Join Jimmy for Cathy Erway Book Signing This Thursday at 7 p.m.

Jimmy talks to Cathy Erway, author and eat-at-home enthusiast about her upcoming book signing this Thursday, February 17, starting 7 p.m. at Jimmy's No. 43...

Congratulations! Your book "the art of eating in" is now out in paperback.what special events are you planning to promote the book?

Thanks! Well, I've had this idea of having a book swap and book launch party for a while, so I'm really excited to throw this at Jimmy's. Other than that, I wanted to keep active in the fun food activities I've been doing for a while and just give my book away as a goody bag or prize. So, I recently cooked a guest chef dinner with my friends at Whisk & Ladle Supper Club, and I'll be doing a guest chef stint at Ted & Amy's Supper Club on Feb. 23rd. (Check out the menu!) I'll also be giving a cooking demo for the first hour at Choice Eats on March 29th. More cooking and talking appearances to come in the spring, too.

How will the cookbook swap work? What cookbooks will you bring to swap? What cookbook would you like to own?

I recently moved and realized that I don't need the boxes and boxes of good food books I own. So I want others who will enjoy them to have them instead. I'll start out the swap pile by unloading a huge bunch of these. Anyone can bring a book, take a book, bring more, take more, and at the end of the night, any leftovers will be taken to Housing Works Bookstore to donate. I'd love to get my hands on NOMA (a Scandinavian cookbook named after the restaurant), which I've heard such great things about. I will be, however, giving away some really good books just because I've read and enjoyed my share of them and it's time to pass them onto someone else. There will be lots of cookbooks and food literature... but I'm hesitant to name any specific ones because I wouldn't want the authors to feel snubbed!

One of the most unusual chapters in your book is about the freegans. Is there still a thriving freegan movement in Brooklyn?

There is indeed. I think that this and many ways of using thrown-out goods will continue as long as we continue to have such a wasteful society. Whether or not it will become popularly accepted is another story, but I think the movement is more about exposing the problem of waste rather than trying to convert everybody to freeganism.

Brooklyn and Manhattan food scene currently has many cook-offs and food events. What are some of your favorites that have taken place recently or are upcoming?

The last cassoulet cook-off had to be one of the best cook-offs at Jimmy's ever! Not only was all the food really impressive, but the positive atmosphere and spirits of everyone was just off the charts. I actually won third place at the World's Greatest Jerk-Off recently, too, so that was a pretty good day. Looking forward to more and stranger challenges!

I see a new blog-lunch at Six Point. Any new plantings for spring?

I haven't dared to plant anything just yet, with the snow turning on and off all the time. I am looking forward to planting some nice leafy greens like mache and some brassicas as soon as it gets a little warmer in the spring.

800 Oysters

You don't have to be the Walrus or the Carpenter to take advantage of Jimmy's No. 43 "Shuck and Talk" with Karen Rivara this Thursday from 7:30-10 p.m. Karen will talk of many things, including 800 little bivalve mystics from Connecticut, which have been tenderly grown by her partner from seedlings she raises on the East End.

For more info on our favorite oyster maven, check out this super cool video on Karen. Or go straight to buying your ticket, and, after a few fine craft brews to complement the 800+ oysters at hand, we promise to let you know whether pigs have wings!

The Real AleWives of NYC

January 28 marked the first ever meeting of the Real AleWives of NYC. Lead by Brooklyn Brewery employee Ruthy Misky, the Real AleWives meet once a month to try out new beers (paired with food). Ruthy noticed that many of the beer tastings she attended were underrepresented by women. She launched the inaugural get-together by reading a history of beer, noting that women had been the beer makers since ancient Egypt.

Nearly two dozen women sampled as many beers, including a Stoudt's Barleywine, Hopslam (brought by an AleWife who had recently visited Columbus, OH), Kriek Boon, Omegang Rare Vos, Suntumbrew, Southampton Covee de Fleur, Pretty Things Jacques D'Or, King Baldwin Bald Cider (Ithaca), Quarta Runa, Save Our Shore (from New Orleans), and a couple Brooklyn Brewery offerings, among others.

The next meetup will be Friday, February 11, at 7 p.m. in the back room at Jimmy's No. 43. All women are invited to join in, when the Real AleWives will be focusing on porters. Just bring your favorite porter (to share) and a food that you think goes well with it. If you aren't sure, be adventurous! You can follow the Real AleWives on Facebook to keep up on all their events.

NYC's a beer town!

I'm traveling, realizing I've taken it for granted just how many good beer bars there are in NY. I'm up in a small Massachusetts town, checking out a popular locals' bar with 8 draft lines. This is the line up: two Sam Adams, Coors light, Harpoon IPA, Wachusett Blueberry, Sierrra Nevada Pale Ale...wait help! I want some decent, craft beer....and I remember how much I love the craft beer that is served at so many bars in NYC. We take it for granted, but I think New York is a beer town! Charlie Suisman agrees; just look at his list. He says check out "The Good Beer Seal" for where to drink in NYC! -- Jimmy

Greenmarket Sausage Week 2011: From the Whole Hog to the Comfort of Cassoulet

Greenmarket Sausage Week 2011 at Jimmy’s began with a bang (or at least some bangers) and concluded with competitive casseroles (of the French variety), bringing together food lovers of all varieties looking for a break from the wicked winter weather.



Our friends from The Piggery loaded up half a hog and did an incredible carving demonstration on January 16. Brad showed us his cool cutlery skills while Heather hung around the bar, making everyone feel like they had just come ‘round to lunch with a beloved sister. The fun started with a great spread of spicy sausages, mixed greens, charcuterie, smoked ham with beans, grilled chicken, and other seasonal fare whipped up by the great 43 chefs. Then Brad did a nearly two-hour long slicing and dicing demo, carefully explaining how all parts of the pig are turned into edible cuts and extras (we learned where the lard comes from). If you missed the show, Working Class Foodies did a brilliant video of last spring’s butchering demo, which you can check out to see a similar demonstration.

Thanks to The Piggery, which is one of four CSAs currently using Jimmy’s No. 43 as a distribution point in Manhattan, we had plenty of great pork dishes on the menu all week long.

Saturday, January 22, was the culminating event for Greenmarket Sausage week: Jimmy’s No. 43’s 3rd Annual Cassoulet Cookoff! At the end of stuffing ourselves, the people’s choice awards went to:
• Emma Feigenbaum and Cody Williams of Martha Stewart Test Kitchen (1st prize)
• Andrew Gottlieb, Mr. Food (2nd prize)
• Simon Glenn, aka Tchoup Shop (New Orleans Caterer – 3rd prize)
There were a great variety of entries judged by Cathy Erway, Ed Yowell, Matt Timms and Rachel Wharton. Donna Gelb was our recipe tester. The judges’ choice awards went to:
• Andrew Gottlieb (1st prize)
• Simon Glenn (runner-up)
• Raiza Costa of Brazil (Honorable Mention)
• Emma Feigenbaum and Cody Williams (Honorable Mention)



Huge thanks go out to Heritage USA, Microplane, Anolon Gourmet Cookware,and Wusthoff, the great companies that donated this year’s prizes.

Some of the Jimmy's No. 43 Team At Allagash

Some of the Jimmy's No. 43 team at the Allagash Brewery in Portland, ME with founder and head brewer Rob Todd.

Grrenmarket Sausage Week!

January 16th to January 22nd, Jimmy’s No. 43 is proud to honor NYC Greenmarket and the incredible vendors that sell their sausages. We at Jimmy’s No. 43 are proud supporters of Greenmarket and local farms, and act as a host site for several CSAs, one of which is The Piggery. The Piggery’s heritage pork and sausages will be featured on the menu throughout the week and a series of educational and delicious events will be offered to the public.

January 16th from 1:00 – 4:00 PM - The Piggery Lunch and Butchering Demo. The Piggery is a unique pig farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York. This is their mid-winter celebration where farmers Heather and Brad will showcase their skills as farmers, butchers, and making charcuterie. They will be demonstrating how to butcher a hog and there will be a light lunch of specialty pork. There will be live bluegrass too! Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142348.

January 22nd from 1:00 - 5:00 PM - Third Annual Cassoulet Cookoff to Benefit Greenmarket. Our Third Annual Cassoulet Cook-off will be benefiting Greenmarket, so all entries must feature ingredients from local farms like Violet Hill Farm, Flying Pigs Farm, or 3 Corner Field Farm to name a few! Amateur and professional chefs are welcome; past participants include Cathy Erway (Not Eating Out In New York), Peter Hoffman (Savoy), Matt Weingarten (Inside St. Barts), and Theo Peck and Nick Suarez (The Food Experiments). We are looking for participants, so if you are interested, please contact Jimmy Carbone at foodkarma@gmail.com. Tickets are $20 and available at the door only; all proceeds from the door will be donated to Greenmarket.