Cooking on Orange Street: Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff somehow felt right the other night -- something homey and filling. I was flying out to California the next day, and there was too much on my mind. I just wanted to be comforted. In fact, Chef K was incredibly kind and took this on solo that night, so I could have time to pack and take care of everything else I needed to do. Consequently, I don't have that many details on how this was made, but I do have the picture. :) Indeed, it was very comforting.

Cooking on Orange Street: Pounded Sirloin with Roasted Potatoes and a Vegetable Medley

This is another one of those meals that's a good one to keep in your back pocket when you don't have a lot in the fridge, yet you don't want to go out and spend a ton of money on new supplies, either. For this dish, we got a pretty ordinary-looking package of sirloin at Gristede's (or "Greedy's," as we usually call it -- a place we try to avoid patronizing), which with a little effort became quite delicious.

To prepare the beef, Chef K first trimmed and cut the sirloin so there were four pieces total. Then he seasoned them and sandwiched the pieces, two at a time side by side, between pieces of saran wrap and pounded them thin with the bottom of a small pan. The pieces were cooked in the pan until just brown on the outside, leaving the inside a tender medium rare.

For the sides, we sauteed cherry tomatoes, asparagus and assorted other vegetables, and roasted potato wedges in a marinade of leftover salad vinaigrette, which believe it or not, gave them the yummiest mustardy-vinegary taste (yay for recycling!).

Cooking on Orange Street: Vodka Watermelon Slushies

So this isn't "cooking" per se, but I must say I very much enjoyed making these vodka watermelon slushies the other week -- they're easy to put together, and basically irresistible in this record-breaking heat we've been having in NYC. All you have to do is chop up some watermelon, liquefy it with a blender (hand-held is less of a pain), strain the results, ladle into a cup, and add ice and vodka.

A Gulf Oil Spill Benefit... Catered by Green Table!

Not too long ago, we had an excellent night out at the invitation of Chef K's friend, Brent, who is the award-winning chef of the small but excellent restaurant Green Table in Chelsea Market. His boss, Mary Cleaver, owner of the Cleaver Company and Green Table, was hosting a charity event benefiting the fishermen affected by the BP spill at the downtown event space 632 Hudson.

Brent got us in gratis to keep him company, but as it turned out, he was stuck in the venue's tiny kitchen making hors-d'oeuvres all night (seriously, three people working side by side in a space no bigger than 7' x 6'). So it was quite sad he couldn't join us. On the other hand, we did very much benefit from his sweat and toil -- his hors-doevres were delicious!

If you haven't been to Green Table, I highly recommend it. Brent has a light but sure touch with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and a special talent for handling seafood that comes, perhaps, from growing up in New Orleans (so the Gulf spill is an issue close to his heart). When Chef K and I visited the restaurant with Brent's wife Melissa some time ago, his crab soup three ways (bisque, gumbo and Southeast Asian -- with cilantro) was amazing, as was his crab cake (maybe the best I've ever had), scallops with fava beans and soft-shell crab. Such a treat.

At the benefit, we enjoyed mini crab cakes, fried green tomatoes, pickled okra wrapped in prosciutto and chopped shrimp and vegetables in small, crispy corn cups (see third photo below), among other treats. Mint juleps and beers were handed out in vintage Mason jars, and a live band played old-timey Southern music. There was even a whole shrimp peeling station -- very cool, although a little too much effort for both of us. We sat quietly and enjoyed the scene.

Mr. Tomato Update: 8 Weeks!

My how Mr. Tomato has grown -- look how leafy and bushy he is here!

Even more exciting, here is his very first flower!! There are more now, and yes, maybe one little green tomato. I am just bursting with pride. More pix coming soon.

Cooking on Orange Street: Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Shiitake Risotto and Heirloom Tomatoes

It's been a few weeks since I last posted, and boy is there a lot to catch up on! In particular, I'll probably be making a big announcement soon... but not yet.

First things first. The bounty of summer continues, and Chef K and I have made a few interesting things lately for the first time. (Or shall I say, I've had the opportunity to watch Chef K make a few interesting things and contribute from time to time when asked.)

Last summer I was so crestfallen when we bought squash blossoms not one, but two times and I watched them rot in the fridge as they got pushed to the back and we forgot about them. I vowed this wouldn't happen this year. So when squash blossoms reappeared at the market recently we snatched a bag and put them to use the very next day.

First Chef K improvised a pastry bag with this extra tip he had at home attached to a plastic sandwich baggie in order to stuff the flowers with a mix of turkey sausage and chevre...

Then he breaded them with a simple combo of egg and flour and threw them into a pan with oil...

Meanwhile, I worked on the risotto, mixing in carrots, onions and shiitake and stirring constantly just like they tell you to.

We cut up red and green heirloom tomatoes to finish off the dish. Voila, the pretty final product! It was quite tasty, too, I might add. :)

Subway Signs: Clark St 2/3 Stop

Subway stations strike me as the most interesting venues for public art. What has, by unknown civil engineers, architects and administrators, been considered "universally appealing" is often... puzzling. Take the Clark 2/3 stop, for example. I've always been fascinated by the floor pattern in the corridor between the elevators and the stairs down to the platform, and spent many an hour (seriously) mentally searching for the rhyme or reason to the pattern. I could never figure it out. What is the relationship between the different shapes and colors??

After taking these photos today, I think I see something -- in each vertical row (if you're looking in the direction of the second photo), the red circle slowly moves from bottom to top to encroach upon the comfortable union of the triangle and square. Zounds, have I cracked the code?