A Very Macaron Giveaway!

I've been promising this giveaway since summertime. Plenty has been keeping me busy, and unfortunately from writing here, but holiday time is always a great time for a giveaway!

So here it is, a copy of I Heart Macarons AND a stationary set handmade by me! In late November I stopped into Paper Source on my way home from work to browse Christmas cards but instead of choosing any I learned about embossing and suddenly picked up a new hobby! It started with a Christmas wreath stamp and some red embossing powder and a green ink pad and has already progressed into a growing collection of crafting supplies.

One day I stopped in to the store again to consider a new stamp and found one with a single macaron- how perfect I thought! I chose a pink ink pad to pair it with and tested it out when i got home. So to add something special to the book giveaway and to continue my cruasade to get people to send more personalized mail I've made a set of eight macaron embossed note cards to go with this prize!

To win the book and stationary leave a comment (or email me,  if the comment form doesn't work for you: theculinarylibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com) telling me who you would send one of the macaron cards to if you won! 

I will choose someone at random next Friday, the 14th, and announce the winner. If you win you may choose to have your prize mailed as a gift, since it is holiday time! 

The contest will close Thursday December 13th at 11:59pm EST. The winner must provide an address within the US where the book will be mailed. 

Bonne chance! 

Un Petit Peu de Paris en SoHo: Cocotte

A few weeks ago my co-worker texted me a photo of a business card, asking me "Free drinks tomorrow?" Of course this is an offer I try to never refuse. So we stopped by the pre-opening of the new French bar/small plates restaurant called Cocotte around the corner from work on Thompson Street below Prince in SoHo. The petite place was jam packed with friends and neighbors the first night we went but we could still feel a good energy and were already making plans to return sometime soon.

Finally tonight, after Sandy and busy schedules, we decided to stop in for some drinks after work. What we found was a relaxed Sunday night atmosphere and stellarly flavored food. Starting with deux verres de crémant (that is to say, French sparkling wine not from Champagne) we worked our way through a couple small plates, a silky dessert and my shoddy French conversation with the gracious staff. 

To begin we chose the champignons farcis - tiny mushroom caps filled with a delicate, earthy-colored chorizo stuffing and garnished with orange tomatoes. The portions are meant to be small, but they go a long way in terms of flavor. This is a good way to start a succession of assiettes at Cocotte because the savoriness of the mushrooms will have you primed to try more. 

Next we allowed our server/bartender Guillaume to select a dish. As he had mentioned his fondness for the hanger steak with bordelaise and shallots, I was not surprised when it was placed in front of us. I personally love hanger steak thanks to Chef Ludo's Meatopia creation. I've cooked the cut myself at home and have had great results. A quick cooking but very flavorful piece of meat. This is done delicately so as to not overcook the beef then sauced with the bordelaise that demands to be soaked up with the fresh bread it arrives with. 

Lastly, we couldn't end the night without dessert - especially after Raphael (co-creator/maitre d'-extraordinaire) brought me back to the kitchen to meet Sophie, the pastry chef (after a discussion of my macaron making) and Chef Sébastien Pourrat. We went for the made-that-day gâteau Basque. The pastry cream was smooth and the crust was salty-sweet with a gentle, sandy crumb. A great way to end a work day.

Cocotte, named for Chef Sébastien's nickname for his wife Sophie, is a warm, welcoming place for anyone looking for good wine, good food and equally good company. Francophiles and expats will feel right at home with the French-English menu and the sound of franglais in the air. I look forward to returning to Cocotte to explore the rest of the small plates, hopefully score a seat at the back-of-the-house Chef's table seats (in the most charming New York restaurant kitchen I've ever seen), and even just to stop in for a coffee or a glass of wine after work. If you generally like what I like, odds are you will love Cocotte! 

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Cocotte

110 Thompson Street (below Prince)

SoHo, New York

212-965-9100

Holiday Shopping in NYC: Ingredients

From Halloween through the New Year there are tons of recipes floating around for ways to get cooking in this cozy holiday season. All the November and December issues of our favorite food magazines beg you to cook the perfect bird, amazing sides, stunning desserts and decorative cookies and treats to gift. But sometimes it can be difficult to find what you need when making a recipe for the first time, especially when its for seasonal items. The cold weather lately had me in a restocking mode – with a full kitchen I can avoid being out in the cold after work shopping. I have a short list of places to shop in my left hand column (over there <) but I thought this would be a good time to tell you about some of my favorite places to find special ingredients in the city and most often at good prices, too.

International Grocery

Boy do I love this place! I just stopped in yesterday to refresh my grain supplies and a few spices, too. This is a little specialty food store with huge bags and full bins of grains, spices, beans, flours, nuts and more to purchase in bulk. Buying in bulk is my favorite way to stock things like arborio rice (for risottos), cornmeal (for endless dishes of polenta), dried black beans, unique flours, and nuts. Since I’m usually cooking only for myself I don’t like to buy huge supplies of things and I try to avoid packaging whenever possible. At International Grocery you’ll find things like high-gluten flour and 6 different kinds of couscous with the option to get only as much as your recipe requires. Go with a list, go with cash ($10 credit card minimum), and don’t be shy in loading up on supplies and taking notes for the future. The gentlemen working at the store will assist you in scooping and weighing everything, so a list helps expedite your visit. Also, since the shop is not too large, ask if you don’t see something you think they would have – they probably do but it might not be obvious (like octopus or yogurt stored in the cooler).

543 Ninth Ave 10018 | 212-279-1000

Kalustyan’s

International Grocery has a number of options for bulk spices, but at Kalustyan’s you’ll find a seemingly endless supply of ground, whole, mixed and unexpected spices, herbs and seasonings. The prices are excellent on most things – you can buy 3oz. packets of tons of spices at a price that is still less than buying them in a jar at the grocery store (most spice jars hold 2oz. give or take, $3-5 depending on the spice [in Manhattan at least!]). If you like to use your own spice jars or tins this is a great place for you, too, since the spices come in little plastic bags. They also have a TON of other specialty items. Come here first with your list, go to International Grocery to fill in the gaps. Also, for my Moroccan/New Years/Birthday party last year I bought nearly all of my supplies from Kalustyan's and International Grocery.

123 Lexington Ave 10016 | 212-685-3451

Memories, Memoirs, and Sandy

As I write this New York City is in recovery mode from the raging path of Hurricane Sandy. She brought horrific winds, high waters and widespread damage. Thankfully my roommates and I, and our apartment were unharmed, barely a flickering light. I'm so grateful to have avoided any harm or damage but throughout the storm I've thought about what people will be remembering when all is back to normal and time has passed. 

For over a year I've been consuming food memoirs as if they were kernels of buttery popcorn at a suspenseful movie. Due to this I have taken on a strange perspective for how I consider life events, major and minor. As things happen I begin sorting them into chapters of my own imaginary memoir. I debate what will carry enough weight to exist within the "New York Years," if I will ever actually leave New York (I intend to, someday) and what might come after it. When it comes to Sandy I keep going back to the outpouring of food chatter that came about. Nowadays it is our default to share what we eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner - but usually only if it is particularly amazing or interestingly mundane. Sandy brought about full fridge-clearing feasts, warm comfort foods, stress/anxiety munchies and odd flavor combinations shared thanks to Twitter. 

At my house we refused to buy bottled water, opting instead to fill empty wine bottles with clean tap water; I baked a chocolate banana bread for the sake of using up ripe bananas and correcting the lack of sweets in the house; Monday night dinner consisted of a first course of banana pancakes then an impromptu second course of Mexican black bean pizza due to a severe protein craving; tonight to rejoice in the calm post Sandy evening we made a feast of steak and pasta with a bright green salad. Food was a crutch and a way to entertain ourselves while waiting for the storm to begin then finally come to pass. In large part thanks to the uneventful effects of Sandy's fury chez moi, it will be the meals I can remember. 

I think food plays such an important part of memory because of all its sensory effects - we see, smell, touch, hear and taste as our mouths water and our stomachs yearn. In the coming months I hope to explore memory and memoirs more here on the Culinary Librarian. Here's hoping...

Anticipations

Even though my last post was titled "Transitions" there have been even more since then. All summer long I have been in anticipation of changes to come. The new job, the new apartment, the new roommates, the new kitchen, and above all a new attitude and a new outlook on life. Each and every change has come about with careful consideration and weighed options, and fortunately each has been a cause for celebration. 

The not-so-new job is still going very well, still not related to food but so far plenty to learn, plenty to contribute and even lots of fun to be had. The real star at this point is my new home life. I've gotten lucky, especially for New York, and have consistently lived with relative strangers who have turned out to be fun companions and some even good friends. Even if you live in the most beautiful place in the world it can be soured by poor quality of company. Thankfully, once again, I seem to have found myself among roommates-cum-friends to be. With good relationships in place I'm free to enjoy my new home at ease. And this is where all the celebration really comes in... 

Before I was in a decent sized bedroom... without windows. Before I had a nice wide kitchen with a full-size fridge and a working gas oven... that occupied half of the room considered to be the living room. As I said, I had wonderful roommates and a Manhattan-low rent so I was in that apartment for over two years. When it was time to find a new place, these factors created my primary requirements: windows/light/air and as real a kitchen I could find within my rent budget. I'm pleased and proud to say my needs have been met in abundance.

The new bedroom is bigger than the last (more room for my books!) and features two high and wide windows, full of light, air and city sounds. The kitchen, conveniently located right next to my bedroom, is galley-style with room for an eat-in table and chairs, lots of cabinets and up-above storage, a full-size gas stove, full size fridge and yet another window (expect better daylight food photos). In addition to these key features, the new place also has a spacious living room-cum-dining room, wide hallways, big closets and a black and white tiled bathroom. Seriously, there are wins left and right in this place! Oh there's laundry in the basement, too! And even with all of this my rent hardly changed (even when you divide the broker's fees across 12 months its not a big jump). I feel so fortunate. 

But back to anticipations. The job and apartment changes had been anticipated for years and months. Now that they have both happened, I'm finally picking up my new rhythm. This is the very first night I have come right home from work with no where to go, no one to see and no feeling of "should" in terms of unpacking, doing laundry, sorting apartment things, etc. Empowerment and liberation flow over me.