Some people look at Thanksgiving as the transition point from fall to winter, when we stop thinking about falling leaves and turkey, and start gearing up for Christmas trees, snow and bitterly cold temperatures.  

I mark the changing of the seasons with the Rye Farmers’ Market.  Every Sunday from June to late November, the vendors show up like clockwork in the parking lot on Theodore Fremd Ave.  During the summer when the triathlon team and I came back from our early morning Sunday rides, we’d ride down Theodore Fremd and there they’d be, selling their stuff (you could always hear the pickle guy). Famished, I’d swing by afterwards to pick up fruit or a loaf of fresh bread.  

What’s that saying about the Post Office: “Through rain, sleet and snow…”?  Posties have nothing on farmers’ market vendors; it can be 100 degrees out, torrentially downpouring, or verging on a Category 3 hurricane, and they’re still out there.  Those guys are tough.

On a bone-chilling recent Sunday, I made my way over to Theodore Fremd for the last market of the season.  It was cold — the vendors were doing the “I’m so bundled up I look like Ralphie from A Christmas Story and have to turn my whole body to talk to you” thing — even the pickle guy looked uncomfortable.  First I stopped by the Migliorelli Farm stand for honeycrisp apples and fennel.

I’d already decided I was making Pasta e Fagiole soup, and needed two key elements: bread for dunking, and cheese to grate on top.  The bread I got from Bread Alone Bakery.

(That’s not mold by the way; I’d just chopped parsley on the same cutting board.  Don’t want to give Bread Alone a bad rep…)

This Smokey Shepherd pecorino came from Valley Shepherd Creamery.

And that was all I needed, just a few fresh and local ingredients to complete a comforting, cold-weather soup.

It’ll be strange driving down Theodore Fremd this Sunday and seeing an empty parking lot.  No doubt, winter has arrived.  But I know the vendors will be back next June, and I’ll look forward to once again getting my fix of farm fresh tomatoes and strawberries.

See you next summer.

ShareThis

I’m sure you had an equally satisfying meal, and I hope you had a very happy and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend! 

I also hope as I’m writing this that you’re warm and comfy in your home, and not still sitting on I-287 W stuck in post-holiday gridlock.  Bad times out there.  I feel horrible for anyone who’s trying to get across the Tappan Zee. 

I had good intentions for the day: a stop at Coffee Labs Roasters and a walk through Tarrytown to get a jump-start on Christmas shopping.  So much for good intentions; it took 45 minutes just to get from Rye to White Plains; I scrapped Plan A, got off the highway and shifted to Plan B — grocery shopping, with one pit stop.

I’ve been wanting to try Golden Krust since I saw it on my way to Yaranush a few weeks ago.  It’s a small Caribbean chain restaurant on a side street off Rt. 119, across from Apple Farm. Why have I not noticed it before?  And does this mean I don’t have to go all the way to Mt. Vernon for a Jamaican beef patty?

Sure looks like it — Royal Caribbean Bakery and Golden Krust both have similar menus of Jamaican specialties like curried goat, braised oxtail, jerk chicken, and of of course, patties.  

You can’t see it too well in the picture, but on the wall there’s even a sign that says something like, “WARNING.  Patties are HOT and can result in severe burns.  Let cool before eating.” Guess I’m not the only one who’s had a beef patty incident.

A beef patty would have been nice, but it’s hard to justify when you’ve just spent the past few days on a Thanksgiving eating binge, concluding Friday night with a Morton’s prime rib about the size of a small child.  (I don’t know about you, but my dinner tonight consisted of roasted broccoli and sauteed chick peas.  And the rest of the week’s going to be more of the same: fruits, veggies and the gym.  I feel like a giant mushy slug.)

I opted for the jerk chicken platter: chicken, Jamaican peas and rice (Caribbean term for red beans and rice), plantains and salad.

Golden Krust may be considered Caribbean fast food, and everything may have tasted better because it was cold and rainy and I’d been sitting in traffic for an hour, but this was just what I needed. The jerk chicken was exceptionally tender and the peas and rice had me running home to google recipes, because my red beans and rice sure don’t taste like that.  I found this recipe that looks promising.

So the day wasn’t a total loss; I never reached Tarrytown, but I sure did enjoy my jerk chicken platter. And there are still over three weeks to do Christmas shopping.  That’s a full three weeks to procrastinate.

Golden Krust Bakery
178 Fulton St.
White Plains, NY 10606
914-682-7400 

ShareThis

I know, that sounds bad, doesn’t it — how can mashed potatoes be fat free?  I was skeptical too, until I started tinkering with this recipe — I don’t even remember where I found it — now I make it whenever I need something quick and easy.  

I don’t measure anything for this one, so the amounts are all estimates.  You can adjust based on your preferences.  Here’s all you need:

1 - 1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, skins on
4-5 garlic cloves
Skim milk
Non-fat sour cream
Salt and pepper
Chives (optional) 

1.   Cut the potatoes in half, throw them in a pot of water with the garlic cloves and boil for a good 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

2.  Drain well and let the potatoes and garlic cool a bit.  Throw them in a large bowl and add about 1/2 cup of the milk (more or less depending on the desired consistency).

3.  Add 1/3 cup sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Mash the whole thing up until it’s nice and smooth.

5.  Stir in a handful of fresh chopped chives.

Done!  You can always throw in a pat of butter if you can’t stand going fat-free, but I really don’t think it needs it.  The sour cream’s the secret ingredient that provides the creaminess.  

Give it a shot — your guests will be surprised when you tell them there’s no cream or butter, and you’ll feel justified in having that second slice of pumpkin pie.

And with that, have a very happy Thanksgiving!  I’m heading down to D.C. and mentally preparing myself for the inevitable gorge-fest and food coma. 

Eat well! 

ShareThis

Misdirection in a restaurant?  Similar reaction.

Wow, that’s amazing, our bill’s so big! How’d they do that?

Let me say first, the restaurant meetup and I had a great time at Chutney Masala Indian Bistro. The atmosphere’s warm and rustic, there’s plenty of parking, a river view’s only 50 yards away, the service is friendly and attentive, and the food is excellent — dynamic, expertly prepared and impeccably presented.  It’s a fun place for a group; I didn’t even mind sitting on a chair with no back.  

For my entree, I chose the Maharani Thali combination platter without knowing what everything was — and not realizing it was vegetarian.  I knew there would be saag paneer, but I thought “hara bhara kebab” meant some kind of meat (kebab=meat, right?).  Oops.  

For a moment I was bummed not to have meat — fortunately, everything on the platter was so good that it didn’t matter. There was cauliflower with potatoes, some sort of creamy lentil stew, and in the upper left you can see the hara bhara kebab, a fried mash of potatoes, peas and spinach.  It was phenomenal — crispy like a potato latke and full of spices.  I didn’t miss the meat at all.

But let me backtrack and talk about where things got a little weird.  My side of the table had ordered a basket of naan as an appetizer; the other side of the table had ordered an appetizer sampler.  Their sampler arrived, and suddenly, two more samplers showed up on our side.

We all pounced; it looked great — and it tasted great.  There was some of everything: shrimp, fish, chicken, sausage, cheese, okra, those hara khara kebabs again, and two giant samosas.  

But I was confused.  

“Did we even order this?” I asked the table.

No one seemed sure.  We’d all been too busy talking to notice. Maura thought maybe the servers mentioned bringing extra platters for the table and someone had nodded, but it was unclear. Hmm… strange.  I was feeling suspicious but didn’t say anything.  And anyway, we’d already tucked into the platters.

Chutney Masala’s owner/chef came over and told us he was serving the table a tamarind and tomato soup “on the house.” Cool, free soup!

Mmm — zesty and seriously spicy (we collectively sniffled and blew our noses).  But I wondered, was the soup an act of generosity or a form of misdirection?  

During dinner a server set a big bowl of daal on the table.  Had we ordered this?  Did it come with the meal?  Everyone shrugged.  We had so much food already that none of us even touched it.  

The bill came, and there it was: 4 appetizer samplers and daal tacked on, along with one other item I wasn’t sure about. 

I left the restaurant and couldn’t shake the feeling that something slightly shady had occurred.  Maybe someone had nodded when the servers “offered” to bring dishes over, but we definitely hadn’t ordered them outright, and besides, when a big group gets together, there’s noise, distraction and a certain level of confusion.  It’s tough to keep track of who’s ordering what, especially when dishes are being shared. 

Just something to keep in mind if you eat at Chutney Masala… although those appetizer samplers were as Will Ferrell doing James Lipton would say, “a deliiight”, so in the end I’m glad we had them.  

Plus, we got free soup.

GRADE: B+

Chutney Masala Indian Bistro
4 West Main St.
Irvington, NY  10533
914-591-5500 

ShareThis

I was ready to snap a pic of the spice aisle at Yaranush, the Mediterranean market in White Plains, when the manager’s voice stopped me. 

“No, no pictures please.”

“Is it okay if I take a few pictures for my blog?” I asked.

“No, I don’t like pictures.”

I tried shameless pandering.  “Are you sure?  I was going to say nice things.”

“That’s okay.”

At first I was taken aback — then I felt guilty about being disrespectful in another person’s place of business and quickly put the camera away.

It made sense to me later: Yaranush has built a loyal customer base by selling quality Greek and Armenian products for over 20 years; I’ve never seen an advertisement; they don’t need a random blogger coming in and snapping pics with promises to say nice things.

Since I’m not able to show you the store, I’ll show you what I bought. 

I had Zaatar bread for the first time –- this was a revelation — like an herby thin crust pizza of thyme, olive oil and sesame seeds, without the sauce.  It heated up well in the oven and the manager said it’s great with feta cheese on top. 

I need your help identifying this spread because I’m brain cramping — it’s not baba ghannouj or hummus, but it’s got a similar consistency and it has dill in it.  Any idea?  For the life of me I can’t remember. 

I really wanted a piece of homemade baklava, except Yaranush only sells them by the pack, so I was out of luck.

The stuffed grape leaves made up for the baklava disappointment.  

These aren’t the stuffed grape leaves you get at Trader Joe’s (and I buy those all the time — kind of mealy, but they work in a pinch).  Yaranush’s are plump and fresh, full of pine nuts, well spiced (hint of cinnamon?) and not overly oily.  

I planned on eating two and saving the rest for the later.  They were so good that I ended up eating all four, plus the whole piece of Zaatar bread and some of the “Spread that I cannot name”.

Yaranush had an interesting looking Armenian pumpkin preserve I might try next time; the fresh feta looked great too.  Now I know the store rules: Bring appetite and wallet, leave camera at home. 

Yaranush Mediterranean Foods
322 Central Ave.
White Plains, NY 10606
914-682-8449

ShareThis

Some words make me laugh for no reason.  In the food realm I’ve always been partial to “Beefalo” (an all-timer) and “Tofurkey” (Same to you, buddy!)   Now I’ve added a new one to the list: “Shawafel.” 

That’s my shawafel platter from Grill 44 — not actually a new dish, just a combination of chicken shawarma and falafel.   It came with rice, a side of hummus and a salad.  For a quick lunch, I was pretty thrilled with it: $9 (not bad for NYC), surprisingly good quality (the chicken was really tasty) and a huge portion (afterwards I was contentedly full, and that hardly ever happens).  

I also managed to place my order without snickering like Beavis and Butthead, and I learned a new word at the same time.  I’d say that was a successful lunch.

What words crack you up?

While we’re on the subject of funny, you must watch this commercial for the “Neti Pot.”  It has nothing to do with food, but had me falling off my chair laughing.  The commercial is astounding for two reasons: 1) This is an actual product, and 2) The actress’s intensity and commitment to the performance are Oscar-worthy.  HOW did she manage to keep a straight face? Enjoy.

44 Grill
160 E. 44th St. (btw Lex and 3rd)
New York, NY
212-949-0249 

ShareThis

Walking into an ethnic grocery store is like walking into a person’s house — the first thing you notice is the smell.   At a house you’re aware of scented candles, flowers, foods cooking in the kitchen… at Bhavik Grocery I was immediately struck by the aroma of fragrant Indian spices and fried foods.   It was an aroma that told me I was somewhere exotic and interesting.

(A tip about Bhavik: Park on the street.  I almost caused a riot because I didn’t realize the parking lot was so small; I tried pulling in as a car was pulling out, got stuck halfway between the parking lot and Rt. 119 and ended up blocking traffic for a good minute.  The drivers were not happy.)

I’ve been wondering where to go when my Indian spices run out, and now I know — Bhavik’s got all the spices covered, along with a wide selection of dals, rices, sauces, produce, frozen foods and Indian yogurts/ cheeses.  

Near the register are the freshly prepared foods.  This chole (spicy curried chickpeas) was refreshing and sneaky spicy.

I picked up a package of gobi paratha (cauliflower flatbread) — thinner and lighter than naan, all it took was a few minutes in the oven to warm it up, and it became the perfect vehicle for scooping up extra chole sauce.

There’s no resisting a fresh samosa — it’s a physical impossibility. These weren’t sneaky spicy, they were plain spicy, just the way they should be.

Bhavik’s the kind of place where you see groups of Indian families come in together to shop.  I like that — it’s nice watching the curious little kids run around while their parents and grandparents pick up groceries for the week.   You know those lucky kids are in for some great home-cooked meals.  

But they don’t have to have all the fun.  If you can survive the parking at Bhavik, pick up some authentic ingredients and make a great Indian meal of your own.  

Bhavik Grocery
130 Main St. 
Elmsford, NY 10523
914-592-8086 

ShareThis

1) Beef chili trumps turkey chili
2) Ground beef is preferable to cubed beef
3) Chili should be SPICY

#1 and #2 are less important to me than #3.  #3’s a big one — and that was my problem with SmokeHouse Chili-Grill in New Rochelle.

I went with Jose, who’s pretty much game for anything, although he didn’t mention until we got there that he wasn’t much of a chili person.  That worried me since this was a chili joint and I didn’t know much else about the menu.  Luckily, the restaurant’s also a “grill”, with a full selection of burgers, sandwiches, ribs and hot dogs.  

Jose sampled the house blend chili in a tiny cup (I didn’t know you could sample chili like you’d sample an ice cream at Main Street Sweets) and proclaimed it very tasty and very spicy. Then he ordered the boneless BBQ wedge, a boneless rib patty smothered in BBQ sauce:

“Isn’t that like the McRib sandwich McDonald’s used to serve?” I asked.

“Yeah, but this looks healthier,” Jose declared, while we admired his serving of antioxidant french fries.

I was going chili all the way, and debated between the house blend and the Philly chili, made with sliced steak, onions, peppers and cheese.  I’ve been thinking about Philadelphia recently and how I’d like to take another day trip down there, so in the spirit of the city, I ordered a bread bowl of Philly chili.

That’s a lot of cheese, isn’t it?  I thought so too, and pushed most of it to the side.  A little indulgence is good, but yikes.  

Jose enjoyed his McRib, er, boneless BBQ wedge.   I was disappointed with my chili — there was just nothing much going on flavor-wise and I found the sliced steak pieces odd.  I guess I really do prefer my beef to be ground.  

I could have looked past all that had the chili at least been spicy, but it wasn’t.  Not even a bit.  I want the burn with my chili — maybe not an “I just bit directly into a jalapeno at Caracas Arepa Bar” burn — but enough to make me sweat.

I’ll give SmokeHouse another shot, but in the future if I eat anything named “Philly”, it’s going to be a cheesesteak, not chili.

SmokeHouse Chili-Grill
606 North Ave.
New Rochelle, NY 10801
914-813-8686 

ShareThis

I joined Moki and a few friends on Saturday night for a birthday dinner and drinks.  Dinner was at Sala, a tapas restaurant on the Bowery.  

I was still feeling full from a late lunch at Smokehouse Chili in New Rochelle (post to come later this week), but as is usually the case, all it took was Sangria and a few dishes to get the appetite revved up. Then I was back in the groove.

There wasn’t a bad dish in the bunch — we kicked off the meal with these creamy Serrano ham croquetas.  Behind them you can see the fried goat cheese with honey and candied onions. I’ve expressed my love for goat cheese in previous posts, so that’s about as good as it gets for me.  And somewhere in one of these pics was the tapas staple, shrimp in olive oil and garlic.

The potatoes with red pepper sauce were a hit.

So were the roasted portabella tostas.

We polished off another tosta, marinated pork loin with gruyere and piquillo peppers.

The Sangria was comfortably flowing.

“I could use one more dish,” said the birthday boy. 

I agreed.  We grabbed the menu and ordered one of the highlights of the night, grilled calamari in garlic, parsley, and red hot pepper sauce.

“Mmmm,” we all said.

Moki gushed, “This is maybe the best calamari I’ve ever had.”

Then Moki capped off the dinner by blowing out his birthday candle and letting us all dig into his chocolate dessert.  

After dinner, we headed over to the way swanky Bowery Hotel for a drink in its luxurious lobby bar. As Moki put it, “I always think this is what the Titanic would have looked like.”

Technically we weren’t even allowed in the lobby bar — it’s meant for hotel guests only — but screw it, we were celebrating a birthday, and who was really going to stop us.  A hotel employee told me I couldn’t take pictures, but not before I snapped this pic.

Manoj gave me a lesson in scotch/whiskey (I know nothing about scotch, except that it tastes like taking a bite out of an oak tree) by ordering me a Johnnie Walker Black Label on the rocks.

“It’s pretty oak-y, but it’s good,” I said, while nursing my drink and waiting for the ice to dilute it. That’s strong stuff. 

Before we left, an extremely attractive blonde sat down on a couch with a group of five men.

“Doug, check out that woman over there. Is she famous?” someone asked.  I tried to look over without staring.  Who am I kidding, I was staring.

“No, I don’t think so.  She’s really pretty though.”   

She may not have been a celebrity, but that’s the sort of question that makes sense in The Bowery Hotel — it just looks like the kind of place where you’d see someone famous.

After leaving the hotel, we met up with more of Moki’s friends at Elizabeth Restaurant/Bar in Soho.  

The rest is a bit of a blur…

Sala
344 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
212-979-6606 

ShareThis

People watching’s fun, and so is pastry watching.  Never heard of pastry watching?  It involves visiting a bakery, looking longingly into the display cases and trying not to gobble up every croissant and sfogliatelle in sight.

Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley is prime pastry watching territory.  

I’ll admit, I’m biased when it comes to Riviera; I did a shoot there last year and the people couldn’t have been nicer.  It was also fascinating watching the team of talented and efficient bakers work their magic in the kitchen. And if you haven’t seen them, co-owner Liv Hansen’s spectacular gingerbread houses are not to be missed.

Riviera is maybe the most warm and inviting of all the Westchester bakeries; it’s a perfect place to bring the family.

One glance into the display cases is enough to test anyone’s resolve.

Riviera’s baked goods are all outstanding (okay, sometimes pastry watching turns into pastry eating), but when I go, I never leave without picking up one of their underrated gourmet sandwiches.  Wrapped in plastic wrap and sitting inconspicuously in a basket on the counter, they’re easy to miss.  Look for them though because they’re so good.  I’ve had the soft shell crab, the curried chicken, and on this visit, an excellent smoked salmon with capers and red onion on freshly-made focaccia.  I loved everything about this sandwich.

Just up the Saw Mill is another spot for pastry watching — the year-old Bisou Patisserie & Cafe in Pleasantville.

It’s an elegant setting befitting the gorgeous pastries and desserts.

Like Riviera, don’t forget about Bisou’s savory offerings.  This steaming hot potato and leek soup was a winner (serious bonus points for the crostini).

Aren’t we lucky in Westchester to have bakeries like Riviera and Bisou to enjoy?  The great thing about both of them is you can go there for more than just dessert — a big plus for the conflicted pastry watcher.

As for the people watching… it looks like the nanny got the job.

Riviera Bakehouse
660 Saw Mill River Rd.
Ardsley, NY 10502
914-693-9758

Bisou Patisserie & Cafe
146 Bedford Rd.
Pleasantville, NY 10570
914-747-9780 

ShareThis