Serious Eats |
- Sugar Rush: New Lunch Desserts from M. Wells Dinette
- Snapshots from Colombia: Tropical Fruit in Cartagena
- Serious Eats Neighborhood Guides: Bobby Schaffer's West Lakeview
- Salzburger Nockerl: It's What's for Dinner (and Dessert) at Wallsé, New York
- Eat This Now: Peek Gai Tod Chicken Wings at PaaDee, Portland
- What Are You Doing for Your New York Day Off?
- First Look: Narwhal Oyster Truck in Seattle
- Your Complete Guide to Eating and Drinking Like an Independent American this 4th of July
- Bake the Book: Pansy Rhubarb Galettes
- The Monkey Style Burger, an In-N-Out Burger Topped with Animal Style Fries
- The 2013 Serious Eats Guide to Grilling
- Send Your NYC Restaurant Questions to 'Ask the Critic'
- Ask a Bartender: What Are Your Favorite Tequilas?
- Deep Fried Chicago: Rockit Burger Bar
- The 2013 Serious Eats Guide to Grilling Pizza
| Sugar Rush: New Lunch Desserts from M. Wells Dinette Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:18 PM PDT [Photographs: Niko Triantafillou] There are two desserts at M. Wells Dinette by Pastry Chef Bethany Costello that you may not have had anywhere else. The first is a time-sensitive parfait that you have eat as soon as it's served to you, or else it collapses like an old souffle. The second looks like a standard ice cream cookie sandwich, but is far lighter—and contains no ice cream. The Wild Ginger Parfait ($10) is served in a large, shiny, brandy glass. On first glance it looks like someone simply mixed some partially whipped meringue with some blueberries. After your first spoonful, though, you realize that it's not meringue but rather a light foam made from wild ginger. In addition to poached blueberries there are crunchy clusters of oats mixed with brown sugar which provide the perfect match to the wild ginger. Wild ginger (provided by M. Wells' Forager) has a much more subtle flavor than the ginger root that most people are familiar with. And because much of this dish is comprised of foam, it makes for a perfect light lunch dessert (the only time the cafe is open). The frozen nougat sandwich ($5) consists of two cookies with a light, semifreddo-like filling inside. In this case the filling is meringue made with honey that's been folded into whipped cream. Sweet and crunchy honey-dried fruits and nuts are suspended inside the mild frozen nougat. As with the parfait, this dessert makes for a light dessert that will leave you satisfied but not feeling full. About the author: Native New Yorker Niko Triantafillou is the founder of DessertBuzz.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @DessertBuzz.        |
| Snapshots from Colombia: Tropical Fruit in Cartagena Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:44 AM PDT
Photographs: Jessica Colley Stroll through the streets of the colonial city of Cartagena, Colombia, and you'll see locals wiping watermelon juice off their chins, slurping down slices of mangoes, and popping small, round exotic fruits like candy and sucking on the pits. Even kids drain cups of freshly squeezed juice with the fervor normally associated with ice cream. The heat and sun and air in Cartagena brings on a particular thirst. Not just for water or beer or mojitos; but for something rich in color, satisfying in texture, and with a surprising punch of flavor. When a Colombian friend heard I was traveling to Cartagena, his enthusiastic reply was a list of unfamiliar words: uchuva, lulo, guanabana. These are the exotic fruits of Cartagena, the bright pop of color in already color-saturated streets, where vendors sell everything from pre-cut ready-to-eat fruit to tiny, flavor-packed mini bananas. The stands are community centers, with locals sauntering between tables to see who has the ripest mangoes or the best price on limes. Produce this bold in color seemed to inspire a friendly competition between the stands. To draw the eye, some vendors chose to stock their stand entirely in one color, allowing different hues of red or densely packed green to lure in the customers. One stand focused on red fruits had mangoes piled high with fire-engine red skins. When I asked about the mangoes, the vendor blushed, hesitating before revealing that the mangoes are called "gringo cheeks," in reference to the often-sunburned visitors exploring the streets of Cartagena. I started my days with a tall glass of lulo juice—a citrusy fruit, sometimes described as a combination of lime and rhubarb—and began my nights with mojitos spiked with the tartness of uchuva, a small yellow fruit related to the tomatillo. I began to look for ripe uchuva as an afternoon snack, mimicking the local children and popping them in my mouth like candy. I began to learn that fruits that look scary on the outside often have serious rewards within. Guanabana resembles a thorny apple or pear, but its white, creamy interior contained unexpected hints of strawberry, pineapple, and even coconut. The fruit in Cartagena evokes childhood-like wonder in even the skeptical traveler. To pick up a ripe piece of fruit, smell it, feel its weight, break open its skin, and have no idea what lay inside was a delicious discovery each time. About the author: Freelance writer Jessica Colley loves to be hands on with food, whether it's picking olives in Greece or cooking in her New York City kitchen. Follow her on Twitter @jessicacolley.    |
| Serious Eats Neighborhood Guides: Bobby Schaffer's West Lakeview Posted: 02 Jul 2013 12:01 PM PDT
 Bobby Schaffer Bobby Schaffer, the pastry chef at Grace, has lived in West Lakeview for around four years now. "I like that it's quiet and family-oriented," he says. "There's not a ton of madness going on." Read about Schaffer's favorite one-two punch (Andy's Thai Kitchen followed by Scooter's Frozen Custard) and more below. The SLT at Bakin' & Eggs [Photograph: Josh Conley] Breakfast/Brunch: I tend to go to Bakin' & Eggs. I like that it's traditional breakfast fare done well. I get their breakfast burrito with egg, tomato, avocado, potatoes and cheese. Coffee: Heritage is a bicycle and coffee shop. I have a classic style bike, which is how I found that place. They have good coffee as well - Stumptown. I used to bike everywhere but now I mostly drive. Groceries: I live two blocks from Whole Foods so I normally shop there. Ham and Cheese Croissant at Floriole [Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger] Pastries: Floriole. I like their basque cake and chocolate croissants. Their shortbread is pretty good too. Pizza: Pizzeria Serio. It's literally two doors down from me. They do very good wood-fired oven pizza. I've actually never eaten in the pizzeria, but I'll get take out. My favorite pizza is one with ricotta and spinach, no red sauce. It's just a really thin crust and good ingredients. Burger: I'll go to a place in Roscoe Village called Victory's Banner but they do a very good vegetarian burger. I'm not really big into burgers, so I gravitate towards that since it's healthier. I think it's rice and bean based, but I get the one that has goat cheese and roasted red peppers. Kao Soy at Andy's Thai Kitchen [Photograph: Roger Kamholz] Thai: Andy's Thai Kitchen. I probably eat there at least once a week. I've become a regular there and I like that it's more authentic Thai food. They don't hold back and gear it towards Americans. I love a dish called pad woon sen, it's kinda like a glass noodle salad that has ground pork, grilled shrimp and chilies. The crispy onchoy. They take watercress with stem and everything, bread it and deep fry it and with a vinaigrette and chilies in it. Most things are pretty spicy there and I enjoy spicy food. Sushi: I like going to Macku. Probably the best sushi in the city. Their soups are awesome too, all amazingly flavorful. The freshness, presentation and atmosphere of the restaurant is great. Turtle Sundae at Scooter's Frozen Custard [Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger] Dessert: Scooter's Frozen Custard. I live right across the street from them so I'm usually there once a week. I go there to cool off after Andy's. What I order most of the time is just a vanilla cone but if there's an interesting concrete I'll get that. Date night: I would say Andy's Thai Kitchen again, that's where I usually end up going. I think it's more of a casual thing and if I want to go on a date I want to have interesting food, something that you don't generally find all over the city. I like that it's low key. It could be a short date or long date, and it's BYO so that's always nice. Bar/Drinks: There's a place around the corner called Fizz that I enjoy. They have a nice outdoor patio that's cool to sit on. It's not really a sports bar, more a neighborhood bar and I'll meet up with friends there. I usually drink some kind of IPA beer.    |
| Salzburger Nockerl: It's What's for Dinner (and Dessert) at Wallsé, New York Posted: 02 Jul 2013 01:20 PM PDT A lovely looking Salzburger Nockerl before you dive in. [Photographs: Linnea Zielinski] On the frequently rotating menu at Wallsé, Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner's Austrian restaurant in the West Village, there is one dish you'll always find available: the Salzburger Nockerl ($16). The nockerl tastes exactly how it looks; light and airy. The pillows of soufflé, lightly brûléed and dusted with powdered sugar, disappear one after the other to reveal a bottom layer of poached violet huckleberries. The flavors, though different, amplify each other; the bright tartness of the huckleberries underscoring the subtle sweetness of the souffle. The eggy richness, rather than lingering, fades into the huckleberry and leaves your palate refreshed. The sweetness comes and goes with each bite, leaving you with an empty bowl and a spoon licked clean despite any initial reservations If only the appeal of this soufflé were so simple. There's a reason this particular item has lasting power on an ever-rotating menu; people are ordering it for dinner. I joined these ranks with enthusiasm several months back. When I considered shamelessly indulging my sweet tooth in lieu of an actual meal one evening, I was encouraged when the bartender divulged that I was not alone. After a couple spoonfuls, the bright huckleberries make themselves known. The nockerl is one of three traditional Austrian desserts on the menu, but is perhaps the rarest of the bunch. Outside the restaurants owned by chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, the staff couldn't think of anywhere else in New York that the dish is offered. While a taste for home explains the expat regulars, the word has spread far beyond these cultural bounds. There are different manifestations of clientele devotion to the dish. Most common are the restaurant hoppers who stop by specifically for a dessert of Salzburger Nockerl after a dinner elsewhere. But one of the Wallsé bartenders, Jesse Anholt, revealed that one man regularly comes in for a three course meal, followed by not one, but four rounds of nockerl. Wallsé bartender, Jesse Anholt, pouring a Lavender Gimlet. The most unique expression of this loyalty, however, persists at the bar. Anholt has come to expect a formulaic order from a certain amount of customers: the Salzburger Nockerl and a couple of drinks—for dinner. One bite of the dessert was all it took to convince him that these dinner goers knew exactly what they were doing. I have to confess, the bite of their Bourbon Maple Old Fashioned ($14) between sweet spoonfuls of souffle is my favorite kind of balanced meal. About the author: Linnea Zielinski is the person in NYU's Publishing program that talks about food and food publications all class long, fueled entirely by double espressos and fresh-pressed juices. For a glimpse into the highly-caffeinated, vegetarian world of a foodie grad student, follow her on Twitter.    |
| Eat This Now: Peek Gai Tod Chicken Wings at PaaDee, Portland Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:43 AM PDT
[Photograph: Kirsten Saladow] Before I moved to Portland, I never ordered chicken wings at a Thai restaurant. Here, wings grace many a Southeast Asian menu—clearly, this city is onto something. The wings at PaaDee go by Peek Gai Tod ($6) on the snack menu, and they're the ideal combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy. They're different than the famous Fish Sauce Wings at Pok Pok, but just as delicious, proving that Ricker's chicken isn't the only bird in town. The wings are marinated in Sriracha-fish sauce, garlic, sugar, cilantro, and sliced red peppers before being fried. The sauce is made in-house and explains why there's a bit of sweet, salty, spicy, umami kick in every mouthful. But the real key to these wings is the crunch. They aren't heavy or soggy, despite being fried. They're light and crispy with the perfect amount of bite. The secret lies in the breading—instead of using traditional flour, Paadee coats their wings in tapioca flour before deep frying them, meaning that yes, these wings are gluten-free. PaaDee6 SE 28th Ave, Portland OR 97214 (map) About the author: Kirsten Saladow currently lives in Portland, Oregon and spends her all of her free time planning her next meal. Follow her on Twitter at @hellokirst.    |
| What Are You Doing for Your New York Day Off? Posted: 03 Jul 2013 10:44 AM PDT [Photograph: Max Falkowitz] We're getting ready for a long weekend off at Serious Eats HQ, and while some of us are heading out of town for the weekend, others are staying right here. Plenty of publications are tossing around the phrase, "Stuck in New York for July 4th," but the way we see it, that isn't right. Now's when the city's at its most open, quiet best. Tough reservations are easier to come by, bars are less crowded, heck—even tourists are staying home to grill right now. If you're staying in the city this weekend, more power to you. In the past we put out some tips for day-off food adventures. Maybe you're looking for a picnic near the park, or perhaps you're interested in a tour de dumpling in Flushing. So tell us: staying at home to grill this weekend, or are you eating somewhere exciting?    |
| First Look: Narwhal Oyster Truck in Seattle Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:10 AM PDT Note the logo; a narwhal is a toothed whale with no teeth in its mouth. Males develop a tusk that protrudes out of its upper left jaw. [Photographs: Jay Friedman] Cute, charming, and adorable: these are three words that diners are using to describe the new Narwhal oyster and seafood truck in Seattle. Narwhal is the latest venture from Renee Erickson, the chef behind Boat Street Café, The Walrus and the Carpenter, and The Whale Wins. Narwhal operates out of a retooled Divco delivery van typically used for dairy products. It's parked regularly at Hilliards in Ballard and will likely be making its way to farmer's markets, corporate functions and other locations and special events. The truck will typically feature about four items at a time, including a version of the fried oysters that have earned national acclaim at The Walrus and the Carpenter oyster bar. Soup with seafood, trout salad, and toast with a fish smear are typical of the other items you can expect if you can harpoon a visit to Narwhal. Here's a look at the menu: Fried Hama Hama Oysters with Espelette Aioli ($9). As at The Walrus and the Carpenter, five large oysters are battered with cornmeal, flour, and a little cayenne pepper. The aioli is tinged with the fruity spiciness of the AOC-protected French-origin chili pepper known as Piment d' Espelette. Crab Salad and Cucumber Gazpacho ($10) is made with diced cucumber, yogurt, ginger, lime, and tarragon, and has a little juice from the cucumbers along with flecks of the cucumber skin. An order of Smoked Herring Butter on Toast ($7) gets you two slices of toasted rye topped with a smear and pickled shallots. In that smear? Canned whole herring, including bones turned gelatinous, that are whipped with butter and herbs. The Smoked Trout Salad ($10) consists of several pieces of trout atop lentils with crème fraiche. Walnuts add crunch to the beans, while currants add fruitiness. Erickson is known for her pickled products, and here pickled red onions provide color, texture, and flavor. NarwhalFood truck (various locations) About the author: Jay Friedman is a Seattle-based freelance food writer who happens to travel extensively as a sex educator. An avid fan of noodles (some call him "The Mein Man"), he sees sensuality in all foods, and blogs about it at his Gastrolust website. You can follow him on Twitter @jayfriedman.    |
| Your Complete Guide to Eating and Drinking Like an Independent American this 4th of July Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:11 AM PDT
'Merica. [Photograph: Carrie Vasios] America's birthday is tomorrow, and we're ready to party! We've spent the past few weeks in planning mode, gathering everything you need to know to have the best four-day weekend ever. Planning on grilling? Here's everything you need to know:
Perhaps you'd like to celebrate the art of barbecue? We've got that covered, too:
Entertaining? We can help with that:
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| Bake the Book: Pansy Rhubarb Galettes Posted: 03 Jul 2013 10:26 AM PDT [Photograph: Miana Jun] Looking like little pansy-sprinkled purses, these galettes from Cooking With Flowers combine tart rhubarb with flower-flavored sugar. They bake up individually, so you don't have to share. Tips: The same tip holds true for every recipe in the book; purchase pansies from a purveyor that has organic blooms, or ones otherwise not treated with pesticides. Also, the recipe calls for either homemade or store-bought pie crusts; go homemade! Tweaks: The second step of the recipe says to toss in a "nonreactive bowl". Here, you're best off using glass or ceramic. Reserve a spoonful of pansy sugar to sprinkle on top while baking, giving a nice crunchy crust. Get the RecipeAs always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Cooking with Flowers to give away. Get the Recipe!    |
| The Monkey Style Burger, an In-N-Out Burger Topped with Animal Style Fries Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:05 AM PDT In-N-Out's secret menu accounts for over 20 variations on their menu of burgers, fries, and milkshakes. You can ask for extra-toasted buns, unmelted cheese instead of melted, a bun-less cheeseburger, and more. But one thing they won't do for you is top your burger with fries—not plain fries and especially not Animal Style fries topped with cheese, spread, and grilled onions. Last week, blogger Elie Ayrouth of Foodbeast posted a video where he attempts to order Animal Style fries-topped burgers—dubbed Monkey Style burgers—at an In-N-Out after supposedly reading about them on Twitter. He does end up getting Monkey Style burgers, but as The Atlantic points out, it doesn't look like they were constructed by In-N-Out. Still, lots of people tried to order it. Yesterday, In-N-Out confirmed that the burger doesn't exist on their menu. Of course, if you don't mind putting in a bit of effort, you can just order Animal Style fries and a burger and make a Monkey Style burger yourself, as Grub Crawl did. If any AHT'ers try it, let us know how it is. About the author: Robyn Lee is the editor of A Hamburger Today and takes many of the photos for Serious Eats. She'll also doodle cute stuff when necessary. Read more from Robyn at her personal food blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything. Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter and Pinterest while you're at it!    |
| The 2013 Serious Eats Guide to Grilling Posted: 03 Jul 2013 10:33 AM PDT [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Getting ready to fire up that grill for Independence Day? We've got you covered over on our Grilling Page. Swing on by and you'll find a whole section on Grilling How-Tos, which will walk you through making the juiciest boneless chicken breasts, grilling perfect burgers, or cooking up the ultimate steak. In our Grilling Guides, you can study up on your basics with tips on everything from whether you should use briquettes or hardwood coal (answer: it depends!), how to set up and maintain a fire, and why you should really own a smoker if you're serious about barbecue (and aren't we all serious about barbecue?). Want to cut straight to the chase and just hit the recipes? We can help you there, too. Our Grilling Recipe Roundups have comprehensive collections of recipes for all tastes. Want to cook chicken on the grill? We've got over 33 recipes for you. Hot dogs and sausages your thing? Try any one of our 26 tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved recipes, delicious results guaranteed. Ok, enough blabber. Time to get grilling! Get the GuidesJump straight to the Serious Eats Grilling Page here » About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.    |
| Send Your NYC Restaurant Questions to 'Ask the Critic' Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:06 AM PDT [Illustration: Robyn Lee] On this week's Ask the Critic, Carey gave tips on where to get good steak and whiskey without breaking the bank. Have a question of your own you want answered? Email carey@seriouseats.com with the subject line Ask the Critic to submit your question. All emails will be read, but unfortunately not all can be answered. We look forward to hearing from you! Previously on Ask the Critic
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| Ask a Bartender: What Are Your Favorite Tequilas? Posted: 02 Jul 2013 10:13 AM PDT  VIEW SLIDESHOW: Ask a Bartender: What Are Your Favorite Tequilas? Tequila is a tremendously versatile spirit, some suited to sipping, some great for cocktails—even if most drinkers have to get past hazy college memories of too many shots or 32-ounce frozen margaritas to appreciate it. We asked 18 bartenders for their advice on the best tequilas, whether high-end or low, for mixing or to drink straight. Here's what they had to say. Got questions for our bartender crew? Leave 'em in the comments below! So many drinks, so little time. Keep in the loop with our weekly newsletter.    |
| Deep Fried Chicago: Rockit Burger Bar Posted: 03 Jul 2013 10:01 AM PDT [Photograph: Joe Roy] Located in the shadow of Wrigley Field, Rockit Burger Bar looks like your typical Wrigleyville bar. A Jack Johnson-esque guitarist serenades on the outdoor patio as burger and fry baskets whiz past to crowded tables. But a closer look at the carefully chosen ingredients in thoughtful combinations reveals a thoughtfulness not typical of the neighborhood, and the fried items are no exception. The Jumbo Buffalo Chicken Wings ($10.00) are as classic a take as I've had in a while. The comparison that jumped immediately to mind were the textbook ones up the way at Toon's Bar & Grill. While they did very well in our wing round up early last year, I found their sauce to be lacking in heat and zip. No such complaints here: the neon orange vinegary sauce has a pleasant kick enhanced by a generous dousing of black pepper that hits the back of the throat. Next time I'm looking for a respectable recreation of my college era trips to Buffalo Wild Wings, I know where I'm heading. As their name more than implies, Rockit Burger Bar's focus is on beef, and I couldn't resist ordering a burger with a fried bent. The Hottie ($12.00) fits the bill, with its thick, habanero cheese soaked patty topped with precariously placed jalapeño poppers. The burger more than lives up to the menu's warning, with a ever-present spiciness that lends perspective to its name. But to be honest, I wanted more. The patty itself was thick and juicy, and everything else got sort of lost next to it. Another popper or two, maybe a whole ghost pepper buried in the center—any sort of burger-ridiculousness would've been appreciated. BD's Sweet Potato Fries ($2.00 added to burgers and sandwiches or $6.00 as a side) sound promising. The brown sugar salt and chipotle mayo from the description seem like part of a thoughtful approach to the ever-popular fry alternative. But both are a little one note, adding little more than sweetness to the overall experience. Next time, I'm going with my gut and ordering the seasoned curly fries. Dessert Nachos ($6.00) are what happens when Mexican fried ice cream meets a banana split. The crisp flour tortillas puff substantially in the deep fryer and take well to their cinnamon sugar coating, while the ice and whipped creams merge into one great, indistinguishable sauce. Smaller tortilla pieces would make sharing easier, but then again, that would mean less for me. Though some swings certainly end in a miss, Rockit Burger Bar mainly gets it right. And as long as I don't have to listen to a cover of "Better Together" on the patio, I'll be back for sure. Rockit Burger Bar3700 N Clark Street Chicago, IL 60613 (map)    |
| The 2013 Serious Eats Guide to Grilling Pizza Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:21 AM PDT [Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt] As I write this post, I'm sitting in the study at my friend's home in Belfast, looking out the French windows to his back yard. His dad is busy stoking the flames of a wood-fired stone pizza oven that he built with his own hands. This is probably the best possible way to enjoy pizza: real fire, close friends and family, everything hand-made. But I'm usually not this lucky. My own best pizzas are made on my little 80 square-foot deck on the 17th floor of a Manhattan apartment. If you're like me and your access to stone ovens is limited, the grill is your best bet for making crisp-on-the-outside, soft-and-airy-on-the-inside pizza. It's the only heat source that approaches the insanely high temperatures that are so essential to great pizza. The absolute best way to work on your home kettle grill is to convert it into a real-deal pizza oven using a KettlePizza insert and a Baking Steel. With the two combined, you've got a fire-breathing beast capable of achieving dome temperatures in the 1200°F+ territory that'll sling out pies from start to finish in under 3 minutes. If you've never tried it, it'll step up your pizza game to a whole new level. Want to take a more casual approach? You can grill pizzas directly on the grates of either a gas or coal-fired grill. The end results are slightly different, but the technique is simple, and I have never seen a grilled pizza go uneaten in all my years making them. You can make your own dough using our Neapolitan Pizza Dough recipe, but even store-bough dough will do the trick. Check out the Complete Guides!
About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.    |
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