My birthday Dinner

A very UNI-que Dinner

This was a fantastic dinner we planned for Caroline's Birthday which we were initially unsure we could find a source for the main course. Luckily, New York City always has a way of always providing if you just know where to look. One phone call and I confirmed that Eataly (the Italian-themed megamarket & food hall in Chelsea) indeed carried fresh Sea Urchin at it was in season. In fact, they actually had 2 kinds - Maine and West Coast variety. I chose Maine since it was more locally sourced and looked fresher - the fishmonger cracked open the spiny shell and gave me quarter pound quickly placed on ice inside a carry-bag. After getting it home we drained it and let is get to room temperature.

For those not familiar with Sea Urchin (known as Uni in the Japanese Sushi world) it is a phenomenally briny taste of the sea when truly fresh. It has a delicate & silky texture and unctuous mouth-feel with both a deliciously salty bite and very sweet finish. Having so much fresh Urchin around was unique luxury that we indulged in by eating fresh nibbles of it while preparing the rest of the dinner.

Another ingredient we had was a cranberry escarole that was tender & sweet and looked a lot like a giant pink hued rose. This became a great salad later in which we also used this fresh Sicilian lemon that I also picked up at the market.

For an appetizer course there we a selection of Italian forest mushrooms that was drizzled in butter/olive oil, fresh rosemary, sea salt, cracked white peppercorns & broiled then served with a toasted baguette. Then we got the water going for the wide linguine that we'd use later. 

At this point we cracked a chilled bottle of Ferrari Brut to start enjoying the meal and the evening which was complemented by the aromas of these fresh flowers and scent of roasting rosemary.

Above: Raw Sea Urchin appetizer served on a leaf

Below Left: Cranberry Escarole drizzled in Sicilian Lemon Juice & flecked with black pepper

Below Right:  The Al Dente Linguine tossed with butter, garlic, lemon zest, Sea Urchin, Champage & pink peppercorns - it was an otherworldly pasta delight. The sweet Urchin melded with the butter & wine and became a velvety sauce that was nutty, saline & fantastically rich.

We had one dinner guest that passed on the Sea Urchin etc, but he enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

Dessert was more champagne, some Italian dark chocolate with candied, preserved orange rind and a Red Velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting - oooooh.

Juicy Couture

Few drinks are as pure, invigorating and refreshing as freshly juiced fruits and vegetables - they are scintillating chalices of nutrient filled deliciousness.
Here a lovely ripe cantaloupe was juiced whole with some purified water and just a slather of lemon juice to counter the sweet with acidity. A snack in a glass with the pulp so you can enjoy the whole fruit in each bright quaff of the liquified melon.


Vegetable juices get a bad rap as they are generally relegated to the more obvious versions like tomato juice or carrot juice. Nothing better showcases the leafy greens than a good juicing in which all that chlorophyll shines through like a viridian cascade of flavor and nutrients. Along with a bunch of fresh kale, some apple was added for balance as well as a bit of ginger and a slice of jalapeno - a verdant elixir

Great Rack! of lamb that is...

One of the classic mainstays of French country cuisine is the Roast Rack of Lamb. The rack of lamb is the entire rack of ribs, dressed and prepped to remove most of the fat and gristle leaving the most tender and marbled select bits. An old-school Italian butcher here in Brooklyn prepared these for me and even notched the bones for easy carving later on.

The lamb was prepared as follows. The entire rack was peppered then pan-seared on high heat to provide a nice brown finish and seal in the juices. Then the rack was coated in honey to make it sticky, on top of which was layered a crust of breadcrumbs and ground almonds. It was place into a pre-heated oven at around 375 degrees with several garlic cloves and roasted for about 25 minute or until meat thermometer shows an internal heat around 140 degrees for rare lamb.

While we waited for the lamb to finish roasting we enjoyed an appetizer - some broiled Buna-Jimeji mushrooms drizzled in melted butter, garlic, parsley, pepper and sea salt. The browned butter roasted up and brought out a fantastic earthy richness to the tiny mushrooms which we served with slices of focaccia.

The lamb was removed, cooled and the chops separated. A sharp knife is helpful here so you do not break the crunchy crust that has formed. I definitely prefer my lamb as close to rare as possible in order to enjoy the moist tenderness and clean flavor.

The lamb chops were served on a root vegetable confit (parsnip, turnip, carrots, potatoes slow roasted in olive oil with rosemary and smoked paprika) and chard greens wilted in white wine and soy sauce. It was a grand dinner served with a traditional style full bodied red.

Desert was no slouch as we served Tres Leches ice cream with slices of coconut cookie and sprinkled with raw coco-nibs. Again, yum.

Thatsa! Spicy!...etc, etc, etc

Meatballs are tricky dish as many consider them Americanized Italian food while others trace their origins to late 18th century Italy in which they were a "secundi" all their own. Regardless of their lineage they, like any dish done properly, are a splendid food product to have on a cold night.

Like many recipes, this is a creative amalgam from many sources and some person twists. I started with the class triumvarate of italian ground meats found, luckily, in many Brooklyn groceries stores where there is an Italian contingent, a combination of ground beef, pork and veal (sorry, not really my choice but is standard) in equal parts in one container.

To the meats I added chopped garlic, couple eggs, breadcrumbs, chopped walnuts (instead of pine nuts), ground Parmesan cheese, some golden raisins, chopped parsley, red pepper flakes, and some olive oil - i mixed this intensely with my hands and formed into golf-ball sized spheres.

I then browned the meatballs in olive oil until dark and crusty which would be a base form my red sauce. I removed the meatballs, added garlic, onions, and more red pepper flakes then deglazed the pan with white wine. Then I added a small can of italian cherry tomatoes which I REALLY recommend for making sauces. I crushed the whole tomatoes, added some water and brought to a simmer for about 1/2 an hr. I re-added the meatballs and simmered until tender. Then seasoned with black pepper and ground sea salt.

The hearty balls o' carne and intense sauce were served with a long fusilli pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese and some diced scallion.

Such a yummy and fulfilling treat. The tangy sauce flavored by the meat drippings on a bed of toothsome pasta, a great meal. A medium-bodied Sangiovese accompanied it wonderfully.

Borscht Belt

Ah borchst! The classic eastern European soup in which there are as many recipe variations as there are peoples who regularly eat the glorious scarlet stew. This particular version has a somewhat Ukranian influence as that is our closest and most familiar source for Borscht recipes.

A proper borscht involves a solid stock made with either chicken, pork, or beef bones and the basics of European soup standards: onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns.

Once a sturdy stock base is made, strained and set to simmering on the stove, then the heart & soul of the borscht is added - grated or sliced beets! The earthy and sugary tuber is a wonderful vegetable and this recipe highlights it depth of flavor and ability to create a hearty but simple meal.

Added to the simmering stock and beet base are the other essentials of proper borscht: cabbage, onions, carrots and, ideally, some white beans. Some tomatoe paste or sauce is added for body. Some sugar to bring out the sweetness and some vinegar for balance.

Simmer until ingredients are tender then remove from heat and add the gloriously bright flavor of dill.

The intense and wholesome stew is served in a bowl and garnished with a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with more fresh dill. The ideal accompaniment to this soup is some hearty pumpernickel or other brown bread soaked in butter. A lovely salad, like the cucumber and onion salad we had, makes a satisfying and rounded meal.

Brandade de Bacalao

After hitting Portugal & Spain as stops on our honeymoon, we officially decided we loved bacalao (Salt Cod) in its many forms. Bacalao is an amazing thing as it takes a basic white fish and preserves it allowing for more intense flavors to evolve as well as becoming more versatile in a number of great dishes.

Brandade is a very traditional version of bacalao in which it is reconstituted, emulsified with milk or cream, garlic, boiled potatoes, egg yolks using olive oil as a binding agent. Then it is flavored with parsley & white pepper and can be served immediately or baked. In this version i decided to make a basic sofrito with ripe tomatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine and olive oil that I cooked down for 15 minutes. I spread the Brandade in a baking dish suitable for direct heat then poured a column of tomato sofrito down the middle, then broiled it for about 20 minutes to create a crust with great texture. Served it with a toasted ciabatta and an endive and grapefruit salad - it was a taste of homey, comfort-food heaven.

Vietnamese Seafood Crepe

This is a dish we have loved for years and I remember fondly encountering it when travelling around Vietnam.

The key is the batter which is made by soaking yellow mung beans in coconut milk until soft then pureei

ng it with rice flour. The resulting batter can then fried into an amazingly thin but delicate and crisp crepe which is both toothsome yet yielding.

The seafood version is what I usually encountered in Southeast Asia so I like to continue that style. I diced up some shrimp and sauteed them with thai chillis, garlic, ginger and then added maitaki mushrooms, water cress and then bean sprouts at the end. Diced green onions are added and then stuffed into a freshly seared crepe and topped with more green onions. The heat wasn't enough from the chilis so we added a couple splashed of Sriracha sauce and then it was perfect, resulting in this yummy food carnage.