Monthly Archives: October 2013

T.W. Food Wine Series Dinner: LANGUEDOC

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T.W. Food has been on my to-do list for quite some time. On Tuesday nights you can partake in their wine series dinners (all wines based around a specific region); 4 course prix fixe menu with wine pairings for $55. Total steal and we luck out with Languedoc! All the wines were incredible (side note: thought it strange that they weren’t poured table side). Every course was great except dessert. The squash was not my cup of tea (bitter, bitter, bitter), but the thyme ice cream was heavenly! The service was superb. Can’t wait to try their brunch!

seafood

Course 1

SMOKED SCALLOP
crispy oyster, cannellini bean, leek
POTATO-GARLIC BISQUE
almond, lavender

Pairing:

PICPOUL DE PINET, DOMAINE GUILLEMARINE,
POMEROLS, FRANCE 2013

beef

Course 2

GRASS-FED BEEF
garlic rubbed flank steak,
saffron risotto

Pairing:

PINOT NOIR, DOM. BRUNET, LIMOUX, FRANCE
2011

cheese

Cheese Course:

POMORAL
cow’s milk cheese, france

Pairing:

LE LOUP DANS LA BERGERIE, JEAN ORLIAC, VDP
DU VAL DE MONTFERRAND, FRANCE 2012

dessert

Dessert:

APPLE AND SQUASH “TARTE TATIN”
thyme ice cream

Pairing:

ROSÉ FRIZANT, MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC, VDP
D’HERAULT, LANGUEDOC, FRANCE NV

Pork and Apple Pie with Cheddar Sage Crust

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Pork, sage, apple meat pieFall is upon us! This pork and apple pie with cheddar sage crust pairs perfectly with a crisp autumn day. I was sent this recipe in a newsletter from The Meat Market, but the original comes from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook. You can find the recipe here.

I can’t take credit for this pie, I was just lucky enough to eat it. The flavors were wonderful and the crust was fantastic!

Chef’s notes:

I reduced the amount of apples from 3lbs to 2lbs. This seemed to be a more balanced meat to fruit ratio and a smaller pie pan could be used. I also did not pulse the meat in a food processor. Although, traditionally many of these meat pies were placed in a meat grinder until a coarse sand-like texture was achieved, I prefer the heartier pebble-like consistency that ground pork supplies.

With so many wonderful flavors in this meat pie, the sage crust can really get overpowered. When I make this again I would increase the amount of dried sage from 2 teaspoons to 3 teaspoons. Alternatively, you could add some fresh or dried sage to the apples while browning them.

 

 

Num Pang – NYC

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Num Pang - Chelsea Market

Num Pang – Chelsea Market

When I lived in New York, I never made it to Num Pang. I was extremely excited to find out that they opened one in Chelsea Market. Not in the mood for meat or seafood, I opted for the Spicy Tofu special. Honestly, not a good call. It was extremely salty and they left the cilantro on the stem. I love cilantro, but didn’t enjoy having to eat the whole stem in one bite. Next time, I’ll try one of their classics.

Spicy Organic Tofu Sandwich

Spicy Organic Tofu Sandwich

 

 

 

Dough – Brooklyn

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Coffee Cream, Dulce de Leche with Toasted Almonds

Coffee Cream, Dulce de Leche with Toasted Almonds

Top row: chocolate earl grey, toasted coconut, hibiscus Bottom Row: Cafe Au Lait, Cinnamon Sugar

Top row: chocolate earl grey, toasted coconut, hibiscus Bottom Row: Cafe Au Lait, Cinnamon Sugar

It’s Sunday morning and the line outside Dough isn’t too long. They are already sold out of one of the specials, Apple Jam. We go with Coffee Cream, Dulce de Leche with Toasted Almonds, Hibiscus, Toasted Coconut, Cafe Au Lait, Chocolate Earl Grey, and Cinnamon Sugar. All good, but my favorite is Cafe Au Lait! Aside from doughnuts, they serve Brooklyn Roasting coffee and also sell their beans.

All the doughnuts here are yeast based (sorry, cake doughnut lovers). According to this post from The New Yorker in June 2013, however, Gerson (owner) is experimenting with cake doughnut recipes. I look forward to my next visit and hope to see some!

Dutch Boy Burger and Franklin Park – Brooklyn

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Beer garden at Franklin Park

Beer garden at Franklin Park

Burgers, beer garden, skee ball, photo booth – it’s a crowd pleaser! Dutch Boy Burger and Franklin Park are connected, allowing guests the options of eating at Dutch Boy (diner decor and seating) or at the bar or beer garden at Franklin Park. With winter just around the corner, we decide to park ourselves at a picnic table in the beer garden.

photo (4)We order a turkey burger, lamb burger, and sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries with maple mayo are the highlight of the meal. Addictive and not overly sweet, the maple mayo wins me over! The beer list is decent, with plenty of options to please everyone at your table.

Brunch at Tink’s – NYC

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A row of chicken and waffles!

A row of chicken and waffles!

Saturday afternoon brunch at Tink’s, they were kind enough to accommodate our party of 9 even though the restaurant is super tiny. On Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30am to 4pm there’s a prix fixe brunch; choice of entree, coffee or tea, and a mimosa for $16. Coffee, food, service, and ambiance were excellent! The quirky decor is adorable and they bring checks out in children’s books (Amelia Bedelia, Goosebumps, cute!).

Food:

photo (1)Chicken & Waffles – multi-grain waffles, pretzel crusted fried chicken, chipotle honey butter

The chicken was great, pretzel crunch was delicious. The waffles were good, a bit on the heavy side due to the multi-grain batter. Combined with the heaviness of the pretzel coating, perhaps a regular buttermilk waffle would have been more appropriate. The chipotle honey butter was like a spicy version of sweet and sour sauce and paired well with the chicken.

photo (3)Biscuits & Gravy – homemade smothered biscuits, sausage gravy, herbs and sunny side up organic eggs

I enjoyed the slight spicy heat in the gravy. Since I started with the chicken, the dish seemed to lack texture. Overall, it was great, but the chicken was my favorite.

 

Otto Pizza – Brookline

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I finally tried Otto! It was totally jammed on a Sunday night. We had a large Apple, Bacon and Red Onion pizza with red sauce and a great pinot noir from 14 Hands. For dessert, mini whoopie pies stuffed with vanilla ice cream. Everything was lovely and I’ll be back! Next time, I’m ordering two small pizzas to share instead of a large so I can try more flavors. I love that you can sit at the bar and order a drink and a slice if you can’t commit to a whole pie. A perfect option before or after a movie at Coolidge Corner Theatre.

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Portland Day 5 & 6

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20131011-132241.jpgBreakfast at Heart. Croissant, maple scone, and an almond milk latte. The décor is really cute and the roaster behind the bar area certainly adds a bit of charm. The coffee was good, but the baked goods were just alright. I did enjoy that they offered pretzels for breakfast, but did not indulge.

Lunch at Olympic Provisions, stellar! We ordered 3 cheeses (BLEU D’AUVERGNE, France; COWGIRL CREAMERY MT TAM, California; CYPRESS GROVE MIDNIGHT MOON, California), the Spanish charcuterie board (two Spanish salamis, lomo, jamon york, fresh chorizo, Caña de Cabra), a pickled egg, and pork rillettes. We sat at the bar and watched them artfully prepare our meal, ate everything, and wished would could rewind and do it again.

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No photos for the rest of the trip, but in the evening we headed out for drinks at New Old Lampoc. Then more drinks and a nosh (smoked cheddar and tasso grit sticks) at Southland Whiskey Kitchen. Having had zero Mexican food during my whole trip, I have a craving that cannot be ignored. We find our way to Santeria, a little Mexican place which also goes by “titty taco” since they share a bathroom with the strip club downstairs. The food is solid and I am happy to be eating guacamole again!

DAY 6

Heading home super early with a stopover in Chicago, I just mention this because Rick Bayless is a saint for creating edible airport food. Thanks to Frontera, my layover was actually pleasant.