Saturday, March 24, 2012

Buttermilk Biscuits

Please do not make your biscuits from a can. If you do, you go to Hell per all Catholic and Proddy rules, not sure what happens to the Jews among us. I am just trying to save you from eternal damnation. I like making these a lot because people always really really enjoy them and no matter how many you make, look sad when they are gone.

Makes ~12

3 cups AP flour (or soft/cake/low-protien if you can get it, generally better for non-yeast breads)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 + a bit teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 + 1/2sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
~1 + 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 sticks butter, leave out at start of baking to soften, for spreading on biscuits

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, salt in a large bowl.
  3. Rub 3/4 cup chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  4. Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened. Roll out and cut with circular thingy: Soup can, coffee cup, don't panic, using ~1/4 cup dough for each biscuit, onto baking sheet, spacing ~2 inches apart.
  5. Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 8-12 minutes.
Serve hot with soft butter, sausage gravy, fried chicken, steak, chicken friend steak, go nuts, but ideally these go in the oven as the steak or chicken comes out to rest... but you don't go to Hell if the timing is off.

Where I'm Eating

I'm going for breakfast or lunch at Maialino once or twice a month. Dishes are not large which I find pleasant. The Malfatti al Maialino is addictive, wide strips of pasta with a sauce made from thickened pork stock, strips of braised suckling pig, it is freaking delicious!

Also recommended: Eggs Trippa (baked in a bed of tripe-in-tomato-sauce), ok, frankly anything with pork in it, one or two glasses of red by the glass.

I've been to Empellón four times now, and the Chicharrones are snap-crackle-pop crunchy goodness, with a roasted tomato, olive and caper sauce that is perfectly sized. Also the Sopes, little pastries with meatball or quail-egg and bean content; the Octopus is a strange bowl of chunks of the sliced cephalopod and potatoes, tomato sauce, and smoky peppers, with dots of crema, served cold, thick and with a spoon, I'd go back for that.

Not so much with the tacos: I find the flour tortillas gummy. The lobster one is good enough; the sweetbreads are overwhelmed by some tough roasted mitake mushrooms, too chewy by comparison with the sweetbreads, and too heavy a hand on the ancho sauce.

I am fond of all of April Bloomfield's places: the specials at The Spotted Pig, as well as the deviled eggs and devils on horseback: bacon-wrapped dates. The cloudy Gnudi with its creamy parm-bechamel is one of the finest dishes in New York at this time.

The burger is good; the fries I'm not wild about, April has good beers; I also go to The John Dory and order everything on the menu as often as I am able. At The Breslin, I'm into the tongue sandwich for lunch; the pigs foot is a feast, and: the Scotch Egg, the Beef and Stilton Pie, the Chicken Liver parfait, the terrine board is a wow, the Caesar Salad is the best I have ever had, it has ruined me for others with its creamy dressing, and the perfect, super fresh, never-brown leaves. The Lamb Burger here is even better than the the Spotted Pig's. Have the chips, if you don't get the burger, with the curry mayo.

Prune, Brunch, getting there before 10am, and having a variety of bloody marry relatives, and the small glasses of beer is encouraged. Try everything on the menu.

Sorry about the Prune website - why do chef's insist on 1. Not having the damn hours and location RIGHT UP FRONT, its an informational service after all, and 2. Having those damned "click here to enter" splash pages?

Note to Chefs about your websites: That splash-page is just fucking totally idiotic. Knock that shit off.

BauHaus: Yummy!

Joe Dough: The Conflicted Jew, chicken liver and bacon, and the L. E. S. French Dip, with tongue and horseradish causes NOM-NOM-NOM issues, handle with care.

This Little Piggy: Fantastic, have to cut back on these!

The Redhead for martinis, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, the rest ain't bad neither.

I have been to Momufuku ssäm Bar for lunch quite a few times for the Duck Over Rice Set. So should you.

There is more but I'll save it for another post.