D1 February 13–19, 2015
Dine
Unwind
Tinker Fisher Butcher Chef
Dave Santos cooks up surprises at Louro By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff
It’s time to feed Stu. He’s been waiting all day even though, by all appearances, he looks stuffed to the brim already. Still he’ll eat anything and everything he’s given, from tilefish head bigger than your own to shrimp shells. Stu is a stew. A perpetual stew. Chef Dave Santos from the West Village restaurant Louro created it as a way to make the most of leftover trimmings. “Stu has been working hard since August,” Santos said. He corrected himself and chuckled, “Or working very gently,” Santos chuckled. It’s only taken off the heat to be strained every two days (or as sous chef Emily Chapman puts it, “It’s really rare that you see Stu naked.”). It not only feeds Louro’s staff every day, who Santos says hasn’t gotten sick all year, but also offers a rich, flavorful base for anything from garlic soup to ramen, to lobster chawanmushi (a Japanese egg custard). See Louro on D2
Louro
142 W. 10th St. (near Waverly Place) 212-206-0606 LouroNYC.com Hours Dinner Tuesday–Sunday 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m. Nossa Mesa BYO dinners Monday 7 p.m.
Dry-Aged Lamb Meatballs With Creamy Polenta.
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ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Chef Dave Santos has about 200 food projects going at any given time, including countless jars of fermented and preserved ingredients.
Dining
D2 February 13–19, 2015
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Garlic soup, made with perpetual stew.
Tinker Fisher Butcher
Chef Louro continued from D1
Cooking encompasses everything for me—my emotions, my happiness. Dave Santos, chef, Louro
Preservation Projects Stu is but one of about 200 projects that Santos is cooking up, or smoking, or fermenting, at any given time at Louro (and the only one with its own entertaining Twitter feed (@perpetual_ stew, for ye curious). The jars that line the shelves up to the ceiling not only capture the best of the season, like Maine blueberries from two years ago (“They were out-ofcontrol good,” Santos said) or last June’s excellent white asparagus, but also experiments that make chefs fantasize. “When I have guest chefs in here, when they walk past this, they say, ‘What? Are you kidding me?’ Their brains just start going crazy. The thing with us chefs is, for most of us, we’ve used just about everything as far as ingredients go. When
Pouring a duck egg over Kimchi Fried Rice.
you have an opportunity to use Sichuan pickled watermelon rinds for the first time, that’s exciting,” Santos said. Raising animals, growing food, fishing, butchering, and making wine are skills Santos learned from his Portuguese immigrant parents in New Jersey. At the age 4 or 5 he was already fishing with the adults in the family. His sister used to tease their mother that they didn’t grow up like a normal American family. “None of my friends woke up in the morning to their father, mother, and brother hand-stuffing sausages in the middle of the kitchen,” she would say. Dave’s Excellent Adventure At Louro, Santos marries those homegrown skills with formal experience gained in restaurant kitchens, including Per Se and Bouley.
This Valentine’s Day, experience cuisine that would make even Aphrodite blush. Executive Chef Chris Christou’s Tasting Menu and Wine Pairings
55 East 54th Street New York (646)844-2275 www.nerai.nyc
The cuisine is New American, so you’ll find influences from all over the globe, while some dishes show an outright Portuguese influence. For example, diners are greeted with bread and a humble little bowl of “Portuguese butter.” It is amazing stuff, made of lard, olive oil, duck fat, and various herbs and spices including black pepper, which gives it a dark hue. Add it to the list of foods to be jarred. Santos should also stick a price tag on it and sell it.
Idaho brook trout with grains and spinach over black garlic sunchoke puree.
Dining
D3 February 13–19, 2015
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PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu
The Experiments ? Stu, the perpetual stew, has been going since August. ? Trimmings and bone give up their flavor after two days, and Santos then strains it. ? Stu is used regularly, recently in dishes like ramen, garlic soup, and lobster chawanmushi (a Japanese egg custard). ? Some jars can be opened like the Moro blood orange with wildly floral grains of paradise from Brazil. Others can’t. “Things like pickled elderberries, apple rosemary, pickled white asparagus are sealed. Once I open them, it’s game over. I have to use them,� Santos said.
Morton’s World Trade Center
Monday nights are themed dinners at Louro. Upcoming highlights are: ) From the Mardi Gras Dinner (Feb. 16, $75, includes cocktails): Crab and Crawfish ÉtouffÊe With Popcorn Rice; Bananas Foster Beignets
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? From the Chinese New Year Dinner (Feb. 19, $45): Chilled Pork Salad; Goat Stew; Orange Cake With Pomelo Ice Cream and Tangerine Caramel
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The Piri Piri Shrimp was—improbable as it might sound—even more addicting. I temporarily left the Portuguese butter alone and put the focaccia in the service of wiping clean the piri piri oil left behind by the shrimp, as it wouldn’t have been proper to lick the plate clean—but boy was I tempted ($8). There are different Portuguese regional takes on piri piri, but Santos swears by the one he grew up with, from the Alentejo area. It’s simple— mostly garlic, olive oil, piri piri peppers, red wine vinegar, and herbs—and incredibly flavorful. His take on a Portuguese classic of pork and clams features braised pork shoulder topped with crackling skin garnished with clams, and is both tender and crispy, savory and smoky ($35). Santos mentioned he would like to open a Portuguese restaurant one day that offers a true representation of the country’s cooking. That would
Piri Piri Shrimp.
be exciting to see. Louro is much more encompassing, all while experimenting constantly. Besides a few dishes that stay on the menu year-round, it never settles into a staid routine. The majority of the menu is an adventure. Kimchi Fried Rice, with calamari, mussels, clams, and shrimp, comes sizzling in a cast iron pan for diners to crack a duck egg into. But the kimchi, rather than bearing the colors of red chili powder, is made with a Portuguese accent: roasted red pepper puree, garlic, black pepper, piri piri peppers, and, instead of Napa cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts. But all the same, it bears a similarly comforting quality, and it’s delicious ($16). Did it bother me that the spices used weren’t Korean? Not a bit. But Santos said it does sometimes get him into trouble because of diners’ expectations. I came to understood that when I tried the Octopus Bolognese ($27), which looks exactly like a traditional Bolognese. I bit into it carrying all the expectations of tasting traditional Bolognese flavors, but what I tasted was the ocean. Some diners love it—Santos hasn’t been able to take it off the menu because of the demand. A dry-aged lamb meatball looked like any other meatball, but had a funkiness that was beyond what I could handle ($24). It too has its fans. The experiments pay off, though. Santos carries boundless enthusiasm and energy, and the highs are high. Santos’s range is wide, and he is too curious to be limited to the same menu items over and over again. What you do get are dishes like celery root perfumed from having been cooked in hay, sweet and refreshing ($10–$13). Or Idaho brook trout over farro, wild rice, and spinach, perfectly panfried and so good that if you close you eyes, it transports you over river and woods ($27). That exuberance and curiosity are uncommon, and makes Louro a worthy visit.
San Valentino 2015
A Special Pre-Fix Menu to Transport You to Italy We are cooking up the most romantic night ever. We have created a dedicated menu for this special night!
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Dining
D4 February 13–19, 2015
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BANGKOK
STREET FARE
Heaven for Food Lovers Yaowarat is one of Bangkok’s oldest neighborhoods, founded by East Asian traders in Siam over 200 years ago. It is a heaven for food lovers, blending the centuries old Thai and East Asian influences in an eclectic mix of street vendor cuisine. Experience the authentic taste of Bangkok street fare, at Sookk.
Try Our Affordable Daily Lunch Specials.
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View of Manhattan from New Jersey.
Grand Views— and a Grand Meze
SOOKK
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An Off-Broadway Hit For 70 Years!
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LOCAL, SEASONAL, MARKET FRESH FARE
By Barbara Angelakis & Manos Angelakis It has been affirmed over and over again that location is everything. Well, in the case of Molos Restaurant—situated at the water’s edge in Weehawken, N.J., with an unobstructed view of the Manhattan skyline—location is only part of the story. Day or night, but especially at sunset, the view itself is worthy of a visit. The other part of the story is the food. With executive chef Gregory Zapantis overseeing the kitchen, the stunning New York City view at night with its multicolored lights dancing on the still waters of the Hudson River is just the crowning glory to an impressive gastronomic dining experience. After enjoying Greek cooking, initially at my mother-in-law’s table, and at dozens of restaurants both in Greece and the United States since then, I thought I had experienced every variation of Greek cuisine—home cooking to gourmet and everything in between. But still, Zapantis managed to surprise and delight with unusual pairings of ingredients, preparation, and presentation. Joining father–daughter team Jerry and Eliana Stefanitsis at their waterfront location previously occupied by Arthur’s Landing, Molos Restaurant is a 12,000-square-foot multilevel chic space that serves lunch, brunch, dinner, and caters private events. While we perused the dinner menu we were served char-grilled olive bread, with small plates of hummus, herbed Kalamata olives, and mild tasting radishes to whet our appetites. There were so many good choices that we finally left it up to Zapantis to deliver a tasting menu of his choice. Meze As is the Greek custom, our meal began with a sampling of small plates and dips. It consisted of Greek village salad
(horiatiki) looking and tasting the way it should—but rarely does in the United States—with ripe heirloom tomatoes, crispy cucumbers and peppers, slivered red onions, pitted olives, quality feta cheese, and unusual but perfectly satisfying watercress greens; sashimi-grade char-grilled octopus served with caramelized onions and eggplant purée; baby grilled calamari with herb aioli; and the chef’s house specialty of grilled scallop wrapped in kataifi (shredded wheat) and served with an olive oil and lemon sauce— a truly spectacular taste, crispy outside, silky tender inside, with lemon tinged flavor balancing the mild scallop. All the while we were drinking ouzo and watching the ferries crossing to and fro from Weehawken to Manhattan through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The grand meze was a meal in itself and I was feeling full with the appetizer-sized portions of the small plates. But then came the main course of lavraki (Mediterranean sea bass), perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. Zapantis paired the mild white fish with a side of sautéed broccoli rabe with garlic and feta, adding complexity to the dish. By that time the restaurant was emptying out, and Zapantis had a chance to come out of the kitchen for a chat. We spoke of his home on the rugged Greek island of Cephalonia, his passion for food, his love of family and his culture, and his hope for Molos as a haven for Greek and non-Greek alike to find authentic food in a glamorous setting. We ended the evening with traditional Greek pastries delivered in a nontraditional way. There was a large triangle of baklava and another of galaktoboureko—both made in the restaurant and absolutely outstanding—served with a side of pomegranate seeds and cherry vanilla ice cream topped with a mint leaf ... and of course sweet and double-boiled “Ellinikos
Kafés” (Greek coffee). The wine list sports numerous outstanding Greek wines. A number of very good ones can be ordered by the glass instead of having to purchase an entire bottle. Wines From Santorini, get the Atlantis Assyrtiko, a crisp and aromatic white wine that pairs beautifully with the fish and seafood dishes. From Gaia Estate in the Peloponnese there is Notios Moschofilero, another very nice and aromatic wine that is a blend of moschofilero and roditis grapes. The moschofilero contributes a bright floral flavor while the roditis provides a very smooth citrus character. Two substantial reds, Papaioannou Agiorgitiko, from Nemea in the Peloponnese, and Thymiopoulos Xinomavro, among the top 10 most highly rated wines from Naousa in Greek Macedonia, beautifully complement Zapantis’s lamb and beef dishes. The by-the-glass wines range from $9 to $11 a glass. On the winter menu, their exceptional mezze is priced between $6 and $12 per plate, and if you follow Greek custom you can do dinner by ordering a couple meze dishes per person to have with your wine or ouzo. The first courses are well-priced at $14 to $19. The fish and seafood are market-priced between $14 and $29. Main courses are between $22 and $39. Make sure to order lemon potatoes with the meats or horta, steamed wild greens for the fish, traditional side dishes beloved by the Greeks. Both are exceptional. Featuring Mediterranean specialties and using only organic produce and meat sourced from top local purveyors plus a seafood bar and fresh fish flown in daily from around the world, guarantees that whether your taste buds yearn for food from land or sea, you will find it artfully served at Molos.
MANOS ANGELAKIS
Molos Restaurant 1 Pershing Road Weehawken, N.J. 201-223-1200 MolosRestaurant.com
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.
Manos Angelakis is a wellknown wine and food critic based in the New York City area. He judges numerous wine competitions each year and is the senior food and wine writer for LuxuryWeb Magazine (LuxuryWeb.com). Barbara Angelakis is the senior travel and culture editor for LuxuryWeb Magazine.
NEW! Chef ’s Seasonal Tasting Menu
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(btwn Park and Broadway)
212.677.7771
The display of fresh fish.
Dining
D5 February 13–19, 2015
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Prices have risen along with selection.
Cocktails Go Sky−High as Airline Spirits Options Take Off By Michelle Locke Flying, at least for nonmillionaires, has gotten grimmer and squashier in recent years. But there is at least one bright spot; things are looking up on the drinks cart. “You can actually get a decent drink,� said Anthony Caporale, director of beverage studies at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. “I started a few years back seeing small-batch bourbons on flights. Now I think it’s uncommon for me to get on a major airline that doesn’t have some sort of craft American whiskey.� Virgin America, for example, offers a cucumber vodka mojito from the Austin Cocktails premixed line. Delta is launching a “Jack and Joe� specialty cocktail (Jack Daniels, Bailey’s Irish Cream and coffee, hot or iced) this February. And Alaska Air took a crafty approach, teaming with local distilleries Sun Liquor in Seattle and Bendistillery in Oregon. All three airlines are also tapping into the craft beer trend, along with JetBlue and Southwest Airlines, which recently introduced rotating seasonal beers from Leinenkugel’s in Chippewa Falls, Wis. Adding homegrown products to give passengers a more personalized experience is one change. Another is making it easier to order those fancy, local drinks. Virgin America, Norwegian, and Air New Zealand allow passengers to order beverages via the inflight entertainment systems, said Raymond Kollau of AirlineTrends.com. On Virgin America you can even use the system to buy a drink for another passenger and follow up with a seat-to-seat chat function. Drinks writer Camper English, who keeps up with airline drinks menus at his site Alcademics.com, has been tracking the advent of better bourbons like Bulleit and better tequilas such as Avion, as well as regional selections like those offered on Alaska Air. Still, prices have risen along with selection, he said, and there are a lot of pretty sad cocktails made of canned margarita and bloody mary mixes. “I would guess as we see an increase in the better-quality premixed cocktails on the ground like the Crafthouse brand, we’ll begin to see more of them in the sky,� said English. Space and time remain challenges in serving at 35,000 feet. There’s not a lot of room to show off your cocktail shaker skills in the economy aisle. At Alaska Air, if you want a Moscow mule you order the ingredients—ginger ale, vodka and lime wedges—and make the
On Virgin America you can even use the inflight entertainment systems to buy a drink for another passenger and follow up with a seat-to-seat chat function. drink at your seat, following, if you wish, the recipe spelled out on its website. Another challenge is the way altitude—cabins typically are pressurized at 6,000 to 8,000
feet—plus low cabin humidity change your sense of taste and smell. That’s a big problem for food, but less so for liquor, which “is quite robust,� said Caporale. Wine is trickier. Hal Landvoigt, director of winemaking at Precept Wine in Seattle, has made a science of wine flights—literally. To understand how air travel influences wine drinking, he took multiple wine blends onto a flight—all in TSAapproved 3-ounce bottles—then tasted them before takeoff and again during the flight to see if there was a difference. There is, he said. He followed up by tinkering with the bottles at his seat, playing with sugar and acidity levels to see what worked best. Landvoigt also ran two inair tastings for Alaska Air, asking passengers to pick the blend they liked best and came up with a white and a red for inflight consumption only. With reds, a little more sweetness and a little more oak presence seems to work out DAVID DE LOSSY/PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK
well. Whites also needed to be a little sweeter and little less acidic than if on the ground. Precept currently has two wines on Alaskan flights, Canoe Ridge Vineyard Exploration merlot and pinot gris. If you’re still worried about the quality of your cabin cocktail, English has a tip: Check out the airline lounge. Airport bars are improving at a faster pace, he said, with several hiring local mixologists to develop cocktails and train lounge bartenders to make them properly. From The Associated Press
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With many airlines, things are looking up on the drinks cart. AP PHOTO/VIRGIN AMERICA
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Virgin America’s cucumber vodka mojito cocktail.
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Dining
D6 February 13–19, 2015
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CASTILIAN SPANISH CUISINE at el Pote
Hearty, Wholesome Food from Old Spain
Rethinking Muffaletta as a Thin-Crust Pizza for Mardi Gras By Alison Ladman
Chef’s Favorites Sweet Sangria
We love pizza. We love muffaletta. We decided they probably would be easy to love together. So we decided to combine them. In honor of Mardi Gras, we created a muffaletta flatbread, a basic thin-crust pizza topped with all the classic ingredients of New Orleans’ beloved muffaletta sandwich. We start with a red pepper pesto blended from
Rich Paella Valenciana Fresh Lobster Bisque Juicy Lamb Chops
AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
roasted bell peppers, capers, and toasted walnuts. We then top that with an olive and cherry pepper blend, then finally sliced salami and provolone cheese. For a shortcut version, prep the red pepper pesto and olive salad ahead of time. They can be refrigerated for several days. You also could substitute mixed marinated olives from the grocer’s olive bar for the olive salad. From The Associated Press
RECIPE
Muffaletta Flatbread Prep and cooking time: 45 minutes
For the Flatbreads:
Makes 6 servings
B 20-ounce ball pizza dough, room temperature
For the Red Pepper Pesto:
718 2nd Ave @ 38th St. www.elPote.com 212.889.6680
B 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
B 1/2 cup roughly chopped roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
B 2 1/2 ounces sliced salami, cut into thin strips
B 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
B 3 ounces sliced provolone cheese, cut into thin strips
B 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra
Heat the oven to 500 F.
B 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts
Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
For the Olive Salad: B 1/2 cup green olives B 1/4 cup black olives B 1/4 cup chopped sweet cherry peppers B 1/4 cup chopped pickled vegetables B 2 cloves garlic, minced B 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper B 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
To make the pesto, in a food processor combine the roasted red peppers, capers, olive oil and the walnuts. Pulse until very finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl. To make the olive salad, in the food processor (no need to clean it) combine both olive varieties, the cherry peppers, pickled vegetables, garlic, pepper, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until roughly
chopped. The pieces should be no bigger than a 1/4 inch. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Stretch or roll the dough into long, thin ovals, about 4-by-9 inches. Arrange the dough on the prepared baking sheets and allow to rest for 10 minutes. If needed, stretch out the dough ovals again. Lightly brush each piece of dough with olive oil. Top each with alternating stripes of pesto and olive salad across the dough, then top with strips of salami and provolone. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough is crisp and the flatbreads are lightly browned. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Nutrition information per serving: 390 calories; 170 calories from fat (44 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 25 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 13 g protein; 1,120 mg sodium. AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
A ‘CLASSY NEW ADDITION’ TO THE EAST VILLAGE ďšťZAGAT
A Paradiso for Meatlovers
Easy Fondue Sauces With Wow-Factor
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.
513 E 6th Street - New York, NY
Buenos Aires Follow us
By Alison Ladman Worried your kitchen skills may not be up to pulling together something impressively decadent for Valentine’s Day? Fear not. A pricy restaurant meal isn’t your only option. We created this delicious, yet simple pair of fondue sauces to be easy for even the most clueless cook. But we didn’t
sacrifice the wow-factor in the process. Warm chocolate-mango and five-spice caramel sauces are anything but ordinary. For ease, we paired them with purchased items for dipping—biscotti, pound cake, fresh berries, whatever inspires you. And while fondue pots are nice, they aren’t essential. You can also offer these sauces in small serving dishes. If they get too cool, just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds.
The only slightly unusual ingredient on this menu is the mango purÊe. It’s usually sold in the grocer’s freezer section alongside the Hispanic ingredients. If you can’t find it, it’s easy to make your own. Add about 1 cup of fresh or frozen (thawed) mango chunks to the blender and purÊe. Strain the purÊe, then proceed with the recipe. From The Associated Press
RECIPE
WE MAKE GREAT PIZZA YOU’LL MAKE GREAT FRIENDS We are the most social pizza place around, come hang out with us, we are open every day until 5 am! FOR MORE THAN 18 YEARS, East Village Pizza & Kebab has been serving the best Italian pizza, fine Italian dishes, remarkable kebabs and falafels in the East Village.
We make 40 different kind of pizza pies, you have to try them all!
Fondue Duo of Chocolate-Mango and Five-Spice Caramel Sauces
For Dunking:
Prep and cooking time: 40 minutes
B Marshmallows
Makes 4 servings
B Pound cake, cut into cubes or sticks
For the Chocolate Fondue:
B Angel food cake, cut into cubes or sticks
B 1/2 cup mango purĂŠe B 2 tablespoons unsalted butter B 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
145 First Avenue (Corner of east 9th street) New York, NY 10003 DINE IN OR TAKE OUT, WE MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO ORDER. Order online at: www.EastVillagePizza.net or call us at 212-529-4545. Delivery is Fast & Free.
B 3 tablespoons honey For the Caramel Fondue: B 1/2 cup half-and-half B 5 ounces caramels (about 17 to 18 pieces) B 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
B Wafer cookies B Fresh berries B Biscotti
In a small saucepan over medium, heat the mango purĂŠe and butter until simmering and the butter has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and honey. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Set aside, but keep warm. In another small saucepan over medium, heat the half-and-half until it simmers. Add the caramels and five-spice powder, then cook, stirring constantly, until
the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the two mixtures to 2 small serving bowls. Set on a platter surrounded by the various items for dunking. Alternatively, set up 2 heated fondue pots according to product directions and pour the dipping sauces into those. Serve immediately. Chocolate sauce nutrition information per serving (based on 4 servings): 260 calories; 140 calories from fat (54 percent of total calories); 16 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 28 g sugar; 2 g protein; 0 mg sodium. Caramel sauce nutrition information per serving (based on 4 servings): 170 calories; 60 calories from fat (35 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 25 g sugar; 3 g protein; 100 mg sodium.
Dining
D7 February 13–19, 2015
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An Easy, Customizable Chocolate Treat for Valentine’s Day By Elizabeth Karmel Sometimes it takes just a few simple ingredients to win my heart. That’s what fellow Southerner Ben Mims recently did. And he did it with candy. Truth is, I’m generally not the sort of person who makes candy at home. It can be a bit fussy and time-consuming and I don’t find the process nearly as satisfying as landing a slab of something meaty over an open fire. But I’m still a sucker for a good sweet, and as I paged
through Mims’s recent cookbook, “Sweet and Southern: Traditional Southern Desserts,” I was smitten with one of his simplest recipes. It was his Aunt Barbara Jane’s pretzel-peanut chocolate candies. Crunchy, salty and sweet, these chocolates are similar to bark, but easier. You simply mix everything together, and then spoon it onto waxed paper to set up. Of course, I’m never happy to just let things be. My mind was immediately racing with ideas for riffing on this. Such a simple and versatile recipe could
be taken in so many directions. I made Mims’s pretzel-peanutsemi-sweet chocolate version, but I also did cashew-coconut-chopped dried mango and dried cherry-toasted almondschopped candied ginger versions. They were all delicious! And what a perfect idea for Valentine’s Day. Even children could do this. Looking for other combinations? Mix whatever intrigues you; just stick to the proportions in the recipe and you should be fine. Or try these combinations:
C Pistachios, dried cherries, and milk chocolate C Toasted hazelnuts, raisins, and dark chocolate C Cornflakes, butterscotch chips, and milk chocolate C White chocolate, dried apricots, and cashews C Mini marshmallows, toasted almonds, and dark chocolate C Dark chocolate, orange zest, crystalized ginger, and pecans C Crumbled cooked bacon, peanuts, and milk chocolate From The Associated Press
BRAZILIA CAFE is an authentic seed-to-cup
coffeehouse. Using coffee beans sourced from the company’s own Brazilian plantation in the tropical mountain slopes of the Sul de Minas region, Brazilia offers the highest quality coffee experience in New York City.
Our Coffee Concierge can serve up a single cup using your choice of brewing method or a sampling of each Aeropress, Chemex, French Press or Hario Pourover.
AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
Chocolate Candy Clusters
B 10-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 10- to 15-second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the mix-ins of your choice, making sure they are evenly distributed and coated with melted chocolate. Using 2 teaspoons, drop large spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely. Place in small decorative cupcake wrappers and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
For Big Flavor, Little Fat, Consider Powdered Peanut Butter kling it on my oatmeal or over frozen yogurt. It really is quite good. Powdered peanut butter is just what it sounds like—peanut butter that has had all of the moisture and most of the fat removed. You're left with a fine powder (similar in texture to cocoa powder) that has the flavor of regular peanut butter. It can be used as is or reconstituted. For the latter, you just stir 1 tablespoon of water or other liquid (such as almond milk) into 2 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter until smooth. One serving (2 tablespoons) of reconstituted peanut butter has a fraction of the fat and calories of traditional peanut
Try our amazing Açaí super-food bowls!
B 3 cups mix-ins (see ideas above)
Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes Makes 40 clusters
Powdered peanut butter sounds, pardon the pun, a bit nuts. While fitness buffs sang its praises when it first hit the scene a few years ago, I scoffed. But after seeing it take up more and more space on the shelves of my local supermarket, I caved and bought it for the first time. At first I stayed fairly traditional in my usage: I added a scoop to my chocolate or banana morning smoothie, or added it to cookie dough to make a lower calorie peanut butter cookie. But it grew on me. Soon, I was adding it to curries and sprin-
SEED-TO-CUP
RECIPE
This recipe readily adapts to your tastes. Just stick with the proportions set out below and you can mix in whatever you like. But a good rule of thumb is to offer a contrast of textures and flavors—crunchy and soft, salty and sweet, etc. It also helps if the mix-ins are roughly the same size. Pretzels or chips should be broken into smaller pieces, while larger dried fruits such as apricots should be chopped. And if you like, the chocolates can be sprinkled with nonpareils before they set up.
By Melissa D’Arabian
OUR COFFEE IS CRAFTED FROM
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Katsu & Sake
Discover a Hidden Gem in K-Town Signature dishes you won’t find in other Japanese restaurants
AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
Pork Katsu
An exceptional dish, reserved for special occasions across Japan. Try this amazing Pork Katsu at HanaMichi. Our unique preparation not only highlights pork, but also chicken, beef and vegetables! A dish worth gathering for!
“This is one of my favorite spots in K-town” – Zagat-
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butter—45 calories, 5 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fat and 1 gram of sugar. Compare that to the 188 calories, 16 grams of fat,
8 grams of protein and 3 grams of sugar in the real deal. From The Associated Press
28 W 32nd Street New York, NY 10001
212.736.5393
24 Hours www.hanamichinyc.com
LUNCH SPECIAL STARTS FROM
$7
RECIPE
Salty-Sweet Peanut-Honey Popcorn Prefer the microwave? Use unflavored plain popcorn and pop according to package directions, then transfer to a large bowl and proceed with the recipe starting with the honey. Prep and cooking time: 10 minutes Makes 8 servings B 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil B 1/2 cup popcorn kernels B 1/4 cup honey B 3 tablespoons powdered peanut butter B 1/2 teaspoon fine salt In a heavy, large saucepan over medium, heat the coconut oil. Sprinkle in the popcorn kernels and give a quick stir with a wooden spoon to coat the kernels in oil. Continue cooking
and stirring until the first kernel pops. Once it does, cover the pan and, using oven mitts, grasp the pan by both the handle and the lid, then gently shake the pan (on the heat) to keep the kernels moving as they continue to pop. Do this for about 2 minutes, or until there is a 2-second delay between pops. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Be very careful; the popcorn will be very hot. Drizzle the honey over the popcorn, then use wooden spoons to toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the peanut butter and salt over the popcorn, then toss again to coat. Nutrition information per serving: 110 calories; 30 calories from fat (27 percent of total calories); 3.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 2 g protein; 160 mg sodium.
Miyazaki Super Prime Wagyu Beef $120.00
Authentic Japanese food served with a touch of class
W
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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tra itional a anese a eti ers kin s of ashimi rille ish an a simmere ish essert $60/per person
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.) —
641 10TH AVENUE (BTWN. 45TH ST. & 46TH ST.)
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Dining
D8 February 13–19, 2015
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HIGH QUALITY KOREAN BBQ For a very reasonable price.
* Fresh, never frozen meat * %# ( * ( ! " * $" # " $ " " #
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WE HAVE A SAYING AT OUR RESTAURANT:
EAT MEAT LIKE YOU EAT BREAD.
JONGRO IS KOREAN BBQ. Koreatown 22 W. 32nd St. 2nd Floor New York, NY 212-473-2233 Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11:30 am ~ 2:00 am Friday - Saturday 11:30 am ~ 4:00 am Follow us on Facebook: Jongro BBQ
Peanut broccoli with shaved lemon.
Looking to Make a Healthy Change? Fill Up on Broccoli By J.M. Hirsch
T Obsessive Attention to Detail T
he single inspiration that lead to the establishment of Hatsuhana was nothing more than the desire to introduce unsurpassed sushi and sashimi to New Yorkers. Since the first day we opened our doors in 1976, we have been a sushi specialty restaurant. This has helped us maintain our focus on sushi and excel at the one thing that mattered most.
Over three decades later, our mission remains unchanged. Obsessive attention to detail should be the norm for sushi restaurants, not something to strive for. The complexity associated with creating the ideal sushi rice. The fragrance of freshly ground wasabi. The freshest fish from around the globe.
ruth is, it's such a versatile vegetable seemingly unbound by season, it becomes a go-to vegetable—particularly in winter—for the American dinner table. Nothing wrong with that. It tastes great, cooks quickly and is great for you. But it can sometimes feel as though it's on repeat mode, which is hard to get excited about. Which is why I've become a pro at jazzing up my broccoli. Not that I'm willing to spend a whole lot of time or energy to do so. It is, after all, usually served as a side. But I've found it is easy to transform broccoli into something worth looking forward to, no matter how many nights a week it is served. Peanut broccoli with shaved lemon is one of my favorite variations. It does, however, require
Peanut Broccoli With Shaved Lemon Prep and cooking time: 20 minutes Makes 4 servings 2 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided 2 6 cups chopped broccoli florets and stalks 2 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 Salt and ground black pepper 2 2 tablespoons honey
212.355.3345 www.hatsuhana.com 17 East 48th St, New York (btw madison & 5th Ave.)
From The Associated Press
RECIPE
2 4 cloves garlic, minced Please come by for lunch or dinner and let us show you what real sushi is like.
a special tool—a mandoline. Shaped like a long, thin board fitted with a particularly sharp blade, mandolines are used to shave produce paper thin. And while you can spend a fortune on a fancy one, I'm a fan of the cheap plastic versions often sold in Asian markets. I use mine to shave garlic for salads (thinly shaved garlic is a great addition to vinaigrette) or onions for a delicate stir-fry. It's also a great way to prep toppings for pizza. Thinly shaved bell peppers and mushrooms cook up so much better than large slices (which inevitably remain raw). In this recipe, the mandoline is used to shave a lemon—rind and all—into thin rounds which lend a delicious, but not overpowering, hit of bright acid to the otherwise heavy flavors of broccoli sauteed in sesame oil and topped with peanuts. The honey drizzled on at the end ties everything together.
2 1/4 cup roasted and salted peanuts 2 1 lemon
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the broccoli and saute for 10 minutes, or until just barely starting to brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, then saute for another 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the honey and remaining 1 tablespoons of sesame oil, then sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the broccoli. Using a mandoline, shave thin slices of the lemon over the broccoli, adding as little or as much as desired. Nutrition information per serving: 220 calories; 140 calories from fat (64 percent of total calories); 16 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 5 g protein; 190 mg sodium.