My husband got me the best gift this year--a two-day class at the French Culinary Institute in NYC! All our plans are in place, we have hotel reservations and dinner with friends and theater tickets...and we get a call yesterday that the class is cancelled. BOO.

But do we cancel our trip? Hell to the no! We soldier on. And find a new class to take! Slightly smaller, more intimate and hands on--and all about pickles.

That's right, pickles. They're not just those limp, yellow-died spears of ex-cucumber anymore! You can pickle just about any vegetable, and some fruits too, with very interesting, delicious effects. I've been curious about the process for a while, and now I'm going to unlock its mysteries with Bob McClure's class! Can't wait. I'll definitely report back on what I learn, and maybe share a recipe or two.

What's the cooking technique you're most interested in mastering?

Posted by Louisa Edwards at 11:03 AM 0 comments  

Labels: New York

It's so good to be enjoying my favorite island getaway: Manhattan! Landed at LaGuardia last night and immediately ran into the longest cab line in the history of ever. But that's okay, because I'm home!

I slipped back into my city skin fairly easily; jumpstarted the process by taking the F train to West 4th. Oy. But it was all worth it to get to my fabulous sushi dinner at a hole-in-the-wall joint on West 23rd! I had chirashi so beautiful and succulent that I couldn't pause long enough to get a picture. The salmon was buttery and delicious, the toro tuna melted on my tongue, and the sushi rice was warm and tangy. My friend and I followed it up with a hike around Chelsea looking for the perfect Ben & Jerry's ice cream to take back to his apartment, where we discussed video games, comics, love, relationships, boys, and writing.

Today, Meg and I are heading upstate to the Culinary Institute of America, where I will pester culinary students with inane questions and sample their cooking at one of the CIA restaurants. Yay! Report tomorrow.

Side note: Meg, the best friend evah, just brought me a plum ginger scone from Two Little Red Hens bakery. Oh. My. God.

Posted by Louisa Edwards at 10:22 AM 4 comments  

Labels: CIA, New York, research, travel

Had to share. This is one of Frank Bruni's final restaurant reviews for the New York Times before he retires from the field. I like the way he writes about the progress of Eleven Madison Park over time; he touches on the fact that while restaurants used to get better the longer they were open, now the amount of scrutiny and publicity surrounding openings means that often, they're putting their best foot forward during the first few months. But once that circus moves on to a new opening, the still relatively new restaurant starts to slide.

Not the case at Eleven Madison Park, apparently. Take a look at this audio slideshow and see if you don't start googling cheap flights to New York, just to have the chance to eat there. I ate breakfast not an hour ago (lovely currant tea scones out of the Gourmet cookbook) and I'm sitting here wiping drool off my chin.

Posted by Louisa Edwards at 8:58 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Eleven Madison Park, food, food porn, Frank Bruni, New York