Agenda: 11/26 to 12/2
Food Events in New York City
1. A special Korean buffet is being offered from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday, December 1, through Friday, December 5, and December 8 through 12, at the Delegates' Dining Room at the United Nations. $22.50 plus drinks, tax, tip (212.963.7625). [via New York Times print]
2. Beyond Temparanillo: Surprising Spanish Wines From Native Grapes, a tasting of Spanish wines hosted by the Taster's Guild New York, Tuesday, December 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Hotel Shelburne, Lexington Ave at 37th Street. $45 members/$55 non-members (212.799.6311).
3. SQC chef Scott Campbell will interview Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, on Tuesday, December 2, 4:00 p.m., at SQC, 270 Columbus Avenue (between 72nd & 73rd Streets), reservations recommended (212.579.0100). The free event is part of the ongoing "LIVE @ SQC Talk & Tasting Series," featuring interviews between Mr. Campbell and notable chefs and writers in a "TV Talk Show Format."
Ongoing: America's Cornucopia, an exhibition of rare books, prints, and ephemera documenting the history of American botany and horticulture, November 16, 2003, through February 16, 2004, at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road, Bronx (718.817.8700).
Chasin' the Bird: Wine with Turkey
The title of this post refers not to jazz great Charlie "Yardbird" Parker, but to the wines that pair well with turkey. What is the perfect accompaniment to "chase the bird" during the Thanksgiving meal?
A survey of online food and wine media reveals a myriad of answers ranging from whites to reds to sparkling wines and hard ciders. Below is a sampling of links offering recommendations on Thanksgiving wine pairings:
»Pairing Tips for Thanksgiving
»What Pairs Perfectly With This Menu? Not One Bottle But a Trio
»Scratch an American, Find an Immigrant
»The Essential Wine Guide: Holiday Wines
»In the Spirit of America
»A Revolutionary Thought
»Wine Finding Tool: Chicken and Turkey
»Thanksgiving Wine List
»Wine Dispensers: Thanksgiving
»Choosing the Tastiest Wines for This Year's Thanksgiving Feast
»Discovering a New World of Wines
»A Tangy Taste for the Holiday
On the Newsstand: Julie on Julia
What has Julie Powell of The Julie/Julia Project fame been up to since completing the mammoth enterprise of cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking? The uber-foodblogger has secured a book contract that she describes as "a really obscene book deal," looks to be leaving her job, and has published an article in the December 2003 issue of Bon Appetit (the article is not offered online). The piece, entitled "Julia Knows Best," recounts her year working through the 524 recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking and the lessons she learned, from "trying new things" (eggs) to "practice, practice, practice" (perfecting the quiche) and a commitment to "taste everything" (aspic).
Julie/Julia Project readers may be surprised to find prose by Ms. Powell with scarcely a single "fuck," but this is a more contemplative, less frenetic account of her chaotic cooking experience, written with a sense of reflection. The article is no less humorous, though, than her Web site, particularly in a passage where she recounts preparing lobster for one of Julia Child's recipes:
Julia instructed me to "split the lobsters in two lengthwise." Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Many people insist that plunging a knife through a lobster's head is absolutely the quickest and most humane way to kill it. I have to say, though, that the lobster I murdered in this way did not seem to think so. It did not think being sawed in half vertically was much fun, either. Even after I'd chopped the thing into six pieces, the claws managed to make a few final complaints about the discomforts of being sautéed in hot olive oil.
According to the article, Julie Powell's book will be published by Little, Brown in the spring of 2005.
Photo: Newsstand. Omaha, Nebraska (November 1938). By John Vachon, Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Agenda: 11/19 to 11/25
Food Events in New York City
1. Premiere of Brewery Ommegang's 2003 "Three Philosophers," served on draught with free tasting of Belgian cheeses and chocolate truffles, Wednesday, November 19, 6:00 p.m., at the Blind Tiger Ale House, 518 Hudson Street at West 10th Street (212.675.3848).
2. Beaujolais Nouveau Fetes 2003, a tasting of Beaujolais Nouveau, Thursday, November 20, 6:30 p.m., at the French Institute Alliance Francaise, 55 East 59th Street. $35/person (212.355.6160). [via New York Times print]
3. Lecture and book signing with Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible, Thursday, November 20, 7:00 p.m., at Barnes and Noble Lincoln Center (1972 Broadway).
4. Peconic Bay Winery's 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Barrel Tasting & Benefit, hosted by David Rosengarten and benefiting culinary scholarships, Sunday, November 23, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. $75/person in advance (631.734.7361). Related: Round-trip transportation package available, leaving New York City at 12:00 p.m. (212.289.3543).
Agenda: 11/12 to 11/18
Food Events in New York City
1. Sixth Annual Chocolate Show, Thursday, November 13, to Sunday, November 16, Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. $20/person (866.CHOCNYC).
2. Second Manhattan Real Beer Festival, Thursday, November 13, to Sunday, November 16, at David Copperfield's House of Beer, 1394 York Avenue, at 74th Street (212.734.6152). [via Daily News]
3. Second Brooklyn Cask-Head Festival, featuring cask-conditioned beer, Friday, November 14, through Sunday, November 16, at The Brazen Head, 228 Atlantic Ave., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718.488.0430). [via Daily News]
4. Canstruction, an exhibit of sculptures made entirely of canned food, at the New York Design Center, 3200 Lexington Ave., Thursday, November 13, to Wednesday, November 26.
5. "What Every Cook Should Know," a panel discussion with food writer Amanda Hesser and chef Andre Soltner, Monday, November 17, 8:15 p.m., at the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. $25/person (212.415.5500). [via Newsday]
Ongoing: Otto Vino Classes, a series of wine classes offered at Otto throughout November and December. $35-$60/person, reservations required. One Fifth Avenue, at 8th Street (212.995.9559).
Shopping List: The New York Restaurant Cookbook
The New York Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes from the Dining Capital of the World (Rizzoli, $29.95) includes recipes from over 100 New York restaurants (see below), from Daniel's "Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine" to Serendipity 3’s "Frrrozen Hot Chocolate."
The book, published by Rizzoli and NYC & Company, is authored by New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant and includes a foreword by Danny Meyer of Union Square Cafe.
Read More >
Mucho Mario?
Could Mario Batali's rumored Spanish restaurant be arriving soon? The (aptly named) "pretentious little one pager" hints at the prospect of not one, but two November openings ("Mario Revolutions") by a certain "mb": Casa Mono, at 52 Irving Place, and Bar Jamon, near Soho House.
Now, naming a restaurant Bar Jamon makes sense, referencing Jamon Serrano, Spain's famed cured ham, but Casa Mono is troubling. Lacking Spanish language skills, I consulted Babel Fish, which produced the translation "House Monkey." House Monkey?
Can anyone shed some light on this speculation?
