The Whitefish Challenge

You're wrong if you think the whitefish challenge of this post's title means a competition to eat the most whitefish in the least amount of time.  I don't know if that would excite you or gross you out but either way that's not what it refers to.  The whitefish challenge is something my brother, sister-in-law, and I dreamed up back in October when they were here for their last visit.  They had recently discovered the bagel topper and though I was thoroughly disgusted by its name alone, they convinced me to try it and I found it was not so bad.  Though they are both Ess-a-Bagel devotees, they thought the whitefish from the random bagel place below my apartment was better.  That got us thinking: if a no-name guy was better than one of New York's most famous places, there could be some major whitefish salad competitors out there.  We decided to try them all and crown one of them king.

10 months we've been talking about this and it finally happened.  In that lag time between visits, I spent my time researching.  I looked at all the blogs and reviews I could find to determine who could score themselves entrée into our little taste-off.  The final three were Daniel's Bagels (the place by my apartment that we already knew was great), Zucker's Bagels (famous for their smoked fish in Tribeca and happened to have just opened their second location near my apartment a couple months ago), and finally Russ and Daughters (known to be the premier source of NYC's "appetizing" for years...not that I knew appetizing was anything other than an adjective until recently).  We left at 11:30 to grab all the ingredients, picking up bagels from Ess-a so they would all be on an even playing field.  It's a good thing we were committed to this project because that's the only way we could have spent the two hours it took collecting everything and then finding a park bench to commence the judging process.  We spent a lot of time discussing each one because as my brother put it: "If you're gonna spend two hours getting this stuff ready, you better analyze the fuck out of it."  Here's how it played out:

1. Daniel's: by far the creamiest.  They must add some sort of cream cheese or sour cream to it.  Also the saltiest, which, to me, makes it seem a bit fishier.  
2. Zucker's: middle of the road creamy.  Had a very smoky flavor vs. Daniel's' salt-cured.
3. Russ and Daughters: Not creamy but pureed very fine for a smooth texture.  Includes smoked salmon for a different flavor.  Most bland in flavor but points for being in the LES and maintaining the neighborhoods Jewish roots.

If we're talking about just fish, we all agreed we would rank as above.  Allison in particular was a major Daniel's fan.  But then we started playing around and discovered some great pairing that changed the game.  Mark mixed the Daniel's and Zucker's whitefish and thought that was the holy grail.  It had the creamy texture we wanted with the smoked flavor we liked.  I loved putting whitefish row on top of the Russ and Daughters version.  Since they are now located near each other, this would not be a difficult thing to do.  The caviar and bagel sandwiches are what Russ and Daughters is famous for so it made sense that the caviar would take the seemingly boring whitefish salad to a whole new level.  It bumped it up to #2, maybe #1 in my book.

So there you have it.  The Konter sibs have done all the research so you don't have to.  Now you know exactly where to go when you're serving brunch to a bunch of hungry New Yorkers.

3 on Thursday

I'm excited to be sandwiched between two great weekends.  I am fresh off a visit from Mark and Allison and leaving tomorrow for DC to visit Sliz.  Obviously I'm most excited to have some quality time with my college bestie but this trip is also exciting because I'll get to see what it's like to travel with my new iPad.  Bus trips and plane rides are pretty much what the device was made for so I look forward to seeing what it can do.

While walking in the West Village I saw a cute little book shop so adorably named bookbook.  It's like The Shop Around The Corner from "You've Got Mail," only the internet hasn't put it out of business.  I usually don't allow myself to go into book stores because I'm a Barnes and Noble member so it doesn't make sense to buy elsewhere, but the smell of a book store is too intoxicating that it's impossible to walk out empty handed - better to just not go in at all.  But this time I just couldn't resist.  It's a small shop, but they have all the best sellers as well as some lesser known NYC themed titles and the prices - on brand new books, mind you - were unbeatable.  I bought three books for myself plus two more for my nieces (that doesn't count - they're gifts).  I didn't want Barnes and Noble to think I was cheating on them so I went home and ordered three more from them to even the score.  The first step to getting better is admitting you have a problem.

I tried some new vendors at Smorgasburg while my Mom was here and found some goodies.  I had never really heard much anything about Bolivian cuisine but apparently they make these things called salteñas which are like empanadas but with sweeter dough and filled with stew instead of just meat.  It was absolutely delicious.  This stew pie from Bolivian Llama Party may have been the favorite of the day.  We also tried great fish and chips from Handsome Hank's Fish Hut.  My mom kept asking which one was Handsome Hank - they didn't mind; they loved mugging for a photo.  Fun service aside, the portion was massive, they battered and fried each filet to order, and they get bonus points for using some sort of mustard in their tartar sauce - not traditional but best tartar sauce I think I've ever had.

For months, I have stopped to admire the window of a small florist right by my apartment.  I envision their centerpieces at my fictional wedding and even told my Mom that if I ever did get engaged I would start taking pictures of my favorites and having the florist in Savannah replicate.  Last week, I told her I wanted to take it a step further and start a tumblr showcasing their floral art because these masterpieces should not be limited to my own fake-wedding dreams.  These flowers are too beautiful to be enjoyed only by those who live near 37th and 3rd.  So please check out Blooms on Third to get your floral fill.

Fig, Mustard, and Pear Champagne Glazed Chicken

Fig butter, dijon/grain mustard, and pear champagne vinaigrette are mixed together in a 1:1:2 ratio and poured over chicken.  If we're getting technical, 2/3 of the mixture goes over the chicken, then it bakes at 350 for 30 minutes until it's time to flip over, cover with remaining sauce, and bake for another hour and a half.  That's if you're using a whole chicken with all the skin and bones.  Obviously, it'll taste better that way - skin makes it all juicy and delicious.  It also makes it less healthy.  Sure, I could peel away the skin, but then the sauce goes with it and that's no fun.  Instead, I used the boring chicken and comforted myself with the fact that it takes less time to cook.  Like a half hour less.  

Those three ingredients for the sauce seem very specific, but I'm sure you can find substitutes for the vinaigrette and maybe even the fruit butter. I got the recipe from the Trader Joe's website so I knew I would be able to find everything there. If you don't have a Trader Joe's - get creative. The point is to have some sort of fruit, a mustard to cut the sugar, and a vinaigrette to add acidity and make it saucy. Or if you don't have a Trader Joe's just wait a day or two when I'm sure I'll post a recipe that uses all ingredients from a regular grocery store. 

This chicken is nice and sweet so I imagine it would be good paired with something extra savory like garlic mashed potatoes. The sauce is just thick enough to hold onto the chicken but thin enough that you can spoon on as much or as little as you want. It takes about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes to cook but only about 1.5 minutes are "active" when you're mixing the sauce together. That's a compromise I can live with. 

Hendrick's

I waited patiently for Hendrick's to open in a space that had remained vacant for the full year since I moved into my apartment.  It was right downstairs from my place and as it started coming together, it looked promising.  The painted brick, white marble bar, and glazed wood floors signified a spot that could attract a less rowdy Murray Hill crowd that seeks out quality neighborhood spots.  I cupped my hands around my eyes and peered in the window daily while it was under construction, awaiting the moment I could try out my new local spot.  And then it opened...and I didn't go.  In fact, it took me a full month to get there - almost embarrassing considering it's five steps from my front door.

Now that I've been, I won't take it for granted.  The food is just over budget for a weekly spot, but I could easily see myself stopping in ever three or four weeks.  Since we were looking for a lighter meal, Albert and I split the seafood tower and lamb meatballs.  Though you obviously get less, I was very happy to see a $32 seafood tower on a menu.  I've never seen one for less than $65 and this one could easily serve two.  I am way more prone to order it this way.  My favorite appetizer of the evening was the deviled eggs - served on a bed of extra deviled egg yolk and a streak of pesto.  Allison was very happy with her lobster and avocado salad, served in a large enough portion to justify the $19 price tag (ugh if only lobster wasn't so expensive), and Mark ate all of his porcini ravioli.

The bar needs a little work and I think they would do well to institute a bottomless mimosa brunch deal, but I figured there would still be a kink or two after only being open about four weeks.  Hendrick's fills a desired niche for a not wild but not stuffy place to go for a solid meal in the upper 30s.  It's nice not to be relegated to bar food or Asian.  This is exactly the kind of place I'm looking for when I want a well rounded meal, maybe for a date night or low key catch up sesh with a girlfriend.

  

Pig and Khao

My brother set the bar extraordinarily high before his annual NYC visit.  He told me I needed to find us a restaurant 1) with food he can't get in Savannah (that's not Chinese or Korean), 2) is not in an outer borough, 3) is reasonably priced, 4) would knock his socks off.  They said it couldn't be done, but that's just the kind of challenge I live for so I made it happen.

I was able to satisfy every requirement on my brother's list with Pig and Khao.  Located in the Lower East Side, Pig and Khao serves Thai and Filipino influenced cuisine that is incredibly inventive for a price that is more than simple.  By simple, I mean low.  The dishes labeled as small plates may seem expensive at around $13-$15, but they are not typical tapas size as we expected.  We ordered four of them along with an order or two of coconut rice (a mere $3) for five people and it was plenty of food.  We also ordered two drinks a person and our total bill came to $150.  Food and alcohol for 5 people for that price is a pretty good deal, but not as ridiculous of a deal as the $15 bottomless PBR, done self-serve style in the back patio area.

So I made good on the price condition but the real concern was getting my brother and sister in law unique food.  I did even better in this category.  We ate pork head served with a slippery, saucy egg.  It was fatty, sweet, and salty.  Definitely can't get pork head in Savannah - it's not like it's on tons of menus in New York either.  It was gone moments after it was placed on the table.  We debated getting another order immediately but decided to wait until after we tried the other dishes that were on their way from the kitchen.  It's a good thing we did because the following dishes were also spectacular.  The pork jowl was served with cilantro, mint, watermelon, and chicharron.  When all elements were eaten together the sweet and cool watermelon did something with the spicy pork jowl that got me all sorts of confused and excited.  I know it sounds like a lot of pork, but you haven't even heard about the pork belly yet.  It was served with a poached egg in a salty broth that didn't mushify the crispy skin.  Finally, we ordered the curry fried chicken special that was served with a pickled watermelon rind salad.  The sauce was sweet and unlike the curry flavor I was expecting and the skin was crispy enough to satisfy our whole table of Southerners.

Don't go to Pig and Khao because you heard a former Top Chef contestant is running the kitchen.  Don't even go because you read the 2-star review in the New York Times.  Go because I'm telling you the food is exciting and non-traditional, the price is right, and though they have great $11 cocktails on the menu, they're not above kegs and beers in cans.

String lights, solo cups, and a keg on the patio...just like college...

Sausage Lasagna with Smoked Mozzarella

I wouldn't have known Monday was National Lasagna Day if Albert had not pointed it out to me.  Thankfully, lasagna is an easy dish to throw together so I didn't need much advanced notice to celebrate.  But boring, standard lasagna doesn't really say "celebration" so I wanted to update the recipe - something that's easy to do if you take a shortcut with jarred sauce and make a few fresh tweaks with the other ingredients:

First, instead of ground beef, I removed fresh sausage links from the casing, crumbled them, and browned them in a pan.  I used a one to one ratio of hot and sweet Italian sausage but that came out pretty spicy so you may want to use more sweet than hot if your palate prefers the mild.  Once it was cooked, I added some of that jarred sauce to the pan to heat through and then used some of the meat mixture as the first layer in my lasagna pan.  Next comes a layer of noodles, followed by fresh ricotta that I mixed with shredded mozzarella (whatever cheap bag you find in the refrigerator aisle) and torn basil (fresh herbs add so much great flavor).  I repeated each layer a few times until the ingredients were used up and then topped with the whole thing with slices of smoked mozzarella.  It went into the oven at 350 til it was nice and bubbly (about 30 minutes).

Italian sausage makes for an entirely different tasting lasagna.  I could taste all the fennel seeds and hot pepper that went into their preparation.  The smoked mozzarella makes a huge difference.  The flavor seeps through the whole dish and really makes it stand out from other lasagnas out there.  One bite and everyone will know it's homemade - in the good way, not in the nobody-wants-to-eat-the-weird-cupcakes-at-the-bake-sale way.

 

3 on Thursday

What makes me happier than reminiscing about the great time I had when my Mom was here two weeks ago?  Nada.  Here are a few more highlights from our weekend:

Two weeks ago we had a crazy heat wave but, being New Yorkers, didn't have the luxury of getting into an air conditioned car when traveling around the city.  At some point, for your own sanity, you need to stop complaining and start laughing about it.  This sign outside a Greenwich Village bar got me to do just that.

My Mom and I were lucky enough to score free tickets to Book of Mormon while she was here and - yup - it was just as funny and awesome as everyone says.  If you live here in NYC, I recommend standing in line for the lottery every weekend til your name is picked. 

While walking around the West Village with my Mom and Albert, we stumbled upon Sockerbit, a Swedish candy store that - believe it or not - does not carry Swedish Fish (something about the dye on the real imported ones not being FDA approved - yikes).  It's exactly what you would think of a Swedish store - sparse, all white, and modern.  The candies are mostly of the gummy and marshmallow variety but far more whimsical than what we see here in the US, as you can see with the marshmallow mushrooms pictured above.