Dine
Unwind
D1 March 13–19, 2015 SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
WEST VILLAGE New York Strip Steak at Village Prime.
Village Prime Drops Anchor Seafood dishes shine at this new steakhouse By Channaly Philipp Epoch Times Staff teakhouses have been popping up all over the city in the past few months. But a new ship has pulled into port in the West Village—a neighborhood not known for catering to the carnivorous set. A first Manhattan foray for owner Paul Singh (who owns Aged, in Forest Hills), Village Prime channels a rustic chic feel. A mosaic of cowhide on the wall, banquettes, touches of walnut wood throughout, and dim lighting casting a candlelight glow give the space a warm, inviting feel.
The classic cuts are all there—porterhouse, New York strip, filet mignon— along with potato in its myriad forms. Let me count the ways ... whipped, baked, au gratin, grated into hash browns, or cut into steak fries. More than enough, in other words, to fulfill those cravings for meat and potatoes. For purists, the tender USDA Prime steaks measure up quite solidly. They come with the option of sauces like hollandaise, chimichurri, peppercorn, béarnaise, or housemade steak sauce. And should you want a Parmesan or blue cheese crust, just say the word.
Village Prime
302 Bleecker St. (at Barrow Street & 7th Avenue) 212-727-7463 VillagePrimeNYC.com Hours Monday–Sunday 11:30 a.m.–midnight Saturday & Sunday Brunch 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
We’re excited to announce the expansion of Dine & Unwind—introducing our new Taste Asia pages! This new section is your gateway to Taste Asia 2015—the largest and most diverse Asian food festival in North America—set in the heart of Times Square on June 26–27. We know about your late-night cravings for Asian cuisine. We’ve got them too. In these four new pages (D9–D12), you’ll find a true celebration of the deep culinary arts of Asian and Asian-inspired cuisine. If you’re like us, you’ll have hunger pangs as you thumb through these pages. This week, learn about tang yuan (D9) and find out how Khe-Yo’s chef Soulayphet Schwader brings on the funk with Laotian fermented fish sauce, padek (D10–D11). Follow columnist CiCi Li to Hell’s Chicken as she makes one of her favorite comfort foods: Korean fried chicken (D12).
Taste Asia and spice up your Fridays!
@TasteAsiaNYC Tell us what you want. What content are you craving in Taste Asia?
See Village Prime on D2
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Dining
D2 March 13–19, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com
Village Prime carries more than 30 single malts. Chilean sea bass with red wine Worcestershire reduction.
Village Prime Drops Anchor in West Village Village Prime continued from D1
Tuna Tartare.
Crème brûlée.
BALANCE
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 (646)844-2275 www.nerai.nyc
Prime Seafood But the real star here, any cravings for steak aside, is the seafood. Executive chef Rory O’Farrell, who most recently opened Johnny Sánchez restaurants for celebrity chefs Aarón Sánchez and John Besh across the country, seems to have an innate touch with seafood. Across the board, all the seafood dishes I tried were full of flavor and deftly executed. Just among starters alone, the New England Clam Chowder won the approval of my discerning Rhode Islander dining companion, as the best he’d yet found in the city. Finely textured, the chowder packed tons of flavor ($12). The Lobster Bisque, in a departure from the classic sherry-enriched rendition, hits a sweet nutty, almost hazelnutlike note. The secret ingredient? Vanilla, to bring out the sweetness of the lobster meat ($14). Baked Clams are also done well, juicy and plump underneath a crispy panko crust ($17), and the Fried Calamari, beckoningly crispy and served with a smoked pepper aioli with a bold kick ($14). For a salad, try the Wedge Salad. It hits just the right notes with iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, and smoked bacon ($12). It’s great for a light appetizer but will undeniably rouse your taste buds. The Tomato Basil Burrata, with aged balsamic, is notable for its creamy oozy heart, but it’s probably best to wait for summer for peak-of-season tomatoes ($16). With Chilean sea bass, O’Farrell gives the buttery fish a golden crust, and then treats it like meat by adding a red-wine
Executive chef Rory O’Farrell seems to have an innate touch with seafood. Worcestershire reduction, and serves it with mashed potatoes and greens. I ordered the dish somewhat hesitantly, but the fish and reduction worked quite well together. The textures throughout the dish range from melting to creamy to crunchy—it’s a delight ($36). The sides abound in potatoes, but for a touch of luxury, get the Lobster Mac & Cheese. It’s just the right amount of lobster, neither too much nor too little ($16). If by the end of the meal, you have room left, try the Crème Brûlée ($10). Yes, it’s a standard, but here it may well set a record for the longest crème brûlée. It looks like a long ship with a lacy caramel sail. The dish is only just wide enough to fit the width of a dessert spoon. Doesn’t everyone eat crème brûlée along the edge of the usual round ramekin, leaving a lonely island in the middle? Problem solved with this design. It’s all edge. It’s perfect for two. You can start from
Dining
D3 March 13–19, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu
Morton’s World Trade Center
Midtown 551 Fifth Avenue 212-972-3315
(Bottom) New York Strip, (top) Baked Clams.
World Trade Center 136 Washington Street 212-608-0171
Great Neck 777 Northern Boulevard 516-498-2950
opposite ends and make a race for the middle as I did, or more graciously take your time to savor it. There’s an extensive global wine list, but take note of the collection of single malts, including bottles of limited edition Talisker, and other notables like the 30-year Highland Park. A garden seating 30 is to open this spring. Specials include two-course lunch special starting at $14, and a $30 prix-fixe brunch with unlimited champagne.
Hackensack One Riverside Square 201-487-1303
White Plains 9 Maple Avenue 914-683-6101
mortons.com
.
A Sea Adventure
Maryland Lump Crab Cake.
As his parents tell it, Rory O’Farrell started cooking at the age of 12, when he embarked on a sailing trip with a handful of relatives and friends. His father had read a book about sailing, taught himself celestial navigation, and then went out and bought a 29-footlong sailboat. The first trip was from Patchogue on Long Island to Digby, Nova Scotia, not hugging the coastline, but straight into the open seas. It was the kind of adven-
ture perfect for recounting in a school essay, and just crazy enough that his teacher questioned if it was all true. O’Farrell reminisced about 40-foot-high swells rocking the boat (whose mast measured about 33 feet high); a stubborn dolphin coming to the rescue at one point; and running out of water two days before reaching Digby, among many other adventures. In any case, no one else wanted to cook, so O’Farrell did. And so a chef was born.
Ambassadors of Italian Culture and Cuisine. IN THE HEART OF MANHATTAN’S FLATIRON DISTRICT,
you can see it standing above the rest—Osteria del Principe, where the true culture of Italy is experienced in every bite. We don’t just serve Italian food, for 60 years we have been producing dry, cured hams, also called Prosciutto. Our Principe Prosciutto di San Daniele is sought after by customers around the globe for its outstanding quality.
You Will Love These Traditional Trieste Dishes
Soft Polenta with Asiago Cheese and Porcini Mushrooms Gulash Alla Triestina • Fettucine Al San Daniele • •
If you want to know if a restaurant is truly Italian, look for the OspitalitĂ Italiana Seal of Quality.
Executive chef Rory O’Farrell (L) and general manager Ad Benchettara , who looks after customers with solicitous Old World charm.
&
& PrincipeNYC.com %"# " ! $ ! !
Dining
D4 March 13–19, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com DANIEL KRIEGER
An Off-Broadway Hit For 70 Years!
PATSY ’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT A New York landmark made famous by Frank Sinatra Since 1944 — our only location is
236 W. 56th Street
The third annual Brisket King heads to Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
between Eighth Avenue and Broadway
New York, NY 10019
(212) 247-3491 patsy’s italian restaurant
patsysnyc
WWW.PATSYS.COM
Solera’s Spanish Food & Wine Pairing Rufino Lopez, of Solera Restaurant and Patrick Mata, of Ole Imports pair together their special collection of Spanish dishes and wine. They will be taking you on a culinary journey for the next few weeks...
Drink to Your Health, With Broth
AROUND TOWN
Crowning the Brisket King More than 20 chefs will compete for the glory of beef with both people’s choice and judges’ awards. Participants include Hometown BBQ, Fletcher’s Brooklyn BBQ, and Hill Country BBQ. In addition, there will be 15-plus distilleries curated by
Modern Distillery Age. All-you-can-eat-and-drink general admission tickets are $85. March 16, 6 p.m.–9:30 p.m., Irondale Center, 85 S. Oxford St., Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
COURTESY OF NYC VEGETARIAN FOOD FESTIVAL
53rd Street and 3rd Avenue 51th Street and Lexington Ave
(212) 644-1166 SoleraNy.com
It was inevitable, with the recent much ado about broth. Broth Fest brings chefs under one roof in the “ultimate battle of the bones.” Chefs from Baz Bagel and Restaurant, Belle Reve, Caracas Arepa Bar,
James Beard Annual Cookbook Sale
FAME, Katz’s Delicatessen, and Spur Tree, among others, will ladle their takes on nourishing, slow-simmered bone broth. March 14, South Street Seaport. Tickets are $33.
COURTESY OF JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
James Beard Foundation will hold its annual cookbook sale featuring new and used cookbooks at bargain prices ranging from $5 to $20. March 15, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., The Beard House, 167 W. 12th St. JamesBeard.org/events/ jbf-annual-cookbook-sale
Attendees at last year’s NYC Vegetarian Food Festival.
The Beard House.
PIERRE MONETTA
NYC Vegetarian Food Festival
Pairing 1 LOCAL, SEASONAL, MARKET FRESH FARE
The fifth annual NYC Vegetarian Food Festival features vegan food, chef demos, expert speakers, and fun activities. A one-day pass is $30 and a two-day pass is $50 for tickets purchased online
in advance. March 14–15, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St. NYCVegFoodFest.com
Incognito Bistro Launches Sunday Brunch The menu ref lects the owners’ Scottish Italian roots. Chef Paolo Montana’s brunch dishes include the Scottish Breakfast, with sausage, bacon, eggs, black pudding, and toast ($18) to Anchovy to the Piccante, with penne
with crumbled sweet sausage, marinara, chilies, and ricotta ($18), to Italian donuts ($10). The tickets are $25 per person unlimited drinks option. Sundays, noon–5 p.m. IncognitoBistro.com INCOGNITO
Benoit is one of the dozen restaurants participating in Good France.
Good France, on Five Continents
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
Located in Flatiron New York City
CountyNyc.com
34 East 20th Street
The Scottish breakfast at Incognito.
212.677.7771
Compiled by Rowena Tsai & Channaly Philipp Epoch Times Staff
(btwn Park and Broadway)
Over 1,300 chefs across the world are setting out to serve Frenchstyle meals on March 19. A dozen restaurants in town will participate including Bouley, Madison Bistro, Benoit, TESSA, and OCabanon. Each chef will offer a traditional French aperitif, cold starter, hot starter, fish or shellfish, meat or poultry, a French cheese, a chocolate dessert, and French wines and digestifs. The day is inspired by Auguste
Escoffier, who launched epicurean dinners (“Dîners d’Épicure”), serving the same menu on the same day in several cities around the world, back in 1912. The initiative is organized by chef Alain Ducasse and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development. Prices vary by restaurant. For participating restaurants, menus, and prices, see Good-France.com
Dining
D5 March 13–19, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com OPENINGS COURTESY OF BLACK TAP
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer Opens in SoHo Co-owner and chef Joe Isidori is cooking up traditional and innovative burgers at the newly opened Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer. The burger bistro will, of course, be serving classics like the All-American burger. If you're looking to get a little adventurous with your patty, there's the Steak au Poivre burger with blue cheese and peppercorn sauce; or the Spicy Mexican, which is a fiery chorizo burger with jack cheese and picked jalapeĂąo.
Is your mouth on fire after chomping down The Spicy Mexican? Quench the flame by washing the burger down with a Nutella milkshake or one of the 40 beers on tap (we'd suggest the former if your taste buds were really on fire). 529 Broome St. (between Thompson & Sullivan streets) 917-639-3089 BlackTapNYC.com
COURTESY OF LA GAULOISE
La Gauloise Opens in West Village lotte Russe, ladyfingers and Bavarian cream. In spirit of the restaurant's name, which evokes ancient France, the "Thighs of Nymph," a more tasteful way of saying frog legs, pays tribute to renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier who coined the charming phrase.
EXKI, which has 78 locations in Europe and one in Manhattan, has recently opened a second location in the city. The menu is the result of a collaboration between EXKI and chef Galen Zamarra, of Mas and Almanac. The focus is on local, seasonal, and organic wherever possible. "I'm looking forward to helping people make smarter choices
Craft Beer 2 Wine 2 Fresh Salads 2 Hand Cut Fries Catch the game on our 40� TVs 1567 Lexington Ave, New York # (212) 289-6222 # JoyBurgerBar.com
French and European-Inspired Cuisine Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
2 Clarkson St. (at Varick Street) 212-675-5535 LaGauloiseNYC.com
MICHAEL TULIPAN
fries with sumac; Kibbe Kras with cracked wheat, beef, and lamb; and Rekakat Lahme, a fried pastry with beef and pignoli nuts. Mezze, charcoal-grilled meats, and Lebanese stews will also be offered for dinner. The dinner takeout and delivery menu will offer mezze and salads along with Tabeekh Lebanese stews, Mashawi charcoal grilled meats, and Au Za'atar's popular grilled kafta burger.
EXKI Opens Second Location
BUILD YOUR OWN BURGER
At Joy Burger Bar, we are all about customizing your burger experience. With 3 burger sizes to choose from and 9 sauces to complement your toppings, you will always get what you want.
La Gauloise
Souk & Sandwich Offers Takeout Lebanese Flavors Takeout shop Souk & Sandwich recently opened in SoHo. The owner is Tarik Fallous, who owns Arabian French bistro Au Za'atar. Souk & Sandwich, however, serves Lebanese fare only. Sandwich options, using grilled Lebanese bread, include the Hindbi with sautĂŠed chicory roots, caramelized onions, and pickles; Sojuk with spiced Lebanese sausage with toum (garlic aioli), pickles, and tomato. Snacks include Phoenician
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer
Chef Joe Isidori puts on the finishing touches.
Foosball and frog legs, anyone? Restaurateur Georges Forgeois opened his seventh dining spot, La Gauloise, on Wednesday. The menu will focus on French classics like Lapin à la Provençale, rabbit stewed in white wine and roasted tomatoes; Escargot with puff pastry; and Char-
The Sauces Make the Difference
A duet of dishes from various regions of France with the best recipes of other well-known regions of Europe. Pastries, desserts and custom cakes. Private room available for up to 50 guests.
Fatteh Betenjane.
Souk & Sandwich
117 Avenue of the Americas 212-625-3982 SoukAndSandwich.com
37 Barrow Street, New York, (212) 255 5416 Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
DUETNY.COM
EXKI
about food by using high-quality ingredients in exciting, vegetable-focused dishes that even nonvegetarians will enjoy," Zamarra said. Popular items include Omega-E with smoked salmon, cucumber, tomato, dill, baby arugula on sourdough tartine; the Chicken & Turmeric Curry Emulsion Cocotte with chicken, daikon, carrots, and rice noodles.
COURTESY OF TULLAMORE
EXKI's second location.
EXKI NYC
76 Madison Ave. (at 28th Street) EXKINYC.com
Cocktail Recipe for St. Patrick's Day: The Montserrat St. Patrick's Day is celebrated around the world, wherever the Irish and Irish at heart can be found. But it's a public holiday in only two countries in the world: Ireland and Montserrat. The little Caribbean island of Montserrat celebrates St. Patrick's Day to honor Irish slaves who fought a failed rebellion against their colonial masters on March 17, 1768.
Over
50 Authentic
Spanish Tapas Endless combinations of flavors to share, or indulge on your own.
Come in and Pick Your Favorites Tonight!
? 2 parts Tullamore D.E.W. Original ? 1 part cloudy apple juice ? 1 brown sugar cube ? Dash Angostura Bitters ? Large orange twist
The Montserrat.
Compiled by Rowena Tsai & Channaly Philipp Epoch Times Staff
Muddle brown sugar cube, bitters, and a small amount of Tullamore D.E.W. in the bottom of a rocks glass. Fill glass with cubed ice. Stir to dilute, adding Tullamore D.E.W. slowly. Add more ice as necessary. Afterward, add apple juice and garnish with the orange twist.
Meson Sevilla Restaurant
344 WEST 46TH ST. (BET 8TH & 9TH AVE.) • MESONSEVILLA.COM • 212-262-5890
Dining
D6 March 13–19, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com
Curtis Stone Gets Behind the Camera, Back Into the Kitchen AP PHOTO/JAE C. HONG
By Christine Armario
Buenos Aires
CASTILIAN SPANISH CUISINE Hearty, Wholesome Food from Old Spain
Rich Paella Valenciana
Curtis Stone: Good question. Aussie chefs have traveled a bit more to the U.K. in the past. They have a pretty strong presence over there in London. But not so much over here in America. It’s a huge market, America, so I’m really not sure why there are not more Aussie chefs over here. My American friends are all associates who do travel to Australia. The general consensus is they really love the food. They’re impressed with that food scene. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be doing better in America.
Fresh Lobster Bisque Juicy Lamb Chops
Q: After so many years focused on TV, some critics questioned your credentials as a chef. Was there any-
718 2nd Ave @ 38th St. www.elPote.com 212.889.6680
Follow us
Chef Curtis Stone in his kitchen at Maude in Beverly Hills, Calif.
thing you set out to prove by opening Maude? Mr. Stone: I think there was certainly a big personal element to it. My life went from chasing Michelin stars at the age of 25 to doing TV shows in my 30s and writing cookbooks and stuff. Being (out of) that high-end, high-intensity kind of kitchen left me missing something. I’ve never really cared what people write about me, good or bad. If you live your life that way you’d probably get depressed pretty quickly. But there was certainly an element of missing the craft of cooking. And missing cooking at an elevated level. I also really missed the camaraderie of a tight little kitchen where everybody was mates and took care of one another. I missed that and wanted that back again.
OUP
513 E 6th Street - New York, NY
T TR ADE GR HOUSE ADUL
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.
S/R ANDOM
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.
AN TINE BO OK
Chef’s Favorites Sweet Sangria
Q: Why do you think more Australian chefs—like Donna Hay, who is often called the Martha Stewart of Australia—haven’t caught on in the United States?
A Paradiso for Meatlovers
RECIPE
Q: What has been the most difficult ingredient to devise a nine course meal with so far? Mr. Stone: Winter squash wasn’t easy. Because you can’t really eat it raw. Nearly all the ingredients that we’ve used there’s at least a raw component. But winter squash, it’s a challenge. Even pickled it’s not super pleasant. And it also has a real residual sweetness to it. It’s hard to design a menu around sweet. That was a difficult one. But it was one of the more pleasurable ones to master. I think anything that is hard is a bit more fun. Q: Your new cookbook emphasizes joy in cooking. How do you think busy at-home chefs with hectic schedules can find more pleasure in preparing a meal? Mr. Stone: I think part of it is attitudinal. As soon as you say, “Cooking is a chore and I dislike it,� then it’s just that. It’s a chore and something you have to do to stay alive, but it’s not much fun. There are a million reasons not to cook. The first thing people say is, “It makes so much mess when you have your child in the kitchen.�
BALL AP PHOTO/
at el Pote
LOS ANGELES—Success came early and strong for Curtis Stone. By his 20s, the Australian was cooking in London’s top restaurants. By 30, he’d made the jump to television. But after nearly a decade on shows including Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters� and Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice,� some in the culinary world started questioning whether he’d spent too much time in front of the camera and not enough firing up a stove. Now 39, Stone seems to have defied his skeptics. Last year, he opened Maude, a 25-seat Beverly Hills restaurant (named after his grandmother) that selects one seasonal ingredient per month to infuse into a nine-course meal. In a city filled with big-name restaurants, it’s been a hit: Reservations fill within hours of opening each month. Stone also has a new cookbook, “Good Food, Good Life,� which is dedicated to helping people treat home cooking less as a chore and more as a joy. Stone recently spoke with AP about life on and off television in Los Angeles with his wife and two young sons. (Edited for length and clarity.)
A ‘CLASSY NEW ADDITION’ TO THE EAST VILLAGE ďšťZAGAT
But I say, “So does a sand pit. So does Play-Doh.� Build in an extra two minutes of cleaning time. Or even tell them to make a mess with you and then we’re going to clean it up together. I think if there’s a way to stop it from being a chore and start becoming a bit of fun, whether it’s just taking a bit more pride in what you do, with just cooking for your family, there’s that. Q: The TV show “Take Home Chef� (on TLC) took you inside U.S. homes. What did you learn from looking into the fridges of so many Americans? Mr. Stone: Lots. One of the first things people would say is, “Listen, I’m a terrible cook.� People’s confidence was not as high as it should have been. Teaching someone something as simple as how to hold a knife properly or how to cut an onion, you’d quickly learn with that little bit of confidence they’d soon, a few hours later, be showing their husband what they learned. It was really cool in that way. It showed me that with a little bit of confidence you can blossom people into really good cooks. From The Associated Press
AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
Roasted Salmon and Beets With Herb Vinaigrette The beets for this recipe must be very thinly sliced. The best tool is the mandoline, but a food processor fitted with a slicing blade also works. Prep and cooking time: 45 minutes (20 minutes active) Makes 4 servings ? 4 medium beets, preferably golden (1 pound total), scrubbed and very thinly sliced lengthwise
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!
? 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided ? Kosher salt and ground black pepper ? 1 1/2-pound skinless salmon fillet (from the head end) ? 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives ? 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ? 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
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.
? 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots ? 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest ? 1/4 cup lemon juice ? 4 cups mixed baby greens Heat the oven to 450 F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets
with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the beets in the center of the baking sheet, forming a bed large enough to hold the salmon. Roast the beets for about 15 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Place the salmon on top of the beets. Brush the salmon with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix the chives, parsley, and tarragon. Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the herbs over the salmon. Roast the salmon for about 15 minutes, or until cooked to medium-rare doneness. It should still be slightly rosy at the center. Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil, the shallots, lemon zest and juice into the remaining mixed herbs. Season the dressing with salt and pepper Toss the mixed greens with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Drizzle the remaining dressing over and around the salmon and beets and serve the greens alongside. Nutrition information per serving: 840 calories; 350 calories from fat (42 percent of total calories); 40 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 265 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 106 g protein; 400 mg sodium. (Recipe adapted from Curtis Stone’s “Good Food, Good Life,� Ballantine Books, 2015)
Dining
D7 March 13–19, 2015
www.TheEpochTimes.com AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
RECIPE
Honey-Za’atarGlazed Rack of Lamb Za’atar is available in the spice or international aisles of most larger grocers. Before starting the recipe, check the label of the za’atar. If it contains salt, cut back on the amount of salt you add during cooking. Prep and cooking time: 40 minutes (15 minutes active) Makes 4 servings
For a Taste of the Middle East, Try Za’atar By Aarti Sequeira
< 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning < Ground black pepper < 2 teaspoons za’atar, plus extra < 2 tablespoons honey < 1 teaspoon lemon zest < 2 teaspoons lemon juice < 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar < 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard < 2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold both racks of lamb with foil. Set the baking sheet in the oven. Season the lamb racks with salt, pepper, and a light dusting of za’atar. Set aside at room temperature while you prepare
In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons za’atar, the honey, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and mustard, along with a hefty pinch of salt. Set aside. In a large skillet over mediumhigh, heat the oil until shimmering. One at a time, add the racks of lamb, meat-side down. Cook until golden brown with a nice crust, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip, then brown on the other sides for another 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the heated baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the lamb to baking sheet, meatside up. Paint honey-za’atar mixture onto the meat with a pastry brush, making sure to brush the bottoms and sides, too. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the meat at the center of the rack reads 135 F. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the lamb bones into either single or double chops, sprinkle with a little extra salt, pepper, and za’atar. Nutrition information per serving: 420 calories; 230 calories from fat (55 percent of total calories); 26 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 120 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 37 g protein; 540 mg sodium. Food Network star Aarti Sequeira is the author of “Aarti Paarti: An American Kitchen with an Indian Soul.” She blogs at AartiPaarti.com
From The Associated Press
Remember the days when you knew spring was coming by the arrival of asparagus at the grocer? These days, fresh asparagus is available almost all year. But still, my heart leaps with joy the first moment I see asparagus for less than $3 a pound. Then it is officially spring! When asparagus is in season, I buy it weekly, both because it’s so cheap and because it’s incredibly versatile. I serve it raw with a tangy Greek yogurt or blended
bean dip for a snack, or chopped up and tossed with lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, a dash of rich extra-virgin olive oil and a few shards of Parmesan cheese. Or I’ll roast it to bring out the sweet and earthy notes. To do this, just toss the stalks in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then pop in a 400 F oven for 10 minutes. Or roast asparagus for half that time, which will keep some of that bright, grassy flavor, then whiz them up in a blender with fresh herbs, chicken stock and some lime for a bright
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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.
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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.
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A Turkish Feast You’ll Always Remember
Recipes for za’atar vary by family and region.
Dressing Up Spring Asparagus With an Easy Brown Butter Sauce By Melissa d’Arabian
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When I was growing up in Dubai, my favorite afterschool snack was “manaeesh bi za’atar,” a warm flatbread smeared with a deep green paste made of olive oil and the beloved Middle Eastern spice blend, za’atar. Rolled up with some creamy lebneh (thick yogurt) and fresh tomatoes, it’s still the snack I crave today. Za’atar (pronounced ZAHtur; the apostrophe signifies a guttural sound native to Arabic) actually is the name of a wild herb that somewhat resembles oregano in flavor. The herb originally was used to make the spice blend, but here in the United States, you’re more likely to find a blend of dried thyme, oregano, and marjoram, flecked with toasted sesame seeds and ground sumac, a magenta berry that packs a delightfully sour punch.
The recipe varies by family and region: The Lebanese use a lot of sumac, while the Palestinians add a little nutty caraway. No matter its composition, you’ll find za’atar on everything from pastries and bread to salads and kebabs. It’s usually sold alongside other seasonings in either the spice or international aisle at the grocer. Think of za’atar as the pinch hitter of your spice cabinet. Whether you’re out of herbs de Provence, poultry seasoning, or just plain old dried thyme, za’atar will fill in nicely, punctuating your fish, chicken, meat, and vegetables with its distinctive grass-and-sour flavor. It pairs particularly well with lamb, a meat I think of in spring, especially at Easter. So this year, I used it to season a honey-glazed rack of lamb. It’s a great Easter meal, and a delicious way to get to know za’atar.
< 2 racks of lamb (each weighing about 1 1/2 pounds), Frenched and trimmed of fat and silver skin
the glaze.
springtime soup. For a tender, fresh take on asparagus, you also can blanch it in a pot of well-salted boiling water. The trick is to not overcook it; 45 seconds for slender stalks is plenty of time. Blanched asparagus will keep in the refrigerator and can be used to top salads, as snacks, or be added at the last second to a saute. The best news is that you can eat asparagus with abandon! A full cup of fresh asparagus has fewer than 30 calories, yet still gives you 3 grams each of protein and fiber. Plus, it’s a good
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source of vitamins C and A, as well as iron (a plus for nonmeat-eaters). This brown butter asparagus will be a regular on my table this spring. And it’s deceptively simple. It pairs nutty browned butter with toasted pecans, which add a perfect richness and texture to the asparagus. A final small trick—using soy sauce instead of salt gives the dish a savory, umami flavor, which is a lovely companion to the earthy veggie.
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RECIPE
Brown Butter Asparagus With Pecans Prep and cook time: 15 minutes
Colin Hagendorf, a New York native, sampled every slice of pizza in Manhattan for his blog. All 375 of them.
Makes 4 servings < 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cleaned < 2 tablespoons unsalted butter < 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
Pizza Suprema was voted the best.
< 1 teaspoon soy sauce
*
< 1 tablespoon lemon juice < Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch for 45 seconds (add 30 seconds if stalks are particularly thick). Using tongs, remove the asparagus and allow to drain dry on paper towels. Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until the bubbles subside and brown bits start to form, about 2 minutes. Add the pecans and stir so that nothing burns. Once
AS SEEN ON: The Wall Street Journal, Good Day New York, and Daily News. the pecans are fragrant and the butter is toasty brown, stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice, then remove from the heat. Pour the pecan butter sauce over the asparagus, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve. Nutrition information per serving: 80 calories; 50 calories from fat (63 percent
of total calories); 5 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 3 g protein; 50 mg sodium. Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook “Supermarket Healthy.”
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RECIPE
Champ Prep and cooking time: 1 hour (25 minutes active) Makes 4 servings ? 2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled ? 1/2 cup whole milk ? 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts) ? 1 teaspoon kosher salt ? 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature, plus extra Heat the oven to 450 F. Place the whole potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add enough cold salted water to cover by 2 inches. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on their size. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over high heat, combine the milk, scallions, and salt. Bring just to a boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and set aside to steep.
Mashed potatoes flecked with scallions and topped with butter.
Be a Champ on St. Patrick’s Day With Buttery Scallion Champ By Sara Moulton With St. Patrick’s Day looming, let’s whip up some champ, a rich and rustic Irish dish of mashed potatoes flecked with scallions and topped with butter. It couldn’t be simpler, but as always, the devil is in the details. Let’s start with a champ primer. The dish is a relative of the better known colcannon, and both dishes—served as sides to a variety of meat dishes—date back at least several hundred years. But while colcannon adds kale— or sometimes cabbage—to the mashed potatoes, champ uses scallions or leeks. The classic potato to use in this dish is the russet, also called the baking potato. Here in the United States, the most famous russet is the Idaho. High-starch and thick-skinned, russets cook up fluffy and light. If, however, you’re looking for creamier texture and a more intense potato taste, you ought
to go with Yukon Golds. A cross between a baking potato and a boiling potato, Yukon Golds happen to make tasty champ. Whichever potatoes you choose, don’t peel and cut them before cooking. You want to boil them whole in their skins. Otherwise you end up with water-logged potatoes. And don’t worry about needing to peel a hot potato. You won’t burn yourself if you hold the potato with a clean kitchen towel and peel it with your other hand. Now, on to the flavorings. It’s not enough to simply mash scallions into the potatoes. You want to draw out as much flavor from those oniony greens as possible. To do that, we steep them in milk for a bit. Start by adding the chopped scallions to a saucepan of cold milk, then bring the whole thing to a boil. Once the milk boils, you pull it off the heat and let the scallions steep while the potatoes cook. Half a cup of milk brought my champ to
the degree of firmness I liked, but you’re welcome to add more if you want a looser texture. Likewise, you can make the dish richer by using cream instead of milk. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, not cold, when you mix it in. You don’t want it to cool down the potatoes. And by all means, finish your champ the proper Irish way with an extra little pat of butter right in the middle of the mound of potatoes. This allows you to dip each bite of the potato into the butter.
When the potatoes are tender, drain them and let them cool briefly until you can peel them. To do this, hold each potato in a kitchen towel while peeling. Peel the potatoes, then place them in a medium bowl. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash them to the desired consistency and stir in the milk mixture and 4 tablespoons butter. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper. Spoon some of the champ onto to each serving plate and top each portion with a pat of butter. Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 110 calories from fat (34 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 5 g protein; 510 mg sodium.
Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” and has written three cookbooks, including “Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners.” From The Associated Press
RECIPE
Guinness Lamb Stew With Walnut Irish Soda Bread Dumplings Prep and cooking time: 1 1/2 hours Makes 6 servings ? 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces ? Kosher salt and ground black pepper ? 1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced ? 1 large yellow onion, diced ? 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced ? 2 celery stalks, diced ? 1 small potato, peeled and diced ? 1 teaspoon ground cumin Guinness Lamb Stew With Walnut Irish Soda Bread Dumplings.
? 12-ounce bottle Guinness beer
A Fresh Take on Irish Stew With Lamb, Guinness, and Soda Bread By Alison Ladman Chicken and dumplings is a wonderfully simple, deliciously comforting dish—a thick, meaty stew bubbling away beneath a patchwork of moist, pillowy dumplings. So we decided to channel that comfort for a dish suited for St. Patrick’s Day. Taking inspiration from classic Irish ingredients and dishes, we came up with this overthe-top savory lamb stew with a rich broth made from beef stock, Guinness beer, and
fresh rosemary. And dolloped over the top? Soda breadstyle dumplings that are at once hearty and tender. Like most stews, this one only improves with age. For a do-ahead option, prepare the stew as directed, but chill it after the puréeing and recombining steps. When ready to serve, return the stew to a simmer, then proceed with the dumpling portion of the recipe. From The Associated Press
? 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary ? 3 cups low-sodium beef stock ? 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts ? 1 1/2 cups white wholewheat flour
Like most stews, this one only improves with age.
? 3/4 cup all-purpose flour ? 3/4 teaspoon baking soda ? 1 1/2 cups buttermilk ? 1 egg ? 3 tablespoons butter, melted Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over mediumhigh. Add the lamb and sear until well browned. Use a slotted spoon
to transfer the lamb to a plate. Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook until well browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. Add the onion, carrots, celery, potato, cumin, and rosemary to the pot. Cook until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot. Add the Guinness and broth. Cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and the vegetables are cooked through. Using tongs, transfer the chunks of lamb to the bowl with the mushrooms. Working in batches if necessary, ladle the vegetables and broth into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot, along with the lamb and mushrooms. Return to a low simmer. In a medium bowl, stir together the walnuts, both flours, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Gently mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Using a spoon or a cookie/ice cream scoop, dollop the dough on top of the stew. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. Nutrition information per serving: 680 calories; 220 calories from fat (32 percent of total calories); 25 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 155 mg cholesterol; 66 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 46 g protein; 780 mg sodium.
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Eating Your Way Around Taiwan’s Night Markets By Manos Angelakis In Asian cooking, the ingredients are always extremely fresh, whether the cook practices his or her craft at home, in restaurants, or in night-market stalls. “Night market” is the name given to open-air areas in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore, housing numerous stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive but tasty food. In ancient China, markets that operated at night were known as “ghost markets.” In Malaysia and Singapore, night markets are now commonly referred to as “pasar malam,” which literally means night market—“pasar” being related to “bazaar,” a Persian word meaning “marketplace.”
Shaping the tang yuan.
Goo Be Good Tang Yuan Delights
By Rowena Tsai Epoch Times Staff What are these glimmering white spheres? Boiled eggs in water? Mochi ball soup? Close, but not quite. The literal translation of the character tang is “soup,” and yuan means “round.” The two words together, tang yuan, translate to “round balls in soup.” Tang yuan, also known as yuan xiao, is a traditional Chinese dish of glutinous rice balls that are filled or unfilled with savory or sweet paste, served, respectively, in broth or gingerinfused syrup. Tang yuan dough is made from glutinous rice flour and water, and results in a similar texture to mochi—soft, sticky, and very chewy. To complement the plainer, unseasoned taste of the glutinous skin, flavors are injected into the tang yuan with the filling. It is also meant to be consumed with the soup it is served in. Note that glutinous alludes to the glue-like nature of the sticky rice. These rice balls do not contain any gluten. Savory fillings are usually minced meat and vegetables, while the sweet fillings customarily consist of chopped peanuts with coconut and sugar, osmanthus flowers, red bean, and
toasted black sesame with sugar. Traditionally, tang yuan is only consumed during Yuan Xiao Jie, or the Lantern Festival. The festival falls on the 15th day of the lunar year and signifies the end of New Year celebrations. In modern day, the dessert is eaten year-round, though especially during Lunar New Year celebrations, as the word tang yuan is a homophone for the tuan yuan, or union. The round rice balls nestled together in a bowl represents unity and togetherness, and also symbolize the wishing of good health and happiness upon family members for the coming year. A Legend A Chinese legend tells the story of how yuan xiao became synonymous with the Lantern Festival. Once upon a time, one of the emperor’s advisers, Dongfang Shuo, was taking a leisurely stroll in the imperial garden, when suddenly he heard weeping from a corner of the garden. As he made his way over, he found a beautiful girl crying. He learned that her name was Yuan Xiao, and that she was heartbroken. For Yuan Xiao, living in the palace meant being away from her family. Dongfang Shuo, a man who greatly valued family unity, promised that he would help reunite her with her family. The next day, Dongfang Shuo
dressed up as a fortune teller and convinced all the townspeople that the Goddess of Fire was going to burn down the city on the 15th day of the month. When the emperor heard about the news, he asked his trusty adviser, Dongfang Shuo, for a solution. The latter made three suggestions. First, the elders should wait for the goddess’s arrival in the palace’s courtyard to beg for her forgiveness. Second, to appease the Goddess of Fire, the city should hang red lanterns and light fireworks to make it appear as if the city was already burning. Third, because the Goddess of Fire loves glutinous rice balls, Yuan Xiao, known for making the best in town, should hold a red lantern and lead the way with a plate of her famous glutinous rice balls. The emperor, desperate to save the city, agreed. On the night of the 15th, as Yuan Xiao made her way through the courtyard, she caught her grandmother’s eye. Yuan Xiao was reunited with her family, there was no fire, and the city celebrated. Witnessing the immense joy in Yuan Xiao’s reunion with her family, the emperor named the glutinous rice balls after her, and made the 15th day of the first lunar month Yuan Xiao Jie—the day when everyone eats glutinous rice dumplings and families reunite.
National Pastime Eating is a national pastime in Taiwan. Food courts appear at practically every highway stop and the basements of many large buildings. For tasty local food though, head to the night market. There is quite a number of them in Taipei, and they all offer quality and variety for little money. Foods can range from spicy to bland, steamed to deep-fried, and the list goes on. Night markets in Taipei are street markets that operate in urban or suburban areas. A few, such as Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market also known as Snake Alley, utilize purpose-built structures but most occupy either sidewalks or entire streets that would be normal thoroughfares by day. The atmosphere is crowded and noisy, especially during traditional holidays. The night markets have become famous for their xiaochi, which roughly translates to “small eats,” that is, finger foods). Cooked in small portions, these dishes are often taken as carry-out items, but numerous sellers provide folding tables with stools or folding chairs where customers can stop and consume their purchases. Though some of the xiaochi will change from year to year, certain others such as sliced, boiled, or roasted chicken or goose, steamed or fried buns, deepfried or grilled cuttlefish, oyster omelets, and stinky tofu endure and have become staples in many markets. The Shilin Night Market first opened
in 1899 and is centered on the Yangming Theater in the Shilin District of Taipei. It is considered to be the largest and most famous night market in the city. The market encompasses two distinct sections sharing a symbiotic relationship: a section formerly housed in the old Shilin Market building contains mostly food vendors and small eateries. The surrounding businesses and shops are selling nonfood items. The food court holds 539 stalls, and the second floor serves as a parking lot for 400 cars. The night market we visited on my trip was the Ning Xia Night Market. The first half of the market is dedicated to eating establishments and is the most crowded part, while the other half is for clothing and shoes. The food part has cooking stalls in the buildings on both sides of the street, plus free-standing ones occupying the center of the street. Famous Dishes No trip to the night market would be complete without a bowl of oyster noodles. Fresh oysters are added to noodles and broth thickened with starch, then served with stewed sausage, Chinkiang vinegar, and a special sauce, topped with cilantro. Another very popular item, an oyster omelet, is made from fresh oysters coated in potato or sweet potato starch and fried in a wok or a flat-top grill with eggs and onions, then served with a special sweet and sour sauce. Stinky tofu is fermented tofu squares— the stinkier, the better the taste is supposed to be—deep-fried and served with pickled cabbage, carrots, and chili sauce. Chicken broth with hacked steamed chicken, gizzards, chicken livers, and rooster testicles is quite popular, served by itself or with noodles in it. Large squid and cuttlefish, grilled or deep fried, are also very popular, and strips or tentacles of the grilled mollusks are sold in paper bags, to be consumed while walking around the market. For dessert, pineapple cake is popular. The bite-sized morsels in a crumbly shell contain sweetened, pressed pineapple. Every bakery stall offers its own unique version. Manos Angelakis is a well-known wine and food critic based in the New York City area. MANOS ANGELAKIS
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The Swedes have their surstromming— fermented herring. The English created Worcestershire sauce—with fermented anchovies going into Lea & Perrins’s formula as far back as 1835. And as old as antiquity itself, the Romans enjoyed garum, a fermented fish sauce made from fish macerated in salt and cured in the sun.
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Traditionally the green papaya salad at Khe-Yo is made with padek.
“Every culture has this sort of fermented fish sauce,” said Soulayphet Schwader, executive chef of Khe-Yo in Tribeca. For Laotians, it’s padek, which Schwader laces into his papaya salad and other dishes, giving them a distinctive roundedness and depth. Padek is not fermented fish alone, but rather a funky, salty, pungent sauce, enriched with aromatics and thickened with toasted rice, which is redolent of kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. The “funk,” as he calls it, is a powerful thing. “The first time I made this, everyone cleared out of the kitchen.” When we arrive at Khe-Yo, he tells us, “It really permeates your clothes. Once the heat starts going, it gets potent.” With so much buildup, I start to get nervous about the unearthly stench that will be clinging to me
as I ride the subway and get back to the newsroom. I imagine my colleagues complaining, unable to focus on work, their olfactory faculties offended. When I was young, my parents told me an infamous story of how someone on the Paris subway broke and spilled a bottle of fish sauce. The French, you would think, would have had their noses conditioned by aging bleu cheeses and Camemberts, but apparently they couldn’t take it either. Most of the passengers had no idea what the culprit was, but my parents, who are Cambodian, knew, and felt the embarrassment of the whole of southeast Asia, on behalf of that one unlucky shopper. But back to the kitchen at KheYo. The bottles of fish sauce are tightly wrapped in plastic and it’s my job to open them up. Schwader insists on using the 3 Crabs brand, which he finds cleaner than others. He can’t find it in New York City and for a while had his brother ship him bottles from Kansas, where he lives, before he located an online source. It is incredibly stinky; the kind of stuff was maybe made to repel armies. Visitors drop by to chat, but stand to the side. Occasionally from the corner of my eye, I catch a sleeve going up to shield a nose. Schwader brings the whole mixture—fish sauce, lemongrass, chilies, onions, and kaffir lime leaves—to a boil and when I take a whiff a little later, it is less pungent than the fish sauce on its own. COURTESY OF KHEYO
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It is intense, but notes of the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves come through, mellowing the padek, and giving it complexity. The cook next to us, who has been standing near the boiling pot all this time, says: “I’m not going to lie. It started to touch me a little bit.” When the padek cools down, Schwader pours it into containers, each containing a whole sardine for yet more depth. He doesn’t end up eating those sardines, but aficionados would readily use them smashed in papaya salad or long beans salad, or even dip sticky rice into a sauce made with that longaged fish. Every family has its own version, some funkier and some milder. His is about medium in funkiness. In Laos, padek is fermented outside. “They’ll put it in the pot, cure the fish, and the juices start running out. Here no one does that. The next best thing is buying the bottle and creating your own version of it.” In Kansas, where he spent much of his youth, Laotian households would have plastic jars “wrapped 10 times in plastic bags,” he said, with padek fermenting for about two or three weeks, “and then they just keep adding to it.” Balance At Khe-Yo, padek adds that complex, nuanced je ne sais quoi to the papaya salad, the smashed long beans salad that goes with the lemongrass ribs, and the smashed cucumber salad that accompanies a crispy poussin. But it is, of course, just one of the many flavors Schwader uses as he plays with the balance of herbs, aromatics, and other ingredients. Last year he spent 18 days with his mother in southeast Asia. When they got to Laos, they found the food was best at little stalls “like mom-and-pop joints, daughter– mother just cooking a big pot of soup.” Elsewhere flavors were watered down, or unbalanced, or there would be one note just coming through, as in the case of duck larb for example. Finally, his mother, herself a seasoned cook who makes huge batches of padek for her local temple, told him: “You know what, Phet? I’m spoiled now. I like your flavors better at the restaurant.”
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MAKING THE FUNK
Contemporary Thai street food EDWARD DAI/EPOCH TIMES
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1 AROMATICS
Every family makes their padek, or fermented fish paste, differently. Schwader uses aromatics such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and onions in his version.
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2 POUR
Smashed long beans salad and Berkshire spare ribs at Khe-Yo.
Schwader pours some mighty, potent-smelling fish sauce, fortifying with aromatics and ingredients to make padek, a traditional Lao fish paste. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The first time I made this, everyone cleared out of the kitchen,â&#x20AC;? he says. EDWARD DAI/EPOCH TIMES
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3 SIMMER
The mixture of aromatics and fish sauce are brought to a simmer.
4 COOL
The padek then needs to be cooled.
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5 STRAIN
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6 SCOOP
Taking out the aromatics. EDWARD DAI/EPOCH TIMES
7 FINAL TOUCH Salted Spanish sardines are the final touch. One sardine is added to a jar of finished padek, imparting yet more depth.
Putting the padek into jars. The batch should last over a month.
It is intense, but notes of the lemongrass and kaďŹ&#x192;r lime leaves come through, mellowing the padek, and giving it complexity.
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The Best Gluten-Free Korean Fried Chicken Recipe COURTESY OF CICI LI
By CiCi Li What comes to your mind when I say fried chicken? To me, fried chicken has always been one of my favorite comfort foods. I know what you are thinking: judging from my size, you probably donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe me. But what can I say? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true! Fried chicken helped me cope with the best and worst times during my college years at Santa Clara University in California. Parties and game nights meant casual clothesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;pajama pants, sweatshirts, and flip-flopsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and lots of chatting over drinks, snacks, pizza, and fried chicken. There were some stressful times, too, like during midterms and finals, when my textbooks and notebooks were sprawled across the cafeteria table. I would have a bottle of water and a large cup of coffee on the table, as well as snacks that helped me release my stressâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;sour candy, chocolate, and of courseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fried chicken! After moving back to New York City, my craving for fried chicken hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t subsided. Instead, I have fallen in love with several Korean fried chicken spots. One of my favorite places for Korean fried chicken is Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken. Their fried chicken is super crispy and crunchy on the outside, and juicy and succulent on the inside. Korean fried chicken is typically fried twice, resulting in the skin being crunchier and less greasy. The chicken is usually
Korean fried chicken is typically fried twice, resulting in the skin being crunchier and less greasy.
seasoned with salt prior to being fried. Korean fried chicken is often served with pickled radishes, beer, and soju. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Korean fried chicken was brought to Korea by American, and we created our own sauces to go with the fried chicken,â&#x20AC;? said Jeong S. Lee, manager of Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so popular in Korea now that you literally see fried chicken shops on every corner. Expect an average person to eat at least one meal of fried chicken per week. After eating Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chickenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soy Garlic Fried Chicken, all my college memories came flooding back to me, both the ups and the downs. Everything! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just so heavenly. Let me know how this recipe works for you. Happy cooking and eating! CiCi Li is the presenter of â&#x20AC;&#x153;CiCiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Paradiseâ&#x20AC;? on NTD Television. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a television producer, food writer, and chef trainee. Join her on her adventure and discover the endless wonders of Food Paradise at CiCiLi.tv COURTESY OF CICIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOOD PARADISE
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.
RECIPE
Gluten-Free Korean Fried Chicken With Soy-Garlic Sauce 5 20 pieces chicken wings and drumsticks 5 4 ounces rice flour 5 4 cups vegetable oil Soy Garlic Sauce 5 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Please come by for lunch or dinner and let us show you what real sushi is like.
To make the sauce, put soy sauce, water, minced garlic, garlic powder, sugar, and syrup in a saucepan and simmer at a low heat for about 5 minutes until everything is dissolved. Put aside. After 6 hours, drain the chicken pieces, and dredge in rice flour.
5 2 tablespoons corn syrup
Add oil to the frying pan. Preheat the oil to about 350 degrees, then put the chicken pieces in and fry for about 9 minutes. Take out the chicken pieces and let them cool for about 40 seconds. Fry them one more time for about 5 minutes. Take them out and apply the sauce with a brush.
To brine the chicken, add all the chicken pieces in a large bowl, with 1 gallon of
From Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken, 641 10th Ave., HellsChickenNYC.com
5 2 tablespoons water 5 2 tablespoons minced garlic 5 1 teaspoon garlic powder
212.355.3345 www.hatsuhana.com 17 East 48th St, New York (btw madison & 5th Ave.)
water and 1/2 cup kosher salt. Make sure the salt dissolves. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours.
5 2 tablespoons brown sugar