NY Cooks

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New York Cooks is your must-have guide to the restaurant scene in the city that never sleeps. Now, you can go inside the kitchens of Manhattan’s top restaurants and see first-hand just what’s cooking. From French and Italian, to new and classic American, to Mediterranean and specialty cuisines, there’s a wide range of tantalizing dishes for every taste. Also included: ■ full-color photographs throughout ■ more than 100 recipes ■ interviews with chefs revealing their favorite foods, sources of inspiration, advice for home cooks—even their pet peeves So reserve your table now with New York Cooks and these great chefs: Michael Anthony Julieta Ballesteros Jim Botsacos Terrance Brennan Anne Burrell Ken Callaghan Joey Campanaro Marco Canora Scott Conant Chris D’Amico Neil Ferguson Eric Hara

Neal Harden Sam Hazen Jimmy Henderson Joseph Kunst George Lang Tony Liu Anita Lo Michael Lomonaco Waldy Malouf Philippe Massoud Marco Moreira Marc Murphy Andy Nusser

Patrick Nuti Melissa O’Donnell Ben Pollinger Mikey Price Cyril Renaud Carmen Quagliata Jose Salgado John Schaefer Bill Telepan Mark Twersky Alex Ureña Geoffrey Zakarian

Joan Krellenstein NewYorkCooks 100Recipes from the City’s Best Chefs and Barbara Winkler

Learn the secrets of New York’s best chefs and cook high-end restaurant cuisine at home.

NewYorkCooks

100Recipes from the City’s Best Chefs JOAN KRELLENSTEIN and BARBARA WINKLER

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Copyright © 2009 by Joan Krellenstein and Barbara Winkler.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval systems—without written permission of the publisher.

The written recipes, text and photographs are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are governed by federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced in any form for commercial use.

233 Spring Street, New York, New York 10013

Managing Editor: Wendy Williams Senior Editor: Michelle Bredeson Art Director: Diane Lamphron Associate Art Director: Sheena T. Paul Copy Editor: Kristina Sigler Vice President, Publisher: Trisha Malcolm Production Manager: David Joinnides Creative Director: Joe Vior President: Art Joinnides Library of Congress Control Number: 2008936331 ISBN-13: 978-1-933027-78-4 ISBN-10: 1-933027-78-9 Manufactured in China 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 First Edition

Information regarding chefs, restaurants and addresses were correct at time of production. Neither the authors nor the publisher are responsible for changes in location, situation or status of any participants or places herein. www.sixthandspringbooks.com

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Contents ■ Introduction

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1. New American 8 GRAMERCY TAVERN

Michael Anthony 10 AUGUST

Tony Liu 15 TOWN AT THE CHAMBERS HOTEL

Geoffrey Zakarian 20 DAVIDBURKE & DONATELLA

Mikey Price 88

6. Mediterranean & Iberian 162

THE LITTLE OWL

CASA MONO

MARKET TABLE

Joey Campanaro 92

Andy Nusser 164

BLUE SMOKE

MOLYVOS

Kenny Callaghan 97

Jim Botsacos 170

SALT

ALFAMA, FINE PORTUGUESE CUISINE

Melissa O’Donnell 102

Eric Hara 27 UNION SQUARE CAFE

Carmen Quagliata 32 ANNISA

Anita Lo 38

PAMPLONA

4. French 108

Alex Ureña 180

ARTISANAL

PERIYALI

Terrance Brennan 110

ABBOCCATO

Jim Botsacos 44 BAROLO RESTAURANT

Patrick Nuti 49 CENTRO VINOTECA

Anne Burrell 54 INSIEME

Marco Canora 60 SCARPETTA

Scott Conant 66 GEMMA

Chris D’Amico 71

Jimmy Henderson 185

LANDMARC

Marc Murphy 116

2. Italian 42

Mark Twersky 175

7.Specialty Cuisines 190

FLEUR DE SEL

CREMA RESTAURANTE

Cyril Renaud 120

Julieta Ballesteros 192

CAFE DES ARTISTES

PURE FOOD AND WINE

George Lang 124

Neal Harden 197

TOCQUEVILLE

NOMAD

Marco Moreira 129

Jose Salgado 202

PICHOLINE

OCEANA

Terrance Brennan 134

Ben Pollinger 206 ILILI

5. Classic American 140

Philippe Massoud 212

BRIDGE CAFE

TAO NEW YORK

Joseph Kunst 142

Sam Hazen 216

TELEPAN

3. Urban Country 76 IRVING MILL

Bill Telepan 147

■ Index

BEACON

■ Conversion Charts

John Schaefer 78

Waldy Malouf 152

ALLEN & DELANCEY

PORTER HOUSE NEW YORK

Neil Ferguson 83

Michael Lomonaco 157

221–222 222

■ Photography Credits 222

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NewYorkCity

It’s a restaurantgoer’s Eden for both locals and visitors, with temptation on every corner and menus that promise paradise on a plate.

But even the most avid gourmet can’t eat out every night, and out-of-towners may hit a Manhattan restaurant only once or twice in a lifetime. This means that the possibility of cooking up some great NYC restaurant meals at home would be a dream come true for anyone who loves food. So that’s exactly what you’ll find in this book—over 100 recipes from the city’s top chefs, spectacular dishes that show off the tremendous creativity these pros have to offer. Along the way, the book also delivers a veritable freeze-frame of the ever-changing New York restaurant scene, as well as portraits of fascinating chefs.

You’ll quickly learn that most of the chefs profiled here are obsessed with finding and serving the finest and freshest ingredients.

As Marco Canora, the whiz behind Insieme, emphatically states, “Why make the effort to prepare a recipe if your produce is second-rate?” It’s a mandate he encourages home cooks to follow.

Experimentation is another hallmark of these great chefs. While all have their signature styles, each is open to new ingredients and different cuisines. They take risks with their food and emphasize that amateurs should do the same. Carmen Quagliata of Union Square Cafe puts it this way: “It’s the failures that lead to the successes.” Indeed, the risks are what make the food on this little island so incredibly exciting. In fact, Jose Salgado of Nomad came to New York because, he

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says, “Here there are influences from everywhere,” and he wanted to instill that magic into his own cooking.

Perhaps most enlightening of all, these chefs have fun with what they do and make the point that preparing a recipe is not a competition, but rather an opportunity to revel in the smells, the tastes, and the resulting alchemy. After all, if disaster strikes, you can always order pizza!

That said, these recipes go far beyond pizza (but definitely check out Anne Burrell’s Taleggio, Speck and Egg Pizzetta on page 56). While some are complicated, they are well worth the effort. Others may have a familiar feel, but be assured there’s something in every dish that takes it beyond the ordinary. There are a few exotic ingredients involved, and alternate options are given. Home cooks will find that even the most unusual items are available over the Internet or at specialty food stores.

Hopefully, most of the chefs featured will still be cooking at their restaurants at the time of publication, but in the volatile restaurant world, who knows? Some may have moved on to other restaurants (or to start their own), to travel the world in search of fresh ideas and methods, or to create great food with New York flair in another city.

One thing is certain: Wherever the chefs may be, their best recipes are right here, ready to inspire. ■

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Depending on your perspective, New American may not be so new. For instance, if you grew up eating garden-ripe veggies, free-range chicken and dishes prepared with herbs, spices and techniques from around

It may seem silly to even think it, but thank goodness for the 1970s! This was the decade that ushered in “California cuisine,” a movement started by Berkeley’s own Alice Waters and her restaurant Chez Panisse.

Dishes featured fresh, seasonal ingredients and a type of cooking christened “fusion,”

which blended flavors and techniques from a the globe, then this style of variety of cultures. Over the next few cooking is just everyday food. decades, these two concepts grew stonger But if you, like many Americans and, spurred on by a dose of national pride, resulted in a new cuisine marked by a sense and many New Yorkers, of adventure and play. And nowhere are grew up with the processed, chefs more accomplished in this type of cooking than in New York, home to people frozen and fast foods that from every corner of the globe. The names came to dominance in this of the chefs in this chapter help tell the story: Lo, Anthony, Zakarian, Hara, Quagliata country’s postwar years, then and Liu. Individually they create eclectic, New American cuisine is a exciting dishes that speak to today’s tastes welcome change. and draw on many traditions; together they represent some of the best New American

New American cuisine that New York City has to offer.

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THE CHEF

Page 9

●

THE RESTAURANT

●

THE RECIPES

Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern

Tony Liu, August

RECIPES

RECIPES

Blackfish with Spaghetti Squash, Walnuts and Apples PAGE 12 Rack of Lamb with Broccoli Puree, Cranberry Beans and Bok Choy PAGE 14

Poussin Paprikash PAGE 17 Roasted Cod and Clam Estofado PAGE 18

August

Geoffrey Zakarian

Geoffrey Zakarian, Town at the Chambers Hotel

Eric Hara, davidburke & donatella

RECIPES

RECIPES

Filet Mignon with Red-Wine Risotto PAGE 22 Atlantic Halibut Loin with Fennel and BloodOrange Emulsion PAGE 24 Sea Scallop Cru PAGE 26

Crisp & Angry Lobster Cocktail PAGE 30 Bacon-Wrapped Muscovy Duck Breast PAGE 31

Carmen Quagliata, Union Square Cafe

Anita Lo, Annisa

RECIPES

RECIPES

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Sugar Snap Pea Salad PAGE 34 Cara Cara Orange and Bibb Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette and Manchego PAGE 36 Spaghettini Siciliana with Fresh Tomato, Anchovy, Chile and Lemon Zest PAGE 37

Chilled Tomato Soup with Wasabi, Shiso and Avocado PAGE 40 Pan-Roasted Breast of Chicken with Sunchokes and Meyer Lemon PAGE 40

Carmen Quagliata

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Michael Anthony EXECUTIVE CHEF, GRAMERCY TAVERN

Farm to table When New York Times critic Frank Bruni blessed Gramercy Tavern with a three-star review in June 2007, restaurantgoers breathed a sigh of relief. Not so long before, Bruni, along with other reviewers, had bemoaned the venerable icon’s lackluster food and overall slip in quality. But once Mike Anthony took the reins, everything changed, and the restaurant has even garnered a coveted Michelin star. “It was a challenge,” the recently anointed executive chef admits. “I walked into this beloved restaurant and I needed to respect its traditions.

My mission wasn’t to change it, just to make it fresher.”

10 New American ● Michael Anthony

To that end, Anthony concentrated on sourcing the very best ingredients. He worked with local farmers to get the freshest produce, the most flavorful eggs, the choicest meat. A passionate locavore, Anthony is

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dedicated to knowing the story and the site behind his supplies. He even arranges for his staff to make field trips to farms in order to better understand the dishes they serve. Seeing where and how the animals live and the vegetables grow is just the beginning.

“For me, cooking always starts with the ingredients.

My goal is to take the food, cook it, put it on a plate and still have it retain its wonder. I want to maximize the ingredients to show off their inherent flavors, so I need top quality,” he states.

So intent is he on seasonality that his menu, especially the Vegetable Tasting section, has become a snapshot of what’s currently available at market. In early spring, for instance, you might find a carrot soup with spiced cashews, celery-and-lemon risotto with razor clams, and mushroom ravioli with wild mushrooms and aged balsamico. And when ramps appear, watch out! Anthony stretches their notoriously short season by grilling, sautéing, or pureeing the greens and even pickling the stems.

Vegetables also play a significant role in the meat courses; bok choy and broccoli are prime ingredients in one of Anthony’s favorite recipes, the rack of lamb, featured on page14.

Anthony’s farm-to-table ethos has also resulted in a new attitude toward Gramercy Tavern’s meat dishes.

He now buys whole carcasses and has his staff do the butchering. “This has been a learning curve for all of

GRAMERCY TAVERN 42 East 20th Street New York, NY 10003 212-477-0777 www.gramercytavern.com

On the side...

What do you consider the most overrated ingredient?

Foie gras. A great meal doesn’t have to lean on luxury ingredients.

The most underrated ingredient?

A potato.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Handmade pasta, carefully cooked.

What kitchen gadget is your must-have tool?

My Vita-Mix. If you were not a chef, what would you be?

A journalist.

What was the last thing you ate?

Lentil stew with shallots that I ate standing up.

us, but the results are quite satisfying,” says Anthony.

Now the kitchen can take a side of grass-fed beef—all 85 pounds—slice up succulent filets, turn the shoulder into meatballs stuffed with fontina, braise the neck for a ragu, transform brisket into pastrami and use ground meat for smoked kielbasa. It’s yet another important philosophy of the locavore to use every part of the animal whenever possible. “It pushes us to be more creative and generate multiple menu items,” explains Anthony. “The only rule is ‘Don’t get in the way of the food.’”

Such a connection to the natural food cycle may seem like a flash to the past, but for this chef it’s the future of cooking. And his diners are enjoying every last bite. ■

New American ● Michael Anthony 11

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The recipes Blackfish with Spaghetti Squash, Walnuts and Apples

TO MAKE THE SAUCE Place the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan.

SERVES 8

Blend with a hand blender until smooth.

Blackfish, found in waters from Nova Scotia to South Carolina, is a lean, white-fleshed fish with a mild taste. Chef Anthony plays up its subtlety with a sherry sauce flecked with raw apples and toasted pumpkin seeds, then rests it on a tangle of honeyed spaghetti squash.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE SAUCE 2 cups manzanilla sherry 1 cup vegetable stock 1 teaspoon saffron 1 teaspoon mild curry 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and minced 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted 3 tablespoons apple, peeled, cored and minced FOR THE SPAGHETTI SQUASH 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed Salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3 tablespoons walnut pieces 1 teaspoon wildflower honey 1 teaspoon lemon juice FOR THE BLACKFISH 8 (5-ounce) blackfish fillets, boneless and skinless (substitute bass or halibut if unavailable) Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed 1 sprig thyme

12 New American ● Michael Anthony

Cook over medium heat until reduced by two-thirds.

Add lime juice and butter and stir until butter is melted.

Set aside until ready to serve.

TO MAKE THE SPAGHETTI SQUASH Preheat oven to 375°F.

Season squash with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Place squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast in oven for 20–25 minutes or until flesh pulls away from skin (be careful not to overcook, as it is important for the squash to maintain its texture).

Using a fork, remove squash flesh from the skin and set aside.

On a baking sheet, toast walnut pieces in remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

When nuts turn light brown, remove from oven and place in a bowl. Drizzle with honey and toss to coat.

Add lemon juice to finish.

Fold walnuts into spaghetti squash and season with salt and pepper.

TO MAKE THE BLACKFISH Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan with garlic and thyme.

Add fish and sauté, basting with olive oil, until slightly browned but still moist.

TO SERVE Just before serving, warm the sauce and add the toasted pumpkin seeds and minced raw apple. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon spaghetti squash onto center of each plate. Place fish on top of squash. Spoon sauce on top of fish and also drizzle some around the edges of each plate. ■

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■ Blackfish with Spaghetti Squash, Walnuts and Apples