The Ice Orb
Ah, the good old days of ice trays that take up too much space in the freezer. I usually just call the corner deli for a bag of ice when I really need it. That is until I found this futuristic-looking gadget (pictured right.) It’s called the ice orb and unlike most trays, this one’s vertical so it leaves room for ice cream and life’s other frozen necessities. That’s not the best part. This is: The orb uses a water displacement method to freeze the cubes on a vertical wall. Just remove the inner bucket and fill the orb with water, then place the bucket back in, put on the lid, and pop it in the freezer. It makes 21 cubes and stores 51, making more cubes than regular trays in less time. It even doubles as a cooler...
Read MoreQ & A with Jake the Butcher
Who would’ve thought “Sam the Butcher” would become the sex symbol for the 21st century? Chefs, bartenders, chocolatiers, and butchers are all experiencing a moment in the spotlight. Jake Dickson takes the concept of the local butcher to a new level. He’s determined to provide New Yorkers with top quality, artisanal meats from local farms. He launched Dickson’s Farmstand Meats in 2008, and a year later, opened his first storefront in Chelsea Market with housemade charcuterie, like lamb sausages or a tongue & leek terrine. Dickson’s not your average twenty-something New Yorker. He gave up his marketing job and moved upstate where he learned the business at farms and butcherhouses in upstate New York. He even worked as the livestock manager at Stone Barns. Now, he’s selling pork, lamb, beef, and creative charcuterie to prominent restaurants as well as...
Read MoreKenmare’s Killer Fries
Joey Campanaro isn’t very trendy. He’s a low key, Italian guy who likes to cook things like roast chicken and ricotta cavatelli. But he took New York by storm with a 28-seat eatery named The Little Owl and his gravy meatball sliders. Four years later, it’s just as hard to get a prime-time reservation at this charmed, Greenwich Village spot. Now, you can also try Campanaro’s sliders at Kenmare, his newest, Nolita venture and collaboration with nightlife impresario, Paul Sevigny. But that’s not really what diners are fawning over. Oh no, it’s the cheddar fries. These crazy crispy fries are Campanaro’s riff on cheese & gravy-smothered “disco fries.” (There’s a disco ball in the buzzing lounge downstairs.) Kenmare’s golden-brown fries aren’t doused, but sprinkled with a phenomenal combination of English farmhouse cheddar, green onions, curry, cayenne, and salt. The...
Read MoreGuacamole Set
Warm weather always makes me crave a margarita with a big bowl of homemade guacamole & chips. Sure, you can make cut up a few avocados with a knife and mash them with a fork, but you’re bound to have clumps. I bought this guacamole set for a friend with a guacamole fetish last year and ended up buying one for myself.Now, it takes no time at all. Just press the avocado slicer down to press into pieces, then place all your slices in a bowl and mash. Once you’re clump free, mix in onions, cilantro, tomato, lime juice and a little salt and pepper (or any combination of ingredients you like.) You’re done. You can serve your homemade guacamole as a dip, in tacos, or even as a topping for meats like skirt steak. The set also...
Read MoreQ & A with Peter Hoffman
Fresh and local are unwritten laws in the dining world nowadays. That wasn’t the case in 1990 when Peter Hoffman opened Savoy in Soho. That was the era of Continental cuisine. Hoffman was one of the original Greenmarket chefs, who shopped at the market for seasonal produce and changed his menu accordingly. “I first started buying from local farmers when I was at Huberts on 22nd St in the early ‘80’s, but it took a few years for the farmers to educate me before I had a deeper understanding of what went into growing delicious and healthy food,” Hoffman explains. Just a few years ago, he opened Back Forty, his second American restaurant with classic drinks and imaginative cooking. After twenty years, he’s still creating inspired dishes, like salt crust-baked duck with ruttabaga and cherry risotto. Single/Married/Divorced Married. What did you...
Read MoreThe Bubble Lounge's Grand Marnier Chocolate Truffles
By Pastry Chef Pichet Ong(Yields 4 dozen truffles) Ingredients: 2 cups cream 675 g valrhona chocolate, pur caribe 1/2 cup milk 3 egg yolks a pinch of salt 1/4 cup grand marnier (or champagne and chambord) 500 g valrhona chocolate, pur caribe or 1 cup cocoa powder (optional) Procedure:1) Bring cream, salt, and milk to a scald. Temper onto a bowl with yolks and return pot to heat and cook with flat end wooden spatula until custard coats the back of spatula. 2) Add chocolates to cool down and stir to combine. Stir in Grand Marnier. Strain mixture through fine mesh and refrigerate ganache in airtight container until set. 3) Scoop ganache into 3/4” balls with a small ice cream scoop. Refrigerate the balls till firm. 4) Temper chocolate and set aside at room temperature. 5) Dip each piece of...
Read MoreRotary Herb Mill
Dried herbs are a lot more convenient and often less expensive than fresh ones. I’m guilty of tossing dried parsley flakes in broth and dried oregano in tomato sauce. Truth be told, dried isn’t in the same league as fresh, fragrant herbs. Flavor always wins out. Unfortunately, it’s usually a pain to cut, wash, and de-stem fresh herbs. That is until we found this ingenious gadget. This rotary herb mill (pictured right) does all the mincing for you. Your only duties are to wash and pat the herbs dry, then place in the mill, and turn the crank. The chopped pieces come out the bottom of the mill. You can grate fresh herbs directly over your plate. Fresh oregano makes for an entirely species of spaghetti. You might want to think about growing your own fresh herbs for...
Read MoreNew York's Finest Ice Creams
New Yorkers take everything edible seriously. We're just as passionate about ice cream as we are about burgers and French fries. Ice cream shops come up with inventive, new flavors and combinations every year. With all the ice cream-ologists on wheels, Mister Softee's got competition. Chickalicious - Best Gourmet Soft ServeAddress: 203 East 10th St., btwn 1st & 2nd Aves.Phone: (212)995-9511Vanilla soft serve is one of life's simplest & most gratifying pleasures. Mister Softee has lots of competition these days, but the one we'd watch out for is Chickalicious. This is a whole new level of vanilla soft serve, specked & with vanilla bean. I haven't even gotten to the unique toppings. Forget sprinkles and peanuts. Chickalicious has homemade hot fudge, shredded kataifi, pistachios, & dark chocolate pearls. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - Best Exotic Flavors Address:...
Read MoreAsparagus Steamer
Steaming asparagus is not as easy as it sounds. So many people end up with tough, undercooked stems or floppy, overcooked ones. This is a delicate spring vegetable that requires a little extra attention in the pot. We refused to ruin this year’s crop, so we tracked down an asparagus basket & pot (pictured right.) What don’t they make these days? Apparently, a lot of chefs want to protect their precious produce. Just wash, cut off the end of the stems and place in the basket. Then put the basket in the asparagus pot when it starts to boil, but not before. That’s how a lot of chefs end up with soggy stems. You can purchase the asparagus basket & pot online. When asparagus season’s over, you can use it for carrots, rhubarb, and any other long-stemmed veggies...
Read MoreSpring Menus & Al Fresco Dining
One of the best things about spring is dining outdoors. Everyone has finally come out of hibernation to feast on spring produce, like ramps and rhubarb. While some restaurants have to make the best of seating on highly trafficked sidewalks, others have the luxury of beautiful gardens or outdoor patios. We’ve scouted out a few of the best places to linger over ramps, asparagus, and citrus. Locanda Verde Address: 377 Greenwich Street, at North Moore Phone: (212) 925-3797 This Tribeca Italian not only has fantastic food, but also a stunning outdoor garden & patio that nearly rival the piazzas of Italy. If Andrew Carmellini and Karen DeMasco’s cooking are reason enough to visit, now you can enjoy the spring sunshine with a huckleberry bellini or a citronata cocktail made with aperol, lillet, and aranciata. The menu features grilled Mediterranean...
Read More21 Club's Grilled Black Bass with Asparagus & Lemon Caper Vinaigrette
By Executive Chef John Greeley(Serves 4)Ingredients: Black Bass 1 oz grapeseed oil 2-3 whole black bass, scaled, and filleted with skin on Sea salt to taste 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 pinch piment de’despelette (a robust, smokey Basque pepper similar to paprika 4 lemon wedges 4 oz. herb salad (mix of micro herbs or blend of soft herbs like chervil, tarragon, and chives)Asparagus 8 pieces jumbo asparagus, peeled, split down the middle 1 oz. diced tomato, peeled Lemon and Caper Vinaigrette 3 oz. extra virgin olive oil 2 lemons (squeeze out juice, remove seeds, reserve skin for zest) 1 tsp. lemon zest (use a micro-plane to grate zest off lemons) 1 oz. capers, washed and patted dry 1 Tbsp. micro-chives, sliced thin or cut with scissors 1 Tbsp. chervil, chopped, without stems In a bowl or airtight container,...
Read MoreRecipe Sizer
I love testing out new recipes, but I always run into one problem. The serving size never fits my needs. It’s not as easy as you think to adapt a recipe that serves five to a romantic dinner for two. I’d rather to stick cooking than doing math in then kitchen. When Easter dinner rolled around, I finally got around to buying a recipe sizer. Simply turn the dial to double or triple if you want to increase the serving or to 1/3 or 1/2 if you’re scaling down, and this inexpensive, little gadget does the math for you. Now all you have to do is shop and cook. $9.98,...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
