wurstle's Profile
Hudson River Wedding 2009
I know it's not on the Hudson, but I recently attended a wedding with about 60 people at Stone Barns Blue Hill and the food was wonderful - possibly the best wedding food we've ever had. The restaurant itself is quite beautiful - set on the Rockefeller estate not far from the Hudson. But it didnt' have a big dance floor and it wasn't entirely closed off from the rest of the wedding, so the wedding is more about the food & socializing socializing and less about a big raucous affair.
Trader Joe's Brooklyn
So it's finally true - there was a press conference today to announce Trader Joe's is coming to Brooklyn - at Court St & Atlantic Ave. (between Bklyn Heights, Downtown Bklyn, Boerum Hill & Cobble Hill and across the street from Sahadi's).
It's expected to open in 2008 according to the Brooklyn Eagle's online report - http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=14029
With Fairway over in Red Hook, Whole Foods on the way at 3rd Ave, and CSAs popping up all over, Brooklyn is changing - I leave it to you to decide if it's for the better or worse - but certainly there are more options than ever.
lunch breaks in Dumbo?
Ferrignos Butcher shop has sandwiches on Jay St., Foragers on Front St. has a salad bar and some premade sandwiches, and you can get deliveries from Brooklyn Heights - Montys - for a salad, Frascatis Pizza and Iron Chef. I also recommend Pedros - mentioned by others, you can eat at Superfine - they have a decent chicken sandwich, and I assume you know about Grimaldi's pizza. when the weather's nice, if you have a little extra time (or even a bike) - walk or bike across the Manhattan Bridge (it's about a mile) and you're right in Chinatown. you can pick up some food to go at least and then come back over the bridge.
French Onion Soup.....
Cook's Illustrated's best recipe - for French Onion Soup is pretty good, but I've only made it when I made the beef stock from scratch using their recipe.
popcorn balls recipe wanted
Hi, I had a recipe about 4 years ago for popcorn balls that were chewy and had nuts & coconut in them, but I can't find it and I can't remember what magazine it was from (but I seem to remember it being from a magazine). They were messy but quite tasty and I wanted to bring them to a kids party this weekend. Anyone have any recipes they'd recommend for something similar?
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hah! isn't that always the way. just when I gave up and turned to you, I did another check through my e-mails (where I store recipes from the internet & newspapers, etc.) and found the recipe was in the NY Times from 2002.
so figured I share it in case anyone else wanted it (plus now it'll be there for me if I lose it again in a few years on Chowhound)
paraphrased below for those interested
ALL-AMERICAN POPCORN BALLS
Time: 20 minutes
1 cup large-flake sweetened coconut
1 cup pecan halves
Vegetable spray
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3-ounce bag plain microwave popcorn or 1/3 cup regular popcorn kernels (enough to yield 11 1/2 cups popped corn)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup mini marshmallows.
1. preheat oven to 300 degrees. toast coconut spread evenly over baking sheet and on lowest oven rack until deep golden brown (about 15 to 20 minutes). stir occasionally. in the meantime, halve pecans lengthwise and put them on a separate baking sheet and toast on upper rack of oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool coconut & pecans, combine and set aside.
2. Spray with vegetable spray a large mixing bowl or deep stock pot. In a separate small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/3 cup water, salt and butter and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. stir frequently. When simmering and butter is melted, stop stirring. cook until a candy thermometer in the syrup registers 230 degrees and then begin popping the popcorn - separately.
4. continue cooking syrup until temperature is just under 245 degrees. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in vanilla. Turn warm popcorn into bowl or pot with the vegetable spray on it and drizzle half the sugar syrup over the mixture. Stir vigorously with a rubber spatula to coat kernels evenly. Add rest of the syrup along with coconut, pecans and Rice Krispies. stir to combine. Add the marshmallows and continue stirring from bottom of pot until dry ingredients are evenly coated and no syrup remains on bottom.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Wash your hands with cold water and while the mixture is still hot, form popcorn balls by hand about 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter. place finished balls on a sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Use a light touch and a little pressure to help balls become round and compact. Popcorn balls are best eaten within 8 hours but they will keep for 3 days in covered containers.
Yield: About 14 popcorn balls.
best baguette - Ny magazine - Almondine
Ny Magazine this week interviews Steven L. Kaplan, whom they call the world's preeminent French-bread scholar, and asks him to rate 13 baguettes in NYC.
http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/22781/
His top 6 in order of preference:
1.Almondine
85 Water St., nr. Dock St., Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-797-5026
SCORE: 14.65
2.Pain d'Avignon
Available at Corrado Bread & Pastry at Grand Central Market; 212-599-4321
SCORE: 12.80
3.Amy's Bread
672 Ninth Ave., nr. 47th St.; 212-977-2670; and other Manhattan locations
SCORE: 11.15
4.Balthazar Bakery
80 Spring St., at Crosby St.; 212-965-1785
SCORE: 10.95
5.Le Pain Quotidien
Locations citywide
SCORE: 8.80
6.Sullivan St. Bakery
533 W. 47th St., nr. Tenth Ave;. 212-265-5580
SCORE: 8.60
thoughts?
French Macaroons...
I want to 3rd the recommendation for Bouchon's. they are fantastic. the ones at Almondine in Dumbo are pretty good too.
Kid-Friendly Restaurant or Take-out near Marriott Brooklyn Bridge
Grimaldis pizza is kid friendly and if it's really crowded, you can get a pie to go and sit in the park or on the pier and watch the boats. after you can get an ice cream at Brooklyn Ice Cream factory.
Five Front (a couple of doors away from Grimaldis) is good for an early dinner with a 3 year old. I've taken my 9 mo old and seen other kids there and the food is decent.
ISO: Hardy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for Ice Cream Sandwiches!
here's a paraphrase:
Cook's Illustrated oversized Thick & Chewy choc. chip cookies
about 18 large cookies
2 cups + 2tbl all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbl (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter - melt & cool it until warm
1 cup packed lt or dk brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 lg eff + 1 egg yolk
2 tsps vanilla extract
1-1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
. heat oven to 325 degrees and have racks on upper & lower middle positions. put parchment paper on 2 oversized cookie sheets (or do it in batches with smaller cookie sheets)
. whisk together flour, salt & baking soda in medium size bowl. set aside
. mix butter & sugars until thoroughly blended by hand or with electric mixer. beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
.add flour, salt & baking soda mixture to butter, sugar, egg & vanilla mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. stir in chips to taste.
.roll scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. if you want an uneven surface on cookies, hold dough ball with fingers of 2 hands & pull into 2 equal halves. rotate halves 90 degrees and join 2 smooth sides together forming a ball with jagged edges. put ball on cookie sheet leaving 2.5 inches between each ball.
.bake about 15 - 18 minutes, switching sheets halfway through reversing sheets front to back and top to bottom. cookies should be light golden brown and outer edges should start to harden, but centers are soft & puffy. cool cookies on cookie sheets. when cool, peel from parchment.
you can add nuts and/or coconut as variations along with chips.
cooks illustrated says it's the melted butter & extra yolk that make them soft.
ISO: Hardy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for Ice Cream Sandwiches!
I actually made ice cream sandwiches a couple of weeks ago. I used the chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe from Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe cookbook. Worked out great. In fact, I made them a little smaller than the recipe called for so that people could have more than one and not feel too guilty. Freeze the cookies after you make them, and then put slightly softened ice cream or gelato inside and refreeze the sandwiches until you're ready.
Cannelle/Canelle/Cannele
I had one as a parting gift at 11 Madison that was delicious. You can try to call them to see if they'll sell one to you.
Nightlife restaurant in the Night hotel near Times Sq
saw a review in today's NY Sun - http://www.nysun.com/article/38037 - of Nightlife a restaurant near Times Sq. did a search on this board for it and didn't see anything. Since I could always use another place to go pre-theater, I was wondering if any of you have been and what you thought (since I trust you more than the Sun)?
anyone dined there?
3rd Annual Brooklyn Pie Social 9/23 -- Application online now
unfortunately Sat. Sept. 23rd is Rosh Hashanah which will make it difficult for some people. I contacted Bubby's and let them know. They are going to look into it and may consider moving the date - they're not sure if it's possible - so check back in with them in a week or so to be sure of the date.
Gonzo, Gusto, Cacio e Pepe, or A Voce??
in case you didn't know, Eater at http://eater.curbed.com/ is reporting that Jody Williams, the chef at Gusto, left Gusto last week. Amanda Freitag (from Sette & 'Cesca) will be taking over in mid-Sept. So you may want to skip Gusto for a couple of weeks.
reports on dragon boat or burmese food fests?
I agree. There was very little food at the Dragon Boat Festival and what was there wasn't worth a trek - we had some mediocre grilled corn and a chicken kabob and an ok pork bun.
Special occasion help - The Modern, 11 Madison, Danube??
my vote is also for 11 Madison. I ate there a few weeks ago with some friends and we all loved it. The space is nice while not being stuffy or over the top, the service was friendly without being intrusive and the food was delicious. One of the better special occasion meals we've eaten in the past few months.
Ice Cream at Jacques Torres & DUMBO as an ice cream destination
ice cream sandwiches are $5. The NY Times says chocolate-dipped cones are $4 and triple-scoop sundaes in bowls of dark chocolate $6 with a choice of sauces. I didn't happen to check on the cones or sundaes when I was in the store.
Ice Cream at Jacques Torres & DUMBO as an ice cream destination
so in the interest of research, I'm currently eating a Jacques Torres ice cream sandwich. I'm having the chocolate one sandwiched by 2 chocolate chip cookies. The cookies are very good - they're the ones they sell from time to time - with big chunks of Jacques Torres chocolate -not tiny chips. according to the store, the ice cream is made in house by Jacques Torres and it's not connected at all with the gelato sold by Almondine even though Jacques is a partner in Almondine. The chocolate ice cream tastes like their hot chocolate - it's light texture-wise - more icy than heavy cream. they also sell a wicked version which i didn't try. all in all it's miles above a chipwich. quite good on a VERY hot day.
and I'm still throwing down the gauntlet as to where in NYC is there a better 5 block radius for ice cream lovers than Dumbo?
singapore chili crab festival
Dumbo - on Water Street between Main St. and Dock St. 66 Water Street is the bar hosting it.
Gourment/Specialty Jam?
if you go to Union Square Greenmarket - check out Berkshire Berries too - I LOVE their ginger jelly and their red raspberry is good too.
Whole Foods update
despite the Curbed rumor, Two Trees has told me that Whole Foods has not contacted Two Trees about opening in the former ABC Carpet space in DUMBO. Someone on Curbed is also now saying that Whole Foods is not considering DUMBO.
Two Trees has also said that Whole Foods has not contacted them about Courthouse at Court & Atlantic.
Ice Cream at Jacques Torres & DUMBO as an ice cream destination
Florence Fabricant is reporting that Jacques Torres now has ice cream and ice cream sandwiches. anyone had any yet? is it the same as Almondine's gelato or something completely different?
And the question that begs to be asked: is DUMBO becoming an ice cream destination?
With Brooklyn Ice Cream, gelato at Almondine, ice cream at Jacques Torres, gelato at Rice (Ciao Bella), pints of Ben & Jerry's, Haagen Daz, etc. at Peas & Pickles AND pints of La Cremellaire, Ronnybrook, Wine Sorbet and other interesting brands at Foragers, (plus Blue Pig for those that like it is only a couple of blocks away in Bklyn Heights), is there a better 5 block area in NYC for ice cream right now?
Blue Crab Night Mondays at The Hideaway
Saw this in NY Magazine this week:
The Hideaway
185 Duane St., nr. Greenwich St.; 212-334-5775
Summer Mondays are Blue Crab Night at this Tribeca newcomer, where post-weekend malaise is ameliorated with Maryland crabs, peel-and-eat shrimp, and corn on the cob.
Anyone been to this restaurant? Did a search and couldn't find anything. If so, have you been to Blue Crab Night and is it any good?
OMG we're having a baby!
LOVE the idea of a frozen-dinner shower. We had a baby 7 and 1/2 mos ago and that first month or so we were too tired and obsessed with parenting to do much of anything cooking-wise (and we like to cook and now make our own baby food). we were extremely grateful to our friends and family who brought food over to us - esp. if they brought enough for leftovers. If you have the energy when you're in your last trimester to cook and freeze some things, that's not a bad idea either - but not every pregnant woman wants to be on her feet in that last mo. or so cooking.
Anyone been to five front recently?
it depends on what you're looking for - if you want a nice neighborhood spot with reasonable prices and decent food - it's perfect. if you want transcendant food that everyone will rave over and be thankful they schlepped 20 minutes or longer to get to, this is not it.
Bouchon Bakery
stopped by on the 4th of July - liked the TKO - good not too sweet chocolate - and also enjoyed the almond chocolate croissant, but the Religieuse was extraordinary.
other uses for preserved lemons?
stupid question about preserved lemons. we bought some pre-made in a jar at Fairway recently. are you supposed to wash off the brine or eat them right out of the jar? they were VERY salty, so I'm guessing you wash them off but want to be sure.
Ping's or New Green Bo Sunday?
I agree with the above - Ping's is a fancier restaurant with tablecloths and it can accommodate a lot more people in a group than New Green Bo which is small and cramped and you'll probably have to wait with a group of more than 4. You can also linger and talk at Ping's and New Green Bo is more of an eat and get out place.
I also agree that Ping's is great for live seafood and not as good for the dim sum or some of the other meat dishes. New Green Bo does have great dumplings. If you're just 2 of you or in the mood for an adventure - go for some dumplings and apps. at New Green Bo and then walk a couple of blocks and have some seafood entrees at Ping's.
Blue Pig - Brooklyn Heights
just noticed a new ice cream take out shop on Henry Street near Cranberry St. named Blue Pig, but didn't have a chance to try any - couldn't wait for the line. Anyone try it yet?
Reminded me a bit of a Baskin Robbins - they had blue ice cream with m&m's that they described as vanilla ice cream with m&ms and blue food dye and a few chocolate flavors - some with m&ms - as well as the obligatory mint chocolate chip. The sign says homemade ice cream. I heard it may be related to the Blue Pig ice cream parlor in Westchester County.
