Tapeworm Blog

Saveur Magazine

   

Tomorrow I will be starting an internship in the test kitchen of one of the top food magazines,Saveur magazine. From what I know at this point, the magazine receives recipes from many different sources for each issue. These recipes sometimes need to be tweaked here and there before they are published so that they are appropriate for home cooks and also that they meet the magazines standards. I will be testing the recipes and sourcing ingredients that are submitted and in some cases, multiple times. Obviously, I will know more once I start. But I look forward to sharing the recipes, tips and experience here, to the extent that I am allowed, as I did while at FCI. And although I am not permitted to share the details (I had to sign a confidentiality agreement), I will also be recipe testing for the Amateur Gourmet's cookbook over the course of the next year. If you haven't read his book or blog, I highly recommend checking them both out. Stay tuned!

Eye In the Sky

    Apologies for the lack of entries lately, a lot is in the works. I hope you'll stay with me, many posts are coming. In the meantime, here is something to tide you over. Love him or hate him, Time magazine writer and blogger Josh Ozersky does have access to most every big name chef in New York. In this video from his personal website, Josh sits with Daniel Boulod in his "skybox" office above the kitchen at his flagship restaurant Daniel. With a bird's eye view, Daniel explains how his classic French brigade kitchen works. 

Ozersky has caused quite a stir lately after being called out by Village Voice critic Robert Sietsema about a piece he wrote on Time's blog. Whatever your opinions about that, this video is still pretty damn cool.

    If you're interested in what's being called "Ozersky Gate" here is the low down.Or here.

Vegetables Take Center Stage?

Although it's common knowledge that meat can be bad for our health, in the past few years meat has become all the craze. Home butchering, nose-to-tail- eating, pork belly, lardo, charcuturie, haute cuisine burgers and hot dogs are what we've been eating or at least seeing on menus across the country.

But in the past month it appears vegetables are making their move. On Parade Magazine's Blue Plate blog, Chef Mark Fuller of Seattle's Spring Hill restaurant predicted that vegetables are the next big food trend. "Chefs are defiantly sourcing much more locally so it would make sense to showcase the beautiful ingredients from our farmers", he said. Only a few weeks later Chef James Boyce who cooks at Cotton Row Restaurant in Hunstville, Alabama, also told Blue Plate he believes vegetarianism will be the next big trend "due to the high cost of meat and fish." Given what we have seen on the menus lately, it is not the case yet, but they might be onto something.

For a week in May, Animal restaurant in Los Angeles will be halting business for seven nights to host guest chef Jeremy Fox's "Vegetable Dinners." If the name doesn't give it away, Animal is a restaurant that does not shy away from meat. A recent menu feared pig ear, miso cured foie gras and crispy rabbit legs.

Recently superstar chef Mario Batali and partner Joseph Bastianich joined in the Meatless Monday trend by embracing meatless mondays at all of their 14 restaurants. Each restaurant will offer at least two vegetarian options that will be marked with the meatless mondays logo below.

Batali told the Huffington Post, "The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet. Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn't a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet, and support the farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably. That's why I'm such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement." Batali's latest cookbook entitled "Molto Gusto" features recipes where vegetables are the main dish and meat the side dish.

John Fraser and Bill Telepan of the UWS restaurants Dovetail and Telepan respectively have also instituted Meatless Mondays. Dovetail offers a 3 course menu (plus dessert) for $38 which includes fennel confit, barbeque parsnip rib, tokyo turnip and apple ceviche and gnocchi with artichokes, basil and green garlic pesto. Telepan offers a five course, $75 meal that highlights locally sourced peas, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and strawberries.

And finally, while appearing on 60 Minutes, Chef Jose Andres of PBS's Made In Spain, The Bazaar (Los Angeles) and Mini Bar (D.C.), told Anderson Cooper that he believes meat to be "overrated" and "slightly boring." "I believe the future is vegetables and fruits. They are so much more sexier than a piece of chicken."

It's hard to argue with chefs and restaurants of this caliber. And with the obesity epidemic reaching new heights, these chefs might be doing more than they realize for the health of this nation.

A Gift From the Tapeworm

As a thank you for reading this blog (and the others), I wanted to share this great deal with you guys. It was news to me to hear that a year and a half ago Flip Burger opened in the basement of Bloomingdale's on 59th Street. Apparently, I'm not alone there. In an effort to spread awareness Flip is giving away free burgers to anyone who texts "Flip3" to the number 89800. I'm not one for these types of things but I tried it and it worked. And to say the burger was good would be a lie. It was amazing. The menu is a little more complicated than it needs to be. First choose your blend of Pat LaFrieda beef "Hearty" (short rib blend), "Sweet" (brisket blend) or even "Refined" (American Wagyu). Or there is also turkey, tuna, mushroom, lamb, veggie or chicken. Then choose your bun, cheese and toppings. To make things easier I ordered the "Flip Burger": "hearty" beef, American cheese and caramelized onions on a classic bun served with "skinny fries." The burger was a perfect medium, juicy and flavorful. Having been mildly disappointed in the past months by several burgers, including the likes of Bill's Burger Bar, this burger hit the spot. I highly recommend you stop by before May 15th when the deal ends. Enjoy!

For a more in depth review read here. And thanks to Jesse for the info on the burger.

Munchies: The Video

Chef Andrew Carmellini and his restaurant, Locanda Verde, have appeared a few times on this blog. He is a great guy and a great chef. The latest installment in VBS.TV's series "Munchies" (which previously featured the Frankie's guys) has Carmellini and friends (who include Cesare Casella and Del Posto's Mark Ladner) eating at Char No. 4 in Carroll Gardens, Torisi Italian Specialties and of course ending up at Locanda. Just a warning, these videos will make you jealous and hungry. After watching you may be thinking several things. "How can I become friends with these guys?" "I want to live like that!" And probably, "100 layer lasagna? Was Ladner kidding?" No he wasn't.

NOLA

 

If I haven't made it clear or you don't already know, New Orleans is one of my favorite places. And of course it is one of the best food cities in the world. Over my trips there I have been lucky enough to enjoy food prepared by Mario Batali, Thomas Keller, Michael Mena & Gale Gand (all at a charity event); John Besh, Paul Prudhomme, and of course Emeril Lagasse, among others. I have been to Brennan's where the bananas foster was invented. I have had what is probably one of if not the best steaks of my life at Upperline Restaurant. I have devoured beignets at Cafe Du Monde and sucked down spicy crawfish at Frankie & Johnny's. But by far my favorite meal, in fact a life changing meal, was the charbroiled oysters at Acme Oyster House. Once I put one of these babies in my mouth, I felt foolish that I had never had one before. (That is after my eyes could focus again and they picked me off the floor.) The oysters are covered with cheese, butter and garlic and then placed under a fiery hot broiler. They arrive bubbling and hissing with excitement.

I have looked around New York, even out east on Long Island where oysters are abundant and they are nowhere to be found. In fact, even the New Orleans style restaurants in New York like Mara's Homemade, don't have them. Although I prepare them at home, I finally gave up looking and happily gave in to the fact that they are a delicacy that should be enjoyed only in New Orleans.

My most recent visit also took me to the Edible Schoolyard and to sections of the city still devastated by Hurricane Katrina. However,in  the wake of the city's tragedy, the restaurant and food scene has been booming. The people's spirit and the remarkable spirit of the city, unwaivered. I left the city inspired and amazed in an entirely new way. And so last week when I opened the dining section of the New York Times, I was happy to see that Sam Sifton penned an article entitled The Taste Of a Comeback. Read it and begin to appreciate N'awlins for the amazing city that it is.

Maialino: One Of the Best Meals You'll Have

Maialino, Danny Meyer's latest in the Gramercy Park hotel, was easily last year's most talk about restaurant opening. It also happens to be the best new restaurant I've been to in a while. It's the type of restaurant that you can go back to no matter how may times you've been. Check out my review for Eat Life here. Although I wrote it in February and the menu has since changed a bit, there is no doubt it will be as satisfying. This place should not be missed.

Kentucky Derby Traditions

    I've never been too interested in horse racing or the Kentucky Derby but after doing some research for a food2 entry, that might change. Check it out here.

St. Anselm

Joe and Kim Carrol are slowly taking over their small area of Williamsburg. They first made their mark with the specialty beer bar Spuyten Duyvil which was followed by bbq wonderland Fette Sau directly across the street.  Their newest venture, a restaurant called St. Anselm, right next door to Spuyten, was initially intended to be hot dog joint that specialized in "Newark-style" deep fried hot dogs. However, the menu has expanded significantly and now includes nose-to-tail items like beer battered brain, smoked sweet breads, fried gizzard confit, marrow croquettes and foie gras pierogies; there is house made sausage, head cheese and scrapple. There are also White Manna style burgers and of course some interesting beer selections.

If a recent meal at Fette Sau (above) was any indication, St. Anselm, will be another weapon in their arsenal.

Pizza Pt. 2: Lil Frankie's, Artichoke Basil's, Franny's, Roberta's and L'Asso

    My unintentional pizza tour continued to Lil Frankie's Pizza in the East Village. It had been a while since my last visit, but after a few pints at d.b.a. down the street, it seemed like the right time to revisit. With Supper and Frank among it's sister restaurants, Lil Frankie's certainly has it's foot in the Italian pool. While the menu does feature entrees and pastas like Supper and Frank, it's all about the pizzas here. The featured combinations range from robiola cheese, prosciutto di parma & truffle oil to zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms & radichio. But I stuck to the basics and ordered the Salame Piccante pie. Why every pizza place doesn't have soppressata or some variation, other than pepperoni, I'll never know. Lil Frankie's gets it right. The wood burning oven produces a dough that is smokey, crunchy and light. The meatiness and mild spice of the salame, was a perfect combination with the cheese, sauce and dough.

Artichoke Basil's Pizzeria and Brewery on East 14th Street, unlike many of the places I have visited of late serves pizza by the slice. While I felt it was necessary to get the namesake slice (above), I might not get it again. It was delicious, but extremely heavy. Think spinach artichoke dip on pizza dough. The kind of slice you might need to be drunk to fully enjoy. I also tried the margherita slice (below) which was good. The fresh basil and crunchy crust really added that extra something that separates this from an ordinary slice. I tend to like a pizza with a decent amount of sauce and that is light on cheese, and this slice definitely had that going for it. However, the crust was a little over cooked and was a tad dried out. The biggest obstacle though facing Artichoke's is the space problem. The entrance way which is also where you wait to order and you eat if you're not taking it to go, is tiny. And I mean tiny. With only 6 or 7 people, it was difficult to manuevre. I also got the feeling that the people working there didn't care in the least about how long customers had to wait or whether they enjoyed their food. Ultimately, I have to say the pizza failed to live up to the hype.

 

Franny's located on Flatbush Avenue, is another story all together. Opened in 2004, FCI graduate, Andrew Feinberg and his wife Francine Stevens focus is on simplicity. Franny's has quickly become one of Brooklyn's most popular restaurants. With fans like Dan Barber, Alice Waters and mostly everyone in Brooklyn, at any time of day, during any season, Franny's is packed. And surprisingly, it wasn't until just weeks before opening that the couple decided to serve pizza. They certainly have a following now.  Although pizza is the main attraction, the menu consists of a several delicious appetizers (beets with hot pepper, walnuts and pecorino rossellino & caulflower zeppoles), pastas (baked paccheri with pork sausage ragu) and charcuterie. The pizzas aren't cheap though. The meatball pie I ordered, below, although incredibly satisfying, was $17. The crust is soft and smokey and along with toppings like buffalo mozzarella, clams, provolone piccante and hot peppers, Franny's in turning out some of the best pizza in New York. On the back of the menu, Franny's lists their resources. Everything from their meat to flour and even cleaning products are featured. Simply prepared, delicious local ingredients.

 

Roberta's located on an desolate block in Bushwick, is also a game changer. The pizzas are exceptional. The perfectly salty charred crust works in harmony with toppings like pesto, mozzarella, mushrooms and artichokes (The Madd Martigan); the Margherita with proscuitto (below); tomato, brussles sprouts, cotto, sweet onion and pecorino romano (Lion Hart); or the incredibley creamy and indulgent Guanciale & Egg (very top). Although they turn out some of the the city's best pizzas, it doesn't stop there. The menu also features roasted marrow bones, veal sweetbreads and grilled skirt steak. Or during brunch what some consider the best fried chicken in the city, ricotta pancakes and a porchetta sandwich. And in true locavore style the rooftop is also a greenhouse that sources some of the vegetables and herbs that they use in the kitchen.

 
    They can't all be winners can they? L'Asso located in Soho had a similar problem to Artichoke's although without the rave reviews and loyal following. The space itself really needs help. And while I did not have the pizza, I will not be returning to try it.