People are very particular about their bananas, as ubiquitous as the yellow fruit may be. Ever watched as people sift through mounds of banana bunches at the market trying to find the ones with the “perfect” ripeness? My informal poll found strong feelings about the preferred state of bananas for consumption: some only eat green, [...]
Archive for February, 2009
Buttermilk Banana Walnut Bread
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Recipes, tagged Baking, banana bread, bananas, Breakfast, buttermilk, walnuts on February 28, 2009 | 1 Comment »
A Korean Feast at Kum Gang San
Posted in Asian, Restaurants, tagged 32nd street, bibimbap, kimchi, korean cuisine, kum gang san, manhattan, New York, nyc, pancake on February 24, 2009 | 2 Comments »
If you’re in the mood for a culinary adventure, check out Kum Gang San, 49 West 32nd Street, in Manhattan. One of the best parts of a Korean meal, in my opinion, are the traditional little side dishes — known as banchan. The small plates with assorted marinated vegetables, seaweed, and salted fish are tasty! [...]
German Chocolate Cake
Posted in Baking, Desserts, Recipes, tagged cake, coconut, dessert, german chocolate, pecans on February 18, 2009 | 4 Comments »
German Chocolate Cake was my grandmother’s signature dessert. Layers of sweet chocolate cake overflowed with rich carmely, coconut-pecan topping. (If it was your birthday, she’d bury a quarter wrapped in foil deep inside; you’d have to keep eating until you found it.)
Good thing it wasn’t my birthday and there wasn’t a lucky coin to find! [...]
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Posted in Recipes, Soups, tagged bay leaf, carrots, celery, chicken broth, garlic, ham, onion, parsley, soup, split peas on February 15, 2009 | 2 Comments »
If you’re a fan of hearty and healthy soups, here’s one to try. It also happens to be an incredibly easy recipe and perfect for any leftover holiday ham still in the freezer.
I love the tender texture of the peas after they’ve stewed for hours with the smokey, salty bits of ham. The fresh parsley, [...]
Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto
Posted in Italian, Recipes, Recommended Meals, tagged cream, garlic, parmesan, Peas, prosciutto, tortellini on February 14, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Everything tastes better with prosciutto. And that’s definitely the case with cheese tortellini tossed with sweet green peas and a garlic cream sauce!
Sautè minced garlic in a little melted butter, add a quarter pound of sliced prosciutto and brown to bring out the flavor. Then add a cup of heavy cream and peas and reduce [...]
A glimpse inside Aburiya
Posted in Asian, Restaurants, Video, tagged aburiya, chicken, Japanese, New York, pork, Restaurants, sashimi, Video on February 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Look for the chicken meatloaves on wood planks positioned around the charcoal fire. Also, you’ll see some of my favorites from the menu: the Japanese pickles; roasted chicken wings; toro and ama ebi sashimi; peppered, roasted berkshire pork; and the terriyaki chicken meatloaf with poached egg.
Japanese Robata at Aburiya Kinnosuke NYC
Posted in Asian, Restaurants, tagged Aburiya Kinnosuke, ama ebi, Japanese, New York, Restaurants, robata grill, Sapporro, Shrimp on February 6, 2009 | 1 Comment »
As soon as you enter this cavernous Japanese restaurant on New York’s east side (23 East 45th St.), you feel the warmth of its signature robata grill. The heat draws you down a long, dark hallway of curtained booths and tables to the brightly-lit grill area in back.
Sit around the counter so you can watch [...]
Orange Polenta Cake
Posted in Baking, Desserts, tagged almonds, cake, dessert, marmelade, navel oranges, orange polenta cake, polenta on February 3, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I’ve gone fruity in the kitchen lately, making a number of fruit-inspired desserts. This one is pineapple-upside-down meets cornbread. Juicy navel orange slices take the place of pineapple and crushed almonds replace kernels of corn in the batter. It’s dense, crumbly texture is incredible. The citrusy marmelade glaze glistens on top and provides the perfect [...]
Polenta Crusted Chicken with Balsamic Caper Sauce
Posted in Italian, Recipes, Recommended Meals, tagged balsamic, balsamic caper sauce, brussel sprouts, capers, carrots, chicken, cider vinegar, cornmeal, polenta, polenta crusted chicken on February 2, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Quick-cooking polenta is the key to these perfectly crispy pan-fried organic chicken breasts. The thin layer of ground cornmeal and flour, clinging to the egg-washed chicken, turns golden brown in just 5-6 minutes over medium high heat.
Deglaze the pan with a little olive oil, tomato paste, balsamic and capers to create a tangy sauce that [...]
