DelSo Wine Oh!

Here's how we do summer Sundays in the DelSo.

Driven to eat

Do you know I like to drive in loops and not just back and forth using the same route?  And that I like to find little joints along the way?  Read about it on Vinoteca!
Driven to eat

My never-ending love affair with Mario Batali...

Or - Check payable: Mario Batali

Lunch at Union Square Cafe

I had a great lunch recently in New York City.  All the details are at my new(ish) Wordpress site here. 

Roadtrip Rendezvous - Kingston

Classic self-timer shot

Over the years, the girls and I have met in many Hudson Valley towns.  Woodstock, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, New Paltz and Kingston come immediately to mind as locations which have witnessed our antics as we attempt to squeeze in all we wish to share - thoughts, experiences, illicit indulgences, a meal...whatever.  It would be fair to say that we, as a collective group of very old friends, have been around, yet, there's always something new to see or do, as our adventure this weekend readily proved.  Have you been riverside in Kingston?  Wow!

As I said, we've been to Kingston before and enjoyed it, but our explorations were in the area surrounding the original State Capital, sort of uptown I'd say.  This time though, we (ok, me, but I'm the one who is usually responsible for sussing things out) had a hankering for Mexican and Mole, Mole at 23 Broadway had some positive comments on Yelp so we decided to give it a shot.  The part of Kingston where my Google maps brought me was completely new to us, but it has obviously been developed for centuries.  The hill which lead us down to what seemed to be an inlet for the Hudson, was a broad street with brick buildings on both sides, some commercial, many residential. In addition to the restaurant where we ate, there were a number of other options for dining, including a place I had heard of for years, but had never seen - Mariner's Harbor.  Based upon the Yelp reviews, I don't imagine I'll be eating there anytime soon, but I now know where it is.  

Our destination, proved to be a winner!  We gathered at the bar, as we were 4 girls arriving in 3 cars, and got started with margaritas - all made with fresh juices and a steal at $5.  I went with the passion fruit and it was tasty with the salt rim doing a perfect job of balancing the sweetness.  Almost scary easy to drink - you've been warned.  The staff was great - welcoming, cheery and competent, and our server helped us order an appropriate number of dishes for 4 tequila swilling hungry ladies. We went with a salad and quesadilla to start, and then three entrees; pork, chicken and shrimp. 

such a bright space

beautiful bar

citrus avocado salad

pork-y deliciousness and fried plaintains

chicken mole burrito

Let me tell you, this place was perfect.  The food was fresh and nicely presented, the atmosphere was comfortable and fun and  we had a blast.  Our meal, including 5 or 6 margaritas came to an incredibly reasonable $102 and we were more than satisfied with everything.  The location is great for a post-meal walk and we loved checking out the buildings, both occupied and vacant.  At merely an hour's drive from Albany, we'll happily plan a return visit for later this summer, maybe arriving earlier to check out some of the shops which had already closed.  Very cool, very close.  Go!

Valente's

I headed to Valente's in Watervliet recently to take advantage of a gift certificate and treat myself to a dinner prepared by someone other than myself.  The place was unexpectedly busy, seemed like for the staff as well as for me.  After a couple of moments, I was greeted and seated, comfortably in a booth.  I kind of knew what I wanted when I arrived thanks to a lengthy study of the menu online: an order of steamed clams ($8.25), a Caesar salad ($8.95), and their award winning Perfect Storm Mac and Cheese ($23.95), with lobster and crab.  I saw the "table talker" promoting Cupcake wine and decided to jump in with two feet - one moscato, please!

The clams were good, maybe 14 or so on the order.  I had one or two that would have benefited from a rinse off, but basically, and in a perfectly basic way, they were exactly what I wanted. Plump, tender and accompanied by a puddle of butter.  Served simultaneously with the clams was my Caesar salad.  Although I had asked for some additional anchovies, they were forgotten.  Because they were busy and there was a decent fish flavor in the dressing, I didn't bother to request them again.  No worries. Nothing special either, but I've had worse.

I watched virtually everyone depart with a box of leftovers.  And they looked heavy.  I knew I was going to have a similar future since I had over-ordered to be able to use the restaurant.com gift certificate that required a $40 check.  Oh, don't you worry.  I can eat. The Mac and Cheese was huge, easily enough to feed 3.  It was creamy, piping hot and sharp in a really pleasing way.  While there certainly wasn't sufficient shellfish present to enjoy some in each bite, in no way did I feel denied. I only ate about a quarter of the portion and I was staying on my game plan - which was maintain room for dessert.

Despite the fact that none of the evening's dessert offerings were made in house, I went with the carrot cake.  It was a fair representation of carrot cake - moist, iced with cream cheese frosting and a size that was shareable. Except, I was dining solo so I ate the whole damn thing myself leaving the inferior whipped cream on the plate as a testament to my willpower.

Overall impression?  A pleasant dining experience that doesn't blaze any culinary trails, yet provides a comforting repast.  I'd go back - especially since I noted that Mac's Drive-In is right on the way and I've been meaning to get there for some ice cream.

Immediate impressions - Champagne on the Park

 

Stunning setting.  Beautiful people. Delicious food.  Great vibe.  Rocking music. 
And a young man who made me feel like Gina Davis in Thelma and Louise.
Ah, Albany,I love you!

Falvo's returns the love

DerryX brought my attention to this recent addition to the Falvo's website.  I had been thrilled to see a Vinoteca piece I wrote posted on their deli cabinet last month when I picked up my brisket, but this goes even beyond!  Thanks, Falvo's, for the links and most especially for being such a great butcher shop.  I'll be in for my bacon later today.

Crumbs

What do you do with all of those heels and the last couple of slices of bread?  I've been throwing them into the freezer recently and yesterday I pulled them out and did something I've wanted to do for a long time - I made "fresh" bread crumbs.  It took about 90 seconds, all totaled, and I can't  wait to use them.  Maybe I'll add some dried herbs before I coat those extra thin chicken breasts I'm planning to lightly fry in olive oil. 

Directions?  Rip bread into large pieces.  Place in food processor.  Pulse.  Done.  Satisfying to my cheapskate self and hopefully to the taste buds as well.  What are your thrifty kitchen tips?  Got some to share?

Meeting and Meat

I got up to Falvo's recently to pick up my corned beef along with some beef short ribs.  I've never bought a corned beef that was prepared "in-house" and I was curious to see if there would be a discernible difference between the more commercially, vacuum-packed variety.  And the short ribs?  They were on sale and the butchers at Falvo's do such a beautiful job trimming them that I couldn't resist.

I shop sales.  It's the only way I know to maximize my dollars and the Lilly boys do enjoy eating like princes.  I've gotten more savvy during this past year of being solely responsible for the grocery shopping and I don't mind making the effort to stop at the butcher every few weeks to stock up the freezer.  I find it particularly efficient to call ahead with my order so that it is prepared and packaged when I arrive.  I figure it saves me time and also allows the folks at the butcher to work at their preferred pace.  

When I arrived to pick up my items, I couldn't resist peeking at the beautiful meat in the deli cases.  The steaks looked great, as did the array of house made sausages.  But then my eye was drawn to a two-page print out of a blog posting from the Times Union.  A blog post from Vinoteca, the blog I contribute to a few times a month.  A blog post that I wrote!  I'm smiling as I type this because it really was one of the coolest things to come from my writing...

I introduced myself to the gentleman I perceive to be the owner, as the writer of that piece and we made a connection.  It turns out he had fielded my phone call when I called that afternoon from BJ's looking for rack of lamb.  We chatted a bit about the rack of lamb and the importance of supporting local independent businesses and the increase in the amount of lamb he is selling to those who read the piece as they shop.  Very, very cool. 

And the corned beef?  It was tender and flavorful and lean almost to a fault.  The salt content was a bit intense for me but I think I should have asked for some cooking instructions.  I ended up tossing it in the crockpot overnight in a pool of beef stock, but next time will use a combination of beer and plain water, maybe adding a peeled potato to absorb a bit of the salt from the brine.  It was a quality piece of beef for sure and I'll be happy to buy Falvo's corned beef in the future. 

Delso cookies!

Sometimes I think I am a pretty lucky lady, other times I know I am a very lucky lady. Like Thursday evening when I got to participate in a Cookie Tasting. Yeah, I said Cookie Tasting. You may not know this, but I love cookies. If I had a choice between cookies, cake or pie, it would be cookies all the way for me, although I would eternally miss this pie.  Maybe it is their shape (I like circles) or the fact that I can eat many of them without feeling too guilty.  Or perhaps the way the pair so perfectly with a glass of cold milk.  And talk about varieties!  There are seemingly an infinite number of variations on these simple treats - and I'll try them all, holding a special place in my heart for New York City style black & whites, Linzer Tarts and good old fashioned chocolate chips.

You all know the exciting news about All Good Bakers relocating to the DelSo, yes? The owners of this terrific business already reside in the neighborhood and they, along with Linda Kindlon of Bake for You, decided that it would be appropriate to create a cookie that represented their new location - the DelSo cookie. Although I didn't officially submit a recipe, in my mind the winning cookie needed to be a combination of wholesome and indulgent, traditional yet with a surprise component, and definitely had to demonstrate an artistic flair without an iota of preciousness. That's kind of a lot to pack into 3 bites, isn't it?

The event was well organized with 6 varieties of cookies to be tasted. There were beverages, including Meadowbrook Farms milk, scorecards and plenty of cookies for those inclined to go back for seconds. Me? I was the annoying person who broke the cookies in half so as to not weigh myself down for my return run home. No worries - my hands were clean, I swear.

Of the six, I had two strong favorites but the cookie pictured was my ultimate number one - or number six since the scale was 1 to 6 with six being the best score. What set this cookie apart was the inclusion of popped corn,which added a completely unexpected airy crunch to the cookie. A close second was the Mexican chocolate cookie which had a wonderful chili pepper spice, making it very much a grown up cookie, which just might keep the children's hands out of the cookie jar.  Each of the different cookies, regardless of the ingredients (dried apples, orange zest, coconut...) was perfectly baked and there truly wasn't a bad one in the bunch.

It was a really fun way to spend an hour and I enjoyed chatting it up with the Fussy and the friendly. The winner has not yet been announced in the battle to be the DelSo cookie, but I know we, in the DelSo neighborhood, are certain that we are the ultimate winners with the upcoming arrival of All Good Bakers, complete with cookies from Bake for You,  in our little Best Up and Coming neighborhood.

Ted's Fish Fry - Wolf Road

My oldest son is an unusual kid with a wide range of interests. He loves history and trains and inexplicably NASCAR and Broadway musicals and opera. A real renaissance guy. When it was time for him to choose where he wanted to eat for his recent birthday, he had a local request and a suggestion for when we're in the city this weekend that clearly illustrate his divergent tastes. Local choice: a fish fry, NYC: Bobby Flay's Bar Americain. Yep, that's my Liam!

Based on a good friend's recommendation, we ventured up to Wolf Road Tuesday night to indulge in some fried fish, despite middle son's repeated admonishings that "fish are friends not food." Whatever - bring on the cod!

We've been to the Ted's in Troy and enjoyed the classic drive in quality to the joint. This location is different, more comfortable for sitting, more modern. We stood to the side of the counter and consulted to determine our order and stepped up to the man behind the counter prepared with our dinner request. Well...the man at the counter was a bit rude intimidating and my efficiency really was tested as he barked, sometimes at me, sometimes at the line cooks behind him. It was so extreme that I was left wondering if they have some sort of shtick a la Soup Nazi. We suffered through his inhospitable disposition, placed our order (2 fish fry platters, 1 chicken tenders, 10 mild buffalo wings, 1 bowl of New England clam chowder, 1 small order of onion rings and 3 beverages and a water. $46 + a tip for the pleasant (or "hot" as my youngest boy declared. Loudly) teen aged girl who rang us up.

We sat with our drinks while our food was cooked and observed that the counter guy was consistent with his lack of warmth, but when the Lilly boys retrieved the food and served me (!), it was all worth it.  Piping hot, crispy, moist...absolutely delicious. The fish was served with a sort of concoction that I can only describe as the bastard child of tartar sauce and cocktail sauce.  Red, relish-y and sweet. I wanted to take photos but was concerned that I would upset the counter guy and that was a risk I was unwilling to take. Liam did not offer me a taste of his chowder, but he said it was terrific and, more importantly, he shared his oyster crackers with his brothers. Speaking of sharing, I ordered only a small portion of onion rings because the boys indicated they weren't too interested in them. Well, I think I got maybe two of those rings - and that was after I wrestled one away from Quinn. Sorry, baby boy, mommy really needed that ring. We'll get the large order next time. The fries were forgettable and the cole slaw tasty, with a peppery bite offset by a vinegary sharpness. The chicken tenders looked really good, while the mild wings were a little more spicy than I would have expected, but the had a nice crispness to them and were perfectly sauced - not dry, not too messy. Not a single complaint about the food could be made.

All in all, probably the best fish fry we've had in the area, good value, comfortable spot (counter ogre aside), and decent location. We'll be back!

All is Good in the Neighborhood!

The All Good Baker folks at The Wine and Dine for the Arts Festival

2012 had begun on a very high note in the DelSo...we're going to become the new home for Albany's only farm to baker, All Good Bakers.  Local, sustainable and fresh pretty much sums up their creed and the photos below offer a glimpse of how good those adjectives look when in the Fosters' capable hands. I can't wait to finally have an opportunity to get really familiar with all the good things created by All Good Bakers.  If that crazy delicious grilled cheese on their sourdough that I sampled at the Food and Wine Fest is any indication of what local, sustainable and fresh tastes like, well...I may want to hold on to some of my more generously cut jeans...

As easy as...

Apple pie! There was a pattern to my cooking in recent days, a sort of pre-Thanksgiving emptying of the refrigerator to make room for the groceries necessary to prepare a holiday meal. I had some buttermilk I needed to use up, so fried chicken and pancakes made the weekend menu. My cheese drawer was crammed with odd bits of Gorgonzola, ricotta salada and sharp cheddar, a situation which begged for mac n cheese. And there was a collection of miscellaneous apples becoming sadder looking by the moment - perfect apple pie fodder.

I've stocked up recently on chocolate chips and pie crusts, two items that allow me to easily put together a quick dessert be it cookies, brownies, a tart or pie. I know that making pie crust (like pizza dough) is more time consuming than difficult, but I find myself much more willing to take on the task of baking with a little head start.

For Saturday's pie, I laid the bottom crust into a deep pie dish and got busy peeling and slicing a variety of apples - Empires, Macintosh, and Delicious, primarily. I was feeling kind of cocky (that's how I get after a long run. Blame it on the endorphins.) and didn't measure anything, there were about 8 apples, perhaps a 1/3 cup of brown sugar, a 1/4 cup of white sugar, a 1/4 cup of unbleached flour, and a 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and a shake or two of ginger powder. I tossed all that together and then rather unceremoniously dumped it into the crust. The top crust was added and I did my best to seal the edges and crimp in a modestly decorative manner. I sliced a coupe of slits in the top to release steam and placed my rustic, beautiful pie in a 375 degree oven, placing a baking sheet on the rack below the pie's rack. I've finally learned my lesson about things bubbling over and making an awful mess (and smoke) when the drips hit the bottom of the oven. The pie took longer to bake than I expected, maybe 65-70 minutes. Maybe next time I'll use the super cool convection feature which I know nothing about.

The pie cooled a bit while we feasted on fried chicken and mac n cheese. Topped with French vanilla ice cream it was a tasty way to get both a fruit serving and a dairy serving into dessert. Wait - I'm not the only one who considers pie to be a fruit serving, am I? If that thought process is wrong...well, I simply don't care to be right.

Cheesecake Machismo

Are words even required?

A couple of months ago (where does the time go?!?), I attended a fundraiser at LaSerre for the Starlight Children's Foundation and succesfully bid on a couple of items in the silent auction.  For some ridiculously inexpensive price, I scored a basket, donated by Cheesecake Machismo, which contained a pound of coffee ("Make your own damn coffee") and a gift certificate for a Frankencake, their name for a cake comprised of 12 individual slices selected from the daily offerings.  I'd been waiting for the perfect occasion to cash in and last week's epic party in Syracuse proved to be the ideal opportunity.

 

I checked out their Facebook page, saw the day's options and called ahead to have my order ready.  Although one of my personal favorite flavors, Chocolate-Chipotle was not available, I think everyone at the party would agree that what I ultimately selected was exactly what we needed to complete our night.  The flavors I chose, in clockwise order beginning at 12 o'clock, were:

• caramel pumpkin
• wild blueberry
• cookies and creme
• caramel brownie
• raspberry Lucille
• tiger stripes (Kahlua and caramel)

It would be impossible to say which was the favorite, but I assure you, all were gleefully consumed.  This place is a gem.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I may not look like I've got soul, but believe me, I am an appreciative fan of both the music and the cuisine. I particularly love the side dishes - okra and greens and beans, all cooked in a fryer or with a generous hunk of pork fat, naturally. Of course, eating this kind of heart challenging diet isn't something I often do, but, my boys are young and healthy and I believe in indulging children in cleanly made treats on occasion. Things like home baked cookies, Meadowbrook Farms eggnog and bacon from my favorite butcher shop, Falvo's.

Making this boy favorite meal is so easy that the most effective way to maintain its status as "special" is to make it with great infrequency. 2 or 3 times a year - tops. I cluster the occasions so I can reuse the oil and I try to coincide the festivities with an event that gets me out of the house for a day after the extended frying frenzy. I have convinced myself that the smell of fried foods nauseates me.

I initially made fried chicken when I found myself with leftover buttermilk after some baking adventure. Maybe scones? When I googled to get some ideas as to how to use the remainder of the .5 quart of buttermilk, my results leaned heavily to fried chicken. What follows is not a recipe, just what I do. Adapt to your own tastes, or like me, be a slave to your children's palates and go simple. Place chicken pieces (I like bone-in thighs) in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Allow to soak in fridge for 12 hours to two days. Remove chicken from milk and drain on a baking rack over a baking sheet for 10 minutes or so. Heat up vegetable oil in a deep pot. Put some flour, salt, pepper and a couple of sprinkles of corn meal to add some crunch, together on a plate. White pepper and some paprika would be nice here, but the boys are still in a muted stage flavor-wise. It's ok, they're a bit of a longterm project.

Dredge the drained chicken in the flour mixture, taking your time to make sure the chicken is evenly and thoroughly coated. Test temperature of oil. I usually drip a drop or two of water in. You don't want spatter, just sizzle. Scientific, right? I cook the chicken, a few pieces at a time. Don't crowd the chicken! TUrn the chicken after about 10 minutes and cook for an additional 10 or 15 minutes. Since I'm cooking in batches, I usually place the chicken, on a baking sheet layered with a brown paper bag topped by paper towels, in a 200 degree oven to keep warm. Once that chicken comes out of the oven, beautifully brown, crunchy and glistening lips inducing, believe me, keeping it warm isn't an issue.

Burrito!

I had my first taste of Mexican style cuisine at a sleep over birthday party in 6th grade. I can still remember how taken I was with those tacos - crunchy, meaty, cheesy tacos so delicious that the shredded iceberg lettuce and insipid tomatoes couldn't get in the way of my enjoyment. I swear I ate 4 tacos that night and my culinary world was never the same. Since that time, I've both expanded (Fish tacos! Nachos for dinner!) and honed (chiles in adobo make almost everything better) my palate and continue to be smitten by the flavors of Mexican food, authentic or not. The other day as I cut trail through 14+ inches of snow, I was inspired by thoughts of a quiet solo dinner at home - chicken burritos, specifically. Here's what I did:

I had two baked chicken thighs (bone in) hanging out in the fridge. I took the meat off the bone and basically ripped it into shreds and tossed it into a can of semi-drained black beans. I added some cumin, salt and two chopped chipotle chiles along with about a teaspoon of the adobo sauce the chipotles were packed in. As this heated through, I warmed two tortillas and gathered some vegetables in the form of a half avocado, sliced, and some baby spinach. I built a gorgeous mound of the green veggies, the beans and chicken and then finished with a dollop of salsa and a bit of shredded cheese. My plan was to eat two of these bad boys, but when I paused after wolfing one down, I realized I was quite full already. I was a little bummed that my capacity was so limited, but since I'm not a fan of that over-stuffed feeling, I was pleased that I knew when to stop and that there would be another yummy burrito meal to look forward to.

Pumpkin Pie ice cream

On what may have been one of the last open sunroof afternoons of fall 2011, I decided to indulge in a new-to-me flavor of ice cream - Stewart's Pumpkin Pie.  I've always been more a lemon meringue pie kind of lady, but, since I haven't stumbled across a similarly flavored ice cream, I decided to give the pumpkin pie a shot.  And...it was pretty darn good!  There were nice bits of graham cracker and a tasty nutmeg-gy spiciness to it.  I won't hesitate to get this flavor again and would definitely consider it to be a treat as a milkshake.  Hmmm...that sounds pretty good.  Gotta go!

Sausage & Peppers

sausage

Recently I saw a brand of Italian style chicken sausage at my local Price Chopper - Lupo's from Endicott, NY.  What initially attracted my attention was the sticker on the package stating that they were msg, whey and gluten free.  Now, I've never had an issue with any of those ingredients, but, I figured in most cases with sausage, less is more.  I picked up both available varieties - hot and sweet.  

Over the weekend I was looking for some easy comfort food and remembered the sausages in my freezer.  A quick thaw and some time on the grill and I ended up with some lovely, pleasantly spicy links.

peppers

There were a couple of beautiful red peppers in my crisper so I sliced them.  They went into some olive oil, along with a jumbo sweet onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, and cooked until they were tender and ever so sweet - the perfect counterpart for the hot sausage. 

You know how sausage can sometimes be a little dry? These were not dry at all!  They had a good snap to them, the casings were firm enough to hold the juicy goodness inside yet easily yielded to a knife - and my teeth.  I placed the sausage and peppers on a soft poppy seed roll and had the perfect quick dinner.  I like to think it was fairly nutritious, as far as these things go and it was unquestionably delicious.

sausage and peppers!

Acorn squash

Why, oh, why did I not eat beautiful orange vegetables (other than carrots) when I was a child?  These days not much makes me happier than a pan of sweet potatoes, butternut squash and my favorite, acorn squash, roasting together in the oven and so I say, "Welcome back squash!  I've missed you."

I'm sure there are a million ways to cook these hard shelled squashes but I usually do the a variation on the same theme: squash + something sweet + fat + spice.  My something sweet is generally either brown sugar or maple syrup, but this batch ended up with something a little different.  See that picture of the amber-colored rock candy-ish stuff?  Well that's what you may find, if you're lucky, at the bottom of your maple syrup container.  I knew there would be a use for it one day and this was its day to shine!  If you aren't fortunate enough  to have maple "glass,"  I'm positive that  maple syrup would work just as well, it just wouldn't add moisture and flavor simultaneously. 

Cut the squash through the middle and scoop out seeds and gook. (Compost!) Trim the top/bottom of your halves in necessary to allow them to "sit" without wobbling.  Add some maple syrup or brown sugar, maybe 1.5 T per side, a dab of butter and some nutmeg, clove or cinnamon - or all  of the above.  Bake at 375 degrees until the squash is soft but not caving in on itself.  Maybe 35-45 minutes depending on size - size can be a real factor sometimes.  If you're in a rush, place squash, cut side down in a shallow glass plan with about an inch of water and place in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes.  Finish in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve, or eat the whole thing yourself. 

An aside: when Liam was a baby his nose was orange because of all of the yellow/orange vegetables he ate.  Does Mayor Jennings perhaps eat a lot of squash?!?

                                 

Obviously, this shouldn't be considered a recipe so much as a reminder that the seasons are changing and so should your meals.  Although the transition from bright red tomatoes  to orange squash and darker greens comes with some regrets (I should have eaten more blts!), it is inevitable and should be embraced. And, bonus - oven roasting also serves as the perfect delaying tactic to turning on the furnace for the season!  Delicious  + money-saving = winner.