Judging:
Stuzzicheria (last year’s Champs!)
Rachel Wharton (Edible Brooklyn)
Peter Meehan (Lucky Peach)
and more!

Competing:
Roberta’s
The Meat Hook
Masten Lake
Vesta
Riverpark
The Meatball shop
Served with bread from Grandaisy Bakery and beer from The Brooklyn Brewery it’s gonna be awesome!
DJ Aperatif (Joe Garden of the Onion) and DJ Meat Mistress (Anita Serwacki)
All proceeds go to fund these two great local food education projects:
–The Brooklyn Kitchen and the Meat Hook’s Classrooms in the Kitchen program which will bring 20 NYC public school classes through the shop to learn about meat and take a hands on cooking class
&
–The Brooklyn Grange Farm’s City Grower program, which will bring students up on the roof, to see the farm and learn about urban agriculture and all it has to offer.
Come down, fill up on Meatballs and beer and help us choose who will get bragging rights for 2012!

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE! DO IT NOW!

It was a crazy battle.  Emily was not foolin’.  That lady can seriously bring it on the kitchen skills tip, but when the semolina dust cleared Mike the Machine came away with a check in the victory column.  Check out the time lapse video below:

Cavatelli. from The Brooklyn Kitchen on Vimeo.

Thor Oechsner and Erick Smith. between them they grow most of the goods you see under the Cayuga label here and at Greenmarkets around the city.

On 600 acres Thor grows Wheat, Rye, Corn (which becomes Polenta), Emmer (Known as Farro in Italy) and other grains. He’ll speak about what it takes to get these products to grow, and how they come to market.

Erick founded Cayuga Pure Organics in 2003 and helps provide Farmer Ground Flour as well as the many varieties of beans sold by CPO

Please come and learn about their work to bring us the best grains and beans and how these products get to your mouth!

We’ll provide some snacks made from their products and beer from the Brooklyn Brewery.

Please RSVP for this FREE EVENT HERE

Making fresh cavatelli at home is a blast and super easy.  We’ll have a bunch of these machines in stock soon, so drop by and pick one up!

Homemade Ricotta Cavatelli

(makes about 1 lb. of pasta)

1 cup Daisy All Purpose Flour
1 cup 100% Durum Wheat Semolina Flour
1 extra large egg
1/2 lb. Narragansett ricotta cheese

1. In a mixing bowl, combine AP flour and semolina flour.  Dump flour mixture onto a large work surface.  Create a well in the center of the pile of flour, so that it looks like a volcano. In the mixing bowl, whisk together egg and ricotta. Pour mixture into center of flour volcano.

2. Make your index finger into a hook like you’re pretending to be a pirate.  Slowly stir the egg and ricotta, picking up a little bit of flour as you go.  As the dough starts to come together, push more of the flour rim of the volcano into the lava pit.  When the dough is solid enough to handle, grab it and roughly shape it into a ball.

5.  If the dough is a crumbly mess, it’s too dry: add a little water.  If the dough is runny, sticky nightmare, it’s too wet: add a little semolina.

6. Take your dough ball and knead it for at least 8 minutes.  Set a timer and don’t get lazy or ADD about it.  Wrap the ball in some plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for another 8 minutes.

7. Divide dough ball into manageable sections (about 4).  Roll each section into a 1/2″ thick snake on a floured work surface.  Run the snakes through the wooden rollers of your shiny, new cavatelli maker.

8. Drop the fresh cavatelli into boiling, salted water.  After 30 seconds or so, give them a little stir so that they don’t stick together.  When they start to float to the top (about 4 minutes) taste one for doneness.  They’ll probably need about 1 more minute, but that’s your call.

9.  Remove wet cavatelli from water with a spider skimmer.  Dump into your favorite sauce.   Toss pasta and sauce like a salad until everything is well coated.  Divide into bowls and finish with some olive oil, grated cheese and/or breadcrumbs.

(Saucing suggestion: Browned butter with fresh cut sage from our hydroponic garden, some Meat Hook Sweet Italian sausage and crushed pepper flakes. Top it with Fulvi Pecorino-Romano.  That’s our riff on the super-rad Frankies Spuntino dish.) 

Expat Brooklynite Nicole Lang Key moved to the South (Richmond VA, specifically) and discovered a dish unlike any other: Pimento Cheese. She did what any curious girl would do: she started a Kickstarter campaign and made a movie. And on Saturday, January 21, we will show you that movie! Join us at 4PM for a tasting and informal discussion, with a screening at 5. There will be Pimento Cheese!

Ticket’s just $5, available for pre-sale and at the door!

That’s right folks. Your weekly dose of vitamin C is here! (Blood orange whiskey sours? Yes, please!)

Things to expect this week:
-Biodynamic Meyer Lemons: Fallbrook, CA
-Organic Navel Oranges: Las Palmalitas Ranch, CA
-Organic Satsuma Oranges: Las Palmalitas Ranch, CA

Things to expect next week:
-Biodynamic Kaffir Limes: Fallbrook, CA
-Organic Ruby Red Grapefruits: Spooner Citrus, Vero Beach, FL
-Organic Blood Oranges: Santa Monica, CA

You should also know that kale is back. Thought that would make y’all happy.

We would like to ask you all to come out for very important cause, our bi-annual blood drive with NY Blood Center. Happening this Saturday January 7^thfrom 12pm – 4:30pm. The NY Blood Center Bus will be parked out front of The Brooklyn Kitchen at the corner of Meeker and Frost.

Once you donate blood and get your “I gave blood” sticker, make your way inside to claim your Sausage link from The Meat Hook’s Butcher counter, or 1lb of dried beans from our front counter. Please visit the NY Blood Center website for blood donation related questions or to find out where else you can give if you cannot join us this Saturday.

Have a Happy & Healthy New Year!

I just picked up a copy of “The Original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book” by Fannie Merritt Farmer, 1896.

The preface is as follows:

“Cookery means the knowledge of Medea and of Circe and of Helen and of the Queen of Sheba. It means the knowledge of all herbs and fruits and balms and spices, and all that is healing and sweet in the fields and groves and savory in meats. It means carefulness and inventiveness and willingness and readiness of appliances. It means the economy of your grandmothers and the science of the modern chemist; it means much testing and no wasting; it means English thoroughness and French art and Arabian hospitality; and, in fine, it means that you are to be perfectly and always ladies—loaf givers.—RUSKIN.”

Except for the part about always being ladies, this quote, written more than a century ago applies today.

This book, written before the automobile, explains everything from Kola, to Braising, what to do with leftovers, how to set the table, and no fewer than 3 pages dedicated to fire, and how to build one for cooking.

Peruse a digital copy below.

Happy Holidays from everyone here at The Brooklyn Kitchen! We Re-open Dec 27th @ 10am.

A recent discovery on a trip to Tokyo, it’s our new favorite tea accessory. Made of 100% Platinum Silicon and Stainless Steel.

Here’s the word from the source:
“Tea Diver is inspired by diver of deep sea. You will feel like diving and being peaceful when you see tea diver into mug or teapot. It’s not only emotional but also very functional.”  

]]> http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/5711/tea-diver/feed/ 0 http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/5695/frequent-flyer-card/ http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/5695/frequent-flyer-card/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:44:19 +0000 Ray http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/?p=5695 Read more …]]> Brooklyn Kitchen Frequent Flyer Card. $10 off 5 classes

Price: $25.00 GET EM’ HERE!

So check it:

Believe it or not our Gift Cards are good for anything in our store or online, including our great selection of CLASSES! They’re even good for tasty cuts from the Meat Hook! Purchase them HERE online or in person at our store. Live out of town? We can mail it directly to the recipient or hold it here at the store.

Garrett is the the Brewmaster of our beloved Brooklyn Brewery and Author of the most comprehensive book on Beer ever written: The Oxford companion to Beer

Garrett will lead a tasting of some great and rare beers from the Brooklyn Brewery and signed copies of his book will be available at a discount.

This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in beer tasting, beer making, or beer drinking to meet Garrett and discuss the finer points of beer.

We’ll also pair some snacks with the beer.

This event is FREE but please RSVP HERE by adding this item to your cart and checking out to let us know you’re planning to come.

Here are the details for operating hours this week.
Tuesday 11/22 Business as Usual 10am – 8pm
Wednesday 11/23 Closing Early 10am – 6pm
Thursday 11/24 CLOSED ALL DAY
Friday* 11/25 Opening Late 12 Noon – 8pm
BLACK FRIDAY! Bloody Mary Tasting!

Oh yeh and here’s Harry Deboning a Bird RAGE ON!

How to Debone and Serve a Turkey in 35 seconds. from The Brooklyn Kitchen on Vimeo.

Turkey Lab Set up

One of the Incredible Apple peelers

So we have everything you will ever need to put Thanksgiving together, from bird to pie plate. We are consolidating all equipment and ingredients into the Turkey Lab in Lab 1, and hosting tastings and demos from Saturday until Tuesday!

Saturday:
11:30 AM Cheese Plate Assortment with Glenn from Food Matters Again
4 PM Antique Apple Peeler Demo with Jared Silbersher

Sunday:
4 PM Turkey De-Boning Demo

Both Days we will have pie to sample, cheese tastings and we have frozen pie crust for sale so you don’t have to stress making crust on the big day!

Produce has been flying in and we’ve got apples, pears, cranberries, leeks, potatoes, pumpkins, chanterelles and more!

Don’t forget to stop into Lab2 upstairs where we’ll have a huge SALE going on if you ant to get some holiday shopping done early.

Heirloom Squash

There’s obviously lots to look forward to besides turkey. Our cheese case will stockpiled with all sorts of cheddars, chevres and our holiday favorite: Humboldt Fog! The pantry shelves have been lined with fresh roasted nuts, jams, sweet potato butter, a million different varieties of maple syrup and last but not least, FRESH OYSTERS (look for them on Friday). Here’s a little peak at what will be available in the cold cases this weekend

Greens and Herbs:
-House grown hydroponic basil, mint and thyme: The Brooklyn Kitchen, NY
-Lettuce! Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Red Romaine and Green Butterhead: Lancaster, NY
-Red and Green Kale: Finger Lakes, NY
-Red Mustard Greens Lancaster, PA

From the Dirt:
-Orange Habanero Peppers: Lancaster, PA
-Green Poblano Peppers: Lancaster, PA
-Dried red and white onions: Lancaster, PA
-Garlic: Norwich Meadows, CT
-Shallots: Lancaster, PA
-Red and Gold beets: Lancaster, PA
-Cremini and Hen of The Woods mushrooms: Lancaster, PA
-Leeks: Lancaster, PA
-Beauregard Sweet Potatoes: Lancaster, PA
-Japanese Purple Sweet Potatoes: Lancaster, PA
-Celeraic/Celery Root:
-Parsnips: Lancaster, PA
-Turnips: Lancaster, PA
-Rutabegas: Lancaster, PA
-Sunchokes: Lancaster, PA
-New Red potatoes: Finger Lakes farms, NY
-Red Fingerling potatoes: Lancaster, PA
-Yukon gold potatoes: Finger Lakes farms, NY
-Pie Pumpkins: Lancaster, PA
-Heirloom Seminole and Gold Hubbard Squash: Lancaster, PA
-Butternut Squash: Lancaster, PA

Fruit:
-Hothouse Vine Tomatoes! Finger Lakes farms, NY
-Bosc Pears: Finger Lakes, NY
-Seckel Pears: Finger Lakes, NY
-Quince: Finger Lakes, NY
-Fresh Cranberries: Green Wind Farms, VT
-Jonagold Apples: Lancaster, PA
-Granny Smith Apples: Lancaster, PA

Last but not least, if you need bacon, stuffing sausage, brining kits, roasting racks, or anything else for your holiday, we’ll have it. Our Lab 1 is being converted into a Thanksgiving Headquarters or sorts where we’ll have EVERYTHING you could possibly desire…that’s related to Thanksgiving.

Happy Holidays, ya’ll!!!

On the Heels of our wildly successful Daisy flour sweet pie contest, we’re having a savory contest.

November 12th at 2PM bring your best SAVORY pie forward using Daisy flour and we’ll put it to the test.

A panel of judges will choose the best of the rest, and your adoring fans (the public) will get to vote (and buy votes) for the Grand Prize! Since this is a fundraiser the popular vote is for sale, you get one vote for coming to the contest and additional votes will be available for $1 each.

We are partnering with our favorite local flour mill, Daisy Flour in PA. Theirs is the oldest continuously operated mill in the US, ca 1765. The Annville mill was flooded in the recent tropical storm Lee, and they are slowly rebuilding.

All proceeds will go to the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry.

Want to compete? Aside from having the chance of winning the popular vote you also get to show off your flaky crusts and gooey fillings to a panel of distinguished judges.

The Deets:
$5 to enter Pie must be a savory pie
Each Contestant will get two pounds of Daisy Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour to be picked up at The Brooklyn Kitchen. You can determine your own ratio of white to whole wheat flour.  However you must use at least 50% Daisy Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.  The other half of the dough can be made from any certified-organic, local flour such as Daisy White Pastry, Daisy All Purpose, or Daisy Bread Flour or a Farmer Ground flour .

Pie must be brought to The Brooklyn Kitchen and ready to taste at 2pm on November 12th.

Here’s what you can win: Grand Prize – TBD
Other Prizes include – Pie making tools and ingredients

*Not into making pie but really into eating it?  Then $5 dollars get you in the door to taste pie, drink beer, and one vote.

Sign up here>>