Love ‘em or hate ‘em, beets will make you look like a pro in the kitchen for your next dinner party. Many people have an aversion to beets, and most of the time, it is because they grew up with the slimy, canned version. To add to their dislike, people generally imagine that making beets is a difficult task to tackle.
However, it couldn’t be further from the truth. To make beets, cut off their greens and wrap the beets individually in tin foil. Toss them in a 400° oven for an hour and a half. Let them cool, and then unwrap them and peel them—the skin slides of easily. Voilá—Beets!
And, if you make them for a crowd, you may even get a few converts—once people try the homemade version, they usually want to know how you made them!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Miso Soup
At dinner with my grandfather recently, we both ordered miso soup. “You should put miso soup on the menu for your clients,” he said, adding that, “it’s delicious!”
It is also healthy and easy to make. Miso is known to prevent breast cancer and tumors, and also contains many antioxidants and fatty acids. It has a high content of vitamin E, protein, and B12 as well as immune boosting minerals. Wakame, the seaweed used in miso soup, lowers blood pressure and reduces cholesterol. Tofu is a great source of iron and protein.
All of the Japanese ingredients found in miso soup can be found at Sunrise Market. And, one can also find miso soup kits that come equipped with all the necessary ingredients to add to your soup pot.
If you are entirely uninterested in making your own miso soup, you can find it at any Japanese restaurant. However, there is an especially good bowl of it at Blue Ribbon Sushi (and, incidentally, their bakery branch, as well) and at Honmura An. An interesting version using red miso paste is at Haseki in the East Village, which offers a thicker, richer version of the soup. And, while I mention the East Village, Dumpling Man is my favorite place to grab a cheap miso soup to go. The portion is almost a pint, and it always has copious amounts of seaweed and tofu in the hearty miso broth.
Recipe for Miso Soup
1/2 cup wakame
1/2 cup katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes)
2 tablespoons shiro miso paste
1/4 pound soft tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
1. Boil wakame and 3 cups water. Then, remove the wakame and set aside.
2. Sprinkle bushi over water and remove from heat. Then strain the liquid so as to separate the bushi from the liquid.
3. Mix the miso paste with 1/4 cup of the broth. Set aside.
4. Cut tofu into little cubes, reheat the rest of the broth, and add the tofu. Simmer, and then add the miso mixture and the scallions. Serves 4.
It is also healthy and easy to make. Miso is known to prevent breast cancer and tumors, and also contains many antioxidants and fatty acids. It has a high content of vitamin E, protein, and B12 as well as immune boosting minerals. Wakame, the seaweed used in miso soup, lowers blood pressure and reduces cholesterol. Tofu is a great source of iron and protein.
All of the Japanese ingredients found in miso soup can be found at Sunrise Market. And, one can also find miso soup kits that come equipped with all the necessary ingredients to add to your soup pot.
If you are entirely uninterested in making your own miso soup, you can find it at any Japanese restaurant. However, there is an especially good bowl of it at Blue Ribbon Sushi (and, incidentally, their bakery branch, as well) and at Honmura An. An interesting version using red miso paste is at Haseki in the East Village, which offers a thicker, richer version of the soup. And, while I mention the East Village, Dumpling Man is my favorite place to grab a cheap miso soup to go. The portion is almost a pint, and it always has copious amounts of seaweed and tofu in the hearty miso broth.
Recipe for Miso Soup
1/2 cup wakame
1/2 cup katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes)
2 tablespoons shiro miso paste
1/4 pound soft tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
1. Boil wakame and 3 cups water. Then, remove the wakame and set aside.
2. Sprinkle bushi over water and remove from heat. Then strain the liquid so as to separate the bushi from the liquid.
3. Mix the miso paste with 1/4 cup of the broth. Set aside.
4. Cut tofu into little cubes, reheat the rest of the broth, and add the tofu. Simmer, and then add the miso mixture and the scallions. Serves 4.
A Micro Tool; Maximum Pleasure
The Microplane was one of the first kitchen tools that I was introduced to when I starting getting serious about cooking. It is one of the most useful products out there, and I am always surprised by how few people know about it.
The tool consists of a stainless steel sheet with tiny blades shooting off of it—like a mini cheese grater. However, because of the size of the microplane’s many blades, it is much more functional than a cheese grater. Indeed, the tool will help someone grate Parmesan onto a steaming bowl of pasta, but also it can expertly zest citrus, grind garlic, and shave carrots and onions. It even makes beautiful chocolate shavings to give any dessert a professional touch.
Microplane’s are not difficult to find either. Williams Sonoma has a wide variety of them, as does Bed, Bath, and Beyond. And, not only does its ergonomic shape help to grate unusually shaped veggies, it also makes a great stocking stuffer.
The tool consists of a stainless steel sheet with tiny blades shooting off of it—like a mini cheese grater. However, because of the size of the microplane’s many blades, it is much more functional than a cheese grater. Indeed, the tool will help someone grate Parmesan onto a steaming bowl of pasta, but also it can expertly zest citrus, grind garlic, and shave carrots and onions. It even makes beautiful chocolate shavings to give any dessert a professional touch.
Microplane’s are not difficult to find either. Williams Sonoma has a wide variety of them, as does Bed, Bath, and Beyond. And, not only does its ergonomic shape help to grate unusually shaped veggies, it also makes a great stocking stuffer.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Paprika
Paprika is made from ground up sweet bell pepper pods and can vary from having an orangey-red to a deep red color. It is the spice most associated with Hungarian food and is widely used as a garnish or seasoning for dishes from around the world.
Using paprika intensifies the spice of a dish, and different kinds of paprika deliver different levels of heat. Paprika can be anywhere from mild to extremely hot; it can also be smoked or sweet. Because of its variety, it is the perfect ingredient to add to your rice, stews, or soups!
Paprika is made almost all around the world, but major cultivators include Spain, California, Hungary, and several areas in South America, but it’s widely available in many of its guises.
Using paprika intensifies the spice of a dish, and different kinds of paprika deliver different levels of heat. Paprika can be anywhere from mild to extremely hot; it can also be smoked or sweet. Because of its variety, it is the perfect ingredient to add to your rice, stews, or soups!
Paprika is made almost all around the world, but major cultivators include Spain, California, Hungary, and several areas in South America, but it’s widely available in many of its guises.
Murray’s Pasta
For self-proclaimed foodies, it’s food 101 to know about Murray’s delicious choices of domestic and international cheese. However, there are other gems at this specialty shop. We’ve indulged in the Date Brownie, but there is another treat here that won’t blow all your calories.
Head to the back of the store and notice the boxes of pasta. There’s orzo, trofie, orecchiette, and penne to name a few. At $5.99 a pound, they are a little more pricey than your average box of Barilla, but the Rustichella D’Abruzzo are worth the extra dough.
On a recent taste test, we sampled the al ceppo and the whole wheat penne rigate and found both to be ambrosial. Their textures after boiling them in salted water became a dichotomy between tenderness and sturdiness. The tubes were both supple and firm upon first bites—a hard quality to achieve, as most pasta is either soft and flimsy or dry and hard.
The trick is the process. This pasta is made using traditional Italian bronze dies and given two full days to dry on its own. This slow dry system enhances the pastas’ dense flavors.
Ask any of the cheesemongers and they will help you match a cheese to your desired pasta, explaining why certain shapes take to particular cheeses so nicely.
Kids will have fun trying to stick their fork prongs into the tightly rolled sheets of pasta al ceppo. Originally made from wrapping the dough around needles, the shape pairs lovely with green beans and shaved parmesan.
The whole wheat penne rigate was a skeptical choice—whole wheat can often kill the mellow, comforting vibe of a steaming bowl of pasta. Not to mention, the tubes of penne were an unappealing gray-ish color in their uncooked state. However, I added sautéed slivers of avocado and arrived at the ideal meal.
Rustichella sells a line of pre-packaged pastas; however, Murray’s is distinct for selling the varieties by the pound.
Head to the back of the store and notice the boxes of pasta. There’s orzo, trofie, orecchiette, and penne to name a few. At $5.99 a pound, they are a little more pricey than your average box of Barilla, but the Rustichella D’Abruzzo are worth the extra dough.
On a recent taste test, we sampled the al ceppo and the whole wheat penne rigate and found both to be ambrosial. Their textures after boiling them in salted water became a dichotomy between tenderness and sturdiness. The tubes were both supple and firm upon first bites—a hard quality to achieve, as most pasta is either soft and flimsy or dry and hard.
The trick is the process. This pasta is made using traditional Italian bronze dies and given two full days to dry on its own. This slow dry system enhances the pastas’ dense flavors.
Ask any of the cheesemongers and they will help you match a cheese to your desired pasta, explaining why certain shapes take to particular cheeses so nicely.
Kids will have fun trying to stick their fork prongs into the tightly rolled sheets of pasta al ceppo. Originally made from wrapping the dough around needles, the shape pairs lovely with green beans and shaved parmesan.
The whole wheat penne rigate was a skeptical choice—whole wheat can often kill the mellow, comforting vibe of a steaming bowl of pasta. Not to mention, the tubes of penne were an unappealing gray-ish color in their uncooked state. However, I added sautéed slivers of avocado and arrived at the ideal meal.
Rustichella sells a line of pre-packaged pastas; however, Murray’s is distinct for selling the varieties by the pound.
BLT Adds Burger
Laurent Tourondel first wowed New Yorkers with BLT Steak and then quickly followed up his success with two more constantly packed eateries, BLT Fish and BLT Prime. Last week, he opened BLT Burger on a busy Sixth Avenue block, which, within five minutes of opening, was filled with beef loving patrons.
And, if you can get beyond the noise, your hankering for a sturdy burger will soon be replaced with a sturdy food coma. It is easy to get too full at a restaurant that offers Chili Cheese Waffle Fries and burgers piled with applewood smoked bacon. It is also easy to get broke, as the restaurant is supplying a 5 oz. Japanese Kobe Burger for $62.
Highlights of the menu include the combos, which match the classic burger (Black Angus beef with the fixins’) with fries and either a fountain soda or a milkshake.
The burger lives up to the hype; it’s just a matter of snagging a seat.
And, if you can get beyond the noise, your hankering for a sturdy burger will soon be replaced with a sturdy food coma. It is easy to get too full at a restaurant that offers Chili Cheese Waffle Fries and burgers piled with applewood smoked bacon. It is also easy to get broke, as the restaurant is supplying a 5 oz. Japanese Kobe Burger for $62.
Highlights of the menu include the combos, which match the classic burger (Black Angus beef with the fixins’) with fries and either a fountain soda or a milkshake.
The burger lives up to the hype; it’s just a matter of snagging a seat.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Sunday Morning French Toast
It recently occurred to me that every time I make a family brunch, I ALWAYS use a tattered, ripped-from-a-magazine recipe for banana stuffed French toast. Last week, I realized that the recipe comes from Zoe Restaurant in Soho. I got the restaurant recipe from a decade-old Bon Appétit Magazine. And over the years, I’ve made small changes to the original that appear in myriad pen markings over the glossy page. I’ve also discovered that using the whole-wheat challah from Silver Moon Bakery on 105th Street makes the very best rendition. This recipe, though it seems tedious, can be split into night-before and day-of preparation, a huge bonus for morning meal prep. Usually, I toast the almonds, prep the bananas, and make the dry sugar-oat mix the night prior to my big brunch.
Ingredients: for 6 big servings.
2 tbsps plus ¼ cup unsalted butter
2 tbsps plus ½ cup sugar
2 large ripe bananas
1 loaf of challah
2 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup thinly sliced almonds—toasted
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup minute oats
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1.Heat 2 tbsps. butter in a skillet; add 2 tbsps. sugar and water. Stir until it foams.
2.Slice in the bananas and cook until tender. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and chill.
3.In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and 2 tsps cinnamon. Add ¼ cup butter and incorporate.
4.Preheat oven to 350º. Slice bread into 2-inch-thick slices. Slit a pocket in the middle of each slice. Stuff each bread slice with the banana mixture.
5.Whisk milk, eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and ½ cup sugar and pour into a baking dish. Soak bread slices for 10 minutes, and then flip them and let sit for another 5 minutes.
6.Remove bread from egg mixture. Coat both sides of each piece with toasted almonds. Place the bread on a baking sheet and drop clumps of the brown sugar butter on top of each slice.
7.Bake for about 25 minutes and serve hot.
Ingredients: for 6 big servings.
2 tbsps plus ¼ cup unsalted butter
2 tbsps plus ½ cup sugar
2 large ripe bananas
1 loaf of challah
2 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup thinly sliced almonds—toasted
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup minute oats
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1.Heat 2 tbsps. butter in a skillet; add 2 tbsps. sugar and water. Stir until it foams.
2.Slice in the bananas and cook until tender. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and chill.
3.In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and 2 tsps cinnamon. Add ¼ cup butter and incorporate.
4.Preheat oven to 350º. Slice bread into 2-inch-thick slices. Slit a pocket in the middle of each slice. Stuff each bread slice with the banana mixture.
5.Whisk milk, eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and ½ cup sugar and pour into a baking dish. Soak bread slices for 10 minutes, and then flip them and let sit for another 5 minutes.
6.Remove bread from egg mixture. Coat both sides of each piece with toasted almonds. Place the bread on a baking sheet and drop clumps of the brown sugar butter on top of each slice.
7.Bake for about 25 minutes and serve hot.
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