The Butcher Cometh

Years ago cooks went to specialty stores such as the green grocers, the butchers and even the ice man's to get their food stuffs . The advent of the supermarket changed all that. Butchers along with the rest of the individual food sellers disappeared, The days of not only getting a good chop of meat but friendly advice were gone. Until recently. Like anything retro, butchers are back in in a big way - with plenty of good meats and good suggestions.

This was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. The piece, written by Dining veteran, Florence Fabricant, tells of the return of the classic butcher shop.This new bunch of meat cutters offer what a supermarket can not - variety and help. An old fashioned shop can sell such rare finds as trotters , lambs neck and kidneys along with fresh oxtails. Some butchers even offer the more exotic rabbit and goat meats for the more adventurous cook and diner. Even better than the variety is the advice a seasoned butcher can give. He (or she) can tell a customer what to do with the cuts, along with what are the cheaper pieces of meat for those on a budget. Another plus is more free range meat. Veal is not white like the supermarket kind, , but pink thanks to the calves being raised on a more organic diet.

Restaurants are also jumping on this trend. A famed Manhattan eatery, Resto has a butcher shop attached to it , appropriately named Cannibal. After all if ,you like what you had, then you can go next door to get the same cut of meat to make at home. This ideait does make sense and saves cooks time . After all you dont' have to go looking all over your grocery's meat department. Just return to the restaurant and ask for what you had on your last visit. The meat also will be fresher along with being better in taste , texture and quality.

Butchers are making a comeback and no wonder. They hark back to an era when a cut of meat was an individual as a person. It was what good cooking and dining was all about. Luckily for both meat lovers and cooks, it's returning


NOTE: I made a mistake in yesterday's entry. November 1st is All Saint's Day - not All Soul's which is today. My apologies.

Bad Times Yesterday;s Dinign Section

I don't usually criticize the Times Dining section however yesterday's was offensive .It was a big (3/4 of the page) picture of a fuzzy white bunny The cute little bugger was raised on a farm meant to be slaughtered.I don t have a problem with meat. I have a problem with the way it's presented pre-slaughtered. I just found the entire article not in good taste along with the accompanying pictures.



Again don't get me wrong Even though I a animal rights I do occasionally sneak some seafood beef chicken or turkey into my diet, i understand that animal protein is essential to any diet.However I feel that the Dining section and the writer, regular Kim Severson, could have edited the article in such a way that it wasn't disturbing to animal lovers and any kids who might happen up this section. Turn to the continuation and there are more pictures of a skinned rabbit with still furry legs. Any cat owner looking at this will feel a shiver because the body looks awfully like a skinned cat. These pictures and the many descriptions on how to kill the animals were , let's face it, haunting.



The editors should have stuck with with photos of the prepared dishes or the meat already cut up into sections. Perhaps a better shot would have been one of the interviewed chefs cooking up the meat or serving it to guests. There were one or two of these pictures which were thankfully not alarming. To be honest both writer and editors should have had more sensitivity. Hopefully this is a lesson for future articles dealing with animals that can be either considered pets or sadly enough dinner.



Bad Times. All I can say is if you feel the way I did upon seeing this article then write the Dining Section. It may sway the sections editors to think twice about another article of this kind. I know I would if I received scores of angry missives about this subject

The Lure of the Middle East

There' s something exotic about Middle Eastern cooking. It could be the spices or the uniqueness of the dishes.Maybe it's the way the food is cooked or presented that makes us curious about this centuries old cuisine. It's different yet made with the same ingredients that most of us use in our everyday meals. Luckily enough it can be easily replicated.

Middle Eastern cuisine covers the area from Turkey to Iraq and Iran and down the south which includes Saudi Arabia ad North Africa. One of the most popular dishes is hummus. This is a delicious spread that made with mashed chick peas, garlic, lemon and olive oil. It's a cinch to make at home and serve with toasted pita triangles. Another easy to make Middle Eastern favorite is baba ghanoush. This is popular throughout the region especially in Syria and is made from eggplant, lemon juice and various spices such as cumin. Again this can be eaten it toasted pita. Falafel is big here in the New York metro area. Again this is made from chick peas but molded into a ball and fried.

Middle Eastern cooks are also known for creating sumptuous feasts. there is always lamb on the table , usually roasted. Chicken is also served an if it's an Egyptian meal, then sometimes rabbits. Since eggplants are big in the region , there is usually a plate of tomato stuffed ones accompanying the meat. Almost every Middle Eastern dinner has dolma, stuffed graped leaves. These can be filled with rice or rice and lamb and served as an appetizer or a side dish Sometimes a soft cheese served as well. Dessert usually is baklava, a pastry made from phyllo dough, ground pistachios and honey ad dates. Dates are plentiful and a staple of any Middle Eastern diet.

The Middle East lures us with its' exotic bazaars and ancients ways. it also lures us with its' cuisine, old as time yet still tasty in this modern era.