A Boozy Lunch

This post is a bit long so am going to divide it up in to a couple pieces


Shopping

 Monday was Eid ul-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) and also my favorite holiday - I get it off, everyone else is working (mwahahahahahahaha).  Anyway... instead of going out to a restaurant for a boozy lunch, I decided to host it myself.  Inspired by the pork I made a couple days ago, I decided to hunt down the flying pigs farm stall at the farmer's market.  Unfortunately they weren't there this week.  So plan B: go find some meat at Marlow and Daughters (unfortunately for them, Tom the Butcher has moved on to greener pastures).  And cause I'm a little bit crazy, I decided to run there, buy my groceries and then cab back.  I figured I was getting in the exercise, saving on cab fare one way, and not having to brave the J,M,Z.  

I bought:

• a piece of beef I had never heard of called 'Second Steak' (even google is giving me no love on this so I'm inclined to think that Marlow and Daughters made it up), 
• some pate de campagne (now that Tom is gone, will his divine rabbit pate be going with him?)
• some salamis (delicious)
• a chicken and some extra feet for soup making
• bread and a few other miscellaneous items

Cooking

• I reheated some of the Healthier Eggplant Parmesan
• Made cauliflower salad - another Martha Rose Shulman NYT recipe
• Heirloom tomato salad  - slice tomatoes, add a bit of goat cheese, julienned basil, salt, pepper and olive oil
  
• Steak - I seasoned it with salt and pepper, put some butter in a frying pan, turned heat up high and seared it on both sides, then put it in to an oven at about 250 degrees for about 5-10 min.  I then deglazed the pan with some vermouth and butter - voila a sauce. 

Cauliflower Salad with Parsley, Capers and Vinegar  by Martha Rose Shulman

This tangy winter salad is likely to convert anyone who doubts just how good cauliflower can be. Make sure you steam the cauliflower until thoroughly tender so that it absorbs the dressing. The dish is lovely with a mix of colorful cauliflowers, but can look nice with the standard white variety.
1 large or 2 small to medium cauliflowers, broken into florets; or about 6 cups mixed white, orange, green and purple cauliflower
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar (to taste)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Place the cauliflower in a steaming basket over one inch of boiling water; cover and steam one minute. Lift the lid for 15 seconds, then cover again and steam for six to eight minutes until tender. Refresh with cold water, then drain on paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, capers, vinegar and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss together. Marinate, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes if possible before serving. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.
Yield: Serves 6 as a starter or side dish
Advance preparation: You can make this up to a day ahead, but omit the parsley until shortly before serving so that it doesn’t fade. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Eating 

The meal was a bit of a mish-mash but quite yummy. The steak sauce was tasty but was too refined for this cut of beef.  Would have been much better with a filet mignon.  However, the steak, with sauce and baguette was damn tasty which makes me believe that this would be perfect sandwich material.  I might add some chopped anchovies to the cauliflower salad next time.

Drinking
For the wine reviews - please see: http://winedisorder.com/comment/56/2299/