The Food Section

COMING UP

New Recreational Courses
The International Culinary Center (462 Broadway) is launching a series of new intensive recreational courses, which start in October. The single session classes are available for many different skill levels and age groups. Some of the new courses include, "Food Technology for the Home Cook," "The Secrets of Spices," and "Chocolate Treats & Truffles." Prices range from $150 to $395 per session. For more information, visit the Center's site, or call 888.90.TASTE (888.908.2783.

EVENTS THIS WEEK (August 27 through September 2)

Wine and Culture of Hungary
Klimat Wine Bar (77 East 7th Street) presents a social event exploring the wine, cuisine, and culture of Hungary. Sample dishes like vegetables in spicy paprika sauce and Hungarian sausages paired with Szekszardi Merlot-Kekoporto and Matraaljai Traminer. The event will take place on Wednesday, August 27th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets: $40/person. (212.777.1112)

Traditional Italian Grill BBQ
Bid a proper farewell to summer with Flatbush Farm's Labor Day Weekend BBQ. Chef Browning will prepare a traditional Italian feast, including Prosciutto with Figs and Fennel, Grilled Octopus and Grilled Calamari, Panzella Bread Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers, Bresaola with Arugula and Parmesan, and much more. The BBQ will take place on Flatbush Farm's 1500 square foot patio (76-78 St. Marks Avenue, Brooklyn) on Sunday, August 31st, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (718.622.3276)   

Buffalo Wing Festival
If you're looking for last minute Labor Day plans, why not head upstate to the 7th Annual National Buffalo Wing festival? The self proclaimed "Super Bowl of Junk Food" will include lively events like the "0.5 k Running of the Chickens," wing eating contests, sauce-offs, cook-offs, cooking demonstrations, live music, and more. The festival will take place at Dunn Tire Park (275 Washington Street, Buffalo) on Saturday, August 30th, from noon to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday, August 31st, from noon to 7:00 p.m. Admission: $5/person, Free/children 8 and under. (716.565.4141)

Restaurant Week - Last Chance
This week is your last chance to take advantage of the generously extended NYC Summer Restaurant Week menu specials ($24.07 for a 3-course lunch and $35 for a 3-course dinner). For a list of participating restaurants and to make reservations, visit NYC & Company.

"I once had a strange moment in Rome. There were these young, groovy things, and I discussed a chicory with them. They were proudly saying it was a Roman chicory. I feel that in London, no one discusses the perfect London cabbage with me, especially if they're groovy and young."

Out with the bread basket, in with the bag. The 100% cotton Stelton Bread Bag can be folded down to serve small breads and pastries or unfolded to serve baguettes. Magnets in the rim allow you to close the bag and keep fresh bread warm. $35 in a choice of five colors at Plastica. [Via Outblush]

MarketWatch Moment: Shoplifters Beware, added to the MarketWatch Photo Pool by Flickr users brian & kristen.

The New York Times reports that modern furniture retailer Design Within Reach will be opening a housewares store, DWR: Tools for Living, in SoHo this fall. From the DWR website, clockwise from top: "tiffin" lunch tins, cedar sake bottle and cup, stoneware herb pot, and water-filtering pitcher. The shop will open on September 19 at 142 Wooster Street. A second store is slated to open on Octpber 2 in Santa Monica, California.

FEATURED EVENT

Cooking with Liquid Nitrogen
Astor Center (399 Lafayette Avenue) presents, "Chilling Out with Liquid Nitrogen," hosted by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot of the culinary blog Ideas in Food. Liquid nitrogen has gained much popularity for its innovative use in making instant ice creams, creating innovative twists on cocktails, and cryo-blanching. Discover these techniques and more while tasting some samples of chem-lab cuisine. The class will take place on Tuesday, August 26th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $125/person.

EVENTS THIS WEEK (August 20 through 26)

A Chocolatey Happy Hour
Now through September 15th, enjoy a unique happy hour event (i.e., skip the booze this time around) at Chocolate Bar East Village (127 East 7th Street). Every day from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. enjoy $5 mini brownies, classic egg creams, mini iced chocolates, and a truffle of your choice. (212.366.1541)   

Queso y Vino
Pamplona (37 East 28th Street) and Despana Foods is hosting an evening of Spanish cheese and wine. The guided five course menu will featured dishes with cheeses from La Mancha, Basque Country, and Asturias paired with regional wines. Queso y Vino will take place on Wednesday, August 20th, at 8:00 p.m. Reservations: 212.213.2328.  $65/dinner, $95/dinner with wine pairings.

Coffee and Cake Tasting
Amai Tea & Bake House (171 3rd Avenue) will be hosting a coffee and cake tasting. Featured is Hacienda Esmeralda Special Microlot, a rare, celebrated Geisha coffee varietal from Ethiopia that has been freshly roasted by Counter Culture Coffee. To complement the coffee, Amai will be serving samples of our new their sesame coffee cake, a moist cake made with black sesame and topped with a toasted white sesame crumble. The free event will take place on Thursday, August 21st from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. RSVP: 212.863.9630.

Highbrow BBQ
New York magazine is presenting its first ever Backyard BBQ. Enjoy tasty eats from former "Top Chef" contestant Chris "CJ" Jacobson, live music, fireside comedy, and FREE beer (with the purchase of a ticket). You can also register to be part of a cook-off challenge and have your best BBQ dish be judged by CJ and celebrity guest judges. The event will take place on Saturday, August 23rd at Solar One (2420 FDR Drive, Service Road East) from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets: $25/person.

Harvest Kick-off Party
Make Wine With Us (930 Newark Avenue, Newark, New Jersey) will be hosting a kick-off wine party. The main event will include the first tasting of wines bottled by their wine makers over the summer, accompanied by a buffet dinner and door prizes. Attendees will also have the opportunity to place an order for the 2008 wine season beginning in September. The event will take place on Saturday, August 23rd from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. RSVP: 201.876.9463. Tickets: $15/at the door.

Image: flickr user Viola Zuppa.

I've never been to Mexico, so I haven't had the chance to pull over and taste a roadside "Sinaloa"-style chicken, but thanks to Rick Bayless, I've mastered grilling a beautifully blackened, spicy, smokey, and succulent bird in my backyard, well north of the border. This easy, delicious dish has become a summer standby.

The recipe for Pollo a las Brasas con Cebolitas (Grilled Roadside Whole Chicken with Knob Onions) can be found in Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook (see the complete recipe online here). If you missed it, this was Bayless' contribution to the spate of easy/fast/quick cookbooks published by major chefs in response to the Rachael Ray phenomenon. If this one got lost in the shuffle, that's too bad, since it simplifies (in a good way) what would otherwise be extremely complicated and challenging Mexican dishes.

The prep is fast-going. The only complicated step (though really it isn't) involves flattening the chicken. I like to take kitchen shears and slice through the back of  the chicken on both sides of the backbone. Remove the bone, flip the chicken over, and as Bayless instructs, "wallop the bird on the breast" with either your fist or a mallet to dislodge the center bones and flatten the breast. Thud.

The marinade, which colors the chicken a deep red, can be made almost exclusively with ingredients from the pantry: dried ancho chile powder, cloves, cinnamon, cider vinegar, and oregano (the only fresh ingredients you will need are garlic and a little orange juice). What's more, the marinade does not require extensive time to sink in. Smear the chicken all over and by the time the grill is heated, it's ready to go.

What's critical is to follow Bayless' directions regarding indirect cooking. If you are using a gas grill, that means turning off the burner directly under the chicken. After 45 minutes, you'll end up with a juicy chicken that is crisp on the outside rather than dried out, usually the bane of grilled chicken. It's a great dish for a large group, since you can easily double the recipe to two chickens without doing much extra work.

Bayless suggests serving the chicken alongside grilled knob onions (grilled scallions will also do). Even better, heat some corn tortillas while you're at it for wrapping pieces of the meat tableside with a dose of tomatillo salsa.

Origami Napkins feature hand-printed how-to-fold instructions on each napkin to create a snail, swan (above), carrot, and sailboat. $35 for a set of four at Uncommon Goods.

FEATURED EVENT

BBQ Pitmaster University
Joe Mizrahi of Smokin’ Joe’s True-Blue Texas Barbecue in Staten Island will lead a course on barbeque essentials, from spices, rubs, and sauces to BBQ fuels and even how to properly hold cooked BBQ. Naturally, at the end of the day, a BBQ dinner will be served. The class will take place on Saturday, August 16th, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island. $75/person, reservations required (718.351.1611, ext 245).

EVENTS THIS WEEK (August 13 through 19)

I Do's and I Don'ts
Astor Center (399 Lafayette Avenue) will present, "I Do's and I Don'ts: How to Choose Your Wedding Wines" with Marcey Brown Catering and Events. Explore different types of dining themes and food options paired with unusual wines. The class will take place in the Gallery on Wednesday, August 13th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets: $50/person.

Sip n' Sail
Not your average booze cruise: Pasanella and Son Vintners (115 South Street) will offer a tasting of coastal wines and and cheeses while sailing the New York harbor. The schooner sets sail from Pier 16 on Friday, August 15th, at 7:00 p.m. (additional Sip n' Sail dates will take place on Fridays throughout August, September, and October). Tickets: $65/person.

Top Chef: The Class
Astor Center (399 Lafayette Avenue) presents "Top Chef: The Class with Tre Wilcox." Spend the evening observing Wilcox, a season three contestant, prepare recipes from Top Chef: The Cookbook. Students will receive a copy of the cookbook and also participate in a Q & A session. The event will take place in The Study on Monday, August 18th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $195/person.

Greenmarket Cooking Class
Sobel Wellness will presents a Union Square Greenmarket-inspired cooking class. Be on the lookout for dishes featuring peaches, cilantro, and tomatoes, all in season. The class will take place at an Upper West Side location (tentatively, 115 West 106th Street, apt. A) on Monday, August 18th at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $45/person.

Kosher Wine 101
The Kosher Wine society presents, "Kosher Wine 101: What Every Wine Drinker Needs to Know." The event will take place at Bacchus Wine Made Simple (2056 Broadway) on Tuesday, August 19th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets: $32/members, $40/non-members.

Pizza Party
To celebrate its 75th year in business, on Tuesday, August 18th, Harlem's Patsy's pizzeria (2287 First Avenue) will serve its menu at 1933 prices. In other words, pizza pies will set you back a paltry 60 cents.

GET STONED: Stone fruit, like these Dapple Dandy pluots, are at their peak season at San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (click for a  slideshow).

MarketWatch is a monthly report on what's fresh and new at farmers markets in New York and San Francisco. If you've visited a farmers market recently in your own community, tell us what's new in the comments. And, if you have photos, be sure to post them to the MarketWatch flickr pool.

NEW YORK: UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET
"August and September are the most bumpin' times of the year," happily declares Gabrielle Langholtz, Greenmarket Manager of Publicity & Special Projects. Whoa, has hip-hop flava come to the Greenmarket? New Jack Squash? Um, no. Langholtz quickly clarifies that she was referring to the bumper crop of fruit and vegetables on display at the market now and into late summer. Seemingly everything -- from corn to eggplant, herbs, and stone fruit -- is abundant and will stay that way until fall's first frost hits. Bumpin', indeed.

What's New
Field-grown tomatoes, artichokes, and shell beans are new to the market. The first lima beans arrived last week, and expect to see cranberry beans, canellini, and soybeans (edamame) soon.

A harbinger of fall, the first new apples have arrived: "greening" variety Lodi apples are bright green, firm, and tart. 

Don't Miss
Now is the "season" for pastured chicken . Though you can purchase free-range chicken year-round, only now can you buy chickens which have been feeding exclusively on summer grass for their brief lives. Naturally, the eggs of pastured hens are also in their prime, with deep orange yolks.

In terms of ready-to-eat prepared foods, the vegetable farmers at Evolutionary Organics farm have turned their summer bounty of tomatoes and cucumbers into fresh salsa and cucumber salad (flavored with shiso and lemon balm).

Coming Soon
Depending on the weather, grapes, pears, quince, and hot peppers should arrive soon. Fatefully, winter squash will also make its appearance.

SAN FRANCISCO: FERRY PLAZA FARMERS MARKET
I was in San Francisco last week and took the opportunity to check out the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market live and in person. I came on a relatively subdued Tuesday when anywhere between 15 to 20 farmers are selling (during the crush of the Saturday market, those numbers nearly triple to anywhere from 50 to 75 farmers). The Tuesday market may be smaller, but the array of produce for sale is no less spectacular. There was an abundance of impressive stone fruit, including some incredibly sweet and juicy Dapple Dandy pluots. Click for a slideshow.

What's New
Early Girl Tomatoes have arrived recently, along with sweet baby Roma tomatoes. As in New York, the first hint of fall comes with the arrival of the first apples, native green Gravensteins from Sebastopol.

Don't Miss
The aforementioned Dapple Dandy pluots, dried kiwis, and rare Padron peppers; heirloom tomato juice from Happy Girl Kitchen and Burbank plum and Meyer lemon conserve from June Taylor.

Heading Out
Apricots, fresh lavender, fava beans, and peas.  

Sources: Gabrielle Langholtz, Greenmarket Manager of Publicity & Special Projects; Lulu Meyer, Associate Director of Operations, Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture.

The new Wine Saver preservation and serving system uses argon gas to prevent the oxidation that typically turns wine undrinkable as soon as a day after it is opened. Like an enomatic system for home use, the Wine Saver is supposed to protect wine in an opened bottle for weeks after it's been uncorked. The unit holds up to three bottles at once and dispenses wine by the glass from spigots. Unfortunately, wine thrift comes at a steep price: $599.95, exclusively at Williams-Sonoma.

FEATURED EVENT

Crayfish Week
A crayfish celebration is coming to Aquavit (65 East 55th Street). From August 11 through August 17, Aquavit will serve a $25 crayfish peel-and-eat dinner which will include one pound of the crustaceans along with garlic bread, boiled potatoes, and Jarlsberg cheese (we're not in New Orleans anymore). A $48 menu will also be available featuring the likes of crayfish bisque and crayfish toast. Reservations: 212.307.7311.

EVENTS THIS WEEK (August 6 through 12)

Restaurant Week Extended
More than 130 of the participating NYC Summer Restaurant Week restaurants will be offering their prix fixe specials ($24.07 for a 3-course lunch and $35 for a 3-course dinner) on weekdays through Labor Day. For a list of particpating restaurants and to make reservations, visit NYC & Company.

Spanish Road Trip
The Astor Center (399 Lafayette Avenue) presents, A Spanish Road Trip.  Join Spanish wine experts Kerin Auth and David Seigal as they take you through a virtual wine tour of the country, complete with local dishes.  The class will take place on Thursday, August 7th in The Study from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets: $125/person. 

Summer Market Lunch
Lupa (170 Thomson Street) is hosting an intimate Greenmarket field trip to the Union Square market. Discover new foods and trade recipe ideas with farmers and chefs. The tour will be followed by lunch at the restaurant. The event will take place on Wednesday, August 6th, with the tour at 10:00 a.m. and lunch at 12:30 p.m. Space is strictly limited. Tickets: $120/person (212.982.5089).

Jersey Fresh
Celebrate the bounty of the Garden State with the Jersey Friesh Food and Wine Festival. The event will showcase over 25 wineries from throughout New Jersey.  The festival will also feature gourmet food and produce from the state's Jersey Fresh program. The event will take place at Hopewell Valley Vineyards (46 Yard Road, Pennington, New Jersey) on Saturday, August 9th and Sunday, August 10th from noon to 5:00 p.m. Tickets: $18/person.

Brooklyn Chili Takedown
Chili cooks will have an outlet to showcase their work and chili lovers will have an excuse to be a food critic for a day at this year's Brooklyn Chili Takedown. The Takedown Crew is teaming up with foodie Scott Gold (author, The Shameless Carnivore) to host and judge the competition. All are welcome to enter the contest with any chili recipe, but they must prepare 2 gallons (no exceptions). A People's Choice prize and Judges' prize will be awarded.  The event will take place on Sunday, August 10th at Union Pool (484 Union Avenue, Brooklyn) at 5:00 p.m. For more information, contact Matt Timms. All you can eat: $10/person.

The Gold Standard
The New York chapter of Tasters Guild International will be hosting a special gold medal stand-up tasting event.  Many 2008 double gold medal and several single gold medal winning wines, over 65 in total, will be available for sampling.  The event will take place at the Estonian House (243 East 34th Street) on Tuesday, August 12th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets: $60/person (212.799.6311).

Illustration: Aquavit.

FEATURED EVENT

Cooking with Your Teen
Astor Center (399 Lafayette Street) has teamed up with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) for a special parent-teen class, "Cooking With Your Teen: Salads, Spreads, & Sandwiches."  Work together to create quick, easy, and nutritious fare, much of which can be prepared ahead of time. The class will take place on Saturday, August 2nd in The Kitchen at 9:00 a.m. Tickets: $225/person.

EVENTS THIS WEEK (July 30 through August 5)

New York Restaurant Week
There is still time to take advantage of New York Restaurant week. Participating New York City restaurants are offering three-course prix-fixe dinners for $35 and lunches for $24.07. Make your reservations now through Friday, August 1st. For a list of participating restaurants and to make reservations, visit opentable.com.

Erotic Wine Tasting Soiree
Perfect Palate New York is presenting an erotic wine tasting event, complete with wines from Naked Vineyards, suggestive treats, product demonstrations, poetry readings, and more. The event will take place on Thursday, July 31st at Babeland (34 Mercer Street) from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Reservations are required. Tickets: $40/person.

Garlic Festival 
Garlic aficionados have a reason to escape upstate to Fox Run Vineyards (670 Route 14, Penn Yann) for its 16th Annual Garlic Festival. Peruse the garlic food tent, sample local wines, check out cooking demonstrations, lectures, and much more. The Garlic Festival will take place on Saturday, August 2nd and Sunday, August 3rd. Check out Fox Run's site for the full schedule (800.636.9786)

Rosé Wines and Summer Foods Class
North Square (103 Waverly Place) is hosting a Rosé Wines and Summer Foods Class led by the restaurant's wine director, Raoul Segarra. Learn to fearlessly pair fabulous summer dishes with the right rosés.  The event will take place on Tuesday, August 5th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tickets: $60/person (212.254.1200).

COMING UP

NY Brewfest
Tickets are now on sale for the 3rd Annual NY Brewfest at South Street Seaport (Piers 16 and 17).  The festival is traditionally a celebration of craft beer from New York State. This year, craft brewers from all over the United States are welcome, but the emphasis will remain on the Northeast regions. The event will take place on Friday, September 12th. from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Advanced tickets: $50/person.

Image: Photo montage by Josh Friedland.

Lest you think that all food in Italy is slow food, Italians do have a way with convenience foods. I've written before about the imaginative lunchable-in-translation of Nutella, breadsticks, and ice tea. When we traveled to Italy a few weeks ago, we spotted pouches of foil-wrapped bite-size cubes of parmiggiano reggiano, "fredo fredo" and "caldo caldo" (instantly hot or cold coffees), and, at the COOP (supermarket), small pouches of pre-cubed pancetta, just right for cooking one dish. But, none of these could have prepared me for the magic of Pocket Espresso To Go, my newest discovery.

I've been a fan of Ferrero's Pocket Coffee, a chocolate and praline confection with a liquid coffee center (think of those nasty liquor-filled chocolate bottles, only better and with espresso inside and you get the idea). Stopping at an Autogrill somewhere along the Autostrade between Milan and Bologna, I thought I was purchasing some of these treats. However, it turned out that I had taken home some something quite different.

Opening the box, I discovered that these were not the candies I expected, but tiny containers. Each came with a two inch-long straw attached, and a spot labeled "forare qui" (pierce here). I plunged the straw into the miniature drink box and sucked out the syrupy contents: 21.8 ml of the liquid center (sweetened with sugar and chocolate) you would find in Pocket Coffee. It was thick, bitter-sweet, and stimulating (according to the box, contains 1/3 of the caffeine in a shot of espresso).

Unfortunately, I can't find a source for purchasing Pocket Espresso To Go in the U.S., but if you know of one, let us know in the comments.

We had our first major harvest in the square foot garden recently: French breakfast radishes. Some were misshapen, others were puny, but the bottom line is that they grew at all! Not that this harvest was huge anyway. After all, this was only a 1'x1' crop, so the radishes were gone by the end of lunch. Such is the life of a square foot gardener.

Above is your basic combination of radishes with butter and sea salt on a baguette. This was pretty scrumptious, but you how can you go wrong with Plugra and Maldon sea salt? The creamy, rich butter tempered the peppery radishes. Smooth, crunchy, and delicious.

With the other half of the bunch, I made radishes with bagna cauda (recipe here). This was easy and pretty fantastic. You simply warm extra virgin olive oil with garlic, salt, and anchovies, and then spoon the mixture over the radishes. I've never made bagna cauda before, but I'm sure that I'll be making it again soon with other crisp, raw vegetables.

In other news, I made a batch of pesto using the basil from the garden, and we picked and ate the endive. After reading this New York Times article on starting beans in mid-summer, I decided I wasn't too late to give it a try. I built a wigwam out of bamboo and planted "Garden of Eden" pole beans. In another square, I planted Isar yellow filet beans, a bush bean.

Finally, to give the boxes some visual interest, I added some stepping stones around the perimeter and planted creeping thyme and silver thyme.

The roll call, box-by-box (and row by row, left to right):

Box #1
· The Cherokee tomato plant keeps growing.
· The Sweet 100 cherry tomato plant, the only hybrid of the tomato plants, suddenly withered and died. I replaced it with a green zebra plant that had been growing in a nearby pot.
· The cucumber plants continue to grow super-fast, heading towards the top of the fence.
· Red chard is coming along (slowly).
· Basil remains strong.
· The orange pepper plant died too. Here's where the wigwam and pole beans went.
· Arugula continues to grow. I scattered some additional seeds to "cut and come" as they say.
· I pulled up the frisee, ate it, and planted some more.
· I found a new home for the Greek oregano elsewhere. In its place, I've planted an Asian green salad mix.

Box #2
· Vintage wine tomatoes are growing.
· Brandywine vine has continued to grow.
· Hillbilly tomato plant is growing rapidly.
· The finger eggplant is revealing its first fruit -- three baby eggplants are growing down.
· I moved the rosemary out and planted some more radishes in its place.
· I moved the Italian large leaf basil out and planted bush beans.
· The spicy/globe basil does not stop growing.
· Beets are coming along.
· Having picked the radishes, in went seeds for carrots.

Stay tuned for more updates, or follow along as I post photos of the garden's progress on flickr.

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The Food Section's Square Foot Garden photoset

FEATURED EVENT

Summer Crab Boil
In the spirit of sister restaurant Savoy's summer clam bakes, Back Forty (190 Avenue B) will present the first of its first annual summer Crab Boils. The old fashion crab boil includes spiced Blue Crabs piled on your newspaper-covered table, corn on the cob, potatoes, slaw, and dessert. Optional pitchers of local brews will also be available for $15. The Crab Boils will take place Wednesdays, from July 23rd through August 27th. Reservations are required one week in advance: 212.388.1990. $35/person.

EVENTS THIS WEEK (July 23 through 29)

Meet the Maker
Are you curious about the science and art behind making really great cheese? Murray's Cheese (254 Bleecker Street) presents a class, "Meet the Maker: Colin McGrath Demystifies Cheesemaking." Colin McGrath, cheesemaker at Sprout Creek Farm, will lead the discussion and tasting of his products and how they arrive to their final stages. The event will take place on Thursday, July 24th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m  Tickets: $60/person.

Iced Tea Class
Amai Tea & Bake House (171 Third Avenue) is presenting a summer-appropriate class on iced tea. Learn which teas work best served over ice and discover the differences between the two most common brew methods -- cold brew and hot brew. The free event will take place on Thursday, July 24th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Space is limited, RSVP at 212.863.9860.

New York Restaurant Week
Restaurant Week is back for its summer installment. Participating New York City restaurants are offering three-course prix-fixe dinners for $35 and lunches for $24.07. Make your reservations now through Friday, July 25th, and Monday, July 28th through Friday, August 1st. For a list of participating restaurants and to make reservations, visit opentable.com.

Art and Oenology
LeNell's Wine and Spirit Boutique (416 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn) invites visitors to check out the BWAC's latest waterfront art opening and later retire to the Boutique for a special wine tasting from a Brooklyn winemaker. The event will take place on Saturday, July 26th. (718. 360.0838)

Chefs & Champagne
The James Beard Foundation (JBF) will honor multiple JBF winner and first James Beard House visiting chef Wolfgang Puck at its annual summer tasting event and silent auction, "Chefs & Champagne New York." The event will take place on Saturday, July 26th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. General Admission: $275/general public, $195/JBF members, VIP: $400/general public, $325/JBF members. (212.627.2308)

Okra, Beans, and Leafy Greens
The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture (630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills) presents "Okra, Beans, and Leafy Greens," its 3rd annual African-American food festival.  The day will be filled with hands on activities, food, tours, and screenings. The event will take place on Sunday, July 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tickets are available through Historic Hudson Valley. $15/adults, $12/seniors, $8/children 5-17, Free/members.

It's hard to think of cooking broccoli rabe by any method other than sautéeing in olive oil (or blanching in boiling water, if you are so inclined). But, who wants to be doing that in 98 degree weather? Well, here's a summer solution you may not have thought of: grill it.

I recently came across a recipe for grilling broccoli rabe in Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Rodgers, who also happens to be the genius mind behind grilled fava beans, suggests dressing the stalks as you would a salad, tossing the broccoli rabe with a tablespoon of water, a few tablespoons of olive oil, and salt. Next -- and this is crucial -- let it sit in the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes or so. This gives the salt a chance to do its work, slightly softening the otherwise tough greens. Then, it's onto the grill to cook on each side for roughly 1-1/2 minutes, charring and teaming until tender. It's delicious, and, better yet, there's no sauté pan to clean afterwards. N.B. This dress, salt, and wait method also works great for grilling radicchio and belgian endive, two favorites of mine.

I initially found myself amused reading about all of the "local food" shenanigans reported in Kim Severson's front-page article, "A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss,"  published in today's New York Times. It is funny that we have come to this point in our food culture where people would hire out personal gardeners, invest in an animal share, or plan a wedding with catered food grown within 100 miles of the altar. Why not poke fun at the trendiness of those who want their food local, but don't want to get their "hands dirty" farming. What a bunch of suckers.

But, does anyone want to get their hands dirty farming anyway, rich or poor? The entire food industry rests on this simple notion. Most Americans buy their food in supermarkets, and while I'm a great supporter of farmer's markets, they are insufficient to supply all of my food. My local farmer's market is open only from July to October, and when it is open, it operates only once a week. The produce is great, but there is no fish and little meat available

Interestingly, less than two weeks ago that the Times published another front page article on local food, focusing on the growing popularity of Community Supported Agriculture. Rather than tease these folks, who also apparently also want to eat local food without getting their hands dirty, the tone of the article was extraordinarily positive, painting those who have paid up for a summer's worth of locally grown vegetables as not only smart, but well-meaning and earnest.

But, as far as the consumer is concerned, is picking up a weekly box of a CSA share all that different than having a box of locally grown fruit delivered by the FruitGuys to your door? Or, are CSAs just another gimmick, too? Which one is the "lazy locavore"? How about chefs like Dan Barber of Blue Hill, who are constantly praised for sourcing locally grown ingredients. Are we now going to poke fun at the people who would actually blow money on eating at Blue Hill?

I think I am most perplexed at the mention of folks who are hiring professionals to build and tend a vegetable plot in your backyard. There already exists an entire industry (landscaping and lawn service, anyone?) which is dedicated to doing all of the dirty work of gardening plants and cutting grass. People want to have a pristine yard, but not "muss" or "fuss" with gardening. I'm sure that this will not be an alien concept for the Times' suburban readership. After all, is hiring a professional gardener to weed, prune, and take care of a vegetable garden really any different than the myriad companies that are doing the same for plants and flowers right now in thousands of towns at this very moment? Paying someone to help grow your vegetables seems like a step forward in the right direction (at least compared to landscaping), not a gimmick.

Finally, Severson, who is herself a self-declared member of the "church of local food," wrote last year about her own friend and colleague who purchased half of a locally-grown heritage pig; yet this is basically the same thing she pokes fun at in her article. What better way could there be to support a farmer and also ensure the best quality of the meat you consume?

Excuse me while I eat my backyard-grown radishes.

Photo: New York Times.

A copy of The Food Life: Inside the World of Food with the Grocer Extraordinaire at Fairway just landed on my desk. That "grocer extraordinaire" (and the book's author) would, of course, be Fairway market's brash cheese monger and ambassador, Steven Jenkins. Never short on opinions, whether he is excited by cheese ("a true Camembert smells of sex"), angry about California-grown black olives ("as phony as can be"), or annoyed by "Top Chef" ("I can enjoy the lowbrow stuff as much as the next person. But this stuff makes my skin crawl."), Jenkins takes us on an insider's tour of Fairway's various departments -- meat, fish, cheese, etc. -- to meet the men and women behind the counter and the history of the market.

There are recipes, tips about ingredients, and an entire chapter on how to navigate the market's notoriously crowded aisles. Along the way, Jenkins shares his secret for removing the fishy smell from his hands after a day of slicing salmon: "Just rub lemon juice all over them -- the way Susan Sarandon did in Atlantic City. Except she wasn't rubbing lemon juice on just her hands, as I recall. As if I didn't recall. Hubba hubba." Hubba hubba, indeed. $19.77 at amazon.com.