the breeders

last day to check out my friend theo's exhibit, facebreeder, at the architectural association in london. so go!

Park Slope Gastronome #10 - Give me something good to eat

Hey, the PSG is back! Believe me, it's not that PSG hasn't been eating, PSG has just been lazy. My belly overhang will attest to that. Last night, Margie J, Barf and I visited Little Giant on the L.E.S., where Barf's friend Eric is the chef. Little Giant is relatively new restaurant serving cheeky takes on American food, using market avabile ingredients. It's small, but cozy. I never got the sense of feeling overcrowded and having my personal space violated, something that can happen often in any restaurant. The inside decor is minimal, but not cold - the ceiling is brick, the chairs and table were made of the same blonde wood and the wall behind where we were seated housed shelves constructed out of trapezoidal pieces of wood that held everything from astute looking wooden trays to kitschy, authentic fondue pots. To start, we were treated to some free house nibbles courtesy of Chef Eric - tangy red piquillo (I think...I should have snagged a menu) peppers stuffed with goat cheese and herbs, tiny avocado salads served with bacon and shallot dressing and piece of crisped speck and some unbelieveable deviled eggs. Boy, do I love me some deviled eggs and it turned out my two dining partners love them too. I really don't think you can ruin deviled eggs, but there are ways to elevate them to new heights. In Little Giants' case, the eggs were dusted with flakes of salt (um, fluer de sel?) with such intense saline flavor. It also provided a nice contrast in texture to the mushy yolk filling. I could have easily eaten another half dozen, no problem. I wish I had some right now!

Most people would consider that to be their appetizers, but all three of us brought very healthy appetites to the restaurant. So for the next phase of our meal, we shared a portion of white and wild asparagus served with a truffled omelet as was as the graze plate. I wasn't too thrilled with the wild asparagus, the tips had a gumminess to them, not unlike that of fiddleheads (which PSG had first tried at Carroll Garden's Crave and immediately disliked), but the white asparagus was out of this world! I don't know what made them so yummy, but they definitely had more flavor than you standard green variety. The graze plate was nothing overral fancy, but it was a solid mix of such deliciousness as chorizo, manchego, proscuitto, cornichons, Marcona albums, and quince paste. I love quince paste and I think I was the only one who ate it. It was my first time trying Tête De Moine, a Swiss cheese that requires a special cutter that scrapes out little ruffles that look like oyster mushrooms. It was nutty and earthy, but since we got such a small quantity to share, it was a little difficult to really grasp the full flavor of it.

For our main course Barf and I opted for the Berkshire pork chop, while Margie J ordered the dayboat scallops served with hazelnuts and declious pea puree. Talk about baby food for adults! The pork was served bone in, and also with a large piece of fat attached. Having never had Berkshire pork before I don't know if that's one of its selling points. It certainly injects a lot of flavor into the meat as it is cooking. I have to say nibbling on the rib was the tastiest part since that's where the meat was most caramelized. Our dishes were served with sweet and sour caramelized baby onions, a cinnamon and apple smash and awesome cracklins on top! They were so crisp but not so much that it would disintegrate when you bit down on a piece.

Sadly, our double fisted attack on the appetizers left no room for desserts, which ranged from spiked egg creams and adult milk and cookies. Next time, for sure.

Oh, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the lovely house cocktails of Little Giant. I had one of the most delicious gin and tonics ever - the tonic was infused with meyer lemon and the glass served with a sprig of tarragon. Barf had a couple dark and stormys, complete with a piece of candied ginger.

that's the end?

If you haven't yet watched last night's season finale of Gilmore Girls, be warned as I divulge certain plot points that well, you are probably already aware of or guessed but just in case you haven't I'm just saying don't blame me if you wind up finding out certain things from reading this.

That off my chest, holy moly! I'm not sure what to think about this episode. Like, ok, The WB teases us for a whole week showing the faces of Luke, Lorelei, Logan and Foetus Face while pronouncing, "Someone will ask...WILL YOU MARY ME?" So we know it's coming, only there's just two minutes left to the episode and nothing has happened. I am freaking out thinking the DVR will cut off the show before the actual ending and instead of getting to the good stuff, there's an extension to the weird plot point about the bikers in the race, about them finishing hours after their expected times. Is Luke and his bat to blame for this? Why are they hours and hours behind schedule? Seriously, what are we suposed to think since the last scene we saw wtih the bikers, they were spilling all over the place as a result of doding a very angry Luke as he crossed the street to tell Taylor he no longer wanted the Twickum House.

Jump forward to minute 58. Kirk is wearing a safety suit and Taylor a really ugly screen printed shirt he made especially for the bike race and what I really want to know is if the design on the shirt is purposely to the side instead of being centered. It really bothered me. So ok, there's just 120 seconds left, how the fuck is Amy Sherman-Palladino going to tie a ribbon on this? But then she does, and it parallels a scene from seaons ago when Lorelei is talking a mile a minute and Luke deadpans 'will you marry me?' with his reasoning being it was the first thing he thougght of that might shut her up. Now it's Luke going off and Lorelei looks at him and pops the question and are we supposed to be worried about these parralels? Will they start season six with a 'haha, JUST KIDDING!' Cause if they do, I will be really really really so pissed. If Luke says yes, will he get a haircut for the wedding because it has just been so unruly these past months.

Now onto THE BAND. While I thought it was completely out of character for Lane to want move back home (btw, what happened to cousin Kyong?), I loved the transformation off MamaKim into Colonel Tom Parker. And good for her for backing up her daughter like that. Kims don't give up! Kims don't give up! I also for the life of me cannot remember the name of THE BAND. I'm pretty sure if was decided because they had a flyer for their CBs show which was printed over a Sub Shop flyer, but it's funny that THE BAND is referred to as such and never its proper name. I wish The WB would have a summer mini-series called THE BAND and it would be 8 episodes about THE BAND on their first tour and all the hijinks that ensue. Are you listening, THE WB?

Now let's talk about the travesty that is Rory. What the fuck, girl? Lorelei has done everything in her life for you and you just spit it in her face. You are unfit to be her daughter. Yeah, that's right, you go and hide in the pool house and live your life like the entitled Foetus-Face that you are. You go to your yacht club parties and D.A.R. meetings and stay there. You keep curling that hair of yours and wearing those god-awful half-sweaters. I can't believe you're letting Oompah Loompah face Mitchum Huntzburger dictate the rest of your life. And what on Earth is Logan seeing in you? I've actually warmed up to this fellow and Rory does not deserve him. You selfish dumbass!

Am I missing anything.? I'm sure I am. Oh, how weird was is when those two bikers were feeling each others glutes? And when, oh when, will the Michel is Straight charade end?

only one fresh episode left!

Things about this past week's Gilmore Girlz that bugged me:
1) Kirk's chest is totally weird. There is a very strange bump on his breast plate. And to quote JEK, when he turned sideways, "he looked like he swallowed a globe."
2) Non-surly Luke is no fun. Although drunk Luke is pretty fun.
3) Lorelei's hair when she was at the hospital - Ok, this one bothered Listmaker.
4) Rory's purse handle sweater thing she was wearing at the meeting.
5) The 2 second pregnancy scare. What the fuck?
6) Mean Kirk! I thought Luke was his best friend. Why did he turn into Jerk Kirk?

Things about last night's Gilmore that delighted me:
1) Emily and the ballerinas - especially her face when Lorelei was explaning to Mischa or whatever his name is that Emily is really not Josef Stalin
2) Rory's sad-voice on the phone with Lorelei in the scene that closed out the episode. Seriously, give this girl an Emmy. She is really pulling it all out for these last episodes.
3) Rory's sad-face after being bitch-slapped by Huntzburger the elder! Wow, I have never seen such acting from Ms. Bledel before. It really was foetus face at its best! She's been practicing it for a long time!

bacon babies

Ok, I'm going to try something new today and type using proper capitalization. This is per Stone Groove, who pronounced his distaste for my distaste of the shift key when we were last in lovely Silver Spring. Anyway, shit, I just got my new shipment of bacon today from Dulin and Son. It's hickory smoked and looks delicious, but shock of all shocks, the previous month's shipment remains untouched in our refridgerator! I can't believe I've fallen behind. The only remedy is for someone to have a party so I can make my now famous bacon dip and use up some slices.

Also, if anyone from the Grateful Palate is reading this, I would like to nominate myself as Ms. Bacon of the Month Club. I think I have single-handedly increased your subscriptions ten-fold through positive word of mouth and Bibimbop postings. For my services I only ask that I receive a lifetime membership to the Bacon of the Month Club and a sash. I promise to fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities, to never debase smoke meats, and really make you ever so proud. I have lots of ideas but can only share if named MSOTMC.