my SO, a table tennis player, is always complaining about how ping pong is an under-appreciated sport, partly as the result (he is convinced) of the woeful dearth of beautiful cheerleaders. while i am obliged to remain publicly neutral on that subject, i can emphatically say that p*ong is one of the more under-appreciated restaurants in manhattan, today. and i suppose i am here to be its cheerleader (not terribly beautiful, but heck, i'm a volunteer, right? ;).
i am going to try to avoid invoking those trite and annoying analogies comparing the adorable west village restaurant to its owner, pichet ong. the unassuming mr. ong would probably be embarrassed and appalled by such comparisons. and in any case, he seems to be at his restaurant quite a lot, so you'll likely be able to make your own comparisons -- or not -- when you go. (i say "when" because really, all of you must!)
the food is deeply likable, full of quirk and fun, but not so far removed from the ordinary that you will walk away scratching your head wondering whether there was some hidden concept you missed. flavor combinations are interesting and usually quite successful. in food style, p*ong actually reminds me a bit surprisingly of dovetail, the much-lauded UWS restaurant that opened last year. food leans towards comfort... with a twist or two.
my dining companion and i chose the smallest, three-course pre-fixe option, since i knew i'd have to go for a run not long after dinner. i've heard complaints about portion size, but our plates were well calibrated to leave us pleasantly filled, but not full.
we started with (1) the blood orange, avocado, and beets with black garlic cream, pomegranate, almonds and mache; and (2) warm mushroom & goat cheese tart with portabella, pickled chanterelle, picholine olive and chevre. my salad was composed of high quality ingredients, it was quite large, and it was attractively presented, with a thin ribbon of slightly creamy reddish pink sauce (beet?) down the center of the plate. the mache was wonderful -- tender and nutty / buttery -- the avocado ripe. the black garlic cream saved the salad from being too light, but wasn't in my book the best choice of dressing for these ingredients, esp. since the greens had already been dressed with a light layer of (olive?) oil. perhaps i'm a bit hidebound, but i do appreciate a touch of acidity in similar salads. the goat tart was an interesting composition, with only a thin layer of pastry underlying the mushrooms and cheese. a classic combination of flavors presented in a novel, delicious way.
our second courses were (1) lightly cooked scottish salmon with cucumber tart, fennel-vidalia jam, arugula, and maple mustard emulsion; and (2) wagyu beef shortrib with black truffle sauce, parsnip, and brussel sprouts. my salmon was really, really well flavored and tasted as though it'd been prepared sous vide. flavors were very vivid and the combination with cucumber and vidalia jam very nice. setting aside my bigotries against sous vide preparations and judging on the merits, the salmon was well prepared. (that said... isn't it nice to have a nice flake to your fish rather than the mushy sous vide stuff, no matter how moist the latter?) my dining companion's wagyu beef left me wiping drool from my chin and i tried not to watch him put bite after delicious bite in his mouth after i'd finished with my salmon. it was tender, it was flavorful, it was perfectly matched and enhanced with the sweet bitter parsnip and sprouts. i was kicking myself for not ordering that dish, instead. damn those evening runs.
our third courses were (1) simple chocolate mousse with grape foam and bittersweet fleur de lis cheese (a cow's milk cheese from louisiana) and (2) chevre cheesecake and walnut croquette with yuzu curd, mint, maldon salt. both were phenomenal -- unsurprising given mr. ong's pedigree as a jean-georges pastry chef. the chocolate mousse was, indeed, simple, but also perfect in its simplicity and it paired shockingly well with the salty/sweet/nutty/crumbly cheese. the foam (i don't think i was imagining the citrus hints in it... perhaps a departure from the grape or an addition?) went very well with the chocolate, both in texture and taste. the chevre cheesecake, covered by a thick layer of walnuts, was wonderful: rich and satisfying. few desserts stimulate your tastebuds so thoroughly without overwhelming, as this did -- quite a trick, given that it was cheesecake!
we had one glass of wine (reisling that was served too cold and that had been open in the bottle for about two days too long) and two very good cocktails with our food. one of these cocktails, an avocado concoction only one day old and too young to have a name, really merits special mention. our waiter (a cheerful fellow by the impressively z-filled name of tomasz chrzaszcz) had, in fact, invented it the day before. it was a slightly creamy, lovely green drink with infused basil, agave, sake, vanilla reduction, and a few other ingredients, slightly spicy and a wee bit salty. i really thought it was deliciousness incarnate and one of the highlights of the meal. our second cocktail was the also well-conceived bangkok margarita made with tequila reposado, domaine de canton, pineapple, ginger, agave, sea salt, and aleppo pepper. the slight heat in both drinks really did it for me and i would say that based on these two drinks, the cocktails are quite as well made at p*ong as at little branch or pegu. (little branch favors clear drinks with simpler flavors; p*ong does well with complex and multilayered combinations that hit all the tastebuds known to man.)
i know that p*ong is primarily known for dessert and drinks -- and certainly those offerings are fantastic, there. but i urge serious diners not to pass over the savory dishes. plates like the wagyu short ribs really deserve more attention than they've been given.
the space is attractive and potentially romantic, filled with the soft, ambient glow of tastefully low-key recessed lighting. service was, despite earlier chowhound reports, impeccable: gracious, friendly, timely, always-present, but never hovery. oh -- i should mention that we received the avocado cocktail on the house after i waivered between it and the bangkok margarita.
i hope that the place stays open despite the terrible economy. (tables were only half filled at 7:30 on wednesday night, when we went.) i would not rank it as the most delicious restaurant in nyc (i'm a little biased towards sushi places), but it is certainly among the two or three most charming, especially now that grayz, my previous underdog favorite, has closed. there are enough dishes on the menu that really made me sit up and pay attention that i know i will be back many more times. please, chowhounds, help me keep this place open!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Basic Cheese Risotto
I've had a stinky cheese (a petit pont l'eveque), mostly eaten down to the rind, kicking around my refrigerator for a few weeks and wanted to get rid of it. Tonight, I used it in a risotto and really liked the results.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups arborio rice (I actually used the cheaper Calrose rice, tonight, which yielded pretty decent results... only slightly mushier than it ought to be)
* 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* medium onion, minced
* a few cloves of garlic, minced
* 1/2 a glass of dry white wine, warmed
* about 1 quart broth (I used Imagine chicken broth)
* stinky leftover cheese, including rinds, chopped, in an amount to taste (we had about 2-3 ounces)
Sautee the minced onion in olive oil over low heat until golden. Add garlic and sautee until very light brown. Add rice and cook for about 3-4 minutes until rice is translucent, stirring constantly to prevent rice from sticking.
Stir in wine and continue cooking / stirring until it has evaporated.
Add a cup of broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed.
Add more broth, about 1 cup at a time (actually 1/2 a cup if you're patient), repeat.
When the rice is mostly cooked, stir in the chopped cheese until it is fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I cheated and added some garlic and onion powders at this point, because I wanted a more concentrated flavor.)
Cook rice, adding more broth as necessary, until rice is al dente.
Remove from heat, stir in butter.
We ate this with oven roasted broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and tomatoes for dinner, tonight. It's a great break from meat and pretty economical to make.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups arborio rice (I actually used the cheaper Calrose rice, tonight, which yielded pretty decent results... only slightly mushier than it ought to be)
* 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* medium onion, minced
* a few cloves of garlic, minced
* 1/2 a glass of dry white wine, warmed
* about 1 quart broth (I used Imagine chicken broth)
* stinky leftover cheese, including rinds, chopped, in an amount to taste (we had about 2-3 ounces)
Sautee the minced onion in olive oil over low heat until golden. Add garlic and sautee until very light brown. Add rice and cook for about 3-4 minutes until rice is translucent, stirring constantly to prevent rice from sticking.
Stir in wine and continue cooking / stirring until it has evaporated.
Add a cup of broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed.
Add more broth, about 1 cup at a time (actually 1/2 a cup if you're patient), repeat.
When the rice is mostly cooked, stir in the chopped cheese until it is fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I cheated and added some garlic and onion powders at this point, because I wanted a more concentrated flavor.)
Cook rice, adding more broth as necessary, until rice is al dente.
Remove from heat, stir in butter.
We ate this with oven roasted broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and tomatoes for dinner, tonight. It's a great break from meat and pretty economical to make.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Chocolate Dessert Recipes
Dark Chocolate Soufflé (serves two; recipe can be doubled)
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare two 6 oz. (180 mL) ramekins with butter and sugar
4 oz. (115 g) 70% cacao chocolate melt in double boiler whisk fold in egg whites pour into ramekins bake 375°F (190°C) 15 min.
1/2 Tbs. (7 g) butter
1 oz. (30 mL) heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
2-3 large egg whites whisk to soft peaks whisk to stiff peaks
a dash (1/16 tsp.) cream of tartar
1/6 cup (35 g) sugar
Assemble the ingredients: 1 ounce (30 mL) heavy cream, 4 oz. (115 g) 70% cacao dark chocolate, 1/2 tablespoon (7 g) butter, 2 large eggs (separated into whites and yolks), a dash of cream of tartar, and 1/6 cup (35 g) sugar.
Prepare two 6 ounce (180 mL) soufflé ramekins by applying a layer of cold butter to the interior of the ramekins. Use your fingers to apply an even, thin coat of butter to all parts of the ramekin including the sides. Pour some granulated sugar into the ramekin and shake and roll the ramekin to coat the bottom and sides with sugar. Several sources claim that the butter and sugar help the souffle rise, but this is not actually true. The butter and sugar are really there to add flavor of the crust and aid in the release of the soufflé from the ramekin (if desired).
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bring some water to a boil in a pot. Once the water boils, reduce the heat until the water just simmers. Place a small metal bowl over the pot to form a double boiler.
Melt the butter, cream, and chocolate in the double boiler.
Stir to help the melting. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat.
Whisk the two egg yolks into the chocolate.
The resulting mixture may look like the chocolate seized, but don't worry, it will smooth out once the egg whites are folded in.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until the egg whites reach soft peaks. (The cream of tartar is added to egg whites to increase the acidity slightly. This allows the proteins to bind together a bit more easily making stronger bubbles to form the basis of the egg white foam.) This can be accomplished with a bit of effort with a whisk (took me about 5 minutes) or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment. The term soft peaks means the foam has reached the point where the egg whites stand up when the whisk (or your finger) is lightly dipped into the foam and gently lifted out. The tip of the peak should droop. If the tip stands up straight, then it has reached the stiff peaks stage.
Add the sugar to the egg whites and continue to beat until you reach stiff peaks. Adding the whites a little at a time, fold them into the chocolate mixture.
Without over mixing, fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
Pour the batter into the two prepared ramekins. Fill them at least 3/4 of the way up. They are now ready to be baked.
The best part of making soufflés is that they can be prepared to this point beforehand and refrigerated for up to three days. On the day you plan to serve the soufflés, take them out of the refrigerator about two hours before you plan to serve them so they can warm up a little. If you don't take them out of the fridge early, then bake them for an extra minute or two.
Place the ramekins on a baking pan and place the pan in the oven on a rack set in the middle position. Bake the soufflés for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C). As it bakes, the air bubbles we've incorporated into the batter will start to expand, causing the entire souffle to rise. After fifteen minutes, the soufflé will have risen up out of the ramekin (the photo shows an example of a ramekin filled to the 3/4 full level). (Greater lift can be achieved by using three egg whites instead of two).
Serve immediately in the ramekin. (Ramekins will be hot, so use some hand protection to transfer the soufflé.) As the soufflé cools, it will drop and become more dense. An alternate method of service is to remove the soufflé from the ramekin. This easiest accomplished once the soufflé has cooled a bit and a knife has been run along the sides. The soufflé can be inverted and tapped out onto a catching hand and then deposited onto a plate. Reheating the soufflé at this point will allow the air bubbles to expand again and the soufflé will rise back up (although not to its former size).
Flourless Chocolate Cake
yield: Makes one 8-inch cake
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients
* 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
* 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.
Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.
Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare two 6 oz. (180 mL) ramekins with butter and sugar
4 oz. (115 g) 70% cacao chocolate melt in double boiler whisk fold in egg whites pour into ramekins bake 375°F (190°C) 15 min.
1/2 Tbs. (7 g) butter
1 oz. (30 mL) heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
2-3 large egg whites whisk to soft peaks whisk to stiff peaks
a dash (1/16 tsp.) cream of tartar
1/6 cup (35 g) sugar
Assemble the ingredients: 1 ounce (30 mL) heavy cream, 4 oz. (115 g) 70% cacao dark chocolate, 1/2 tablespoon (7 g) butter, 2 large eggs (separated into whites and yolks), a dash of cream of tartar, and 1/6 cup (35 g) sugar.
Prepare two 6 ounce (180 mL) soufflé ramekins by applying a layer of cold butter to the interior of the ramekins. Use your fingers to apply an even, thin coat of butter to all parts of the ramekin including the sides. Pour some granulated sugar into the ramekin and shake and roll the ramekin to coat the bottom and sides with sugar. Several sources claim that the butter and sugar help the souffle rise, but this is not actually true. The butter and sugar are really there to add flavor of the crust and aid in the release of the soufflé from the ramekin (if desired).
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bring some water to a boil in a pot. Once the water boils, reduce the heat until the water just simmers. Place a small metal bowl over the pot to form a double boiler.
Melt the butter, cream, and chocolate in the double boiler.
Stir to help the melting. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat.
Whisk the two egg yolks into the chocolate.
The resulting mixture may look like the chocolate seized, but don't worry, it will smooth out once the egg whites are folded in.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until the egg whites reach soft peaks. (The cream of tartar is added to egg whites to increase the acidity slightly. This allows the proteins to bind together a bit more easily making stronger bubbles to form the basis of the egg white foam.) This can be accomplished with a bit of effort with a whisk (took me about 5 minutes) or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment. The term soft peaks means the foam has reached the point where the egg whites stand up when the whisk (or your finger) is lightly dipped into the foam and gently lifted out. The tip of the peak should droop. If the tip stands up straight, then it has reached the stiff peaks stage.
Add the sugar to the egg whites and continue to beat until you reach stiff peaks. Adding the whites a little at a time, fold them into the chocolate mixture.
Without over mixing, fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
Pour the batter into the two prepared ramekins. Fill them at least 3/4 of the way up. They are now ready to be baked.
The best part of making soufflés is that they can be prepared to this point beforehand and refrigerated for up to three days. On the day you plan to serve the soufflés, take them out of the refrigerator about two hours before you plan to serve them so they can warm up a little. If you don't take them out of the fridge early, then bake them for an extra minute or two.
Place the ramekins on a baking pan and place the pan in the oven on a rack set in the middle position. Bake the soufflés for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C). As it bakes, the air bubbles we've incorporated into the batter will start to expand, causing the entire souffle to rise. After fifteen minutes, the soufflé will have risen up out of the ramekin (the photo shows an example of a ramekin filled to the 3/4 full level). (Greater lift can be achieved by using three egg whites instead of two).
Serve immediately in the ramekin. (Ramekins will be hot, so use some hand protection to transfer the soufflé.) As the soufflé cools, it will drop and become more dense. An alternate method of service is to remove the soufflé from the ramekin. This easiest accomplished once the soufflé has cooled a bit and a knife has been run along the sides. The soufflé can be inverted and tapped out onto a catching hand and then deposited onto a plate. Reheating the soufflé at this point will allow the air bubbles to expand again and the soufflé will rise back up (although not to its former size).
Flourless Chocolate Cake
yield: Makes one 8-inch cake
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients
* 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
* 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.
Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.
Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)
Prawn Fritters
Beat four eggs, stir in 1 cup rice flour, salt pepper and flat leaf coriander, chopped chives, and a pinch of chili powder,salt, half cup of bean sprouts, a cup of small prawns, pinch of pepper powder, a ts of soy sauce, ts lime juice, pinch of galangal, a little coconut powder ( desiccated) and chopped shallots.
Add a few crumbled peanuts and mix well, heat the oil in a thick pan and pour small fritters into the pan, and fry til golden, flip over and fry other side.
Meanwhile take some more crushed peanuts and bash with a rolling pin til they resemble fine crumbs, and sprinkle onto each fritter as it comes out of the pan, scatter chopped coriander on the fritters.
Add a few crumbled peanuts and mix well, heat the oil in a thick pan and pour small fritters into the pan, and fry til golden, flip over and fry other side.
Meanwhile take some more crushed peanuts and bash with a rolling pin til they resemble fine crumbs, and sprinkle onto each fritter as it comes out of the pan, scatter chopped coriander on the fritters.
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