   "The Cheese Chronicles” is part history book, part reference and part personal odyssey, all told in a breezy down-to-earth style.  This is my kind of beach reading! 

Cheesy Fun:  In case you were wondering, here's how to write “cheese” in Chinese. 

Eats

“If You Don’t Tweet, You Don’t Eat” -- Hildegard

Midtown worker bees – and eaters all over the city for that matter – are dancing with delight over a new wave of food trucks offering edibles that are actually good.   Trucks offering grass-fed beef burgers, schnitzel, cupcakes, waffles, dumplings and other treats can be found roaming the streets at any hour of the day and night.  But due to turf wars with the long-standing street food old guard these trucks are always on the move.  So the key to gaining access to their goodies is a little know-how provided courtesy of Twitter.   “Follow” your favorite truck via Twitter and you will get word – straight from the source – of exactly what time and where they will be parked for the day (or the hour).  This way you can plan precisely how long it will take to get from your desk to the truck to beat the usually crazy long line. Lunch hour is precious and in most cases following these tweets is worth the effort and a welcome break from Midtown munchie monotony.

Foodie Tawk – Heritage Radio Network

Heritage Radio Network is an internet radio site that features culinary taste makers from around the country, with regular shows from cheese queen Anne Saxelby to programs about wine, how-to tips and the intersection of music and food, among others.

The show “Urban Foragers”, hosted by Fatty Crab chef Zak Pelaccio recently featured my pal Joe Distefano, the culinary go-to guy for all you need to know about NYC’s varied ethnic delicacies. If you want to learn more about notable Asian restaurants and where to get a good lamb face sandwich, tune in!  And p.s. – Joe recently did a Queens food tour with star chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert that will be featured in an article called “Feasting on Flushing” in the debut issue of Edible Queens, due to hit the streets in September. 

A Worthy Read:  “The Real Cost of Cheap Food” featured in the August 31 issue of Time Magazine. 

The abundant cheap food available to Americans is actually slowly killing the land, the ocean, the animals and us; not really cheap at all.  How can you help? Vote with your shopping cart: whenever possible buy organic, free-range, locally produced. For starters.

Travel Eats:  Cape Escape

Gastro Chic & I spent a recent long weekend eating our way though Chatham, Massachusetts, my favorite summer escape spot located on the elbow of Cape Cod. Bluefish, clams, clams, clams plus the quest for a good lobster roll were the order of the day, with lots of other delicious treats in between.

 Click here for my Cape favorites posting from way back when.  And here are Gastro Chic’s picks: The Chatham Squire, plus other notable nosh spots.

(Photo credits: all photos by Mary Connolly, except  for Chatham Squire Monomoy steamer by Gastro Chic)

Bites: Cheesy Bianca; Meatballs Make the World Go ‘Round at Anella; Julie & Julia: Chick Flick + Foodiness = Major Summer Smash

Have tomato, will travel:  I am off to Cape Cod with my Union Square Market tomato in tow for a few days of long overdue beach time.  Hey, I can’t let that beautiful tomato fester away alone in my hot apartment! And if that cheese shop in Chatham is still in business I will be one very happy Fromage by-the-sea.

Cheese

Something Stinky This Way Comes:  Hawthorne Valley Farm’s Bianca – not so stinky at all, it’s actually a soft, fresh tangy cow’s milk cheese.  It makes the perfect breakfast cheese to spread on toast with fresh berries or jam.

It’s also delish crumbled over a plate of fresh market tomato slices or tossed into an omlette. The possibilities are endless!  Look for it at the Union Square Farmer’s Market in NYC or stop by their Columbia County, NY Farm Store the next time you’re swinging through the Hudson Valley.  www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org

Eats

Shameless Plug Alert: Anella

If you find yourself hungry in or near Greenpoint Brooklyn anytime soon, look to my friends at Anella to scratch that itch. Anella is the latest culinary bright spot to open in this growing-hipper-by-the-minute nabe, bringing you locally sourced/rustic yet refined Italian-inspired deliciousness. At the helm is Chef Michael Sullivan (formerly of Le Zinc and Chanterelle), a man who certainly knows his way around a terrine. 

Did I mention local? The produce is grown not only in their own backyard, it also comes from Rooftop Farms, a 6,000 square foot garden on the top of an old warehouse located around the corner on Eagle Street. They get their meat from the legendary Brooklyn butcher Paisanos and probably catch the fish with their bare hands (just kidding). Even the wood for their fabulously nubby bar is from the Steinway piano factory in Queens.  

I paid them a visit recently with Gastro Chic and D in tow and we were overwhelmed by all of the delectable choices on the menu. The solution? We over-ordered and stuffed our faces, swooning over the famous meatballs, a magical terrine of the day, shell steak with marrow, gremolata and luscious olive oil mashed potatoes, a pizza topped with white figs, prosciutto and balsamic honey, and many other treats.  Go and pay Anella a visit, it’s worthy of your attention!

Anella: Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 222 Franklin St.(at Green St.); 718-389-8100; Cash only.

(photos of Anella courtesy of Mijola Photography)

Food on Film

Julie & Julia: Chick flick + foodiness = major summer smash.  And it’s a solid one mostly for the Julia portion of the film, which focuses on Julia & Paul Child’s time in France when Mrs. Paul Child starts to find her groove and begins her late-in-life journey to become the legend that we love today.  As for Julie – that’s a sweet tale too, just a small one and not as compelling.   While Julia Child was an inspiration to Julie Powell, the parallels that the film tries to create between their two lives are a bit flimsy.  When you are in the neurotic Julie-land part of the film, you long for the delightful company of Julia (an inspired performance by Meryl Streep) & Paul Child (played by the sexy Stanley Tucci) in picturesque Paris. Overall though, it’s a well done movie with a big delicious heart that may inspire people to follow their own unique muse, whatever that may be!

Julie & Julia opens in theaters nationwide August 7.

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