Rainbow Cookies

From Greenpointers, Recipe: Rainbow Cookies

I've had this recipe for Rainbow Cookies on my fridge since last year and decided to make it. Working my first job as a counter girl at an Italian bakery in Queens and accepting collect calls from the grumpy bakery owner's son, who was in jail for idiotic low-level racketeering, gave me have a distaste for Italian pastries, with the exception of a few things: Pignoli Cookies, Rainbow Cookies & Cannolis (but only the cannolis that the nuns from the San Carlo monastery on Erice, a medieval mountain town in Sicily make. God is in them.) The rest of the Italian pastries can burn in hell.

Rainbow Cookies are pretty pricey per pound and if you're going to buy them around Brooklyn I would recommend Fortunata Brother's on Manhattan & Devoe.

Making the rainbow cookies seemed pretty pricey, too. It didn't help that I had to buy 3 half sheet pans at $15 a pop from The Brooklyn Kitchen, plus 4 tubes of Almond Paste at $8 a pop! I definitely came home grumpy.

"I should have just bought them at the bakery," I said as I laid the ingredients on the counter. But the process and the end result were worth it, plus we got between 150-200 cookies out of it.

I cut the recipe out of New York Magazine from the chef of Torrisi Italian Specialties, a great Italian restaurants down on Mulberry, the walls lined with Manhattan Special: my favorite drink, espresso soda.

If you plan on making rainbow cookies, make sure you have an entire day off plus a partner with good hand-eye coordination. I am lacking in that area and Jon, who is mechanically inclined proved, to have amazing cake layering and chocolate spreading skills. Had I tried to take this endeavor solo, I assure you these cookies would not be so pretty.

When it comes down to it, "it's a lot of work, Jane," as Nonna, my Sicilian Grandma would say. There are many steps: beating the egg whites for stiff glossy peaks, splitting one batter into three for coloring, baking three cakes separately until just underdone so they stay moist, cooling the cakes then layering them using orange marmalade as glue, letting them set then spreading warm chocolate on the top and bottom. Start as early in the morning as you can.

While getting closer and closer to chocolatey soft almond cookie goodness, I was giddy. I remember saying, "this sure as hell beats last minute christmas shopping." In fact, making these cookies is what the holidays are all about: slowing down, spending time with someone you love, making something you love, then giving to people you love." These cookies put a truer smile on faces than anything you can unwrap and rip a price tag off of.

Torrisi Rainbow Cookies Recipe from New York Magazine

12 large eggs, separated

2 2/3 cups sugar

24 oz. almond paste

8 sticks butter, softened

5 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. red food coloring

2 tsp. green food coloring

16 oz. orange preserves, heated and strained

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Beat egg whites in electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Add ½ cup sugar, beating until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks, then refrigerate. Beat together almond paste and remaining sugar in mixer. Add butter gradually and beat until mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour and salt and mix until just combined. Fold in egg whites. Divide batter equally among 3 bowls; wearing gloves,(1) whisk red food coloring into one and green into another, leaving the third batch plain. Spread each batter separately and evenly, about ¼-inch thick, onto 3 half-sheet pans, each greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake until just barely set, about 7 minutes. (2) When layers are cool, spread half the preserves onto the green layer. Invert plain layer over it and discard paper. Spread on remaining preserves, and invert red layer over it; discard paper. Wrap with plastic and top with a weighted baking pan. Refrigerate for several hours. Remove plastic and bring to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, and (3) spread thinly on top layer. Chill in freezer briefly until firm. Cover with wax paper, place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet pan and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate and return to freezer until firm. Trim edges, slice, and serve.

underground lobster pound

      I remember my first lobster roll. Girl's road trip to Boston. We were in Gloucester, MA. I was making my girlfriends, who were more interested in sleeping in that morning, drive with me to Wolf Hollow, a wildlife sanctuary. The nuts that ran this place were talking pack mentality way before the Dog Whisperer. After an afternoon of learning the different types of howls, we were famished. Alia convinced me we "needed" to try lobster rolls while we were in Massachusetts. Ten years ago, we would have been hard pressed to find a lobster roll in New York. I was hooked.
      More and more, the lobster roll is debuting around town. We had great lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster while shopping at the New Amsterdam Market, and the Red Hook Lobster Pound sells them weekly at Brooklyn Flea.  
     So when we met Ben and Ms. Liza Mosquito de Guia (what a great name) at the Greenpoint Food Market and Liza, (who directed this awesome video about Ben) let on that Ben runs his own underground lobster roll slinging operation out of his apartment in Brooklyn, we "needed" to try his lobster rolls. Ben smiled, tried to hush us down, then gave me his card.
      When five of us ventured to Ben's place, we were led into what at first looked like my Nonna's hallway: cherubs, plastic flowers and peach wallpaper as far as they eye could see. But then he took us down stairs through a narrow hallway and I could have sworn I was in that lobster shack back in Glouster, MA, a lobster shack submarine to be exact. And the smell - like buttah!

       It was a challenge to be in Ben's place, not because of the low ceilings, I'm short, but because I had to use my small voice not to disturb the neighbors. But Julie was there, and when I am with Julie I am usually stomping my feet laughing like an animal. I did my best.

     Ben prepares his lobster rolls how they were intended to be enjoyed, very little mayo, butter and some Old Bay, so its just about the lobster meat. So good and so fresh.
    Aside from making the best lobster rolls, Ben is the nicest and most gracious dude, so easygoing with lots of hilarious food antics to share. He can't get over how the tiniest asian food blogger girls (are there any other kinds?) willingly go down into his lobster roll lair, no qualms about it. "This is so wrong!" he jokes, "You shouldn't be doing this!"

     Burnt out from the restaurant world, this is a great set-up for a guy who loves to work from home making his favorite dish. And hushy hushy aside, he has plenty of loyal customers. While we we there, he got a whole bunch of take-out orders. And he even delivers lobster rolls on his scooter, equipped with a bun warmer on the back. I'm sure we will ordering take-out very soon because I don't think he delivers to Queens.
Watch Liza's awesome video!

The Underground Lobster Pound: A Purist, An Apartment & The Perfect Lobster Roll -  *food curated* from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

The Other Brooklyn

     I am from Queens, (let this be clear) but when my grandparents came here from Sicily, they first settled in Brooklyn, in Bushwick to be exact. And Rocco went to Bushwick High School when it wasn't cool to live in Bushwick. Very not cool. I remember this awesome orange Bushwick HS Reunion T Shirt he used to have. Beacon's Closet would pay big bucks for that one these days.

    Back in the day there was a funny phrase that distinguished two different areas of Brooklyn. If you lived in the northern area, where Knickerbocker Avenue is, where a lot of Italian immigrants lived, you lived in "Brooklyn." Then there was, "The Other Brooklyn," way over in the South part of the borough, which referred to Italian neighborhoods like Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge. Nonna still says, "He lives in l'altro Brukulino." On the other hand, if you lived in Bensonhurst, you considered that to be "Brooklyn" and you called Bushwick, "The Other Brooklyn." Its all a matter of one's perspective.

    Like when I was a kid on the block in Queens I had a friend named Jen. I called her "Jennifer Down the Block," to distinguish her from myself who was "Jennifer Up the Block." When I called her "Jennifer Down the Block" one day she said, "No, you are Jennifer Down the Block!"

We  still have not resolved that one.

A Concussion and Dislocated Shoulder, a Typical Day in Coney Island

     Coney Island is by far my favorite place in the entire world. A lot of people think weirdos and degenerates when they think of Coney Island, but take a minute to talk to some of these characters and you might change your mind. Amazing lighting and some of the most New York faces in New York is a feast for my camera. Some of the best photographs I have ever taken were taken here. And then there are the hot dogs and of course the scariest roller coaster hands down, the infamous Cyclone. Fun for the whole family! Riding the cyclone and enduring the week long agony afterward has become an annual birthday tradition. 

     When we arrived, it was as if every New Yorker decided to join us. Parking was dire. We almost gave up, but I spotted a middle aged sun bather with keys in her hand and I jumped out of the car and asked whether she'd be leaving a spot. What came out of her mouth was the most cherished Brooklyn accent I have heard in years. (I spend too much time in Williamsburg!) So I escorted this lovely tanned woman to her car, thinking after she pulled out I would stand in the spot and fend off other parkers. This was a parking war, afterall. 

    "No, I'll wait with ya," she told me, "I'm not goin' anywhere." Even better, more time to enjoy that accent. But when we got to her car a giant tour bus driven by a hasidic driver was turning the corner and nearly hit her car. We ran over screaming. I would protect this lady's car if it was the last thing I did! 

    "Your gonna hit my car!" she said.  He really had no spatial reasoning and yelled at us that he fit, continuing to move closer to denting her pristinely white automobile. So we looked at each other and started banging on the side of the bus. I think maybe a little Queens accent popped out of me, "Ya gonna hit it!" A few other locals got involved, he finally gave up, then I helped guide the giant bus in reverse, giving my lady room to pull out of her spot. "Go," I told her.

    She looked back concerned and not wanting to leave, "You sure?" I think she would have gladly blocked traffic until Mike came, but just in the nick of time he arrived and we got the sweetest parking spot in Coney Island. Such a New York moment.

    So it was Cyclone time and we brought a few Cyclone virgins, who I enticed to come with, "$6 for the ride of your life!" And its always fun to scare newbies and warn of the inevitable whiplash. But Phil took it to a whole other level by searching for how many people died on the Cyclone. I didn't want to find out! 

   When we got there it was $8, but still so worth it. If you haven't gone for a ride on the Cyclone, go at least once before you die, and if it kills you what a great way to go out. The reason why its the scariest roller coaster ever is because you feel like you might go flying out of it. These new roller coasters have you all strapped in. Not the cyclone, one measly lap bar then over that first drop and its questionable whether you won't go flying into the ocean. And its so fast and throws you around like a pin ball. If you can survive the initial drop, which is the craziest feeling ever because, you just have to let go because you feel so out of control. 

    Mike and I did a second ride, in the first row, and the first drop left him with a chipped bone in his elbow and I swear I felt my brain hitting my skull. When we stopped I heard some serious crying and turned around to find the little boy behind us, who was not really tall enough to be on there, with a clearly dislocated shoulder! Mike's elbow got zero sympathy after we saw that teary eyed boy. This roller coaster is NO JOKE!

    After coming to our senses (?) we thought the freak show would be fun but got scammed by the wrong $3 freak show which promised two headed everythings and when we went inside they were in formaldehyde jars! So we drowned our sorrows with a bucket of coronas then headed over to L&B for a really good slice of New York pizza.

    L&B has been there forever, and there are simples rules. You get either a round slice or a square slice, regular or "Sicilian," respectively. The sauce, the cheese, the crust, its all so delicious. If you are ever in Coney Island and you have a car you must pit stop to L&B. Take Stillwell Ave, which is the street under the train, to 86th then make a right. The seating is all outdoor with Brooklyn locals, and after your slice you can enjoy some a cool Italian Ice. 

I'll take one of everything! Brooklyn's Unfancy Food Show

    Who needs fancy when you can just eat and have fun? Thats what the Unfancy Food Show was all about, sampling some really delicious grub while meeting the geniuses who's very hands created it. Having been raised by my Sicilian father Rocco, I have mastered the art of talking with my mouth full. I have not mastered the art of ordering a prosciutto sandwich with my mouth full of mulberries and trying to take a photograph of the sandwich while paying for it. So I did the eating and let them do the talking and learned a lot of interesting facts about what went into the food that was going into my mouth. I also came home with lots and lots of goodies! 

   First stop, Gerald Jerky. I have to admit, after the Slim Jim factory explosion, I am not pro-jerky, plus its seems like mystery meat. But this Gerald Jerky actually looked like chunks of meat. 

   And Rachel, the Jerky Lady, hand made it in a food dehydrator with no preservatives. She spiced the jerky just right and it tasted like meat, not like salty MSG. Delicious. And soon she'll be making these with pastured grass fed beef. Even better. One bag of Jerky please!

    Next, McClure's Pickles. I am really a sweet gherkin kind of girl, but Bob McClure, co-owner with his brother (I love family enterprises) had some really tasty garlic pickles, some outrageous hot spicy pickles, and a mustard that was out of this world. How much for a case? 

   Onto Mama O's Kimchee, another family pickling venture. Kimchee is a Korean super-food, raw and very nutritious.  

   Mama O was right there being great and mama-ish. Kheedim Oh, son and chef/owner, was super nice and his kimchees were phenomenal. There was kimchee salsa, cucumber kimchee, daikon kimchee and I picked up a tub of traditional kimchee. All were ridiculously good and the perfect spice level for my taste. 

   Time to represent at the Queens County Farm Museum! When I was a kid this farm was an educational petting zoo. Pat, my godmother, helped out there one summer and explained to her tour group of kids that the horse's untimely erection was really a ladder for climbing onto the horse! No pony rides that day!

     The girls at the farm table explained to me that the farm has come a long way since then. Now they sell fresh produce, eggs and even farm raised pigs at the Union Square Farmer's Market on Fridays. I bought a round zucchini and made it that night for dinner in the form of Zucchini Stew and it was so flavorful and fresh. There I also bought a cup of their super sweet mulberries and cursed myself for wearing light colored pants. Lookout for the Queen's Farm's and Brooklyn-Based July 4th Weekend Pig Roast!

   Next door was the Brooklyn Kitchen table and a lot of fun cooking supplies. Their canning display caught my attention because of all the produce I have been getting from the CSA and my anticipation of some really fresh plum tomatoes for sauce that I want to preserve. I bought a Canning Manual and they gave me a lot of great advice. Check out Brooklyn Kitchen's cooking classes. 

 Across the way, the sight of a woman cutting pieces of fresh prosciutto off a pig caught my eye. Salvatore Bklyn, a wholesaler that sells to the likes of Marlow and Son's, was whipping up amazing open-faced prosciutto sandwiches smeared with fresh homemade ricotta and arugula and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Yes!

   Chocolate time. First stop, Nunu Chocolates with some really nice salted chocolate caramels. A box of those to go. Owner Justine was a doll and explained that the company was started to give away goodies during her partner and husband's music shows, but the company just took off with a few successful retail stores, one on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn, and they still haven't given them out during performances. They get their cocoa from Brazil and look forward to a trip there to visit the farm.

   Taza Chocolate had an elaborate display, with lots of free samples, like my favorite the Guajillo Chili Mexicano which tasted like chocolate covered peppers! (Hmmm? Kitchen experiment tomorrow?) Their organic and sustainable, direct trade and stone ground chocolate from Mexico and the Dominican Republic was really delicious and had that unfancy raw texture I prefer in dark chocolate. Anne showed me what a giant cocoa pod looks like, inside of which the cacoa beans are found.

    I even tried some raw ground unsweetened cacao nibs which almost had a nutty, Grape Nuts cereal flavor, and would be great to put on ice cream or Ann recommended in place of chips of chocolate chip cookies. A bag of nibs, thanks!

   There were two cheese stands, but they were so packed with people I literally couldn't get a taste, so more chocolate made sense and I headed over to Fine & Raw Chocolates for some dark chocolate from Equador. Their newest product, Raw Chocolate Ice Cream, was displayed on dry ice. Sexy.

    I had to elbow my way into Liddabit Sweet to try some of their local seasonal candies. Their cucumber mojito jelly candy was really like nothing I have ever tasted and I loved it! It was like eating fresh candy. No weird artificial aftertaste. Great!

   My last stop was the Marlow and Son's table, a sea of sanwiches and a tough decision. White fish or Brisket Sandwich? How does one choose? White fish, and can I just try a piece of the brisket, please?

 They were such a fun crew and let me have my white fish and my brisket, too! Both were such a great way to end my day of sampling at the Unfancy Food Show. I didn't have one beer while I was there but I felt drunk (in a good way) on irresistible food while I headed home. Thanks Brooklyn!

A ROOFTOP FARM IN GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN

    What was more surreal than a farm on top of an industrial warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with panoramic views of the New York City, was climbing stairs in the warehouse that lead up to the roof top farm.

    Sue and I went up two flights too many and ended up on another roof top overlooking the farm, where I was able to get some interesting shots. We clearly looked lost over there and were instructed to go two flights back down, then through a room filled with junk, then out a hole in the wall onto a courtyard and then up some other steps. Quite an adventure already. 

     Finally we arrived. The rooftop farm is really something you have to see to believe. The contrast between the rural rows of growing plants against towering metal buildings is remarkable. And while you are utterly surrounded by the urban landscape, the skyline, other rooftops, a crane yard, you somehow feel removed from it all. The farm has a vibe all its own that somehow detaches you from all the energy of the city even though the city is staring you in the face. 

      Annie, (above) one of the farmers, graciously greeted us with a warm smile and encouraged us to look around. Walking down the verdant rows of soon to be vegetables delivered a calming sense of order and an exciting feeling of anticipation of what's to come. 

     From the amount of eager volunteer farm hands, its easy to see that a lot of people are happy that this rooftop farm landed in Greenpoint. 

     Ben, (above) Annie's farming business partner, while focusing intently on his task of planting the tiniest basil sprouts, explained that the soil imported from Philadephia, was lifted by crane and poured onto the warehouse rooftop. 

     Greenpoint, a center of industry and home to an ever growing population of immigrants and young professionals alike needs this sort of thing, because we all know that Greenpoint is far from green and this is certainly a step in the right direction. 

     We bought a bunch of tiny sprouts, some swiss chard, kale, a few tomatoes and a watermelon, a good deal at $1 a piece, and "Annie" said good bye to her "little ophans" as we carried them off to their new homes on our own mini urban farms.  

     I will definitely visit the farm again to watch its progress, lend a hand, and maybe get a taste of truly local produce, grown only a borough away. 

     I found out about the rooftop farm in a really informative and well-written article titled A Rooftop Farm for the Future at a great blog called Not Eating Out in New York.