Epoch Taste 5-29-2015 by Epoch Taste

SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

D1 May 29–June 4, 2015 Naengmyeon

Noodles

An ancient Korean delicacy.

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A Taste of Home at Blujeen

Meatloaf gets a tight hug from bacon.

By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff

t’s been almost three years since chef Lance Knowling was cooking in the desert by the Salton Sea, surrounded by dead fish, in a post-apocalyptic landscape where he had to scavenge for ingredients and tools.

Those were the days when Knowling took part in Food Network’s “Extreme Chef.” These days, things are decidedly more civilized— even downright homey—for Knowling. About six weeks ago, he opened his restaurant Blujeen, in Harlem, oﬀering a blend of soul food, Southern, and classic American comfort food. “I’m one of those old-fashioned guys who watched his mom cook and was always inspired by the things she was able to do,” he said.

Blujeen

See Blujeen on D2

Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

2143 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (between 115th & 116th streets) 212-256-1073 BlujeenNYC.com Hours Dinner: Monday–Sunday 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.

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May 29–June 4, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

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Chef and owner Lance Knowling.

A Taste of Home at Blujeen

Deviled Eggs. COURTESY OF BLUJEEN

Blujeen continued from D1 He was inspired not only by his mother, but also his mother-in-law, and other women in his family, who in the ’50s were starting their own families and looking after them with love and care. He decided to name his restaurant Blujeen, a fictional name to represent the women who were an inspiration to his culinary career. “Blujeen is about the struggle too,” he added. “To maintain a family and take care of them but also go to work every day and still manage to put that love on the table every day without complaining about it. It’s honoring that tradition too.” He recalled his mother pulling oﬀ culinary feats that he can’t replicate to this day. For example, she would cook enormous amounts of food for the entire neighborhood—on a tiny Weber grill in the backyard. “I’m a professional chef, and I still can’t figure it out,” he said. Knowling, who for years owned restaurants in Montclair and Maplewood, New Jersey, and whose catering business client lists include Whoopi Goldberg, Queen Latifah, and Corey Booker, has long been dreaming of opening a restaurant in Harlem. “Coming from Kansas City, Harlem was the African-America mecca. When we came here it was always a big deal,” he said. His timing, coinciding with a booming restaurant scene, is just right. On a Tuesday night a few weeks ago, the restaurant was full. Though modern and with clean lines, Blujeen has touches of home here and there—furnishings for example you might instead find in a living room. There is a striking painting of a child huddling behind his mother’s leg as she cooks at the stove. The painting, called “Thanksgiving,” was a gift from painter Jason Hunt. Something tugged at my heart while looking at it. “I’ve seen people well up [looking at it],” Knowling said. Comfort No surprise then that the menu also reflects the comfort of home. Knowling has cooked at fine dining restaurants but finds it a pleasure to cook dishes that he grew up on. “Doing something you grew up on, that’s part of your family tradition and to extend that to people today, you want people to taste those flavors,” he said. Knowling puts his modern touch on the classics, and while mac and cheese and collard

The collard greens are revelatory— somehow at once a little sweet, a little tangy, a little smoky.

greens and BBQ ribs are on the menu, I didn’t come away feeling heavy or uncomfortable. For starters, I’d recommend the Deviled Eggs, topped and punctuated by the brightness of pickled onions ($7), or the Crab Cakes, which are wonderfully more crab than filler ingredients. Or get the Shrimp and Grits, made with some andouille sausage, and served with a light lemon butter sauce ($12). And then for the mains, don’t miss the excellent Bacon-Wrapped Veal Meatloaf. Knowling’s mother had an excellent recipe, and he’s developed into smaller portions, with the strip of bacon wound up tightly around the meatloaf ($17). A side of creamy mac and cheese would be just right (and if you’re feeling decadent, get the lobster add-on), as well as the collard greens, which are revelatory—somehow at once a little sweet, a little tangy, a little smoky (from the smoked turkey) (side dishes, $6; mac and cheese and lobster, $14). The desserts likewise have that taste of home: fresh baked brownies with walnut brittle and brown sugar caramel, red velvet donuts and cream cheese-pistachio icing, or apple upside down cake with ice cream ($8 each). An American wine list and craft beers and ciders are available. Knowling infuses the cocktails with wine and beer, like the Ginger Grapefruit Margarita (ginger essence, grapefruit bitters, prosecco).

The painting “Thanksgiving” by Jason Hunt in Blujeen’s dining room.

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FINESSE

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

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Challenging European Notions of American Food at Milan Expo By Colleen Barry

ILAN—To many European ears, if not taste buds, the phrase American cuisine seems like an oxymoron. That’s why the U.S. Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015 world’s fair is trying to vanquish the notion that America’s culinary scene is defined by processed and fast foods. A temporary restaurant has opened in Milan’s center, hosting some of America’s most renowned and innovative chefs, and authentic food trucks have been imported from the United States to the fairgrounds, highlighting regional American flavors. A limited European view of American food is on display in the U.S. food section of local grocery stores, where the triumvirate of peanut butter, maple syrup, and marshmallows suggest a shallow, sweet palate. Europeans give dubious credit to Americans for the hamburger, and they are downright stupefied by glasses of milk at the dinner table when they appear innocuously enough in Hollywood films. What is lost in the stereotypes and prejudices— rooted in reality as they are—is an evolution in American cuisine over recent years, which includes a new focus on local production, artisanal food stuﬀs, and a revival of heirloom varieties, according to Mitchell Davis, chief creative oﬃcer for the U.S. Pavilion. “The enthusiasm that is going on there I don’t think has gotten out,” said Davis, who is executive director of the James Beard Foundation. “It has spread across the country. It is no longer in a few pockets. I mean Louisville, Rochester, everywhere I go I am amazed at the sort of enthusiasm and passion of the local food communities. It is really remarkable.” In an illustration of American innovation, New York City chef Mark Ladner served 100layer lasagna to rave reviews at a recent dinner at the James Beard American Restaurant, which overlooks Milan’s marble-clad Galleria of luxury boutiques.

A man serves hamburgers at a U.S. Pavilion’s food truck at the Expo 2015 in Rho, near Milan, Italy.

We are not coming here to say, ‘This is American cuisine, take it or leave it.’ Mitchell Davis, chief creative oﬃcer, US Pavilion

“We are not coming here to say, ‘This is American cuisine, take it or leave it,’ because I don’t think we know what that is yet,” Davis said. “Our openness to ideas, the fact we are not bound by tradition means we can take a piece of lasagna, fry it and tell an Italian to try this, it is something new.” Over the six months of Expo, which ends Oct. 31, two or three American chefs will work each week at the James Beard American restaurant, oﬀering five-course, fixed-price menus, while each Thursday Italian chefs will reinterpret American cuisine. Cathy Whims, executive chef and owner of Nostrana in Portland, Oregon, brought Northwest-inspired ingredients to a menu prepared in the Italian tradition of putting the focus on ingredients. Whims’s culinary journey is exemplary of American cuisine’s evolution. After learning to cook in a French-style kitchen, she found her culinary home in Italian cuisine and spent long hours learning to simplify. “I loved the simplicity of the food, the focus on the ingredients and letting the ingredients shine,” she said. At the Expo site, Food Truck Nation—which includes actual food trucks shipped over—highlights the urban food truck trend, oﬀering famil-

has a new flavor

By Patrick Whittle the form of a smartphone app, said Jen Levin, the institute’s sustainable seafood program manager. The project involves bringing together data about the diﬀerent pieces of the supply chain— including catch, landing, auction, processing, and delivery—and allows the buyer to see all the way back to the fisherman, Levin said. The plan is the latest in the fast-growing food traceability tech sector, which seeks to connect retailers, restaurants, and customers with the origin and journey of their food. The world market for food traceability technologies will reach $11.15 billion in 2015, an increase of more than a half-billion dollars from the previous year, according to market research firm Visiongain. Consumers have had access to technology that connects them with the histories of such items as flour, berries, Alaskan salmon, and antibiotic-free beef since the late 2000s, industry professionals said. The QR codes—the black and white digital squares readable with a camera—appear in both farmers markets and highend restaurants. The Gulf of Maine seafood tool represents a new horizon in food traceability in that it will use data from multiple sources to bring traceable seafood from a large, diverse fishery to supermarket consumers, Levin said.

From The Associated Press

Natural

Latest in Food-Track Tech: Swipe a Code, Meet Your Fisherman PORTLAND, Maine—After eyeing a piece of haddock on the supermarket counter, a customer scans a code and finds out the fish was caught in the waters of Georges Bank and learns the name of the fishing boat — and maybe even sees a picture of the smiling, rainslickened fisherman who reeled it in. Welcome to the future of buying New England seafood. A group of scientists and fishermen said the technology isn’t about a gimmick so much as survival. They’re working on a new tool they said will allow consumers to learn the backstory of a piece of fish while standing in the supermarket aisle with their smartphones. In an era when many sectors of the New England fishing industry are struggling with depleted resources and choking catch quotas, increasing the cachet of local seafood could be the last, best hope, said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, one of the groups involved in the “Boat to Plate” project. “Most fishermen don’t want to be involved in this kind of stuﬀ. They want to go out into the water,” said Martens, whose group represents 35 mostly small-boat fishermen. “We just don’t think that’s the way of the future.” Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland is developing the tool, which was recently awarded a $175,000 federal government grant, in cooperation with Maine Coast. Final release is about two years away and will likely take

iar fare like hamburgers and barbecue while also introducing Europeans to less well-known American favorites like lobster rolls and kale, for which there was no Italian translation. Organizers went with cavolo, or cabbage, which doesn’t exactly capture the unique qualities of the nutrient-rich, green leafy vegetable. In the United States, food trucks give budding chefs a limited-cost venue to launch a concept. The concept at Expo is to reframe typical American fast food with quality ingredients and regional flavors, from the lime flavors of Lee Country, Florida, to the Cajun spices of New Orleans. “American Food 1.0 was all about processed food made from so many ingredients you couldn’t count. Now it is about subtracting, it is about where food comes from. Simplicity is the key,” said Lauren McGrath, one of the organizers. Michelangelo Rizzo, 18, appreciated the eﬀort as he enjoyed a hamburger with friends at the food trucks on a class trip to the Expo one recent afternoon. But he was dubious such fare would ever become an Italian standard. “Without taking anything away, I would eat something else at home,” he said, adding: “I don’t think my parents ever tried American food.”

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Epicurism Is Alive and Well in Tuscany By Manos Angelakis

have heard of Italian gastronomes that plan their vacations around the beefsteak-intensive events at a butcher-shop/ restaurant in Panzano owned by a worldfamous local butcher who is currently Tuscany’s Worldwide Food Ambassador. The name of the butcher shop is Antica Macelleria Cecchini, in Panzano, Florence. The restaurant is called Oﬃcina della Bistecca and is reached by passing through the white-tiled macelleria (butcher shop), up a flight of stairs, into a beautiful–though narrow—indoor dining hall, which also incorporates an adjacent terrace in the summer. For about $54 (50 euros) you get all the grass-fed beef you ever wanted to eat, much in cuts that are particular to Tuscany. It is all about the most luscious beef! There are five courses, starting with Chianti Crudo, a beef tartar seasoned with Tuscan olive oil, sea salt, and a squeeze of lemon. And then Brustico (the tartar beef, seared) and Costata alla Fiorentina (bone-in rib-eye) and Bistecca Panzanese (a tender cut taken from the rump), and ending with cuts from giant 3–inch-thick porterhouse steaks, flavored with a touch of fennel and rosemary; plus sides of garden-fresh vegetables (Pinzimonio di Verdure), Tuscan white beans in olive oil, baked potato, delicious Tuscan bread and “butter” (actually whipped lard infused with herbs), and a young red Chianti pored from traditional straw-covered bottles. You end the meal with a good-sized shot of grappa and espresso. Fortunately, our hosts (top Chianti Classico winemakers) had brought with them bottles of Chianti Classico Vintage and Reservas that were some of the best wines Tuscany has to oﬀer, much better than what the restaurant was pouring—which was very young and not that bad if you don’t have top reservas to drink. Some of the beef is raised by a local organic/ biodynamic winery in Panzano (we visited Fattoria di Fontodi to taste the wines) and is also imported from an organic farm in Catalonia. Dario Cecchini—the owner—is a showman of great talent, but is also an exceptional butcher

Officina della Bistecca, Panzano, Florence

Via XX Luglio, 11 Panzano Firenze, Florence, Italy +39 055 852176

On the terrace at Officina della Bistecca.

Manos Angelakis is a well-known wine and food critic based in the New York City area. He has been certified as a Tuscan wine master, by the Tuscan Wine Masters Academy, as well as being an expert on Greek, Chilean, and Catalan wines. He judges numerous wine competitions each year and is the senior food and wine writer for LuxuryWeb Magazine, LuxuryWeb.com

who knows beef like few other professionals I have met. If you ever find yourself in Chianti and you’re not a vegetarian, make sure to have a meal at this beef heaven. You can bring your own wine; and I recommend that, especially if you like older vintages that will pair well with Dario’s beef. The steaks, cooked on charcoal to your taste, are worth every cent. Reservations are advised for most days (Monday and Wednesday the restaurant is closed) and are mandatory for the weekend. Make sure to reserve well in advance, as in the summer it usually takes at least three months’ notice to get a reservation.

Officina della Bistecca offers the most luscious cuts of beef, some particular to Tuscany.

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LOBSTER RUMBLE Tasting Table’s sixth annual all-you-caneat lobster roll revelry is here. Witness the showdown between 25 contenders as they compete for top honors. The one lucky winner will be decided by you. This event will feature unlimited lobster rolls, savory sides, chips, and sweets from five local purveyors. You can also sip on wine and cocktails from open bars that will be pouring Stella Artois beer. A portion of the benefits from the pure bliss of the lobster rolls will go to the Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

stuff to eat and drink around town

Thursday, June 4, 7 p.m.–10 p.m. Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St. Tickets $165–$265. TastingTable.com

TEX-MEX MECCA EL ORIGINAL Owner Henock T. Kejela, whose restaurant Zoma is part of New York African Restaurant Week.

New York African Restaurant Week, Cider Maker Dinner Series, Taiwanese Night Market

Tex-Mex breakfast, anyone? El Original launched a breakfast menu over Memorial Day. It features nine types of breakfast tacos with fillings from Frito pie to migas. The other types of breakfast plates include Avocado Tostadas, Huevos Rancheros, and more. EL Original is open for breakfast 7 a.m.–11 a.m. seven days a week. ElOriginalTxMx.com

COURTESY OF EL ORIGINAL

NEW YORK AFRICAN RESTAURANT WEEK About 25 restaurants featuring African cuisine will be participating in the third annual New York African Restaurant Week, May 31–June 14. Restaurants will offer signature dishes, and some will offer a threecourse prix fixe for $28.95.

What excites me the most is the diversity and the ability to provide great value.” He’s hard pressed to name his favorite dish but he said, “I especially love the chicken mafe at Farafina, which will be celebrating its second-year anniversary this year on July 18.”

Akin Akinsanya, founder and director of New York African Restaurant Week, said, “This is a great way to experience Africa right here in New York City. ...

Events include a fashion and food show at the DL on June 13. Edible Bazaar on June 9, features several restaurants, music, and culture at TAJ Lounge,

and doubles as a fundraiser for the ASB Foundation, supporting children in Senegal. Participating restaurants include: Accra, The Cecil, Zoma, Queen of Sheba, Bunna Cafe, and Madiba. For more information and the full list of restaurants, see NYARW.com

COURTESY OF TAP – NY

TAIWANESE NIGHT MARKET Experience the bustle and fun of a Taiwanese night market in New York. Taiwanese American Professionals (TAP) NY’s Fourth Annual Night Market is a chance to savor authentic Taiwanese dishes. Participants include Mira Izakaya, CBao Eastern, A-Pou Dumplings, Wooly’s Shaved Snow, Tiger Beer, and more. Friday, May 29, 7 p.m.–10 p.m. The Villain, 50 N. Third St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tickets $40. NightMarket2015.TAP-NY.org

Taiwanese Night Market 2014.

COURTESY OF E.Z. ORCHARDS

CIDERMAKER DINNER SERIES AT WASSAIL At Wassail’s Cidermaker dinner series, notable cidermakers showcase their ciders as chefs Joseph Buenconsejo and Rebecca Eichenbaum highlight cider pairings with a four-course seasonal menu. The upcoming dinner features celebrated cidermaker Kevin Zielinski from E.Z. Orchards, whose family has been producing cider since 1929. Tuesday, June 2, 7 p.m. Wassail, 162 Orchard St. Tickets $75. WassailNYC.com/Events/

DASSARA RAMEN AND AQUABOIL POPUP Dasara Ramen and AquaBoil PopUp are bringing a Japanese/Creole-inspired seafood boil to Carroll Gardens. Dasara Ramen owners Justin DeSpirito and Lana Yang, along with chef Pablo Ventura, have added a new AquaBoil section to the Dassara menu that focuses on Japanese/Creole-inspired seafood boil dishes and inventive sides using top-quality, live seafood brought in daily from seafood purveyor Aqua Best.

An E.Z. Orchards bottle.

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Dassara, 271 Smith St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

Compiled by Daksha Devavni & Channaly Philipp, Epoch Times Staff

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enowned chef and restaurateur April Bloomfield is a girl who loves her greens. So much so she filled a book with her recipes and good advice, and then titled the book â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Girl and Her Greens.â&#x20AC;? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually read introductions in cookbooks. I am after the recipesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I picked up the book in the first place. But I am very glad I took the time to read Bloomfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduction. She has broken it down into sections. One section, for example, is devoted to how to shop at a farmers market and why (for the best vegetables you can find). Another is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;simple things.â&#x20AC;? Here I found the best advice: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My hope is that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start playing with vegetables on your own. â&#x20AC;Ś Never neglect the simple pleasures of cooking. â&#x20AC;Ś Try not to look at the process as a chore. If you think about how slow-cooked onions will ultimately transform a dish, the work itself becomes exciting.â&#x20AC;? Testing the Recipes First up was Butternut Squash Polenta. The photo of the dish made it look so appetizing. But as I read the short introduction and the cooking instructions I realized if I followed them exactly my dish would not look like the photo. But I am adventurous if nothing else. The first snag I ran into was finding Anson Mills polenta (the recommended brand). I called around to three specialty stores in Manhattan, and while they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Anson Mills they had polentaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but not coarse stone-ground polenta. Undaunted I bought a medium-ground polenta. I was ready. I followed the instructions exactly until it came time to mix all the ingredients together in the final step. It looked to me like an awful lot of polenta for the amount of squash, but what did I know, so I forged ahead putting all the squash into the pot of polenta. Oh dear. My squash disappeared into the polenta. And all I could taste was polentaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;no squash, no cheesy taste, no garlicâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just plain polenta. So I remade the recipe and cut back on the polentaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and wow! What flavor, what textureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;smooth and grainy and buttery all at the same time. I would definitely do this one again. Next up was the Spring Peas and Mint. I never had such an easy-to-make and delicious condiment. Between the clean taste of the mint and the tartness of the lemon juice this goes great on toast, crackers, a side for chicken. I had it on pieces of naan bread and just spooned out of the bowl. Best of all itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ready in under 10 minutes. The next recipe of my experimenting was the Zucchini Bread. Imagine my disappointment when the piece I bit into tasted

Try not to look at the process as a chore. If you think about how slow-cooked onions will ultimately transform a dish, the work itself becomes exciting. April Bloomfield, chef and restaurateur

Next up was the Spring Peas and Mint. I never had such an easy-tomake and delicious condiment.

nothing like zucchini. I was expecting to taste zucchiniâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even just a little bit. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong the bread was wonderfulâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;moist, light, a little tart from the lemon zest and sweet all at the same time. I had brought a loaf into the oďŹ&#x192;ce and a colleague of mine said she was expecting a lemon poppy seed bread, from the scents emanating from the piece she took. She was surprised to hear it was zucchini bread. But this is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Good thing the recipe makes two loaves. Then I made the Roasted Mushrooms with Pancetta, Pine Nut Breadcrumbs, and Goat Cheese. This was nothing short of amazing! And I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even like mushrooms. All the different textures were an adventure to enjoy. The one problem I had with this recipe was the maitake mushrooms. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a store that sold themâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even though I went to four stores. The last recipe I tried was the Kale and Polenta. This was also a joy to eat. Like for the Butternut Squash Polenta recipe, I settled on a medium-ground polenta since I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the Anson Mills brand or a course-ground polenta. Delicious Recipes but a Few Flaws On the whole the recipes were nothing short of delicious but the cookbook fell short in a few areas. Of the five recipes I prepared, the photos only accurately depicted the end result for the Peas and Mint recipe and the Zucchini Bread. If you are a novice cook or someone who relies on the photos to help determine what to prepare then for the recipes I tried the photos wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help. In this day and age everyone is into gadgetsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; anything to make the job easier. Every recipe I tried made use of a food processor. But not everyone has a food processor. It would have been helpful if Bloomfield had mentioned an alternative to the food processing method. For me a recipe shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have ingredients that are hard to find. One-stop shopping is the best. But the idea of having to search the Internet, or call stores, or go from store to store turns me oďŹ&#x20AC;. Maybe the cookbook could have given some suggestions where to search for these unusual ingredients. And these recipes are time-consuming to makeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;each running close to an hour with all the diďŹ&#x20AC;erent steps and food processing. The instructions were easy to follow, just a lot to do. These are recipes to try on a weekend or on an evening when you have more timeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; definitely not for the end of a long workday. While I felt challenged preparing the recipes the end result each time was a delicious treat. Thank you April for the advice and the delicious recipes!

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May 29–June 4, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com DAVID LOFTUS

• • • • • •

RECIPE KALE POLENTA In the U.S., polenta is typically served as a side dish. But in Italy, it is often the main attraction—a real showstopper. I’ve been seated at a table with friends when the cook arrived from the kitchen with the pot of polenta. Instead of ladling the polenta onto our empty plates, as I first expected, the cook poured the polenta from the pot straight onto a wooden board in the center of the table. Steamy and inviting, it crept outward like hot lava. This take on polenta is a showstopper in its own right: its striking green color is beautiful and unexpected. It’s so stunning you can skip the board and just haul the pot to the table. The healthy dose of kale puree that colors the cornmeal adds lots of flavor, too. You taste the sweetness of the corn polenta first, then a hint of garlic and finally that green minerality of kale at the end.

Serves: 6 to 8 as a side

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Combine 7 cups of water and the salt in a medium pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Gradually add the polenta, whisking as you pour. Keep whisking until the polenta starts to thicken and looks like it’s one with the water, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low (the polenta should steam and tremble, but only rarely erupt with bubbles) and cook, stirring every now and again, until the polenta is tender but still coarse in texture, about 45 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, kale puree, and most of the Parmesan and keep cooking, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes more. Take the pot off the heat and fold in 2 tablespoons of the mascarpone (it’s nice to run into a little pocket of mascarpone, so don’t stir too much). Top with the remaining mascarpone and Parmesan, and as much black pepper as you’d like.

Make this ahead of time to use in the Kale Polenta, above.

KALE PUREE

DAVID LOFTUS

DIRECTIONS

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Maldon or another flaky sea salt

Kale Polenta from “A Girl and Her Greens.”

2 cups coarse stone-ground polenta 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Kale Puree (see below) 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated 3 tablespoons mascarpone Coarsely ground black pepper

If it weren’t for this dish, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I was still a young cook in England wondering what I’d do next when I saw Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, chefs at London’s River Café, on the telly. At the time, food TV wasn’t all clever editing and pretty colors. Their show on the BBC just showed them, cooking. I watched them make this four-ingredient puree and toss it in a pan with some penne. They were accomplished chefs, but the food they were making wasn’t complicated at all. I wanted to cook like that. So I called up River Café and talked my way into a tryout. I went on to work there, and Rose and Ruth became my mentors and friends. I’m grateful that they never tried my first go at the dish, which I cooked immediately after I switched off the telly. I used shit olive oil and it wasn’t very good. Please don’t make the mistake I did.

LOCAL, SEASONAL, MARKET FRESH FARE

Makes: A generous 1 cup

INGREDIENTS • 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled • 1 pound Tuscan kale, thick stems removed (about ½ pound after trimming) • Kosher salt 1 teaspoon Maldon or another flaky sea salt • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

WE WELCOME YOU TO

DIRECTIONS Put 4 of the garlic cloves in a medium pot, fill it with water, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add enough kosher salt so that the water tastes slightly salty and add the kale, prodding to submerge it. Cook uncovered until the kale is tender and tears easily, 2 to 3 minutes. Fish out the boiled garlic cloves from the pot and reserve them. Drain the kale in a colander and when it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as you can. Roughly chop the kale, the boiled garlic, and the raw garlic. Combine the kale, garlic, and Maldon salt in a food processor. Process, stopping occasionally to prod and stir, for about 45 seconds, then add the oil and process, stirring once or twice, to a fairly smooth puree. Whenever I make this at one of my restaurants, I use a Vita-prep to make the puree silky smooth, but I like a slightly coarse puree too.

RECIPE CRUSHED SPRING PEAS WITH MINT As a girl in England, I always loved mushy peas, whether they were made the real way—from a starchy variety of pea called marrowfat that’s dried, then soaked—or dumped into a pot straight from a tin. Nowadays I prefer this mash made from fresh, sweet shelling peas—a twist on the British classic, which actually takes less work to make than its inspiration. It’s wonderful spread in a thick layer on warm bread or as a dip for raw veg, like radishes, carrots, and wedges of fennel.

RESTAURANT You will love our warm atmosphere and our expertly prepared menu. We pay the utmost attention to every detail of your visit. From the hand crafted cocktails and specialty wine list, to our thoughtfully planned, market fresh and in-season dishes. Every dish, every cocktail is prepared from scratch and every detail is carefully thought out. We are always happy to customize any of your dining requests. NEW! Chef ’s Seasonal Tasting Menu

34 East 20th Street Located in Flatiron New York City

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212.677.7771

The puree keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note: Before I use Tuscan kale, I like to remove the thick stems. I’ve seen home cooks do this with a knife, which you can do if you fancy. I have a quicker way. Working one leaf at a time, firmly grab the end of the stem with one hand. With the other, use your thumb and index finger to firmly pinch together the bottom of the leaf on either side of the stem and pull away from the stem end, stripping off the leaves in one go. From “A Girl and Her Greens” by April Bloomfield. Copyright 2015 April Bloomfield. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Makes: About 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

The freshest seafood, every day

• • • •

2 cups fresh peas (from about 2 pounds pods) 1 ounce aged pecorino, finely grated 1 1/2 teaspoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt 1 small spring garlic clove or ½ small garlic clove, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped • 12 medium mint leaves (preferably black mint) • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Scant 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more for finishing

wner, Jesus Martinez, who comes from the O verdant province of Galicia in northwestern Spain, is most insistent on quality, and goes to pick out fish at the market every morning at 2:30 a.m.

•

DIRECTIONS Combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a coarse purée, about 45 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and roughly stir and smoosh a bit so it’s a little creamy and a little chunky. Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice—you want it to taste sweet and bright but not acidic. From “A Girl and Her Greens” by April Bloomfield. Copyright 2015 April Bloomfield. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“A Girl and Her Greens” by April Bloomfield (Ecco, 2015, $39.95).

Enjoy fine cuisine from Spain made from authentic ingredients, elevated by exact and careful preparation.

ALCALA

Restaurant

(212) 370-1866 246 E. 44th Street AlcalaRestaurant.com

@EpochTaste

May 29–June 4, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com ALL PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MEAD/AP

Mastering the Fine Art of a Deceptively Simple Tossed Salad By Sara Moulton Summer time is salad time. When it’s hot out and the garden is bountiful, everyone’s in the mood for a light and refreshing entree salad. And what could be easier? You just toss together a bunch of lettuce with some cooked protein, add an excellent dressing, and boom! You’re done. Or not. Turns out that if you pay a little more attention to the components of the salad, you won’t need to rely quite so much on the dressing to provide all the flavor. In fact, it’s easy to make something wonderful. Here’s the basic formula per serving of salad: 2 cups of lettuce, a heaping 1/3 cup of halved cherry tomatoes, 1/3 cup of sliced cucumbers, a quarter of an avocado (cubed), and 1 tablespoon of dressing. The key, though, is to season each and every part one at a time, and to do so at just the right moment. It’s also important to deal with the water. Vegetables contain a high percentage of water. If you remove some of that water, you concentrate and amplify the vegetable’s flavor. Let’s start with the cherry tomatoes. You’ll be amazed at how much more tomato-y they’ll taste after they’ve been salted and drained, preferably for 30 minutes. Cucumbers, likewise, become

Cucumbers become more cucumber-y with salting, though the salt also tenderizes them.

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more cucumber-y with salting, though the salt also tenderizes them. If you care more about a cuke’s crunch than its flavor, skip the salting of them. By the way, here’s a little tip I learned from Rachael Ray about how to slice a raft of cherry tomatoes all at once rather than one-by-one. Put a whole bunch of them on a small plastic lid, and then place another lid on top of them. Stabilize the tomatoes by gently pressing the lids together. Insert a serrated knife into the gap between the lids and slice all of the tomatoes in half at one time. While the tomatoes and the cucumbers are draining, you should cut up the avocado, put it in the bottom of the salad bowl, season it, and toss it with the dressing. This last step prevents it from oxidizing and turning color. Pile on the additional ingredients as they become ready. Note: To remove the pit from an avocado safely, cut it into quarters. As tempting as it might be to imitate the TV chefs—who cut the avocado in half, slam a huge knife into the pit, and twist out the pit—it’s a technique that has landed many a home cook in the emergency room. After rinsing the lettuce, spin it dry or gently pat it dry with paper towels. Dressing will slide right oﬀ of wet greens. Keep in mind that a variety of lettuces is more enticing than just one kind, and mixing in whole herb leaves with the greens makes a salad extra special. Finally, after all of the components have been prepped and added to the bowl, sprinkle the greens with a little salt and pepper and toss the salad with your hands. Lettuce bruises easily. Your hands are exactly the right tool for this delicate job. Now that your basic salad is dressed and ready to go, top it oﬀ with grilled chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu to turn it into a substantial summertime entree. 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.” To remove the pit

from an avocado safely, cut it into quarters.

From The Associated Press

RECIPE TOSSED SALAD 101 Total time: 50 minutes (15 minutes active) Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • •

1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes Kosher salt 6 ounces English cucumber 1 firm ripe avocado 8 cups lightly packed torn lettuce Ground black pepper 1/4 cup dressing

DIRECTIONS Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Halve the cherry tomatoes and arrange cut side up on the wire rack. Sprinkle the cut sides liberally with salt, and then turn the tomatoes so the cut sides are down. Let stand for 30 minutes. Peel the cucumber if it has a thick skin. Halve it lengthwise, and then slice it thinly crosswise. Toss the sliced cucumber with some salt and let drain in a colander set in the sink for 30 minutes. Quarter the avocado, remove the pit and lay the avocado, skin side down on the counter. Using a paring knife, make a crisscross pattern in the flesh in 1/2-inch cubes, cutting down to the skin. Use a spoon to lift out the cubes and transfer them to a salad bowl. Sprinkle the avocado lightly with salt and toss gently with a fork. Add the dressing and toss again. When the tomatoes and cucumber have sat for 30 minutes, pat them dry with paper towels and add them to the bowl with the avocado. Add the lettuce, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and use your hands to toss the salad very gently just until the leaves are coated. Serve right away.

NUTRTION INFORMATION Nutrition information per serving: 140 calories; 90 calories from fat (64 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 440 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 3 g protein.

INTRODUCING

Lotus THE

ROOM

Welcome to the new Lotus Room at Tamarind TriBeCa, a celebration of India’s national flower, prized for its serene, natural beauty and colorful, fragrant petals. Tamarind’s award-winning chef team has created a new menu featuring several dishes that contains delicate lotus root.

Come in to enjoy lunch and tea served daily from 11:30 AM until 5 PM.

TA M A R I N DR E STAU R A N TSN YC .C OM 99 HUDSON STR EET @ FR A NK LIN T EL . 212 - 775 -90 0 0

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D9 May 29–June 4, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org ALL PHOTOS BY BINGGAN ZHANG/EPOCH TIMES

RECIPE ICED KOREAN NAENGMYEON NOODLES Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5 hours Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS • 1 package Korean buck wheat noodles, naengmyeon, about 16 ounces • 8 ounces beef shank • 2 eggs, boiled, halved • 1/2 cucumber • 1/4 daikon radish • 1/2 apple • 1/2 pear, sliced • 12 ice cube Soup Stock

Discovering the Taste of Cool in Iced Korean Noodles By CiCi Li Summer has almost arrived, and already a few days have been unbearably hot. As the temperature rises, my appetite diminishes. As I pondered what to eat on one such sizzling afternoon, Sophia Lee, the owner of miss Korea, invited me to her restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. She introduced me to a fascinating dish—Iced Korean Naengmyeon Noodles. Lee is an elegant Korean lady. As I watched her move about she was as graceful as a butterfly and yet there was an inner strength to her. And when she spoke I listened intently— she was so poetic and profound, speaking about the deeper meaning of nature and the universe. “My philosophy for food is zhen, shan, mei,” said Lee. Zhen means truthfulness, shan means compassion, and mei means beautiful. The restaurant has three levels, and each is named after one principle. Lee went on to tell me more about the recipe. Naengmyeon is a Korean cold noodle dish made from buckwheat and potatoes or sweet potatoes. Traditionally, the long noodles would be eaten without cutting, as they symbolized longevity and good health. Naengmyeon has been made since the Joseon Dynasty (1392—1897), and it was originally a delicacy, since only nobility and the rich had access to ice in summer. They had reserves of ice in their very own caves. While the poor ate naengmyeon in winter, wrapped in layers of blankets seated around fires just to stay warm. I added, “Just like how we eat ice cream in winter.” Lee nodded and laughed. The naengmyeon recipe at miss Korea takes

Naengmyeon recipe at miss Korea takes more than 60 hours to prepare!

Iced Korean Naengmyeon Noodles.

THE MOMENT WE PLACE THE SUSHI ON THE PLATE, IS THE MOMENT IN WHICH SUSHI CAN BE TRULY UNDERSTOOD. TOSHIO SUZUKI, SUSHI ZEN

108 West 44th Street, New York | (212) 302-0707

more than 60 hours to prepare. To Lee, every step is crucial but also to be enjoyed. To me, the end product was a dream come true. The noodles were cooked al dente. While the soup incorporated the many flavors of the vegetables and fruits, it was also refreshing and healthy. It transported me to a food wonderland and saved my appetite. I call this the best iced fantasy recipe for sizzling hot weather. Enjoy! CiCi Li is the host of “CiCi’s Food Paradise” on NTD Television. She’s also a food columnist and chef in training. Join her on her adventure and discover the endless wonders of “Food Paradise” at CiCiLi.tv

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

8 cups of water 1/2 onion, sliced 1/4 daikon radish, sliced 1/2 ginger, sliced 6 gloves garlic 6 stalks scallions 6 dry chili peppers 6 pieces licorice 1/2 apple, sliced 1/2 pear, sliced 1 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons lime juice 3 tablespoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS To make the soup stock, pour 8 cups of water into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Then add beef shank, onion, daikon radish, ginger, garlic, scallions, dry chili peppers, licorice, apple, pear, and cook over medium heat for 3 hours. Then remove all the ingredients from the pot with a mesh strainer. Set the beef shank aside for later. Add all the seasonings to the soup, including salt, sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce. Turn off the stove, let the stock cool, and then chill in a refrigerator. To make the toppings, cut the beef shank into thin slices and put aside. Marinate the rest of the ingredients, including cucumber, daikon radish, apple, pear from the chilled soup stock for 1 hour. After 1 hour, slice the cucumber, daikon radish, apple, and pear into thin strips and set aside. Next, soak the naengmyeon noodles in warm water for 30 minutes. Bring water to boil in a medium stock pot. Blanch the noodles for 1 minute. Then douse the noodles with cold water until thoroughly chilled. To serve, place the desired amount of noodles in a large bowl and top with cucumber, daikon radish, apple, pear, beef shank, egg, soup stock, and ice cubes. (This recipe is adapted from the original by Sophia Lee, which takes 60 hours to complete.)

Miss Korea owner Sophia Lee (L) with CiCi.

D10 May 29–June 4, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org

Miyazaki Super Prime Wagyu Beef $120.00

Authentic Japanese food served with a touch of class

hen you taste the Japanese food at Momokawa you will know it is the real thing. Each single ingredient and each tiny detail ensures the most authentic experience. Momakawa—A genuine taste of Japan!

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Chicken or the Egg? At Neta, Both Are Delicious By Rowena Tsai | Epoch Times Staff

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Sake and Wine

Ask about our sake tastings.

Momokawa serves some of the finest quality sake and wine, paired especially for the dishes. Try our seasonal sake (draft), premium sake, all season sake (hot or cold) as well as white or red wines.

Momokawa 157 East 28th Street | (212) 684-7830 momokawanyc.com — ALSO AVAIL ABLE: DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS (12 P.M.-4 P.M.) —

INSPIRED ASIAN FUSION CUISINE Chawanmushi, Japanese egg custard, topped with yuzu marmalade plum sauce and a shiso leaf, in a clay pot.

Neta

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eta serves stellar omakase dinners. That’s a well-known fact. A lesser known fact? The establishment puts on an equally elegant and tasteful lunch menu that, although not nearly as fancy as a chef’s curated eight-plus course meal, tastes just as good, in a more inviting and comforting way. Neta’s lunch menu includes traditional Japanese teishoku, or meal sets, which consist of a main dish served with rice, housemade pickles, and chawanmushi. Of the main dishes, Neta’s executive chef Sungchul “Sung” Shim (Per Se, Bouley, and Gordon Ramsay alum) prepared for us oyako donburi—chicken over rice. But not your typical chicken over rice. The bed of rice is covered with boiled organic

SASSO chicken, scallion, onions, garlic, and egg, and crowned with a layer of bonito flakes ($19). (SASSO is a Francebased poultry company that raises pastured slow-growing chickens.) It’s a wildly comforting combination with a hint of sweetness from the onions. And then there’s chawanmushi, the velvety smooth Japanese steamed egg custard. We joined Shim in the restaurant’s open kitchen for a step-by-step demonstration of how to make the delicate savory egg custard. Read on for the recipe. For the Japanese ingredients, Shim recommends Sunrise Mart in the East Village. Of course, sushi and sashimi teishoku sets are available as well, and a $35 prixe fixe lunch.

SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

1065 First Avenue (Between 58th & 59th Street) New York, NY 10022

Katsu & Sake

Signature dishes you won’t find in other Japanese restaurants

Discover the Hidden Gem in K-Town The most special dish, reserved for special occasions across Japan. Try this amazing Pork Katsu at HanaMichi. Our unique preparation not only highlights pork, but also chicken, beef and vegetables! A dish worth gathering for!

Pork Katsu

Tonkatsu Ramen

Neta’s oyako donburi, chicken and egg over rice, teishoku meal set.

Neta’s lunch menu includes traditional Japanese teishoku, or meal sets, which consist of a main dish served with rice, housemade pickles, and chawanmushi.

Chef Sungchul “Sung” Shim.

“This is one of my favorite spots in K-town” – Zagat-

28 W 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001

212.736.5393 24 Hours Open www.hanamichinyc.com

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thai

the modern

RECIPE CHAWANMUSHI Serves: 8

experience

INGREDIENTS â&#x20AC;˘ 3 whole eggs â&#x20AC;˘ 2 cups kombu dashi (Japanese-style stock) â&#x20AC;˘ 3 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce â&#x20AC;˘ 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4 pieces (5 grams) rice cakes (kirimochi), diced â&#x20AC;˘ 1 tablespoon mitsuba (fresh Japanese wild parsley) â&#x20AC;˘ 1 pinch salt â&#x20AC;˘ 1 tablespoon yuzu plum sauce (3 tablespoons Japanese plum paste, umeboshi, mixed with 4 tablespoons yuzu marmalade)

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DIRECTIONS Combine eggs, kombu dashi, soy sauce, and salt. Pour the egg mixture into ramekins and distribute the diced rice cakes and wild parsley. Cover with aluminum foil and place the covered cups into a steamer. Steam at high heat for 6 minutes. Once cooked, top each chawanmushi ramekin with a dollop of yuzu plum sauce.

FREE DELIVERY

ď&#x161;Ž10 BLOCK RADIUSď&#x161;Ż

(Recipe from executive chef Sungchul Shim, Neta)

For the Japanese ingredients, Shim recommends Sunrise Mart in the East Village.

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Ingredients. Top row (Lâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;R): Japanese plum paste, yuzu marmalade, kombu dashi (Japanesestyle stock), pre-made egg mixture (eggs, Japanese- style stock, soy sauce, and salt). Bottom row (Lâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;R): salt, Japanese wild parsley, diced rice cakes, soy sauce, and eggs.

Shim pours the egg mixture into clay pots.

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Experience Firsthand the Romantic Life of Korean Dynasty SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

South Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 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.

Garnishing the chawanmushi with yuzu marmalade plum sauce.

SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

212-594-4963 10 W 32 St, New York, NY 10001 www.misskoreabbq.com Open 24 Hours

D12 May 29–June 4, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org

Matcha Sushi Balls By Bonnie Eng

ushi rice balls or temari are easily becoming my new favorite tea meal. These colorful rice bites are a twist on ordinary cut sushi rolls, simpler to make (no sushi mat required!), and with an added touch of artistic flair. I love that you can make them using leftover tidbits of this and that, whatever you have on hand in the fridge. Like dim sum or a tea sandwich, they are delightful little delicacies, ideally served with a soothing cup of Japanese tea. Temari can be made with a host of preprepped ingredients like lunchmeats, cocktail shrimp, or even thinly sliced sushi grade fish. Here, I’ve used smoked salmon, which is easy to find and enhances the rich umami taste of the matcha-flavored rice. Eaten together this way, you can taste the best of flavors from

Creativity is key when making temari sushi. Bonnie Eng is the author of “ThirstyforTea. com,” a blog about tea and tea foods. She is a passionate cook and tea enthusiast who’s always looking for fresh ways to enjoy tea.

ALL PHOTOS BY BONNIE ENG/THIRSTYFORTEA.COM

land and sea. For vegetarian variations, you’ll want to showcase the beauty of your produce as much as possible. A cluster of carefully sliced green onions, thin pieces of ripe avocado, or vibrant orange carrot cut-outs add flavor and visual flair to your sushi game. Even Western ingredients like cheese, capers, and sliced olives make pretty embellishments. Above all, remember that creativity is key when making temari sushi. Try selecting colorful ingredients that are easily molded around the rice ball, not too bulky or too large. If you like your sushi more on the traditional side, you can nix the matcha powder and make the temari plain, seasoned simply with sweetened rice vinegar. These crafty homemade sushi are ideal for parties, bento lunches, or even a romantic dinner. Serve them with emerald green gyokuro, grassy sencha, or caﬀeine-free soba cha and your artful Japanese tea meal is complete.

DRINK TO YOUR

HEALTH (HAS A NEW MEANING!)

RECIPE Mild Seafood Stew with Nurungji

MATCHA SUSHI BALLS Makes: 20 sushi balls

INGREDIENTS SEASONED RICE: Pomegranate Soju

Made with Red Vinegar, a popular health drink in many Asian countries.

• • • • • •

2 cups sushi rice 3 cups water 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons matcha

TOPPINGS: • • • • • • •

A few slices of smoked salmon Capers Furikake Avocado Masago or caviar Cocktail shrimp, halved down the spine Black sesame seeds

EQUIPMENT SOJU HAUS offers traditional, healthy (no msg!) Korean food, and an ambiance that inspires good company and great conversations. While traditional cocktails often deplete the

Sizzling Bulgogi

body of nutrients, SOJU HAUS mindfully pairs food and drink for a more balanced effect on your body.

• • • • • • • • •

Rice cooker or medium pot with cover Small pot Small sifter Wooden spoon Plastic wrap, a piece the size of a sheet of paper Small bowl of cold water Large plate or baking sheet 2-tablespoon cookie dough scoop Sharp paring knife, kitchen scissors, or mini vegetable cutters

DIRECTIONS Place the rice in the pot, then wash it several times until the water runs clear. Drain off the water from the rice, then add the 3 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat, then let the rice cook for 20 minutes on a low simmer until all the water is absorbed. While the rice is cooking, prepare the seasoned vinegar. Warm the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. When the rice has absorbed all the water, let it sit for 5 minutes, then add the sweet vinegar seasoning. Sift the matcha over the hot rice, then gently incorporate it with the wooden spoon.

Coconut Soju

What to Try Tonight... Mild Seafood Stew with Nurungji

Pairs well with Cucumber Soju

To make the rice balls, dip the ice cream scoop into a bowl of cold water, then scoop out the seasoned rice onto a large plate or baking sheet. For the sushi balls to all be the same size, pack the rice into the scoop and level it off.

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Bossam (Braised Pork Belly)

Try it with the Lemon Soju Seafood Pancake

Amazing with Unfiltered Rice Wine

Sunday – Wednesday 5:00 pm – 2:00 am Thursday 5:00 pm – 3:00 am Friday – Saturday 5:00 pm – 4:00 am

Place the toppings on each rice ball. Use a sharp paring knife, kitchen scissors, or mini vegetable cutters to cut the toppings into pretty shapes. The toppings you add at this point will end up lying flush against the surface of the rice ball. Shape the rice balls by placing one in the center of a piece of plastic wrap lightly damped with water. Use the plastic wrap to mold the topping against the rice ball, using your hand to create a smooth surface. Remove the rice ball from the plastic wrap and place on a serving platter. At this point, you can finish the temari with delicate finishes like capers, masago, furikake, or sesame seeds. Repeat steps 4–6 to create 20 sushi balls ... enjoy!