Salumeria Rosi

A crush of people filled the narrow entrance of Salumeria Rosi this afternoon. They were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the counter, which displayed prosciutto bread, purple cauliflower salad and Taleggio cheese. It took me a minute to differentiate between the eat-in and take-out lines. Once I figured this out, it took many more minutes to actually be seated. I watched as two tables were set, one was reset, and a table of three was reseated at a table more to their liking. Finally, the host (whom I suspect was irritated with me because of my apparent impatience) waved me, menuless, towards the bar.

Fortunately, once I did sit down, the kitchen was as fast as wildfire. Everything I ordered arrived in quick succession - and it was impossible not to order a whole host of items, as there's such a delightful variety at Salumeria Rosi. There are house-cured meats, goat, cow and sheep's milk cheeses, salads and various small plates.

First I went for the salumi and cheese, ordering the Parmigiano Reggiano and some porchetta toscana. A basket of crusty bread came with the dishes. Several chunks of sweet-salty hard cheese arrived on a balsamic-drizzled little plate. The two paper-thin slices of porchetta were redolent of rosemary and as tender as toro sashimi. I was glad for the lemony shredded endive salad that arrived afterwards (I recommend it as a palate cleanser).

Then it was time for sweet butternut squash risotto, which was absolutely wonderful. Crushed amaretti were sprinkled over a creamy orange expanse of butternut squash puree, which contained plump grains of Arborio rice. The portion size was perfect.

I really should have quit while I was ahead, but the dessert menu called to me. I settled on the torta di mele, which was light as air between its soft apple slices. A dollop of real whipped cream was served on the side. I finished the meal with a nice strong cup of espresso.

Good things come to those who wait!

Salumeria Rosi: 283 Amsterdam Ave., (212) 877-4800.

Restaurant Week - Fleur De Sel (CLOSED 2/09)

Once again, it's that wonderful time for year: "Restaurant Week" (it's actually two weeks - ETA, they just changed it to a month for this year). Last year, I dined at Riingo; this year, I decided on Fleur de Sel. The restaurant proved very accommodating to last-minute reservations changes; I'd asked for a table for two at 1 p.m., but our party suddenly expanded to three. On the phone, the reservationist said she could probably fit us in at a tight corner table that is sometimes used for trios, but when we arrived, we were comfortably seated at a table for four.

The $24.07 lunch menu included a choice of butternut squash soup or sardine napoleon, pan-seared blue cod or veal breast topped with a large oxtail ravioli, and macerated prune bread pudding or sorbet with meringue. All three of us ordered the same main course and dessert, but diverged with the appetizers. (There was an optional wine pairing, but it was just too early in the day for this - especially after last night's overindulgence at Artisanal.)

Warm sourdough bread got us going, and then the two of us who had ordered the soup drank in the heady flavors of truffle and coconut. A white puff of coconut milk foam decorated the bright orange squash puree, which was laced with truffle oil. The sardine napoleon was a savory curiosity (how do I eat this, my friend wondered) of three thin, crunchy Parmesan crackers layered with soft, salty sardines, and it was served with a small arugula salad.

The pan-seared blue cod lay atop a carrot coulis, which contained "rice beans" ("These are like the orzo of beans," remarked my friend. I'd been unaware of the existence of this legume and mistakenly thought the dish would be served with rice and beans), onions, diced tomatoes and chives - altogether delicious.

Warm, buttery bread pudding had a moist prune filling, and the side scoop of caramel ice cream melted appealingly into its bed of cookie crumbs. Strong coffee came with complimentary biscotti. (Although the restaurant was full, we were not rushed out after our coffee.)

Fleur de Sel will also be serving this menu next week.

Fleur de Sel: 5 East 20th St., (212) 460-9100.

Sweets News

• The newest location of the vaunted Roasting Plant (75 Greenwich Ave.) serves more than just coffee - it is also selling $1 "cookie dough shots." There are mint brownie, chocolate-chip and Oreo flavors, and when summer rolls around, you'll be able to mix the dough into the gelato of your choice.

• Here's a bit of cookbook news: Barbara Passino, the chef/owner of Napa Valley's Oak Knoll Inn, is about to release Chocolate For Breakfast, a selection of both sweet and savory recipes. Pre-order your copy, and soon you'll be making poached apples in chocolate gingerbread cookie cups, chocolate tacos, and even a chocolate omelette!

• But if you can't wait for the book's release, and you want to incorporate chocolate into your breakfast routine immediately, take a look at this lovely chocolate con churros recipe (and delightful article) from Alejandra Garcia on NPR.
  

Dirt Candy

The prospect of a hearty meal was the only thing that could pull me out of my apartment tonight. A friend had invited me out for a belated birthday dinner, so I'd reserved one of Dirt Candy's nine tables. As I walked outside, hail hit me on the head, and a harsh wind assaulted me. But all I could think about was the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Amanda Cohen's vegetarian cooking, which I had so admired at now-defunct Heirloom.

My friend and I started out with a plate of jalapeno hush puppies, happily smearing our spicy cornmeal crunchies with lots of maple-flavored butter. (Like all other dishes on the menu, the hush puppies can be made vegan on request. That does not mean that any random request will be fulfilled - I was surprised to overhear a diner try to order scrambled egg whites.) Next, we enjoyed bowls of vibrant, ginger-scented spinach soup. Not being cream-based, the soup was deliciously light. In each bowl floated three dumplings stuffed with smoked tofu and diced water chestnuts.

One of my favorite dishes of the evening was the portobello mousse appetizer with truffled toasts. The mousse had the texture of Japanese goma-dofu, but with an intense mushroom flavor instead of sesame. The square plate also included some sweet fennel-pear compote and a heap of meaty-tasting portobello slices.

Our main courses were arranged like meat-based dishes, with proteins at the center of beds of vegetables or grains. The crispy tofu resembled a seared salmon fillet, and it lay atop a melange of green vegetables like edamame and kohlrabi. I ordered the tempura egg on stone-ground grits... the white was well-done, but as I cut further in, the bright orange organic yolk ran out and swirled into the grits. There were also pickled shiitakes, corn kernels, watercress, and huitlacoche (edible black corn fungus) in the dish. I really don't think a meat-eater would go hungry at Dirt Candy! (According to Ms. Cohen, the majority of her clientele are not total vegetarians.)

A birthday isn't complete without dessert, and there were two versions of "cake and ice cream" on the menu. One featured sesame and grapefruit, the other, chocolate, sweet potato and chili. (The pastry chef, Debbie Lee, used to work at P*Ong, one my favorite restaurants. Incidentally, I was just there last night, devouring the hot dark chocolate with milk foam and pomegranate.) I ordered Cake and Ice Cream #2; there was a scoop of sweet potato sorbet adorned with a dried sweet potato chip, some chocolate chili ice cream, and a square of fudgy chocolate cake. (I just wish the cake had been hot, so I could have made a glorious mess with the ice cream and sorbet. But the dessert was still very enjoyable!)

Maybe I'm jumping the gun, as I just got home, but my next visit to Dirt Candy will involve mixed greens with grilled cheese croutons, carrot risotto, and popcorn pudding.

Dirt Candy: 430 East 9th St., (212) 228-7732.

Chocolates for All Personality Types

It's never too early to start thinking about Valentine's Day - and all of its attendant chocolates! My little list of chocolates by personality will ensure that your chocolate gift is as unique as the person you're buying it for:

• The Earthy-Crunchy: Your environmentally aware friend will appreciate a recycled box of Fine & Raw's dark chocolate bonbons made with raw blue agave nectar, virgin coconut oil and a touch of Himalayan sea salt. (To me, they taste like adult Mounds bars, but without all the cloying sweetness.) You can find these at gourmet or natural food stores around the city - I happened to get mine at Sustainable (109 Ave. A, 212-254-5400).
  

• The Artsy-Fartsy: The aesthete will marvel at a box of beautifully decorated truffles from Eric Gererd's L'Atelier Du Chocolat (59 West 22nd St., 212-243-0033). I first tasted Mr. Gererd's chocolates at Brooklyn's Bierkraft in 2003. Although none of the beer flavors have made it to the new menu, there's a wasabi truffle with a bamboo leaf pattern, a red-and-brown zig-zagged red forest fruit in dark chocolate ganache, and a heart-covered rosewater truffle. For Valentine's Day, there will be special hollow chocolate hearts! It's enough to make you feel like you're in love, even if you aren't.

• The Comfort Foodie: What could be more comforting, or more chocolatey, than the double chocolate and triple chocolate cupcakes at Dessert Club Chikalicious (204 East 10th St., 212-475-0929)? Call the night before Valentine's Day and they will make up a pretty box for you.

• The Do-It-Yourselfer: Give someone a chocolate truffle; you have fed her for today. Teach someone to make her own chocolate truffles, and you have fed her for a lifetime. A gift certificate towards the French Culinary Institute's upcoming "Chocolate Truffles, Bonbons & More" course will go a long way towards making your special someone into an expert chocolatier. You might indirectly benefit! (More info at 888-324-CHEF.)
  

Tacos Mexico

This week, New York Magazine includes a list of the best foods under $10. Although the list neglects Queens, if you're willing to take the N train a few stops past Lexington & 59th St. into Astoria, you'll find one of the very best (and most delicious) deals in town: the awesome chiles rellenos at Tacos Mexico. Try to finish them, I dare you! Two mild green peppers are lightly battered, stuffed with melted queso blanco, smothered in a hearty tomato sauce, and served with a three-day supply of refried pinto beans, Spanish rice, and five or six warm tortillas. Price? $10.95.

And if you want something other than a stuffed pepper, you can order: nachos, tamales, quesadillas, flautas, chalupas, tostadas, tacos, tortas, cemitas, sopes, huaraches, burritos, enchiladas, chilaquiles, and giant plates of chicken, beef or pork fajitas. Wash everything down with a glass of horchata, and don't forget to take your to-go bag home with you. Happy New Year!

Tacos Mexico: 32-08 38th St., Astoria, (718) 545-5888.