Dîner en Blanc: A Parisian Pop-Up Dinner NYC style

On Thursday, August 25th, New Yorkers finally had a chance to experience in a highly talked about event from Paris called Dîner en Blanc (translated to "Dinner in White").   It started in 1988 when the founder, François Pasquier, returned from a few years abroad and wanted to hold a dinner party to reunite with old friends. Alas, he had so many people RSVP'ed that he asked everyone to all meet at the Bois de Boulogne and dress in white so they would all recognize each other.  

Photo Courtesy of Dîner en Blanc: New York

Twenty-three years later, the dîner has grown in Paris to over 4,400 diners this year converging in the plaza at Notre Dame and 6,200 in the courtyard of the Louvre. That is a lot of close friends!  And amazing how unknown it is to most of Paris still when you have such a huge number of diners popping up in a very public location for a few hours of dining and fun.  Given the nature of the dîner where each diner brings their own table, chairs, food and cleans everything up themselves at the very end, it is the quintessential pop-up, phantom picnic. This year they also launched the first Dîner en Blanc in Quebec and Montreal. 

While Paris' original version still remains pretty exclusive with invitations only going out to friends of friends, the first New York event has proven to be more egalitarian with half of the 1,000 invitations given out on a lottery system. Thanks to a heads up from the Mistress of Spices, I signed up for the waiting list and marked the date on my calendar to register for New York's event.  

Despite the technical fiasco (since over 31,000 visitors tried to register at the same time), my registration made it through and the planning for Dîner en Blanc New York began! 

A little over a week before the event, I received an email from the planners with the list of what we needed to bring with us to the event and found out I didn't have ONE thing from the list including a WHITE (not ivory or cream!) outfit or white shoes. I'm from New York and my closet is pretty much stock full of black, greys, and navy...plus you add major clutz to the list and it explains why I have no 100% white outfit.  :)   Thankfully, I was able to find my outfit quite easily (yay for end of summer sales!) and realized I had clear plastic Melissa flats with little crystals embedded that would work perfectly! Whenever I wear them, I feel like a princess!

With my outfit crisis solved and other list of things to bring with us slowly being checked off, it was time to focus on the all important issue: WHAT TO EAT? The organizers asked for us to bring the following: 1 first course + 1 cold main course + 1 cheese and/or 1 dessert + 1 bread.  All of it was to be brought with us in a white picnic basket with 1 water & 1 soft drink. Wine, unfortunately, could only be pre-ordered via a caterer due to liquor restrictions. 

This was the final menu for the evening:

A few days before the dîner, we received another email from our group leader giving us the location for our meeting point down in the Financial District.  From there, we were told we would be taking the subway. My sister insisted we would be going to Battery Park, though I was hoping for Central Park so that it would lead us back home afterwards quickly.

The night before the big night, I am in my kitchen cooking away and packing everything that is needed. 

Look at the beautiful colors of the vegetables especially the baby carrots!

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce commonly used as a condiment in Moroccan dishes to add a little heat and dimension to tagines and couscous. It can be made fresh or found in a tube paste like the one I have above.

  

The food is cooked and all packed in easy, disposable white takeaway Chinese cartons. At the very bottom of this blog is the recipe for the grilled Thai marinated steak and arugula salad.

The day of the event finally arrived on Thursday, August 25th with weather forecast being rain and thunderstorms ALL day.  Of course, we all knew that it would go on rain or shine.  So there was a last minute hunt to locate a clear/white poncho or umbrella. Thank you Bed, Bath and Beyond!

As my sister, Tzu-i, and I hopped into a taxi with all of our props a little before 6pm, the sun broke through the clouds and we prayed that the rain would stay away for the evening or at least until the dîner was finished.  We made it downtown with 15 minutes to spare and found our group leader quickly enough. Picture time!

At half past six, we were told to get our Metro passes ready and that we were walking a few blocks to meet up with other groups.  The sight as we converged with all of the other groups was pretty amazing.  Along the way we had several local New Yorkers and tourists stop us to ask why we were all dressed in white. We received comments ranging from "Must be a bridal party" to "Cult?" 

Photo Courtesy of Dîner en Blanc

A half hour later, past the World Trade Center site and still walking, we all figured the only place we could go at this point that would be large enough to hold all the diners comfortably was Battery Park City. Tzu-i was right!! And it was a sight to behold as we walked up with earlier guests setting up their dining area already. Over 1,000 excited participants all dressed in elegant white attire. Some with masks, feathered plume hair accessories, white hats, gloves, etc. It was truly an incredible event to be a part of.

Photo Courtesy of Dîner en Blanc

After a quick set-up, we were ready to eat and enjoy the view and music along the NYC riverside on a gorgeous and cool summer night. 

 

We made new friends with our fellow diners and had one of the most unique dining experiences in New York.  After such a beautiful night in New York, it's almost unbelievable to think that the next few days afterwards that same area where the dîner was held would be subject to a mandatory evacuation by Mayor Bloomberg due to Hurricane Irene.  Dîner en Blanc is definitely blessed for twenty-three rain free dinners! We can't wait till next year! 

 

Amazing performer from the evening. Her haunting voice and songs added to the drama of the evening.

Here are some photos from our picnic dinner:

 First Course: Arugula Salad with Peaches, Proscuitto & Almonds in Dijon Vinaigrette. See recipe below.

Main Course with Side Dishes: Thai-Marinated Steak 

with Grilled Harissa Vegetables and Israeli Couscous

Dessert: Smore and Cheesecake Brownies

And here are the recipes at last from two of the dishes I prepared for Dîner en Blanc. Bon appetit mes amis!

Salad of Peach, Proscuitto, and Almonds 

in Dijon Vinaigrette

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

8 oz washed arugula or mesclun (I used arugula because I love the bitterness)

1 peach, thinly sliced

2 slices proscuitto, roughly pulled into bite size pieces (optional)

1/8 cup toasted sliced almonds

For vinaigrette:

1/2 large shallot, finely diced

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/2 tbsp clove honey

1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

NOTE: I like to make my own vinaigrettes because it is super easy to make and I know exactly what is going into them. You'll rarely find pre-made dressing in my frigerator. But feel free to replace it with a pre-made vinaigrette of your choice.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, add arugula, peaches, proscuitto, and almonds. Lightly toss together. Store in container for no more than a few hours if not serving. immediately.

2. For the vinaigrette, add all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Using a whisk, mix it until it comes together.  Store in a small, glass container with sealed lid.

3.  This is important! Do NOT add dressing until you are ready to eat it.  Otherwise, the greens will be soggy. Dress the salad at the very last minute tableside and use it sparingly.  You only need a little bit for each serving. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Grilled Thai Marinated Steak

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 pieces 1/2-pound hanger steak

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Thai Marinade:

2 cloves whole garlic, peeled

1 cup basil

1 cup cilantro

1/2 cup mint, stems removed

1 1/2 tbsp sriracha (or to taste)

1 freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Thoroughly clean meat and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper and put to the side.

2. In a food processor, add all ingredients for the thai marinade and process until smooth paste. Feel free to taste it to see if you need to adjust seasoning to your likening. 

3. In a resealable plastic bag or flat container, place steak and add marinade, making sure that both sides of each steak is fully covered.  Seal/cover and refrigerate overnight or minimum of 6 hours.

4. On a skillet over high heat(I used my Le Creuset skillet which I think gives my steak a nice char), add steak and grill approximately 4 minutes on each side for a medium rare.  

5. Remove from skillet and let rest on the cutting board for no less than 5 minutes to let the meat rest and juices to come together. Thinly slice at a diagonal and serve immediately or at refrigerate the night before and serve at room temperature. 

Labor Day BBQ Woes No More: Miso-Glazed Salmon

First of all, sincere apologies to all of my readers for being so behind on my blogs! It has been a very busy summer with a lot of work travel and, of course, summer activities.  No excuse I know, but I can honestly say that time just flew away from me.  If you're a fan of my Facebook page, you've been able to somewhat keep up with what I've been up to with all the photos of the yummy places and food I've had these past few months.

I still can't believe that September is next week, heralding the beginning of fall.  As much as I hate to see summer go, this morning's cool breeze and slight chill made me really excited for the crisp fall weather and bundling up in my sweatshirt on the weekends.

Central Park on an early summer evening.

In the meantime, it's still summer! So for those last dog days of summer and your upcoming Labor Day barbeque, try my DELICIOUS, light and healthy miso-glazed salmon.  It is a great elegant and health-conscious alternative to the usual burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken you eat at most BBQs!  Now, I love all of those as much as the next person. But after a summer of BBQs with the same things on the menu I just want someone to break out of the rut and surprise me with something a little different that won't clog up my arteries. Trust me, your guests will thank you!

Since I live in a tiny studio in Manhattan, I don't have access to a grill. So you can make this anytime and anywhere.  :)    Once you marinate it, you need no more than 15 minutes before a pretty impressive dinner is cooked and plated for you and your family/guests.

You can also replace the salmon with black cod if you'd prefer.  Both are firm enough to stand being grilled without falling apart. I am usually not a fan of salmon since most people tend to overcook it.  But, I like the butteriness of the salmon paired with the saltiness of miso. The flavors just all come together into one perfect little bite. The crisp grilled skin adds a great texture and is one of my favorite things to munch!

Serve on top of sauteed bok choy and peppers alongside white rice. Bon appetit!!

MISO-GLAZED SALMON

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 pieces, 4 oz salmon fillets with skin, rinsed and cleaned 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable or canola oil

For marinade:
2 slices of ginger, skin removed and smashed
1/4 cup yellow miso paste
1 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 orange, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 cup boiling hot water

DIRECTIONS
1. Remove fish from refrigerator and season each side with salt and pepper. You should not be too liberal with the salt as the miso marinade contains a good amount of salt already.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients for the marinade and with a small whisk mix it all together.  The hot water will melt the miso paste and help bring it all together. Use a little more water if it is still too thick. It should have the consistency of a thin paste and stay on the fish.

3. Add the fish and make sure it is coated fully on both sides. Cover the top with plastic and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.  If you are rushed on time, you can marinate for 45 minutes-1 hour. The vegetables and rice can be prepared and cooked while you are waiting.

4. Preheat grill to medium. If the heat is too high, the fish will stick.

5.  Lightly brush the grill with oil to prevent sticking.  Once the grill is fully heated, lay fish on grill, skin-side up. Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes or until you see it become slightly opaque. Carefully flip the fish over and grill for an additional 4-5 minutes or until skin is crisp and slightly charred. If you have a thin fillet, make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

6. Plate the rice with vegetables next to it. Gently lay the salmon on top of vegetable bed, skin-side up.

NOTE: I like my salmon to be slightly firm to the touch so that it flakes apart easily when I use my fork. Both sides are a pretty pink color while the inside still slightly retains that gorgeous orange-pink color. If you prefer your fish cooked more, then I would recommend leaving it on for an additional 1-2 minutes.  I wouldn't recommend any longer as it will dry out the fish.  And there is nothing worse than that!

Zagat's 1st Annual Food Truck Frenzy Event and a glimpse into the artsy Chelsea neighborhood

Hello readers!  I know that I have been a VERY bad blogger and been absent for the past month.  I can only say that spring/summer fever finally hit me and I spent all my non-work hours going to the usual round of summer fun to be found in NYC: outdoor concerts, films, outdoor brunches, happy hours, dinners, etc, etc.  I'm back today to share some of the fun I've had over the past month and a half.  Today's blog is bringing a bit of the food truck world into your living room and hopefully into your life if you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing it yet.  

I'm sure everyone has been hearing about the food truck phenomenon and how quickly the trend is spreading to other cities within the US and worldwide.  The concept of street food is not new, so why are food trucks such a huge deal? Coffee and lunch trucks have been a welcome sight for decades now in the suburbs, bringing anything from breakfast sandwiches in the morning to the mid-afternoon cup of joe.  They can constantly be found at any construction site providing relief and sustenance for the workers.

With the downward turn in US economy over the past few years, more and more consumers were looking for economical ways to eat out.  If I didn't want to spend a lot of money for my lunch, I would usually hit up the street cart around the corner from my office and pick up a huge, filling platter of chicken and rice or falafels for less than $5.  

The trend of food trucks offered something different during this time by giving diners an option of "gourmet" street dining. No more sketchy chicken and rice man, instead I can check out Twitter or Facebook to locate where Taïm's truck is located. Taïm is one of my favorite food truck discoveries.  At one point, they were parked around the corner from my apartment on the Upper East Side.  I was so disappointed when I couldn't find them there after a few weeks, as I had become slightly addicted to their crunchy falafel balls that were soft in the center and bursting with so much flavor. When it's finished up with some of the pickled cabbage and pickles...ymm ymmm ymmm!  If you see them in your neighborhood and there's a long line, suck it up and get up in there! It's well worth the wait!

Another favorite of mine is Eddie's Pizza Truck.  I originally discovered them when they started appearing on Mondays in front of our remote office building in Chelsea. You have to understand that we are located right along the water on the West side of Chelsea, so there is NO WHERE to eat within a 5-minute walking distance except for a handful of places. Once I tasted the ultra-crispy, super thin crust and sweet tomato sauce there was no turning back. Honestly, I think the reason why I love Eddie's so much is that their pie brings me back to my high school years of coming home after school and popping in Jeno's combination pizza from the freezer into the oven.  My sister and I, to this day, will stock up when we see it on sale for $1.99 (it used to be $0.99!); it is now only a treat for me when I go home to my parents in NJ.  The only thing that could probably make it better is if they started making their pepporonis into tiny little square bites.  Yes, it's awful but sooooo good!  

Soon, Mondays in the office became "Pizza Mondays" and we ordered in miniature pan pizzas for the entire office with sides of the sweet potato gnocchi (pretty much tiny, lightly pan fried sweet potato gnocchi's rolled in cinnamon-sugar). THEN, they started showing up on Wednesday evenings by my apartment!  Eddie's was there for a few months, before disappearing as well.  The Upper East Side is obviously food truck unfriendly.  Sniff, sniff...  Though I have heard that they finally just opened a pizza cart on 72nd and 3rd...a little further away but I will be there for sure to check it out! They were at the event as well, but my plan was to try NEW trucks. So no Eddie's Pizza on that trip.

Zagat has even created a website to easily track the food trucks in NYC at any given time. Granted, it does not list all of them but it does include some of the best ones around. New York magazine also has a great listing of the 25 best food trucks. I am looking forward to trying some of Yvonne Yvonne's Jamaican food up in my hood to bring me back to my vacation last August in Treasure Beach, Jamaica.

When I received Zagat's email for their 1st annual Food Truck Frenzy on May 23rd in the far Western corners of Chelsea on 21st and 22nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenue (a hop skip walking distance from my office), I didn't even hesitate to buy my ticket.  For $12, the pre-sale ticket included my entry to the event and my choice of sampling four food trucks out of the twenty-six trucks that would be there.  A bargain for an unusual lunch break, especially in this part of Manhattan!  

Map of the offerings at Zagat's Food Truck Frenzy...a little worn, but legible. 

Originally, the event was supposed to be held the week before on May 17th. But there were such severe rain storms that week that it had to be rescheduled to the following week.  The 23rd rolled around and I was sure it was going to be rained out as well since it was gloomy all morning with black clouds rolling over the Manhattan/NJ skyline. But when I received no email stating it had been moved again, I grabbed my umbrella and headed on out a bit earlier to beat the lines.  As you can see, hungry lunch time diners were still lined up even though the rain had started coming down already.  Each person was handed a plate and four tickets to use at the truck of their choosing, as well as a map showing the location of each truck on the two blocks and what they were selling.  Let me also forewarn readers that all portions served during the event were tasting-style and not normal servings. So if you try them on your own, you are not paying $5-7 for a plate that will not fill you up.

Since I got there right around the time the event started around noon, some of the trucks hadn't made an appearance yet.  But all the ones I had already ticked and marked off in advance were! So many options and I was definitely tempted by some of the other trucks there, but I only had four tickets to use wisely and my stomach can only handle so much.

Check out the Desi Truck! So bright and colorful. 

First stop for me was Luke's Lobster truck for their famous lobster rolls served on a butter bun. I knew that most people were going to head over there for sure. Only four people in front of me...sweet. (Yes, I said sweet. Sorry, but it was one of those moments.)  Look at it in its pure lobster deliciousness! So fresh with just a little bit of lemon-butter on it for some extra flavor.  I hate when my lobster rolls come coated in a thick mayonnaise dressing because it just takes away from the beautiful sweetness of lobster meat. The toasted butter roll has just a nice crunch to it to offer a contrast to the silky lobster. Not chewy at all!

I decided to come back for the Big Gay Ice Cream truck for my finale. So, even though there was no line yet I walked on to the next block over where my two other trucks were located.  Along the way, I had to walk along the West Side Highway where me and my fellow foodies found a random art installation. 

When I looked inside the hole, this is what I saw.

It was bizarre and amusing, but this exhibit only made me more convinced that modern art is crazy.

Next stop...Korilla BBQ!  I had been hearing about Korilla for ages, but they were never in my neighborhood so I had never had a chance to try them.  It is a similar concept to the wildly popular Kogi truck in LA which I have never had the pleasure of eating yet. They offered one taco of your choosing from their menu. Being the meat lover that I am, I decided to order the ribeye.  (Since I attended the Zagat event, I have gone back to Korilla since it opened up on the Highline and the tofu taco is also quite tasty!) When the man taking my order asked what sauce and toppings I wanted with it, I looked at him in obvious confusion. Seeing my expression, he helpfully offered, "You want me to chef it up?" To which I replied, "Yes, please! Just not too spicy."  I had no idea what "chef it up" meant, but I knew that I didn't have to make any decisions. My ribeye taco ended up being served with some pickled cabbage and sriracha. It was also topped with their special sauce which I could not figure out, but was too happy enjoying to even try to. My fellow eaters at my small table were quite pleased as well...most of them had the tofu version.

 

Here are photos of some of the other trucks and the queue to order.

     

Some more random art on the buildings in Chelsea.  The majority of these are art galleries and Thursday evenings are famous for gallery hopping.

 

My last ticket (remember, I had already earmarked the fourth for the Big Gay Ice Cream truck!) I had to use for a nostalgic memory of my favorite thing to eat when I was young in Taiwan: bian dang.  What is it exactly?  Bian dang is the Mandarin word for lunch box.  There are street carts all over Taiwan selling these little platters to go for Chinese workers as it was quick and inexpensive.  It is pretty much the Taiwanese version of chicken and rice. I still dream of the fried chicken and pork chop platters we used to order from my mother's childhood friend's cart in Kaoshiung.  Even though it has been tens of years since I've been able to go back to Taiwan, I still remember the flavors.  Chinese fried chicken and pork chops are completely different from what is found here in the US.  It is seasoned with salt, 5 spice, and various other spices I have never been able to quite figure out; the breading is also usually much lighter as it is not flour based like in the US. Typically, bian dang is served with your choice of protein (whether it be chicken, pork or tofu) along with rice, tea egg, pickled vegetables and a braised minced pork sauce.  While I can buy it at the take-away food area of our local Chinese grocery store in Edison, the flavors are just not the same.  Strangely enough, it is not a common thing to find even in NYC's Chinatown.

 

The Bian Dang food truck made it's initial appearance earlier this year and was welcomed by the Asian community with wide arms who wanted a taste of this comfort food from home.  Again, the truck has never been in my neck of the woods. So I was really excited to try their Pork Chop with Minced Pork Sauce as my last entrée.  I shared my plate at a table with a family of tourists who had randomly stumbled upon the Zagat event. It was their first time eating the Taiwanese bian dang and from the sounds they were making, they were enjoying it as much as I was.  Their fried pork chops are probably the closest attempt of what I remember having when I was in Taiwan for the summer. I could have had a full bowl of that lusciously savory minced pork sauce...as it was, I am not ashamed to say that I stuck my finger in to lick any last trace of it.

Even though the truck and their shop are not anywhere on my daily routes, I will definitely be making a trip soon for their zongzhi (they describe at as a Chinese tamale) and fried chicken platter soon.

My tummy was nice and full by this point.  Thank god they had decided to do small portions! I decided to walk back over to 22nd St where the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck was located and see how long the line had grown since the beginning of the event.  The lines in general had grown SIGNIFICANTLY from the time I had arrived. Luke's Lobster truck had at least 30 people lined around the block (whew!) and the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck now had about 10 people in front of me.  Not so bad. Plus, it gave me a bit of time to digest my meal!

The Big Gay Ice Cream is now famous on the streets of New York.  He is housed in an old school Mister Softee truck with additional signage painted on proclaiming him as the "Big Gay Ice Cream" man. In the past 2 years since he started popping up, he has been featured on Food Network numerous times, the New York Times and various other publications.  With a name like that, how can it not catch on?  What makes him more interesting than the Mister Softees or various other artisanal ice cream trucks are the unusual flavor combinations he offers.  His Bea Arthur (which I was trying at the Zagat event) is his most classic: vanilla ice cream (Mister Softee style) with dulce de leche and dipped in crushed Nilla wafers.  His other options are not so standard: the Salty Pimp  (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, chocolate dip) or Cococone (vanilla ice cream with toasted curry coconut). And then let's talk about his topping choices: sriracha, elderflower syrup, cardamom, balsamic vinegar, and wasabi pea dust. Crazy, but some of the combos I've tried of his so far has worked!

Here is Douglas Quint, the Big Gay Ice Cream man himself, creating the Bea Arthur for another happy customer.  I was fascinated watching him squeeze the dulce de leche into the center of the vanilla ice cream at random intervals.  It was definitely an art watching him make the cone.

And finally, my patience is rewarded with the Bea Arthur...a gooey, sweet delight with a slight crunch from the Nilla wafers and a surprise bit of the dulce de leche with my vanilla ice cream.  Surprisingly, it is not as sweet as I expected from that combination, but it is definitely not something that I'd want to eat every day unless I wanted to gain an extra 100 pounds.

Just as I started walking back to the office, happily licking at my ice cream cone, the rain started coming back down in full force.  I literally stepped into the building before sheets of rain pelted the streets of New York and the rest of the Zagat foodies.  It was the perfect end to a perfect lunch time break.  

So next time you catch a food truck in your area, don't be afraid to try something new or be scared off by long lines...it's part of the entire experience and you would be surprised at the wonderful people you meet once you start opening up and talking to the person in line with you.  For some people, it has literally been a life-changing experience. Get out there and eat now!