Rebecca Federman's blog

With so many menus in the New York Public Library collection, it's not uncommon for me to stumble upon a gem I've never seen before. The menu featured here is one such example. Had a patron not requested this 1975 dinner menu honoring James Beard and Julia Child a few months ago, it would still be sitting in its box downstairs. But thankfully the request was made, and I was introduced to this charming item.

The dinner, which was sponsored by the Wine & Food Society of New York, was held on Halloween night at the Pierre Hotel. And in addition to a traditional menu of food offerings, the organizers wrote creative "recipes" for both Julia and Jim, wherein the ingredients and techniques that make up these two unique personalities are written out in a recognizable recipe format. The result is clever, sassy, and fun.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

While Bernie Madoff spends the rest of his life in prison, his wife Ruth will have plenty of time to work on a second cookbook. Yes, a second cookbook. Ruth Madoff edited a cookbook in 1996 called The Great Chefs of America Cook Kosher, which has garnered its own bit of controversy.

Ruth, along with her friend Idee Schoenheimer, is credited as an executive editor of this spiral-bound work, although according to an article in the New York Times a few months ago, the book is really the work of food writer Karen MacNeil.

In the article, MacNeil (who is credited as editor of the book) claims she was paid to write the entire book...and did. Ruth Madoff may have had her own author blurb, but according to MacNeil, Madoff didn't write a word. Rather, she simply wanted to be part of something "fun."

The book features recipes from top chefs around the country who have adapted their dishes to fit the requirements of a kosher kitchen. Many of the recipes are simply reprinted from the chef's own cookbooks and hardly require any culinary creativity to make them kosher.

For example, Lidia Bastianich shares her recipe of pappardelle with fresh porcini sauce -- taken from her book La Cucina di Lidia -- while Al Forno owners Johanne Killeen and George Germon include their recipe for roasted asparagus. In other words, simple recipes already fit for a kosher kitchen.

It's also questionable whether the Madoff's even keep kosher. The Times article refers to a London Daily Mail article which claimed that Bernie was a big fan of pork sausages, "taboo under any definition of kosher cooking."

Rest assured, the New York Public Library has the book in its holdings, and unlike Mr. Madoff's Ponzi scheme, it won't cost you a dime.

According to an article in The Guardian this week, the University of Manchester Library will begin a project to digitize The Forme of Cury, a rare 14th century cookbook compiled by King Richard II's royal chefs.

The Forme of Cury is considered the oldest known cookery book written in English (cury is the Middle English word for cookery), and the digitization project, which will include other treasures such as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, should be completed by 2009.

While the New York Public Library does not have the original 1390 book (it's on my wish list!), we do have a 1790 version of the book in the Rare Books Division. That London imprint is also available digitally through Eighteenth Century Collections online, one of our electronic resources. Lorna Sass' To the king's taste: Richard II's book of feasts and recipes adapted for modern cooking, a 1977 monograph that takes some of Forme's recipes and adapts them for modern usage, is also in our collection.

For more background on this historic book, one can read the short, but informative, essay featured on the British Library website.

The British Library's site also features some of Forme's recipes, such as the one printed below. And although Joan Nathan doesn't mention this dish in any of her cookbooks, the blend of honey and wine would make an interesting (and very different!) Rosh Hashana dish.

Tostee XX.IIII. XIII.

Take wyne and hony and found it togyder and skym it clene. and seeþ it long, do þerto powdour of gyngur. peper and salt, tost brede and lay the sew þerto. kerue pecys of gyngur and flour it þerwith and messe it forth.

Take wine and honey and mix it together and skim it clean. And seethe (boil) it for a long time, and add to it powdered ginger, pepper and salt. Toast bread and lay it thereto. Carve pieces of ginger, and flour it therewith, and serve it forth.

Forget Restaurant Week, October is Restaurant Month at the New York Public Library, with three public programs that explore the past and the future of restaurant culture.

We start things off on October 10th with Spain's master molecular gastronomist Ferran Adria discussing A Day at elBulli - a new book that documents a day in the life at Adria's restaurant. From dawn until way past dusk, A Day at... gives readers a way to experience elBulli without having to make a reservation.

Farewell to Quenelles: Changing Restaurant Culture in New York, will be held on October 15th, and will bring together food writers and scholars Paul Freedman, Laura Shapiro, Krishnendu Ray, and Josh Ozersky to discuss New York City's culinary past, present and future. The panel discussion will be moderated by Mitchell Davis, the Vice President of the James Beard Foundation. A small exhibit featuring some menus from the Library's collection will be put together by Yours Truly.

Finally, on Wednesday, October 29th, Alinea chef -- and James Beard Outstanding Chef of 2008 winner -- Grant Achatz will discuss science, technology, and food with Nathan Myhrvold. According to the Library's website, this event is sold out, but you can still buy tickets for the live telecast held right near the auditorium.

At a recent discussion sponsored by the Historic Districts Council on New York’s historic restaurants and bars, Matthew Postal, architectural historian and co-author of Guide to New York City Landmarks, surprised many in the audience when he mentioned that only a handful of restaurants in New York are designated as landmarks by the Landmarks Commission.

Restaurants whose interiors have been designated include the now-departed Gage and Tollner’s in downtown Brooklyn (it was recently a TGI Friday’s and may soon be a Starbucks!), the Crypt (now Wolfgang’s Steakhouse) in the old Vanderbilt Hotel on Park Avenue, the Oak Bar and Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel, the Oyster Bar in Grand Central, and the Four Seasons in the Seagram Building. Fraunces Tavern in downtown Manhattan has a landmark exterior, as do the former Child’s on Coney Island, and the Horn & Hardart Automat building on 104th and Broadway.

There seem to be quite a few other candidates worthy of landmark status, such as “21″, Peter Luger, Lombardi’s, or P.J. Clarkes. If you’re eager to see your favorite building or eatery designated, write a letter to the Landmarks Commission. Perhaps in a few years more eating and drinking institutions will get their due.

How else can one “archive” a restaurant? That’s where my landmark building comes in: We have Four Seasons menus, Horn & Hardart menus, Child’s menus, Oyster Bar menus, Oak Room menus, and Fraunces Tavern menus. Plus “21″, Peter Luger and Lombardi’s - just in case.

My refrigerator door holds a lot of stuff: butter, condiments, pickled shallots. Taking up the most real estate, however, are cheese nibs: those pieces of cheese you don’t feel justified in throwing away, but you never seem to eat again. They look okay - no visible mold - but you can never fully remember how long they’ve been sitting there. Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano I keep for adding to soup (although I often forget about that too), but the softer cheeses, the French or Spanish cheeses, those outstay their welcome.

Recently a friend was telling me about a great little recipe from Jacques Pepin’s Cuisine Economique, which puts to good use those nibs de fromage. It’s called Fromage Fort (strong cheese) and a quick search on Chowhound pointed me to a 1989 New York Times article written by Pepin with the recipe. It’s so easy and delicious and you feel great making it. Not only are you making a creamy cheese spread in about 10 seconds, but suddenly your refrigerator door seems weightless and clean again. It’s frugal gourmet, French style.

Fromage Fort
adapted from Cuisine Economique

3 or 4 peeled garlic cloves
1 lb. leftover pieces of cheese, a combination of as many hard and soft varieties as you desire
(like Brie, cheddar, Swiss, bleu, mozzarella or goat), trimmed to remove surface dryness and mold
1/2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth or a mixture of both
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt, if needed.

Place the peeled garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds, until coarsely chopped. Add the cheese, white wine (or broth), pepper, and salt (if needed) and process for 30 to 45 seconds, until the mixture is soft and creamy but not too smooth. Place in a crock, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Enough for about 50 pieces of toast.

Posted by Rebecca Federman at

Cookbook: Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells.

Why do you like it?: On my desert island there is room for lemon tart, potato and celery root gratin, leek terrine with truffles, and oxtail stew. And despite not knowing her personally, being stuck on a desert island with Patricia Wells very well might be my idea of heaven. In Bistro Cookingher recipes range from a ten minute sauté to a three day stew. The ingredients are simple and affordable. I trust each recipe to the letter. Never has she let me down. I bought the book for the desert chapter – it still has the best chocolate mousse, tarts, and poached pears ever – but quickly devoured the chapters on meats and even salads! There is also a chapter on pastry dough and stocks, which I find invaluable.

When not cooking the recipes, I find myself rereading the introductions. Wells makes each recipe personal with a story about the Parisian bistro it is from, the Provencal neighbor who taught it to her, etc. She has a respect for ingredients and traditional French cuisine that makes for a wonderful read, and the most delicious dishes.

Poires au Vin Rouge (Pears in Red Wine)
adapted from Patricia Wells’ Bistro Cooking.

Bold, beautiful, vermillion red pears, infused with a spicy, fruity sauce make one of the simplest and yet most impressive desserts. Make these a day in advance, to allow the pears to soak up all of the fragrant, spicy sauce. And use rather green, or unripe pears, or they will fall apart as they cook.

4 large or 6 very small pears, peeled with stems intact (I use red pears)
½ cup vanilla sugar
1 bottle fruity red wine, such as a good Beaujolais
½ cup crème de cassis
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 sprig of summer savory or rosemary
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 whole cloves
4 black peppercorns

In a deep nonreactive saucepan that will hold all the pears snugly, combine all of the ingredients. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the pears from time to time, so they are evenly coated. Simmer until the pears are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat; allow to cool. Transfer the pears and liquid to a serving dish. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

The Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) is a very worthwhile organization that sets out to preserve “cocktails that are endangered or even believed to be extinct.” From their home office in Pittsburgh, PA, LUPEC’s aims are not only to resurrect vintage cocktails, but to also advise on how to be a “really excellent bartender.” They hold regular meetings, such as Cinco de Mayo: Revolution, Feminism and Tequila! (the minutes are online), and their website features cocktail recipes, member bios, and polls measuring the favorite time of day to enjoy a cocktail.

Meanwhile, back in New York, we have the Dames of Beef. While the Dames also enjoy a stiff drink, their “meetings” take place in the restaurants of a departed era in New York City history. Restaurants where one receives “sides” with their main course, and perhaps even a salad to start. The group began in 2003 by friends who shared a love of the 1940s and ’50s, old-school New York, and sought it out in the modern city. Many of the first restaurants they went to were steakhouses, hence The Dames of Beef: Keens, Frankie & Johnnie’s, etc. According to a 2006 article about the group in the New York Times, the group consists of 12 women, and unfortunately has initiated a ‘no new members rule’.

In that case, I think it’s time to start a New York LUPEC chapter.

The Lily
1/3 dry gin
1/3 Creme de Noyau
1/3 Lillet
1 dash lemon juice
Stir with ice and strain into a glass.

(For more New York “Dame” flavor, check out Maeve Brennan’s The Long-Winded Lady.)

While it doesn’t necessarily look like apple season outside, it is already upon us. Early September is apparently the best time for picking apples and upstate New York is full of Pick-Your-Own spots. According to a recent New York Times article, this year’s weather has helped produce juicy, sweet apples, “almost like a good wine” but because of immigration crack-downs and the steep fines for hiring illegal immigrants, there are not enough workers at the orchards to get these apples to markets.

The web is filled with information on various orchards throughout the state, and the Hudson Valley Network has a nice foliage guide that’s worth a look through. There is also an official U.S. Apple Association that has a ton of information on all things apple, including medical studies, Food Network specials, and festivals.

The Library has plenty of cookbooks related to apple cooking, but there are also wonderful recipes in general cookbooks, such as Suzanne Goin’s Sunday Suppers at Lucques or The New York Times Cookbook.

This autumn I do have my eye on one particular apple recipe. It’s a macaroni and cheese with apples, very similar to the Swiss Alpler Magrone. I might as well have the recipe stuck to my fridge with a big red circle around it as I wait for the temperature outside to dip below 65 degrees. I saw it listed on the menu at Moto, a slick, tasty restaurant in Williamsburg. But that was back in hot, early August and I just couldn’t get myself to order it. Hopefully it’s a dish worth waiting for.

Swiss Macaroni and Melted Gruyere and Apple Compote
(adapted from Christopher Idone’s Apples: A Country Kitchen Cookbook)

5 firm, sweet apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp sugar
6 tbsp butter (unsalted)
1 tbsp oil
4-5 medium onions, sliced thin
1 lb elbow macaroni
10-11 oz. Gruyere, grated
5 tbsp chives, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Saute apples, lemon, and sugar over low heat until apples are soft. Set aside and keep warm. In skillet put 3 tbsp butter, and oil over medium-high heat. Saute onions until golden brown and crisp. Meanwhile, prepare macaroni per package instructions. Drain macaroni and toss with remaining butter and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve macaroni with onions and chives on top and apple compote on the side.

Claudia Roden is the subject of Jane Kramer’s wonderful profile in this week’s food-themed New Yorker. Roden is an expert in many cuisines and her cookbooks are essentially fail-proof. I use her Book of Middle Eastern Food all the time, as well as the encyclopedic Book of Jewish Food. The latter covers both Ashkenazic and Sephardic cuisine in detail, and is also a wonderful history of Jewish cultures from around the world. Her most recent book, Arabesque, is gorgeous and is a new addition to the Library’s collection.My favorite Roden recipe comes from the Book of Middle Eastern Food, and it couldn’t be simpler to make. It’s a classic Turkish egg dish called Cilbir. I found a beautiful photograph (and nearly identical recipe) of the dish at Almost Turkish - a food blog of Turkish cuisine.

Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs with Yogurt
(adapted from A Book of Middle Eastern Food)
6 eggs
1T. vinegar
Salt
1 1/4 - 2 c. yogurt
4T. butter
1T. paprika

Use fresh eggs. Poach them in the usual way. A good method for poaching eggs is to dip them, still in their shells, in boiling water for a few seconds so as to set a thin layer of the white nearest the shell. This will prevent the egg white from spreading too much. Break each egg into a cup and slide into another pan of boiling water to which a tablespoon of vinegar and some salt have been added. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it, covered, for 4 minutes. Then remove the eggs with a perforated spoon. Do not attempt to poach more than 2 eggs at a time.
Arrange the poached eggs on a hot serving dish.
Beat the yogurt with salt (I add a clove or two of minced garlic as well -RF) and pour some over each egg. Melt the butter and stir in the paprika. Dribble over the yogurt and serve.

It’s been a while since I posted any cocktail recipes, but since Frank Bruni just gave two stars to one of my favorite restaurants, I thought I’d honor Franny’s by posting a recipe for a Brooklyn. They serve a delicious one at Franny’s, so my brother reverse engineered the recipe to make an equally delicious one at home. Like many cocktails, recipes vary. The Official Mixer’s Manual recipe (1934) uses rye and dry vermouth. But I can’t vouch for that recipe. I can vouch for this.The Brooklyn
2 oz. bourbon (We use Maker’s Mark, or go to LeNell’s for something unique.)
3/4 oz. lemon sour (recipe below)
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
Shake ingredients w/ ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into tumbler with a few ice cubes. Top with pinch of lemon zest. Or serve up in a cocktail glass. Maraschino cherry optional.

Lemon Sour: Heat sugar and water in a 2:1 ratio until the sugar has dissolved. Take off heat and allow to cool. Mix with equal amount of lemon juice. Pour into jar and chill in fridge. It keeps for a while, and is great in a variety of drinks.

According to a short piece in Publisher’s Weekly, two new cookbook stores have opened on the East Coast. In Boston, chef Barbara Lynch has opened Stir, which features titles in cookery, wine, culinary history and food science. In addition to the bookstore, Stir also offers classes in their demonstration kitchen. Some of the September class listings include: Oysters and Wine, and the Cocktail Meets Plum.In Portland, Maine, Don Lindgren and Samantha Hoyt Lindgren have opened Rabelais. The store features a wide variety of culinary texts including rare and out-of-print works, new cookbooks, and prints and photographs. Don was a rare book dealer for many years, and his wife Samantha worked as a photo editor and pastry chef in New York and Maine. Their website features detailed book listings and a wonderful blog.

In New York, Kitchen Arts and Letters reigns supreme. They have everything from brand new releases, to foreign titles and esoteric works. You won’t be able to leave without buying something. And if buying is not your thing, there is always the Library….

Although I’m not one to read too much into coincidence, I would like to point out that Julia Child and I share a birthday: August 15th. So while I was chowing down on hamburgers and buffalo wings, Julia, no doubt, was eating Dover sole in culinary heaven shaking her head at my American ways.

The Library has a large collection of Julia’s works, both by and about her, including the very recent biography Julia Child by culinary historian Laura Shapiro. The two-volume set of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (first editions, no less) are available along the shelves in the Main Reading Room, side-by-side with Julia’s tome The Way to Cook. My Life in France, Julia’s collaboration with her nephew Alex Prud’homme, is also in the stacks and, in my humble (Leo) opinion, is one of the most enjoyable reads of the past few years.

Although the Library doesn’t have the DVD set of PBS series The French Chef, a rental is highly recommended. You may not be able to watch all episodes in one sitting, but “The Omelet Show” is worth multiple viewings alone.

There are also some wonderful websites devoted to her life and kitchen, with especially moving tributes following her death in 2004. The Schlesinger Library in Cambridge is the proud holder of her papers, as well as Child’s cookbook collection which she donated to the Schlesinger in 1990. In addition to Julia’s papers, they also house the papers of Simone Beck and Avis De Voto, who was instrumental in getting Mastering published.

And finally, the Library will have a special event on October 10th called Julia Child in America. The panel will include Molly O’Neill, Dan Barber, Laura Shapiro, and David Kamp. Moderated by Melanie Rehak. Tickets are 15 dollars.

Bon Appetit!

Andrea Buman
Mother/Photo Editor
New York, NY

Cookbook: Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl

Why do you like it?: It’s not only a memoir, it also includes her favorite recipes from important times in her life. Ms. Reichl is an amazing story teller and she knows a thing or two about food. The recipe for fried chicken is worth the long prep time.

Favorite Recipe:
Claritha’s Fried Chicken

2 1/2 to 3lb chicken, cut up
Salt
3 cups buttermilk
2 onions, sliced thin
1 cup flour
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup butter

Put chicken pieces in bowl and cover with salt. Let sit for 2 hours.
Remove chicken from salt, wash well, and put into a bowl with buttermilk and sliced onions. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Place flour, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a paper bag and shake to combine. Drain chicken one piece at a time and put in bag. Shake to coat thoroughly. Place on waxed paper. Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated.
Leave for 1/2 hour to dry out and come to room temperature.
Melt shortening and butter in large skillet over high heat, add chicken pieces, and cover pan. Lower heat and cook 10 minutes. Turn and cook, uncovered, 8 minutes for breasts, 12 minutes for dark meat.
Test for doneness by piercing thigh; juices should run clear.
Serves 4