ham it up

I love the pig. There, I said it. I love bacon, pancetta and prosciutto. I love pork chops, pork sausage and pork tenderloin. I love grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, pork pozole, dumplings with ground pork filling and barbecued pulled pork. What's not to love? I could write a soliloquy to the pig if necessary. That's not really necessary, is it? And then there's the guilt. Should I even go to the guilt at all? It's just a bit of but there it is. I'm not a vegetarian. I eat meat, I eat pig. Where does this guilt come from? I think it's because that cute critter is so darned smart. Smarter than a dog, they say.

When I was a youngster in rural Pennsylvania our neighbors had slaughter days once a year. They would kill the pig they'd had for the last year and farmers in the area would bring theirs for the killing fest. It's work taking apart one of those big guys. I was raised by vegetarians so the event was troublesome to me. But looking back, it seems that raising and caring for the animal you will eat all winter connects you to your need for sustenance and the sacrifice of the animal. These days most meat comes carefully packaged with a little spongy thing to soak up all the troublesome blood. I guess the same could be said of the wide availability of produce. Our modern times have separated us from the work it takes to keep us alive.

So this Christmas I slaughtered my own pig. Just kidding! I bought a fat fresh ham from a local butcher and made Cook's Illustrated's unique cola ham. Here's the guy:



For this recipe, you must use a fresh ham, not the usual smoked ham. CI recommends the shank end for easier carving. I brined my ham overnight in 6 liters of cola with garlic, bay leaves and crushed black peppercorns.





The next morning, I rinsed and dried the ham with paper towels and let it sit out on a rack for an hour. While the oven preheated, I zapped up an herb paste in my food processor an spread it all over the ham. Once in the oven, the ham cooks at 500 degrees for 20 minutes, after which the temperature is reduced to 350 and baked for about 3 more hours.



I glazed the ham every 45 minutes with a reduction of cola, brown sugar, lime juice and jalapenos. When the temperature finally reached 145 degrees I removed it from the oven and set it out to rest. Unfortunately, I forgot to tent it with foil and I think I may have lost some of the promised juiciness. Meanwhile, my mac and cheese went into the oven and the salad and bread were prepared by my guests.

Overall I thought the flavor was very good. The exterior seemed overdone to me, maybe because I needed a longer cooking time than suggested because my ham was 10 pounds instead of the 6-8 pounds in the recipe. Regardless, dinner was wonderful. Another delicious pork creation to add to my list.

cheese, please

Here's a photo of a recent dinner at home. Not pictured: arugula salad with tomato and fennel. I traveled through hell, otherwise known as the Union Square Whole Foods to find these items for dinner. The cheeses? Well, I accidentally threw out the wrapper for the aged cows milk cheese. It was a five letter word that ended in "con." I think. Geez. The other? A triple cream from France, currently on special in the lowest tier of Hades. Which by the way, while I was ordering my cheese, I noticed, or rather failed to notice that there was a woman lying on the floor nearby with several store employees wringing their hands around her. With my new-found new york attitude, I ignored the prostrate woman and her entourage. Now let me explain. I don't know cpr, there were already several people offering advice, and I overheard that there emt's were on the way. So I stayed out of it. I got my cheese and battled my way upstairs and through the lines (not too bad, really,) and booked it home to Brooklyn. A bottle of wine, cheese, pear, bread and salad. Perfect.

By the way, I have finally figured out the key to dressing my salad. I already had the following:

a. dry the bejesus out of the greens
b. apply the oil before the vinegar, just enough to coat the leaves nicely
d. season with salt and pepper before tossing
e. toss gently

Now the key, this would be letter c: apply a very small amount of vinegar or lemon. It's that simple. I was over doing it on the acid. I've applied my new technique twice now and been very pleased.

Bridget's Brownies

Last year I collaborated with a friend on Christmas cards. She provided her rich brownie recipe and I took the photograph. Here is the result:


B’s Luscious Chocolate Brownies

Makes 4 large brownies

3 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
8 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cap vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Oil and flour muffin pan or 8” square baking dish,
I use a jumbo muffin pan.
Combine chocolate and butter in saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Place eggs in large bowl and whisk until foamy. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in chocolate mixture. Add the flour and mix until just blended. Pour batter into muffin pan bake 30 minutes on center rack, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool ~serve plain or dust with powdered sugar, or serve a la mode.

recipe by Bridget Zadoff

ici

I find that when I walk west from my house, many beautiful things happen. There's the subway, for one. A mere two blocks away, even if it is the bastard G train. As you keep walking, the neighborhood gets nicer - the buildings have less graffiti and there's less trash on the sidewalks. There's a cute little gourmet grocery, with fresh bread, prosciutto, cheese and olives. Around the corner is the coffee shop, where locals gather with their laptops and iPods to be alone together. (Unfortunately, the one coffee I tried there was bad. Really bad, and expensive.) A few more blocks and you are at Fort Greene park, where the smell of moss and leaves floats in the air like an invisible fog. It's a nice walk around the park.

Now it's time for lunch. Head back east, and look for ici at the bottom level of a brownstone just before the coffee shop. There are windows in front that offer a preview of the elegant but comfortable interior. A lovely and private patio in the back will be amazing when the weather cooperates.

On their website, the following statement reveals a food philosophy that manifests itself in their menu: "The use of natural ingredients is fundamental to the philosophy of ici. Husband and wife team, Catherine and Laurent are convinced that the best-tasting food is naturally grown and harvested in ways that are ecologically sound and socially responsible by people who are taking care of the land for future generations."

My lunch was simple and satisfying. I started with a pot of Earl Grey from an extensive selection of loose leaf teas. My truffled mushroom soup was velvety smooth and served heated well throughout. I split a sandwich with the boyfriend: Sicilian Tuna, Fennel & Black Olives on ciabatta. Everything was fresh and delicious. Another gem in my neighborhood, and a nice walk, too.

ici
246 DeKalb Avenue @ Vanderbilt
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718.789.2778
www.icirestaurant.com