The Truffle Oil Diaries

I finally did it. I broke down and bought a bottle of truffle oil. I've been obsessing about the black and white beauties for years, professing my endearing love for this divine aroma that, for me, beats good chocolate by a mile. Truffles are one of the most fabulous things Mother Earth gives us, but unfortunately I'm not rich, so my experiences with them are few and far between.

I've talked myself out of buying truffle oil--the most affordable version of the things--for years. I've heard that many brands use chemicals to create a fake version of awesome, and I'd also convinced myself that having it in my pantry would somehow make it less special.

But upon entering The Filling Station at Chelsea Market the other day, I decided to take the plunge. I somehow trusted the legitimacy of their claim, so there didn't seem to be much risk in picking up one of their tiny, affordable bottles. I went for the white truffle oil, as its aroma was somehow more pleasing to me than the black, which is what I'm used to. (Of course I'd love the harder-to-get variety!)

Today I Begin The Truffle Diaries.

So far I've sprinkled a few drops into a salad (yum!), and tried a tiny bit in some simple cheese tortellini soup (not as amazing as I'd hoped). It's time for me to do some research so I can really learn how to use the stuff to its most potent effect. I'll keep you posted!

OK, Wow...

Just had to share this one: Photographer Jay Fine captured this gorgeous shot of the Statue of Liberty being struck by lightning. Check out the article here.

A Fabulous Feast @ Asana

Congrats to the newly-hitched Jimmy and Dan, whose two-week long celebration just wrapped up this weekend. They were kind enough to invite me to take part in the Boston leg of the wedding, which included a spectacular meal designed by Chef Nathan Rich and Pastry Chef Nelson Paz at Restaurant Asana at the Mandarin Oriental Boston. We took over a private room with a view of the kitchen for a few hours...and ate more than I've ever eaten before! By popular demand, I'm finally sharing some of my pix.

The vegetable tempura amuse-bouche.

The extra-super creamy butternut squash soup with a vanilla apple fritter.

Yellowfin tuna tartare with macadamia powder, ginger crisps, and shiso.

Homemade potato Gnocchi with a roasted tomato purée, basil, and shaved Parmesan.

Wagyu beef with Yukon potato purée, mulato chili, smoked fleur de sel, wild mushrooms, and asparagus.

Sweets construction.

Dessert #1. The chocolate was divine, but my favorite thing was the lemon chip. (And woohoo--Chef Paz gave me the recipe!)

Cake deconstruction.

Dessert #2: the yuzu-tastic cake.

Tea @ The House of Waris

I've just returned from treating myself to a fabulous pot of tea underneath The High Line at the House of Waris's pop up shop and tea room. Part of the Building Fashion at HL23 project, this collaboration between designer, actor, philanthropist, and book editor Waris Ahluwalia (you've probably spotted him in Wes Anderson's films) and architectural designer Christian Wassmann is a fabulous little place that, sadly, is only open until October 17th. It opened yesterday and was still under construction when I was there, but I'll be bugging friends to join me next week for a spot of Waris's specially-selected tea (I had the best chai I've ever had). The shop also includes his fabulous jewelry, scarves, and some of his other little favorite things (nudge nudge: if anyone's looking for a Christmas prezzy for me, pop on by the House of Waris!).

They were filling the reflecting pool as I left...

A view inside the shop.

The House of Waris Tea Room is on 24th Street west of 10th Avenue, right underneath The High Line.

Evil Brekky

For whatever mysterious reason I've been craving ricotta cheese (perhaps it's my Sicilian blood reacting to the autumnal weather outside?). I've been having a little with honey from time to time, but the other day I realized I desperately needed some kind of figgy goodness in my life. So, I mixed a little fig conserve with a spoonful of ricotta, slathered it on a slice of bread, and ended up with one of the most satisfying yet evil little breakfasts ever.

I think I'm addicted...

Animation Inspiration

I've been telling my peeps that one of my goals for this autumn/winter is to cook a rabbit. I was going to go for a recipe I spied in From Julia Child's Kitchen, but perhaps I should make Looney Tunes–inspired hassenpfeffer?

Abandoned NYC: South Edgemere

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I've been doing more NYC research and am discovering some fascinating places, some of which--perfect for Halloween season--are abandoned! Who knew our crowded metropolis had so many acres of forgotten land?

Today's find is South Edgemere in the Rockaways (way out in Queens, past JFK airport). A century ago it was a seaside playground, but now it's completely abandoned (see the large green patch in the lower part of the above map? That's it...). I'd totally go for an adventure there, but the packs of wild dogs put it pretty much at the bottom of the list of places I'd like to go...

Check out Nathan Kensinger's cool article/photos for more.

Taking On Tomatillos

I'm slowly but surely using up what's left from our garden bounty. My freezer's chock full of roasted tomatoes (hooray--I'll make it happily through the winter now!), but I still have a few things hanging out in the fridge that desperately need to be used. Luckily, tomatillos seem to have a longer life span than regular tomatoes, so I have a sort of extended grace period in which to use them.

The other night, along with a few of our little-but-tasty green peppers and some corn I'd cut off the cob and frozen, I decided I'd make a quick hot sausage experiment (I used some hot Italian sausage I already had, but I think this would be fabulous with Mexican-style chorizo, too). I wasn't sure if it would work, but I think it may have turned out to be my favorite tomatillo dish to date!

Tomatillos with Sausage and Corn
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cups chopped tomatillos
• 1 pound hot sausage, removed from casings
• 4 tiny or 1 regular green bell peppers, julienned
• 2 cups corn kernels
• salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil for a minute, then add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add the tomatillos, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, crumble the sausage into a sauté pan and cook until done. Stir the sausage into the tomatillo/onion mixture, and add a little salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, stir in the green pepper and corn, and serve!

The Empire State Building & Dirigibles

There's an interesting New York Times slideshow (and story) on the history of the Empire State Building's airship dock. It's a no-brainer that it wouldn't have worked, but a cool concept nonetheless!

The Best Part About Bánh Mì Saigon's New Digs?

Finally made it to Bánh Mì Saigon Bakery's new digs on Grand Street, and was surprised/happy to see that the jewelry store came along, too! This location is at least three times bigger than the one on Mott Street, so there's plenty of space to nosh on your $3.75 pork bánh mì (yup, the price stayed the same--even with their fancy new electronic ordering system and logo-emblazoned outfits!).

Check out my original Truly Cheap Eats post here.

Bánh Mì Saigon Bakery's new location is at 198 Grand Street, between Mott and Mulberry.