Northern Spy: More than just great local, seasonal food

Northern Spy Food Co. opened it's doors a few months back in the East Village and is quickly becoming one of NYC's most prominent hot spots for seriously excellent, authentic local and seasonal fare. The brainchild behind Chris Ronis, and SF transplants Christophe Hille (formerly of A16), and executive chef Nathan Foot (formerly of Myth), Northern Spy merges a cozy restaurant vibe with a small neighborhood-friendly marketplace, featuring local artisanal products from yogurt, to Brooklyn Brine pickled vegetables to maple syrup and tasty treats by Liddabit and Nunu chocolates. So not only are these guys committed to shopping it up at the farmers market, changing the menu on a weekly basis, showcasing great quality seasonal and local ingredients and farmers, but they're also making a point to bring good, fresh food staples and sundries out of their restaurant and into your own kitchen. Read: they're helping us get a little closer to our food source and consider where and who it's coming from. And that's what makes Northern Spy one of those game-changing neighborhood spots where you can sit, schmooze, nibble and sip for hours on end (I'm speaking from personal experience here...multiple times over).

As for the food itself, Foot is serving up some of the best flavors and refined yet simple and well-balanced food I've ever had. Killer salads and seasonal vegetable dishes, ridiculously creamy Wild Hive polenta, nutty grains like red quinoa and wheatberries, a class Bobo roasted chicken and crazy good pork dishes. Luckily, I live in the neighborhood and have experienced most of the menu - and I can confidently say you can't really go wrong. Here's a handful of my favorite dishes:

butternut squash soup

kale salad with Clothbound cheddar, kabocha squash, almonds and lemon dressing

freekah risotto with squash

wild hive polenta with braised greens, roasted mushrooms and creme fraiche

bread & winter squash salad with baked eggs (for all you brunch lovers, it's freaking awesome)

...and though it's not pictured below, please, please, please indulge a little and have the pear and frangipane tart (I promise, it's well worth a few extra calories!) One final note, get the pickled eggs, might sound odd, but they're a must-have starter dish or snack. Happy eating in the East Village...

Golden Globes: the dresses...and a winning appetizer

Continuing with the fashion-food theme of the past week, I thought a few of the killer frocks donned last night at the Golden Globes were certainly worth a quick mention...as is my friend Courtney's AMAZING truffled egg toast appetizer (a recipe straight from the cookbook of one my hands-down favorite NYC restaurants, 'inoteca on the Lower East Side).

Even with Ricky Gervais hosting, the multiple pleas for Haiti and mentions of NBC's blown contract with Conan, and of course Kate Hudson's stunning stark white Marchesa gown...the truffled egg toast absolutely stole the show. If you're looking for an easy appetizer guaranteed to make some friends very happy, this is definitely it. Wondering what's so special about toast, eggs and a little fontina cheese? Yet again, simple ingredients, accessorized by a bit of truffled olive oil and asparagus, come together as major standouts and become something indulgently rich. Serve up the toast and cut it into bite-sized pieces to keep calories in check and you're ready to eat.

So here's the recipe and a few of my favorite dresses from the evening. And as a quick side-note, Courtney's talents extend beyond the kitchen. Keep your eyes out for BounceBack, her new no-nonsense relationship website dedicated to helping you get back on your feet fast after a break-up, with plenty of awesome resources in-hand. The site launches in just a few days!

Serves 4

asparagus 4 spears
extra virgin olive oil
2 thick slices good quality bread like Pullman, crusts removed ('inoteca gets their bread from Sullivan Street Bakery)

salt and freshly ground pepper
2 egg yolks
about 2-3 oz fontina cheese, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tsp white truffle infused olive oil , or simply white truffle oil

Trim the asparagus spear ends, and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill or roast the asparagus for about 5 minutes, and cut into small 1 or 2-inch pieces.

Lightly toast the bread at 450 oven for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove and cut out a small square in the middle of each slice, but not completely through the bread, you'll want to keep a cradle for the egg yolk. Place the yolks in the hole and place fontina slices around the outer edges of the bread. Bake the bread-egg-cheese for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. The yolks should still be runny. Arrange asparagus on a plate and place the egg toast on top. Drizzle truffled olive oil or truffle oil over top and lightly around the toast and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Marion Cottilard in Christian Dior, Sandra Bullock in Bottega Veneta, Kate Hudson in Marchesa.

Food for Haiti - Food-Related Charities

If you're looking for a way to feed Haiti and send aid and nourishment to those in need, here's a few suggestions of charitable organizations and websites to donate through.

Feeding America is a non-profit org that fights domestic hunger, but is extending its services and food bank collections to aid earthquake victims in Haiti. The sites lists the following charities through which you can make donations:

NVOAD - www.nvoad.org

InterAction - www.interaction.org

Red Cross - www.redcross.org

Center for International Disaster Information -- www.cidi.org

International aid group, CARE is also distributing food as is the World Food Programme with the below campaign.