The Great GoogaMooga Prospect Park Takeover

By: Erin Oliveri

Teams of children were running the bases and catching fly balls while others were capitalizing on Brooklyn’s sunny weather with a scenic bike ride.  These bystanders then started to hear the melodic tunes and smell the delicious aromas emanating from the heart of Prospect Park last weekend.  What was going on? The Great GoogaMooga. The what? Yes, you read that correctly–The Great GoogaMooga.

The two-day festival, in its inaugural year, took to the park to showcase 75 food vendors, 65 brewers and winemakers and to top it all off—20 live music performances for foodies to enjoy while feasting on some of New York City’s infamous culinary delights. General admission was free, if you were able to score a ticket to the sold out event. If you weren’t, there was the all-inclusive “Extra Mooga” ticket, with a $250 price tag that included additional restaurants and sessions with top toques such as Anthony Bourdain, April Bloomfield, Eddie Huang and Tom Colicchio. For those more interested in the beats than the food, the Roots were the big draw on the GoogaMooga’s first day, while the incomparable Hall & Oates closed the festivities on Sunday night.

Touted hot spots such as Colicchio & Sons (pork belly tacos), DBGB (thai sausage sandwich), Little Meunster (grilled cheese with Oaxaca) and Simply Chicken by Jean Gorges (char grilled organic chicken sandwich) lined the sides of the stage in old fashioned booths with chalk writing. Plenty of places went with the can’t-go-wrong classic summer barbecue food with DuMont Burgers, The Burger Joint and The Spotted Pig serving up juicy–you guessed it–burgers. Not to forget the sacred hot dog temple, Crif Dogs, that plated their “Chihuahua Dog,” essentially meat on top of meat–a hot dog wrapped in bacon topped with sour cream and avocado. You have to see and try it to believe it. To round out their eating adventure, festival goers needed only to saunter over to “The Sweet Circus” for some delicious desserts such as Momofuku Milk Bar’s ice milk or the fried oreos from James.

Despite flavorful dishes and head bopping grooves, GoogaMooga encountered some hiccups–with exceptionally long lines, food shortages and spotty cell service. In a gesture of goodwill, GoogaMooga refunded “Extra Mooga” attendees the full ticket price to keep them coming back for round two. This unique festival has potential, once it works out the kinks, to become the food festival to beat.

Even though GoogaMooga had its trouble spots, the festival supported some great causes. The GoogaMooga Works Fund was created to support various charities dealing with everything from sustainable farming to parkland preservation. Additionally, a portion of all “Extra Mooga” tickets sold will benefit the Prospect Park Alliance (even in spite of refunds).

Next year, I think GoogaMooga will be striving for a shot at redemption…and it will be attained.

Dear Domino’s: Get it together

Domino’s pizza recently came out with a new gluten-free pizza that was crafted with the help of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Then, they came out and said people with Celiac disease shouldn’t eat the gluten-free pizza. Confused? Yeah, apparently so is Domino’s.

Credit: Domino’s

Read on.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57429388-10391704/dominos-new-gluten-free-pizza-crust-not-recommended-for-people-with-celiac-disease/

Appetite for Good: Taste of the Nation

The dynamic duo writing team of Kristen & Erin Oliveri are at it again! This time, for charity. Check out our new article on Appetite for Good about our coverage of the fantastic New York Taste of the Nation event. There are some mouthwatering pictures to go with it. Enjoy!

http://appetiteforgood.com/2012/05/15/taste-of-the-nation-satisfies-palettes-and-hearts/

NY Natives: Etc, Etc.

If you missed it here on Pasta’s Kitchen, check out my review on Etcetera Etcetera for New York Natives.

http://www.nynatives.com/content/tuesday-trump-card-etcetera-etcetera-theatre-district-dining-gem

Wednesday Wanderlust: Taste of the Nation

Check out a fun filled photo album of Erin and I’s adventures at the Taste of the Nation New York City event. A big thank you to the thoughtful co-chairs, committees and sponsors who made the stellar event such a success!

Now that’s a sandwich

 

The Liquid Chef tantalizes all taste buds at James Beard House event

Cooking is an art. Creating cocktails is also, well, another art.

However, very rarely do you find one person (and team) who can do both so seamlessly. At a recent James Beard House dinner, chef/mixologist/sommelier and business owner, Junior Merino, crafted a nine course tasting menu that was almost as exciting to behold as it was to eat.

The evening began in the garden, at the end of a beautifully bright New York City day. The event showcased local Mexican tequilas, pisco, and a variety of additional spirits like potato-based vodka. The signature cocktail of the evening was called the Michelada Merino consisting of Stella Artois, Salsa Inglesa, lime juice, Valentina sauce, and Dainzu PasillaPepper–Cinnamon Salt.

The pairings weren’t only exotic and tasty but they were also visually stunning as well. For our second course, my table was extremely enthusiastic about the Dragonfly cocktail that boasted a topping of liquid nitrogen. Our waiter warned us ever so gently to “wait until the cocktail stops steaming before you drink it.”

The sushi grade tuna lollipops, that came three lollipops to one person, were another crowd pleaser. The small bites of fresh tuna coupled with bite-sized pieces of ripe watermelon made for a perfect treat on a stick.

My personal favorite dish of the evening was the sous-vide dry-aged certified angus beef filet mignon. The tender pieces of meat were topped with caramel-flavored Hudson Valley foie gras with a Coca-Cola reduction, grapefruit segments, and Asian-inspired sake sauce. It was paramount that in each fork-full you had a bit of the beef, foie gras and grapefruit. I tried several times to make sure every ingredient was on there before I sunk my teeth into it. I was glad I took the time to do so.

One of the truly unique aspects to this meal was how each dish inspired lively discussions at every table among all the guests. Many were asking each other which flavors stood out for them, which dishes were literally “too hot to handle” and which were the ones they were going to remember for a lifetime.

Chef Merino and his team addressed the dining room following dinner where guests showered them with praise and adoration. He spoke about how The Liquid Chef is truly a team and family effort (Merino’s wife and brothers were part of the crew who pulled off the event) that showcases many traditional Mexican flavors coupled with innovative techniques. For example, Merino’s nanche soup with black truffles, manzano pepper, xtabentún liqueur, epazote, yellow tomatoes, cream, and Pisco 100, was something he created by taking a traditional Mexican ingredient nanche and turning it into a soup. Nanche, as it turns out, is a fruit that is known for having medicinal flavors and is often paired with Mezcal and tequila.

All of those privileged enough to attend the tasting went home with a goodie bag filled with The Liquid Chef’s salts, seasonings, recipe book and my personal favorite—a “Binaca”- like spritzer made of alcohol. Merino knew exactly what guests wanted after an evening filled with food and drink: one for the road.

The full menu (in its delicious entirety) is below:

• Kumamoto Oyster with Plum,       Cucumber, Jalapeño, Grapefruit, Koppert Cress Micro-Cilantro, Blood       Orange, Hibiscus Air, and Ginger-Infused Karlsson’s Vodka
• Granny Smith Apple, Basil,       Dainzu Agave Nectar, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, Siembra Azul Blanco Tequila,       and L.A. Cetto Sparkling Brut
• Avocado–Green Apple Carpaccio       with Green Mango, Mixed Microgreens, Basil–Avocado Oil, L.A. Cetto Petite       Syrah–Pasilla Pepper Reduction, and Dainzu Hibiscus–Rose Salt
• Dragonfly > Karlsson’s       Vodka, Cointreau, Pink Grapefruit, Dainzu Hibiscus Essence, Dragon Fruit,       and Liquid Nitrogen
• Sushi-Grade Tuna Lollipops       with Watermelon, Asian-Inspired Vinaigrette, Micro-Basil, Sesame Seeds,       Pine Peppercorns, and Siembre Azul Anejo Tequila
• L.A. Cetto Private Reserve       Chardonnay
• Nanche Soup with Black       Truffles, Manzano Pepper, Xtabentún Liqueur, Epazote, Yellow Tomatoes,       Cream, and Pisco 100
• Honey Tangerine > Honey       Tangerine, Pisco 100, Guacatay Leaves, Peach, Honeydew Melon, and Dianzu       Gomme Syrup
• Seared Diver Scallops with       Escabeche de Raices, Sambuca, Fennel, Carrots, Jicama, Cucumber, and       Sweet Potato Crisps
• Smokey Tamarindo > Lemon       Juice, Grilled Pineapple, Dainzu Agave Nectar, Jumex de Tamarindo, Ilegal       Mezcal Joven, Xtabentén Liqueur, and Dainzu Pasilla-Cinnamon Rim
• Sous Vide Dry-Aged Certified       Angus Beef® Filet Mignon and Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Coca-Cola       Reduction, Grapefruit Segments, and Asian-Inspired Sake Sauce
• L.A. Cetto Private Reserve       Petite Syrah
• 18-Hour-Braised Certified       Angus Beef® Short Ribs with Guava–Chipotle Sauce, Santa Teresa 1796,       Micro-Anise, Cipollino, and Royal Combier
• Rumquats > Kumquats, Dainzu       Elderflower–Ginger Essence, Basil, Santa Teresa Anejo, and Fever Tree       Club Soda
• Parfait > Passion Fruit       Gelee, Sautéed Peaches, Tapioca, Toasted Coconut and Cinnamon, Grand       Marnier, and Mascarpone Cheese
• Piccolo Tesoro Sparkling Rosé       Moscato
• Mexican Chocolate with Ilegal       Mezcal Reposado, Coconut Milk, Condensed Milk, and Mexican Bread
• Junior’s Multi-Sensorial Shot       > Grenadine, Citrus, Midori, Grand Marnier, Aperol, Siembra Azul       Blanco Tequila, Ilegal Blanco Mezcal, and Absinthe Foam and Air

Cinco de Mayo GF Dessert: Chocolate Arroz Con Leche

Here is our exciting recipe conclusion for a delicious, gluten-free Cinco de Mayo meal.

By Kathleen Oliveri

Ingredients

3c cooked long grain white rice

1 tbsp of dark chocolate Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

1 tsp of vanilla

1 tsp of cinnamon

½ c of mixed dried fruit or raisins

2 oz of sweetened condensed milk

1c of low fat milk or almond milk

1 tbsp Cool Whip Lite to garnish

1 Maraschino cherry

Procedure

In a medium sized saucepan add all the ingredients except the cool whip.  Stir all the ingredients together well, and then cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to allow the milk to scald or burn.  Lower the heat if that happens.

Remove the rice mixture from heat and pour into a large serving bowl.  When cooled use an ice cream scooper and put two scoops into a pretty glass used for a parfait.  Add the cool whip on top with a cherry and your delicious Mexican Dessert is served.

As always when presenting a party for your guests check that all your ingredients are safe to serve for all those attending this Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Now you know for sure that all your dishes made with a Mexican flair “estas buenisimo.”  Tenga un dia maravillosa (Have a wonderful day!)