Actually, the Real Best BLT

Attention, Miss Bray: You may claim the best peaches, ok? But the best BLT? False.

That would actually be mine--complete with a sexy slab of Meat Hook bacon, thickly sliced red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, local arugula and a perfectly crunchy/chewy baguette, all graced with coarsely cracked black pepper and a drizzle of greenish olive oil. The only thing missing was the homemade oregano mayonnaise that I have heard about and dreamed about but am still too lazy to actually make. For now, this still wins. Pair it with a homemade IPA, and EAT IT.

Tomatoes and Basil are HERE!

Goodie goodie gumdrops made of tomato and basil! The most delectable summer flavor pairing has arrived, and I am taking full advantage. First stop: fresh tomato, roasted eggplant and basil chilled down (900 degrees outside) and heaped onto toasted baguette.

Second stop: tomato, basil, parsley, zucchini, feta frittata.

Third stop, coming soon: gazpacho!

Jusque Quelque Chose

Perhaps you've been wondering where I've been? See below...

Steak Take Two

The Creation: 

Steak sandwich with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms, served alongside spicy greens and shoestring fries with the delectable, one and only Manhattan Special Espresso Coffee Soda

The sirloin was, obviously, too good to let a morsel go to waste, so I used my handy, aforementioned Lil Beni to ultra-thinly slice the steak onto a toasted baguette graced with (also Beni-fied) onions that I slowly caramelized and some buttery mushrooms.

I also had quite a bit of writing to do after dinner, so as good as a fatty beer would have been with this, I opted instead for pure caffeine in the form of a Manhattan Special. Mm, mmm, yessir.

And! I gave the mustard seed oil my first go-around! Wowwee. That business is *spicy* like, I don't know... like some serious mustard seeds were in there or something. Gee whiz. Serious mustard. Which gave the greens a pungent kick that would be really nice if you really loved spicy mustard. I, however, do not. So with each healthy bite I tried to cover the flavor with a bigger bite of marrow-butter-juiced steak sandwich. Good thing that steak was so, so, so good.

My next new ingredient on the agenda: the harissa. I bought some green chorizo (literally green-colored due to the abundance of cilantro, parsley and jalapeno in it!) after my Sourdough Bread-Making Class at The Brooklyn Kitchen tonight, and I plan to serve the pan-sauteed chorizo with the harissa! Stay tuned...

Gotta Get a Camera/OR: "Health" Food Gone Gorgeous

3/3/10

The creation:

Sauteed kale with pancetta, butternut squash, pears and poached egg

What's in the fridge:

eggs

pear

frozen baguette

fig jam

rabbit stock

Key ingredients consumed:

egg 

pear

baguette

fig jam

Ingredients purchased:

Kale

Butternut squash

Stilton

pancetta

onion

The creative process:

Somebody at work accused me today, "What's up with you and all this comfort food?" Apparently I've been on a trend. Even if I can't see how you can blame me (we had snow flurries AGAIN today), I realized something feigning healthiness was in order. The solution: a "salad" paired with something else light... um, like bread and cheese. On these days, I take comfort in the fact that, were I to order Chinese take-out or pizza, or even go out for a "well-rounded" Northern Italian meal, I'd certainly be consuming copious calories hidden behind the closed kitchen doors. At least here, I can monitor the amount of pancetta fat I use in quick-sauteeing my "salad."

Step 1) Chop squash and boil until almost fork-tender. Meanwhile, dice pancetta and fry, rendering the fat, until crispy. Remove pancetta pieces with a slotted spoon and then toss some diced onion into the rendered fat. Caramelize. Step 2) Drain squash and quickly sautee/caramelize (*high* heat very important!) in the fat with the onion and some sliced pears. Throw in some spices you like--I used some curry powder and lots of S&P. Remove onions and squash and add chopped kale very briefly--just long enough for it to begin to wilt. Stir briskly and season to taste. Meanwhile, poach an egg. Step 3) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with the poached egg perched happily on top. EAT, delightfully, with toasted baguette smeared generously with Stilton and dotted with fig jam.

The verdict:

Quite satisfying! And, I felt great for having eaten nearly an entire bunch of kale, plus squash and pear. The addition of the cheese and bread satisfied me when a meal of just vegetables may have felt unfortunate. The poached egg gave the whole shebang a rich, decadent angle. I'd make this again. For my lunch tomorrow, I cooked the rest of the squash down into my rabbit stock along with some diced onion and pancetta. Curry powder and dry sherry and a dash of milk for creaminess made for a really tasty soup that I look forward to!