Corn

As I mentioned early in a post on Produce, corn season is approaching!  Or, I guess, here!  This is the way my mom cooks corn at home.  It maximizes the flavor of the corn, while leaving the kernels themselves juicy and sweet.  PLUS, you don't have to dirty any dishes to make the corn, unless you insist on being civilized and eating over a plate.  But really, the trash can or the sink will do the trick.

Corn by Broiler

1 ear of corn (or however many ears you want)

Preheat the oven by turning on the broiler (broiling is when only the top coil things heat and the temperature is always set at 500 degrees).  Put the corn in for 5-8 minutes.  Remove the corn.  Eat.

***

And that's it, people.  When corn costs less than 50 cents apiece, what is not to love??  No preparation time, and the corn only cooks for a couple minutes.  You have a couple options though:

• you can remove the husk before broiling.  It doesn't really matter, but I like the way the husks look when you pull them out of the oven and then you get to pull it back to reveal the perfectly golden corn.
• some people peal back the husk, season the corn with whatever, and then put the husks back.  Then the broil it.  If I do put something on the corn, I usually do it after broiling, and I usually just add salt.  That said, the corn does not need anything to make it delicious.
• Toppings include: salt, butter, spices (this is more typical for grilling corn)

In the 5-8 minutes you have to wait, rock out to Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son":

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

Yes, this is the one with Daniel Radcliffe in it.  If you have the chance to see this show, you should definitely make the effort.  Daniel Radcliffe does a superb job, as does the rest of the cast, the dialogue is flawless and hysterical, the songs were spectacular, and the choreography was amazing.  Yes, I realize this is finals week, but I am a firm believer in well-deserved study breaks (and even notso well-deserved study breaks), especially when there are theatre tickets at a great price.  Such a treat!

Caffe Falai

Caffe Falai, right near the intersection of Prince St. and Lafayette, is my favorite Italian place in New York City.  It is as close to actual Italian food as you can get on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.  I usually just order the Spaghetti al Pomodoro because it is so simple and yet so so so good.

spaghetti al pomodoro

Another new favorite is the cappelacci di caprino.  Are you ready for this?  Basically it is a plate of cappelacci with a red beets pure, hazelnut butter, swiss red chard, and pine nuts.  As for appetizers, I recommend the polipo (baby octopus with fingerling potatoes, fried capers, smoked paprika, black squid ink sauce) or the bufala (fresh buffalo mozzarella with roasted vegetables, lemon zest, and crotons).

polipo

This restaurant is the little bit more expensive ($20 to $50) but it is worth it.  The restaurant is adorable, the food is delicious, the Italians who work there are endearing (and supply you with endless bowls of homemade bread).  Heads up: they just finished expanding their restaurant and it looks like they are opening up a bakery next door. BE ALERT PEOPLE.  BE ALERT.

Produce at Westside Market

Hello people... So many many excellent things are in season now which means fruit and vegetables for all! A couple things to look at for now, prices are from Westside Market:

• Pineapple - $4/each
• About pineapple: the way to tell if it is ripe is to try to pull out one of the leafy things (what are those called?!  Offshoots, maybe...?) on the top.  If it comes out easily, it is ripe!
• Grapefruit - $3/5 grapefruit
• during the winter, for whatever reason, they go for $2/4 grapefruit, so you are really only paying an extra $0.10 per grapefruit but I give you license to grumble about it
• be careful which ones you choose, some have reportedly dried out!
• Corn - $2/4 ear
• who decided to call it an ear of corn?
• check if it is good by pulling back all that crap and looking at it
• Green beans - $1.29/lb
• green beans prices can vary from $1/lb to like $4/lb depending on the season.  I am usually only willing to pay in the $1-$1.29/lb range, even for green beans
• Watermelon - $0.69-$0.79/lb
• the whole watermelons cost $0.69/lb which adds up super quickly and is a bit horrifying
• I suggest buying a quarter of a melon at $0.79/lb... the range from $3 to $5 and your cutting efforts will be drastically lessened. 

Vegetarian Chili

This chili is tasty and super good for you.  Plus, it is not too expensive.  Well, the ingredients will probably cost you about $20, but this recipe easily makes about 5 servings.

Vegetarian Chili

from College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends

1 onion

1 red pepper

2 stalks celery

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup water

2 small zucchini (about 1 lb)

salt and pepper

6 oz. tomato paste

2 tbs chili powder
28 oz. cans diced tomatoes

30 oz. canned kidney beans

Dice the onion and cut the pepper and celery into bite-sized pieces and throw it all into a large pot - maybe somewhere around 5 quarts.  Peel the garlic and finely chop it and add it to the pot as well as the water.  Cook it all over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces (I usually quarter it) and add it to the pot and cook everything for another 10 minutes.

so many yummy veggies

After, season with salt and pepper.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, and undrained kidney beans.  Cook it all over low heat for 45 minutes for everything to meld together.  You don't need to cover it (so it will thicken) and you don't really need to watch it because it is over low heat.  Just stir occasionally.  Add more salt, pepper, or chili powder if you want.  You're done!

the flavors are melding

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So obviously this recipe is not exactly labor intensive (especially compared to risotto) which is awesome.  As for the ingredients, you do not need to have exactly what is called for - just use whatever you have... yellow peppers, green peppers, any amount of zucchini, go crazy.  And you can just buy fresh tomatoes and dice them yourself, 3-4 tomatoes should do the trick.  As for the chili powder, I'm not a big fan of really spicy foods, but even I add a little more than the 2 tablespoons.  Not too much more, mind you, but just enough.

Música!  Here is Sweet Thing's "Change of Seasons" (read: SUMMER is SO CLOSE):

Carle, Megan, and Jill Carle. "Vegetarian Chili." College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2007. Print.

Veniero's Pasticceria

One of my professors showed this place to me and as a result she has changed my life.  Veniero's Pasticceria kind of sucks to get to if you don't have much time.  Located on 11th St. right off of 1st Ave., the shop is closest to Union Square so try to take the subway there and walk southeast.

It is true-Italian/European style, so everything is more expensive if you sit down and enjoy the ambiance, but it's not too bad.  They offer all sorts of coffee - including caffè corretto ("corrected coffee" or coffee with a little something extra... oh you Italians make me laugh) - and cakes and cookies and gelato.  Furthermore, they serve tartufo (a ball of gelato covered in chocolate shavings with a cherry in the middle) that was perfectly adequate as it was the first time I've seen it in this country, but nowhere near as good as the tartufo I had in Rome.

If you have the chance to head over to Veniero's, here's what you absolutely must try: the cannoli (there's like four different varieties... I don't care.  Choose one), the tarts (regular-sized to mini, kiwi to blueberry), the little fruit rugalas (especially the raspberry rugala), and the pistachio-tulip cup (it's a chocolate cup filled with pistachio cream and Bavarian cream and God knows what else).

all the goodies

If you have to choose just one thing, try the cannoli.  I can't be anywhere on the East Side without purchasing one.

Kyotofu

This place, Kyotofu, is in Hell's Kitchen - 9th Ave. between 48th & 49th St.  It's a Japanese dessert bar and bakery and they basically make a whole bunch of American dishes with a Japanese twist and Japanese desserts and everything is very unusual and good.

a pumpkin soup appetizer

The entrées are beautifully presented and amazing.

sake-infused mac & cheese (with Japanese spices)
and a salad with a delicious dressing

deliciousness for vegetarians everywhere:
atataki cha soba noodles

Another favorite was their chicken & tofu burger.  Topped with a purple cabbage thing (not entirely sure what is was but it was gooood), the burger was beautifully paired with some sweet potato chips.

Finally, the desserts.  

the chef's dessert selection: matcha green tea creme brulee,
vegan vairhona chocolate cake, signature sweet tofu  

The larger chef's selection also includes a sweet potato cake and some green tea chocolates.  Although the originals are all classics, Kyotofu's desserts are totally worth it.