Comestiblog

When You Eat Too Well ...

Are you old enough to remember the advertising slogan, "When you eat too well, demand Di-Gel?"  I've never understood the paradox of shutting down the body's digestive system with antacids to offset the effects of overeating.  By neutralizing gastric acid in the stomach, such agents actually impede digestion.

As an alternative, when I eat too well, I take papaya enzymes.  Unlike an antacid's hampering effects on pepsin (a stomach acid needed to digest protein), the papaya's papain and chymonpapain enzymes promote the digestion of protein.  Doesn't it seem more reasonable to aid the digestive process rather than to hinder it?

Though nutritional supplements are mostly unregulated in the United States, the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) quality-assurance seal identifies products made with high standards.  My personal choice is Country Life's Natural Tropical Papaya.  The chewable enzyme wafers taste much like papaya albeit sweeter.  More important, however, they are highly effective digestive aids.

Further reading:

www.brendawatson.com
www.jrussellshealth.org
www.greatestherbsonearth.com
www.nutritional-supplement-educational-centre.com

Texting for Discounts

Fight the recession by phone.  A new (beta release) service, Lunchtimedeals.com, offers, as the name implies, luncheon discounts at specific restaurants.  Coupons are sent by email and can be printed or routed to a cell phone (redeemable by displaying the text message to the cashier).

A broader service, 8coupons.com, was launched last year.  In addition to dining deals, this site offers printable and text-message coupons for discounted entertainment, shopping, and services.

Both services are free.

http://www.lunchtimedeals.com/
http://www.8coupons.com/

Thanksgiving in a Bottle

If your Thanksgiving guest list includes White Zinfandel drinkers, you might consider serving a (non-grape) fruit wine.  We found a cute one that seems to have been custom-made for a traditional turkey dinner: Sweetgrass Farm's Cranberry Apple wine.  It's low in alcohol (11%) and actually tastes like cranberries and apples—what a concept!  Furthermore, its lovely rosy color is sure to add festiveness to any holiday table.

Sweetgrass Farm WInery and Distillery

347 Carroll Road
Union, ME  04862

(207) 785-3024

http://www.sweetgrasswinery.com/

No Beaujolais Nouveau Before Its Time

While others agonize over selecting the perfect Thanksgiving wine, I prefer to simplify things by serving my seasonal favorite, Beaujolais Nouveau.  Clearly, I'm not alone.  The so-called first wine, or vin primeur, is so popular that it accounts for roughly a third of all Beaujolais production.  (Incidentally, unlike other reds from France's Burgundy region, Beaujolais is made from the Gamay grape, not from the Pinot Noir vinifera.)  Besides, what wine would be more apropos of a harvest celebration than one produced from grapes picked within the past two months?

I should point out that Beaujolais Nouveau is not a great wine and does not improve with age.  It is easy to drink, however, owing to its lack of tannins, abundance of fruit, and "just-squeezed" vinosity.  Furthermore, its light body affords an ideal introduction to red wine.

According to French law, you'll have to wait till the stroke of midnight to sample this year's vintage, however.  In 1985, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine designated the third Thursday of November to be the wine's official release date.  Thus, a number of wine merchants will commence their Beaujolais Nouveau tastings tomorrow.

One of the liveliest celebrations—replete with accordionist Phoebe Legere—takes place this Saturday, from 2:00 P.M. till 6:00 P.M., at Brooklyn's Red White & Bubbly.  Sample wines from Georges Dubœuf as well as from Domaine Dupeuble (made without carbonic maceration; imported by Kermit Lynch).  (For those unable to wait until Saturday, Red White & Bubbly will open a couple of bottles for tasting Thursday afternoon.)  The tastings are free.

Red White & Bubbly

211-213  5^th Avenue (near Union St), Park Slope, Brooklyn

(718) 636-WINE (9463)

http://www.redwhiteandbubbly.com/

Stamford's tawa Curries Favor

When I expressed my disappointment with Stamford's Olé Molé to my friend at the Vitamin Shoppe across the street, he suggested I try tawa, just a couple of miles down High Ridge Road.  (Driving directions were complicated by the restaurant's location: in a row of shops on a one-way segment of a tangled intersection at which Route 137 changes street names from High Ridge Road to Cold Spring Road, and meets Long Ridge Road (Route 104), Summer and Bedford Streets—an area known as Bulls Head.  Got it?)

Most Indian buffets I've sampled over the past several years have failed to impress.  Dishes prepared with stale ingredients would be typically allowed to desiccate in their warming trays to the point at which they were suitable for astronaut consumption.

Tawa, however, represents a welcome departure from the foregoing scenario.  Its recipe for a successful buffet includes fresh ingredients and a limited, but well-chosen, selection of hot dishes.  The turnover at lunchtime ensures frequent replenishment of the steam trays so that each dish tastes as though it had been prepared to order.

The spices are uniquely bright in aroma and flavor, suggesting they may be ground on the premises.  This alone makes every dish exceptionally tasty.  Nevertheless, there was one standout among all the offerings: the Kalmi Kabab (marinated chicken wings and drumsticks).  Unlike most chicken cooked in a tandoor (clay oven), this one was was succulent, tender, and delicious.

Incidentally, the name tawa (tah·vah, rhymes with ça va) refers to a pan or griddle used in the preparation of breads, or roti.  A few of the eponymous cooking implements adorn tawa's dining room walls.

Though the price of the executive lunch buffet was increased from $9.95 to $11 this year, it still represents a good value.  In addition, every sixth lunch is free with a lunch club card.

tawa

19 High Ridge Road
Stamford, CT   06905   (map)

Executive Lunch Buffet:  Mon-Fri, 11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.; Sat & Sun, 12:00 Noon to 3:00 P.M.

(203) 359-8977
(203) 359-8978

http://www.tawaonline.com/

By bus: 31, 32

Condiments and Salad

Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken chunks in a creamy tomato sauce) / Khada Masala Ghosh (lamb curry with cilantro and garam masala)

Masala Vada (deep-fried lentil dumplings) / Kalmi Kabab (tandoor-roasted chicken)

Vatana (white peas) Masala / Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese with onions and a touch of garlic)

Rice / Aloo Kathal Curry (lightly curried potato and green jackfruit)

Dessert: Rasgulla (soft cottage cheese)

Wash it all down with a Mango Lassi (a yogurt drink with mango pulp).

Light or Dark? White or Red?

Still searching for the right wines to accompany your Thanksgiving feast?  Perhaps Bottlerocket Wines' Thanksgiving Workshop can help.  Ten wines—"from Champagne to Zinfandel, Riesling to Sauternes"—will be paired with tastes of City Bakery's roasted turkey and trimmings, vegetable side dishes, and even dessert.  Enjoy!

Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit

5 West 19^th Street (near Fifth Av), Manhattan

Saturday, 15 November 2008, 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Free.

(212) 929-2323

http://www.bottlerocketwine.com/

By train:  4,5,6 (IRT),L,N,Q,R,W (BMT) to 14^th St-Union Square
By bus: M1, M2, M3, M5, M6, M7

Restaurant Week in New England

A couple of New England cities kick off their respective food fests today.  Restaurant Week beckons visitors to savor the flavors of Newport, Rhode Island and New Haven, Connecticut.

Newport Restaurant Week
(November 9-15, 2008)

With roughly 35 Newport-area restaurants participating, this is by far the larger affair.  Three-course meals are fixed-priced at $16 for lunch and $30 for dinner (excluding taxes, beverages, and gratuities).  In addition, numerous events—including wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, and even a martini contest!—are scheduled throughout the week.

(401) 845-9123
(800) 976-5122

http://www.gonewportrestaurantweek.com/

New Haven Restaurant Week
(November 9-14, 2008)

This is the city's first such celebration in its 370-year history.  From now until Friday, 18 downtown restaurants offer three-course menus, fixed-priced at $16.38 (the year New Haven was founded) for lunch and $29 for dinner (excluding taxes, beverages, and gratuities).

http://www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek

Oooh, Nice Buns, er, Pretzels

Although Almondine refers to them as pretzels, they look more like rolls or buns.  Perhaps they ought to be named callipygian pretzels.  Regardless of their sobriquet, however, one has to call them delicious.

The Pretzels with Cheese ($3.25 apiece) are topped with Gruyère along with sesame and poppy seeds, and even contain a bit of cheese in the center.  Warm, soft, and tasty, they constitute the perfect nosh.  Be warned, however, that one pretzel usually leads to another.

These delectable snacks were introduced here by Almondine's first head baker, Roger Gural, whose impressive credentials also include principal positions at Bouley Bakery, Amy's Bread, as well as Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery.  He currently teaches at his alma mater, The French Culinary Institute, from which he earned Le Diplome de Boulanger in 1998.

Almondine

85 Water Street (near Main St), DUMBO, Brooklyn  (map)

(718) 797-5026

http://www.almondinebakery.com/

By train:  to High Street; to York Street
By bus:  B25 to Main Street

Please click on the image above for a larger view of the menu.

Comestiblab:  The word pretzel comes from the (rhyming) German word Brezel; originally from the Latin brachiatus, branched (like arms), from brachium, arm.  According to legend, a monk created the knotted biscuit in the shape of arms folded in prayer.

 

Comestevents at Pier 94: November 7-9, 2008

Prepare for sensational tastings today through Sunday at Manhattan's Pier 94.

11th Annual Chocolate Show

Chocoholics unite at this sweet event that showcases the wares of more than 50 exhibitors.  Highlights include tastings, chocolate art, and over 50 culinary demonstrations by pastry masters, as well as numerous other activities.

Tickets ($28 for adults; free for up to 2 children ages 5-12; free for all children under 5) are available online, by phone, or, by cash or check, at the door.

(212) 307-7171

http://www.chocolateshow.com/

Tastings NYC

Sample a wide range of comestibles from some of New York's top restaurants and catering companies in the 75,000-square-foot Tasting Pavilion.  Be sure to try the various cheeses, wines, and spirits.

Tickets:  $75; $80 combined with Chocolate Show; $95 early access; free for children under 12.

(212) 888-4646

http://www.tastingsnewyorkcity.com/

Hours for both events:

Friday & Saturday (7 & 8 November): 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Sunday (9 November): 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

Pier 94

755 Twelfth Avenue (West 55^th St), Midtown Manhattan

By train:  1 (IRT),A,C,E,B,D (IND) to 59 St-Columbus Circle
By bus:  M31

Election Day Perks

After standing on long lines to cast your ballot today, reward yourself with a cup of coffee, a doughnut, and a scoop of ice cream—all gratis.  The following merchants are offering election-day perquisites:

Starbucks:  A free 12-ounce cup of drip coffee.  (http://www.starbucks.com/)

Krispy Kreme:  A free red-white-and-blue, star-shaped doughnut at participating locations, while supplies last.  (http://www.krispykreme.com/)

Ben & Jerry's:  One free scoop of ice cream, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.  (http://www.benjerry.com/)

Most important, however, is to vote.

Norwegian Seamen and Salmon

Sjømannskirken, the Norwegian Seamen's Church, describes its BusinessLunsj, or business lunch, as "one of New York's best-kept secrets."  On the first Wednesday of each month—from September to June—the church presents an all-you-can-eat luncheon buffet featuring a delicious smorgossbord, a Norwegian hot meal, hot and cold beverages, and dessert.  All this for $20 (the price was increased by $2 this season).

If you're a salmon aficionado, this monthly event is practically a requirement.  In addition to its three cold, smoked preparations, the fish is also presented warm—in a soup and as a baked fillet.  What a delicious way to add Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet!

The dining room's dress code is casual; attire ranges from jeans to suits.  Come as you are, but do so early to secure a seat—these business luncheons can become somewhat crowded.

The Norwegian Seamen's Church

317 East 52^nd Street (between First & Second Avs),
Turtle Bay, Manhattan  (map)

Business Lunch:  First Wednesday, 12:00 Noon to 2:00 P.M., September to June

(212) 319-0370

http://www.sjomannskirken.no/newyork

By train:  E,V to Lexington Av/53 St (exit at Third Av)
By bus:  M15, M27, M50

Gravlaks and Kaldrøkt laks (cold-smoked salmon)

Varmrøkt laks (warm-smoked salmon, peppered)—my overall favorite!

Brunost (center-left) is a sweet, semi-firm brown cheese