Salumeria Rosi, Upper West Side, NYC

Even though I used to live and work on the Upper West Side, these days I don't often find myself in that neighborhood often, so when we had a concert to go to at the Beacon Theater, even though it was Good Friday, we decided to be bad Catholics and eat at Salumeria Rosi.

Naturally we started with the chef's selection of salumi -- we got their signature parmacotto, mortadella de bologna, proscuitto (can't remember from which region), coppa, and maybe a couple more. 

Also got the cheese selection, though I tried to talk Redneckhunter out of this in favor of something from the main menu. Nothing too special here - we got a parmigianno romano, smoked provolone (our favorite of the 3), and a pecorino.

 We got 2 dishes from the main menu - sweet potato gnocchi and and Pancia -- slow cooked pork belly served with Tuscan chickpeas, blanched greens and crispy skin (which was the best part, naturally).

We had a nice cup of coffee while waiting for our friend who was meeting us, bug instead of staying for dessert, we decided to brave the cold and grab a waffle from the Wafel and Dinges cart we had spotted outside the 72nd Street subway station before the show.

Salumeria Rosi
283 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY

Adventures in Cheese Making

I got a deal on a cheese-making kit online -- rennet tablets, citric acid, a cheese thermometer and a cheesecloth -- enough to make over 30 pounds of the either mozzarella or ricotta.

One gallon of milk produces around 1 pound of cheese -- the milk is cooked while reacting with the rennet and/or citric acidMy first attempt at mozzarella didn't go so well. There were 2 things I attributed it to: #1 I think I stirred too vigorously (I'm Chinese, when you tell us to stir, we stir -- an integral part of wok cooking), so that I didn't let my curds set up enough. #2 was I don't think I heated up my curds enough to be able to stretch them properly.  So I ended up with something dense and more the texture of cream cheese (without the cream cheese flavor).    

Attempt #2 was better. my curds definitely separated and got stretchy, and formed a nice ball.  Cutting off warm slices, it was quite tasty.  However, put in the fridge overnight, the texture changed and got dense and lost that great springy chewiness.  

So the 3rd time around, I decided to go with the easier ricotta.  I drained a small batch to eat right away (hung in a cheesecloth like a scrotum over my sink).

We had it with grilled tomatoes on semolina.  And I let the rest of the pot of curds drain a bit longer, leading to a nice batch of rich creamy ricotta.

Stoudt's Brewery, Adamstown PA

I had a conference to go to in Gettysburg, PA, so on the way home we made a point to stop at Stoudt's Brewing Company and Black Angus Restaurant, which is right off Route I-76, between Reading and Lancaster PA.

The place is sort of in the middle of nowhere, but well worth the stop.  Redneckhunter was naturally excited about the beer.  He started out with a seasonal Kolsch. And later got a sampler of 4 -- the Triple (a Belgian Abbey-style ale), the Double Inda Pale Are, the Heifer-in-Wheat (their version of a hefeweizen), and a raspberry rhubarb beer (that I wanted to taste).

I was happy with housemade cheese from their own Wonderful Good Market.  We got three to try -- the Elderbritch, an aged cow's milk cheese (from local pasture grazed cattle) named after a PA Dutch prank in which grown-ups would send kids out to hunt for the elusive imaginary Elderbritch; the Ferdinand, a trappist monk-style cheese steeped in Stoudt's own Fat Dog Stout; and the best one -- the Fresh Eliana, a soft Italian-style cheese like a brined Mozzarella.  The cheeses were served with walnuts and a spiced apple chutney (which, though tasty on its own, was a little overpowering for the cheese).  The homemade bread, also from their own Wonderful Good Market was also great.

For our main dish, we shared the sausage platter for two with bratwurst, kielbasa, and weisswurst with sauerkraut, red cabbage, and German potato salad. 

 

The Stoudt family have a full complex on their 62-acre farm there with the brewing company next to the Black Angus Restaurant and Pub.  There's also a banquet hall for large events like weddings.  Behind that is the Wonderful Good Market and Black Angus Antique mini-mall, and across the street from the market is Stoudtburg Village -- modeled after a Bavarian hamlet, with shops and 60 residential units.  Must be a nice place to live if you're a big Stoudt's beer drinker to just stumble right home.

Stoudt's
Route 272 2800 North Reading Road
Adamstown Pa. 19501
717.484.4386

The Joe Special

I have been dreaming of an amazing sandwich we had recently at Touch of Italy in Rehoboth Beach over Memorial Day weekend.  The Joe Special was simple, yet perfect -- just prosciutto with fresh ricotta and extra virgin olive oil on semolina bread.  At Touch of Italy, they bake their own bread, and we were lucky enough to get a sandwich on a freshly baked still warm loaf.  It was probably the best thing I've eaten in a long time.

 So when I saw fresh ricotta from Salvatore Bklyn at Beecher's, I grabbed a tub with the idea of making the Joe Special at home.  Salvatore Bklyn makes their ricotta by hand in small batches daily -- the texture is dense and creamy, the flavor is of rich whole milk with a hint of lemon. It's absolutely amazing and I could have probably eaten the whole tub with a spoon. But semolina bread and cured meat was calling.

Instead of prosciutto, we already had smoked bacon at home from Pulaski Meats, the Polish butcher in the Trenton Farmer's Market, and grabbed a loaf of semolina from D'Angelo's Italian Market in Princeton, drizzled it with plenty of olive oil, and went to town with our own version of the Joe Special sandwich.

I also happily devoured ricotta with honey on toasted bread - yum...  I need to get back up to the city to get more ricotta! I'm also excited that Touch of Italy is opening a bakery in Lewes, DE where you'll be able to buy loaves of their delicious bread.  Hopefully they'll be open by the time we make it back down to the beach again later this summer. 

Beecher's Cheese, New York

 In our wanderings last week, petitesoeur and I also found Beecher's Cheese.  I love the smell that hits you upon walking into cheese shops.  I had heard of Beecher's, but I had no idea the place was so huge!  In addition to the cases of cheese and shelves of food accompaniments and gifts, there's also a lunch counter that serves grilled cheese sandwiches (naturally), salads, and other prepared foods with an upstairs mezzanine seating area.  They also make cheese on the premises.

And downstairs, there's a bar called The Cellar with clever cocktails named for notorious New York miscreants (click to enlarge the menu) to read the descriptions, with bar food -- mac and cheese (again, naturally), charcuterie, and small plates.

Of course we couldn't help tasting some cheese and taking some home. Coffee junkie petitesoeur naturally gravitated toward the Beehive Buzzed -- a cow's milk cheese rubbed with coffee and lavender.  What a unique flavor!  The combination was really striking -- after more tastes, you could taste the 2 separate flavors of coffee and lavender, but the blend really worked and was surprisingly delicious.  The Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona also caught my eye - goat cheese rubbed with cocoa powder and aged 2 months.  I went home with a chunk of each.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese
Flatiron District
900 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
212.466.3340

Mintwood Place, DC

We braved tornado warnings the in the DC Metro area to have dinner at Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan this past week. Chef Cedric Maupillier's new restaurant has garnered some rave reviews since opening at the start of this year. The place is casual and a bit noisy, but our food was great. At first glance of the menu, nothing jumps out, but everything we had was wonderful.
We started with a trio of "nibbles". First up was pickled devilled eggs.

We ordered a seasonal item, blanched radishes, snap peas, and baby carrots "a la croque au sel". The dip was an herbed butter and salt combination.
I realize I am a sucker for shishito peppers. Their version was simple- roasted and sprinkled with fleur de sel.

  

My favorite dish was a seasonal starter: burrata with spring garlic and asparagus. The perfectly cooked asparagus in combination with the creamy cheese and the fresh garlic flavors was out of this world.
My main was wild salmon on a bed of spring peas, carrots and sorrel. The skin was crispy and the fish was fatty and good.

Kathy & Karen both had the vegetarian dish, a marvelous five grain risotto with asparagus, peas, mushrooms, and broccolini.
Homer got the steak frites. It looked beautifully cooked. I tried one of the delicious fries.

For dessert, we shared a few items. Karen and Homer had the sorbet trio: strawberry, pineapple, and green apple. The winner was the apple.
Kathy had the blueberry tart topped with a Greek yogurt ice cream. It was loaded with berries.
I had the strawberry rhubarb crumble a la mode.

1813 Columbia Road Northwest
Washington DC
(202) 234-6732

Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse, Milford, NJ

I discovered Bobolink cheese when I was working at Lincoln Center, and would visit their stand at the weekly Greenmarket across the street on Thursdays.  So when they moved their farm to Milford, which is only a hour away from us, I vowed to go for a visit.


Well, it took us a while, but we finally made it out to the Bobolink Dairy on a spring Sunday afternoon.  We first stopped for lunch at the nearby Frenchtown Cafe, where I got a nice spinach, bacon, tomato and cream cheese sandwich, and Redneckhunter got a massive omelette.

Then off to see cows!  The tour was leisurely - probably could have gone faster than the hour it took, but it was informative, and it was a lovely day.  First stop was to see their wood-fired oven, which gets up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.  They burn wood all night, then stop the fire in the morning, so the temperature regulates to around 500-600 degrees and bake the bread.

We learned how the different grasses on their land in different seasons lead to different flavors imparted to the cheese.  And how the males who didn't make the cut to become future breeders became nice suckled veal. And we got to get right up close to the cows!

The pigs were there for "waste disposal" as the owners put it -- happily eating whey and other by-products of cheese-making.  Seemed like a pretty nice life sleeping all day in a pile -- that us until they become tasty bacon.

The conclusion of the tour was a tasting of pate, cheese, and bread.  The pate was nice and chunky - big hunks of liver, mushrooms mixed in, nice flavor.  Needless to say, we went home with a tub, along with a hunk of cheese.

Bobolink Dairy and Farmhouse
369 Stamets Rd  Milford, New Jersey 08848
(908) 864-7277

Wit & Wisdom Tavern, Baltimore

We went to the new Four Seasons Hotel in Harbor East in Baltimore for a light dinner at chef Michael Mina's Wit & Wisdom Tavern last week. Upon entering, our first reaction was, "Are we in Baltimore?" With it's large panoramic windows overlooking the water, a large bar area surrounded by fireplaces and couches, and a modern minimal decor, it felt like we were another city.
The kitchen area is open, similar to Woodberry Kitchen, with a wood burning stove in the center. The restaurant was dimly lit while it seemed as if spotlights were lighting up the chefs and food prep area like a show.
I was very excited that pastry chef Chris Ford, formerly of Rogue 24 in DC, was currently directing the dessert menu.

We decided to stick to small plates and appetizers for our meal to save room for dessert.
For out first course, we shared the smoked housemade ricotta topped with roasted eggplant, black walnuts and vinegar. The ricotta was delicate and wonderful. I also had a fall vegetable salad which consisted of beets, squash, parsnips, and Benton's ham.

Our second course consisted of perfectly fried hush puppies made of Anson Mills grits topped with a sauce made of Crystal hot sauce and honey. They were crispy outside, soft inside, and the sauce with it's combination of sweet and spicy just put this dish over the top.
We also shared the roasted brussel sprouts and apples with apple vinegar.
I had a small bowl of the Carolina Gold congee with duck tongue confit, egg, and crackins. It was like a meeting of Chinese and French styles in one bowl. The duck tongues were so good, and the broken yolk mixed with the rice was so creamy and delicious.

We decided to get two desserts to share. First was the "Baltimore Bar" which was a reimagining of a Baby Ruth Bar. It was made with a layer of peanut butter ganache and a layer of chocolate mousse, all covered with chocolate and then topped with pieces of pretzel and candied peanuts. It was a beautiful plate: rich and satisfying with sweet & salty flavors.
Our second dessert was even better. We had the maple custard with orange toffee, bourbon, and almonds. It was reminiscent of a crème caramel with more intricate flavors.
I look forward to returning to give their entrees a crack, but I will always save room for dessert here.



200 International Drive
Baltimore, MD
(410)576-5800