cia – Page 124 – Writing With My Mouth Full

FreshDirect Rosa Mexicano Microwavable Meals

Most of our group lunches at work are ordered via FreshDirect. Every New Yorker has also seen their delivery vans all over the city–albeit not in my part of Harlem–but I’ve never ordered from them until today. The New York Times announced this week that chef Roberto SantibaÃ±ez of Rosa Mexicano has collaborated with FreshDirect to offer Mexican microwavable meals to its customers. I’ve never been to “New York insitution” Rosa Mexicano because I try not to eat Mexican food from restaurants deemed “upscale and authentic.” I never buy TV dinners either but the spiel was that these Fresh Dining Meals contain no butter, very little cream and only vegetable-based oils are used in their sauces. The prospect of a healthy-sounding Mexican dish in “revolutionary microwavable containers” was intriguing.

I signed up on FreshDirect.com, ordered six of the Rosa Mexicano Fresh Dining Meals and had them delivered to work. An hour after the estimated delivery time and $78.93 later, four co-workers signed up to be my guinea pigs.

1. Beef Short Rib Enchiladas with Salsa Mestiza and Cactus, $9.99
I loved how spicy it was but I didn’t really taste the short ribs nor remember the cactus. I did appreciate the real parsley garnish. Cameron thought that the beef was a little bland. She agreed that it was spicy but she also thought that it just didn’t have a lot of flavor. The tortillas were falling apart which made them the “most Mexican.”

2. Chicken in Ancho Chili Adobo with Green Beans and Shiitakes, $8.99
Luc said the chicken was too hard. He felt that he was eating something very healthy, but later added that his comment meant that he was still hungry.

3. Halibut in Tomatillo Herb Mole with Red Bliss Potatoes and Asparagus, $13.99
I really liked the vegetables because the short ribs were too salty from the other dish that I took comfort in eating the zucchini from this. Cameron said the sauce tasted very fresh. She was really impressed with the softness of the fish because she expected less from a microwavable meal. She also said that there was a nice meat-to-sauce ratio although the vegetable choices–red potatoes, asparagus and zucchini–weren’t very Mexican. She thought the potatoes were too heavy with the fish and would have prefered rice or grilled scallions or piquillo peppers.

4. Shrimp in Red Bell Pepper and Chipotle Cream Sauce, $10.99
I was surprised that the shrimp was clear and wondered whether I did not microwave the dish long enough. I actually ended up liking this dish because of that fact. I usually do not order shrimps because most of the time, they are overcooked, tough and chewy. Cameron thought they were just undercooked. Aaron said he didn’t even notice because it was “yummy to my tummy.” Aaron liked the sauce that Cameron called “too creamy for Mexican food,” although she liked the spice. Out of the three things she tasted, she said that this is the one dish she will not order again. Aaron just felt bad.

5. Turbot in Veracruz Sauce over Achiote Rice with Asparagus and Chayote, $9.99
Taste was overall average for Ben. The fish was a little overcooked but “pretty good for a microwavable meal.” The asparagus was too soggy and the rice was too mushy, both of which he attributed to the sloppy sauce, which was just “okay.” He thought there wasn’t enough rice and he found himself looking for more as he ate the fish. He said he would put it slightly higher than Trader Joe’s microwavable meals, but at $10, he expected much more. He would not buy it again and will stay loyal to Trader Joe’s because they charge $5 for theirs.

6. Grilled Chicken in Tequila-Mushroom Cream Sauce with Snow Peas, $8.99
It was only after I tasted this dish that I understood Luc’s description of the chicken being too hard. This dish contained a huge breast of chicken, complete with grill marks, and I needed a real knife to properly slice through it. The snow peas were so crunchy, they may have been raw, which was not a problem to me. Like all the others, this was also smothered in sauce. The combination of tequila and mushrooms made the sauce taste a little nutty that at first taste, I thought there was some peanut butter in it. I added my own rice to this and I enjoyed it more because it kept the saltiness at bay.

As for the packaging, the containers looked snazzier than the ones I can buy from regular grocery stores. After heating up, though, the tab was very difficult to pull back. We all ended up poking them with our plastic forks–not provided by FreshDirect–to open. It only took four minutes to heat up each container and I thought that was so convenient.

We work downtown in New York City and we’re all used to paying at least $8 for lunch, but we wanted more. An hour later, I was snacking on Ritz crackers.

I also had to order at least $60 worth of items to qualify for FreshDirect delivery. The delivery fee was a steep $14.99 but they did come in the next day, twenty-four hours after I ordered online.

The overall taste verdict? FreshDirect Rosa Mexicano Fresh Dining Meals are a little over-salted and saucy, but not so bad in taste in terms of microwavable food. In terms of Mexican food, however, all of us say, “so-so.”

Insalata Caprese, Tomato and Mozarella Salad

A recent visit to the farmers’ market introduced me to hydroponic tomatoes and basil. It was the Shushan Valley Hydro-Farms’ first day at the market and one of the organizers walked me to their stall after I expressed disappointment that there were no vegetable vendors around. Sure it was a rainy day but a girl needs her vegetables!

I’ve only heard of the term hydroponic in relation to a certain addictive herb, so when the owners showed me a photo of their farm, I was intrigued. A variety of techniques exist in hydroponic gardening. Instead of soil containing silt and clay, mineral nutrient solutions are introduced to the plants’ water supply. Because plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water, soil is no longer required for the plants to thrive when the minerals are artifically added. Their tomatoes were happily plump and the basil leaves all had a nice shade of healthy green. I love the idea that I don’t have to wait for Mother Nature to make up her mind about the weather before I can buy tomatoes.

I bought a basil plant for less than $3, picked several of its leaves for this caprese recipe and three weeks later, it’s still thriving in a water-filled small plastic cup on my window sill. I can’t say the same for the tomatoes though; I bought five of them and they were all gone by next morning.

Ingredients:
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
fresh mozarella, sliced
fresh basil leaves, thoroughly washed, patted dry, chiffonade
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Arrange tomatoes and mozarella on a plate. Top with basil leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Provence

38 MacDougal Street off Prince
212/475.7500
$80 for two, with 3 drinks, without tip
â™¥ â™¥

Updated, 2008: Provence will reopen in May as Hundred Acres.

I was delighted when I walked by Provence several months ago and saw that it was reopening with help from the owners of Five Points and Cookshop. I’ve eaten at Five Points twice without reservations and both times I left impressed and satisfied. I’ve only stopped by Cookshop for a drink, but one of their bartenders made them so beautifully, I stayed for two more. I visited Provence during opening week and felt completely at home as soon as I sat at the bar. The interior is a great mix of femininity and masculinity without the frills. Victor Hugo has never looked so good in a bathroom! Who knew homey furniture could be so sexy? I can’t wait to return when the windows are open and the flower boxes are filled in the summer.

We started with the endive salad with treviso, arugula and parmesan, a salad that would have been boring if not for its spiky lemon-anchovy dressing. I love bitter greens flavored by a little tart but kept at bay by aged, hard cheese. The sardines were lightly coated in breadcrumbs and served with lemon and chili oil–the right combination of tanginess and spiciness. The ravioli was rich but daintily stuffed with finely chopped snails, wild nettles and walnuts. A garlic-parsley sauce brought its decadence down a notch.

The Australian bartender was so charming, he immediately made me forget that I was there with someone. The Provence team has wisely chosen a small selection of French wines and Belgian beers. The Delirium Nocturnum, a dark ale, was of a maroon-brown color which tasted sweet and cinnamony while the Chateau de Roquefort clairette light and plummy. Provence was already loved by the neighborhood before it closed, but this reincarnation surely puts it on the MacDougal map.

Soba Noodles with Vegetables

When I want to prepare something quick but substantial, I always turn to Asian noodles. You can see me at Sobaya slurping my soba noodles most Sunday afternoons. Before Honmura An closed, it was the best place to watch a Japanese soba maker perform his art. But it was in Chicago where I first tasted a soba dish tossed like a salad with vegetables and mushrooms. Four years later, I can still remember how Anna made it for the Dr. and me.

In some small way, I wanted to bring back the old with the new by making this familiar recipe the first for this new Web address. For my take, I used carrots and sweet peas. They complemented the soba’s buckwheat color. Soba is one reason why dried mushrooms are great to have in your pantry. You can just soak them in warm water a few minutes before you need to use them. The nori, or dried seaweed, provided an extra crunch. You can make this dish your own by adding any of your favorite vegetables; just julienne them for a prettier presentation.

Ingredients:
soba noodles
dried shiitake mushrooms
1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
a handful of sweet peas, roughly chopped
2 stalks of scallions, finely chopped
nori, or dried Japanese seaweed
sesame seeds, toasted
sesame oil
rice vinegar
light soy sauce

1. If using dried mushrooms, soak shiitake in a bowl of warm water for thirty minutes. After soaking, drain shiitake mushrooms and squeeze out excess water using a paper towel. Slice in strips. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix equal parts sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
3. Cook soba noodles in boiling water for about 5 minutes. When done, drain and fluff with a fork to keep the noodles from sticking together.
4. Pour sesame sauce little by little over soba noodles. Toss with the mushrooms and the vegetables. Mix in sesame seeds and crushed nori. Top with chopped scallions.

Chicken Pomegranate Stew

I was in front of my laptop all day. I was hungry and all I could find in the fridge were chicken thighs and some leftover vegetables. I was too lazy to brown them, less make a fuss and do something fancy, so I peeled and cut some carrots and leeks and made a bed of them in a large pot. I added some onions and garlic with the rosemary sprigs sitting prettily in the fridge kept alive by Glad Press’n Seal. Should be good for about an hour in the oven, I thought, and I went back to my work. When the oven timer beeped–I have burned many meals without it–I transfered the pot on top of the stove and let it simmer. There was something missing. I looked in the pantry and thought of making curry, but I really wanted the broth to be more soupy than saucy. I found the bottle of pomegranate molasses I bought after Tyler introduced me to it. I added a tablespoon at first and it gave the broth a lemony kick. I decided to add some more, adjusting it with some more salt and red pepper flakes, until I was happy with the taste.

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch strips
1 leek, white part only, rinsed well, cut in half and then lengthwise
1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup chicken stock, divided in two
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
rosemary sprigs
salt
red pepper flakes

1. Preheat oven to 450Âº. Rinse chicken thighs and pat dry.
2. Scatter carrots, leeks, onions and garlic in a large Dutch oven. Lay chicken thighs over vegetables. Pour 1/2 cup stock over chicken and sprinkle with rosemary, salt and red pepper flakes. Place pan in oven and roast for 40 minutes. When chicken and vegetables are cooked, transfer to stove over medium-high heat.
3. Add remaining stock and the pomegranate molasses. Let simmer while seasoning to taste.