Ladies' Lunch

I'm not well-versed in mid-day menu planning. I know nothing of luncheons. Luncheons conjure thoughts of coiffed, pants-suited women picking at sharp pieces of lettuce. Lunch involves a salad, a desk, and quality Facebook time.

Brunch is another story. There are designated foods that are served at brunch. Brunch is easy. (And one of my favorite words!)

I do, however, have delightful Barefoot Contessa-esque daydreams about having girlfriends over for lunch. We eat delicious sandwiches, on soft bread, filled with meats and cheeses. There is a light side dish of pasta salad or a roasted vegetable. Prosecco cocktails flow, and there is always a decadent chocolazzzzzzzzzzzzz...
and this will never happen in my lifetime.

Why lunch? Well, I had my friend Michele and her sweet seven month old over on a Saturday mid-day, and it threw me. I was possessed, POSSESSED I tell you! by the idea that I had to serve lunch. I did exhaustive research. I was now convinced the the the culinary gods would strike me down for not having an arsenal of tea sandwich fillings at the ready. This was full-fledged LUNCH PANIC. Then I factored the baby into the mix. OHMYGOD THE BABY WILL STARVE IF I DO NOT PROVIDE FOOD FOR HIM. It was then I realized that unless I was a wet Nurse, Michele will provide nourishment for her own child.
I began to talk myself down. We are not formal people. This is hang out time with my friend and her kid.

I woke up on Saturday morning and took myself over to the Most Dangerous Place In Manhattan, aka The Vinegar Factory. I bought us a pasta salad that I doctored up, a small sandwich that we split, and for dessert, we had some yogurt covered pretzels.

She came bearing a bottle of Sancerre* and a seven month old. That beats a salad and Facebook any day.

*Sancerre was not opened.

My Five Favorite Sandwiches Paired With Five Great Ladies

Grilled cheese and My mom
Tuna on whole wheat and Julia Child
Second Ave Deli corned beef on rye with mustard and Amy Sedaris
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey on White and Meryl Streep
Fresh mozzarella and tomato on semolina bread and Lily Tomlin




Ahh...edits happen

Don't Be Afraid Of The Uni

I get twitchy watching loved ones enjoy a meal that still has eyes. You will never hear me say: "Let's go for tripe!" or "Are you kidding me?! I LOVE brains!"

Hi. My name is Cindee, and I have a fear of the culinary unknown.

My rule of thumb for foods I will never try is: Never eat anything that scared me as a child. Bugs, whole heads of animals, and frogs are at the top of that list. Being jewish also predisposes me to being very afraid of most foods. Herring, chopped liver, and tongue being exempt. Those are holy foods required on Sundays and Yom Kippur.

We did not have adventurous food growing up. We had great,delicious,comforting food. I did not branch out to the forbidden, exotic foods until I moved to NYC. Telling my parents that I loved sushi was a weighted, serious discussion.

Which brings me to the Uni. Oh uni. Uni is the one food (Fish? Food?) that makes me anxious. I have never tried it. It's not pretty (see photo above). It doesn't even look edible, but AnonyMouse has shed tears of happiness after eating it.

So this is going to be the summer of Uni. No. Wait... Before the end of 2009 I am going to try Uni. It will be a big deal. I will post a status update on Facebook. I may even call my parents afterwards to tell them I am ok. It will be glorious. AnonyMouse and I will weep together as we liberate my palate.

I will not be having a staring contest with a deep fried shrimp head anytime soon, but I will be more than happy to sit with you.


Three Foods I Will Try Paired With My Top Three Scariest Movies

Something Curried and The Shining
Squab and The Ring
Lentil Soup and The Exorcist

Simple Things

"I think I'm going to start drinking beer. I see people having a beer with a sandwich, and it just looks so refreshing!"

-Dorothy Toobert, Age 87

That is a verbatim quote from my Bubie,(Jewish grandmother,for the goyim) Dorothy Toobert. She's no longer with us, but her delightful life commentary is.

AnonyMouse and I were having a picnic dinner on our roof the other night, when this particular quote popped into my head. I have no idea why, but apparently the combination of the breeze, the view, and the pasta salad reminded me of Bubie.

While she was a complex woman, her cooking was extremely simple and delicious. She mastered her basics and nobody tired of them. Chocolate mousse, matzoh bowling balls, and chicken soup were Dorothy's greatest hits.

I also have the simple cooking sensibility. This is never to be confused with a Semi-Homemade sensibility. I did not grow up that way, and I feel for anyone who reaches for a jar of chopped garlic. I just enjoy cooking with less than 30 ingredients and chopping my own garlic.

It's fun to build on my repertoire of basics using the foods I loved as a template. Living with an adventurous eater helps. AnonyMouse has pushed me to try new foods, and he's a great and honest guinea pig. Who knew that baby bok choy sauteed in garlic and fresh ginger would become one of my favorite vegetables? Bubie, for one,but that's besides the point.

Sometimes simple things like a home picnic, a beer with a sandwich, or believing someone when they tell you that bok choy will be good are all that matters.

Three Simple Pleasures Paired With Three Simply Guilty Pleasures
Watching Lost and watching Lost on DVD
Morning coffee and calling in sick while drinking morning coffee
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and reading Us Magazine while eating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Cheese Is Good

I love cheese in a way that is not normal.
Let's just say that if you and a pound of fresh, soft mozzarella were going into the ring for a few rounds, or if it cut you off on the highway, or the mozarella took your seat on the subway...I would side with the cheese.
We have a passionate, intense and fiercely loyal relationship.

I'm not picky or snobbish about it, either. All cheese is equally lovable. Not many will admit it, but a Kraft single is very comforting after a bad day at the office.

My boyfriend, (who will be referred to as AnonyMouse), was the first person to acknowledge this relationship. One Saturday night a few summers ago, we ended up at a great place near us called The Bar at Etats Unis. We ordered a bottle of white, and perused the menu. AnonyMouse looked up at me and simply said: "The cheese plate sounds good." This sentence changed our lives.

We learned that night, in that wonderful little restaurant why wine is paired with food. I can't tell you the names of the cheeses or even what the wine was, but we still speak of that meal in hushed tones and with reverence.

As the great Armenian proverb goes:
Bread and cheese, eat and dance
Do it.


My Three Favorite Cheeses Paired With Three Great Dance Songs

Gruyere and Ray Of Light
Fresh Mozzarella and You Dropped a Bomb on Me
Chevre and Scarlet Begonias