Inspiration Outing: Grand Central Market

Don't all of the great cities of the world have beautiful food markets?  The food at Grand Central Market is only part of its allure.  Maybe it's the lighting or the stroll-friendly layout or the fact that it is embedded in this glorious specimen of architecture.  I have been traveling through Grand Central Station for as long as I can remember.  I grew up off one of the Metro North Railroad stops and as a young art student I travelled into Manhattan regularly to see gallery and museum shows.  Even now, as a Brooklynite, I pass through this magnificent New York City attraction on family visits, which they love also since it is mostly Italian like them.

The most impressive selection of any food category at Grand Central Market for me is cheese.  Murray's cheese has quite the spread and I always discover a type of cheese I had not heard of before.  I also enjoy the suggested pairings of jam.  I picked up a lovely rose petal preserve that I would probably pair with a milder cheese.  

At either end of the market is Greenwich Procuce, where the pickings are both seasonal and exotic. 

My mother often asks me to bring her meyer lemons on my visits. They are a bright yellow orange.  The kind of color you might find on a Spanish tile.  They are much sweeter than your average lemon but a taste still unique from an orange.

The colors speak for themselves, don't they? 

Cereillo has every cut of beef you can dream up and it has been aged for 30 days.  They also have a great selection of charcuterie.

Don't get me wrong, this market isn't cheap and for the most part I am a frugal cook.  But sometimes it is just worth the splurge.  For a full listing and description of the vendors go here.

Dinner.  For a new twist on roasted beets I made a glaze with olive oil, rose petal preserve and meyer lemon.