Eat First

Say hello to Consuela’s West Side Taqueria and BBQ

Most of the time, we choose restaurants based on the food.

Sometimes, though, we choose to visit a place out of curiosity – and because we want to support it and see it succeed. And because of the food.

Such is the case with Consuela’s. In November, funeral director and neighborhood booster Jan Maloff opened a taqueria and barbecue restaurant on the Near West Side of Syracuse. It is his hope, he has said, that it become a gathering place for residents and families in a traditionally underserved part of Syracuse, many of who don’t have cars.

I visited Consuela’s for lunch recently and hope you’ll check it out, too.

THE VIBE: Casual, comfortable and colorful. The dining room has about 8 tables, mostly for parties of four or six. The walls are bright green, the tables and chairs bright red and purple. Eclectic artisan accents add to the vibrancy.

THE MENU: Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican items, like tacos, burritos, empanadas and quesadillas, plus barbecue, with most items priced $6 to $8. Fried haddock is available Fridays only.

CHOWING DOWN: On seeing the house-made taco bowls that hold hearty main-dish salads, I knew what I would be having. Items are prepared taqueria style at the counter and options are abundant. Besides shredded barbecue chicken, my salad bowl contained rice and black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, diced pepper and onions, sliced jalapenos and olives, plus salsa, sour cream and guacamole -- and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Can you say filling? I made a good dent in the bowl, but couldn’t finish it.

WHAT’S A VEGETARIAN GOING TO FIND? Items like the tacos, burritos and salad bowls are available vegetarian, with beans (black or pinto) and rice, plus your choice of veggies and condiments.

LIQUID ASSETS: Consuela’s does not have a liquor license; you can bring your own wine and beer. For now, the drink selections are limited to bottled water, Goya fruit juices and sodas and coffee. 

THE DAMAGES: $10 plus change for the salad and a bottle of water, plus $1 for the tip jar.

THE NEXT TIME: I’m bringing a dining mate, for sure, so we can sample several things off the menu, like fish tacos and empanadas. Or empanadas and a quesadilla. Definitely empanadas!

CLOSING THOUGHTS: I was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the staff, who not only made my chicken taco bowl salad precisely to order, but checked in several times to make sure I was pleased with my food. I was!

THE DETAILS: Consuela’s is at 523 Marcellus St., Syracuse, two blocks off West Fayette Street. Information: 474-8226. WiFi is available.

 

Got candy canes? Peppermint Bark, CNY-style

Peppermint Bark and I got to be fast friends when I worked at the Williams-Sonoma store at Carousel Center in Syracuse two Christmases ago.

Every day, we’d pull out a tin or two of the bark, break it into smaller pieces and share samples with customers coming into the store. When no one was looking, we’d pop a piece in our mouths and savor the minty, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-y goodness.

Grow tired of it? If only.  One co-worker amassed a pile of bark bits from the bottom of the tins and took them home to serve over ice cream. Waste not.

This year, inspired by seasonal favorite homemade peppermint candy canes from Hercules Candy Co. in East Syracuse and a small bottle of peppermint oil, I decided to try my hand at Peppermint Bark at home.

It’s easy to make, utterly delicious and turned out to be a well-received gift.

Got leftover candy canes? Here’s a way to use them up.

You will need:

16 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

12 ounces white chocolate, chopped

½ teaspoon peppermint oil

3 ounces crushed candy canes (or peppermint swirl hard candies)

Place a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Melt dark chocolate over low heat in a double boiler or in a pan set over hot water until it just melts. Stir in peppermint oil. Spread chocolate on paper-lined sheet into an oval or rectangle about 8 inches by 11 inches. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature then move it to the refrigerator for about an hour.

Follow the same procedure to melt the white chocolate. When white chocolate is melted, mix in about half of the crushed candy canes. Using a spatula and working quickly, gently spread the white chocolate over the dark chocolate. Sprinkle remaining crushed candy canes on top, pressing it in gently using the back of a spatula or soup spoon.

Refrigerate the bark until hardened, then break it into chunks (I did this using a paring knife, inserting the knife into the chocolate and whacking the knife handle lightly with a small hammer to break the chocolate into odd-size pieces). The recipe makes enough for five or six small gift packages.

Note:  This recipe was made using Ghirardelli semisweet and white chocolate bars. 

Time to make the cookies!

A classic Dunkin’ Donuts commercial shows Fred the Baker rolling out of bed and trudging to work, sleepy-eyed, in pre-dawn darkness.  “Time to make the donuts, time to make the donuts,’’ he mumbles as he suits up for the day.

It’s been like that for the few weeks here, except the baked goods in question are cookies – Christmas cookies of all shapes, sizes and persuasions. Cookies that keep us up late at night and get us up early in the morning.

We say “Time to make the cookies’’ with enthusiasm -- most of the time. Making cookies isn’t a chore, unless you erroneously add an extra stick of butter to a recipe and have to make the cookies all over again.

Or the cookies don’t come out quite as you imagined they would, and you start questioning your baking skills and whether you should share said cookies. 

But I digress.

I received a copy of “The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Cookie Recipe Each Year, 1941-2009,’’ from my sister, Anne, for Christmas last year, and that little book has been my constant companion this baking season.

I’ve read it front to back, like a novel, and made several recipes from it for gift-giving, interspersed with a couple of old favorites.

These are Kourambiedes, a Greek butter cookie made with (gulp!) an entire pound of butter.

I would make them again, adding more ground nuts (almonds), more booze (Grand Marnier), a splash of almond extract and more powdered sugar on top. The cookies themselves contain just a half-cup of powdered sugar.

They’re pretty Plain Jane, a cookie to be savored with coffee or tea. Prepare to brush powdered sugar off your clothes as you bite into them.

These are Speculaas (Saint Nicholas Cookies), a traditional Dutch cookie loaded with spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ground anise seed – with slivered almonds pressed into their tops before baking. I cut them in rectangles, as prescribed in the recipe, but you can use any small cutter. A robust ginger cookie is a must-have at Christmastime, and these are a keeper.

These are Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls.  They’re a little bit fussy to make, but the return on investment is that they are a refrigerator cookie: Roll up the dough smeared with luscious, fragrant fruit into a big, fat log and refrigerate it until you a ready to slice and bake. The triple-wrapped dough cylinder was in the freezer for more than three weeks and suffered no ill consequences. I’m delighted with the final product and know I will be making this recipe again – and again.

As for the Classics: It wouldn’t be Christmas without All-Occasion Cut-Outs (recipe here) and World Peace Cookies (recipe here).

Gotta go now. Time to make the cookies!

 

Home for the holidays: Two CNY book signings for Chef Anne Burrell

Celebrity chef Anne Burrell, host of Food Network’s “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef’’ and “Worst Cooks in America,’’ will be in her native Central New York this week to sign copies of her new book, “Cook Like a Rock Star.’’

First stop is the DeWitt Wegmans, on East Genesee Street, for a book signing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21.

On Thursday, she'll be at a place close to her heart, Flowers on Main Street in Cazenovia, for a second book signing (6 to 7:30 p.m.). The shop is owned by Anne’s mother, Marlene Burrell.

The Cazenovia book signing will be followed by a “meet and greet’’ reception with the chef and author at Circa, a restaurant and local food market at 76 Albany St.

Circa chef-owner Alicyn Hart and chef Burrell will serve Prosecco cocktails and appetizers and small plates from “Cook Like a Rock Star.’’

“The book is dedicated to her mother,’’ says Hart, a friend of Anne Burrell and her family. “So it’s a special signing, I would say.’’

Admission to the reception is $40 per person, with 10 percent of proceeds to benefit CazCares, a food pantry and clothing closet serving low-income residents of Cazenovia and Madison County. For more information on the book signing and reception, call Circa at 315-655-8768.

Burrell will also participate in the Iron Fork Syracuse fundraiser for the Rescue Mission on Jan. 29, 2012. For more information on that event, click here.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake: the second time’s the charm

Every Christmas season has its misadventures: the gift thoughtfully purchased in July that can’t be located when you're ready to wrap it. The string of bulbs that worked when you tested them but won’t light on the tree. The cookies that crumble as you’re lifting them from the baking sheet.

The Guinness Stout Ginger Cake that fails to rise properly. Ah, yes. Robert was excited to make this dessert for Christmas dinner last year, but inadvertently omitted the baking powder when assembling the cake’s dry ingredients. The result was a short Stout cake rather than a tall one.

He re-baked it in the wee small hours of Christmas morning, bless his heart. But not before a shopping expedition for Guinness Stout in Bridgeport, NY – a one-stoplight and three-convenience store village -- on Christmas Eve.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake is a grand dessert, as memorable for its flavor and presentation as it is for the story behind it. It’s full-bodied in texture and a little outspoken in taste, thanks to molasses, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cloves and cardamom.

Looking for a festive finish to a holiday dinner party? This is it. Don't forget the baking powder!

While the cake bakes, prepare a big bowl of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Grammercy Tavern Guinness Stout Ginger Cake

You will need:

1 cup Guinness Stout

1 cup molasses

½ teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh gingerroot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan.

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the stout and molasses and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the baking soda. Allow to sit until the foam dissipates.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars. Whisk in the oil.

In a separate bowl, which together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom.

Combine the stout mixture with the egg mixture, then whisk the liquid into the flour mixture, half at a time. Add the fresh ginger and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Do not open the oven until the gingerbread is almost done or the center will fall slightly. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 12 servings.

 

CNY loses a great chef: RIP, Brian Shore

I will remember Brian Shore for his Chocolate Tower, a dessert he made famous at the Arad Evans Inn, in Fayetteville: Hand-made from with dark chocolate, filled with chocolate mousse, garnished with spun sugar… What a grand, over-the-top, finale for a meal!

I will also remember Brian for one of his signature salads: spring greens, red grapes and candied walnuts, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese. We make a copycat version often, but it somehow lacks the flair that came to Brian so naturally.

Brian was found dead at his home Dec. 1, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Syracuse police said. He was 50.

His loss is a huge one for the culinary community in Central New York: purveyors, chefs, students and diners.

Brian worked as a chef at several of Central New York’s finest restaurants, including the Brewster Inn in Cazenovia and Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles, and most notably at the Arad Evans Inn. He worked there for three years, before turning his sights south of Syracuse and opening his own restaurant, Kettle Lakes, in Tully, in 1999.

Brian poured his heart and soul into Kettle Lakes for more than six years, wowing diners with his seafood creations, nightly specials and locally sourced and seasonally inspired fare like free-range chicken and butternut squash bisque topped with tiny gingerbread man croutons.

Despite glowing reviews the restaurant struggled financially, and it was with a heavy heart that Shore closed it in early 2006, returning, eventually, to the Arad Evans. When I interviewed him for a story for The Good Life Central New York Magazine that spring, he nearly wept as he discussed his decision to close the restaurant.

Our paths crossed several times over the years, when I was food editor at The Post-Standard. No matter how busy he was, he never said no to requests for interviews, photos and recipes. For one story, a feature on “Salt City chefs” and their salt preferences, Brian arrived at the newspaper dragging a wagon loaded with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, coarse-grain salts and fancy fleur de sel (sea salts in a range of colors) from France.

I immediately converted to kosher salt, exclusively, in food and on food. With a ringing endorsement like that, wouldn’t you?

Dessert sampler plate by Chef Brian Shore; photos courtesy of his Facebook page

Despite the challenges of running a restaurant, Brian devoted considerable time and energy to the Syracuse chapter of the American Culinary Federation and its premier event, the Great Chefs Dinner, an annual fundraiser/gala to benefit the American Red Cross.

His passion for food and commitment to local produce and ingredients was contagious. In the bustling kitchen at Skaneateles Country Club, a few hours before the start of the 2004 edition of the Great Chefs Dinner, he took a few minutes to sing the praises of the owner/growers of Fresh Herbs of Fabius – and encourage his fellow chefs to call on them, as well.

The last time I saw Brian was in April, at Savor Syracuse, a food-tasting event to benefit the Food Bank of Central New York.

He introduced his fiancee, Katie, and spoke excitedly of the possibility of running the kitchen at The Krebs, a landmark restaurant in Skaneateles purchased by Skaneateles resident Adam Weitsman, with plans to renovate and donate restaurant proceeds to charity.

A few months later, he was hired as executive chef at the LaFayette Country Club – a project that never got off the ground.

Brian has been described as a talented and troubled soul. I can only speak for his talents and creativity and his deep appreciation for and connection to food – from those who grow it, to those who work magic with it in restaurant kitchens to those who ultimately eat it.

If there is a heaven, it surely must have an herb garden and fully-stocked kitchen. And someone is sitting down to an amazing meal prepared by Brian, using what’s seasonal, local and at hand.

RIP.

 

Still savoring delicious memories of Cape Cod

We have so many excellent food memories from our trip to Cape Cod in October:

The Portuguese soup from the famous Lobster Pot restaurant in Provincetown. Tomatoes, linguica, potatoes, kale, spices. Mmmm, mmmm good!

The trutas (delicate pastries with sweet potato filling) and other beautiful baked goods from the Portuguese Bakery down the street. Unlike any we’ve ever had before.

The fully loaded cioppino at the Chatham Squire. And the lobsters from Dennisport Lobster Co. that Robert rolled up his sleeves and prepared in our borrowed kitchen.

But the most delicious take-away from this trip is the memory of our delightful weekday brunch at Hangar B Eatery, at the teeny-tiny Chatham Airport. If every airport had food this good, air travel would be much more enjoyable!

On a sunny and breezy autumn morning, we climbed on our bicycles in Harwich Port and rode five miles east on the Cape Cod Rail Trail to the popular breakfast and lunch destination, which occupies a small spot upstairs at the airport.

There, Chef Brian Erskine, a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, holds forth – solo – in a small kitchen with all the tools of his trade in easy reach. In peak season, he prepares and plates 300 meals a day, without benefit of a sous chef.

As for his food, it’s fresh, local and creative. The coffee is from Chatham Coffee Roasters, the juice is fresh squeezed, the jams, jellies and granola are homemade, as are the baked goods, like muffins and donuts. Made fresh each morning.

Robert ordered the omelet of the day, which was stuffed with roasted tomatoes, arugula and Vermont cheddar cheese and served with well-done home fries.

I feasted on Huevos Rancheros, a Mexican breakfast I am highly unlikely to make at home. It paired fried eggs, black beans, roasted tomatoes and avocado with toasted tortillas on the side for sopping things up – or slathering with jam.

Huevos Rancheros, Hangar B style

You’ll also find pancakes and waffles on the menu, as well as healthy fare like smoothies and oatmeal. Brunch for two, with juices, coffee, tax and tip, cost about $40.

We were so impressed with this place and its talented owner and so glad we visited in the off-season, when Chef Brian gets a breather and inquisitive diners like us get a chance to bend his ear.

From Hangar B, we pedaled to downtown Chatham, strolled its streets and park and browsed its shops, before hitting the rail trail again for the ride home – and to burn off some of that brunch.

Hangar B Eatery is at the Chatham Airport, 240 George Ryder Road, Chatham, MA. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch year-round, and has outdoor seating in season. In the off-season, Hangar B is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Information: 508-593-3655.

 

 

 

Food52 redux in CNY: An evening of exceptional food -- and fellowship

 Potluck: A communal meal to which people bring food to share.

 Food52 potluck: A communal meal to which people bring exceptional  food to share.

A group of Central New York food lovers, Food52 fans and friends held a potluck dinner last weekend to celebrate the publication of  "The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks.'' The book is an outgrowth of the popular Food52.com website, which draws a half-million visitors a month.

The website was launched last year by food writers and editors Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. Their mission: Connect with and celebrate the best home cooks in the country and “create the first crowd-sourced cookbook in 52 weeks.’’

Each week, they ran recipe contests: Your best salad, your best ribs, your best chocolate cake, your best boozy drink – and so on. The  winning recipes -- everything from appetizers, soups and starters to sublime desserts -- make up the book.

For the potluck, our group of five prepared and shared seven different dishes, each from the Food52 website database.

Sara Errington made Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries (hello, Thanksgiving appetizer!) and a beautiful Apple and Endive Salad with Dates, Pomegranate, Sumac and Honey Walnut Labneh. Isn't it gorgeous?

Our host, Teri Weaver, has had several recipes featured on the Food52 website. She made Merrill’s Short Ribs With Beer and Buckwheat Honey. Savory, slightly sweet and falling-apart tender, the ribs are the epitome of winter comfort food.

Michelle Breidenbach tapped the bumper crop of winter squash in her CSA share to make Amanda's Roasted Butternut Squash. Do you find winter squash unwieldy? Watch a Food52 video, “How to Roast Any Winter Squash.’’ 

After an unfortunate incident involving squid caused her to shift gears, Maureen Green whipped up Merrill’s refreshing Radish and Escarole Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette. 

I made an easy (aside from a lot of peeling!) Roasted Carrot Soup, plus a Chocolate Bundt Cake for dessert. The carrot soup calls for just seven ingredients and has wonderful depth of flavor.

The cake uses items you have in your pantry -- no special shopping or fancy ingredients required. 

The Food52 founders, traveling the country to promote their book and take part in potluck events many times larger than ours, surprised us by sending a signed cookbook for each participant. 

Even though our lives, increasingly, are migrating away from the printed page to apps, websites and online communities like Food52 -- there is no substitute for a good, old-fashioned cookbook. 

Or a good, old-fashioned get-together.

 

 

 

Syracuse resident wins ticket to the Pride of NY Harvest Festival!

Update to Tuesday's post: Tracy Tillapaugh, of Syracuse, is the winner of the ticket to this weekend's Pride of New York Harvest Festival at the state fairgrounds -- and not just because she is so excited to attend! There were just three entries. Thanks to Maureen and Ryan for entering as well.  And stay tuned. You never know when there might be another giveaway here!

It’s that time of year again: Time to be thankful for and celebrate the harvest. 

And time to celebrate New York’s farm, field and artisan food producer bounty at the Pride of New York Harvest Festival.

This year’s Harvest Festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (November 5) and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (November 6) at the state fairgrounds, in Geddes.

There will be an array of homegrown and homemade NYS foods to tempt your taste buds: cheeses, spreads, toppings, sauces sweet and savory, cookies, mustards, muesli – you name it. There will also be wines from all corners of the state to sample.

I’m looking forward to trying/taking home and baking with locally produced, sweet cream Meadow Butter from Kriemhild Dairy Farms and picking up some of the “java-licious” dry rubs from Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters – to single out just two of the many food vendors who will be there.

Tickets to the Pride of NY Harvest Fest are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

I have in my possession one admission ticket to give away to a reader.

TO ENTER TO WIN: Leave a short and sweet comment below telling me why you’re looking forward to the fest OR how you like to eat/buy local. The giveaway is open to Central New York residents only and IMPORTANT NOTE you will need to pick up your ticket in person.

The deadline to enter is 9 a.m. Thursday and a winner will be selected at random. Good luck!

 

More Finger Lakes cheese, please!

On this Finger Lakes trail, there is no need for a designated driver. 

The Finger Lakes Cheese Trail spotlights about a dozen farmstead creameries that make hand-crafted, artisan cheeses and other dairy products. You’ll find everything from the familiar – like cheddar, gouda and Jack-style cheeses – to less familiar varieties, like chevre, a soft cheese made from goat’s milk. 

Hitting the cheese trail is a great way to taste new varieties and expand your knowledge base. Bring a cooler – and your sense of adventure. 

A sunny Saturday earlier in October brought me to the King Ferry Farmers Market and to Keeley’s Cheese Co. at McGarr Farms, on Route 34B just south of Route 90, near Cayuga Lake. 

There, Keeley McGarr takes milk from her family’s Holstein and Jersey cows and turns it into out-of-the-ordinary, Irish-style cheeses, including this lovely little wedge, called Across the Pond. 

Across the Pond is a washed-rind cheese made from raw milk, which gives the cheese depth of flavor. Its taste is slightly assertive and somewhat nutty – some might call it a stinky cheese – and its exterior is brown and nubby. The cheese is bathed in a salt brine as it ages in an underground cellar.

I’m sorry I didn’t pick up a couple wedges of Across the Pond at the Keeley’s self-serve cheese stand, because it didn’t last long at our house and I don’t know when my travels will take me back that way again.

Keeley’s Cheese Company is at 539 Route 34B, King Ferry. For hours and information on where to purchase Keeley’s cheeses, call 315-730-6872. 

The members of the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail hold open houses four times a year. The last one for this year will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 19. Find out more here.

Lastly, a group of food lovers, CNY Foodies Feast, plans a trip to Muranda Cheese Co., Waterloo, on Nov. 19. Click here for more information on the group and this cheesy-good outing.

 

McShane’s chicken: No improvements needed

Courtesy of McShane's

Update: The "Restaurant Impossible" episode featuring McShane's airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, on the Food Network.

Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible’’ and host Robert Irvine came to Central New York in August to give McShane’s Restaurant and Pub, in DeWitt, a makeover.

A crew spent several days cleaning and decluttering the place, painting, removing carpeting, intalling new flooring and otherwise enhancing and improving the place – all in an effort to increase the restaurant’s visibility and boost dinner trade.

One thing they didn’t get their hands on, according to a reliable source (our waitress, Heather) is the restaurant’s signature seasoned half-chicken.

The chicken is deep fried without embellishments – no batter or breading -- then dressed with a dry rub of “secret” ingredients: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and maybe a little chili powder, if we were to venture a guess.

The chicken is crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside – and yes, a little bit greasy. That’s OK sometimes, right? At $9.95, the chicken is good bang for the buck. It’s served with fries and coleslaw, a house salad and basket of Italian bread with garlic-herb butter. 

I never set foot in McShane’s until recently, so I can’t really address improvements in dining room aesthetics (in its past, I’m told, it was dark, dreary and carpeted).

But I can tell you the house-special chicken is a winner, and worth checking out when you’re in the neighborhood.

McShane’s is at 6801 Kinne Street, DeWitt, about two miles from Carrier Circle. Information: 315-463-9950. The “Restaurant Impossible’’ segment featuring McShane’s will air in November – no set date yet.