Marlow & Sons, Brooklyn

It's that time of year again - when a lukewarm breeze floats in the air once chilled with winter gloom. People leave their hibernating stance to greet spring with customary cheer; cooled after-work drinks on a quaint café patio, strolls on the Brooklyn Promenade, and perhaps a visit to the much-anticipated return of the Fort Greene Flea. My spring indulgence is shell food. I don’t know why, but as soon as it gets a little bit warmer, I start craving oysters or mussels.

As it hit 69 degrees (21º C) yesterday in New York City, a group of friends and I made our way to Williamsburg where we were to dine on oysters at Marlow & Sons. Although I had read great reviews of it, I must admit this place was even better than I expected! The décor lured me into summer thinking. Pastel blue faded walls and our chipped white picnic table made me long for seaside travel. The oysters were fresh and plump, and served with the traditional vinaigrette (red wine vinegar and shallots).

Oysters aside, this restaurant offers delicious fare. The small menu, supplemented by daily specials, offers the freshest local ingredients. One can choose from their daily selection of cheese and cured meats, to their pasta, fish, soup and salad specials. Recurrent menu items include the Coppa and Mozzarella, and Bagna Cauda (anchovy butter) paninis, the crostini, the chicken liver paté, and the potato tortilla.

The dessert must-have (no ifs, no buts), is the bread pudding with rum-raisin ice cream- a taste of warm, moist, and succulent heaven. The chocolate tart with caramel and sprinkled sea-salt is intoxicatingly rich and equally mouth-watering.

The bar offers a delightful variety of beer, wine, and cocktails. But if you’re picky about what you drink, there is an option to BYOB (with corking fee).

Marlow & Sons, 81 Broadway
Williamsburgh Brooklyn 11211
(718) 384-1441

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Pasta Lollapalooza Part 1

I registered for an amateur cooking class at the International Culinary Center in Soho today. I enrolled to take a 3-hour hands-on pasta-making class and I am psyched. The best part, I get to eat everything at the end! I will be learning the basic skills and techniques to mix, knead, and roll dough. Then, I get to cut it into various shapes and sizes, and create delectable fillings!

Hopefully, I can share some delicious new recipes next week :o)

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Book Review - Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for a Home by Kim Sunée

Kim Sunée is a gifted writer. Her recently released book Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for a Home is the poem she always sought to write—a poetic memoir of her search for a sense of belonging.

Adopted in Korea by a young American couple when she was three, she trekked the world to attempt to reconnect with her true identity. Her twenties are filled with wanderlust, going from New Orleans, France, Sweden, and back to France to follow a man who gives her everything she thought she wanted. However, Sunée never feels completely at ease and her passion for cooking enables her to find a home in the kitchen, where she can bring various flavors together, and cook a meal that brings people with the same purpose together.

Sunée’s heartbreaking and compelling journey into self-discovery magically depicts a hunger for love, food, and a home -all three seemingly insatiable. Many people will find a way to identify with her life questions, and thirst for movement.

Wihin the first few pages, you will find yourself knee-deep in her story, inhaling the different aromas and flavors so meticulously described. Recipes she shares throughout her book are tokens of her past, which have helped to shape her sense of self. Her experiences and travels inspired me to try my hand at a few of her mouthwatering recipes. The following is my personal favorite:

Orange Couscous Salad

1 (10-ounce) box medium-grain couscous
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 oranges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup golden raisins, currants, or chopped dates

Bring water to a boil. Pour couscous in a large bowl and add water, stir, cover with plastic, and let steam 5 minutes or until couscous is tender. Fluff with fork. Stir in olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion. Let cool slightly.

Zest both oranges. Juice 1 of the oranges, remove white peel of second orange and chop. Add zest and chopped orange to couscous. Stir in parsley, mint, cucumber, and raisins. Cover and chill in refrigerator 1 hour and up to 2 days. Taste and rectify seasoning by adding more salt and pepper, olive oil, and juice before serving.

[image 2 borrowed allrecipes.com]

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Meyer Lemon-Zested Salmon with Tagliatelle Spring Vegetables

1 Meyer Lemon
½ lb. Wild Alaskan King Salmon
½ Zuchini
½ Summer Squash
1 medium-sized carrot
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the Salmon on a square piece of aluminum foil.
Take the spring vegetables and peel off outer layer. Then, using the peeler, grate thin but wide strips of each vegetable over the salmon.
With a zester, grate lemon peel and squeeze half of the lemon juice over other ingredients. Add salt and pepper and bake for ½ hour.

Delicious with a side of wild arugula sprinkled with white balsamic vinegar and argan or olive oil.

[Image thanks to Marionlon according to this license]

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'Not Exactly Roughing it'

I love getaways. After a few months hard-at-work, there’s nothing like an extended weekend to relax –um, scratch that – to decompress and have a little fun (that’s more like it!).
It was perhaps two months ago, when the idea of a ski trip was first tackled. We were at a local bar (Zombie Hut?) sipping on some winter drinks to warm us up from the chilling weather when our good friend, Michael mentioned his home in Beaver Creek, CO and extended an invitation for a long weekend getaway from the urban jungle. A couple spiced ciders later, dates were thrown about to escape to winter wonderland. I was beaming with excitement. I hadn’t skied in three years!


Two weeks and some spontaneous planning later, my sister, Michael, and I, Cranium in-hand, were off in the sky on our way to snowy Colorado peaks. Michael had also invited other friends of his dispersed everywhere in the US. We all met in the Denver airport upon our arrival. When we arrive in Beaver Creek, the beauty of the mountains immediately blows me away. I revel in the vast and boundless splendors I can gaze at through my bedroom window.
We wake up early the next morning. Michael cooks a delicious breakfast for all the guests (an amazing host!). We need all the energy we can get before we hit the slopes. We scarf down eggs, bacon, and toast, and 5 layers of clothes later, find ourselves en route for a fun-filled day – well that is, until we are at the top of the slopes and start growing icicles out of our noses. However, although the feeling of numbness in my hands and toes is VERY painful, I kind of like the defrosting phase. I.e.: relaxing at the Chop House sipping on some hot cocoa, and eating pie. Any excuse for keeping my blood warm and flowing!
The next three days are filled with skiing, fun, and games...
Here is a list of the things I loved about my trip to Colorado:
~ Family breakfasts
~Nighttime Cranium charades
~Free marshmallow-roasting at the Hyatt Hotel
~Free freshly baked chocolate chip cookies being passed around at the bottom of the slopes
~Spontaneous dance party
~Outdoor hot tub overlooking the mountains
~Skiing!
However, the best thing about the trip was the company. :o)







[images 3 and 4 courtesy of Brady Hahn]

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Vive les Crepes!

Here is a recipe for French Crepes:

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups milk (at least 1%)
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Whisk eggs with milk and add vanilla extract. Add sifted flour, while stirring everything into a smooth batter.
Oil a crepe pan and place it on medium heat on the stove. Pour one ladle of the batter onto the pan, making sure it covers the pan entirely with a very thin layer. Flip to other side when bottom is cooked enough that it peels off the pan easily (be careful not to overcook because the crepe with break).

Makes about 15 crepes.

My favorite toppings:

Nutella
Raspberry
Bananas & whipped cream
Salted butter
ham, grated Swiss cheese, and mushrooms (top crepe with these ingredients when it's still in the pan, then fold crepe in half before serving)

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life is not the same without a good breakfast.

I guess this is a follow-up to my previous post about my search for a yummy brunch joint in Brooklyn. In my last post, I named Miriam my favorite place to get late breakfast on the weekends. However, the Cobble Hill location shut its doors about 2 months ago leaving me longing for a new dependable place that satiates my morning cravings of poached eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, and incredible bread.

For a while, I resorted to hosting brunch at my place. I would whip some eggs, flour, milk, and vanilla extract to make thin French crepes served with freshly brewed vanilla black tea. Homemade jam, nutella, and rich, creamy, sea-salted butter were my primary smearing choices. My ultimate favorite is raspberry jam. The flavors create the perfect balance on my palate. And of course, I always have my pantagruelian side of sliced fruit.

On days when I did not feel like cooking myself a breakfast of champions, I would walk over 7 blocks to Henry’s Bagel & Espresso Bar. As soon as I walk in, I inhale the warm toasty smell of dough, espresso, and pastries. I can actually see the men at work in the kitchen through the glass window overlooking Union Street. I order a whole wheat everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and lox. It has to be the most delicious and quickest breakfast option!

Recently, however, I have discovered a nook of a place 2 blocks away from me called Bocca Lupo. Glass windows allow for a sun-filled room, and a wooden bar and tables give it a rustic, natural feel.


An Italian eatery on weekdays, Bocca Lupo is a brunch hotspot on weekends. I extremely enjoyed the Eggs Poached with cremini toast, spek & tomato fonduta. The tomato fonduta is a spinned version of hollandaise with a spicy twist. Every element marries impeccably together to create a harmony of exquisite flavors. Rich and oozing with ambrosial ingredients, another crowd pleaser is the baked eggs with artichokes, sweet sausage, spinach, and ricotta.

Henry's Bagel & Espresso Bar, 520 Henry Street @ Union Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (free WIFI)
Closest subway: Carroll St. on F train
Bocca Lupo , 391 Henry Street @ Warren Street, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Closets subway: Bergen St. on the F train


[image 1 thanks to Matthew Levine according to this license]
[image 2 taken by Andrew Karcie for nymag.com]

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