The Best Broccoli of Your Life, Three Ways
Plus: NY Dinners at Laser Wolf and Ci Siamo.
Hey everyone,
If you’re a follower of mine, there’s a 68% chance you found me because back in 2008 I wrote a post called The Best Broccoli of Your Life which became so popular, it was the #1 result when you Googled “broccoli recipe” for almost five years. (Quite a claim to fame!)
Well this week on The Amateur Gourmet Show, I demonstrate how to make this classic recipe (which I first learned from watching Ina Garten); then I tweak it in two different directions: one, with David Chang’s Momofuku Brussels sprout dressing, and another with Yasmin Fahr’s Greek pan roast with cherry tomatoes, lemon slices, and Feta. Watch the whole thing here:
And be sure to like, comment, and subscribe. We need some momentum on this YouTube show or it’s back to the kosher salt mines for me!
Meanwhile, here are ALL THREE RECIPES in PDF format.
Hey, guess where I am? Here’s a clue.
That’s right, after going to battle with Covid (not fun!), Craig and I made it to NY, where he’ll be editing his movie through November (coming back to LA every few weeks). I helped him get all set up in his work apartment in Chelsea and then got down to the serious business of making reservations.
The reservation I was most eager to score was at Laser Wolf, on the roof of the Hoxton Hotel in Williamsburg. It’s the latest restaurant from beloved cookbook author and chef, Michael Solomonov, whose cookbooks I love.
People: this restaurant. I mean, look at what they give you when you sit down (assuming you order other things).
Called “salatim,” it’s a series of appetizer/side dishes all served with fresh hummus and hot-off-the-grill pita. It included Israeli pickles, Turkish tomato, pineapple with celery, kale cooked in sour cherry juice, pickled green tomato with cucumber, babaganoush, cabbage and fennel with schug, and spicy green beans.
Honestly: to quote Passover, had this been the only thing they served, it would have been enough. But then came the meat…
On the left, BBQ short rib marinated in passionfruit (I love passionfruit); on the right, ground brisket beautifully spiced and served with tahini.
But the thing you MUST get if you go to Laser Wolf, the thing I will yell at you for skipping, are the most innocuous seeming thing on the menu: the French fries.
The picture doesn’t really do them justice, but these fries positively SHATTER when you bite into them. They were the crispiest, crunchiest, most pillowy French fries I’ve ever tasted and it takes two days to make them. They’re steamed, frozen, and then deep-fried, and they put all other fries to shame.
Dessert was brown sugar soft serve with pistachios and cherries; a lovely way to end the meal.
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The other exceptional meal that we’ve had in NY so far was at Ci Siamo, Danny Meyer’s new restaurant in this giant complex near the High Line called Manhatta.
The food at Ci Siamo is so up my alley; it’s also such a mood right now: basically, pasta and gelato. (See Antico Nuovo in L.A. for a similar menu.)
We started with this giant flying saucer of cast-iron focaccia.
Doesn’t get much better than that!
There were vegetables, but so decadently prepared, they almost operated as fats rather than anything green. Behold the asparagus…
… and the zucchini, which had butter in it and the waiter said it was healthy “because of Calcium.”
For my entree, I had the rigatoni alla Gricia, which was lovely and buttery and had lots of crispy guanciale. It was quite aggressive with the pepper.
And they were really aggressive with the red chili flakes on Craig’s agnolotti with broccoli rabe.
The desserts at Ci Siamo are by legendary pastry chef, Claudia Fleming. We had to taste all three gelatos: hazelnut, goat milk lemon, and strawberry sorbetto.
They were all divine, especially the presentation in the little glass tumblers.
So we’ve been eating well in NY! We also saw the most amazing show yesterday, a show that I’ve been listening to in the kitchen for the past two years and a show that not only won the Tony for Best Musical, but also the Pulitzer Prize. It’s called A Strange Loop and it’s not to be missed. (Though if you’re at all prudish, this isn’t the show for you!)
Now for some links that caught my eye recently:
Who knew Cheesemongering was a sport? I didn’t! (NYT):
Nigel Slater makes a tart of cherries and berries (The Guardian);
Michael Harlan Turkell sings the praises of cooked celery (Taste);
Andy Baraghani’s lemon pasta is going on my “to cook” list (Salon).
That’s all for today, folks!
Time to head back into the city for more food….
Your friend,
Adam
that salatim (TIL!)...wow. that's the kind of food i could and would eat all the time if i lived alone. just give me all the snacks! condiments! bread! a little of everything please. looks amazing.
Adam, I don’t think it’s exaggerating to say I’ve made the OG best broccoli 500 times since 2008. It remains the best for a reason!