Archive for the 'events' Category

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Boston 19th Century Pub Crawl Wrap Up!

A carefully crafted rye cocktail from Stoddard's Fine Food and Ale. Notice the breathtakingly beautiful, hand-carved lump of ice in the center. That is some pretty ice.

 

Since I’ve been on a month- long hiatus from the blog, I figured I should let you know what I’ve been up while I’ve been gone!  First, I’d like to share some images from last weekend’s Boston 19th Century Pub Crawl.

We began the night at Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks. I sipped on a Root of All Evil cocktail, a blend of coconut and an amazingly subtle and complex root beer liquor.  It was delicious-one of my favorite cocktails of the night!

The crowd mixes and mingles at Eastern Standard.

Stoddard’s Fine Food and Ale had us enter via the “speakeasy” entrance. The building was built in the 1860s and the entire block is historic. The result was a twisting, turning, increasing shady back alley that suddenly opened up into Stoddard’s. Completely awesome and fun.

A snapshot of the bar at Stoddard’s. The have an amazing list of historic cocktails available every day. To add another degree of authenticity, the bartenders carve off chunks of this giant ice block to make the cocktails. In addition to the rye drink pictured at the top of the post, I had a slammin drink called the Temple Smash: rye, ginger ale, mint, and seltzer. Fav.

Rich poses as our logo.

Waiting to get into the final stop of the evening, Drink.

Cocktail Virgin Slut joined us on the crawl; here, he takes notes on an adorable little cocktail at Drink.

 

The night ends with a bang: the skilled bartenders at Drink mixed me a Blue Blazer. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined there was a bar with two silver tankards ready to go at a moments notice. To be honest, to have one made for me made me feel like a god. Drink also mixed up an amazing classic punch, in a giantic bowl.  The night ended well.

 

Events: Out of the Bathtub, a Repeal Day Cocktail Party

On December 5th, from 6-8pm, celebrate your right to imbibe at a Repeal Day Cocktail Party! Hosted in the elegant Peacock Alley at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, the night will include four different cocktails crafted by Frank Caiafa, cocktail expert and head of Peacock Alley’s beverage program. The drink list will be exclusive to this event and include recreations of classic cocktails downed in backdoor speakeasys, as well as modern concoctions inspired by their Prohibition predecessors. Light appetizers will be provided by the Waldorf-Astoria kitchens.

Caiafa will also be on hand to speak about Peacock Alley’s unique history, and the Waldorf-Astoria’s link to the Prohibition era. Scotch Whisky expert Kristina Sutter will discuss the history of Prohibition and how it came to a close.

So come tip your glass to the end of Prohibition and join us for historic cocktails in an incomparable location. Appropriate cocktail attire is required.

Tickets are $45 at the door. Space is limited, RSVP to outofthebathtub@gmail.com

Events: What Dickens Drank

Wednesday, October 20th, 6pm-8pm

What Dickens Drank
Part of You can’t get there from here but you can get here from there
apexart, 291 Church Street, New York, NY

Like any good tourist, when Charles Dickens visited America in 1842, he sampled the local food and drink.  Of American bars, he said:  “…The stranger is intiaited into the mysteries of Gin-sling, Cocktail, Sangaree, Mint Julep, Sherry-cobbler, Timber Doodle and other rare drinks.”
So what did a Cocktail taste like in 1842?  For one evening, we will be tourists in time and mix up these antique potations.  During this history lesson in flavor, guests will not only sip early American cocktails, but also learn how to make them.  Join us as we bring these drinks to life from the pages of Dicken’s book and from the archives historic gastronomy. Free.

Events: The Last Supper Festival

This Saturday night I’m part of The Last Supper Festival, a celebration that addresses that act of consumption via art, film, music (including Cleveland’s own Hearts of Darknesses), new media and performance. It’s at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn.

The above image will be on display, as well as real jewelry pieces I constructed from raw seafood.  I also got a sneak peek at some amazing lollipops made in the shape of trees, fish, and chicken drumsticks–they’re shockingly elegant.

Tickets are only $10 and benefit the Food Bank of New York.  It looks like it will be a fun night, so head over to their website here for more info, and purchase your tickets here.

Silver & Ash: Look at All Those Wieners!

Silver & Ash, the interactive edible art piece I presented with singer/songwriter Clare Burson, went off without a hitch last week.  We were SOLD OUT, and I am pleased to say the food was very well received;  and in the coming months, I’m continuing to work on the dishes to make them even more delicious and interesting.  We’re bringing this event back to New York this September, and we *may* be bringing it to the West Coast (possibly with a 19th Century Pub Crawl in San Francisco as well!) Stay tuned, and in the meantime, here are a few images to wet your appetite.

Look at all those wieners! The second course of Silver & Ash is modeled after a favorite dish from Wiemar Germany. The dish features all-beer wieners from Schaller & Weber, a butcher's shop founded in 1937 in New York's German community of Yorkville. Â Braised in beer from the world's oldest brewery (the Weihenstephan brewery near Munich), these wieners were served alongside a hot potato salad.

The dining room of the Henry Street Settlement. The tables are set and ready for guests.

The kitchen, behind the scenes at Silver & Ash, the staff is hard at work preparing a delicious meal.

Sold-out seats packed with 30 guests. Clare takes the mic and begins to perform, weaving stories with music from her upcoming album, Silver & Ash.

Clare takes the stage to tell it like it is.

For the third course, we served a dish that Clare's mother closely associates with her childhood: frozen chicken pot pies. I decided to serve the pies in vintage packaging; in this photo, server Sarah Litvin presents a box o' pie to bemused Edible Brooklyn editor Rachel Wharton. As the guests begins to dig in to their pot pies, the room was filled with reminiscences: "I had these all the time when I was little!" "I remember when my parents went out, they would leave chicken pot pies for us for dinner." It was so funny to hear that so many people had a visceral memory associated with chicken pot pie--and that a few bites of warm, flaky pie crust could bring it all back.

The final course is laid out and ready to be served: it's comprised of thick slices of Helga's Homemade Almond Pound Cake. Helga is Clare's grandmother, and she prepares this not-too-dense, not-too-sweet poundcake for all of her grandchildren. Helga stashes the baked cakes in the freezer, where her family knows they can always find a frosted slice. I topped the poundcake wtih a port wine cherry compote, because Helga loved eating cherries when she was growing up--she and her friends would hang them from thier ears like earrings, and pretend to be grown up and sophistaced. Â After the show, Clare's family told me I had gotten the pound cake just right--and that was the best compliment of all.

Events: The 19th C. Pub Crawl is Tomorrow!

We only have room for 50 participants, so please RSVP on Facebook (or leave a comment on this post) to reserve a spot!

Events: The Boston 19th Century Pub Crawl Wrap Up!

A Gentleman strolls through Boston on the 19th Century Pub Crawl.

Over the weekend, the 19th Century Pub Crawl went on the road for one wild night in Boston, home to some of America’s oldest bars and most notorious dens of vice.

The crawl met at Eastern Standard, a new bar that focuses on the revival of classic cocktails. The capable bartenders put together a custom drink list  featuring authentic 19th century imbibements.  I had myself the “19th Century,” a drink previously known as the Old-Fashioned, and originally known at the Cock-tail.  A mix of rye, bitters, and a twist of lemon, this delightful and refreshing drink was the first cocktail, and is the origin point from whence all other cocktails were birthed.  I also had the Japanese Cocktail, invented by Jerry Thomas–surprisingly delicious, and perhaps my favorite drink of the evening.

The custom 19th Century cocktail list at Eastern Standard.

If you are ever in Boston, I highly recommend dinner and a drink at Eastern Standard; their hospitality was touching, their bar-craft unparalleled.

The “19th Century” at Eastern Standard.

The crawl participants met and mingled; and, lubricated with a few fine cocktails, became fast friends.  By the time we left Eastern Standard, we had 40 crawlers in tow.


An admittedly blurry photo of the crawl making its way to the Red Hat.

We traveled via subway to the Red Hat, a bar founded in 1906 in Boston’s old Theater district (later a neighborhood known for its burlesque shows).  We settled in upstairs, next to the antique bar, and surrounded by a charming mural of old Boston.  The ambiance was lovely.

I was won over by a small advertisement on my table and ordered a Kraken and Coke.  Kraken is a new brand of “Black Spiced Rum,” which comes in an amazing jug-like bottle adorned with an angry sea monster.  Ever since spotting it at Astor Wine & Spirits last month, I’ve been meaning to try it out.  I was very pleasantly surprised–Kraken is sweet and spicy, and an incredibly pleasant companion to Coke.  I recommend it.

Kraken & Coke.  Release the Kraken!

Next, we trotted down the street to Union Bar at the Union Oyster House.  The UOH is the oldest continually operating restaurant in the U.S., having been founded in 1826.  It was the first bar to pass out wooden toothpicks in the 1860s.  Despite my track record at previous pub crawls, I did not slurp up any oysters.  Instead, I was bought a whiskey on the rocks by a woman in a dashing hat.  Perfect.

We ended up skipping the Bell in Hand Tavern after sizing up the line in front of the door that extended around the block, and discovering there was a $10 cover.  Boo.  The next time I’m in Boston, I’m going to stop in for a burger and a beer; it is one of the oldest bars in America, after all.

Left: The discreet, nondescript hallway that leads to Drink.

Instead, we headed across the river to Drink, another new establishment known for exploring the history of cocktails.  After six hours of drinking, I still had a party of twelve ready for more.  When we got to Drink’s front stair, we were met by the doorman who (to quote a fellow pub crawler) had “the most amazing Chester A. Arthur mutton chops.”  He sized us up, nodded and said:  “I heard you guys might be headed our way.  Let me see what I can do.”   He disappeared inside, and I addressed my loyal troupe of 19th century gentleman and ladies: “He says there’s at least a 45 minutes wait; last call is in 90 minutes.  I’m read to wait them out; who’s with me?”  Everyone agreed we were in it to win it.

Ten minutes later, the door opened.  Chester A. smiled: “Welcome to Drink,” and he swept us inside.

Drink is a magical place; if you can get in, go.  There is no menu, which at first strikes you as annoying.  But in fact, it allows you the opportunity to chat with your adorable server/bartender who will say things like “I’ve got the perfect drink for you!”  He started me off with another Cock-Tail, then an updated old-fashioned.  Some of my companions asked for egg drinks, which are unrivaled at Drink.  I think that’s what opened the gates for what happened next.

We were suddenly presented with a “special cocktail,” I didn’t catch it’s name.  It has specific instructions for consumption: first, you smelled it.  A big long whiff.  Second, you sipped off the meringue-like egg white that sat on the drink’s surface.  Last, you threw the drink back like a shot, imbibing the alcohol and the egg yolk which sits at the bottom of the glass.  The egg yolk bursts in your mouth.  As mine ruptured, I thought to myself:  did I really just eat that raw egg?

Althought we all commented how sober we were on the walk to Drink, by the time we piled in cabs around 1:30 am, we were 3-5 sheets to the wind.  Total Eclipse of the Heart came on the radio, and I sang it all the way back to my brother’s apartment in Cambridge, where I met a few friends for just one more drink.

They’re pointing to the “Gentlemen’s Room.”

I’m now safely entrenched back in New York city, still basking from the warm glow of a night of fine drinks, and even finer friends.  I met such lovely people.  And if you missed the Boston 19th Century Pub Crawl this year, worry not.  There’s already plans for a repeat performance next spring.  And for those of you in New York, and those of you willing to hop a Fung Wah to get here, the New York 19th Century Pub Crawl is right around the corner on May 15th.  Check out our proposed route, and I hope to see you there!

Check out more photos from the evening below, or on the Flickr 19th Century Pub Crawl Pool.

Events: The Boston 19th C. Pub Crawl

Hey, Bostonites! (Bostonians?)  Come join us for a night of nineteenth-century debauchery at Boston’s oldest bars and most notorious dens of vice!
We will meet promptly at 5:30 PM at Eastern Standard (528 Commonwealth Avenue) for classic cocktails and complimentary appetizers.  We will then proceed to Red Hat Café; Union Oyster House; Bell in Hand Tavern; and, should we still possess the fortitude and sobriety, Drink.
The crawl is FREE to join.  Appropriate nineteenth century attire is encouraged, but by no means required.
Go to www.19thcpubcrawl.com/boston for more information.  Or, rsvp via Facebook here.
Brought to you by The Nineteenth Century Society and Four Pounds Flour.
See you there!

Events: Pancakes Aplenty! Wrap-up and Recipes

Cooking Apple, Sour Milk & Molasses Pancakes at Old Stone House yesterday.  See more photos from the event here.

I was too immersed in pancake making to know how many people came out to the event yesterday.  Take a look for yourself:

Despite a constant flow of pancakes, the line was this long for an hour and a half.  I was flabberghasted.

I want to thank everyone who was able to make it out yesterday, and thank you for waiting patiently and amicably while I furiously flipped flapjakes.  I simply was not prepared, nor was I expecting, to serve hearth-cooked pancakes for 200 people; I’m so pleased that everyone was able to get a taste, and (hopefully) went home happy.

If you enjoyed yourself, then I encourage you to make these recipes at home!  They work just as well on an electric skillet as they do over an open hearth–and it’s probably a more efficient method of cooking.

Thank you again for the wonderful day; if you were able to attend, please leave your thoughts in the comments.  Enjoy the recipes, and I sincerely hope to see you at another event in the future.

***

Apple Pancakes
Adapted from The New England Economical Housekeeper by Esther Allen Howland, 1845.
Modern recipe adapted from The Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook, 3rd ed. by Jack Larkin, 2009.

The original recipes instructs the cook to deep fry these pancakes in lard, like a doughnut.  But I find this recipe works just as well fried with butter on a griddle or in a skillet.

2 cups sour milk or 1 1/2 cups fresh milk with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 baking apples
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour

1. Combine milk and molasses, whisking until emulsified.
2. Pare and core apples, and dice into 1/4 in. cubes.  Add to milk and molasses mixture and set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk cornmeal, baking soda and flour until combined.  Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour milk mixture into the well, and mix until combined.
4. Fry in a skillet or on a griddle, with a generous amount of butter.  Serve with maple syrup, butter, or a hard sauce.
Clove and Rosewater Pancakes
Adapted from The New England Economical Housekeeper by Esther Allen Howland, 1845

Rosewater can be food in the Indian or Middle Eastern section of your grocery store.

3 tablespoons sugar
½ tsp cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lighten beaten with
½ tsp rosewater
1 cup whole milk

1. Combine sugar, cloves, baking soda, flour and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk until combined; set aside.
2. Whisk the milk into the egg and rosewater mixture.
3. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour milk mixture into the well, and mix until combined.
4. Fry in a skillet or on a griddle, using a generous amount of butter.  Serve with maple syrup, butter, or a hard sauce.


Pumpkin Cornmeal Pancakes

Adapted from Food, Drink and Celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch by Peter G. Rose, 2009.

“Although (the Dutch) continued their own food ways, they did incorporate native foods into their daily diets. They did so, however, in ways that were familiar to them: for example, when they made pumpkin cornmeal pancakes (cornmeal instead of wheat flour) or pumpkin sweetmeat (instead of quince paste).”

Food, Drink and Celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch by Peter G. Rose

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs, lightly beaten with
1 1/2 cups whole milk

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and spices. Set aside.
2.  Whisk together egg and milk mixture with pumpkin puree until throughly amalgamated.
3. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour milk mixture into the well, and mix until combined.
4. Fry in a skillet or on a griddle, with a generous amount of butter.  Serve with maple syrup, butter, or a hard sauce.

1 pound unsalted butter, room tempeature
2 cups sugar
½ cup white wine or brandy
1 tsp nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)

Beat in an electric mixer on medium until evenly combined.

Events: Timeline of Taste at Trade School

On Sunday, I taught a class at Trade School; it was a brief (but edible) overview of the last 200 years of America’s favorite flavors.  These photos were taken by my friend Ilana, and I think her description of the class sums it up best:

We feasted on treats from several time periods, “A Rich Cake” by Amelia Simmons from 1796 was by far my favorite. Dense and full of “stuff”, it was AWESOME. Not to mention from a 1796 recipe to boot……

Speaking of the Trade School, however, holy moly what an amazing place. As per their website:

“Take a class every night with a range of specialized teachers in exchange for basic items and services. Secure a spot in a Trade School class by meeting one of the teacher’s barter needs.”

So the classes are essentially free. Sarah’s class cost me two dozen eggs. Can’t be beat for such a wonderful range of classes in such a cozy space.

**Note on the above pics, unfortunately I was so engrossed in the class that I completely forgot about my camera till we got to the last recipe – a jokey take on Charlotte Russe, a popular 19th c. street food (ed. note: actually early 20th century street food, but a popular dessert in different forms since the 18th century). We made ours with store bought lady fingers, whipped cream from a can and maraschino cherries……yum? A take on 1950’s convienence food.

Assembling Charlotte Russe.

This Charlotte Russe is a little bit sad–the Reddi Whip was warm, so it melted pretty fast.


On the left, “A Rich Cake” and on the right a currant cake from the 1840s.

One of my students brought me this lovely bottle of port as barter for my class.  She included a recipe for port wine fudge from her home state of California.  So nice!

Trade School is only around until the end of the month, so sign up for a class here.  And if you missed this event, never fear!  Pancakes Aplenty is on March 7th at Old Stone House.