Pescada New York – Classy Ambience, Delicious Food

This past Tuesday, March 1st, Zalman Slowix – a long time associate of mine – and I went to Pescada New York (509 Avenue P; Brooklyn, NY11223 – Telephone: 347.702.5711); we’d heard enough about it and wanted to try it.

The decor was subdued but quietly elegant, a perfect frame for the various dishes our eyes and palates were about to enjoy. I started the meal with Potato Cheese Balls…

Potato Cheese Balls

…they came as a fried medley of potatoes, and cheese served on a smoked eggplant yogurt sauce.

Zalman opted for the Pumpkin Carpaccio with a bed of thinly sliced butternut squash covered with crusted pistachios, shredded feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, olive oil, sea salt, topped with micro greens. Both, Zalman and I found our selections tasty and fitting appetizers for the delights to follow.

Next, we split a Chef’s Special Salad…

Chef’s Special Salad

Zalman segued with the Soup du Jour…

Soup du Jour, for Tuesday the 1st of March.

Actually there were two soups, a Butternut Squash Soup, and Vegetable Soup with house croutons in the three container dish.

I, meanwhile, had their Classic Fettuccine Alfredo…

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo

Zalman followed his soups with a Miso Glazed Sea Bass, a grilled fillet of sea bass with a light coating of the Chef’s Special Miso Sauce. Judging by his face it was obviously cooked to perfection!

I went for the Grilled Tuna…

Grilled Tuna

Whereas my associate had enough, I couldn’t resist a Double Chocolate Dessert…

Double Chocolate Cake

…which consisted of Belgian Chocolate, a thin layer of crunchy sweet crumbs topped with a layer of White Chocolate with sides of Vanilla Ice Cream and a sliced Strawberry. I washed it all down with a…

Nana Smoothie

…Nana Smoothie, it’s minty and citrusy flavours, a perfect companion for a superb meal. Zalman had their house red, a Barkan Classic Cabernet Sauvignon 2014.

Chef Lior showed a unique mastery and understanding of the balance of flavors in every dish we tasted coupled with an artist’s conception of colors and shapes. I will definitely be back!

CS

Ribollita, Zuppa Toscana

It’s been snowing non-stop, since early morning. It’s CoOOolD out there!

Having come back from a long day I could think of nothing better to warm up with than one of my favorite Tuscan soups:

Ribollita

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• water, as needed
• 14 oz canned white beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock *
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lb 2 oz kale (preferably Tuscan kale**, if you can find it!), trimmed and sliced
• 1 small day or two old ciabatta loaf (substitute any flat bread, if you can’t find the ciabatta, torn into small pieces)
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin oil, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions, carrots, and celery for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are golden and caramelized.
2. Add the white beans to the pan and pour in the tomatoes. Add enough of water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20minutes. Add the parsley and Tuscan kale and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the bread and add a little more water, as needed. The soup should be thick.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Ladle into warmed serving bowls and serve hot, drizzled with extra virgin oil.

Try this soup and you’ll understand the true meaning of comfort food!

–oOOoOOo–

* Vegetable Stock

Yield: 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes,
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

–oOOoOOo–

**

Be warned, once you’ve tasted Tuscan kale, you’ll find it hard to go back to the more easily available variety.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Caldo Verde

In this era when not only do we crave flavor, but value the health benefits of the various ingredients that make up that wonderful dish; in this wintertime when we look for foods that will warm us there is nothing better than a good hot soup.

We’ve adapted the following recipe from various sources to come up with our own kosher, nutritious, delicious version:

Photo from: http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/deborah/2009/01/sss_week_8_portuguese_caldo_ve_1.html

Caldo Verde is a traditional Portuguese soup, made mainly from kale and potatoes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes or other floury baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks.
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound kale, leaves trimmed from the thick stems, rinsed and finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan with 8 cups water and add a little salt. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Mash the potatoes lightly with a fork, leaving them in the water.
2. Cook the kale in a pan of boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes. Drain and stir into the potato broth with the olive oil. Simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot.

–XoX–

Variation

Photo from: http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.com/2011/07/recipe-caldo-verde-take-one-caldo-verde.html

Ingredients

• 2 Jack’s Gourmet Mexican Style Chorizos, sliced

Directions

1. Heat up a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add chorizo slices and brown. Once browned remove and set aside.
2. Follow step 1 in the vegetarian version above.
3. Add the Jack’s Gourmet chorizo slices and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the kale and let cook until desired level of doneness.
4. Serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Summer Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Sure, we don’t eat meat during the Nine Days, but we still can have food that is nutritious and delicious!

From Pam Reiss‘ Soup – A Kosher Collection:

The soup itself is light on flavor-but serve bowls up with a dollup of the pesto on top and you’ll be amazed. You can add any vegetables you like-see what your garden has to offer.

Serves 6
Ingredients

Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves (freshly packed)
• 1-2 cloves garlic(1 tsp), crushed
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

Soup

• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 1 small carrot, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch
• 5-6 small new potatoes, skin on, cut in half and sliced into 1/4 inch
• 1/4 lb button mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 cup green beans, tips cut off, then cut on diagonal into pieces
• 3-4 spears asparagus, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch half -circles
• 1 cup firmly packed spinach leaves (2 oz), cut into thin strips

FOR THE PESTO, place the basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Puree for 30 seconds and then scrape down the sides. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil and keep pureeing until you have a nice paste-don’t worry if it’s not liquified, you want to see a few small pieces of basil and garlic. Scrape this mixture into a bowl and mix in the Parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate.

For the soup, bring the stock to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. Add the onion, carrot, potatoes, mushrooms, green beans, asparagus and salt and pepper-reduce the heat and simmer gently for 7 minutes.

Add the zucchini and spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve each bowl of soup with a large spoonful of pesto.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Vichyssoise

It can be served cold or hot, but I prefer it cold; it’s perfect for summer and… perfect for Shavuos!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 large leeks
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb potatoes, chopped
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock *
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup light cream
• salt and white pepper
• freshly snipped chives, to garnish

Directions

1. Trim the leeks and remove most of the green parts. slice the white part of the leeks very finely.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the leeks and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, without browning.
3. Add the potatoes, stock, lemon juice, nutmeg, coriander, and bay leaf to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are very soft.
4. Let the soup cool a bit, remove and discard the bay leaf, and then press through a strainer or process in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into a clean pan.
5. Blend the egg yolk into the cream, add a little of the soup to the mixture, and then whisk it all back into the soup and reheat gently, without boiling. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Cool and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
6. Serve the soup sprinkled with freshly snipped chives.

–oOOoOOo–

* Vegetable Stock

Yield: 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes,
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Since I was a kid this soup was a favorite of mine, considering that very few dishes were deemed acceptable to my palate, that’s saying a lot about Vichyssoise. Try it, and you’ll be hooked too.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Dairy Beet Borsht

Growing up in Uruguay, I always used to look forward to Borsht Soup. Whether hot or cold, it was always a treat! I never got my mother’s recipe, but I made this one last night and it brought back some sweet memories of my childhood. With Shavous almost here, I thought I’d try a dairy version (parve, also given)

Beet Borsht

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb 8 oz small tender beets
• 1 large chopped onion
• 15 cups of water *
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• chopped fresh dill to garnish
• sour cream (optional, do not use if you prefer a parve soup)

Directions

1. Cut tops from beets leaving a bit of the stems attached, wash thoroughly to remove any sand or grit. Peel the betts and grate them. Transfer to a heavy pan. You might want to wear rubber gloves to prevent your hands being stained.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Take off from heat and allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
3. Ladle the liquid into a food processor and process until smooth. Rinse off the pan and put the soup back in it.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat and add salt, pepper (to taste), lemon juice and sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes and taste, it should have a sweet and sour taste. If necessary add a little more sugar or lemon juice, if it’s a bit thick, thin out by adding a little bit more water.
5. Serve hot with a swirl of sour cream. Sprinkle with dill. You may also serve it cold if you refrigerate it covered, but you thin out the soup as it will thicken when chilled.

(Sometimes you may find a similar recipe using vegetable stock instead of water, I’ll have to do that next time.)

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy. I did! I tied hot, I can’t wait to try it cold.

CS

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup

This hearty soup was so good, I had three bowls of it last evening (and still have leftovers in the fridge). It was just the perfect dish for capping a winter evening, even if the weather was unusually warm for this time of year.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 lb 9 oz ripe tomatoes, skinned, cored and halved
• 3 large yellow bell peppers. seeded and halved
• 3 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves, halved
• 2 onion cloves, cut into eights
• pinch of thyme
• 4 cups chicken vegetable, or beef stock
• 1/2 cup MimicCreme
• salt and pepper
• shredded basil leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Brush a large shallow baking dish with olive oil. Laying them cut-sized down, arrange the tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant in one layer (use two dishes if necessary). Tuck the garlic cloves and onion pieces into the gaps and drizzle the vegetables with the remaining olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme.
3. Place in preheated oven and bake uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until soft and browned around the edges. Let cool, then scrape out the eggplant flesh and remove the skin from the bell peppers.
4. Working in batches, put the eggplant and bell pepper flesh, together with the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic and onion place into a bowl and chop together using a knife.
5. Combine the stock and chopped vegetable mixture in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors have completely blended.
6. Stir in the MimicCreme and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until hot. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, garnish with basil and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Vegetable Cream Soup

Growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay, as the only Jewish kid (a very fat one!) on an all-Italian block… in the middle of the Jewish neighborhood (go figure!), my mother soon realized that it would be safer for her little boy if she learned to cook cucina italiana, then some of his tormentors would stop harassing him in hopes of getting invited for a meal. She learned from our neighbors and soon became the outstanding Italian cook on the block. Somehow word got out, and life became a lot easier for me…

Here’s one recipe I made last eve (using a food processor, which – when I was a kid – my mother didn’t have), after I found it in The Italian Mama’s Kitchen by Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi. It tasted just like I my mother’s!

Cream of Vegetable Soup – Passata di Verdure

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized carrots, trimmed and peeled
• 2 small zucchini, trimmed
• 3 small potatoes
• 1 small bunch (about 1/2 oz) flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 cups chicken stock*
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• Salt and pepper

Detail from photo in The Italian Mama's Kitchen, page 57

Directions

1. Cut the carrots, zucchini and potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes
2. Place the parsley on a piece of cheesecloth. Using kitchen string, tie the of the cheesecloth together to form a bag shape.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the carrots, zucchini and potatoes; sautee for 10 minutes. Add the bay leaves and garlic. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the stock* into the saucepan. Add the Parsley and and peas . Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Remove and discard the parsley and bay leaves. Transfer the stock to a blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is of a consistency you desire. Return the soup to the saucepan to reheat before serving and add salt and pepper to taste. It can be stored in the fridge for up to three days (and I know exactly what I’ll be having this evening, again!)

* Chicken Stock – Brodo di Gallina

Yield: 16 cups

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch (about 1/2 oz) Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 pound hen, cleaned and cut into four pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 large carrot
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the celery and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth, then using kitchen string, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together to make a bag.
2. Place 16 cups water in a large pot. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the surface occasionally to catch and discard the residue and foam. Add extra water to the broth, making sure the original level of broth is maintained throughout.
4. Drain the stock through a strainer discarding the vegetables and reserving the flesh for further use in other recipes.

The chicken stock can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen up to 30 days.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Red Lentil Soup

This past Shabbos we read Parshas Toldos, in it we have the episode of Eisov selling his first born rights to Yaakov for a pot of red lentils. We will never know what recipe Yaakov made but on scouring the web I found some delicious sounding variations of Red Lentil Soup, which I can’t wait to try:

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Recipe and photo from: superspark.wordpress.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

(makes 1 quart; 4 small servings)

Food Network.com’s website has the following recipe, among others:

Red Lentil Soup

Recipe and photo from: http://www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, washed and soaked for 1 hour, drained
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 green serrano chile, split and seeded
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Kosher salt
• Honey, to taste
• Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the drained lentils, onion, tomato, chile, ginger, garlic and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Whisk the cooked lentils to release some of their starch and break them down further.

In small saute pan, warm the canola oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they are sizzling and spluttering. Stir in the turmeric and paprika. Pour the seasoned oil into the lentils (be prepared for a big sizzle). Stir to combine, add salt, to taste, and a small drizzle of honey. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Per Serving: Calories: 273; Fat: 8g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams); Protein: 14g; Carbohydrates: 37g; Sugar: 7g; Fiber: 8g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 131mg

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Soups as Comfort Food

It’s winter, last evening we had our first snowfall of the year. It was not a heavy snow but it was followed by verrrry cold weather, is there a  better way to warm up than having some nice hot soup? Below is one of my favorites:

Creamy Potato Soup

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 medium potatoes, mashed
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 6 cups soy milk
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Parsley and basil for garnish

Directions

1. Peel, cube, boil, drain and mash.
2. In separate pan, melt butter, add flour and cook while stirring for about a minute or so.
3. Add half the milk and stir until lumps are out of flour mixture.
4. Add remaining milk and on med-high heat, bring to a boil.
5. Stir almost constantly or it will scorch.
6. After boiling, turn heat off and add the mashed potatoes.
7. Sprinkle some parsley and basil, serve.

Having scoured the web, we bring you a few easy to make recipes but are truly delicious.

At Foodista.com – The Cooking Encyclopedia Everyone Can Edit I found the following recipe by Alisa Escanlar:

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 can (14 oz) whole tomatoes, broken up, with juice
• 10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme, ground

Directions

1. Heat cooking oil over medium heat in large saucepan and add ground beef.
2. Scramble fry until browned and crumbly.You can remove excess oil. Drain the hamburger and add back to pot.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Then, cover and simmer in medium to low heat.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not too soft.
5. Serve with crackers.

From South African cooking blog: KOEK! we bring you:

Photo by: Koek! blog

Pappa Al Pomodoro

Ingredients

• 8.5 ounces olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 leeks, finely chopped
• 34 ounces meat stock (made with beef and chicken)
• 64 ounces puréed canned tomatoes
• Half a loaf of bread, thickly sliced
• Generous handful basil leaves, torn
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a medium cooking pot. When the garlic has coloured slightly, add the leeks. Saute over a low heat for 20 minutes, adding water as necessary to keep the vegetables from turning brown.
2. Stir in the stock and puréed tomatoes and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and add the bread, pushing it into the liquid with a wooden spoon. Stir in the torn basil leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Now whisk the soup energetically until it has a porridge-like consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. 5. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Vegetable Beef Soup