First was DoneRight Döner Kebab, and now we have Istanbul Doner Kebab, with a location that is more off the beaten path as it is on 8th, between Madison and Jefferson. Both restaurants serve Turkish doner, but the comparison might stop there as Istanbul Doner Kebab is not a fast casual place as DoneRight is. From the outside, I thought it was small, but in fact they have a decent size dining room, dominated by beautiful Turkish lamps. Their menu has a few vegetarian options, like the…
If you are around Manalapan in New Jersey, you may want to stop by The Greek Spot: this unassuming restaurant serves delicious food. We were there on a Saturday for lunch and had a great meal from their extensive menu. We started off with their zucchini fritters ($11) that were a lunch special. I did not expect seeing a small fried patty. Served with tzatziki, it was very slightly crispy on the outside, hiding a filling made with course zucchini, but also parsley, onion, dill, covered in breadcrumbs. They do have other vegetarian dishes (the fritters were vegan, not the tzatziki), like the…
Amzchef sent me their new Portable Desktop Kitchen Range Hood to try and I admit that it is even better than the previous one (review here), that I use regularly, as I think that it does a better job than the one I have on top of my stove. This one has 4 speeds, from low to high, ensuring adequate suction based on the type of food you are cooking. It is also perfect if you have a small kitchen or in an RV. The video below will show you how to use it and, at the end, you will see it in action!
Listen to the last episode: A discussion with Vincent Todarello aka Johnny Prime Carnivore Connoisseur, foodie and meat expert.
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Pick of the month
If you have never been to The Tin Building, you are truly missing an incredible experience. This food market from Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is superb, with my favorite spot being their bakery that proposes delicious items, similar to what you would get in France. My favorite is their brioche au sucre that is better eaten there, as the sugar will fall in the bag on the way home, and their...
President Cheese sent me a Brie to come up with a recipe and of course baked Brie is what comes immediately to mind. I mean Brie with a good bread is fine, but I often get Brie bites or baked Brie in restaurants, so, why not make my own? It is an easy recipe that will make for a great appetizer and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
A while back, I published a recipe of vegetarian chili, made with tofu. Since then, I discovered a meatless product at Trader Joe’s (I am not paid for this nor was I asked by this company to promote their product!) that really looks like ground beef and has the same texture, but is made with soy.
Ratatouille is a Provencal dish that originated in Nice, in the South of France. Needless to say that this dish became popular after the Disney movie of the same name and it is now not uncommon to see it on menus in New York. Comforting, this is the kind of dish where every family has its own recipe. Some cook the vegetables separately. others together. Even the way the vegetables are cut can differ, some preferring them grossly cut and others, like myself, small. Know that it has to cook for a long time and you will surely get a fantastic smell in your apartment.
When I was a kid, the only soufflé I knew was the cheese soufflé that my Mom was making. We never heard about sweet soufflés and it is only much later in my life that variations on soufflés started to appear, like the cauliflower soufflé we made one time with my sister. Then I discovered chocolate soufflés, and one time, banana soufflés. The latter is fantastic; well, if you like bananas! So, the recipe below is my take on a recipe I learned at the Institute of Culinary Education few years ago.
I love ramen and New York is a perfect city to try different ones, having so many places proposing that delicious Japanese dish. And my favorite moment to eat that soup is now, as I like it hot and was never really impressed by cold versions of it. This recipe requires a bit of work, but it is worth it!
I discovered S'Mores in this country, this treat not being known at all in France. Even roasting marshmallows, that we call chamallows, is pretty uncommon there. So, I decided to make my own version of a S'Mores pie, layering a Graham cracker crust, a fudgy brownie and some torched marshmallow. An easy recipe that will satisfy adults and kids!
I discovered olive oil cake a couple of years ago, eating in an Italian restaurant. Since then, I never hesitate to order it for dessert, often preferring it to the popular tiramisu. And in fact the best olive cake I ate, that inspires this recipe, was at Maialino. So, I decided to make my own: an easy recipe for a succulent cake...
This is a simple recipe for a dish that is very comforting: meatballs with orzo (that we call in French langues d'oiseaux or birds' tongues because of their shape).
I remember that when I was a kid, I used to see TV series or movies where people were making pancakes, wondering what it was, as we did not have that in France. In all cases, I would definitely not say that crepes are like pancakes and it makes me cringe when I hear people comparing the two as they are totally different!
Anyway, here is the way I make pancakes at home.
I love BAO, these steamed buns of all sorts of shapes that you can find in Chinese restaurants. I love it so much that I was curious to know how to make it and decided to try myself. I made two versions: pork belly for me and tofu for Jodi (not entirely vegetarian as it contains fish sauce). It is not that this recipe is complicated, but it takes some time.
During our trip to Florence, we had some amazing Tuscan white bean soup. This recipe is inspired from it. Enjoy (I did)! and bon appétit!
Bugnes are some sort of beignets that are popular in Central-Eastern France, the most known being the bugnes de Lyon. There are two sorts: the soft and the crunchy, the difference between the two being the presence of yeast (soft) or not (crunchy). It is not difficult to make, but takes a bit of time as the dough has to rise.
I love paella and tried to recreate my own version, made with meat and seafood and cooked for long enough so the rice gets very soft and flavorful. In this recipe, I have replaced the saffron by turmeric, to give to the rice this nice yellow color, saffron being expensive. Here is the recipe:
Check out this recipe to make some delicious butternut squash ravioli with taleggio cream. In this recipe you will learn how to make homemade pasta! Yum!
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Serving Mediterranean cuisine, Gotan is not unknown to me as I discovered this place few years ago in New York, where the owner, Rami Rosen, had several locations, before closing a few when COVID hit. Another place I knew of him is Yuki’s Coffee and Bakery in Hoboken, located few steps from the largest space the restaurant has ever occupied, with 5,000 square feet and two floors. The food there is fantastic, with two favorites of mine: the Gotan breakfast ($16.50), composed of an egg over easy, a Mediterranean salad, labneh, potatoes and a fluffy pita that is also served with my second favorite: the shakshuka ($18). This dish is a bit different from my family recipe that is a stew made with…