Confessions of a Pepper Monkey

I got totally sucked into Top Chef this summer. One of my favorite episodes is when the top three finalists headed to Napa Valley to cook for the chefs of some of my favorite places in Napa: Bistro Jeanty , Terra, and Mustards Grill.

Cindy Pawlcyn of Mustards Grill (which is THE place to go for the best bloody mary in Napa) called Dave, one of the finalists, a "pepper monkey". PEPPER MONKEY?



It got me to thinking.... I'M A PEPPER MONKEY! In everything I make whether it is roasting veggies, making a salad, seasoning fish, meat, making scrambled eggs --- you name it; I'm adding pepper to it with a vengeance!

No harm no foul when I am cooking for myself, but I try to restrain myself when cooking for my friends - not sure if their tastebuds or sinuses could handle my ground spice assault.

I thought about this again this evening after I tasted the roasted fennel I made to accompany my sauteed tarragon and lemon chicken breast that I am bringing for lunch tomorrow. Out of my holy trinity of kosher salt, garlic powder and freshly ground pepper, the pepper was certainly the outstanding ingredient.

What's a pepper monkey to do?

The Egyptian Bagel Taste Test Rolls On...

What better way to reward myself for running the loop around Central Park but with one of Jared's Bagels direct from Cairo?

I decided to try the sundried tomato bagel this morning which I toasted after a quick defrost in the microwave. It toasted to crisp perfection and I figured some Coach Farm herb goat cheese that I picked up yesterday from the Union Square Greenmarket would be a perfect accompaniment to the savory sundried tomato flavor.

Once again, I was not disappointed. This bagel is certainly more dense in texture than bagels you find in New York. The flavor of the tomatoes were more pronounced, yet not overpowering and the smooth creaminess and delicate herbs of the goat cheese added just the right amount of additional flavor to counteract the slight tartness of the sundried tomatoes.

Delightful! What a way to start the day! I still have the multi-grain and cinnamon raisin to try so we will see how they stack up to the honey wheat and sundried...

Quick side note: While at the Coach Farm stand, I tasted their triple cream aged goat cheese and it was fantastic! The creaminess of the cheese was so concentrated yet light and there was a hint of truffle. I'm sure I was dreaming about the truffle but I was certainly in heaven!