Happy New Year

Ringing in 2013 with a few of my favorite eats: sweet and sour tamarind snacks from Thailand, shrimp cocktail, roasted anchovies from Thailand  (high in calcium), and Trader Joe's "Good and Plenty."

My recent visit to Thailand and Cambodia reminded me how adventure travel ignites my appetite like nothing else. I can't wait to share my Southeast Asian food experiences and wish you all adventurous appetites this year.

Skipping Sandy while Skipping Time

Hong Kong International Airport by Shizhao

This is not how the journey to Thailand and Cambodia was meant to be. I was planning on using my last few days to plan, research, take care of the laundry list of final details (including a wax). Hurricane Sandy erased all of my best laid plans.

Instead, I spent my last sleepless night in the devastated East Village going to bed at 7:30 by candlelight, tossing and turning in the din of police headlights, hoping that I would actually get on a flight to Bangkok okay. I got a goodbye hug from my nephew and later from my friend Beth last night. They both stood outside my dark building yelling out my name until I came to the window. No phone, no text, no buzzer could announce a visiting guest in the aftermath of Sandy. They climbed the stairs in the darkness (no working elevator), armed with the requisite East Village accessory - the flashlight.

This morning, I waited til the sun came up, hastily packed and then headed to the fridge. I got a big garbage bag and threw out a wealth of half rotting goodies in the freezer - my recently made coconut pumpkin muffins, homemade chorizo mushroom pizza, my perfected recipe for turkey burgers, frozen meats of all kind, Thai chilis grown by my friend Laura's mother, and the coveted Trader Joes pumpkin ice cream. It's seasonal. So much for that.

I prayed that my ride to the airport would turn up as I had no way of contacting the shuttle van if it was running late (no phone service, no emails). Thankfully, at 10 am, with the aid of my neighbors who held a flashlight as I lugged my bag down the dark flights of stairs, I spotted the waiting van, and just like that, was whisked out of darkness and Sandy's wrath. Got to JFK in under an hour.

I am at the Hong Kong airport now, skipping time, waiting for my flight to Bangkok. It's just past 8 pm. Excited for the big lights of Bangkok to come into view. And for the meals to begin. But with a part of me so pained by the sorrow I just left behind.

Exploring Toronto's St. Lawrence Market

The real deal: authentic Canadian peameal bacon sandwich

Only two ingredients are needed to make a peameal bacon sandwich, one of life's greatest edible pleasures: bacon and a soft roll. So why is it that this culinary masterpiece can only be found in Canada?


Fresh peameal bacon by the pound

It's hardly worth arguing over and just an excellent excuse to head to Toronto (which I must do for the annual Toronto International Film Festival) and b-line straight to St. Lawrence Market. One of the world's great markets, this vast gastronomic hub boasts hundreds of types of seafood, cheeses, oils, fruits, vegetables and international delicacies. It's also the market of choice for Toronto's top chefs, sitting on the original City Hall site.

And it's where you can find the famous, and many argue, best peameal bacon sandwich ($5.75) at Carousel Bakery. Just look for the lines.

What Americans call "Canadian bacon," as in the flaccid meat in an Egg McMuffin, has no resemblance to the real deal. It's lean, slow cured pork loin rolled in cornmeal. Once grilled, the coating add a lovely crunch to the sweet-salty bacon. Historically, the meal was originally ground yellow peas, which was used as a preservative. If I weren't flying home, I'd have bought a hunk of bacon in a heartbeat.

Fresh grilled salmon

Once fortified, meander along the two floors of eye opening, crave inducing goodies. Multiple gourmet bars lay out a superb array of Mediterranean staples: stuffed prosciutto rolls, grape leaves, olives, and all kinds of tapenades and spreads.

If you're ready for lunch, head to the back of the main floor to Buster's Sea Cove for the fresh "catch of the day." Part of the fun is taking a seat at the counter and watching the lively chefs in action. Your chances of snagging a prime spot are better on a weekday. Go for the grilled swordfish or fish + chips. Buster's also operates a year-round food truck serving lobster rolls and fish tacos.

Make sure to sample and stock up

The newer North Market is located across the street. This building houses up and coming food artisans including Toorshi Foods, a purveyor of delicious Armenian pickled vegetables. Owner Hratch Vartanian will gladly offer samples, which add zing to sandwiches (especially hummus) or in salads. They make great gourmet gifts too.

Speaking of pickles, I spotted local Brooklyn favorite, McClure's Pickles, at the market too. The best from around the world, indeed.


St. Lawrence Market
92 Front Street East
Tuesday - Thursday, 8am -6pm
Fridays, 8am - 7pm
Saturdays, 5am - 5pm

 

 

 

Vendy Awards Crown Best of NYC Street Food



Winning street food looks like this: Best Market Vendor winner Lumpia Shack

Saturday, under a bright blue, blustery sky, I was, um, stranded on Governors Island with nearly 2,000 other eager foodies with nothing else to do but eat our way through 24 of the best street food vendors in NYC. The two dozen contenders, selected from the area's 10,000 mobile chefs, is a rarefied group. And for the past eight years, the NYC Vendy Awards have honored our city's rich, diverse street food culture with a day-long celebration.

Winner of the top prize, the Vendy Cup, went to Piaztlan Authentic Mexican, whose rich, complex flour tacos and homemade salsas begged for more.

The People's Taste Award went to The Cinnamon Snail, a significant nod to the truck's inventive vegan food and desserts (chamomile donuts with lavender glaze are sinfully good). Lumpia Shack took home the Best Market Vendor prize for its delicate Filipino spring rolls. Melt Bakery won Best Dessert for its creamy ice cream sandwiches, and Phil's Steaks was recognized as Rookie of the Year for its authentic Philly cheesesteaks.

Baby Got Back Ribs galore



Award-winning vegan delicacies from The Cinnamon Snail
 

And Cinnamon Snail's vegan desserts

Savory roti making at Parantha Alley

Piaztlan Authentic Mexican's Vendy Cup winning tacos 

Juicy Chinese Mirch momo

Pestle and Mortar's lobster ceviche

Three Great Brunches on the Bowery

Pulino's smoked trout salad and eggs

Dining options on the Bowery have simply taken off and that includes some standout brunches.Those who've dined with me know that a brunch menu had better offer more than a standard plate of eggs, bacon and home fries to get my attention. Enter Pulino's, Peels and Hecho en Dumbo.

I never used to consider a pizza joint for brunch. Not anymore. Pulino's not only serves a worthy weekend brunch, but it's one of a few neighborhood restaurants that offers a proper weekday breakfast too. Dominating the corner at E. Houston, interiors feature Keith McNally's trademark subway tiles. It's friendly and airy, perfect for groups and families. The unusual smoked trout salad and eggs ($15) looks like a giant bagel with the works, but is light and satisfying. For a heartier option, try the cheesy skillet baked eggs and fettunta (garlic bread).

Peels build-a-biscuit piled high

Peels is southern comfort on a plate. So what if everyone looks like they walked out of "Gossip Girl"?

If the weather's nice, snatch one of the few coveted outdoor tables. The build-a-biscuit is a classic breakfast sandwich that starts with one beautiful buttermilk biscuit. Then choose your vice. Eggs with bacon, ham, sausage? Smothered in red eye gravy? All up to you. All worth the calories. Peels is also open for breakfast during the week.

A hearty Mexican chilaquiles verdes

Hecho en Dumbo has been serving a consistently delicious and buzzy brunch since opening two summers ago. Not to mention a great value.

A $17 prix fixe gets you an authentic Mexican dish - sweet or savory - served with a cocktail or fresh non-alcoholic beverage.They always greet you with a little plate of deliciousness to start. Sometimes it's tiny palmiers, other times fresh mini sweet buns. I'm partial to the stew-like chilaquiles verdes, featuring corn tortillas and a fried egg layered with shredded chicken and a spicy tomatillo sauce.

Pulino's
282 Bowery @ E. Houston

Peels
325 Bowery between E 2nd St + Bleecker

Hecho en Dumbo
354 Bowery between E 3rd + E 4th Sts

Delicious 'Lunch Hour NYC' Exhibition Opens



Automat, 977 Eighth Ave, Manhattan. Berenice Abbott, 1936
Courtesy NYPL The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art

I love the New York Public Library even more now after catching a preview of its newest exhibition Lunch Hour NYC. This free exhibition opens Friday and celebrates the modern history of the mid day meal that NY virtually invented. 

Power lunches, the rise of the Automat, cafeterias, the soda fountain, school lunches, the 10 cent meal, the first cooking school--it's all in here. Brought to life with dozens of fascinating displays and memorabilia. And it all reflects the evolving yet enduring relationship that work obsessed and time strapped New Yorkers have always had with food. The modern lunch had to be quick, filling and inexpensive.

  

Video preview of exhibition

A highlight is the Golden Age of the Automat, created by Horn & Hardart, and considered a wonder of the city. Its fancy flagship location opened in Times Square in 1912 and became an instant marvel. A nickel in a slot would get you a hot, fresh, delicious meal from a machine. H&H dishes included lobster Newberg and beef Burgundy from a Cordon Bleu chef. It was the most successful restaurant operation in the country. And the exhibition includes a restored wall of Automat machines, including the back end where all the magic happened.

Other items not to miss:

• The personal, annotated copy of Noah Webster's dictionary, noting the entry for "lunch."
• A 1932 menu listing sushi (debunking the thought that sushi first appeared in NYC restaurants in the 1960s.)
• Pages from the Horn & Hardart restaurant manager's book, instructing managers on preparing menu items and managing the shop
• Menus from Delmonico's, where the power lunch was born in 1837
• A "10 cent meal" display showing how tenement mothers fed their families on pennies a day
• A mid 1900s business map of Midtown Manhattan, noting all of the eateries around Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

The exhibition continues through February 17, 2013. If you've ever eaten lunch in the city, don't miss it. Check here for related programs.

Free public tours Monday-Saturday at 12:30 and 2:30 pm and on Sundays at 3:30 pm.

Mission Chinese

Kung Pao pastrami (front) and pork jowl with radishes

Eating at Mission Chinese, the hottest new restaurant in the hood, is like going to a hipster house party. With really good food. Upon arrival for dinner, you're asked to help yourself to the beer keg while you wait. And there will be a wait, spilling onto Orchard St. That gesture in itself sets the tone for the place. They care.

Sichuan pickled vegetables

It's a good time to take a peek into the open kitchen, where you may catch a glimpse of chef Danny Bowein, creating his magical thrice cooked bacon ($11.50). Chunky belly is steamed, smoked and then stir fried with chewy rice cakes, tofu skin and a little bitter melon. The spicy dish is a must for bacon lovers.

When your table is ready, you'll follow a long hallway into a ramshackle dining room, buzzing with diners. Plates are generous, made for sharing. Start with pickles. Both the turnips and long bean pickles with cumin ($4), and Sichuan pickled veggies ($4) are zesty and refreshing - and spicy.

Many of the dishes are fired up with Sichuan peppercorn. Be forewarned. If you haven't tasted this spice before, be ready for a heat that sneaks up on you, numbs your tongue and doesn't let go. The signature Kung Pao pastrami ($11), with meat smoked for 12 hours, sets your mouth ablaze. That didn't stop me from taking home the leftovers and whipping up an omelet the next day.

Thrice cooked bacon

Other standouts include the non-spicy stir fried pork jowl and radishes, topped with fresh mint ($11), and the broccoli beef cheek ($13), whose tender meat sits in a pool of smoked oyster sauce.

Charity also plays a role for the New York outpost of this San Francisco cult favorite. A portion of sales goes to the Food Bank for New York City.

While Mission Chinese is eyeing Brooklyn for a second location, enjoy it now.

154 Orchard Street (at Rivington)
212 529 8800
Lunch 12pm -3pm
Dinner 5:30pm - 12am
Closed Wednesdays