Dominican Chicken Dinner
Sandy is a Dominican family-owned, small restaurant in Spanish Harlem that roasts the juiciest, most succulent chicken.
“Why do you bother to go there?” asks George. “I’m sure they deliver.”
I tell him that being there is half of the fun. I love the energy of the place with every server pitching in, refilling steaming trays with tostones, plantains, empanadas, blood sausages; removing chicken from the roasting racks. They chop up roasted chicken and pork butts with a machete with the energy of a prize fighter. Only a few speak English. Today’s special, I notice, is beef tripe soup and pork feet.
I order one rotisserie chicken, one madura--the soft and sticky, caramelized plantain adored by George--and a small order of rice and beans. Occasionally, I also get a Cubano, the Cuban super sandwich, with roasted pork, ham, salami, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, packed into a hero role, smeared with maoy. The Cubano reminds George of Cuba where he lived when he was a teenager.
The bill varies from $12.50. to $17. depending who rings it up.
When it’s time to serve dinner, I cut the chicken into serving pieces and heat tonight’s portions in the microwave oven for 1 minute. There’s usually enough chicken left for another meal. The rice could easily serve a party of four. Since I don’t’ like plantains, I have a salad.
Menu:
Rotisserie Chicken
Rice and Beans
Maduro
Green Salad
Wine: Bogle ineyards, Merlot 2008
Dessert: Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
Sandy (212) 348-8654 (Spanish Harlem)
2nd Ave.& 116 St.
Our Daily Dinner
March 25, 2010
March 21, 2010
A Word About Bread
I’m strong believer in “as the bread goes so goes the meal.” In other words: a good bread makes the meal. In fact, give me a good piece of bread and butter, and I could skip the meal. George used to bake bread at home. He’d get up at the crack of dawn and would bake several loafs of French baguettes. The aroma alone made me hungry.
Now I buy Pane Francese. The big square loaf is crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. The bread is available at most specialty stores. One loaf lasts us about four days. To keep it fresh, I cut it in serving size portions, put it into a ziploc bag and freeze.
In addition, I always have a package of delba’s German whole grain pumpernickel on hand. Almost black, slightly sweet and compact, I serve the pumpernickel with cured salmon, or a strong, runny cheese. I also like Corrado’s French baguette. Le Pain Quotidien bakes excellent bread. I particularly like their Sourdough Peasant Rye; George likes their Five Grain & Raisin Bread. But it seems every time I shop there, they have raised their prices.
One of these days, I’ll go down to the Essex Street Market and look at Pain d’Avignon’s bread selection. I understand they carry 36 different kinds of breads and rolls, including mini-loaves which they call
recession breads because they are cheaper and nothing goes to waste. I’d buy five or six of the recession breads and prepare a dinner around
them.
#
Now I buy Pane Francese. The big square loaf is crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. The bread is available at most specialty stores. One loaf lasts us about four days. To keep it fresh, I cut it in serving size portions, put it into a ziploc bag and freeze.
In addition, I always have a package of delba’s German whole grain pumpernickel on hand. Almost black, slightly sweet and compact, I serve the pumpernickel with cured salmon, or a strong, runny cheese. I also like Corrado’s French baguette. Le Pain Quotidien bakes excellent bread. I particularly like their Sourdough Peasant Rye; George likes their Five Grain & Raisin Bread. But it seems every time I shop there, they have raised their prices.
One of these days, I’ll go down to the Essex Street Market and look at Pain d’Avignon’s bread selection. I understand they carry 36 different kinds of breads and rolls, including mini-loaves which they call
recession breads because they are cheaper and nothing goes to waste. I’d buy five or six of the recession breads and prepare a dinner around
them.
#
March 20, 2010
German/Alsatian Dinner
Bauernwurst*
Knockwurst*
Andouille Sausage*
German Potato Salad*
Sauerkraut**
Wine: Willm Gewürztraminer Reserve 2008
Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream
When I read that Fairways had just received a shipment of canned, “artfully seasoned” sauerkrauts from a company in the Champagne region of France,I immediately dashed to the West Side. The sauerkraut that appealed to me the most, was seasoned with goose fat, white wine, and contained raisins.
Since I wasn’t about to cook choucroute garni, I bought a
variety of sausages from Schaller & Weber*, figuring we would
have a German/Alsatian feast.
The sausages were terrific, as was the German potato salad. The
sauerkraut, however, was a bummer. It contained too much goose fat
and lacked flavor. I tried to rescue it by adding coriander berries (wrapped in cheesecloth), white wine, and some salt, but to no avail. If I had bought Schaller & Weber's ready-made sauerkraut and doctored it up, I could have saved myself the trip.
The Gewürztraminer was too sweet and lacked Gewürtz. A Pilsner
beer would have been better.
*Schaller & Weber (upper East Side)
http://www.schallerweber.com/
**Fairways
2127 Bway at 73rd St. (upper West Side)
(212) 595-1888
Knockwurst*
Andouille Sausage*
German Potato Salad*
Sauerkraut**
Wine: Willm Gewürztraminer Reserve 2008
Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream
When I read that Fairways had just received a shipment of canned, “artfully seasoned” sauerkrauts from a company in the Champagne region of France,I immediately dashed to the West Side. The sauerkraut that appealed to me the most, was seasoned with goose fat, white wine, and contained raisins.
Since I wasn’t about to cook choucroute garni, I bought a
variety of sausages from Schaller & Weber*, figuring we would
have a German/Alsatian feast.
The sausages were terrific, as was the German potato salad. The
sauerkraut, however, was a bummer. It contained too much goose fat
and lacked flavor. I tried to rescue it by adding coriander berries (wrapped in cheesecloth), white wine, and some salt, but to no avail. If I had bought Schaller & Weber's ready-made sauerkraut and doctored it up, I could have saved myself the trip.
The Gewürztraminer was too sweet and lacked Gewürtz. A Pilsner
beer would have been better.
*Schaller & Weber (upper East Side)
http://www.schallerweber.com/
**Fairways
2127 Bway at 73rd St. (upper West Side)
(212) 595-1888
One Pot Dish
Porterhouse Stew
Ages ago, I used to make everything from scratch: stock, meat glaze, flavored butter, you name it. I competed with like-minded friends outdoing each other with elaborate meals. We lived in a large apartment which had an octagonal foyer where I once gave a sit-down dinner for thirty people
Today, I try to get as much help as I can from ready made foods, and Ottomanelli’s* Porterhouse Stew suits me just fine. To make sure that the meat is tender, I cook it for an additional hour, adding red wine as needed. The stew contains a fair amount of potatoes, celery, and carrots. But, since I like lots of vegetables, I steam some additional carrots, turnips and add some defrosted frozen white pearl onions which I sauté till lightly browned. I incorporate the cooked vegetables into the stew, add a strip of orange peel, and continue to cook the stew.
I usually prepare the dish a day before serving because it helps the flavors to macerate. When ready to serve, I heat the stew, adjust the seasoning and remove the orange peel. I ladle the stew into two big bowls, sprinkle the top with chopped parsley, and serve it with chunks of bread.
Menu
Porterhouse Stew
Wine: Côtes-du-Rhône, Saint Esprit 2007 Delas
Dessert: Chocolate
Madeira
Recipe
1 quart ready-made Porterhouse Stew
2 carrots, cut into bite-sized portions
2 turnips, cut into bite-sized portions
½ package frozen white pearl onions
1 strip of orange peel
Red wine, salt and pepper as needed
Chopped parsley for garnish
Left Over Stew
There’s always stew left over for a second meal. Since it's boring to serve the same dish twice in a row, I put the left over into the freezer and defrost it when ready to use. To change the flavor, I add ½ can of stewed tomatoes and, to give it some pizazz, I serve the stew in a scooped out ciabatta role.
*Ottomanelli
www.ottomanellibros.com
Ages ago, I used to make everything from scratch: stock, meat glaze, flavored butter, you name it. I competed with like-minded friends outdoing each other with elaborate meals. We lived in a large apartment which had an octagonal foyer where I once gave a sit-down dinner for thirty people
Today, I try to get as much help as I can from ready made foods, and Ottomanelli’s* Porterhouse Stew suits me just fine. To make sure that the meat is tender, I cook it for an additional hour, adding red wine as needed. The stew contains a fair amount of potatoes, celery, and carrots. But, since I like lots of vegetables, I steam some additional carrots, turnips and add some defrosted frozen white pearl onions which I sauté till lightly browned. I incorporate the cooked vegetables into the stew, add a strip of orange peel, and continue to cook the stew.
I usually prepare the dish a day before serving because it helps the flavors to macerate. When ready to serve, I heat the stew, adjust the seasoning and remove the orange peel. I ladle the stew into two big bowls, sprinkle the top with chopped parsley, and serve it with chunks of bread.
Menu
Porterhouse Stew
Wine: Côtes-du-Rhône, Saint Esprit 2007 Delas
Dessert: Chocolate
Madeira
Recipe
1 quart ready-made Porterhouse Stew
2 carrots, cut into bite-sized portions
2 turnips, cut into bite-sized portions
½ package frozen white pearl onions
1 strip of orange peel
Red wine, salt and pepper as needed
Chopped parsley for garnish
Left Over Stew
There’s always stew left over for a second meal. Since it's boring to serve the same dish twice in a row, I put the left over into the freezer and defrost it when ready to use. To change the flavor, I add ½ can of stewed tomatoes and, to give it some pizazz, I serve the stew in a scooped out ciabatta role.
*Ottomanelli
www.ottomanellibros.com
March 15, 2010
Chef’s Night Off
Sushi & Sashimi
If it’s Monday, it must be sushi. Once I couldn't get to the store on Monday and bought the sushi on Tuesday. It fouled us up for the rest of the week. I buy the sushi and other items at the Japanese market, Katagiri*, which gets the prepared dishes from the Chiyoda Sushi restaurant.
The sushi is guaranteed to be fresh, and the quality is consistently tops. But shopping at Katagiri can be frustrating. Shopping carts are not permitted; aisles are cluttered with boxes; many packaged items are only identified in Japanese. Of course, that may add to the attraction of the place. It certainly is authentic.
Menu:
Special sushi set:
Tuna, Fluke, Salmon, Sweetshrimp, Mackerel, Simmered Sea Eel, Sea urchin, Salmon roe, Vinegered rice, plus 4 small California rolls
4 pieces salmon or scallop sashimi
Soba Salad (Buckwheat noodle, sesame paste, romaine lettuce, soy sauce)
Beer: Sapporo
Dessert: Fresh pineapple, raisins & nuts
My only contribution to the meal is the dipping sauce based on a recipe from Edward Behr’s magazine “the Art of Eating.”
1/2 cup mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1 cup shoyu sauce (soy)
2 oz. Katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes)
Pour mirin into a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
Add shoyu and fish flakes. Turn off heat.
Let stand till the flakes sink to the bottom.
Strain liquid through cheesecloth.
Transfer to a bottle.
Stored in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for ½ year.
*Katagiri & Co.
224 E. 59th St. (212) 755-3566
Chiyoda Sushi (212) 400-8880
http://chiyodasushi.com
If it’s Monday, it must be sushi. Once I couldn't get to the store on Monday and bought the sushi on Tuesday. It fouled us up for the rest of the week. I buy the sushi and other items at the Japanese market, Katagiri*, which gets the prepared dishes from the Chiyoda Sushi restaurant.
The sushi is guaranteed to be fresh, and the quality is consistently tops. But shopping at Katagiri can be frustrating. Shopping carts are not permitted; aisles are cluttered with boxes; many packaged items are only identified in Japanese. Of course, that may add to the attraction of the place. It certainly is authentic.
Menu:
Special sushi set:
Tuna, Fluke, Salmon, Sweetshrimp, Mackerel, Simmered Sea Eel, Sea urchin, Salmon roe, Vinegered rice, plus 4 small California rolls
4 pieces salmon or scallop sashimi
Soba Salad (Buckwheat noodle, sesame paste, romaine lettuce, soy sauce)
Beer: Sapporo
Dessert: Fresh pineapple, raisins & nuts
My only contribution to the meal is the dipping sauce based on a recipe from Edward Behr’s magazine “the Art of Eating.”
1/2 cup mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1 cup shoyu sauce (soy)
2 oz. Katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes)
Pour mirin into a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
Add shoyu and fish flakes. Turn off heat.
Let stand till the flakes sink to the bottom.
Strain liquid through cheesecloth.
Transfer to a bottle.
Stored in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for ½ year.
*Katagiri & Co.
224 E. 59th St. (212) 755-3566
Chiyoda Sushi (212) 400-8880
http://chiyodasushi.com
A La Bolognese
Menu:
Antipasti
Ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano Tortellini*
Dessert: Biscotti**
Wine: Frescobaldi Nipozza, Chianti Riserva, 2006
According to George, to cook pasta you have to be Italian, which I am decidedly not. Fortunately the pasta imported from Bertagni was so easy to prepare and so good, it made an Italian out of me. All I had to do was follow the cooking instruction, saute the cooked pasta in butter and olive oil till slighted browned, add grated Pecorino Grana and--voila--I had cooked the perfect pasta. Bertagni prides itself on being "The oldest filled pasta producer in Italy," and for good reason.
For the antipasti I put out Sicilian salami, pitted Niçoise olives, Italian semi-dried tomatoes, small balls of fresh mozzarella laced with olive oil, canned sardines, and bread sticks.
The Chianti did the rest.
The dinner reminded us of our visit to Bologna. Trying to come to terms with Bologna’s pasta alone kept us happily occupied. Among other things we learned was that in Bologna tortellini are round and that the pointed ones are cappeletti which come from Romagna. Tortelloni have the same round shape as tortellini, but are larger.
I think Egido’s almond biscotti are the best this side of the Atlantic, worth a trip to Arthur Avenue's Little Italy area in The Bronx. But I am no expert. For all I know, there is a better place in Brooklyn or in Staten Island. Some pastry mavens might even twice bake their own, fantastic biscotti. If you are one of them, please let me hear from you.
*Fresh Direct
http://www.freshdirect.com/
**Egidio Pastry Shop (718) 295-6077
622 E 187 St.,The Bronx
Antipasti
Ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano Tortellini*
Dessert: Biscotti**
Wine: Frescobaldi Nipozza, Chianti Riserva, 2006
According to George, to cook pasta you have to be Italian, which I am decidedly not. Fortunately the pasta imported from Bertagni was so easy to prepare and so good, it made an Italian out of me. All I had to do was follow the cooking instruction, saute the cooked pasta in butter and olive oil till slighted browned, add grated Pecorino Grana and--voila--I had cooked the perfect pasta. Bertagni prides itself on being "The oldest filled pasta producer in Italy," and for good reason.
For the antipasti I put out Sicilian salami, pitted Niçoise olives, Italian semi-dried tomatoes, small balls of fresh mozzarella laced with olive oil, canned sardines, and bread sticks.
The Chianti did the rest.
The dinner reminded us of our visit to Bologna. Trying to come to terms with Bologna’s pasta alone kept us happily occupied. Among other things we learned was that in Bologna tortellini are round and that the pointed ones are cappeletti which come from Romagna. Tortelloni have the same round shape as tortellini, but are larger.
I think Egido’s almond biscotti are the best this side of the Atlantic, worth a trip to Arthur Avenue's Little Italy area in The Bronx. But I am no expert. For all I know, there is a better place in Brooklyn or in Staten Island. Some pastry mavens might even twice bake their own, fantastic biscotti. If you are one of them, please let me hear from you.
*Fresh Direct
http://www.freshdirect.com/
**Egidio Pastry Shop (718) 295-6077
622 E 187 St.,The Bronx
March 11, 2010
George’s Second Favorite Dish: Meatballs
Without a doubt, one of George’s favorite dishes is the bouillabaisse served at Michel-Brasserie des Catalans in Marseille. Over the years we must have eaten there a dozen times and were never disappointed. The excitement starts the minute you enter the restaurant and see the bounty of today's catch arranged over ice. A motley group that may include rascasse, Saint Pierre, red mullet, whiting, monkfish, daurade, snapper, and grouper.
The meal starts with the fish soup, accompanied by croutons, and a bowl of fiery aïoli. The soup tastes so great, it's tempting to accept the offer of a second helping, but we have learned to restrain ourself and wait for the fish course. The captain debones our fish, places them on the plates, adds the potatoes--napped with fish soup--and more aïoli or rouille. It's hard to say what's more impressive: the ceremony or the meal.
Since I can't possibly compete with that, I settle for meatballs.
Menu:
Meatballs
Baked Potatoes with Chives
Roasted Tomatoes
Wine: Bogle Vineyard Petite Sirah
Dessert: Chocolate
Madeira
I buy most of my meat at Ottomanelli.* I particularly like their chopped meat which they grind to order. I use sirloin for tartare steak, round for hamburgers, and chuck for meatballs. To heighten the flavor of the meat, I add about one teaspoon of goose fat** and one tablespoon of Gold Medal Liver Wurst.** The costly goose fat paid off because it keeps forever; the left-over liverwurst makes a tasty sandwich.
I soak pieces of old bread in hot water, add the meat, goose fat, liverwurst, Dijon mustard, a dash of Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. I mix everything with my hand. It’s messy, but it works. Next, I form the meatballs and roll them in a mixture of breadcrumbs and thyme. I sauté the meatballs over high heat till browned on both sides, remove them from the heat, and let rest for a bit.
Since tomatoes have little flavor this time of year, I pan roast cherry tomatoes, cut in half, over low heat till slightly browned, and finish them with Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, an a bit of sea salt.
*Ottomanelli
York Ave at 92nd St.
http://www.ottomanellibros.com/
**Schaller & Weber
Second Ave at 86 Street
http://www.schallerweber.com/
The meal starts with the fish soup, accompanied by croutons, and a bowl of fiery aïoli. The soup tastes so great, it's tempting to accept the offer of a second helping, but we have learned to restrain ourself and wait for the fish course. The captain debones our fish, places them on the plates, adds the potatoes--napped with fish soup--and more aïoli or rouille. It's hard to say what's more impressive: the ceremony or the meal.
Since I can't possibly compete with that, I settle for meatballs.
Menu:
Meatballs
Baked Potatoes with Chives
Roasted Tomatoes
Wine: Bogle Vineyard Petite Sirah
Dessert: Chocolate
Madeira
I buy most of my meat at Ottomanelli.* I particularly like their chopped meat which they grind to order. I use sirloin for tartare steak, round for hamburgers, and chuck for meatballs. To heighten the flavor of the meat, I add about one teaspoon of goose fat** and one tablespoon of Gold Medal Liver Wurst.** The costly goose fat paid off because it keeps forever; the left-over liverwurst makes a tasty sandwich.
I soak pieces of old bread in hot water, add the meat, goose fat, liverwurst, Dijon mustard, a dash of Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. I mix everything with my hand. It’s messy, but it works. Next, I form the meatballs and roll them in a mixture of breadcrumbs and thyme. I sauté the meatballs over high heat till browned on both sides, remove them from the heat, and let rest for a bit.
Since tomatoes have little flavor this time of year, I pan roast cherry tomatoes, cut in half, over low heat till slightly browned, and finish them with Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, an a bit of sea salt.
*Ottomanelli
York Ave at 92nd St.
http://www.ottomanellibros.com/
**Schaller & Weber
Second Ave at 86 Street
http://www.schallerweber.com/
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