Fellow block & lot and rooftop chefs: Burger season is upon us. Let 2013 be the year you took your burger to the next level. Your patty prep is key to getting compliments around the grill from your homies! There are a lot of things you can add to your beef before you grill to make it tasty. Start with quality beef. And try some of the following additions to the mix. Just remember to go easy with quantity. If you are using butcher beef, you don’t want to overpower a complimentary flavor with the natural flavor of fresh beef. The following five ways to prep your ground meat are tried and tested, so give these ideas a chance for your next rooftop BBQ.
Beef From The Butcher
Half & Half Use 50% ground pork with 50% ground beef. I hear a lot people say this is a Greek version of the hamburger, but my Italian grandmother made her meatballs this way, too. If you do want to go Greek, add some parsley and minced onion and squirt a little lemon on the patty right before you take it off the grill. Otherwise keep it simple with the mixture with good amount of fresh ground salt & pepper.
Soy Sauce Use a tablespoon of soy sauce for every 8 ounces of meat, mix thoroughly. I like to use my hands for all ground beef mixing. Your fingers can mix more efficiently than any stationary tool. Squeeze the beef in both hands in a big bowl. Add some fresh ground pepper, but no more salt. Don’t forget that the soy sauce is all the saltiness that you need. Continue reading →
On Wednesday March 20, 2013 from 6-9pm Adelina’s Fraschetta Romana is teaming up with Eastern District, a nearby Beer & Cheese shop, for an evening showcasing some of our favorite wines and cheeses – at Adelina’s (159 Greenpoint Ave).
For $12 try 3 delicious pairings, available for one night only.
“We believe great food and drink is meant to be simply enjoyed, so the evening will be casual and unpretentious: a chance to try out some fabulous flavors without breaking the bank.”
Instead of filling your gut with nasty nacho cheese spread, why not pair some really good cheese with it’s beer best friend? Everybody wins.
Beth at Eastern District (1053 Manhattan Ave) has some great pairing suggestions:
• Lazy Lady Farm’s Trickle Down, a lightly aged goat’s milk cheese flavored with ginger and poppy seeds; with Southern Tier Eurotrash Pils, a crisp lager.
• Consider Bardwell Farm’s Rupert, a firm, tangy cow’s milk cheese; with Greenport’s hoppy Other Side IPA.
• Fiscalini Vintage Cheddar, sharp and clean; with Ithaca’s aromatic Flower Power IPA.
• Jasper Hill Farm’s soft, pungent Willoughby; with Brooklyn Brewery’s Blast! a well-balanced, not-bitter, double IPA.
• Lady In Blue, also from Lazy Lady Farm, a creamy, spicy blue; with Captain Lawrence’s malty brown Winter Ale.
Anyone in my family (including myself) would love an Eastern District Tote stuffed with goodies from Greenpoint’s premium cheese and beer shop.
The bags include a card which tells a story about each NY made product in the bag!
You can order online, by phone or in person. If you are interested in customizing the gift bags instead of buying the standard offerings, that can also be arranged. Stop by the shop or you can send a request to info@easterndistrictny.com.
The rain returns, the beach is closed, and it’s dark by the time you’re home from work; Fall has a lot to apologize for. Luckily, like all the best apologies, this one involves lots of food: a lot of seasonal products come into their best times around now. While many of us don’t necessarily think of cheese as having a distinct seasonality, many of the incredible farms surrounding the city are currently putting out their best products at this time of year. Courtesy of Beth Lewand, Cheesemonger and owner of Eastern District, here are two great examples of Fall’s best.
Vermont Shepherd & Dooryard Cider
The first is a firm sheep’s milk cheese from Vermont Shepherd in Putney, Vermont. Sheep’s milk is the hardest of the main three (sheep, goat, and cow) to procure in volume because sheep have the shortest productive season and simply produce less than other animals during this time. They generally give birth in the late winter or early spring and produce milk to feed their lambs during the spring and summer months when pastures overflow with the grasses and herbs that contribute rich flavors to the resulting cheeses. The wheel we tasted was originally made on May 14th of this year and has aged for exactly 141 days as of this writing, and the farmers tell us that the pastures at that time had lots of plantain and dandelion contributing to the sheep’s diet. The resulting cheese was exceptionally mild and smooth, buttery in a pleasant, clean way, and complex without being weird. A perfect offering for a mixed group that might not be into the funky stuff, and Beth suggested pairing it with one of the many regional ciders being produced in the French farmhouse style – crisp, not too sweet, and with a light, champagne-like carbonation. She extended this to suggest any product in the apple abnd pear family, fresh or cooked, served alongside this universally loveable cheese. Continue reading →
Some of the best snacks are the healthiest and simplest. Peach season is here so make a peach boats! They are succulent, sweet, savory, crunchy and tangy – basically everything that is awesome, in one big juicy bite. A great appetizers at a BBQ, they take no time to prepare. Cut each peach in half and remove the pit. Stuff it with crumbled bleu cheese, top it with almonds (walnuts & pecans are great, too) then drizzle balsamic glaze* on top. That’s it!
Also called Balsamic Vinegar Creme, you can find it at The Garden (921 Manhattan Ave) Or, you can just reduce balsamic vinegar down until it’s thick and syrupy. It last until forever in your fridge and is perfect over ice cream and salads, too.
If Mike Bloomberg were to call me tomorrow morning and tell me my services were no longer required, I’d hardly bother to hang up the phone before marching into the nearest cheese shop looking to resume my old fall-back job as a cheesemonger. Working first for a great small, independent shop and later for Whole Foods, I’ve gained a serious respect for the work that goes into every aspect of producing and bringing to market real cheese, and this is why I went just a bit nuts when I was offered the chance to report in on the Third Annual Cheesemonger Invitational. Located in a hard-to-find warehouse in LIC, It’s an all-night party in the name of real dairy, centered around a competition that puts the spotlight on the people who make up the industry’s most public face. Continue reading →
Beth: I always loved cheese when I was growing up, but when I was in my 20s I discovered *real* cheese. I fell in love with the infinite flavor variations that can come from a few simple ingredients, and became fascinated with the science, history and culture that accounts for all the different styles of cheese across the world. Continue reading →
Have you bought your ticket to the 2012 Cheesemonger Invitational yet? What are you waiting for? It’s a day of glorious stinky, funky curdy cheese!
On Saturday June 23rd, 2012 at 6pm, in Long Island City, over 40 cheese geniuses, including Greenpoint’s own Beth Lewand from Eastern District will be competing for over $1000 in prizes. But let’s be honest, the real prize is being the best and cheesiest champion.
Greenpointers will be there, and please forgive us when we talk to you with our mouths full of delicious cheese and beer. Did I mention the best part? It’s all you can eat and drink!
• Monday, May 21st, 7pm – Roberta’s Garden Dinner Series: Lamb (261 Moore St, Bushwick) – $95 – Look at that menu! I am talking about those adorable lamb baby angels… BUY TIX
• Wednesday, May 23rd – The Great, Pinch Head, Suck Tail Event – CRAWFISH FEST @ Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th St.) – $40, Just the name alone is enough reason to go! And the heaps and heaps of delicious daddies!BUY TIX
On Wednesday March 20, 2013 from 6-9pm 
