The Perky Pear

Feast Your Eyes: Third annual NYC Food Film Festival

Ah, food and film, two of my favorite subjects mesh together perfectly like a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

The 2009 NYC Food Film Festival runs from June 13-19.

Twenty six feature length and short films abound with topics as wildly varied as sandwich thieves, a love letter to buttermilk, Malaysian street food, New Jersey cranberries, hypnosis vs. junk food, mutton bbq,  wild mushroom hunting, Peeps, Argentinian beef and truffles. Peruse the complete film list and schedule.

Big Night, one of my all time favorite films, is playing on June 18th at the South Street Seaport Water Taxi Beach (Pier 17). After I saw that Big Night, I became obsessed with making timpano. I eventually  did make it for a holiday party and it was incredible. Instead of spending the better part of a day making your own, you can swing by and sample some while you watch the movie.

For all you mycology fans out there, the feature length film, Know Your Mushrooms, looks very cool. With music by the Flaming Lips it sounds great, too. It screens on June 14.

Would you believe admission to most of the events is free?

And that free samples of food relating to the films will be served?

What is not to like about this festival?

Fridge Challenge: Mushroom & Clam Chowder

On Mondays I like to tidy up the fridge and make use of any thing still lurking about in there from the week before. A few nights ago, I scored a bag of fifty clams for $7. That night, my husband, Sweets, and I feasted on a few dozen of them deliciously and steamed with shallots, parsley, sun dried tomatoes and beer. That and some crusty french bread made for a tasty and easy late supper.

Not wanting to do the same dish within a few days time, I contemplated the remaining two dozen clams I had on ice in the fridge. After noticing some heavy cream left from an ice cream making session a quick peek into the produce supply; I started to develop a plan.

Mushroom & Clam Chowder

Serves: 4
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
2 dozen clams
1 small white onion, diced
3-4 parsley sprigs, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
3 scallions, slice and seperate white and green portions
8 oz baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1/2 inch dice
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 bottle beer (I used Honeymoon summer ale)
1/2 cup cream
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Equipment: stock pot with lid, saute pan, sauce pan, wooden spoon, tongs, ladle, knife, cutting board.

Procedure:

• Put on liberally salted water to boil in sauce pan large enough to hold the potatoes.
• Rinse clams in cool water for about five minutes to remove any sand. Clams should be tightly closed. If they are open slightly, try lightly tapping them. They should close. If they don't, discard the clam.
• Chop potatoes, onions, parsley, fresh mushrooms and scallions.
• When water comes to boil, add potatoes and cook until easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain and rinse in cool water.
• While the potatoes are cooking, Heat stock pot and add about one tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until  translucent. Add the bottle of beer. Use a wooden spoon, to gently release any yummy browned bits on the bottom of the pan from cooking the onion. Add the dried mushrooms and chopped parsley.
• Bring the beer to a simmer and add the clams. Cover the pot.
• Heat up the saute pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the white portion from the scallions and the fresh mushrooms. Saute until they release their juices and get dry again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the clams open up, remove them from the pan with your tongs to a bowl. Also remove the dried mushrooms.
• Add the chicken broth to the liquid in the stock pot and bring to a simmer.
• Remove the clam meat and discard the shells. Any juice left in the bowl can be returned to the stock pot.
• Chop the clams and the dried mushrooms which will now be nice and plump.
• Add the cooked, drained potatoes to the stock pot.
• Add the clams and dried mushrooms.
• Give it a stir and cook on low for 5-10 minutes.
• Warm the cream. (Putting it in the microwave for a minute is fine.)
• Stir in the cream.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Ladle into bowls, garnish with the sauteed mushrooms and  green scallions.

Feast Your Eyes: Pressure Cooker

 A documentary film, Pressure Cooker, follows three Philadelphia high school students competing for culinary scholarships. The culinary arts instructor, Wilma Stephenson, is tougher than an over cooked steak but is legendary for getting her inner city students elevated to the world of fine dining.

Screening until June 4 at the IFC Center in New York City, Pressure Cooker will be opening in other selected cities across the U.S. over the next few weeks. View the screening schedule.

The following  IFC Center screenings will include a Q&A session with the directors.

Mon 6/1:
5:30 Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker
7:45 Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker - Q&A with Jason Guerrasio, presented by IndieGoGo and Filmmaker Magazine @ Internet Week NY

Tue 6/2:
7:45 Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker

IFC Center : 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street, (212) 924-7771

Bonus: They serve organic popcorn at this theater!