Coal Cracker Food

So I presently have a full head of cabbage in my possession from this week's CSA batch, and it is time to revisit my roots, I think, and put these foods to work in some "Coal cracker" recipes (PA Coal region slang for miners).

I recently had some close Jewish friends in stitches over the foods I particularly enjoy- mainly eastern european and german in origin- that in NYC is more associated with Jewish culture than not. Take for instance the pickled egg- a thing of glory, if you ask me. Ryan was repulsed to discover me eating hard boiled eggs at a rather fancy and upscale wine bar one night, but hey, who can resist a nice salty egg with their booze? Clearly, this is an acquired taste, but one I am proud to have.

Ah, the glory of childhood classics, cooked up with some good memories.

I'll be toasting my Grandparents with these tasty morsels- and thinking of Coaldale, people who say "Jewalry" instead of jewelry, call the comics "funny pages", fireflies "lightning bugs", get "roochy" in the bed at night, and carry "pocketbooks" instead of purses! Hope you are brave enough to try these tasty morsels yourself!

Haluski

So my first attempt at old school cooking led me to realize a few things: holy butter, batman, and can I get a side of salt with that? All joking aside, it kinda dawned on me during this cooking exercise that the majority of the flavor in classic dishes come from fat and salt- so I definitely took a more modern approach. Therefore, the ingredients and techniques below are starred if they detour from the classic version! This makes about 2-3 servings, I paired it with some toast. PS: It is also quite bland looking with all the white... not pretty, but definitely tasty.

1/2 head of cabbage, remove outermost layer and core by cutting it out. Chop roughly
1/2 white onion
1/2 stick of butter* (original calls for WHOLE stick)
2 cloves garlic*
salt and pepper
paprika*
chicken or vegetable stock*
Egg noodles * (Broad noodles are traditionally used)

Bring water to boil and cook egg noodles, about 8 minutes, then drain. In saute pan, cook onion and garlic in butter. Add in chopped cabbage, stir together, and then pour in stock and allow to simmer, 5-10 minutes, until cabbage wilts and softens. Salt and pepper generously, add in pinch of paprika, and mix noodles in. Top with a little bit of butter, Serve!

2 New in the Burg: Goods and Loreley

Goods:
The latest addition to NYC's food truck craze is right on our corner- and Ry and I stopped by last weekend to grab some breakfast. I ordered a sunny-side-up egg and cheese on a buttermilk biscuit- which was nothing short of a gooey, salty, buttery, delicious mess. I could feel my arteries clogging with every bite- and I have to admit, despite the "good"ness, I probably wont order it again due to its sheer decadent nature. Ryan, on the other hand, has been eating the biscuits with jam on an almost daily basis- so he is totally ok with the glory and the goodness. The coffee was strong and tasty. Ryan has also sampled the beignets which were equally delicious, so he tells me. I am looking forward to a late night to stop by and order the fish and chips, and Ryan is already dreaming of trying their brunch special: fried chicken and biscuits. If you are looking for something down, dirty, and good, stop on by!

(So new, no photos!)

Loreley- We stopped by for drinks and to check out the menu. We were a little surprised at how small the bar is inside- and for a reason I can't put my finger on, had more of the decor feel of a chain than a cute burg bar. I think already this is an outdoor, nice night type spot for me, and probably not much more. The drink menu had lots of different beers, but not as many german and austrian wines on selection as Radegast might carry. The menu was meat-heavy, although curry fries and pretzels made an appearance among the sausage offerings. Will definitely keep posting as we sample more.

Williamsburg: A back log

So, I tend to eat and drink out far too often. I can't keep up- so I'm going to use the next two weeks to try my best to catch up on some not-to-be-missed venues. The following was a sequence of bars and restaurants we hit up a few weekends ago with Sarah & Eric. There's actually a bar missing, it was random and I can't remember its name, so... not gonna review it.

Radegast Beer Hall

We love this place! I remember waiting for Radegast to open! Now, almost two years later, the cat is out of the bag. But I still love it! There are tons of German and Czech beers on tap, not to mention even more by the bottle. I can't comment directly on the beer other than to say they only serve it in either 1/2 or liter glasses, european style, and everyone else always seems to be enjoying their Gosser or whatnot. I stick to the wine- They have several rieslings and gewurztraminers that are fantastic. I GET that beer is the thing here, but I just can't get into it- so thank you, radegast, for stocking some regional white wines that are delicious. It goes a long way toward making the evening enjoyable!! I wish more bars would get the hint!

As for food, the grill serves up several different types of sausages, including kielbasa, as well as burgers, fried, and sauerkraut. Hits the spot, especially after a long night!!

Our second stop for the evening...

Monkey Town

Some friends were playing in a band in the backroom. Never been before, have to admit the screens made my eyes go a little fuzzy. Way too much TV, way to close to my head. And LOUD. The wine here was palatable, but not good. The mixed drinks seemed fine. The front room, which I really only got a glance of, looked kinda neat. They serve food as well, though I did not sample. I can't say I'd be driven back here, but next time I'm in the neighborhood, I might stop by...

Stop 3- dinner:

Relish

So, this was my second trip to Relish, and both my husband and I really liked it this time. The first time around was several years ago, and we weren't particularly inspired to go back. But this time, I'm not sure what it was, but it definitely stood out to us. I had a pasta dish- rigatoni with mushrooms, sage, and spinach- and it was delicious. Ryan opted for a chicken club sandwich that had lots of flavor. Our only complaint was that we both had terrible glasses of wine. Now, talk about baffling. How hard is it to buy a decent bottle?? They sell so many good wines now for around $10, and at the outrageous markup price of $8-$9 a glass, they could still triple their monies worth.... I just don't get it. I want to go on a campaign to get people to stop selling crap ass wine.

Last stop:

Bembe

So, at this point, it was probably around 1 in the morning. I should warn you, this joint is jumping late at night, to the point where it is almost hard to move. So, if that is not your scene, try and hit it up earlier in the evening. I've been coming here for several years now, and I always have a great time. I also always get irreparably drunk, as they serve all these concoctions featuring rum. I'm a fan of the capeta, a drink made with coconut, guarna, and rum. If you like pina colada's... then I highly recommend. They also have capirhinas, which are just sooo tart, and vodka served from a watermelon. They also make homemade rum punch in a jar on the bar, which the bartender will continually add vodka to as the evening progresses. You've been warned.

The atmosphere is great. Lots of dark wood, candles, incense, wrought iron- and bongo drummers! They play along to a DJ, usually reggae and latin. Downstairs in the basement is a salsa dance floor, but last time I was there I couldn't even make it down the steps as it was so crowded. On slower nights, they hook up hammocks by the bar that guests can recline in. Totally different feeling to it.

Either way, Always a blast!!