Ties That Bind

When I was a kid, the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, was magic. Who doesn’t like unicorns or (if you’re a girl) pretending to be a princess in a castle, swooping up the stairs in your green velvet dress with a very long train? (Yes, this sounds a little like the dress Scarlett fashions from the Tara draperies but so be it.)

Through mid-October, the Cloisters has a terrific exhibit, Treasures and Talismans: Rings from the Griffin Collection. Unlike so many museum shows that leave me needing, at the very least, a place to sit if not oxygen, this is a small, manageable, totally loveable exhibit.

Rings are often a token of love

There are three short videos of the modern art of diamond cutting (although I didn’t like the end results); jewelry other than rings, and paintings, sculpture and related works that show rings in the context of history. The 1449 painting of A Goldsmith in his Shop by Petrus Christus shows the smith with his tools as an elegant couple looks on or possibly selects a ring (gotta love Bridezilla’s headdress.)

Only take the bus from midtown if you have lots of time; I left from 72nd and Madison, arriving over an hour later. The subway is a better bet or drive if you’ve got wheels. A friend mentioned a nearby restaurant, New Leaf, said to be “upscale America” with an outdoor terrace weather permitting. Who knew?

From round rings to a chicken liver pate decanted into a round dish and served on round slices of toasted baguette. It’s easy to make and, if not all snarfed up immediately, freezes brilliantly.

Easy Chicken Liver Pate

1/2 pound chicken livers, -trimmed (meaning cut off any excess fat)
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Cognac or Scotch
Freshly ground pepper
Toasted baguette slices, for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken livers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are barely pink inside, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf. With a slotted spoon transfer the livers, onion and garlic to a food processor; process until coarsely pureed. With the machine on, add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Add the Cognac or Scotch, season with salt and pepper and process until completely smooth. Scrape the pate into the dish (or dishes ) of your choice and refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled.

For an added taste treat, put some spicy jelly in a dish and dab a little on each portion as it’s handed over.

Round and round.