Next Magazine Review - Juni

Easily one of my top ten picks for the year! Do enjoy!
 
Juni, 12 E 31st St (btwn Fifth/Madison Aves)

212-995-8599
JuniNYC.com

SHORT ORDER: A spectacular seasonal menu in a soothing, intimate setting.
PETER’S PICKS: foie gras with warm brioche; kale soup; salsify agnolotti; sumptuous duck
PETER’S PANS: Where was the bed in which we might stay and continue to sup overnight?

Even though we were only in the East 30s when we went to Juni, we could have sworn the cab driver took a wrong turn and dropped us off somewhere else. Juni is an immediately soothing, refined, palely considered salon, perhaps not as hip as the neighboring Breslin or as gorgeously grandiose as the NoMad Hotel, but we felt like we’d been transported to the intimate social atmospheres that were once found at Lutèce or La Côte Basque in days past. Executive chef Shaun Hergatt hails from Australia and his revolving seasonal menu is unassuming, elegant and precise, displaying a keen sense of culinary artistry—and the place has only been open for a little over two months! My two companions and I eagerly launched into the personally customized six-course menu (and we shared each other’s orders too).

A black tea and lavender cocktail seemed such a bizarre conglomeration at first that I had to try it. Somehow, splashes of rye, artichoke liqueur, scotch, a black-tea-infused aperitivo and lavender syrup worked together marvelously. My fella readily rode the Sidecar with cognac, juice from McIntosh apples and a fine lace of honey.

The fragrant amuse-bouche trio was a delight, featuring a petite carrot tuile with a dot of goat cheese, root vegetable tapioca with parsley oil, and thinly sliced mushrooms with summer truffle vinaigrette. Even the crusty, warm table bread was fantastic, served with an herbed green olive oil tapenade.
“Pearls” of rooty kohlrabi and butternut squash served with kingfish were quickly outdone by Hudson Valley foie gras over a Granny Smith apple purée, apple gel and a sassy apple relish. The accompanying miniature pot filled with steaming brioche was charming and perfect to swab the plate with. Tuscan kale soup was rich and earthy, outfitted with sprouted lentils and simmered pork neck. Creamy black salsify stuffed into gentle blankets of agnolotti made us weep delicious tears.

Moving toward mains, we picked a perfect pairing with a Pouilly-Fuissé that had touches of apples and honey and even traces of lemon. Black bass, featuring a fascinating latticework on the grilled skin, was graced by leaves of purslane, little leaning towers of flourless gnocchi and a truffle sabayon sauce. Atlantic salmon was enlivened by sharp fennel, a lemon yogurt cotta and watermelon radish chips. Duck lightly bathed in an anise-hyssop emulsion, flattered by small “cannons” of candy beets. Veal tenderloin was delicately flavored but found balanced depth with accompanying quinoa, burdock root, hon shimeji mushrooms and a trickle of mushroom sauce, poured at the table.

By dessert, we went for a few batches of nosey, satisfying Hudson Baby bourbon. Between sips, we tried homey, roasted Fuji apples with a touch of maple syrup and smoked mascarpone. Spongy chocolate prepared with a sweet potato purée and a bit of bay leaves left a nice touch, and taste. Sweet corn was tied up with a ribbon of tarragon lime gel and salty cheddar crisps.

Prices: Four course: $90; six course: $120; 10 course: $180; Alcohol: wine, beer, full bar, specialty cocktails

First published in part in Next magazine. 

Next Magazine - '21' Club's Fatal Mistakes

Having long been a fan of the '21' Club, I was delighted to discover a cocktail inspired by the prohibition era series Boardwalk Empire at their recently installed bar. Now, this booze-fueled concoction really packs some heat! Do enjoy--but responsibly! 

21 Club's Fatal Mistakes

Ingredients: 

1 ½ oz Canadian Club

1 oz Applejack brandy (a.k.a. Jersey Lightning, from the oldest licensed distillery in the U.S.)
1 oz maraschino liquor
1/2 oz dry vermouth
3 dashes Fee Brothers bitters

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Rim and garnish with a lemon twist.

21 Club is located at 21 W 52nd St (btwn Fifth/Sixth Aves). Visit 21Club.com for more info. 

First published in part in Next magazine. 

Blue Apron - Lemongrass Shrimp

Baby's sister-in-law recently introduced us to Blue Apron, a wonderful, purposeful, hands-on food delivery service. First person to comment in an email to peter.sherwood@gmail.com will receive a week's selection of three meals for two--free! This does of course depend on whether they deliver or not to your area--but I do believe they are slowly taking over the country. Check out blueapron.com to find out more about them and where they deliver.

Here's what's great about Blue Apron:

Three meals for two are about $60 and there are usually leftovers--and you don't have to think about what to make for dinner every night because colorful recipe cards arrive in a box filled with fresh, insulated, refrigerated measured-out produce such as snap peas, shrimp, ground lamb and beef mixtures, chicken thighs and herbs such as tarragon, cilantro or parsley to suit the recipes. There is also a charming bag of Knick Knacks included with perhaps two tablespoons of sesame oil, soy sauce or butter for example, or a 1/4 cup of flour depending on the week's recipes. I love this because you don't have to try to locate a bottle of oyster sauce and then stare at it wondering what to do with the rest--or deal with the tedium of measuring out everything.

The way the recipe cards are configured, it also teaches a good method of cooking, such as preparing your ingredients first in ramekins, to set up your mise en place and have the chopped goods at the ready for more efficient cooking. The recipes take less than an hour from preparation to table.

If you can't attend to Blue Apron's weekly visits right away, throw the meat and fish in the freezer! Put the produce in the crisper and try to use within the week! Improvise! You don't need to follow the recipes exactly and you will have staples on hand for other uses.

A calorie count is listed (this shrimp and soba recipe is about 560 calories per serving) and you may cancel from week to week by going online or calling them about six days in advance before your next delivery.

Lemongrass Shrimp with Soba Noodles and Chinese Broccoli
Ingredients
6 ounces Chinese broccoli
3 scallions
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemongrass
1-inch piece ginger
5 1/2 ounces soba noodles
10 ounces shrimp
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 lime
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions
Prepare your ingredients:
Heat a large pot of water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Chop the Chinese broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the scallions. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut off the ends of the lemongrass stalks, then peel away the fibrous outer layers until you reach the white, pliable cores. Mince the lemongrass cores.

Cook the soba noodles:
Add the soba noodles to the boiling water. Cook about 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly.

Cook the shrimp:
While the soba noodles cook, heat some oil in a large pan on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, lemongrass, ginger, shrimp, and half the scallions. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the shrimp are pink.

Add the Chinese broccoli:
Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until bright green. Remove from the heat.

Add the soba noodles:
Add the drained soba noodles, oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and the juice of half  the lime. Stir about 1 minute to coat everything in the sauce.

Plate your dish:
Divide the noodles with shrimp and vegetables between 2 bowls. Garnish each with the remaining scallions. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!

First published in part through Blue Apron.

Joe Allen Review - Next Magazine

 

Joe Allen
326 W 46th St (btwn Eighth/Ninth Aves)
212-581-6464
JoeAllenRestaurant.com

SHORT ORDER: The straightforward, consistent Restaurant Row joint is a New York classic that is pretty hard to beat. 

PETER’S PICKS: Joe Allen! Meeting Joan Rivers! 

PETER’S PANS: The “flop wall” featuring posters of panned Broadway shows that suffered at the hand of theater critics and indifferent audiences. 

Joe Allen, the fabulous, storied, classic New York joint on Restaurant Row has been a favorite for me ever since I first experienced it over 20 years ago. With all that goes on in this ever-changing borough, Joe Allen is a constant, and we sat comfortably with a soothing soundtrack in the background by Ella, Billie and Bing. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, as the 7pm theatergoers had already left, and were excited to learn that we were seated at Joan Rivers’ favorite table. Later, much to our jaw-dropping surprise, she actually walked into the restaurant! Since we were lingering over cocktails, having already finished dinner, we gladly offered her our table, but the grand lady graciously declined after talking to us for a while and sat instead at her “second favorite table” with entourage in tow—and yes, she looked gorgeous. 

When it comes to cocktails, I can’t think of anything else to order at Joe Allen but a brisk martini, and Belvedere vodka made the grade this time. My fella conservatively slugged back some sparkling water. For starters, a huge portion of aromatic steak tartare was buttery, flavored with strong mustard; sharp, pungent onions and tangy capers plated with a glistening arugula side salad. Toast points provided a fine conveyance. Escargots were tender and not chewy at all, as they so often are. This dish was done right, with fresh herbs, garlic and simmering oil. A small, fantastic Caesar salad was certainly enough for two to share and was exactly what it should have been—fresh, crunchy romaine perfectly coated with a creamy dressing, composed of pert lemon and pungent garlic. It’s a simple preparation that so many restaurants mess up all the time.

About here we stepped up to an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, which was crisp like a lively autumn day with creamy, resonant green and floral notes. I do find the Joe Allen hamburger to be one of the best in the city (for years it was never even listed on the menu), but we turned our thoughts elsewhere and ordered the shrimp and grits as a sort of pasta course. We loved it, just like a country breakfast with andouille sausage and jumbo shrimp in a lobster consommé with a fried egg on top and a peppery finish. 

Thinly sliced sautéed calf’s liver served medium rare was a rapture with grilled onions, a delicious torrent of whipped potatoes and wondrous, diaphanous slivers of bacon love notes. The moist, bone-in pork chop had a great sear, served with Jersey peach chutney. It was surely sent courtesy of Henry VIII—it was a huge, gluttonous piece of meat that we could only eat half of! Accompanying roasted Brussels sprouts were wonderful and further fit the bill. 

The chocolate pudding cake with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge has always  been a delight, but having been alerted to Ms. Rivers’ favorite, we ordered the banana cream pie instead, such a light, elegant finish to an extraordinary evening!       

Prices: Appetizers:  $7-$17; Entrées:  $13-$33; Alcohol:  wine, beer, full bar, specialty cocktails

First published in part in Next magazine. 

Lettice and Lovage (and Pete)

Years before Maggie Smith assumed the role of the sniffy, domineering Lady Grantham who can wither with a glance in Downton Abbey...once upon a time, when I was going to school at Regent's College in London, waaay back in 1987, I took in a performance of Peter Shaffer's brilliant and hilarious play Lettice and Lovage. It starred none other than the incomparable lady herself in the role of Lettice Douffet, which was written for her (she won the Tony for it stateside in 1990).

I didn't know what the play was about and wasn't sure if it would be some sort of period drama that I might not care for. I just wanted to see the Dame on stage. What I witnessed was absolutely unforgettable and the astonished socks reaching up to my then 19-year old ankles were completely knocked off. I waited for close to an hour in the alleyway by the stage door after the performance to await the grand lady. She was so kind as to sign my program and then I ushered her to a cab. I myself walked home on winged feet propelled by utter elation.

Here's what you can do with a little lovage when captured in season; such a lovely, fragrant green that reminds one of vibrant celery leaves:

Lovage Simple Syrup
Ingredients
A fistful of lovage
1:2 cups ratio of sugar and water (may be altered, as some like it sweeter)

Method
Bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir for several minutes to dissolve sugar. Add lovage, stir and let cool. Strain out the lovage and then refrigerate the liquid for a few hours, tightly sealed in something such as a Mason jar, in miniature.

This little concoction is a refreshing pause when added to seltzer water and perhaps a squeeze of lemon. Hendricks gin, which has notes of cucumber and rose petals, may also make an excellent cocktail companion for your dashing lovage syrup, briskly stirred together over ice. A touch of St. Germain liqueur, perfumed with elderflower added into the mix surely wouldn't hurt either. Campari or chilly chamomile tea over a game of croquet. Why be mere? The only limit is the imagination! As Lettice Douffet says, "Enlarge! Enliven! Enlighten!"

Thanks to HerbGarden.co.za for the image of the lovage. And of course always, Dame Maggie Smith.

Peter's Summer Pasta

Here we are, back at the larder with a number of items staring back at us. Somewhat exhausted from an overly long excursion home, we wondered, "What to have for dinner?" Saffron-laced malloreddus pasta from Sfoglini seemed an easy go and once having made our dish, we thought orechiette or any smallish noodle such as rigatoni or elbow noodles would do as well in a pinch. Spigarello from a greenmarket was an option for an ingredient too. So, with a careful consideration of what we had on hand, I set to work which resulted in a joyous dinner.

Peter's Summer Pasta
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 pound pasta or more, if you're really hungry. Adjust ingredient portions accordingly. 
Large shallot,  thinly sliced
Bunch scallions, chopped
2 TB garlic paste
2 TB vibrant mustard, such as Roland's Dijon
2 TB anchovy paste
1 bunch spigarello greens, or broccoli rabe, perhaps arugula
Fistful of parsley
3 TB olive oil
2 TB butter
Summery combo of 4 smallish zucchini and yellow squash, thinly sliced
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Grated Grana Padana cheese or Parmesan
Amaretti cookies or ginger snaps, crushed

Method
Bring enough salted water for your pasta to a boil. In the meantime, chop the stems of your greens and in a large pan, saute gently with shallots and scallions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When softened, add in half of the garlic paste, anchovy paste, and mustard. Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the zucchini and squash with half of the butter and turning occasionally, cook until tender. In a smaller pan, saute the leaves of your greens with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and butter. Add in the rest of your pastes and mustard until the leaves are wilted. Season with more salt and pepper. Drain the pasta when done according to the directions on the box or bag, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Pour this in to the vegetables and let it simmer for a moment. Toss everything together gently and add cheese and more pepper, to taste. Top with the cookies or simple ginger snaps for a final flourish. A few glasses of a Pinot Gris and a  simple green salad tossed about with olive oil and red wine vinegar would be nice with this too. Do enjoy! 

Strawberry Risotto

Strawberries--in risotto? Sure it may sound unreasonable but boy, is it ever delicious! I hadn't made this seductive plateful in years and as I experienced the ripe, summery, creamy goodness once again I wondered why I had taken so long to make it once again! Chicken stock is fine to use, but surely any stock such as veal, mushroom or vegetable is entirely suitable, and liberally dose your dish with grated Parmesan and cracked pepper. It's patient work, continually stirring the stock in this particular rice over the course of about half an hour, but risotto is hardly deserving of all the fuss given; instead, it's all rather quite easy and creates a fine impression for guests while at it. Toss about a salad of fresh greens enlivened by a dressing of spring onions, shallots, Dijon mustard, more pepper and fruity olive oil. And as the recipe only requires a quarter of a cup of a crisp white wine, naturally, spill a few glasses while enduring the stirring and then pour some more with the rest of your finished dish!

Go here for the recipe, and thanks to my weather-worn copy of Saveur from May/June 1995.