Words on my old 'Hood

This William Grimes article on Astoria, where I lived for a year when I first moved to New York, is on-target about the deplorable Greek restaurant situation in Astoria, and mildly amusing with his description of food critics as "parasitic" and the dramatic situations that unfold at Flushing fish counters. It reminded me that, while I disliked certain aspects of living in Astoria, such as my landlord's explicit prohibition from residing with a cat, and the lack of nearby bookstores, the food scene in Astoria was-and is still-pretty rich. The article mentions La Flor, a wonderful Mexican bakery/restaurant in nearby Jackson Heights. There are so many places that weren't mentioned, such as the excellent Thai restaurant Ubol's Kitchen, which always delivered and had crispy, spiced "Curry puffs", the inexpensive hero place around the corner where enourmous prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches could be had for less than six dollars, and Rosario's, the Italian grocery, where Rosario would often offer generous slices of freshly made ricotta samples to customers. And the ride to the airport was never fifty dollars...

Mad for Shiitake

As some may have noticed in the past post or two, I am infatuated with shiitake mushrooms. Even though they are somewhat pricey, and sometimes out of stock at my preferred local market, their aromatic, woody taste and chewy texture makes everything I put them in a little more delicious. Plus, according to Wikipedia, they have been researched for their medicinal "benefits", although the lack of references there makes me dubious about this claim. Well, at least shiitake have more mystique than, say, "Cheez-its".
My preferred method of cooking shiitake has been by saute. Yesterday, I added them to frozen vegetables for a stir-fry, and the day before I put them in vegetarian Goi Cuon (Vietnamese spring rolls). I have been tempted to add them to pizza, place them in soup, and throw them in fried rice, but unfortunately, I have run out of shiitake.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century

Since "The Gourmet Gazette" is no longer stuck in the mid-nineties (though my Ipod playlist is another story), I've uploaded a couple of illustrations of the meal I discussed in my last post at Momofuku Ssäm Bar.

The preceeding photo shows the rice bowl with beef brisket. Visible, starting at the top and proceeding clockwise, are mung beans, shiitake mushrooms, red kim chee, smoky black beans, whipped tofu with Sriracha below it, white kim chee, and beef brisket.

The picture above shows the steamed buns, stuffed with meat (one might be pork and the other, chicken.)
Here's to more illustrations in future posts!

A New Year in New York

While the title of this post is somewhat misleading, as I did not spend New Year's Eve in New York, but rather in Los Angeles, I did indeed visit Manhattan a few days after the beginning of 2007. One of the best meals I had there was at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, a sleek space on 2nd Ave. and 13th Street that serves wraps, stuffed buns, and rice and noodle bowls for lunch, all with northern Asian ingredients (think kimchee and edamame).
Unfortunately, according to my sources, the premium menu emerges after 10:30 pm. Nonetheless, I thorougly enjoyed my rice bowl with beef brisket, especially the crunch of the just-cooked bean sprouts, the smoky black beans, the picked shiitake, and the tender brisket. The ambience is akin to that of a Chipotle restaurant; albeit with a brown color scheme and Asian influences--expect plastic bowls, serve-your-own water, and abundant bottles of Sriracha. As for price, portions run large for under ten dollars. Service was minimal, limited to the friendly rice bowl preparer who let me try all the sides with my rice bowl, along with the curt woman at the register who "carded" my companions and myself when we purchased beverages, inciting a flurry of fumbling into handbags and wallets. But looking younger than our quarter-century odd years is a good thing, right?
Rating: 8/10.