Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita’; Moral Vacancy Never Looked So Good

I just watched Federico Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita’ for the first time.  At the end I was left a little confused.  Why is this movie so revered?  It seemed at first a series of tenuously related vignettes centered around a handsome but vapid guy, Marcello, and his fickle obsession with all things female finding temporary [...]

Restaurant Review: Braeburn – A Casual Brunch

We recently met some friends at Braeburn for an enjoyable birthday brunch.  It was a sunny day, there was a table big enough for all of us, we weren’t being hurried, the conversation was good.  A very nice time.  I wish I could say that I loved the food.
The vibe I get from reading through Braeburn’s [...]

Restaurant Review: Sal & Carmine’s Pizza

I moved into the neighborhood early last year.  It was then not long before I found Sal & Carmine’s pizza.  Tucked away in a nondescript storefront on the West side of Broadway between 101st and 102nd Streets, and no more than ten feet wide, it is easy to miss.  And miss it I did.  Until our [...]

Recipe Sketchbook: Chicken Pot Pie

The inspiration for chicken pot pie came about because I had one extra pie crust that had to be used up.  After all was said and done I actually had to go out and buy more pie crusts.  Such is the typical way these ‘inspirations’ go.  Anyway…
Butcher a whole chicken.  Cut up the meat and [...]

Lars Von Trier’s ‘Europa’: Slow Motion Train Wreck (Literally)

I recently finished watching Lars Von Trier’s Europa.  I picked it up not knowing anything about the film other than that Von Trier is a critically acclaimed director.  I had seen ‘Dancer In The Dark’ several years ago but evidently the shock of that movie had worn off enough that I had forgotten how disturbing it [...]

In The Recipe Lab: Pizza Dough Challenge! Round 3

The code has been cracked.  When I started this process a few weeks ago I might not have known quite what I was getting myself into.   Or maybe I was just being dishonest with myself.  Under the guise of testing out two different types of flour for pizza dough, I might have actually been doing [...]

Transactional Flux; Artist Caleb Larsen

I was listening this weekend to ‘On The Media’, one of my favorite radio shows, and heard this piece about artist Caleb Larsen and a recent sculpture of his entitled ‘A Tool To Deceive And Slaughter (2009)’.  The sculpture is an 8 inch black acrylic cube.  The cube is for sale on ebay.  Actually, it is [...]

Recipe Sketchbook: Roasted Beets, Blood Orange, Tarragon

Roasted beets in a blood orange vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, shallots, minced capers, chopped tarragon, lemon juice, kosher salt and ground black pepper.  Served with goat cheese, fresh tarragon, chervil and olive oil.  Very good.

Recipe Lab: Amateur Gourmet’s Damon Wise ‘Umami Meatloaf’

Reading the Amateur Gourmet’s very entertaining food blog, I came across his post, ‘The Best Meatloaf I’ve Ever Had’.  In it chef Damon Wise of Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurant details the preparation for his ‘Umami Meatloaf’.  The video is fun and the recipe looked very good.  A day or two after that, and of pure coincidence, [...]

Recipe Lab: Thomas Keller’s French Laundry ‘Prime Beef Short Ribs’

Working through Thomas Keller’s recipes in his French Laundry cook book can be hard work.  Not to mention time consuming.  And I haven’t even gotten to the tough ones yet.  But I know that through it all my cooking only improves.  To follow the directions and then at the very end, after the dish is [...]