Beach in RI..in the middle of winter

My friend Meredith has always raved about weekends in Little Compton, Rhode Island, and after spending three days in her gorgeous, unique house there, I can finally see why. Rhode Island is beautiful, and on a sunny winter’s day with clear skies against a still, crystal blue lake, all worries and the angst of city life completely dissolve. That is what I call vacation.

in Newport

In addition to the joy of being in Meredith’s artifact-filled home, totally removed from urban chaos and amid picture perfect weather, I was surrounded by fellow-food lovers whose priority was a weekend filled with collaborating on cooking delicious, wintery, stick-to-your bones food. Considering that I live in a studio apartment, hanging out in a kitchen larger than the typical porta potty is a luxury to me. And with good music, free-flowing wine and great company, I was pretty much in my ideal scenario for relaxing all Presidents’ Day Weekend.

paella

Mer, currently head over heels for a Spaniard, kicked the weekend off with an incredible paella. After heading to Newport to pick up a sturdy paella pan, we stopped at the local seafood shack for lobster, snails, scallops, fish, clams, and mussels to add to the mix. I don’t know much about spanish food, but I know that the key to a good paella is a crispy, crusty bottom, or in more professional terms, “socarrat.” After a big production of Mer sauteing the sausage, onions, and garlic, adding tomatos and pimentos, rice, and a robust seafood stock prepared by her friend Jason, the paella came out as a beautiful array of colors and flavors, fit to feed a table of 9.

killing lobster

the makings of fish stock

sauteing onions and sausage

cooking the rice, post-toasting the rice

surrounding the paella

The next day, after recounting the amount of delicious cheese, paella, salad, alcohol, and cookies I consumed, I promised myself to be a little bit less gluttonous in the near future. That all ended when Jason, Mer’s good friend from high school, pledged to cook beef bourguignon and bone marrow, and Mer decided to bake homemade bread (my weakness). Watching them prepare was like watching masters – Jason sauteed the bacon and onions, and after adding wine, mushrooms, carrots (just for flavor), pearl onions, and thyme, he stewed the meat for almost four hours, cooling it down completely and heating it up again to make it as tender as possible (trick of the trade I assume). He simultaneously whipped up the best, creamiest, garlic mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. Meredith meanwhile prepared her challah and waited patiently as it rised, finishing it in the oven just as the bone marrow, butter lettuce salad with asparagus, and beautiful, deep brown beef bourguignon were being transferred into gorgeous white dishes.

the baker

GORGEOUS finished product

luscious marrow

beef and mashed potatoes

table set

The food was phenomenal. Only on a cozy winter’s night can you really appreciate the richness of braised red meat in sauce alongside a buttery bone marrow served with garlic and chives. Meredith’s bread was warm, doughy, and nourishing, and sitting right in front of it, I must have been responsible for consuming at least half.

scharffen berger brownies

We finished off the weekend in front of the fire with a plateful of brownies (my contribution) made with dark Scharffen Berger chocolate. They were buttery, slightly salty, and divine to say the least. And with a belly full, I felt completely satisfied to have spent the weekend creating and eating with wonderful people in a beautiful setting outside of New York City.

narrow restaurant

When my friend Austin invited me to her “Pork Birthday Celebration” at Momofuku Ssam, I responded affirmatively right away, ecstatic that I finally found an opportunity to share David Chang’s famous bo ssam (crispy pork shoulder) feast. Despite being Filipino, I am really not a pork lover – in fact, I can’t remember the last time I ordered or cooked any type of pig product, not to mention the whole bacon obsession is beyond me. But this particular pig gathering has been so highly praised in my presence, I knew I had to put all preferences aside and just dig in like a fan – which I did, and regretted more than ever when my food coma finally subsided at 6pm the next day.

menu with least number of courses

Our table of 13 chose the 5 course meal, which at $55 per person, gives you a small portion of raw fish, warm bread with butter and lard, ham and “gravy,” steamed pork buns, bo ssam, and a few giant-sized s’mores. I made the mistake of arriving starving, and after having to wait almost two hours to be seated for our 7:30pm reservation, I was about ready to eat the table cloth. At least we were able to explore the new, albeit tiny, cocktail bar in the back, which uses liquid nitrogen to make a vodka soda. Though you definitely want to be hungry enough to appreciate the food, arriving with an empty stomach is not recommended unless you want to be in the same situation I was when leaving the restaurant (in so much pain that you’re afraid for your life).

There was literally enough food to feed an army, and with all the tasty things that arrived before the grand finale of the pork shoulder, I failed at leaving any legitimate stomach space to really enjoy it. That said, my absolute favorite was his well-known steamed pork buns. While the starters of bread, ham, and raw fish were just fine (still don’t quite understand the bread and lardo situation) – the buns totally filled my void of interesting, hunger-solving food. We also (thanks to Lauren) ordered the bbq buns, which were essentially crispy fried pork with coleslaw in a soft steamed bun. This was phenomenal, and in normal situations, one would be just enough for a solid lunch. But, when in Rome…

corvina

ham with gravy and bread

steamed pork bun

crispy bbq buns - the best

When the pork shoulder arrived I was in shock. The supply of crispy, tender pork meat was endless, as were the delicious sides of oysters, green onion, spicy sauce, lettuce cups, rice, and bok choy. Despite having an entire beer poured on my plate and lap in the heat of the moment, I still had a chance to discover what the hype around this traditional Korean meal was about. It’s the act of not only sharing something so delicious, but also the fun of putting together lettuce cup after lettuce cup with different combinations of sauces.

Bo Ssam

sides

Had dessert notarrived, I would have kept on going. The giant s’more was not what I would recall as delicious. It was composed as a ridiculously sweet marshmellow-y mush sandwiched between two very dense graham-cracker like cookies, which acted as a platform for 3 scoops of sour, labne flavored ice cream. My biggest issue with some dessert chefs is that they feel the need to substitute vanilla ice cream for something totally insane. Why mess with a good thing? Vanilla would have made this dessert amazing, but the cheese flavored ice cream made my lips curl.

s'more

All in all, despite some of my complaints, I would recommend the Bo Ssam dinner at Ssam Bar to any serious pork lover. I have to imagine that there could be nothing better than an endless supply of crispy pig meat to someone who truly loves it. And at $55 a person, the overall experience is quite a deal.

*photo credit to Austin Scott

Grade: B+

Location: 207 2nd Avenue at 13th

Website: www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ssam-bar

Bar view from my seat

After my meal at the new gastro-pub called Whitehall last week, I can’t figure out why this place hasn’t blown up in my niche of food media. Google Whitehall, NY, and the first thing that comes up is a link to the “birthplace of the U.S. Navy,” followed by links to maps, Police Department, and Amtrak routes. I google Meatball and the first thing that comes up is “The Meatball Shop” (though search is now more personalized, what’s up with that?).  The place has the quintessential West Village restaurant feel – sophisticated, warm and stylish, with splashes of playfulness like chalkboard menus and black park benches. The menu is packed with easily sharable sides, appetizers, and main courses inspired by British fare. I dined there with two of my work friends, both whom I like to believe enjoy food as much as I do. It’s always more fun to eat dinner with those who truly  appreciate food – there’s really no arguing that – because we don’t just order what we need, we order anything that looks remotely enticing (and end up finishing it).

Before I launch into the laundry list of food items we tried, the cocktails deserve describing. These “House Concoctions” are mostly labeled by number, which actually forced me to read the ingredients to make an educated, thoughtful drink choice as opposed to just jumping to my usual favorites. I started with the No. 4,  which combined gin, lemon, orange bitters, and ginger, and graduated to a delicious No. 8with mezcal, ginger, grapefruit, lime, and soda. I normally can’t stomach sweet cocktails, but since they accommodated my pleas for less-sugar, I guzzled four of them.

No. 4

To start, after a small warm roll with creamy butter, we shared two wonderful salads – the Whitehall Salad – which was somewhat of a breakfast with lettuce, crispy bacon, poached egg, cheese, and hazelnuts, and the Spiced Butternut Squash Salad with lemon feta and watercress.

squash salad

We couldn’t resist the description of Pan Roasted Squid, which came with chorizo, fingerling potatoes, and what Whitehall freakishly calls “gentleman’s relish.” Although it was flavorful, and the squid pieces were cut in pieces manageable enough to chew gracefully, the sausage grease was hard to ignore and a bit unsightly.

squid and bread with...gentleman's relish

For our main course, we dove into a Whitehall Burger with cheddar, pickled onions, lettuce, and of course, an egg. Yes yes, you all know that I’m not a burger savant, but I know what tastes good and this was undeniably delicious. I am extra pleased when a chef actually prepares the meat the way you ask for it, and this was perfectly medium rare as we had hoped. With the egg, the brioche bun, and the garlicky fries, I was smiling in a haven of gluttony. To balance out our meat, we also shared the root vegetable and lentil curried stew, which was exactly as it sounds – hot lentils with some roasted vegetables. Nothing special, but a decent break from the burger.

whitehall burger

lentils and veggies

delicious fried brussel sprouts

Mushy pea fritters

Aside from the delicious mushy pea fritters above, my favorite, as always, was dessert. Despite being stuffed to the brim we had no hesitation ordering three  - the honey crisp apple charlotte, the butterscotch pot de creme, and the chocolate fondant cake with earl grey ice cream. The salted caramel ice cream served with the crisp was insanely good, and the butterscotch pudding was warm, perfectly salty, and subtly sweet.

horrible lighting but yum

I can’t wait to go back to Whitehall – perfect for both a quick meet up and a long drawn out dinner, it has definitely been added to my list of “go-to’s” in the area.

Grade: A
Location: 19 Greenwich Ave @ 8th Street
Website: (a great one) www.whitehall-nyc.com

Barmarche, nolita

I get the most satisfaction discovering places that not only have awesome food and ambience, but are also fairly easy to book for last minute dinner plans. This is hard to come by in New York city. Barmarche arrived as a miracle for my friend Ashley’s birthday last weekend, and I’ve since been a huge advocate for this sleeper. Not only did they accommodate 12 of us at the height of Saturday night mealtime, they seated us at a well thought-out square table as opposed to a long, awkward rectangle so commonly found in restaurants trying to conserve space. Our group, which was a diverse mix of people, could therefore communicate easily with multiple sides of the table, and we were all set up to share delicious food.  The servers, though incredibly busy, were timely with our orders and constantly checking in to take drink requests.

Our party shared many tasty appetizers: popcorn shrimp, guacamole, bruschetta, and my favorite, almond stuffed dates with crispy bacon and blue cheese. The mix of sweet and salty and crispy and soft was so perfect that we had to request another two orders to sustain our unstoppable craving.

caramelized bacon wrapped dates

crispy popcorn shrimp

While we overloaded on appetizers, we still had room for the overwhelming main course options, all reasonably priced. Barmarche is known for its “taquitos”, which are essentially tacos on slightly smaller tortillas. The fried bass taquitos were a vibrant, fresh twist on heavy Mexican food, and the shrimp risotto was creamy, hot, and filling. My branzino was incredibly crispy, and the perfectly light, pre-night out meal to pair with my spicy margherita.

bass taquitos

perfectly cooked branzino

truffled shrimp risotto

Barmarche is the perfect prequel for a night on the town. Conveniently located in the center of Soho, the Lower East Side and Nolita, it is positioned closely to a wide array of bars, and with its wide range of international food and cocktails, it’s a fit for all sorts of crowds. I wouldn’t say the food is breath-taking, but it’s thorough, creative, and well-rounded. Highly recommended for group dinners (especially for a younger, yet sophisticated crowd) – in fact, I hope to have my birthday there in May!

Grade: A-

Location: 14 Spring Street @ Elizabeth

Website: www.barmarche.com

Today Sonia and I had an impromptu brunch at Cafe Orlin, a bustling, straight-forward, American/Middle-Eastern East Village restaurant that never fails to form a line of hungry patrons outside its door. Surprisingly, though, at around 12pm today we were seated after only five minutes of waiting outside, albeit at a tiny table sandwiched between others. The brunch menu covers all my must-haves: huevos rancheros, mediterranean breakfast, veggie burger, eggs florentine, and lots of omelettes. Once I saw a few plates go by, I settled on the Middle Eastern Eggs, which came with two eggs (I added mushrooms and tomatoes of course), israeli salad, and labneh cheese. Sonia ordered the Tunisian Eggs – two eggs over easy with spicy tomatos and peppers.

perfect breakfast

Sonia's eggs

fluffy pita

Despite the several rooms packed with diners, our meals were served promptly. Warm pita, perfectly cooked eggs, and hot tea – exactly my wish for a Sunday brunch. While it’s straight-forward and the ambience is nothing spectacular, I will definitely be back again if in the area for a solid, no-frills meal.

Then of course, after watching Unique Eats’ expose on the bakery at Peels, I of course stopped off on my way home to try their famous 3-in-1 pie, a cross between Boston & Banana & Coconut cream pie. And after literally eating every last bite of it, I think I can fairly say it’s one of the best pies I have ever had. The crust was perfectly crunchy and dense, the dark chocolate was rich and light, and the caramelized banana flavor was unreal. The combination was indescribable – 100% recommended for those, like me, who define themselves as sweet-obsessed.

Amazing.

Grade for Orlin AND Peels dessert: A

Location (Orlin): 41 St. Mark’s Place between 1st and 2nd Ave
Location (Peels): 325 Bowery, New York NY 10003

Website: www.cafeorlin.com

Scene aside, the night got progressively worse as the noise increased and our drinks took longer and longer to arrive. Big mistake to request to turn down the music to accommodate my partially deaf friend (thanks Sonia) – the volume only got louder after that. When we put our food order in, the dishes came out simultaneously, within seconds. Though I normally would have complained about this horrible timing, I didn’t mind so much because I couldn’t get out of the place sooner. We were anxious to get the meal over with.

In an effort to be thorough, however, I will touch on a few of the dishes that were at least edible. Soshito peppers – fine, they were good, nothing special.

kale caesar and peppers

The sushi was actually decent, but again, not worth going to this place to try. The chicken lollipops were tasty, but probably came out to $20 per bite of meat given the ratio of edible food to bone on the plate. The biggest joke was the $20 black cod butter lettuce wraps, which not only tasted odd, but had literally a tiny cube of fish on three measly pieces of lettuce. And, the steamed duck buns tasted like dog.

chicken lollipops

duck buns

Before I go deeper and deeper into my negativity, I’ll just close with some advice. Only go to this Stanton Social wannabe if you’re looking for a Meatpacking scene with overpriced, despicable food in the lower east side.

Grade: D

Location: Hotel Rivington: 107 Rivington Street

Website: www.co-oprestaurant.com

my excuse for eating across the street

I was ecstatic when I found out that a rustic restaurant called Bakehouse was opening literally steps from my apartment, which is at least a few blocks away from decent coffee and food (…well, maybe two full blocks). On a snowy day like today, I finally had my chance to justify eating so close to home and I met my aunt there for lunch. Bakehouse is just the type of place that I’d ask for to be easily accessible. It’s cozy, cavernous, and welcomes sit-down diners as well as those who want to enjoy coffee while reading the paper. At the restaurant’s entrance, you can line up to buy a selection of house baked bread ($7 for an olive loaf), pastries, or freshly baked cookies (I’ve had the chocolate chip before – delicious), which will be perfect for the days when my sudden carb cravings take over.

view from my booth seat

My aunt and I were seated right away at noon. There isn’t a bad seat in the house – all tables face what was the snowy westside highway, and little Christmas lights that frame each window make you feel that much more at home. I was instantly impressed when my tea arrived in a large white mug – I despise drinking out of 1 ounce teacups. The brunch menu has a simple list of well rounded selections, but the second I saw a white truffle oil, asiago, and mushroom omelette, my decision was made. My aunt ordered the salmon benedict. Our meal came with a selection of both freshly baked french bread and multigrain bread, and the omelette was incredible – the eggs were delicately layered with a generous amount of wild sauteed mushrooms and sharp asiago, and served with a side of simple roasted potatoes and mixed greens. My side order of sauteed spinach was a great addition as well – buttery, fresh, and hot.

perfectly cooked eggs

salmon benedict

The service was perfectly attentive, the food was homey and filling, and the warm ambience fit the occasion of catching up with my aunt just beautifully. I can’t wait to become a regular and have my first solo meal at the bar!

Grade: A+

Location: 113 Horatio Street between Washington and West

Website: www.bakehousebistro.com

Murray's Cheese

I love cheese – everyone should probably know that by now. But it’s the people who know me best who understand my true, sincere love for this dairy product and indulge me in it from time to time, whether it’s by sharing a massive cheese plate with me (Sarah, Sonia, Justyn), talking about cheese with me (Dad), or buying me cheese (Mom). This Christmas, I felt luckier than ever when my friend Carolyn surprised me with the most generous food-related gift I’ve ever received: Cheese of the Month from my favorite cheese shop, Murray’s Cheese. I thought I couldn’t be happier at that moment, but after receiving my first shipment last week, I realized that nothing could surpass the excitement of getting a package of unexpected, delicious cheese ALL FOR MYSELF.

There’s a theme to every month’s shipment, and this month, it was All American Winners in honor of football season (yay Niners). Despite loving the prospect of sitting down and eating this cheese on the couch with a fork and knife, I decided to share the wealth with my New York adopted parents (aka my sister Justyn and her fiance Eli). Mom and Dad number 2 are often the sharers of my foodie wealth, whether they have a say in it or not. With my ice pack of cheese, water crackers, and fig jam in hand, I crossed the street excited to embark on our cheese tasting.

impromptu cheese party!

After reading aloud each cheese description, we dove right in. The first of the bunch that I tasted was the Aggiano from Utah (far right), an American version of classic Italin Grana style cheeses, but a bit creamier. I loved this with the pear, but Murray’s recommended a chocolate-y stout as an accompaniment. The second cheese was a 6-month aged Vermont Pawlet (middle), which is apparently a show-stopper with ham and earthy wines. I loved this creamier, sharper version of what I thought tasted like cheddar. The best, however, came last when I tasted one of the smoothest, creamiest, butteriest cheeses I’ve had: the Cremont from Vermont. The rind slid right off of the edge, and the sweet fig jam made the cheese taste more like heaven than it already did. Similar to Kunik, which I discovered last year at Buvette, this cheese is definitely going to be added to my list of all-time favorites (in addition to St Andre, Port Salut, Affinois, cheddar…Humboldt Fog..list goes on).

lovely little cremont

Bottom line is – best gift idea EVER!

home away from home

Fortunately a few gentlemen in our group volunteered to scope out the scene and come back with a plan as the rest of us laid like dead fish on the beach, nursing our head aches and stomach pains resulting from the night prior. And as always, they didn’t come back empty handed. Instead, they returned in a bus after paying off a friendly public bus driver, Craig, to skip his Sunday shift and drive our rowdy bunch around for an adventure. While we initially expected to rely on Craig solely for transportation, he soon became our essential gateway into what little local Caribbean culture remains in the tourist city of Nassau. Not only did he take us to his favorite liquor store, drive us through neighborhoods that no tourists had ever gone before, and show us a variety of the city’s landmarks, but he also took us to a special place called Beverly’s Kitchen, a quintessential hole-in-the-wall Bahamian restaurant.

outside of Beverly's

We lined up outside and selected our main of choice, which ranged from fried fish to curried goat and jerk chicken, as well as our sides. Without question I went for the steamed snapper with jamaican beans and rice, macaroni, and steamed vegetables. And after waiting for 14 orders to be processed and cooked, I was getting seriously anxious to fill my empty, beer-laden stomach with some stick-to-your-bones local food.

steamed snapper

My fears of a bland, boring steam snapper totally disappeared when my styrofoam box unveiled a brightly colored, saucy filet of fish on top of a massive serving of rice, beans, and cheesey macaroni casserole. I took a seat on the steps of the bus entrance, and with the sun in my face, my feet touching the gravel, and a cold Kalik beer by my side, I dove right into an unexpectedly incredible Caribbean meal.

Carolyn's spicy jerk chicken

And just a few hours later, our group decided to follow Craig’s advice by paying a visit to the “Fish Fry,” a collection of small shacks by the beach specializing in affordable, fresh seafood. Though I claimed to be full, I couldn’t resist the conch fritters, which essentially tasted like fried calamari balls – just the perfect thing to accompany my warm rum and coke. Within minutes Craig was back from a break to join us for some fried food and drive us to our next destination – the shameful, yet traditional, Senor Frogs.

conch fritters

fish fry at dusk with Craig

All in all, the day was a success in terms of both cultural and gastronomic adventure. And because of our good friend Craig, we left the Bahamas with a totally different view of the place than when we had arrived. 

Victorious!

Wow it’s been a long time since I’ve written, mainly because I have been trying to eat a tad more simply after two weeks of gorging in San Francisco. This past weekend, however, I was challenged by my sister’s friend’s fiance in a cooking competition, so all bets for being food-conservative were off. The secret ingredient, revealed to us the night before, happened to be one of my favorite things on earth: Balsamic Vinegar. Vinegar is one of the most crucial ingredients to cooking. It brightens any dish, adds a tang that’s just close enough to being spicy without being distracting, and it can lighten up dishes so dense as meatloaf. These triggered thoughts of freshness inspired me to cook a Tuscan pasta with balsamic-marinated tomatoes, feta, basil, olives, capers, onions, garlic, and parmesan cheese served along side balsamic marinated grilled shrimp and garlic toast. But as delicious as that sounds, the main show stopper, which secured me the gold at the end of the night, was a perfect panna cotta.

I recalled Dave Lebovitz’s version because he focuses on few, simple ingredients, and uses fresh vanilla bean. Paired with Ina Garten’s balsamic berries, it created a masterpiece that truly wowed the Top Chef judges.

I had never made panna cotta because personally, I prefer desserts with chocolate. Panna cotta, flan, creme brulee, pudding – all of these “vanilla” sweets don’t do much for me. But with a secret ingredient of balsamic vinegar in mind, I knew I needed something to pair well with balsamic marinated fruit – the sound of balsamic chocolate makes my stomach turn. And it turns out – all panna cottas are easy! Unlike custard, there are no eggs required – just cream, sugar, and gelatin. Almost like a variation on ice cream, except instead of a crazy machine to churn the mixture, you only need a fridge. Simple.

cute jars drying

The key ingredients to this simple dessert, in this case, were the fresh vanilla bean and the delicious stewed berries. But what made it really special was the old school $1.50 jam jars that made the dish feel rustic and homey. This was not only beautiful, but saved the hassle of inverting the pudding from a ramekin.

Ready for fridge

Final product with berries

My competitor made an incredible dessert as well, with flavors far more complex than mine – ginger ice cream with a ginger-chocolate balsamic reduction and roasted pear, blueberries and pistachio. To be honest, the chocolate won me over, so I’m glad our votes didn’t count in the overall pool.

Opponent's dish

After a lot of dollars spent and sweat droplets lost, I think it will be a while before I participate in my next chef competition. But I have to say, it feels quite rewarding to be recognized for something that I sincerely love to do.

Videos of the competition can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/JustynBellsey/videos

Recipe for Panna Cotta

Ingredients adapted from Dave Lebovitz’s recipe

2 cups half and half
2 cups heavy cream
2 packets of gelatin (knox)
6 tbsp water
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean

Heat the half and half, cream and sugar in a saucepan or microwave. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm, 2-4 hours.

Balsamic Berries (adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe)

2 pints berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
2.5 tbsp balsamic
1 tbsp sugar
Fresh Black Pepper

Slice berries and toss with above ingredients about 30-60 minutes before serving on top of the chilled panna cotta. Sprinkle with lemon zest if desired.