Casa dei cappelletti Torino Porta Palazzo mercato coperto © Vincenzo Aiosa
Agnolotti al Brasato (3rd from the top
Casa dei cappelletti Torino Porta Palazzo mercato coperto © Vincenzo Aiosa
Piedini di Maiale -Pigs Feet Torino Porta Palazzo mercato coperto © Vincenzo Aiosa
The latest anti-ageing food? Pigs’ trotters. That’s right, you heard it here first
Posted in Artisan Trade, Food, Pasta, Pork, Torino
Graffiti Food and Wine Bar: 224 East 10th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue) New York, NY
What do you do when a tiny little restaurant opens on your block? Well in my case, you completely ignore it for a year or so until the throngs of people waiting outside on the majority of evenings start to pique your interest and then you are compelled to check it out.
10th Street between First and Second Avenue has been called “Little Japan” for the row of Japanese Restaurants all nestled together in the middle of the block. Then there’s Japanese run Chickalicious dessert cafe across the street, not forgetting the perhaps undeservedly renowned Momofuku noodle shop right around the corner. Even the Italian restaurant Dieci has a japanese chef! So when this odd little hazard orange colored storefront opened as some kind of “Indian fusion” cafe, it did seem somewhat out of place.
Chef Jehangir Mehta opened Graffiti in the East Village of New York City in 2007 after highly acclaimed stints at New York City restaurants including Aix, Compass, and Jean-Georges.
Before it was a restaurant, the storefront had been a scuba diving shop for a few years (my husband got his diving license there) then it had a couple of quick incarnations as something or other before it became Graffiti. Intimate is an understatement. There are four tables which seat a maximum of 26 people and not a lot of elbow room. Still the advantage of sharing a table is you get to check out what other people are ordering without conspicuous craning of the neck. We knew going in there that the chef had been a pastry chef at Jean-George but we really couldn’t tell what to expect.
The two of us were seated at one of the bigger tables, at first alone and soon joined by a party of 4. It was very snug, more cozy than claustrophobic. We immediately recognized Chef Mehta from the Iron Chef show on the food network. It turns out he was the runner up – no small feat! He chatted to us a little while about his experience on the show then it was down to business.
The menu is divided into plate sizes and prices rather than appetizer, main and desert etc. We sampled a couple of plates from every section and slyly examined our neighbors’ orders. Just about everything was surprising – when I ordered the green mango paneer I was expecting something akin to the paneer curry standard in Indian restaurants. What we got was much more novel, little bites of beautifully spiced cheese set amongst swirls of coulis – dainty indeed. I particularly liked a foie gras raspberry crostini with walnut salad. The devastating richness of the Fois Gras was appropriately doled out in minute bites. Dishes are quite constructed. – I was expecting the watermelon feta salad with mint sorbet to be more substantial. There were a smattering of perfect little triangles of watermelon upon which you can gently lie a sprinkling of feta and a dollop of sorbet to create a wonderful burst of flavors in your mouth. We both could have eaten a lot more of it but it certainly got us excited about what was to come. Buns, both pork and eggplant (the menu is pretty generous to vegetarians and vegans), come the japanese way, with delicious stuffings wrapped in a small doughy pancake. There are lots of nods to Asian cuisine, indeed to French and Latin American styles too. It’s definitely eclectic, but tied together by Indian notes, the raita style mint yogurt sauce that accompanied a chickpea encrusted skate for one, hints of cumin and cardamom where you least expect them. Desserts were the most “American” of all the choices, but there were surprises there too.
The small inexpensive plates ($7, $12 and $15) allow you to experience a good few of these dishes, we shared everything and loved it all. A small but drinkable selection of wines ($25/bottle, $8 glass) allows you to pick by grape and not price – The teeny tiny space and the most uncomfortable stools did not encourage us to linger over coffee and drinks, but when you have so few seats and a gaggle of people waiting outside it makes sense.
Martha Kessler NYC Culinary Correspondent
Posted in Catering, Food, New York City, Restaurant Reviews
Pane senza grassi - Fat free bread Panetteria Torino © Vincenzo Aiosa
Il salumiere - The cold cut guy Torino © Vincenzo Aiosa
Puro suino - Pure pork Torino © Vincenzo Aiosa
From the left with Truffles, with Garlic, with Barolo whine & below with special fennel
Cold cuts in Italian home is a main staple served with all meals from breakfast to dinner appetizers, there always some sort of cold cuts or whole salami in the refrigerator, 2 or 3 slices between a piece and bread (Pane e Salame) nothing else no mayonnaise nor mustard is needed to satisfy hunger in a hurry depending on the region it is usually followed with a glass of whine no matter what time of day it is. My mom always brought home cold cuts on Saturday around 1pm and that is what we always had for lunch on that day Mortadella and hot Capicolla was and still is my favorite.
Check out Frank H. Jump’s Hams and Capocolli
Hams & Capocolli / Wallabout Provisions Co. Brooklyn Navy Yard - taken September, 1997
Posted in Artisan Trade, Bread, Brooklyn, Cold cuts, Fading Ad Campaign, Food, Frank H. Jump, Pork, Torino
© Frank H. Jump - Fading Ad Blog
After a 2.5 hour drive from the Poconos, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner @ The Farm. I have never been a fan of noisy restaurants, but Frank loves the food there, so and I deferred. We were immediately seated, and since we knew what we wanted we ordered as soon as the waiter showed up. It took him a bit to get to us since it was really crowded for a Sunday.
Frank ordered the special Spinach salad with pumpkin seeds and pickled red onion with a shaved soft Fontina-like cheese AND what every one has been raving about – the Kale-Lentil Soup. I ordered the Sirloin special with fork crushed Yukon gold potatoes w/olive oil and roasted cauliflower w/guanciale & golden raisins. My meal was absolutely delicious aside the fact that I could have used a larger cut of steak (I wanted it but I don’t need it). Frank was disappointed that his soup never arrived and when the waiter apologized and offered to bring it, we declined since it was already late and we wanted to go home by then. We got our check and upon checking it the soup was still there. OOPS I never read the bill - I always pay the total but it was quickly remedied. Frank still wants to go back and try this talked about soup. I wont. I have no tolerance for bad service. I have been disappointed more than once. I drive so I am not relegated to the neighborhood near my house for good but overpriced food. – Enzo
Posted in Brooklyn, Food, Frank H. Jump, Restaurant Reviews
My family's favourite bakery in Torino, Italy. © Vincenzo Aiosa
Pane Pugliese (Puglia region style bread) © Vincenzo Aiosa
Apulia is an excellent region in which to grow grain, especially the hard wheat referred to as grano duro or semolina. There is a long tradition of bread making in Apulia, dating back to the Roman empire. The Pagnotta is the traditional bread, and is a large loaf which can weigh well over a kilo and up to ten. Today, formulae are found that specify both durum flour and 0 or 1 type flour. – Pane Pugliese
Serving bread is very important for a meal to be considered complete in Italian culture. Growing up I don’t think we ever had a single meal without bread. I started early in the morning with Pane con caffè latte, preferring it to biscuits. Even to this day I crave it at least once a week. Bread is even served in most Chinese restaurants in Italy by request.
|
ENZO IN CUCINA PERSONAL CHEF & CATERING (646) 808-9432 CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE INFO! CLICK ON ABOVE NAME TO SEND AN E-MAIL
|
|||
Posted in Food
