BAKED IN A PIE

Sing a song of sixpence,
a pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened,
the birds began to sing;
wasn't that a dainty dish,
to set before the king?

The king was in his counting house,
counting out his money;
the queen was in the parlour,
eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden,
hanging out the clothes;
when down came a blackbird,
and pecked off her nose.

There was such a commotion,
that little Jenny Wren;
flew down into the garden,
and put it back again.

-English nursery rhyme, circa 1740s


Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pie with Gouda Biscuit Topping
(thanks to my dear friend Marcy for passing along this recipe--her blog is here)

Well, no blackbirds in this pie.  And it didn't quite come out dainty as it did hearty and comforting.  Here, with a side of sauteed swiss chard.

Oh, and for dessert:  roasted pear halves and ice cream.

For these, I melted half a stick of butter, half a cup of brown sugar, half a cup of apple butter, three tablespoons orange juice, and three tablespoons water in a saucepan, and then poured the mixture over six pear halves in a baking dish.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the pears are soft.  Spoon over vanilla ice cream.

Happy Fall, y'all.

I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S HAVING

We all know the scene--that scene--in "When Harry Met Sally",

filmed at Katz's Delicatessen on East Houston Street in the Lower East Side.  Meg Ryan may have boosted the place's...um...sex appeal(?) back in the late '80s, but this deli had been a New York institution for years and years before she and Billy ever sat and ate at one of its tables.

I stumbled into Katz's after a night of Drag Queen Bingo at The Bowery Poetry Club.  Luckily I had two lovely dinner companions on this occasion: my mother, who was visiting on a whirlwind trip from Georgia, and my friend Ali, who was mildly horrified when I told her that I'd never eaten a knish before.  I asked her whether I should try the regular knish or the sweet potato knish...her reply: "Get 'em both!"

So I did.

My mother and Ali got matching Reubens.  Apparently these have inspired a religious following of considerable size.

Here, the altar of pickles.

The beer I consumed at Bingo Night had admittedly softened my mental clarity...but after the two rounds of hearty potato knish I regained my senses and really got to take a good look around the place.  What a time capsule.  The wood paneling alone must be older than I am...and the celebrity photographs displayed so proudly on the walls?  Well if you need proof that they are aged, look no further than the picture of one Sarah Jessica Parker with dark brown hair.

I also enjoyed this one of the ultimate b-team boyband, 98 Degrees.

But all celeb endorsements aside, Katz's really is a gem.  A little old world, a little lowbrow. A lot charming.  And entirely delicious.

I recently read somewhere that the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Manhattan's Lower East Side as one of "America's Most Endangered Historic Places."  Considering this, I would like to give a little extra thanks to Katz's.

Stop by.  You'll see what I mean.