Get Ready for Pig Island 2013

25 chefs 80 local pigs is the theme of each year's Pig Island event.  This year is no different. Yesterday, some of the chefs gathered once again at the Union Square Greenmarket to pick up their pigs from Flying Pigs Farm so they can start preparing for the event on Saturday.  I am always excited to hear what the chefs will be making, and I'm eager to taste all of the dishes.  Luckily I only have to wait a couple of more days.

Other than all the various pork dishes, there will be a vegetarian station.  I spoke with Tim Cavaretta of Bittegreen, and they'll be making a kohlrabi rainbow carrot slaw, poached apples, celery root with maple spiced pecan.  Greenmarket Co. is donating a portion of the produce from local growers.  Other than all the amazing food, there will be beer from Sixpoint Brewery, New York State wine from the North Fork and the Finger Lakes.  Live bands, live butchering and cooking demos.  All inclusive tickets are still available so come have a great time on Pig Island in Red Hook, Brooklyn; and support our local farmers, chefs, brewers and vintners.  You can get your tickets here:  http://www.pigisland.com/tickets/  In case you still need convincing, here's my recap of last year's Pig Island to get a glimpse of what to expect for this Saturday.

Chef Danny Mena of Hecho en Dumbo will be making a Yucantan Style Relleno de Negro.  Posing with the host Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy's No. 43 and Food Karma Project

Billy Fletcher and Pit Master Matt Fisher of Fletcher's Brooklyn BBQ is making a Ginger & Soy Pork with Chick Pea Salsa 

Chef Michael Jenkins of Butter NYC - He and his team made a delicious Bacon Caramel Cookie last year, and this year he's planning to make another dessert.  Can't wait to try it!

Chef Will Horowitz of Ducks Eatery is making Crispy Pig Ear Lettuce Wrap with Smoke Liver and Fermented Chow Chow

Chef Joe Dobias of Joe & Misses Doe is making his version of a Burrito

Chef Evan Hanczor of Parish Hall had me at Pig Skin Noodles!

Chefs Zarela Martinez and Tyson Ho (Arrogant Swine) will be partnering up to make a stuffed whole pig in the style of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca.  This is going to be a treat!   

The Garden Restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel, New York City

This past Sunday, I was invited to brunch at The Garden at the Four Seasons Hotel in NYC.  It was such a lovely way to spend the afternoon tasting delicious food with some of my food blogger friends.  The brunch was organized by the Food and Beverage Director Simon de Swaan and Ken Leung.  The Executive Chef John Johnson created a delicious and playful menu that highlights local and seasonal ingredients available right now in the green markets.  Many of the ingredients he uses are sourced locally.  The brunch menu changes every few weeks which gives Chef Johnson the opportunity to be creative and playful. Currently, Chef Johnson is featuring some beautiful tomatoes and stone fruits. He's doing a wonderful job accentuating these seasonal ingredients.

First up we tasted three boozy cocktails featuring tomatoes.  There was the Tomato Watermelon and Cucumber Vodka, Classic Crushed Jersey Tomato Bloody Mary with spicy Brooklyn Pickles and Clear Tomato Martini.  It was definitely a good start to this tasty brunch. I enjoyed the essence of the tomatoes in each of the cocktail particularly in the Martini.  The flavor of the tomatoes was so clean, light and refreshing. Immediately followed by the cocktails was a whimsical take on crudites.  It includes baby carrots and radishes in olive soil. We were all very curious as to how the soil was made as by first glance it really looks like dirt.  I thought how odd that we were given baby vegetables in dirt to start our meal.  We eagerly waited for Chef Johnson to tell us the process of making the olive soil.  He explained the process by first dehydrating the olives in a low temperature oven, and then tossed with some almond flour to create the texture which results in a delicious olive mixture that resembles soil.

 

Another playful dish was the lemon ricotta pancake pigs in a blanket.  The pancake was so fluffy and tasty, and I'm always a fan of savory with sweet so I love the saltiness of the sausages with the pancakes as well as the sweetness of the Duchess County Maple Syrup. 

The grilled terrine of Hudson Valley Foie Gras with apricots and local strawberry mostarda was probably one of my favorite dishes.  Again love the savory and sweet contrast.   Another highlight was the lobster hash cocotte with choron sauce.  Oh and did I mention the gorgeous local heirloom tomatoes simply dressed in a 50 year old sherry and basil, soooo good.

Even though I don't have a sweet tooth, I couldn't resist the stuffed blueberry French toast with the whipped Nutella.  As to desserts, we tasted the Green Market Crisp with apricot and peaches and cinnamon ice cream as well as the chocolate hazelnut napoleon.  Both were so good, and I couldn't stop eating either of them.

I knew I would be in for a great treat as soon as I started talking with Simon, Chef Johnson and his team as they are extremely passionate about food.  They took pride in the menu they created based on the locally farmed and sourced ingredients as well as the commitment to highlight the seasonal aspect of the menu.  I truly enjoyed all the dishes that are featured.  The service was wonderful and the decor was soothing.  It is definitely a great place to spend a weekend afternoon enjoying brunch with friends and family. 

Disclaimer:  The brunch was hosted by The Garden at the Four Seasons Hotel.  All opinions are my own, and I did not receive any compensation for this post.

Apple Butter Bacon Doughnuts

Apple Butter Bacon Doughnut

Have I mentioned I love summer?  Maybe it's because I was born in a summer month and grew up in a warm climate.  I love the heat and the sun so I'm especially happy when summer is near.  This weekend is Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., many will spend their long weekend outdoors.  Your ovens may be taking a break from the heat too as many head outdoors to grill and cook their meals.  I wish I could be one of those lucky people.  I don't have a grill so grilling at home is out of the question, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy making something that I can bring to a picnic or a barbecue.

So when Musselman's Apple Butter reached out to see if I would do a post about summer cookout menu using their apple butter, I thought even though I can't grill I could make something that could be enjoyed in the summer.  Summer also reminds me of festivals and amusement parks.  When I go to street festivals, I almost always get myself some fried dough covered with powdered sugar.  As some of you may know, I don't have a sweet tooth, but I love fried desserts especially doughnuts.  I remember I have taken a bacon lovers cooking workshop at ICE, and one of the dishes we made was the Maple Bacon Doughnuts.  I've wanted to make them, so when I received a jar of apple butter from Musselman's, I thought the apple butter would make a delicious glaze; and since I like my sweets with a salty element, the bacon would go really well especially with the apple butter.  By the way for those who are wondering, apple butter has no butter in it.  Apple butter is more concentrated and caramelized version of apple sauce.  It's spreadable like butter hence the name apple butter.

Apple Butter Bacon Doughnuts - Yield about 12-14

Doughnut Recipe - Adapted from Alton Brown's Yeast Doughnut recipe

12 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup of milk
3 tbsp. of warm water

2 1/2 tbsp. of vegetable shortening  

1 package of instant yeast
2 tbsp. of sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Vegetable oil for frying

Apple Butter Glaze with Bacon

1/2 pound of powdered sugar

1/2 cup of Musselman's apple butter

1/2 tbsp. of vanilla extract
Juice of one lemon

4 strips of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled 

Start with putting the milk in a saucepan and heat until warm.  Pour the milk in a bowl and add the shortening until it melts.  While the milk mixture cools, in another small bowl; add the yeast powder and warm water.  Dissolve for at least five minutes, Put the yeast mixture into the stand mixer bowl, and add the cooled milk mixture, sugar, egg, salt, nutmeg and half portion of the flour.  Fit with the paddle attachment to the mixer; combine on low speed until all ingredients are incorporated then turn the speed up.  Beat until well combined then add the remaining flour.  Repeat with low speed then turn the speed up to medium for a couple more minutes.  Then change to a dough hook attachment, set to medium speed until you see the dough starts pulling away from the bowl and a ball is formed.  Put the dough into a well-oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise for at least an hour until it doubles the size.  

Roll out dough to 3/8 inch thick on a well-floured surface.  Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter.  If you don't have a doughnut cutter, you may want to get one.  I found them in Sur La Table for $4 and it really makes cutting out the doughnuts super easy.  Place them on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or a Dutch oven to 365 degrees. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, a few at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes before glazing.

For the glaze, whisk the apple butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice together until smooth.  Once the doughnuts are cooled enough to glaze, immerse each top half of the doughnut into the glaze.  Once all the doughnuts are glazed then crumbled bacon all over the top of the doughnuts.

I love the sweetness of the delicious apple butter. The lemon juice adds a little tartness and brings out the apple flavor, and of course I love the saltiness of the bacon which balances really well with the sweetness of the apple butter.  The doughnut is light and flaky.  This is definitely a delicious treat to eat any time especially at picnics and cookouts in the summer.  Hope you enjoy these and have a wonderful holiday weekend!  

 

 

Spring Fever for a Worthy Cause - NYWC

Last Friday night, I attended the Spring Fever fund raising party for the New York Writers Coalition.  This wonderful non-profit organization was founded by a good friend Aaron Zimmerman.  NYWC offers a wide range of free writing workshops throughout New York City.  It provides a safe haven for those who normally don't have a voice in the society.  To really understand the impact of NYWC and their mission please watch the wonderful video above so you could learn more about the amazing work they are doing.

I volunteered to be a hosting committee member for the Spring Fever party because I really believe in this wonderful organization and I want to help as much as I could.  Therefore, I volunteered to secure some beverage and food sponsors.  First I want to thank my friend/colleague Greg Barnard for introducing me the contact to our beverage sponsors.  I owe you one!  Iceberg Vodka and LiBella Wine by Steve Shaw Junior provided some of the party's beverages, and I was so impressed with our in-house mixologist, Renata, who came up with such delicious cocktails inspired by Iceberg Vodka.  I also would like to thank Jarlsberg Cheese and Woolwich Dairy for donating a generous variety of cheeses for all to enjoy.  After all, how could you have a great cocktail party without cocktails and cheeses!

There was also a silent auction where many donated their arts, jewelries, services for guests to bid on.  I donated a three-course private dinner for two for the auction.  I had the pleasure of meeting the winners prior to the announcement.  They had such great energies, and were thrilled for me to cook for them.  I can't wait to plan the menu, and I know for sure it'll be a fun night.  The party was a success as many volunteers, friends and staff came together to make it happen; specifically Rose Gorman of NYWC who is a super woman that organized if not all then most of the details of the party.  Great night!

Now that you've learned more about the NYWC, I encourage you to support them.  They are always looking for funding opportunities. You could also support them by purchasing tickets and attend some of the upcoming events or simply help me spread the word about their efforts.  They need all the support that they can get and would be happy to have yours.  Please feel free to share the video to your friends and families to spread the word about NYWC. 

 

  

Weekend with My Culinary Hero - Susur Lee

This past weekend I had the good fortune to work with one of my culinary heroes Chef Susur Lee.  He's renowned for his modern Asian cuisine.  He blends traditional Chinese dishes with classic French techniques.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to assist him for the Luckyrice Festival.  Luckyrice Festival is an annual weeklong festival celebrating Asian food and culture.  I'm especially pleased to be a part of this wonderful event.

I was scheduled to help Chef Lee for a private cooking demonstration for the American Express premiere members at the Luckyrice Grand Feast event at the Mandarin Oriental.  I met Chef Lee at the prep kitchen which was located at Toy Restaurant in the Gansevoort Hotel.  Executive Chef Doron Wong at Toy was a friend/colleague of Chef Lee so they graciously welcomed Chef Lee to use their kitchen to prep for his events.  I was so impressed with how the kitchen is run at Toy.  Everything was super organized, and as soon as I stepped into the kitchen I felt re-energized and excited.  My first impression of Chef Lee was he is so personable and down-to-earth.  I loved his energy right away.  He was easy to talk to and genuinely interested in what I was saying and my story.  He wanted to know how I got into cooking and where I was from.  We even bantered a little in our native language Cantonese.  Right away, he made me feel at ease.  I told him I originally inquired to work with him at the Dim Sum event on Sunday; however it seems like he has enough help.  He immediately told me he could use my help, and of course there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to work with him the whole weekend.

Once we got to the Mandarin Oriental, Chef hit the ground running.  He has no qualm in getting his hands dirty.  He even made friends around the hotel so he got some last minute ingredients to make his dish even more amazing.  He wanted everything perfect. He personally found a beautiful arrangement to decorate the table. To him, it's not just about putting up a delicious dish. It's about the whole package so he made sure the table was set up properly.  I helped him with whatever he needed.  Then I watched the master work the crowd.  He is so charismatic.  While he finished up with his demo in front of the audience, I helped Chef Wong plated Chef Lee's signature Singapore Slaw dish for the audience to taste.  After the demo, I was happy to attend the Grand Feast to taste all the dishes from the various restaurants.  It was an especially fun event. 

 

The next day I reported back to the Toy Kitchen to prep for the Dim Sum event.  There were a few of us who were there to help Chef Lee.  We were all assigned different tasks.  I learned a few techniques from Chef as he is so generous to teach us what's the best way or quickest way to do things.  I spent the day wrapping shu mai, prep for the crispy spinach and shrimp dumplings; cooked chorizo to go with the tofu shrimp cake; made shrimp dumplings covered with corn.  Chef also made sure I tasted some of the finished dishes with the sauces he was pairing.  Whatever help Chef needed I just followed his instruction and did the best I could.  At the same time, in my head I kept hearing my favorite instructor Chef Chris says "make it beautiful" which by the way happens every time I'm cooking for an event.

After a long day of prep, we were asked to report back to the kitchen at 8 a.m. sharp the next morning to finish all the dishes, then help transport everything over to the event space which was a few blocks away.  Once we arrived at the space, we set up stations and got ready for service.  I was assigned to expedite which means to communicate to the stations the number of items we needed to send out.  Once the dishes are ready I told the servers which tables they need to send the dishes to.  The team was busy frying and steaming.  We worked together to push all the food out, and everyone was really happy with the dishes we sent.

At the end of the event, Chef thanked us in front of the diners for our help which I found it extremely thoughtful as he didn't have to thank us at all since he is the famed chef people paid to taste his food.  I was truly touched by his humility.  He made me not only want to be a better cook but I was inspired by his modesty.  Throughout the weekend, I saw him constantly asking questions and wanting to learn what other chefs are making or doing really inspired me to keep on learning.  Chef Lee is a true leader as he makes everyone around him feel important and wants to work for him.  This experience not only taught me new techniques as a cook, but it taught me to grow as a cook, I must keep learning.  I sincerely am grateful for this tremendous opportunity.  I have such enormous admiration for Chef Lee, and I hope to work with him again in the future.  In the meantime, I'll have to plan a trip to Toronto to visit his restaurants.