The Tom & Jerry–a frothy, rich Christmas-time drink akin to eggnog–was, according to cocktail historian David Wondrich, created in the early 1850s by famed mixologist Jerry Thomas. As legend goes, Thomas refused to make them until after the first snowfall. It may not be Christmas yet, but the snow has fallen, people, so ready your mixers!
Recipes
Wisconsin expats whip up their ancestral Christmas cocktail in the East Village
Whether it’s pronounceable or not, this soup (compliments of Rick Field of Rick’s Picks and found on page 36 of Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook) is a real winner on crisp autumn days.
At Toby’s Estate Coffee in Williamsburg, they serve this bacon with Vermont cheddar, slow-roasted tomatoes and scrambled eggs on a roll. But it’s pretty good all by itself.
At Brushstroke with chef/owner David Bouley, chef Yamada created this dish for Americans, who he realized don’t like the salted, grilled fish beloved in Japan for its strong flavor and chewy texture. To create a very moist fish, Yamada created this recipe for sea bass, where the fish is marinated for 24 hours with sun-dried tomatoes and grapeseed oil.
Found in nearly every restaurant, pub and supermarket in Ireland, this bread is lesser known than plain soda bread, but perhaps more delicious. Craggy, rustic, dense and flavorful.
Fishmonger Gabrielle Stommel, aka Gabe the Fish Babe, calls this recipe for fluke crudo “delightfully simple.” It takes seconds, or for a little more effort, try chopping it into a medium dice with red onion, fresh chilies and herbs and dousing the lot with citrus juices for an easy fluke ceviche.
From August to early November, autumn-olive trees around the city are loaded with red currant-like berries, easily identifiable by their silver-stippled skins. In our current issue, Marie Viljoen shares tips for where to find the trees, when to taste the berries and how to turn the sweetly tart fruit into luscious autumn-olive jam.
Gabe the Fish Babe, aka fishmonger Gabrielle Stommel, usually gets bluefish from day-boat fisherman Dean Pesante in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and often sells it to Calliope in the East Village. “Bluefish is an oily fish and can stand up to other bold ingredients,” says Stommel, “the combo of harissa, avocado and sweet bluefish make for a splendidly balanced dish.”
In our current issue, St. John Frizell takes a closer look at Portland, home of a burgeoning food scene that spans everything from food trucks to craft beer. One of his favorite dishes from his trip to the jewel of the Pacific Northwest was from a restaurant called Smallwares, which calls its culinary approach “inauthentic” Asian.
The emerging disorder among the sustainable set strikes at the height of the fall harvest season, when some locavores break out in a cold sweat at the sight of yet another kale salad, roast chicken or apple crisp.
