Salumeria Rosi in Manhattan's Upper West Side

Thinking you would like to try out some different Italian meats besides salami or baloney? Try Salumeria Rosi, a 35-seat restaurant  run by Tuscan chef Cesare Casella and Italian meat specialist  Marco Rosi.   This place in the Upper West Side is packed to the rafters with dried pasta, jarred sauces, and dangling hams sliced into salumi….the Italian answer to French charcuterie. 

Salumeria Rossi has 17 varieties of artisanal meats cut onsite behind the deli case including prosciutto, sopressata, and mortadella.  Reflecting the fact that Chef Casella runs his own wholesale bean business and often uses legumes as a staple, they serve an outstanding white-bean farro soup that’s perfect on a cold day. Traditional lasagna al forno is rich and meaty coated with a tasty gratinéed crust. Their signature insalata pontormo is a hot-cold medley of soft-scrambled eggs, pancetta and mixed peppery greens.  If you’re not into meat, try their Stracotto con Polenta that’s like couscous in texture but creamier.  All the food on the dinner menu is served tapas style, so you can experiment without impunity!

283 Amsterdam Ave between 73rd and 74th Sts (212-877-4800). Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72nd St. Daily 11am-11pm. Average small plate: $7.

photo courtesy of Marina N. on yelp.com

Wood Fired Pizza Up Close and Personal

OK, you’re on Arthur Ave. in the Bronx, NYC’s largest Italian neighborhood. You know that the countless bakeries and restaurants along this thoroughfare are going to be authentic.  After all, there are high expectations to cater to here but you might just need help deciding.  Well, if you’re in the mood for pizza and have wood fired thin crust on your mind, I recommend Giovanni’s Brick Oven Pizza.

At $3 for a huge Sicilian slice either loaded with peppers and eggplant or lean slices of sausage or mortadella, you can’t go wrong. Everything is fresh from the rich pomodoro sauce, mozzarella, pungent basil leaves, to the cornmeal dusted crust. Look behind the counter and you’ll see a stack of firewood underneath the wood burning oven.  Many pictures on the wall of the dining area feature the owner with both George Bush and Hillary Clinton, a bipartisan environment indeed!

Oh yeah, and if you aren’t tempted by the stromboli being made by hand while you wait for your order, the pasta dishes, especially the baked ziti, are good standbys as well.

Full Medley of Dates from Shields Date Garden

If you’re in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, there’s a good chance you’ll pass Shield’s Date Gardens on US Highway 111 in Indio right outside Palm Springs.  Do yourself a favor and stop in.  Even if you’re not fond of dates, once you walk through the door, curiosity will get the better of you.  A huge variety of dates packaged for sale line the aisles, a dairy bar serves up frothy date shakes, and even better, baskets filled with different date varieties await free tastings.

You’ll discover that there are a huge variety of dates with different colors and flavors.  Here are some popular varieties available at Shields:

Medjool - largest variety, these soft dates can weigh an once or more.  Sweet, soft, and creamy, they’re often called the Cadillac of dates.  Medjools were first grown in the CA desert in the 1930s from 11 offshoots imported by the USDA from Morocco.  The original trees in Morocco were destroyed by disease and as a result, all the Medjools grown in the world today are descended from those offshoots.  This variety also has a high sugar content and sometimes forms a white powder on the skin or sugar crystals below the skin of the date.  This will not affect the flavor.  You can melt the sugar back into the dates by putting them on a baking tray, covering with a wet towel, and placing the baking tray in a warm oven for about 15 minutes or microwave a few seconds.

Deglet Noor (Date of Light) - a semi-dry date originally from Algeria.  Today it is the leading commercial variety grown in the US.  It has a golden amber color with a translucent skin yielding a delicate flavor.  Many prefer them because they are more chewy than Medjools and not as rich.  Another plus is they ship and store well. 

Blonde - medium sweet, creamy, and soft available only at Shields

Brunette - available at only at Shields, these are one of the black date varieties developed by Floyd Shields back in 1927

Thoory - chewy and caramel-like in texture, the more you chew them, the better they taste.  Popular with athletes and joggers because you can put them loose in your pockets.  They are not moist or sticky.  This date is light brown to straw-colored.  The only dry date variety grown in the US today, they are one of the last varieties to ripen and are not harvested until December.

How to Store Dates

Unlike most fresh fruits which have to be refrigerated, dates actually keep best when frozen.  Dates normally sold in supermarkets are either drier grades of hydrated dates or imported varieties that do not require refrigeration for many months.  The higher the moisture content, the more perishable they are.  Since most dates sold at Shields Date Gardens are higher grade dates containing more moisture than those available at your local supermarket, they need to be stored in a refrigerator or freezer.  As long as you keep the dates covered and refrigerated, they will stay fresh in the container you purchased them in for 15-20 days.  However, they will keep better if transferred to an airtight container…up to 1 year in the refrigerator and up to 5 years in the freezer.  If your dates do dry out, place an apple slice or a piece of bread in the container overnight.

Why and How to Eat Dates

Great news, dates are healthy.  The average size date has about 23 calories and 5-6 medium sized dates equal 1 serving of a 5-a-day fruit and vegetable serving recommended by the National Cancer Institute.  Dates are fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and a good source of fiber.  In addition to important vitamins and minerals, dates have 2.5 times as much dietary fiber and more potassium than bananas.  They are an excellent choice for those who take diuretics to control hypertension and other health disorders causing excessive loss of the body’s potassium.

Here’s Some Tasty Date Recipes To Get You Started:

Lowfat Date Yogurt Shake

½ cup chopped dates

½ cup medium banana

½ cup orange juice

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt

½ cup crushed ice

Combine dates, bananas, and orange juice in blender and puree until dates are finely chopped.  Add yogurt and ice, blend until just combined.  Makes 2 servings.

Date Sunflower Cookies

½ cup cinnamon applesauce

½ cup melted butter

2 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

2 cups date bits

1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

Mix together and drop by teaspoonfuls onto non-stick baking sheet.  Bake at 375 F for 9 min..

Trapiche Grill Off 2010

If you’re like me, cold weather is merely a minor inconvenience standing in the way of outdoor grilling.  Dusting off snow and donning the hat and scarf are all worth it if I get to fire up the grill and sizzle some steaks, burgers, or good ‘ole BBQ.  Besides, I’m always down with the prospect of keeping my regular oven spotless and kitchen clear of cooking smoke. 

Now we have an added incentive to head out there and get a jump on the season.  Trapiche, a top Argentinean winery that I’ve raved about before has partnered with Bon Appetit Magazine offering a Wine Grill-Off 2010 Recipe Competition.

You are dead wrong if you think the U.S.A. has the world cornered on BBQ.  Argentina’s penchant for beef is reflected in their national dish “asado” (Spanish for BBQ).  A strong contender in my repertoire is apple wood smoked tipsy cooker chicken paired with a Trapiche Oak Cask Aged Chardonnay.  And this isn’t your grandmother’s Chard, much mellower bursting with sweet fruit.

So the options are wide open!  All you need to do is share your original recipe using grilled chicken, fish, pork, goat, lamb or beef and pair it with your favorite Trapiche by March 26.  The first 100 entries receive a Trapiche-logoed apron from Bon Appetit and the grand prize is seeing your recipe showcased in Bon Appetit’s July issue.

If you can’t find any Trapiche varietals at your local bottle shop, snooth.com is a great place to start searching for these reasonably priced and highly tasty gems.

Outside Mobay Uptown

MoBay Uptown is a home cooking fusion of Cajun, Caribbean, Asian and Southern influenced cuisine at 17 West 125th Street in a cozy brownstone on 145th Street in Harlem.  Prices are higher than usual for this type of food, but then again it’s far from being a paper plate takeout joint.  Decked out with cozy booths, snug two-seater tables, and dangling star-shaped lights, the dining area is often caressed with the sounds of live jazz, smooth reggae or R&B on their tiny performance space.

A husband and wife team in the kitchen, each respectively from Jamaica and St. Louis, rustle up a unique flavor stemming from their combination of Chinese seasoning and Jamaican sauces.  Your first bite will undoubtedly be cornbread served with raspberry cream sauce.  Menu standouts include cinnamon packed candied yams; bammy, a Jamaican staple of crisp fried yucca or cassava cakes; meaty, unusually tender baby back ribs dry

Bammy Bread

 rubbed, slow smoked with Mesquite for 10 hours, and slathered in honey barbecue sauce spiked with rum.  My favorites are melt in your mouth fried catfish with grits, smoky flavored collard greens, grilled salmon with a side of sweet plantains, and mac and cheese that’s good enough to be a main dish on its own.

You absolutely have to try their signature and aptly-named Rummy Rum Cake. As light as angel food, this dessert packs a punch that will make you think twice about visiting the glowing red bar for an after-dinner drink.  If you’re visiting on the weekend, praise the Lord with their Sunday Gospel Brunch!

Baked NYC

Less than 2 years ago, the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn was only accessible by a long subway ride and then either a bus ride or serious walk.  Now you can hop aboard the NY Water Taxi in Manhattan where Wall St. meets the East River and be wandering the streets of Red Hook in about 15 minutes.

Courtesy of IKEA, this ferry is free on weekends but you’ll be amply reminded of the store’s mammoth presence on the waterfront upon arrival.  Despite the commercial undertones and preferential treatment given to bona fide IKEA shoppers with bags in tow, you’ll pass through an artfully restored waterfront funded by consumer devotion before heading onto largely deserted cobbled streets harking back to the days of longshoremen and heavy industry that once occupied this neighborhood.  Now you can hear crickets chirping and ocean breezes rustling weeds growing up through cracked sidewalks flanking ancient warehouses and factories.

Once destined for a hipster driven resurgence now put on hold by an uncertain economy, even Van Brunt Street, Red

Baked Cupcake

 Hook’s main thoroughfare filled with vintage clothing shops and eateries, is peppered with empty store fronts marked with “For Lease” signs.  Amidst it all, Baked, a specialty bake shop remains a bustling gathering place for Brooklynites satisfying their cravings for home made cupcakes, chocolate marshmallows, chipotle-cinnamon brownies, and specialty cakes like the Red Hook Red Hot. 

My favorites are their sweet and salty cupcake; molten caramel on the inside, ultra light chocolate frosting on the outside topped with crunchy flakes of sea salt.  Their rosemary apricot bar is a flavorful combination of butter-flour crust with just a touch of rosemary layered with apricot preserves sprinkled with a crumbled oat topping.  All of their offerings pair nicely with a fresh brewed Stumptown Coffee. 

Hours:  Mon-Fri, 8am-7pm; Sat-Sun, 9am-7pm

Besides the ferry, the nearest subway stop is the F or G at Smith-9th Sts.  Or take the B77 bus to Van Brunt and Dikeman Sts.

Kona Coffee Beans Ripening

Ever wonder why your neighbors aren’t just growing their own coffee beans in the backyard garden? That’s because the world’s best coffee, the kind you get at your favorite coffee shop needs just the right climate. 

The mountains of Southern Colombia to the Kona Coast, from the highlands of Papua New Guinea to the foothills of Mt. Kenya are ideal.  A coffee’s flavor depends on where it comes from as much as how long it is roasted.  Origin influences the look, smell, and taste of coffee while roasting enhances the overall experience.  As coffee is roasted darker, the heat accelerates, intensifying the flavor by creating caramelization in the bean which adds a new dimension to the flavor and aroma not apparent during the early roasting stages.  Light and medium roasted coffees are more moderate in flavor and maintain much of their origin characteristics while a darker roast is very intense and loses much of the origin characteristics. 

What’s Best

Specialty grade Arabica from small farms and private estates in East Africa, Latin America and the Pacific.  Beans grown at altitudes of up to 6000 feet are best because the cooler temperatures at the higher elevations cause the bean to develop more slowly resulting in a more concentrated flavor.  Since climate in addition to processing and storage is so crucial in shaping flavor, here are the distinctions of each region:

                                                          East Africa

Mount Kenya Foothills

Often have bright citrus flavors balanced by a floral or tangy aroma and smooth body.  My favorite:  Kenya AA - grown on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, this one has a hearty body with a gutsy acidity reminiscent of a Cabernet or Merlot.

Latin America

South American coffees have a subtle flavor, soft creamy body with a full rich aroma while those from Central America yield bright crisp flavors that are complemented by a bright bouquet.  My favorite:  Costa Rica La Minita - Grown between 4,000 - 6,000 feet on the Hacienda La Minita coffee plantation.  The name La Minita means “small gold mine” and can be traced to a local legend that tells of local Natives searching for gold in the plantation soils.

Pacific Rim

Deep, earthy, and malty.  Usually rich and full-bodied with a mellow refreshing finish.  Most have a deep aroma and sweet flavor with hints of caramel or spice.  My favorite:  Kona Gold - Grown between 1800 and 2000 feet in rich volcanic soil along Hawaii’s famous Kona Coast, these beans must be graded and registered by the State of Hawaii in order to be considered authentic.

photos courtesy of konacoffee.com and wikimedia commons

Ribeye From Robert's Restaurant at Scores NYC

Right under the shadow of the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, an aircraft carrier docked on the Hudson River, The Penthouse Executive Club on Manhattan’s West Side occupies a windowless metallic looking warehouse shaped building.  Approaching the main entrance gives you the feeling that this place is all business….a VIP club with red velvet roped valet parking and formally dressed bouncers/security guys flank the steps leading up to the doorway.  Only now do you see the sign indicating this is an Executive Club.  The dress code forbids shorts, sneakers, or t-shirts.  Only after checking in your belongings and exploring a bit would you know that there’s a fine steakhouse upstairs.

On first consideration, you certainly wouldn’t make the trek down here for the meal alone.  After all, Penthouse isn’t usually synonymous with sizzling porterhouse.  And it’s abundantly clear from the hostesses and dancers that seemingly pop up out of nowhere and the brightly illuminated pictures on the wall showcasing feminine beauty, that it’s probably best you didn’t bring your wife or significant other.  This is the domain of lap dances, strip tease, and ‘private rooms’.  But if you’re here for this type of high class entertainment and get hungry, you’re in luck!  Robert’s, up on the second level overlooking the dance floor and pole dancing stage, happens to be a highly regarded steakhouse serving up prime cuts to exacting specifications. 

Chef Will Savarese dry ages large slabs of bone-in beef up to 3 and a half months in a room custom-built for controlling not only temperature and humidity but also airflow velocity, a key factor in producing better tasting meat.  Savarese brushes the steaks with canola oil, broils them in a 1200 degree broiler with two decks, each a different temperature, searing them to a rich crusty char.  My favorite is their charred filet mignon which has an unmistakable tanginess that accentuates and deepens the beef’s flavor.  Little more than salt and pepper is added before serving.  You can certainly visit Robert’s for something that’s young, fresh, and sits in your lap but don’t overlook the aged mature beauties that arrive on plates from the kitchen!

Chicken Wings at Tebaya: Japanese Style

Come to Tebaya (translated in Japanese means house of chicken wings), a tiny shop on the border of Chelsea and the Village, for super tasty Japanese-style chicken wings.  To give you a preview, these ain’t the kind of wings you’ll find in Buffalo or at other Buffalo inspired establishments.  It’s strictly Pacific Rim here with double fried wings encased in a crisp non fatty skin doused with a tangy sesame and soy sauce yielding to tender meat on the inside.

Their secret with these barely battered wings lies in their frying process: the first fry seals in the flavor and the second fry magnifies the crunch factor.  The wings are then doused in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin (sweet rice wine), black pepper, and sprinkled with sesame seeds making them hot and tangy but not enough to overpower the delicate chicken. 

Portions range from eight to fifty pieces but keep in mind that these morsels are super lean so be sure to order more than you think you’ll eat.  And if you overestimate, you’ll have a good excuse for leftovers.  Other dishes include an Asian “happy meal” featuring a trio of potemochi (extremely dense, gummy potato cakes).

The place is so intimate that chances are great that you’ll meet Koji Okamoto himself, the 39-year-old chef and owner of Tebaya.  So if you’re not taking out, perch on one of a dozen stools they have alongside a narrow counter and munch away.

Located at 144 W 19th St. (between 7th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas) Take the 1 subway to 18th St-7th Ave.

Fresh Piquillo Peppers

Navarra… sun-drenched fertile valleys, cool uplands, and comfortable year round temps make this region in Northern Spain perfect not only for culture hounds but also top quality produce and tasty wines.  Bordered by France, Castilla, Aragon, and the Basque Country, its off the beaten path location keeps the ambiance unique and untrodden.  Among the many local festivals celebrating Navarra’s rich cultural history, best known is the 9 day Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona.  Immortalized by Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises, it’s bull running in all its glory.

Not only do climate and topography make Navarra an extraordinarily fertile region, its distinctive cuisine is steeped in history with multi-national influences. Navarrese cooking relies on high quality local produce such as a wide variety of mushrooms and other fungi; Cantabrian fish; regional cheeses like Roncal, Aezcoa-Valcarlos and Idiazabal; and artisan olive oil.

Now you can savor Navarra without a passport here in NYC February 6th - 14th.  Chefs at participating restaurants  will prepare tantalizing cuisine showcasing a cooking style of complex flavors and distinct textures like Warm Partridge & Jabugo Ham Salad, Artichokes fried with Tocino (Jabugo Ham), Piquillo red peppers stuffed with meat or fish, Pochas beans, roast suckling pig, sautéed wild Mushrooms and white asparagus, Lobster, Puff Pastry with Potato & Foie and Sweet Wine Sauce. Complement these exciting flavors with a Navarrese Rosado wine.

In addition to menu offerings, keep an eye out for accompanying special events featuring onsite chefs and wine experts conducting tastings and culinary exhibitions. On February 9th, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the W Union Square Hotel, sample seventeen wines and olive oils, view the first 3D Screening of Running with the Bulls (”Encierro”) and enjoy Pintxos (Hors Dóeuvres) by Michelin Star Navarran Chef David Yarnoz from Restaurante El Molino de Urdániz”.