Jeff's Food Stuff

Well folks, as the title suggests, today I have some random silliness.

The Church Van
The other day, I was out with the family, when we came upon the van pictured below. Now, I have always suspected that religion was a dangerous thing. Still, I never thought that they would actually admit it. I certainly didn't think they would include a warning sign like this one.

I always suspected that religion was a dangerous thing. Now I guess I have proof.

Now, I realize that the warning was not meant as a caution against religion. Still, I fail to see what the warning is for. I mean, are church bus drivers as a group, more reckless than other drivers? Are church bus riders more likely to throw projectiles at the other cars? Are church vans somehow likely to spontaneously explode?

The answer to this is obviously "no", "no" and "I hope not". Still, I wonder about such things. Why the warning? Do the owners/occupants of the van feel that because they are in a church vehicle that they are somehow entitled to more consideration on the road? Do they feel that I should be a more careful driver because of who they are?

Well that seems just as silly as the first three ideas. It reminds me a lot of the obnoxious "baby on board" signs that used to grace every SUV and minivan on the road. It seems to me that, since the van is occupied by "believers", they should need less protection from me since they are clearly obtaining it through divine intervention. If God is looking out for them, I can spend more time looking out for the other cars. Now, if the car said something like, "Atheist on Board" I might cut the guy a little more slack. After all, nobody is looking out for him.

The 101.89% Solution

My son and I went into the woods the other day for a short hike. I strongly recommend this to other parents as it is much healthier than sitting around eating chips and playing video games (like way too many children today do). Anyway, after about 10 minutes, I realized that some insect repellent would've been a really good idea. Unfortunately, it was a really good idea that I didn't have until 10 minutes into the trip.

Continued...

It seems like everyone is talking about Momofuku Ko. Not wanting to be left out, I will stick in my two cents.

Momonfuku Ko is a restaurant in New York City owned by David Chang (owner of momonfuku noodle bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar bar and Momofuku Milk Bar).

So why is everyone talking about Momonfuku Ko? Is it the food? Well I have to say, the food is very good but I don't think so. Rather, the reason for its recent attention is more likely to do with how difficult it is to get into.

Put simply, people want what they cannot have. Ko is a very small restaurant. 12 seats is all that surround the single bar. The restaurant is tiny and decorated in what could best be termed "early American plywood". I guess if IKEA were to remodel Po', Momofuku Ko would be the result. Since there are only 12 seats, getting a reservation can be quite tricky. But Mr. Chang, in what he claims to be an interest in fairness, has taken things to the absurd.

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We haven't been to Aureole in almost 2 years, since we attended the New Year's Eve party there to usher in 2007. So, when I received the information for the 20th anniversary celebration, I was intrigued.

Titled "20 Bites", Aureole celebrated the 20th anniversary with 20 dishes, showcasing Chef Charlie Palmer's creations over the past 20 years.

The 20 bites were split among nine courses (counting amuse bouche and dessert). Each course was paired with a different wine. Aside from the first three items, none of what was presented was a single bite.

I will not bore you with my lame descriptions of each course. They say a picture is worth 1000 words and I tend to agree. So here are the best, most accurate, most colorful descriptions that I can manage.

Seared Tuna, Peppered Pineapple
Kampachi Sashimi, fresh and pickled celery salad, house made capicolla, black lava salt
Smoked Salmon "Pillow", Osetra caviar, warm corn Blini

Oxtail Terrine
Wagyu beef carpaccio, toasted sesame dressing, scallions, crackers

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We've been to Babbo many times now and it is always a wonderful experience. Having recently finished reading the book "Heat" by Bill Buford, we went with some friends. We wanted to see the restaurant now that we had the perspective of having read the book.

Since it was a Sunday, we ate early. In any case, we wouldn't have eaten too late after what Mr. Buford said about the cooking of pasta. No, I won't elaborate. You'll just have to read the book.

Unwilling to have only a couple of dishes, we decide to share everything. For hours, plates seemed to revolve and float around the table. Suffice it to say that everything was amazing.

Photos follow, so I won't describe each item in detail. If I had to pick favorites, I would say that I liked the "Neci con Funghi Misti", a chestnut flour crepe filled with mixed mushrooms quite a lot. Quite a feat for someone who generally doesn't like mushrooms.

I will not pick a favorite pasta as they were all spectacular. And while all the entrées were exceptional, my favorites would be the Grilled Lamb Chops "Scottadita" and the Sweetbreads.

For a wine, we chose a Chianti Classico which worked well with all of the dishes. The sommelier was very helpful and patient with us.

Babbo remains my favorite Italian restaurant in New York City and perhaps my favorite Italian restaurant on this side of the Atlantic as well.

And now for the photos...

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Well, I have to say that I didn't plan to eat out so soon after Daniel last week, but plans change and that is why I found myself at Bouley on Friday night. Not that there is anything wrong with that of course, it was just unexpected.

I love the dining room at Bouley. The red arched ceilings and warm atmosphere make it very inviting. An added touch that I always seem to forget about until I arrive is the entry. Between the doors of the vestibule is a wall of apples. Now, I've tried to illustrate this wall but understand that it is not so much the appearance as it is the smell that attracts the attention. In this small space, the aroma of so many fresh apples is intoxicating. It just sets you up for what is to follow.

The main dining room

Wall of apples

Having just feasted at Daniel last week, I felt it unwise to try the tasting. I was trying to be more considerate of my waistline and my wallet. While I succeeded on the later part, the first part didn't really make out all that well.

We were first presented with an amuse buche which consisted of a tomato parfait. The layers included such treats and gazpacho and other cold tomato preparations. It was refreshing and set the tone for the flavors to come.

Amuse bouche

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