Santa Fe Revisited

Restaurant Reviews
Last week I got my ass on an airplane to Dallas, sat in the airport for three hours staring at travelers in their pajamas, then jetted over to Santa Fe for long-awaited visit to see all my wonderful friends who I dearly miss. Where do you meet people in Santa Fe? At restaurants! So for eight days I ate out almost every meal, except when dear friends Quinn and Sharon and fantastic hosts Monica and Bram cooked for me.

It has been eight years since we left the Land of Entrapment, and in some ways nothing has changed. That said, there are some restaurants which were really great, and some which have just gotten worse. Here is my rundown in no specific order:

Ojo Caliente

This place that creeped me out the first time I visited. Too woo-woo! But somehow the hot, healing waters melted away my hostility (cannabis helped) and I have come to love it. They have recently done quite an upgrade and I appreciated the newfound elegance. Of course I was with my BFF which made it extra fun, we stayed overnight, and got great massages. The sheer beauty of the cliffs — especially late at night when there are very few people soaking, with the steam rising from the pools — was magical.

Artesian Restaurant is located in the historic hotel building. In the past, it has been mediocre but they have definitely upped their game. In a true reversal of trend, the service was excellent. Before heading to New Mexico, I reminded myself to lower my expectations of good service. In my opinion, service has always been a problem in Santa Fe. Post pandemic and with staff shortages nationwide, I expected the worst. So I was pleasantly surprised when few mistakes were made and our food was delivered promptly.

I enjoyed an agave margarita at the lovely bar off the lobby, conveniently located down the hall from our room. For dinner, we started with potato-crusted poblano strips. I forgot to ask our server how the potato was incorporated into the crust. Was it potato starch, potato flakes, mashed potato batter? Anyway, they were tasty and came with a spicy-sweet chili dipping sauce. My friend had a Caesar salad with black sesame-crusted ahi tuna, which was prepared perfectly rare. I had a large portion of roast salmon with sweet potato mash (they were happy to make substitutions on the sides to to accommodate my dietary needs). We shared a nice piece of tiramisu for dessert. For breakfast, we ordered very tasty, very trendy avocado toast and an omelette. The omelette was not great but edible. It's hard to make an omelette.

Harry’s Roadhouse

Harry’s is always crowded and I will never understand why. Location, location, location? I guess people live nearby. When we went, it was Kitchen Angels Night Out, so a portion of the evening’s take went to support them. I was glad to be supporting such a great institution. We waited 25 minutes be seated, even with reservations. It’s loud, and noisy, and not that clean. My dining partner ordered the Buddha bowl. She has many dietary constraints and thought that would be a good, healthy choice. Turned out to be mostly dry, hard, chopped kale. She was not pleased. I ordered the southwest chopped salad with grilled chicken. The chopped vegetables tasted like they came out of a pre-chopped Sysco bag of veggies. You know how carrot and broccoli get a slightly white, dried out-look to them, and the edges dry out? Well, that's what my salad looked like. The chicken was so dry I could barely chew it and had to cut it into tiny bits so I could swallow it. On the plus side the dressing was excellent. I should have asked for some extra to lube up the rest of the salad ingredients. They used to have great house-made baked goods, but not anymore. I remember they had an excellent German chocolate cake, but nothing like that was on offer. Someone at another table said they lost their baker. Running a restaurant is not easy.

Plaza Cafe Southside

When we lived in Santa Fe, this was our go-to for a great, easy meal. It still is! Fun room, decent service, local favorites for those craving New Mexican specialties (my friends had huevos rancheros, which they loved), and a skilled kitchen that can make almost anything. Their Middle Eastern dishes and Italian specials are always great. I ordered a very specific breakfast — soft scrambled eggs, sliced avocado, and bacon. Each element was perfect. Truly a restaurant you can count on.

Clafoutis

I have been eating at Clafoutis literally since the day it opened, at their old, difficult-to-park-at location. It never disappoints. (Even though they told me on day one that their croissants were house-made, when in reality they were merely house-baked from a high-quality, all-butter frozen product. Sorry to burst your bubble!) Still, I love the French vibe, and the new location — which is now old — is lovely. Once again I ordered eggs. This time an omelette Provençal and it was perfection. Light, fluffy eggs and no shortage of filling. At the moment, I am off sugar so no pastries for me, but they looked gorgeous. Curious that high altitude does not seem to affect their baking at all, I need to look into that. The large parking lot is an asset.

The Betterday

I do not drink coffee but my friends do, so we stopped there at the end of our dog walks many times. I was recommended the chicken mole burrito. It was the bomb! Moist but not messy, well seasoned, spicy but not painful. Great breakfast. I could do without the weirdo hippies, retro-punks, old surfer dudes, and cowboy wannabes that hang outside, but they have to be somewhere, and I admit they gave the place a truly Santa fe vibe. I hear the coffee is good as well.

Cafecito

I know the lovely folks who own this establishment. It's a beautiful place (designed by the owner) and even though it’s in an odd location, it was packed. The use of the outdoor space is fantastic. I went specifically for the empanadas but the menu is huge. Maybe too big. I always say do a few things really well instead of lots of things just okay. The empanadas were excellent. I ordered an assortment of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. They are right on trend. Some worked better than others, the gluten-free pastry crumbled apart but the flavors were decicious. It’s a great place to meet friends and the staff could not be nicer.

Museum Hill Cafe

This is a restaurant I have a bit of history with. It used to be run by Walter Burke Catering, where I was executive chef for 12 years. It was never run right and always had issues. Under new and better management it is thriving. Service is still spotty, but not as bad as I was prepared for. Knowing my tendency to get really annoyed at crappy service, my friend prepared me for the worst by telling me stories of previous dining experiences, which I really appreciated. But after waiting for our server for a few minutes, the three of us all ordered Cobb salads, which arrived swiftly. They were excellent — all ingredients fresh and tasty. A great stop on our visit to Museum Hill, between the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. The museums are always a highlight, especially when visiting with a woman who works behind-the-scenes on the exhibitions and shares inside stories.

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen

The best thing about this meal were the fantastic ladies I lunched with. I know so many great, powerful women in Santa Fe, due to projects I was involved with. One of which was KSFR, where I met the wonderful Noreen and Meredith. Both are incredibly bright, stylish, informed, super fun, and our conversation was fabulous! We ordered the kimchi fried rice, the glass noodle stir fry, and the bison burger. Portions were large, flavorful, and colorful. It was fine, did not rock my world, but the company did! Thank you, my friends — you are inspiring!

Horno Restaurant

This was by far the best meal I had. In the space that used to be Il Piatto (a place I never liked) Chef David Sellars of SantaCafé fame has created a gem. The small, contemporary, eclectic menu means each item is carefully thought out, tested, and perfected. We shared the tuna tartare, which came on a risotto cake (I'm stealing that idea) and Korean-inspired BBQ pork belly which was super yummy. I wished there was more. For mains we ordered the squid ink capellini, the house burger, and the beer-battered fish sandwich. All were excellent. Cocktails, service, and ambience all contributed to a great night out, good friends helped. Rumor has it they do a fried chicken special on every other Wednesday that sells out in the first hour.

So, there you have it. I ate out, I updated everyone on my life, I feel like I told the same stories 15 times, and I enjoyed catching up on everyone else’s life. Looking forward to my next visit. Turns out I like visiting Santa Fe way better than living there!

Santa Fe round-up — some things never change

Some Recent Restaurant Experiences
Hello there, my people! Last week I had a great visit to my old stomping grounds — Santa Fe, New Mexico. With the help of a large calendar, a pencil, a good eraser, Monica's patience, and my GPS, I managed to see around 15 amazing friends and eat way too much food. Thanks to everyone who fit me in their schedule and treated me to meals all over town! I thought it would be nice to do some mini restaurant reviews of some old favorites, updates on some new hot spots, and some general comments about the Santa Fe food scene, because that's why you love me!

Breakfast at Clafoutis

I love the huge new location in the once-dismal space that housed Body, a restaurant that depressed me with their bland cuisine and anemic waitstaff. The cafe was buzzing with activity and French energy. Who doesn't love a melodic "bon jour!" when you enter the room? I had a perfectly cooked omelette with ham and Gruyere, served with a croissant which pulled apart in a spiral of buttery goodness, as it should. Yes, I forgot about the nothing-stays-hot-for-long-at-high-altitude thing, so my tea was lukewarm, but not their fault. My lovely companion DK also treated me to a bag full of excellent French pastries to take back home to my hosts.

Lunch at Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen

I had eaten at this super-healthy, well-designed cafe before and found it to be okay, not great. While we were there, a group of smiling monks, draped in orange robes, came in and everyone got super excited (so I crossed that classic Santa Fe experience off my list). I am really not a fan of their operating structure: stand in line to order; try to find a clean table; then wait for your food which is brought by a food runner. Why can't that same person take my order?

Anyway, my lovely friend suggested I try the Paleo wrap so I rolled my eyes, then ordered it. When it arrived it was a beautiful bright green wrap filled with turkey, sweet potato, some greens, and frankly it was just delicious. This dish is really all about the wrap which was moist, slightly spongy, and a bit elastic (so it rolled beautifully). I complemented the owner and asked her how they made the wrap and she said spinach, arrowroot, and egg. Amazing! This is my next challenge to figure out how to make these and then to experiment with using other vegetables.

Dinner at Elōisa

This was a new, high-end dining experience for me. I had heard so much great buzz about this place. A high-visibility makeover of an old hospital into a posh hotel with a name chef, how could this be bad? Well first of all, when I entered the mostly empty room (granted, it was a cold Tuesday night in December) the first thing I noticed was the cans of soda and pre-made sandwiches and salads in a grab-n-go case by the door. Yes, it is in a hotel and they need to service the guests, but there is certainly a nicer way to present these items. It looked like an upscale 7-Eleven.

The room was cold, not just in temperature but design. The fork was ridiculous. The artwork was weird. My dining companion was mesmerized — and not in a good way — by a video piece with a slithering snake moving around in the brush. They sat us right next to the open kitchen which gave me a view of the back of a Robot Coupe mixer, a KitchenAid mixer, and a bowl of flour. Not exactly fascinating! Frankly, it still felt like the laundry room it once was.

The menu is small with some interesting-sounding items such as the Tortillas Florales, house-made corn tortillas with flowers in them, served with avocado butter. Wondered how amazing this would be so we ordered them — they were tortillas with guacamole. That's all. We also ordered the Turkey Albondigas with Pipian Sauce. They were so overcooked, hard, and dry we could barely chew them. But by far the entrées were the worst. My partner ordered the blue corn-crusted Pecos River Trout, and when they brought it to the table we both laughed at the presentation, it was the opposite of appetizing. I ordered the Elōisa Burger — when you are trying to get a handle on the competency of the kitchen, go for basics (like testing ice cream by ordering vanilla). Ordered my meat medium-rare, came out medium-well. Bacon was hard, maybe old, not crisp. Cheese and chile were okay, but the bun was thoughtless, and I think the potato chips came out of a bag. Not the least bit impressive. We skipped dessert and went home. When I told my hosts about the less-than-wonderful food they were surprised — they'd had good experiences there, on weekends. They agreed that the head celebrity chef was probably not supervising the kitchen on a Tuesday night, this could explain it.

 

Lunch at Pyramid Cafe

When I lived in Santa Fe, this place was almost always empty. It's still mostly empty, but that made it a nice quiet place to meet a friend with hearing difficulties. Food was okay. My chicken lemon soup with rice was 75% rice and not hot but still tasty. My dining companions enjoyed their choices and I had a good greek salad — how can you go wrong? Baklava was the star of this meal, although I question the addition of chocolate sauce.

Lunch at Vinaigrette

This was always one of my favorite spots in town. I love a well-prepared salad. As usual, service was slow and inattentive. The menu seems to stay the same over time, but if it works go with it. I ordered a salad with arugula, roast beets, goat cheese, and pistachio. When it arrived it was overdressed, there were no nuts, hardly any goat cheese, and the beets were overcooked (they reminded me of the ones you buy at the grocery store) and sliced thin on top of the salad. My partner enjoyed her chopped salad. Just felt a little like tired kitchen food to me, which does happen.

Shake Foundation parking lot experience

As anyone who has tried to park at Vinaigrette knows, the lot is a nightmare, even with the addition of those extra spaces around Modern General. So I headed next door to the large, empty lot surrounding Shake Foundation — Brian Knox's Shake Shack rip off. My thinking was buy something from them and that would justify me parking there. Wrong again! I went up to their window and for $3.75 purchased a cup of salted-caramel ice cream which was so artificial-tasting and low-quality I took one bite and threw it away. I then headed towards Vinaigrette, at which point one of the workers came out and yelled to me "I will have your car towed away immediately if you leave it here!" I said I just made a purchase and your lot is empty, can I pay you to park here, and she said "no." As I pulled out of their empty lot I saw another car doing the same thing, we rolled down our windows and she said "They are so mean here, I will never patronize them again." I agree.

Lunch at Milad Persian Bistro

This is a new restaurant (they opened in November 2016) located next to El Farol on Canyon Road. My friend and I met there on a cold winter day and their wood-burning stove would not light so it was nippy inside. That being said, our adorable waiter was charming and we enjoyed a very interesting and tasty meal. I had spicy carrot falafel and beet falafel which were both really good. They make their own pita bread which is admirable, but was unfortunately a bit bland and undercooked. My companion had a rice and chicken dish which was delicious. I also enjoyed an eggplant stew with a perfectly poached egg on top. I liked that they had items on the menu I had never had before, and it was very reasonably priced.

coffee and tea at Counter culture cafe

A Santa Fe institution. Yes, my tea got lukewarm in seconds. Yes, it was packed with locals. Yes, the parking lot is a nightmare. But it was nice to see the old hippies still making it work.

The problem with restaurants in Santa Fe

I get it — I lived it for 12 years. It's impossible to keep up standards with the crew going AWOL every other day. The Monday/Tuesday crew is not as good as the Friday/Saturday crew. Good ingredients are consistently hard to get. Dishwashers get bumped up to cooks, then to head chefs, out of desperation because they are hard-working and show up. Primadonna chefs get tired, bored, and burnt-out on a regular basis. And finally you still can't get a decent bagel — some things never change.

Home-cooked meals

The best part, thanks to Jen, Mary, Gabriella, and Monica. Wow, can my friends cook! Thanks to everyone who cared for me, cooked for me, and made me special tea to help with my congestion. There is nothing more wonderful then sharing a meal with dear friends, and for this I am forever grateful.

Thanks Santa Fe, see you later!

The Impossible Burger — they blinded me with science!

Seasonal Weirdness of the Week This week, I tried the much-talked-about “Impossible Burger.” This is a product of Silicon Valley scientists, politically correct investors, and it is taking the world by storm. Or at least the world of folks willing to spend around 15 dollars for a vegan burger that looks like meat, bleeds like meat, has a mouthfeel like meat, with one important difference. It really tastes nothing like beef, and kind of gave me a stomachache.

To try this item I went to Bareburger, a chain with multiple locations in New York which features some fantastic burger options (in retrospect, I wish I had eaten one of them). Elk, buffalo, and brisket are all on the menu, along with some killer hand-cut fries, butternut squash with blue cheese, and two amazing Brussels sprout options (sprouts roasted with Sriracha and sprouts with lemon zest and Asiago cheese), but I digress.

Let’s get back to the Impossible Burger. Here is what the makers say on their website:

“Our burger is made from simple, all-natural ingredients such as wheat, coconut oil, and potatoes. What makes the Impossible Burger unlike all others is an ingredient called heme. Heme is a basic building block of life on Earth, including plants, but it’s uniquely abundant in meat. [Yet they found a way through genetic modification to get it from plants! —Stacy] We discovered that heme is what makes meat smell, sizzle, bleed, and taste gloriously meaty. Consider it the “magic ingredient” that makes our burger a carnivore’s dream.”

I think “carnivore’s dream” is a bit much! Honestly, if you were to try it blindfolded I think no one would say it tastes like meat, it’s just the visuals that are so good. Then there is the gluten, which rules out half the hipsters. And the animal testing, which eliminates the vegans. The GMO element, which freaks out most people. And for those who care, the FDA has not approved of this heme plant product as safe for consumption by humans. Aside from that, it’s perfect!

In spite of all this, it has developed a cult following and David Chang sells it a Momofuku (so it must be good). All I know is I tasted it, for you my people (who I have ignored way too long), so now you don't have to. Here are the visuals.

  

It was kind of mushy. I asked for it rare and the waitress said “not a good plan” so we went with medium rare and it was unpleasant. It comes with cheap cheese, cheap pickles, cheap bun, and some cooked onions, none of which helped, except maybe to mask some of the weird flavor.

Go to the Impossible Burger website to find out more and see if they are available in your area. So far this is the only product they make, but they are promising more in the future, so beware! Would you eat it? Have you eaten it? Let me know what you think in the comments. I am going to go grind up some cow now. Bon Appetite!

Report from the Bagel-Making Workshop with Bagel Bob!

Hi folks, It's Monica! Just wanted to stop by and report on a fun thing my friend Laura and I did this past weekend. The Santa Fe Jewish Center hosted a bagel making-event with Bagel Bob! About 50 people attended — I think that was way more people than were expected so it was a little chaotic, but still fun. They had pre-formed, pre-risen bagels ready for boiling and baking (Laura and I got drafted to help with extra boiling stations and baking). Next, while the bagels baked, Bob showed everyone how to mix the dough and roll out and form bagels. Everyone got newly made bagels to rise and and boil/bake at home, as well as a copy of Bob's UPDATED Master Bagel Recipe. Then we all ate bagels with lox!


Bagel Bob is introduced

  
Left to right: one of the boiling stations in the main room; over 50 bagels baked (Photo by Laura Wagner); bagel schmear with lox!

 
Left to right: the extra boiling stations got a little messy (don't worry, we cleaned up!); Bagel Bob and I are throwing the bagel gang sign (Photo by Laura Wagner)

I boiled and baked my bagels at home later that night. Yum!

  
Left to right: boiling; boiled; baked

You can check out more photos of the event at the Santa Fe Jewish Center's Facebook page.

Sandbar

Sandbar, Cold Spring Harbor, NY

Photo courtesy Sandbar

First of all, I am really sorry about my lapse in posting. Yes, I know my last post pictured a snowy back porch. So much has happened since then! Most importantly, we bought a house. It's a mid-century home with great bones and lots of potential. At last count our project list numbers in the 90s. Yes, I said 90, and that list includes big projects like redoing the entire kitchen, building a woodshop, rewiring the living room, removing carpeting, refinishing floors — you get the drift. So honestly, the house project has taken over my life and what little free time I have. But tonight we got a break. We decided to go out and celebrate a variety of events, including our wedding anniversary and my husband's and mother's birthdays.

Our usual celebration place is Peter Luger's. There are two locations: Williamsburg Brooklyn and Great Neck on Long Island, so it's an easy choice. Hard to beat, massive red meat (aged Porterhouse), but pretty heavy. I was feeling like something new, so I did a little research and found the only James Beard-nominated restaurant on Long Island. Run by chef Guy Reuge, Sandbar is 15 minutes from our house, so off we went.

The restaurant decor is yacht-club-chic with a little Restoration-Hardware-industrial-elegance mixed in. Modern landscape paintings of Long Island, and waiters in khakis and blue-checked shirts. Trés WASPy! The dark wood table was simple (no tablecloth) with beautiful white china, a single white chrysanthemum, and good thin glassware. Silverware could have been better. The menu is small and well-thought-out, with local, seasonal ingredients and many very tempting seafood options.
 
We started with cocktails; a margarita, a vodka tonic, and a Negroni. They were well-mixed and a little strong. They did have a few signature cocktails on the menu, but they were not that interesting and two had ginger in them (I'm allergic), so I went with my old standard.

For appetizers we had the foie gras of the day which was grilled, served with brioche toasts and a dark purple beet purée. When the beautiful dish arrived, I tried to cut the brioche into three pieces (because we were sharing each dish) and the knife slipped and went into the beet purée which splashed all over my mother's face, her orange sweater — wait there's more — I also got the wall, the window sill, and the white curtain. What a mess, I was so embarrassed and the waiter was such a gentleman, thank you! I should mention it was excellent, perfectly grilled with the sweet purée cutting the rich fat flavor. We also had the chickpea fries, which were super light and fluffy, with with chipotle creme — a tiny bit of heat.

The main courses were all superb. Jim tried the special of the day, soft-shell crab. They were simply fresh and delicious, lightly sautéed with a little lemon. Bernice had the duck, nice and crisp, with apricot sauce and her usual: "Please no vegetables, can I have French fries?" I had the swordfish which was moist and flavorful and served with edamame, peas, ramps, and potatoes finished with a Creole emulsion.
  
Left to right: soft-shell crab; duck; swordfish.

The dessert selection was solid, but not mind-blowing. There were about six choices, including ricotta doughnuts and a trio of sorbets. We had the chocolate bread pudding served with booze-soaked cherries and vanilla ice cream and the toasted lemon pound cake served with coffee ice cream. They were fantastic!

Besides the fact that the waiter did not know what the foie gras of the day was when I asked, and that the butter was ice cold (which kind of kills the warm bread service), I would have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this meal.

A day in the English countryside

Revisiting my day in Kent
As I sit in my warm and comfy house on Long Island, enjoying the magnificent autumn leaves falling into the yard, I am reminded of my recent trip to London and the beauty of the British landscape. I spent most of my days in the city working at Ottolenghi, but I did manage to take a trip to Kent with my mate Ruth for a hike and a great pub meal.

Chequers Inn, the family-friendly pub where we ate, was in Kemsing in Kent. The classic pub lunch is an important part of British culture. English food is no longer something to make fun of — there are so many great chefs (I'm not talking about Gordon Ramsey). And some young, aspiring cooks are making names for themselves starting in small, local pubs. Our meal started with some local hard cider. Then we shared 2 classic Pub meals: Boar and apple sausage over mash with butternut squash puree and rich brown demiglace; and sliced leg of lamb with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and mushy peas — yes that's right, mushy peas! The meal was served to us by a lovely young chap who was so helpful in directing us to the best walking path and giving us some town history.

  

The area was a step back in time, complete with Oast houses (where they used to store barley used to make beer), and amazing walking paths. Only 1 hour outside of London, it was a wonderful, delicious experience. Enjoy the photos!

 

Notes from London

Back in August, I had an amazing experience compliments of my job at Neuman's Kitchen. I did a two-week residency in London at Ottolenghi where I had the opportunity to work in every branch of the restaurant group and do a variety of things. While there I kept a diary and took tons of photos, which I am going to share with you, my people. Enjoy!



Monday, August 17
Wake at 5:30, just like a regular work day. Gave myself 1 1/2 hours to get to the Islington location, got there 30 minutes early. There was a man outside, power-washing the front sidewalk, reminded me of Neuman's. Went in front door and headed downstairs. First impression: "Wow this place is tiny." Only the baking crew was there; 3 young women from England, Brazil and Oakland California. Got changed in closet/locker room with broken light, so, in the dark.

Then the rest of the crew arrived and I met Clare, who runs the Islington kitchen. I worked on the salad side all day. I started the day helping a young Israeli, Orie (who has already asked me for a job), roasting off peppers, aubergines (eggplant, for us Yanks), and butternut squash in high quality olive oil garlic salt and pepper. They put the veg on lightly oiled parchment to roast and then put a clean linen towel underneath the parchment to cool it so it does not get soggy. They have 2 small ovens which they share with the bakers. Clare told me she dreamed of a Rationale oven. I did not mention the parts situation.

 

We started assembling the arranged platters of roast vegetables, 3 of each, some of which were dressed in the most unusual way. We made sauce out of Greek yogurt, tahini, walnut oil, salt and pepper, with some milk in it to thin to the spattering consistency. The sauce is put in a serrated spoon which is tapped hard on your opposite hand thus creating a small but consistent splatter on top of the vegetables. Then we topped it with pomegranate seeds and candied walnuts. Recipes are pretty standardized, Clare knows them all and instructs the kitchen, nobody has anything on paper. There is one master prep list and Clare delegates. Some items are carried over to the next day but not much. Seasonings, spiced nuts, roast garlic confit and things like that are held for 3 days. There is a warning label which lists 15 major allergens including items like Lupins(?) and you check off whatever the item contains and stick it on the container. 3 of each item on the lunch menu is plated up by the kitchen and brought upstairs one at a time and by crew to set up the front display. There is no turn out line, the waitstaff fills the orders from the front. They keep an hourly log of when the food is set out and if there is anything left after 3 hours, they toss it. There is a refrigerated insert in the display where they keep the ambient roast chicken, sliced filet of English beef and roast salmon.

 


Each day they do a different sauce salsa or marinade, but the proteins don't vary that much. All the restaurants run the same menu which is decided on in a democratic chefs meeting every season. They run the same menu for about 7 weeks. Fortunately the menu changes next week so I will get to see the change over and learning process. Other tasks I did: ask tons of questions about every ingredient (they do not buy purely UK products because of price and availability); sample as much food as possible; slice radishes and cabbage; make a large batch of walnut tahini yogurt sauce; prep peppers; make more platters; and tell stories about New York. It was fascinating to hear all these young chefs talk about their ultimate dream to come to New York. It's epic to them. By the end of today, Clare asked me to make a green olive Tapenade and told me to make it however I want.

I discussed with Clare my interest in seeing all parts of the operation so she has arranged for me to do a number of different things. Tomorrow, I am working the dinner shift which has an entirely different feel. They do small plates, hot items, full bar as well as specific salads. It’s very interesting how they modify the restaurant for different meals. At breakfast, they have white curly electrical cords hanging over the center table which they lower and attach toasters so you can toast your own bread. The breakfast menu included such items as Welsh Rarebit, Potato, manouri, and Za'atar frittata, and cinnamon brioche french toast served with orange yogurt, mixed berries and Muscat compote.

At lunch, cords go up. At dinner, candles go down the center table and value-added products get removed from shelves and replaced with booze. Room white, staff (very pretty staff) in black. I am off on Wednesday. Thursday, I am with Sami the big man at the new restaurant. Friday, I am working in Spitalfields which is the restaurant with the big new kitchen. Saturday, I am off. And Sunday I go back to Islington because they are short-handed and thought I could be of service.

Due to space limitations, as well as time, some of the items are made in their central commissary. Things like tart and pastry shells, and large rustic loaves and started there. They do all the butchering at the commissary, and send out clean meat and poultry as well as fresh lemon zest and juice. Tomorrow I will find out more about this mythical place and try to arrange a visit. Today was great.The staff was friendly, professional and all very happy to be working there, reminds me of home.

Tuesday, August 18
Today, I went in late and worked the night shift at the Islington shop from 2:30 to 10:30 PM. Totally different restaurant at night. Soft light from the candles and the bar was set up with cool chairs in the area where the food was displayed earlier in the day. The place looked sexy.

I worked with head chef of dinner, Chris from South Africa and Dan a lovely bloke (!) from Glasgow. They also have 2 prep guys working with them. The dinner menu consists of 8 of the lunch salads and plattered proteins slightly modified, a cold appetizer (Burrata), and then 8 different small plates which were turned out from the hot side. The palate is a bit more complex at night because it includes some Asian influences as well as Latin notes and the Middle Eastern flavors. Once again, the menu is created by all the chefs at all the locations and then tasted and evaluated by everyone though I am starting to get the feeling Yotam is the man to impress and that might be difficult.

I have not met him yet. I was told by one of the cooks he was in NY picking up another baby. I do not really know what that means. After a warm reception from my co-workers I jumped in to help with dinner prep and I started with the cucumber avocado gazpacho which is served under the Burrata. They add ascorbic acid to it to keep the color. The cucumbers are puréed and strained and then added to the avocado, garlic, apple vinegar, basil oil, and lemon juice and blended till smooth, very tasty. I made some dried shitake mushroom crisps which we sprayed with sesame oil before putting in oven. They almost tasted like bacon. I grilled off some corn which we made into a nice fresh corn salsa.

 

I pickled some baby beets, put up some fennel and red cabbage sour kraut and helped set up the line. I love how incredibly cordial this kitchen is. Everyone is very happy to work there and everyone wants to visit NYC. We probably did about 130 covers which is pretty good on a Tuesday night in their slowest month of the year. One of my favorite items was a fresh corn polenta made by simmering fresh corn in water, straining out the water and putting it in the mixer with feta cheese and butter and whipping it till light and creamy. Some of the corn water is added back in to improve the texture. To plate this dish, the corn salsa was put on top of the polenta then topped with the grilled octopus which was sautéed in butter infused with annato seed and a little smoked paprika. Then a few sexy dots of Jalapeño cream and it's done. They use octopus caught in off Cornwall and portion and freeze it because they said it becomes more tender and improves the flavor. The pea and mint croquettes, the vegetarian option of the night was delish — coated with sesame seeds, Panko, and pumpkin seeds and served with a spunky yuzu mayo. Getting late time to stop writing. Tomorrow I am off and I am having an art day. Tate Modern: first on my agenda!

Sunday, August 23
Sunday in London, it's difficult to get anywhere early. First train out was at 7:30 so I spent a bit of time sitting in the station. I eventually arrive at the Islington shop at 8:00. That location already feels like home. I started the day helping with breakfast prep which included making the Welsh Rarebit spread, slicing and grilling the ciabatta and the sourdough and Italian loaves. Then I prepped some garnishes of herbs and vegetables. The unit of measure is a Johnny container. Small, med, or large, with snap-on lids. No one knows why they are called that. Then I moved back to the salad station to help finish and platter the salads. It was a busy day, but super fun.

The team is great — young and enthusiastic and they play the music of my youth. Thank you Aretha for that RESPECT! There is an item on the breakfast menu I think is amazing. It's a Muesli served cold, made with red quinoa, oats soaked in coconut milk, shredded Granny Smith Apple soaked in lime juice, topped with Date syrup, mixed nuts and diced mango. Delish!

The rest of the day was spent making parts like pickled lemon slices (which are the new topping for the eggplant, along with toasted crushed pistachio and micro basil), roasting vegetables, and then — because there is no dinner service — doing a deep clean. They take every item out of the walk-in and check and clean it. Very impressive. Got major complements on my NK bandana and will be sharing the ones I brought with some key people. Heading home now to get some instructions on how to use the video camera from Ruth. Interviewing Sami on Friday afternoon as well as Clare who runs the Isslington kitchen cold side. While at work I missed a huge rainstorm but now it's sunny and cool and delightful.

Portland is as good as the hype!

To get ready for my first trip to the Pacific Northwest, I binge watched Portlandia (the satirical, sketch-comedy television program with the cult following) all about the weird cast of self-obsessed, coffee-drinking, Birkenstock-wearing, facial hair-sporting, smelly hipsters who live there. This is not at all what I found! Yes, there were some crazy folks, but that’s my norm.
  

The reason for my trip — besides checking out the local restaurants and exploring one of the best, if not the best farmer’s market in America — was to visit my pal Lani Raider. She kept saying I would love it there, but anyone who follows this blog knows I pretty much hate most anything people tell me I will love! Well I admit it, I loved everything about Portland. The local sustainable movement is real, not just a trend. And the people who grow the food and make the local booze are proud, knowledgable, and incredibly generous with information and free samples (makes my Jewish heart happy).
  

Besides the food scene, the landscape is stunning, with redwood trees towering over Arts and Crafts-style homes, rich flora and fauna, and enough green space mixed into the residential areas to make you feel embraced by nature. I had the opportunity to visit two fantastic public gardens which were each quite different and unique. The Chinese garden within the city walls is full of traditional architecture, as well as plants, water, rocks, and poetry (which I found out was the fifth element). All the building materials were brought over from China, rock by rock, pebble by pebble. It was such an oasis of peace. The Japanese garden is in a park on the outskirts of town (Lani drove us) and it sort of felt like Shangri-La. Must have been the waterfall, the swans, and the legal weed.
 
 

Portland is also known for its food trucks, which are generally amazing and are often grouped together to create cool little parks with central seating. I loved the interaction of nature all through the city. We drove over to Sauvie Island, an agricultural island which is part of the city where we visited Lani’s family’s 16-acre organic farm. Portland is affordable, interesting, and fun. That’s my little overview. Please enjoy this random sampling of my photos and make a plan to visit Portland. Tell them Rula sent you!
  

Korean Home Cooking with Shin Kim

Korean Home Cooking with Shin Kim - Sponsored by the New York Women's Culinary Alliance
On Tuesday evening, I attended my first event as a new member of the New York Women's Culinary Alliance, which is a service-based organization I recently joined. NYWCA was started by Sara Moulton and a number of other female culinary professionals who felt that women needed a platform to share, mentor, and network with other woman in the field.

I was very excited when I saw this class on Korean home cooking taught by Shin Kim of Banchan Story on the agenda so I signed up and offered to volunteer my services and be part of the program. The hands-on class, which started with Korean pop music and some fun videos of food scenes in Korean cinema, included six items we prepared together.


 
Clockwise from top: Shin Kim; making dessert; Pajeon.

Shin shared wonderful stories about Korean food traditions like how the eating of Miyeok Guk (also known as birthday soup) is eaten by new mothers for 21 days after giving birth and subsequently eaten on each birthday. It is never however, given to students before an exam because it is believed the slippery nature of the seaweed might cause the student to "slip and fail" their exam. We also made scallion and seafood pancakes called Pajeon, which are eaten with a soy and garlic dipping sauce. We learned to how to add extra oomph to glass noodles by using the water from soaking dried Shiitake mushrooms, which gave them a strong umami flavor. Participants worked in teams of three, sharing the prep of all the dishes. Then we all sat down at the end to a wonderful feast, ending with a traditional dessert made with shaved ice, vanilla ice cream, diced fresh fruit, Mochi, red bean paste, and sweetened condensed milk. This begins my quest to become fluent in Korean cuisine.
 
Left to right: cucumbers with Ssamjang; glass noodles and Shiitake mushrooms.

Good thing I know Jen Yi, owner of Mi Young's Farm in Jaconita New Mexico, where I will be going for my next Korean cooking class. New Mexico folks, keep your eyes out for Jen's new food truck!

Here is a recipe for an amazing dip we made in class. It's called Ssamjang and Shin Kim suggests pairing it with veggies or grilled meats.

Ssamjang

Ingredients
1/2 cup Doenjang (Korean fermented soy bean paste)
1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean fermented red pepper paste)
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Procedure
Simply mix everything together. Will last in the fridge for about a week.