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Cooking Drinking Eating Experiences Food The Chef Wine

Unico

I am a February baby, and trying to figure out how to celebrate the big 40 can be a challenge.  I decided on several small celebrations, rather than a blow out gala or trip to a foreign land.  First up was a lunch with close foodie friends, gentlemen who I have known for over ten years, eaten delicacies at home, restaurants, and through many travels. We have formed our own homage to a gastronomic club like those in San Sebastian, called the Grand Crew.  There are women in this club too, but for this leg of the event, due to the limitations of time and wine quantity, the guest list was four herbs and a bottle.

It is often a task to figure out when to drink expensive wine that you’ve been cellaring, and we often try too hard to wait to open wine, when a simple occasion with friends and loved ones will do .    Not so much for a 40th birthday, the sky is the limit.  I learned from my good friend Jay, whom I have shared many a birthday bottle with, a gift from his father, who had enough foresight to buy several bottles of his son’s birth year to present as a gift when he reached the tender age of twenty one, allowing for maximum aging and enjoyment.  My father only drinks Dominican rum, and so I have sought out some wines from 1970 myself. Luckily for me, 1970 was good for Bordeaux, Barolo,  Barbaresco, Rioja, and Ribera del Duero.

The crown of my collection is a 1970 Vega Sicilia Unico, considered one of the greatest wines ever crafted in Spain and the world, and I planned the whole meal around it.  Every year I ask my grandparents and mother to make several delicacies I have enjoyed my whole life, without which there would be much less joy.  The menu was simple and complimentary to what I though the Vega Sicilia would taste like.  Pork liver pate from Dickson’s Farmstand, lamb kibbe and mechie, Middle Eastern-Haitian staples, celebratory food in the Marcelin household, a real family project and production for preparation and execution.

Kibbe is composed of ground lamb and bulgur wheat, with spices and herbs shaped into torpedoes or patties, and can be eaten raw or deep fried.  I cannot live without them.  Mechie is stuffed cabbage, grape leaves, and eggplant, filled with a rice and beef mixture, often spiced with scotch bonnet peppers.

Now that the menu was set, other wines had to be considered. El Capitan brought a white, and wanted to bring a Champagne.  In my absolute anticipation of the Unico, I could not think clearly, and only asked for he white, a grave error, especially for a Champagne whore such as myself!  But we survived, being consoled by a tremendous Chablis from Dauvissat, a 1999 premier cru, “La Forest”, brimming with exuberance, almost too delicious for its own good, not allowing for time to appreciate, bestow compliments and evolve in the glass.  The middle wine was a gift from Maria Jose of Lopez de Heredia, who I visited this past summer in La Rioja, and generously sent me home with two ‘64’s, both Bosconia and Tondonia.  This would be the wine to lead up to the Unico, as I was careful not to drink them side by side begging for comparison, as both are outstanding wines in their own right.

I played Haitian music throughout the meal, and that accompanied with our friendship and the amazing food, caused dancing in the seat, especially after we sipped the ’64 LDH, a gorgeous, floral, feminine beauty, standing up to the spiciness of the kibbe, and enhancing our appreciation of it.  We were drinking the Bosconia, which Maria Jose swears is more masculine in style than the Tondonia, and that the bottling choice was a mistake they never chose to correct.  I can’t wait to try the Tondonia to corroborate her story.  I know she is the winemaker, but all Bosconias I have tasted in the past seem feminine to me, and all Tondonias, more masculine.

The kibbe was the best I had ever tasted.  I went to Dickson’s Farmstand for all the meat, which added a brightness to each bite, the lamb bringing the dish to the next level.  The mechie was delicate, steaming and nuanced were the flavors, built from slow simmering.

Then we opened the Vega Sicilia Unico, which was an indescribable wine.  It was elusive, powerful yet finessed, not young or old, ageless.  I have actually been thinking about how to describe this wine for several days now, and have come no closer to understanding its seduction.  It is easily the greatest wine of my memory, a real masterpiece.  Its flavor profile is just delicious, and talking about this wine in an academic way is to dishonor the spirit of this wine, which promotes a feeling of being very special just by drinking it.

We had some wine left in the glass for the Vacherin Mont d’Or, easily my favorite cheese in the world, consumed in minutes, raw milk unctuous creaminess sopped up with a filone from Grand Daisy, followed by chocolate covered almonds from Jacques Torres.                                          

The jubilee was at a zenith when I opted for the Cohibas and Havana Club, even Dr. L. and Jay could not refuse, an absolutely perfect pairing, sending us into a dizzying frenzy of euphoria, blunting our palate so as not to drink more vintage wine, thankfully what a defense.

Somehow I made it to Pata Negra later that evening, high on life and happy to see friends and new clients at my place of business.  I was surprised to receive another gift from Maria Jose, delivered to my door during the day, all handled secretly by the lovely Chris, the charming mademoiselle who you will find working the room at Pata Negra when I am not around.  I remember having a conversation about drinking birth year wines very casually, and she offered to send me a 1970 LDH.  I didn’t think on it until the bottle was in my hand, a Tondonia.  She is most gracious for the gift, and I felt blessed to have such fine friends and family all who have showered me with gifts throughout my life.  I am truly grateful.

At 40 I have learned something important from that Unico, that age is just a number, that we should strive to be like a great wine, elegant, powerful, indescribable, delicious and timeless.

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The Chef

Haiti, Cheri

The previous decade contained much catastrophe and started on a very ominous event, September 11th.  I was a schoolteacher back then, and I remember starving for information as my fellow educators and I tried to remain calm for the children, dismissing them to their families one by one.  There were no televisions to catch any news, and the information about the extent of the damage was difficult to ascertain.  I recall being home that evening and the following day glued to the set, trying to comprehend the madness of it all, returning to work a day later with children who due to demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, were basically “untouched” by the tragedy.  I had lost a friend who was working at Cantor Fitzgerald, and New York was no longer a safe place, or at the least, shielded from terror.

Fast forward to a new decade which promises to be better, especially under the leadership of President Obama, and not two weeks into the new year a massive earthquake rocks Haiti, more personal to me because my mother was born there, and several relatives on my grandmother’s side still live in this, the most beleaguered of Caribbean isles.  Now my stubborn relatives who choose to remain in the glorious hills of Haiti may be at peril, their refusal to leave cheri Haiti sealing their fates.

Unlike 2001, I am in front of the television, and the shock of the available footage is palpable.  I am not sure I am better off then when I was kept in the dark at school with little information.  The sadness and worry is great.

It is difficult to comprehend why a people such as the Haitians suffer so.  I know that other peoples go through catastrophe, war and tragedy.  But it just seems that every time there is quiet on the other side of Hispaniola, the heavens deal a raw hand, an insurmountable calamity.

Much has been said about the resilience of the Haitian people, most of whom live in absolute poverty.  They are tough and proud and have a tremendous will to live.  It makes me think of my grandparents who fled the Duvalier regime at its apex, how the United States became a haven for my family and how I would not be here today save for that opportunity.  It is and always will be the foremost reason why this country can achieve greatness.  America was founded by immigrants and continues to thrive on immigrants.  We are the most international of places on this planet.

And now aid is flooding in, quickly, unlike during Hurricane Katrina, and the President is showing the compassion and empathy of the United States, a true measure of why leadership is paramount, and why this decade will be different than the last.

I remember fondly an article in the New York Times Dining In section in November 2005, featuring a cherished family recipe, the Haitian turkey, and how proud I am to be part Haitian (my father is Dominican, my grandmother Palestinian).  I recall the emails I received from Haitians from all over the country and Haiti, expressing joy and pride and thanks that Haiti was being displayed in a positive light for once, not the despair that is often associated with its people.

I have a resolution to try to finish a family cookbook, a long time project of mine, one which I generally find excuses and procrastination for.    But as I finish a plate of gateau de pommes de terre, shepherd’s pie, while watching the deluge on screen, I am filled with resolve to bring something positive about the Haitian culture and people to light.  I wish I could send trays of gateau to Haiti, and am anxious to have these recipes published to help feed the soul of a people who just won’t quit.

My thoughts and prayers to all the families of Haiti.  Let there be light.

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The Chef

2010 – Here we come!

Reflecting on 2009, a year of maintenance and frugality, hardships and reevaluation, not without a few bright spots and minor triumphs. Celebrate what is good in your life now, have hope in the positive that will come, and have faith in your resolve, having survived an inauspicious year.

Drink well, eat great, find little reasons to celebrate life, victories small and large, and above all share with families and friends.

Thank you for visiting Pata Negra, sharing in my thoughts, and mental support I have received in 2009.

Drink life!  Eat Life!

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Drinking Recipes The Chef

Eggnoggin’

The holidays are upon us, and seeking out the right wines to serve with holiday meals become my primary focus, as well as some well deserved proper cocktails at some of my favorite city haunts.  Recently at Apotheke, located in Chinatown, whose cocktail list is designed by a Venezuelan consultant known for aggressive flavor profiles, I imbibed on a tomato basil libation, which sounds like a salad, but was understated.  Clean tomato, then a hint of fresh basil, surprising and effective.  I am no mixologist, save for a proper sidecar, so I need to make a holiday drink for me that is not too taxing and for the masses.

Enter eggnog, a milk and egg drink spiked with brandy or Madeira, one of the true gifts from our neighbors across the Atlantic.  Eggs and milk were very expensive during the 18th century, brandy too, so rum from the Caribbean became a natural, cost-effective substitute.  But New Americans soon switched to whiskey and bourbon, anchoring the eggnog of present day.

Good recipes travel fast, as our Mexican neighbors have a version called rompope. Originally made by the nuns of Puebla, vanilla flavoring is added and extra egg yolks, imparting a more yellowish color.  In East Harlem, at a cakery called Pasteles Capy, the Dorado family have a rompope flavored version that would sweeten any holiday table.

Heading to El Caribe, the center of rum production, variations of these eggnogs became traditional national beverages.  In Puerto Rico, the Borinquen version resides in the coquito, made with coconut and condensed milk, spiced by cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In Haiti, the drink is called kremas, comprised of creamed coconut and often evaporated milk, which is less expensive than condensed or regular milk.  Aside from cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, anise is also added.  The following is my family recipe:

Kremas Recipe

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
2 cans evaporated milk
4 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 can cream of coconut
1 Vanilla Bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 star anise
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 cups Haitian rum like Barbancourt

Instructions:
In a large sauce pot, add all ingredients. Whisk until well incorporated. Bring to a simmer and stir until mixture thickens. Cool down mixture for 15 minutes.  Add mixture to blender for thirty seconds.  Pour into large glass container with a lid and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Serve cold.

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Drinking Eating Experiences Food The Chef

Tribeca Falling

Having spent a week in my second adopted neighborhood in New York, Tribeca, I have noticed some subtle changes in the restaurant landscape.

More than ever, at night, it is quiet, and that can be directly related to the Triburbia effect, meaning the rising number of stay at home moms with strollers who have traded in late night dinners for lunch/shopping.

Many restaurants have closed, most notably Chanterelle and Danube, and there are more empty spaces now than I can remember, testifying to the rising rents everywhere.  The quality of some existing restaurants have slipped too. Old standbys like Tribeca Grill and The Odeon have not kept up with the times, serving mediocre food for unjustified prices, and the basic grub stops such as Edward’s or Petite Abeille, or Max, might as well be located in the Upper East Side.  It’s a bad sign when a chain comes along, like Dean’s pizza, further signifying a changing of the guard.  More Duane Reades, banks and chain stores like Subway.  I had a few recent meals at Bouley Upstairs and Blau Gans, and although the meals were fine, they were not up to par compared to past experiences.  I am still wondering about Nobu’s consistency.

The Little American Place, Kitchenette, Mangez avec Moi have all had changes in their food, I feel, and the void for cuisine ethnic and exciting has not been filled.

There is still a proliferation of Italian restaurants, mostly overpriced and antiquated.  This is pasta better off made at home.  There isn’t a decent burger in sight, maybe Landmark, and the steakhouses Wolfgang’s and the Palm, are not first choices for a fab cut of beef. Megarestos like Megu, Matsugen, and Ninja, still seem to stay open somehow.  Thank goodness Chinatown is so near.

Newcomers like Bar Artisanal and Locanda Verde are trying to fill the void, but my recent trips to these bars proved fatefully malserviced, coupled with uninspired, small portioned food.  The perennial brunch pleaser, Bubby’s is trying to become a late night destination.  Alas early on a Sunday night, they were out of the ribs.  I guess they are trying to fill the void left by Florent’s closing, picking up a weary Soho crowd.  Bouley Market is trying to be a wine bar at night, but the space is simply not conducive to this conversion.  I still enjoy the Japanese small plates at B Flat, a jazz mecca with fine cocktails, and have yet to give Macao Trading Co. a second chance.  Visits to Macao upon opening left me confused.

At the moment Tribeca still seems like a good destination for lunch, from the Bangladesh eateries closer to the courthouses to the Korean fried chicken at Bon Chon, including several pubs that are open for lunch offering good pub fare.  There are a couple of bars on the clandestine side, not speakeasy, but hard to find.  77 Warren might have the right vibe and feel, but their hours are not set in stone.

Pastries are still good at Duane Street Patisserie and Bouley Market, but when will real artisanal coffee arrive?  Stumptown, Counter Culture, anyone?

I still enjoy Tribeca, and will continue too seek out good quality food there, but in the meanwhile, it’s Winnie’s, NY Noodletown, Big Wong, Fuleen’s, and Grand Sichuan for me.