LIC Market’s 3rd Anniversary Party
27 Saturday Jul 2013
Posted in allium, American, celebrations, herbs and spices, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, Spanish, spicy, urban, Williamsburg
Category Archives: Queens
Chapulines
22 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted in allium, American, autochthonous, BBQ, celebrations, education, foraging, herbs and spices, insects, lactose free, meat, Mexican, Queens, snacks, spicy
Chapulines are a variety of grasshopper commonly eaten in some parts of Mexico. They are typically fried on a comal with garlic, lime juice, and salt flavored with agave worm extract. This tangy, aromatic snack can occasionally be found at delis and groceries in Corona, Queens.
I was able to sample some excellent chapulines this week when a student brought them in to share with the class. I expected them to be crispy but they were definitely of the juicy side, especially the plump abdomens.
First Look Inside M. Wells Steak House
19 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in American, Brooklyn, bucket list, celebrations, education, fish, French, herbs and spices, Japanese, Korean, meat, New York, Québécois, Queens, seafood, snacks, urban, Williamsburg
Here is a first look at the new M. Wells Steak House in LIC! Is that the cement trout trough there on the left?
M. Wells Steak House
18 Tuesday Jun 2013
There is a rumor going around that Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis from M. Wells Dinette are planning on opening their new steak house this summer in Long Island City. I am very skeptical because… well, remember what happened last time?!
The LIC Post has reported that there will be a 24 square foot concrete trough for holding live trout.
This is the purported location of the new steak house: 43-15 Crescent Street in Queens. It’s an old auto body repair shop.
I’m going to check out the location this week to see if I can see anything inside the building!
cicada macarons
18 Tuesday Jun 2013
I went cicada hunting in Staten Island on Sunday. The brood II cicadas emerge only once every 17 years and I needed to catch some to make a batch of cicada macarons.
This cute one crawled up my leg!
I am storing them in the freezer until I’m ready to cook them.
Please check back soon for photos of the cicada macarons and a recipe!
Mamak
15 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted in Asian, BBQ, bucket list, celebrations, fish, halal, herbs and spices, Malaysian, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, spicy, urban
I had one of the top ten meals of my entire life last night at Mamak, a brand new Malaysian restaurant that serves authentic Penang style halal cuisine! It’s the only place in New York City that exclusively features this delectably complex culinary tradition on their menu.
Mamak is a colloquial term used in Malaysia to refer to Tamil Muslims who operate roadside food stalls, mamak stalls. Above is the udang nasi kandar, a generous portion of succulent shrimp with a spicy mamak style sauce.
Murtabak is a stuffed and folded savory crêpe. The name comes from the Arabic word “مطبق” (folded). At Mamak murtabak is stuffed with minced beef and egg, and served with pickled red onions. We were blown away by the subtly complex flavors of the beef inside. There was definitely a hint of cumin — and maybe aniseed, clove, coriander, and cinnamon?
You must try the lamb satay. The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth! Cubes of rice, cucumber, and red onion are served on the side, along with a bit of the most delicious peanut sauce I have ever tasted!
We got to meet the amazing owner and chef, Nani Yusof Hughie! Thank you, Nani, for such amazing meal! We will be back soon!
Mamak
35-20 Farrington
Flushing NY 11355
(718) 886-4828
xoxos picantes
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted in Ecuadorian, New York, Peruvian, Queens, South American, spicy, vegan
After having lived in Andalusia, I found this jar of chochos picantes very amusing. Please like me on Facebook!
Ispahan ice cream recipe
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Pierre Hermé’s famous Ispahan dessert is not available in the United States. I did get to try one last year in Tokyo. Since then I often find myself daydreaming about the magical combination of rose, lychee, and raspberry.
Below is a recipe for Ispahan ice cream. I made it last weekend and it turned out great!
Prepare your ice cream maker (mine has a detachable bowl that has to freeze overnight).
Over low heat, stir 8 egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until the yolks coat the back of the spoon. Pour into a bowl and chill this in the fridge.
Warm 1 cup of raspberries in a sauce pan with 2 tablespoons of sugar until sugar dissolves. Pour into a bowl and chill in the fridge.
Chop up one cup of lychees and set aside.
When yolks and raspberries are no longer warm, pour 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 cup of whole milk, the yolk mixture, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of rose water into the ice cream maker and let it mix for at least 10 minutes.
When the ice cream is starting to set, mix in lychees. Stir in raspberries and sauce, making a swirl. Transfer to a tightly sealed container and freeze overnight before serving!
Enjoy! And please like me on Chinook Olive Facebook!
Nattochos
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted in American, Asian, bucket list, fish, Hawaiian, herbs and spices, Japanese, Mexican, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, spicy, Williamsburg
My best friend is in Honolulu right now and she sent me a picture of Gyotaku’s nattochos (a portmanteau of “natto” and “nachos”). I immediately went to Family Market in Astoria and bought wonton wraps, tuna, natto (fermented soy beans), yamaimo (wild yam), green onions, radish sprouts, and nori.
We found that our poke mix was a little bland so some yuzu kosho, yuzu chili paste, really helped make the nattochos a success! Please like Chinook Olive’s Facebook page!
Gyotaku
1824 South King St
Honolulu HI 96826
808-949-4584
Family Market
2915 Broadway
Astoria NY 11106
718-956-7925
Amaru Pisco Bar & El Anzuelo Fino
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted in beverages, bucket list, celebrations, Chilean, Ecuadorian, fish, herbs and spices, New York, Peruvian, Queens, seafood, South American, spicy, urban
We stopped at Amaru Pisco Bar in Jackson Heights last night before having dinner at El Anzuelo Fino and it was amazing! They serve dozens of varieties of pisco, a grape brandy made in Peru and Chile.
The cocktails are $10 each. We ordered the coca sour (made with La Diablada pisco, Aqwa coca liquor, lemon, egg white, simple syrup, and orange bitters) and a seasonal cocktail called the Callao Long (made with Macchu pisco, ginger, watermelon juice, and lime). Please like the Chinook Olive on Facebook!
For dinner we had jalea, a mixture of fried seafood served with pickled red onions. The ceviche mixto was delicious and came with a little bowl of leche de tigre, the citrus marinade used to prepare ceviche.
Amaru
84-13 Northerb Blvd
Jackson Heights NY
718-205-5577
El Anzuelo Fino
86-01 Northern Blvd
Flushing NY
718-426-8660
Chinook Olive 