Saigon Cafe: Vietnamese On A Cold Day

Today was the first really cold day of the winter season. The kind of day where staying indoors with a cup of tea would suit me just fine. We had plenty of things around the house to nibble and I could have rustled up something for dinner too. We did have plans to go ice skating but they were sidestepped by a chore I had to tend to which ended up taking more time than I thought. This, quite understandably, threw Izzy into a snit. I rarely ever break my promises to him and I had to make it up to him.

I suggested we go out to dinner. That perked him up and at his request we went for Vietnamese. Our old stand-by, Saigon Cafe, has gotten a makeover. Some superficial decorative changes were made and the dishes have gotten pricier and smaller. Other than that, things are pretty much the same.

He and I both love the Spring Rolls and Summer Rolls so we started with those. Then we veered from the tried and true and ordered the Tamarind Soup, something I have never eaten. It contained okra, tomatoes, bean sprouts, pineapple and tofu. Rice was served on the side.


It was sour broth with a spicy kick. We both ate it happily enough but it didn't measure up to the comforting goodness of the Napa Cabbage Tofu Soup we usually order. When we were warm and full Izzy asked, "Why did we have to get a new soup?" He had so quickly forgotten that he had thought it was a good idea in the first place. I explained that it is fun to try new things because we might discover something we really like.

What do you order when you go out to eat? Tried and true or something new?

Birdbath Bakery: Sweet Eats And Sweet Tees: Izzy Eats First Giveaway!

It is official. I have become a Thursday regular at Birdbath Bakery on 7th Avenue at Charles Street. It is easily the cosiest place to park myself while Izzy is at clay class. They offer a small selection of City Bakery treats which seem to increase weekly, as well as the vegan selections I mentioned awhile back. Marshmallows have made an appearance this week. Who knows what else is in store?


The best part about this small eco-friendly spot is that I can sip my shot of hot chocolate and shop for original gifts without moving from my seat. I discovered this a few weeks ago when I walked in to find these sweet organic tees and onesies by Dillie, strung up as an eye-catching display.

The soft fabrics and simple animal graphics are sure to please all of the young'uns on your list (moms too!) (sizes 3 months - 6 years). (Though he doesn't know it, Izzy will be sporting the Whoo Owl shortly. ) Not only are these tiny garments easy on the eye but they also fit in with the eco-conscious spirit of Birdbath. They are fabricated from unbleached organic cotton down to the tags and they are hand silkscreened with plant and vegetable based inks.

Dillie is the creative brainchild of Kate Boyle, New York City based graphic designer and mom. Her inspiration comes from her three year old son and muse, Dylan. In her words, "I believe in responsible, smart and beautiful design and want the future to be as bright as it can be for our children."

The shirts are available at the store or on the web at Sparrow and Bull. Readers will get a 10% discount by using the code DILLIEXO when ordering, thru 1/31/2008.


Not only does Birdbath carry those adorable tees, but they also have a well-chosen display of eco-friendly gifts, including books, honey, syrup, and candles. I can't think of a better way to combine effortless holiday shopping and snacking.

P.S. One lucky reader will be the recipient of a free Dillie T-shirt or onesie, their choice of color and size. To enter, just answer the following question and post a comment. Where is your favorite place to snack and shop (could be two different places)?


I will accept comments up until Sunday, December 2, 2007. Send this post to your friends too! I will post the winner next week.

Dinner At The Mall? Not At All...

At least not if I have anything to do with it. You see although I went through a mall-rat phase in my pre-teen years, I now can't bear the places.

And the idea of eating in the one ? Unimaginable, despite those years of scarfing down the delights of Chick-Filet (is that the name?). We do live just steps from a rather large mall that we often need to walk navigate on our way from here to there. Other than that and the occasional last minute gift, I try to stay away.

So tonight, when my friend H. mentioned that she was planning on taking her girls out to the mall to have dinner, I had to intervene. She said she didn't feel like cooking and it was on their way home. Before she had mentioned the mall, I had thought we might join them. After declining the offer, I hung up the phone and felt somewhat remorseful. It seemed sad that I would let terrible food get in the way of a friendly dinner.


It only took a couple of minutes for me to offer the solution. I would just make an impromptu dinner for them. My fast food had to be better than the mall fare, right? So I just boiled up some water. I made the simplest pasta with tomato sauce, green salad on the side. Izzy chose the tri-color fiore shape, which he had selected from the supermarket.

Everyone was a winner. Izzy was happy to eat with his friends. H. didn't have to cook and I didn't have to suffer through a mall supper.

(Olive) Bread and Jam For Izzy

Bread and Jam For Frances is one of Izzy's and my favorite storybooks. If you haven't read this story with your child, start now. The way Frances' parents handle picking eating is priceless and, I might add, astonishingly effective. We have been reading it since Izzy was tiny and I am convinced it has helped him learn the possible consequences of being a picky eater.

Izzy does adore bread and jam but thankfully not to the exclusion of all else. In fact, yesterday he created his own spin on it, requesting olive bread with butter and jam. Certainly seemed like an outlandish combination to me but he insisted I give it a try and it did have certain appeal. Salty, buttery and sweet. It certainly is an easy snack to keep around the house. Hey, if it works for him, it works for me!

Secret Soup (The Last Of The Turkey Chronicles)

My mother-in-law makes a mean turkey soup. The first time I had it was around Christmastime, in England, where she had been spending a year. It was warm, rich and satisfying, perfect for that damp British weather. I remember watching as she carefully removed every last bit of turkey meat from the carcass and later on having the soup appear on the table after a long walk. I didn't actually see what went into it but it had the usual suspects, carrots, celery, onion with some other mysterious ingredients.

Since then, I have had the soup on a few other occasions. Each version has been slightly different, depending upon what is in her fridge. It always maintains a certain unctuosness that I have difficulty recreating. What was the secret? I had to find out.

After making several attempts on my own, and preparing what my husband termed, "Jewish turkey soup", I decided it was time to request the recipe. What surprised me was that the ingredients were very similar to what I had put in the soup. My MIL was clearing keeping a soup secret. A family recipe she was reluctant to give up? My soups always come out clear (like my grandma's chicken soup) and hers seem dark and full of mysterious tidbits.

After actually trying her "recipe" and still coming up short, I asked yet again. This time she mentioned using some of the pan drippings. Yet how is that possible when they are used for gravy? I tried a second time but still my soup was not the same.

When it was time to tackle this year's turkey carcass, I went hunting for the latest recipe but couldn't find it so instead I made this...

The best part was that Izzy helped chop up all of the vegetables.


Mama and Izzy's Turkey Soup

Ingredients

Turkey Carcass (Cover with water and boil for two hours, skimming the fat)Remove every last meaty tidbit and reserve.
2 onions, chopped
3 leeks, chopped
1 cup chopped parsnip
6 stalks celery, chopped
6 carrots, sliced
tablespoon fresh thyme
1 cup leftover stuffing
3/4 cup alphabet pasta
salt/pepper to taste
olive oil


1. In a large stockpot, saute onion in a slick of olive oil til translucent. Add other veggies and cook five minutes.
2. Add reserved turkey and then pour in about 1/2 the stock (8-10 cups. You can freeze the other half or double recipe.
3. Simmer for about an hour, then add pasta. When pasta is cooked through, add stuffing.

This may not be MIL Soup but Izzy couldn't stop eating it. As for my husband, he wasn't home to critique it. But the stuffing may be the missing ingredient.

Raw Milk Rave

I finally did it. Instead of ordering goat's milk as I have been doing thus far, I ordered the raw cow's milk. I wish I had some to show you but it is already gone. It was that good.

The delivery arrived Wednesday, while I was knee-deep in Thanksgiving preparations. This week's order included creme fraiche, 1/2 gallon milk, 1 lb. butter, and a quart of chicken stock.

The moment I brought the milk into the kitchen, I had to open it and have a taste. So wondrously creamy, rich and comforting no wonder people go out of their way to get their hands on it. And as for Izzy? He had some too but only after I felt fine and healthy the next morning. Which is how I can tame my worries about serving him unpasteurized dairy.

But back to the other goodies. The creme fraiche smelled good but it did have a peculiar off- taste. When my brother's girlfriend sampled it, her description was, "gamey." And then a third taster, E., claimed "gamey" as well. I definitely detected an unpleasant barnyardy aspect to it and sadly couldn't serve it with the Thanksgiving Tarte Tatin.

And the butter? Well I have been happy with it since the beginning but this week's batch made my holiday biscuits reek of the barn and I, for one, couldn't eat them. Not sure what my guests thought as they were most likely too polite to say.

I guess raw dairy is an unpredictable thing. I have been accustomed to a life of industrial foods which are designed for consistency. But do I really want to eat the barnyard? Not so sure..but I will keep drinking the milk and experimenting to find what tastes good to me.

Helzel: It's All About The Neck

My grandparents spoke Yiddish while I was growing up. It was their secret language, used when they didn't want us to know what they were talking about. Long after I was supposed to be asleep, I could hear their hushed voices out in the den, their conversations punctuated with the words "ze kinder" (the children), a sure-fire tip-off that they were discussing something relating to my brothers and me.

Their English conversations were peppered with Yiddish words were often food-related and I can just hear my grandpa discussing the "helzel" (neck) around Thanksgiving or whenever it was we had some chicken or turkey necks stewing about the house. I was fond of the helzel and particularly relished prying out the bits of meat in between its tiny bones. It was tender and soft and now I imagine it would make some fine rillettes. Turkey rillettes? Do those exist? If not, they should but I digress.

When I went to purchase my turkey this year, I made sure to ask for an extra neck and some wings so that I would have an intensely flavorful turkey stock for the gravy. In fact, the highlight of my Thanksgiving preparations was making this broth, which piqued Izzy's interest in necks of all kinds.

He watched as I removed the neck, wings and giblets from the broth and when he saw me nibbling at the neck meat, he immediately followed suit. There we sat, just picking away at it, Flintstone style. As he nibbled he asked, "What part of the turkey is this?" I told him it was the neck and then discussion turned to necks in general. I didn't think that he could actually conceive of what he was eating and I wanted him to have a more concrete idea.

Short of taking him to a farm to watch turkeys or chickens, the best I could do was show him a video. And I knew just where to turn. I have just recently discovered Ms. Glaze, a fetching young woman who lives, cooks and blogs in Paris. Her blog features a few video clips, one of which has her explaining how to debone a chicken, head and neck included. What better introduction could there be to how animals become food?



I had no idea how he would react to the viewing so we sat to watch it together. He was simply captivated by the entire experience, especially since we have no t.v. and he has limited access to websites and such. He immediately requested a second viewing and his since watched it almost 10 times.

Does this mean he will be an expert at deboning a chicken some day? Or does he merely like watching Ms. Glaze? Whatever the case may be I am happy to indulge his interest in helzels and Ms. Glaze. But I do have to be careful. I left him alone with Ms. Glaze tonight and when I returned he had tuned in to her sausage-making video. "Mama, can we make our own sausage?"