Marie Fromage

VERY Easy Baked Brie for A Crowd

This is more of a composition than a true recipe, a shopping list as opposed to a list of ingredients. However that said, I think you will appreciate the delicious ease of this cheesy treat for a crowd.

 Yield: about 10-12 people

Ingredients:

14oz Round of Brie

¼ - ½ Cup of Apricot Preserves (room temperature)

1 Package Puff Pastry, defrosted (recommended brand: Dufour)

1 Egg

1 Tbs. Water

1 Tbs. Flour (to be used for dusting surfaces) 

Equipment:

One Cookie Sheet

Parchment Paper (cut to fit the size of the cookie sheet)

Small Bowl

Fork or Small Whisk

Pastry Brush

How-To:

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cut the parchment paper to size and place onto the cookie sheet. If the brie has been in the refrigerator, take it out and let it warm up a bit while the oven is pre-heating.

 

 I picked up this one at French Cheese Board, located on W. 39th St. near Bryant Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and unwrap the puff pastry.

Place the round of brie right in the middle. 

 

 

 

 

Spoon the apricot preserves onto the top of the brie. 

 

 

 

Wrap the brie with the puff pastry. Bring the corners together and form a twist at the top. Bring the edges in to the sides of the brie round and press the sides in to seal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                         

 

Place brie-pastry package onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat the egg with the water in a bowl to make the egg wash. Lightly brush the egg wash all over the brie-pastry package. This will give it a nice bown burnish and will help to seal it up as it bakes.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. Place on a decorative plate and serve it warm. Crackers and bread optional. This is very rich - it will pair nicely with a crisp white wine, prosecco or champagne. Enjoy!

 

 

Copyright ©Marie Fromage All Rights Reserved; Photos by Marie Fromage except where noted.

Curd Nerd Salad

Summer is officially here!  I have created a salad featuring cheese curds and roasted tomatoes that is easy to toss together and will make you the talk of the next cookout. 

Cheese curds from Hillcrest Dairy, Moravia, NY. Purchased at Saxelby Cheesemongers

This recipe is pretty straightforward and will require just a little oven operation and a bit sourcing for great ingredients. 

Curd Nerd Salad

Ingredients: 

2 cups of Cheese Curds* (or if you can't find curds use Bocconcini mozzarella balls)

2 cups Roasted Grape Tomatoes

1 Tbs. Fresh Basil, Julienned

2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

Kosher (or Sea) Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

The How-To:

1)  Pre-heat oven to 400°(oh come on now, you probably have air conditioning in your house. You will be fine!).

2)  Line a baking sheet with foil.

3)  Wash the grape tomatoes, drain and add to a medium sized mixing bowl (tomatoes will still be a little wet).  Scatter a healthy pinch of salt over the tomatoes and toss to coat.

4)  Pour tomatoes onto the baking sheet, place in the oven and roast until tomatoes are a little scorched, collapsed and wrinkled up a bit - about 45 minutes.

5)  While tomatoes are roasting, julienne the basil leaves and set aside.

6) Remove tomatoes from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

7) Use a large bowl: add roasted tomatoes, cheese curds and sliced fresh basil and toss together until combined.  

8)  Add the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. 

9) Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste and - you guessed it - toss to combine.  

10) Allow everything to just mingle together for about an hour before serving.

Please note: 

a) All ingredients should be room temperature when this salad is put together.

b) The roasted grape tomatoes may be made the night before & refrigerated until ready to use (tomatoes made this way are also a delicious, slightly sweet and low calorie add-on to sandwiches, omelets, as a simple side dish to chicken or fish - the possibilities are endless).

* A word about Cheese Curds: 

Cheese curds are basically what cheddar cheese looks like before they are pressed together and aged. They are a delight as they are, with a mild, milky taste and springy, squeeky mozzarella-like texture if you eat them fresh.  Sadly they are not easy to find and if you live outside of Wisconsin or Québec you probably never have had the pleasure of this taste experience. HOWEVER, if you live in or near New York City you are in luck! Try finding them at Saxelby Cheesemongers or Beecher's. 

 

 

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!

Copyright © 2007-2012 Marie Fromage All Rights Reserved; Photos by Marie Fromage except where noted.

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)