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01/19/2005 Archived Entry: "Notes from All Over"

Back in the saddle
I think it is going to be fun broadcasting from my kitchen-office, as I did yesterday. Remember, every Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to noon, then re-broadcast from 11 p.m. to midnight. On WWRL, 1600AM, and brought to you by Invite Health and the Hickey Chemists. You can also listen to the program by going to www.invitehealth.com or www.wwrl1600.com

Oops! I found a recipe error
Sometimes I get very discouraged about this website. I know it has considerable depth, like hundreds of recipes, etc. But does anyone really take advantage of this? I do. The recipes are a record of the best things I’ve cooked over the last five years. Check out the The Food Maven’s Index and see what I mean. (Remember, every page on the website has the capacity to connect you to another page – just click on the headings in the red navigation bar to the left. For instance, there are recipes hidden behind the headings Favorite Radio Recipes, and The Maven’s Cookbooks (some excerpts from Arthur Schwartz’s New York City Food are coming up). The travel notes are my notes. I refer to information here all the time.

So I found myself using my own recipe for Hungarian Goulash, and in the process of preparing same I found a major error in the directions. This means two things. First, that I made a mistake and did not catch it before filing the recipe on the site. Second, that no one has cooked this recipe since I posted it, otherwise, I promise you, they would have noted the error – with glee. Too bad! It’s a fabulous recipe. I and my fellow travelers on the Eastern European trip I hosted last June learned it at a cooking demonstration conducted at the Wooden Spoon restaurant in Budapest’s beautiful and recently restored central market. I have corrected the error in the recipe. It didn’t say when to add the tomato and red pepper. They are added at the beginning so they’ll dissolve into the sauce.

A perfect little lunch
A classic club sandwich made with freshly roasted chicken, crisp bacon, lightly toasted white bread, and great mayonnaise; freshly fried root chips (beet, parsnip, potato) on the side, a Bloody Mary, and a fantastic strip of a mousse-y chocolate pastry with hazelnuts and a thin biscuit on the bottom to add crunch.

I ate this last week at the handsome Union League in downtown New Haven just before doing Faith Middleton’s NPR radio program, which, on Wednesday is called the Food Schmooze.

Speaking of a food schmooze
On January 30, I will be giving a talk at Temple B’nai Shalom, on the corner of corner of Fern and Old State Roads in East Brunswick. My talk – so, Arthur, how did you become the Schwartz Who Ate New York, plus my historical take on Jewish food in New York – is accompanied by a brunch of salads and other good things from Lox, Stock and Deli. The event starts at 10:30 a.m., and with me a big schmoozer, it won’t end before 12:30. Cost is $45. “Arthur Schwartz’s New York City Food” will be available for purchase and signing. For a reservation – it’s going to be fun – call Lisa Sachs at (732) 613-0181.

Also on my agenda
On January 25, I will be giving a presentation on the history of drinking in New York City. It is one of the first programs being offered by the new Stony Brook Center for Wine, Food and Culture in Manhattan, at 401 Park Avenue South, at 28th St., to be exact. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. – the cocktail hour – just in time to partake of drinks created in New York. Among them are the Bloody Mary and Manhattan. Then, we move on to taste some of my favorite Long Island wines. The fee, $85, includes all that drink, plus a copy of "Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food" (a $45.00 retail value). To register: Call Ginny Clancy at (631) 632-9404.