Kinton Sponsors Underground Dinner in Brooklyn

"Brooklyn, especially Williamsburg, is the epitome of cool and then it leaches out into the world." - Chris, co-chef at Homunculus

So what exactly IS an underground dinner? It's not a new concept at least not on either coast. Outstanding In The Field and Ghetto Gourmet made the concept famous. Guerrilla Gourmet continues the tradition. Bringing together people, chefs, fresh ingrediants for avante garde dining situations in warehouses, art galleries, private homes and outdoor spaces.

But the idea that just about anyone with a passion for food and a tolerance for hard work can spread the word and bring together communities ... is relatively new in our media-driven-freak-everyone-out-society. You're taking a chance by attending an underground dinner.

A chance you'll meet new friends. Try new foods. Go somewhere new. Let down your guard. Be adventurous. Team Sip.Snap.Savor was lusciously rewarded. Kinton Wines laced our table (the dinner was BYOB/BYOW) along with candles and lively conversation.




"Anything you can get in a store, you chould be able to make. I'm making my own sweater from washing, carding and knitting. The whole shebang. I've made my own sake, too" - Cale, Homunculus


Complete Menu:

Bread - Currant and toasted fennel seed white bread

Soup - Cold Celery soup

Beast plate - Cajuned pork, pistachio, thyme soaked veal pate on crostini
Sherry and Cassis chicken liver mousse on a house cracker
Maple candied bacon with almond butter
Foie gras bon bon on shortbread

Appetizer - Red curry and peanut souffle

Palate cleanser - Strawberry and thyme sorbet

Entree - Beef in Barolo, parsnip puree

Salad - Endive salad with fennel shavings, walnuts, chevre, loft dressing

Dessert - Three Layer Tart - Candied bananas, chocolate and cognac custard, black berries. Side of cardamom ice cream

Care to attend a dinner yourself? Email the fellas in Brooklyn and ask to reserve a spot. $40/BYOW homunculuseatez@gmail.com

Mason Jar Butter
Take a clean, Quart Sized Mason Jar with a lid and pour into it Room Temperature Whole Milk or (even better) Cream. Screw on lid. Begin shaking at the jar. At 4-6 minutes you'll notice the milk is thickening. At about 9 minutes of shaking, the cream will start to separate from the sides of the glass. When you get to the half point at 14-16 minutes you'll notice serious solids. At 27-30 minutes it's time to stop shaking and start draining off the excess liquid from your butter. Use cheesecloth to solidly drain your butter and then salt it if you wish. Serve with warm bread.

Currant & Toasted Fennel Seed Bread
3 Cups Artisan Bread Flour
2 Cups Water, 1/2 Cup extra water (reserve)
1 pat of butter
handful of anise seeds
2 handfuls of currants
4 tsp salt
1/2 oz. dry activated yeast
5 tblsp evoo

Activate the yeast in 1/2 cup of water (water should be lukewarm/room temperature). Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile toast anise seeds in a pat of butter, in a pan on stove, over medium heat. Continue toasting until browned.

Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Imprint a dimple into the center of the dry goods. Add water, oil and yeast mixture s l o w l y and incorporate all ingredients together.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until elastic and no longer sticky. Grease a bowl with a touch of evoo and put the dough in the bowl and cover with a floured dish towel.

Let rise for 2 hours.

Gently remove dough from the bowl and fold it to remove all air bubbles. Return to bowl and cover with floured kitchen towel. Let rise once again.

After 30 minutes, remove from bowl, place on greased cookie sheet (in desired shape), in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Serve piping hot with cool, homemade butter.

green bottle glassware

Stumbled upon this site and fell in love.



About the Artist & Re-Purposer

I am a self-taught artist born and raised in upstate New York. There, I was surrounded by the rolling hills and vineyards of wine country in the Finger Lakes region. Growing up, my interest in art became entwined with philosophy and psychology. I recognized the power of art to forge a new mentality within us all.



Green Wine Bottles is inspired by my advanced degree in psychology, interest in art made from found objects and the point at which they intersect. Both the recycling artist and the therapist have as their central intention the goal of renewal and expanding perspective. So it is with the word “green” that I celebrate not only ecological conservation but psychological inspiration towards balance and health. Green Wine Bottles began in Seattle, Washington where they debuted at the historic Pike Place Market. The following year, my fiancée, Sophi, and I moved to the Midwest to get married and start a family. Today, I am at home near Madison, Wisconsin practicing psychotherapy and celebrating the process of renewal through my art.

hidden items

In alot of internet meme's, one question inevitably is "Whats Under Your Bed?"

And I want to address whats IN my bed today. Thats right IN IT.

- Current issue Bon Apetit magazine
- Gold, glittery sparkly ball from the San Francisco Exploratorium
- 2 Sparkly barrettes that I wore two days ago
- 2 books: "Arriving at Your Own Front Door" and "Anne of Green Gables" (hey I LOVE Marilla Cuthbert)
- Bottle of Fiji Water that never made it over to bedside table
and
-Hello Kitty Calculator

I think that will tell you more than if we peered under my bed (Two plastic storage drawers filled with tax receipts and returns & scarves).

Happy now Internet Meme's?

Flowers

Flowers Winery of Sonoma has come under a new majority ownership. It will be interesting to see how it's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production either improves or declines in quality and quantity in the coming years. Historically, once a winery comes under new ownership it's the old Hublein effect. Poorer quality and more of it.

Right?

geniousity

This blog spawned an idea that may lead to a movement. What is the most interesting idea, most innovative suggestion, most forward thinking reduce-reuse-recycle project you can think of, involving corks?

Not Guilty

La Crema is hosting the kind of party that won't cause you to wake up, heart pounding, at 6AM, worried about the three wine glasses you broke, the 6 people you offended, the stain on the carpet, the tasteless joke you told your host's mother or all the "dancing" you did by yourself on the front lawn to the Say Anything soundtrack you blasted from your car stereo. 

Instead you'll learn something and connect with winemaking technique. 

Try it. 

Cotes Du Rhone

PBS and the most famous Syrah region in France (Cotes Du Rhone) are putting together a reality show to launch the ambitions of potential winemakers.

I f I was competing, I'd want to create a wine brand called "DeMystify" and all the wine labels would be written in super easy to understand, straight-forward language. Bordering on American Ghetto Fabulous meets Appalachia.

What would you create?