Inspired by my gem of a neighborhood- sandwiched in between Little Italy and Chinatown- I decided to go the Italian route, venturing to Di Palo's Fine Foods on Grand Street to gather ingredients.
This place is an Italian food temple. A shrine to all things Italiano. Large wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are stacked on the deli counters, as well as homemade rosemary focaccia.
Handmade (by the store) mozzarella. Oh my god. No, but, like..oh my god. Creamy, milky, fresh, tastes like what the cows ate for breakfast. and what I'd like to eat with every meal for the rest of my formerly fresh mozzarella depraved life.
Salumi, salumi, salumi. Prosciutto, prosciutto, prosciutto..hanging from the ceiling like meat ornaments
They hand you free samples of cheeses you want to try. I'm serious. I love these people. All the cheeses are perfectly ripe, and they have selected interesting and complex cheeses from throughout Italy to adorn their deli case.
Slices of hard, salty, goat's milk cheese to sprinkle atop the baby arugula and plum salad that I made, dressed simply with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and Frantoia olive oil (shown below)
The plums were of perfect ripeness (and they cost a dollar per 6 at a grocery store in Chinatown!).
Ripe, juicy, sweet, end of summer tomatoes
I hollowed out the tomatoes and stuffed them with a mixture of 7 oz Robiola cheese (diced into pieces), 4 oz Gorgonzola, 8 chives, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp vodka, a healthy grind of black pepper, and the insides of the tomatoes. Phenomenal.The full recipe (and Sam Sifton's ode to the tomato): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09
A dinner party must: a crusty baguette to go with...
Prosciutto, mortadella, and sopresatta (clockwise from top)
Sometimes I think beauty is simplicity. And this dinner party, with simple foods, simple wines, and simply my closest friends, was a thing of beauty.
You're killin' me....
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