Mini Fat Bastard's Fête - New Zealand Meat Pies

Aaron kindly drove us for a shopping spree at Fairway - Red Hook (ummmm cheese and good olive oil) . On the way, we snacked on his native food of choice, curry vegetable and mince meat pies :

Dub Pies!

tastiness...
_____________

I am adding to Alyssa's post. First off: I want a silver Volkswagon golf. I am going to steal your baby mama's Aaron. Anything that heats my cold ass has my vote.

Secondly, Aaron just confirmed the fact that everyone from New Zealand knows everybody else. When we stumbled into the sweet bread smells of Dub Pies he started chatting up the Kiwi working there like the sheep hugging lothario he is. Then we were told we would have to wait fifteen minutes for the curry vegetable pies so Chris, Alyssa and I settled into a booth while Aaron asked the counter girl to prom or something. I debated getting a flat white, the Kiwi's answer to the latte, but opted for a cappuccino with Milo (New Zealand's famous powdered chocolate drink) on top instead.

My friend Jenny from Wellington explained to me that "pasties" and "pies" were what you ate at 3 in the morning from street vendors when your mates were piss drunk. According to the BBC, they are derivatives of Cornish pies or British mince pies, respectively. According to Aaron, they make you have a fat ass so beware of eating them all the time. It was a cold rainy drizzly day in Brooklyn and these subtly curried little pies were the perfect savory dish. Aaron lifted up the tops of them and put "tomahhto"/ketchup inside of the minced meat ones. And the world was magical.

Pasties:

Pies:

12.9.07 Zocalo - a mini fat bastards

Zocalo --- another excellent rebuttal to the ubiquitous lament that no decent mexican food exists in new york.



al pastor taco







cinco de mayo plate -chipotle shrimp with cheese









quesadillas with cactus, Cotija and jalapeno









tamale








the beer is served in a salt rimmed glass filled with ice, hot sauce and lime.

Wurst Selections

Inspired from a way too brief holiday in Germany, I have been seeking out and stumbling across all the braised red cabbage, bratwurst, spaetzle, and knuckles - not to mention beer, ny has to offer. A couple of places to consider visiting :

.....
Cafe Katja
The clientele of Cafe Katja is pushing the later boundaries of the 30s (maybe even 40s), but the Austrian fare is as good as it gets. The warmly lit and adorable space oozes a cozy atmosphere, with the head chef often checking on your table. And the food -- well the food can best be described as sumptuous... All of the selections of sausages were uniformly amazing and refined. The spaetzle was unanimously voted the best we ever had. Of course, a good selection of beers.

......
Radegast Hall and Biergarten

The denizens of the southern portion of williamsburg have been long awaiting the opening of
Radegast. After rumors of being in business for Oktoberfest, Radegast finally opened last week. Consisting of two separate spaces, one a long hall exposed to the outside elements (though the website claims it is heated) with a grill serving an assortment of wursts including a venison sausage and the other a more formal (and well heated) bar/restaurant with an upscale menu, Radegast offers a large selection of beers and tawdry dressed beer wenches. Selections from the grill were inexpensive and seemed to be enjoyed by all. The other night I sampled braised rabbit with red cabbage and potatoes. The cabbage and potatoes were addictive, but I was less enamored with the meat itself. A second visit is definitely in order to evaluate further.

BTW, are we going somewhere tomorrow?

11.30.07 Hill Country NY

MEAT, MEAT, MEAT


Jennifer's pictures say it all...

Maybe it was the tequila, but there is something undeniably satisfying in standing in line to receive a butcher paper wrapped package of meat and wonder bread. Unfolding the brown paper to reveal a feast of glistening cuts of pork and beef conjured the atmosphere of a snowy Christmas morning of my youth. In addition, Hill Country's long wooden tables marked with isolated enclaves of giddy conversations among our growing number(10+ by the end of the evening) of fat bastard guests also was akin to a holiday feast with the relatives.

The ribs were bursting with packets of fat infused tenderness, the sausages almost shimmered with juice, and the perfectly pink ham was seasoned precisely. The only mild disappointment was the relatively arid brisket. At a bbq joint, the sides are generally beside the point, but the corn pudding was worthy of a second trip.

I relish the ability to out eat my companions. After packing up our tray with green beans, corn pudding, sweet potato mash and bean soup, Abs and I were unable to finish our one person meat sampler. crazy!

sorry you couldn't experience mary -- next time vegetarian?

Ethiopean

I'm not much of a writer so here's some pics...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18213021@N03/sets/72157603236920004/

GO GO CURRY Breakfast

Today and tomorrow only, go go curry is having a 55 cent breakfast sandwich special.
see my post here

http://www.cheapassfood.com/eats/show/303

Andy

Chocolate Show

The chocolate show is this weekend at Metropolitan Pavilion. The price has skyrocketed over the years, but the bounty of fabulous confections is worth the ticket :

http://www.chocolateshow.com/home.php?titre=2&id_code=2

.............
The Show :

Is it possible for a venue that distributes unlimited samples of gourmet chocolate from the premier cocoa bean plantations in Ecuador, Madagascar and Venezuela along with intricately constructed confections flush with such culinary delights as figs macerated in whiskey and green tea infused raspberries to be anything less than fabulous?
Sure you have to pace yourself:
(1) discard anything resembling white chocolate (with some notable exceptions at Mary's)
(2) do not be tempted by the servers hovering at the front entrance with the cheap (though undeniably tasty) French truffles. the true exotic pleasures lie in the crowded inner stalls.
(3) only nibble at the edges of samples until you have made the full rounds.
(4) carry a water bottle to neutralize the palette

Even when abiding strictly to the above rules, it seems inevitable that the most composed and restrained adults will run amuck like over-stimulated/sugared children on Halloween. Likewise, the gleeful high quickly subsides (usually at the half hour mark) with complaints of stomach aches as was the case with my father. In 30 minutes he ate his way through a good pound worth of chocolate not to mention also purchasing a 5 year supply of 'gifts'.
Obviously the show did not disappoint. The array of different strains of chocolate was suburb. One highlight this year was the purchase of an absurdly expensive bag of Madagascar (80% cocoa) chocolate nibs after tasting a miniscule sample that left us in rapture. For such a low cocoa butter content, the texture was miraculously smooth. As the morsel slowly melted on the tongue, the initially creamy and mildly sweet flavor gave way to hints of coffee, vanilla and a faint trace of whiskey. However, the truly exceptional nature of this chocolate came in the finish which sparkled with a pleasurable tingling sensation. Remarkable!

As in previous years, the Japanese company, Mary's, stood out with its stellar pairings of ingredients and chocolate perfectionism (see pictures below). The relatively inexpensive green tea , passion fruit, wasabi and sesame chocolate ganaches were all lovely. A newcomer, whose name I forgot, offered innovative new flavors (such as the aforementioned whiskey figs) and a fresh raspberry puree. A couple of Italian companies experimented with combining traditional tastes of olive oil and rosemary with the Asian spices of star anise and Chinese peppercorn.

With that said, the show was much smaller than in previous years. There was a dearth of the New York boutique chocolates that once flooded the aisles. Two years ago, silk screening colorful patterns on the confections and servings of luxuriously thick hot chocolate were ubiquitous. This year there were few examples of either. Similarly (and much to my disappointment), the trend of mixing dark chocolate with cayenne peppers (and other piquant spices) has diminished significantly.

After becoming suitably satiated, I stumbled over to the Guittard stand to pick up my yearly supply of baking chocolate ( a 15 lb box). I usually opt for the 70-80% cocoa content. However, some minor research has revealed that the graininess in a few mousses was due to the low cocoa butter content of the chocolate. Therefore I purchased the less complex in flavor 65%. This year my soufflés will be silky and the mousses ethereal!

Nasura: future destination ?

See the NY times $25 and under section today :
http://events.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/dining/reviews/17unde.html

Nsaura, a new Thai restaurant in Elmhurst (Queens) sounds divine. The offerings for your perusal :
pork blood noodle soup with "swimming slices of boiled beef liver that were like the salty offspring of a SuperBall and a hot dog" and fried pork jerky served in a "marinade of fish sauce and lime juice."

Maybe this should be the next destination? If so, please post tempting pictures for me to salivate over while I chow down on Turkish kebabs in Kreuzberg...

OTHER EVENTS :

01. Fall Taste of Chinatown

Sat 10/20 (12 pm) at Chinatown 238 E 14th, New York, NY
http://newyork.going.com/event-145775

If only I could go...

02. Soto (357 Sixth Ave. near Washington Pl.)
Excellent review in this weeks New Yorker: a type A's paradise of Japanese perfectionism.

03. Freemans

I nibbled my way through a mini-meal at Freemans tonight. Next time we all have an inkling to trade our booze/rent money for a single meal, I insist that we return!!! Sure, it has now been “discovered” and hence is inundated with the 30-something Nolita denizens with the sky-high black heels ( ok... I admit that my fashion sensibility is swaying towards the Barbie pumps myself ... After last weekend’s pseudo joy-ride on Jarod's paggio, all I dream of is riding my own vespa in 4 inch heels)—but the food is amazing!!!!

04. In the meantime, A-stock (andy) how was Kyotofu?

The Gang leaves Manhattan - Jackson Diner (Moving on up)

I get off at the subway stop near my apt and burp.
A yummy spinach curried taste escapes my lips.
The sound and smell of a job well done at Jackson Diner.



... ... ...
I concur, A-Stock!!!! See pics below!!! -al




Mary and our new hottie fat bastard, Andrew!







And the plates were licked clean!











Goat Curry, Lamb curry, Saag Paneer, Nan, tandoori chicken, roasted mushrooms, chick peas... yum :-)

In the only disappointment of the evening, the otherwise sublime saag paneer was timidly spiced. Taking cues from our experience at Nyonya two weeks ago, Mary brazenly challenged the waiter to add 'some chilies'. Deciding to humor us, he silently swept away our plates and returned minutes later with a new dish piled high with lustrous green curry. Obviously our genial waiter did not trust the strength of the white on white girls' palates: the replacement was indistinguishable from the first. On the subway we wondered what had transpired in those few moments in the kitchen (did they spit in our food as in kitchen confidential? piss? cough?)


BTW, the 7 train is fucking awesome! Mary, Aaron and I were serenaded by the highly entertaining and surprisingly dead-on vituperation of Bush's foreign policy by a very short and impeccably dressed Asian man with a flare for performance. Slightly intoxicated after two glasses of special indian "white" wine (i.e. blush), we began to sing along with the Jefferson's theme song ("Moving on up") around the 2nd or 3rd round of "Viva America! You can go down or you can go up!."

Ariana, Let's Get Together, Yea Yea Yea

Last night Andy, Alyssa, Aaron, Abby, Amanda and I went to Ariana, an Afghani restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen (né ‘Clinton’ to the real estate agents). As our second meeting of the Fat Bastards I would like to say it was a loud obnoxious success, not just because I had had two glasses of wine and a mojito before dinner, or the fact that we got Aaron to go above 14th street, but because on a culinary scale our expeditions seem to be improving.

Ariana is a small, packed shotgun style restaurant, the kind that would make people from LA whimper for the palatial isolation of their long driveways and SUV’s. On the walls are muted tapestries and Steve McCurry’s famous Afghan girl captured in the 1980’s for National Geographic. Despite these classic American/Afghan visuals, it made me long for pre-war 1970’s Afghanistan when American hippie wanderers could add the country to their long list of places to go to “find yourself”.

They say you can tell a good chef by how he makes the simplest dishes. The two things I liked the most at Ariana were the basmati rice and the tea with cardamon. Following a close third was our affectionate waiter/host/former freedom fighter. Several of us asked for recommendations, and with no hesitation at all he brought out his “favorite” dishes. I had a “famous vegetarian” spinach and pumpkin entree with the aforementioned magic rice. I can honestly say I have never had food that tasted quite like this. It was savory without being too sweet, flavorful without tasting heavy or unhealthy. For an appetizer, we had turnovers with yogurt sauce. There were pumpkin turnovers called Kadoo Bolanee and, for the carnivores, meat turnovers called Bolanee Qandana. Unlike Indian samosas, these turnovers had a thin crispy skin that allowed you to see the filling underneath. I can’t speak for the meat eaters but the pumpkin version was quite tasty.

I should probably put it out there right now, that I am not the fraulein Mostly Martha of the group. I am biased towards ungreasy vegetarian fare, with the occasional spicy seafood thrown in. Well and French pastries. Mmmmm butter. I hope to one day have a backyard again with a big table, a garden, lots of wine, and a bunch of crazy people over for dinner on a warm Autumn night.

xo,

Fat Bastard Mary


Damn. If Augusto joins us again it will be 6 A's (what are the odds?)... poor mary!

In her excellent appraisal of Ariana, Fraulein Burge forgot to mention the highlights of the evening. In particular, the generosity of our amiable host/waiter as he showered us (and by us I mean Amanda) with a plethora of kisses, solicitous offers of backrubs and invitations for table dancing. Next time.


Unfortunately, Mary's venerable predilection for vegetables prevented her from experiencing Ariana's finest offerings. After an exhausting day, the first bite into a meat filled samusa smothered in yogurt and the green hot sauce elicited a blissful moan as i relaxed back into my seat. Was it my imagination or did Aaron, perpetually wary of my intentions, pull his chair away a few inches at this point? I did not care. Those pastry puffs of pure tender goodness were the definition of contentment.

Yet, Ariana had still more pleasures to bestow upon us. The moist and flavorful lamb kabobs brought tears to my eyes. Abby and I knew that the meager portions were not going to satiate our glutinous needs, as we horded our last tender morsels with zeal. There was only one solution: we instantly ordered a second round of kabobs. If only it was always this good!



-al
other photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94933506@N00/sets/72157602301314838/

9.29.07 The Fat Bastards Eat Nyonya

Situated in the charming wood and brick interior of Nyonya, sipping coconut water from freshly cut shells and nibbling on Roti Canai, I was transported back to a magical evening feasting at an Italian cafe on a pristine beach outside of Rio. Of course my imagery is grossly incorrect -- we are in Chinatown eating at supossedly the best, if not one of the only, Malaysian restaurants in Manhattan.

Roti Canai, 'the' essential Malaysian appetizer, might arguably be the archetype of a perfect food. Ethereal wisps of bread provide a light crunch before instantly melting together with the piquant dipping sauce filled with chunks of potato, shredded chicken and an essence of peanut. Simultaneously sweet, sour, salty, bitter -unami!



After such a luscious introduction to the meal, the subsequent dishes could only disappoint. Yet, the other two appetizer offered pleasurable moments. The pasembur was a pastiche of land, sea, and fowl. The seemingly disparate elements of jicama, cucumber, jelly fish, fish cake, shrimp pancake, tofu and hard boiled egg were bound together by an almost saccharine sauce that was oddly alluring. We all eagerly tore apart the fish cake and tofu -- soaking up the "Chef's Special Sauce'. But no one could discern the jelly fish from the shrimp and the eggs were left untouched. The last appetizer appeared to be an assortment of summer squash and possibly other vegetables marinated in a sauce of turmeric powder, herbs, sesame seeds and peanuts. Pickled Vegetables? - yes please!!!! (In fact, the entire existence of the fat bastards is due to the mutual appreciation of pickled watermelons and beets.)

The execution of the main courses was mercurial. The stellar chicken dish, whose name may or may not be Nyonya Kariayam (i forget), was the unanimous favorite among the carnivores. A deep auburn-colored sauce with subtle hints of coconut, chili and lemon grass imbued both the chicken and bones with an earthy sweetness. We eagerly scooped every last drop of the addictive sauce over coconut rice.


Since all the fat bastards were incapable of identifying whether a stingray was actually a fish, the order of Stingray wrapped in Lotus Leaf was followed by much speculation and anticipation. The reception of the dish among the pescetarians was mixed. The soft yet stringy specimen was ensconced in a thick brown paste that masked any preexisting taste of stingray. Like many other dishes of the evening, the sauce was savory, sweet and spicy. However, in this version the overwhelming flavor was fermented shrimp paste, an acquired taste that I am slowly growing to appreciate.


The final two entrees were less satisfactory. A casserole of curried mixed vegetables was visually appealing and unobtrusive, but seemed to be lacking the "curry". (It was obvious that Nyonya was spicing our dishes for an American clientelle. At the end of the meal, we stared longingly at the table next to us who apparently knew how to order and had been delivered plates of chilies to add to their food.) The Keuh Teow Thong noodles bordered on awful and the leftovers made me sick.



A shared order of "ABC", a dessert composed of shaved ice, red beans, corn and palm seeds, colored with jelly and rose syrup, provided a lovely conclusion to the meal. Beans and ice? Yes, it is damn tasty....

Nyonya was a wonderful find! However, Fatty Crab still has my vote among the few contenders for best Malaysian in the city. Despite offering smaller portions, higher prices and dubious authenticity, memories of pickled watermelon mixed with fried pork fat and slow braised short rib linger on my tongue....

Much fun was had with the coconuts. All pictures from the night can be found at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/94933506@N00/sets/72157602260837134/