Another One (Partially) Bites the Dust

Gourmet grocer and New York institution Balducci's is quietly closing the doors to many of its locations. Though a few outposts will remain, it's sad to see this food mecca falling by the wayside. It doesn't really come as a huge surprise to hear that the chain was hurting - while their made-to-order sandwiches (one of the best portobello and mozzarella on multi-grain sandwiches I've ever had!) and other delish items are superb, they are by no means cheap - so, given the recession and all, this news isn't exacly out of left field. Regardless, I think it's unfortunate - even moreso upon learning how Balducci's changed after being bought in 1999... perhaps the re-branding overhaul didn't work out for the best after all. As reported in the NYTimes by Cara Buckley:

"In the end, the markets bore little resemblance to the mom-and-pop fruit and
vegetable stand that Louis Balducci, an Italian immigrant, opened in 1946.
In 1972, he moved the shop to its culinarily groundbreaking Sixth Avenue site,
where he introduced many city dwellers to what were then considered exotic
foodstuffs like virgin olive oil and buffalo mozzarella. But some regulars said
Balducci’s lost its soul after Sutton Place Gourmet bought the store for $26.5
million in 1999. The company closed the flagship location four years later, and
then opened and rebranded other shops under the Balducci name."

If only Balducci's could make a sort of grand return to its roots, perhaps the remaining stores can indeed flourish. Maybe they could even break the mold and prove that "gourmet" doesn't have to always break the bank (wishful thinking?).

Viva Las Top Chef

Though Bravo isn't making the official announcement until June (and won't confirm or deny anything until then either), rumor has it that the next season of "Top Chef" will be in Las Vegas. With the tremendous restaurant scene that has blossomed and flourished in Vegas over the last decade or so, having been completely transformed from what it once was, it could make for interesting competition turf.

A New York Diet to Envy

I love NYMag's "The New York Diet" feature, in which (usually) noteable people from various professions document what they eat during one week. It can even be a fun and different way to get some good restaurant recommendations. Sometimes they end up being disappointingly bland, or appear to have been fibbed here and there - but for each of those, there is a fun and interesting one to read. The most recent piece by Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl (who also has a new memoir out that is on my to-read list) just might be the best one I've read so far - it's almost even better than what I'd expect from a top food editor - honest, knowledgable, diverse and frankly sounds completely delectable. I know I wouldn't mind trading places with her for a week (or more?!)!

A Street Cart Named Desirable

New Yorkers who won this contest were the lucky recipients of an email today informing them where chef David Chang would be preparing a meal for them via a street cart - and NYMag leaked the location: it's at Lafayette and Houston. But, a password is needed to be served, so needless to say I won't be making the trip downtown. Jealous of the contest winners!!

Don't Forget Where You Came From

The episode of SNL that aired on 4/11/2009 was one of the funniest from start to finish that I've seen in a long time. My initial skepticism about Zac Efron hosting was immediately quashed - he was fantastic and proved to me much more talented than I'd previously thought.
Below is one of the best skits form the episode. Fred Armisen takes crazy to a whole new level, and I dare you to not approach pee-your-pants laughter territory when watching it!

Nice View

There are innumerable covetable living spaces in Manhattan (hello brownstone in the West Village), but the ones recently shown to me recently in an old issue of NYMag just might top all others I've seen. You have to see for yourself because I don't even know where to start (the private rooftop gardens? the kitchen with windows for walls? the home office? did I mention the gardens?) Just look at the slideshow. Aaamazing.

Photo credit: Gregory Goode

TGIF

NBC had a great line-up last night with 2 new episodes of "The Office," the debut of Amy Poehler's new show "Parks & Recreation" (which I found to be pretty funny), and a hilarious new episode of "30 Rock." Had to post this clip from "The Office" as it pretty much became an instantaneous favorite. Dwight and Andy, now self-proclaimed BFFs, still have a little frenemy-ness in their friendship as they try and out-do each other on their respective instruments to impress the new receptionist... until they get so caught up in their music, forget about the girl and their competitiveness and just rock out. Maybe they really aren't nemeses anymore? Either way - an instant classic!

A Contest Worth Entering!

The chance to win a meal prepared by chef David Chang? Yes, please - New Yorkers, click here to enter!

Mushroom, Asparagus and Pea Risotto

Overly dramatic cautions along the lines of "don't stop stirring and never step away or it will burn and be ruined" made me dismiss risotto as something feasible to make well for a long time, but I recently decided to just give it a go. And, I'm happy to say I did because not only was the cooking process rather fun and not all that difficult (yes, stirring constantly is necessary), the end result was divine and totally worth the process. Risottos, for the most part, have the stigma of being so complex while delivering a mouth-watering final product - making it ultimately a great and impressive dish to create and serve. I looked at some recipes in a few cookbooks before deciding on one of Giada De Laurentiis' from her wonderful "Everyday Italian" to use as my base.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
8 oz white mushrooms, finely chopped
5 oz mini portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
.5 oz dried porcini mushrooms
5 3/4 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 c dry white wine
2/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 c frozen peas, thawed
10 asparagus stalks, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Pour the chicken broth into a sauce pan/pot, bring to a simmer and drop in the dried porcini mushrooms. Cover and leave on a low simmer for about 5 minutes; after, use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and place them in a separate dish to cool. Once cool enough to handle, dice the porcinis. Keep the broth warm on a very low heat, covered. In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions - cook until translucent and soft, about 10 min., stirring frequently. Add a pinch of salt (optional) and a few grinds of pepper. Then, add all of the mushrooms, the garlic and the asparagus. Cook for about 8 minutes. Stir in the rice, combine the mixture thoroughly in the pot, and add the wine. Stir and cook until the wine is absorbed - about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth and simmer (med-low) for about 5 minutes, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed. Keep repeating this (adding a cup or so of broth after the previous is absorbed) every 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until all the broth has been used - about 25-30 min total. When the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed - the texture will be very creamy - mix in the peas, the Parmesan and a few more grinds of pepper. Serve immediately.

While yes, there is some butter and Parmesan in the mix, remember that both of these ingredients are spread out over the 4-6 servings you get from the recipe - and I couldn't believe just how creamy and rich-tasting (and in texture) the outcome was - just delicious and so flavorful. The broth being infused with mushrooms from simmering the porcinis in it initially really gives the dish an extra boost. I can't wait to cook this - and other variations on it/ a different kind of risotto - soon!

8 Years Old, and Dressed to the Nines

"Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner and his architect wife Linda Brettler have an 8-year-old son, Arlo, who is already making headlines for himself. I think he sounds awesome and eccentric, and props to parents who embrace and encourage such instincts and interests in their children. You can't underestimate the kind of ingenuity, confidence and true sense-of-self that can be fostered by not stifling a kid's innate creativity! Also, I just have to add that the mention in the article of an almost-3-year-old Arlo asking for a top hat for his birthday actually sounds extremely familiar (...ehem, member of my family, you know who you are!) :).

Welcome Back Birdie!

The Roundabout Theater Company is reviving "Bye Bye Birdie" this fall on Broadway for the first time, and some preliminary casting news was recently released. Nina Gershon is set to portray Rosie and John Stamos will play Albert - no small shoes to fill in either case, as each of these roles were famously originated on Broadway by the equally infallible (in musicals, at least!) Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke, respectively. Additionally, Bill Irwin will play the role of Kim's father - can he live up to the character Paul Lynde created? - and Jayne Houdyshell will appear as Albert's mother. It will be especially interesting to see who is chosen to play Kim and Birdie, among other great characters as well - I'm wondering if we'll see more familiar faces in the mix or if newcomers will get some main roles too. The only stage version I've seen, aside from a high school production, was years ago at the Schubert in New Haven with Tommy Tune playing Albert, and it was fantastically fun. I am definitely excited to see this production - might have to rent the 1963 movie version with Ann Margaret again soon too!

Topshop NYC

UK retailer Topshop has at last opened the doors to their new NYC location today - and I'd say that I'm as excited about this as any other fashion-loving New Yorker, except I will not be one of the many opting to brave the crowd to check it out today... the line to get in has been reportedly (and not surprisingly) ridiculous. A nice offering on their website to promote the opening is free shipping on all orders through April 9th - and needless to say, I will be browsing virtually before doing so in person!


Photo credit: Nitrolicious.com

If a Tree Grew in Brooklyn...

can a vegetable grow in a Manhattan apartment? Turns out, yes. Being that I live in a NYC apartment with no yard or balcony, my dream of having a garden has been unsurprisingly put on hold. But recently, I came across this, which really piqued my interest - as it is in fact possible to grow vegetables indoors (and no, a greenhouse is not necessary). While this of course isn't groundbreaking or brand new information, and it's probably safe to assume that indoor conditions would have to be as ideal as can be to grow something worth eating, it sounds much more do-able than I would have thought. With space and light still being probably the biggest factors (and for me, there's also the matter of our cat!), I'm not sure I'd be able to do it just yet - am definitely going to look into it further. And even if not now, it's at least good to know that you ostensibly don't have to wait until you have sufficient outdoor space to get your grow on - though, of course, that will be the ultimate!

Fruit for All

Dried fruit as a snack is nay-sayed by some who think it's too calorie/sugar dense, but when there isn't any added sugar and it's of good quality, in moderation it can be a perfectly healthy sweet tooth fix and energy boost - and many varieties (especially berries) provide a solid dose of antioxidants. SweetEnergy.com is my favorite place to get such healthful, unprocessed dried fruit in bulk - it's great to snack on or bake with. I especially love the dried, diced apricots - which I can rarely find anywhere else - and the various dried berries (especially the tart Michigan cherries and cranberries only sweetened with apple juice and no sugar). Yum!

Childhood Flashback

Beverly Cleary's Ramona Quimby books were childhood favorites of mine, and I just learned that a movie version - "Ramona and Beezus" - is set to begin production soon. Seems a little silly for me to write about, as the books and certainly the movie are geared toward such a young audience, but I am a little curious to see what this screen interpretation will look like and what decade it will be set in (when the stories in the books took place or present-day today?). It does looks to be pretty well cast. As is always the case when good books (especially classics or ones so widely beloved, such as Cleary's) are turned into films, I can only hope that the movie does it justice and, in this case, makes more kids want to read these books!

The Age of Aquarius Returns

I was really happy to see that the new revival of Hair on Broadway, which officially opened last night, got a great review in the NYTimes by the not-always-easy-to-please Ben Brantley. Given what the show is about, I thought this was a particularly telling sentiment from Brantley:

"The kids of 'Hair' are cuddly, sweet, madcap and ecstatic. They’re also angry, hostile, confused and scared as hell — and not just of the Vietnam War, which threatens to devour the male members of their tribe. They’re frightened of how the future is going to change them and of not knowing what comes next. Acting out the lives of the adults they disdain ... becomes a cathartic ritual."

"Hair" seems to be one of the shows in which a revival must, in order to be successful, truly evoke the energy, emotion and everything & all that the original production embodied (whereas some other plays/musicals are wonderfully revived in an interpretation very different from the original)... and, it sounds like this one does the original sound justice. This is definitely on my list of shows to see!

Photo credit: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times