30 June 2008

The Perfect Bowl of Soup

The Green Table at Chelsea Market.

Those long hours between lunch and dinner can be very excruciating without some delicious food to keep you going. After hours of perusing the market this past weekend, we decided to have some "snacks" at the Green Table in order to quell our hunger. The first thing on the menu that caught my eye were the Duck and Cherry Dumplings. There were five dumplings to a portion and the succulent bits of duck mingled beautifully with poached sour cherries. We also had a chilled Fennel and Coriander soup. I cafefully blew on my spoon to cool off the soup, forgetting that it was served cold. The suprise of the coldness mixed with the incredible, slightly gritty taste of the soup was unforgettable! We could not get enough of the soup -we carefully stared at spoons of it, trying to guess all of the ingredients used. Alas, we were not told the recipe but the memory of the glorious green soup will remain in our thoughts.

29 June 2008

A Day in Chelsea Market

Phile Girl and NYC Girl together again! In the turmoil of the city, Chelsea market is my Happy Place, and Phile had yet to see it. We spent a glorious four hours among the food shops, having endless samples of chocolate, wine, and cheese. A dark chocolate bar with macadamia nuts and a gentle hot cayenne pepper kick in the back of your throat after its melted in your mouth. Who knew that parmigiano reggiano has a pineapple aftertaste? Phile girl does not like cheese to taste like fruit. "I found it unsettling. I prefer the pungent, bold flavors that a brine washed cheese typically have. Cheeses that smell like cave...or barnyard!"
Just between you and us, gentle reader, there is an incredible Argentinian Malbec, a limited edition of only 4500 bottles: Hacienda DL Plata, the 2004 Reserve. It isn't too jammy, very subtle red fruits, and some great spice on the nose.
Up next: The Green Table