The Ultimate Roast Chicken
If nothing else, every home cook should know how to make the perfect Roast Chicken. It’s inexpensive, soul satisfying, and equally impressive as either the centerpiece of an elegant dinner party, or served to the family for a laidback, weeknight supper. Chefs as noted as Thomas Keller and Lidia Bastianich would both request the humble roast chicken for their last meal on earth. And as we recently illustrated in our article “Food Trends to Watch for in 2013,” family-style, roast chicken dinners have become the pride of some of the best restaurants in the city.
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Q & A with Pork Slope’s Dale Talde
Considering he’s currently one of the most buzzed about chefs in Brooklyn, it’s hard to believe that Dale Talde was told to pack his knives and go, twice, on Bravo’s reality cooking show, Top Chef. But for fans and customers that have come to know and love him for his outgoing personality, down-to-earth restaurants, and unique fusion dishes like Pretzel Pork and Chive Dumplings and Crispy Oyster and Bacon Pad Thai, a TV show title doesn’t mean much.
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Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate
This decidedly adult hot chocolate is kicked into high gear by lip-tingling chili peppers, spicy cinnamon, and a shot (or two) of fiery tequila. Being a grown up has never tasted so good!
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Q & A with China Latina’s Julieta Ballesteros
Consistently hailed as one of the top Mexican chefs in NYC, Julieta Ballesteros has worked hard to prove that real Mexican cuisine isn’t about nachos, burritos, and excess amounts of sour cream and shredded cheese.
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Happy New Year Hoppin’ John
The traditional southern specialty Hoppin’ John is thought to ensure 12 months filled with prosperity, owing to the inclusion of black-eyed peas (which look like coins) and hearty greens (the color of money). Oh, and it also happens to be seriously delicious. Talk about a double dose of good fortune!
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Q & A with Maison Premiere’s Chef Jared Stafford-Hill
What a difference five years have made in the life of Jared Stafford-Hill. When we last checked in with him back in 2008, he had just come on as the executive chef at Bobo in the West Village, charged with revitalizing a floundering menu of seasonal French classics. When he was let go shortly afterwards, however, Stafford-Hill was devastated. “It was pretty hard. It was all very surprising,” he said. “I was really cautious afterwards, because that experience was kind of demoralizing.” So much so, that the mild-mannered chef elected to stay off-the-radar and out of kitchens until just four months ago. Happily, he’s currently finding his mojo again as chef at the stylish Maison Premiere in Brooklyn, helping it evolve beyond oysters and absinthe into a full-blown, high-end eatery. His series of seafood small plates, which includes Sea Urchin...
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Christmas Morning Monkey Bread
You’ve probably run yourself ragged making cookies, cakes and candies over these last couple of weeks, and we’re willing to bet that you currently have a fridge full of casseroles ready to be warmed, a pot for boiling potatoes already bubbling on the stove, and a giant ham or turkey that needs to hit the oven no later than 9 am. That’s why no one will blame you if you take a little help from the refrigerated section of the supermarket in order to make this last minute (but totally delicious) sticky-sweet, pecan-studded Monkey Bread. We recommend it for Christmas morning, but no matter when you serve it we guarantee your family will ask for it again and again. Christmas Morning Monkey Bread Ingredients: 4 12-ounce packages of refrigerated biscuit dough 1 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon...
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Q & A with La Villette’s Chef Christophe Bonnegrace
At age 14, Provence-born chef Christophe Bonnegrace was convinced his cooking career was over before it had started. His first job, as an apprentice, lasted approximately one week, and ended with the head chef thrusting his hands in the fryer. “I got scared, escaped the kitchen and pedaled home as fast as I could to get away from this guy!” Bonnegrace remembers. Luckily his wounds (both literal and figurative) from that grisly first experience eventually healed, setting off a career that’s taken him from celebrity-frequented restaurants and resorts in Beverley Hills (Aristoff Caviar and Fine Food), Maui (The Royal Lahaina) and Las Vegas (Little Buddha), all the way to the far reaches of Africa, where he learned to cook crickets over pit fires with primitive tribes from Cairo and Nairobi. Although his passport may indicate otherwise, at the end...
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Chocolate Orange Biscotti
Who doesn’t love baking (and eating) batch after batch of cookies during the holiday season? We particularly enjoy making these crunchy, not too sweet biscotti, perfect for having alongside a cup of coffee or cocoa, or dipping into a glass of rum-spiked eggnog or dessert wine. We know that once you try them, they’ll become a beloved part of your holiday tradition.
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The Best Hanukkah Latkes
With all of Christmas’s in-your-face spectacle, it can be hard to remember that a somewhat subtler holiday, Hanukah, is right around the corner. The festival of lights begins this Saturday, in fact, an eight-day celebration that includes menorah lighting, dreidel spinning, present giving, and most importantly, lots and lots of fried food. The star of any Hanukah table is undoubtedly the latke, a crispy potato pancake cooked in plenty of hot oil. When the festival of lights rolls around this year, we’re turning to this fail-safe recipe for our own latke enjoyment, and think you should too.
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Q & A with Tavern on the Green’s New Chef Katy Sparks
Katy Sparks may be a farm girl at heart, but that hasn’t stopped her from making her mark at some of the most revered four-star restaurants in New York City.
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Not So Traditional Turkey Pho
Sandwiches, casseroles and pot pies are great, but why not step up your Thanksgiving leftovers game this year by adding a Vietnamese accent to your standard turkey soup?
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Q & A with Il Buco Alimentari’s Chef Justin Smillie
It’s been quite a year for chef Justin Smillie, whose cooking at Il Buco Alimentari E Vineria has garnered plenty of attention and packed tables night after night. This NoHo market-cum-restaurant-cum-wine-bar manages to be everything to everyone. From the crusty, Italian breads baked in house, to the salumi dried and aged in the basement, and pastas, made impeccably fresh daily.
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Q&A with Crave Fishbar’s Todd Mitgang
Not many chefs get the opportunity to be a Chef De Cuisine at just 22 years old. Todd Mitgang managed to graduate from the French Culinary Institute and land himself in the modern Thai kitchen at Kittichai, inside the stylish, Thompson Hotel. Mitgang has seen it all over his ten year career. His breakout success, Crave Ceviche Bar, was destroyed by a freak crane accident in 2008, forcing him to close his restaurant and start virtually from scratch. His next move was an unexpected one, turning up at Cascabel Taqueria where he tried his hand at casual Mexican cooking, then out east in Montauk at South Edison. But after three years, Mitgang has finally revived the Crave brand with Crave Fishbar as inspired by flavors from all over the globe as ever. He’s bringing back old classics and taking risks...
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Blueberry Soup Fix
What’s more summery than plump, indigo-stained blueberries practically bursting at the seams with sweetness? Berries of all sorts are the emblematic fruits of summer. And unlike ice cream, you don’t have to feel guilty about loving them! Not to bore you with the details, but blueberries have immeasurable health benefits. They have an extremely low glycemic index, which means they don’t impact our blood sugar levels. Another plus is that they also have tons of antioxidants, which means they improve memory, not to mention they’re full of fiber. In other words, snack away! If you’re looking for a quick blueberry fix, there’s plenty of great options, but they won’t last long. One of our favorites is the Warm Blueberry Crumble at Dressler. This unspeakably good dessert is served with crème fraiche ice cream and a port wine reduction. Or...
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Q&A with Ember Room’s Ian Charlermkittichai
Not many chefs start there culinary career pushing a food cart through the streets of Bangkok, but “Ian Kittichai” Chalermkittichai isn’t your average chef. He has bragging rights to multiple restaurants around the globe, cookbooks, and as a permanent Iron Chef on Iron Chef Thailand. And that barely scratches the surface. Chef Ian Kittichai didn’t start out with dreams of chef stardom, in fact, being a chef was the last thing he wanted as a child. Despite aspirations of studying English, Charlermkittichai was recruited into the restaurant world while working part time at the Waldorf Hotel in London. He’s worked everywhere from George V in Paris to El Bulli in Spain and The French Laundry in Napa. A lifetime later, he remains in the kitchen, experimenting with traditional Thai recipes at Ember Room in New York City, turning out cookbooks, and...
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Q & A With Azure & La Promenade’s Alain Allegretti
How does Alain Allegretti juggle restaurants in two different states? “I gave up sleeping,” he explains. But don’t expect this handsome chef to give up his golf game or sex. Alain Allegretti has a lot on his plate right now, with the opening of his new restaurant, Azure, in Atlantic City, along with his flagship restaurant, La Promenade de Anglais, but he’s taking it all in stride with no plans to slow down any time soon. That’s a good thing because he’s one of the most talented, young French chefs in the country. Allegretti first arrived on the New York dining scene in 2001, after honing his culinary skills in France – Restaurant Le Chantecler, Chez Chapel, and Restaurant Le Louis XV to name a few. And it wasn’t long before Allegretti was running his own eponymous restaurant, Allegretti,...
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Q&A With Molyvos’s Jim Botsacos
Fifteen years is a long time for a restaurant to survive in New York City. And it’s even longer for a chef to stay in the same kitchen (nevermind boast a 17-year marriage!). But Jim Botsacos has managed to keep midtown Greek, Molyvos, relevant for over a decade. With a brand new makeover and a new menu, Molyvos is better than ever. When asked if he ever worries about being down the block from Mylos, he explains, “No – sometimes, having two Greek restaurants in a close proximity can be a good thing. It brings people to the area for Greek cuisine and it can work to our advantage.” Besides, Botsacos has another restaurant of his own just down the block, except his second eatery, Abbocato, is Italian. If you’ve ever wondered whether where his heart truly lies, with Greek or...
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Q & A with No Kitchen Required’s Michael Psilakis
Michael Psilakis is a fighter. Plenty of chefs have their ups and downs, but few bounce back as well as Psilakis has done over the years. Just look at his career: He elevated Greek to a haute plane with Anthos, earning a Michelin star in the process, and cooking at the White House. He parted ways with Anthos and Mia Dona and his partner Donatella Arpaia, and soon after both restaurants closed. Psilakis then opened a short-lived spot called Gus & Gabriel, which became Fishtag, and Kefi. He’s having his moment in the spotlight once again. After opening MP Taverna, a Greek family-style restaurant in Roslyn, to rave reviews, he’s decided to open two more MP Taverna outposts this summer in Irvington and Astoria. Psilakis also has a newfound television career, competing on this season’s No Kitchen Required, a new BBC America show...
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Q & A with Salinas Chef Luis Bollo
It’s not easy to be a trailblazer in New York. Just ask Luis Bollo, the talented Basque chef who opened Meigas on Hudson Street over ten years ago. Bollo was the first chef to bring modernist Spanish cuisine, with its Ferran Adria-stamped foams and gels to Manhattan. While reviewers were impressed by his innovative style, the mainstream audience wasn’t quite ready for molecular gastronomy and both Bolo and Meigas relocated to Connecticut after just two years. “When I opened Meigas, there were two radical ways of looking at Spanish cuisine: critics began to look at Spanish cooking as a novelty and an evolution, while the general public didn’t know more than old-fashioned tapas and paellas,” Bollo said. But with the opening of Casa Mono, Boqueria and other tapas joints, New Yorkers have come to embrace both traditional and modern Spanish cooking...
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