NYC Food and Wine Festival

Oh my lordy... that pizza is GOOD... South Brooklyn Pizza. East Village.

I stumbled upon this hole in the wall a couple of months ago and just loved the huge cheese wheel they had in the window, along with numerous heads of fresh garlic, massive tins of italian tomatoes, olive oil and baskets of fresh basil.
There was a pie up on the counter. Steam rising and cheese melted perfectly atop what looked like a crispy crust.
I couldn't resist so I bought a slice ( @$4 perhaps a tad expensive for those who like their cheap cheese slices ) but this my friends is not just another cheese slice.
WOW.
Perfect crispy crust with a slight doughy bite. Sweet ripe tomato base, with fresh mozzarella and basil leaves on top.
So good Kit and I have been back 2 times in the past weekend.
We also tried adding anchovies which give the perfect salty balance to the already perfect slice!
Definitely try this place out if you want that sort of 'artisan' pizza slice you don't find just anywhere now days.
ENJOY!

Soup Dumplings and more: Joe's Shanghai & Joe's Ginger

So yesterday marked the 3rd time in 3 weeks that Kit and I have made the 20 min walk down to Chinatown for Soup Dumplings. I crave them.... I can be having a completely normal day and then bamn, it hits me. I need them. Their delicate little skins wrapped and sagging around delicious pork ( or the mix of pork and crab meat ) with the rich and flavorful hot soup inside.
We have now discovered our own little technique for eating them.... transfer from the steamer with the tongs and carefully place on our chinese soup spoon.... bite a tiny hole in the dumpling skin and then gently add some of the dark ginger/vinegar and the red hot chili oil inside. Cool for a second, then tip the little beauty so the 'soup' lands in the spoon.... slurp! Then devour the dumpling.
Repeat.
Usually we will go through 2 steamers ( 8 a piece ) and order something else to share.
The first time we had the Chinese Water Spinach in oyster sauce. The second it was a massive bowl of Shanghai noodle soup with vermicelli ( think a delightfully rich broth with pork and veggies )
And finally last night when we had to switch over to Joe's Ginger ( seeing the massive line outside Joe's Shanghai ) we went a little wild since we had another guest with us.... Kit's dad.
We ordered 2 steamers of soup dumplings (Xiaolongbao) the scallion pancakes, Joe's special seafood noodles... which saw crab, calamari, shrimp, scallops and clams tossed with smokey black bean sauce and thick and chewy udon style noodles.
We finished off with the Spicy pepper salt Prawns with the shell on and enjoyed the intense flavor the shells/heads added to the delicate and surprisingly juicy meat inside.

I know Joe's tends to get quite mixed reviews online and I get that the craziness of the place could erk some people but until I find better soup dumplings in NYC.... I'm sticking with what I crave.

The Noodles made me high! AS SEEN ON TV

So in my life I have had a few, scratch that... SO many amazing food moments. Eating green papaya salad in Thailand on the beach, fresh sushi after visiting the fish market in Tokyo at 4am, tiger prawns and fresh oysters on the beach in Sydney and today.... on a street I usually avoid in NYC.... the best spicy pork noodles at Xian Famous Foods. ( St Marks and 1st Ave )
WOW.
Incredible. Light up your mouth hot, make your nose run.... stimulate all your senses. The depth of flavor, the strange spices and perfect little pieces of pork. The chewy wide noodles.... it was beyond good.
Mt Qi Pork Noodles.
I will definitely be back there to try the lamb burger ( Anthony Bourdain loved it on his episode about NY boroughs. ) and perhaps a lamb face salad? haha.
Check out the piece from Eater.com

Hot Spot: Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria

Today I stopped by Pulino's on Houston and Bowery to try out the breakfast pizza.
This is the new outpost for Keith McNally ( Balthazar, Pastis ) with hotshot chef Nate Appleman.
Started with a yummy Roasted Grapefruit with muscovado sugar & mint which was strange and delicious and the concept actually inspired a future cocktail experiment.
Then onto the pizza's with eggs:
Salsiccia eggs, sausage, bacon & white cheddar
Funghi mushrooms,eggs, mozzarella, pancetta & grana ( we added arugula )

Topped off with some strong espresso, the morning was a success!

Gem Hunting : Chinatown Dumplings

In search of some Chinese soup and with a little time on my hands I stumbled upon a little corner store on Broome and Eldgridge ( SE corner ) selling just that... and the added bonus of steaming hot dumplings.
I couldn't see a well signed exterior, but my peep inside the window showed that the chinese locals were already packed inside. I figured it had to be good, so I stepped in. Only one sign in english showed the menu which included dumplings, various noodle soups with either beef, pork balls, fish balls and tripe. There were also noodles with peanut sauce which a lot of people were devouring... that will be what I try next time!
I ordered the beef & noodle soup and the dumplings which set me back $6.
When they came out I couldn't believe how much food I had ordered! Whoops.
Thin slices of beef in a light shallot broth, with bean thread noodles and a little chinese cabbage. The meat was tender and flavorful but I added a little hot soy sauce to flavor the broth and noodles a little more.
The dumplings were delicious. Steaming hot, with delicate wrappers and rich meaty pork and chive filling.
One plate could definitely feed more than one person and for $3 that is surely a tasty treat!!!

Dinner : Monday Israeli Couscous & Fresh Herb Salad w/ grilled shrimp kabobs

Tonight's dinner

Taco time : La Lucha East Village

Stopped in for a taco at new taco shop in the East Village La Lucha. Decorated in true style with mexican wrestling memorabilia and pink foil booths, we went to order a pulled pork taco and the guy at the register suggested a special pork taco not on the menu, so we got that.
Served with a little black beans, pickled onions and cilantro the meat was juicy and tasted like it had been slow cooked with tomatoes, chilies and spices all day long. Would go back for more....

Gem Hunting : Northern Spy East Village

So today Kit and I were walking in the neighborhood and stumbled across Northern Spy.
On 12th st btwn A and B.
Such a cute space with a real antique farmhouse vibe, wooden chairs and blue benches with fresh herbs growing in the windows.
We had the Chicken & egg sandwich, $11 Crispy thigh, poached egg, greens, chimichurri, a side of collards, the Meatballs slow cooked with marinara and some house made flat bread.
Everything was delicious and we are definitely heading back!

Brunch on a Tues

This is morning I whipped up some Huevos with bacon, smoked black beans & avocado salsa. Delicious...

meat ? Yes please....

Stopped by 'This little Piggy had Roast Beef" in the East Village today to try their well hyped sandwiches... Struck up a conversation with the chef William and managed to score a taste of the delicious Pastrami while waiting for my 'THAT WAY' sandwich with Roast Beef, Jus and Mozzarella on a Hero. Delicious. Well seasoned, meaty, salty and the bread was hearty enough to soak up the jus. Can't wait to go back for the Pastrami on Rye...

Sunday Night Fried Rice

It started with a lazy afternoon of Vietnamese food.... and reading hours and hours of food blogs. I really need to get off my butt and start posting more! I have made so many meals I want to share and also had amazing restaurant experiences.... so my goal for 2010 is at least a post a week! Let's see how that pans out.
The Grammy's were ending and we were getting hungry again, so with a little inspiration from the Food Network we threw together some fried rice with what we had in the fridge/leftover from Vietnamese.
1 Qt leftover white rice
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs ( whisked and fried like a crepe then chopped )
1 small parsnip diced finely
3 large mushrooms diced finely
1 med carrot diced finely
2 strips of bacon diced
Left over sauce/stock from a shrimp and chinese veggies dish ( some greens left over too )

1. Wisk and fry the egg in the wok in thin layer until set. transfer to plate
2. Cook the bacon until crisp, add the vegetables, garlic and ginger... transfer to a plate.
3. Add a little oil then fry the rice until you see a little color. Add the veggies and egg and stir through
4. Pour over the leftover sauce ( if you don't have leftovers just add some stock and soy sauce and a little hot sauce ) Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Easy and delicious.