eat make read

Since Aaron’s new office is in Dumbo, I’ve been spending more time down there. It’s fun to explore new neighborhoods, especially when they offer tasty treats like the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Located right on the waterfront, the factory offers a selection of about eight flavors with a few toppings available. It’s a little no-frills, but it’s really tasty. I chose butter pecan and it was so creamy and buttery, it made my homemade ice cream seem like McDonald’s fare. I can’t think of a more lovely way to spend some free time, eating ice cream on the water with the Manhattan skyline in front of you and the best borough behind you.

 

I just read about sweet tooth of the tiger on Brooklyn Based. They’re referred to as renegade bakers (awesome!) and they pop up at galleries to replace the wine and cheese with fun baked goods like cupcakes and such. Hmmm, I might be visiting more galleries soon….

So I did it. I whipped up a batch of the delicious buttermilk and lemon cookies that I posted about last week and they are really delightful. The batch I made looks a bit different than the batch orangette made, but then I looked at the original recipe from gourmet and mine looked like those, so I felt a little better. I was reading some comments about them and someone compared the texture and taste to the top of a cupcake and that’s exactly what they’re like. A little cakey with a slightly crispy outer rim and a moist consistency. I love the hint of lemon and the sweet icing on top.

Yup, you read it right. I got a crazy idea while wondering the aisles at the grocery store last weekend. I picked up a container of strawberries and then I glanced over and saw some jalepeños… and an idea was born. I’m all about combining sweet and spicy, so I thought a strawberry salsa would be an interesting experiment.

I picked up some other ingredients that I’d use to round out the salsa and made my way home. I decided to cook all the ingredients on the stove rather than just toss them in the food processor in hopes that the flavors would meld together a bit more. I’m pretty happy with the result. It turned out slightly sweet but gets a nice kick from the jalepeño. Unfortunately the strawberries aren’t in their prime right now, so I think I’ll try this recipe when strawberries are in season and it will really take the flavor up a notch.

Strawberry Salsa

1/2 pint strawberries sliced
3 tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalepeño
1 handful cilantro
juice of 1 lime

1
Chop all the ingredients.
2
Heat about 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet and toss onions in. Let cook for about 1 minute.
3
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the lime juice. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, until things get mushy.
4
Take the pan off the heat and let sit for a few minutes. Add the lime juice and stir.
5
Store in a few containers.

It’s such a gloomy day out in the city. Thoughts of warm weather and BBQs are about the only thing keeping me warm today… Lucky for us, Aaron and I advantage of the warmish weather this weekend and had lunch at one of our favorite BBQ joints, The Smoke Joint, last weekend. It is sooo good. We ordered half a rack of baby back ribs, fries and cornbread and we were absolutely stuffed when we walked out. The meat was super flavorful and just fell off the bone and the fries a little spicy and always crispy. We’ve also had their wings before and they’re definitely the best wings I’ve had in the city.

Almost every time we’ve visited, an owner has been behind the counter or in the seating area talking to customers and making sure everything is runing smooth. They’re always very friendly… one day we tried to go and they happened to be closed (it was a holiday) but the owners were there and gave us a taste of meat they were smoking and a cup of coffee. Good food and good service.

Have you ever had brown butter? It’s just what it sounds like, butter that’s been heated until it gets a little brown. The scent it creates is so incredibly delicious… it’s hard to wait for the final product. But in this case, the wait was worth it. The reason I ended up making brown butter was because I actually wanted to use some buttermilk I’d picked up at the greenmarket this weekend. I found this one on chow and thought it sounded like a great way to start the day.

I’ve always been a big waffle fan, but I don’t feel like I’ve come across the perfect recipe. Up until now, I’ve pretty much stuck to using my Joy of Cooking recipe, sometimes adding a little cinnamon or vanilla to jazz it up. But I must say, this recipe is a step above the rest. The brown butter adds a subtle nutty flavor that when combined with the buttermilk makes for a nice rich and flavorful waffle. I topped mine off with a little syrup and some strawberries. So good!

Next time you want to make your morning a little special, or you just want to mix things up, I highly recommend this recipe. Yum!

Woohoo! A new issue of my favorite magazine, bon appetit, is on news stands now. There’s a super easy recipe inside for jams written by orangette that only requires three ingredients, fruit, sugar and lemon juice. I’m so going to make it once the fruits start popping up at the market.

And just for giggles, there’s a little interview with jimmy fallon in the back where he talks about hating mayonaisse. Mayonaisse really creeps me out (I know, it’s weird), but I was laughing out loud reading about what led to his hatred of the giggly, creamy substance.

This place makes me happy, and not just because it’s near our apartment. It’s got a cozy country kitchen feeling that sets it apart from so many other places in the city. But more importantly, it’s got every baked good your grandma would make and more. From marshmallows (above) to cookies to loaves of bread, it’s enough to make you drool. They also serve a pretty mean iced coffee.

It’s certainly a great place to stop and treat yourself on the way to the park.

How good do these cookies look? I’m really into lemon flavors lately… Maybe this will be a weekend project.

image by orangette

Oh boy! We visited Jakewalk last weekend and I kind of wanted to move in. We arrived early, so it was easy to find a seat, but by the time we left every seat was full. They have an extensive wine menu, but I was more interested in a cocktail so I ended up with a wine based cocktail called the Manhattan Cooler. It was a delightful mix of red wine, lime juice and rum. Aaron ordered a regular cocktail that neither of us can remember, but we can remember that it was tasty.

The cheese list was extensive and mouthwatering, with everything priced at $4 for about 4 slices. We ended up ordering a softer cheese, Red Hawk by Cowgirl Creamery and a harder cheese that I can’t remember the name of, but it was made in Wisconsin. Each cheese listed tells where it was made and the company and or person who made it, which made me happy. We also couldn’t resist ordering some sugar coated pecans. Everything arrived on a nice wood cutting board with a few stacks of bread and a nice little salad with dried cherries and walnuts (my favorite ingredients in a salad).

I would definitely recommend a visit to Jakewalk. Good cheese plus good drinks equals a happy me.