Goat Cheese Tart a la Balthazar

Ah, Balthazar. I don't often do this, but I am reprinting my Yelp review from 2007, the last time I dined there. What a moment in time! It makes me smile to remember it.

[6/11/10: What a nightmare - you can't copy and paste Yelp reviews, apparently. If you want to check it out, click here.]

How appropriate that I ended it with the Goat Cheese Tart, which is what I am featuring in this post.

Last night's Book Club had a French theme, based on the book Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (excellent read!), so I had the perfect excuse to make the Goat Cheese Tart. I've made it several times before, but one thing that always bothered me is that the photo in the book shows these pretty tarts with nicely browned tops, whereas mine always looked sort of plain and weirdly yellow from the egg yolk wash. Not having a mini blow torch in my arsenal, I stuck the pan under the broiler for a few minutes after baking, and voila! Tres jolie.

Goat Cheese Tart

with Caramelized Onions

For the Crust:

• 1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 stick plus 2 T. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
• 2 extra-large egg yolks
• 3 T. ice-cold water

For the Filling:

• 1/4 C. olive oil
• 3 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced into 1/8" half moons
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz. fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 extra-large egg yolk, beaten

To make the crust, combine the flour, salt, and chilled butter in the bowl of a food processor

Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal, about 10 seconds

With the machine running, add the 2 egg yolks and ice water through the feed tube

Continue to process until the dough forms a ball, about 20 seconds

With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic and refrigerate, at least 1 hour or overnight

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Remove the dough from the refrigerator

To make the filling, over a low flame, heat the olive oil in a large skillet

Add the onions, thyme, bay lear, and 1/2 t. each of salt and pepper

Stir occasionally, cooking the onions until soft and golden, reducing their volume by nearly half; this can take up to an hour

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Discard thyme and bay leaf

Meanwhile, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness

Coat the tart pan with non-stick spray (note: my removable-bottom tart pan is non-stick, so I skipped this step).

Fit the dough snugly in the pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom edge and fluted sides

Trim the excess with a sharp knife, and prick the dough several times with the tines of a fork

Place the tart pan on a sheet tray

Line the dough with aluminum foil, and weigh down with raw rice or beans. Bake for 15 min

Remove foil and weights, and continue to bake a few minutes more, until the crust takes on a light brown color

Remove from the oven and allow to cool while the filling is completed

In a food processor, mix the goat cheese, cream cheese, 2 eggs and remaining 1/2 t. each of salt and pepper. Process until smooth

Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the bottom of the prebaked tart shell, and pour the cheese mixture over the onions

Using a wide pastry brush, gently brush the beaten egg yolk over the top of the tart. Aim for complete coverage

Bake for 12 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for 15 min and serve warm

Here is is with the Blackberry and Lemon Clafoutis we had last night - worth the effort.

Slab and Tickle

Look what arrived in my mail just in time for Easter - a gift from fellow chocolate-lover and dear friend Olga, who I had seen recently in Chicago, when she had told me about this new chocolate discovery.

Pure Dark has a store in the West Village in New York, and their approach is to offer chocolate with minimum processing and maximum flavor. The "Slab" that I received is rough and heavy, like a slab of marble or stone, not tempered into a mold or neat rectangular shape - this is not a chocolate "bar". The color is dull and not shiny like commercial chocolate. And the taste...mmmm. It's like the difference between diner coffee and a fine roast, with a clean and not sugary aftertaste.

It's surprisingly easy to cut into, much more so than the chocolate you use for baking. Dangerously so. I don't even want to call it "candy", it's so good.

OK, back to being hidden in the drawer, you dark, lovely, evil, delicious thing, you.

Leggo my Bagel

I love a place that has their own mural, depicting people in an urban setting enjoying their product. Such is the case with House of Bagels, one of the few decent bagel places in San Francisco.

It's not exactly H & H, but this is as close as you'll probably get on the West Coast. They have a good crust, a good chew, and sometimes they are still warm when you get them. Great flavors, including the classics like Egg and Sesame, and one that was new to me and my favorite, Corn.

The place definitely has an East Coast feel - no frills, no nonsense, a little cheek (note the Ramones T-shirt on the employee - yay!). They also do deli sandwiches and carry some of my favorite items like whitefish and chopped liver. The best flashback to NYC came to me when I was browsing while waiting for my order...the black and white cookie! The symbol of unity, elevated to mythic status by Seinfeld, and a treat loved by almost all people. Where there is the black and white cookie, things must be all right in the world. At least for a few sugary moments.

Flavor Trippin'

Well, kiddies, I may not be going to Burning Man this year, but that doesn't mean that I have to give up all of my fun.

Check out this video about a magical berry that temporarily changes your tastebuds - pretty far out. Now I can have my very own food rave, right in my kitchen! Pass the glow sticks and the Tobasco sauce! Woooo!

(And hey, at $2 a berry, I'd consider that a pretty cheap thrill, wouldn't you?)

One is the Lonliest Number

It's hard to upstage an actor like Will Smith - whether or not you think he's got the dramatic chops, you can't deny his screen presence. However, in the movie "I am Legend", what really blew me away were the scenes of post-Apocalyptic New York.

Manhattan is too familiar to too many people to be able to use substitute cites in its place. When films use Vancouver or other cities, it's painfully obvious. "Legend" was filmed on location in New York, and all of the familiar landmarks, large and small, are there. At first I thought that they had shot the street scenes and then added the details later - the abandoned cars, trees, grass growing through the concrete. After reading the production notes, I saw that they actually closed down the streets and added the elements of nature specifically for the film. Wow. Dealing with the logistics of that would take an army of people, and making it happen would seem a task more daunting than fighting off the Infected.

I remember being in the New York City in the winter of '94, when there was a snowstorm that brought the city to its feet. I was trying to get home from work, and set out from my office to walk the 15 blocks to the train station. The streets were completely empty, all vehicles immobilized by the heavy blanket of snow covering the ground. I walked down 5th Avenue, right down the middle, marvelling at the complete silence. I had never heard this sound, or rather the absence of sound, in the city before. There was not a soul in sight, and as I listened to the rhythmic crunch of my boots on the snow, I felt completely alone in the world. It was both magical and eerie - I wanted to lie down and make a snow angel, right then and there! But without anyone to share that with, it seemed kind of pointless. Instead, I focused on getting home, to our apartment in Hoboken, where it was warm and where my husband and kitties were waiting for me.

In this way, I could relate to the main character of Robert Neville as he navigated around the deserted urban landscape. New York is familiar as much for its physical attributes as it is for the unique energy that is the pulse of the city. You can feel it immediately whenever you are there - it sweeps you into the flow and carries you through its streets at a pace all of its own. Without that, it is just a shell, a faded and tattered photograph of the people that make the city one of the greatest in the world.

In a New York State of Mind

Just a few months ago, I was going to New York on a bi-monthly basis. Then I quit my job. While I don't regret my decision in the least, I do miss hanging out in my second favorite city.

My friend Susan was planning a trip to the Big Apple, so she asked me to recommend some of my favorite places. While most of them appear on my Yelp page, I decided to compile a shortcut list for her so that she could print it out and have a convenient cheat sheet.

Below is what I sent to her.

Here is my list of favorite spots, with a brief description. If I have reviewed it on Yelp, there is a *:

Balthazar*, 80 Spring Street (Soho) 965-1414
- this is has been one of my favorite restaurants in NY for many years. Classic French brasserie food, gorgeus setting. Great service, and everything thing they do is just right. Great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. Must have: Goat cheese tart

Bar Pitti, 268 6th Ave (Soho) 982-3300
- unpretentious neighborhood restaurant with excellent Italian food. Philip Seymour Hoffman is said to be a regular. Very nice owners. Must have: Tiramisu

BLT Fish* 21 W. 17th Street (Chelsea) 691-8888
- one of the "Bistro Laurent Tourendel" restaurants, which are fabulous. Elegant setting, inventive food, nice wine list, etc. The upstairs is dressier, and the downstairs is a crab shack with awesome bartenders. Must have: any fish dish

BLT Prime* 111 E. 22nd St (Murray Hill) 995-8500
- another "Bistro Laurent Tourendel" restaurant, and currently my favorite steak restaurant ANYWHERE. Excellent food. Must have: Bone-In Ribeye

Gobo* 401 6th Ave. (West Village) 255-3902
- this is where I go when I have overdone it one two many nights, and I need some restorative cuisine. Vegetarian with an Asian vibe. Nice atmosphere, large communal table Must have: dumplings

Home* 20 Cornelia St. (West Village) 243-9579
- one of my favorite restaurants of all time, certainly in New York. Small, intimate, wonderful food using locally sourced ingredients, wonderful staff. You'll only find locals here, no tourists. Great outdoor garden for warm summer nights. Must have: Onion Rings with homemade ketchup

Le Souk* 47 Ave. B (East Village) 777-5454
- Moroccan food on a lively block off of Thomkins Square Park. Sexy dark atmosphere and a DJ. Reasonable prices. Bars surrounding it to hit afterwards. Must have: Grilled Lamb (Bedouin?)

Stanton Social* 90 Stanton St (Lower East Side) 995-0099
- great restaurant in the trendy LES. Beautiful interior, including the upstairs bar. I have sent lots of people here and they've all loved it. Inventive and very tasty small plates. Also good for bar hopping before or after - be sure to check out THOR around the corner (the Hotel on Rivington) - it's a visual show-stopper. Must have: French Onion Soup Dumplings

One Little West 12th, 1 Little West 12th St (Meat Packing District) 255-9717
- modern, trendy, cool interior with good food. Great for groups or even just to get a drink. Lots of places to go out afterwards, including the roof bar at Hotel Gansevoort. Must have: Duck quesadilla

Kittichai, 60 Thompson (Soho) 219-2000
- absolutely stunning interior with great, modern asian food. Very sexy. Tim and Jessica went here and loved it, too. Must have: anything!

Bread Bar (Tabla), 111 Madison Ave. (Midtown) 889-0667
- make sure you go the the 1st floor which is Bread Bar, not the overpriced Tabla upstairs. Very unique restaurant, modern Indian fusion.

Campbell Appartment* 15 Vanderbilt Ave. (Grand Central Station) 953-0409
- this is my favorite bar in NYC, because of its rich history. Located in Grand Central Station, this was the former office of a business magnate in the 1920's and the interior is amazing. Must have: Prohibition Punch (for fun) or an Old Fashioned (seriously good)

I love my city of San Francisco, but I know I have left part of my heart in New York.