Get Festive!

Celebrate the Season.

Eat. Drink. Dance. Love.

Be Merry.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Enjoy!
Cooking Lounge

Persimmon and Watercress Salad

FOOD:

Fuyu Persimmon
photo:Wikimedia Commons

Persimmons became a favorite fruit a few Autumns ago. I would see them popping up in produce sections around September. Persimmons' bright orange color and oblong to elongated shape make them an attention grabber. Curious, I did a little research and found quite a few varieties. My persimmon of choice is the Fuyu because it is sweet and fleshy. Other persimmon are described as astringent which for me means a bit tart but still pretty tasty. Here's an easy, healthy salad that compliments just about everything. The Persimmon and Watercress salad is on time for a quick meal alongside a simple grain and lean protein (revisit Cooking Lounge Top 10 Easy Cooking Tips).

Persimmon, Watercress, Grape Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion

photo: wbj HTC Hero

The photo shows you all you need to know. Make the combination of ingredients your own.  I tossed the salad with a rice wine vinegar, olive oil and lemon vinegarette. No grape tomato use cherry, plum or vine. Prefer scallion, shallots or chives, that works too.  Want more of a fruit salad switch up the cucumber for apple or pear. Infinite possibilities and lots of fun.

Enjoy!

Cooking Lounge

It's All Academic - Mishka and Das Racist

 LIFESTYLE:

MISHKA HOLIDAY 2010 LOOKBOOK

Mishka NYC

Looking for something FREE and interesting to do; clicked through Flavorpill and decided on an in-store performance from Das Racist.  Checked out the Mishka NYC site to see what was up with the spot. Mishka's flagship shop is under the train tracks in South Williamsburg on Broadway blocks, yet a world away, from destinations like Dressler's, Marlowe and Sons, Fatty Cue,  and Peter Luger's. Landing on Mishka's Holiday 2010 Lookbook, I was surprised to see an edgy, interpretation of prep/jock/collegiate with hallmarks of Mishka's origins in skater, Si Fi, streetwear and graphic tee culture. Page turning editorial photography by Elizabeth Weinberg sorta made me forget the night was about new music. 

The plan was to meet my friend Adam; check out Das Racist; see what was hot about Mishka. People cued down the block before 7p show. We met across the street at Trophy Bar. Had a Miller High Life. Went back to Mishka. Das Racist had spit their rhymes and the turntables were being packed up at 8p sharp. Punctual set! Sucked for us. Stayed and looked around the space. Checked out the photo exhibit of Insane Clown Posse fans (Juggalos) by Jason Shaltz who followed the band on a US tour. Mishka has a curated calendar of events and installations  that are expositions of and expansions on the Mishka brand. 

These days Mishka spans its roots in graphic tees and caps branching out to vinyl toys (Lamour Supreme, Secret Base, Cure Toys), a record label, NSFW pin-up girl calendar and now this sleek, retro meets skater cut and sew line of clothing. Next Wave street cred, hitting platforms and keeping a poignant point of view.

MUSIC:

Clicked around to learn more about Das Racist and their burgeoning pop status beyond cultural meme.

photo: Caroline Mort

For a relatively new duo that is really a trio, Das Racist has kicked up a lot of dust since 2008 and garnered a lot of ink. I listened to the "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"and found it funny in a Cypress Hill, stoner humor way. BUT lurking below the surface of "Sit Down, Man", there is a thick layer of smarty pants, academic cultural and social deconstructionism. Das Racist stands in the Next Wave street cred fast lane. Still bumming, I missed Das Racist close-up and free before they embark on a world tour. Listen up.

Enjoy!

Cooking Lounge

Cod Fish Cakes with Poached Eggs

FOOD:

Nostalgia for a taste, for a moment, a remembrance can create a meal. A fleeting mental essence causes you to smack your lips and smile; 'ummmm, love to have that again.' Cod is a flavor I like.  Recently, I tried my hand at Baccala (cod fish) Salad which has variations from Italy to Portugal to Puerto Rico. A friend gave me some pointers and the next thing I know I progressed to Pulpo (octopus) Salad which became a high protein staple this summer. Thanks for the tips Angel. Digressing. So the cod got me thinking about one of my most favorite breakfast dishes as a kid, cod fish cakes with scrambled eggs. I have craved this dish but the few times I have seen cod fish cakes on a menu and ordered; the cakes were bready, heavy pucks that were either flavorless or too fishy and salty. So on occasion, I search for Gorton's Cod Fish Cakes because that was what Mom used. Well, you can not find Gorton's Cod Fish Cakes or Cod Fish in a can anymore. Gorton's please start making this product again. Inspired; I improvised.

 

By chance, during a trip to historic Essex Street Market on the lower eastside of New York City, I saw salt cod at Batista Market and Grocery. The cod was not dehydrated to grayish fish leather, the cod was plump and white. A taste for nostalgia hit me; and, I knew I was going to make Cod Fish Cakes. So the next day, I make brunch for two of the coolest ladies I know - Cod Fish Cakes, Poached Eggs, Baby Arugula, Tomato and Whole Wheat Toast. Not quite Mom's breakfast, but the Cod Fish Cakes were golden, slightly crisp on the the outside and light, fluffy and moist inside with the potato and cod combining seamlessly into a savory cake. Ummmm, a comforting taste flashback! 
Check out the slideshow above. Remember get creative. Make it yours.
Cod Fish Cakes
1 1/2 cod - soaked overnight and drained. Boil the cod for about 15 minutes. Sat aside.
2 med size potatoes  - peeled, cubed and boiled (in the same water as the cod with a Bay leaf).
2 cloves of garlic and a few shallots - sliced, diced and sauteed.
2 eggs slightly beaten.
1/4 cup of flour.
1 handful  of parsley chopped.
 Salt, Pepper.
Mix all together.  Form uniform cakes. Use a ice cream scoop. Gently pan fry in a little oil. 
I'll leaves eggs and side dishes to your culinary imagination. Think regions, cultures and seasons when pairing flavors or think out of the box and experiment.
Enjoy!
Cooking Lounge

minimalist power_ Kanye West_ Saturday Night Live - October 2, 2010

MUSIC:

There's a buzz about Kanye West's performances on Saturday Night Live last night. Gawker posted 2 videos, "Power" and "Runaway." Minimalism was the stand-out and strength of "Power" for me.  Less is more in a form synonymous with excess.  Watch "Power" now! Here's the link: Gawker TV.
Enjoy!
Cooking Lounge

Fresh Leather - DUNLIN

LIFESTYLE:

Wandering a tree lined stretch of Havemeyer on Williamsburg's Southside after my friend christened her new gallery in Bushwick, I was struck by a soft, moody glow emanating from a small shop. Aged patina, antiquated lighting, bygone era aura fills this tucked away gem. And, the smell of leather saturates the air. Hand-crafted leather at DUNLIN.

photos: wbj HTC Hero

Enjoy!

Cooking Lounge

Honeychiles' Po Boys

FOOD:

Jesse Crawford, co-owner
photo:wbj

Oyster po' boy and Fish po' boys at Honeychiles'
photo: wbj

Jesse Crawford, one of the owners, was behind the counter at Honeychiles' when I went in after a show in Williamsburg (see music post below).  Went in with a couple of friends wanting a good, filling, and fast meal to soak up the beers before bedtime). Honeychiles' name brought a big smile to my face thinking about all the sunshine in this southern term of endearment.  I could hear the distant lilt of grandmothers and aunts in Virginia. Perfect place on a summer night for seafood po' boys and a cold beer.  Honeychiles' is inside the Charleston, a rocker bar on Bedford Avenue and North 7th.  The food was the attraction not the insouciant, tattooed and just-so-coiffed bar patrons. The oyster po' boy was crunchy on the outside with a juicy, briny, fresh oysters crowding an pretty average italian roll slathered with a lemony remoulade sauce and shredded iceberg lettuce.  My friends found the fish po' boys equally good even a bit large because they had to skip out on the bread and go for the fish.  There are other items on the menu worth trying. Honeychiles' has been getting lots of press for it's punk meets New Orleans comfort food m.o. Go early to avoid the 'scene' and grab a table and a cold one. 
MUSIC:

NOT BLOOD PAINT

Not Blood Paint
In early August, I saw Not Blood Paint at Cameo in Williamsburg. Cameo is a backroom performance space behind The Loving Cup Cafe on North 6th Street.  A raw room with high ceilings, lots of concrete and brick so not the best acoustics but still a good room.  Never felt like the music was bouncing all over the place.  Met up with Leisa Arndt from TrashCan Magazine and our friend Carlos to see Not Blood Paint (NBP).  TrashCan is a new online mag where Leisa wrote a music review for NBP.  A few weeks later FREE WILLIAMSBURG, posted an article, "Not Blood Paint: Band Most Likely to Start a Cult",  that peeps in on the NBP's fanatical followers and straight-out-of-bushwick cred.  Wondering if NBP is this art hood's Fischerspooner?. Not Blood Paint made me think of Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust days.  NBP had crazy presence with a theatrical and choreographed performance that would have kept you caught in the onstage antics and projected visuals if they weren't such a solid  band with each member in the mix on vocals. 
Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge!