Ramp it Up!

I'm so excited. It's Ramps season! Yippee!

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, don't panic. I only became acquainted with Ramps last spring when I saw a gazillion people at the Union Square farmers market hovering over a teeny table full of green, leafy things. They are in fact wild leeks that have a very short early-spring season and grow from Georgia to Quebec. They have a very pungent onion smell and are wonderful sauteed with butter and mushrooms or eaten raw in salads. And they are so pretty! White bulbs, a dark purple stem and deep green, succulent leaves. Restaurants all over the city suddenly have salads and mains incorporating Ramps and you have to take advantage quickly because they disappear as fast as they came.

The only problem is because they are wild, you cannot replant them. The growing interest in wild and locally-foraged plants has led to environmentalists complaining that our over-indulgence of this delicious wild leek has damaged the local Ramp populations, which in turn could harm the environment. Ramps only grow in damp areas, usually close to running water, so they must have some natural purpose. But with the rate that farmers are harvesting them during spring, there is a concern that the natural patches are dying out. Quebec and areas of North Carolina and Tennessee have banned harvesting them. Here, closer to Manhattan, conservationists are urging farmers to harvest sustainably. The point is, Ramps have been a part of cooking here for the past 300 years. Let's make sure we have them for another 300. So enjoy them, but don't hoard them.

Jennifer May for the New York Times

A Deeper Shade of Green

I must confess I have conducted a very public love affair throughout winter with something other than the Anesthetist. It's not that he was boring me, but you know when you start something new and you get that feeling of exhilaration? Well, it started like that. And since then, it's been almost a daily addiction, comes in various forms and makes me feel soooo good. In fact, the Anesthetist sometimes indulges as well now. It's called Kale. And it is delicious and super good for you.

I had never heard of or eaten Kale until I lived in New York. Now, it's my new best friend. I juice it, steam it and eat it raw. I can feel the green goodness seep through me as soon as I touch its deep green leaves. I swear I did not get sick once through the whole winter because of this superfood (the fact that is was a very mild winter is beside the point). Frankly, I cant get enough of the stuff.

And it seems that I am not the only one. Tyler Brule wrote an acerbic piece in his weekly Financial Times column, noting Kale was clearly the new water in New York. He sniffed that just as everyone here apparently always carries a litre of water around with them for fear of being caught out in a flash drought, so too does every restaurant serve kale with everything. Personally, I find this exhilarating, being able to go from restaurant to restaurant without missing my daily intake of iron and vitamins.

For those who are not sure what the heck I'm referring to, Kale is a member of the cabbage family but doesn't form a head. It looks more like silver beet or broccoli whose floretes have unwound, if that makes sense! I won't go into all the nutritional value of this wonder veggie, but if it isn't yet in Oz, I encourage someone to buy some heirloom seedlings from here and start growing it. Now I've developed my kale passion, spinach and broccoli have gone out the window. And it is so versatile! Here are 2 simple recipes to try that will make you go "yummm"....

GREEN JUICE:

This is very similar to the signature juice in the BluePrint Cleanse, but you don't have to go on a juice diet to reap the benefits:

• Kale
• Granny Smith apple
• celery
• lemon
• ginger
• cucumber
• parsley

Put all ingredients through a juicer and there's your breakfast, afternoon wake-me-up or liquid dinner. Just don't expect to go to sleep straight after. You will feel more like doing a workout!

SUPER EASY KALE SALAD:

This is a riff on a salad we had at Maialino one brunch:

• washed Kale leaves with the stem cut out and leaves chopped finely
• Kohlrabi - or I use chopped radishes
• roasted hazelnuts
• shaved pecorino
• simple dressing like oil, lemon, salt and pepper

Delicious on its own or great as a side. The only downer on all this is apparently kale is much sweeter during winter and into spring. So what am I going to obsess over during summer?!

images: the luxury spot, raw epicurean, robb report, 

Salt

I've always had a love-hate relationship with salt. I don't cook with it because too much is supposed to be bad for you. Plus, there is enough salt added to all New York restaurant dishes to corrode everyone's arteries. I throw salt over my shoulder if I spill it because mum scared me once when I was little, by sharing the old wives tale about bad luck following me. And of course, every day in the news is a segment about how our kids are getting obese and diabetic and everything else because of the absurd amounts of salt and sugar added to all processed food.

But then think of all the wonderful things in our lives with salt. There's nothing better than the feel of salt water on your skin. And how many hair products have tried to replicate what salt water does to your hair! It's brilliant for sinuses when used in a neti pot. and the smell of salty sweat on the man you love is also pretty fabulous. Thrown directly on a red wine stain, it virtually eliminates it from your tablecloth. And we all take salt baths when our muscles are aching.

So it was with great interest that I stumbled upon a little store in the West Village that specializes in salt. Called The Meadow, it is the most gorgeous store, with shelves stacked with salt reaching up to the roof.

Who knew there were so many kinds of salt and in so many different colors! Here you can find granules, flakes and blocks of salt from places as far flung as Japan, Bolivia and the Himalayas.  There's sea salt, volcanic salt and Antarctic salt. Some are infused with truffles or saffron. The shade palette ranges from the whitest of white through pink, orange, grey and black. And they all differ in use: finishing salt, grinder salt, curing salt and cooking salt. It is really quite wondrous. For the beginner, you can buy salt sets; six gourmet salts packed in little tins to get you excited about the incredible versatility of this amazing mineral. They almost look too good to use!

The store also sells all manner of salt accoutrement's that help the serving of the salt look so much more beautiful. From salt bowls to cellars, teeny silver spoons and different types of grinders.

After browsing in the store for 15 minutes, I discovered a new-found love and admiration for salt. So much so, I bought this lovely book written by the 'selmelier' and owner of The Meadow, Mark Bitterman. It takes you through the history of salt before explaining 150 different salts, and is full of wonderful images of salt in its purest from around the world.

And for those who become passionate about this subject, don't forget Mark Kurlansky's book, simply called 'Salt'. It maintains that wars were fought over this precious mineral, trade routes established and empires secured. Riveting stuff. And all this interest in a much mal-aligned foodstuff! Perhaps we should all have another think.

images: all posters, (2-3) salt news, (4) NY racked, (5-7) at the meadow (8) amazon

Happy Persian New Year

I celebrated "Nowruz" on the weekend. This is the name for the celebrations at Persian New Year - "Now" means new and "ruz" means day. These celebrations occur when the season changes from winter to spring on the "vernal equinox", usually around March 20th/ 21st.

The Anesthetist has a crazy Iranian friend who invited us. Crazy in a good way. She has just got back from Iran so was in a particularly Persian frame of mind this night, with her long skirts and scarves and rings and bells. She had organized a chef friend of hers to cook a delicious four course Iranian meal. Louisa Shafia has an Iranian background herself, but grew up in the US. She is beautiful - to look at and as a cook- and believes in healthy, wholesome cooking. The anesthetist bought me her book called Lucid Food which focuses on organic and seasonal cooking principles. The recipes are super simple and very tasty.

So we ate a yummy meal of persian fetta, baked eggs, stuffed fish and persian sorbet. And I learnt a little about what this festival entails.

Nowruz reflects the renewal of the Earth with the coming of spring. The celebrations are similar to other religious celebrations in different cultures. The difference is the Iranians always prepare a haft-seen table, which is a table containing seven things that begin with the letter 'S' with each item symbolizing something:

• Sumac (spice): for the surprise and the spice of life
• Senjed (sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree): for love and affection
• Serkeh (vinegar): for patience and age
• Seeb (apples): for health and beauty
• Sir (garlic): for good health
• Samanu (wheat pudding): for fertility and sweetness
• Sabzeh (sprouted wheatgrass): for rebirth and renewal

Other items can also go on the haft-seen table, such as a bowl of goldfish for new life, eggs for fertility, coins for prosperity, hyacinths to celebrate spring, candles to radiate light and happiness and a book of poetry by Hafiz, a sufi poet from the 14th century.  Apparently the custom during Nowruz is to open the book of poetry randomly and read that poem. The subject of this poem then becomes the guide for your new year.

Our friend created a beautiful table, but of course somehow those photos were deleted off my camera. So you can kind of see it behind Lousia telling us about our feast.

The political tensions between Iran and this country are running high at the moment. But the President still made time to address the Iranians and wish them well in their new year celebrations. For my part, I am so glad I learnt something about a culture so different to ours, and was able to celebrate it peacefully with food, friends and a sense of warmth. It's inspired me to finally read a much loved bestseller, Reading Lolita in Tehran.

images: absolute astronomy, the daily green, 

Brunching not Lunching

It's official. New Yorkers are obsessed with brunch. No one eats breakfast on the weekend. They exercise then brunch. There aren't even any breakfast menus at most restaurants and certainly no lunch menus on the weekend. The brunch menu starts at 10am and most go all day.

I had never heard of a mimosa until I got here either. (For those who are like me and had no idea what this drink is, it's cheap sparkling wine mixed with super pasteurized orange juice from a carton.) But now it's all I hear on the weekend. "As many mimosas as you want" with your brunch menu.  So short of having a piece of toast at home before 10am, it's better to join the hordes and dine on eggs and hash browns all day with a mimosa or five. Here are 10 of my favorite brunch destinations if you ever come to New York:

Pastis
This has to be the granddaddy of brunch venues. Started by restaurant legend Keith McNally, you have to come here at least once, even if there are more tourists than locals. Forget the mimosas and splurge on the bloody mary's. Resplendent with celery stalks and loads of tabasco sauce, they are to die for.

Morandi
Another Keith McNally fave. He just knows how to do brunch! This restaurant is brilliant for any meal becuase you feel like you are sitting in a really homey, rustic trattoria, and Sunday's outside on a spring morning are fabulous.

Cafe Cluny
I just adore the atmosphere here. It's on the corner of  cobblestone West Village street and is cosy with rickety wooden floors, low ceilings and large windows overlooking the street. They're famous for their short rib hash, but I always have the french toast.

Cafe Gitane
If you walked past this cafe you wouldn't look twice. With lino floors, green formica tables and red vinyl bar stools, you would be forgiven for thinking someone's grandmother had opened her never-renovated-since-the-fifties-kitchen to the public. But the French-Moroccan food makes up for the lack of atmosphere. The cool factor is brought by way of the effortlessly hip twenty and thirty something Nolita locals. Make sure you wear designer jeans and read the latest issue of Interview or W magazine.

They have also recently opened another cafe in the far West Village hotel, The Jane. Its superb because you are almost in the Hudson River, so you have light galore streaming in the tall windows and a feeling of faded grandeur, like you are eating in Fes.

Market Table
The owners of this gem own a number of other gems around the West Village. But this restaurant prides itself on using organic and local produce. The space is very open so you don't feel like you're eavesdropping on other people's conversations and they bring your bill in a book. They also have a produce counter at the entrance, so you can buy your organic coffee beans or local olive oil.

Standard Grill
This is one of my perennial favorites for brunch, lunch or dinner. I was there yesterday when it was wet and grey outside. But you can cuddle up in a red leather booth and feast on oysters, waffles or eggs benedict. When it's warm, try and bag a table outside.

Vinegar Hill House
On the other side of the Manhattan Bridge, this is the perfect summer brunch hangout. I wrote about it here and not only is it in the most remote location, they have the yummiest menu and a gorgeous courtyard that is shaded by fruit trees. This is a place you could hang out in for hours with the Sunday Times.

Moto
Love this place for a number of reasons. It has a tiny entrance on the end of a very narrow building. Once inside, it is still tiny. It sits under the incredibly noisy Williamsburg overpass but inside it's a low key haven. They have live music - usually a jazz trio - on Sundays and they pass around a red enamel fire bucket for tips. And beacuse its not in Manhattan, brunch is about half the price.

Let me know if you ever have brunch in NY and find your own favorite places.

images: (1) martha stewart, (2) guest of a guest, (3) wine chap, (4-5), morandi, (6-8) cafe cluny, (9) ny mag, (10) trip advisor, (11-13) katrina kelly (14-16) market table, (17) ny daily news, (18) emilies, (19) telegraph, (20) we could grow up together, (21) brownstoner,  (22) free williamsburg

Batali Fever

Mario Batali was signing his latest cookbook at the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday. No fanfare,  no security, just a canvas awning, a pile of books and a conga line of eager recipients.

Regardless of what you think of him - overweight, unattractive, too commercial - you have to hand it to him for promoting the chef as cultural icon. When it comes to known chefs in New York, Batali has achieved cult status. In Sydney we also have our "chefs on a first name basis" - Sean, Matt, Luke - but Batali towers over his colleagues here because of his pull with the masses and his ubiquity.

He became a household name with Iron Chef America....

...and cemented it with his TV series On the Road Again, in which he traveled around Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow and two other hotties, tasting the country's delicacies.

And no one can dispute he owns a group of fabulous foodie haunts in Manhattan. Babbo sits at the top of his stellar empire. Awarded 3 stars by the New York Times, one New York Michelin Guide star in 2005 and a waiting list to be very proud of, Babbo is the quintessential New York Italian dining experience. The fact that Mario actively cooks there is another bonus.

Lupa is a very relaxed Roman trattoria. It's loud and hectic and always a challenge to get into (are we seeing a pattern here yet?) but has great food. Known for its pasta and salumeria, Lupa is sometimes referred to as the "poor man's Babbo".

Del Posto is the type of place you go to for a very special occasion or preferably a very special work function so you don't have to pay! I don't think the decor is that amazing - it is always referenced in reviews here, particularly the sweeping staircase as you enter - but you go so you can say you've been, and the downstairs function rooms are fabulous. You feel like you are dining in an old castle.

Casa Mono and Bar Jamon are nestled next to each other Grammercy Park and Union Square. These are two of my faves. They're dark, super causal, intimate and both offer little plates of delicacies from Spain plus a ridiculously lengthy list of spanish wines and sherries. Hard to get a booking - again! - but worth going early just so you can sample the tapas. And if you have to wait for a table at Casa Mono, go next door and have a drink at Bar Jamon.

I didn't get a book signed by Mario on Saturday, but I was impressed with his lack of pretension. Kind of like his cooking; simple, tasteful and for the people.

images: 1 - 3: mine, abc news, guardian, eatdrinkbetter, igougo, gothamist, mango and lime, new york metromix

Chocolate Fiend

I have to admit that because the winters are so cold over here, I have become a chocoholic. Maybe it's the lure of the rich, warm chocalatey colors and delicious textures, or the comfort factor of hot, thick, milk-laden cocoa sliding down your throat and warming every inch of your body.  Whatever the reason, I find myself drawn to any store or cafe that can feed my obsession.

I have recently come across a little gem in Williamsburg; Mast Brothers Chocolate. It certainly isn't a secret - google it and you get pages of mentions - but it is a heart warming story in this age of big chocolate corporations being swallowed up by even bigger food corporations.

The Mast Bros came up with the idea of starting an artisan chocolate business in Brooklyn when they were experimenting with different recipes in their apartment. Rick Mast had already done a stint with the chocolate maestro Jacque Torres (who also has a divine store in DUMBO), so was no stranger to the complexity of taste and texture in chocolate. Now they are apparently the only "bean-to-bar" chocolate makers in the city. Using cacao beans from small family farms and coops in the Dominican Republic and other South American countries, they create 60 - 81% cacao delicacies in the form of chocolate bits and bars, all in a tiny kitchen behind the store. They add ingredients such as pistachios, sea salt or cranberries, depending on the cacao beans used at the time. This also means that each time you visit the store, the selection is different. And if you are lucky, you can see them sifting through the beans while you are browsing the choices.

Each bar is lovingly wrapped in gold foil and exquisite florentine-style paper, some of which are designed locally.

They are also so keen to remain local, that the sugar they use comes from Domino, once a working factory down the street. Ok, this factory has long been shuttered, but it's a nod to local enterprise and the Domino logo is certainly still a favorite icon of the city.

And whilst on chocolate, I have to mention Chocolate Celeste. Based further afield in Minnesota, I need to show you their most exquisite asia-theme chocolate assortments. They look like beautiful Mah Jong pieces. Not sure they deliver to Oz, but if you have a friend in the US who loves chocolate.......

Images: design files, bobguskind, morale agency, good housekeeping, gothamist