The food life : inside the world of food with the grocer extraordinaire at Fairway

From Fairway Market s master buyer and author of the hugely successful Cheese Primer comes a celebration of the store s extravagant food collection and the stories surrounding its culture. Fairway, a local institution in New York City for more than fifty years, is the busiest food store in the world. There shoppers can find innumerable artisanal food products, which, for three decades, Steven Jenkins has traveled the world to find. With a wonderful narrative and anecdotes from the man who personally brought so many of the world s greatest foods to New York and the United States, readers will become more enthusiastic shoppers and better cooks. Jenkins s longtime associate, Mitchel London, provides recipes that will attract not onlyFairway customers but any home cook who has access to great ingredients. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 3 Contents......Page 5 Foreword......Page 7 Introduction......Page 9 1 From Had It Up to Here to Having It All: My Road toFairway 1......Page 21 2 The Ones Who Make It Happen: Founders to Managersto Cashiers 19......Page 39 3 The Meat Department, Under the Command of MasterButcher Ray Venezia 41......Page 61 4 The Fish Department, Captain Tony at the Helm 53......Page 73 6 Fairway Branches Out: Three Bold New Stores 81......Page 101 7 How to Shop Like a Fairway Regular 101......Page 121 8 The Dark Ages of Cheese in New York, and Howthe Enlightenment Dawned 119......Page 139 9 My Department Grows by Leaps and Bounds 141......Page 161 10 Olives Are Beautiful 153......Page 173 11 In Praise of Olive Oil 169......Page 189 12 Vinegar: The Really Good Stuff 191......Page 201 13 Adventures in Importing—Highs and Lows 199......Page 219 Epilogue......Page 245 List of Recipes......Page 251 Roasted Peppers with Fresh Chèvre 7......Page 27 Haricots Verts with Toasted Hazelnuts 16......Page 36 Sautéed Striped Bass on Israeli Salad 26......Page 46 Rustic Apple Tart with Crème Fraîche 27......Page 47 Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes 35......Page 55 Curried Chickpeas 39......Page 59 Pan-Roasted Tournedos with Whole Garlic Cloves and Fresh Thyme 46......Page 66 Spicy Broiled Cornish Hens with Lemon and Fresh Oregano 47......Page 67 Sautéed Veal Chop with Arugula Salad 50......Page 70 Rosemary and Chile–Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Zest 56......Page 76 Fennel-Roasted Whole Branzino 60......Page 80 Mussels Steamed with White Wine and Shallots 62......Page 82 New York Deli-Style Roast Beef Sandwich with Coleslaw and Russian Dressing 67......Page 87 Lox, Eggs, and Onions 74......Page 94 Vanilla-Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Variation 75......Page 95 Poached Chicken and Mitchel's Chicken Salad 90–91......Page 110 Glazed Carrot Puree with Fresh Ginger 94......Page 114 Curried Cauliflower Bisque with Parmesan-Garlic Crostini 98......Page 118 Parmesan-Garlic Crostini with Crouton Variation 99......Page 119 Asparagus with Parmesan 108......Page 128 All-Purpose Chicken Stock and Creamy Chicken Soup with Orzo Variation 116......Page 136 Shaved Fennel and Parmesan Salad 121......Page 141 Butterf lied Baby Chicken au Poivre 130......Page 150 Runny Cheese Potatoes 131......Page 151 Two Cucumber and Cheese Salads 143......Page 163 Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms 144......Page 164 Pasta with Caulif lower, Golden Raisins, and Anchovies 150......Page 170 Picadillo 158......Page 178 Niçoise Salad 163......Page 183 Lentils with Garlic Sausage 167......Page 187 Salads: Steakhouse Caesar Salad 175......Page 195 Bagna Cauda 176......Page 196 Ligurian Potatoes 179......Page 199 Spaghetti with Gratinéed Zucchini and Chopped Pignoli 184......Page 204 Two Classic Vinaigrettes 193......Page 213 Grilled Marinated Sliced Steak 197......Page 217 Elaine’s Clear Vegetarian Borscht 201......Page 221 Roasted Leg of Lamb with Flageolet Beans 204......Page 224 Pasta with Roasted Garlic 210......Page 230 Rustic Potato-Leek Soup with Optional Lardons 217......Page 237 Tuscan White Bean Soup with Escarole and Fennel Sausage 218......Page 238 Layered Provençal Vegetables 222......Page 242 Acknowledgments......Page 254 From Fairway Market's master buyer and author of the hugely successful Cheese Primer comes a celebration of the store's extravagant food collection and the stories surrounding its culture.Fairway, a local institution in New York City for more than fifty years, is the busiest food store in the world. There shoppers can find innumerable artisanal food products, which, for three decades, Steven Jenkins has traveled the world to find. With a wonderful narrative and anecdotes from the man who personally brought so many of the world's greatest foods to New York and the United States, readers will become more enthusiastic shoppers and better cooks. Jenkins's longtime associate, Mitchel London, provides recipes that will attract not only Fairway customers but any home cook who has access to great ingredients.