TipSheet : Eat Like a Local

Gadgets for the Gourmand

Newsweek — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:46:25 GMT

Whether you love to cook or hate it, there’s no denying that having the right appliance makes the process more enjoyable. In some cases, a well-made kitchen helper is a steal and, sometimes, you’ll have to shell out a few clams to get the best performer. TIP SHEET tested many products in all price ranges and found a few favorites:

Jura Capresso Impressa J5: Make coffee or espresso with this high-tech ‘coffee center’ ($1,999; capresso.com)

Panini Grill: Heats quickly and grills sandwiches perfectly ($99.99; brevilleusa.com)

Electric Pressure Cooker: Holds six quarts—and won’t blow its lid ($149; cuisinart.com)

Pro Line Waffle Baker: For restaurant quality waffles ($199.95; kitchenaid.com)

Beyond Broccoli

Newsweek — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:20:19 GMT

Everyone knows that the cruciferous family of vegetables is good for you. In the April/May issue of Cook’s Country, America’s Test Kitchen explains the best ways to cook and serve them so they taste good, too. Here are some of TIP’s favorites:

Radishes Nutritional Info: A good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium Crisp and refreshing, radishes should be refrigerated and eaten raw, sautéed or pickled.

Cauliflower Nutritional Info: High in fiber and vitamins C, K and B6

Steam, boil or roast cauliflower to bring out its earthy sweetness and crunchy texture.

Broccolini Nutritional Info: A good source of vitamins A, C, K, E and B6

A cross between Chinese kale and broccoli, broccolini can be steamed, sautéed or grilled.

Bok choy Nutritional Info: High in calcium and vitamins A and C

Best for stir frying—do stalks first and add leaves toward the end of cooking.

Brussels sprouts Nutritional Info: High in fiber, vitamins, folate and potassium

Braise in a flavorful liquid (like stock or cream) or toss with olive oil and roast.

Daikon Nutritional Info: High in vitamin C, folate, potassium and copper

This large, Asian radish has a mild, milky start and a peppery finish. Eat raw or stir-fried.

Magical Middle Earth

Ginanne Brownell — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:01:29 GMT

In New Zealand you can explore the land of the hobbits--but don't forget the vibrant Maori culture or delectable cuisine.

Abandoned by her brothers for the holidays, NEWSWEEK's Ginanne Brownell and her mother took off on an Antipodean adventure in New Zealand. Traversing the islands by car, they soon discovered it always takes twice as long as expected to get anywhere because of the windy roads, car-stopping scenery--and, of course, all those sheep.

Rotorua: Some call it the Las Vegas of New Zealand, although there are no casino slots--just lots of tourists. The small city, located in the central part of the north island, is famous not just for being the heart of Maori culture, but also for its thermal springs and bubbling mud. Head to Whakarewarewa (www.whakarewarewa.com), a Maori village in the midst of the thermal reserve. Locals provide tours of the village, and you'll have the chance to watch traditional Maori dancing and singing and enjoy delicious corn boiled in the thermal waters. (Note: add the butter to the plastic bag and shake -- don't be dumb like me and spread the butter with your bare hands. It's messy and you'll give yourself away as a tourist!) Te Puia (www.nzmaori.co.nz), a Maori cultural center, lets you glimpse traditional weaving and wood-carving workshops amidst the geysers. (Pohutu, the largest, erupts between 10 and 20 times a day.) Stay for a Hangi lunch—meat, potatoes, carrots, onions and corn are cooked in the ground over hot river stones. Delicious and different!

Wobbly Kea: Named after a cheeky local parrot breed indigenous to the South Island, the Wobbly Kea restaurant in Arthur's Pass village (www.apinfo.co.nz) is a great lunch set in incredible surroundings. To get there, you could take the TrazAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth, but it's much more fun to drive—especially across the heart-stopping Otira Viaduct, suspended 100 meters above a stunning valley (the area is aptly named Death's Corner). After you've successfully crossed, head to the Wobbly Kea to fill your gob. I had a delicious lamb salad with yogurt dressing and my mother had a yummy chicken, brie and cranberry sandwich on homemade wheat bread. They also serve up pizzas, nachos and burgers. It could have been the mountain air, but this food was fab!

Hokitika: This hopping village is the gateway to glacier country and the center of New Zealand's jade-crafts trade. Jade is the country's requisite tourist trinket, and along with the predictably touristy places, the town offers some quality shops like the Hokitika Craft Gallery Cooperative (www.hokitikacraftgallery.co.nz), which sells hand-carved earrings, well-crafted pottery and original watercolors and paintings. At the Hokitika Glass Blowing Studio (www.hokitikaglass.co.nz), you can watch local artisans craft beautiful vases, bowls and baubles. Some pieces are divine—others a bit kitsch. But it's a fun stop nonetheless. Grab lunch or dinner at Café de Paris, where they serve up freshly caught fish and exquisite desserts.

Cook 'n' With Gas: This fine little bistro in Christchurch (www.cooknwithgas.co.nz) is both the locals' favorites and one of the town's top tables. The restaurant has won numerous awards for its sumptious cuisine and efficient service. I loved the New Zealand mussels in gruyere and speck sauce, while my mother enjoyed the BBQ venison in a port wine glaze. And those were just the starters! The Strawberry-Paris-Brest was like nothing I have tasted: hokey-pokey ice cream (that's vanilla with crunchy toffee) and a choux bun (almost like a profiterole without the cream) served over a butterscotch sauce, with toasted almonds, passion fruit and, of course, strawberries. This is a dessert I will compare all others to.

Milford Sound Cruises: The best way to see this part of fjordland is to take a cruise through the sound. During the day these are crowded affairs with noisy backpackers and confused tourists in matching sweatshirts, so opt for an overnight cruise that leaves around 4 p.m. and returns to port at 9 a.m. the next day. Mom and I opted for the Milford Mariner (www.realjourneys.co.nz/Main/OvernightCruises), a more upscale version of the various overnighters, which included delectable food (think salmon, lamb and and the ever-popular hokey-pokey). The cruise takes you up the sound into the Tasman Sea, with a two-hour stop for those inclined to do some kayaking and swimming. The scenery is amazing—the mountains tower 600 meters above the water, and the breathtaking waterfalls are some of the world's best: Stirling Falls plunges 50 stories, three times the distance of Niagara! It's little wonder Peter Jackson used New Zealand as his backdrop for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (the "Narnia" series and the newly released "The Water Horse" were also filmed here). Middle Earth never looked so good!

Served Rare, With Passion

Newsweek — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:42:50 GMT

By Julia Reed
Nov. 12, 2007 issue

I love steak. I was born in Greenville, Miss., home of the legendary Doe’s Eat Place, where, I am told, I ate my first bite of solid food. It was a piece of rare porterhouse on my mother’s fork, bathed in drippings the color of crude oil and cooked in the same Southbend broiler that has been parked just inside the restaurant’s front door since the 1940s. When I first moved to Manhattan, my apartment was across

the street from Smith & Wollensky; now I live in New Orleans, birthplace of the Ruth’s Chris chain and home of Crescent City Steak House, a cherished dive with curtained booths. I’ve been lucky, but these days, no matter where you live, you don’t have to order from Omaha to get a good steak. In the last 10 years the number of the nation’s steakhouses has exploded. Venerable chains like The Palm and Morton’s have been joined by such popular newcomers as Fleming’s and Strip House. The number of topnotch steakhouses in New York City alone has burgeoned from “barely 20” to almost 100, says Tim Zagat, cofounder of the Zagat guides.

But along the way, something has happened to the lowly sirloin—and its environs. Clubby red leather has given way to red velvet at Strip House; Manhattan’s trendy new STK features a DJ. At Peter Luger, the justifiably renowned, bare-bones establishment in Brooklyn, the choice has been the same for more than a hundred years: dry-aged porterhouse for two, three or four. But at Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, the options number no fewer than 20, and include steaks aged up to 78 days from cows who ate either corn or grass in eight different states. There’s also the increasingly de rigueur Wagyu, a breed of cattle that produces densely marbled beef, the richest of which comes from Kobe, Japan.

At Wolfgang Puck’s Cut, housed in a stunning, Richard Meier-designed space in Los Angeles’s Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel, the menu is similarly packed and the vibe is definitely hip. But Puck brings the same artistry to the end product as he does to all of his multitudinous endeavors. The steaks—and the to-die-for sides—are perfect. Seasoned with salt, three kinds of pepper and thyme, they’re grilled over a charcoal and oak-wood fire (in a nod to California traditions) before being finished in a 1,200-degree broiler. (The temperature of the broiler has become yet another menu selling point—at Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Steak, for example, it’s 1,700). The most expensive offering is the eight-ounce Japanese Wagyu rib-eye for $160—and, it must be said, it’s exceptional.

The uninitiated may laugh when I say it’s the best steak I’ve had outside of Doe’s, where the use of choice meat (one rating below prime) makes it an anomaly among today’s steakhouses, but it does not make the steaks any less delicious. Lest you think I’m biased by a back-brain memory of that first phenomenal porterhouse, let me assure you that the place is packed every night, often with people who have come from hundreds of miles away. This year, the restaurant was named one of America’s classics at the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Awards. (Cut was a nominee for best new restaurant.)

When I ask Doe Signa Jr., who took over stove duties when his father retired in the ’70s, what the broiler’s temperature is, he says, “I have no idea. Hell, we just turn it on and let it go.” He seasons the steaks with a mixture of salt and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, whose ingredients are remarkably similar to Puck’s own blend. Doe thinks the secret is “that old stove.” And then there is the hand of the cook. Both Puck and Signa are passionate about what they do, and that, in the end, may well be more important than the pedigree of a steak.

Eat Like A Local: Munich

Newsweek — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:00:18 GMT

A vegan restaurant in a former butchery is one of the city's surprises. Beer gardens, sushi bars and modern diners round out the offerings.
by Gisela Williams | From the October 2007 issue of Budget Travel

Muffathalle Beer Garden Artists, violinists from the nearby concert hall, and families (there's a giant sandbox for kids) all meet up at this open-air, organic restaurant. The traditional Bavarian menu is written out daily on a three-foot chalkboard: meatballs with coleslaw, super-size pretzels, and glasses of Hofbräu beer, of course. Zellstr. 4, 011-49/894-587-5073, entrées from $6.

Zerwirk With its white walls, acid-green benches, and plastic chairs, Zerwirk doesn't look like a former royal butchery--and it doesn't act like one, either. The vegan restaurant, which opened last year, already has a following. The seasonal menu includes a risotto made with radicchio, wine, and caramelized pears. Ledererstr. 3, 011-49/892-323-9195, entrées from $12.

Cosmogrill A diner may not be what comes to mind when you first walk into Cosmogrill--a huge Swarovski chandelier sparkles above shiny white tabletops--but the young chef, Christoph Kiening, makes the city's most delicious burgers. The late-night hangout (closing time is 3 A.M.) is known for its inventive toppings, such as a Tabasco ketchup and a horseradish sour cream. Maximilianstr. 10, 011-49/898-905-9696, burgers from $7.

NoMiYa Cross a sushi bar with a German beer hall and you get NoMiYa, which serves wheat microbrews, plump maki rolls, and tapas-size skewered meats in a tiny space decorated with antlers and Japanese cat sculptures. The owner, Ferdl, adds to the quirky ambience: He's the one in well-worn lederhosen sitting at the bar. Wörthstr. 7, 011-49/894-484-095, rolls from $5.

Nero Pizza The thin crusts at Nero could easily compete with the ones on Rome's best pizzas. Patrons sit at communal tables and share margherita and truffle-cream pies. Rumfordstr. 34, 011-49/892-101-9060, from $10.

Cube Restaurant & Vinolounge Despite the exclusive vibe in the wine lounge--schicki-micki (the "in crowd") sip bubbly at cappuccino-colored booths--the idea behind Cube is that there's something for every budget. You can order chicken satay, spring rolls, and buffalo wings, or splurge on the four-course menu. Bruderstr. 6, 011-49/891-219-1192, entrées from $13.

Note:This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Eat Like A Local: Toronto

Newsweek — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:15:22 GMT

Licorice-marinated olives, great paninis and the tenderest lamb shank are among the city's favorite dishes.
by David Sax | From the May 2007 issue of Budget Travel

Coca: Since chef Nathan Isberg's tapas spot opened in December, people have been raving about his licorice-marinated olives, house-cured serrano ham, and Catalan-style coca (flatbread) topped with chorizo and applesauce. On most weekends, the wait for a seat at the bar is upward of an hour, but there's a cozy dining room with a fireplace upstairs. 783 Queen St. W., 416/703-0783, tapas from $4.

7 Numbers: Customers at Rosa Marinuzzi's casual Italian restaurant happily wedge themselves into a hodgepodge of 1950s-diner-style chairs set around worn wooden tables just to taste her crispy panfried calamari--the best in Toronto. The lamb shank, which is braised in red wine with peas, onion, and rosemary, is so tender that a knife is unnecessary. 307 Danforth Ave., 416/469-5183, entrées from $7. Closed Mon.

Okay Okay: Behind its nondescript façade, tiny Okay Okay is a retro diner that does brunch right, from plate-size blueberry buttermilk flapjacks to eggs Bearnadette (which comes topped with béarnaise sauce instead of hollandaise). Arrive early to snag either a swivel stool at the counter or one of the five worn-leather booths, or be prepared to wait. 1128 Queen St. E., 416/461-2988, entrées from $5. Closed Mon. and Tues.

Niagara Street Café: In a small converted house on a quiet side street, chef Michael Caballo uses local, seasonal, and organic ingredients to create Mediterranean-inspired dishes like roasted rabbit and grilled hanger steak. An upstairs wine bar, which opened in March, sells plates of charcuterie and dozens of wines by the glass. 169 Niagara St., 416/703-4222, entrées from $15. Closed Mon. and Tues.

California Sandwiches: The best sandwiches aren't made in a Toronto restaurant but in the back of a former grocery store in Little Italy by three generations of women from the Papa and Bertucci families. The line of cops, firemen, and construction workers is a testament to the quality of the veal, sausage, and eggplant paninis. 244 Claremont St., 416/603-3317, sandwiches from $5. Closed Sun.

Clafouti: When the doors of this teensy patisserie open at 8 a.m., there are always a bunch of cars idling illegally outside. Commuters dart in for hot croissants or a pain au chocolat, knowing they sell out before lunchtime. If you're not in a rush, you can enjoy yours with a steaming bowl of café au lait at one of the three small tables. 915 Queen St. W., 416/603-1935. Closed Mon.

Note:This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Eat Like a Local: Chicago

Newsweek — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:12:29 GMT

From bohemian fine dining to gussied-up comfort food, this is where the city chows down.
by Elaine Glusac | From the March 2007 issue of Budget Travel

Hot Doug's: Corner shops throughout the city sell hot dogs "dragged through the garden" (with mustard, pickles, relish, peppers, and more). But the wiener cognoscenti head to Hot Doug's for haute dogs, including those made with exotic meats such as rabbit, boar, and gator--plus duck-fat fries on Fridays and Saturdays only. 3324 N. California Ave., Avondale, 773/279-9550, closed Sun., hot dogs from $1.50

Lula Café: The bohemian alternative to starchy fine dining, Lula Café focuses on organic and local seasonal ingredients, and even holds popular Monday-night farm dinners with purveyors from the area. They're an incredible bargain at $24 for three courses. 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd., Logan Square, 773/489-9554, closed Tues., entrées from $13

Spacca Napoli: Chicagoans take pride in deep-dish, but recently, they've discovered the crispy goodness of thinner-crust Neapolitan pies. At Spacca Napoli, people queue up for the chance to order funghi (mushroom) and quattro formaggi (four cheese) pizzas that are cooked to perfection in an Italian-made, oak-burning oven. 1769 W. Sunnyside Ave., Ravenswood, 773/878-2420, closed Mon. and Tues., pizzas from $8

Hopleaf: Leaving deep-fried fare to every other corner bar, Hopleaf takes beer and food pairings seriously. Its mighty collection of Belgian beers--around 100--complements a menu of moules frites (a bucket of steamed mussels and fries accompanied by aioli dipping sauce), salt-cod croquettes, and veal sweetbreads. 5148 N. Clark St., Andersonville, 773/334-9851, entrées from $15

Avec: Next to his marquee restaurant, Blackbird, celebrated chef Paul Kahan runs a more casual spin-off that serves the kind of small-plate Mediterranean fare he seeks when he punches out: mixed olives, homemade salami, blood-sausage pizza, braised octopus. The first-come, first-served communal tables mean strategic diners snag seats before 6 p.m. 615 W. Randolph St., West Loop, 312/377-2002, plates from $5

West Town Tavern: Good-time Charlies past their beer-pounding prime dream of a tavern like West Town: exposed brick walls, a vintage oak bar, a well-priced wine list, and a chef who knows how to do gussied-up comfort food--from a cheese ball flavored with, among other things, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and cumin, to a satisfying zinfandel-braised pot roast. 1329 W. Chicago Ave., West Town, 312/666-6175, closed Sun., entrées from $18

Note:This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Eat Like A Local: Barcelona

Newsweek — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:07:00 GMT

Sample the city's rich flavor, from tapas and paella to handmade ice cream and pastries baked by nuns.
by Adrien Glover | From the December 2006/January 2007 issue of Budget Travel

Caelum

The confections sold at this candlelit café are baked by Spanish nuns. Many of their creations--flaky almond 'moons' and honey-soaked tuiles with sesame seeds--are on display in the corner picture window. c/de la Palla 8, Barri Gòtic, 011-34/93-302-6993, from $2

Tapioles 53

Australia native Sarah Stothart's almost-two-year-old labor of love is small (just six tables), secret (no sign), and exclusive (dinner only, one seating per night). Expect Stothart, the former personal chef of Rupert Murdoch, to describe each of the day's Mediterranean- and Asian-inspired dishes in great detail tableside. c/Tapioles 53, Poble Sec, 011-34/93-329-2238, closed Sun. and Mon., three courses from $36

Can Majó

Catalans put their own spin on paella. Called fideuá, their variation is made with vermicelli noodles instead of rice. The place to get it is at this 40-year-old family-run beachfront restaurant. Order the "regular" with shrimp and mussels, or a fishier variety cooked in squid ink. c/Almirall Aixada 23, La Barceloneta, 011-34/93-221-5818, $18

Gresca

The menú del día is a great way to sample Chef Rafael Peña's culinary genius, which he honed under the tutelage of Spain's culinary god, Ferran Adrià. The prix fixe lunch starts with a Parmesan-walnut crisp, best complemented by a glass of cava, Spain's sparkling wine. Menu items change weekly but could include house-marinated anchovies and tender beef cheeks braised in rioja wine. c/Provença 230, L'Eixample, 011-34/93-451-6193, $23

Inopia

In just a few short months, the humble tapas bar opened by Albert Adrià (brother of the aforementioned Ferran Adrià) has become white-hot. It's standing room only, but you'll feel like part of the club, surrounded by hipsters sharing plates of patatas bravas (home fries in hot sauce and aioli) and garlic chicken wings. c/Tamarit 104, Sant Antoni, 011-34/93-424-5231, tapas from $2

Cuines Santa Caterina

The soaring space has an open kitchen, chunky wood tables, and a tapas bar where specials are scrawled on chalkboards. Locals crowd in at lunchtime for tempura, curry, and terrific vegetarian dishes like grilled asparagus with a zippy romesco sauce. Mercado de Santa Caterina, Avinguda Francesc Cambó 17, La Ribera, 011-34/93-268-9918, entrées from $6

Tomo II

Teresa Vázquez de la Cueva's ice-cream shop in El Born--the original location is in Gracia--is anchored by a circular high-tech freezer that keeps her ice creams and sorbets at an ideal -10 degrees Fahrenheit. She makes them by hand, so there's always a fresh batch. c/Argenteria 61, El Born, 011-34/93-319-7739 (and c/Vic 2, Gracia), from $1.30

Note:This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.