5/15/10 Supper Club: Whisk and Ladle
Whisk and Ladle runs out of an apartment in a loft in Williamsburgh. The space is decorated in what I call "catch as catch can" -- a map of Lake George, some rusty sickles, two wooden sconces and a slew of votives, some baggy couches and chairs, plastic flowers, a tall-case clock, a swing, a standing mixer, two professional ovens and a six-burner stove, and, my favorite, the bunny chandelier (two dozen tin bunnies with ping-pong bulbs for their cottontails).
This evening's event was spontaneously added to the schedule when the Whiskers got a chance to cook with Cathy Erway. (http://theartofeatingin.com/)
We were greeted warmly, by name, by M, one of the denizens. The cooking was already well underway when we arrived at 8:00 PM: gougeres were being piped onto trays, smoked salmon was being sliced, wasabi peas were being cracked, and heirloom watermelon was going into the blender.
There were, eventually, 26 additional diners, mostly in groups of 2 or 3. There was a fellow from the LES who came with his parents; they were in from Montana and had been supper-clubbers in their youth. There were three different birthday celebrations in the room; no, That Song was not sung even once. There were a few media folks: two guys making an internet documentary on supper clubs, and two guys who plan/advertise culinary events who were, presumably, looking for ideas or guests.
We made our way to the bar where we chose from among three cocktails designed for the evening:
Hibiscus Martinez - gin, (something), hibiscus flower water
(something) Ginger - Tito's vodka, Stone's Ginger Wine, house-made ginger ale
Muddy Spritz - muddled strawberry, calvados, cava
I was later assured by one of the video guys that, "Tito is doing God's work with vodka." Presumably, it's this Tito. (http://www.titos-vodka.com/)
My partner had the (something) Ginger, which got tarter and more gingery as he got towards the bottom of the old-fashioned glass. I had the Muddy Spritz which was a good balanced drink. We then went back for a pair of Martinez, served in Marie Antoinette glasses with a single large ice cube; they were the best drink of the three as the botanicals of the gin melded nicely with the hibiscus.
We stood around and chatted for a while. The clothing style was all over the map: one man in a t-shirt, one man in a cardigan, one man in a leather jacket and fingerless gloves, most men wore shirt and slacks; about half the women were in simple sun frocks while the other half dressed a bit closer to the canonical ideal of The Little Black Dress and jewelry.
After an hour of cocktails we were summoned to walk past the kitchen island and serve ourselves the three Amuses:
- cones of smoked salmon rolled around goat cheese and ground cacao beans
- gougeres, sliced and stuffed with sauteed mushrooms
- a shot-glass of heirloom watermelon puree with a streak of balsamic mayonnaise on the rim
The salmon was the winner of this bunch as the citrus element (is that the cacao?) cut cleanly back against all the rich flesh and dairy fat. The gougeres were not particularly cheesey, though I'll admit I'm spoiled because (occasional FLDG'er) Jay Miller makes absolutely splendiferous gougeres. The heirloom watermelon was also interesting texturally when the mayonnaise dissolved into the puree but it's too early to get really ripe watermelon and there was no kick to the balsamic.
Thus teased we all sauntered over to the tables: one table for 12, a table for 4, and two tables for 6. Chairs are from Harry's Used Chair lot (which is meant as a chortle, not a criticism). Places are set with cloth napkin, flatware, water tumbler, and wine glass. They ask us to stand while they get the soup out... it's just easier to maneuver the tight corners when no one is sitting down. The courses were served and cleared with reasonable time between.
Soup: cold English pea soup with pea shoots, fresh wasabe and crushed wasabe peas
The most delectable dish. The peas were blanched, blended, and chilled. The other ingredients all added texture and wisps of sweet or sharp flavors. The bartender went around the room pouring Champalou 2008 Vouvray.
Main: scallops in orange miso sauce, served with radish and pear relish, and red quinoa
The scallops were moist and very tender, either steamed or simmered. The miso tamed this citrus nicely. The relish tasted as if caraway seed had been ground into it, perhaps? Everyone was marveling at the red quinoa, which was served as a loose timbale mixed with some kind of sprout. A good plate. The bartender came around with "borgoin" (ahem, it was Dom. Perrusset 2008 Macon-Village).
Salad: dandelion greens in natto vinaigrette
The greens had been hand-harvested by Cathy earlier in the day. Many people could not eat this salad, however, because the greens were very bitter. (One might think that the natto could put plenty of people off it, too, but the fermented flavor really took a back seat to the greens.) The bartender brought around growlers of Sixpoint Summer Ale. ((might be a different brew))
Dessert: almond bread pudding with lavendar honey ice cream
Perhaps a bit under-cooked, perhaps a bit skimpy on the ice cream, but it was nutty and sweet. I would have guessed rosemary in the ice cream.
And that was about it. Shortly after we all got up from the table M sent around little paper bags to collect our fees ($60 each). I chatted a bit with him about the recipes, his perception of the event (he had been dead-set against the cold soup but was convinced by one of the other cooks, tonight's dishes were simpler than they usually do but that is why they came out on time), and we talked about bars that specialize in the cocktail craze. I also spoke to P, another of the cooks; he was wearing a jerk's hat and is involved in reviving The Farmacy, a soda fountain shop in Carroll Gardens. I did not get a chance to speak with Cathy, and the fourth cook, N, had to leave early.
And, now, the real dish:
We enjoyed Whisk and Ladle but much was promised that was not delivered:
- While technically true, I find it deceptive to say that the dinner is "fish and shellfish" when the fish is a finger-sized strip (rolled into a cone, remember?) and the shellfish is three sea scallops.
- There were supposed to be craft beers, from Sixpoint, paired with each dish.
- There were supposed to be two desserts. (M later said they just combined the bread pudding and the ice cream. My guess is that the ice cream failed to make, hence the need to adjust.)
- Cathy was supposed to give a little talk about her latest work. She also promised, when announcing the salad, to talk about urban foraging.
- There was supposed to be live music following the dinner. We did not stay long but we saw no instruments.
I report these things not because I feel deprived but because I feel misled. We have not scratched Whisk and Ladle off the list but we will read subsequent announcements with new eyes.
In the final analysis, leaving particulars aside, we enjoyed the whole event -- new people to meet, some inventive food prep, it's always fun to see someone else's home -- so, for now, we're still looking for supper club dates to attend.