Author Archives: robertaklapper

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces block quality feta, drained 
• ▢ ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1 lemon zest
• ▢ 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or red pepper flakes (to your taste)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, optional
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, optional
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons crushed pistachios, optional

Whip the feta. Combine the feta, Greek yogurt and lemon zest in a food processor and blend. While the processor is running, drizzle the olive oil through the top opening, until the feta is whipped to a smooth texture. (You may need to drizzle more olive oil while the processor is running.)

Garnish and Serve! Transfer the feta dip to a serving plate and smooth the top of the feta, making a well in the middle. Drizzle more olive oil all over and add the Aleppo pepper, herbs, and nuts. Serve with pita chips or pita wedges. 

• Use high quality feta cheese. For this recipe, you want to look for a block of a creamy Greek or French feta. Avoid crumbled feta, which is too dry, and won’t taste as good in this recipe.
• Use quality olive oil. Olive oil is used twice in this recipe, so you want to be sure you’re using a high quality, good tasting oil that is going to add flavor and richness to the dip.
• Serve immediately. While leftovers will last in the fridge, take full advantage of the whipped, creamy goodness by enjoying this feta dip immediately after preparing. Once it chills in the fridge, the texture will thicken.

Plain whipped feta will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let leftovers come to room temperature before trying to dip your pita or veggies.

252 VARET ST, BUSHWICK: Serving tea, coffee and freshly baked traditional Persian breads & pastries.

Sofreh Cafe is a must if you enjoy your coffee or tea with incredible breads, little spreads, and delicious pastries. Many of Sofreh Cafe’s sweets, including its custard donut, are made with rose-petals. The cafe is atmospheric but also somehow cozy. The walls of exposed brick are covered in spotty white paint, and plants hang from a skylight in the ceiling. 

We tried the barabari bread. It is firm but chewy and sprinkled with sesame and nigella seeds. They give the bread a slight herbal spiciness that complements the texture.

In addition to the cafe, owner Nasim Alikhani and her partner Ali Saboor, who is the head chef at Sofreh’s famed Prospect Heights restaurant, are opening a *new full-service restaurant next door. Can’t wait!!!!

*Eyval opened at 25 Bogart street, at Varet Street, in Bushwick, on March 23, 2022. Right now they are open only for dinner, but eventually will be open for lunch and brunch. Keep checking!

On another visit, I brought home two kinds of pirashki – rounds of well baked soft bread surrounding a brisket or mushroom core. Either one will make an excellent lunch if you are desirous of more hearty fare.

By Melissa Clark

This pumpkin quick bread is everything you love about the traditional version, but with a ribbon of spiced-chocolate-nut streusel running through the center and topped with more of the same.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE STREUSEL:

•  1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
•  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ tablespoon cold butter  
• ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
•  1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
•  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
•  2 large eggs
•  1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ tablespoon dark rum (Didn’t have rum , so used 2 teaspoons of vanilla instead of 1.)
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

PREPARATION

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a nonstick 9-inch loaf pan. (Or, if the pan is not nonstick, line with parchment paper and butter the paper.)
2. Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, combine the brown sugars, nuts, cinnamon and ginger. Cut in butter with pastry blender or your fingers until mixture is crumbly.
3. Divide the mixture in half and add the chocolate chips to one half. Leave the other plain and set it aside for the topping.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream, rum and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
6. Spoon half of the batter into pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chip streusel over the batter, not allowing streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan. Sprinkle remaining streusel on the top.
7. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Unmold and cool completely.

Note: When I unmolded the cake, most of the streusel topping fell off. Perhaps gently press the streusel topping into the batter?

Additional Note: I have made this cake twice, and the second time I used a can of Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin. Originally I used an organic pumpkin puree which had a drier consistency. I was generous with the 1/2 cup measurements of pumpkin and sour cream, and the cake came out much moister. Definitely better!

by Tom Valenti

This meatloaf is perfect for a special dinner or a celebration. It wows every time!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
*3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (Start with less. You can always add more.)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 cup milk
2 pounds ground meat (equal parts beef, pork, and veal preferred)
*2/3 cup crushed saltines (You can use bread crumbs, instead.)
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon coarse salt (Again, start with less.)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced bacon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the oil into a sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, thyme, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and milk.

Place the ground meat into another bowl and pour the egg mixture over the meat. Add the saltines, parsley, onion, and garlic to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll up your sleeves, and knead the meat together with the other ingredients until well blended (if you like, cook a small portion of the mixture in a pan, taste, and adjust seasoning). Transfer to a cookie sheet and form into a loaf. If using the bacon, wrap the slices lengthwise over the top and tuck them under the loaf, to completely cover the meat.

Bake for 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 6

An Everyday Meat Loaf

Occasionally, my mother’s generation used ketchup as an ingredient, and the results were delicious. In this recipe, it adds a slightly sweet and tangy flavor.

Combine: 1 pound of 80% ground beef, 4 tablespoons onion (minced), 1 small clove of garlic (minced), 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (preferably unsalted), 4 tablespoons water, 1 beaten egg, 1 scant teaspoon salt, pepper.

Shape into a loaf pan. Evenly spread some ketchup on top. Bake at 350* until firm to the touch. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

By Genevieve Ko

• YIELD2 to 3 dozen cookies
• TIME40 minutes

These taste distinctly homemade: much smaller than giant, thick bakery-style disks and more delicate, with just enough buttery dough to bind the chocolate and oats. Mixing by hand turns out cookies that are crisp at the edges and tender in the centers. These can be mixed and baked in under an hour, but the dough balls also can be packed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month. You can bake them from ice-cold, though they’ll need a few more minutes to turn golden brown.

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup/100 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 8 tablespoons/114 grams unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup/94 grams packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup/59 grams granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups/134 grams old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup/189 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup/63 grams chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then stir in the cream and vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and fold until evenly distributed. Loosely scoop a rounded ball of dough using a measuring tablespoon or small cookie scoop and drop onto a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 2 inches apart.
4. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Note: This is the second recipe I have posted by Genevieve Ko. Her recipes are easy to follow and delicious. I made these using McCann’s Irish Oatmeal Cereal. The flakes are finer and smaller and made a delicate cookie; it was what I had at the moment.

I just came back from a trip to LA and San Diego and have much to report. I had some wonderful lunch experiences that I wish to share with you. While visiting Torrence, a city located in Los Angeles County, I ate delicious shrimp fried rice at Pho Hana, a small, modest shop located in a strip mall along Hawthorne Boulevard. Also, in Torrence, at a branch of Mitsuwa, lunch, from their food court, was also good – yummy ramen with a side of salmon-rice bowl (rice, salmon and salmon roe). In West LA, Midoh, on Sawtelle Boulevard, served Takoyaki, octopus balls, and excellent Udon (thick noodles in broth) with shrimp tempura.

On Saturday, of a weekend visit to San Diego, my family and I explored museums and an artist colony in Balboa Park. One day there was not enough time; it was just a taste.

That nite, we had a wonderful Italian dinner at Officine Buona Forchetta, in the neighborhood of Liberty Station, the site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego. We devoured warm artichokes, fresh radicchio salad, homemade pasta in a bolognese sauce, eggplant parmesan and Margherita pizza. Everything was delicious.

On Sunday, we visited the famous San Diego Zoo – absolutely a must if you are in the area. You will enjoy amazing habitats housing over 12,000 animals, and lush plantings of flowers and trees from as far away as Australia and Madagascar. It feels as if you are walking through a jungle!

Cleaning his teeth?

By Genevieve Ko

This is absolutely delicious!!!!

This warm dessert can quickly satisfy sweet tooth cravings, especially if you forgo peeling the apples, which adds a nice chewiness to the crunchy toasted topping and juicy, saucy apples. *Choose a variety of apples, then adjust the amounts of sugar and lemon juice to strike the right tangy balance for the filling. Or customize your crisp by using your favorite spices and nuts. The dessert tastes particularly comforting hot out of the oven, with the caramelized apple juices bubbling around the nutty cookie-like clusters, but it’s just as good cold for breakfast the next day. (The New York Times)

*I’m very generous with the sugar, cinnamon, and fresh lemon juice. Taste the apples after adding these ingredients. If it tastes good to you raw, it will be really good after its baked!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE TOPPING:

• ½ cup/71 grams all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg, or a combination
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons/84 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup/116 grams chopped pecans or walnuts, or a combination
• ¼ cup/28 grams old-fashioned rolled oats

FOR THE APPLES:

• 1 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg, or a combination
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 pounds apples, preferably firm, with a mix of tart and sweet-tart (8 to 10 apples)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION

1. Make the topping: Rub together the flour, both sugars, the spice and salt in a medium bowl. Toss in the butter and nuts to coat, then pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until no floury bits remain. Add the oats, and gently rake and squeeze them through the buttery mixture to form peanut-size crumbles. Freeze while you prepare the apples. The crumb mixture can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
2. Prepare the apples: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon sugar for all sweet apples; 2 to 3 tablespoons for sweet-tart apples or a mix; and 4 tablespoons for all tart apples. Mix the sugar with the flour, spice and salt in a 10-inch cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof skillet.
3. If you’d like, peel the apples. Cut into 1/2-inch chunks, discarding the seeds and cores. Add to the skillet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice for tart apples and 2 tablespoons for sweet-tart and sweet ones. Mix until evenly coated, then spread in an even layer. Crumble the frozen crisp mixture on top. (There will be gaps.)
4. Bake until the topping is golden brown, and the apples are tender and bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes on a rack before serving hot, warm or at room temperature.

COOKING NOTES: If you feel this needs more topping, make more topping!

Dense chocolate brownies, rich and moist, are easily mixed in a saucepan. It took me several tries to get them right. The secret is to mix everything really well with a wooden spoon.

Ingredients:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (one stick)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. Place the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan and set over a low flame. Stir frequently until melted and smooth, then remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Add the vanilla, eggs, sugar and salt to the chocolate mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the flour and mix well, and then stir in the walnuts.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out barely clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Cut the brownies into 2-inch squares.

Note: The wonderful baker, who shared this recipe with my family, suggests that you bake the brownies at 360*F for 35 minutes.

Recipe from Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook by Kathleen King
Makes 4 1/2 dozen 3-inch cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the water and vanilla. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Add the eggs and mix them lightly. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don’t over-mix the dough.

Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets using two tablespoons or an ice cream scoop. Bake them for 12 minutes or until the edges and centers are brown. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Note: This is my most favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I usually freeze the dough into halves, and when my grandson visits, I take out a half, and we bake them together. 🙂

Serious Eats Tates Copycat Recipe

These are sensational!

• 8 ounces low protein all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal blue label or Whole Foods 365 blue label (about 1 3/4 cup, spooned; 225g)
• 8 ounces light brown sugar, not dark brown (about 1 cup, firmly packed; 225g)
• 3 1/2 ounces raw cane sugar, not white (about 1/2 cup; 100g)
• 2 teaspoons (8g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) baking soda
• 8 ounces cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 16 tablespoons; 225g)
• 8 ounces assorted chocolate chips, preferably no darker than 70%, see note (about 1 1/3 cups; 225g)
• 1 large egg, straight from the fridge, well beaten (1 3/4 ounces; 50g)
• 1/2 ounce vanilla extract (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)
• Add all the ingredients together except chocolate chips. Mix them in at the end. Divide into about 56 portions with a 1-tablespoon scoop.
• (They can be rolled into small balls by hand.) If you like, these can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months; soften before baking.
• Arrange portions on a parchment-lined half-sheet pan (do not use a silicone mat), leaving about 2 or 3 inches between cookies to account for spread. Bake at 350* until thin and golden brown, about 16 minutes. Cool cookies directly on the baking sheet until room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and continue cooling an hour more; the cookies will not be fully crisped until then. At cool room temperature, the cookies will keep at least six weeks in an airtight container.

KUSAMA’S, COSMIC NATURE

My family and I chose a beautiful Saturday afternoon to visit the NYBG, in the Bronx, to view Japanese pop artist Yayoi Kusama’s wondrous exhibit nestled among the flowers, plants, trees, ponds and pools of this 250 acre garden.

I am simply amazed by the volume, imagination, beauty, creativity, and sheer joy of this 92-year-old’s work. The exhibit runs only through October 31st. If you have the time, and enjoy lot’s of walking, it’s a definite YES!

Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees

I Want to Fly to the Universe

Dancing Pumpkin

Life

My Soul Blooms