“Formosa, which opened at 144 Evergreen Avenue, at Jefferson Street, is a neighborhood dumpling shop, not another chain. The business serves Taiwanese staples like lu rou fan, a braised pork over rice dish, and scallion noodles with tofu. Beef noodle soup is on the menu, and soon there will be fried pork chops, too.
Save room for dumplings: The restaurant has seven kinds. They come with pork and glass noodles, chicken and cabbage, and yellow chives. My favorite, a seafood dumpling, has octopus, tilapia, shrimp, and celery all in one. The dumplings can be boiled or pan-fried. Either way, they are covered in chili oil, scallions, cilantro, and fried garlic. An order with eight of them costs $12 to $15.”
…and they were amazing! If you’re in the area, don’t miss this gem.
4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups buttermilk, shaken
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (NOTE: I used about 1 tablespoon.)
1 tablespoon dry white wine, such as Chablis (or whatever white wine you have in the fridg)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 pound medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Directions
At least 4 hours (but not more than 12 hours) before you plan to serve, sprinkle the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. Seal the bag and massage it lightly to be sure the chicken is coated with the buttermilk. Place in the refrigerator to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in an unheated 12-inch cast-iron skillet and tilt the pan so the oil covers the bottom. Lift the thighs out of the buttermilk, letting any excess buttermilk drip off, and place them in the skillet, skin side up, in one layer. Discard the marinade. In a small bowl, combine the mustard and wine and brush it on the top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the thyme, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the skillet in the oven and roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate and put the potatoes, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the skillet. Toss to coat with the pan juices then spread the potatoes out. Return the chicken to the skillet, placing it on the potatoes. Roast 30 minutes longer, until the chicken registers 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer just the chicken to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Return the skillet to the oven, raise the temperature to 425 degrees F, and roast the potatoes for 15 minutes, until they’re tender and starting to brown. Return the chicken to the pan and sprinkle with the parsley, chives, and extra salt. Serve hot from the skillet.
Second recipe (salt free)
For this recipe, you will need Trader Joe’s, 21 Seasoning Salute.
Ingredients:
4 chicken leg quarters
olive oil
1/2 lemon
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
21 Seasoning Salute
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a cast iron skillet or baking dish, season chicken and potatoes with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Generously sprinkle the seasoning mix over all. Bake until chicken skin is brown and crispy, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Note: If using salt and pepper, season chicken and potatoes all over. Omit seasoning mix.
“This braised pot roast is melt in your mouth tender, incredibly flavorful with veggies and fresh herbs, and super easy to put together.”.
1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat Salt and pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 8 carrots peeled and cut into chunks 4 celery stalks sliced 1 large onion, halved and sliced thin 4 cloves garlic chopped 1 cup red wine (Start with 1/2 cup. This may be enough.) 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 1 cup beef broth (or plain filtered water) 2 cups sliced mushrooms 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 4 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves
Season all sides of the beef with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a tight cover, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on all sides. When you have a good crust, remove the meat from the pot and set aside. To the drippings, add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Let sweat for 2-3 minutes. When slightly soft, add the wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up the bits. Add the tomatoes and broth, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme. Check for seasoning. Add the meat back to the pot along with the mushrooms. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Braise for about 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender and falling apart.
Optional: In a small bowl, mix 2 tbls of cornstarch with 2 tbls of water until smooth. Add to the gravy and let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Slice or shred the beef, arrange on a platter and pour gravy over. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Note: Taste gravy for additional salt and pepper, if needed.
‘We’re an Asian Diner located underneath the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown NY. We specialize in serving classic NY diner dishes that have been influenced by the neighborhood. We work with some pretty great farmers and local purveyors.”
123 Madison Street New York, NY 10002
My family and I had a delightful brunch here. The food was incredibly fresh and delicious. The only negative thing I have to say about brunch was the hour long wait to get in. No reservations are accepted. However, the diner is just a few blocks from the East river with its views of the water, skyline, bridges and piers of the city. According to the NYTimes, “this promenade encapsulates New York’s history.”
Don’t miss their Honey Butter Pancakes, their Chinatown Egg and Cheese Sando, or their Chicken Katsu Club. (Fries were really good, too.)They are open Tuesday – Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm.
My family has a vacation home upstate where we all love to gather for weekends and/or holidays. We love to cook together to eat old favorites or try new recipes, many of which I have previously published here. Of course we love getting out of the kitchen to try some of the local restaurants. Usually we focus on ones that use seasonal ingredients from local farms and vendors, and the result is that I have two wonderful ones to mention. As we find others, I will include them.
Located in the northern Catskill Mountains Is Julia’s Local, in Round Top, serving rustic American cuisine with a Scandinavian twist. Most of their food is homegrown, and the menu changes daily, as the harvest in their culinary garden changes, as well as the availability of other ingredients. We started our meal with a Snack Stand $24, just-picked garden goodies, pickled things, *rillettes, Chef Henning’s butter-of-the-day (ours was cranberry – dill), maldon salt, house-baked sourdough bread. All was amazing! The fresh baked bread was hot and crusty and soft inside.
*rillettes – French pork that is a long, slow-cooked meat spread with duck legs and herbs
Beef Short Rib Bourguignon $32 with horseradish mash was our next menu item. Oh, my! Cooked to perfection! We finished our meal with pots of mint tea and a Tarte au Citron with a vanilla meringue.
Another recommendation is Willa’s Bakery and Cafe, a neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot located next to the Hudson River in the charming village of Catskill. They also offer brunch on weekends.
“Our food, including a rotating selection of baked goods, is made from scratch and served with care and pride. As much as possible, we use seasonal ingredients from local farms and vendors – which reflects our commitment to being a part of our community and offering the best possible products.” Their BLT sandwich is packed with perfectly cooked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and herb mayo on arborio sourdough. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. Their menu is extensive with fair pricing.
Cranberries and orange are a classic sweet-tart pairing in these scones, which are quick-to-make but super satisfying. Folding the dough a few times, and using a combination of buttermilk and cream creates a flaky and tender texture that is irresistible. The glaze adds another punch of orange flavor, but it is totally optional, if you prefer a simpler scone. The scones freeze well after baking, but for the best texture, make sure to defrost them at room temperature and warm gently before serving.
Yield: 9 scones
1 medium orange
¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2¼ cups/288 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
½ cup/115 grams heavy cream, cold, + more to brush over the scones.
For the optional glaze:
1 cup/100 grams confectioners’ sugar
4 to 6 teaspoons orange juice
Pinch salt
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Zest the orange into a large bowl. (You should have about 2 teaspoons of zest.) Reserve the remaining orange for the glaze. Add the ¼ cup granulated sugar to the zest and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. The mixture will be very moist and fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
Add the butter to the bowl and toss to coat in flour. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour until it is the size of small peas. Add the cranberries and stir to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk and cream. Use a fork to gently stir the mixture into a shaggy dough. (It’s OK if there are a few loose, floury pieces of dough.)
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough in half then pat it into a rectangle again and fold it one more time. Pat the dough into a square that is about 7 inches wide and 1 inch thick, then cut it into 9 pieces. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, brush the tops of the scones with a bit of cream and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.
Bake scones until golden brown and cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes.
While the scones are baking, make the glaze, if desired: Juice the orange. Add the confectioners’ sugar, 4 teaspoons of orange juice and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more juice as needed to make a thick, but pourable glaze.
Let the scones cool for about 15 minutes, then drizzle or brush the glaze over the scones. These are best the first day, but you can store any leftover scones in an airtight container for a day or two. They also keep well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks
Please check out the Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for another version (and I think a better one). Also, I added my take on how to cook a brisket on the Beef Stew recipe. I will aways update recipes if I come across better ones.
Ursula, a James Beard finalist in 2020, serves New Mexican inspired cuisine. We went for brunch and enjoyed their breakfast burritos with housemade chorizo (or bacon), scrambled eggs, hash browns and cheddar stuffed inside a flour tortilla. Wow! To agree with Eater, NY, (they) “delivered a payload of multiflavored, multitextured pleasure.”
Do ask for the green chile sauce “on the side.”
Ras Plant Based, according to the New Yorker Magazine, is an “Ethiopian tradition for the vegan-curious… (an) homage to ancestral Ethiopian recipes reimagined through a contemporary lens.”
There are two Ras Plant Based restaurants – one on Pier 57 in NYC and the other in Crown Heights. Dishes run from $5 to $19.
The menu is quite extensive. Some of the items are: Flaky sambusas (the Ethiopian equivalent to what’s called a samosa in South Asia and elsewhere), which are stuffed with either lentils or chopped cabbage, onion, and bell pepper.
Injera, which comes with the vegan sampler platter, is a porous, slightly sticky national flatbread of Ethiopia, made from a deliciously sour fermented teff-flour dough and is torn into pieces and combined with tomato, onion, and jalapeño, all doused in a puckery lime vinaigrette.
I had one of their “bowls.” All bowls have a brown turmeric rice base, a drizzle of homemade hot sauce, and injera crumble and cilantro topping.
BOLÉ BOWL
Ras kitfo – soy protein crumble, onion, jalapeño, spice infused oil, Alicha shiro – slow simmered chick pea; holy basil, Gomen – steamed collards, Yatakilt – cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and Avocado salad – served with tomato, onion, jalapeño.
New Post: Claudia’s of Brooklyn; Guatemalan cuisine
I had their Traditional Plato Breakfast and loved it – soft scrambled eggs with bits of tomato and onion, black beans sprinkled with queso, sweet plantains, and a side of tortilla and crema. Their menu is quite extensive and includes sandwiches, vegan and children’s options.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard (8 1/2×4 1/4″) loaf pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Whisk 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub 1 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at roomtemperature.
Note: I used melted butter instead of oil and buttered and sugared my loaf pan before adding batter. Cake is as good as it looks!
My Picky Mother 