Capn Design: Food

Bacon of the Month: Vande Rose Farms

2009-01-22T01:30:19-05:00

As a wedding gift, Jori and I were given a subscription to Grateful Palate's Bacon of the Month Club. Sure, the internet is overrun by bacon, but that doesn't make it any less delicious. In other words, we were excited. Each month you get a package of bacon shipped to you with a card that explains the bacon's flavor profile and its producer's origins. This card also had quotes from Danny Meyer and David Chang, extolling the virtues of Vande Rose Farms' bacon. Danny said, "My Favorite. Lovely appearance, exquisite balance, remarkable meat. All this needs is a fork and knife. 4 oinks." Personally, I found the bacon to be delicious. It was salty, flavorful and super smoky. I also enjoyed the thick cut, which let you feel like you're really eating a piece of meat. My only complaint would be that it was a little too fatty. It made it tough to cook evenly. I don't know what scale Danny Meyer is using, but I'd probably give it 4 oinks out of 5. Here are all the pictures I took of this batch and I'll be adding photos each month to this photoset.

Why Those Chicken Wings Were Good

2008-05-31T15:17:47-05:00

A month or two ago I tried David Chang's chicken wings at Momofuku Noodle Bar. They were second, and just barely second, to the wings at Dinosaur BBQ but they were far more interesting and complex. I finally got around to reading the profile of David Chang in the 3/24/08 issue of the New Yorker and I got an explanation of what made those wings so delicious. Take the chicken wings, for instance. All you knew when you were eating them was that they tasted really good. What you didn't know was that they'd been brined in a salt-and-sugar solution for a whole day (but not longer, or they'd be too salty), then dried out and cold-smoked over mesquite for forty-five minutes, then poached in a vat of pork fat for an hour and a half, then browned on the flat-top, then glazed in a chicken-infused soy sauce combined with mirin, garlic, and pickled chili peppers. Each step, executed perfectly, was vital to the dish. This was what the cooks at Noodle Bar understand.

Dining with Bear Grylls

2007-12-22T10:24:26-05:00

I'm a big fan of Man vs. Wild, the Discovery show about a survival expert thrown into situations that require, well, survival. While that's the gist of the show, my two favorite subplots (and potential drinking games) are Bear telling war stories ("I knew a man who lived on beetle fur for 12 years in this rain forest) and Bear eating gross creatures then describing what they taste like. My secret desire was fulfilled when a clips show entitled "Bear Eats" came on last night. I was squeeling with joy. While I recommend you try to watch the show (here's a schedule and here's a DIY video montage), I've decided to compile some of Bear's cooking and eating tips I gleaned from this episode. First, here's some info on the flavor explosion Bear experiences. On long horned beetles: "It's like a big prawn that's been sitting around for weeks that's all shell and rotting guts." On termites: "They taste like...a little bit zingy..not very nice citrus." "But termites pack a surprising 560 calories in every handful." On raw wild snails: "It's like a giant, cold, bogie." Bear is also an expert in nutritional info and cooking. On boiled sheep eyes - "Icelanders eat almost every part of the sheep...even the eyeballs. Sheep eyeballs are extremely nutritious. They're high in protein and rich in vitamins A and D. Usually they're the first thing to rot, but in this cold weather, these are still good." He boiled the eyeball in a hot geothermal pool. They're okay to eat raw, but he's just trying to get rid of the bacteria. "It's like chewing gristle full of cold gloop." MMmmmmmm. On roasted turtle - "I've always cracked the belly, gutted it, scraped all the meat out and ate like that. But in the Everglades the Seminoles used to cook it straight in its shell, sort of like a pressure cooker. Just put it [on the fire], leave it for an hour." "Cooking time will depend on the size of the turtle. One way to tell it's ready is when the shell is brittle and cracks." He hammers it with the his knife to expose the flesh. There's less than a half a gram of fat and no carbs or sugar. "Mmm, this is one of those times you can say it really does taste like chicken." That's just the half of it, but I'll make you watch the show to see the rest. I love Bear.

Hello There, Serious Eats

2006-12-04T23:58:43-05:00

You've know for a while that I've been writing for A Hamburger Today and you've known for a week that I've got a new job and know you'll know about the fantastic coincidence that joins these together. Today marks the official launch of Serious Eats, a site implemented by all of us at Apperceptive. What's nutty about it is that Adam, my burger-lover in arms at AHT, is the managing editor. Yep, we both ended up with new jobs that let us work on food blogs for money (more him than me, though). Coincidence aside, Serious Eats is looking sharp. It's backed by tons of awesome people (Ed Levine, Meg Hourihan and Alaina Browne to name a few) and has the makings of a great community. I'm always overwhelmed by Chowhound and put off by the pomposity of eGullet's members, so I'm ready for Serious Eats to provide all the answers I need.

Ordering Streetcart Food and Usability

2006-09-13T13:44:23-05:00

A month ago I went to Tony Dragonas' food cart to get a chicken gyro. While I knew that all of New York calls it a JAI-row, I insisted on calling it a YEE-ro, as I'd been taught that this was the correct pronunciation. When it was my turn I said, "One chicken yeero please." Before I could do anything about it I heard, "One chicken hero, coming up." Oops. Today, I went for another one and my friend suggested I just call it a chicken pita. Hmm, good point. Then I realized that the word "gyro" is broken in the Mark Hurst This is Broken sense. The most import aspect of ordering your food is properly conveying what you want. While I might impress a Greek man with a true pronounciation, saying "yeero with tzatziki" instead of "chicken pita with white sauce" will probably confuse the other 95% of servers. This seems especially true at a streetcart where speed and price are their two greatest assets. Cultural heritage may be worth preserving, but not if I get my chicken on a hero instead of a pita. More broadly, it's often worth sacrificing something that benefits those in the know to help the general public. A parallel in web design would be the question of semantic mark up. In this case, is to "yeero with tzatziki" as is to "chicken pita with white sauce". The first tag is more concise but could be confusing, while "strong" is more easily recognized by those who are new to HTML. Really, how you order your food is a "know your audience" issue. Try ordering a hoagie outside of Pennsylvania and you'll see what I mean.

A Trip to Bamn!

2006-08-30T00:42:11-05:00

Food Diary: Days 4-7

2006-06-26T00:57:33-05:00
Okay, so I got lazy. I kept the log, but I didn't bother putting it up until now (day 7 might be a little spotty; I think I missed a few things). So shoot me. Tien, you are far more regimented than I. Day 4: Friday 8:25am HOME Banana 10:30am WORK Sesame bagel with cream cheese from street vendor 11:37am Start 32oz. of water 2:00pm 1/3 of my leftover Blockheads Burrito, small container of salsa, 1/2 of a small bag of tortilla chips 2:09 Finished water 2:17 Started 20oz water 4:18 12oz. Sprite 5:40 ANGELIKA FILM CENTER Medium bag of popcorn 8:25 BURGERS AND CUPCAKES Cheeseburger, 1/2 a basket of fries, carrot cupcake, glass of water, 2 bites of a vanilla cupcake 10:30 HOME Glass of water Day 5: Saturday 10:28am HOME 20 dry Trader Joe's Frosted Mini-Wheats 10:44 Bowl of TJ's Raisin Bran with 1% milk 12:56pm AMC EMPIRE 25 Start 24oz. of water 1:28 2/3 of a box of Junior Mints 2:21 Finish water 4:27 Start 24oz. of water 4:37 The rest of the Junior Mints 5:46 Nature Valley Oats & Honey Granola Bar 6:10 Finish water 7:11 McDONALD'S Cheeseburger 8:57 FETCH 1 Glass of water, 1 Diet Coke, Blackened Salmon with Tomato, Avocado, Corn and Zucchini 12:04am HOME Glass of water Day 6: Sunday 10:28am HOME Bowl of Honey Puffed Kashi with 1% milk 12:58pm Leftover Salmon from yesterday, 1 small strip of grilled chicken, 1 Fresca 2:26pm 30 pistachois, 1 glass of water 3:21 1 hot dog gummy candy 3:57 1/2 of a Spinach Pitza (yes, Pitza) from Bedouin Tent 5:24 McCARREN PARK Started drinking water 9:14 Finished water, drank 84oz. total 10:04 HOME Two Trader Joe's Corn & Bean Enchiladas, glass of water 10:31 1 gummy hot dog candy Day 7: Monday 8:29am HOME Bowl of Honey Puffed Kashi wih 1% milk 10:06 WORK Begin 32oz. of water 1:12pm Turkey burger with fries from America's Burgers & Wraps, Diet Coke 3:39 Banana 4:14 Finished water 8:42 YEMEN CUISINE (Great place, could only find an out-dated Voice review) Chicken Galaba, Yeminite soup (no clue), Salad with carrot ginger-ish dressing, 2 glasses black tea 9:47 LAST EXIT BAR 1 fountain Coke 11:36 HOME 1/2 glass of water

Food Diary: Day 3

2006-06-16T10:15:40-05:00
The dam is starting to break... Day 3: Thursday 8:28am HOME 1 bowl of Trader Joe's Rasin Bran with 1% milk 10:34 WORK Begin 30oz. of water 10:37 2 baby carrots 11:21 1 bing cherry 12:33pm 2 bing cherries 1:04 1 Two-thirds of a chicken burrito from Blockheads, 12oz. Diet Coke 3:14 Granny smith apple 4:34 Finished water 8pm TIEN'S HOUSE 1 pint of water 8:13 LOMZYNIANKA Vegetable soup (potato-based?), a bite of cucumber salad, a bite of kielbasa, a bite of stuffed cabbage, a plate of boiled cheese and potato pierogies 10:30 HOME 1 Choco Taco, the best ice cream snack around

Food Diary: Day 2

2006-06-15T09:39:53-05:00
I didn't eat quite as much, but I didn't eat as well. I have a feeling it's just going to get worse through the weekend. Day 2: Wednesday 8:34am HOME Banana 9:36 WORK Everything bagel with cream cheese from local deli 9:54 Started 10oz. of water 11:54 Finished water, started another 32oz. 12:46pm Slice of cheese pizza from Mariella's, 12oz. can of Fresca, 3 salt and pepper soy crisps 2:11 1 rugalach, 1 small fruity cookie 3:37 A handful of unsalted/roasted cashews 4:18 Finished water 5:56 STREET 1 Butter Rum Lifesaver 6:58 HOME 15 grapes 7:12 Trader Joe's Chinese Chicken Salad 8:05 Banana 9:33 LAUNDROMAT Nature Valley Peanut Butter Granola Bar 10:27 HOME Granny smith apple

Food Diary: Day 1

2006-06-14T09:51:22-05:00
Having recently read and enjoyed New York Magazine's five food diaries and followed along with Tien's, I decided to do my own. I'm always curious about what other people eat, so I thought I'd start the dialogue. Feel free to give it a shot on your site. Day 1: Tuesday 9:30am OFFICE Begin 30oz. of water 10:52 Sesame bagel and cream cheese from street cart 11:20 Banana 11:29 Finished water 1:55pm GRACE'S MARKET Swiss cheese cube 2:09 OFFICE Begin 20oz. of water 2:11 4 pieces of fresh salmon sushi, 8 maki tuna roll pieces (both with wasabi and soy sauce) 2:33 Golden delicious apple 2:56 Finished 20oz. of water 3:36 4 pretzels 4:19 12oz. can of Diet Coke 7:15 HOME Heaping bowl of rotini with pasta sauce and ground turkey, 1.5 glasses of water 8:36 About 40 grapes 11:05 25 pieces of Trader Joe's Frosted Shredded Wheat Cereal

Resolution #1: Cook at Least Once a Week

2006-01-19T13:20:13-05:00
The only conventional resolution I made this year was to cook more. It's healthier, it's cheaper and it's usually tastier. Since "more" is a little too amorphous for me, I decided I would cook at least once a week. Cooking doesn't just mean microwaving a Lean Cuisine; I have to actually create a dish. In Week 1, I gave into my sister's praises and made Rachel Ray's Spanikopita Burgers. They were excellent. The spinach kept the burgers juicy, which is hard to do with a turkey burger. Last week Jori and I had some people over for a dinner party, which meant serious cooking. Our menu was lime and honey glazed salmon on a warm bean and corn salad from Rachel Ray 365 (good recipes, annoying girl), asparagus and goat cheese quesadillas, red-skinned mashed potatoes and baked apples by Alton Brown, my favorite. The entire meal was fantastic and we managed to get everything out on time and hot. I was happy. I haven't decided what to cook this week, but I'll certainly keep you posted and will start talking some photos. In honor of my newfound dedication, I decided to splurge on some new cookware. I was going to just get a nice saute pan, but I found an amazing deal on Amazon for a 10-piece set of Calphalon One cookware. The entire set, with an extra 12 qt. stock pot and a 6" cleaver, was $375 with shipping. The deal has expired, but I couldn't pass it up. It's scheduled to arrive on Saturday (Fedex Ground does Saturday deliveries?) and I'm eager to get cooking. Update (1/23/06): My pans have arrived!

Russell's Barbecue

2005-12-01T11:39:18-05:00
Like most people, I have a variety of traditions to attend to each time I go home. The best ones involve seeing my friends and family, but my favorite restaurants are next in line. For lunch, I hope to get a sandwich from Potbelly Sandwich Works. I highly recommend the Wreck. If I'm craving sushi, we go to Sushi Kushi Toyo in Lake Forest. When I'm near my dad's work or grandma's house, I love hitting up Russell's Barbecue in Elmwood Park. To be clear, I don't go to Russell's for ribs or chicken, I go for their BBQ sandwiches and that is all. Their other stuff is probably good, but it's of no use to me. These sandwiches are delicous. Come to think of it, their barbecue sauce is what's really delicious. Yes, the meat is tender and shredded, perfect for soaking up liquids, but I come back to spread that sauce all over the sandwich. Russell's is definitely an institution. It's been around for 70 years and it's the kind of place your parents or grandparents introduce to you. If you don't have either in Chicago, you can go anyway. I recommend splitting three sandwiches between two people because I just can't leave having eaten only one sandwich.

Hitachino Nest White Ale

2005-11-17T09:36:35-05:00
On Friday I visited Momofuku Noodle Bar for the first time. It was excellent, but that's another story altogether. While eating, I took a chance on a beer called Hitachino Nest White Ale and it was the most exciting beer I've ever had. Hitachino Nest White Ale is a Japanese beer brewed by Kiuchi Brewery. Their brief description calls it, "A refreshing mildly hopped Belgian styled beer with a complex flavor of coriander, orange peel, nutmeg." It was definitely the spices that grabbed me as the flavor was quite memorable. I'm no beer connoisseur, but I know this was tasty. If you don't trust me, check out its Beer Advocate profile.* Now if you don't trust them, know that the White Ale won a gold medal in the 2004 World Beer Cup. That should do the trick. The other thing I loved about this beer was its label. It has a decidedly Japenese aesthetic, but is very inviting to me. I probably would have bought it based on the packaging alone. It seems that you can get Kitachino Nest beers at a Park Slope beer emporium called Bierkraft. The Kiuchi Brewery makes about 10 varieties of Hitachino Nest beer, but I'm not sure how many are available stateside. * In addition to rating the beer (it currently has an 87), Beer Advocate offer good pairings with food, glassware selection and ideal serving temperature for beers in the Witbier family. Good site.

An Open Letter to California Taqueria

2005-05-24T22:05:21-05:00
Dear California Taqueria, Your "Outrageous Burrito" used to be pretty good. It wasn't fantastic, but it filled me up and it helped me hit the $8 delivery minimum. Lately, it's been pretty crappy. About half of the mass is devoted to the tortilla and there's way too much sour cream. What's up with that? Love, Matty p.s. Are you guys voting for Bo Bice?

My Birthday Dinner at Grocery

2005-04-15T16:35:55-05:00
Last year, Zagat's gave Grocery a 28 food rating, which is crazy for a 30-seat Brooklyn restaurant. Grocery is a mere 15 minute walk from my place in Brooklyn. Knowing these two facts, I knew it was only a matter of time before I tried it out. Last night, Jori took me for my birthday. The restaurant is completely unassuming. The outside is painted gray and the sign is slightly difficult to read. The decor inside is equally tame. Even the dishes aren't anything completely crazy. The quality of the food, on the other hand, is outstanding. It has as much to do with the preparation as it does the quality of the ingredients. And now, the blow by blow. The meal starting out with a taste of their excellent potato leek soup. It was dense and had poignant flavors. Jori and I shared two appetizers. She had an asparagus salad topped with a poached egg, creamy lemon vinaigrette and shaved parmesean. I would never have thought to include a poached egg there, but it was delicious. I had grilled cuttlefish with fingerling potatoes on a bed of romaine lettuce. I had never tried cuttlefish before; it's like a fleshier version of squid. Jori thought it tasted like shark, which I've never had. Either way, it was tasty but nothing special. For our entrees, Jori had a striped bass with crispy potatoes and assorted vegetables. She said, "it was very good; light and not too fishy tasting." I had the special, which was pan-fried chicken with ramps*, spetzl and romaine lettuce. The chicken was amazing and the spetzl, which I'd never had before, was a salty delight. For dessert, we decided on a rhubarb cobbler that had a walnut-centric topping and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Being a big rhubarb fan, I loved it. It was like a rhubarb stew. The best part about it was the candle and the birthday message on the plate. Very sweet (get it!?!). As I've made abundently clear, the dinner was fantastic. The co-owner, Charles Kiely, said in the NYT piece, "I don't think we're doing earth-shattering food. We're just a really good neighborhood restaurant." That hits it right on the head. If you like eating delicious food without all the frills, this is your place. To see more blurry photos from the meal, check out my flickr gallery. *As you'll read if you follow the link I posted, ramps are only in season for two weeks a year and are fairly unusual. They also took part in the best meal I've had in my life.