Literary Importance of IGA Discussed at Library Dinner

Last night I attended a One for the Books dinner at the home of a member of the Sag Harbor Oyster Club, so of course the appetizer was outstanding. The book we were all supposed to have read was Travels with Charley, but as dinner progressed the conversation turned to a Steinbeck novel I didn't know, The Winter of Our Discontent. I was thunderstruck when I learned that a fictionalized Schiavoni's IGA figures prominently in the story!!! I ran over to Bookhampton this morning to educate myself.

Tonight's Dinner: Post-Hurricane Pasta

We've been on vacation in California for the past few weeks, enjoying some excellent pizza and unbelievable Chinese food. Our lovely home exchangers put away all of our lawn furniture before fleeing to the Philadelphia airport ahead of Irene, and we breezed back into town on Monday night, just a few hours after Sag Harbor had its power restored. What good timing! I hardly noticed evidence of a storm until I walked over to the IGA this morning and saw that they were out of everything refrigerated. They won't be getting deliveries until tomorrow. Thank goodness for Bette and Dale. I drove over to their farm stand (scary downed tree on Jermain Avenue!), bought some cherry tomatoes and salad greens, and made some pasta with raw tomato sauce for dinner. Here is the recipe:

Post-Hurricane Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, and Basil
Serves 4

Salt
12 ounces penne
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup basil leaves, roughly torn
1 ablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until just tender.
2. While the pasta is cooking, combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, and oregano in a large bowl. Toss with the hot pasta, season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Is It Just Me?

I've just returned from a short trip to Boston, the highlight of which was a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art. Is it just me, or have the museum's designers referenced the IGA in their logo? As I strolled through the galleries, I became convinced that this was no coincidence. More evidence of the ICA's barely concealed promotion of grocery shopping: An exhibit of Gabriel Kuri's work, including these giant renderings of his store receipts, made to his specifications by master weavers in Guadalajara.

Tonight's Dinner: Flatbread Pizzas with Lamb and Feta

Tonight's dinner was an almost comical amalgamation of my recent obsessions: Harry Ludlow's lamb, Cavaniola's marinated feta cheese, those naan breads that I used to sneak off to King Kullen to buy but are now for sale at the IGA. Here is the recipe:

Flatbread Pizzas with Ground Lamb and Feta
Makes 4 individual pizzas

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground lamb
Salt
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (I can't even remember where I bought this and if you can't find it locally you can leave it out; my bottle is so old I may very well have taken it with me when I moved to Sag Harbor from my apartment in the city)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup feta cheese
4 naan-type flatbreads
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Place a large pizza stone in the oven (if you have one--if not, just assemble the pizzas on a baking sheet and skip this) and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the lamb and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring to break up clumps, until the meat has lost its pink color, about 5 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a paper towel-lined plate, and press with more paper towels to soak up excess grease.
2. Return the meat to the pan along with the tomatoes and heat, stirring often, to break down the tomatoes, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir int he pomegranate molasses and cinnamon and season with additional salt if necessary.
3. Place the flatbreads on the pizza stone, spread some of the meat mixture over each one, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Celebrating the Spring Equinox with What Should Have Been Spring's First Pizza

Can you believe the boldness of these turkeys, who were making their way from backyard to backyard along my block this morning? They were big and scary. I don't live in Sag Harbor Village to be close to wild life! If only I had stuck to my plan of visiting Bette and Dale's at 10am, I would have missed this terrifying sight. And I also would have been able to buy some local spinach. By the time I got to the stand at 4pm, it was gone. I had planned to wilt the spinach on top of my pizza (which I topped with 6 ounces of a delicious Gruyere-like Italian cow's milk cheese from Cavaniola's) a few minutes before pulling it from the oven. Instead, I used a few handfuls of baby arugula from the IGA, and drizzled the finished pizza with olive oil before serving. Great, but not the perfect pizza for the Spring equinox.

Last Night's Dinner: Penne with Artichokes

While I wait for the first local early Spring vegetables to arrive, I am faking it with items like Birdseye frozen artichokes from the IGA. Roasted until brown and crispy, they are really good along with whole wheat pasta (my new obsession). Last night I stirred in some grated Parmesan, but I'm thinking that next time some of the goat feta from Cavaniola's would be even more Spring-y and delicious.

Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Artichokes
Serves 4Az

Two 9-ounce packages frozen artichokes, thawed
4 garlic cloves, peeled
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
12 ounces whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the artichokes, garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl. Arrange them in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with heavy duty foil. Roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the edges are nicely browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. While the artichokes are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until just tender.
3. Remove the artichokes from the oven, chop the roasted garlic cloves, and transfer the artichokes and garlic to a large bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup water and drain the pasta. Add it to the bowl with the artichokes and toss with the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and reserved cooking water, as necessary, to moisten. Serve immediately.

IGA Item of the Week

Firewood, of course. Go get your groceries and then enjoy the storm, warm at home.

Celebrating the New Year with Pecorino and Pears

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I haven't been posting for a while because I've been on vacation in Florence (please don't hate me), returning to the scene of my junior year and re-gaining most of my freshman 10. During the week, I ate delicious Tuscan pecorino cheese several different ways. Yesterday, after a quick trip to the Variety Store (New Year's crowns, 50% off) and the IGA, I stopped in at Cavaniola's for this young-ish Pecorino and a can of their most peppery olive oil to duplicate, if I could, a salad I ate on Tuesday in the Oltrarno:

Salad with Pears, Pecorino, and Walnuts
Serves 4

10 cups baby arugula
3 ounces soft-ish Pecorino cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large, ripe pear, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
2 or 3 tablespoons best-quality extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the arugula, cheese, pear, and walnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!

Breaking: My Slice and Bake Recipes are in Today's Newsday!

I am writing from Tampa, to tell you to run over to the IGA to pick up Thursday's Newsday, where you will find those slice and bake cookie recipes I was telling you about a while ago! To see the slide show of Doug Young's pretty photos, click here.

Brightening up the Morning on Main Street

Even with my sunglasses on, I appreciated the IGA's newly installed blond wood floors this morning.

Last Night's Dinner: Grilled Chicken and Pepper Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

Some days, especially on Tuesdays when I pick my vegetables at Quail Hill, dinner around here just adds up to a few things from the farm plus a few items from the IGA. Making last night's dinner was a simple equation: Grilled chicken + grilled peppers + roasted tomatillos + sour cream + corn tortillas.

Last Night's Dinner: Quinoa with Corn

Would you be annoyed by someone who urged you to make a quinoa pilaf containing pancetta from Bridgehampton, corn from Riverhead, and home-grown herbs? Oh, and I forgot to mention the sprinkling of Sherry vinegar from Cavaniola's. That's why I threw in some cherry tomatoes from Florida (via the IGA, where I also bought my Bob's Red Mill quinoa). Keeping it real, here is the recipe:

Quinoa Pilaf with Corn
Serves 2

Quinoa is a complete protein, so I was happy to have this wholesome and wonderfully textured pilaf as a main course. But it would also make a good side dish for some simply grilled chicken or fish. In that case, it would serve four.

3 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 ears fresh corn, removed from cobs
Salt
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 teaspoon hot paprika (or you could substitute sweet or smoked, your choice)
14 tablespoons (a scant cup) low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar

1. Cook the pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan.
2. Add the shallot, corn, and 1/2 teaspoons salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the quinoia and paprika and cook, stirring, another minute.
3. Add the broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, another 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl, stir in the pancetta, mint, and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Cupcake Surprise

My older daughter made some cupcakes yesterday to kill time while waiting for camp to start on Sunday. To kill more time, she is eating one every hour or so. She keeps complaining that the supermarket cupcake liners (sorry, IGA!) are difficult to peel away. She is sure to be hungry for cupcakes when she returns at the end of July, so I ordered these nonstick waxed paper gingham liners from The Baker's Catalog to surprise her.

IGA Item of the Week

Earlier in the week, someone asked me for a simple cucumber and yogurt recipe, to serve alongside grilled salmon. I've made this kind of thing in the past, and it's always gotten soggy pretty quickly. So I took care to seed the cucumbers. I didn't add any salt until 7:15, my younger daughter's estimated arrival home from SCMEA band practice in Port Jefferson. As it turned out, however, her bus was almost an hour late. I was afraid the salad would be weeping (I know I almost was, since I'm not used to eating that late) by the time she sat down to dinner, but it was beautifully creamy with no separation. I give credit to the thick and delicious Greek yogurt I bought at the IGA. Here is the recipe:


Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
Serves 4

We ate this last night with salmon fillets from The Seafood Shop in Wainscott, but it would be just as good with loin lamb chops from the IGA.

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon or more finely chopped fresh dill
Salt
Ground black pepper

Combine the cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, and dill in a bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours and (just to be on the safe side) season with salt and pepper just before serving.

Last Night's Dinner

Unable to face another salad, but unwilling to throw out half a box of baby arugula from the IGA, I decided to wilt the greens with some mushrooms and to serve the mixture alongside some broiled skirt steak. The elements came together nicely, and the dish disappeared from the platter in minutes. Here is the recipe:

Skirt Steak with Mushrooms and Arugula

For the steak:
1 pound skirt steak
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar

For the vegetables:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 shallots, thinly sliced
8 ounes cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
Salt
Ground black pepper
4 cups baby arugula

1. Marinate the steak: Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a zipper lock bag. Add the steak, seal the bag, and turn several times to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Cook the vegetables: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the shallots and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid they give off is evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the arugula until wilted. Cover and keep warm.
3. Heat the broiler to high. Remove the steak from the marinade and place it on a broiler pan. Broil the steak to the desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes, slice, and serve alongside the mushrooms and arugula.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies East of the Shinnecock Canal, No Exaggeration

Yesterday, parents were invited to Ms. Meyerhoff's class at Sag Harbor Elementary for a recitation of original Tall Tales, written by the students as party of their study of westward expansion. Every aspect of the project was perfect, from the watercolor backdrop to the performances (each student told a tale, from memory, as the others sat around the campfire and listened respectfully) to the beautifully illustrated books we were able to page through as we enjoyed a snack afterwards. I knew the bar would be set high, so I brought my best chocolate chip cookies, a marbled version with both semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chunks. Here is the recipe:

Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 40 cookies

You can use white "chocolate" morsels for these, but I chopped up a few real Lindt white chocolate bars from the IGA instead.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teapsoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white chocolate chips or two three-ounce white chocolate bars, chopped into chunks
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well-combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture.
3. Divide the cookie dough equally between two bowls. Stir the cocoa powder into one of the bowls. Stir the white chocolate chips or chunks into the chocolate cookie dough. Stir the semisweet chocolate chips into the plain cookie dough.
4. Take a rounded teaspoonful of one dough and a rounded teaspoonful of the other dough and roll them together between your palms to form a single ball. Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.
5. Bake the cookies until golden around the edge but still soft on top, 9 to 10 minutes. Slide the cookies, still on the parchment, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

A Can Opener Worthy of Our Village's Cans

Did you see this cute can opener in the New York Times food section today? I wish I had had one yesterday, to open my coconut milk from the IGA.

IGA Item of the Week

It's that time of year when I need to eat something that will warm me up, but am so tired of winter food. I wanted to make a seasonal dinner that also hinted at the warmer weather to come. So I bought a can of coconut milk at the IGA and made this carrot soup with some tropical flavor. It was also a good excuse to buy a loaf of excellent whole wheat, raisin, and walnut bread at Cavaniola's (89 Division Street; 725-0095), to go with.

Curried Carrot Soup
Serves 4

I used regular coconut milk (who is counting calories?) but light would work just as well.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup well-stirred coconut milk
Salt

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. STir in the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots to coat.
2. Stir in the broth, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in small batches in a blender (be careful not to over-fill the blender so the hot soup doesn't erupt from the lid) and return it to a clean pot. Stir in the coconut milk, season with salt, heat through, and serve.

Something Beautiful

My friend Barb urged me to go and see the beautiful wreath, provided by Sag Harbor Florist (3 Bay Street, 725-1400), that's decorating the windmill now. So this morning before I went to the post office and the IGA and Java Nation I walked over to Long Wharf to check it out. Before I could take any photos, I just stood there, happily surprised by all of the little things that made the scene memorable: The starfish on the wreath, the historic windmill, our beautiful bay in the background, and the fragrant pines (for sale to benefit the Lions' Club) perfuming the air. My photos on their own don't begin to convey the little thrill I got just from stopping at this spot.

IGA Item of the Week

I am ready for Chanukah, which begins at sundown today, with candles and a beef brisket (look for the recipe tomorrow or Sunday) from the IGA.