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Month July 2009

Entries 5 Total

Where to eat in Darien: Coromandel

Jul 31, ’09

I had to ask the Indian developers at work for approval before I tried Darien’s Coromandel. Once I had their okay, I dragged five other co-workers to eat lunch with me (and also to make sure I didn’t have to walk along the highway). For lunch, Coromandel only serves an all-you-can-eat buffet for $12. The choices are plenty and unlike the buffet selection I’m used to at Balucci’s in New York City.

Sure, there’s the usual vindaloos and paneers, but when was the last time you remember having jardaloo sali boti, or lamb cooked in apricot? The three times I’ve been to Coromandel, I’ve skipped the complementary tandoori chicken just to make room for that lamb dish. It’s so soft and easy to eat and that hint of sweetness makes it a stew like no other. Not that the staples don’t make the cut: the chicken vindaloo, though not as spicy as I would like, is flavorful in that perfectly burnt sienna sauce color. I fell in love with Indian food the very first time I had saag paneer and they do saags very well here without being too mushy. The combination of shredded cabbage, broccoli and carrots peppered with black sesame seeds is their best vegetarian option, as well as the lentil dahl with chickpeas. A smaller table houses the chutneys and the sides. If you’re so inclined to start with a mixed green salad, you can try different chutneys from coconut to mango to tamarind.

It’s just too bad I can’t live without the warm nan nor the basmati rice to make room for everything else on the table, but of course, there’s always room for the kheer, or rice pudding. Hmm, maybe I should think about walking from there back to work.

Coromandel has several locations in Connecticut, but I go to the one in the Good Wives Shopping Center at 25-11 Old Kings Highway in Darien, CT. Call 203-662-1213 for their daily buffet menu or to ask about a la carte dishes.

Related post/s:
Or you can just go for Colony Pizza

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Wusthof Classic Wave Knife

Jul 29, ’09

The first time I held the new Wave knife from Wusthof, I thought, This isn’t sharp at all. And I don’t mean the blade is dull; I meant that it’s not one of those scary knives that you can’t even comfortably hold. The feel is definitely heavier than I am used to but it also means the grip is more stable and that it feels safer in my hand.

The extra wide blade is similar to the shape of a Santoku knife and it has a reversed-scalloped edge that slices smoothly and efficiently. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s attached to a Hostaform-C black handle with triple rivets to make them durable and feel solid, a signature feature that all Wusthof Classic knives share. (Hostaform-C is a plastic molding used in products under abrasion stress to prevent degradation which also makes the knife hygienic even if it ages.)

I had corned beef that has been in the fridge for a few weeks and I sliced through it without any difficulties even though I did not give the beef time to cool down to room temperature. If I had used a serrated knife, it would have torn the beef into crumbs.

The new 7-inch Wusthof Classic Wave Knife is now available in your favorite department store for a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Related post/s:
Compare the Wave knife to the Santoku knife

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Fusilli with Octopus

Jul 27, ’09

My supermarket in Harlem had these octopus in cans on sale. The idea of a cephalopod in a can sounded odd but the ingredients list didn’t have any weird stuff in it except for octopus and olive oil so I thought it wouldn’t do me any harm to buy a couple for less than $3.

With some fusilli pasta boiling in a pot–you can use any pasta you have handy–I sautéed leftover vegetables I already had in the fridge: mixed greens, dried mushrooms, parsley and garlic scape. The dish turned out really well and it served two meals with a few glasses of Verdejo wine.

Ingredients:
2 tins of octopus in olive oil
2 cups of fusilli pasta
1 cup dried mushrooms, soaked in water for 15 minutes, then drained
a few handfuls of mixed greens
1 garlic scape, chopped
1 small red onion, sliced
a handful of parsley, coarsely chopped
a small wedge of Piave cheese
red chili flakes
oil, salt, pepper

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
2. While cooking pasta, heat some oil in a skillet. Sauté garlic scapes until fragrant and then add onions until soft. Add octopus with its oil and toss. Add the mushrooms, the mixed greens and the parsley until well combined. Season with chili flakes, salt and pepper.
3. Add the drained pasta in the skillet and mix well. Serve with grated Piave cheese.

Related post/s:
Pulpo a la Gallega, Galician Octopus recipe
Babbo’s pasta with octopus recipe

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Sichuan Chicken

Jul 24, ’09

I was craving spicy Chinese food on my way home from work, so I picked up two packages of chicken breasts from the grocery store to cook a quick and spicy meal. I knew I had all the Sichuan ingredients that I needed to make the base sauce but I wanted to make the cooking quick and painless. I decided to use the cucumbers I had in the fridge instead of buying any more vegetables that won’t keep during the week and I skipped coating the chicken with egg whites and cornstarch. The result was a light stir-fry that satiated my craving and calmed my hungry stomach.

Ingredients:
8 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips, patted dry with paper towel
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, cut into strips
2 bunches of scallions, chopped diagonally
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
peanut oil

For the Sichuan sauce:
2 tbsps Shao Xing rice wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 dried chilies, chopped
2 tbsps sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsps brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
a small knob of ginger, peeled, shredded

1. Combine the Sichuan sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat some peanut oil in a wok or a deep skillet. Cook the chicken strips briefly in the hot oil until they turn white. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.
3. Clean out the wok and add some more peanut oil. If there is water from cooking the chicken, let it evaporate by turning up the heat for a few minutes. When the oil is hot, add the Sichuan peppercorns and toast for a few seconds. Add the scallions and sauté until soft. Add the cucumbers and the Sichuan sauce. Stir to combine and let simmer for about 3 minutes.
4. Return the cooked chicken to the wok and stir-fry to combine and finish cooking. Season with more soy sauce as needed before serving with warm white rice.

Related post/s:
Oh! I’ve already posted a more difficult Sichuan chicken recipe!

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Seasonal Restaurant and Weinbar

Jul 22, ’09

132 West 58th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
212/957.5550
$120 for two, with drinks, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

I finished dinner at Seasonal with a smile on my face. Really. I had heard about their wine list and I wanted to check it out to see wine labels I’ve never heard of. I accomplished that at Seasonal and took notes of the Austrian bottles that I ended up liking, but I also decided to stay after I had a quick look of their menu.

True to their name, everything on the menu featured seasonal ingredients. It was beginning to feel like a New York City summer outside, but the produce in the markets are still catching up to spring because of the unusual weather we’ve been having. The amuse bouche of cauliflower soup was a good start to what we were about to eat. There was a small amount of foam to entice you to slurp a small cupful of broth. What could have been a boring vegetable soup was made exciting by the seasonings added to it. So as soon as we saw the pea soup, or the erbsensuppe, we jumped on it. It was so thin and light, yet the smoked bacon and pickled onions came through so strongly. I’ve never had a vegetable soup so clear as this one and still bold on flavors.

I couldn’t resist the Allgäuer Mountain cheese ravioli because they came with morels and fava beans. I don’t know if I can describe a more perfect combination of spring produce than this. We had a difficult time choosing an entree we could share without breaking the bank, but we ended up settling with the veal because it was poached in oxtail consommé. I love it when a restaurant gets consommé right. (And why shouldn’t they?) Seasonal’s version was that rich amber color with so much flavor but without a trace of fat in it. I think we kept commenting on how clear it was while we passed the bowl between us.

If I had an extra $30, I would have ordered the lamb with ramps, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and parsnip root purée. I would have also liked to try the veal cheeks with spatzle and the wild salmon and halibut combination with poached quail egg and mustard sauce. Clearly, I already have reasons to make a return visit and take a second look at that wine list.

Related post/s:
You know where I would like to eat again? Telepan.
Pumpkin ravioli with hen-of-the-woods or maitake mushrooms recipe

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