Author Archives: robertaklapper

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.

and Memorie di Angelina’s Sunday Sauce (revised)

(This is it! The Italian meatball recipe I have been searching for, but first the sauce.)

Angelina’s Sunday Sauce

*Ingredients for sauce (see note below first)

Makes one large pot of sauce, enough for a crowd

For the initial browning of meats:

• 6 mild Italian sausages
• 6 pork or beef ribs
• 3-4 pork chops (optional)
• 3-4 braciole (optional)
• Lard (or olive oil)

For making the soffrito and flavoring the browned meats:

• 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Red wine (optional)

For the sauce:

• 4-5 large cans (800g/28 oz) of best quality tomatoes, whole or crushed
• A few sprigs of fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In as big a pot or casserole as you have available, begin by lightly browning your sausages and ribs—and, if using, braciole and pork chops—in lard over medium heat. Yes, you read that right: lard. You can use olive oil if you like, but for the real taste of ragù, lard is a must. (And there is no better fat for browning, by the way.) Brown as many pieces at a time as will fit in your pot in a single, well-spaced layer. (If you crowd the pieces of meat, they will steam and not brown.) Do not rush the process; take your time and brown them gently, so they render their fat and don’t darken too much. Remove the pieces to a bowl or dish as they brown, replacing them with other pieces.

When all the pieces of meat are brown, remove any remaining in the pot and add a generous amount of chopped onion and allow it to sweat until it is quite soft. Then add a clove or two of chopped garlic and, when you can just begin to smell their aroma, add back the browned meat. Turn the meat with the onion and garlic and simmer them together gently to allow the meat to insaporire (absorb the flavor of the aromatics), seasoning with salt and pepper as you turn. (If you have some spare red wine on hand, add a splash at this point and allow it to evaporate completely. If you don’t have red wine, not to worry; Angelina actually didn’t add wine to her ragù, but many recipes call for it, and it does add a nice additional layer of flavor.)

Then add the best quality canned tomatoes that you can find , passing them through a food mill into the pot, enough to cover the meats entirely. (Some recipes call for tomato paste, but I find this makes the sauce too heavy.) Nestle a sprig or two of fresh parsley among the meats. Lower the heat, partially cover the pot, and let the sauce to simmer very slowly for at least 2-3 hours, until the sauce is thick and dark and very flavorful. Along the way, add your meatballs, which you will have fried separately in oil.

Sunday Sauce is best made a day ahead, but you can use it immediately if you like.

*Note: I make this sauce using 2-3 28oz. cans of Muti chopped tomatoes. (No need for a food mill.) I also use 1 large beef short rib, one large pork chop on the bone, and sometimes some sweet pork sausage. (Definitely use olive oil.) If necessary, after final seasoning, you can add some honey to taste.

Ingredients for Meatballs (Dina)

For every pound of meat, do: 1/2 ground beef (80%), 1/4 ground veal, and 1/4 ground pork, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of salt

Add to taste, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, and garlic

Take stale Italian bread, soak in water with a little milk, then break it up to make breadcrumb/like mixture.

Mix it all together, make meatballs, and fry them in oil. Add to sauce.

Note: My interpretation:

garlic: 1 large clove, finely chopped, should be enough for 2 pounds of meat.

Parmesan cheese: about 1/4-1/2 cup, freshly grated, for 2 pounds of meat.

*Stale bread: For 2 pounds of meat, let about 4 slices of bread sit out for a few hours. Remove crusts and cut bread into cubes; it should equal 2 cups. In a shallow dish, cover cubes with water and milk; drain.

A new, contemporary Chinese restaurant on the upper west side of Manhattan offers a different take on Chinese food.

Owned by two recent graduates of Columbia University, the menu flies to the four corners of China for its inspiration. 

Dishes from Hunan province — where sour and spicy flavors and dried, smoked, and pickled ingredients are prized — have a major presence on the menu. Sichuan food is also a frequent menu inspiration. (We ordered their Hunan Style Fried Rice, which is spicy, and asked for a milder version. They kindly complied.)

If you are not an adventurous eater, the menu has a section devoted to American Chinese food where you will find old favorites such as Sesame Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Prawn with Garlic Sauce and much more.

Their vegetable selection is extensive. We started with Okra with Garlic Sauce, and I’m looking forward to returning and trying some of their other offerings. All the dishes were not only delicious, but beautifully presented as well. Yes, to a repeat!!

Update: May 22, 2025. This blog post was written in February, 2022, so when returning to the upper westside, we decided to revisit this wonderful Chinese restaurant. Major disappointment. Restaurant is now rather shabby, and the food  was fair to middling. One dish was especially terrible – their soup dumplings. Skins were inedible. Sorry, I can no longer recommend this restaurant.

Fresh lemongrass is best here, but if you can’t find it, then lemongrass paste works well too.

Ingredients

CHICKEN AND MARINADE

• ▢ 600 – 800g / 1.2 – 1.6lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless or breast (or pork, beef or any seafood)
• ▢ 1 stalk lemongrass , white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (Note 1)
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or minced
• ▢ 2 tbsp lime juice
• ▢ 2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 2)
• ▢ 1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy)
• ▢ 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp vegetable oil

NUOC CHAM (VIETNAMESE SAUCE)

1. ▢ 1/4 cup fish sauce (Note 3)
2. ▢ 4 tbsp rice vinegar
3. ▢ 2 tbsp white sugar
4. ▢ 1/2 cup water
5. ▢ 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
6. ▢ 1 red birds eye chilli , finely chopped (or red pepper flakes)
7. ▢ 3 tbsp lime juice

NOODLE BOWL

• ▢ 200 g / 7 oz vermicelli noodles , dried
• ▢ 2 carrots , julienned
• ▢ 2 cucumbers , julienned (optional: remove seeds)
• ▢ 5 cups iceberg lettuce , finely sliced
• ▢ 3 cups bean sprouts
• ▢ Handful of mint leaves
• ▢ Handful of cilantro/coriander
• ▢ Sliced red chilli (for garnish – optional)
• ▢ Lime wedges (to serve – optional but recommended)

Instructions

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN

• Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
• Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through – about 6 to 8 minutes in total. 
• Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.

NUOC CHAM SAUCE

• Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

ASSEMBLE

• Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
• Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.

Note: After marinating the chicken, I placed it in the pan and cooked each side until golden brown. I didn’t shake off the marinade and brushed more on while it was cooking. Since I used the whole thigh with skin, I then oven roasted it for about 15 minutes at 400* to make sure it was ready. Served it whole on top of noodles. 🙂

I never thought I would ever say this, but “run, don’t walk” to Edith’s Eatery on Leonard Street in Brooklyn. It was amazing! The food is influenced by the Jewish diaspora and explores the global flavors and cultural experience of Jewish cuisine, however one doesn’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it.

Dishes we tried: Malawach, a buttery Yemenite Jewish flatbread with a side of bright green zhug (an Israeli condiment), Syrniki Pancakes, traditional Russian-style pancakes made with a farmer cheese soufflé, tart currant syrup and smetana (sour cream), and a Middle eastern breakfast consisting of mergez, eggs, malawach, and an Israeli salad. Loved it all!

Another restaurant I would like to recommend is Maman, a French bakery and cafe located on the upper west side. It is one of a chain of restaurants located in the city, but there are also two in Brooklyn and two in Canada.

We tried the croissant perdu sandwich (parisian ham, comté cheese, dijon mustard & pickles), maman’s breakfast sandwich (homemade bourbon bacon jam, avocado & oven roasted tomatoes topped with a fried egg on a cornmeal focaccia bun) and ratatouille hash* (ratatouille served over crispy smashed potatoes topped with a fried egg, green goddess dressing & cilantro.) The croissant sandwich is quite small but really tasty.

For desert, we shared a hazelnut praline croissant bun.
Delicious!

I would suggest that you arrive at both restaurants before 11:00 am, otherwise the wait time can be lengthy.

Some of Edith’s offerings

We returned to Edith’s for a family visit and, once again, found the meal to be just wonderful. This time we tried their fish platter with a homemade bagel and bialy (hot out of the oven), and their chicken schnitzel with corn bread, along with our favorite pancakes and the Malawach. Family was really impressed!!!

It’s been awhile since I recommended a restaurant to you (having eaten at several), just none that I felt were worth reporting on. However, this Japanese restaurant had ended the dry spell. It is not inexpensive, but a meal here is a treat. As you can imagine, they specialize in sushi, but their appetizers and entrees were excellent.

To start our meal, my daughters and I ordered gyoza, tofu with fish flakes, scallions, and ginger, and goma-ae, boiled spinach tossed with a sesame sauce. Then, from their kitchen, I devoured (but well-mannered) a tempura udon while they enjoyed sushi. The delicate tempura, consisting of vegetables and shrimp, was lightly battered and deep fried to create a light, crisp coating.

This restaurant is one of four in the city. For me, it’s definitely a repeat!