SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
D1 March 25–31, 2016
Jonathan Gold’s LA D8
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House of Rum
Every dish has its (rum) match at Solomon & Kuff.
At Solomon & Kuff, rum gets its moment
I
By Annie Wu | Epoch Times Staff
t’s about time for rum to shine on its own—and not just swirl in a tiki cocktail. At Solomon & Kuff in West Harlem, the liquor is front and center, meant to be sipped and savored slowly, and paired with foods that bring out its complex flavor notes.
Rum that’s 5 years old is equivalent to a 10-year-old whiskey. Karl Franz Williams, coowner, Solomon & Kuff
Co-owner and head mixologist Karl Franz Williams spent many childhood summers visiting St. Vincent, where his family comes from. His Caribbean heritage got him thinking about creating a gastropub focused on the alcoholic spirit of the islands—and not a tikithemed bar. After all, Caribbean locals don’t have tiki drinks. “People would usually add rum to punch or sorrel,” a popular drink made from sorrel flowers (a kind of hibiscus), he said. Williams also wanted people to enjoy rum on its own; he has amassed a collection of about 80 different rums, and plans to get up to 100.
See Rum on D2
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Solomon & Kuff has more than 80 different rums in its collection.
House of Rum
The herbaceous quality of Clément’s cane juice rum cuts through the oiliness of the Escovitch, a plate of seasoned, fried porgy skewers.
At Solomon & Kuff, rum gets its moment Rum continued from D1
The TheMust-Try Must-TryDish: Dish: AABronx BronxTail Tail Lobster Lobstertail tailwith withclams, clams, mussels, mussels,shrimp, shrimp,over overchopped chopped leeks and peppers leeks and peppersserved served with withaawhite whitewine winesaffron saffronsauce sauce
Actor Chazz Palminteri brings the best of his Sicilian heritage and the finest Italian cuisine to Midtown. This upscale Italian eatery features classic Italian meat, seafood, and pasta dishes, as well as antipasto and traditional Italian desserts. Private dining is available.
890 2nd Ave.
“It’s only the best if my name’s on it.”
(btw. 47th & 48th streets)
212-355-5540 chazzpalminterinyc.com
“I call up all the distributors, ‘Bring me all your rums.’ I taste them all and choose the ones I like,” he said. He also gets recommendations from friends and through researching rumfocused blogs. The Caribbean region is well-known as a leading producer of rum, due to the legacy of sugar production and slavery under colonial rule. The spirit is either distilled from sugar cane juice or molasses, a byproduct of refining sugar. Williams named the rum hall Solomon & Kuff after the sons of a former slave, Venture Smith, who was sold for four gallons of rum. Smith eventually bought his own freedom and became a landowner. Williams said the “dark underside” of the sugar and rum industry can’t be ignored. “History drives a lot of meaning. I want every interaction with my places to be meaningful, from hearing the name, all the way through.” He also owns 67 Orange Street, named after one of the city’s earliest black-owned bars. His foray into mixology happened by accident. Williams studied electrical engineering in school, but was more fascinated by the marketing world. While working at Pepsi and researching for a project, he interviewed bartenders and fell in love with the idea of “having a culinary experience in a glass,” he said. At Solomon & Kuff, the experience starts with an aperitif, to prepare the palate for the meal ahead. Williams suggests starting with a drier cocktail, like Sorrel Is All That You Can Say ($14), made with Bacardi, a light Spanish-style rum, mezcal, and prosecco, spiced with ginger and sweetened by sorrel. Those notes complement the bright, fresh profile of the Spicy Kale and Green Papaya Salad ($10), composed of crunchy greens, radishes, sweet potato crisps, toasted pumpkin seeds, and warm orange slices, dressed in sugar cane vinaigrette. Next, an appetizer showcases the Caribbean flavors of Solomon & Kuff’s food menu. The Escovitch ($12) is a pile of fried porgy skewers— chewy and crispy at the same time—with onions and peppers that have been cooked down in champagne vinegar. The vegetables’ intense tartness cuts through the fried fish. Williams similarly chose the Clément Select Barrel to temper the porgy with its herbaceousness ($16). Clément is a French-style “agricole rhum” from Martinique, which is distilled from sugar cane juice, and thus retains grassy notes. According to the company’s website, the founder, Homère Clément, had the idea to distill the juice directly when the local sugar industry collapsed after the introduction of sugar beets and cheap South American sugar.
Williams named the rum hall Solomon & Kuff after the sons of a former slave, Venture Smith, who was sold for four gallons of rum.
Solomon & Kuff
2331 12th Ave. 212-939-9443 solomonandkuff.com Hours Tuesday–Wednesday 5 p.m.–midnight Thursday–Friday 5 p.m.–2 a.m. Saturday 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Sunday 11 a.m.–midnight Brunch Hours Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Mondays
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March 25–31, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Pair your first-course salad with a dry cocktail.
The Spicy Kale and Green Papaya Salad.
The S&K Dark n Stormy mixes a light rum with a heavier, molassesflavored rum and housemade ginger beer. Solomon & Kuff’s Caribbean-inspired menu is designed to pair well with its wide selection of rums from around the world. Inspired by brandy makers in France, he began experimenting with sugar cane juice. Clément Select Barrel is aged in oak casks for at least three years, producing faint vanilla flavors. The varieties of sugar cane rum are distinguished by whether they’ve been aged, and if so, in what kind of casks. Brazilian rum, or cachaça, is known for being aged in woods that are native to the country. Terroir doesn’t have much influence on the flavor of rums distilled from molasses, since the sugar cane has already been broken down, said Williams. Instead, the distillation method and aging process affect the liquor’s character. Spanish-style rums, mostly produced in the Caribbean islands that were former Spanish colonies, are distilled using column stills, which removes more of the chemical compounds in the alcohol and thus produces a cleaner, drier liquor. When pairing rum with food, Williams said the principles are similar to wine, “You’re looking for the characteristics in the rum, and then using those to balance out, contrast, or support whatever portion of the meal you’re in.” The popular S&K Dark n Stormy ($14), for example, is blended with housemade ginger beer. To balance out the spiciness, Williams recommends pairing the cocktail with lighter dishes. The drink itself is a balanced mixture of Bacardi and Goslings, a more heavily molasses-flavored rum. Executive chef Christopher Faulkner keeps his dishes light and subtle to complement the
rums. One entree, the Curry Roasted Organic Chicken ($24), is seasoned with cinnamon, thyme, lemon, and fresh ginger, like a milder version of Jamaican jerk. The accompanying Brussels sprouts, sunchokes, and sun sprouts are soaked in reduced chicken jus, making for scrumptious forkfuls. The muted flavors go well with a light rum, like the Brugal 1888, produced in the Dominican Republic ($20). It is first aged for six to eight years in American white oak casks, then finished in Spanish sherry barrels for two to four years. Because of the warm, damp climate in the Caribbean, the effect of fermentation is more acute. “Rum that’s 5 years old is equivalent to a 10-year-old whiskey,” Williams said. With time, the flavors in the wood seep into the spirit. Brugal takes on notes of licorice, cinnamon, and caramel. For a digestif, a dark English-style rum will do the job. It is a higher proof spirit commonly distilled using traditional copper pot stills, which leaves behind more chemical compounds and lends a burnt sugar taste. Williams said this sweetness goes perfectly with dessert. He pairs the Rum-Brulee ($8) with the English Harbour 5 Year Old ($12) from Antigua. The soft custard—topped with an edge of bitter rum—melds beautifully with the fruit notes in the liquor (aged in old bourbon and whiskey barrels). At the end of the meal, you’ll leave feeling that rum deserves to be celebrated and loved for its own merits.
Karl Franz Williams loves rum because it pays homage to his Caribbean heritage.
PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu
Morton’s World Trade Center
Midtown 551 Fifth Avenue 212-972-3315
World Trade Center 136 Washington Street 212-608-0171
Great Neck 777 Northern Boulevard 516-498-2950
White Plains 9 Maple Avenue 914-683-6101
mortons.com The Rum-Brulee, topped off with a caramelized rum shell.
Hackensack One Riverside Square 201-487-1303
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EASTER BRUNCH AT DAVID’S CAFE
The New Umami Experience
On Easter Sunday, the French-American restaurant David’s Cafe will serve a dinner special: Lamb Navarin with Spring Vegetables, a classic French lamb stew. Cocktail specialist Rael Petit has also created a holiday drink called La Cage. Inspired by the classic Easter candy Cadbury Creme Egg, this cocktail has Dolin blanc, lemon, vanilla cream syrup, and crushed ice, topped with port wine and a sugar bird’s nest filled with mini Cadbury eggs.
stuff to eat and drink around town
EASTER SPECIALS COURTESY OF BLACK BARN
Bara is an attempt to find common ground in tavern culture through the east and west by combining the wine bar tradition of Paris with the Japanese izakaya. The word bara has many meanings, as the restaurant Bara has many faces. Our sensibilities are wild, with a passion for unsulphered wines, spontaneously fermented beers, sour doughs and kimchi, but are also restrained with clean presentations and an attempt to always make clarity of flavor our number one priority.
Saturday, March 26 & Sunday, March 27 David’s Cafe 110 St. Marks Place davidscafenyc.com
THE SMITH
Grilled Burger from Black Barn. COURTESY OF BLACK BARN
We Now Deliver!
58 E. 1st St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 917-639-3197 - bararestaurantnyc.com
JAPANESE STYLE Champagne Lounge
The Smith is serving a special Easter dish: Spring Lamb Shank with cauliflower couscous, edamame hummus, za’atar gremolata, and braising jus. Enjoy it with one of the restaurant’s classic cocktails like the Poire 75, with Rothman & Winter Orchard, Massenez Poire, allspice syrup, and sparkling wine. Sunday, March 27 The Smith 55 Third Ave. 1900 Broadway 956 Second Ave. thesmithrestaurant.com
COURTESY OF CLEMENT
French Onion Soup.
EASTER BRUNCH AT BLACK BARN The farm-to-table restaurant is serving a traditional Easter meal with a twist, with dishes like Maine Lobster Benedict with charon sauce, sautéed potato, and honey roasted tomato; Beef Wellington with fried egg, black truffle sauce, and spinach salad; and Apple and Almond Filled French Toast. Prix fixe for $55 per person.
Decorations for the Peter Rabbit brunch at Clement.
Sunday, March 27 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Black Barn 19 E. 26th St. blackbarnrestaurant.com
PETER RABBIT BRUNCH AT CLEMENT
For Reservations and Information 917-450-5701 clubvoa@gmail.com
✴ 3 VIP Karaoke Rooms
249 East 49th St., 2nd Fl. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues)
REBELLE Michelin-starred Rebelle will serve a French-influenced menu on Easter. Dishes include White Asparagus imported from France with vinaigrette and egg mimosa; Roasted Lamb Shoulder with parsley, lamb jus, and lentil salad, and Mille Feuille with chocolate and salted caramel. Sunday, March 27 Rebelle 218 Bowery rebellenyc.com
Clement, the seasonal American restaurant inside The Peninsula hotel, is serving a Peter Rabbitthemed brunch. The brunch spread will include more than 50 dishes, with a cheese platter, raw bar, “eggs-your-way” station, berry garden, and pastries corner. $135 per person, $65 for children 12 and under. Sunday, March 27 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Clement inside The Peninsula 700 Fifth Ave. newyork.peninsula.com/en/fine-dining/ clement
CLUBVOA.NYC Hours: Mon–Sat 9pm–3am, Fri 9pm–4am, Sun (bar only) 8pm–2am
COURTESY OF L’ARTUSI
EASTER COOKING AND HAT-MAKING CLASSES AT KOSAKA
L’Artusi’s Cream Cheese Panna Cotta.
L’ARTUSI At this modern Italian restaurant, try the special Easter dessert that executive pastry chef Sarah Ewald has created: Cream Cheese Panna Cotta made with candied carrot purée, caramelized pineapple, pecans, and brown sugar sorbet.
Traditional and modern, combined.
Sunday, March 27 L’Artusi 228 W. 10th St. lartusi.com
A new standard for Thai food.
LOI ESTIATORIO Chef Maria Loi is preparing a Greek Easter menu. Enjoy her Seafood Orzo with tomato, onion, garlic, and feta; Striped Bass with arugula, giant beans, lemon, and olive oil; or Lamb Shank with onion, white wine, lemon, rosemary, mustard, and couscous.
The Nuaa 1122 1st Ave. (btw 61st and 62nd streets) • 212-888-2899 • thenuaa.com
Sunday, March 27 Loi Estiatorio 132 W. 58th St. loiestiatorio.com
Kosaka, the sushi and omakase restaurant headed by Michelin-starred chef Yoshihiko Kousaka, is offering cooking and hat-making classes for the special holiday. Lauren Kim, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, will teach attendees how to make hot cross buns and carrot cake. Meanwhile, hat designer Miki Katagiri will teach how to make a cocktail hat. Katagiri has worked with fashion brands like Ralph Lauren, Oscar De la Renta, and Malia Mills. $40 per person for each class. Sunday, March 27 Kosaka 220 W. 13th St. kosakanyc.com
THE PALM COURT The Palm Court, overseen by culinary director and chef Geoffrey Zakarian, is serving an Easter grand buffet with carving stations and a dessert display. Menu highlights include Shakshuka Baked Eggs; Baked Rigatoni with caramelized radicchio, fennel sausage, and olives; and Creekstone Angus Prime Rib with horseradish cream, and fresno chili-chimmichurri sauce. $145 per person, $65 for children. Sunday, March 27 10 a.m.–4:45 p.m. The Palm Court at The Plaza 768 Fifth Ave. theplazany.com/dining/palmcourt
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March 25–31, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com COURTESY OF THE BACK ROOM
AN EMPIRE STEAK OF MIND
The Easter brunch spread at The Back Room.
THE BACK ROOM Enjoy a prix-fixe brunch on Easter at The Back Room, with contemporary American dishes like Rabbit Galantine with morels and baby beets, Steamed Green Jumbo Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, and Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting and golden raisin sorbet. $85 per person. Sunday, March 27 The Back Room at Park Hyatt Hotel 153 W. 57th St. thebackroomnyc.com
CHAMPAGNE SUNDAYS AT BOWERY MEAT COMPANY
EASTER TREATS FROM FRANCOIS PAYARD
Every Sunday, patrons at chef Josh Capon’s Bowery Meat Company can now enjoy bottles of Champagne for half the price. All Champagnes on the menu will be discounted.
Pastry chef François Payard has created chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies, made with Valrhona chocolate and amped up with caramelized almonds and hazelnuts. Each treat is filled with assorted chocolates inside.
Bowery Meat Company 9 E. First St. bowerymeatcompany.com
All François Payard locations payard.com
COURTESY OF FORAGERS TABLE
COURTESY OF FORAGERS TABLE
Prime NY Sirloin
Filet Mignon served with steak fries
Chilean Sea Bass with choice of sides
Come for the impeccable service and supreme cuisine—from our family to your table. Beyond the dry-aged USDA Prime steak, we have wonderful seafood, including the buttery Chilean Sea Bass with its golden exterior and equally beautiful taste. Private dining rooms available for 200+ guests.
New Location
151 E. 50th St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues) (212) 582-6900
237 W. 54th St. (btw. 7th & 8th avenues) (212) 586-9700
EmpireSteakhousenyc.com
thai
the modern Foragers Table’s Harvest Salad.
Country Pate and Charcuterie served at the Foragers Table dinner series.
experience
FORAGERS TABLE DINNER SERIES This Chelsea farm-to-table restaurant is hosting an educational dinner series featuring star chefs and culinary experts. The first event will feature chef Vivian Howard, star of PBS’s cooking and food documentary show, “A Chef’s Life.” She will discuss the impact of American Southern cuisine. The three-course dinner, prepared by Foragers Table executive chef Nickolas Martinez, will include Hoppin’ John, a Southern peas and rice dish; fried catfish; and sweet potato cheesecake. Each diner will also receive a complimentary tote bag with treats from Foragers Market, the grocery store connected to the restaurant. $130 per person. Monday, March 28 6:30 p.m. Foragers Table 300 W. 22nd St. foragersmarket.com/events
FOOD AND ENTERPRISE SUMMIT The Food and Enterprise Summit will bring together entrepreneurs, farmers, and investors who are working to improve the food production system in our country. Now in its fifth year, the theme this year is Finding Food Value: Balancing Purpose and Profit. The summit includes a trade show, a pitch competition, and workshops. Keynote speakers include Jessamyn Rodriguez, founder of Hot Bread Kitchen, and Majora Carter, an urban renewal strategist and environmental activist. $300 for standard registration.
Happy Hour Monday & Tuesday All day, from 12pm–10:45pm Wednesday–Sunday: 12pm–8pm Happy hour specials include our house drinks, martinis, margaritas, beer, and wine for $5. Our martini and margarita flavors include lychee, peach, strawberry, apple, orange, and pineapple.
Friday, April 8 & Saturday, April 9 Pfizer Building 630 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn foodandenterprise.com
And of course we always have dirty martinis.
v{iv} Bar & Restaurant
BOWERY MISSION This Easter, you can perform a good deed by donating to The Bowery Mission, a homeless shelter on the Lower East Side. Donations will go to those in need of a holiday meal this season.
HELL’S KITCHEN 717 9th Ave. (btwn 48th-49th St.) 212-581-5999 MIDTOWN EAST 38 E. 34th (btwn Lex & 3rd) 212-213-3317
bowery.org
Follow us @vivthainyc
Compiled by Annie Wu/Epoch Times Staff
Like us v{iv} Bar and Restaurant
Visit us at vivthainyc.com
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March 25–31, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com Openings around town
THE NEW AMERICAN TRADITION
Come try our creative approach to brunch, lunch, and dinner—on Murray Hill.
COURTESY OF COVINA
Covina The Park South Hotel is now home to Covina, the new restaurant from chef Tim Cushman and restaurateur Nancy Cushman. Featuring seasonal American fare, the menu is also influenced by coastal Mediterranean cuisines. Small plates include the Covina Hummus with warm sprouted chickpea, olive oil, and seasonal vegetables; Hungarian Fry Bread with house smoked salmon, kefir ranch, and fresh herbs; and Asparagus “Cacio e Pepe,â€? with shaved asparagus and pepper. Cushman also serves entrees such as Lamb Kofte Skewers with charred garlic yogurt, sumac, parsley, and onion; and Wood Grilled Grass Fed Dry Aged Rib-eye with uni butter. The wine list includes smaller producers and lesser known varietals. A separate take away section, named Covina CafĂŠ, will be open daily, oering pastries and sandwiches, as well as Counter Culture Coee. Open daily for dinner from 5:30 p.m. Lunch and brunch service to follow.
MASAHIRO NOGUCHI
557 3rd Ave @ 37th Street New York, NY 10016 (212)686-8080 | www.hendriksnyc.com | Follow us
Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Mousse and Curried Cauliflower.
127 E. 27th St. (between Park & Lexington avenues) 212-224-0225 covinanyc.com
Tesui A seasonal 10-course kaiseki tasting menu is the center of the new Tesui restaurant—one that is focused on “yakitori� (grilled items). Diners seated at the dark stone counter get prime views of the working chefs, who create delicate dishes such as a Yakitori Chicken Breast served with a peppery arugula sauce and a sweet beet-based sauce, or the Ishiyaki Teisui soup, boiled with heated stones from Mount Fuji. The beverage list includes more than 100 wines and sakes.
Open daily for dinner from 5:30 p.m.
246 Fifth Ave. (entrance on 28th Street) 917-388-3596 teisui.nyc
TACOS All day, every day
PAUL WAGTOUICZ
PAUL WAGTOUICZ
A huge selection of Tacos, made the traditional way with authentic fillings and flavors such as: CARNITAS BISTEC OREJA LENGUA AND MORE!
We also serve torta sandwiches!
Did we mention they start at $3?
Taqueria Tehuitzingo
695 10th Ave (@ 48th St.) + 578 W. 9th. Ave (Btw 41st & 42nd St)
646-707-3916 + TaqueriaTehutzingo.com Hours Daily 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Temerario Burger.
Temerario Jorge Guzman Hospitality Group, the restaurant group behind Black Ant, Ofrenda, and the new Cafe Bamba, has opened Temerario in Chelsea. The food menu pays homage to the street food of Mexico and to chef Mario Hernandez’s home, Cuernavaca. Signature dishes include Elote Fries (fried baby corn, cotija cheese, chipotle aioli); Chicharron de Carrito (tuna, chorizo, avocado aioli, chile de arbol); and the El Temerario (La Negra) Burger (with chile ash brioche, short ribs, Negro Modelo morita glaze, manzano cream, and crispy fries). The beverage menu includes small-batch agave spirits, and cocktails such as One Night in Tijuana (mescal, housemade ginger beer, lime juice, guava fruit purÊe, agave syrup and cucumber).
Open daily for dinner, lunch on weekdays, and brunch on weekends.
Authentic Japanese FREE
When you taste the Japanese food at Momokawa you will know it is the real thing. Each ingredient and every detail ensures the most authentic experience.
Momokawa Prix Fixe Menu Small Course (service for two or more) 6 Appetizer 6 2 kinds of Sashimi 6 Choice of Sukiyaki or Shabu-Shabu (SautĂŠ meals cooked at the table)
6 %00%/1
$48/per person A L SO AVA IL A BLE:
Momokawa
COURTESY OF BIRCH COFFEE
Chamoy Salad.
198 Eighth Ave. (at 20th Street) 212-645-2100 temerarionyc.com
Birch Coee Birch opened its latest outpost this week in Lower Manhattan in the New York by Gehry building. It is the company’s seventh coee shop. The latest in Birch’s collection of coee shops features new technology—the Sanremo Opera espresso machine, which was the first espresso machine to be designed by champion baristas, designers, and coee industry technicians, allowing for more control over the espresso brewing process.
8 Spruce St. (entrance on Beekman Street) 212-686-1444 birchcoffee.com
157 East 28th Street | (212) 684-7830 | momokawanyc.com
Compiled by Channaly Philipp/Epoch Times Sta
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March 25–31, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LE CORDON BLEU
Students at Le Cordon Bleu.
A LESSON IN REFINEMENT at Le Cordon Bleu
By Chris Mallinos With just four simple words, I began to wonder if I had missed my culinary calling. “Your ganache … it’s fantastique!” This was no ordinary compliment, you see. It came from none other than Hervé Chabert, a renowned pastry chef who has worked in some of France’s finest pâtisseries. And I was in no ordinary kitchen. Instead, I found myself at the Ottawa campus of Le Cordon Bleu, the legendary Parisian cooking school that has trained world famous master chefs like Julia Child. I was there for what the school calls its “gourmet short courses,” a way for nonprofessionals to get a taste of what has made Le Cordon Bleu the heartbeat of French cooking for 120 years. They’re a series of multihour and even multiday classes on everything from bistro cooking to macaroons. Founded in 1895, the school now brings its reputation for refinement to 20 countries worldwide. The Ottawa campus—the first outside Europe and only one in North America— traces its roots to Ottawa native Eleanor Orser, who graduated from the original Le Cordon Bleu Paris in 1979. Orser began teaching what she learned out of her home, and in 1988, sold her school back to Le Cordon Bleu. The rest, as they say, is history. Delicious history. I arrived at the Ottawa campus with a mission: learn how to make chocolate truffles. From the moment I walked in the door, the school’s prestige was hard to miss. Located in a converted Victorian mansion not far from Canada’s Parliament Buildings, the campus is complete with crystal chandeliers and a grand staircase. It’s not your typical cooking school. I filed into a classroom with 35 or so other students—young, old, women, men, even a few couples. This is where Hervé would show us the chocolate techniques that have twice carried him to the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, the World Cup of Pastry. An elaborate set up of mirrors and cameras allowed us to watch Chef’s every move in his state-of-theart kitchen. Scribbled on a large white board were the various working temperatures for all kinds of chocolate, which immediately had me feeling intimidated. When Hervé began talking about fat molecules and emulsion, I couldn’t help but think I was in over my head. “Chocolate is very delicate,” Chef would tell us repeatedly, with his melodic French accent. “We need to respect it.” Over the course of two hours, Hervé showed us how to make three kinds of truffles: dark chocolate with Cointreau, honey ganache with milk chocolate, and white chocolate passionfruit. It was clear that he had fun demonstrating his skill, which put everyone at ease. Though when he told us that he refuses to eat any chocolate he receives as a gift if he disapproves of its quality, I couldn’t quite tell if he was joking. Once the demonstration was over, it was our turn. We were led upstairs to two white-tiled practice kitchens, with stainless steel counters as well as a mini stove and fridge for each student. Even though Hervé and his assistants were there to help, we were guided mostly by
After 10 or so minutes in the fridge, the moment of truth came when we had to remove our truffles from their molds.
The fine art of making truffles.
the notes we took during the demonstration. Call it trial by fire. After donning a white apron and chef’s hat, I began stirring my cream, milk, sugar, butter, and chocolate into a velvety ganache. It was smooth and shiny—just as Hervé instructed. His high praise as he came by to inspect my work reassured me that I was on the right track. The murmurs and laughter in the kitchen grew louder as we all became more confident in what we were doing. Some students even began experimenting with the array of finishes we were given, everything from crushed nuts and sprinkles to a stock of alcohol that would make any decent bar proud. As my ganache cooled, I picked up a supply of cocoa powder and whiskey. The trickiest part of the whole process was piping just the right amount of ganache into our heart-shaped polycarbonate molds. During the demonstration, Hervé warned us that putting in too much would leave no room for the bottom layer of our truffles. It was a warning I failed to heed. “You were too generous,” Chef told me with a smile. After 10 or so minutes in the fridge, the moment of truth came when we had to remove our truffles from their molds. If you don’t get the technique just right, they stick. One by one, I watched the other students remove their pristine truffles, celebrating their accomplishment with a cheer or fist pump. Then came my turn. With one nervous smack of my mould against the counter, a dozen beautiful truffles fell with ease. And with that, I knew my day at Le Cordon Bleu was a success. The richness of my truffles paired perfectly with the hint of whiskey. Sure, the bottoms looked a little funny because of my piping mishap. And sure, maybe I wouldn’t be the next Julia Child. But that didn’t stop me from scarfing down half a dozen of my chocolates on the drive home. Chris Mallinos is an Ottawa-based freelance writer whose work can be found on six continents, and in seven languages. He can be reached at chrismallinos.com
Venture Into Thailand’s
Spicy Northeast
at
ESANATION Authentic Thai cuisine sure to delight your adventurous senses!
• 14 types of unbelievable Som Tum (papaya salad). • Gang Om soup that pulls a straight punch to the throat. • Whole Cornish hen, fried to a golden crispiness, with the most addictive dipping sauce. • Yentafo Noodle soup, an authentic standout.
Chef Wanlapha Techama was the sous chef responsible for Esan specialties at Queens restaurant Zabb Elee when it received a Michelin star last year.
Le Cordon Bleu’s Ottawa campus.
ESANATION 750 9th Avenue # New York, NY 10019 (btw. 50th & 51st streets) 212-315-0555 # esanation.com
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March 25–31, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com
Good as
GORO TOSHIMA
JERRY HENRY
Going incognito.
Gold
By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff Jonathan Gold is the Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic for the Los Angeles Times, but he is just as much a geographer. A new documentary, “City of Gold,” directed by Laura Gabbert, sheds light on his work in the glittering mosaic of cultures that is Los Angeles. “I am my truck, my truck is me,” he soliloquies in the first few minutes of the film. And as you’ll see, he is in his green pickup truck a lot—it’s his explorer’s ship navigating sunny, sprawling LA. “Food is the prism through which I look at the world,” he explained. “Somebody made that food, somebody’s eating that food, somebody washing the dishes. If you’re going to the one restaurant in Boyle Heights where the customers aren’t from the block but driving in from Brentwood in a Mercedes—that’s an important part of the experience. You can’t just write about the fish enchiladas, right?” Back in college at UCLA, Gold took a course in culture geography, during which students were assigned a block of Los Angeles and asked to make a culture map of it. “The one I had was sort of fascinating,” he said. “There was the first real sushi grade bar in town—at the time there was no sign. There was a Korean anju bar that served appetizers and soju—although at that point no one knew if soju was legal because of the proof … so they served it out of battered teapots. … The people who owned the 7-Eleven were Bangladeshi. The laundromat had these groups of people who basically hoarded the dryers for one another, it included people speaking indigenous [languages] from Mexico and Central America. And there was for some reason this German bar from when the neighborhood looked very different.” He said: “And you drive past this block 1,000 times, you wouldn’t look at any of this stuff. And yet when you pick it apart strand by strand, there was so much there you could spend your entire life writing about it. In some way, it’s obvious when you go to Tokyo or when
Food is the prism through which I look at the world.
SUNDANCE SELECTS
Jonathan Gold in “City of Gold.”
Jonathan Gold, food critic, Los Angeles Times you go to Ginza—all the building are about eight floors high, each floor filled with establishments … but in LA it’s not as obvious.” The film features appearances by chefs Roy Choi, Ludo Lefebvre, and David Chang. The latter tells in an amusing anecdote about how he once chanced upon a restaurant so good that he was going to keep it just to himself—until he looked up and saw a review by Jonathan Gold hanging in the corner. The Internet has been a big help in supplementing Gold’s on-the-ground research. In one project where he tried to eat almost everywhere in Koreatown, he said, he made use of online resources, including one he found the most valuable—a Korean equivalent of Seamless. It would have the menu or at least a description of the restaurant, and he would be able to put it through Google Translate and figure out what part of the country the food was from and maybe the specialty the restaurant served. “I have stacks of newspapers and phone books in so many languages I can’t read,” he added. “But if there’s an address, if I haven’t been there I can put it through Google. … Then you go in and maybe it’ll be something like the 17th blood sausage specialist in Koreatown. Oh my God, there’s so much blood sausage. … Let me say that soondae [blood sausage] is one of the great foods of the world but … I think that maybe knowing about two places I like is …
fine,” he laughed. How does he pick which places to write about? “In a weird way I try to figure out if a place is intellectually interesting, if there’s a path through it. I try to figure out what the chef or restaurateur has in mind, and how they’re trying to do it, whether they succeeded or not.” Sometimes, something else trumps all that. “But realistically,” he said, “if I go to a place and they have a dish that just rocks my world then the rest of it almost doesn’t matter.” He chuckles. “Which is probably bad but if somebody can do one thing that is just beautiful, you just want to tell the world about that one beautiful thing.”
Field Museum’s Wari Ale the Latest Homage to Ancient Brews FIELD MUSEUM VIA AP
By Dirk Lammers SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Fourteen years ago, University of South Dakota anthropology professor Matthew Sayre unearthed pepper tree seed from the southern tip of Peru, unaware he’d stumbled upon a spent ingredient from a small 1,000-year-old brewery. That discovery evolved into a team from Chicago’s Field Museum excavating a larger 500-gallon batch operation at Cerro Baul and the issuance of an ale inspired by the ingredients and brewing practices of the ancient Wari people. In the recent craft-beer booms, brewers have turned to ancient civilizations’ obscure, millennia-old recipes using corn, rice, peppers, and berries to set themselves apart from their colleagues’ beers as well as the vast majority of modern beer, which is brewed primarily with barley, hops, and yeast. “They started spreading out and trying other things, and it turned out that ancient people were doing the same thing,” said Patrick McGovern, an ancient beverage expert at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia. “It takes us back to our roots.” Wari Ale, the latest offering that taps ancient cultures for inspiration, carries the sourness of a corn mash with a late-breaking, delicate hint of sweetness from the pepper, said Patrick Ryan Williams, the museum’s associate curator and head of anthropology. “It’s very refreshing, clear, summer ale type,” Williams said of the purple beer, which was made by Chicago’s Off Color Brewing. “Maybe like a shandy.” Delaware-based Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was among the first to tap into ancient beers market in 1999 as part of collaboration with McGovern. The recipe for the beer-wine-mead hybrid brew Midas Touch—honey, barley malt, white muscat grapes, and saffron—came from molecular evidence found in a Turkish tomb believed to have belonged to King Midas. Inspirations for later Dogfish Head ancients, which McGovern will be chronicling in his upcoming book “Liquid Time Capsules,” include a 3,500-year-old Danish drinking vessel, 3,400-year-old pottery fragments found in Honduras and a 9,000-year-old tomb from Neolithic China.
A beer made with purple corn and Peruvian pepper berries. A 2009 batch of the traditional Peruvian chicha replicated the ancient act of milling and moistening the corn in Dogfish brewers’ mouths before adding it into the boil. Attendees of the Great American Beer Festival couldn’t wait to try it, McGovern said. “The line of people across the Denver Convention Center was unbelievable,” he said. Sayre’s seed discovery, which he quickly connected to berries growing nearby, came along with evidence of many smaller sites that were home probably breweries, he said, but the giant operation unearthed by Field Museum anthropologists was much larger than the ones he found. “When it was brewed in large amounts, that was probably for big feast events,” Sayre said. To map out a process for a modern take on chicha, Williams and a team of researchers brewed experimental batches in Peru using locally grown corn and pepper berries. “We used reproduction ceramic vessels of the boiling jars and we did it over an open fire using natural woods and fuel,” Williams said. “We really wanted to understand how the brew was created.” The batches gave the scientists a pretty good idea of how the brew should taste, and then the museum took its information to Off Color Brewing. To be called a beer in the United States, breweries must use barley and hops, so those ingredients were incorporated into the recipe. “So it’s not an exact recreation,” Williams said. “It’s a chicha de molle-inspired ale.” From The Associated Press
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From pineapple cake to iron eggs, the Taiwanese love their snacks.
TREATS FROM TAIWAN By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff Taiwan is a snacking country, and the California-based subscription service Taiwan Treat, which launched last fall, hopes to help people discover the world of Taiwanese snacks through its snack boxes. There’s quite a variety of textures in the snacks oered: from the fruit jellies (not too dissimilar to jello but firmer, and in flavors like mango or lychee) to the beloved Q—a bouncy and chewy texture found in items like iron eggs. These eggs, a specialty from the Tamsui District of Taipei, are quail eggs that are repeatedly cooked in a mix of spices and then air-dried until they become dark brown on the outside, with a
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savory sweet flavor, and very chewy. Other treats might include pineapple cake—the crumbly snack that is often the ubiquitous gift of choice for family or friends back home; or light, airy, pued sweets; or chips in an oyster omelet flavor (a snacky take on another street food). It’s a fun exploration for those not familiar with the snacks of Taiwan. And for those who grew up with Taiwanese snacks, it’ll surely induce bouts of nostalgia. Selections change from month to month. Subscribers can choose between a small box of at least seven items ($14), or the “original box,â€? which includes about 17 ($25). For more information, visit taiwantreat.com
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Things to Know About Tea Farming
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A growing number of North American farmers from Mississippi to British Columbia are growing tea for a high-priced specialty market. Here are five things to know about tea farming. Popularity Tea is the world’s No. 2 beverage, behind only water, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc. According to the association, Americans drank more than 3.6 billion gallons of tea in 2015, nearly all of it—85 percent—black tea. Kinds of Tea Leaf buds and leaves are withered and fermented to make black, oolong, and green tea. White tea is hand-processed from leaf buds alone. Its taste is delicate. Dark teas are the most fermented, and are generally sold as compressed bricks or pellets rather than loose. Pu-erh, one sort of dark tea, was illegal to import into the United States until 1995. One Plant All tea comes from the same plant species: Camellia sinensis. Hundreds of varieties have been cultivated for properties such as ability to withstand cold or heat. Grower Jason McDonald of Brookhaven, Mississippi, said a good tea master tastes freshly picked leaves to tell which kind of tea to make from each harvest. “You’re taking it from ... a really nasty-tasting leaf and
turning it into a really good tea,� he said. Harvest Season Unlike many crops, tea has a long harvest season, with new shoots that can be harvested every two to three weeks. An established plant can produce for a century or longer, McDonald said. American Innovations The United States is often credited with inventing both iced tea and the tea bag. Tea was an ingredient of chilled punches well before the 20th century, and recipes for nonalcoholic iced tea date back to the 1860s. Tea bags apparently were a refinement of a popular home practice of tying loose tea into cheesecloth for what the New York Times described in 1895 as “a cleanly method of making tea.�
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DIRECTIONS Peel the potatoes and then slice very thinly with a mandolin. Make sure to keep the thickness the same for each slice to ensure even frying.
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For the Honey Emulsion • 1/6 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper • 1/2 cup honey • 1/4 cup rich butter (high percentage of milk fat) • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • Salt to taste
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For the Chips • 4 medium-sized baking potatoes • Premium oil for frying
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RECIPE Note: You’ll need to soak the potatoes for 6 to 10 hours before making the chips.
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From The Associated Press
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Grower Jason McDonald, owner of The Great Mississippi Tea Company, shows some of the tea plant seeds imported at his farm near Brookhaven, Miss.
Soak the potato slices in water for 6 to 10 hours. This helps loosen the starch and will keep the slices from sticking to each other when frying. Rinse the slices in running water to remove excess starch and then dry the slices completely on a paper towel. Make sure all water is removed.
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Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep skillet to 325 degrees. Add the slices to the oil and work in batches to keep frying equal. Do not overcrowd your chips. Fry them, turning if needed, until each is a crispy, golden brown. Remove them from the oil; drain and cool them. In a saucepan, combine the honey, cayenne, butter, and brown sugar over medium heat, whisking to combine. Once the mixture is warm, melted, and fully combined, drizzle it over the chips evenly and toss them lightly to fully coat. Serve immediately. Recipe courtesy of chefs Brian Kim and Tae Kyung Ku, Oiji
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ASIAN RESTAURANT LISTINGS UPPER WEST SIDE Raku—It’s Japanese II Japanese Featured Dishes: Sushi; Sashimi; Brussels Sprouts
57 W. 76th St. (btw. Central Park West & Columbus Ave.) 212-873-1220 | rakuupperwest.com
UPPER EAST SIDE Cafe Evergreen Chinese 1367 1st Ave. (btw. 73rd & 74th streets) 212-744-3266 cafeevergreenchinese.com The Nuaa Thai Featured dishes: Purple Blossom Dumpling; Short Ribs Massaman Curry 1122 1st Ave. (btw. 61st & 62nd streets) 212-888-2899 | thenuaa.com
HELL’S KITCHEN/ MIDTOWN WEST Noodies Thai 830 9th Ave. (btw. 54th & 55th streets) 646-669-7828 noodiesnyc.com Vi{v} Bar & Restaurant Thai Featured Dishes: Kanom Jean Nam Ngeow; CM Sausage 717 9th Ave. (btw. 48th & 49th streets) 212-581-5999 | vivnyc.com Hell’s Chicken Korean Featured Dish: Korean Fried Chicken 641 10th Ave. (btw. 45th & 46th streets) 212-757-1120 | hellschickennyc.com
MIDTOWN EAST Shochu and Tapas - AYA Japanese 247 E. 50th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 212-715-0770 aya-nyc.com
Sachi Asian Bistro Thai Featured Dish: Oink Oink Oink Fried Rice 713 2nd Ave. (btw. 38th & 39th streets) 929-256-5167 | sachinyc.com Ruay Thai Restaurant Thai Featured Dishes: Pad Thai; Pad See Yew 625 2nd Ave. (btw. 34th & 35th streets) 212-545-7829 | ruaythai.com
KOREATOWN Soju Haus Korean 315 5th Ave., 2nd Fl. (btw. 31st & 32nd streets) 212-213-2177 | sojuhaus.com
GRAMERCY/FLATIRON/ UNION SQUARE Junoon Indian Featured Dishes: Mirchi Pakora; Hara Paneer Kofta; Meen Manga Curry 27 W. 24th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-490-2100 | junoonnyc.com Laut Southeast Asian 15 E. 17th St. (btw. W. Union Sq. & Broadway) 212-206-8989 | lautnyc.com
KIPS BAY Momokawa Japanese Featured Dishes: Kaiseki menu; Beef Sukiyaki; Fried Chicken 157 E. 28th St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues) 212-684-7830 momokawanyc.com
WEST VILLAGE Spice Market Asian Fusion Featured Special: $27 for a 3-course lunch prix-fixe menu.
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GREENWICH VILLAGE Uncle Ted’s Chinese Featured Dish: Uncle Ted’s fried rice with Chinese sausages; braised duck dumpling; crispy duck with chow fun in hoisin sauce
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EAST VILLAGE SenYa Japanese Featured Dishes: Smoked Hamachi / Hamachi Kama; Uni Scrambled Egg with Sturgeon Caviar; Smoked Katsuo Tataki
109 1st Ave. (btw. 7th & 6th streets) 212-995-5278 | senyanyc.com Sigiri Sri Lankan 91 1st Ave. (btw. E. 5th & E. 6th streets) 212-614-9333 | sigirinyc.com
BATTERY PARK Malaysian Kitchen USA Malaysian Featured Dish: Hainanese Chicken 21 South End Ave. (btw. W. Thames St. and the Esplanade) | 212-786-1888 malaysiakitchenusa.com
BROOKLYN Pasar Malam Southeast Asian Featured specials: Malaysian food and roti station 208 Grand St. (btw. Bedford & Driggs avenues)
Williamsburg 929-267-4404 | pasarmalamny.com
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Leng Thai Thai 33-09 Broadway | Astoria 718-956-7117 | lengthai.com
Niu Noodle House Chinese Featured Dish: Pork Soup Dumplings
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Sausage Making By Sara Moulton If you’ve always nursed a yen to make your own sausage, but you don’t own a meat grinder and you’re dubious about the joys of stuffing ground meat into casings, this recipe for rustic sausage patties is for you. So what about this ground meat mixture qualifies it as sausage? The answer is threefold: the seasonings, the way the ground meat is mixed, and the high fat content of the mixture. Most hamburger meat contains 15 to 20 percent fat. Ground chuck clocks in at about 30 percent. But when it comes to sausage, most of which is made from pork, the fat averages 30 to 50 percent. And—big surprise!—that’s why we love it so much. The flavor and juiciness are enhanced greatly by all that fat. Still, there’s no reason to get crazy, which is why I’ve walked a middle line here, aiming for a fat content around 35 percent. Pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt) is my cut of choice. It’s inexpensive, tasty and rich with fat. But the ratio of meat to fat varies even within a given piece of pork shoulder. Some parts are leaner, some fattier. In order to arrive at just the right ratio, you need to slice off the fat and weigh it, then weigh the meat, too. Next, it’s time to toss in a couple slices of bacon, which is my way of adding smokiness to the sausages without actually having to smoke them. Given that most folks don’t own a meat grinder, we’re going to use a food processor to “grind” the meat. First, however, the meat and fat must be frozen. This helps them break up more evenly during processing, and helps
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prevent them from overheating in the machine. You can take advantage of that freezing time to cook and chill the onion mixture. When all of the ingredients are combined— the ground meat, fat, onion, and seasonings— it’s important to mix them well. Kneading makes the finished sausages denser and springier. These qualities are what make a sausage a sausage rather than a burger, which should be loose and crumbly. I call for the cooking and tasting of a “test pilot,” or tiny sample patty, before launching into full production. It’s a safe way to decide if the sausage is seasoned to your taste, given that you shouldn’t just pinch off and gobble down a piece of raw meat. First, it’s just not safe. Second, raw meat requires different seasoning than cooked meat. The patties can be formed a day ahead and chilled, which will improve the flavor even further. One last caveat: Be careful not to overcook the patties. All they’ll need is three minutes per side, plus a few more with the lentils. If you cook them to well done, they’ll be dry. I love the combination of pork and beans, which is why I paired these rustic sausage patties with warm lentils. The lentils and their cooking liquid are poured into the same skillet in which the sausages were grilled. This step deglazes the browned sausage juices on the bottom of the skillet and marries the pork to the lentils. If you want to make this dish more substantial, you might stir some baby spinach or kale into the lentils and let them wilt before adding the sausages. Or throw in some steamed baby carrots. Or both. It’s all good. From The Associated Press
RECIPE RUSTIC SAUSAGE PATTIES WITH LENTILS Prep & Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (45 minutes active) Serves: 4 For the Sausage Patties • 12 ounces trimmed pork shoulder meat, cut into 1/2-inch chunks • 4 ounces fresh pork fat (from the trimmed shoulder meat), cut into 1-inch pieces • 2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2/3 cup finely minced yellow onion • 2 teaspoons minced garlic • 1 teaspoon dried sage • 1 teaspoon dried thyme • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper For the Lentil Salad • 1 cup dry lentils • 2 to 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard • Chopped fresh parsley, to serve
DIRECTIONS To make the sausages, in a shallow container such as a baking dish or small sheet pan, spread out the pork, fat and bacon. Freeze, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage and thyme, then cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until cooled to room temperature. Reserve the skillet. Once the pork has chilled in the freezer for
30 minutes, transfer the fat and bacon to a food processor. Pulse until it is very finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl. Add the pork chunks to the processor and pulse until finely chopped. Return the fat-bacon mixture to the processor and pulse several times to mix. Transfer the mixture back to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture, the salt and pepper. Knead the mixture for several minutes, or until it is mixed well and holds together when you squeeze it with your fingers. In a small skillet, test a small piece of the sausage mixture, cooking it until nicely browned on both sides. Adjust seasoning as needed. Shape the mixture into twelve 2-inch patties, then chill, covered, until ready to cook. While the patties chill, prepare the lentil salad. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high, combine the lentils and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook the lentils, partially covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. When the lentils are nearly done cooking, heat the reserved large skillet over medium. Working in batches, add the sausage patties to the skillet and cook until they are nicely browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the patties to a plate. Pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet, then add to the skillet the cooked lentils along with their cooking liquid, the sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard. Simmer gently, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, for 2 minutes, adding more chicken broth if desired to achieve a soupy consistency. Add the patties to the skillet and simmer gently for 2 minutes. To serve, transfer a mound of the lentil mixture to each of 4 serving bowls, then top with 3 patties and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
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This Spring, Embrace Vegetables, but Don’t Overpower Them By Meera Sodha Spring is nature’s fashion week. After winter’s endless parade of root vegetables, it feels as though nature has pressed the big green button, refreshing the new season’s offerings. Being showcased right now is a new look for your fridge, in a variety of greens. At my local Sunday market in London, on display are big leafy bunches of spinach, pointed sweetheart cabbages, fennel with thrusting green tops and spring’s favorite darling, the slender asparagus. Even in the village where I grew up, the fields have gone from empty to busy overnight. Workers lob about with big wooden crates of cut leeks, lettuces, and a renewed sense of purpose. It is catching: All I want to cook and eat is green, something fresh, light, and colorful. A favorite green supper of mine is this beau-
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RECIPE Springtime on a plate!
tiful spring pilau. Buttery rice packed with spiced fennel, onions, and garlic cooked slowly until soft and finished with a last-minute addition of still-crisp asparagus and fava beans or peas. A handful of fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon juice is stirred in just before serving to lift and unify all the flavors. It’s a gentle dish. The key to spring cooking is never to overpower the flavor of the new vegetables. They’ve spent a long time getting to the point where they’re ready. So don’t hijack them with bigger, bolder flavors or spices. A little cumin, green chili, and garam masala are all they need to help them sing. This dish can be eaten by itself, though adding a little yogurt and mango pickle won’t hurt. But for something a bit more special, some spring lamb cutlets, flash fried with salt, cumin, and chili would make wonderful sidekicks. From The Associated Press
SPRING VEGETABLE PILAU WITH FENNEL AND ASPARAGUS Prep & Cooking Time: 35 minutes Serves: 6 Use whichever spring vegetables you have available. Green beans and spring cabbage or leeks make for a wonderful pilau, too. • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 1/2 cups basmati rice 3 cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 green finger chilies, very thinly sliced 2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 9 ounces fresh or frozen peas or fresh fava beans (outer skins removed) 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, dill or cilantro 1 lemon, cut into wedges
cover. Set aside for 20 minutes. In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Drain the rice, then add to the stock. Return to a simmer, then cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a mesh strainer to strain the rice, then set aside, covered with a kitchen towel. In a larger skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until translucent and softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and chilies, then cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fennel, stir to mix, then add a couple tablespoons of water and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, or until soft. Add the asparagus, peas or fava beans, cumin, garam masala and salt. Stir and cover, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir the herbs and rice into the vegetable mixture; you might need to delicately break up the clumps of rice using your hands. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with wedges of lemon on the side.
DIRECTIONS Set the rice in a mesh strainer and run under cool water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a bowl, then add enough cool water to
An Authentic Bit of Tokyo
Mastering the Sweet-and-Spicy Glaze for an Easter Spiral Ham
in Midtown West
ALL PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MEAD/AP
By Elizabeth Karmel At Easter, there is just nothing better than a spiralcut ham! Because I grew up with my grandmother roasting fresh, white, uncured hams, a sweet-glazed spiral-cut ham has always been a delicacy to me. My best friend’s mother bought one every Easter and to me it was heavenly. I loved the crunchy sweet and spicy crust on the ends of the slices. She served the ham cold and kept the leftover ham loosely covered with foil in the refrigerator. It didn’t last long as we—and the rest of the neighborhood children—kept opening the fridge and pulling off a snack. Because it was spiral cut, you didn’t need a knife to snag a piece. All you needed to do was reach in and grab a thick, meaty slice. The first Easter I hosted the meal, I ordered a sweetglazed spiral-cut ham. I felt so grown up and we ate that ham for days. I discovered the joy of a ham sandwich with thick-cut baked ham, crisp lettuce, and lots of mayo on toasted white bread. As time went on, I grew to appreciate the purity of my grandmother’s fresh ham, but soon found that most people expect their holiday hams to be pink. So why not give the people what they want? The best part is that it is so easy to customize the ham with your own glaze. My “hack” is to make a sweet and spicy dry rub that bakes into a burnished “glaze” (rather than brushing the meat with a wet sauce). It is so quick and easy that I urge you to throw away any packet of sauce that comes with your ham and try it my way. A dry glaze is a dry spice rub with both sugar and granulated honey (or honey powder) to add sweetness and flavor. You could also use maple sugar granules. Luckily, these powders are easier and easier to find at the grocer or online. My favorite sweet and spicy rub is a combination of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, white pepper, dried honey, salt, and sugar. But feel free to riff with your favorite flavors. Just don’t omit the sugar; it melts and holds the other spices together, creating the glaze. From The Associated Press
RECIPE SWEET-AND-SPICY GLAZED HAM Prep & Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours (15 minutes active) Serves: 12 Spiral-cut hams are fully cooked when you purchase them and just need reheating. This is your chance to add tons of flavor in the form of a glaze. This recipe is written for a 5-pound ham, but the recipe is easily adapted to accommodate whatever size you need to feed your Easter crowd. For timing, plan 12 to 15 minutes per pound at 275 F. If you decide to cook a larger ham, you’ll also need to increase the dry glaze (seasoning mixture). The ham can be cooked either in the oven or on the grill. For the grill, prepare a grill for low heat, indirect cooking. For a charcoal grill, this means banking the hot coals to one side of the grill and cooking on the other side. For a gas grill, this means turning off one or more burners to create a cooler side, then cooking on that side.
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One advantage of the grill is that you can add a handful of wet wood chips before heating the ham. I like to do this because the wood adds a fresh layer of smoke to the ham and gives the ham a just-smoked flavor • • • • • • • •
5-pound pre-cooked spiral cut ham 1/2 cup honey powder or maple sugar granules 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Classic Margherita Pizza
DIRECTIONS Heat the oven to 275 F. (For grilling directions, see the headnote above.) Use paper towels to pat dry the ham, then set it, cut side down, in a shallow baking pan. Set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine the remaining ingredients and process until the ingredients are reduced to a fine powder. Gently pry apart the tops of the spiral cuts. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the seasoning mixture over the ham and push it down between the slices. Cover loosely with foil. Set the ham on the oven’s middle shelf or on the cooler side of the grill. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven, turn the ham on its other side, then sprinkle another 1/3 of the seasoning mixture over it, again gently working it into the cuts. Cover the ham with foil again, then return to the oven or grill. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the ham feels warm all the way through but is not steaming hot. Remove and discard the foil. Sprinkle the remaining dry glaze over the top of the entire ham. Turn the broiler on in the oven and place the ham under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes. Watch closely: You want the glaze to bubble and caramelize but you don’t want it to burn. When the ham is burnished to your liking, remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
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Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini & Olives Pizza
“The wood fired oven along with the homemade cheese just can’t be beat. ” PM
“Love it. Thin crust, very good choice of topping. Unbeatable Beer pitcher price.” CB
PIZZA LOVE Cut fresh herbs onto your amazing wood fired oven pizza. Made in just 5–7 minutes.
800 6th Ave (btwn 27th & 28th St) (212) 213-5042
WaldysPizza.com
D12
@EpochTaste
March 25–31, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com ALL PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHE ENA/AP
Michel and Florence Pouzol show off their project, the first meat vending machine in Paris.
The machine in Paris was installed on March 15.
Paris Gets Sausages and Steaks 24/7 From Vending Machine By Samuel Petrequin
Experience Firsthand the Romance of the Korean Dynasty South Korean top chef Sunkyu Lee cooks authentic Korean royal court cuisine Totally different and distinctive cuisines and interior designs on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors.
PARIS—With their beloved baguette already available 24 hours a day, it seems only logical that Parisians can now get the Bayonne ham and Basque pâté that goes so well with the bread from the first meat vending machine installed in the French capital. In a city filled with small shops where long lunches remain a crucial part of the French “art de vivre,” the gleaming red machine set up on the lively Rue de Charonne in eastern Paris seems a bit incongruous. The area has at least two dozen butcher shops and no shortage of meat, but that didn’t deter the owners of one of those shops, Florence and Michel Pouzol of L’ami Txulette, from investing 40,000 euros ($45,000) to set up their project, selling vacuum-packed meat from the refrigerated machine. “We’re closed two days: Sundays and Mondays,” Florence Pouzol told The Associated Press. “So this is to cater for customers over the weekend. ... The idea was also to serve people after the shop’s closing hours. We close at 8 p.m. but some people leave work very late and find the shop closed when they walk past it.” L’ami Txulette specializes in products from the Basque Country. From their machine, which takes cash or credit cards, customers can also get a large choice of traditional delicatessen including duck confit and beef carpaccio. There are also faux-filet steaks on display, priced at 34 euros per kilogram (about $19 a pound). On average, the products are 20 euro cents more expensive than those sold inside the shop. A majority of shops remain closed on Sundays in France, but the Pouzols are confident that France is changing fast and so are their customers’ habits. “Our customers are young. There are also quite a few bars and restaurants along the boulevard,” Florence Pouzol said. “When we see them during the day, they tell us, ‘Last night, I bought this, or that, and it was really
helpful.’ We also have those who work in the cafes and restaurants and who come off work at 2 a.m. They tell us they were happy to buy an entrecôte or something else to eat.” But not all residents, especially the older ones, seem ready to stop running errands at their favorite shops and switch to the meat dispenser. “I’m so happy that I can actually go to the butcher shop now that I’m retired and go there in person,” said local resident Lydie Aparacio. “I think that it can be useful for people who are busier than a retiree. I don’t use it because I have time.” While baguette dispensers have enjoyed success across France over the past five years, the meat vending machine business remains in the embryonic stage in France. The first machine of this type was installed three years ago in the small western town of Garat by a butcher who set it up outside a bar. According to the bar owner, it adds extra comfort in an area lacking services. “We don’t have a butcher shop in town, the first one is located three kilometers (two miles) away,” Jo Ferreira told the AP in a phone interview. “When you finish work at 7 p.m., it’s very convenient to have this machine available. I love their minced burger steaks.” In the central medieval town of Mennetousur-Cher, popular with tourists, Pascal Bidron has installed a machine to sell his locally made andouillette, a sausage prepared with pig’s intestines. He bought a secondhand machine and put it next to his shop, which is closed for more than three hours during the daytime. “I have customers coming from afar to buy my andouillettes and I wanted to serve them even when the shop is closed” Bidron told the AP. “I recently went away for two weeks and managed to sell 250 andouillettes during my vacation thanks to that machine. It’s more than I expected.” From The Associated Press
AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
ADD THE UNEXPECTED TO EASTER DINNER Butter Roasted Radishes By Alison Ladman
212-594-4963 10 W. 32 St., New York, NY 10001 www.misskoreaBBQ.com Open 24 hours
Easter sides are depressingly predictable. There will be asparagus, of course. If you’re lucky, there might even be three or four variations of asparagus. And there will be peas. And gratin potatoes. And probably some sort of salad that most people will only eat to be polite. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of this. It’s just that it would be nice to offer something ... different. So we’ll help you with this one. Try our butter roasted radishes with tarragon and lemon. It’s a simple dish that comes together in minutes, but has a wonderful flavor that is both rich and light and lemony—the perfect combination for spring. From The Associated Press
RECIPE BUTTER ROASTED RADISHES WITH TARRAGON AND LEMON Prep & Cooking Time: 30 minutes (10 minutes active) Serves: 6 • 2 pounds radishes, halved • 3 tablespoons butter, melted • Kosher salt and ground black pepper • Zest of 1 lemon • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
DIRECTIONS Heat the oven to 375 F. Pile the radish halves in the center of a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Arrange on a serving platter, then sprinkle with the lemon zest and tarragon. Serve warm or at room temperature.