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 MoreLe Cirque
In the lounge, it’s Le Cirque in blue jeans. 151 E. 58th St. (between Lexington and Third Aves) (212) 644-0202 Dinner, Mon.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m. CUISINE Modern French VIBE Elegant institution OCCASION Business lunch, romantic date, family affair DON’T-MISS DISHES Tuna with avocado tapenade, duck and green-mango salad, crème brûlée. AVERAGE PRICE Cafe prix fixe, $35; appetizers/entrées, $17; dessert, $12. RESERVATIONS Accepted but not necessary. I wore jeans to Le Cirque. My friend wore jeans and sneakers, and they didn’t throw us out. I felt a little guilty, but no one winced at us. Not even Sirio Maccioni, who still runs the show. What’s Le Cirque without Sirio — the man who wrote the playbook on working the dining room and keeping the rich and famous happy? But these days, Sirio runs the show from a...
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 MoreThe Scale Spoon
Kitchen scales are impossible to navigate. Especially when it comes to weighing small amounts. We tracked down a solution. The spoon scale can measure even the smallest amount to 1/10 of a gram. Best of all, the scale navigate between grams and ounces, covering all your bases. So no more excuses. Maybe it’s time to tackle that new cookie recipe. Scale Spoon for...
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 MoreChez Lucienne
An affordable French bistro in Harlem. 308 Lenox Ave., between 125th and 126th Streets (212) 289-5555 Lunch – 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., M-F.; Dinner – 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thur., 5 p.m.- midnight, Fri.-Sat.; Brunch – 11-3 Sat.-Sun. CUISINE French bistro VIBE Charming haunt OCCASION Group dinner, neighborhood eats DON’T-MISS DISH Foie gras terrine, tuna tartare, nougat glacé PRICE Appetizers $8, entrees $16, desserts $7 RESERVATIONS Recommended This is the way New York works: Something unexpected pops up and it turns out to fill a crying need. In other words, it wasn’t so unexpected after all. I mean, why was I surprised to find a good French bistro at 125th St. and Lenox Ave. —and surprised to find it jammed on a Friday night, so jammed you couldn’t make your way to the bar? The city is full of unexpected restaurants...
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 MoreUSB Herb Garden
City living has its pluses and negatives. Turn the corner and you’re likely to discover yet another great restaurant, street cart, or food find. Of course, there’s a catch. Living space is cramped and so much for fresh air and playing in the grass. Every spring, I get the urge to garden and a grow a few herbs of my own. City living doesn’t mean you have to give up the dream. My computer is the last place I’d think of, but now there’s a USB greenhouse, powered by your computer. Who needs sunlight and land or even time. You don’t even have to worry about when to water it your herbs now. The greenhosue software will remind you. It’s perfect for growing a little basil, mint, and oregano. Making capirinhas for a few friends, clip and serve. Start planting!...
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 MoreCasa La Femme
A new and improved Casa La Femme in the West Village. 140 Charles St., and Washington St. (212) 505-0005 Dinner: Sun. – Tue., 5p.m. – midnight: Wed. – Sat., 5p.m. – 3a.m. Cuisine: Egyptian Vibe: Sultry and exotic lounge Occasion: Intimate date, group grazing Don’t-miss dishes: Salataa tamatem, grilled lamb chops, baklava Average prices: Appetizers, $8; entrees, $20; dessert, $7.95. Tent prix fixe, $55 per person. Reservations: Recommended. How often do you get to eat dinner in a tent? And when you do, the bathroom is usually the great outdoors. But at Casa La Femme, a new restaurant that opened six weeks ago in the West Village, your table is tented in white organza from Egypt. At Casa La Femme, there’s a glass chandelier and chair in every bathroom. In fact, just about everything in the 200-seat restaurant is...
Read MoreBest Matzoh Ball Soups in Town
It feels like the cold will be sticking around for just a little longer. So instead of wishing it would just get warm already, perhaps we should just revel in its comfort foods, like a warm bowl of matzoh ball soup. The Jews were onto something when they came up with the whole fluffy matzoh ball floating in rich chicken broth. We’ve done a lot of due diligence over the years and rounded up a list of our favorites… Zabar’s Address: 2245 Broadway (at 80th St.) Phone: (212) 787-2000 If you’re the kind that doesn’t like your matzoh ball marinating in broth too long, Zabar’s offers the perfect solution. At this Upper West Side fixture, you can buy a quart of chicken consommé or chicken noodle soup with a side of matzoh balls. Katz’s Delicatessen Address: 205 East Houston Street Phone: (212) 254-2246 This...
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 MoreSt. Patrick's Day Dining (And Drinking!)
St. Patrick’s Day in New York is more than just pub crawls, bagpipes, men in plaid skirts and parades. It’s also about Irish food and drink. Start celebrating early with a traditional Irish breakfast, imported whiskey and cheese and Irish beer-battered fish & chips… JoeDoe45 E. First St., btwn. First Ave. & Second Ave.(212) 780-0262www.chefjoedoe.comThis newcomer already draws regulars because the food’s good and very affordable. Chef Joe Dobias is whipping up a corned duck stuffed cabbage with bacon and mustard gravy to go alongside Irish classics like Guinness lamb stew and corned beef. St. Dymphna’s118 St. Marks Pl, btwn. Avenue A & First Ave.(212) 254 6636Skip work and start with a “green” breakfast. There are rashers, sausages, black and white pudding, beans, home fries, mushrooms and tomatoes on the menu. It may sound a little eager to take down all this food before...
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 MoreButcher Bay
East Village fish shack Butcher Bay’s no keeper Tuesday, March 10th 2009, 4:00 AM Sunshine/News (Butcher Bay serves up fish in the East Village.) Not quite everything you hope for in a fish shack. 511 E. Fifth St., near Avenue A. (212) 260-1333 Dinner: Mon.-Sun., 6 p.m. until late. CUISINE: Fish shack VIBE: Down and dirty East Village OCCASION: Neighborhood dinner, bar bites DON’T-MISS DISH: Scallop pan roast, steamed mussels with bread AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $6; entrees, $17. No desserts. RESERVATIONS: Not accepted. A hell of a lot has changed at 511 E. Fifth St., near Avenue A. It used to be called Seymour Burton. It wasn’t the prettiest place to look at, but the food was wonderfully hearty. And they had a great burger. Now Seymour Burton is Butcher Bay, a wanna-be Pearl Oyster Bar. Adam Cohn,...
Read MoreRestaurant Recession Deals & Steals
It’s the only upside to a down economy- restaurants around town are coming up with all kinds of deals to draw in the guests. From prix fixe, buy one get one free, reduced prices, wines, and lots of other deals, we’ve combed the city to find some of the best recession specials. Halfsteak at Craftsteak85 Tenth Ave., btwn. W. 15th St. & W. 16th St.(212) 400-6699www.craftrestaurant.comEvery weekday the cafe at Tom Colicchio’s steakhouse ingeniously morphs into the terrifically affordable Half Steak. There’s tons of great small plates, half-pints of beer, cocktail specials, and small desserts, all under $15. I’m fond of the pig trotters, fried oysters, and the namesake dish — a half-portion of Craftsteak’s dry-aged steak, served with their hand-cut fries. Del Posto’s Enoteca85 Tenth Ave., btwn. W. 15th St. & W. 16th St.(212) 497-8090www.delposto.comJust next door to Craft...
Read MoreFridge-Free Chill
There’s nothing worse than a lukewarm glass of wine or beer bottle. And we’ve all been to a party where there isn’t enough fridge space. Even worse, maybe it was your party. That’s not going to happen again because I just discovered the Cooper Cooler. The cooler can chill a can from room temperature to 43 degrees in just one minute. Bottle of wine? 3.5 minutes. Yes, we timed it. All you need to is add ice and water and the machine will do the rest. It’s just in time for St. Patty’s Day celebrations. Grab some Guinness and a cooler for $59. Slainte! That’s cheers in Irish… Cooper Cooler $59.00...
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 MoreLa Fonda Del Sol
The back room is the place for a full, leisurely meal at La Fonda del Sol. CUISINE: Modern Spanish VIBE: Buzzing midtown hub OCCASION: Business lunch; after-work tapas; group dinner DON’T-MISS DISH: Grilled calamari, pumpkin seed-crusted lamb, suckling pig, Mexican chocolate cake AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $9; entrees, $28; desserts, $9 RESERVATIONS: Accepted Josh DeChellis has bounced around a bunch over the past few years. He’s what I call a restaurant drifter, a chef with no home. It all started with the closing of Rocco DiSpirito’s Union Pacific. And you can taste it in his cooking. The back room is for grownups who want to talk business in a suit and exercise their table manners. And each room gets an appropriate menu. If you want affordable tapas, go to the front room. If you want a traditional suite of...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
