With few dishes that are a nod to French cuisine, I would more think that Cafe Cluny serves international food, from burgers to lobster rolls, pasta or these chicken dumplings buffalo style ($19) that are a cross between American and Chinese cuisine. Good idea, but I thought it did not deliver on its promise: the shell was thick as was the filling, giving to the dish a doughy-like texture. Or the burger ($28) where you…
Meaning “to feast” in French, La Ripaille is one of these iconic French restaurants that have been feeding hungry crowd for decades. Opened in 1980 by Alain Laurent, it fed celebrities coming to the West Village to try not only classic dishes, but also the own creations of the chef, like the Cassolette d’escargots a note facon ($22), where the traditional butter, garlic and parsley sauce is replaced with a tomatoes and cream sauce. Mon Dieu may some people say…
Taking its name from a Roman Catholic church in Milan, San Babila is an Italian coffee shop and restaurant on the Upper East Side that opened in the summer, where Chef Francisco Lamanna crafted a modern Italian menu. I admit that, as we entered, I saw that cozy coffee shop with mouth watering pastries facing the window, and thought that was it, until they pulled back a heavy curtain that was hiding a nice and warm dining room. I got…
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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When Blue Anchor opened, few steps from the Hoboken Path Terminal, I was really curious to see what they would have to offer. So we went a few times for brunch and dinner to discover their menu that is mainly about seafood, but with other options, limited for vegetarians. With our meals, I had their OG old fashioned ($16) and the Captain’s colada ($18). For brunch, I wanted a frozé cocktail, but, by the time we finished our meal, it was not ready…