Link: "Destination, Brooklyn"
Neat article from NY Mag’s “Where to Eat 2010” issue. I desperately want to try Prime Meats, in Carroll Gardens.
…Kendrick? Kendrick? Can you hear me?
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Two soggy doggies (it’s Bath Day).
Me and my cookin’
You know how I write a lot about food? Post a lot of recipes? Early on in this Lifecast, I addressed the issue of what exactly my attitude is towards cooking and cheffery in general, but I think it bears repeating.
Like everybody else in the world, I read Julie & Julia and My Life in France and immediately decided that I just had to dive headfirst into French cooking. I was particularly fascinated by Oeufs en Cocotte (eggs baked with cream), and figured that New Year’s Day was a perfect time to give the recipe a shot (above, they’re served with strawberries and way-expensive-but-totally-worth-it bacon).
And oh my goodness, was I not disappointed. They are incredibly light and delicate, and have the most subtle, lovely flavor - kind of like a dreamy essence of egg.
OEUFS EN COCOTTE (serves 2)
What you need:
Last night, my parents braved the blustery weather to come over for dinner. I made Lemony Roast Chicken with Mushy Pea-Tatoes and opened a bottle of Huarpe (one of my favorite wines), and after dinner we watched Face/Off (also one of my faves).
I’m…sub-par at chicken carving, so I decided to do a little research on how to best hack up that thing up there. This article on how to carve a chicken is fantastic, and includes pictures. I recommend using kitchen shears for leg-removal purposes; I can never get the legs to separate in the right place without them.
"Toilet Paper Holder"
"Mail Depository"
Now, I am one of the last people on earth you should go to for financial advice (although I am quite proud of the fact that we transfer $50 every week into a savings account…and less proud of the fact that we occasionally make withdrawals from said account in the week leading up to rent payment), but over brunch my friend Andrea told me a little money-saving tip she uses, and I thought it was so great I had to share.
Basically, what she does is this: every time she’s about to make an impulse buy - new pair of shoes, sweater, takeout sushi, whatever - she asks herself whether or not she can absolutely live without the item, and if the answer is “yes” she not only doesn’t buy it…but uses the banking application on her phone to immediately transfer the amount of money she would have spent on it into a savings account. So there’s an instant, tangible reward (seeing the amount in your savings account increase) for exerting willpower!
Brilliant.
Virgil with his honorary Dogmother Morgan after brunch at Wicker Park (Kendrick brought him to meet us afterwards…we didn’t actually pull up a seat for him at the table).
Wicker Park might be my new UES pick for brunch - technically it’s a pub, but the decor is much airier and prettier than your typical bar/restaurant, and food is much better than the offerings at the other pubs in the area I’ve tried. And the price is totally reasonable, especially given the cozy atmosphere: $12.95 for a big, delicious plate of food and a beverage (including Bud Light drafts and mimosas). I had Eggs Benedict, which came with potatoes and an unusually nice side salad, and sources (Morgan and Andrea) tell me that the breakfast sandwich is awesome too. The Bloody Marys aren’t included in the brunch special, but if you go, you must get one anyway: they’re among the best I’ve ever had.
Breakfast For Dinner
Pushing aside the potato-onion hash to make room for the fried egg. I love one-pot (or pan) meals…they make life a lot easier for those of us without dishwashers.
