Deep Fried Human

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That is all.

© 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

It Is Right to Give Thanks and Praise

Indeed, Thanksgiving is a special day set aside to celebrate friends, family, love and life.  The day after Thanksgiving, however, is reserved for couch-bound binge eating, a general disregard for personal hygiene, and ignoring work related emails.

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If your family is anything like mine, they over-indulge on antipasto and all but completely neglect the 12-lb bird on the table.  No matter, leftovers are part of the whole Thanksgiving experience.  What follows is a general recipe for mouth-watering curried turkey salad.  Don't let the "curry" moniker throw you; this is an incredibly mild recipe that even most non-adventurous eaters will enjoy.

For this batch I used Japanese "Kewpie" mayonnaise and jicama.  Kewpie mayo is incredibly rich and has a crisp tang to it, it can be found at any Asian mega mart.  Jicama is a sweet root vegetable, popular in South American cuisine. Jicama has the consistency of a water chestnut, but is sweet like a carrot.

Regular mayo and apple can be substituted w/ no loss of quality.

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curried turkey salad, cranberry puree, toast.

Curried Turkey Salad

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup Greek yogurt 

2 TBS curry powder

1 TBS turmeric

1 TSP fennel seed

2 TSP apple cider vinegar

2 TSP salt

2 qts shredded turkey

1 1/2 cups grated carrot

1 1/2 cups grated celery root

1 1/2 cups diced jicama root (substitute w/ apple)

1 1/2 cups mixed nuts, toasted and chopped

1 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced

1. combine mayo, yogurt, curry, turmeric, fennel seed, apple cider vinegar and salt in a mixing bowl. 
2. combine turkey, carrot, celery root, jicama, nuts, raisins and scallions in a large mixing bowl.  toss to combine.  
3. add curried mayo mixture and incorporate fully.  if the mixture is too dry, add some more mayo/yogurt.  season to taste. 

© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

Raffetto's Ravioli Roundup

Established in 1906, Raffetto's is a gastronomical relic that pre-dates all the Yuppie condos, over-priced coffee shops and très chic boutiques that have come to define the West Village.

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Raffetto's Corp

144 W Houston Street

New York, NY 10012
212.777.1261

Raffetto's carries a number of Italian delicacies, but they are best known for their fresh pastas.  At $1.50/lb the fresh pasta is a steal, as are the 48-count boxes of ravioli for just $5.50.  How can they afford to stay in business w/ prices that low? -- they own the building, that's how.  

There are at least a dozen varieties of fresh ravioli made in-house daily -- pumpkin, wild mushroom, goat cheese, lobster, ground beef and spinach, just to name a few.  Conveniently, Raffetto's also sells several sauces that are made fresh daily.  The staff is very helpful and is quick to offer suggestions about which pasta to pair w/ which sauce.  Buy a few boxes of ravioli at a time and freeze them w/ little quality loss.

Pasta maker or torture device? You decide.

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A simple brown butter sauce is a great way to enjoy most types of ravioli, especially the pumpkin and the goat cheese varieties.

Brown Butter Sauce

4 TBS unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
10 sage leaves
2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup grated cheese

1. melt butter in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat.  the butter will foam and sputter, stir frequently.  within 4-8 minutes the milk solids will toast up and turn golden brown.  add sage and orange zest.  toss w/ pasta & cheese to serve. 

© 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Franks n' Beanz

Point:

Posting a recipe about franks & beans would be more appropriate during the summer months -- with all the grilling, sunshine, outdoor fun and whatnot.

Counterpoint:

No one cares -- be grateful I'm sharing this coveted recipe with you in the first place.

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Baked Beans

1lb navy beans, soaked 

8oz slab bacon
4oz spanish onion, small dice
4oz green bell pepper, small dice
3oz molasses
3oz brown sugar
8oz ketchup
2TBS dijon mustard
1TBS cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

--pre-head oven to 350°

1. simmer the pre-soaked beans in salted water for 1-2 hours until tender.  
2. cube the slab bacon into 4-6 pieces.  place cubes in a medium saute pan and allow the fat to render. 
3. add the diced onion & peppers and cook until translucent.  drain bacon, peppers and onions of excess fat.  reserve
4. combine the bacon-onion mixture with the remaining ingredients, mixing well.
5. add sauce to the beans, tossing to coat thoroughly.  taste & adjust seasoning.
6. place means in a large gratin dish and cover w/ aluminum foil.  bake in a 350°oven on a sheet pan for 1 hour. the beans should be cooked all the way.  

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Notes:

• Make sure the beans are cooked 90% of the way through BEFORE you bake.  
• For maximum depth, incorporate some carob molasses.
• Slab bacon is good, but you can use pretty much any smoked meat you can find.  I've even used smoked rib meat.  

© 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Tip of the Tongue

While I am a major proponent of adventurous eating, I also understand that most "variety meats" are acquired tastes.  I wouldn't advise eating kidney, tripe or brain if you aren't already an adventurous eater -- however, tongue is something everyone should try.  Depending on how it is prepared, tongue tastes very much like either pot roast or corned beef.  A typical Mexican way of preparing tongue, or "lingua", is to slow braise, then crisp on the flat-top.  Tender mouthfuls of rich, beefy flavor.  The texture is soft, but not mushy -- think braised short ribs.  

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For a quick fix, I frequent the local taco truck --

El Rey Del Taco Truck 

30th Avenue, b/w 33rd and 34th Streets (near the Rite Aid)

Astoria, NY

The Taco King also reigns supreme over burritos, huaraches and of course....

...tacos

© 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Secrets: The Burger Joint

The Burger Joint - Le Parker Meridien

118 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019
212.708.7414
www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php

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The secluded neon sign is the only thing that gives its presence away -- that, and the entire hotel lobby smells like a McDonald's. Classy.

Beyond the curtain is a small, suburban burger shack from 1984. How the proprietors were able to trap this place in time and transport it to New York City, we will never know. My guess is sorcery or some other type of black magic of which I am unaware. Wood paneling, campy movie posters, harsh lighting and scribbled on walls -- this place has it all. The kitchen is small and hectic but surprisingly quick. The noise levels teeter on raucous.

If you don't know what you are ordering by the time you get to the register, they send you to the back of the line a la the soup Nazi.  Avoid embarrassment by just ordering a cheeseburger w/ everything, a soda and fries.  Expect a fast food style burger prepared with quality ingredients and care.

The burgers are good, but not great.  While on par with the likes of Shake Shack and Five Guys, throw-back style burgers just don't move me the same way bistro burgers do.  The french fries are standard issue spuds; well executed, but nothing special.  Dijon mustard loaded squeeze bottles on every table is a major win.

This place is perpetually packed, so if you want a seat, you are going to have to stare hard at some tourists until they are uncomfortable enough to get up and leave.

© 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Feet Don't Fail Me Now

Pigs' feet, aka, "trotters" are a culinary punchline -- an animal product so absurd that they are only referenced as something you'd eat if you had lost a bet.  Most Americans view trotters as something only poor people and foreigners eat; they are repulsed by the thought of ever having to stomach such a barbaric edible.

Ironically, Americans love hot dogs -- see where I'm going with this?  I won't get too descriptive, but even the largest, most visible hot dog manufacturers are legally allowed to use "meat trimmings" and up to 15% "added ingredients".

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What I've got here are twice-cooked pigs feet -- braised, then roasted.  There's not much of a recipe to this, but the technique is as follows:

• Go to the market and buy 2lbs pigs' feet, halved & sectioned. Also pick up a prepackaged soup-starter kit w/ leek, potato, turnip, carrot. onion,  parsley, and dill -- most markets offer these veggie starter kits, look for it in produce.  
• Add the trotters, veggie starter kit, and one cup white vinegar to a large pot.  Add water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 3-4 hours, or until meat is just falling off the bone.  Don't over do it, we don't want them to disintegrate! 
• Remove trotters from the braising liquid and arrange them on a rack over a half sheet tray.  Bake in a 350°oven for one hour, raise the temperature to 450°and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes to crisp up the skin. 

A little bit of Frank's Red Hot goes a long way w/ these unctuous morsels.  

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The taste is mild pork, but the texture is out of this world. The crisp skin contrasts sharply w/ the rich and gooey collagen land mines that explode with every bite.  For all the pork aficionados out there, imagine a cross between St. Louis style ribs, and pork belly -- there's your pigs' feet.

© 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://www.missioninsatiable.com