Today's New York Times' Dining Section... I thought blah, what did you think?
One Dessert, Many Flavors, Even Sweet: Melissa Clark takes the reigns of the weekly "The Chef" column, spending time with Iacopo Falai, of Falai on Clinton Street. With a recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Cakes with Fennel Confit.
For Food Loves, a Renaissance: The annual James Beard Foundation gala is coming up - call it Davos for foodies.
Organizing for an Indelicate Fight: Marian Burros reports on the next stop of the anti-fois-gras movement; Whole Food is now officially roped in.
PLUS...
Cambodian Ginger Fry: The Minimalist shares a simple recipe for Fried Fish with Fried Ginger
Blah, I agree. I snoozed right through it.
The story on old-style Italian was fun -- how about a field trip to Astoria for Piccola Venezia?
I thought there was an Italian restaurant article too..? I rarely ever buy the hard copy any more, and only had a chance to browse the online section (the arrival of which allows me to find my center and feel grounded and secure during the week... Dining In Dining Out gives me a brief, exciting moment to sit back and feel the Wednesday, put off the week's burdens, and to begin thinking of where and how to eat or cook in the coming days).
Anyway, the Italian article looked... I dunno, possibly a little sad... Sounded like it was all about Italo-American staples served in old-time Italian restaurants... dishes which can be revelations if done right... But rarely are. In any case, these "staples" generally have no relation to what the real flavors of Italy are like... Combinations of vegetables in your pasta or on your pizza that would suprise... no red sauce in sight... like pasta with peas... Good lord that's good stuff... or pickled eggplant on a piece of crusty bread... or pecorino sardo sardo served with a bit of honey. A nice pizza with nothing but olive oil, salt, shredded potatoes and rosemary??? Holy Mother of God.
These are great dishes you might have together with friends in someone's kitchen (okay the pizza would be street food)... Simple things that cost crazy cash in a trendy NYC Italian place. Or much less if you stay at home and cook.
I should take a closer look at the article before I post this, to be sure I was right about it's content...
Yeah... I dunno... Methinks Mr. Bruni is a little off with this article.
Thanks for the breakdown on the rest of the section... it does sound a little drab this week. I'll save a buck.
Paul,
Indeed, there was an article about Italian restaurants, but as a general rule, we don't post about eating out - we're an eating in operation!
The Kitchen referenced all the Momofuku articles of last month...
I guess the Momofuku articles came with recipes also... so that warranted a posting here...
I dunno... It seems like eating in and out are part of NY life... and the article got top billing this week...
All true, Paul. We highlight the column called "The Chef", to which you're referring. Eating out is definitely part of NY City life, but we are not a restaurant blog, we're a cooking blog (check out our tagline below the search box). There are some great restaurant blogs already, including Frank Bruni's, and our goal is to promote the practice of cooking at home. I'm glad you're still here, though!
Will happily follow your blogging adventures every day. Maybe one day I'll even start cooking again. I did make pumpkin-spiced Irish oatmeal with toasted pecans this morning for me and my muffin, but I dunno if turning on the stove while half awake counts as cooking.
Seriously... pardon any aggressiveness... it's the office channeling through the keyboard.
Paul,
I read most of the Italian article. You're right, it was oddly depressing, that's why I stopped reading it. But, on a cooking-related note, it also made me want to learn how to make more of these classic italian dishes. I've been looking for an excuse to try some Marcella Hazan recipes.
Paul!
No worries - we're happy to have you here, even if you are half-awake over your stove - I'm sure you're not alone!
Cheers!