Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Artichoke Attraction

I’ve been on a bit of an artichoke kick this week. After seeing they’d swapped out my asparagus quinoa salad at Raoul’s for an artichoke with said grain, I had to do a taste test (I loved that asparagus dish!). I was pleasantly surprised, being presented with a whole, perfectly steamed artichoke stuffed with arugula and roquettes. On the side was Raoul’s legendary vinaigrette and beneath the ‘choke was a subtle bed of quinoa.

It was a little difficult to adeptly eat, and perhaps it wasn’t the best thing to order on a first date. However, I enjoyed the intricacy of plucking off leaves, scooping quinoa from beneath, and forking a little salad from the middle all the same. There is always something a little childish about ordering a full artichoke—the idea of eating with your hands and eating a meal of one big, funny looking globe. Regardless of the mechanics of eating the dish, if you’re an artichoke purist, Raoul’s version is sure to please.

If you want something a little more favorable to date politesse, the fried ‘chokes at Mercat are one of my favorite things on the menu. You only have to cut them in half once with your fork to make them bite sized, but the fried consistency still makes them a little tough to eat. Luckily, you’ll be rewarded, as every fried bit consists of at least a quarter of the sumptuous heart.

Easiest to eat are the artichokes at Bar Jamon—a Gramercy niche I’d forgotten about until I was in the neighborhood for a concert a few weeks ago. A plate of grilled and then marinated morsels make for simple nibbling. The piquant marinade softens the vegetable into an altogether manageable mouthful. The platter is sprinkled liberally with pickled lemon rinds that pick up the dish. Cut into a heart, spear a piece of the lemon rind, and you’ve got an easy to eat, delicious bite of a sometimes-unruly vegetable. If you’re worried about date-etiquette eating, Bar Jamon might be the place to come if you’re in the mood for artichokes.

Or, if you want to hang in, artichokes are super easy to prepare, inexpensive, and a little romantic. Simply boil or steam them whole until tender—about fifteen minutes. Let them cool a little and serve them with something creamy for dipping. Try mixing some balsamic vinegar and mayonnaise together for a balsamic mayo sauce.

Maoz

When Maoz came to Union Square last month, I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. To me, it just seemed like another little falafel joint except with the gimmick of having a self-serve topping bar from which you could load up on spicy carrots, baby eggplant, and extra tahini sauce.

However, speak to anyone who has been to a Maoz in Europe, and there is an instant spark in their eyes. Maoz is dedicated to simplicity and freshness of ingredients. The menu is all vegetarian and consists of very few items, mainly because the point is for you to choose your own favorites from the bar of salads and spreads.

For traditionalists, Maoz might not cut it, but for those who like the accoutrements, stop into Maoz when you’ve got time to linger and refill your pita.

Out of the Kitchen, Into The Dish

Out of the Kitchen has moved to a bigger, better, more attractive space and business is booming. People in the ‘hood who were used to making a quick pit stop to pick up a top notch sandwich are having to get used to sharing their secret. The new store is more appealing—all of the selections can clearly be seen via expansive counter space and more visible prep space. The new location also includes about ten tables that fill up fast Monday through Friday with what seems like every employee working in the Saatchi & Saatchi building.

The menu is still intact—or else the neighbors and regulars would have a coup. Selections the Dish recommends include the hearty avocado and Muenster sandwich on wheat; cupcakes that are secretly the most outstanding in the city; perfect squares of rice krispy’s; and the chicken and eggplant salad. Out of the Kitchen, with its new digs, can only continue to go up.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Nat’s Ribenasicles

In my recent support of the Little Britian Block, I’ve discovered, as referenced last week, Ribena, a black currant syrup that Brits have lovingly been adding to their water and seltzer water for many years.


I got a hold of a bottle and haven’t been able to stop thinking of inventive uses for it. I started by adding it to Sprite; then I moved up and added it to sparkling wine to make a sort of Kir Royale spin-off for a few dinner parties.



My most recent discovery is Ribena Popsicles. I’ve long had a love for popsicles, so it was only natural to try to make the thick black current elixir into one.



Mash black berries or blueberries in a bowl. Cover with Ribena. Add three times the amount of water as Ribena. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze

Perilla

One of my assistants text-messaged me that The Dish’s Dishes had officially been published in the Times while I was sitting at the bar in Perilla. So perhaps my glowing remarks on the restaurant—from it’s delicate and delicious fare to it’s genteel wait staff and lighthearted mood—are a bit affected.

However, I had gone to Perilla a day after the opening evening with a touch of skepticism. After all, not only was I storming the place too early after their opening when the menu was still being tweaked and perfected, but also because I had my reservations about a Top Chef alum starting a new restaurant. What I learned, however, is that none of that matters when it’s Harold Dieterle behind the scenes.


Perched on stools, my buddy and I ordered Taylor Bay scallops on the half shell as a preliminary nibble. What arrived were six poppy seed soaked morsels of incredible flavor. Set in a base of ramps, the scallops were a perfect opening salvo, not just to our meal, but to spring as well.


Soon after we’d slurped the shells clean, a bowl of hamachi came, basking in tomato water and yuzu. The combination was ambrosial. Accompanied by a small cucumber salad, the dish was both light and meaty. After we ate the fish, we dunked bread into the broth to soak up the last remaining drops.


We couldn’t resist ordering the fiddlehead fern ravioli—another nod to springtime. The result was as delicious as our other treasures, with ricotta and fiddleheads stuffed inside the dough and morels and fava beans liberally surrounding them.


We’d eaten light and awarded ourselves two desserts: the strawberry confit—a dish practically jumping off the page at me—and the chocolate fondant with pistachio ‘scream. Our set up at the bar was so pleasant that we tried to linger over our desserts for as long as we could, not wanting to give up our seats to the next patrons.


Perilla is, from day one, making its mark as a fantastic restaurant and is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.



Madagascar Book Signing

Mark your calendars for our Mankafo Sakafo Cookbook Launch Party and Book Signing to introduce food from Madagascar to Manhattan.


Besides having books available for purchase, come to get a taste of delicious Malagasy cuisine. We’ll be serving a number of traditional dishes featured in the book. Malagasy cuisine is rich in coconuts and curries, as well as avocados, bananas, and hot peppers. They douse saka­y—a hot pepper relish—on everything, and depending on which type of peppers you use for the mixture determines the heat of the condiment. The most macho men are always in charge of mashing the peppers for the mix.



The can’t-miss event will be this Thursday, May 24th. The event will be held from 8-10pm at Little Magazine Café on Hudson Street just south of Laight Street. Come meet the author and have a glass of wine to celebrate this exciting occasion!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Mojo Cafe



A little café just opened up around the corner from my office, and it’s attracting the entire neighborhood. Mojo Café at 128 Charles Street is just five tables plus a six-seat raised, communal one. With Mojo’s wireless Internet and banana bread, it’s hard to bypass the new ‘hood hang out.


You’re bound to end up sitting next to your neighbor at one of the charming, little tables that are made from tree trunk medallions. The street façade is one big window that streams the rustic interior with light.


Besides house made banana bread, there’s ginger lemonade, crunchy chocolate chip cookies (also homemade) and rice krispy treats to lure you in. An upcoming café menu will ensure that the neighbors never go home.


Chocolate Bomb

Recently, the Culinistas catered a party in my building, and we were lucky enough to score a house recipe from the hostess. The twelve individual chocolate bombs that were made from the recipe of a family friend were devoured in moments. Graham cracker crust topped with a dollop of praline paste hidden by a smooth chocolate mousse made for a decadent dessert that no one could resist. As people dug into their mini-tarts, their eyes grew wide when they found the surprise praline center. This dessert is sure to please any houseguest.


Chef Massimo Felici’s Bomba al Cioccolato


1 lb semi sweet chocolate


1 qt heavy whipping cream


8 egg whites


Ground graham crackers


1 stick butter


1 c praline paste


1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.


2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and let cool to room temperature. This could take about half an hour.


3. Whip the cream until it becomes stiff and fold it into the chocolate.


4. Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form and fold them into the cream/chocolate mixture. Let stand.


5. Grind the graham crackers until they are fine. Melt the butter and mix in with the cracker crumbs until you can mold the mixture.


6. Press a layer of crackers into the bottom of twelve mini spring form pans. Bake for five minutes.


7. Let them cool slightly and then dollop the praline paste in the center of the tartlet.


8. Pour the chocolate mixture on top.


9. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.



Divine!




Little Britain




A few weeks ago, I was at dinner with two lovely Brits fairly new to Manhattan. Our conversation inevitably got to the controversy of Little Britain, the campaign headed up by the Tea and Sympathy crew over on north Greenwich Avenue.



The couple that owns T&S has teamed up with Virgin Atlantic Airways to promote Little Britain as a means of attracting more tourists from the UK. The folks claim that it’s “not just for the fun of it!”



Regardless of what it’s for—pride, ego, tourist promotion, one thing is for sure: if there is an official Little Britain, the acquisition of quality products such as Jelly Babies, salad cream, and, my most recent discovery, Ribena, could become easier and easier.



To sign the petition to promote Little Britain, visit the campaign website. After you’ve signed it, pat yourself on the back and head to your newfound British haven for a Yorkie or a Time Out.



Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Ramp Review

Cropping up at the Greenmarket these days are a Dish Favorite: Ramps! Better known for their eponymous T. Rex song (Raw Ramp anyone?), these early springtime wild leeks can be found not only on the airwaves, but also during late April and May at a few choice purveyors’ booths in Union Square.

Ramps have a little white bulb connected to long, wide, and flat green leaves. Both parts are edible (and delectable). Their strong onion/garlic flavors make them great bases to almost any spring dish.

A Dish-Intern reports that the word ramp is in fact of Appalachian descent. The veggie was called a Ram’s Son because they are smelly and fickle like the animal! Soon, it was shortened to ramp. In said region, the folks serve their ramps with bacon and cornbread—not a bad idea!

There is an annual Ramp Festival in West Virginia each year, where they feature “all things ramp” including a ramp-burger! If you can’t make it to Appalachia to taste a true ramp dish, there is a National Ramp Association where folks would be glad to welcome ramp-enthusiasts.




Culinista Jared Lewin has been using ramps in nearly everything for his clients this week. He says, “The pungent aroma intensifies as the season goes on, but for me it is like cheese, the more it stinks the better.” Here is his simple preparation for Skillet Charred Ramps with Lemon:

14-20 ramps

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lemon

Salt + Pepper



1.Clean ramps by trimming roots and soaking them in cold water. Pat dry.



2.Heat an iron skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until it just starts to smoke.



3.While the pan is heating up, toss the ramps in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the seasoned ramps to the hot pan.



4.Let them brown well on one side for about 30 sec-1 min. Flip them over and brown the other side. Turn the heat off, and squeeze the half lemon over the ramps. Serve and enjoy.

(Serves 2 as a side dish.)

Annie Chun

Annie Chun’s Sushi Wraps and Rice Bowls give you easily steamed sticky rice in approximately two minutes and thirty seconds—and they are fantastic! The rice comes out in a perfectly sticky texture that can be crafted into any number of dishes. Eat the rice plain, or with a bit of soy sauce and a sprinkle of crushed Nori (included in the package).

You can also be a sushi chef for the night and roll up your rice with any combination of fish, veggies, or even fruit. The Dish recommends seared sesame tuna with avocado, or mango and Asian pear. Fun for the kids, these rice bowls can be easily prepared at home or in the cafeteria microwave. Who knows, with some practice you could turn into Masaharu Morimoto!



!

Silent Entrees

A few weeks ago I went to Silent H, Williamsburg’s newest Vietnamese hot spot, with my Senior Culinista Josie Gordon.

Nearly everything on the menu was enticing; it was packed with summer rolls, beef, and lemongrass chicken. The appetizer selection was crowded with street foods. We started by ordering the Shrimp Street Toast and the Lemongrass Shrimp Balls, both of which were fantastic. The shrimp balls were fried nuggets of shrimp, sticky rice, tamarind, and chili. They were so sweet and crunchy; we both thought we detected the sugariness of a breakfast cereal such as Kix or Fruit Loops. We also threw a salad into the mix with satisfying results.

It only was when the entrees came that things slid a bit downhill. But we didn’t let a soggy crepe or chewy beef bring us down. We just ordered more delicious appetizers to fill our stomachs. Veggie Street Toasts and Summer Rolls did the trick and we left the restaurant with happy memories and sated palates.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Mankafy Sakafo Hits America




In 2005, I traveled to Madagascar, where I lived for nearly five months. I wish I could say that I had a good reason for wanting to go, but really, I just liked the idea of living in a totally opposite condition from Manhattan, where I’d lived for two years at that point.


The purpose of my travel was to write a cookbook of Malagasy cuisine because the food of Madagascar is not documented nearly as well as it could be. In fact, in my preparation for the trip, all I could find was a few recipes on the U-Penn website and a small blurb in my Larousse Gastronomique.


Luckily, a culinary play land awaited me. Lagouste, coconuts, bitter greens, bananas of all shapes and sizes, avocadoes the size of grapefruits all made appearances on my plate in the time I was in the field.


I lived in multiple places on the island, from the coast to the highlands. I lived in the capital, Antananarivo, and I lived in small villages in which I was the only foreigner who’d ever visited. Everywhere that I went, the fare was slightly different as a result of ingredients being hyper-local due to limited transportation systems. In each location, I stayed with the Malagache. If that meant sharing a bed, I was glad to snuggle in. If that meant sleeping in a boat, I let the waves rock me to sleep. Sound magical? It was. I think about it everyday.








I documented all of the dishes that I learned to make from my many “moms” and my many culinary mentors there. When I returned, I tested everything and reworked many recipes to embrace Western kitchens (since everything was originally prepped over an open fire).


It has been two years since I returned and the cookbook is finally available to the public on Amazon. It’s full of delicious recipes that are extremely versatile and useful. Nothing uses too many ingredients, and no method is too complex. Better yet, all of the recipes can be taken on camping trips or to tiny kitchens.


A few months ago I made a Malagasy dinner for the Culinistasä. If you are interested in a Malagasy meal, feel free to ask your Culinistaä! And if you don’t have a Culinistaä, you may just have to buy the book!