A Food Coma

Experiencing some technical difficulties, which is why we’re looking a bit different today. Something happened in the bowels of Wordpress and we’re scrambling to make it right again. Crazy!

But don’t fear! You can still access all the content and read the RSS feed. Navigation categories are at the top of the page.

Stick with us and we’ll be up and running as usual within a few days!

Cheers,

Alexandra

xo

You’ve heard them all by now. Blizzardgate. Snowmaggedon. Snowpocalypse. Snomigod.

And coming this Wednesday, Snow Day 2: Return to Ice Mountain.

I spent my weekend being snowed in like the rest of the northeast. The edges of Saturday and Sunday blend together; some 30 Rock, some Battlestar Galactica, a pair of striped flannel jammies. I turned my phone off most of the time. There might have been a few pots of Irish Breakfast tea involved.

The forced relaxation was simply heaven.

Then late Sunday, just as the Saints were winning Superbowl XLIV, I received the sweetest knock on my door.

“Hey Allie, I’m doing some baking,” said my adorable neighbor. “The first batch will be ready in a few minutes, but we’re making cookies.”

Oh good Lord. I could already smell the chocolate.

“The cookies are vegan, by the way. Want to come over?”

Um, YES. Yes pleeeeaseee.

Wait, does that mean I have to put on regular pants?

This crackle-topped cookie has a fudgey chocolate interior and a chewy bite. Rolling in sugar gives it a bit of crackle, while the addition of cayenne pepper adds a bit of deep flavor. The book suggests a 1/2 tsp, which we used, though I found the effect to be a bit muffled. If you like spice (as we all know I do), add a bit more by the 1/4 tsp to suit your tastes.

My neighbors rock. Thanks Nate!

Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 tablespoons almond milk (Or your preferred non-dairy milk)

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil,  sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in vanilla extract.
Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls.

In a flat plate, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Roll the balls into the sugar topping, then flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Quickie review: Oyster House

Even after a thorough washing, I could still smell the potent cajun spices on my fingertips an hour later.

And that’s not a complaint.

Last Tuesday I got a chance to check out the new specials over at Oyster House.

Terrible iPhone photos aside, the dish pictured above was pretty spectacular when plopped on the table, even if just by the aromas alone. As part of a new Tuesday night special, you’ll hunker down to a feast of shrimp and whole Louisiana crawfish, both in their shells, served with chunks of kielbasa and boiled red potatoes. It’s all cooked in Creole spices and meant to be eaten with the hands. The crawfish are a bit fiddly but if your technique is right, you can get a decent amount of meat from their teeny tails. Just ask for extra wet naps and you’ll be golden.

My dining partner and I felt the shrimp were the real stars here; slightly sweet and plumped with the flavorful cooking broth (which you can order on the side for dipping if you choose). I do wish there would have been more heat to the dish, which ranged in spice from mild to slightly-less-mild as we went through.

The $19 special is available every Tuesday during dinner hours only. It’s is big enough to share, though we’d recommend ordering an appetizer or half dozen anything from the raw bar.

If you’re on a budget (and who isn’t) and can only afford one dish (to save some moolah for drinks), make it the sauteed mussels with spinach and sausage in garlic cream sauce. Phenomenal.

Oyster House -

1516 Sansom Street

Philadelphia, PA.

215-567-7683

oysterhousephilly.com

[A full report of the experience can be found at Philadelphia City Paper on the Meal Ticket food blog. If you have any questions, please email alexandra.harcharek@citypaper.net.]

It’s that time of year again. No, it’s not the dreaded Hallmark Superficial Love Day yet (don’t remind me)…it’s New York City Winter Restaurant Week!

From now through Feb 7, you can dine at lunch or dinner on three-course, prix-fixe meals for $24.07 and $35. Eighteen years in the making, this twice-a-year event just seems to get bigger and better as time goes on.

Last year, the winter “week” ended up stretching on and on and on…perhaps as a recession buster? Diners have to eat, businesses have to make money. Either way, I’m happy to snatch up a rezzie at one of the 260 participating restaurants this year. Be sure to call early or pick your tables online or feel the wrath of the Friday night wait list.

Attending various Restaurant Week deals, like the one in Philly this past week, has long been one of my favorite tricks. If you book early and spend a bit of time browsing the participants, you can get a chance to visit expensive, fabulously plush eateries for a relatively affordable price.

This year they’re switching it up with the addition of the Restaurant Week Truck, where you can get your fix of gourmet grub on the go. For a unique lunch break, try soups from from 24 participating restaurants, like Black Duck and 21 Club. The menu changes daily so try your luck or check it out online here. The best news: $1 of your $6 purchase will be donated to a Haiti Relief Fund to aid disaster-relief efforts.

I’m sorry I missed out on the crab, corn and chorizo chowder from Delmonico’s Steakhouse, served Monday. Today’s picks? A roasted winter squash and carrot bisque from ‘21′ Club and lobster bisque from Chez Josephine. My mouth is already watering.

You can catch the truck at these three stops or follow movements on Twitter at @nycgo.

Jan 25–29: Broadway (bet. 50th and 51st Sts.)

Feb 1–3: Fifth Ave. (bet. 18th and 19th Sts.)

Feb 4–5: Greenwich St. (bet. Warren and Murray Sts.)

So you want some tips?

Scour the listings, find something you like. Take a look at the food they’re offering and see what catches your eye. Don’t be afraid to be bold! Then took at the price range and aim for something that has $$$ or $$ listed next to it – if you’re paying a $35 price fixe menu, go for the places that usually charge big bucks!

Once you narrow it down to three or four places, call up and see if there’s a table! I recommend going for a long and leisurely lunch to take advantage of the cheaper menu – usually it’s the same food, just a bit smaller portions.

I’ve had really great experiences at Jean-Georges restaurants (Perry Street, Mercer Kitchen and Matsugen in particular), where you can get the Restaurant Week prices year-round. This weekend I’ve got my eye on The Harrison or Black Duck, two “new American” joints I’ve always wanted to check out.

Good luck and happy eating!

Maison Louis LaTour – Pinot Noir (2007 Vintage)

This is a great Pinot Noir for the wine newcomer with a lighter hue resembling a clear ruby or garnet color. The aroma has the touch of sweet fruit. Unlike most Pinot Noirs, this carries a gentler flavor than one would expect with a medium body. For a red, this isn’t a very dry wine and tastes slightly more robust than the aroma suggests with a slightly smoky hint. Still, it isn’t overpowering and finishes well with only a slight hint of spice and tannins.

Given the lighter character of this wine, I would suggest that you enjoy it with a medium pork dish, a tuna steak or a tomato-based pasta recipe. If you MUST have a red with your chicken, this might make a good selection. If you’re feeling daring, try this wine with a Cajun or Jamaican-jerk style chicken.

Rating: 4/5

Price: $$

…

Not sure how our rating system works?

Wine Rating Key

Please note that in matters of taste, what I like may not be what you like. For the most part, I try and take this into account when I judge what I’m drinking. Some things are universal and I will avoid reviewing any wine that rates 0 or 1. Generally, I won’t go out of my way to review a wine I didn’t like unless I think it’s warranted. That would happen to a wine that’s gained an undeserved popularity or has been sent to me by an optimistic and overly confident publicity agent.  Also remember that taste can vary by vintage.

0 – Don’t touch it.

1 – Good after you’re drunk and your taste buds are numb.

2 – This might be all right, but I’d steer clear of it.

3 – A decent wine to keep around.

4 – I was impressed with this, this should satisfy anyone.

5 – Fantastic. Very few wines will get this rating. I was wowed with the complexities, taste, finish and bouquet of this wine.

Wine Price Key

For AFoodComa.com it’s unlikely that I’ll rate any wine over $20, but it’s possible. The goal of AFC is to promote affordable and easy recipes and I write my reviews with that in mind. If I do review a more expensive wine that means it’s worth your efforts to go and try it out.

$ – Below $10

$$ – $10-$15

$$$ – $25-$20

$$$$ – $20-40

$$$$$ – $50+

It’s Apple Day! It’s Apple Day!

Christmas for nerds everywhere.

While we stay glued to the ravenous techie live-blogging this afternoon, why not try out this fabulous apple tart? Is it cool if I call it an iTart? Cool.

As millions everywhere can attest, I need no excuse to use my tart pan. Something about it just makes desserts a million times better. Is it the removable bottom? Is it the fluted edge? Is it the way I trick myself into thinking I’m a gourmet pastry chef? I don’t know! Either way, I’m going to continue baking as many tarts as possible.

This recipe, like many written by the almighty Julia, requires many ingredients and steps. But don’t be afraid! It’s not as hard as it looks – the steps are easily followed and the extra detail is just there to help you. What we have here is simple – a flaky pie crust filled with a soft and luxurious apple compote, topped with thinly-sliced apples. When baked, the slices take on a beautiful browning at the edges. The result is absolutely marvellous. I prefer to eat a slice (or two) chilled the next day with a big cup of black tea.

French Apple Tart

Adapted from Julia Child’s Baking with Julia

Ingredients:

For the dough:

5-1/4 cups pastry flour or all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 3/4 cups (11 ounces) solid vegetable shortening, chilled

1 cup ice water

For filling:

6 Granny Smith apples

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup fresh, fluffy bread crumbs

2 teaspoons (approximately) fresh lemon juice

For the topping:

2 to 3 Granny Smith apples

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Directions:

To make the dough, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. With your fingers or a fork, cut in the butter and shortening until mixture begins to form soft crumbs. Add the ice water and stir to incorporate. Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface and turn over itself a few times to pull together. Chill 10-15 minutes.

Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and press it into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press a little of the overhang against the edge of the pan so that it produces a small ledge protruding over the inside of the pan.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 F.

Fit a piece of parchment paper or foil into the tart shell and fill with pie weights, rice, or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the crust, with the paper and weights, to a cooling rack and let cool while you make the filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 375 F.

Peel and core the apples, slice into about twelve pieces. Put the apples in a large bowl and toss with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and bread crumbs. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. In a saucepan, heat the apples until they are juicy and soft enough to mash. Mash with a potato masher or a heavy spoon. Taste and add more lemon juice if you think it needs it, then cool the filling for about 15 minutes.

Spoon the puree into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top. The filling should come to just below the rim you’ve created. (If you have too much, you can serve the extra as a simple dessert topped with whipped cream.)

If you have turned off the oven, reset it to 375 F.

Peel, core, and quarter the apples, then cut them into slices that are between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. As you work, toss the slices with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Working slowly and carefully and starting at the edge, arrange the apples in two concentric circles on the puree. The slices should overlap and the points should just touch the shell. Since these will shrink, make a well-packed circle. If you have small pieces left over, arrange them in a rosette in the middle for an attractive look.

Before baking, brush the apple slices with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the top is nicely glazed and the apple slices are tender and beginning to brown. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack. Just before serving, remove the tart from the pan and dust its edges with confectioner’s sugar.

Now that I’m at an age where alcohol is readily available and consumed often, it seems only appropriate that some of it finds its way out of my tankard and into my cooking.

But I don’t really know alcohol, you see. When I go to a pub, my drink of choice is almost exclusively Guinness (while in UK) or Yuengling (while in NJ/PA). I’m not a wine connoisseur, perfectly content with ordering the cheap-o house red, thankyouverymuch. Admittedly, I can’t even I can’t describe microbrews in the strangely-obsessive way that I saw in a recent online review.

But what I lack in expertise, I make up for in enthusiasm! I’ve even pre-ordered a book all about boozy cake-making. If you’re willing to teach me, I will drink with enthusiasm. And then I’ll put some of it in my food. I’ll even take notes! (I actually did take notes while touring the Guinness factory in Dublin last month.) On the short list: wine tasting in Philly, tours of a New Jersey brewery, lessons with A Food Coma’s new wine guy Dennis.

The point is folks, I am totally dedicated to being your future resource for all things aqua vitae.

Your moonshine mama, if you will.

This recipe, provided by my flatmate, originally called for a can of lager and anjou pears. I substituted cider and tart Bramley apples to great results. It makes an impressive weeknight dinner, though requires about 45 minutes with prep and cook time.

In fact, I loved it so much I made it twice in two weeks! First with a Czech lager and once with Strongbow – the latter was the best and most attractive-looking. Experiment and let me know what works best for you!

I love the sweet and savory balance that the beer lends to the apples, which compliments the pork nicely. Braising keeps it moist, which is helpful if (like me) your chops sometimes err on overcooked.

My favorite part of this dish? Only five ingredients! (Well, seven, if you count salt and pepper.)

Beer-braised pork with caramelized apples

Ingredients:

2 center-cut, bone-in pork chops

olive oil

8oz of your favorite lager or cider (I liked Strongbow)

2 Bramley apples (or similar cooking apples)

5-6 fresh sage leaves, cut into ribbons, or 3/4 tbsp dried sage

Equipment needed: heavy skillet, sharp paring knife, tongs, side plate for resting pork

Directions:

Pat dry and season the pork chops on either side with freshly cracked salt and pepper. Peel and core apples and cut into thick wedges. Work quickly from here to avoid apples turning brown.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat a good glug of olive oil. Using tongs, carefully place chops in the oil and sear until nicely browned on either side, about two or three minutes on each. Remove the chops and place on the side plate. Drain fat from the pan, leaving just a tiny bit to coat the bottom.

Add apples and saute over medium heat until golden, scraping flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chops and sage, stirring pears around so they are evenly distributed throughout the pan. Pour over enough beer to just cover the chops, then bring to a simmer. Place a lid on the pan and simmer on medium-low heat until chops and apples are tender, approximately five to seven minutes.

Remove apples and chops from pan, place to rest on the side plate. Skim any fat from the top of the beer, then raise heat to high and cook until sauce is reduced significantly. To serve, arrange one pork chop on a plate, top with apples and drizzle over sauce.

This dish goes very well with plain cous cous or roasted vegetables.

Stuffing – can you name a more boring food? Its sole purpose, I believed, was to add bulk and perhaps a bit of flavor to other foods. You cram it inside turkeys. It sits unwanted, a bowl full of congealing carbs, on the holiday table. At best, the bready morsels are seasoned and laced with enough butter to warrant a spoonful. At worst, its a cardboard creation from a box labeled Stovetop. Why do we even make stuffing anyway?

That’s what I thought, up until this Christmas Eve. How wrong I was! How very wrong!

This recipe for stuffing, made with a mixture of white and wheat breadcrumbs and lusciously laced with quality butter, knocks that old stuffing out of the park. Bright flavors of parsley and lemon keep it fresh. I enjoy the bite-sized portions as well!

Shaping the stuffing into balls adds a great crunchy texture, with a moist and flavorful interior. Just don’t forget to turn them in the oven or you’ll risk burning.

To make this recipe is simple enough.

Breadcrumbs, meet butter.

Add some lemon, always the life of the party.

Let me introduce you to my buddy parsley.

Now everybody get friendly with each other. What harmony!

Ingredients:

12 oz white and wheat breadcrumbs

4 oz butter / vegan spread

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, grated

2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

large handful chopped fresh parsley

juice and rind from one lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

Mush all the dry ingredients, plus butter, together with your fingers and a fork. Add lemon juice and oil and mix well until a crumbly dough forms. It should be a bit dry, yet sticky enough to come together when molded.

Preheat oven to 180 C/375 F.

Roll the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts and place in a greased baking tin. Bake approximately 25 minutes, turning them after about 15 minutes so that they become crisp all over.

Serve with cranberry sauce or your favorite gravy.

This close to Christmas, my house becomes a cookie factory. Almost every night more cookies are being baked by someone in the family, filling the house with that incredible smell that Yankee candle tries to emulate in their products. But Christmas cookies are not just about volume, they are about going overboard in the decorating department.

For December, Epicurious.com has been running new cookies every day for the holidays. As soon as I saw this Candy Cane sandwich recipe, I jumped at it. The only weird ingredient on the list is mint extract, but it is not a bad thing to have around. I cut the amount of butter and frosting involved, just because the original values seemed a little high.

With a large amount of steps, these Candy Cane Sandwiches are the kind of recipe that will require your attention and love, but are a great product in the end. They are absolutely perfect size and taste for those of you who give cookies as a holiday gift. They taste like something that would be bought in a old-fashioned specialty candy shop, like pure Christmas.

Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies

What You Will Need

For the Cookies:
1 3/4 Cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar

For the Filling:
1 cup 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 stick of butter
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Three candy canes

1.)  Mix flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth, adding egg.

2.) Add dry ingredients and beat until a dough forms. Refrigerate the dough for about one hour to firm up.

3.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

4.) Prepare two baking sheets with wax paper or foil. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball, placing on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

5.) Use your hands or a flat surface to flatten balls, the edges will crack.

6.) Bake cookies for 11 minutes or until they make a small indent when pressed with your finger.

7.) Let cookies cool.

8.) Now start the filling, by beating the powered sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Add the peppermint extract and watch as it becomes a cream.

9.) Spread 2 teaspoons worth of filling on underside of one cookie, forming a sandwich with another. Repeat until all the cookies are used.

10.) Crush candy canes and place in bowl. If you have one, I found that our Slap Chop (from Vince from Slap Chop) worked perfectly for this task.

11.) Roll each cookie in candy canes until edges are covered.

The scene of the solo kitchen is a strange one.  Sometimes lonely. Sometimes a bit eccentric. When cooking for just myself, just me, only me, my creations are less gastronomic and more businesslike. I am hungry – what will make that go away?

A few crackers with peanut butter becomes a meal. Or some vegetables, haphazardly sauteed and served atop an egg or slice of tofu. It’s nothing spectacular and certainly nothing to blog about.

But when my roommate is around, or company becomes part of the equation, I will go to great lengths. I’ve spent up to six hours preparing a special meal to serve to people I love. Everything is colorful. The plates are arranged nicely. I’m an adventurer then, perfectly willing to pick out an unknown cookbook, turn to a page and do what it says.

But why is this so? Don’t I deserve the same care and dedication that I put into other people? Don’t we deserve to serve ourselves something attractive and delicious and special?

One of my new favorite books addresses this idea. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant is a collection of 26 stories about cooking, dining and feeding ourselves. It’s about what we eat when we think no one else is looking. The stories are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes sad, and entirely moving and entertaining. An excerpt from the title piece:

“Dinner alone is one of life’s pleasures. Certainly cooking for oneself reveals man at his weirdest. People lie when you ask them what they eat when they are alone. A salad, they tell you. But when you persist, they confess to peanut butter and bacon sandwiches deep fried and eaten with hot sauce, or spaghetti with butter and grape jam.” —Laurie Colwin

Before my trip to Paris,  I decided to take an evening and make the effort. Enough with foraging in the cabinets! Enough!

This Julia-Child-inspired vegetarian* dinner was worth an hour or so of prep, simmering, stirring, until it came out just right. Intoxicating flavors and smells. So you there – make this. Take the evening and make yourself a hearty and luxurious plate, infused with good wine and local produce. Tuck in and feel good. You deserve it.

Mushroom Bourguignon

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen, slightly adapted to serve one special lady (with leftovers)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, softened
150 grams (about 1/2 cups) button mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup merlot or your favorite full-bodied red wine
1 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 spring onions, chopped
Egg noodles, for serving

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove from pan.

Lower the flame to medium and add the rest of the oil. Toss the carrots, yellow onion, thyme into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Season with fresh salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Return the mushrooms with any juices that have collected. Once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature and simmer for twenty minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Add the spring onions and simmer for five minutes more.

Combine butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.

To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

*P.S. Did I mention that this lovely vegetarian dish can also be made vegan with a snap of your darling little fingers? Substitute a vegan pasta and switch the butter for margarine. Or skip the butter-flour part and just use flour to thicken. Will require a bit more vigorous stirring.