bar boulud

Friday didn't get off to the best start.

After a painfully restless night's sleep, I awoke to a text message from my boss which read, "Are you coming in today?" Again: I WOKE UP TO A TEXT MESSAGE FROM MY BOSS. Panic-stricken, I glanced at the time, 10:00am, and let out a loud "OH MY GOD!" (expletives may or may not have been involved) and shot out of bed so fast it's a miracle I didn't shoot through the ceiling. With tears welling up in my eyes and all color stripped from my face, I threw on my clothes and bolted out the door, mortified and in absolute disbelief of the entire episode. If you know me, you know how unbelievably out of character this is. Tardiness is a pet peeve of mine. Promptness brings me great pride. That said, Friday started off in a rather upsetting (and equally unsettling) way.

Needless to say, the traumatic wake-up call set the tone for an off day. And while I realize nobody is a fan of those kind of days, I just couldn't seem to snap myself out of it. I went through the motions of the day like a discombobulated zombie with tired eyes and a quivering lip.

Okay. Woe is me time is over. Because nothing turns a bad day around like a glass of bubbly. Stop. Rewind. Allow me to rephrase that: Nothing turns a bad day around like a glass of Cuvée Daniel Grand Cru Brut at Bar Boulud.

Pierre Paillard, "Cuvée Daniel" Grand Cru, Brut NV was popped and poured by Mr. Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier of Bar Boulud (and do yourself a favor and introduce yourself -- he's so unbelievably knowledgeable and friendly and inspired and has a story to tell about each and every bottle on the wine list. It's an absolute treat to have him walk you through the wines. And his passion for his craft is undeniably infectious.) And after the first sip, I could feel the vibrantly aromatic and yeasty bubbles start to tickle my nose, my senses and lift my spirits. These bubbles were bringing me back to life.

And then there was a glass of 2009 Weingut Gross "Klassik" Sauvignon Blanc from Austria. Absolute loveliness through and through. With pear and wet stone on the nose, this wine's acidity got frisky with me. And I was happy to oblige.

After an awfully impressive and handsome charcuterie spread was brought to the table (I'm a pushover for paté and the headcheese was dangerously delicious), as was a bottle of 2007 Rene Rostaing Coteaux du Langeudoc. Deep, dark, plump plums on the nose with more juicy fruit on the palate, this wine served as my blanket (we were seated outside). I was comfy. Relaxed. Happy to sip. And sip.

And recklessly devour some serious paté de grand-mère.

I was back, baby.

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway

i embedded! HOORAY!

PILOT: danish style oysters

I'm pinching myself in absolute disbelief that my dream of filming a pilot/cooking demonstration has actually come to fruition. Aimee Herring, famed photographer extraordinaire, recently filmed me making a Daniel Boulud recipe, Danish Oysters Style. And you guys? She's flipping amazing. Her vision and style were exactly what I only could have hoped and dreamed to pull off. I'm so proud and unbelievably honored to have such a talented, caring, and generous person in my life. So to Aimee, a million bajillion thanks. I am in awe of your work.

Since I'm unable to embed the video here, please follow this link to watch.

Oysters Danish Style with Cucumber and Quick-Pickled Shallots
Recipe Courtesy of Daniel Boulud, New York Magazine
*I halved the recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shallots, cut in 1/8-inch dice
12 oysters (Malpeque, Winter Point, or Glidden Point)
1/2 cup cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch dice
1 tablespoon sliced chives
2 tablespoons chopped dill, plus fronds for garnish
Salt and ground white pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used fat free)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the distilled vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the shallots, and set aside for 1 hour.

Scrub the oysters well, and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 2 minutes, and remove immediately. Open the oysters, remove the top shell, and run a knife under the oyster to cut the muscle, taking care not to spill the juice. Set the oysters on a flat tray covered with crumpled aluminum foil to keep the oysters level and hold their juices. Chill until ready to serve.


Strain the shallots, and mix with the cucumber, chives, and 2 tablespoons dill; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix the yogurt with the remaining dill in a small bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble, top each oyster with a spoonful of the cucumber-shallot relish and finish with 1/2 teaspoon of the yogurt-dill sauce. Garnish with a dill frond.

Serve 3 oysters per guest.

*Special, ridiculous amounts of thanks to:
Neil Hallsworth for Editing and Directing
Robert Donatucci for Wardrobe Styling
The Lobster Place
Manhattan Fruit Exchange
Chelsea Wine Vault

(no) turkey day

Alright so time is flying and it's already that time of the year again. The one day where everyone in America is focused on one thing and one thing only: dinner. Which quite frankly is my focus every other 364 days of the year but hey, whatever. In fact, it's kind of odd. The Thanksgiving meal is not one that particularly moves me. There's almost too much tradition involved that it doesn't leave room for anything new or creative. But I get it. It's a comfy meal because it's consistent. And we all love a little consistency in our lives wherever we can get it. And if it happens to be by ways of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing in a bag, well, then so be it.

But here's the thing. This year's Thanksgiving crowd has dwindled to a somewhat sad number. Three (now four). And actually, that's quite alright because I'm taking this year as an opportunity to say goodbye to the turkey.

How many of you did I lose on that bold statement? Hear me out though. Last year, I went through the trouble (willingly, of course) of brining the bird for a solid 36+ hours then roasting it breast side down first (which apparently also maximizes juiciness) then flipped it back over, basted it with its juices, etc. I did everything humanly possible to make sure that last year's turkey would not come out dry. And while it might have been slightly juicier than in years past, slightly is the operative word here. All that work for not nearly enough in return.

Fact of the matter is, turkey is almost always inevitably dry. And it's something that I think a lot of people forgive because they can drown it in gravy and pull the "but it's tradition card." But here's my argument: I want what I put out to be the absolute best that it can possibly be. Always. And if that means by throwing some chickens into the oven to roast just until they're perfectly crispy on the outside and tender, flavorful, and JUICY on the inside, then that's what I'm going to do. All the "traditional" sides will be there to make us all feel like we're playing along with the holiday minus some trytophan-induced drowsiness.

So after that long winded but required explanation, this year's spread will be as follows:

Starters:

Oysters Danish Style with Cucumber and Pickled-Shallot Relish (Daniel Boulud recipe from New York Magazine)

One or two soft, slightly stinky cheeses served with grapes and sliced apple

Main Event:

Roasted Chicken with Orange, Lemon, Garlic, and Sage

Ing's Mashed Potatoes

Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries (last year's biggest hit. make these!)

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Homemade Cranbery Sauce with Orange Zest

Baby Greens with Bosc Pear and Goat Cheese dressed with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Dessert:

Obligatory Pumpkin Pie (and one of the only sweets I indulge in)

So who's stepping up this year and helping in the kitchen? My hope is for all of you to contribute to at least one dish that you can proudly present at the table to your family and friends. Whether it's one of the recipes shown above or one of your own, I'd love to hear what's going to be dished up on your plate this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

dbgb kitchen and bar

Now, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you and I apologize to anyone this might offend. But, there aren't any pictures to accompany this post (besides the one above courtesy of Gourmet, may you rest in peace). And it's a shame too, because the food I was so lucky to experience last night at DBGB, was pretty beautiful and nothing short of divine.

Toss in a Jacques Pépin sighting and this place officially has made its way up to the top of my restaurant list.

After reviewing the menu and looking over other peoples reviews (yes, this is what I do prior to dining almost anywhere. weird? eh, whatever), I arrived still not having a clue as to what I was going to order. But no need to worry. Upon entering the bustling bar/front room I was amazed at how bumping the place was for a Wednesday night. But, a reminder of their recent two star review in the New York Times shut me up in no time. Cozy on up to the bar and order one of their many artisan beers on tap. Have the bartender surprise you. You will be pleasantly surprised. And keep a hawk's eye on any and all tables about to open up. Keep in mind that this could get confrontational and aggressive if need be. Deep breaths. Remain calm.

To start? Oysters: Welfleet and Kumamoto. Would it be terrible to say (given the restaurant's sausage notoriety) that this was one of the absolute highlights of the meal? Served atop a bed of crushed ice with lemon wedges and a bright and peppery mignonette they were sheer delight in its purest, cleanest form.

Next was a bottle of an Alsacian Riesling: 2005 Domaine Mittnacht Freres Riesling Rosacker Grand Cru. Now, never having had a real Riesling experience, this wine kind of blew my mind. And choosing a wine to suit oysters immediately followed by sausage is no easy task. But it was the absolute perfect accompaniment. Slightly sweet, incredible acidity and length, with hints of golden apple on the finish, it's a smile inducer.

The chipolata sausage (pork sausage with whipped potatoes topped with shaved truffle) and polonaise (smoked pork and veal kielbasa with red cabbage, beets, apple) were the epitome of comfort food. The first tasted like a perfect Sunday night meal on steroids with the addition of the luxurious shaved truffle. The kielbasa was spectacularly smokey and paired with the sweet red cabbage slightly spiked with what tasted like allspice, was hitting all the right notes at the same time. A real treat.

Skate with cauliflower (and romensco) risotto, saffron brown butter, topped with pine nuts and golden raisins was the main. A bold flavored fish with the somewhat reserved but distinct flavor of the cauliflower and a hint of sweetness from the raisins, this dish too was pretty hard to beat.

And with the Riesling? OMG, the Riesling.

Yes, this is currently a NYC hot spot and has foodies and wannabes alike flocking to it but you know what? It's for darn good reason. Daniel Boulud is nothing short of a genius and his relaxed but absolutely industrialized chic new place and straightforward but inventive menu all add up to a pretty perfect little spot.

If you've got what it takes to fight for a table.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar

299 Bowery St. (at E. Houston)