Q & A with Leah Cohen
If you haven’t tasted Leah Cohen’s piccolini or pasta at Centro Vinoteca in the West Village, you probably only know her as New York’s hometown favorite on this season’s Top Chef. To think, she started her career delivering pizzas and now she runs her own kitchen in the West Village. Leah had no clue what she wanted to do wtih her life. She stumbled into cooking at college, working part time in a restaurant. Before Centro, Cohen worked in Sicily and under Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park. Her hardest gig to date was standing before Padma, Tom, & Gail every week on Top Chef. She didn’t win, but she’s dating the guy who did take first place — Hosea Rosenberg. Now that Top Chef’s over, she’s back in Centro’s kitchen, cooking up kabocha squash ravioli with walnuts, brown butter, and vincotto and braised short...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips Part 5
There aren’t many people who disdain dulce de leche. (Unless they’re lactose intolerant.) It’s creamy, it’s sweet, and it’s tangy. Unfortunately, it’s also hard to find, so I’ve figured out a cheap and easy way to make it at home. All you’ll need is a can of sweetened condensed milk, a saucepan, and water. Remove the label off the can, place it in the saucepan, and pour in enough water to come up 2/3 of the way. Then, poke large holes on the top of the can with a bottle opener. Boil for 3 to 4 hours, keeping an eye on the water level. That’s it. Dulce de leche for little over a dollar! I’ve read lots of recipes that call for a “silpat” – a silicone mat used to line baking sheets. While it admittedly works wonders, it’s...
Read MoreJames' Ricotta Beignets with Red Wine Berry Coulis
By Executive Chef Bryan Calvert(Serves 4) Ingredients: Ricotta Mixture 3 Tablespoons Sugar 3 Tablespoons Honey ½ Pound Cream Cheese ¼ Cup Fresh Ricotta Cheese Zest of ½ Lemon 3 Eggs 4 Tablespoons Milk 4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream Breading 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 cup cornstarch 4 eggs lightly beaten 2 cups grated coconut Oil for frying Procedure: 1) Preheat Oven to 325 F 2) Combine Sugar, Honey and Cream Cheese in an electric mixer and cream together 3) Add Ricotta, and Zest and Mix until combined 4) Add 1 egg at a time until blended 5) Add Milk and Cream 6) Butter an 8 inch cake pan and place mixture in. 7) Bake for 1 hour at 325 F in a water bath until a skewer comes out clean from the middle of the cake. 8) Cool for 1 hour...
Read MoreQ & A wih Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless doesn’t just cook Mexican food. He redefines it and he’s been doing so for eleven years. What’s even more unique about this Bayless is that he’s American and what he calls, “a translator of Mexican cooking.” In 1987, he opened Frontera Grill in Chicago. Since then, he has explored highbrow Mexican at Topolobampo and lowbrow at Frontera Fresco. If you’ve never visited his restaurants in Chicago, Bayless has also got a prepared food line of his own and numerous cookbooks. If that’s not enough for one chef to handle, he also just wrapped filming the seventh season of his PBS series Mexico, One Plate at a Time. We were caught up with Bayless during his annual Macy’s culinary council and got to ask him why he won’t open in New York. Would you ever consider opening in...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips Part 4
In an ideal world, I’d always choose a first-rate brand like Callebaut or Valhrona chocolate over a lesser one. But there are great, more budget-friendly options that don’t compromise quality. My favorite is Baker’s brand. Their white chocolate has a unique melting consistency, which isn’t to say Baker’s bittersweet, semisweet, German sweet, and unsweetened chocolate aren’t just as good. No, it’s not 61% Grand Cru or 72%, but it’s still worthy chocolate. I love real vanilla beans, the smell of fresh cardamom pods, and just-grated nutmeg. Sometimes, they’re not entirely practical or economical ingredients. Extracts and ground spices save money and space. Do keep in mind, fresher’s always more potent. That means you’ll have to add a little more. Lots of recipes call for steaming when baking custards or cakes. The recipes refer to an actual steamer, rack and...
Read MoreQ & A with Daniel Humm
What do you get when you combine 18 years of culinary experience with multi-starred cooking in Switzerland, San Francisco and New York? Daniel Humm. You can taste his exceptional work at Eleven Madison Park, but his journey to New York is nearly as unique. Chef Humm jump-started his career at age 14 when he apprenticed in some of Switzerland’s top restaurants, such as Hotel Baur au Lac. Humm left there for Gasthaus zum Gupf in the Swiss Alps, where the then teenager quickly rose to executive chef and earned the restaurant a Michelin Star. Next stop: America. He landed a position at Campton Place in San Francisco, instantly drawing praise. More importantly, he found a team and formed a bond so strong with his staff that he took them to New York to work alongside him at Danny...
Read MoreL'Artusi's Sunchokes with Calabrian Chilies
By Chef-owner Gabe Thompson(Serves 2) Ingredients: 1 lb Sunchokes (or Jerusalem Artichokes), washed in warm water, cut into thumb-sized pieces 1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt 1 Tbs. Calabrian Chilies, chopped 1 Tbs. Parsley, chopped 2 Tbs. Lemon Juice Preparation:Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a saute pan until piping hot. Working in batches, roast single layers of sunchokes on all sides until golden and crispy. Season with salt. Set aside in a large bowl. Repeat until all sunchokes are roasted. Toss cooked sunchokes with calabrian chilies, parsley, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. Address: 228 West 10th Street, Btwn. Bleecker & Hudson Sts.Phone:...
Read MoreQ & A with Alain Allegretti
Alain Allegretti may not look like it, but he’s a farmer at heart. And Eater’s Hottest Chef of 2009. The Ducasse-trained chef spent much of his childhood gathering produce and tending to animals on his family farm in Nice. But it was at mealtime that he learned how to cook. Allegretti learned the foundations from his grandmother, Alain Ducasse, Alain Chapel and Le Chantecler under Jacques Maximin. Why a chef would leave France for New York? Perhaps to be the co-executive chef at Le Cirque 2000, only to follow it up as head of kitchen at multi-starred Atelier. He also owns a farm upstate, where he grows some of the produce you’ll find on the menu at Allegretti, his solo debut in the Flatiron District. Despite a less than ideal economy, Alain has managed to thrive and draw critical attention,...
Read MoreQ & A with City Bakery's Maury Rubin
The secret of City Bakery’s hot chocolate will apparently remain a secret. At least until owner Maury Rubin is — god forbid — dead. Ironically, Maury Rubin is an accidental baker and restaurateur. In fact, a two-time Emmy award winner for his work as a television sports producer and director. But a pastry class in France changed all that. Now, there’s not only a City Bakery in New York, but LA’s got one of their own. And we’ve got two green Birdbath Bakeries in Manhattan. How do you go from directing television and making documentaries to pretzel croissants and pastries? We’re not sure. Maybe it’s the lure of the outrageously crispy chocolate chip cookies. Or the mammoth-sized Baker’s Muffin. Or the hot chocolate Maury Rubin is well-versed when it comes to the science of rich, molten chocolate. So much...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips Part 3
If it were easy to make ice cream, we’d all be dreaming up flavors in the middle of the night. The kitchen would be a much more dangerous place. But it’s not easy without an ice cream machine. Believe me, I’ve tried everything from ice cream in a bag to ice cream in a coffee can. Not to mention beating a tray of frozen custard, which amounts to nothing more than slush. But I discovered the magic of the parfait. Not the layered dessert, but a different way to make ice cream (for less money and time). Here’s what you’ll need to do: Do not heat the heavy cream with the milk. Instead, boil the milk and make a custard with eggs, sugar, and flavorings. Once strained and cooled, fold in the heavy cream, whipped, until it has the...
Read MoreRouge Tomate's Spinach Almond Pesto Spread
By Executive Chef Jeremy Bearman (Serves 2, or enough for 4 slices of bread) Ingredients 5 bunches, about 2 ½ lbs. Cleaned Spinach (Savoy or Bloomsdale) 1 cup of toasted almonds 1/2 cup, about garlic cloves, blanched 1 cup of toasted almonds 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil salt & pepper to your taste Preparation· Pre-heat an oven to 300˚F. ·Put a large pot of salted water on the stove for blanching the spinach and garlic. ·Take a large container and fill it with ice and water. ·Toss the almonds with ¼ tsp. of olive oil and a pinch of salt. ·Place almonds on a sheet tray or in a pan in a single layer. ·Place in the pre-heated oven and toast until they are golden, about three minutes. ·Remove from the oven and allow almonds to cool to room...
Read MoreQ & A with Bryan Calvert
Bryan Calvert is a family man – he named his restaurant after his great-grandfather and followed in his footsteps as a chef. He also works really close to home – in fact, right below his Prospect Heights apartment. He runs and owns James with his wife and business partner Deborah Williamson. It’s their first restaurant together. An alumni of Union Pacific, Calvert worked for several years at Bouley. Factor in being a private chef for Annie Liebovitz and owning an catering company and you’ve got a thriving restaurant. When the seasons permits, he freshly snips herbs from his own garden before and after service to work into his menu. It’s winter in New York, so we’ll have to wait til it warms up to eat from his herb garden on his rooftop. Right now, there’s crispy sweetbreads with Hubbard...
Read MoreRecession-Friendly Baking Tips
Yep, times have changed and we’re rolling with the punches. We’re back with our new “Recession Friendly Cooking Tips” column. This week, we’re all about baking… Occasionally, we’ll run into a recipe that calls for a some obscure or pricey ingredient, and I don’t want to invest in something I’m only going to use once. No worries. Here’s a few substitutions that don’t affect the outcome. *Try replacing one cup of buttermilk with one cup of whole milk mixed with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. *No glucose syrup in the pantry? Consider corn syrup. No one will ever know. *Out of self-rising flour? Substitute one cup of self-rising with a cup of all-purpose flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1.5 teaspoons baking powder. Voila! I’ve always wanted to make fudge or caramel, but...
Read MoreOscar Cocktails — Buddakan's Fate Cocktail
Designed by Jon Rothstein for Kate Winslet’s character in The Reader Ingredients: 1½ oz. St. Germain ½ oz. Orange Juice ½ oz. Pineapple Juice 1½ oz. Prosecco Preparation: 1) Combine St. Germain liqueur, orange and pineapple juice. 2) Top with Prosecco sparkling wine. 3) Serve in a martini glass. Buddakan Address: 75 Ninth Ave., at 16th StreetPhone:...
Read MoreQ & A with Johnny Iuzzini
It’s been over a year since we interviewed Johnny Iuzzini, and he’s been very busy. Since then, he’s published a new cookbook, Dessert Fourplay, and taken on a second career. Iuzzini’s isn’t just the pastry chef at Jean-Georges, which would be a full-time job for most everyone. He’s also been studying the art of cocktail making at PDT cocktail bar. He’s even got plans to open his own cocktail bar. For now, he’s perfecting the dessert quartet at Jean-Georges. Right now, there’s a chocolate quartet of cake, sponge, gnocchi and egg cream and spring is just on the horizon. Single/Married/Divorced?Unmarried but in a relationship Since we last interviewed you in 2007, how do you think you’ve grown as a pastry chef?I cook less for myself, and more for our clients, said another way, I have toned down...
Read MorePranna's A Rose By Any Other Name
Ingredients:4 rose petals (muddled).5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice.75 oz rose sherbet Elite Naturel (Whole Foods).5 oz St Germaine elderflower liquor.5 oz simple syrup1.5 oz Hendricks Gin1.5 oz Champagne Preparation:In a mixing glass add the rose petals, lemon juice and simple syrup and muddle. Add the rest of the ingredients except champagne, add ice, shake and pour out all contents into a highball glass. Add champagne and garnish with a rose petal. Address: 79 Madison Ave., btwn. 28th & 29th Sts. Phone:...
Read MoreQ & A with Albert Trummer
Just when you thought you’d seen everything, Apotheke came along. It’s not easy to find. Tucked away on Chinatown’s Doyers Street — a spot with a long history of bloody Chinese gang fights and shady opium dens — Apotheke is part cocktail bar, part pharmacy, and part alchemy. It’s the brainchild of “Bar chef” Albert Trummer and partners Heather & Chris Tierney. Whatever you do, don’t order a gin & tonic or cosmo. You’d be missing the point at this apothecary, serving meticulously created cocktails made with house-infused spirits, Asian herbs, and obscure South American leaves. Trummer even fashions his own brand of absinthe. Inspired by the pharmacies of his native Vienna, Trummer divides his offerings up to help you decide from the 250 plus cocktails served. The menu offers “Stress Relievers”, “Aphrodisiacs,” and “Health & Beauty”...
Read MoreGotham Bar and Grill's Ube Doughnuts with Cashew Ice Cream & Ube Anglaise
By Pastry Chef Deborah Racicot(Makes about 30 1.5 inch doughnuts) For the ube doughnuts *See noteIngredients:*62.5 g powdered ube (this can be found in Southeast Asian markets)*125 g coconut milk*12.5 g dry yeast*62.5 g butter*62.5 g sugar*3.75 g salt*43 g eggs*150 g all purpose flour*2 tbsp vanilla extract Preparation:1) Place the butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl of a standing mixer and cream with a paddle attachment until smooth.2) Add the eggs all at once, and mix until smooth.3) Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk in a microwave until it is warm to the touch, and use it to dissolve the yeast. 4) Add the milk and yeast mixture along with a third of the flour and mix until it’s smooth.5) Change the paddle attachment to a hook attachment and add another third of the flour mixed with...
Read MoreQ & A with the Rouge Tomate Team
When it comes to restaurant pedigrees, it’s hard to beat Rouge Tomate. The Chef Jeremy Bearman, a guy who used to work the deli counter, quickly climbed up through the culinary ranks all the way to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Pastry chef James Distefano began his career under Richard Leach at Park Avenue Café, and eventually moved on to whimsy at davidburke & donatella. But let’s not forget Natalia Rusin, the in-house nutritionist. Rusin is anything but the granola and tofu type. In fact, she was a daytime dietician, private chef at night, so she refuses to sacrifice flavor for health’s sake. There’s Rouge Tomate religion is an 85-page S.P.E. charter — from the Latin Sanitas Per Escam- health through food — focusing on nutritious and local ingredients. What’s on the menu, a super silky celery root and almond...
Read Moreil buco's Carpaccio di Manzo
By Executive Chef Ignacio Mattos(Serves 4) Ingredients: 12 oz fresh beef (top round or tenderloin) 1 cup cooked chickpeas 1 teaspoon toasted cumin 1/4 lb arugula 1/4 lb podda classico cheese oil for frying, preferably peanut For the salmoriglio: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon for zest and juice 1 teaspoon lemon thyme Salt Chili Preparation:Toast the cumin seeds in the oven or in a dry pan on a burner, they will start to give off a stronger fragrance as they toast. This does not take long, 2-3 minutes To make the salmoriglio work in a stainless steel bowl. Zest and juice the lemon, add the lemon thyme, minced, and a pinch of salt and chili. Mix with a fork and add the oil. It will be “broken”” or separated. This is normal. Mix well and...
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