Author Archives: robertaklapper

I like these muffins plain, or with a smear of whipped cream cheese, however, I included a recipe for a cream cheese frosting if you prefer them sweeter.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

 • 1 cup packed brown sugar

 • 1 large egg, at room temperature 

• 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature 

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

• 1 teaspoon baking powder 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 • 1 1/2 cups carrots, grated 

• 1/2 cup coconut, shredded

 • 1/4 cup golden raisins 

• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

• cream cheese frosting, optional, for topping

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2

Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners or grease with nonstick spray.

Step 3

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla until well-combined.

Step 4

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl, stirring until just combined but being careful not to over-mix.

Step 5

Stir in the carrots, coconut, raisins, and pecans until just incorporated.

Step 6

Divide the batter among the muffin tins.

Step 7

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean, about 18-25 minutes.

Step 8

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 9

Top with the cream cheese frosting once the muffins are cool and then serve!

Cream Cheese Frosting: Combine first two ingredients together. Then add sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

A New York Times recipe by Kay Chun

This is the classic Italian combination of sausage and peppers combined with pasta. Choose between broccoli, broccolini, or broccoli rabe for a nutritious addition. Sweet Italian pork sausage is used here, but you can substitute with spicy Italian sausage, or chicken-apple sausage for a healthier take.

Using a combination of red, yellow or orange peppers, along with a green vegetable, makes a most attractive dish.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
• 1 pound broccoli, cut into 1 1/2-inch florets (about 4 cups)
• 2 medium yellow bell peppers (12 ounces), cored, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•  Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 pound rigatoni
• ½ cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving
  • add Parmesan cheese slowly; taste before adding more.
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
  • Taste before adding lemon juice; may not be necessary.
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

PREPARATION

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat using a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the broccoli, peppers and garlic to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until they soften and begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain the pasta. **Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot over low heat. Add the broccoli mixture, cooked sausage and its accumulated juices, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the lemon juice and red-pepper flakes and stir vigorously until liquid is slightly thickened and saucy, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the pasta with additional Parmesan for sprinkling on top.

Note: It’s not necessary to scrape the browned sausage into a bowl; leave it in the pan while adding the vegetables and pasta.

**You may not need to use all of the reserved pasta water. Stir in a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.

631 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222

I am now just discovering Greenpoint after living in Brooklyn for more than six years. It’s not that we haven’t tried the occasional restaurant, especially those closer to Williamsburg, but the shopping districts on Nassau and Manhattan Avenues are new to me.

Today was a stand up brunch at Frankel’s Delicatessen (no seating) and what a surprise. It’s a busy corner store with a quick moving line that offers a selection of ready-made smoked fish (nova, Irish salmon) and meats (pastrami, corned beef), along with bagels and bialys. The menu also includes passed-down recipes such as matzo ball soup, chopped chicken liver and a braised brisket from the owners’ grandmother. Baked items line their rows of shelves.

We tried their amazing BLT on challah bread and white fish salad on a whole wheat everything bagel. (It was too early for their brisket sandwich, and yes, they do have bacon, eggs and cheese on a bagel.) Then we took home a decadent chocolate babka which could be one of the best I have ever tasted!

Their food is a little pricy, but portions are generous. Definitely worth a visit!

Second Visit: This time, we arrived at 12:00 pm to try their brisket sandwich but were again told we were too early. So, hot pastrami it was, and it was good!! Decided to come at 1:00 pm next time in order to score one of those elusive brisket sandwiches. Will let you know…….

Don’t be deceived by what might look like a complicated recipe. It’s easy to follow and is a delicious meal!

Ingredients:

a 3/4-pound whole skinless boneless chicken breast, halved lengthwise

Kosher salt

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 garlic cloves, smashed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon drained bottled capers, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

lemon wedges for serving

Halve the chicken pieces horizontally with a sharp knife and flatten them slightly between sheets of plastic wrap. Season lightly with salt. Place flour in a medium shallow bowl. Working one at a time, place cutlets in bowl and toss to coat in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a plate.

In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over moderately high heat. Working in batches, if needed, cook cutlets without moving them, until deeply browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side just until chicken is nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean plate.

Add garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, stirring often, and reducing heat, until garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine and capers and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup water, followed by the butter. Swirl pan vigorously while butter melts to help it form an emulsion with water, about 1 minute.

Return chicken to the skillet, and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir lemon juice into the sauce; season with salt.

Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter; top with chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

Sorry, don’t know where I got this recipe, but it’s really good!

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground pork (fatty, not lean, or any fatty ground meat)

1 cup cleaned and deveined raw shrimp, minced

4 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 tablespoon dry sherry or @Shaoxing wine or 2 -3 teaspoons of Mirin

4-6 Tablespoons of Chinese chives (substitution: ramps, garlic chives or scallion greens)

40 square wonton wrappers

Preparation:

1. If thin won tons are desired, roll each skin with rolling pin or they may be stuffed just as they are. Fill each skin with teaspoon of filling. Keep stack of won ton skins covered with damp cloth so they do not dry out.
2. To fold, bring up two sides of won ton skin and pinch all around to seal in filling. Dampen edges with a little water if necessary to make them stick. Pull two bottom edges together and pinch firmly to seal.
3. Continue until all filling is used. As you work, cover finished won tons with damp cloth to prevent drying out.
4. Bring several quarts of water to boil in a large kettle and add won tons. When water returns to boil, add half cup of cold water and let water come to boil again. Won tons are done when they float to top.

OR, these may be deep fried. Turn over once when frying. Wontons are done when they are puffy and slightly brown.

This is my own recipe perfected after more than forty years of trial and error.

Start with a large, green cabbage. If possible, remove enough outer leaves of cabbage to get about 8-10 large, nearly perfect leaves. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put leaves in boiling water, a few at a time, until softened, 2-3 minutes; remove, and drain on paper towels. Use a paring knife to remove their thickest vein. This will make the leaves easier to roll up.

…OR, this is what I usually do.

Cut away and discard the tough center core of the cabbage. Bring enough water to a boil to cover the cabbage when it is added. Add the cabbage and let it cook about five minutes, until the outer leaves are slightly tender and can easily be pulled away. Remove the outer leaves and continue to cook cabbage briefly until the second batch of outer leaves can be easily removed. Continue until you have about 8-10 blanched leaves to be filled. Drain well. Use a paring knife to remove their thickest vein.

Ingredients for filling, combine…

1 pound 80% ground beef

3 Tablespoons rice (unwashed; white sushi rice works well)

3 Tablespoons water

1 clove chopped garlic

4 Tablespoons chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt, some pepper

1 beaten egg

handful of dried raisins

Lay out one piece of cabbage leaf at a time on a flat surface. Place a small handful of the beef mixture in the center of each piece of cabbage. Fold the cabbage neatly over and around to enclose the filling. Squeeze gently to make the rolls more compact. 

Ingredients for the sauce:

Sauté: I large sliced onion, sliced cabbage (whatever is left), and 2 large carrots cut in chunks in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add, 1 can of Muti tomatoes, and then fill can halfway with water and add.

Add 1/2 cup of raisins and some salt and pepper.

When sauce starts to simmer, place cabbage rolls on top of vegetables. If there are any left over cabbage leaves, place them on top of rolls. Slowly simmer cabbage rolls for at least 2 hours. Taste for salt. The rolls should be sweet and sour from the raisins and tomatoes. If necessary, adjust seasoning with honey and lemon.

Stuffed cabbage rolls always taste better when stand or the next day. They freeze well.

My family and I love Vietnamese food, and rather unfortunately, have a hard time finding good restaurants serving it. For many years, we were loyal customers at a restaurant on Doyers Street, in New York’s Chinatown, and were devastated to arrive one day to find that the restaurant had permanently closed. Since then, the hunt has been on. I reported earlier about Em Vietnamese Bistro, in Dumbo, where Adam and I had a delicious dinner, and today I would like to write about another good experience at Di an Di for brunch. Greenpoint is a fun place to visit, and if it’s a sunny afternoon, which it was, then it’s even more enjoyable. The lunch menu differs from their dinner menu with their offering of Banh Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches. Those were not my favorite, but their spring rolls, served with lettuce and mint for wrapping were wonderful, as was a salad made with cabbage, chicken, peanuts, and rice noodles, and chicken pho with rice noodles, scallions, fried shallots and ginger. The broth was so flavorful; we didn’t leave a drop!

The dinner menu is more extensive with quite a few vegetarian options. (Brunch also.). Definitely worth a visit.

Banh Vietnamese Shop House on Amsterdam Avenue

This is another Vietnamese restaurant I would like to recommend. It’s on the upper west side of Manhattan, and their Banh Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches, are incredible, according to my daughter! Not only is their food wonderfully tasty, but beautifully presented, as well. From The New York Times restaurant review, “The Banh Vietnamese Shop House lavishes unusual care and preparation on dishes rarely seen in New York.” 🙂

Lewis Avenue, Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

What a pleasant surprise! Brunch wasn’t fancy, but good. I had delicious soft scrambled eggs, along with fresh baked focaccia, and Adam ordered their spicy brunch pizza. The whipped ricotta was delicious. Also, for dessert, we tried panna cotta from their bakery next door. Loved it!

From their brunch menu:

FRESH BAKED FOCACCIA & WHIPPED RICOTTA
Imported Sheep’s Milk Ricotta,
Cured Olives, Preserved Meyer Lemons

TWO EGGS Any Style

SPICY BRUNCH PIZZA Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Hot Coppa, N’Duja, Pickled Fresnos, Egg

My family and I decided to try this acclaimed restaurant recommended by Forbes Magazine and The Michelin Guide Point of View. Its name, according to Forbes, is from the area code found around Naples, Italy.

Walking into the restaurant feels like an instant trip to an actual courtyard in southwestern Italy. There is exposed brick, whitewashed arches, and a pizza oven as a centerpiece where the most delectable pizzas are made. (They have a puffy but crisp crust and a soft middle!))

We started with the Margherita (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmigiano and basil) and then moved on to a more adventurous Patate e Porcini (fresh mozzarella, sliced potatoes, and porcini mushrooms), which was wonderfully reminiscent of a past trip to Rome 🙂

The menu is extensive and includes appetizers, salads, pasta, risotto, fish and meat entrees. We loved the Polpettine, Polenta, and Caprino (small meat balls, not so spicy tomato sauce, polenta, and goat cheese). Our waiter, and Michelin, both recommend we try the brasato alla Peroni ( beer-braised short ribs with cherry peppers and topped with gorgonzola cheese). We will definitely return for this!

Reservations are not accepted unless for large parties. We had to wait about twenty minutes for a table when we arrived at 6:30 on a Sunday evening. It was well worth the wait!

PS: Leave room for dessert!!

NYT Recipe, adapted by Julia Moskin. Banana bread is one of my family’s favorites. Ms. Moskin reminds us to “make sure the bananas are very ripe.” The recipe did not call for vanilla, but I added 2 teaspoons. Also, instead of brown sugar, I substituted cane sugar and increased the amount to 1 cup. If you would like to add chopped nuts, stir them in when the batter is combined or scatter them over the top before baking.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BREAD

• ¼ pound cool butter (1 stick), more for greasing pan
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar******
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 ⅓ cups very ripe bananas (I used 4 bananas; the recipe suggests about 5.)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla******
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• optional: 1/2 -3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts******

Topping: 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar sprinkled over the batter.

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Using electric mixer, cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and cream together 2 minutes more. One at a time, mix in eggs. Mix in bananas until only small lumps remain.
2. Stir dry ingredients together and mix into banana mixture just until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Add topping.
3. Bake about 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf is becoming too dark before it’s baked through, loosely cover with foil.
4. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool completely before wrapping tightly for storage.

Another Banana Bread: My tried and true recipe! My family feels that I should also include this one.

• 1 stick of room temperature butter, more for greasing pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 large or 3 smaller, very ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

I usually use a food processor for this recipe, but you can use your electric mixer. Process the butter, sugar, eggs, bananas, and vanilla first. Then add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Lastly, add the nuts, careful not to over process them.

Bake in a 350* oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Sometimes, if the toothpick does not come out dry, I turn off the oven and let the cake finish that way.