Pour la Bouche: Getting Married

August 12, 2011

Mermaids and Mariah

There are two things I will never turn down. One of them is oysters, the other is none of your business. So, when an old and fabulous friend suggested a catch-up date at The Mermaid Oyster Bar in the Village, I couldn’t resist.

A cute ‘hood, a cute date, and a martini named the Hot & Spicy. It was perfect.

We started with oysters. (Full disclosure: We started with two dozen—we’ve never been shy.) They all had fancy and important names, but to be honest I was more interested in eating them then studying them.

For me, summer is synonymous with lobster rolls, so that was what I had next. It was divine—paired with Old Bay seasoned fries and hand-cut coleslaw I was in some sort of Cape Cod fantasy. Minus Nantucket red pants, over the shoulder cardigans and perfectly coifed hair.

My co-feaster orderer the whole fish, which he ate like a surgeon. It was fascinating to watch (the wine might have played a part in that). He offered me a boneless bite, which was delicious.

In lieu of a dessert menu, each diner gets a shot of chocolate pudding and a fortune-telling fish. (Apparently, we are both in love.) For me, this was the perfect.

We wandered off into the night, fuzzy-headed and in search of our next adventure—which as it turned out was at a karaoke bar. Because really, what’s a Tuesday with one your oldest friends that doesn’t end with singing Mariah Carey at the top of your lungs?

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August 11, 2011

How to Throw a Fabulous and Sustainable Dinner Party

This article previously appeared August 4 on Currency, the website that I write for and edit. I hope you like it and I hope you’ll check out the site—it’s great. (Please excuse the stock photo!)

Oh, the art of a well-hosted dinner party. There’s something about a perfectly set dining room table—not that I have a dining room, or at the moment, a table. Nonetheless, I love having my closest friends over for night of cooking, tasting, imbibing, and pretending to be grownups. (Unless it’s pizza-making night and then all bets are off.)

One of the best parts of dinner party—aside from the obvious imbibing—is knowing you’re saving money by eating in, which is just fantastic. But what if there was a way to save money and be sustainable—and you don’t even have to compromise on taste. (Your green-minded friends are already applauding your effort.)

I spoke to Jessie Cacciola, managing editor at Edible Finger Lakes, a culinary publication focused on regional food scenes. Here, she shares a few tips for a sustainable soiree sure to impress:

1. Go fishing. If you’re planning on serving up some of our finned friends, Jessie says checking the Seafood Watch Guide is a must. The site let’s you search by fish and tells you what market names to look for, where and how they are caught, and what to avoid. (It also has delicious recipes.)

Why should you care where your fish comes from? Because it’s your body, silly. For a quick explanation on the difference between farm-raised and wild-caught fish take a look here. And if that doesn’t do the trick take a gander at Michael Pollan’s Omnivores Dilemma—you’ll never look at corn the same.

2. Dress up your tap water. When it comes to the clear stuff, tap water is the new black. Sure, we love indulging in sparkling water every now and then. (To be honest, we’ll drink anything that involves the word sparkling.) But constantly buying and replacing plastic water bottles does your wallet and the earth zero favors. Plus, storing 27 water bottles on your kitchen floor is not a good look.

3. Eat local. We’ve talked about it a hundred times on this site, but your neighborhood farmers market is a truly amazing resource that deserves your attention. If you’re potlucking, Jessie recommends having everyone bring a local good. It can be from a farmer or from your favorite bakery around the corner—local is local.

4. Drink local. Locally sourced and distilled spirits may be easier to find than you think. We are bit spoiled living in Manhattan and having so many great vineyards and breweries in such a small radius. But you don’t have to be in a big city to be near local libations. And if you can’t find a local place that fits your needs you can always keep your drinks fair-trade and organic with these mixers.

5. Get raw. We mean oysters, of course. Jessie explained that these mollusks are about as sustainable as you can get. And according to the Seafood Watch Guide, “Unlike some farmed fish, oysters minimally impact marine resources…And thanks to the oyster’s filter feeding action, oyster farms can actually benefit the surrounding coastal waters.” An aphrodisiac and a sustainable snack? We say, yes please.

6. Give credit. Jessie suggests topping off your dinner display with a chalkboard homage to all the local purveyors you sourced. It might seem silly but it’s easier than writing it down for all your guests. Because we promise—they’ll be asking how you did it.

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August 9, 2011

Pour la Bouche Getting Married

Marriage is a funny thing. Or should I say the idea of marriage seems like a funny thing.

One day you’re sneaking out of your best friend’s bedroom window to meet your secret boyfriend who your parents hate, which, let’s be honest, is most of why you are dating him in the first place. (That mohawk really wasn’t as cool I thought.)

The next day you’re in your first city apartment exclusively going to happy hours that involve food in order to stay alive—and social. And somewhere between bad happy hours, forgettable (or sadly unforgettable) dates, and job hunting you meet someone.

And hours of endless conversation reveal that your goals, and fears, and dreams are aligned in a way that isn’t overwhelming but is, instead, energizing. So you try that love thing, and you try the living together thing and it works. And it’s good.

Then it’s Christmas and you’re opening a gift wrapped shoebox, which holds a smaller box, which holds a smaller box, which holds a ring. Not just a ring—the ring. And you close your eyes. Then you open your eyes and it’s Mr. Smith, on one knee, offering you a life of love, and companionship, and loyalty, and friendship, and laughter, and fun.

And so I said yes.

A few months later we are in the throes of planning our wedding, having a great time, dealing with a few crises (OK, those were mostly mine.) and being sure to laugh—a lot.

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November 22, 2010

Family Feast: Lobster Mac’n'Cheese and the Leaning Apartment

This week’s family dinner was hosted at Mr. Smith’s best friend’s apartment. This is an important fact to note because this particular apartment happens to have a very real and very noticeable lean to it. The kind of lean that makes you question how successful any sort of omelet preparation would be. My guess is not so successful. It’s a scrambled egg sort of place.

So, when our friend offered to host I had to wonder what this leaning bachelor pad would offer. His arguments for hosting were valid: a dining room table. How could I resist? I enjoy the zen of sitting on the floor around our coffee table as much as anyone, but the thought of a table and chairs was enough for Mr. Smith and I to gather our groceries and head to the west side.

We decided on lobster and crab mac–n–cheese, broccoli rabe, Caprese salad, and a baguette. A dieter’s bingeing dream. Our group grew from the week before with the addition of a friend of our host—who upon arrival announced that she was both gluten-free and lactose intolerant. Awkward.

I got to chopping up the cheddar and Gruyère for the pasta. Mr. Smith went to work on the crab legs and the lobster with a pair of pliers. And our friends took on various tasks like prepping the salad, slicing bread and doing dishes.

We finally sat down to eat around 10pm and I have to say it was meal worth working for.

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November 21, 2010

Old Friends, Good Wine, and Cheese

Old friends really are the best. Especially the ones that don’t require any sort of stressful upkeep. The ones that no matter how long its been you can meet them for a glass of wine and a cheese plate and it will be like you saw them yesterday.

This is how I found myself on a cold Friday, recently, with a five-year-long friend, a number that makes us feel incredibly old, coupled with the fact that we no longer get ID’d and when we first met I was letting her borrow my incredibly horrible first fake one.

We met at Bar Veloce, a cozy, warm place that always smells like truffle oil and freshly baked bread. I got there first and had a truly “adult” New York moment—ordering a glass of wine by myself and unwinding from a stressful week.

I’ve been thinking a lot about growing up lately. About what that means. I am pretty sure that I am, in fact, not a grownup and I think that Mr. Smith is one—sometimes. Like when he tells me I threw my back out because I’m getting older (Tragic, but true, maybe?) or when he wont let me leave the house covered in lint or visible stains. What’s a lint roller again? I’m learning that Mr. Smith helps keep me grounded and, in exchange, I remind him what it’s like to be free, and why doing the dishes immediately is not always necessary.

My friend arrived and the catch-up commenced. She filled me on work, and life, and romances. I filled her in on mine. We talked politics in a way only two slightly disillusioned twentysomethings are able to. We ordered more bread. Obviously.

When we exited back onto a bustling Seventh Avenue to go our separate ways, I felt refreshed in a way that only someone who already knows all your secrets and punchlines can do.

Maybe growing up isn’t so bad after all.

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November 18, 2010

Recipe: Brussel Sprout and Romanesco Cauliflower Feast

One of the best things about New York City in the fall is, by far, the farmers markets. And if you’re lucky enough to be close to one it’s important to go there as much as you can before the snow comes and it’s time to hibernate.

This is how I found myself with a great old friend cooking up delicious vegetable finds on a cold, rainy November day. The recipe was simple, the gossip was intense, and we gorged on fresh brussel sprouts, wild-looking cauliflower, and quinoa.

For the veggies–serves two hungry ladies:

10 to 15 good-sized brussel sprouts

one huge Romanesco cauliflower (refer to picture)

For the sauce:

Crushed red pepper (optional)

Generous amounts of chopped garlic

Dijon mustard

Butter

Sea salt and Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Chop the brussel sprouts in half lengthwise, and break the cauliflower up so that it sort of looks like little Christmas trees.

When the water is at a rolling boil, throw the brussel sprouts in and after a few moments the cauliflower. Let it all cook together for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are bright.

Drain the water, and drizzle the very, very delicious sauce on top. Let cool and serve. Gossip will naturally follow.

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November 16, 2010

So Much Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin is sort of a crazy thing. You never think you’re going to have enough but for some reason it’s really, really hard to use your full supply.

A day after channeling Ruth Reichl, I was eyeing the canned-vegetable creature currently living rent-free in my fridge, when Mr. Smith looked at me incredulously and asked, “Well, what are we going to do with it?”

Feeling ambitious—or something—I suggested pumpkin ravioli. Mr. Smith, who was not feeling ambitious so early on a Sunday, looked at me skeptically. I happen to be a really excellent convincer, which is how we ended up looking for recipes and figuring out who to invite for dinner. This is also how “Family Dinner Night” started.

That night, Mr. Smith found a pumpkin ravioli and Gorgonzola sauce recipe. We decided to use the same pasta recipe from Valentine’s Day—so easy and quick to roll out. Still no rolling-pin. Thank goodness for wine bottles.

The tallest part of our New York City family arrived and we put him to work stuffing ravioli, slicing vegetables, and fixing entertainment stands. I mean…

We feasted like kings and queens and a tradition was born. Not a bad way to end the weekend.

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November 12, 2010

An Attempt at Pancakes

Do you follow Ruth Reichl on Twitter? You should. Her tweets make you salivate with envy for whatever dish she happens to have just made or consumed and your left frustrated wondering why your life is not the same 140-characters of perfection that her’s appears to be.

It’s depressing and amazing at the same time.

So, when she tweeted she was posting her pumpkin-pancake recipe on her website I knew this was my chance for a peek into this utopian food world.

Admittedly, Mr. Smith and I are not sweet breakfast people. Give us savory any day of the week and we’re happy as can be, but please keep that syrup-drenched French toast on your side of the table. This recipe just sounded so ideal, so delicious, so Fall—we had to give it a shot.

I gathered the ingredients and we woke up that Saturday ready to tackle pancakes–from–scratch head on. It was messy—flour, pumpkin, butter everywhere. The mess didn’t bother me so much, but before I knew it the whirring sound of the Dustbuster around my feet caught my attention and I realized Mr. Smith was on to my antics.

I learned over the course of this adventure I have pancake flipping anxiety. So much so that Mr. Smith had to physically remove the spatula from my hand and take over. We also learned that plastic spatulas melt and melted plastic loves to stick to fresh pancakes. Needless to say, between being burnt and covered in toxins the first batch went into the garbage—along with the offending kitchen tools.

With Mr. Smith manning the skillet we proceeded cautiously. He did a fantastic, anxiety-free job and they were delicious. We covered them in butter and syrup and went to town. To give the allusion of a healthy breakfast, we added some fruit to the spread—I can assure you we did not eat a single strawberry.

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November 11, 2010

Recipe: Cold-Day Egg Drop Soup

New York City fall weather is notoriously spotty and this week was no different. To combat Monday’s sleet/rain/nastiness Mr. Smith and I decided on some homemade soup. I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago when he was sick and tweaked it a bit:

The original recipe is supposed to serve 4—or 2 really hungry people. Here’s my version:

4 cups vegetable broth

Lots and lots of freshly grated ginger

Half a bundle of fresh scallions—chopped

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 good-sized handfuls of fresh spinach

I followed the cooking directions closely though—but added a step:

1. Reserve 3/4 cup of broth and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and scallions into the both and bring to a rolling boil. In a bowl, stir together the rest of the broth and the cornstarch—make sure the cornstarch doesn’t stick to the spoon.

2. Add spinach a little at a time until it is all in—make sure the water comes back to a boil

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together. Drizzle the egg a little time. The egg should cook immediately. Once all the egg is in, stir the cornstarch mixture in until it is the desired thickness.

This dinner was perfect paired with some red wine and a fresh baguette from Eli’s. Yum!

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November 10, 2010

So, The Chickens Actually Live Here?

Confession: Mr. Smith and I have a thing for foliage. We are, in fact, unabashed leaf peepers. We’re those people. During our relationship, this has resulted in some great adventures, like our recent trip to Warwick, New York.

We booked a weekend at the Inn at Stony Creek, where Joe and Bill took amazing care of us. Breakfast each morning came from the chickens roaming the 9-acre compound, we traveled into Warwick for delicious dinners and exploring, went apple and pumpkin picking, and went to the Warwick Winery.

We left with a half-bushel of apples, a beautiful pumpkin, a dozen fresh eggs, and delicious New York State wine—not too shabby.