catch of the day: gentl & hyers

In New York, you encounter quite a few self-promoting artists - many to the point of cockiness, despite the overwhelming competition. But when you meet people who are truly talented, so comfortable in their own skin and creativity that they humbly approach you as "just another normal human being", that is a truly exceptional experience. Such was the case with Martin Hyers. My photographer sister and I were attending the Kinfolk social in Brooklyn, and struck up a conversation with a friendly neighbor in line for drinks. When he mentioned he was a photographer, my sister enthusiastically noted his name. It wasn't until later that we discovered he was not only a lovely person, but one half of the exquisitely talented Gentl & Hyers.

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Photo credit: Gentl & Hyers Blog: Hungry Ghost (http://www.hungryghostfoodandtravel.com)

The couple's work goes far beyond food, from travel to portraits to interiors. Their elusive aesthetic - captured moments that perch briefly before assuredly slipping away - renders all subjects equally beautiful.

Yet it is knowing that this remarkable art springs from graceful hearts and hands that makes it all the more gorgeous.

ingredient: garlic scapes

Late spring/early summer is - by far - my favorite time at the market. It's the season for all things green, a brief window before the multi-hued produce of summer hits stands. It's also a time when I'm likely to find ingredients I've never seen before - which is exactly what occurred at the Union Square Greenmarket, when I fell upon garlic scapes.

I discovered these vibrant green coils between a barrel of string beans and a pile of shallots. Loving all things garlic, I grabbed a few fistfuls and hurried home to do some  research. Apparently, scapes are the flowering stalks of garlic plants, which must be trimmed to allow the bulbs to grow firm and plump. They should be trimmed before they coil more than once, or else they become too fibrous  and spicy.

My first experiment with the scapes involved chopping them into little segments and stir-frying them with baby bok choy. They certainly imparted a pleasant, spicy flavor and crunch, but I didn't feel they were being used to their best advantage. Next up, I threw them into the pickling brew for a bunch of purple carrots. Again, they served their purpose, but regular garlic might have been better.

Finally, I recalled a video recipe by Kinfolk for ribboned asparagus salad.

http://vimeo.com/25385248

At the time, I thought it a beautiful (if slightly tedious) way to prepare asparagus, and mentally filed it away for some special occasion. Upon shredding my first scape ribbon, the kitchen filled with a potent, invigorating garlic odor - and I knew I was onto something.

You could certainly stop there and serve the pan-fried scape ribbons over pasta, but I was more interested in coupling them with other vegetables. Pesto is one of the more common uses for scapes, which made me think of my pesto-loving father, whose favorite food is broccoli rabe. The final product thus became a sort of deconstructed-pesto dish - beautiful, delicious and surprisingly simple for how fancy it looks.

Garlic Scape Ribbons & Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

• 8-10 garlic scapes
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
• 5/6 anchovies
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• olive oil
• grated cheese (optional)
• lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash garlic scapes and cut them in half. Using a vegetable peeler, shred the scapes into long ribbons.
2. Wash broccoli rabe and cut into small pieces. (Only use the parts of the stalk that have leaves/florets).
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok. Add anchovies to pan.
4. When oil is hot, add broccoli rabe and garlic scapes. Stir periodically.
5. After about a minute, toss in the chopped walnuts.
6. Cook until greens are tender, but the scapes should still be al dente.
7. Remove from heat, dress with grated parmesan and lemon juice to taste.

catch of the day: the way we ate

Noah Fecks and Paul Wagtouicz are committed. In an age (and of a generation) marked by instability, the couple has embarked on a 15-and-a-half year project to cook their way through every published issue of the late, great Gourmet magazine - and to document it with stunning food photography. The Way We Ate is an homage to the evolution of americana eats. With retro linens to match the dated dishes, Noah & Paul's photography evokes a progressive nostalgia that appeals to the high-brow and hipster alike. But the highlight of the duo's recent Vimeo video (featured on Grubstreet) is undoubtedly the revealing of Noah's WWJD tattoo - a timely tribute to the would-be centenarian Julia Child.

http://vimeo.com/43083793