A couple of years ago, I volunteered to participate on the Transportation Committee for the Town of Greenwich who were tasked with the responsibility to formulate transportation policy recommendations for elected town leaders.  Now I have absolutely no “transportation” or “urban planning” credentials that I could bring to the table other than the fact that I still can drive a stick-shift automobile.   Fortunately, the other committee members were kind enough to overlook my lack of skills and experience.

Parking USA

The Transportation Committee met once a month and had a few ad hoc meetings with town planners and other  planning committees.  Much to my surprise, I found the planning process quite interesting and a real-world example of how small town government works.    Unlike D.C., our town leaders still talk to each other.

While there is a tendency to focus on the minutiae of town planning such as sidewalk repair priorities and the cost of deploying digital signs to warn drivers of traffic congestion and detours,  there are a number of very important strategic town planning decisions that can and will affect town residents for many generations.   My thinking on town planning and transportation changed dramatically after watching this 15 minute video by Chuck Marohn on the difference between streets and roads:

Now, I have watched this video several times and became one of the early members of Strong Towns since his common sense explanation of the impact of the automobile on town planning has and continues to have a stupefying hold on town planning.    I don’t mean to raise the alarm bells, but one certainly needs to scratch one’s head when you realize that we have an estimated 500 million parking spaces in the United States.   If true, then parking  in the United States now occupies 3,590 sq. miles, which is larger that the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined!

I don’t know about you, but when tourists visit Rome, I think they would rather see the Colosseum than visit the parking lots where the Romans parked their chariots.   Couple this with the fact that over 50% of Americans over the age of 65 don’t  (or can’t) leave their homes on any given day, I would argue that we may have a bit of a problem on our hands with the level of urban sprawl.

Needless to say, this useless but eye-opening information has caused me to think about retirement planning in a big way.   Studying the US census projections, I learned that one-third of the active population in the United States (ages 20-64) will be supporting two-thirds of the dependent population (0-20 and from 65+) by 2030.   I do not intend to voice an opinion on retirement age or other social issues, but clearly want to retire in a state that is young (growing faster than the national average). Also, it needs to have a University that offers inexpensive programs in “continuing education.”

Now the fastest growing state in the 2005 US census was Nevada and I suppose if  you like dry saunas this could be a great retirement location, but not sure that the Andre Agassi Academy is what I had in mind for “continuing education.”  Enter the Black Swan Theory by Nassim Taleb and you realize that predictability is not all that predictable:  I now understand that home prices in Nevada will not return to their 2008 levels until 2030.  Pretty scary!

Look, I have no idea where I want to park myself to retire, but vacant parking lots seem abundant on America’s landscape. Maybe a camper is in order.

With new bank branches opening up all over Greenwich, I often wonder whatever happened to electronic banking.  Let’s face it, we have more bank branches on Greenwich Avenue than Starbucks and McDonald’s combined.   I am not a particularly clever person (as Thérèse reminds me each day), but it strikes me that banking is largely electronic.  Your “personal banker” is far more likely to be found in some call center in the Philippines or a data processing center in India than your next door neighbor golfing buddy who offers you a coffee as you come into discuss your mortgage loan.

The cynic in me believes that new bank branches are popping up because they are simply moving into vacant buildings the banks have repossessed as their commercial loan portfolio turns south.  Fortunately, I have had to reconsider this opinion following a lovely dining experience at Boulud Sud.   Of course, Boulud Sud is the brainchild of acclaimed chef Daniel Boulud, serving “vibrant Mediterranean cuisine.”  Located near Lincoln Center, this restaurant was rebuilt from the remnants of a Citibank branch.  As a former banker, I think this is a delightful trend and would encourage Citibank to reach-out to the Facebook crowd with electronic banking rather than fill our towns and cities with nondescript modern branches that seem strangely out of place in towns with so many foreclosed homes for sale.

Grilled Octopus from Bouloud Sud

Sheila and I arrived around 9 p.m. and decided to sit at the bar rather than the restaurant itself.  We had a nice chatty bartender from England who was quite competent and helpful in making recommendations and wine pairings.  We shared three dishes:

• Octopus a la Plancha (Grilled octopus similar to the one shown above) served with Marcona almonds, arugula and Jerez Vinegar
• Cured Spanish Anchovies served with shaved fennel and Crispy Socca (a cracker made out of chickpea meal)
• Rabbit Porchetta with watercress,Treviso radicchio and wild mushrooms.

All were excellent.  The rabbit porchetta was particularly delicious and  paired nicely with a Côtes du Rhône rather than a rather nondescript Pinot Noir that we had initially selected.   The bartender was dead-on with his wine  recommendation and we are most grateful.

Thérèse succumbed to the dessert menu and ordered an elaborate grapefruit dessert that had been prepared by a truly talented Tunisian pastry chef.   I do not recall the name of this dessert, but a hollowed-out half of grapefruit was served on a bowl of ice and included a grapefruit sorbet with a caramelized top and cream.  Thérèse claims that the various textures and tastes ranked this dessert a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.  Personally, I prefer Bo Derek but I settled for a Sambuca.

A very nice dining experience.  The bar is great for a quick bite before the Opera.

Featuring Chang's famous Crack Pie

As Gourmay readers are aware, one of my favorite dining experiences in NYC is a visit to David Chang’s acclaimed restaurant, Momofuku.   I don’t get to visit his restaurant as often as I like.  There is always something new going on at Momofuku as David tinkers around to improve the dining experience.  The last time we visited he had moved the Milk Bar (desserts and bakery) across the street to make room for a wine bar.  The wine bar has now been converted into  a “special” restaurant dining experience for only 33 people.  No reservations.  We picked up the menu, but haven’t checked it out yet.

Again, I don’t like to dine at restaurants blaring “A Hard Day’s Night” from the Beatles in the background, but I do make an exception for Momofuku:  the food is so damn good and creative.  This time we were seated at the bar across from the bartender, who seemed particularly busy.   We sampled a couple of his favorite preparations:

• Scottish Navy Sour:  Aged rum, Scotch, Lime and Clove.  When I was younger I used to drink whiskey sours to show my “feminine-side”  but haven’t had one in years.  This one was particularly good (“shaken but not stirred” as all citrus based bar concoctions should be!).
• Momofuku’s special margarita (not on the menu).  Tequila, fresh limes, agave and anisette sprayed over the top.  I too was skeptical, but it does work.  Quite amazing.

Momofuku Pork Bun

For dinner we had the following small portions which we shared:

• Royal Miyagi Oysters from British Columbia served with Lady Apple, Lime and Chili
• Steamed Pork Buns:  The Momofuku classic with pork belly, cucumber, chopped scallions and hoison sauce.
• Market greens (in this case it was Swiss Chard) served with Xo sauce (sort of a fish broth)
• Veal sweetbreads with almond, sauerkraut and Thai chili
• Catfish with Kabocha squash curry, green mango and peanuts.
• For dessert we sampled (read “ate the whole thing”) his grapefruit pie featuring a hint of cream, jellied grapefruit crunch and salt in the pastry.  Perfect balance.

Dining doesn’t get any better than Momofuku, although the throbbing music and crowds can be a bit off-putting to many elderly fans of great food.

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!!

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.

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.

There are few tastes more distinctive than a well-made mole sauce.   This Mexican classic is served in many restaurants, but rarely lives up to its reputation as one of the most noteworthy dishes of Mexican cuisine.  Many think it is too spicy hot – it’s not; others are turned off by the somewhat sweetish taste of the dark chocolate, and still others have never experienced authentic Mexican cooking and continue to dine at Taco Bell.

Gloria seeding the chilies

I will often give chicken mole a try in a serious Mexican restaurant, but am generally disappointed.  There are hundreds of variations and  mole sauce is often found on chicken, pork, beef and occasionally a few vegetarian dishes.  I suppose that there are as many variations of mole as there are Mexican cooks.  The recipe below for chicken mole is from Gloria, a self-taught cook from Mexico, who in my mind – and palette – captures the essence of a fine mole.

Note:  This recipe is for chicken mole and we strongly recommend making homemade chicken stock and then use the skinless chicken in the mole sauce.   Make beef or pork broth the same way.  While the fowl and meats lose a lot of flavor when eaten this way, the real star of the show is the mole sauce which should be served with rice.

Gloria’s Authentic Chicken Mole

Ingredients (served 6 to

• 1 quart chicken stock (homemade is best – use chicken drumsticks or assorted chicken pieces if making chicken mole)
• At least four varieties of dried chiles (the more the better, but avoid chiles that are too hot).  In this recipe, we used the following 4 varieties of chiles which can be found in most Mexican or ethnic grocery stores:
  • Chile Pasilla – Ancho Entero
  • Chile Mulato Entero – Mulato chili
  • Chile Guajillo Entero – Guajillo chili
  • Chile Negro Entero – Negro chili
• Oil
• Six whole cloves
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 Tbs cumin
• Ground pepper
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 bar chocolate ibarra
• 8 oz tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp dry oregano or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

• Create chicken stock using 6 to 12 drumsticks, thighs or other chicken parts.  The more concentrated the chicken stock the more taste will be imparted to the mole.  Save the chicken parts to add to the mole.
• As the chicken stock is cooking down, take stems and seeds out of dry chilies and set aside.
• In a small sauce pan, heat 2 Tbsp of oil.  When oil begins to ripple add the chilies turning once or twice to cover in oil and quickly heat (between 15 seconds to 45 seconds depending on oil temperature).
• Remove the oiled chilies and place in a sauce pan together with about 1/2 a quart or  more of the chicken stock.  Cook for a few minutes to allow the chilies to absorb the chicken stock.
• Transfer mixture to a blender and add the cloves, the garlics, a Tbsp of cumin and ground pepper to taste.   Blend until you have a very fine solution (about 1-2 minutes)

• In a deep skillet add a couple Tbsp of oil.  When hot add 1/4 cup of flour (finely ground bread is OK) and stir into oil until it becomes totally emulsified and begins to boil.
• Carefully strain the chile mixture through a sieve and add to the oil  and flour mixture.  The mole sauce should be like gravy (not too thick).  Pulp captured in the sieve can be returned to the blender for further processing if needed.
• Add chicken broth if needed to get the desired consistency.
• Once the mixture is boiling, stir in the bar of dark chocolate (chocolate ibarra)
• Add a 8 oz can of tomato paste
• Cook 20 to 30 minutes
• Add the chicken (in this case the drumsticks) and cook for a few more minutes

Ashley "Chick on the Run" Rodwick sampling mole

In the photograph above, find Ashley “Chick on the Run” serving herself mole.

Serve with rice and a nice tortilla.  Olé!

I am trying to become the person my dog thinks I am.

Before closing for the year, I would like to redirect Gourmay readers to Bogey Pinson’s 2011 Christmas Dinner, now complete with several lovely photographs.  It is well worth noting that good food, good wine, good conversation and friends who appreciate them all isn’t just a fading tradition.

This will be Gourmay’s final post in 2011 as our staff of one takes a well-deserved sabbatical from reporting all the news that’s “fit to eat.”  I would like to thank readers and contributors from all parts of the globe for their recipes, suggestions and the occasional well-deserved insult and editorial opinion.   Before turning over the stage to Gourmay’s Chairperson, Thérèse, I would like to wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and close with a special greeting from my favorite poet, Rainer Maria Rilke:

Let us welcome in the new year full of things that have never been!

A special holiday note from Chairperson Thérèse:   I would like to thank Gourmay readers for not terminating your RSS feed from Gourmay.  I realize that the pickings have been slim this year, but I hope that you have been amused by Rick’s rantings while I have been trying to run a business, raise a granddaughter,  cook, clean house and the countless other things women do so boys can play.   I don’t mean to play the “sexist” card, but really!

As with any organization – both large and small – Christmas is often the time for a much needed reorganization.  Countless male executives have advised me throughout the years that if you can’t fire someone for incompetence, the best course of action is to promote them.   As such, I am pleased to report that effective January 1, Rick has been promoted to foreign correspondent from his current position as journeyman scribe.    After-all, in states where English is now a second language like Texas and Florida, we felt that a reporter with a more a substantive title would be able to move up the food chain and give us better coverage for Gourmay.

My very best to you and your families and I join with Rick in wishing you Peace and Joy in the New Year.

As reported earlier on Gourmay,  one of the highlights of the Dallas social scene is La Grande Bouffe in fashionable Swiss Avenue.   Discretion prevents Gourmay from embedding a film clip from the sensationalist French film La Grande Bouffe where couples overindulged in both dining room and bedroom.  I suspect there won’t be much overindulgence in  Dallas bedrooms tonight as the Cowboys are playing football.

Table Setting for Dallas Christmas Dinner

Nancy and David’s delightful Christmas Dinner for 2011 complete with wine pairings makes me want to hop on a plane and join them in celebrating Christmas with this most memorable meal.  Hell, I’ll even agree to be the sommelier.    Enjoy.  Bogey Pinson has promised photographs and these will be shared with Gourmay readers on their arrival.

Menu for “Bogey” Pinson’s 2011 Christmas Dinner

Passed Appetizers

Foie Gras Stuffed Prunes
2004 J Schram Brut

Pickled Devil Eggs w/ Smoked Trout
2007 Martinelli “Guisseppe and Louisa”Zinfandel

Pickled Devil Eggs with Smoke Trout

Smoked Oysters w/ Southwestern Chili Sauce
2008 Reynolds Family Chardonnay

Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream
2008 “Les Coutes” Keverdy Sancere Montalcino
2009 Tenute Rosso

Salad

Caesar Salad w/ Benton Bacon, Fried Quail Egg and Sourdough Croutons
2006 Nine Barrel Chardonnay

Pasta

Penne with Cauliflower, Garlic and Oil
2006 Nine Barrel Chardonnay

Cauliflower Penne from Marcella Hazan

Sorbet

Clementine, Basil Sorbet

Clementine Sorbet

Entrée

Sous Vide Medallion of Lamb with Cranberry-Orange Chutney
Potato, Parsnip and Porcini Gratin
Roasted Baby Carrots
2006 Reynolds Family “Fourteen” Meritage
1997 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

Lamb Sous Vide, Baby Carrots and Potatoes & Leeks

Dessert

Peppermint Meringues with Drizzled Chocolate, Peppermint Shards and Chocolate Ice Cream

Cheese Tray- Tallegio, Stilton, Parrano

2004 J Schram Brut
2008 Moscato D’Asti
1994 Quinto Vesuvio Vintage Port

Sambucca

Coffee

Clearly, a meal fit for a King (and Queen).  Well done.

Funny, but this book is out of print!

I recently published an article for the Stationers Guild describing how changes in consumer behavior are radically changing the nature of our towns and cities.  Clearly, there is more at play than consumer spending patterns as other factors such as urban sprawl, declining education standards, antiquated planning and zoning regulations and the costs of maintaining a deteriorating infrastructure are finally beginning to catch up with an economy that is simply not growing fast enough to maintain it.

These changes – some for the good and some whose consequences have yet to be manifest – are occurring so quickly and with so little time for reflection that it is a bit frightening.   As some of Gourmay’s readers are aware, I have served for the last couple of years on a committee to study and recommend action to improve the town of Greenwich’s (CT) long-term transportation planning.    This has been a useful experience to work with concerned citizens to address some of the complex issues and conflicting demands that affect effective town planning.

While this has been a rewarding and educational two-years, I come away from the process with the sickening feeling that planning and zoning for our town and, perhaps, many other towns is based on a framework to accommodate the automobile and not people.  This 70s planning framework is simply out of date and, town leaders seem incapable of recognizing the new “realities” and change direction.  It is a tragic mistake and one that will have serious consequences for many generations to come.  In any event, please find below “food for thought” rather than a recipe for urban planning.

QUOTE

As most people are aware, I do try to remain upbeat for the stationery industry and local business in general, but the drumbeat of Armageddon beats louder than ever.  Yesterday,  CNBC’s “Mad Money” Jim Cramer stated that Barnes and Noble was simply a showroom for Amazon; and that food stalwarts like McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks and Domino pizza were core assets in one’s stock portfolio.  Personally, I think listening to Cramer would drive me crazy in a couple of hours, but he is smart and, if you buy into the theory that the stock market is a leading indicator of the future, then it just might be a wise idea to follow his advice.   But, then again, if you follow his advice to its logical conclusion then both you and I will either be eating at McDonald’s, working there or, quite possibly both.

If Jim Cramer is right, then mom and pop retailing is dead.  The small businesses that were so integral to our communities across the United States will simply fade into oblivion since there is no economic incentive to become a “showroom” for Amazon or the growing number of vendors who find it easier to connect with the consumer directly through their online store.  There are many who do not think this will occur, but  sadly, I am not among them.   Americans tend to be oblivious to the impact of their purchasing decisions and, quite frankly, it is probably far too late to reverse course once our small towns and communities are decimated by the “convenience” of shopping online.

Just yesterday, a woman walked into our store and said “I’m so happy you are still around with the number of stores closing in Greenwich.  You know, I occasionally shop locally to make sure that a few stores are still around so I can actually see what I am buying online.”    Mind you, she is not the only one who is oblivious to the impact of these seemingly insignificant one-off purchasing decisions that are radically changing our communities and way of life.  For instance, a friend of ours who loves books was touting his new Kindle until I pointed out to him that Kindles would be the death of Borders, Barnes and Noble and hundreds of book shops that he frequented over the weekend.  He argued that they would co-exist “in some form or other.”   How wrong can you be.  I’d keep a eye on the libraries and the local Post Office to see what happens over the next several years.

Let it be said, that when  ETs pick over the remnants of our civilization I would hate for them to conclude that we simply ate ourselves to death in fast-food  restaurants and simply washed down our civilization with a Venti Latte.  I would prefer to think that the Pietà,  the Gutenberg Bible and Shakespeare’s plays still have relevance in today’s society, but I am not sure.

Now some will argue that I am a Luddite and don’t embrace change.  Quite the contrary, I grimly tolerate change – both good and bad – but I don’t think our Towns and the guy in the street fully comprehend what is going on in our rewired society.  In fact, I would argue that this “change” in the way we interact with each other is what these worldwide protests are all about:  a sense of powerlessness to affect the changes that are radically transforming our communities and way of life.

Our towns and communities are at the core of these changes and, if you would like to learn more, I suggest that you visit Strong Towns.org and take action in your community before it is too late.  Watch the informative 15-minute video by Chuck Marohn and, if you would like to see what you can do to play a more active role in your community, download the free Fireside Chat.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

UNQUOTE