Nexus of the universe

I realized that the Times's potato leek gratin and The Argula Files's tortilla española had virtually the same ingredients, and that revelation gave me a taste of the serendipitous thrill Kramer experiences when he ventures to Lower Manhattan. "Hey, I'm on First and First. How can the same street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe!"

Above, roasted eggplant and red pepper with melted Gruyere and locally pickled vegetables from Delicias Market (3702 14th St. NW, by Spring Rd.) on a toasted baguette. Below, Kramer.

Ground beef, thrown down

Bobby Flay's "Throwdown" was so inspiring (or perhaps, around 3 a.m. Saturday night, I was just so open to suggestion) that I decided to take the barbecuing out of today's BBQ and instead, serve up some sloppy joe.

Epicurious says the dish should have a "mixture of cooked ground beef, onions, green peppers and spicy tomato sauce," and Wikipedia allows for ketchup as a tomato sauce substitute. But Mr. Flay, in his battle against the owners/chefs/brothers at Schnipper's Quality Kitchen in Midtown Manhattan, got pretty creative, so I felt liberated to experiment (primarily by plagiarizing his innovations).


The ultimate recipe, after a trip to the Giant by the Columbia Heights Metro stop, turned out to involve ground beef, chili powder, sauteed garlic, ketchup, bell peppers (red, yellow and orange), a poblano pepper, chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, brown sugar and a cilantro garnish, served on sliced baguette.


Dessert: apple pie, vanilla ice cream and Fudgsicles gifted by guests in some kind of Americana state of mind.

Middle photo by Nicole Firment Robyn Mak.

Fiddleheads

From Eastside Marketplace in Providence, R.I., fiddlehead ferns, yellow and orange bell peppers and shallots, with orzo, toasted pine toasts, olive oil and grated pecorino romano from the Whole Foods on Waterman Street.


Queso Blanco ("Latin-style farmer's cheese used in tacos or burritos") from Narragansett Creamery in Providence, R.I., with pillow bread from Olga's Cup & Saucer in Providence's Jewelry District.

Photos by Keryn B. Gedan.