A Good Croissant

 
The furthest thing from a pop-and-brown repast. I’ve sampled this pastry all over the world; some excellent, some good, most poor. What's involved in doing it better than good besides traveling across the pond? Several days of labor intensive work combined with years of European style baking experience. Caution- do not attempt at home. There are no short cuts. The multi day process creates this heavenly butter-laden pastry. Desired result? Picture approximately eighty flakey layers of butter and dough that should melt in your mouth and at the same time leave crumbs all over the table. Those are the signs that you might be eating something in the vicinity of a good croissant.

As history tells, this Austrian pastry, a creation by the Emperor of Austria's French baker, was created to celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman Empire during an attempted siege on Vienna in 1683. Oh shock- it’s not French, but close enough!

The other key to finding that good croissant; seek out a true boulangiere vs. the fastfood mass produced version that’s gone by way of drive-thru burgers. But, I've found one worldwide chain of Belgian origin that pulls it off, Le Pain Quotidien.

Bene! Balsamic Vinegar


Hmm, for $200 you can purchase a 25 year old traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena. But what's on the shelf for let's say $5 or so? First, let's review what you are looking at and what we will use it for. Certified balsamic vinegar is only produced in Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy. Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is prohibitively expensive, with a 100ml bottle costing over $80. Yikes! Hold that thought. Use it for salads or glaze over fresh fruit. I've topped pre-dressed and plated-salads with a few drops of good Balsamic and also reduced it for BBQ sauces to more refined sauces. But it truly shines when used as an ingredient for dessert. In Modena it is popular to drizzle it over Parmigiano Reggiano, or add a few drops over berries and melon as a dessert. Ok, now back to the more than $80 bucks a bottle. I discovered a brand called Via Roma for less than $5 and yes, it's a product of Modena! Available at A&P, A&P Waldbaum's, The Food Emporium, and SuperFresh. Great find!

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Know Your Wings

So why does a classically trained chef appreciate chicken wings so much? Frankly sometimes the simplest prepared foods can be the most delicious, and even the most popular. Today it's serious business; books, TV shows and restaurant chains exist with wings at the center of the plate. BTW, my favorite spots for wings are at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, N.Y. and Southampton Publick House in Southampton, N.Y.

So what makes a great wing? First, start with fresh chicken. Once frozen, it toughens the meat. But honestly it’s all in the finish- the magic is in the sauce. Don’t think you’ll pass along that bad hot sauce in a bottle and tell me you have good wings! It's a combination of a few flavors; a little heat, tomato, garlic, a bit sweet, but have the bite of vinegar and a touch of fruit. Wings don’t have to be fried. Lesson the fats by oven roasting or better yet fire up the grill. Oh, and adding a pint of IPA doesn’t hurt! Southampton Publick House's IPA is my personal favorite. So what about you- how do you enjoy your wings?

Rome Italy: The Big Sandwich

When In Rome, the first sights that most people want to see are the Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, or the Coliseum. However, some noteworthy sights are not found in a guidebook.
I couldn't help but take a closer look when walking on Piazza Barberini, after this cleaver and inviting window display caught my eye. You don't normally think white bread sandwich with location Rome, Italy in the same sentence. Well, here's evidence that the Big Sandwhich has presence in Rome. 
It is so great to see the amount of effort and passion put into something so ordinary as a sandwich. This was just another example of Italian artistry worth a capture and maybe a little wine too.

Pepy's Bar; Corner of Piazza Barberini and Via del Tritone, Rome, Italy