AlwaysInvestigating: Texas “Desserts”

Katie Reisert — August 06, 2009

Cowgirl’s Frito Pie, Fritos with beef brisket or veggie chili, cheddar, onions, sour cream & jalapeños (small $7.95, large $9.95).

Sundaes and pies are dessert menu fare, but some New York City restaurants are shaking things up with savory interpretations of these dessert words: Frito Pie and the Truck-Stop Sundae. Frito Pie is a Texan classic served at Cowgirl and the Truck-Stop Sundae is served at the East Village restaurant named for the Texan town, Marfa, so we’ve been calling them Texas “Desserts”.

Frito Pie is made with chili, cheese, onions and corn chips. Its origins are murky but point to the South and the Southwest, specifically Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. There are two common preparations: 1) a casserole and 2) a small bag of ingredient-topped, crunchy chips. Cowgirl’s Frito Pie is the latter— it nearly explodes out of the bag. The giant reddish lump of chili contains hefty pieces of brisket superior to the ground beef you would expect. It’s piled with sour cream, onions, jalapeños and cheddar.

The “pie” is good, but reminiscent of a bowl of chili that would have been more satisfying on a ski slope than in the West Village on a muggy July day. One flaw was the execution of the Fritos. It wasn’t until halfway through the dish that an actual Frito could be found— they had almost all completely disintegrated. If only Cowgirl’s generous toppings and flavor were combined with Fat Annie’s crunchy chip layer, you’d have the city’s best Frito Pie.

Marfa’s Truck-Stop Sundae features beans, pork and “slaw,” $6

The Truck-Stop Sundae at Marfa is less elaborately presented than Cowgirl’s Frito Pie, but its deep red chili undertones and the purple of the red cabbage make it visually appealing. And what it lacks presentation-wise it makes up for with taste. It’s served with beans, slaw and pork that settles to the bottom of the dish. The beans were in a sweet and tangy sauce and the red cabbage (not weighed down with mayo or seasoning) provided the crunch missing in the Frito Pie.

AlwaysLearning: The Origins of Lasagna

The Gluttoness & The Hungry Goat — August 04, 2009

Pastitsio, Pylos’ terrine of baked pasta layered with aromatic meat sauce and béchamel, $17.

Today is National Lasagna Day, and while most would assume that lasagna is Italian through and through, it’s said that the true origins of the moniker can be traced back to Italy’s Mediterranean neighbor, Greece. Translated, the Greek word, λάσανον (lasanon), means “chamber pot.” The Italians, particularly the Romans, adopted the word, changing it to lasanum, which was used to refer to the dish in which lasagna was made. Eventually, the term came to describe the layered pasta itself.

The Greeks developed their own variation of lasagna, and surprisingly, it took its name from the Italian word, pasticcio, also known as ‘lasagna al forno.’

What it is: Pastitsio, or Greek lasagna, is a casserole made with tubular pasta, a ragù and a creamy, Parmesan béchamel sauce. What truly distinguishes the flavor of Greek pastitsio from Italian lasagna is the heavy spice blend (nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice) and the use of meat—the usual combination of beef, veal and pork is often enhanced with, or substituted with ground lamb.

Where to get it in New York: For a unique celebration of today’s food holiday, we set out to find some of the best Greek lasagna in New York City. It lead us to Pylos in the East Village. Pylos’ welcoming, homey atmosphere is the ideal setting in which to enjoy this rustic dish.

The powerful aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg wafted up the moment the plate was set on the table, and continued to make its presence felt in the hearty meat sauce. Unlike classic Italian lasagna, which features an even distribution of sauce and cheese between layers of pasta sheets, the presentation of pastitsio looks more like a mold of macaroni bolognese blanketed with a generous helping of creamy béchamel. The buttery, cheesy sauce had the texture of extra-smooth mashed potatoes and the loosely packed noodles had a difficult time holding up under the zealous attack of eager eaters.

AlwaysLearning: Baeckeoffe

The Gluttoness — May 20, 2009

What it is:
Essentially, Baeckeoffe (or Backeoffe) is a stew with lamb, beef and pork marinated in Alsatian white wine, then slow-cooked with thinly sliced potatoes and sometimes vegetables (often, onions). The name is said to refer to the casserole the dish is cooked and then presented in: a ceramic, oval tureen. But it also means “baker’s oven,” a fact that reflects the dish’s supposed origins. Supposedly, it was the creation of busy housewives who tossed ingredients together to marinate and then, when going to town on other business (be it laundry or taking their children to school), dropped off their composed casseroles with the town baker to cook them in his cooling oven. When they returned to pick up their children or attend church, the dish would be cooked and they could pick up fresh bread with it.

Where it’s from:
Baeckeoffe’s origins are intertwined in European history and geography because Alsace, the region it’s from, repeatedly changed hands between France and Germany. Today, Alsace is a part of France, and the dish, which was once considered a poor man’s preparation of leftover meats, is now often found in high-end restaurants.

Where to get it in New York:
Fittingly, the dish can be found at Café d’Alsace, where it’s listed as, “Baeckeofe,” a “traditional Alsatian casserole of lamb, oxtail, bacon and potatoes.” Their interpretation maximizes the flavor of the traditional beef and pork components. It combines lamb and potatoes with oxtail and bacon, and braises them in Pinot Gris with onions and thyme. They serve it in its customary ceramic dish, the lid of which the waiter lifts to unleash fragrant wafts of steam. It’s a hearty, meaty broth with slow-cooked onions that add a delightful sweetness, and bites of tender meat, which take lighter turns depending on if your spoonful includes lamb, oxtail or bacon. The stew is served with salt so it can be seasoned to taste.