Yes We Can

Just so you know - this isn't a political discussion. After all, this is a food blog - at least most of the time. So what's the deal with the title? Well...

Quimet et Quimet is a "tapas" bar in Barcelona that Significant Eater and I absolutely adored. You could walk right by and not even know it's there - it's a bit off the beaten path but worth the ride...

But once you step inside...

A whole Spanish world of goodies awaits. There are montaditos, there are pintxos (pinchos), there are banderillas; all of which qualify as tapas, by the way. As Penelope Casas defines in her book Tapas - The Little Dishes of Spain:

tapas are not necessarily a particular kind of food; rather, they represent a style of eating and a way of life that are so very Spanish...

So what makes Quimet et Quimet stand out? For one, most of the ingredients come out of cans. Yes, cans (don't forget that reference in the title). For two, the proprietor (pictured above in the orange shirt) is a genius at putting together these things. Ask for some tuna and get this...

A beautiful hunk of tuna, topped with pimento and served with olives and a spicy chili pepper...all from cans and all of which is for sale and some of which is insanely expensive.

Want some artichokes or something with anchovies? Check it out...

Artichoke hearts drizzled with olive oil and sherry vinegar along with an anchovy, sweet roasted onion and olive banderilla. And if you want to impress your friends, those are some easy tapas to put together.

Ask for montaditos (mounted bread) and you're liable to end up with these...

Or these, consisting of herring and a host of other ingredients...

And don't worry...if you think it's all about canned food, there are some other worthy bites as well. When Significant Eater and I were just about full, we asked for an assortment of cheeses - and this magically appeared. We were barely able to finish it...

That's five or six cheeses from Spain, any of which can hold their own against those of France. Served with a couple of sweet accompaniments (from cans, no doubt), they're the perfect way to end a delicious meal. Next time you're in Barcelona, go...you won't be disappointed.

Quimet et Quimet

c/Poeta Cabanyes, 25
Open 1 PM - 4 PM and 8 PM to 12 Midnight
93 442 31 42

Spaetzle #1 - "Pasta" Made Easy

Little sparrow. At least that's the literal translation. Of spaetzle, that is. Or spätzle. It's a love of Significant Eater's, who often orders it when we're at our favorite neighborhood eatery, Cafe Katja. There, they do a classic version with emmenthaler and fried onions (Käsespätzle) as well as a version of buckwheat spaetzle; the spaetzle sauteed with a bunch of seasonal vegetables. When Bon Apetit wrote about Cafe Katja, the recipe they were kind enough to divulge was for their pumpkin seed spaetzle, another dish I've been lucky enough to try.

So what about making these tiny dumplings at home? Sounds like it might be difficult, right? If you've ever wanted to make pasta at home, you should think about giving these a try, though my first attempt was a real mess; the dough is very sticky which led to a fair amount of cursing and cleanup. But it tasted good. To lessen the mess, I figured I needed a spaetzle maker to make my life easier, so a spaetzle maker I bought. At Sur La Table, this gizmo was a mere $15...the price of a good cocktail.


For my first spaetzle making attempts, I used a recipe from the Time Life Foods of the World series, specifically that of Germany. That recipe is almost exactly the same as one that appears in The Dumpling Cookbook, by Maria Polushkin, which also happens to be on my bookshelf. At least the proportions of liquid to flour are the same, though Maria's recipe calls for water instead of milk. In any case, I made 1/2 a batch (only me for dinner), using milk on the verge of going down the drain, along with some chopped chives. The batter/dough is definitely thick and sticky in this version...

Then, I sprayed my new spaetzle maker with cooking spray and loaded it up...


Here is the first batch simmering away. It needs to be simmered, not boiled, or the dumplings may fall apart...


After about 2.5 minutes, I shocked and drained the spaetzle, then tossed them with a little olive oil to keep 'em from sticking to each other...


A close-up of the spaetzle...


Finally, for serving, I sautéed them in some duck fat, since I happened to have some duck fat in my fridge. Butter or olive oil would be fine too...

The verdict? Almost (but not quite) as good as Cafe Katja's - where they use water in the dough, according to Andrew, one of the owners. And I'm going to keep playing with spaetzle recipes, at least until I find the formula I like best.


Chive Spaetzle - (Adapted From Time Life Recipes: The Cooking of Germany)

3 c A/P flour

1 c milk

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 T snipped chives

Combine ingredients. Stir till sticky dough forms. Stir more...work it. Cover and let sit at least 15 minutes before cooking. Bring 2 qts. water to a boil. Using spaetzle maker (or some other more annoying device) force dough through holes into boiling water. When water starts to simmer, cook a batch of dumplings (don't do it all at once, perhaps about 1/3 of the dough) for about 3 minutes (taste and make sure they're done). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Toss with a little olive oil and continue with however you want to use these things.

Noodles, New Year and Just Kids...

Significant Eater and I have a few traditions on New Year's Eve. Just like in many (most? all?) Asian cultures, we like to eat noodles at some point during the day and/or eve, in anticipation of a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Of course, some of those Asian cultures celebrate the new year at a different point on the calendar, but for various reasons we still like December 31st - January 1st.

So I was glad to be walking into Sobaya Restaurant, a Japanese place on East 9th Street that has been a favorite of ours for many years. Sobaya has a pretty extensive menu, but their main focus is on soba, that wonderful and delicious noodle made from buckwheat flour. They make them throughout the day and their flavor and toothsomeness is, to this noodle slurper - and noodles should be slurped by the way - unmatched by any other (soba) noodle joint in the city.

I wasn't surprised that they were crowded even at the 2 PM hour; it's a holiday weekend, after all. I was actually surprised (okay, bemused) to see this on the wall...

A sign describing Toshikoshi soba; literally meaning "the year is passing" and which is the last thing eaten on New Year's Eve according to the great book Japanese Cooking - A Simple Art.

So, while it wasn't the last thing we ate on New Year's Eve, it was delicious. Here's the hot soba, served in a broth called Kake-jiru along with a side of tempura, in front of a happy, hungry SE...

And while Sig E prefers the hot, I like cold soba noodles in a basket (Zaru soba) served with a dipping sauce called Tsuke-jiru...

Zaru soba...

The verdict? Both damn good, the noodles nice and firm and cooked to the point of perfection Japanese style. In Italian, that'd be just past al dente.

Of course, what could be better after a nice Japanese meal than something sweet. They offer ice creams at Sobaya, but we decided on our walk home to stop into the new location of Il Laboratorio del Gelato for a few scoops. Kinda looks like a, mmmm, laboratory, doesn't it?

My bourbon/pecan and Mexican cinnamon were good, but SE's caramel and dark chocolate took the prize, the bitterness of both the caramel and dark chocolate playing nicely with the sweetness of the gelato. Still my favorite gelato in this city.

Oh, and I did say New Year's Eve traditions up top, didn't I? Along with the noodle thing there is another, involving one of our favorite artists. For the past 12 years or so, and hopefully for many more, Significant Eater and I go to see and listen to Patti Smith and her band at the Bowery Ballroom. Patti won the National Book Award this year for her moving autobiography Just Kids, and last night she closed with a brand new song Just Kids. Played for the first time ever and a great start to 2011...

Happy New Year from Significant Eater and me. Let's hope 2011 brings you all health, happiness and prosperity, along with lots of great noodles and songs.

il laboratorio del gelato
188 Ludlow Street (corner of Houston St.)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 343-9922

Sobaya
229 E. 9th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 533-6966