Ukrainian East Village Restaurant: A New York institution

Oct29

‘Ukrainian East Village Restaurant’ is one of the most anomalous yet charming places I know of. Located next door to the more popular (i.e. Americanized) Ukrainian joint - Veselka - this place is the most authentic Ukrainian restaurant on the isle of Manhattan as far as I am aware.

From the outside, it could easily be mistaken for a consulate office by way of its official-looking awning. Upon entering, there is a rather long, fluorescent-lit corridor, which is equally confusing. Eventually, there is a glass door that leads into a small space. The wood paneled walls and miscellaneous Ukrainian souvenirs inside make one feel as if in the den of a Ukrainian grandmother’s home. I am not sure how long the restaurant has been around but 50 years wouldn’t be a far-fetched guess.

All the classic Ukrainian foods are served there: beef and barley soup, Borsht, pork chops with buckwheat “kasha”, blintzes, and my personal favorite, varenyky (the Ukrainian word for “pierogies”).

Aside from its odd facade and literal name, the strangest thing about the restaurant is the back room (isn’t it always?). It’s not a bar nor an opium den. It’s a dance hall where on Friday nights lessons are given in, none other than, Argentine tango. No, really. You read that correctly. Obviously it makes no sense for a Latin dance to be practiced in a Ukrainian instituion, but you know what? It works.

A few weeks ago, Rene finally succumbed to my pleading for a tango class date night - God bless his heart. I personally had loads of fun and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t as bad for Rene as he had anticipated.

We stayed for dinner after the class.

As we ate and hung out, we saw dozens of couples - of all ages; Ukranian, Latino or otherwise - walk through to the dance hall with their dance shoes in tow, and none exiting. You really would think there was some illegal activity going on if you didn’t know any better. But no, these people just came to enjoy the forgotten traditions of couples dancing (sans twerking) and long-simmered foods.

Maybe in a few more Fridays I’ll convince Rene to go again so we practice our “ochos” - using varenyky as leverage, of course.

Pho the first time

Oct2

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup that consists of a savory broth, long thin noodles, meat (usually beef or chicken) and sometimes leafy greens. It’s comforting, delicious, and everything else you’d want a hot bowl of something to be. Since I’ve been experimenting with vegetarian and vegan dishes lately, I recalled the vegan mushroom pho Rene and I shared at Bunker and decided to recreate it at home.

There’s really not much to this pho recipe; it’s just making a vegetable broth, sautéing onions and boiling noodles. Of course you will not get the same silky, savory broth from veggies as you would from pork, but it’s a sacrifice worth making if you’re trying like to be healthy or whatever, right?

*I only realized when editing these photos that the dish was not in fact vegan since I used egg noodles, so if you are a strict vegan make sure your noodles are egg-free.

(Yield: 4 large or 6 smaller servings)

Broth:

1 large carrot, peeled

1 large onion, quartered

5 oz cremini mushrooms

5 oz shiitake mushrooms

3 garlic cloves, halved

1” ginger root, sliced

1 bunch parsley and/or cilantro

6 c water

1 tbsp salt

Other ingredients:

1 package fresh Asian-style noodles

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

5 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 c fresh baby spinach leaves

1 c bean sprouts

Chopped scallion for garnish (optional)

Procedure: To make broth, place all ingredients into a large pot, close tightly with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, crack the lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hr. When the broth is finished, discard the boiled vegetables.

While the broth simmers, cook the noodles and saute the onion. Bring another pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water and return to pot. Saute the onion over medium heat in vegetable oil until slightly browned, about 4 min.

Before serving the soup, stir sauteed onion, sliced mushrooms and spinach into the broth, and simmer for another few min. Then turn the heat off and stir in soy sauce.

To serve, divide the noodles among bowls; top with broth and bean sprouts. Serve with sriracha and extra soy sauce.

Elberta in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Aug13

At first glance, with its bare white walls and rather industrial decor, Elberta is completely unassuming, and upon entering, you don’t really know what to expect. But then, you’re handed a menu. You start salivating just glancing at the appetizers and you realize you’ve come to the right place.

Elberta is located in the Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn – a crossroads of various neighborhoods and cultures, which is reflected in the menu. The food there is hard to define. Each dish seems to have myriad inspiration, with American, Caribbean, French, Mexican and Asian influences. You’d think this would result in a total mess, but you’d be wrong.

Elberta restaurant Brooklyn

The restaurant was named after the elberta peach to pay homage to the space’s previous occupant – Velvet Peach Café. And, you’ll be happy to learn that several of the kitchen staff trained with Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster fame. Considering the reasonable prices and how accessible it is by public transit (even for you Manhattanites), you’d be crazy not to have your next meal there.

As per recommendation of our helpful waitress, my date and I started with the braised goat ravioli. Fresh al dente pasta stuffed with tender shredded goat meat (if you’ve never had goat it’s similar to lamb) and gently cooked cauliflower florets tossed in a floral coconut curry with golden raisins. The first taste is all about the gamey goat and tender pasta, but as the palate gets acquainted with the dish, the focus shifts to the warm curry and sweet raisins. I am in awe of this surprising and well-balanced dish.

An appetizer sampler.

Next up, octopus ceviche. Paper-thin slices of octopus, topped with a medley of bell peppers and cilantro, with beets and a generous drizzle of olive oil. It was amazing how the fruity olive oil seemed to tie the sweet beets and meaty octopus together.

Pork belly sliders w/ fried quail egg and slaw.

Finally, my date and I split the jerk chicken entrée. Upon ordering this, I was expecting something homey and maybe even messy, but what arrived was a stunning, sophisticated dish. The spicy skin-on white meat chicken was served on a bed of citrusy green salad with mango slices instead of with a predictable starchy side. It was light and oh-so-summery.

There was nothing I would add or take away from these dishes. Every taste and sensation was immediately complemented by another taste and sensation. This meal was intriguing and exciting; simply put, a constant party in my mouth.

You’d think you have to go to a fancy, white tablecloth type of place to experience food that is spectacularly executed like this, which definitely speaks to the recent shift in New York food culture. It seems that we no longer seek to be served by stern waiters in “fine dining” establishments; we want to plop our elbows down on the table and feel at home.

Note: The menu at Elberta changes seasonally. Also, check out their weekly Tasty Tuesdays 3-course $25 tasting menu.

Originally published on Forkology

Summer Chef’s Table at Hunter’s in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Jul9

A few weeks ago, Hunter’s hosted a Chef’s Tasting Table event in preparation for their summer menu release. Their chefs created 15 different three-course menus along with 15 cocktails for the restaurant’s friends and family to try and help decide what items will be permanently placed on this summer’s menu. Each night a different menu was served - and at a mere $35. True to my fashion, I could not resist this opportunity, and Rene and I paid them a visit for dinner after work.

The meal started with a refreshing whiskey lemonade that was surprisingly floral.

Next came a seafood salad served on a bed of frisee, tossed with some hearty beans in a terragon olive oil vinaigrette. The contrast of the cold greens and warm shrimp, octopus and beans made this dish intriguing. And, thanks to the lack of carbs, it was really light.

For the main course, the chefs prepared an unbelievably indulgent seared leg of lamb that was served atop of a chick pea puree flavored with turmeric and complemented by a generous amount of mizuna - spicy, fragrant greens, not unlike arugula. The lamb just melted in my mouth, and although there was more fat on it than I’m used to, I practically inhaled the whole thing anyway. Don’t even get me started on that gorgeous yellow puree - it was so airy and buttery, it made it hard to believe it was made of something so run-of-the-mill as chick peas. Overall, this entree stayed true to the restaurant’s hunter-gatherer style cooking and I really hope it made it to the final menu.

Last but not least, for dessert we were served this beautiful creation - a blueberry and plum crisp topped with homemade vanilla ice cream.

There is no summer dessert more perfect than a berry crisp. It showcases summer’s greatest edible gift to humanity - berries; and it’s, well, crispy, which kids of all ages find especially palatable. The way the two elements intermingle with melted ice cream… fuhgettaboutit.

The chefs did a fantastic job of using summer produce to create a fresh, balanced meal. There was just enough of an element of surprise in these dishes to delight but not scare away. All that’s left to say is, I can’t wait for the fall tasting table.

Pay this delightful place a visit to find out which items made the cut. And don’t forget about their daily happy hour from 4-7pm and half-priced bottles of wine on Sundays (to accompany their fabulous brunch).

Curry beef tacos w/ pico de gallo

Jun20

Up until the very recent past, I had little to no appreciation for tacos, for which I fully blame Taco Bell. But as time went on and more high end taco trucks and stands started popping up all over New York, my interest piqued. Turns out, the thin corn cakes known as tortillas are the perfect vessel for pretty much every kind of meat, fish, legume and vegetable imaginable. The inspiration for this particular recipe came from NY’s Takumi Taco stand that I tried this winter at Brooklyn Flea. I was in awe of the Asian-Mexican influences of their curry beef tacos and knew I had to attempt making them at home.

Curry beef tacos (Yield: about 8 tacos)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tbsp yellow curry powder

2 tsp red curry paste*

1/2 c canned tomato sauce

1 tsp corn starch

Salt + pepper

16 corn tortillas

*This ingredient adds heat and a nice chili aroma but it may be hard to find. If you are unable to locate it, substitute with Sriracha, cayenne or regular hot sauce.

Procedure for beef: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook for about 3 min, until softened. Raise flame to high and add beef. Break meat up with a wooden spatula and season with generous pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 6 min, stirring frequently, until meat starts to brown. Then add curries, stir and add tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and turn heat down to low. Cover tightly with a lid and cook for 15 min. Then, in a small cup, stir together corn starch with 2 tbsp water until dissolved - add to the pan. Stir and cook for another 2 min, until sauce thickens. Turn heat off; taste and re-season if necessary.

Pico de gallo: In a medium bowl, combine 2 finely diced tomatoes, about 2 tbsp finely diced yellow onion, about 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice. Season with a pinch of salt.

Assembly: Warm tortillas on the stove over a very low flame, 10-15 seconds per side, until they are pliable, using tongs to gently flip.

Comme ça…

Curry beef tacos

Transfer to a platter and continue with remaining tortillas. Keep tortillas warm under a kitchen towel until they’re all ready to be filled. (If your stove is electric, warm tortillas in a skillet instead). To fill, stack two tortillas together, fill with beef and top with pico de gallo. Serve immediately, with extra limes, sour cream or guacamole if desired.

Curry beef tacos

Tasty Bite - a revolutionary packaged food

Jun4

When I was offered to review the Asian noodle dishes by Tasty Bite, my first thought was, “Yuck! A sodium and chemical heavy, overly processed product that barely resembles food? No, thank you.” But before writing it off completely, I decided to browse their website, which pleasantly surprised me and changed my mind. I learned that Tasty Bite has been around since 1995, and their current inventory includes dozens of Indian and pan-Asian products. While their products require no cooking or refrigeration, they are preservative and MSG-free, not to mention vegan and kosher. The secret is in the package: the food is first prepared and placed into retort pouches (the material used for space food); it is then sealed and cooked under high pressure, which sterilizes it and keeps it fresh for 18 months. To reheat a meal, you simply place it in the microwave or a pot of boiling water for one minute. That’s it!

Tasty Bite Asian Noodles

When my package of samples arrived, the first thing I did was read the ingredient list and I was happy to learn that there was indeed nothing but noodles, vegetables and spices in the meals. Taste-wise, the noodles did not disappoint either. The noodles are savory and satisfying and do not lend themselves to any of that guilt that comes along with eating take-out or a frozen dinner.

Tasty Bite Asian Noodles

Although nothing can replace a homemade meal, the Tasty Bite products are perfect for when you need to work through lunch or when you simply don’t feel like cooking dinner. They’re also easy on the wallet, coming in at less than $4 per meal.

Check out their website for more information and to locate a retailer near you.

How I learned to bake, and the best brown sugar cookies you’ll ever have

May14

When I was a kid, my mom baked all the time. There were layered cakes, crispy cookies, sweet breads to accompany our tea, and so much more. But when I watched her bake, I never once saw her measure a single ingredient - we didn’t even own measuring cups or a scale. She would just scoop ingredients into a bowl with a little ceramic teacup, stir them while balancing the bowl between her hip and forearm, put whatever it was into the oven and soon, the smell emanating from the oven alone would leave us speechless and drooling. I don’t remember her ever messing up a dessert so I assumed she was some sort of magician with a sixth sense.

Brown sugar cookies

So, when I started baking, I didn’t take measuring seriously, especially since I’ve been cooking for a while already and had gotten used to eyeballing ingredients. I understood recipes and directions like, “butter at room temperature” and “gradually add flour” to be guidelines. I guess I thought I could outsmart the recipe and if my intentions were good, the dessert would somehow just work out. But unsurprisingly, it didn’t. I couldn’t make a single edible cookie. I remember how my mom would stand next to me, scraping the burnt bottoms of cookies with a butter knife after yet another failed attempt, comforting me and saying that next time, I would certainly do better.

Brown sugar cookies

It wasn’t until I started reading and re-reading the recipe before baking and following measurements and directions exactly that anything worked out. I learned that if a lemon bars were advised to be cooled before being cut, I should do just that, and that if a recipe calls for brown sugar, substituting with white just won’t do. It is now that I realize that despite how amazing my mother is, she is no magician. She’s just made so many cakes and cookies by the time she had me, that baking became second nature to her - she, as they say, just felt it.

Brown sugar cookie

Whereas cooking is about intuition, instinct and pleasure, it is careful attention, precision and patience that matter in baking. I’ve still a long way to go til I can flawlessly frost a cake, but these cookies (and these!) are proof that I have finally mastered at least one type of dessert.

Brown sugar cookies

This recipe from Epicurious (click HERE for the recipe) is incredible. The cookies are quick to prepare and bake, and they don’t dry out, even days after baking. They’re soft, chewy, fragrant and ideal for minimalist dessert lovers like me. I strongly advise you to make them!

Brown sugar cookies

What is your experience with baking like?

Picadinho de Carne (Brazilian beef stew) from Falling Off The Bone by Jean Anderson

Apr18

Starches like pasta and side dish vegetables like broccoli are easy to improvise recipes for. They cook quickly and are hard to mess up. But preparing a luscious meat dish requires much more finesse, especially when dealing with tougher, wallet-friendly cuts. Fortunately for us home cooks, Jean Anderson (James Beard Award-winning author of over 20 cookbooks) dispels all the mysteries of cooking with less tender cuts of meat in her cook, Falling Off The Bone. In the book, she covers beef, veal, lamb and pork. She describes from which part of the animal each cut comes from and discusses the best methods for cooking them and why.

Picadinho de carne

Here is the first recipe I made from the book. It is a classic Brazilian beef stew, which is the perfect recipe for a tough, virtually un-marbled cut of beef like bottom round (meat from the well-exercised, hind leg area of the cow). Many thanks to Justin Schwartz, the editor of this book, for sending me a copy of the newly released paperback edition!

Recipe from Falling Off The Bone by Jean Anderson (Wiley, 2010)

(Yield: 4 large or 6 small servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp corn or peanut oil (I used vegetable)

2 large yellow onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 lbs finely diced bottom round or ground lean beef chuck (I used bottom round)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 ground ginger

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 c finely chopped pimento-stuffed green olives (I skipped these)

1/2 raisins

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp raw sugar (I used regular granulated)

1 tsp salt + 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Heat oil in large skillet (I used my Dutch oven) over moderately high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, 8 to 10 min. Push all to the side and add beef. Brown well, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 min. Stir in all remaining ingredients, turn heat to low so that mixture simmers very slowly. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Then taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot.

Picadinho de carne

The spices, sugar and raisins make this a very flavorful, well-balanced beef stew. And because of the long simmering time, the tomato sauce ends up coating the meat like a gravy.

Picadinho de carne

I chose to serve it over pearl cous-cous but Anderson recommends tossing it with pasta, or ladling it over potatoes, hamburger buns as in sloppy Joes, or rice.

Picadinho de carne

Take it from someone who tends to be intimidated by cooking with unknown to me meats, this book is a truly invaluable find. I see myself referring back to it for recipe ideas for years to come.

Curried sweet potato hash

Feb10

Ever since I had my first breakfast hash at brunch in District Commons, I realized that hash is one of the greatest things to ever happen to breakfast. Caramelized vegetables studded with bits of salty meat and topped with a runny egg - I mean, it’s completely irresistible.

This recipe is meat-less but it’s so flavorful that it doesn’t feel like anything’s missing. The way the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, carrots and onion mixes with the fragrance of curry is divine and unique, and I foresee myself returning to this flavor combination again and again in the future.

Curried sweet potato hash (16) copy

It is also important to point out that sweet potatoes are a power food. They are a low calorie food that is high in fiber and potassium, but most notably in Vitamin A, which acts as a powerful antioxidant and aids in preserving eyesight. They are very versatile so they’re easy to incorporate into any diet.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4″ cubes

1 yellow onion, diced

1 portobello mushroom, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1-2 (to taste) tsp red curry paste

Salt + pepper

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp Butter

4 eggs

Procedure: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add all vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 min.

Curried sweet potato hash (2) copy

Then season with a generous pinch of salt and add garlic and curries. Stir and cook for a few more min, until potatoes are fork tender. Turn heat off, stir in cilantro, taste and re-season if necessary, and keep warm on the stove. Meanwhile, heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter on griddle. Gently break eggs onto griddle and season with salt and pepper. Cook until edges are browned and middle is set. Divide hash amongst four plates and top each one with an egg. Serve hot.

Curried sweet potato hash (12) copy

Curried sweet potato hash (33) copy

What is your favorite way to cook sweet potatoes?

Spiced refried beans

Jan7

I wish I could write a witty little intro blurb about this bean recipe - a sort of literary version of the Mad Men dancing-in-slow-motion Heinz beans (some of you must know what I’m talking about, right?) - but I cannot. Beans are beans, and they are not romantic. Beans are a utilitarian, cheap, peasant food. And like many other peasant foods, beans are versatile, nutritious and filling. Pinto beans, for instance, have 100 calories per one 1/2 cup serving, and they are high in fiber, protein and help decrease cholesterol. Although they’re not very dreamy, beans are definitely worth incorporating into your diet.

Spiced refried beans

These beans can be a dip, topping or side dish.

Ingredients:

2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c water

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/3 cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Pour half of the beans into a blender with water and puree. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 4 min. Add beans and bean puree along with spices and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 min - until beans are warmed through. (Add more water if thinner consistency is desired).

Spiced refried beans

Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot.

Spiced refried beans

What are your favorite ways to prepare beans?

…Is anybody out there?

Dec17

I know I’ve been MIA for two weeks but I hope there are people still out there reading this. I am so glad to be back and I hope to never have to be absent for such a long time again. I won’t bore you by recounting the hellish past two weeks of schoolwork but I will tell you about two cool events that I recently attended.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to hear a talk featuring Kim Severson and Julia Moskin - both New York Times food reporters. (You may recall me extending the invite to you in this post?) The two women, who affectionately refer to each other as ‘work-wives’, just wrote a book called Cook Fight. Cook Fight is not your average cookbook - it chronicles the two writers’ contrasting approaches to challenges like the Thanksgiving challenge and the Comfort challenge, just to name a few. With each challenge, the women had to feed six people for $50. Since the women come from distinctly different backgrounds - Severson learned to cook instinctively by way of her large Italian family, while Moskin learned together with her parents using cookbooks - the book has a fresh and interesting take on recipe development and menu planning. Follow this link to purchase your copy.

I also got to see, and even chat with a little bit, one of my favorite women of the food world - Rachael Ray! And on the evening before my birthday, at that. Rachael will always hold a special place in my heart and here’s why: when I was 12, I discovered the Food Network by accident and began to watch 30 Minute Meals religiously. Soon after the great discovery, I felt confident enough to tackle the kitchen by myself - I wanted to surprise my mom with dinner so that she wouldn’t have to cook after work. Rachael made cooking dinner look so easy and her recipes were so accessible, that I just couldn’t help myself. And I haven’t stopped cooking since that day. On December 6th, Rachael was a part of iBookstore’s Meet-the-Author series at the SoHo Apple Store. She was there to talk about her latest (the 21st, to be exact!) cookbook, My Year in Meals.

I was a little star stuck when she took her seat less than ten feet away from me but Rachael was as sweet, nice and approachable as I’d expected. This book is very special because it documents what Rachael actually cooked for herself, and for friends and family in the course of one whole year. The book also features cocktail recipes from her husband, and all the photography in the book is done by the pair as well. Follow this link to purchase your copy. And follow this link to watch a free podcast of the talk (note: at the 25 minute mark, I ask the first question of the Q&A portion).

Rachael Ray

Stay tuned for more posts this week, including a recipe for one of my oldest and best pasta dishes, and a recap of my birthday dinner!

My phone, the gastronome 5: via Instagram

Oct29

I cannot wait to edit my second video, review the awesome cookbooks and kick-ass food memoir that I finally finished, and post more recipes, but my schoolwork and real-life responsibilities have been taking center stage as of late. You’re gonna have to settle for my Instagrams as today’s post, ye loyal readers.

ENORMOUS Parmesan baked meatballs and penne @ V & T Pizza on the Upper West Side: a well-deserved gluttonous treat after roaming around Riverside Park all day (a place that’s arguably more beautiful than Central Park, and definitely less crowded).

Banana muffins for the soul

My go-to après gym snack: peanut butter on banana, washed down with low-fat milk. Basically, a deconstructed smoothie.

Yellowtail roll w/ brown rice

Red velvet cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting for my friend Irina’s birthday

Rene and I recently spent a weekend visiting friends in Williamsport, PA; Acme BBQ is always a highlight of our trips there. Their pulled pork is still the best I’ve ever had, and the brisket is incredible as well.

Divine eggs benedict brunch at The Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA

Banana, fat free strawberry chobani and granola

Fred, he’s not edible.

Follow me! username: chezsasha

Beer roasted chicken w/ potatoes

Oct26

Life is so unfair. Not only did a chicken have to die a gruesome death for my selfish benefit, but I also shoved a mason jar of beer up its… um, cavity.

Roasting chicken on a bottle or can of beer is a tried-and-true technique. The beer creates steam in the chicken while it cooks, which prevents the meat from drying out. I was thinking about what to serve alongside my poor little bird when I realized that I can roast potatoes in the same pan and they will come out all awesome after mingling with those glorious chicken juices. Then I thought to throw in some garlic. Because it’s garlic.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt/pepper

About 6 oz beer (lager or ale)*

4-6 medium potatoes, cubed

5 whole garlic cloves, peeled

*I tried to place the chicken over a half-full beer bottle but the throat of the bottle surfaced at the top of the bird which would defeat the purpose of the steam. To prevent this, it is best to use a can of beer - just remember to pour out/drink half of it. I poured my beer into a mason jar and it worked out well too.

Procedure: Take chicken out of fridge 30 min prior to cooking and let come to room temp. Preheat oven to 350F. Rinse well and pat dry. Place beer can/jar in a large baking dish and place chicken on top. Evenly coat the chicken with half of the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, toss the potatoes and garlic cloves in remaining oil with salt and pepper.

Scatter potatoes around chicken and roast until golden brown. The chicken is done when you pierce it with a knife and the juices run clear. (My chicken weighed 3 lbs and it cook 1 hour and 20 min to cook through.) The potatoes will be done at the same time. Let the chicken rest for 15 min before slicing, to let the juices redistribute.

This was my first time roasting a chicken and I was satisfied with the results. Next time, I think I’ll season the bird with some herbs and use a variety of vegetables for roasting.

Ground turkey stew

Oct9

Since early last spring, it has been collecting dust in the far end of my kitchen. But alas, the season of autumn has come and it is time to pick up where we left off. I tense up my arms and try to move swiftly, as it always manages to seem heavier than it was when I last hid it. Yet its unwieldiness doesn’t faze me. I am happy and my mouth stretches into a wide smile; my mind races with ideas, my hands are shaking in anticipation. I take the lid off and look inside, imagining the endless variety of ingredients that can be contained in its round walls. I am talking, of course, about my Dutch oven.

(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 ½ lbs ground turkey

2 tsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp poultry seasoning

1 c shredded white cabbage

1 carrot, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp yellow or brown mustard

12 oz crushed tomatoes

¼ c water

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 potatoes (to peel or not to peel is your decision)

Salt/pepper

Sour cream and dill for garnish

Procedure: (It’s important to remember that dishes with numerous ingredients with different cooking times also require the seasoning of every layer.) Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat; add olive oil and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 min, and add onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent. Raise heat to high and add turkey, chili powder and poultry seasoning. Break up with a wooden spatula and cook for about 8 min, stirring frequently. Next, add cabbage, carrot and pepper, along with mustard.

(Still seasoning every layer, right?) Stir to combine and cook for about 12 min, or until vegetables have softened. Then add tomatoes, paste and water. Stir, bring to a simmer, cover tightly with lid, lower heat and cook for about 10 min. Finally, add potatoes, cover, and cook until potatoes are cooked through, 15-20 min. Turn heat off. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot, topped with sour cream and chopped dill.

If you are interested in more fall recipes, see: Chick pea stew, Pumpkin curry w/ chicken and Coq au vin.

Chez Sasha

Tag Archives: brooklyn food bloggers

Ukrainian East Village Restaurant: A New York institution

Pho the first time

Elberta in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Summer Chef’s Table at Hunter’s in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Curry beef tacos w/ pico de gallo

Tasty Bite - a revolutionary packaged food

Picadinho de Carne (Brazilian beef stew) from Falling Off The Bone by Jean Anderson

Curried sweet potato hash

Spiced refried beans

Top 8 posts of 2012!

…Is anybody out there?

My phone, the gastronome 5: via Instagram

Beer roasted chicken w/ potatoes

Ground turkey stew