newyorkavore

I know I have been blabbing a lot this week about health food, juice cleanses, yoga and so on, but spring really is the ideal time to eat your vegetables. I did just that with Mino at Eataly’s Le Verdure — the Italian mega-grocer’s homage to all things vegetal. I am still dreaming about the grilled spring onions and pequillo pepper puree on grilled bread. Pequillos are among my favorite peppers (and the basis for the Romesco sauce I made last Easter, which would do nicely in this preparation), right up there with shishitos, poblanos, cherry peppers and good ol’ jalapenos in my personal pepper pecking order. We had a salad with favas, fried shallots, lemon-mint vinaigrette and a pecorino add-on. The gnocchi was not what I’m accustomed to: fluffy pucks of potatoness in place of the gluey nodules that always leave me too full for fun. These were served over an obviously perfect red sauce — this is Eataly, people. 

If you haven’t gotten my Christmukkah gift yet, might I suggest a zillion dollar gift certificate to Eataly? Yes, I know, Eataly is old news — thoroughly devoured by the food media upon its opening in September. I only went for the first time today for lunch, and not because I’m a lame-o, but because I *can’t* stand being jostled by crowds while I food shop (don’t ask how I survive the coop). Hence, I don’t hit up hotspots on opening month if I can help it. Admit it or not, shopping for food is full-on sensual: You eat with your eyes, smelling and touching your way to deciding whether or not you want to consume something. It’s a full-body/mind/soul process and when there is someone ramming a stroller into my shins, screaming into their cell phone or otherwise getting in my personal space, I get primally angry. So I waited for the buzz to die down a bit, finally checked it out, loved it and can’t wait to go on a proper Eataly spree ASAP.