Locanda Verde's Pistachio Brown Butter Cake
From Chef Karen DeMasco From her new cookbook “The Craft of Baking” Ingredients: 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan1 cup unsalted pistachios1 tablespoon all-purpose flour3/4 cup cake flour 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt7 large egg whites (3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons)1 cup sliced plums and apricots2 tablespoons Demerara sugar Procedure: Put the butter in a small heavy bottomed saucepan and cook it over medium heat until it is light brown and smells nutty, (about six minutes). Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl. Combine the pistachios and flour in the bowl of a food processor and grind until fine. Whisk together the ground pistachios, cake flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg...
Read MoreQ & A with Josh DeChellis
Josh DeChellis is a jack-of-all-trades in the food world. He was born in Colombia, got his first job in an Italian joint in New Jersey, and has since cooked everything from French to Asian to tempura. DeChellis trained at the CIA, then went on to work with such notable chefs as Wolfgang Puck, David Bouley, Jean-Georges, and Charlie Trotter. DeChellis had dinner at Rocco DeSpirito’s Union Pacific and and decided he wanted to work there. Following Union Pacific, he went on to opened a few restaurants of his own, including Sumile, a Japanese restaurant, and a modern American tempura spot called BarFry. These days, Josh DeChellis is tackling modern Spanish cooking at the newest incarnation of La Fonda del Sol. His bar room menu features tapas, like patatas bravas and black mission figs with serrano ham and goat cheese. ...
Read MoreQ & A with Ryan Lowder
Ryan Lowder craves action – perhaps that’s why he traded a career in finance for one in the kitchen. And just recently, he jumped from Spanish cooking at Mercat, where he ran the kitchen, to Italian. This former pro skier and mountain biker credits his culinary interests to grandparents who were farmers. He got his start at the bottom, delivering pizzas, washing dishes, and bussing tables in Salt Lake City, and eventually headed east to the Culinary Institute of America. Instead of hanging around for graduation from the CIA, Lowder found himself working at Jean Georges, followed by stages and consulting gigs in both Colombia and Spain. Arriving back in New York, he worked at Casa Mono and as the opening chef at Mercat, where his cooking garnered the attention of restaurateur Sasha Muniak, a regular at the chef’s counter at Mercat. Currently, Chef Ryan Lowder...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips
If you love peaches as much as I do, you’re pretty happy right now. It’s prime peach season. I love them in pies, cobblers and ice cream, but I don’t have the time for such labor intensive baking. I love this easy and versatile recipe for baked peaches. It’s not just for peaches, it works with nectarines and apricots too. Slice your peaches in half, remove the pit and peel off the skin unless you’re fine with skin. (I am.) Then, fill the center of each halve with anything you’re craving. I chose whatever I had in my pantry — shredded coconut, chopped almonds and cinnamon, but cookie crumbs and dried fruit work too. Dot the top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup. Place it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until bubbly and fragrant. ...
Read MoreJo's Gazpacho
By executive chef Ian Topper Kapitan(Serves 6) Ingredients: 2 lbs Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes 1-Cup Bread Crumbs 1 ½ Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Cloves Garlic 6 Tbsp Spanish Sherry Vinegar 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt 1 Red Pepper 2 Basil Leaves 1/2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Chives 1 Baguette Preparation: · Preheat broiler or grill. Cook the whole peppers over high heat until they have blackened spots and blisters and are tender. · Place the peppers into a brown paper bag and roll up the top to seal to steam the peppers. Set aside until the peppers cool. · When the peppers are cool, remove the skins. Slice the peppers open and scrape out the cores and seeds. Rinse under water quickly and dry well with paper towels. Cut into a fine julienne or small strips. · Core and...
Read MoreQ & A with George Mendes
Distinguishing yourself as a chef is not easy. Yet, George Mendes has done just that with his first restaurant, Aldea located in the Flatiron District. This Portuguese chef has managed to bring invigorate Iberian cuisine with his modern twists on classic Portuguese and Spanish fare. Mendes has been working two years to get Aldea off the ground. Prior to his solo debut, Mendes graduated from the CIA and went on to train under such esteemed chefs as David Bouley and Alain Ducasse. Multiple stages in France and Spain further prepared him for the role of executive chef at Le Zoo and Toqueville. At Aldea, he’s receiving deserved critical attention for his vibrant Iberian cooking. The menu’s filled with Spanish and Portuguese classics, like shrimp alhinho as well unique bites, like sea urchin toast with cauliflower cream, sea...
Read MoreA60's Plum Sake Sangria
Ingredients:1 bottle plum sake12 oz. Svedka Clementine8 oz. dry white wine6 oz. Triple Sec8 oz. pineapple juice2 oz. lime juice Procedure:Chop fresh fruit into cubes (kiwi, pineapple, oranges) and combine with liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve over ice in a wine glass. Makes 12-14 servings. A60Thompson Hotel60 Thompson St., btwn. Spring St. & Broome St.(212)...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips
Another great use for bananas is making a banana whip, so creamy that it could easily sub in for ice cream. Mix three mashed bananas with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice, and cook until it boils over a medium flame. Chill in the fridge and then fold in a cup of whipped cream. You can chill it and eat it like a pudding, or put in the freezer for a banana “ice cream” like I did. It’s super thick and rich, and can be dressed up with some warm peanut butter on top. There’s no shortage of blueberries in summer and they can be used to make so many wonderful desserts. They’re great in muffins and tarts, and apparently they’re great for blueberry pudding too. We found this recipe for Maine Blueberry Pudding from the Fannie Farmer...
Read MoreVan Leeuwen's Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream
Created by Chef & Truck Owner Ben Van Leeuwen Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1 & 1/4 cup sugar 7 egg yolks 6 oz Michel Cluizel 99% Method: In a double boiler, simmer milk with ¾ sugar until the sugar dissolves, 5-10min on very low heat. (Note: At this point you begin infusing the flavor of your choice) Add 2 and 1/3 cups of cream and stir, cover and allow to cool for approx 15 ins Put egg yolks in a separate bowl to begin the emulsification process. Then, bring cream and milk mix back to a low heat and add a ¼ cup to egg yolks to temper. Whisking constantly. (You will see emulsification begin and foam appear.) Pour egg mix into remaining milk and cream mix, add chocolate and stir...
Read MoreQ & A with Eric Hara
It takes courage to step into a sinking kitchen, but Eric Hara plunged into The Oak Room at the Plaza after the departure of Joel Antunes. He’s certainly qualified for the task. He began experimenting with souffles at the age of sixteen and worked under Michel Richard at Citronelle in Santa Barbara. By age twenty-six, Chef Hara was already running the kitchen at Chez Josephine. Soon after, he built a lasting relationship with David Burke at both David Burke Townhouse and Fishtail and then went onto accept the “Rising Star Chef of 2007,” award. At The Oak Room, Eric Hara’s created a modern, accessible menu, including a Fry Bar with a variety of unique toppings. He’s also brought over his signature PB&J foie gras from David Burke Townhouse. Single/Married/Divorced?Married with a 2 ½ year old son, Jaden. What did...
Read MoreDovetail's Cucumber Vichyssoise
By Executive Chef & Owner John Fraser(Serves 4) Ingredients: 4 cucumbers – 3 ½ cucumbers for the soup; ½ for the garnish 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only) 2 Yukon gold potatoes 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½ cup crème fraiche 1 T Champagne wine vinegar 8 cups water salt, to taste ½ cup dill 1 smoked trout (purchased at the store) peel skins and bones and shredded Procedure: Peel and slice cucumbers. Wash leek and slice. Peel and slice the potatoes. Sweat the leeks and potatoes until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cucumbers and cook just until soft, approximately 4 mins. Cover with water and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes. Take off the heat and add the crème fraiche. Put the liquid mixture into a blender (or use an immersion blender)...
Read MoreQ & A with Joel Dennis
You would assume Alain Ducasse would put a Frenchman in charge of Adour, his haute French restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel. Joel Dennis isn’t from France. “I’m just a kid from upstate New York,” says Dennis, who grew up in his mother’s kitchen. He started at the very bottom, working as a dishwasher at a Vermont ski resort, where he learned humility and dedication were instrumental in the kitchen. Dennis went from the CIA straight into Alain Ducasse’s kitchens in both Paris and New York. But when he was offered the chef de cuisine position at Tru, he leaped at the chance and moved to Chicago. He played an instrumental role in earning the restaurant four stars from the Chicago Tribune. In November, Ducasse offered him the chance to replace Tony Esnault at Adour. I asked why he...
Read MoreMorimoto's High Line Cocktail
Ingredients: *1 oz. shochu*1 oz. vodka*5 sliced cucumbers*2 shiso or mint leaves. Procedure: 1) Combine shochu and vodka. 2) Add muddled cucumber and shiso. 3) Serve in a highball glass on the rocks with a sugar and chili powder rim. Address: 88 10th Ave. (btwn. 15th & 16th Sts.) Phone: (212)...
Read MoreQ & A with Gina DePalma
If you need a little inspiration, just look at Gina DePalma. She’s battling ovarian cancer, launched a cancer foundation, won a James Beard Award, and writing a second cookbook. She’s also the pastry chef at Babbo. Not bad at all. It was a long road up. DePalma’s first job was as the cook, the only cook, in the kitchen of a small town cafe in Northern Virginia. After years working in the restaurants, she earned a culinary arts degree from the Peter Kump cooking school. She was literally forced into pastry by a teacher who sent her for an externship in at Chanterelle. From there, she went to Gramercy Tavern to work under Claudia Fleming At Gramercy, DePalma cultivated her simple, ingredient-driven style before moving on to become the pastry chef at The Cub Room, then onto...
Read More21 Club's Lobster Roll
By Chef John Greeley(Serves 1) Ingredients:For Roll 1 Potato Roll (sliced horizontally, spread softened butter on inside and toast in warm pan until golden) 2 Bibb Lettuce Leaves 2 slices Tomato (cut slices in half) * Lobster Salad (see below) For Lobster Salad: 1- 1.5 Lobster (boil lobster / chill and remove meat / cut into ½ inch chunks) 2 tbs. Mayonnaise (homemade or a good Brand name) ½ Lemon (juice and zest from a micro plane) 1 Tbs. Red Onion (small dice) 1 Tbs. Celery (peeled / sliced 1/8 inch thick on mandolin) 1 tsp. Fines Herbs (equal amount chives / tarragon / chervil) 1 Tbs. Avocado Oil Pinch Celery Salt (to taste) Pinch Piment De Espelette (to taste) Method: Mix lobster salad, keep well chilled. Toast roll as per above, lay in Bibb lettuce, and tomato then...
Read MoreQ & A with Keith McNally
Keith McNally has mastered the art of French restaurants better than most Frenchmen: the tin ceilings, weathered mirrors, and red leather banquettes. Just look at his body of work — Balthazar, Pastis, and Schiller’s Liquor Bar. Not bad for a working class British man, who used to bus tables at Serendipity and shuck oysters at One Fifth. But before he arrived in New York, McNally tried to make a living as a theater and film actor in London. Nowadays, McNally oversees seven restaurants, including his newest venture, Minetta Tavern. It’s something straight out of the 1930’s — the restored bar, the murals, black & white photographs, Grand Marnier souffles and tavern steaks. If you thought he was done, he’s embarked on another- a yet unnamed pizzeria on the Bowery. What does McNally do in his spare time? He tends to his...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips
It’s not that easy to whip up a batch of peanut butter cookies. We got resourceful (read desparate) late one night and figured out how to make do with three ingredients. It’s cheap and a little too quick. Mix one cup each of either smooth or chunky peanut butter and sugar with a single egg. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on a buttered cookie sheet (they spread a lot). Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. It’s hard to imagine eating cookies made without flour or butter, but these come out beautifully, with a crispy edge and gooey center. I found a recipe for a cake so moist and tasty that I couldn’t believe it has no butter, milk or eggs. It’s...
Read MoreFatty Crab's Papaya & Mango Salad
By Zak Pelaccio(Serves 4) Ingredients:½ quart green, unripe papaya julienne½ quart cucumber julienne½ pint green mango julienne½ quart ripe mango julienne½ pint 1” long charred Chinese long bean1/3 pint lightly crushed roasted peanut1/3 pint julienne long red chilipickled Thai basilpickled Viet mint Dressing:1 Bird’s Eye Chili1 T minced Ginger1 T fish sauce3 limes, juiced1 T coriander roots½ t minced garlic½ t minced shallot2 T palm sugar Method:1) Blend until smooth.2) Mix sliced ingredients in a mixing bowl, season with salt and dressing to coat ingredients.3) Place salad in a bowl and crushed peanuts on top. Fatty CrabAddress: 2170 Broadway, btwn. 77th & 78th Aves.Phone:...
Read MoreFatty Crab's Papaya and Mango Salad
By Executive Chef Zak Pelaccio(Serves 4) Ingredients: Salad: ½ quart green, unripe papaya julienne ½ quart cucumber julienne ½ pint green mango julienne ½ quart ripe mango julienne ½ pint 1” long charred Chinese long bean 1/3 pint lightly crushed roasted peanut 1/3 pint julienne long red chili pickled Thai basil pickled Viet mint Dressing: 1 Bird’s Eye Chili 1 T minced Ginger 1 T fish sauce 3 limes, juiced 1 T coriander roots ½ t minced garlic ½ t minced shallot 2 T palm sugar Method: 1) Blend the dressing ingredients until smooth. 2) Mix sliced ingredients in a mixing bowl, season with salt and dressing to coat ingredients.3) Place salad in a bowl and sprinkle crushed peanuts on top. Address: 2170 Broadway (btwn. 76th & 77th Sts.) Phone: (212)...
Read MoreQ & A with Silkstone
Once upon a time, ambitious young chefs trained under big name chefs, so they could follow in their footsteps one day. Take Ben Towill: he grew up in a small town in England, trained under several celebrated chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, for a number of years. His next stop was New York, where he opened Kingswood and helped make it a popular Australian gastropub. But Towill’s next move was a bit unexpected. He didn’t leave Kingswood to open his own restaurant. He handed the kitchen over to his younger brother to open a catering company called Silkstone. These days young chefs buy trucks and sell anything tacos to desserts. Instead, Towill dreamed of catering parties, feeding his guests with only local, organic and the freshest of produce. For much of his childhood, Towill was ill. His health only improved when he began...
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