Flounder With a Crunch

Anyone who’s been following this blog over the last couple of years, knows that until three years ago I never tasted fish during the first 6 decades of my life, however, when I finally was trapped into tasting them… I found it a great culinary experience.  It showed me what I’ve been, unnecessarily, depriving myself of!

The following easy to make recipe appeared in a book published in 2004 by the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School in Skokie, IL. From Crowning Elegance, a cookbook that combines superb recipes with an elegant flair:

Photo from: Crowning Elegance, page 210

Dairy or Parve — Serves 4

Crushed prestzels are a welcoming change from the basic breadcrumb topping. They add a nice cruch and a salty flvor, balancing the simplistic flavor of flounder.

Ingredients

• 1 pound flounder fillets
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 tablespoon milk or non-dairy creamer
• 1/4 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup coarsely crushed prestzels
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 lemon sliced, optional garnish

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl, using a fork, combine egg, mustard, milk and pepper.
2. on a large piece of plastic wrap separately place flour and pretzels .
3. Coat fish with flour, dip fish into mustard mixture. Dredge fish in crushed pretzels to coat both sides well.
4. In a large skillet, over medium high flame, heat oi. Cook fish in batches for 3 to 4 minuteson each side or until golden brownand fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. Serve hot and garnish with lemon slices.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Food and Sukkot

While there are no specific dishes associated with Sukkot, some lend themselves better to the sometimes chilly weather we are experiencing these days. The aromas, the warmth they evoke are just perfect for eating in the Sukkah. So, here is a superb recipe by one of New York’s favorite chefs, Jeff Nathan of Abigael’s on Broadway:

Photo by: Alison Nathan

Jeff Nathan’s
Tarragon Salmon Fillets with Vegetable Ragout

Dairy — Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (2 tablespoons chilled)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fennel seed, optional
• 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced
• 4 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 cup Vegetable Broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 7 to 8-ounce salmon fillets, skinned
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Position a broiler rack about 6 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler.
2. To make the ragout, melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and fennel and cook, stirring often, until garlic gives off its aroma, about 1 minute. Add the shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give off their juices, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, broth, lemon juice, and tarragon. Bring the broth to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, partially cover with a lid, and keep warm
3. Meanwhile, brush the salmon on both sides with the oil, sprinkle with the tarragon, and season with salt and pepper. Oil the broiler rack. Broil the fish, skin sides up, for 3 minutes. Turn and continue broiling until the fish is opaque in the center with a tinge of rose color when prodded with the tip of a sharp knife, about 5 minutes more for medium-rare salmon. Place each salmon fillet on a dinner plate.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into bits, to the vegetables. Stir with a wooden spoon, being careful not to break up the vegetables, to melt the butter. Season the ragout with salt and pepper. Spoon the ragout over the salmon and serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader enjoy!

CS

Cioppino

This past Monday eve, SYR and I attended Lévana‘s Dinner and a Show: Light Italian Feast. As usual it was enjoyable, educational and absolutely DELICIOUS! Certainly one of the best cooking classes I’ve ever attended.

We especially liked the Cioppino and Lévana graciously allowed us to post her recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 ribs celery, peeled
• 2 red peppers
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 fennel bulb, quartered, centers removed, sliced-thin
• 3 leeks, darkest parts removed
• 1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 6 cups water
• 6 bay leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground
• 2 good pinches saffron
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon anise and fennel seeds
• Good pinch cloves
• Good pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 2-ounce can anchovies, drained and rinsed

• 1 side salmon (about 3 pounds), cut in large cubes
• 1 pound flaked mock crab
• 1 large bunch flat parsley, minced

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy wide bottom pot. In a food processor coarsely grind the garlic, celery, pepper and onion. Add the ground mixture to the pot, with the leeks, and sautè until translucent. Reduce to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Add the fish and parsley and cook just 5 more minutes. Ladle into soup bowls, and serve with good toasted bread or croutons.

Though it took me more 60 years to even taste fish, I can assure you (as does, SYR) that these was an incredibly tasty soup with a rich array of subtle flavors. Considering the ingredients… I can actually say…. it’s good for you, as well!

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Salmon in Lemon Sauce

It’s hard to believe that until about 21 months ago I had never eaten fish, other than a small piece of gefilte on Friday evenings (and even then, none too willingly!). Having learned how to enjoy them, thanks to Orchideä and the defunct Avenue Plaza Dining (both in Boro Park), I now savor the taste and appreciate the nutritional value of that which for decades I’d considered untouchable, inedible, food.

Since, I’ve made this recipe a few times because it tastes great and it’s easy:

Photo from: http://moderndayozzieandharriet.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. margarine
• 1 lb. salmon filets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 pinch oregano
• 3 oz. dry white wine
• 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. capers
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet. Lightly salt and pepper the fish. Cook the fish over medium-high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
2. Add the tarragon, garlic, parsley, oregano. When garlic browns add capers, white wine and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove fish from fire to a plate keeping it warm as you make the sauce. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet. Whisk in the cornstarch; when smooth, add the cream and milk, whisking until smooth, cook until it thickens.
4. Simmer for one minute, return the fish to the pan, and reheat for another minute. Top fish with sauce and serve with rice.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

POM Wonderful!

I learned at a very tender age that “Have it, it’s good for you!” would inevitably refer to something that tasted very bad. Fast forward a couple of decades (OK, OK so it’s more than that, I confess, I confess!) and  I’m a fan of Pom Wonderful because  it’s actually “good for you,” delicious and refreshing.

Delicious, refreshing, good for you

Pomegranate juice has a great concentration of antioxidants, various studies say it is similar to red wine, purple grape juice and black tea. Preliminary research has shown that it may reduce the danger of various types of cancer, it may reduce serum cholesterol and protect arteries from clogging. In the summer I like it as an ice cold drink, but it is a very popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is also used as a marinade for grilled meats.

Since we are in the Nine Days and meat may not be eaten, I thought it appropriate to bring you a delicious fish recipe, which I adapted from Perfect Jewish, by Elizabeth Wolfe-Cohen, published by Parragon Books.

Photo from: Perfect Jewish, page 106. - Copyright by: Parragon Books, Ltd.

Stuffed Oven-Baked Trout with Pomegranates

Yields: 4 servings

• 4 Whole trout, about 10 to 12 oz each, cleaned, scaled, rinsed and dried
• vegetable oil for oiling
• 2 tablespoons margarine

Stuffing

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and skinned
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 4 tablespoons POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 ripe pomegranate

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare the stuffing. heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium high fire. Add the onion and cook for 3 – 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
2. Stir in the pistachios, cardamon, POM Wonderful and the remaining oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. With a sharp knife, slice off the top of the pomegranate. Cut the thick skin into 6 wedgesand pull apart into sections. Carefully scoop the seeds into a small bowl, removing the skin membranes and reserving any juice. Add about three quarters of the seeds to the stuffing and stir to combine.
4. Oil a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the fish. Season fish to taste with salt and pepper, inside and out. Cut into the fish’ skin diagonally 2 to 3 times on each side. Spoon one quarter of the stuffing into each fish. Arrange in the dish.
5. Drizzle with the melted margarine. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the flesh flakes when pierced with a tip of a knife. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with the remaing pomegranate seeds and juice.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

The Week’s Events

Monday, March 14

Photo by: ArtScroll

11:30 am

Location:

Pomegranate Supermarket (1507 Coney island Avenue – Corner of Avenue L – Tel: 718.951.7112)

Who:

Susie Fishbein

Subject:

Cooking Demonstration: Fish (last part of series)

• Poached Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• Tuna Teriyaki with Radish Salad
• Green Tea Poached Cod

Free!

———-)xnOnx(———-

7:00 pm

Location:

210 West 101st Street, Apartment 9L (in Manhattan, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)

Who:

Lévana Kirschenbaum

Subject:

Lévana’s Dinner and a Show

THE VEGETARIAN INDIAN FEAST GLUTEN-FREE – Lévana will demonstrate the following dishes:

• Corn hot and sour soup
• Aloo gobi
• Vegetable pancakes in ghee
• Jasmine rice
• Apricot chutney
• Yogurt raita
• Mango lassi
• Carrot nut pudding

The Demo runs from 7:00 to 9:00 followed by dinner, classes cost $45.00 for one session, $120.00 for 3 sessions or $200.00 for 5 sessions and a signed cookbook. Make your reservations at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

CS

Kaizen! Perfection at Prime Ko

Have you ever had one of those microcosmic moments in time encapsulating a window onto something so much bigger in its depth and substance? Though most of mine have not been food moments, this one surely was this past week at the Japanese inspired restaurant Prime Ko (217 West 85th Street New York, NY 10024-3901 – (212) 496-1888) when I tasted Chef Makoto Kameyama’s signature sushi Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna appetizer. But more about that in a moment…

CS and I were escorted into the ground floor dining area; they’ve got a lower level with a wet bar, TV screen and more seating. Décor showed subtle Japanese influences. The waiting area had these lovely brown leather boxy ’kabuki’ shaped chairs and couch, fresh orchids on a dark rectangular table, with a wall of hand-painted coral peonies on soft aqua…

Wall dividers of slatted mahogany separated one area from another; windows were shaded with white bamboo semi-transparent treatments. Seating was brown textured suede on wood, a few striped suede backed benches, all tucked into square darkwood tables. Settings consisted of simple white geometric china, flatware laid out on deep red bamboo textured placemats, and chop-sticks resting on logo enhanced wood pieces. Lighting was recessed in one area and a framed oval shaped ruched red fabric with a back lit center aperture against the far wall, with a row of rice textured globe light fixtures in the other area.

A partial view...

Esteemed Chef Makoto Kameyama, the former prized Sushi Chef at Prime Grill for the past ten years, has served as Executive Chef at Prime Ko since it opened last year. His experience began in Tokyo where he assisted his father, a prominent Edo-sushi chef running a successful restaurant in Japan. In1981, Chef Kameyama came to the US and opened his own Japanese restaurant. Transitioning to Japanese kosher posed quite a challenge. Aside from the dietary restrictions on pork, shrimp, crustaceans, etc. sourcing fine quality kosher fish for sushi and sashimi, replacing basic Japanese cooking elements like bonita flakes and dashi (made of fish bone, until recently unavailable with a kosher certification), achieving consistent textures and creating exciting sauces were but a few of the obstacles he faced.

Chef Kameyama is very pleased with healthy low fat and low cal Japanese cuisine becoming staple of the American diet. Be it the DHA and heart healthy fresh fish, lung healthy miso, or vitamin mineral-rich seaweed, it is thanks to Japanese cuisine masters like Kameyama that this healthy streamlined fare is taking the nation by storm.

Now, back to our meal… The opening appetizer was an assortment of Rainbow Roll, yellowtail, tuna, and salmon sashimi and that fabulous Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna I mentioned earlier. That was the defining moment of kaizen (Japanese for perfection) . The mouthful of toasted rice cake topped with spicy tuna pureed with bell pepper, topped with jalapeño and aioli sauce was a bite of pure perfection. The creative combination of textures and genius flavors conjoining to taste so remarkably well, spoke volumes about the artistry of a chef whose collective experience and expertise arrive at the table each time this signature dish is served. Bravo! Omedetou!

Sushi and Sashimi

But we were just getting warmed up… CS and I shared lovely grilled miso Chilean Sea Bass skewers in a spicy teriyake sauce served aside sautéed bok choy & veggies which couldn’t help but be outshined by an outstanding Tuna Delmonico, edged in breading served with jalapeño sauce, wasabi, beet and ginger sauce, with a side of soba noodles and pickled radish/onion/carrot garnish.

Tuna Delmonico

Our waiter, Al, our server, Lebron, treated us like royalty; they were friendly, efficient, informed. I thought we were getting the ‘special treatment’, but service to the tables nearby was just as extraordinary. Al, had the menu and wine pairings memorized down to the last nori seaweed bit & dot of sauce. Service was the epitome of high Japanese hospitality; water goblets refilled with Prime Ko’s own filtered carbonated water, napkins refolded, tables cleaned between courses, and soy sauce, dishes and silverware replaced with the arrival of each new dish.

We enjoyed a cleansing, refreshing Borgo Reale Pinot Grigio 2007 as we waited for our next course, a medley of kobe chopped beef dishes. We sampled Kobe Meatballs with ground ginger and garlic in miso sesame sauce, spicy Kobe Pizza – crispy dough, house made marinara topped with chopped salad & chopped wagyu. Wagyu Beef Sliders – a mini kobe hamburger with spicy aioli and teriyake sauce – completed this tasty Americanized trio.

Cutlery was replaced again with a fresh set including steak knives. I starved myself till dinner in anticipation, but this was turning out to be a most extravagant meal… The best was next! Three ounces of the most amazing Kobe/Wagyu steak resting on a slab of Himalayan salt rock witha side of white mushroom cooked at our table with a spritz of fresh lime. When quality is this good, extra spicing could only detract from it natural flavors – it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Taken before being cooked at table-side. 3 ozs of marbled beauty!

The second steak dish was a 6 oz. Grain Fed Chateau-Briand with vegetable rice served with a jalapeño/uzu/teriyake sauce, with salad and rice. The steak was so good, I would have preferred the sauce on the side.

Steak Chateau-Briand

Chef then surprised us with Eggplant Dengaku. Baked eggplant topped with miso and sesame sauce. Unusual, and superbly tasty. The evening’s crown,  came with the creative and most beautiful desert dish pictured below.

Beautiful presentation, superlative tasting

Two crepes laid out like a Japanese fan, topped with blueberries and strawberries with hot chocolate sauce, sprinkled with green tea powder and confectioner’s sugar that looked like fairy dust. Need I say more?

A brilliant meal overall. Our thanks to Chef Kameyama and the staff of Prime Ko for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

SYR

Cooking With Class — Susie Fishbein at Pomegranate Supermarket

Pomegranate Supermarket has been running a cooking demo series called Cooking with Class. Their guest Chef, this past Monday, was award winning cookbook author Susie Fishbein. In a friendly and entertaining manner, she demonstrated three fish dishes.

• Miso Glazed Cod
• Blackened Tilapia or Red Snapper
• Sole en Papillote

Answering a question from the audience...

She explained how to ensure that the fish, whether filleted or whole, is absolutely fresh as that would guarantee a non fish smelling or fish tasting dish. After each dish was done (and all three were done in minutes!), samples were given out for the audience to savor. Those of you who have been following these pages for a while, know that I’m not a fish fan (until just over a year ago I’d always refused to get near a fish dish). On Monday,  like the rest of the audience, I savored these delicious finned creatures… because they neither smelled nor tasted fishy!

Now, get ready to taste it!

Of the dishes demonstrated, my favorite was the second one and Mrs. Fishbein graciously agreed to share the recipe.

Blackened Tilapia or Red Snapper

This dish is an authentic Cajun, mouth-on-fire delicacy. Blackened refers to the spices, not the lack of cooking prowess. If you are worried about the heat, only coat one side of the fish with the spice mixture, although it will still be hot. I like to make a batch of the spices and keep them in a baby food jar so that dinner preparation on this dish (it’s also great on thinly pounded chicken breast) is a snap. If you have a cast iron skillet, it is the way to go. If not, use a nonstick frying pan and get it very hot as well. Warn your guests, pour a big pitcher of ice water and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 4 (6 ozs) tilapia or red snapper fillets
• 4 medium fresh tomatoes, each cut in half, trimmed tops so they seat flat
• oregano
• sour cream

Directions

1. Spray a large frying pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. In a flat plate combine the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, white pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano and basil. Mix well.
2. Dredge each fillet in the melted butter, then coat with the spice mixture in one or both sides. reserve the melted butter.
3. If using a cast-iron skillet, get it very hot. If not, heat the frying pan over medium -high heat until very hot but not smoking.
4. Carefully place the fillets in the skillet and sear about 3-5 minutes or until blackened. Pour 1 tablespoon of reserved melted butter on each fillet. Flip the fish over and pour 1 tablespoon of of melted butter over each fillet and blacken the other side, about 2-3 minutes. If you only spiced one side the second side won’t get black, just cook the fish through until it’s done. Remove fish to dinner plates.
5. Brush the tomato halves with the melted butter and sprinkle with oregano. sear the tomatoes in the frying pan about 3 minutes or until soft. Flip the other side and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
6. Serve each fillet with a big dollop of sour cream and two tomato halves.

Yield: 4 servings

The finished dish, as seen on one of the two giant TV screens

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

Mrs. Fishbein will be back at Pomegranate on Tuesday, March 8, to demonstrate how to cook Grouper and Mahi Mahi and again on Monday, March 14 to demo her techniques for Halibut. Can’t wait to learn from her!

CS

Events for the Week of February 27 Through March 5

Once again we have some great events. It all started last evening with Lipa‘s free concert at Pomegranate,

Monday, February 28th

Meet and Greet Susie Fishbein

Meet, Greet and Join Celebrity Chef, award winning cookbook author Susie Fishbein for a Cooking Demonstration Series at Pomegranate (1507 Coney Island Avenue – corner of Avenue L – Brooklyn, New York 11230; Tel: 718.951.7112). She will be demonstrating fish cooking techniques:

Cod

• Miso Glazed Cod
• Cod, Potatoes and Sun dried Tomatoes

Snapper

• Blackened Red Snapper
• Snapper in Parchment

The demo will start at 11:30am

Lévana’s Dinner and a Show

This week it will be held in Lévana’s house at: 210 West 101st Street, Apartment 9L (in Manhattan, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway). The subject of tonight’s class will be: THE LEAN LATIN FEAST. She will demonstrate the following:

• Tilapia with green tomato sauce
• Spicy pumpkin corn soup
• Chicken breasts with chipotle sauce
• Cabbage, cucumber and jicama salad with “yogurt” cilantro sauce
• Café con leche pots de crème
• Sangria

The Demo runs from 7:00 to 9:00 followed by dinner, classes cost $45.00 for one session, $120.00 for 3 sessions or $200.00 for 5 sessions and a signed cookbook. Make your reservations at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

Maple Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes and More

Susie Fishbein, best selling kosher cookbook author, graciously consented to share two of her recipes – from  her upcoming Kosher By Design – Teens and 20-Somethings – with our readers. I tried the first one last evening, after the fast, and loved it (and… I’m quite a few hours past my 20-somethings):

Maple Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes

DAIRY OR PARVE – YIELDS 6 SERVINGS

I adore these soft sweet pears and the way the sweet potatoes become sticky and sweet. You can try this with cubed butternut squash in addition to or in place of the sweet potatoes. While you have the maple syrup on hand, put the Pineapple Maple Glazed Salmon (page 134) on your menu for another night.

Ingredients

• 8 mini pears, such as Seckel, or 4 ripe Anjou pears, peeled, halved, cored, quartered
• 3 large sweet potatoes, (about 2 pounds) peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into
  chunks the same size as the pears
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup pure maple syrup, NOT pancake syrup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.
2. For easy cleanup, completely cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
3. As you cut up the pears and sweet potato, place them into a large bowl. Set
   aside.
4. In a medium pot, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in maple
   syrup and salt. Cook until it starts to bubble.
5. Remove from heat. Pour over the pears and sweet potatoes. Toss to coat.
   Transfer to prepared pan
6. Bake, uncovered, for 11⁄2 hours.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter.

…and one more, can’t wait to try it!

Pineapple Maple Glazed Salmon

PARVE – YIELDS 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients

• 6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, without skin, pin bones removed
• 1⁄4 cup maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup)
• 1⁄4 cup crushed pineapple, from a small can, squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Rinse the salmon and place it on a parchment-lined jelly roll pan. Pat dry with
   paper towels.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup, pineapple, soy sauce, mustard, olive
   oil, and garlic.
4. Pour over the salmon and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. Transfer to serving platter. Drizzle with pan juices. Serve hot or at room
   temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!!

CS

Maple Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes