Shacking Up

June 3, 2011 //
1


There comes a time in every New Yorker’s life when you just need a little shake. And when your time comes, head over to Madison Square Park to, where else, Shake Shack. Danny Meyer’s take-out stand of burgers, shakes, and fries opened shop in 2004 and quickly became the destination for the kind of classic American food you usually find at roadside summer stands or boardwalks. It also reminds me of the A&W on Route 7 as you head south out of Middlebury, Vermont. There, you pull in in your car and are served by waitresses on roller blades who bring the food right to your car window! I’m convinced one can have nothing but good memories at these places.

This being Manhattan, the lines at the Shack are infamously long. So before heading over you can actually check out the Shack Cam, a real-time view of the line snaking through the southeastern part of Madison Square Park on 23rd Street.

Three former Phaidon coworkers were overdue for a lunch date, and since the weather forecast called for clear skies and warm sun, eating in the park seemed a no-brainer. (Although runners up on our list included ABC Kitchen and Boqueria). I’m not lucky enough to have “summer Fridays,” those coveted half-days some employers offer between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but could skip out of work just long enough to wait in the 50-minute line and devour the Shack Burger (cooked medium, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and something called ShackSauce) with crinkle fries.

My companions sampled the thick chocolate milkshake, lemonade, the New York dog, and ‘Shroom Burger (a crisp-fried portobello burger). Next time, I’ve decided, I will try the Concrete Jungle. The “Concretes” are “dense frozen custard blended at high speeds with toppings and mix-ins.”  The Concrete Jungle is no less than a high-speed blend of vanilla custard, hot fudge, bananas, and peanut butter (in other words, my food nirvana). But I will have to prepare for this mentally and physically and I didn’t feel up to the jungle today. Personally I think Shake Shack should also add a fish burger to its menu – a nice crispy fillet with homemade tartar sauce and lemon – don’t hold out on us Danny!

Shack Shake is the kind of place I wish I could take my grandma to. I think she’d love the frozen custard and the small, thin-style patty. But then again, I don’t think anyone in her generation could conceive of waiting in line for an hour for a burger, even a really great one.

Categories Burgers, Shake Shack, Spring

Peas in a Pod

May 31, 2011 //
5


Raise your hand if you ate your peas as a child? Go on, raise ’em high and proud. Is there anyone out there? I missed thirty years of happy pea-eating – why didn’t anyone tell me?!

As a child, my mom occasionally ate peas but no one else at the table that I can remember joined her. First of all the peas, like all vegetables I laid eyes on as a kid, came out of our freezer. Mealy, tasteless, watery. I can’t really blame myself for categorically avoiding anything that was presented as a “vegetable” for the first half of my life. I imagine this is what it was like growing up in the 50s.

As you may know, the pea season, like all good seasons, is a fleeting one, and now is the perfect time to luxuriate in the green little orbs. They typically arrive at the farmer’s market in late spring and will be at their peak for the next 2-3 weeks. I couldn’t resist these on Monday when they called to me from the produce aisle at the co-op.

And as luck would have it, the little garden my landlord tends at the front of the apartment is overrun with mint at the moment. Peas and mint are a perfect combination. You could even say they go together like two peas in a…

But it would be unfair to leave out the third element in what becomes an elegant taste trifecta. It’s a cheese that ryhmes with “meta.” Remember that barrel-aged goodness I wrote about a few days ago? You see where I’m going with this? Peas – mint – feta. Served with orecchiette pasta in a creamy sauce of the melted feta, flecked with fresh mint and just-barely-cooked fresh peas. I also had some green garlic in the fridge that I sautéed before throwing in the other ingredients for added depth and flavor.

Late spring is an inspiring time to cook. Just look around, see what the farmers are hawking at the market, and if you’re lucky, see what your landlady has growing near the bottom of your stoop.

Orecchiette with peas, mint, and feta

1/2 lb orecchiette pasta (or any shape that has crevices the sauce and peas can cling to)
1-2 pounds of peas in their pods
4-5 stalks green garlic
1/3 cup feta, crumbled
handful of fresh mint
Parmesan
salt and pepper
olive oil

Bring a pot of water to boil adding a good dose of salt. Meanwhile, you’ve gotta get started on shelling peas! The pea pods open quite easily with a little tug, just drop the peas into a colander or bowl and discard the pods. This might take 15 minutes or so, especially if you do this slowly like me.

Add the pasta to the boiling water with a tbsp of olive oil (to prevent sticking).

Wash the green garlic well and chop the bottom part (discarding the top leafy parts) like you would a scallion. Heat a couple tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on the stove and when warm add the green garlic. Sauté for a few minutes.

As the green garlic is mellowing, crumble the feta and roughly chop the mint. Add the peas to the skillet along with 1/2 c of the pasta water. This will help steam the peas and add a nice base for a sauce. Sauté the peas for a couple of minutes, then add the cooked pasta to the skillet (make sure it’s al dente so it can absorb some of the good sauce flavors) and the crumbled feta. The feta will melt and form a sauce with the pasta cooking liquid.

At the last minute toss in the mint, add freshly ground black pepper, and salt to taste. Grate some Parmesan over the top. You can eat this dish on its own or served with a green salad would be nice.

Serves 2-3 as a main, 4-5 as a side

Categories Farmer's Market, Feta, Green garlic, Mint, Pasta, Peas, Savory, Spring

Mostly Cheese

May 28, 2011 //
1

Can a girl be so lucky?

The day had finally come: the first co-op shift in three years for member #43525.

I was excited for my new work slot: “food processing” from 1 to 3:45 pm every fourth Friday. Sounds boring? Bothersome? Banal?

Shame on you! Today I learned how to score and slice a 20-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano; how to properly slice and package barrel-aged sheep & goat feta and what makes it different (and better) from the domestic sheep feta; and the difference between handling a Havarti vs. a Monterey Jack.

Cheese bliss for this food nerd.

Yuri Weber is the co-op’s cheese buyer. He’s one of the few co-op employees (as opposed to member-volunteers) and you can watch him talk about cheese inside the co-op here. I was introduced to him today when he tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Do you want to go on a feta adventure?” Once I said yes he said I couldn’t take it back. That’s when he took out the “special feta” and I was shown how to properly slice, wrap, and weigh it.

My buddy for the afternoon was Jim. He told me he’s only been working this shift for four months but the others always let him handle the cheese so they can weigh and price things like dried mango, almonds, olives, and spices instead. Well I’m with Jim – I think the cheese is where it’s at. He showed me how to take inventory on the floor of the cheese section, where to find all the various cheeses in the basement, how to set up my cutting board, replace the wire on the cheese slicer (after I broke it), and show me how to use the pricing scale (it’s very easy).

My whole crew of coworkers was great this afternoon. We chatted about cease-and-desist letters, how to name one’s new design studio, rose petal potpourri, the merits of Ben’s cream cheese (tangy, smooth, creamy), and Johnny Cash. Plus it was 80+ degrees outside so I was happy to be in the climate-controlled basement wheeling wheels of curds out of the walk-in cooler.

Categories Cheese, Co-op
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