[Correct Dining by Wilfrid: June 1, 2009]
I abandoned Manhattan and headed off to Carroll Gardens for a change. Warm weather, so I was thinking of a light dinner.
The strip of Court Street running north from West 9th, past Carroll Park and up to Bergen Street is good strolling territory. Book stores, interesting junk stores, and a range of old, family-run, independent food stores.
There's an Esposito & Sons for your pork needs, and the almost century old Staubitz Market butcher. There are plenty of options along parallel Smith Street too (and of course a veritable blossoming of fashionable restaurants in the neighborhood - Char No. 4, Prime Meats, etc.).
I knew I was going to pick up bread from Caputo's (established 1904), and I bought a large, round loaf smothered with sesame seeds for less than $3. I did most of the other shopping at the Mastellone Deli, which looks like just any corner deli upfront, but has a long counter of prepared Italian appetizers in the back, and a fresh meat section. If I'd planned a heavy meat entrée, I'd have continued up to Staubitz, but there was going to be a pasta course, so I just picked up some thin slices of veal, along with papardelle and rolletini.
I spent about $19, which included a five buck ball of fresh, salted mozzarella. There's a big produce store a couple of blocks up, and it offered huge packs of strawberries at $4.99; I also bought cherry tomatoes and fresh shelled peas. I had herbs at home already.
The savory courses would be easy to throw together. I made dessert first, strawberry clafouti; very easy to make the batter. I had an assistant top and slice the strawberries and arrange them in a pan; poured the batter over and threw it in the oven for about thirty-five minutes.
First course, just the mozzarella sliced with tomatoes, fresh chopped basil. Olive oil on the side.
Oh, and the bread of course. A really crisp crust, and you can spend the rest of the evening picking sesame seeds up off the floor.
Then the papardelle tossed in the tomato sauce with the peas.
Other advance preparations: a fresh tomato sauce using the cherry tomatoes, and also some beefsteak tomatoes I found in the refrigerator, hacked up and cooked down in butter with smashed garlic and fresh oregano leaves (seasoned, of course).
Fresh peas need a little longer than frozen, so I started them right after the sauce.
Fresh peas need a little longer than frozen, so I started them right after the sauce.
First course, just the mozzarella sliced with tomatoes, fresh chopped basil. Olive oil on the side.
Oh, and the bread of course. A really crisp crust, and you can spend the rest of the evening picking sesame seeds up off the floor.
Then the papardelle tossed in the tomato sauce with the peas.
All easy stuff. It's supposed to be. Here comes my creativity. The rolletini I'd bought consisted of breaded eggplant rolled around a herb ricotta filling and dabbed with t0mato sauce. Using the veal escalopes, I made rolls stuffed with mozzarella and a chiffonade of oregano and basil. I browned them in a pan, then finished them in the oven with the rolletini. Snatch them out when the cheese starts to ooze.
Probably should have made a pan sauce too. Next time. With the clafouti and a bottle of red, dinner was done. Scarcely more than $15 a head for four courses.
