Cooking Posts - 2016

Another batch of cooking photos (and a few misc. dining out adventures), this time from 2016:

Homemade Pizza

Left: Grandma-Style - Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Fresh Basil

Right: White Sauce, Provolone, Sausage, Roasted Fennel, Olives, Chili Oil, Fennel Fronds

B52's

Fondue

Yellow Snapper

Pepper Salsa, Rice, Snow Peas

Shrimp & Grits

This was the first time I ever made this classic dish and let's say the results were...odd. I followed a recipe that clearly had a hilariously overblown amount of butter in it. Yes all that liquid is basically just melted butter. One bite tasted pretty good. Two bites was overkill. Three was virtually inedible. 

Part of a Valentine's dinner from my dear wife!

Homemade Gnocchi

Sazerac

Rye Whisky, Absinthe, Muddled Sugar Cube, Peychaud's Bitters, Lemon Peel

One of the oldest cocktails, and also one of my all-time favorites. Not for everybody, particularly my wife Leah who insists it tastes like band-aids. 

  

Dinner at Al's

Naked Cowboy Oysters

Caesar Salad

Shell Steak

Cheese

Don't think this was for a special occasion, just a fun night of cooking at Al's. 

Cauliflower Soup

Tequila Highballs

Poached Eggs

Spiced Red Lentils, Pickled Onions

Whisky Sour

Eleven Madison Park Bar

Foie Gras

Onion Roll

Greensboro Grog

Leah and I have visited EMP on a few occasions for their incredible (and incredibly expensive) dinner, however we also occasionally go for drinks in their wonderful bar. We load up on fancy cocktails and then walk across the street to Madison Square Park for Shake Shack. On this night, I did decide to splurge and order their amazing foie gras as a snack. 

Empellón Al Pastor

This is truly one of my favorite places in the city to hang out on a lazy Sunday eating amazing tacos and drinking micheladas. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Braised Pork Shoulder

Pork Lettuce Wraps

Pulled Pork Sliders

Pulled Pork Tacos

Thanks to fellow Marvelite Matt Barchetto for the braising recipe, which included Mexican Coke. The shoulder served us through multiple delicious meals. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Jalapeño Corn Bread

Mojitos

Cornbread Bowls

Softshell Crab Po' Boys

Singapore Sling

Gin, Cherry Heering, Triple Sec, Benedictine, Grenadine, Angostura Bitters, Pineapple Juice, Lime, Seltzer, Maraschino Cherries

Shrimp Salad

Makeshift Strawberry Shortcake

Spinach Pies

(More) Mexican Hot Chocolate

Dinner Party at Al & Megan's

Al's wife Megan is an unbelievable hostess - this massive spread represents just one of her famed gatherings. She's now mostly retired from doing dessert-work (due to the creation of children), but fingers crossed she will someday reopen Dupont Confections!

Orecchiette

Deviled Eggs

Whole Pan-Roasted Branzino

Hasselback Potatoes, Bok Choy, Quick "Kimchee", Parsley-Caper Sauce

Shrimp & Grits

I figured out the dish by this point - waaaaaay better than the first attempt! 

Homemade Pumpkin Tortelloni

Roast Chicken

Hen o' the Woods Mushroom

Every year a big hen o' the woods grows at the base of my parents' tree in their front yard, and every year some jerk comes and steals it. Seriously. Finally this year they managed to get it off the tree before the thief showed up, and we all split it up. We ate ours sauteéd in butter tossed with pasta. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Fried Brussels Sprouts

Humm Dog

Bacon-Wrapped, Gruyère, Truffle Mayo, Celery Relish

This decadent hot dog was the creation of Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park fame. It took some time, but we managed to make them at home and they came out wonderfully. 

Always Betz On Black

Bowmore 12-Year, Jameson Black Barrel, Mount Gay Black Barrel, Lustau Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Pernod, Angostura Bitters, Cold Brew Coffee, Orange Peel

This complex cocktail is one of my favorites ever from the NoMad Bar. The incomparable Leo Robitschek, bar director for the Make It Nice group (Eleven Madison Park, NoMad Bar, etc.), was nice enough to give me the recipe when I emailed. 

Mushroom Risotto

New Year's Eve 2016

Leah and I stayed in for New Year's Eve this year. We wanted to take it easy so instead of going out to a party or restaurant, we opted to prepared some fancy NYE food for ourselves, which we enjoyed while watching the live Phish stream from Madison Square Garden (a hallowed New Year's tradition). 

Harvest Moon Rippleton Original

As we don't actually drink much champagne, we instead opened a bottle of dry cider from Critz Farm in central NY. 

Caviar

Sterling White American Sturgeon, Blinis, Crème Fraîche

This is my favorite American sturgeon, and always a treat to enjoy with the traditional accompaniments. 

Raw Bar Platter

Whole Chilled Lobster, King Crab Leg, Warm Lemon Butter, Lemon Mayo

You can get whole frozen king crab legs at Fairway or Citarella. They're actually really good. 

Sea Urchin

This Citarella sea urchin is actually not the best. It's dirt-cheap, but it's not remotely comparable to the plump, sweet varieties from Japan or Santa Barbara. 

Caesar Salad

Homemade Dressing, Croutons

Beef Wellington

Puff Pastry, Prosciutto, Mushroom Duxelles, Dijon Mustard, Sea Salt, Red Wine Sauce

The main event and a real labor of love. I followed Gordon Ramsay's recipe, which came out excellently. 

Spiced Pot de Crème

Walnuts, Maple Cream

Leah's wonderful dessert. I love a good pot de crème, and she did a great version here using cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Betony w/ Al

I had taken Leah to Betony for her birthday dinner earlier in the year. We had a wonderful evening and thought we had found a new fine dining gem (especially their incredible cocktail program), but learned shortly after that they would be closing their doors.

I did manage to make it once more for dinner with Al for our annual dining excursion. It wasn't quite the lavish experience full of complimentary courses that Leah and I experienced, but still a fantastic night out, especially considering it was Betony's second-to-last service before shutting down for good. 

Final view of the spectacular ceiling and bar area. 

We started with drinks from their aforementioned incredible cocktail program. Unfortunately I can't say what exactly some of them were on this evening, as they de-listed the website shortly after our visit and I wasn't able to make notes for my records. I do know that the bottom drink was their stellar milk punch, one of my favorite cocktails ever consumed. 

Once again I have to apologize for my phone, which kept processing images in this restaurant with these bands. Strange, as it only ever happened at Betony. 

Truffle Broth

Butter, Thyme

The aroma from this fragrant amuse-bouche was already in the air when we sat, and we continued to notice it throughout the evening as other guests who sat later received theirs. 

Bread Service

Dill Rolls, Whipped Yogurt

Scallop (Al First Course)

Cured, w/ Horseradish

Extremely light, clean, and refreshing. 

Toasted Grain Salad

Sprouts, Lebne

I would never order something like this, usually opting for richer and less, well, "vegetarian-y" cuisine. However, I recalled Mike Colameco raving about this when he visited Betony on an episode of Real Food, so I was very interested. It turned out to be a great, hearty dish with many contrasting textures. 

"Stone Soup"

Wish I could remember what was in this "premium" cocktail, as it cost $25. It was delicious though!

Squid "Noodles" (Al Second Course)

Squid and fluke sliced to resemble noodles. There was a light but buttery broth in the bowl, along with a few pieces of what Al guessed to be crispy fried fish skin. 

Foie Gras (Darren Second Course)

Seared w/ Wood Ear Mushrooms, Duck Broth

The mushrooms provided a pleasing textural contrast, and the rich broth gave the whole dish a wonderfully comforting flavor. 

My third cocktail (Al switched to a glass of white wine at this point). The ingredients listed were simply, "Scotch, Acorn, Parsnip". The parsnip foam was added table-side from an air canister. It was very fun and interesting tasting, and paired perfectly with my woods-y foie gras. 

Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo 2008

Their wine guy was pushing some of the more expensive bottles pretty hard (I'm sure they had inventory to move on their last week of service), but this turned out to be quite worth it. A wonderful near-raisin-y flavor, but without being too rich. 

Whole Wild Scottish Pheasant for Two w/ Sides

Breast Meat w/ Jus, Roasted Shallot and Apple, Fried Sage, Potato Purée

Warm Potato Rolls w/ Butter

Foie Gras Parfait w/ Thyme Aspic and Savory Stuffed Rolls

Leg Meat w/ Cabbage and Herbs

Red Cabbage Gratin

Needless to say, this mesmerizing spread was a joy to behold and to eat, similar to the pig's head course Leah and I enjoyed previously. 

Al pulled a little hard bit out of his mouth thinking maybe he got a piece of bone. Upon closer inspection we realized it was a pellet of buckshot! Proof that the pheasant was indeed wild-hunted. He wanted to keep the shot to show his wife, but I accidentally lost it when he stepped away. Sorry buddy!

Classic Cheese Course (Al Dessert)

Candied Nuts, Black Currant Spread

Betony offered the option of a cheese course instead of dessert. Al opted for the "Classic" interpretation, with just the cheese and a few accompaniments. 

Composed Cheese Course (Darren Dessert)

I chose the "Composed" cheese offering, which arrived on this crispy fried noodle-like nest. 

I can't remember what this final dessert was for the life of me, but it was tasty. 

Hot Chocolate

Ambergris

On a whim, I decided to order their hot chocolate. For a supplement you could include ambergris - yes ambergris, the waxy substance found only in sperm whale intestines. It did add an interesting perfume-y quality - I wouldn't say it tasted great, but it was fun to try and ranks among some of the stranger things I've consumed. 

Mignardises

Final bite was two tasty little caramels. Another successful dinner with my best bud!

NoMad Bar - Wylie Dufresne Guest Spot

Regular readers of this blog will know that I was a huge fan of WD~50 before it closed its doors in November 2014. Wylie Dufresne has since remained active in the NYC food scene, however, and one such partnership occurred in 2016 when he guest-stinted at the NoMad Bar, serving a limited-time menu consisting of some of his most famous dishes. 

The always-awesome bird's eye view of the bar area from up on the balcony. It's a lot of fun to watch the amazing pros behind the bar at work. 

Coq-tail for Two

Absolut Elyx Vodka, Chambéry Blanc Vermouth, Green Apple, Apricot Liqueur, Yuzu, Nori, Tarragon

This delightful cocktail was served in an ice-cold copper vessel shaped like a "coq" (rooster), with two copper straws slotted into its back. The cocktail itself was light and refreshing, and came with two little additional shots served in quail eggs.

Eggs Benedict

Egg Yolk, Canadian Bacon, Fried Hollandaise

This was arguably WD~50's most iconic dish, and with good reason, as it put eggs, Wylie's favorite food, at the forefront. We never got to eat it at the restaurant while it was open, but it was true to form here and every bit as wild and delicious as I had always imagined. 

Eater did a fantastic article on this particular dish a few years back:
https://www.eater.com/2015/1/14/7533485/wd50-eggs-benedict-wylie-dufresne-eater-elements

Pigs In Blankets

Chinese Sausage, Compressed Hot Dog Buns, Japanese Mustard, Sweet Chili Sauce

This dish actually first appeared on the menu at Wylie's short-lived pub concept, Alder. It may not have had the history of the eggs benedict, but it was still delicious. 

Carrot Tartare

Quail Egg, Sunflower Seeds, Rye Crisps

Not a WD~50 dish of course, but we order this NoMad Bar classic every time we eat there - I maintain that it's the best thing on the menu. 

Humm Dog

Bacon-Wrapped, Black Truffle, Celery, Gruyère

Another NoMad Bar favorite of ours, though I was surprised that the excellent Wylie Dog (topped with deep-fried mayo breaded in hot dog bun crumbs) offered at PDT was not on the menu in its place. 

Rye Pasta

Shaved Pastrami, Pastrami Jerky Dust, Green Tomatoes, Mustard Sauce

This (relatively) straightforward dish, also from the menu at Alder, was our favorite of the night - all the flavors of a classic Jewish deli sandwich in one hearty, satisfying bowl of pasta. 

Burger & Fries

NoMad Bar's excellent cheeseburger and french fries, with assorted pickles and condiments. 

????

I actually have no notes for this meal, so everything I've written up to this point has been via memory or online research. This dessert I have minimal recollection of, however - I THINK it was a passion fruit panna cotta with shortbread biscuits.