City Hams and Soup Kitchens: NY Times Dining in 60 seconds

by Nicole Weston, Posted Dec 20th 2006 @ 10:34AM

Despite their inborn Southern love for the artisanal, aged country ham, the Lee Brothers have to admit that city ham, the shortcut that is brined, cured and smoked in as little as two weeks (as opposed to the 1-2 year aging of country ham), can be quite delicious. They tasted their way through the city to find all the top spots to get your ham.

In the basement of the Broadway Presbyterian Church, everyone can find a four star, multi-course meal. This isn't a restaurant, however. It's a soup kitchen. Michael Ennes, the chef, insists on using homemade stocks, avoids trans fats and tries to use organic and local products and produce whenever he can. The meals he serves include roasted turkey with a mango-ginger glaze and tropical fruit stuffing and Andalusian oxtail and lentil stew. "At one time, Mr. Ennes dreamed of being a starred chef" and although he has to rely on donated ingredients much of the time, he couldn't be happier with his work. Broadway Presbyterian is a place where everyone is served and everyone's opinion is valued. "They're still customers, whether they're paying $100 a plate or nothing."

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, introduces people to pancakes: Polenta Pancakes, Baked Pancakes, Light, Fluffy and Rich Pancakes, Recipe: Everyday Pancakes.

Can you identify the origin of a maple syrup by tasting it? The answer is yes. Not all maple syrups are the same and the differences between the varieties are surprising.

A few last minute suggestions for stocking stuffers.

Frank Bruni dines at The Russian Tea Room and gives it 1 star.

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Filed Under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds
Tags: city ham, food section, mark bittman, MarkBittman, new york times, ny times, soup kitchen