Cooking With Ideas

Duck Duck Goat in the Finger Lakes - A Paradox or a COVID Era Wonder?

Two things came together a while ago and made magic. 

First: when we lived-in Chicago, we came to truly enjoy a restaurant called Duck Duck Goat. We went there several times - a Stephanie Izard restaurant in Fulton Market which focuses on a kind of Chinese food there is more memorable than the name about the restaurant. What? The food. They call it "reasonably authentic Chinese food" -which it is -and it is very tasty as well.  We ate there multiple times - and we even ordered in when one of us was under the weather. We ate various items there - and I had various cocktails. We often sat at the bar, conversing with the bar tenders, and ordering what they recommended. Among the items we loved - slap noodles!  And at no moment were we ever disappointed. In fact, we truly missed Duck Duck Goat once we moved from Chicago. As I said, Duck Duck Goat not only has a great name - it has terrific food. And, in 2017, I reviewed it here. 

But what came together with that delicious set of memories recently?

Social media algorithms - aka AI - which causes you to see the same thing over and over again on platforms you use - FB, Instagram, whatever. One of the things that has bounced around for me is a company called Goldbelly. Their tag line is "empowering small shops and restaurants shipping nationally" - which seemed incredibly indulgent pre-COVID and now seems to be a a must for some of us. So, in my vast free time, when avoiding other things, I searched about on goldbelly. It was an indulgence/avoidance behavior. A kind of browsing, like all browsing once in a while it leads to a purchase. 

And: voila! Guess what I found there - Duck Duck Goat! And, more generally, Stephanie Izard. 

So:  I ordered the Duck Duck Goat package which involves dumplings, cucumber salad, slap noodles, a cocktail mix, and some cookies. A kit to be made - by me (and my sous chef). What a blast - to open a package which had absolutely everything needed (except some oil). What is on the website is kind of summer focused set up; what came to upstate NY was actually much more seasonal in terms of veggies (for example) and cocktail mix (it was a spiced pear thing which itself was amazing!)

A few comments about the experience: 

1.Everything was there! Everything (except as noted above and, alas, the alcohol per se). From sesame seeds and seasoned rice vinegar to asian eggplants and bok choy to noodle (and cookie) dough. It was well packaged, and impressive.

2. Cucumber salad - a smashed cucumber salad is something I have made for years but this one was incredible. The ingredients included persian cucumbers (and to be honest I do not know if they are the same as the smallish cucumbers available at grocery stores), sesame oil, sesame seeds, seasoned rice wine vinegar, pickled fresnos, turbinado sugar, and fresh mint/basil. A few comments on these: (a) the sesame oil was amazing; (b) the cucumbers smashed much better than in past use of European cucumbers and I ripped them apart!; and (c) pickled Fresno may be a new favorite. This smashed cucumber salad was terrific. (I did try to make it again and it was not as satisfying - either because I did not have seasoned rice vinegar, the cucumbers were different, or the possibility that because the DDG materials came measured that I was off on my measurements. 

3. Dumplings are what I called them - but they were/are really potstickers (aka Jiaozi). These came as (a) a meat mixture of beef short rib and bone marrow and (b) wonton wrappers. One then put the meat on the wrapper, assembled, and then steamed until very done on the bottom in that potsticker kind of delightful way and served them (with pickled fresnos and torn herbs on top) and . . . ate them with dipping sauce which also came with the kit. Hmmm. Truly wonderful. 

4. Slap Noodles: I admit it, this was both what attracted me to the kit and what gave me some pause in terms of whether I could - or could not - succeed. reader, have no fear. I succeeded! What arrived was a packet of several lumps (poor word choice, but there you go) of noodle dough. And, what was amazing was that one merely ensured they were at room temperature, and literally slap them against the soapstone on our counters, and . . . . noodles! They stretched - and then they boiled - and then they were fried with vegetables (as described below). 

As for the vegetables, there were two (asian) eggplants, two smallish boy choys, and a red onion. I roasted the eggplant and red onion, with a bit of the sauce provided by the kit. And, then when assembled, these were joined with the bok choy and noodles. Wowzers. Even more wowzers with the pickled fresnos on top and some mint and basil. 

The sauce? A bottle of Stephanie Izard's "This Little Goat Went to Hong Kong." And yes, it is described here. 

5. There were among cookies. We have still not made them!

6. There was the cocktail mix as well - as I said spiced pear - to which we added. . . tequila. And, the the second evening (yes, there were leftovers) a small slice of Bartlett pear. 

Some commentary: The kit is for two people. It lasted us two nights - and we were very happy! Of course, the second night I had to get cucumbers - and we had no (sigh) potstickers. But still! What a deal for so much deliciousness. Also, this was a great way of balancing love to cook with end of day exhaustion. It called for some patience but not too much, and it called for some knife skills but not too many! 

One minor quibble: why did my partner's potstickers look so much better than mine???

San's Dumplings

I have not been to a "restaurant" in - well - what feels like an eternity. And, so when we were driving through upstate NY on the way back from our second vaccine in Elmira, I jumped at the idea that we phone and pick up at a place I had heard of but never visited - nor tried. The place: San's Dumplings. Wow, am I glad we did!

First - the place is lovely - a small area at Kemmeter Winery - which smelled amazing. As you walk in, you can watch the dumplings being made and, as importantly, SMELL (yes, I am repeating myself) amazingly enticing smells. The parking is nearby - and the ambience welcoming. It is right off the road - and easily accessible. 

Second, the menu, while limited, is very pleasing. There were dumplings - chicken, pork or tofu - available spice/not spicy in various sizes. We got some chicken and some tofu, the former spicy and the latter not spicy. Both were amazing, though the not spicy a bit duller. The dips were amazing too. And, we did get (a bit too much) dessert - from the person who I wish I knew here name - who seemed to own Sans Dumplings. It was a chocolate concoction with bananas - and truly startlingly amazing. 

Third, the people were amazingly welcoming. I spoke with the chef (who is San - the chef's chinese name - also goes by Imelda and her husband and she own the Kemmeter winery) for some time, and was amazed at how open she was to talking about her own tweaking of the desserts - and the ways sweet/salty go together. 

Of course, this led me to other dumpling adventures - including googling around to discover something of the history of dumplings. They seem to be a "thing" in various cultures (perhaps obvious now that I think of it), to be shaped in many ways, and often (but not always?) to include a filling inside a dough of some sort. I encourage you to read this piece from pre-COVID history (originally 2014 and then revised in 2018) on the dumpling and its histories. 

So: in sum, I can't wait to go back and have dumplings again. You should try them too. And yes, the place name is rooted in San's Chinese name - but the word play forces me to say: don't go sans dumplings! 

(I am not alone in thinking this. Here is an announcement of the dumpling restaurant's opening. And, if you are interested in the winery, click here.) 

Address: 1030 Larzelere Road
Penn Yan, NY 14527

Phone/Email: (315) 530-2604 / [email protected]

Mexican in Winston Salem

Among the foods I have come to love over the years are those derived in some sense from Mexico. The country has a wide array of regional cuisines and the "americanization" of Mexican food ranges form Tex-Mex to . . . well, you know. Some of the cuisine is controversial - as when chefs like Rick Bayless become famous for cooking "other culture's food." (Click here for a terrific NPR bit on this topic.) Not all the places here even claim to be a Mexican restaurant - one calls itself a taco joint and truly is a fusion taco place where the definition of taco seems to be "has a taco shell - either corn or flour involved."

Where did I go first? Well, new friends took me to a wonderful place called La Botana. I had no idea where I was going the first time I met them - and LOVED the food. Ion a tiny strip mall like area, near an Indian grocery store, the places filled with booths, and not very fancy. What they do have is a very good dark chocolate-y mole. And, the place is incredibly inexpensive. The chips are delightful, the salsa just the right spiciness level, and the ice tea (yes, here it is just tea, and sweet tea at that) tasty as well. I have eaten there 3 times now and would recommend it.

Indeed, I recently was perusing a piece in Winston-Salem Monthly for February 2020 and read the following answer to the question "where are your favorite Winston-Salem spots?" -- " I have many faves around town, but my all time favorite is La Botana. They feed my soul. It's very important to me to eat at locally-owned restaurants. I think it's vital to the health and wealth of our community." Who said that? Mary Haglund of Mary's Gourmet Diner, a place where I love to have brunch on the weekends. 

I have also been regularly going to a place that quite directly says "we are not a Mexican restaurant, we are a taco joint." Called Crafted: the Art of the Taco, the place also has burgers and more. I can attest to the tacos - and have had a number of their tacos in various combinations multiple times - not to mention their cocktails which are not too strong - and fairly inventive. Among the tacos I have had are ones featuring a korean approach, one with barely seared tuna, and more. I can say this: not every taco you will get there is perfect (on occasion I have had ones that are not heated well enough, for example) but this is a place to go by yourself, sit at the bar, and eat. I have never tried the burgers. And, I must say the quest and the chips are truly indulgent. (I like the fried chips a lot.) On the plus side, there is parking. On the not so great side, that parking lot can be fairly crammed and street parking is not easily located. 

Most recently, I have eaten at what is apparently a chain: Monte Del Rey. (I ate at the Harper Road one in Advance. I pronounced the name of the town exactly as I would as an upstate NY, Pennsylvania, Illinois type. I was wrong.) I give them high points for the food. I got cheese enchiladas with pork on top - and the pork was totally amazing. The chips and dip at the start were adequate, but the pork was. . . amazing. Have I said amazing? I had a blue margarita. It was vaguely a mistake - but definitely blue. The service was kind of odd - partly because unlike the other two places Just discussed, there was very little English spoken - and so even a beer order became complex. YEs, a parking lot. Yes, in the case of the one I went to, about 20 minutes from Winston Salem, and yes, enjoyable.) 

So: I know there are other options in Winston Salem and environs for Mexican or mexican food - let me know in the comments where else to try! 

For reviews of other Mexican and "mexican" food on Cooking with Ideas, click here for a Finger Lakes favorite and here for a Chicago favorite. 

Mozelle's

As I write this, I have been to Mozelle's in Winston Salem 4 times. I have enjoyed myself each time. Once with a friend from near Charlotte early in my time here, twice by myself, and most recently with a friend/colleague from Salem Academy and College. The food has been terrific each time, the wines delightful, the service very good, and the ambience just right - both for sitting alone at the bar (and dining) and sitting at a table for two, in various seasons and more. Overall: go there. Yes, it is a bit price-y but worth it. 

Details, you ask? Let me begin with the aspects that have been the same each time and then turn to specifics about the various items I have eaten, etc. 

Ambience: Mozelle's is a somewhat upscale place on a corner on 4th street in downtown Winston Salem. There is parking on the street, and the restaurant is situated on a corner a bit away from down town. (Several blocks, for example, from Bookmarks.)   In warmer weather, there is a seating area outside - and in all weather there are areas within: (a) to the left and right as you enter there are arrays of tables, including alongside windows that look out on to 4th street; and (b) seating along the bar for a relatively small number of people. At least part of the cooking area is out front, and the chefs can be seen from the bar very directly without being either intrusive or unduly noisy. (To be honest, that's part of why I like sitting at the bar.) The service is easy going but efficient (despite this being literally a white table cloth place). And, most servers I have encountered have known the food well. The wine list (there is not bar) varied and interesting - somewhat extensive by the glass. There is a good beer list as well, with local and NC beers mainly. And, there are "wine cocktails" (I had a kir royale on one of my visits, a terrific gruner veltliner, and other white wines on other visits.) For good or ill, I did not visit the restroom on any of my trips so cannot comment on that aspect of the ambience. 

On eating at the bar: I do try to send a signal to leave me alone by reading either a book or on my phone or kindle. This is a totally ok place to do that - though one of the two nights I did so, a stranger - who turned out to be a nice man somewhat older than me - chose to talk a bit too much about his wine choices and more. 

The Food: I can say with 100% certainty that the food at Mozelle's is with the trip and enjoyable. Every single time I have been there I have been impressed with the qualtity and not overwhelmed by the quantity, and enjoyed the variety from traditional Southern (I knew nothing of Tomato Pie - though this is not the season obviously - but had seen a show re Vivian Howard that featured it while in Geneva and tried it at Mozelle's shortly thereafter. It was so good I had it again - despite my southern friend telling me to wait til it was in season.) 

A bit more details: (a) the first visit, I had brunch and it was March or April. I don't recall what I ate, but the coffee was memorable, I have a vague idea it involved green tomatoes, and a delightful conversation about life and more. More recently, I have had the tomato pie (as I noted above) which comes with succotash - and I have to say the succotash was delightful. I am so looking forward to having both it and the pie in season. I have also had the southern spring rolls - one gets 3 and they are cut in half - which feature pulled pork and come with a delightful gingery sesame dipping sauce. And, I went for an appetizer of ribs one evening - to which I give an A+.

I know I have been tempted by dessert - but usually I am so full I am not learning that way these days. 

So: I ought to have more details - but this self-styled "southern bistro" comes with an "excellent" from me for the food. 

Cost? I have spent in the $30s and up for myself. Wines run between $9 and $18, appetizers 

A Quibble: When I write recommendations and things, I often think I need to have a quibble in order to be taken seriously. On the one hand, on this blog, I have occasionally indicated my serious displeasure with restaurants. On the other hand, ether are truly only quibbles for some. A quibble for Mozelle's? I would say that its the parking which can be a pain in the neck. But: I did call once for a reservation (when alone I do not bother) and was told there was nothing available. On a whim, I went to Open Table and there were ones for the time I wanted. So: I clicked away - and when I got there, they had it and everything was ok. Had I been just a tiny bit lazier - or more trusting? or more irritated - I would have gone elsewhere that night - and . . . 

Where is Mozelle's? 878 West 4th Street, Winston Salem, NC 

try it. You'll like it. 

 

Burgers in WInston Salem

I admit it. I like burgers once in a while, juicy, beefy and with various accouterments. I used to eat them fairly regularly at a place in Chicago down the street from where I lived, with a beer or two. In Winston Salem, i have discovered a few placed with burgers that are, to be honest, quite quite quite good.

The first place is called Cin Cin Burger Bar. I have been there on my own and with a friend. I have sat in a booth and at the bar. And, I have had burgers that they "designed" as well as ones where I just picked what I wanted on the burger (no reader of this blog will find my choices surprising" bleu cheese and bacon when I picked for myself). The ambience is fairly decent - though its a bit large and the menu veers toward a kind of 1890s feel, and maybe a tiny tad of a self indulgent feel. In my view, for example, booze filled milk shakes are just . . . . a very bad idea. (And no, I have not had one. They just truly put me off. Almost as much as one of their specialty burgers which includes peanut butter on the burger. That just seems wrong.) Having said that a few things I can say that are very positive, beyond the excellent parking (which in Winston-Salem matters a lot to me) are these: (a) they serve a good cocktail; and (b) the burgers are juicy, cooked nicely, and come with a nice bun that does not crumble. I like the onion rings a lot - which come with a kind of odd dip which is near addictive. I can also attest to the pirogies (which I tried more recently) and a chicago-greek-town-like oompa with the flaming saganaki. The service is usually terrific - though once in a while it is a little too in my face for comfort. 

There is a bit of a chain feel to it, though I have no idea if it is a chain - I can, though, say I have enjoyed it each and every time I have been there. (Ok, I just checked the about section of their website and yes, this is one of several restaurants in the triad region. IT even turns out they own another place I like in town: Yamas. Small world.

Hops is another place where I have had a good burger - with the same friend. They have a place in Winston-Salem as well as Greensboro. We sat at the bar, and each had a burger and beer. Again, well cooked, blue (or is it bleu) cheese and bacon, and in this case fries. Very good fries if I say so myself. 

 

Locations:

Cin Cin 

1425 West 1st street, Winston Salem 

Hops Burger Bar 

901 Reynolda Road, Winston Salem 

 

Dining Across Winston Salem

So, i moved here almost a year ago (temporarily - yes, home is still upstate NY!) and have been barely blogging. Hence, there have been no entries yet on any place I have eaten in Winston Salem. Yes, I am in NC. And yes, I have been eating out, despite being in the land of Publix, a terrific farmer's market (near Old Salem) and even Trader Joe's.

Watch here for a whole range of restaurants reviewed relatively quickly - including:

Mozelle's 

Crafted: The Art of the Taco

Cin Cin Burger Bar 

and many many other places. I am, indeed, eating out and you deserve to know my views on food here in Winston Salem. 

And, of course, there is beer. Yes, there is indeed. Wait 'til you hear about that.  

 

Voula’s Greek Sweets

My birthday is in early December. Yes, that is some time ago, but I am still enjoying the memory of a treat my partner brought me the week before: pastries from Voula’s in Rochester, NY. I had never been there (and since have, see below) and never heard of it -- but I can say this: go there if you have the chance and buy a pastry or two. 

What did she bring me? Several items, each flavored in lovely ways, with (and without) chocolate. I am not sure what my favorite was -- though they included a chocolate dipped rolled baklava (one of my favorite things in life), a pastry that involves cranberries (I absolutely love cranberries) and a kind of moon pie shaped fudge thing which was also delightful. All of them smelled amazing -- kielbasa's a mix of cinnamon and rose water, and all of them tasted even more amazing than they smelled. To be honest, they were so good that I did not gobble them down but savored them over the course of a few days. I gave them an A+ and not only because I like getting unexpected treats. (These were, in some ways, in memory of my aunt who used to send me baklava on occasion.) 

I have no idea what the pastries were/are calleD but I do know we mispronounced every one of them. 

In addition to sweets, my partner also brought dolmades. I love dolmades -- and once upon a time long ago took a class which taught me how to make them. I tried at home and, frankly, may have to go back lo these many years later as a more patient person with more cooking experience, and try again. Meanwhile: these were amazing. Another A+ as was one of the two spreads (the second spread was much too garlicky for our household). 

Some weeks later we had lunch there, and made a few purchases. I loved the spinach/feta pie. Yes, that’s better known as spanakopita.  And we bought some olive oil. Of course, we brought home dolmades and pastries. The latter included some amazing walnut cake that was spectacular paired with honeyed apricots I preserved this year. 

Overall: amazing and happy making. For a review from 2015, click here. 

Location: 439 Monroe Avenue, Rochester NY 

Ottawa Eats -- or Drinks -- Coffee and Related Bits

On the recent-isa trip to Ottawa, we stayed in Hull/Gaitneau on rue Notre Dame d'ile -- a small, historic kind of area near the museums but more importantly, quiet. The apartment was delightful, despite the incredibly horribly hot weather. We made the most of where we were staying, dining in a night or two on salad and fixings, buying a baguette or two here or there, and making (eventually) coffee in the morning.

The first morning, I struggled awake and went across the street for coffee to a little place. My french is horrible and I was not awake on top of that. But, I did emerge with two adequate coffees and a small bottle of Minute Maid orange juice (which was not great but sufficed). Where did I go? Depanneur Chenier & Freres. Yep, an epicerie. No, my french still sucks. One night we randomly went there as there was a horrible rain storm and treated ourselves to a "dinner" which was basically potato chips and wine and. . . well, you know.

We did hit a few other coffee places in Ottawa itself and they were delightful.

First we went to The Ministry of Coffee on Elgin where we had a good coffee (mine a latte) and a terrific donut. (I had a fairly plain one and my partner a chocolate one). The ambience was totally great -- quiet, minimalist, and focused. The customers were varied from little kids (with their parents) to hip college age types to us. IT would have been the best coffee of the trip, until we went to 

Happy Goat (also on Elgin). I loved Happy Goat for three reasons. First, I have no idea why, but goats are trendy and cute. Second: the guy behind the counter was very knowledgeable and could describe in useful ways every single coffee. And hence, as you will see below, we not only bought some (ground) to consume in the airbnb but stopped on our way out of town later in the week to buy beans because Third: their coffee is swell. 

What did we buy for beans. We bought Bohemian Dark Roast. It was described by the aforementioned guy so exactly right I am amazed. (He described another and we tasted it -- zowie, that guy really really could describe coffee). Anyway, we got some ground and had it in the airbnb and stopped on the way out of town to purchase more. I would buy it on line if it were available in the States. Is it? The taste: chocolate-y but coffee for sure. 

Hmm. Maybe it is possible to order it on line? Off to check that out.

Ottawa Eats: Pure Kitchen

Despite the fact that I am reading a delightful book critiquing the politics of purity, this restaurant is worth visiting! It's name: Pure Kitchen. 

What's the book?  Against Purity: Living Ethically in Compromised Times by Alexis Shotwel. The book is arguing (so far and very over-simplified) marketing purity (simple lines, names like Pure dish soap) and politically inflecting along lines of purity (purity of  ideology or politics, for example) and, on the other hand, living fully in worlds where everything is always already compromised. You want to eat vegetarian? Does that reduce your carbon profile (yes and no). Do you want to argue for reproductive justice in a culture (for which you also want to support cultural autonomy rather than colonialist management) which opposes abortion and women's rights? How does compromise itself lead to -- or undermine - ethics? Is refusing to compromise unethical?

In any case, the book came to mind when I chose Pure Kitchen as a place to eat in Ottawa some time ago. We were hungry. I was a tiny bit testy. Without even looking, I imagined: vegetarian or vegan, clean lines and a sense of hip humor. And, that's exactly what I got. Let me elaborate. 

Pure Kitchen has staff with humorous punny kinds of t shirts, a youthful vibe but an age diverse clientele, and offers things like smoothies but also cocktails (and yes it is a juice bar), and a variety of veggie foods (including multiple kinds of veggie burgers). We went with (a) guacamole with chips to get us into the frame of mind of being less hungry so capable of ordering; and then (b) I wanted pirogies because, for some reason, I was on a pierogi kick. Alas, no pirogues so we had the quite wonderful dumplings. I admit it -- they were so good that we had two orders. I have a vague memory of getting something else, but the memory receded past the dumplings!

And, I have no idea what cocktail I got, though I was on a kick involving gin, cucumber and herbs that week. So, I likely had something like that. 

It was damn (pardon me) hot out and the respite was wonderful. I would, in fact eat there again. Pure Kitchen made me happy because it was not annoyingly cloyingly veggie, or annoyingly cloyingly pseudo politically healthy. It was just tasty food in a reasonable venue on a very very very hot day. 

Location: 340 Elgin Street, Ottawa -- and parking can be a pain, but it was not the day we went to Pure Kitchen and briefly wandered the streets. 

For a review form the Ottawa Citizen, click here. For a totally well done blog review that is much more detailed than what I provided to you, click here. 

 

Ottawa Eats: Atelier

Atelier is amazing. It is flat out over the top amazing. A 12 course tasting menu which did not overdo it (does that sound like a contradiction in terms?), with attentive non-robotic service from the moment of one's reservation (they called several times to make sure we knew what we were getting ourselves into and planned for the several hours of dining), pairings worth the price and, most crucially, surprising and amazing food which was not simple nor was it so over complex that the idea of eating was the furthest thing from one's mind. The techniques were all there -- sous vide fish and various tinctures -- the ingredients were all there -- spices and kimchee and the lightest vegetable waters and more -- and the plating was sometimes humorous and sometimes serious but never distracted from the dish. 

I give this place an A++. 

A few memorable bits: (a) early courses featured a variety of fish and several of these items were among the best fish I have ever had -- sous vide and more. One of them was "plated" in a kind of hanging terrarium, something which looks fun but is often awkward. I loved this and it was easy to eat. (b) the use of spices was delightful, especially one that involved a kind of deconstructed curry -- in the sense that the various very colorful -- and in this instance amazingly tasty - spices appeared as an array of powders on the plate. The coming together of the dish was among the best I have ever had in a tasting menu. Another dish had some house made kimchi in it -- and that too was tasty -- tart, spicy hot, but not overwhelming.  (c) the final bit was two truffles made by an assistant (or was she an intern?) in the kitchen. They were amazing.

One comment on location: We did decide to cab it to the location to ensure that we could both enjoy the evening rather than having the designated driver distracted from the pairings. Good idea. Do, though, listen to the restaurant when they remind you that there is NO signage. The site is not very impressive from the outside -- nor very high end inside -- but truly the food is impressive. 

Location: The location made me smile every time I had to say it: 540 Rochester Street, Ottawa. Those who know me will know why this made me smile. 

Other reviews: Here is what they have on their own website in regards to press.