First Taste: Buttermilk Channel

Before Beth left for her Fresh Air Fund for Adults summer in Maine (by the way, Beth is indeed in Maine but this program doesn't technically exist, although it totally should. Adults need to get the hell out of NYC, too), we met for an eagerly anticipated meal at Buttermilk Channel. This was one of my first solo nights out since the arrival of Double Trouble and just a few weeks before I had to return to work. I started with a much needed cocktail - The Fair Harbor (Gosling’s dark rum light rum, ginger beer, pomegranate & lime). It was as tasty as it was pretty.

Diners are greeted with popovers that have been lightly kissed with honey. This is genius because it satisfies the bread craving without being heavy at all. We ordered some house-made pickles and sweet potato croquettes to nibble on before our entrees.

My bacon-wrapped brook trout with an onion jam and warm mustardy potatoes with ramps. I think this meal is from late May, when the city was going gaga for ramps. There was not a single thing wrong with this dish other than it could have used more ramps. Also when my plate first arrived, I thought the portion could have been a little bigger, but it turned out to be the right amount of food.

Beth's duck meatloaf with the world's largest onion ring. I think she should chime in in the comments section with some thoughts about her meal but she's probably too busy making a macrame bracelet.

A Dozen Donuts

My dad brought over a dozen donuts from Peter Pan in Greenpoint on one of my last days of maternity leave. Hells, yeah.

I ate 7, I think, over the next couple days. This beauty was the first.

First Taste: Blue Smoke at Citi Field

My second game at Citi Field, but first time hitting up the new fancy food stands. I had steak nachos at the previous game. Met up with Uncle Bethy at the Blue Smoke stand behind centerfield about half an hour before the game started. There was no wait at all! We hopped on line and before I had a chance to suss out the menu, I was up.

Kansas City spare ribs with pickles on the side. For $10 you get 4 ribs, which I found to be a really decent portion for a ballpark. The ribs weren't as tender as I had hoped, but this is miles and miles better than all the crap I've ever ingested at Shea, save for the Mama's sandwiches. Also, I loved the tangy, vinegary sauce that's available on the side. The only problem is that there is only one container of it for all of Blue Smoke's patrons at the condiments/napkin island. Also, the Wilpons need to add more tables to this area. It was an overcast, dreary evening and we still couldn't find a place to eat our food easily.

The fries! After seasons of mushy, cold, Nathan's fries, these fries are a god-send. For $4.75, I expected a larger portion, but then again, I think the Nathan's fries cost this much. Unlike those soggy potato strips, these fries were warm and crisp. And they taste even better when dipped into the barbeque sauce and washed down with the house ale, which costs a very reasonable $7 and change.

UB digs into one of her ribs. Next time I will hit the taqueria stand. I don't plan on Shake Shacking it up until next season because the lines are crazy long despite the time or weather.

Incidentally it was Fernando Martinez's first game! And Spongetech t-shirt night.

Brunch in Baltimore

Fried polenta triangles with two eggs over easy, salsa fresca, house-made chorizo, tortilla and red and green chile sauce @ Golden West in Hampden with DMR, Keri, Sam and Otis. I ate one-handed as I held Sam during the meal. Otis snoozed in his car seat.

When Keri suggested this place for brunch, I was a bit skeptical because the name made me think of Golden Corral. Lesson learned, you should never judge a book by its cover! This was a whole lot of yum. A whole lot of home-made yum. And they served Zeke's coffee which was also yum.

Simple Social Graces Mobile Kitchen Unit stops by!

Since the arrival of Double Trouble, friends and family have been making us meals and bringing by food, which has been incredibly useful and helpful, as you can imagine. The other day, Molly came by and cooked us a tasty, fresh dinner in our kitchen, using lots of produce and foodstuffs from the Union Square Greenmarket.

Clockwise from bottom left: tortilla de patata (I didn't have the proper pan, but M did a good job of improvising), mixed greens with homemade vinaigrette, a pyramid of chevre, whole wheat pain au levain and asparagus.

Thanks, Molly! She and Alex even cleaned up afterward!

Mother's Day feast at the Ssam Bar

For my first mother's day, team Jewrean had lunch with my parents and my brother and his family at Momofuku Ssam Bar. It's hard to believe, but there are 11 of us now - six adults, two big kids and three tiny kids! Just six months ago, we were only 8! Dan and I have barely eaten out since the arrival of Double Trouble and I've pretty much given up any hope in ever eating at Ko, but this was a nice consolation.

We ordered a couple plates of pickles and pork buns, as well as the brussels sprouts to tide us over until the bo ssam feast arrived. That would have been more than enough food, but then some comp plates started coming out!

My family's been in the restaurant supply business for over three decades now. I've had many meals where the kitchen sends out special plates, but these took the cake. The cured hamachi arrived first. Linda wonders if the guy who does the ordering in the kitchen is in the house. He was not.

The Peanut shows off her chopstick skills, which are way better than mine.

The roasted brussels sprouts that I love so much. The puffed rice that goes in the dish was, I think, cheese flavored, like mini Chee-Toes, this day. A little weird.

Meacham and Broadbent's country ham, both from Kentucky, with redeye mayo on top. Bread with Vermont sea salt butter and whipped lardo below. The last time I had lardo, it was atop a pizza at Otto years ago. I remember being completely put off by the texture, which was like thinly sliced cartilage or plastic. Not that I'll make a regular habit of eating it, but whipped is the way to go.

Sichuan beef tendon with Chinese greens, peanuts and green mango. Tendon is not ever something I seek out, in fact I go out of my way at Vietnamese or Chinese restaurants to avoid it, but this was enjoyable. It had really deep beefy flavor and wasn't too chewy. The crunch of the peanuts and the freshness of the mango were good compliments.

We all momentarily ignore the food to stare at the Dumpling, who had just woken up from her nap.

Cabbage lettuce patch kid!

Pulling apart the pork butt. The thing was huge. I ate a ton, the table ate a ton and we still had pounds of meat to take home. Served with the pork is a platter of oysters with a light kimchi consomme which I didn't love. I thought they were a little lacking in the briney taste of the sea that makes oysters so delicious. You also get rice and four condiments - kimchi, kimchi puree, ssamjang and a scallion ginger sauce. My style was to put a dab of all four on each lettuce purse I created.

In case you were wondering, Sam and Otis slept through the entire meal!

a post partum seder!

This is my first post since these guys came along! Sorry to be M.I.A. but it's not like I've been eating out or even seeing daylight at this point. We took the boys out for brunch at Sidecar last week for their first restaurant visit, but other than that, it's been meals at home, until Saturday.

Double Trouble were the special guests at a seder hosted by Rebecca and Sean, the newest members of our bocce team. Beth aka the China-Latina Chowhound aka "she who never posts anymore" was also a host, but she doesn't live in that apartment.

DT are stirring and going to wake up any second and then I'll never ever finish this post so I'll cut to the chase.

Here are our hosts:

Rebecca, the only real Jew of the host trio. Today is her birthday and she is eating chicken wings as I type.

Sean the goyim. He helped make the matzoh balls and also busted out this amazing shirt featuring an image of his friend who bears a striking resemblance to a certain someone else!

Beth is a non Jew, but don't call her a shiksa. Here she is displaying some chicken livers wrapped in bacon. She also supplied the lovely haggadahs and tasty haroset.

I pigged out on smoked salmon with dill sauce on matzoh canapes before digging into this delicious soup. Sam had to wait a couple minutes while I took a couple bites before I fed him. You'll also notice two drinks before my bowl - my first drinks in over 10 months, save for a sip or two of beer I had in that time. The first taste of the Manhattan went straight to my head and I couldn't even finish it. We did not do any flogging with the scallions.

Dan on the other hand decided to feed Otis before eating.

A beautiful and bountiful plate with chicken, brisket, kugel and a brussels sprouts slaw. I went back to seconds which really did me in.