I'm Eating That

I picked up some groceries after getting back home after the holidays. I remembered that I had half a 5 lb bag of potatoes that were starting to get a little sprouty so potato salad seemed like a good idea. I grabbed some dill, eggs, lemon and some other things.

No exact measurements here. Just eye everything and adjust to your liking.

The salad bit.

Ingredients:

~ 2 lb of russet potatoes (cubed)

~1/2 cup dill (chopped)

2 hard boiled eggs (chopped)

2 shallots (minced)

1/2 lemon (juice and zest)

~ 2 tsp capers

salt and pepper (I'm using Hawaiian Black Sea Salt!)

Get the potatoes going in some salty water on the stove and the eggs in a separate pot. Start prepping everything else (salad bit and mayo bit) while that boils. Turn both down to medium to medium-high once boiling. Turn off the heat after 7 minutes of boiling. Leave it covered on the burner for another 7 minutes. Then shock the eggs in cold water, peel and chop. Add it with the other ingredients. Potatoes should be done in 20-30 minutes. Check with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool a little. This is best made when the potatoes are still hot. Flavorless potato salads are made with cold potatoes and over compensated with a lot of store bought mayo!

The mayo bit.

Breakup the egg yolk and the anchovy in the bottom of a large bowl that's big enough to hold everything. Stabilize your bowl with a kitchen towel. Add your oil in a steady stream while whisking with one hand. Go slow if you're worried about breaking the emulsion. It should thicken in volume and look like a thick custard. Add your zest first then juice the lemon, add salt and pepper. The emulsion should be smooth and loose now. Add the other ingredients, potatoes, adjust to taste, eat right away warm and/or chill. I'll finish this soon since it's all fresh.

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk

1 anchovy

~ 1/2 - 3/4 cup oil (right now I have canola)

salt and pepper

I was planning on making something with chicken for dinner after stopping by Warby Parker at there shop on 82nd and Lex.

Before getting there, I stumbled upon a Jewish deli called the Pastrami Queen located on 78th and Lex. The name (much funnier if it was in Chelsea) and a big sign labelled "#1 Zagat Rated" caught my eye. Too lazy to read through the entire menu I simply asked for their classic pastrami sandwich and handed over my piece of plastic to a very displeased looking Jewish gentlemen in his mid-thirties. I wasn't paying attention so he charged me $17.96 for one fucking sandwich! WTF, what did I just do? I occasionally let this kind of stuff slide because why not! All I'm thinking is, "This better be good!".

I get to Warby Parker for their Wheel of Good Omens. I spin, land on 'Happiness' and get some free stuff that would make a 90s 2nd grader super happy. Don't get to bummed out. I wasn't expecting much. Check it out if you're looking for something stupid to do. I did't need a new pair of sunglasses so I left.

Here's that pastrami. Came with spicy mustard, fresh thousand island dressing, one sour, and one kosher dill pickle.

I've barely touched my holiday issue that came in the mail last month. I should hunker down soon to see what's inside.

This is kind of odd. Send a Lucky Peach holiday subscription to your loved one and include a holiday greeting call from David Chang. He's a cool Chef but this sounds kind of awkward. Oh, hello Chef! Thanks for the subscription and holiday greeting!? 

No waffles allowed! These savory breakfast will keep you satisfied 'till lunchtime.

Tonight I entered the wonderful world of bread making. I left filled with bread, wine, cheese and knowledge. I signed up for Amy's Bread Sourdough Class at Chelsea Market. It's a 2.5hr class taught by one of many bakers onsite. I was lucky to have Amy Scherber, the founder and owner of Amy's Bread teach the class with the help of one of her bakers(her name escapes me). You learned how to make a starter, proof the dough, shape the dough and finally scoring and prepping it for the oven. Overall I was very pleased with the class. It was casual and fun. Everyone in the class (8 people) got to take home what they made and as much extra bread as they wanted from the display after the store closed. Both teachers were friendly and didn't hesitate to answer any of our questions. I highly recommend taking one of Amy's classes if you ever get the chance. Bread is so good! There's no reason not to. If bread wasn't enough, there was a wine and cheese intermission! 

Here's what I brought back from the class. I'm freezing most of it since it would be absolutely gluttonous of me to even attempt to consume three loaves before they go completely stale. I learned that my knack for cooking applied to a few things during the lessons. Although I've always had difficulty with doughs since my hands are pretty warm. Pie crusts and I have a love/hate relationship.

(image credit @amysbread)

It was funny to have passersby ogle us as we sampled bread and kneaded a very aromatic dough. Surprise, Hilary Swank was one of them!

teacher's assistant checking boules (sorry, i forgot her name)

freshly baked boules and epis (I didn't get a picture. one of my favorites.)

clockwise: pumpernickel, currants, raisins and sunflower loaf, fresh sourdough starter in a cup, fresh sourdough dough, hashtag boule, and a semolina, golden raisins and fennel loaf.

I will do my best to keep this starter alive for future use.

While out shopping for a nice cheddar cheese a few days ago I stumbled upon the Food Talks with Kitchen Arts and Letters series hosted at the 92nd Street Y right around the corner from me.

Tonight Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times emceed the discussion about Cooking Fast and Slow with ginger haired, orange croc (this man really loves his crocs) clad Mario Batali and NYTimes food columnist Mark Bittman. There was a big emphasis on home cooking and all the reasons why people in general don't cook as often. Both their new books entitled America - Farm to Table: Simple, Delicious Recipes Celebrating Local Farmers by Mario Batali and How to Cook Everything Fast: A Better Way to Cook Great Food by Mark Bittman are primarily focused on opening home cooks' minds to making easy, delicious food whenever you're at home in your kitchen. Everything they talked about makes sense from the point of view of the consumer. We have the power to make our own food choices. Buy more from farmer's markets and support smaller farms. With enough support their is a chance for us to change how industrial farming operates. We are all consumers no matter what level we are at in the food production chain. Here are some quotes and comments that I saved from the talk.

Mark: "Real ingredients have no ingredients. Real ingredients are in its own package and it is its own ingredient."

What's the single impediment for people cooking at home?

Mario: "Picking a recipe and going shopping for those ingredients instead of shopping for ingredients to make something."

Mark: "Fear and ignorance."

What is a recipe to you?

Mario: "An itinerary or roadmap." Makes sense. If you're comfortable and confident in the kitchen then all you need is a point of reference. Everything else should come naturally.

Mark: "A choreography." He talked about real home cooking as being a dance between prepping food on the cutting board, then cooking prepped food on the stove, waiting for the stove to actually cook the food then repeat until you have a finished meal. 

Both Mario and Mark really emphasized the beauty and enjoyment they get from throwing together meals for their families as well as for themselves. We should do the same. There's absolutely no excuse for people not to cook at home. Educate yourself on what you're buying and eating. There's so much to try and explore. Most of all enjoy the process because you can always try again if you mess up.

I got a signed book from Mario and a book and kitchen towel from Mark(rather tasteless but it's free).

Bam! Cook Everything Fast! Whoa, relax you don't have to get all up in my face about it.

Cineastas spent some time with Mike Whitehead and Finex Cast Iron Cookware Co. to give a glimpse of how Finex is trying to reinvent something that has existed for thousands of years: cast iron. I love the slow and considered process—and I love to imagine the delicious food that will be inside them.

I am a big fan of Louie. Louis C.K. is probably my favorite comedian in recent years. He has an amazing ability to point out the not so obvious details of everyday situations with an authentic delivery that makes it so much funnier. I seem to connect with this type of observational comedy. I've been known to make some off comments with good and bad reactions.

Last night, he won another Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Louie E04E3 "So Did the Fat Lady"! In the beginning of the episode he meets up with his brother. They decide together that it's time to lose weight after a celebratory 'Bang Bang' which consists of two full meals in a row.

It is a gluttonous affair that sounds doable depending on which two cuisines are chosen. It got me thinking and I might want to try Bang Bang some day. I mean, what's the worse than could happen!

Here are my thoughts about combos:

Szechuan & Indian

American Italian & Chinese Takeout

Korean BBQ & Brazilian BBQ

Thai & French

a mix in the supply chain?

a mix at the factory?

wandering mind and tastebuds?

vending machine oreos taste different!

vending machine oreos taste like keebler cookies.

18th century punch recipe after dinner for wealthy aristocratic French gourmands. That's one gigantic punch bowl.

I'm picturing pasty faced lords, counts, ladies and whatever getting wasted. When they decide to retire for the evening, servants are forced to undress them while slumped over their bed posts, bobbling their heads and singing. Crazy rich dead people!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uAFrhW3ZyzI/UuaNY5NSDcI/AAAAAAAASkU/3OCmu7aH9kQ/s1600/french+aristocracy.jpg

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