by Richard May on January 25, 2012
Many months ago, Dan and Miranda gave me a gift certificate to dine at Maialino, Danny Meyer’s restaurant located in the Gramercy Park Hotel. I hadn’t been in the Gramercy Hotel for many years and was therefore overwhelmed by the stunning artwork and lively decor. The Fernando Botero painting hanging over the fireplace in the hotel lobby attests to the edgy chicness of this trendy hotel in lower midtown Manhattan. But we were here to eat, not sleep.
Sheila and I had twice made reservations at Maialino only to be thwarted by Hurricane Irene and an ice-storm. Since it is almost impossible to secure reservations at any of Danny Meyer’s restaurants (Union Square Cafe is our favorite), we decided to risk an early seating a few days ago. Thanks to the great diplomacy skills of Thérèse and my own modest acting skills of feigning a heart attack, we were quickly seated at one of the tables in the bar. It’s a bit noisy, but certainly adequate and Maialino’s efficient staff was soon plying us with wine, which I explained to this nice young woman is far more effective at clearing blocked arteries than Lipitor. They had a special on Sicilian wines and we found them quite comforting. My chest pains disappeared almost immediately.
If you plan on dining at Maialino, you need to go in “whole hog.” Following Dan’s glowing recommendations, Thérèse and I split the roasted pork shoulder and potatoes shown above. The crackling was precisely the right consistency – about 1/4″ thick and crunchy rather than chewy - and the pork was as moist and flavorful as any I have eaten. I was told that the pork roasts for about six hours and I can attest after many painful experiments, it is next to impossible to get pork cooked this perfectly. Brilliant.
We also split a pasta dish of Bombolotti alla Gricia, which featured pasta similar to penne, but cooked to perfection with black pepper, guanciale (pig jowl) and a bit of Parmesan cheese and oil. Wow! The spinach was delicious and I also sampled the sweet breads wrapped in prosciutto. Simply an amazing dining experience. Bravo!!
by Richard May on January 23, 2012
As informed readers are aware, I was recently appointed Foreign Correspondent for Gourmay. While pleased with this promotion, I was disappointed to learn that Gourmay’s travel budget had been slashed to zero as part of an ongoing austerity program. As such, my travel correspondence will be limited to living vicariously through the travels of those more fortunate (to use a popular political phrase, let’s call them the 1%).
Red Bull Amy Reads a Map
In that vein, I am pleased to share a few lovely photographs of Red Bull Amy’s recent trip to Argentina. Following in the footsteps of the great Captain FitzRoy of HMS Beagle fame, Amy and Wendy did more than sit on the deck of a cruise ship and sip tea watching the El Calafate glacier fall into the lake (or did they?)
Found below are a few more remarkable photographs of Red Bull Amy’s trip to Patagonia, but it is worthwhile to point out Amy was following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin (1834) and the often maligned Captain FitzRoy, who as informed readers or Gourmay are aware was a figure no less important than Darwin and, in my humble estimation, his intellectual equal. Fitzroy’s remarkable story – and his stunning conversations with Darwin – are beautifully recreated in Harry Thompson’s 2005 historical novel, This Thing Called Darkness. Unfortunately, Thompson died the year his book was published.
For those who have never visited Southern Argentina (and Chile), I am pleased to share Amy’s lovely photographs:
On the Road in the Andes
All you can say is Wow!
Rock Climbing Anyone?
Amy reports that she hooked up with Langston “Great White Hunter” Turner in Buenos Aires who was decimating the dove population on the Pampas. Gourmay will have more on their visit to Buenos Aires in a later post.
Well done Amy, and thank you for sharing these photos with Gourmay.
by Richard May on January 18, 2012
The Canada Goose is a pest – at least, in my estimation. These dirty birds have taken over most public parks along the eastern seaboard and, despite efforts to curb breeding, great ganders of geese migrate north and south with their characteristic frenetic chatter.
I have been advised by Lord Cheseline of Maidenlot Farm in Chestertown, Maryland that the Canada Goose does not have a lower intestine. I suspect that what this means is that whatever the Goose eats is quickly processed and deposited in a rather greenish/grayish pellet on lawns and parks across the United States waiting for unsuspecting humans and dogs to discover something else to complain about.
Lord Cheseline Planning a Large Party for his Neighbors
On a recent visit to Maryland, I recently discovered a rather novel way to deal with this Maltusian population explosion in geese: shoot them. This is not indiscriminate shooting as these intrepid hunters actually eat the birds.
Seated in his heated blind along the shores of the Chester River, Lord Cheseline waits for migrant geese to land in the semi-circle of decoys carefully deployed in front of his blind. He has recently added a well-stocked bar and wide-screen TV to help pass the time.
While pleased that Lord Cheseline and his merry band of hunters are doing their thing to reduce the geese population, I can’t imagine eating this foul fowl. Apparently, the breasts of the Canada Goose is quite a delicacy in Maryland when prepared in the slow-cooker. Nevertheless, one must be careful to avoid the steel shot embedded in the breasts. Found below is a recipe for Canada Goose Breasts:
Lord Cheseline’s Canada Goose Breasts
Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 Canada goose breasts (Note to Langston: plucked)
1 package of Lipton’s Dry Onion Soup Mix
1/2 to 1 cup of water
15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of diced potatoes
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 cup of sliced celery
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp of oil
Preparation
- Brown goose breasts quickly in a oiled skillet
- Add browned breasts to slow-cooker together with dried onion soup and water. Cook for 4 hours at low heat.
- Add crushed tomatoes, potatoes, celery, carrots and remaining spices and cook at low heat for another 4 to 6 hours.
Serve with white or wild rice. Enjoy. Note to Langston: Eat carefully and avoid the steel shot.
Many months ago, Dan and Miranda gave me a gift certificate to dine at Maialino, Danny Meyer’s restaurant located in the Gramercy Park Hotel. I hadn’t been in the Gramercy Hotel for many years and was therefore overwhelmed by the stunning artwork and lively decor. The Fernando Botero painting hanging over the fireplace in the hotel lobby attests to the edgy chicness of this trendy hotel in lower midtown Manhattan. But we were here to eat, not sleep.