Brooklyn Supper Club Presents: Southern Fried 4th

07.04.07

The idea came to Becky, as most do, in upstate New York, on a lake. A long lake. Surrounded by nature and the sound of dragonflies buzzing over the gentle but insistent rush of lake waves on a sandy beach, she could almost ignore the knowing, wry prattle of her over-educated yet under-accomplished friends until the topic turned to food. The weekend had held in store a bounty of epicurean delights and the happy guests were ruminating over this favorite dish or that favorite sauce or the way piment d'espelette seemed to always be present, like the sound of those waves, gentle but insistent. Then, like a bolt of greased lightning, it hit her: WE SHOULD HAVE A FRY PARTY!!!

Everyone knew she was right. Adam said, "Yea, and I shall hold said feast at my humble abode at Brooklyn and I shall have my man fire up the deepe fryer on 4 July, The Colonies' Day of Independence!" Bemused at his language, all were nonetheless excited about the possibilities of frying as many different foods as we could dream up. Fowl? Naturally. Vegetables? Of course. Brie? You jest. Candy bars??? Madness!!!

So they schemed and consorted until the day was upon them and out came the glorious deep fryer and gallons of batter and oil for crisping up a host of assorted food stuffs. There were sauces, some crafted, some purchased, for dipping and sopping and cold beers for washing it all down. The results were nearly perfect with the one exception of tiny balls of mozzarella which hadn't the strength (or proper bath/dredge combination) to keep it together in the fiery tempest that sealed their fate. They were quickly dispatched to the dustbin of the BSC memory in favor of zucchini, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, onion rings (look out Varsity!), sweet potatoes, blue cheese, a whole triangle of brie, mini corn-dogs, a cut-up fryer, catfish, hamburgers; it was a veritable feast of fried goodness!

Each crispy morsel was treated to the yin and yang of hot hot oil followed by cool cool sauces on its way to snacking heaven. The host and hostess, Adam and Serena, had produced or procured a team of delicious dips: salsa verde, tzatziki, classic ranch dressing, honey and mustard, sriracha sour cream, chipotle ketchup, and Rao's arrabbiata sauce. Whats a fried food without a splash of coolness and spice to make it sing?

As each ingredient had its bath in simple but classic batter and was plunged into what this observer can only call The Vat Of Dreams, it became clear that we had indeed caught greased lightning in a bottle. The Southern Fried 4th had us all in its clutches and we revellers, greazy, satisfied, scurried up to the roof for a sprinkle of summer rain and a shower of fireworks that reminded us of the beauty of the American summer. Afternoons at the lake, fish fries, cold budweisers, and goofy ideas from goofier friends are practically our birth right. We wiped off our faces and said our good-byes and walked into the night fat and satisfied, like an American ought to feel.


Recipes:

fry batter:
equal parts self-rising flour and some carbonated beverage.

soda water is the best and most neutral. beer is flavorful and delicious. i suppose you could even do a coke or something like that but i have no idea how it would turn out. you try it.

pour 3/4ths of the liquid into the flour and whisk until smooth. adjust with more liquid if its too thick. et voila.

dip dry foods into batter and shake off just a touch then put into hot oil. if your food isn't dry enough, dip it in flour or cornstarch first to coat it, then submerge it in the batter. do not make the batter ahead of time as it will become flat and you will lose the lightness in the end result.

Brooklyn Supper Club presents: The BBC!!!

BSC3 in the WB. 06.24.07
On the menu: Hypeness.

What at first seemed like a simple invitation from Bro (Brahim) Bri for a BSC brunch in his spacious loft in williamsburg turned out to be, in fact, not so simple at all. For he had up his equally spacious sleeve something far more complex than we simple BSC-ers imagined. As we sipped Bellinis and watched him toil, his furtive, darting motions only gave glimpses, nea hints, at the layering of texture upon texture, flavor upon delicious flavor, color upon shape upon life-changing juxtaposition of eggs, cheese, fungus, produce, and crustacea MOST SWEET!!! Soon we were spinning in a whirlwind of anticipation, desperate for the flavor and experience we could smell, breathe, almost touch. And just when we could not contain ourselves for a moment further, it was unleashed upon us: A custardy layer of eggs, a savory layer of chanterelles and leeks, a masterful mix of crab and sweet peas, topped with a soupcon of confit tomato. We ached. We moaned. We let the flavors wash over us like a summer rain, nourishing our bodies, replenishing our souls. Bro Bri had brung it. We bowed in deepest humbility.


The other components of the meal satisfied in a similar if more rustic way. Artisanal grits from Stratford Hall (http://www.stratfordhall.org/) were fluffy and deeply corny under a blanket of smoky bacon gravy; homemade maple, apple, and red pepper sausage were griddled to crispy, chewy perfection; roast tomatoes, creminis, and shallots brightened the plate and tied everything together with elegance; and a bread pudding with cinnamon and peaches, drizzled with maple syrup, sent us all to the couches and chairs and floors to sleep off the building buzz that kaegan had delivered in the form of the Bloody (Cold Feet) Monty, a concoction of carbonated tomato juice and vodka with a bright celery/lemon/salt rim.


Blissfully, we napped and dreamed of our favorite bites, our fondest recollections, the moments of the meal that made us hungry for more and happy that we had lived this. The BBC had arrived. The world has been put on notice.




Recipes:

grits and smoky bacon gravy:
grits
2 cups non-instant stone ground grits
2 cups milk
2 cups water
salt and pepper

gravy
1/2 pound smoked bacon thick cut
3 T flour
2 c. milk
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper

in a bowl of cold water, pour in grits and give a good stir to separate grits from chaff. scoop off chaff, strain grits.

bring milk and water to boil. add salt to taste. stir in grits, and cook for 25 t0 35 minutes, depending on coarseness of grit grind. stir often.

in a skillet, cook 1/2 pound bacon slowly to render all the fat without burning bacon. when finished. set aside half the bacon to chopped finely and include in the gravy. eat the rest as your prize.

when fat is rendered, make sure you have at least 3 T in the pan. add 3 T flour and stir vigorously until all flour and oil is mixed together, leaving no lumps. add 2 C milk and whisk into oil and flour mixture. add salt and black pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne. stir until thick and add bacon and stir and taste again, adjusting seasoning as necessary.

serve over grits or over biscuits or over toast or over cake or over ice cream.

enjoy.

BSC 2 Chez Dickson - boogie in the butt

Dateline: Park Slope, 04.30.07.

What was meant to be a spring-into-summer, cut-offs and flip-flops, grillin and chillin, park style soiree was moved indoors when Amanda, the hostess of BSC 2, felt an autumn chill in the morning air. When all the dust of relocation had settled and the scene had shifted to Amanda's airy and bright apartment, the sun was out, the weather was grand, and only one kermudgeonly cooker was still ticked about the change of venue. "Man, this is bulls***", Sean muttered as he carried his steamed artichokes and aggressively flavored aioli up the stairs to Amanda's third floor spot.

But the tenor of the evening would soon change as lime and cucumber gimlets gave way to those ridiculous artichokes, albarino teamed with two sweet/savory salads, which would then step down in favor of various reds to match the big london broils and salsa verde of our host. And a night-cap of muddled cucumber and gin washed down the last of the delicately tart cupcakes and chocolate pudding with pistachios and mascarpone that sent most partygoers into the night feeling like school was OUT, regardless of the season.




spicy watermelon and tomato salad

this is all about proportions so if you like one spice more than another, add it.
be careful with the cayenne though as it can overwhelm.
also note that the watermelon will continue to shrink in size and give off more water so dont keep this for too long without eating it.

my proportions:

half a seedless watermelon. 1" cubes
two packages, grape tomatoes, sliced in half
one bunch of green onions, just the green parts, finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne, or more if you like it
2-4 T rice vinegar

chop it all up, mix it up in a bowl, adjust vinegar and seasoning to taste, (unless you're allergic to seasoning) and bob's your uncle.

serves 10-12

BSC 1 Chez Ruffin

Photo Credit: Leo Lopate

Delish. Gang, we did good. So good I was full for the next few days. So good in fact I couldn't get to work on time the next morning. So good, in fact, that I think we should share recipes here so that we can re-live BSC1 again and again. And again.

PORK 2WAYS Ruffin:
first steps are the same for both types.
2-3 lb pork loin brined for 8-24 hours in a fully dissolved solution of 1/4 c. kosher salt to 1 qt. water and stored in the fridge in an airtight container or bag. rinse and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels before cooking.
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
melt 2T sweet butter in large sautee pan on high heat until foamy. brown loin, fat side first until deep golden brown then brown all other sides, including ends. remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Garlic and Rosemary Pork
4 cloves garlic (run through garlic press)
4 tsp rosemary - finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
when pork is cool, cover with garlic mixture and roast at 350 until the meat registers 140 degrees in the middle. should be minimum 40 minutes.
remove from oven and loosely tent with foil for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
slice in 1/3" slices and recover juice and any scraps from the roasting pan and pour over meat.

Maple Syrup and Chile Glaze
1/3 c. maple syrup Grade A or B
3 T. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles (or more if you like it hot)
pork drippings from browning (at least 2 T)
any ground chiles you have around, pinch of cayenne, ground smoked chiles, new mexico chiles, etc.
1 c chicken broth or stock or broth from bouillon cube as long as its really good.

after setting aside drippings from browning pork, over medium heat in the same skillet, cook syrup until boiling. add adobo and stir to mix thoroughly and take off the heat to let cool a bit and thicken. put pork loin back in skillet and roll around to coat pork in glaze.
roast at 350 until meat registers 140 degrees in the middle. should be minimum 40 minutes.
while pork is roasting, take drippings from pan, and glaze left in skillet and mix together in small sauce pan. add ground chiles, broth or stock, and bring to low boil/simmer until reduced by at least a third. add salt and pepper to taste and more or less heat from chipotle or cayenne pepper.
remove from oven and loosely tent with foil for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
slice in 1/3" slices and serve with sauce either poured over the slices or on the side.


Tabolt Squash:

Master Race Mac & Cheese:

Salad...

Becky's Cornbread:

Cheesy Asparagus Lopate/Ernsberger:

Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze:

The Best Cheesecake You've Ever Eaten:
Heat the oven to 325

Beat 2 lbs cream cheese with a mixer.
Minimally beat in 1 1/4 cups Sugar til dissolved, 4 Large Eggs, 1 at a time, 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest and 2 Teaspoons Vanilla.
Stir in 1/4 cup Heavy Cream and 1/4 cup Sour Cream.

Prepare Springform:
Required Equipment - 9" Springform and Extra-Wide Aluminum Foil.

Line outside of springform pan with foil (covering bottom and a all the way up the side) to keep water from seeping into the cake. READ: This is very important.

Brush bottom of pan with Butter. Sprinkle with 3 Tablespoons Graham Cracker Crumbs.

Pour Cheesecake mix into Springform. Gently place Cake into Hot Water Bath (simply bring water to a boil, fill a roasting pan 1/2 way, and place springform/cake in the center. This will keep the cheesecake at a uniform temp thoughout), and into the oven she goes.

Bake in middle of oven until top is golden but cake wiggles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 55 to 65 minutes.

Turn off and open oven, let bake for 1 more hour like this.

Remove cake and cool to 72 degrees.

Now you can stick it in the fridge. Stick it in the fridge. And Eat!

Mission:
Friends, eaters, drinkers, etc.
We would like to get a small group of fun-lovin cookers and eaters together for a bit of a social food club. Or a food-based social club, whichever you prefer, but the idea goes like this:
We have a handful of people who will get together to enjoy a meal in a person's apartment and each person can invite a companion to each function, space allowing.
One of the dedicated cookers will host each event and set the tone for the evening, providing the main dish. The dish can be whatever the host would like and the theme can run as far afield or as close to home as the host prefers but once set, each other cooker will provide a complement.
Sides will need to be provided, or breads, or desserts, and drinks can be cobbled together by everyone or deftly off-loaded to invited, non-cooking guests. Whatever we want.
Then the meal rotates to the next host/cooker’s apartment and another theme is set, another group convenes, and more merriment ensues.
So to kick it off, we're thinking we have 8 or so cookers who are committed to the notion so all 8 dont have to appear every time if schedules dont allow it. Then, once we get some people hooked on the idea, we pick a date, a place, a theme, and rock out. I can host the initial bash and we can start working out ideas and see if this has any legs at all and go from there. The point is not that we are showing off or making the fanciest things that we can make but simply that we are cooking and eating and carrying on and getting out into each others hoods, seeing other peoples well-appointed apartments, having drinks, and perhaps making things we haven't made before and learning a bit about cooking.