I don’t know when sushi shaped like cats, or cats eating cute pieces of sushi became a popular image, but I am glad it did. What could be cuter then a salmon roll with a smiling cartoon cathead on it? Or a game where you play a round blue feline who eats sushi? Either way, sushi and cats, what a perfect combo.

One thing you should know, I think Starbucks is brilliant.  Well, more I think the people behind the brand are brilliant.  Not only have they made coffee into a luxury and necessary item, but they have trained us to ask for it by funny names like caramel macchiato, or crave a skinny vanilla latte, or even worse, use a benign size system.  Tall?  What does that mean?  I worked in a cafe for over 5 years and nothing was more annoying then someone asking for a grande macchiato when really they meant a medium (I think) latte.

But I digress.  The real purpose of this post is to bring up this company’s struggle to get one of their shops in every darn neighborhood possible.  Manhattan is already riddled with these stores and at one point, standing on the corner of Astor Place and St. Mark’s Place you could see three Starbucks at once.  That is ridiculous.  Since they have snatched up the real estate on the island, it’s not surprising they are making their way into Brooklyn.  For years, we have heard rumors of Starbucks opening up in Fort Greene, which, luckily has not happened and instead, we have gotten an influx of new, cute coffee shops like Bittersweet, Smooch, and Tillie’s (my past employer).  But it’s not just Fort Greene, there have also been whispers of Starbucks opening in Williamsburg.  And this time, it might be true.  Gothamist came out with a well-rounded article about the matter and the crappy deal being handed the current residences of Starbucks’ potential home.

The Bagel Store, which has been around for almost a decade, recently got told their rent was doubling.  Come on, in this economy you are doubling the rent of a shop that serves bagels?  What do you want them to do, start peddling crack to make up the difference?  But it’s more then just Starbucks moving in (which I don’t think the Williamsburg hipsters would let it happen, and, if it did, they would surly boycott in favor of the Verb, Ella Cafe, or any of the other superior coffee joints around), the worst part of the story, is how a landlord can really change the hood, just by being a greedy f**ker.  That’s right, I called him a f**ker. Even if the taxes were raised, it wouldn’t constitute a rent two times the current one. My only hope is that they come to an agreement or else The Bagel Shop loses their sleek shop and the store will either remain empty till someone can pay the high fee, or something like a Starbucks fills the space.  The way things are now seem perfectly fine to me.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a party at the Brazilian Consulate in honor of Leticia Moreinos Schwartz’s new cookbook, The Brazilian Kitchen.  The small room was packed with Schwartz’s family, friends, publisher, and other food-oriented people mulling about the makeshift bar and sipping fresh made Cabana sponsored caipirinhas.  As we downed the dangerously delicious cocktails, plates of finger food created from recipes in Schwartz’s book made the rounds.  From delicate puffs of hot cheese bread (page 16), to the heavy and fried beef croquettes (page 23) and black-eyed pea fritters (page 31), and to the rich caipirinha flavored bonbons (page 166), the samplings of the evening barely brushed the contents of her book.

Schwartz, born and raised Rio de Janeiro, takes her country’s cuisine to heart and well beyond this American’s knowledge of it.  As she gave a speech to the full and slightly tipsy crowd, tears came to her eyes.  “We are known for our carnival, for our caipirinhas, for samba, and our parties,” she said.  “But I want it to be our food that stands out.”  With recipes like the classic moqueca de peixe (Brazilian fish stew, page 64), torta capixaba (baked shellfish frittata, page 82), and crème brulee de abacate (avocado crème brulee, page 138), Schwartz not only keeps her native cuisine alive, but makes it more accessible to cooks in this country.  With over 100 recipes, I can’t wait to have a little samba, cocktail, dinner party of my own.

One recent Friday afternoon, I found myself with an hour to kill and was conveniently located near Union Square and its fabulous greenmarket.  Normally I just rush about, wanting and craving everything I see, but either I have no cash, or don’t want to carry my bounty around town.  This time, while the fresh veggies, eggs, and meat tempted me, what really pulled me in was the goat stand.  For about 20 years, Ellie Hushour has owned and operated the Patches of Star Dairy in Nazareth, PA, and her goaty goods are found every week at the green market.  She sells goat milk, yogurt, and cheese, all packaged fresh, with no preservatives, and at reasonable prices.

Given that I had a bundle of beets at home, I instantly started craving roasted beet and goat cheese salad, one of the simplest things to make.  So, I strolled over to her stand and asked which cheese would go best.  Hushour recommended the honey chevre ($5 or $8 for two) and boy was she right.  When I got home, I whipped up my meal and marveled at how the light honey in the cheese complemented the sugariness of the beets.  Together they rounded off nicely and I ate the whole, healthy thing.

photo by Randy Mayor (from Cooking Light)

Man, so about a month ago I took on the task of rounding up the best all-you-can-eat joints in the city.  My results? You can now see them HERE in this week’s Time Out New York! My all time favorite one was Cabrito, mostly because the staff was so nice and their tacos-AMAZING.  Of course, from fried chicken, to piles of meat, to delicate mussels, all these places are good, I tried each one in less then a week.  Still not sure how I did it, I mean, that is a lot of food.  Lucky me, it seems I was born with a second stomach.

Does anyone have a good all-you-can-eat place that I missed? Always looking for more places to gorge.

Tacos at Cascabel

Hey kids, I figure you have noticed I have been slooooooow at posting. I guess the more you write about the food the harder it is to keep up the blog. The good news is, there are tons of reviews for you to read! I have also started writing for Edible Brooklyn, which is pretty exciting.  Anyway, all these restaurants are Mexican themed, my favorite. Click the link to read full review.

Piquant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; New York Press:

“With drinks in hand, we got down to the task of choosing from the vast menu, which featured first course options like tacos, sides, sliders, soups, salads, ceviches and entrées.We started with the crab quesadilla ($12); the lightly fried tortilla came in four wedges stuffed with hearty crabmeat structured around a mound of cool jicama slaw.What made this dish truly stand out was the addition of a rich black bean sauce swirled with a tangy ginger lime cream, which I slathered on each bite.  All the food on the menu gets its inspiration from chef and owner David Sharp’s Texas upbringing and love for Southwestern and Mexican food. Piquant is the ex-Mustang Grill chef’s first solo venture, and he plans to focus on the spicy (piquant) flavors of this cuisine.”

Beef rib at Piquant

Cascabel in the Upper East Side; Our Town

“The menu at Cascabel says, “Eat, Drink, Love Tacos.” And this is exactly what you will do at this new taqueria.  With the sudden boom in places dishing up Mexican street food, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by new-fangled taco combinations and attention-grabbing slogans. Cascabel is also a bit gimmicky, as it’s completely decked out in lucha libre (the stylish Mexican wrestlers) icons. From the figurines behind the counter to wood block prints by Brooklyn designer Ulla Florholmen and two large wrestlers painted on the wall, there is no lack of kitsch in this small laid-back café.  But don’t get too distracted. The real star here is the food.”

Fonda in Park Slope, Brooklyn; New York Press

“Fonda, translated into English, means “inn,” but Roberto Santibañez’s Mexican restaurant in Park Slope has nothing inn-like about it. It does, however, sport a chic Brooklyn charm with exposed brick walls, small wooden tables and a candle-lit backyard fenced in with thick logs.  As we took our seats one recent night, a young man from Mexico dashed over to us with menus and a smile, marking the beginning of a beautiful waiter-ship; throughout the evening, he was courteous, sharp, available and just plain nice.We immediately ordered gigantic glasses of sangria, one each of the red and white ($7).The single cup filled with the cool mixture of wine, brandy and fruit stayed with us through the meal, not a small feat for someone who enjoys this drink almost to a fault.”

Inside Los Feliz

Los Feliz in the Lower East Side; New York Press

“Adding to the décor, the laid-back approach of the staff gives this taco and tequila joint a sense of establishment—more than we can say for the scattershot Spitzer’s Corner, owned by the same folks. More important than the dining room, though, is the kitchen, which utilizes the culinary skills of Mexican chef Julieta Ballesteros, whose team has created an eccentric menu of tacos, salads, quesadillas and ceviches.  Since they are the new bahn mi, I decided to focus on tacos. From carefully seared scallops to braised pork or fried chicken, the nine combinations offered steer far away from the classic Mexican street food the restaurant attempts to emulate.The food is just too complicated without the necessary punch of flavor a taco calls for. Served in disposable paper bowls like boardwalk snacks, the tiny tacos come two per order and are paired with a chipotle tomato salsa and mild tomatillo sauce, neither one packs any heat.”

I love Rick’s Picks, especially their Smokra‘, a delightfully spicy, paprika spiked pickled okra.  But what, pray tell, do you do with the wonderful brine leftover after you finish these addictive beauties?  The other day I was faced with such a conundrum, I didn’t want to throw it out, but saving it, really?  Well my answer was right on the jar: use as a meat marinate.  Yum.

So, I stopped by Whole Foods and bought a thick cut pork chop ($6.30) from the meat counter and brought it home.  There, I cut the piece of meat into six large chunks and plopped them into the jar.  Nothing could have been easier.  I let the pork sit for a couple days before I cooked it up in a frying pan.  No oil, no spice, just some heat to cook the meat.  After it browned in the juices on medium heat, I drained it and added some quartered Brussels sprouts.  That’s it, an easy, no mess meal.  When the meat was done, the spice of the brine shone through with a peppery tang.  Because it had sat in the marinate for so long, the pork was super moist.  Next time, I might try to put two pork chops in the jar and share, but I guess that means I need a new jar of Smokra’…oh darn.

Yesterday I hit up Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene to hear Louisa Shafia talk about her book, Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life.  Well, let’s be a little more candid, I mainly went to try the food she whipped up from recipes in this stunning cookbook.  On the table, she had a briny, crisp red cabbage, apple, and dulse salad (page 86),  a fluffy, fresh tortilla Espanola (page 36), and the bittersweet, flourless chocolate cake with prune puree and hazelnuts (page 65).  Um, yum?!  Each hor’dourves sized bite had a unique, refreshing flavor, but the best part, Shafia had gotten all her ingredients from the Fort Greene Farmer’s Market.

Now that’s ambition, and a theme throughout Lucid Food.  The book is broken down into seasons, fall, winter, spring, and summer, and works on the premise that the world would be a better functioning place if we stopped trying to cater to foods that don’t naturally grow year round.  Take for example asparagus and strawberries.  The latter is always best in peak season, but still we insist on having them available to us.  One way around this, Shafia said, is to freeze and can foods.  The raspberry puree, which lended a burst of berry tartness to her chocolate cake bites, were frozen by the farmer, not shipped across the world.

Shafia spent a little under a year writing, researching, and cooking for her book and in the end, she has produced a wonderful piece on how to eat more consciously both for yourself, and the environment.  “The book was my way of showing people you can eat with the seasons, eat local, and more consciously,” she said.  “People think it’s hippy food but I am trying to break the stereotype.”  With recipes I am eager to try like the Fesenjan (chicken in pomegranate walnut sauce) and the spring dish, spot prawns with garlic, sorrel, and white wine, there is nothing hippy-like about her dishes.

“My gang and I dove into six of the options, all sized small, all gooey, all damn tasty. Each of the dishes was baked to perfection, with the insides hot and melty and the top brown and crispy. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to get an order, but every one is made fresh. My favorite of the ones we sampled was the “Mac lobsta’” ($8.99). It surprised me due to its unbelievable lightness, explained by the use of mascarpone cheese instead of a classic cheddar or fontina. Because of the mild nature of the cheese, the freshness of the lobster chunks really came through, and mixed with tarragon and cognac, the flavors eased together to create a rich and delicious combo.”

Peacefood Cafe in Upper West Side (West Side Spirit/Our Town)

“A dining experience can be many things, but rarely does it prove comical by nature. I don’t mean rolling on the floor laughing because your waiter is really a comedian or the counter person does improv, but the kind of humor one looks back on with a groan of disbelief, as if to say, “Did that really happen?”
The service at Peace Food café invokes these feelings, and if the vegan and raw food menu didn’t offer up several culinary gems, I would advise you to avoid the madness. It started with a glass of water.”

Passing the Bar: Der Schwarze Kolner (New York Press)

“Can you have a biergarten without the garten? It appears so at Der Schwarze Kolner, one of the newest players in the biergarten craze that seems to be replacing the understandably tired speakeasy trend.

This Fort Greene bar adds to the neighborhood’s already full dance card of establishments from dive bars like the Alibi (full disclosure: I tend bar there on occasion), sports bars like Mullanes, wine bars like Stonehome and even the hood’s own “secret” bar,The Hideout. So, if Der Schwarze Kolner can’t offer a garden to drink in, what does it bring to the already bar-saturated area? Beer. Glorious German beer.”