Dine
Unwind
ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
D1 January 2–8, 2015
COOKLYN grows in BROOKLYN
Squid Ink Cavatelli with scallops and shrimp (top) and Beet Salad (bottom).
Cooklyn
659 Vanderbilt Ave. Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 347-915-0721 Cooklyn-NYC.com Hours Tuesday–Thursday 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m. (L–R) Maître d’ Carl Cortes, executive chef Anthony Theocaropoulos, and owner/partner Mike Kennedy.
Friday & Saturday 5:30 p.m.–midnight Sunday 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.
Dining
D2 January 2–8, 2015
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LOCAL, SEASONAL, MARKET FRESH FARE
WE WELCOME YOU TO RESTAURANT You will love our warm atmosphere and our expertly prepared menu. We pay the utmost attention to every detail of your visit. From the hand crafted cocktails and specialty wine list, to our thoughtfully planned, market fresh and in-season dishes. Every dish, every cocktail is prepared from scratch and every detail is carefully thought out. We are always happy to customize any of your dining requests. NEW! Chef ’s Seasonal Tasting Menu
34 East 20th Street Located in Flatiron New York City
CountyNyc.com
(btwn Park and Broadway)
212.677.7771
Cooklyn Salad with lobster, shrimp, dragon fruit, and sesame crème fraiche vinaigrette.
COOKLYN By Channaly Philipp Epoch Times Staff
An Exotic Experience
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Chef Anthony Theocaropoulos Theocaropoulos, 32, the youngest of five boys, grew up in New York with a Greek father who owned five Greek diners. He’s worked under Mario Batali at Eataly, from whom he learned to become organized. “Eataly cooks at a massive level. Mario taught me to organize and really push,” he said, while he refined his technique under Michael White at Ai Fiori.
Early Memories of Food
36 West 28th St. NYC (between 6th & Broadway) Reservations: 212 679-4842 pergolanewyork.com
Miyazaki Super Prime Wagyu Beef $120.00
Authentic Japanese food served with a touch of class
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hen you taste the Japanese food at Momokawa you will know it is the real thing. Each single ingredient and each tiny detail ensures the most authentic experience. Momakawa—A genuine taste of Japan!
Momokawa Prix Fixe Menu Small Course
(service for two or more) eti er kin s of ashimi hoi e of ukiyaki or ha u ha u aut meals ooke at the ta le essert
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Sake and Wine
Momokawa serves some of the finest quality sake and wine, paired especially for the dishes. Try our seasonal sake (draft), premium sake, all season sake (hot or cold) as well as
Ask about our sake tastings.
white or red wines.
Momokawa 157 East 28th Street | (212) 684-7830 momokawanyc.com — ALSO AVAIL ABLE: DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS (12 P.M.-4 P.M.) —
“I would go into my dad’s diner [starting at the age of 9], they’d throw me an apron. I remember the controlled chaos atmosphere, my father yelling in Greek—I just loved it. On my mother’s side, we have a pretty big Italian family. Growing up ... Feast of Seven Fishes, pasta, meat pies, leftovers for the rest of the month. My whole family revolves around eating,” he said What does he remember of his father cooking? “It was soups, soups, and more soups!” he said. “And more soups. And tons of octopus. I remember him doing a goat’s head stew and picking me up to see the pot. The second he took the lid off, the head went ... rotated toward me. I started crying. My dad takes the eyeball. He ate it. I was traumatized. [He asked] “You want the other one?” [I said] ‘No!’ I go to my room crying. Like I said, it was always revolving around food.”
fter a week of self-indulgent, celebratory holiday eating, my taste buds called it quits. I’m not one to utter the word “detox” voluntarily, but it came to mind. Even in my dreams I was eating. I didn’t want to look at food anymore. It took a visit to Cooklyn, a restaurant that opened about six weeks ago in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, to resuscitate my jaded palate. The executive chef, Anthony “Theo” Theocaropoulos (with a name “as long as the day,” he said), cuts a tall figure in the open kitchen, creating dishes that have people coming back for more. Despite the recent opening, the restaurant is already hopping, mostly with locals, and has already developed a following of regulars through word of mouth. Theocaropoulos was intrigued by a lady (in her 70s, he estimates) who comes in every Wednesday for a bowl of his mussels, served in a chorizo bouillabaisse. He went to talk to her and entreated her, wouldn’t she like to try something else? She responded by bringing the bowl of mussels of her lips and downing the broth. Dishes to Return for I’d return in a heartbeat for the octopus—easily among the best I’ve had ($14). Octopus and potatoes make for a traditional pairing in the Mediterranean repertoire, but the version here is outstanding. The curled tentacles get a perfect crusty char, while the interior remains incredibly tender and subtly infused by many herbs and spices the chef uses to cook the octopus. That enough is wonderful, the addition of watercress pesto and Meyer lemon on the side inject
grows in
BROOKLYN
a dose of brightness just where needed. Somehow it makes for a perfect dish for winter. It fulfills that yearning for comfort and heartiness while providing a few drops of gustatory sunshine. Both the smoked potatoes and the warm creamy slices of avocado, underneath the octopus, add a nice creamy contrast to the char. The Lamb Bun ($5), reminiscent of an Asian pork bun, combines lamb with dill and feta cream to give a delicious juxtaposition of warm and cool, and again hearty and refreshing. That too, I would return for. More vegetable plates are currently being introduced, including a Beet Salad ($11), with delicate bite-sized golden and ruby beets (a welcome change to the roasted-potato size usually served, which I find too large to truly showcase their sweetness). A boost of vinegar and herbs adds a tangy brightness to the beets and accentuates their sweetness even more. They are served with greens, olives, and a light dressing—all in proportions that had me enjoying every bit of it. The type of dish used for some of the entrees—a plate with a sort of deeper well—works well in building up these layers and keeping the dish warm. They may look like small portions when they first arrive at the table, but like excavating for an archeological find, there are a few layers to be unearthed. An ever-so-fragrant Squid Ink Cavatelli is topped with breadcrumbs, but no ordinary breadcrumbs are they. When I asked Theocaropoulos about them later, he said he sautés panko breadcrumbs in the butter used for poaching lobster.
Beneath the dark ink pasta, sitting there like just-discovered treasures are scallops, shrimp, and calamari ($16). For another dish, Theocaropoulos sautés cod till one side develops a beautiful golden crust. Right beneath are potatoes, the size of very large pearls, poached in olive oil. At first, taking bits of the golden crust is enjoyable, as is the moist fish, as are the bite-sized potatoes. And then another discovery as the flakes of cod fall to the bottom of the bowl: a beurre fondue (an emulsion of melted butter) with a watercress purée ($22). Delicious. Sweets Desserts are created by consulting pastry chef Brian Sullivan (who, like Theocaropoulos, previously worked at Ai Fiori). My dining companion and I laid waste to the Gianduja Budino, a barely standing-byitself custard of hazelnut and chocolate, surrounded by bits of hazelnuts and topped with apricot ($10). Subtler was the Poached Quince, a very pretty tableau of pink and white, between the red-wine poached quince, and the rosemary meringue ($7). A richer and more indulgent option is the Boston cream pie that gets the Brooklyn treatment. This Brooklyn Crème Pie sports chocolate layers with a creamy caramel filling, topped with cherries, and is enough for two diners, or
Dining
D3 January 2–8, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Octopus with smoked potatoes, watercress pesto, Meyer lemon, and avocado.
PRIME STEAKS. (Top) Poached Quince, with rosemary meringue and (bottom) Brooklyn Crème Pie.
A boost of vinegar and herbs adds a tangy brightness to the beets and accentuates their sweetness even more. quite likely, four very full ones ($12). A Casual Atmosphere The restaurant seats 50, including 12 at the marble-topped bar. Wine director Jason Lange offers 35 wine selections that highlight small producers using natural or low-intervention techniques from both the Old and New worlds. Almost all are available by the glass. The atmosphere is casual and low-key, the setting airy, with reclaimed wood throughout and white walls that will
Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu
soon display local artists’ work. Brunch will be served in the near future. The Name If you wondered about the name, it came from owner and partner Mike Kennedy, who loves puns. He couldn’t believe no one else had thought of it. On our train ride back, my friend and I spent three-quarters of the ride discussing the merits of the dishes (especially the octopus and lamb buns), and the rest of the discussion was all about the name—was it a little silly, too silly, and so on. Well, think what you will, it cleverly achieves its final goal. At the end of five minutes of backand-forth, the name Cooklyn had worked its way into my memory—just like the dishes I had there.
LEGENDARY SERVICE.
Cooklyn, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, opened about six weeks ago.
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White Plains 9 Maple Avenue 914-683-6101
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Ancient principles of Greek cuisine combined with modern techniques, yield a harmonious balance of flavors in every dish, at Nerai.
55 East 54th Street | New York | (212) 759-5554 | www.nerainyc.com
Hackensack One Riverside Square 201-487-1303
Dining
D4 January 2–8, 2015
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Food Hubs Link Consumers With Locally Farmed Food Fresh Pastas, Wood-fired Pizzas
AP PHOTO/LISA RATHKE
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URLINGTON, Vt.— Move over farmers markets. More than 300 food hubs around the country are also providing small farms another outlet to sell locally raised food to consumers. There’s no one model for a food hub—it depends on the market, the location, and what it is grown in that area. Some collect food from farms and dole it out to customers in weekly deliveries. Other hubs help consumers, restaurants, colleges, and institutions to source food online. But producers, consumers, and experts all say food hubs have an important thing in common: it’s an efficient way to get locally raised food to those clamoring for it. “We’ve seen in the last few years in particular as local and region food systems have grown and become not only larger but kind of more sophisticated that there has been a need for sort of the logistics of moving food from the field to the consumers. And food hubs kind of fill that space,” said Doug O’Brien, deputy undersecretary for rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency spent about $25 million from 2009 to 2013 supporting food hubs. The number of food hubs has doubled over the last six years, and many are in urban areas, with the Northeast leading the way. Some operate as nonprofits, others are for-profit or producer-consumer cooperatives. Some are modeled after CSAs,
Sam Rothberg, packing house supervisor for the Intervale Food Hub in Burlington, Vt., packs carrots into weekly deliveries of food produced by area farmers on Dec. 16.
or community supported agriculture, where consumers pay up front for food throughout the season. That’s how the Intervale Food Hub in Burlington, Vt., works, with 30 farms, 15 specialty producers, and 1,100 members who pick up their weekly bundles at various sites around the city. The venture started in 2008 with just 192 members and 24 farms. Legal secretary Betsy Bourbeau said the food hub’s deliveries to her place of work are more convenient than shopping at farmers markets and cuts down time at the store. “I spend much less time looking at grocery sales, clipping coupons, driving around town and finding parking. I just bring home my food on Wednesday
and figure out what to make,” said Bourbeau, 50, who gets produce, bread, cheese, eggs, and specialty items for about $38.50 a week—less than she would spend at a farmers’ market. For farmers, food hubs provide distribution, marketing and, in some cases, processing, and storage. Predicting what will sell at a farmers’ market is a challenge, according to Ray Tyler of Rosecreek Farms in Selmer, Tenn. By getting involved with the Bring It Food Hub in Memphis, Tyler can plan ahead for the next growing season, when the hub plans to double its membership to 400. “Basically instead of us spending all this time on marketing, we can now spend more time doing what we love to do and that
is growing great food,” he said. The emerging business model can be challenging, said Bring It Food Hub Operations Manager Alex Greene, because you have to cater to customers and be flexible with farmers, whose product is at the mercy of weather. Food hub leaders need “a sense of the end product” and have to learn the logistics, plus “managing the website, the online credit card system and other technical matters,” Greene said. To that end, the University of Vermont is starting in January what it said is the nation’s first Food Hub Management Certificate Program. “Many food hubs are up-andcoming businesses with staff who need further training or experience,” Cynthia Belliveau, dean of continuing and distance education, said in a news release. “High-quality staffing is one of the greatest challenges food hubs face, and it’s also a key contributing factor to their success.” One of the two farmers markets that Josephine and Randy Alexander of Tubby Creek Farm in Ashland, Miss., had planned on selling at fell through this year, but they were able to sell most of the extra produce to the food hub. The Alexanders are currently planning ahead for their next season’s food hub offerings—carrots, salad turnips, and lettuce mix. “It simplifies it a little bit for us and that way we can do more of those things that we do really well, in targeted way,” she said. Afoodhubdirectorycanbefoundat http://www.ngfn.org/resources/ food-hubs#section-10 From The Associated Press
Go for the Food: Tapas at Jaleo in DC-Maryland Katsu & Sake
AP PHOTO/BETH J. HARPAZ
By Beth J. Harpaz
Discover a Hidden Gem in K-Town Signature dishes you won’t find in other Japanese restaurants
Pork Katsu
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BETHESDA, Md.—I have a love-hate relationship with famous chefs and their trendy restaurants. I see them on TV, read about them, and often love their food the first and second time I try it. But then they start building empires. They give more interviews and put their names on eateries in Vegas and Miami, on cruise ships, and in airports. You go back to that little place where they started and suddenly it’s overpriced and mediocre. You suspect they haven’t been back in ages. But there’s one man who hasn’t let me down—yet. He’s Jose Andres, the Spanish chef behind the tapas restaurant Jaleo. Granted, I haven’t tried Jaleo in Vegas, but the meals I’ve had at his restaurants in Washington, D.C., and suburban Maryland have never disappointed. Tapas are small plates, a Spanish tradition that’s not always done well in the United States, even though Americanized versions have become ubiquitous on pseudo-sophisticated bar menus from Brooklyn, New York, to Tulsa, Okla. What makes Jaleo so good, time after time, is that the menu is both enormous and simple—peasant food fit for a king’s feast. There are so many tempting options that you can find new favorites every time you go. The plates are easily shared by two or three people, and the meal works for lunch or dinner. The sangria’s great, too. I’m a cheese-lover, and I can’t resist the Idiazabal, which the menu describes as “a smoked,
Jaleo restaurant in Bethesda, Md.
nutty-flavored raw sheep’s milk cheese,” served with quince paste. Salads I’ve loved include Ensaladilla Rusa, which is potato salad with tuna, carrots, peas, and mayonnaise. The verduras section of the menu is enough to turn a carnivore into a vegetarian, with dishes like sautéed cauliflower with dates and olives; a Moorish stew of chickpeas and spinach; and a mélange of roasted red pepper, eggplant, and onion. Other irresistible items include seared piquillo peppers filled
If You Go... t Jaleo: Jaleo.com Locations in Washington, D.C.; Bethesda, Md.; Arlington, Va.; and Las Vegas. with goat cheese and wrinkled baby potatoes served with green and red sauces. And then there are the meats, poultry, and fish. Fried baby squid, seared scallops, chicken fritters, chorizo sausage, mussels, calamari, rabbit confit, and grilled quail—it’s all good. But
the one thing you must try is some iteration of what is repeatedly described on the menu as, “cured ham from the legendary acorn-fed, black-footed Iberico pigs of Spain.” Friends and I like to read every option involving the legendary pig aloud, just for fun. Now, I must tell you that the first time we ate at Jaleo, we ordered the most expensive ham they had—a $22 sample of the 48-month cured ham—just to try it. But we learned on subsequent visits that at least to our uneducated palates, all the legendary pigs on the menu were equally yummy, so you don’t need to splurge. You can also order dishes that use it as one of several ingredients. Sometimes I wish Andres would open a Jaleo in New York, where I live, so I could go there more often. But then I remember how expansion has ruined some of my other favorite restaurants, and I’m just as glad that I can only find it in someone else’s hometown. From The Associated Press
Dining
D5 January 2–8, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com PAUL JOHNSON
thai
the modern experience THE BEST NORTHERN THAI IN THE CITY! 4 STARS ON YELP! & GOOGLE
The bar at Molyvos.
Exploring Greece’s Undiscovered Wines at Molyvos By Manos Angelakis An update of the interior of Molyvos in 2012 to look like a space reminiscent of the Greek islands, and the appointment of Diane Kochilas, a Greek television chef and cooking personality as collaborating chef, has changed the focus of the menu. The food was always upscale Greek, but in the past it was much closer to classic Athenian cooking, with its heavy emphasis on Ottoman-style dishes. Fresh vegetables, fish, and seafood are the basics of the current menu as well as specialties of the Greek islands; and the dishes are considerably lighter than in the past. Adding to the seaside Mediterranean feel is a beautiful fish display that showcases the restaurant’s fresh daily offerings. Fish raised in mariculture pens in remote Aegean coves are flown in daily from Greece. Sea bass (lavraki), gilthead bream (fangri), large porgies, red mullet; all were swimming in the sea 24 hours before and are charcoal-grilled in Molyvos’s kitchen together with octopus and sardines from Portugal, one of the very few non-Greek seafood offerings. A great starter was a quintet of classic dips that included Santorini fava, melitzanosalata, tzatziki, and taramosalata plus a plank with three cheeses—a really nice feta, kaseri, and kefalograviera—accompanied by chargrilled pita bread. Drizzled with olive oil and topped with capers, dill or olives, it was an excellent reminder of feasts I had the year before last while visiting wineries on Santorini Island. Prawns and Artichokes a la Polita is a dish of grilled prawns with olive-oil stewed artichokes, leeks, fennel, and lemon sauce that was created in Turkish Istanbul by Greek cooks toiling in the Sultan’s kitchens. Artichokes a la Polita, is classic Athenian cooking and the prawn addition enhanced what was already a terrific dish. Main courses are similar to what a Greek islands woman would serve to her family, and the desserts I had were truly inspired. Exceptional Wine Cellar But the main reason for our visit was the exceptional Greek wine cellar of Molyvos. Wine director Kamal Kouiri has handpicked an extensive selection of bottled Greek wines, practically every outstanding wine that has been produced in Greece in the last 10 years. About 60 wines are available by the glass, changing on a regular basis to expose guests to unknown Greek producers. The wine list includes about 540 vintners altogether. In addition he has procured
many brands of ouzo, the aniseflavored aperitif so beloved by Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese gastronomes. He has even managed to find exceptional retsina, a resin-scented wine that used to be the wine standard of every Greek taverna and restaurant, but is no longer. As I always say “This is the best tasting turpentine one can ever drink!� White wines from assyrtiko, moschofilero, malagousia, viognier, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, roditis, muscat, and malvasia are there from the best Greek wineries that create both monovarietal wines and blends. The Aegean islands are wellrepresented, with both wellknown grape varieties, such as sauvignon blanc and assyrtiko and little known varietals, such as sideritis and kidonitsa. The exceptional assyrtiko wines of Santorini are epitomized with over 50 bottles that include recent vintages of monovarietals and also blends with athiri and/or aidani (other white grape varieties that thrive in the volcanic soil). The white wines of Crete are also well represented with such little known varietals as assyrtiko of Sitia, vilana, dafni, thrapsathyri and plyto, individually vinified at the Lyrarakis winery, plus malvasia aromatica and vidiano from other Cretan producers. Much more unusual are bottles from producers in Paros (assyrtiko-malagousia blend from Moraitis), Ikaria (begleri from Afianes Wines), Lesvos (kalloniatiko-fokiano-muscat-gdoura blend from Oenophoros Winery) and robola or robola-based blends from Kephalonia. Additionally, the island of Samos is represented by the sweet muscat of Samos, one of the earliest moscato d’ Alessandria clones to appear in the Mediterranean. However, there are also exceptional white bottles from Greek Macedonia; labels that represent such great wineries as Alpha Estate, Gerovassiliou, Ktima Pavlidis, Kir-Yannis, Nikos Lazaridis, and Kostas Lazaridis among others. There are also beautiful white wines from the vineyards of the Peloponnesus,
Thessaly, and Thrace. The white collection is mindboggling! And the red collection is exceptional as well with excellent bottles from every wine producing area of the mainland plus the islands. There are long verticals of red wines from the two main red Greek grapes xinomavro and agiorgitiko from Macedonia as well as the Peloponnese, as well as blends of both iconic grapes with other Greek or international varieties. Cretan kotsifali is also present with a number of blends with another Cretan varietal mandilari and such international grapes as syrah and merlot. On the list, I found one of my favorite Cretan wines, a blend of mourvèdre, grenache and syrah called nostos from the Manousakis winery. A few years back, on a visit to Crete, I had discovered that winery, had nostos en-primeur and I was enchanted by it. Another wine category, dessert wines, is also well-represented with bottles from both white—the most popular—and red grapes and I would highly recommend the different versions of vin santo from many Santorini wineries and mavrodaphne from Mercouri Estate in the Peloponnese, near Patras. It is worth visiting Molyvos, not only for good food but excellent, little-known wines. If you do, ask wine director Kamal Kouiri to recommend what to have with your dishes. You will not be disappointed! Manos Angelakis is a wellknown wine and food critic based in the New York City area. He has been certified as a Tuscan wine master, by the Tuscan Wine Masters Academy, as well as being an expert on Greek, Chilean, and Catalan wines. He judges numerous wine competitions each year and is the senior Food & Wine writer for LuxuryWeb Magazine, www.luxuryweb. com, and The Oenophile Blog, www.oenophileblog.com. MANOS ANGELAKIS
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Dining
D6 January 2–8, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com ALL PHOTOS BY AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
SautĂŠed Tofu With Broccoli and Red Peppers in Chili-Orange Sauce.
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The Secret to Great Tofu Is All in the By Sara Moulton
A ‘CLASSY NEW ADDITION’ TO THE EAST VILLAGE ďšťZAGAT
A Paradiso for Meatlovers
Karina de Marco couldn’t find a restaurant in New York that she felt captured the true experience and authentic cuisine of her native Argentina, so she decided to open her own restaurant featuring the grilled meats that Argentina made famous. Buenos Aires restaurant features a warm, inviting atmosphere, a decadent wine list, amazing attention to detail, and the highest quality, well-priced food in NYC.
My mom started traveling abroad when I was in high school. And after each of her trips, we cooked a meal from the country she’d just visited. It was after her trip to Italy that I became a huge fan of veal. Veal, of course, is notoriously bland, so what’s the appeal? I love it because it functions mostly as a firm landing strip for the delicious sauce of your
choice, and I’m a nut for sauces. Recently, I figured out that tofu plays the same role for vegetarians as veal does for carnivores. Made from soybeans, water, and a coagulant, tofu is notably healthy—low in calories, devoid of saturated fat, and a great source of protein, calcium, and iron. But there’s the little matter of tofu’s flabby texture and its flavor (or lack thereof), which is why I’ve always shied away from the stuff. It turns out, though, that
SautĂŠed Tofu With Broccoli and Red Peppers in Chili-Orange Sauce
@ 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes
@ Toasted cashews, to garnish
Makes 4 servings
Cut the block of tofu in half horizontally to create 2 thick slabs. Wrap each slab in a clean kitchen towel and place on a plate. Place a second plate on top of the tofu, then weigh it down with several heavy cans. Press in this manner for 30 minutes to drain water from the tofu and firm it up. Unwrap the tofu and cut each slab into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
@ 1/4 cup fresh orange juice @ 1/4 cup water @ 2 tablespoons hoisin
Buenos Aires
@ 1 tablespoon soy sauce @ 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce @ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
CASTILIAN SPANISH CUISINE at el Pote
Hearty, Wholesome Food from Old Spain
properly prepared tofu is a great sponge for flavor, a natural fact exploited to good effect in this light entree for the new year. The first step is to lose the excess water in tofu, which will water down your dish. So you force out the excess water by putting a weighted plate on top of the tofu and let it press and drain for about 30 minutes. The tofu becomes firmer and less watery the longer you press it. This also ensures that when you cook it, the tofu will have a springy tex-
ture and a crispy exterior. The crispy slices of tofu are a wonderful foil for this recipe’s intense chili-orange sauce. The sauce is complemented with broccoli and red pepper. Serve it on brown rice and you’re looking at a one-dish meal, light but filling. My husband, a die-hard carnivore, had no idea that this was a healthy vegetarian dish. He just scarfed it down and said thank you. From The Associated Press
RECIPE
@ 14-ounce package extra-firm waterpacked tofu
513 E 6th Street - New York, NY
Pressing
@ 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil @ 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided @ 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips @ 6 cups medium broccoli florets, blanched until crisp-tender, then drained
@ 2 teaspoons minced garlic @ Brown rice, cooked, to serve
sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tofu to a medium bowl. Repeat with another 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and the remaining tofu. Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the red pepper and cook, stirring, until it is almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk the sauce in the bowl to make certain the cornstarch is dissolved, then add to the skillet, whisking. Bring to a boil to thicken, then add the tofu and cook just until heated through.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, water, hoisin, soy sauce, chiligarlic sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Arrange a mound of rice on each of 4 serving plates, then top with the tofu mixture and cashews.
In a large nonstick or stick-resistant skillet over medium-high, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Add half of the tofu pieces, sprinkle with salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on all
Nutrition information per serving: 490 calories; 230 calories from fat (47 percent of total calories); 26 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 8 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 18 g protein; 580 mg sodium.
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Dining
D7 January 2–8, 2015
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By Melissa D’Arabian While I still pay attention to what I eat during the holidays, I nonetheless allow plenty of small splurges. And those splurges mostly can be summed up in one word: chocolate! Trouble is, the holidays eventually pass, but my cravings for the deep flavor of a perfectly roasted cocoa bean linger. Even more than the sweetness that accompanies most chocolate desserts, I miss the unctuous coating cocoa leaves on the palate. But who said healthy eating must mean the end of that deliciousness? Enter unsweetened chocolate! All the richness of the flavor without the sugar. My healthy chocolate-eating strategy has me leaning toward savory dishes because they need no sugar for me to appreciate the wonderful flavor
of the cocoa. Among the most classic choices—and one of my favorites—is Mexican mole, a thick, spicy sauce based on cocoa or chocolate that traditionally takes a couple of days to develop its rich flavors. But I have four hungry children who aren’t willing to wait days for chocolate, sweet or savory. So I have developed a version of mole that takes under an hour. Does it capture all the flavor of a two-day mole? Nope. But for a recipe that shaves 47 hours off my labor, I think it still does a pretty darned good job. And you can take comfort in knowing that you’re getting all the delicious benefits and satisfaction of chocolate without the pesky sugar. Chocolate in the New Year? Yes, indeed. All in the name of health.
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From The Associated Press
RECIPE
Chicken in Quick Mole Sauce Start to finish: 45 minutes Makes 4 servings
Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, then cook, stirring until very fragrant, another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let cook for 3 more minutes. Add the chipotles, orange zest, and prune juice, then cook an additional minute, stirring.
@ 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds) cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes @ Kosher salt and ground black pepper @ 2 tablespoons olive oil @ 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped @ 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped @ 2 teaspoons chili powder @ 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander @ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon @ 15-ounce can diced tomatoes @ 2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo (more or less according to heat preference) @ 1 teaspoon grated orange zest @ 1/2 cup prune juice (or 1/4 cup chopped pitted prunes) @ 1 1/4 cups chicken stock @ 1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter @ Squeeze of lime (1 to 2 teaspoons) @ Fresh cilantro, chopped, to serve Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.
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Add the stock and let simmer until the onion is fairly soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool for several minutes. Pour or spoon carefully into a blender, then add the almond butter, chocolate, and lime juice. Let sit for a minute in the hot liquid. Blend carefully—low at first, then at higher speed— until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Add more stock if the sauce is too thick.
@ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
@ 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
In a large sautĂŠ pan over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the chicken and brown until golden on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Return the chicken to the pan (no need to clean it) and pour the sauce over the chicken. Heat over medium until the chicken is cooked through, another 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with rice and beans and top with cilantro.
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Nutrition information per serving: 430 calories; 190 calories from fat (44 percent of total calories); 21 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 105 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 39 g protein; 690 mg sodium. AP PHOTO/ MATTHEW MEAD
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Dining
D8 January 2–8, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com
French and European-Inspired Cuisine Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
However You Say It, Chicken in a Pot Is Wonderful By Sara Moulton Chicken in a pot. Not a very romantic name, I’ll admit. Luckily, the French have the more melodic “poule au pot” to fill that gap for this utterly delicious dish. But however you say it, chicken in a pot is a traditional French country dish that dates back to Henry IV in the 17th century. You see, he apparently promised that during his reign everyone would be able to afford chicken in a pot on Sundays. A few hundred years later, this idea was revived in American politics when Herbert Hoover’s presidential campaign promised a chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage. Monarchs and presidents aside, you need to learn this simple and fantastic recipe. The traditional version of chicken in a pot consists of a whole stuffed chicken poached with vegetables. All of the ingredients contribute to a rich broth, which then is served over the chicken and vegetables, often garnished with pickles, mustard, and coarse salt. But truth is, most of us won’t bother with the stuffing. And that’s a good thing. Because then
this becomes a lean dish, one well suited for the new year as we try to recover from the excesses of the holidays. Given that all animal protein becomes tough when boiled, the key to success in this recipe is to cook the chicken gently, ensuring that it stays moist and tender. In my recipe, the chicken simmers softly for just 25 minutes. Then, pulled off the burner, it finishes cooking in the residual heat of the broth. The vegetables are cooked afterward in the same broth. Finally, the chicken is skinned, deboned, and returned to the pot in large chunks, but only to be reheated, not cooked any further. All of this care pays off in the finished texture of the star of the show. Rubber chicken is a dish only a comedian could love! In terms of seasonings, I’ve taken this French dish to Morocco, adding ginger and harissa, a hot chili past from Africa. I serve it with country bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic, though you’re welcome to ladle the chicken and vegetables onto couscous instead, which would complete the Moroccan theme. Whatever you decide, this is a wonderful dish to serve to a crowd. From The Associated Press
Moroccan Chicken in a Pot.
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RECIPE
Moroccan Chicken in a Pot
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Start to finish: 1 hour 50 minutes (50 minutes active)
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, to garnish
Makes 8 servings
To prepare the harissa, in a blender combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
For the harissa: 9 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 9 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 9 2 teaspoons minced garlic 9 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 9 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 9 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds 9 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 9 2 teaspoons lemon juice 9 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt For the chicken: 9 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 9 2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
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9 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered 9 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 9 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger 9 3 1/2-pound whole chicken 9 3 quarts chicken broth 9 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 9 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 9 1/2 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 9 1/2 pound white potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
To prepare the chicken, in a 7- to 8-quart stockpot over medium, heat the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken, breast side down, and then pour the broth over it. The broth should cover the chicken. If not, add a bit of water or additional broth. Bring the broth just to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming any scum that comes to the surface, for 10 minutes. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer gently for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the hot broth, covered, for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a plate. Let it cool until it can be easily handled. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnips, and potatoes to the broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pull off and discard the skin from the chicken and remove the meat from the bones in large chunks. When the vegetables are tender, return the chicken meat to the pot and cook gently, just until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with a spoonful of harissa and some cilantro. AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
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The key to success in this recipe is to cook the chicken gently, ensuring that it stays moist and tender.