Fork in the Road

Asparagus at the Greenmarket

2008-05-12 11:01:43

In the dark, wet slog that is New York today, there is a bright spot, and it is green. Asparagus has arrived at the Union Square Greenmarket—the first I've seen this year. The woman (who was huddling in her truck) from Race Farm told me that theirs had just been picked this morning and was the first harvest of the season. Philips Farm also had great-looking bunches on offer.

The Early Word: Ghenet Brooklyn

2008-05-09 08:27:37

We stopped by Ghenet Brooklyn, the new Ethiopian on 4th Avenue in Brooklyn last night. The space is tiny, and encircled with delicate metalwork screens. Since there were four of us, we got the Ghenet combination for four, which turned out to basically mean we got everything on the menu—all the vegetarian dishes, as well as doro watt (spiced chicken stew), and sega watt (spiced beef stew). The combo probably could have fed six—it arrived on an enormous plate, with injera layered below and also served on the side. The doro watt was wonderful—bone-in chicken cooked in a thick, darkly spiced sauce with a boiled egg alongside. And all the vegetarian dishes were equally good. We particularly liked the earthy, lemony collard greens, the stewed red lentils and the cabbage and potatoes. We ate until we couldn't. And the combo was only about $55—a good deal, a good meal, we're fans.

Most Disturbing Foie Gras Headline Ever

2008-05-08 11:53:58

From our friends down under at The Australian newspaper, we get the following gem:

"Obesity leaves children with livers like foie gras"

I'll give you a minute.

It turns out that the scientists quoted in the article don't make that analogy, they simply talk about what the causes and symptoms of a diseased liver are. The editor probably came up with that very vivid image to sex things up a little, in a manner of speaking.

No worries, foie-gras-haters. We can leave the ducks alone now and start farming chubby Australian school children.

Fork in the Road Talks to Chefs about Gastro-Economic Distress

2008-05-06 22:55:15

This week, Fork in the Road talks to chefs who are grappling with the crazy-bad euro/dollar exchange rate.

The problem is not that they can't afford a Paris vacation—no, it's that all those delicious things that come from Europe (like cheese, wine, Mediterranean fish, chanterelles and truffles) are now ridiculously expensive. They can raise prices, but only so much—would you pay $22 dollars for a glass of Champagne? In some cases, that's how much chefs would have to charge to maintain any profit margin. So the chefs are sourcing other ingredients and changing their menus to stay both profitable and relatively affordable.

Our Man Sietsema and Anatomy Known Only to Veterinarians

2008-05-06 22:37:21

This week, Our Man has discovered a Nigerian place in East New York, Brooklyn—and he is really psyched, because although Our Man frequents all manner of African places around the city, a reliable Nigerian spot had eluded him until now.

Not anymore! Enter Festac Grill, where chef/owner Abiodun Imasuen serves several dishes that Our Man thinks are fantastic. (Although he has to convince her that he does indeed like spice before she'll let him order.)

When Imasuen is finally persuaded that Our Man really does want to sample her wares, she comes up with a wonderful goat pepper soup, "bursting" with offal—"kidney, liver, tripe, jelly-like skin, and other anatomic features normally known only to veterinarians."

Our Man also enjoys a simpler fish pepper soup, and the poached porgy. Our Man also approves of the bar snacks, including beef kebabs coated in crushed peanuts.

On a related note, I just found this website, which has a bunch of Nigerian recipes, in case you want to try those dishes at home.

Indiana Primary Special: Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

2008-05-06 13:02:10

Most states have a dish or two that they're known for. New York has plenty: Pizza, cheesecake and bagels to name a few. Texas has barbecue and Tex-Mex, California has tacos and burgers, Massachusetts has clam chowder and the Carolinas have pulled pork.

The non-stop Indiana primary coverage made me wonder what dish Indiana is known for. A first round of Google searching turned up the fact that Indiana produces a lot of corn, which doesn't quite qualify.

But then I came across references to the pork tenderloin sandwich—sounds generic, but it's not. Turns out, this is a very particular sandwich, related to pork schnitzel, but always made with tenderloin, and always deep fried rather than shallow-fried. It's pounded thin, marinated overnight, breaded, fried and then served on a soft white bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo.

There's even a documentary dedicated to the search for the perfect specimen, called "In Search of the Famous Hoosier Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich." You can watch an excerpt here.

There's an awesome blog dedicated to the pork tenderloin sandwich, featuring glamor shots of the porky goodness at various eateries (the guy seems to eat at least two a day) as well as a photo tutorial and recipes for making your own.

Any ex-Hoosiers out there know if this deliciousness is to be had in New York?

New Zealanders Think We're Crazy

2008-05-05 16:36:37

The other day, a man with the most amazing accent called me up. After I got over the loveliness of the phrase "good on you," which I think translates as "thank you," I discovered that I was speaking to Simon Morton, host of This Way Up on Radio New Zealand, and that he wanted me to speak on his show about New York's calorie listing law.

Turns out, New Zealanders are both incredulous and fascinated about our nanny state leanings—first they came for the smokers, then the transfats, and now you can't even enjoy a rainbow cookie at Starbucks without realizing you're about to get really, really fat.

I did the interview last Wednesday, the day after the law actually went into effect (on Tuesday, the stay requested by the Restaurant Association was denied). But restaurants who don't post the calories won't be fined until July, so many are not complying yet.

You can hear the interview (and Simon's accent) here.

Weather Up: Shmancy Cocktails in Prospect Heights

2008-05-05 10:12:29

We stopped by Kathryn Weatherup's new cocktail bar, Weather Up (get it?) this weekend to see what was what.

There were two bartenders working—a tattooed, tank-top wearing woman and a mustachioed (naturally), tie-wearing guy. Both apparently trained under Milk and Honey's Sasha Petraske, and both were very, very serious.

The place has no sign, but can be spotted by the shiny facade, which is done up in smooth white tile that reminds me of an operating room. The small room was busy, but not packed, and they were playing Motown, which is always, always welcome.

The cocktail list sports about a dozen classic drinks, like the Brooklyn, classic daiquiri, dark and stormy and gin fizz. I got a Weather Up, cognac, amaretto and lemon, which was tasty but a little too sweet. I did like the enormous piece of orange peel it was garnished with, because every time I took a sip I got a big, refreshing whiff of orange.

But if I'm going to pay $11 to $15 for a cocktail, I do like for there to be a little bit of comfort involved. There isn't much seating, so you're lucky if you can snag a seat at the bar. And for some reason, the bar doesn't have a foot rest, so if your legs aren't long, you're dangling like a six year old.

If you can deal with the price tag, though, this is a nice option to have in the neighborhood. But I don't think I'd make a special trip from Manhattan. As we were sitting there, watching the very serious bartenders pour and shake, my boyfriend commented that, as trends go, cocktail geekiness is one that's easy to get behind.

Terrine Mania from the UK

2008-05-02 13:18:18

The Guardian's Observer Food Monthly has a fun article from Stéphane Reynaud on making terrines. But not just porky terrines—there's a recipe for spring vegetable terrine with petits pois, new carrots and herbs; a smoked halibut and horseradish terrine; a meaty terrine beaujolaise made with piggy bits; and a milk chocolate crepe terrine.

All the recipes are here. You could throw a dinner party serving nothing but terrines from appetizer to dessert...is that brilliant or horrifying? Discuss.

First Lady Paterson Greens the Mansion, Enjoys Thai Food

2008-05-01 15:45:37

Having come to the Governor's mansion in, ahem, less than ideal circumstances, Michelle Paige Paterson is moving forward with several healthy eating initiatives that make considerably more appetizing headlines.

Today, Paterson announced that she would continue the local and organic food program that was launched last year at the Governor's mansion. The mansion chef buys local and organic produce whenever possible, shopping from a CSA program and a food co-op for New York state-grown produce.

Additionally, Paterson is working with eleven middle schools in Harlem on a project called Healthy Steps. Each student is given a pedometer, and the class to collectively reach four million steps wins a trip to Albany for a meal at the mansion with the Governor and First Lady, as well as a trip to an upstate organic farm. Mush, children, mush!

Our Q&A with the First Lady on where she likes to eat in the city, and why healthy eating is important to her, after the jump.

Tell us about the food program at the governor’s mansion.

The local and organic food program is one of the initiatives that’s part of the greening of the mansion. We buy locally because it helps the economy. And organic food doesn’t have antibiotics and hormones, which makes it healthier.

Why are these issues so important to you? Does it relate to your profession in healthcare?

It relates to my work in healthcare, I’m the director of an integrated wellness program, it’s a program based on healthy living for people with chronic conditions. But I’m also concerned as a mother; I’m very concerned about childhood obesity. To see children in the last couple years just blow up is a real concern to me. That’s why I started the healthy steps program a year ago.

What sorts of dishes have you requested from your chef? Is it a big change to have someone cooking for you?

My family is used to eating healthy, I’ve always been such a health person, so it’s not such a big change for us. We told our chef, Noah, about the things we like to eat, and he prepares them for us. Mr. Paterson never cooked much, but it’s a big change and a welcome change for me. I’m so busy juggling work and family, it’s very hard to cook. And that’s a big problem for everyone: kids are eating McDonald’s and processed foods because the parents are so busy and it’s easier to give the kids money to go to McDonalds. For me, having someone to prepare meals helps me greatly.

What’s next for you—do you have any plans for future initiatives related to food?

Actually, I’m looking to do something similar to Healthy Steps, in schools in Rochester next year. I think it’s very important to get kids involved excited about eating healthy exercising. We need to let them know that healthy food can taste good.

When you’re in New York City, what restaurants do you like eat at?

I tend to like Thai food. I try to go to restaurants that to cook healthy, that don’t use so much processed food. David and I recently had lunch with Ted Turner at one of his restaurants, the Montana Grill. It’s very healthy, they don’t use meat with any antibiotics, they don’t use plastics, and they’re very interested in helping the environment.

I’m sure neither of you has time now, but when your family cooks what do you like to prepare?

We eat a lot of chicken and fish, stir-fries with vegetables…David does like lamb, so every now and then we’ll eat lamb chops

What would people be surprised to see in your fridge?

Well you know, just because we eat healthy doesn’t mean we never eat anything unhealthy. We eat in moderation—everything in moderation.