Umami Mart

Preface:
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Kossar’s Bialy
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Doughnut Plant
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Pickle Battle
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Vanessa’s Dumpling House
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Russ & Daughters

For our final destination on our whirlwind 7-stop Lower East Side food extravaganza, we went to (where else?) THE FAMOUS Katz’s Deli. It’s been around since 1888, and every few years there is buzz of it shutting down, but I doubt this will ever happen. Not to Katz’s, NEVER! Their website boasts that it’s, “New York’s oldest and best delicatessen.” This is one of the rare occurrences that such a proclamation might actually be true.

To be honest, I was super apprehensive about going in: it was Sunday afternoon, and from my own experiences, that is not the ideal time to go. But we were on a Loisaida Umamiventure, so there was no way we could not represent. Plus, this was Paystyle’s most anticipated stop- can’t let the guy down, can we?

As imagined, we walked in and it was a friggin’ madhouse. You get a ticket at the door, which is essentially your identity within the world of Katz’s. DO NOT LOSE YOUR TICKET! You’ll be charged an outlandish $50 if you do, even if you didn’t eat anything. So staple that ticket onto your forehead if you must- DO NOT LOSE IT!

There’s wait service in the back, but if you want to real deal Katz’s experience, suck it up and get your ass in line. The lines are actually what intimidate me the most- it snakes all around the shop and you’ve got to be super assertive and know exactly what you want. Pastrami, brisket or corned beef? Fatty or lean? On rye? Pickels new or sour? Waaa! There’s an insider club language in here, and if you don’t know it, you’re screwed! Here’s an extensive, informative article from the NY Times about this particular language of the pastrami sandwich, via Todd.

This is probably why I was hesitant about coming into Katz’s- I took my parents here once and I seriously have never felt like a bigger tool of a NYer. Uhhh, what’s a new pickle??? I knew better this time around, thanks to our pickle stop. That’s the charm of NYC- it likes to test you a few times just to make sure you can hang. Bastard.

As you hop from one of the massive sandwich lines to the drinks line (below), your orders are stamped onto your ticket. No Katz’s meal is complete without a Dr. Brown’s celery soda, so make sure to get in the drinks line after you get your sandwich!

Meal of pastrami sandwich, matzo ball soup, a plate of both new and sour pickles, and a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda.

My corned beef and pastrami sandwich. Yup, you can mix it up into one sandwich. Look at it, it’s a splendid tower of melt-in-your-mouth meat! The yellow mustard and distinct flavors of rye bread is really what makes this sandwich such an original.

Todd: Katz’s is in my opinion the gold standard for corned beef and pastrami, and it was very good that day. It has not been quite as good on other days. The rumor is that there are two key aspects to good pastrami. The first is that it needs to be steamed for quite a while- yes it’s already cooked but the steaming is what is supposed to make it tender and juicy. Steaming takes time and is also supposed to lead to product shrinkage.

The second key aspect is that Katz’s hand slices their meat, which is rumored to be better for flavor. I am not sure, I do think that hand slicing means better trimmed meat, which does make for a better sandwich, less nasty bits. I think Zabar’s makes a good sandwich: they sell made-to-order hot sandwiches, and while machine sliced, the meat is hand-trimmed.

Paystyle: For me, the true gem of the ‘hood, and the highlight of the crawl. Without question the most solid pastrami and corned beef sammys. Forget Carnegie Deli, or even Jerry’s or Canter’s in LA. This is it. One of the few tourist traps that locals also swear by, as do I. Can’t beat a Katz’s pastrami or reuben sammy with a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda—the perfect pairing!

Thanks to everyone for making it out to this unforgettably hardcore Umamiventure. It was a blast!!! Check out all previous Umamiventures here. Thanks to Christy, Michelle, Jill and Jessie for the pictures. Make sure to join the UM Facebook group to stay updated on all future Umamiventures. Next one will be in the Bay Area- stay tuned!

I have just spent the last few days in Connecticut celebrating Passover with my lovely boyfriend Jonathan and his wonderful family. They hosted a seder on Thursday evening for about 37 people. I had a great time helping his Mom cook and prepare for the guests. Here is a taste of the evening…

Each place setting was made with the guest’s photo

Gefilte Fish


Hard Boiled eggs served in little bowls of salt water

Garnishing the Charoset (traditional passover dish made of apples, wine, walnuts and cinnamon)

Pine Nut Charoset

A new family tradition: Charoset made with kiwi, dried cranberries, toasted almonds and mandarin oranges

The story of Passover is read from the Haggadah before (and during) dinner

Seder plate

Parsley was dipped in salt water and served next to matzah and bitter herbs (horseradish)

Jonathan peeled and sliced about a million beets that were then roasted for the veg platters and served with asparagus and carrots

Grain-free desserts: Macaroons & merengues

After hours of story telling, lively singing and joyous feasting, I left feeling full and content. Can’t wait till next year! Despite having to give up bread for a week, this is definitely my favorite Jewish holiday.

The Swedish city of Malmö is just a stone´s throw away from Copenhagen. The theme of my three-week trip is “Countries I Have Never Been To.” So I was delighted by Anders´ suggestion to take a day-trip to Malmö where Copenhagenites take advantage of the cheaper prices offered in Sweden. The train ride across the bridge to Sweden took only 30 minutes. Once we got off the train, Anders and his friends, Birgitta and René and I went on a shopping binge.
One of the highlights of my fling with Sweden was a trip to Hemköp, a Swedish supermarket located about 10 minutes from the Central Station of Malmö.

A stroll in the supermarket quickly revealed that Swedish people love things in tubes.

Take this rack with a generous assortment of ost (cheese) – lobster cheese, bacon cheese, mild cheese, mushroom cheese, shrimp cheese, etc.

A huge tube of Kalles caviar.

Tubes of mayo hanging from racks.

To compliment these tubular edibles are knäcke (crackers).

Aisle of knäcke.

Birgitta, Anders and René picking out knäcke.

I loved the packaging for these knäcke.

Dairy products exhibited playful and bright designs that made me gently weep inside that my fridge in Tokyo was so far away…

Milk

Yogurt

Ice cream

That night, Anders and I broke into various knäcke and ate them with butter and cheeses.

Preface: Fridgin’ Out: Ambitious Deliciousness, Pt. 1Last week, Ambitious Deliciousness let us peek inside her freezer, where she stores her seaweed to keep it crispy- GENIUS!!! Would like to thank her for sharing her deepest darkest fridge secrets with us here on Umami Mart.

Now, let’s move to the inside of the fridge…

I’ll start with the door again. From left to right: some Sriracha wanna-be-sauce, huge jar of mayo, peanut sauce, soba noodle dipping sauce, mirin, peanut butter and ketchup. I love Heinz ketchup.

Second row – butter (I like to keep my fridge stocked with butter whenever it’s on sale), lemon vinegar, Dinosaur sauce, salsa, Sriracha sauce, Bacchus-D, maple syrup, Chili hot oil, container for red pepper flakes, blue cheese, and honey mustard.

Dinosaur bbq sauce from the time I made pizza. Delicious sauce from a ribs joint from upstate New York!

Note that both hot sauces have green tops. What does that mean, other than they’re from the same place? Yeah, I don’t know either!

I used to love Bacchus-D when I was a little girl. It is like the original Red Bull from Korea, with not as much sugar and caffeine. Now it tastes like crap to me. I don’t know WHY my mom had it but she insisted that I take it home… all 8 of them.

Lemon vinegar, fish sauce and aloe vera. Imagine a dish containing all three ingredients?

Now we’re on the top row. Some fire roasted peppers (I think that needs to be thrown out), strawberry jam, water, fake lemon juice, and a tube of wasabi.

“Gas Hwalmyungsoo” for when you have indigestion. It’s like Alka Seltzer in a bottle.

Fruit and Produce bins. On the left are some oranges, strawberries and apples. On the right…

Withered scallions, with some old parsley. It makes me really sad when produce withers…sigh.

Organic skim milk that was on sale! SCORE! This is my favorite kind.

Gochujang (red bean paste) – definitely a Korean staple. It has a spicy kick from the chili peppers that is also sweet. Commonly used for Dweji Bulgogi, Bibimbap and Ddukbokki.

A silver container wrapped in a plastic bag. What could it be?

The plastic is to help it from stinkin’ up my fridge. Tada! Radish Kimchi made by my mom.

A jar of pickles and some mushrooms, along with some yogurt.

Leftover burger toppings and romaine lettuce. Yeah… my fridge needs some major reorganization!

More plastic bags?! (see two photos later). Some shredded cheese, more kimchi, and leftover ddukbokki.

Kimchi, coffee, leftover burgers inside the foil, a block of tofu, fresh Shanghai noodles and soy bean paste.

More kimchi! This is the kind where you cut the cabbage into quarters and leave it in tact until it’s been fermented. It is harder to make than the other kind, and supposedly tastes better. Thanks, mom!

This batch, made with cubed pieces of Napa cabbage, was especially made for kimchi jjigae and other kimchi dishes. My mom is the best!

Homemade tonkatsu sauce that my sister made for cutlets!

Ground coffee beans in the corner. It eliminates odor inside your fridge. If you haven’t noticed already, I have 3 different kinds of kimchi… and this helps tremendously! I change it whenever I make coffee, which is usually on the weekends. Try it!

Dwen Jang (fermented bean paste), Korean version of miso. A must have for Dwen Jang Jjigae!

And finally, leftover fish cake soup aka Odeng soup.

Hope that was enjoyable for you! Can’t wait to read more Fridgin’ Out posts in the future! :)

What’s hiding out in the back of your fridge? To feature your fridge on UM’s Fridgin’ Out, email umamimart@gmail.com

READ ALL 6 PARTS OF THE TAP THIS HOME BREWING GUIDE HERE

Hello all, sorry its been a while since my last Tap This post. There will be plenty coming for the next few weeks as I am going to walk you through the process of home brewing. Since this is a pretty involved process, I am going to break it down into several posts. The first step to the process of brewing beer starts with gathering all of the equipment and ingredients necessary. To do this you are going to have to find a good brewing supply store. I am very lucky because I have an excellent one right around the corner from me called SF Brewcraft. Every time you walk into the place the extremely knowledgeable Griz is sitting in the corner in his overalls, listening to some jazz, equipped with a tablet of blank beer recipe sheets ready to write off a new recipe on command for any customer that walks in the door. You can be confident that in almost any brew supply store, the staff is going to be passionate about beer and will help you the best they can, so don’t be shy. SF Brewcraft even offers a free class every Monday night.

Griz in his element:

Let’s start off with Equipment. Most stores sell a complete kit that will give you everything you need or you can get them online if you do not have a place nearby. Here is an example of a good beginner’s beer kit: http://www.sanfranciscobrewcraft.com/product_p/eq101.htm Here is what you need (pictures below): – Primary Fermenting Container: either a 6.5 gallon plastic bucket or glass carboy – Secondary Fermenting Container: same size as above – Rubber stoppers – Airlock – Siphon hose – Bottle brush – Bottle capper – Caps – Some type of thermometer (stick on ones work well) – Hydrometer – Bottle filler – Bottles – Sanitizing powder or bleach – A huge freaking pot that holds at least 5 gallons Equipment 1 (left to right): huge pot, siphon and hose, glass carboy (I freaking broke my other one), plastic fermenting containers with lids.

Equipment 2 (left to right): caps, capper, sanitizing powder, bottle brush.

Equipment 3 (left to right): airlock with rubber stopper, hydrometer.

That should just about do it for your equipment needs. You may need a more powerful heating source depending on what you have at home but more on that later. Also, I will fill you in on what this stuff is all used for as we go through the process. And now on to ingredient. The easiest way when you are first learning is to simply buy a complete kit that comes with everything you need. You would be surprised at the quality of beer you can make your first attempt. I can remember my first time well. I had to do a group project in college using one of the things I learned in my biology. BINGO fermentation! And that’s how I convinced my school to buy all the supplies we needed to brew beer. Some of the grains at SF Brewcraft:

Basic beer kits include malt extract, dry or liquid yeast, hop pellets, a small bag of dextrose, and a recipe. This batch I will be brewing an India Pale Ale (IPA) with a partial mash, which adds the process of steeping grains to the equation and rewards you with more depth in flavor. For your first batch, I’d recommend starting with an all malt extract kit. Ingredients (left to right and top down): bucket of malt extract, all my grains, 3 types of hops (Simcoe, Amarillo, and Cascade), liquid yeast, dextrose for bottling.

Now that we are done with all of the foreplay we can get down to business in our next post with “The Boil.” -CJ

During a picnic this past Sunday, a friend of mine asked me to recommend “the best cocktail I probably haven’t heard of.” Not being able to give it too much thought (as I was operating under the duress of trying to resuscitate the charcoals on the grill), I hastily recommended a Corpse Reviver or Corpse Reviver #2. Later that evening, upon returning home from the picnic and after having the opportunity to apply more effective mind power to the issue, I wanted to change my recommendation. Corpse Revivers are great of course (especially the #2), but if I had to offer only one suggestion to someone not as steeped in mixological culture as myself, I think there’s an even more apropos choice: the Clover Club Cocktail.

I gave the Clover Club Cocktail the slight edge for its combination of simplicity, pleasance on the palate, and intriguing history (a common trifecta among classic cocktails). Also, it is one of those rare cocktails whose flavor profile fits so well with modern tastes that it seems like an invention from this very decade. And although it is a drink whose hey-day has come and gone, the recent revival of cocktail culture may signal its rejoiceful return.

Written references to the Clover Club Cocktail date as far back as 1911, though the drink’s inception could certainly reach back even further. The cocktail originated at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, where members of the legendary Clover Club gathered to discuss whatever it is that captains of industry discussed at the time; and the Clover Club Cocktail was their apparent beverage of choice. I won’t delve into the cocktail’s full history here, but I urge you all to read Paul Clarke’s fascinating piece on the drink’s rise and fall from popularity.

The Clover Club Cocktail has spawned many a variation over the years, and even the original recipe itself has undergone numerous adjustments in order to suit society’s ever-evolving palate. For example, depending upon one’s historical text of favor, the recipe either calls for grenadine or raspberry syrup as primary sweetening agent.

My favored bible of imbibing (imbible?) happens to be The Savoy Cocktail Book, originally published in 1930 by the Savoy Hotel of London, and contains recipes compiled by the legendary Harry Craddock. Below is the recipe for the Clover Club Cocktail exactly as it appeared in Savoy. In addition, I will show you how to make a couple of variations: the Royal Clover Club and the Bitter Clover Leaf–the former being a classic in its own right and the latter being a creation of mine made specially for this month’s Mixology Monday theme, “Superior Twists.”

Clover Club Cocktail (from The Savoy Cocktail Book)
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
1/3 grenadine (1 part)
2/3 dry gin (2 parts)
1 egg white

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail or coupe

Place all ingredients in cocktail shaker along with ice. Shake well and strain into glass. Another common recipe with measurements that are more conducive to modern measuring tools can be found on cocktaildb.

Two quick notes on the use of raw eggs in cocktails: 1) There’s nothing to worry about as long as you use fresh eggs from a reliable source. I used fresh organic brown eggs. 2) When using egg whites in cocktail recipes, I prefer to do a dry shake (shake egg white by itself) first for 30 seconds to 1 minute in order to really froth the white, before adding the remaining ingredients and shaking again.

The Royal Clover Club is a variation of the Clover Club Cocktail that is a classic itself, and is also found among the original recipes published in the Savoy. The only difference is that the recipe calls for an egg yolk instead of an egg white. Of course this produces a slightly different flavor as well, subtly reminiscent of an orange creamsicle. Below is the recipe for a Royal Clover Club.

Royal Clover Club
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz grenadine
1 egg yolk
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: coupe

Place all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain in chilled glass and enjoy.

And now on to this month’s MxMo, hosted by The Wild Drink Blog. The theme for this month is “Superior Twists,” which urges us to put a twist on a classic cocktail. Accordingly, I offer to you the Bitter Clover Leaf, which puts a much needed twist on an uninspired variation of the Clover Club Cocktail called the Clover Leaf–a twist on a twist, or double twist, if you will. The Clover Leaf is a prime candidate for revamping because it was essentially a Clover Club Cocktail with a mint sprig added for garnish, and nothing more. My twist on the Clover Leaf goes further by switching a mixed berry simple syrup for the grenadine and adding dry vermouth and mint bitters for greater depth.

Bitter Clover Leaf
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz berry simple syrup
1 egg white
2 dashes Fee Brothers Mint Bitters
1 mint leaf for garnish

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: coupe

Place egg white in shaker and dry shake for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add ice and remaining ingredients and shake again for another 10-15 seconds. Strain in chilled glass and garnish with mint leaf.

There you have it. The best cocktails you’ve probably never heard of, until now. Cheers!

Check out the rest of the “Superior Twists” from this month’s MxMo here.

Come back every Wednesday for Paystyle’s weekly Happy Hour column.

Photography by Vanessa Bahmani.

– Slow Food NYC Harvest Time Conference: On Sunday April 26, join Slow Food members, supporters, local government officials and food enthusiasts for a day of panels, discussions and networking. It’s only $12! (Astor Center)

– TOMORROW 4/8: Whole Foods in LA and Orange County to donate 5% of the day’s net sales to the public radio station, KCRW. HELL YAH!!! (KCRW)

– Above video: Padma’s all new low, via Taiyo Na. I can’t decide if I love it or hate it. What do you think? Vote here.

Preface:
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Kossar’s Bialy
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Doughnut Plant
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Pickle Battle
Loisaida Throwback Crawl: Vanessa’s Dumpling House

From the Dumpling House, we started towards Houston Street to make a stop at Russ & Daughters (R&Ds). Full disclosure- I had NEVER stepped foot in this LES “appetizing” institution. SHAMEFUL!!! So this was a huge treat for me- why I never went is a mystery to me.

We walked past the weird bathroom building plopped in the middle of the Allen and Delancey. Do they ever open the actual bathrooms??? I always wonder when I walk by.

According to their awesomely informative website, Joel Russ opened his first shop of salt-cured fish on Orchard Street in the LES in 1914. He had three daughters who eventually joined the business. R&Ds is thought to be the first shop backended with the name “& Daughters.” Wow!!!

Today, R&Ds is on Houston, and their shop is a part of the National Register of Historic Places. Many family members- grand and great-grandchildren of Joel Russ- work there today. It’s a shop selling traditional Jewish smoked fish, schmears, salads, sweets and side dishes. They call this “appetizing.”

Here’s a bit about the concept from their website:
“Appetizing” is a Jewish food tradition that is most typical among American Jews, and it is particularly local to New York and New Yorkers. The word “appetizer” is derived from the Latin “appete,” meaning “to desire, covet, or long for.” Used as a noun, “appetizing” is most easily understood as “the foods one eats with bagels.” Its primary components are a variety of smoked and cured salmon, homemade salads, and cream cheeses… Continue here.

The interior of R&Ds is so delightful! It’s minimal and clean with their white tiled floors and all the fishes/appetizers/schmears are perfectly aligned in sparkling glass cases. Such eye-popping colors!

Caviar, roe, and schmears.

Olives and marinated fish.

Whole smoked trout and fish. Check out the variety!

Portrait of presumably the founder, Joel Russ.

Todd: In the herring and cream sauce department, I think Russ & Daughters is very good, better than the stuff from Zabar’s I bought to compare later (Zabar’s had a metallic aftertaste) . I should compare them against Barney Greenglass, my local area joint which some people think is the gold standard.

Kayoko: The cream and herring, with slices of raw onion, was unlike anything I’ve ever tried. Not unlike the flavors I remember from Sweden, though. I would never think to put these ingredients together, but the onions definitely offset the intensity of the herring.

Paystyle: R&Ds are great at what they do: smoked fish & confections. I always pick up the Turkish apricots when I go.

The “Super Heeb” sandwich: featuring a combo of whitefish and baked salmon salad and a horseradish cream cheese schmear on a bagel topped off with a spoonful of wasabi-infused flying fish roe.

Troy: This certainly made generations of bagel purists roll in their graves, but the kick of the wasabi and the saltiness of the roe added a memorable spark to an already tasty combination.

Kayoko: I had read about his sandwich a year ago in Time Out NY and have been dying to try it since. The combination of wasabi, fish and bagel was a bit bizarre, but ultimately the crunch from the roe added the right bit of zap.

Todd: I thought the sandwich was good, but even though I like wasabi, the whole thing seemed a little bit overdone and too complicated to me.

Troy: I’m salivating right now as I reminisce about this kickass sandwich. OMG. I want that sandwich right now.

Kayoko: Me too. And I love the wrapping it comes in!

Will be back tomorrow for the Grand Fucking Finale: Katz’s Deli. Of course. Check out all previous Umamiventures here. Thanks to my trusty iPhone for all the pictures. Make sure to join the UM Facebook group to stay updated on all future Umamiventures.

Ever find yourself tossing and turning at night wondering what Danish babies like to eat?… Well, me neither.

Nevertheless, I had the priviledge to find out on Saturday when I attended Ernst’s third birthday party. This Danish baby threw his birthday party for brunch. Just like us, Danish babies invite their friends and family members into their homes. Sometimes they get mom to cater their parties. Because they hold their parties for brunch, light foods such as breads and cakes are served buffet style.

Ernst turns three and gets a birthday present.

Ernst’s birthday cake

Danish babies are very proud of being Danish and seem to decorate many of their foods with their national flag. In fact, even the dinner napkins were printed with Danish flags.

Fresh-baked bread

Chocolate cake (center) amongst the rest of the spread. Note the Danish flag patterned dinner napkins on the bottom right of the image.

 
I really loved the assortment of fresh-baked breads and cakes, enough that I really wouldn’t mind being reincarnated into a Danish baby in the next life. The homemade berry jam, cheeses and butter were exquisite.

Homemade berry jam and wheat bread

Spreadable cheese on wheat bread

Danish babies are also quite easy going and pose for pictures.

Ernst’s friend, dressed to impress.

Ernst’s younger brother, Roman.

Yep, it’s the season for Japan Society’s annual sake tasting. Get your tickets before it sells out! This year’s focus is on Koji, the mold, the heart, the most important ingredients in sake making.
Hope to see many of you!

ANNUAL SAKE TASTING AND LECTURE
Without Koji, There is No Sake
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
6:30 pm @ Japan Society

Koji-making is the heart of the sake brewing process. Koji is steamed rice onto which a special mold has been grown with great precision and skill that converts starches to sugars, which in turn are fermented to yield alcohol. Making good koji requires precise regulation of temperature and moisture, and nothing has a greater impact on the final flavors and aromas of sake. Like much of sake brewing, koji-making is more art than science. Sake expert John Gauntner discusses the art and science of making koji, what it is, the myriad ways it can be accomplished, and how tiny changes to koji can result in major differences in sake flavor.

Followed by a sake tasting. Co-sponsored by the Sake Export Association.

Tickets:
$35/$30 Japan Society members & seniors
Limit 2 tickets per order.
Must be 21 years of age.

Buy tickets online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.

Above Image: Sprinkling koji mold spores on steamed rice. Photo: © Tentaka Shuzo