November 18
I’m not a first-tier food writer in New York City.
You probably already knew that, but if you didn’t, I hope you’re not disappointed.
Chefs tend to enjoy getting mentioned in Nation’s Restaurant News, in print or online, but, well, if Food & Wine declares you one of the year’s ten best new chefs, that’s better, by a lot.
A friend of mine who’s a restaurant manager here in the City told me recently that getting a restaurant mentioned in my blog was a good second-tier hit, which was nice of him, and generous. New York has a lot of tiers. I think I’m probably around tier number four.
That’s okay. I have enough oomph that chefs return my phone calls more often than not, and restaurateurs let me come to their parties (not to brag; that’s true at tier 6, too). And really it takes the pressure off of me. If you’re in a top tier — say a critic at the Times or New York magazine — people take your words seriously. Losing a New York Times star can cost you not only prestige, but money. Even if I were a critic I couldn’t break a place, and that’s a relief. All I can do is spread a little sunshine, or very occasionally hurt someone’s feelings.
And any commenter on Yelp! can hurt restaurateurs’ feelings. They’re sensitive.
The people at Oceana certainly had hurt feelings when I was there for lunch yesterday. New York had just given them a hostile-sounding one-star review. The restaurant had recently relocated from an upper-midtown townhouse to a giant space in the McGraw Hill building that most recently housed a Strawberries clothing store. I’m a food guy, not a décor guy, but I loved the place — big and fun like a brasserie. And it was doing a robust lunch business for a buttoned-up clientele — I was glad I’d worn a suit that day.
But New York critic Adam Platt mostly didn’t like it, and he hated the space.
The chefs and owners were obviously disappointed, but they were also nervous, because the Times was reviewing it today (turns out it got two stars, which would be nice, except until today it had three stars).
Back to the different tiers of New York food writers, I think it’s fair to say that the new Times critic, Sam Sifton, occupies the top tier by himself, and Mr. Platt is on tier 2.
Then again, maybe not. The Times remains the religion of a large group of New Yorkers, but as media outlets multiply and publishing empires crumble, there’s a fair amount of apostasy going on. How Oceana’s loss of a star — or the drubbing poor Aureole took in last week’s one-star review — will actually affect sales remains to be seen. Up until now, business at both restaurants has reportedly been good, and it hasn’t been the fickle trend lemmings filling the seats, from what I understand.
Anyway, what got me thinking about this whole tier thing had to do with some of the parties I went to last week — at the opening of Obao a food writer from one web site was just a tiny bit miffed that he wasn’t invited to Eleven Madison Park’s eleventh anniversary the night before, even though people from Eater.com had been invited.
The Eleven Madison Park party was good, but there actually wasn’t a whole lot of media there. I think most of the guests were simply good customers of the restaurant. I mostly spent the evening with my bosses, Pam Parseghian and Ellen Koteff, but I did enjoy a story from a caviar salesperson explaining how her competitors stole business from her: Their tactic was to call the restaurant on the chef’s day off and just say, “hi, I’m calling about your caviar order.”
Sneaky.
And my friend Akiko Katayama, practiced networker that she is, introduced me to Financial Times reporter Nick Lander, who shared with me the interesting fact that, although Indian food is tremendously popular in Great Britain, it’s only popular at dinner. People don’t eat it at lunch.
The geniuses at Eleven Madison Park were waiting outside with full-on coffee service in to-go cups for people as they were leaving. This is no surprise as the place is ably led by general manager Will Guidara, who many NRN readers might be interested to know is the son of chain restaurant veteran Frank Guidara, who currently heads up Uno Chicago Grill.
Akiko also was at the opening on the following night of Obao (Michael Bao Huynh’s new place; I ate oxtail soup and crunchy pork belly cubes on skewers), which I got to late, so she was going as I was coming, because Bar Henry was opening that night, and she had a dinner to go to after that.
No, you won’t see grass growing under Akiko’s feet.
I was soon at Bar Henry, too, having taken the subway with Metromix's Alexis Loinaz and a friend of his whose name I have forgotten.
I hadn’t bothered to read anything about Bar Henry, but it was soon evident that it had a serious wine list, because high-tiered wine writer Alice Fiering was there.
Alice does not suffer fools lightly and would not set foot in a random bar opening. No way.
And soon Food & Wine’s Kate Krader was there, too.
We were drinking good wine throughout the party, but, you know, it was opening-party wine.
But they pulled out the good stuff for Alice and Kate, and soon I was enjoying a 1999 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Hurray!
(A brief aside: Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes specifically from Avignon, which was where the head of the Catholic Church relocated for much of the 14th Century; this is easy to remember because the wine’s name means “the Pope’s new castle.”)
We had good conversation, too, although perhaps I shouldn’t have called Kate the spotted pig-lady. Really, I meant “The Spotted Pig lady,” which is to say she was a key player in garnering fame and attention for New York’s favorite gastropub, The Spotted Pig, but out of context it doesn’t sound very good.
I could also call her the Momofuku lady. Maybe I’ll do that next time.
What I ate at Oceana:
marinated oysters with cucumbers, apple and toasted spices
Taylor Bay scallops with shoyu and togarashi
a poke trio of tuna, hamachi and wild salmon
fluke tartare with cashews, mango and young coconut
snapper ceviche with roasted corn, hearts of palm and cilantro
Thai style red snapper with silk squash, jícama and kaffir lime-coconut water broth
Arctic char á la plancha with sautéed root vegetables and cranberry-apple coulis
Frozen pear chiboust with yogurt lemon grass soup and angel food cake croutons
Persimmon cake with apple sorbet
Assorted doughnuts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Prologue: My Favorite Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cookbooks
Here is a list of my six favorite cookbook authors (in alphabetical order in Part I below) whose cookbooks focus on the Middle East and the Mediterranean. I own and have used all of them, both those highlighted and those listed as “other.” All of them are interesting, great fun to use, and generally trustworthy. They would all make great presents. Recipes from three of the books follow in Part II below.
When I fall in love with a cookbook writer, I basically buy and use every cookbook that he or she writes. Maybe I like their aesthetic,their way of writing a recipe, their congeniality, their honesty, or their reliability. Something draws me to them and I am a devoted follower from then on.
These authors have differing takes on authenticity. If they are purists (Paula Wolfert, for example), you are assured of an authentic dish but you’ll also have to hunt high and low or order from an on-line food purveyor to get the ingredients you need. There are others (Alford and Duguid, for example) who want to make their recipes as accessible as possible for American cooks and hence offer substitutions, allowing the cook some discretion. I value both approaches. I love approximating as true to the original a taste as possible. I also don’t want to be misled into thinking that I am making an authentic dish when in fact it is not. But I also don’t want to have to struggle to gather exotic ingredients or cook ware, especially if an easy substitution is available. The rest of these authors fall somewhere in between these two poles.
Most of these cookbooks are incredibly beautiful. Full of photographs of both the food and the countries of origin. The recipes are integrated into the culture in a way I find completely absorbing. Many are also quite expensive, some as much as $50. I figure I amortize the price every time I use it. But $50 is still a lot, amortized or not. I always check if Pegasus or Half-Price Books in Berkeley have used copies. If they don’t, I try my favorite independent bookstores, Readers in Sonoma and Books, Inc. in Berkeley on Fourth Street before resorting to Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
When I fall in love with a cookbook writer, I basically buy and use every cookbook that he or she writes. Maybe I like their aesthetic,their way of writing a recipe, their congeniality, their honesty, or their reliability. Something draws me to them and I am a devoted follower from then on.
These authors have differing takes on authenticity. If they are purists (Paula Wolfert, for example), you are assured of an authentic dish but you’ll also have to hunt high and low or order from an on-line food purveyor to get the ingredients you need. There are others (Alford and Duguid, for example) who want to make their recipes as accessible as possible for American cooks and hence offer substitutions, allowing the cook some discretion. I value both approaches. I love approximating as true to the original a taste as possible. I also don’t want to be misled into thinking that I am making an authentic dish when in fact it is not. But I also don’t want to have to struggle to gather exotic ingredients or cook ware, especially if an easy substitution is available. The rest of these authors fall somewhere in between these two poles.Most of these cookbooks are incredibly beautiful. Full of photographs of both the food and the countries of origin. The recipes are integrated into the culture in a way I find completely absorbing. Many are also quite expensive, some as much as $50. I figure I amortize the price every time I use it. But $50 is still a lot, amortized or not. I always check if Pegasus or Half-Price Books in Berkeley have used copies. If they don’t, I try my favorite independent bookstores, Readers in Sonoma and Books, Inc. in Berkeley on Fourth Street before resorting to Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
Lazy potatoes, delicious soup, and a diabetes update
I've been in the kitchen ALL day. We had a holiday party for our patients (party one of two...next one Friday), and I was responsible for making chicken skewers and turkey meat balls -- both of which were delicious! I'll post the recipes with pictures on Friday. After my extensive morning meatball and skewer prep, I refused to dirty another pot and my stand mixer in order to make mashed potatoes! Heretofore, I made them in the microwave. Yep, that's right, microwave mashed potatoes. I realize this makes me lazy lazy lazy, HOWEVER...they were good! Secret ingredient: 1% buttermilk! After cooking my new potatoes (skins on!) in the microwave, I mixed them (with a hand mixer...whisks easily go into the dishwasher!) with Smart Balance Light, 1% buttermilk, an abundance of crushed garlic, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mmmm!
Dinner was salmon with lemon pepper and fresh lemon juice and mashed potatoes (that portion looks HUGE...but it's about 1 cup!)
Also for dinner, I made a new recipe -- Spicy Senegalese Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup. I got this recipe from the National Peanut Board, which called for peanut oil and peanut flour. And being the lucky girl that I am, the National Peanut Board had mailed me these ingredients to try and recommend to patients.
Thank you, National Peanut Board!! <3
fresh ginger = a favorite!
IF YOU WEAR CONTACTS...WEAR GLOVES WHEN CUTTING JALAPENOS!!!!!
Call me slow, but I learned the hard way...owwwwwwww!! And the hotness stays on your hands for DAYS!
Anyone else find this out the hard way? :-/
I have to say...
peanut oil + onion + garlic + ginger + jalapeno = Uhhhhhhhmazing scent!
My house still smells so good!
+ sweet potatoes = SUPER Uhhhmazing!!!
Mmmmm!!
Oh, and the soup..the soup was delicious as well! Husband agreed that it was completely unique and had a very "gourmet" in flavor.
Spicy Senegalese Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup
1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 cups onions, peeled, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp ginger, chopped (I doubled this!)
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
1/2 cup peanut flour
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock (low-sodium if you prefer!)
1 Tbsp brown sugar (I used the Splenda brown sugar mix)
1 Tbsp peanuts, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, saute 2 minutes until transleucent. Add the sweet potato and cook for 15 minutes. Add peanut flout, stir to coat.
2. Add the chicken stock and bring to a summer. Simmer 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and brown sugar.
4. Serve sprinkled with chopped peanuts.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 198 calories, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 4 grams MUFA, 1.5 grams PUFA), 8 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber
And in the news...
The World Health Organization (WHO) declares diabetes is reaching epidemic proportion worldwide.
Illinois has launched an online survey entitled, "Speak Out About Diabetes" which includes questions such as, "Have you ever seen a dietitian about how to manage your diabetes?"
Hallelujah!!! Yet again, I am feeling empowered and blessed to be working in diabetes and working towards my CDE.
Question: What ONE area of nutrition interests YOU the most? Either as a nutrition provider, patient, or nutrition advocate.
Weight loss/weight management? Diabetes? Renal? Pediatrics? Nutrition support? Geriatrics? Bariatric? All-natural/organic? Sports nutrition?
P.S. I know I went a bit carb-crazy with my mashed potatoes AND sweet potato soup for supper. Ohhhh well : )
it's my life
dear friends, ex(s), histories, family, etc.
don't love me, like deeply, cuz u might get hurt at the end of d day.
don't make me love u, cuz once i love u, i always do.
i realize, and learned that, in life... some time.
i have to deal with things that i dislike, perhaps, hate.
i have to go with the flow, but i do, have to stand up 4 myself.
i can b the happiest person in front of others, but still ppl will think i'm weak.
i can smile slightly, but still they said it's fake. when the truth is, i'm not faking it.
quiet is the best way to tell that u r angry, mad.
i have to accept that, ppl dislike me, but still, a thousand of ppl love me.
i need to break my heart, rather than breaking others.
i have to forget bout my feeling, and respects others esp eldest.
i must learn to love myself, so that i can love others.
I’ve been living in this world for 20 years, and I should say, life is short and it is not as easy as A,B,C. But, I believe that we can make it easier. How we choose to live is what we are today. I was once, one of those people who decided to go with the flow. I am shy enough to speak up but deep in my heart, I know I can be the one who shout out loud in the crowd. I should’ve stand on my own and speak up about my opinion and perspective. And the good part is, I’ve change. It shows me more about being brave and confident in my life.
but those 3 paragraph above, wasn't totally me. cuz, it was just a part of my essay for MCP -it's my life asssignment. i'm not that strong, but u should know, i did try my best to be strong enough. and... what i hate the most, when u're trying 2 b stronger than me, but the truth is u r wayyyy tooooo lost, pathetic and weaker than me. thank u.
Part I: My Favorite Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cookbooks
Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
This twosome was the subject of a great 2008 New Yorker piece by Jane Kramer called The Hungry Travelers. Naomi Duguid was a lawyer in Toronto and Jeffrey Alford was involved in various illicit and possibly dangerous activities when they met on a hotel roof in Tibet in 1985. They have traveled extensively since that momentous meeting and are excellent guides to the food they find in pretty far-flung places.
Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas (1995)
Favorite recipe: Two Reds Salad (See recipe on my September 1, 2009 blog.)
I found Flatbreads & Flavors upon returning from Israel and Jordan where I was amazed by a local bread, called shrak, made over something resembling an up-side-down wok set over a heat source. This book includes a recipe for it, although I have yet to make it. This is one of their first books and has far less color photos but some nicely labeled black and whites. Great food.
Seductions of Rice (1998)
Favorite recipe: Grilled Beef Salad
This cookbook’s focus is on all the cuisines of the world that have rice as the primary staple food: China, Thailand, Japan, India, Central Asia and Persia, the Mediterranean, Senegal, and North and South America. As with Flatbreads & Flavors, they include food to eat along with the many different kinds of rice.
Other cookbooks: Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Tour through South East Asia (2000), Mangoes and Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Sub-continent (2005), Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China (2008)
Sam and Sam Clark
Casa Moro (2004)
Favorite recipe: Carrot Purée with Caraway and Feta (See recipe below.)
I love that they are Sam and Sam (actually Samantha and Samuel). We’ve eaten at their London restaurant, Moro, which was just great. They are as fascinated as I am by the Moors, believed to be both Arab and Muslim, who crossed the Straits of Ghibraltar from Morocco to Spain in 711 bringing with them all sorts of fruits and vegetables hitherto unavailable: saffron, sugar-cane, rice, figs, grapes, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, bananas, peaches, apricots, eggplant, artichokes, cumin, coriander, and almonds. The food the Clarks offer is a rich combination of both cultures, Morocco and Spain; they are marvelous taste companions.
Other cookbooks: Moro: The Cookbook (2001)
Tessa Kiros
Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes (2009)
Favorite recipes: Boiled Potato Salad and Red Pepper Soup with Olives, Lemon Zest, and Yogurt (See recipe below.)
This is truly an international cookbook featuring foods from Finland, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, and Italy. It is much easier to read than Apples for Jam whose recipes were printed in a light gray color in an odd typeface, so hard to read that I didn’t use it much. This one is much improved. Lots and lots of photos, nice print face and color. The recipes are written in paragraph style which I find more difficult to follow than the numbered step-by step method. But she has a great aesthetic and design sense and the dishes are colorful and really good.
Other cookbooks: Apples for Jam (2007)
Greg and Lucy Malouf
Saha: A Chef’s Journey through Lebanon and Syria (2005)
Favorite recipes: Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad or Braised Swiss Chard with Crisp Fried Onions and Tahini Sauce
Turquoise: A Chef’s Travels in Turkey (2008)
Favorite recipe: Green Olive Walnut and Pomegranate Salad
These are the most gorgeous books. You might think they belong on the coffee table but that would be a serious mistake. They are as fun to cook from as they are to read. Malouf and Malouf hail from Melbourne, Australia where Greg has a restaurant, MoMo. Once married, now separated, they continue to work together on cookbook projects, I am pleased to say, she as the writer, he as the chef.
Other cookbooks: Artichoke to Za’atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food (2008)
Claudia Roden
Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, & Lebanon (2005)
Favorite recipe: Eggplant Slices with Pomegranate, Yogurt, and Tahini (See recipe below.)
I acquired Claudia Roden’s first cookbook A Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1974, a comprehensive survey of Middle Eastern food but without photos or much charm in terms of design. I fell in love with the flavors. Thankfully Roden is a very good writer and her explanations and stories were great. Thirty-some years later, cookbook aesthetics have changed. Arabesque has a lot of photos showing the food in all its glory. All the dishes I’ve cooked from it have been wonderful and it is a pleasure to read.
Other cookbooks: A Book of Middle Eastern Food (1972), The New Book of Middle Eastern Food (2000)
Paula Wolfert
Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking (2009)
Favorite recipe: Creamy Bean Soup with Florina Red Peppers (I used Gypsy)
Paula Wolfert wants us to cook food that is as close to authentic as possible and gives detailed recipes on exactly how to attain the best results, whether it’s handmade couscous or duck confit. I truly admire her dedication to keeping ancient cooking traditions alive.
Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking is her most recent book. The clay pots are simply a joy to use. Among other places, you can buy them at Bram in Sonoma or The Spanish Table or on line. The recipes I’ve tried so far are just great. The publisher must have decided to put as little money as possible into the design, printing and photographs. For all the effort and care Paula put into the recipes, the book is not a joy to read. The photos are humdrum and there are some page numbering mistakes. I have taken matters into my own hands by photographing the dishes I’ve cooked and gluing them into my book to give it a little more character and color.
Other cookbooks: Mostly Mediterranean (1988), Mediterranean Cooking (1994), Mediterranean Grains and Greens (1998), Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco (2001), The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen (2003), The Cooking of Southwest France (1983) and (2005)
This twosome was the subject of a great 2008 New Yorker piece by Jane Kramer called The Hungry Travelers. Naomi Duguid was a lawyer in Toronto and Jeffrey Alford was involved in various illicit and possibly dangerous activities when they met on a hotel roof in Tibet in 1985. They have traveled extensively since that momentous meeting and are excellent guides to the food they find in pretty far-flung places.
Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas (1995) Favorite recipe: Two Reds Salad (See recipe on my September 1, 2009 blog.)
I found Flatbreads & Flavors upon returning from Israel and Jordan where I was amazed by a local bread, called shrak, made over something resembling an up-side-down wok set over a heat source. This book includes a recipe for it, although I have yet to make it. This is one of their first books and has far less color photos but some nicely labeled black and whites. Great food.
Seductions of Rice (1998)
Favorite recipe: Grilled Beef Salad
This cookbook’s focus is on all the cuisines of the world that have rice as the primary staple food: China, Thailand, Japan, India, Central Asia and Persia, the Mediterranean, Senegal, and North and South America. As with Flatbreads & Flavors, they include food to eat along with the many different kinds of rice.
Other cookbooks: Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Tour through South East Asia (2000), Mangoes and Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Sub-continent (2005), Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China (2008)
Sam and Sam Clark Casa Moro (2004)
Favorite recipe: Carrot Purée with Caraway and Feta (See recipe below.)
I love that they are Sam and Sam (actually Samantha and Samuel). We’ve eaten at their London restaurant, Moro, which was just great. They are as fascinated as I am by the Moors, believed to be both Arab and Muslim, who crossed the Straits of Ghibraltar from Morocco to Spain in 711 bringing with them all sorts of fruits and vegetables hitherto unavailable: saffron, sugar-cane, rice, figs, grapes, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, bananas, peaches, apricots, eggplant, artichokes, cumin, coriander, and almonds. The food the Clarks offer is a rich combination of both cultures, Morocco and Spain; they are marvelous taste companions.
Other cookbooks: Moro: The Cookbook (2001)
Tessa Kiros Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes (2009)
Favorite recipes: Boiled Potato Salad and Red Pepper Soup with Olives, Lemon Zest, and Yogurt (See recipe below.)
This is truly an international cookbook featuring foods from Finland, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, and Italy. It is much easier to read than Apples for Jam whose recipes were printed in a light gray color in an odd typeface, so hard to read that I didn’t use it much. This one is much improved. Lots and lots of photos, nice print face and color. The recipes are written in paragraph style which I find more difficult to follow than the numbered step-by step method. But she has a great aesthetic and design sense and the dishes are colorful and really good.
Other cookbooks: Apples for Jam (2007)
Greg and Lucy MaloufSaha: A Chef’s Journey through Lebanon and Syria (2005)
Favorite recipes: Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad or Braised Swiss Chard with Crisp Fried Onions and Tahini Sauce
Favorite recipe: Green Olive Walnut and Pomegranate Salad
These are the most gorgeous books. You might think they belong on the coffee table but that would be a serious mistake. They are as fun to cook from as they are to read. Malouf and Malouf hail from Melbourne, Australia where Greg has a restaurant, MoMo. Once married, now separated, they continue to work together on cookbook projects, I am pleased to say, she as the writer, he as the chef.
Other cookbooks: Artichoke to Za’atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food (2008)
Claudia Roden Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, & Lebanon (2005)
Favorite recipe: Eggplant Slices with Pomegranate, Yogurt, and Tahini (See recipe below.)
I acquired Claudia Roden’s first cookbook A Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1974, a comprehensive survey of Middle Eastern food but without photos or much charm in terms of design. I fell in love with the flavors. Thankfully Roden is a very good writer and her explanations and stories were great. Thirty-some years later, cookbook aesthetics have changed. Arabesque has a lot of photos showing the food in all its glory. All the dishes I’ve cooked from it have been wonderful and it is a pleasure to read.
Other cookbooks: A Book of Middle Eastern Food (1972), The New Book of Middle Eastern Food (2000)
Paula WolfertMediterranean Clay Pot Cooking (2009)
Favorite recipe: Creamy Bean Soup with Florina Red Peppers (I used Gypsy)
Paula Wolfert wants us to cook food that is as close to authentic as possible and gives detailed recipes on exactly how to attain the best results, whether it’s handmade couscous or duck confit. I truly admire her dedication to keeping ancient cooking traditions alive.
Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking is her most recent book. The clay pots are simply a joy to use. Among other places, you can buy them at Bram in Sonoma or The Spanish Table or on line. The recipes I’ve tried so far are just great. The publisher must have decided to put as little money as possible into the design, printing and photographs. For all the effort and care Paula put into the recipes, the book is not a joy to read. The photos are humdrum and there are some page numbering mistakes. I have taken matters into my own hands by photographing the dishes I’ve cooked and gluing them into my book to give it a little more character and color.
Other cookbooks: Mostly Mediterranean (1988), Mediterranean Cooking (1994), Mediterranean Grains and Greens (1998), Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco (2001), The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen (2003), The Cooking of Southwest France (1983) and (2005)
paid sick leave
November 18
I’m happy to report that the past 500 visitors to this blog came from 32 different U.S. states, four Canadian provinces and eight other countries, but 68 of you (that's 13.6 percent) came from New York.
So for my next poll I'd like to address an issue concerning local restaurants, that of mandated paid sick leave for workers.
The New York City Council’s considering such a measure, and so of course we at Nation’s Restaurant News are writing about it.
And one of my colleagues wants to ask you what you think.
For some background information, click here.
Pleas click what you think on the upper right hand corner of this blog, and, as always, feel free to write comments below, too.
I’m happy to report that the past 500 visitors to this blog came from 32 different U.S. states, four Canadian provinces and eight other countries, but 68 of you (that's 13.6 percent) came from New York.
So for my next poll I'd like to address an issue concerning local restaurants, that of mandated paid sick leave for workers.
The New York City Council’s considering such a measure, and so of course we at Nation’s Restaurant News are writing about it.
And one of my colleagues wants to ask you what you think.
For some background information, click here.
Pleas click what you think on the upper right hand corner of this blog, and, as always, feel free to write comments below, too.
Part II: My Favorite Recipes from these Cookbooks
Carrot Purée with Caraway and Feta
This would make a great pre-eating (as my friend Sam says) experience for Thanksgiving.
1¾ pound carrots, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, roughly ground in a mortar, optional
Note: I haven’t used these because the carrots by themselves are so good. Of course, this presumes really tasty carrots.
¼-½ cup feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish
2 tablespoons chiffonade of mint, for garnish (See my October 23, 2009 blog for explanation of chiffonade.)
5 rounds of pita bread or squares of lahvash
1. Slice the carrots into ¾-inch rounds, toss with half the olive oil and some salt and pepper, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast at 400ºF for about 30 minutes or until they are completely tender. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes or until they are golden.
2. Cool a little before puréeing in a food processor or mashing by hand. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the optional caraway, the remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. If the purée is too thick to spread, thin it out with a little water.
3. To serve, put the purée in a shallow bowl, crumble the feta on top, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with the mint.
4. Serve with toasted pita bread which you make by cutting each circle into 8 pieces (or the lahvash cut in 3-inch squares), arranging them on a baking sheet and toasting under the broil for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully. They burn in a flash, especially if guests arrive as they are toasting.
6-8 servings as an appetizer
Adapted from Sam and Sam Clark’s Casa Moro
Red Pepper Soup with Olives, Lemon Zest, and Yogurt
Great comfort food. Gorgeous colors.
4 red bell peppers or 5 red gypsy peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded (catching the liquid), and chopped
Note: I seed the tomatoes over a sieve placed over a bowl. The seeds drop into the sieve and the liquid falls into the bowl. Periodically I swish the seeds around to release more tomato liquid.
OR
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
½ cup thick yogurt
Note: If all you can find is soupy yogurt, line a sieve with two layers or paper towels, place the sieve over a bowl, and pour the yogurt into the sieve. Let it drain until the consistency is as thick as you like it. See photo on my May 17, 2009 blog.
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or smoked or regular paprika
1/3 cup pitted black olives, slivered in quarters
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon rosemary [the original recipe calls for this], very finely chopped, but I prefer finely chopped thyme.
A drizzle of olive oil
1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange the peppers in a single layer. Broil on high, turning the peppers, until the skin has darkened all the way around and the peppers are soft.
2. Place the peppers in a bowl. Cover and let them sit for 10 minutes. Peel the skins and remove the seeds. Don’t worry if some black remains or if you miss some seeds. Sometimes I peel them while they are still hot and puffy.
3. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Tear up the peppers as you add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add 3 cups water, or a combination of the tomato liquid (from seeding the tomatoes), the liquid released by the broiled peppers and enough water to make 3 cups. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and purée in a food processor. Return the soup to the soup pot and add the Aleppo pepper. The soup should be fairly thick: if it seems too thin, simmer uncovered for a while longer; if it is too thick, add more liquid. You can let it sit at this point until you’re ready to serve it.
6. Before serving, reheat gently. Check the seasoning and serve the soup hot with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkling of the olives, lemon zest, rosemary or thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil.
4 servings
Adapted from Tessa Kiros’s Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes
Eggplant Slices with Pomegranate, Yogurt and Tahini
This is superb. I'm having it for Thanksgiving, along with everything else.
2 globe eggplants, or as many eggplants as it takes to make about 2½ pounds
Olive oil
Salt
1½ tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1½ tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, drained if it is very soupy (see instructions above)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons tahini
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 5/8-inch slices. Place them on an oiled sheet of foil on a rimmed baking pan. Brush both sides of the eggplant with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. Place in a very hot 475ºF oven for about 30-40 minutes, until they are soft and browned, turning the slices once mid-way through cooking.
3. Mix together the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, and 2 tablespoon olive oil. Brush the eggplant slices with the dressing and arrange them on a large platter. You may have some dressing left over; use your discretion as to the amount the eggplant can absorb.
4. Whisk the yogurt with the garlic and tahini and pour over the slices. Fry the pine nuts very briefly in ½ tablespoon of olive oil or toast them in your toaster oven, watching them carefully, until they are light brown. Sprinkle the pine nuts and the pomegranate seeds over the yogurt. Serve at room temperature.
4 servings as a side dish
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon
1¾ pound carrots, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, roughly ground in a mortar, optional
Note: I haven’t used these because the carrots by themselves are so good. Of course, this presumes really tasty carrots.
¼-½ cup feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish
2 tablespoons chiffonade of mint, for garnish (See my October 23, 2009 blog for explanation of chiffonade.)
5 rounds of pita bread or squares of lahvash
1. Slice the carrots into ¾-inch rounds, toss with half the olive oil and some salt and pepper, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast at 400ºF for about 30 minutes or until they are completely tender. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes or until they are golden.
2. Cool a little before puréeing in a food processor or mashing by hand. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the optional caraway, the remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. If the purée is too thick to spread, thin it out with a little water.
3. To serve, put the purée in a shallow bowl, crumble the feta on top, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with the mint.
4. Serve with toasted pita bread which you make by cutting each circle into 8 pieces (or the lahvash cut in 3-inch squares), arranging them on a baking sheet and toasting under the broil for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully. They burn in a flash, especially if guests arrive as they are toasting.
6-8 servings as an appetizer
Adapted from Sam and Sam Clark’s Casa Moro
Red Pepper Soup with Olives, Lemon Zest, and Yogurt
4 red bell peppers or 5 red gypsy peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded (catching the liquid), and chopped
Note: I seed the tomatoes over a sieve placed over a bowl. The seeds drop into the sieve and the liquid falls into the bowl. Periodically I swish the seeds around to release more tomato liquid.
OR
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
½ cup thick yogurt
Note: If all you can find is soupy yogurt, line a sieve with two layers or paper towels, place the sieve over a bowl, and pour the yogurt into the sieve. Let it drain until the consistency is as thick as you like it. See photo on my May 17, 2009 blog.
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or smoked or regular paprika
1/3 cup pitted black olives, slivered in quarters
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon rosemary [the original recipe calls for this], very finely chopped, but I prefer finely chopped thyme.
A drizzle of olive oil
1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange the peppers in a single layer. Broil on high, turning the peppers, until the skin has darkened all the way around and the peppers are soft.
2. Place the peppers in a bowl. Cover and let them sit for 10 minutes. Peel the skins and remove the seeds. Don’t worry if some black remains or if you miss some seeds. Sometimes I peel them while they are still hot and puffy.
3. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Tear up the peppers as you add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add 3 cups water, or a combination of the tomato liquid (from seeding the tomatoes), the liquid released by the broiled peppers and enough water to make 3 cups. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and purée in a food processor. Return the soup to the soup pot and add the Aleppo pepper. The soup should be fairly thick: if it seems too thin, simmer uncovered for a while longer; if it is too thick, add more liquid. You can let it sit at this point until you’re ready to serve it.
6. Before serving, reheat gently. Check the seasoning and serve the soup hot with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkling of the olives, lemon zest, rosemary or thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil.
4 servings
Adapted from Tessa Kiros’s Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes
Eggplant Slices with Pomegranate, Yogurt and Tahini
2 globe eggplants, or as many eggplants as it takes to make about 2½ pounds
Olive oil
Salt
1½ tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1½ tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, drained if it is very soupy (see instructions above)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons tahini
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 5/8-inch slices. Place them on an oiled sheet of foil on a rimmed baking pan. Brush both sides of the eggplant with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. Place in a very hot 475ºF oven for about 30-40 minutes, until they are soft and browned, turning the slices once mid-way through cooking.
3. Mix together the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, and 2 tablespoon olive oil. Brush the eggplant slices with the dressing and arrange them on a large platter. You may have some dressing left over; use your discretion as to the amount the eggplant can absorb.
4. Whisk the yogurt with the garlic and tahini and pour over the slices. Fry the pine nuts very briefly in ½ tablespoon of olive oil or toast them in your toaster oven, watching them carefully, until they are light brown. Sprinkle the pine nuts and the pomegranate seeds over the yogurt. Serve at room temperature.
4 servings as a side dish
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon
Pork Tikka
Sometimes a cooking experience is less WOW and more Uh-Oh or Huh? That was the case last night when I tried this pork tikka recipe from my new The Food of India cookbook I’m reading. After posting a site extolling fast-prep Indian food, I thought I might need to get back in the graces of the Indian cooking gods ( which I fear may be many) with a real, authentic Indian dish. Tikka, I have learned, refers to either a cut of meat or a marinade sauce, and this recipe combines both. The cookbook describes it as “Encrusted in spices and mouthwateringly tender on the inside, pork tikka is a popular dish in Punjabi dhabas (roadside restaurants) and street stalls. It is often served with chapatis, roti or naan and chutney.” The marinade is yogurt based, with onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, garam masala and chili powder. With that, I thought why not? I have a container of yogurt I need to finish, naan from the other night, and all the spices already. The marinade is simple, just combine and marinate. The problems came from the cooking process. Don’t get me wrong, the smells from the cooking meat are wonderful, and the end product was tastey, but I never did obtain that beautiful color of the picture above. The recipe calls for heating the oil, and then adding the pork with the marinade and simmering. I did that, but the liquid never seemed to boil off and brown the meat like the picture showed. I ended up removing some of the extra liquid at the end of 20 minutes cooking time to allow the recipe to dry out as the recipe recommends. That just put things on the edge of burning. The meat was cooked, still juice, but only slightly golden. Fearing my special spice sauce would turn to cinders, I called it an evening and dug in. Some nights are like that. John 0 - authentic Indian food 1. You may have better luck with this recipe, it will be tastey regardless of its visual imperfections. And luckily, a lifetime of experimenting and several hundred more pages of this cookbook give plenty of opportunity for future success.
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped4 garlic cloves, diced
3 inch piece of ginger, chopped
½ tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tbsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chili powder
pinch black pepper
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large red onion, diced
3/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
½ cup oil
Directions:
Prepare the marinade by combining the yellow onion, 3 cloves of garlic, ginger, spices and yoghurt. Mix and add the pork. Put in a ziploc and allow to marinate in the fridge 2 hours or overnight.
Heat oil in a heavy, large fry pan over medium heat. Before the oil starts smoking, add the red onion, 1 clove of garlic and cilantro. Stir and cook a couple of minutes to soften the onions. Increase the heat to high and add the pork with the marinade. Stir for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer the juices away, 15-20 minutes. The meat and the dryish sauce will be a rich, dark brown. To serve, season with salt and sprinkle with a little more garam masala.
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