My Jersey, My Home

by Elena on November 9, 2012

I didn’t know if I wanted to write about Hurricane Sandy at first because I was sad.  In a way it felt strange because the storm didn’t directly affect my life as much as those around me.   Some of my friends had no power and no access to their apartments for a week.  People on the coast lost their homes and the whole lower part of Manhattan was in darkness.  In parts of Queens peoples’ houses were flooded or burnt to the ground.  I on the other hand was one of the lucky ones that rode the subway to work a couple days later.  I am thankful for that.

Many states were affected by the storm in particular my home state of New Jersey.  The roads in my hometown were a maze as we drove in circles avoiding closed streets with knocked down trees and power lines.  Losing power for a week seemed trivial in comparison to other problems.  I found myself spending hours looking through footage of Sandy’s destruction.  I saw pictures of the Jersey Shore and the places I go to every summer since I was a little kid.  Homes were flooded or knocked down and sand made its way to some of the main roads.  The boardwalk that lines the shore is in shambles, pieces of wood thrown back on the shore.  Roller coasters are now in the ocean.  Author Kevin Coyne wrote an Op-Ed for the New York Times “My Jersey Shore, Now in Ruins,” that really identifies with people like myself who think of the shore as their summer home as he explains in this quote.

“The difference here is that summer dies each year. It is briefer, and thus more precious, and Labor Day is the saddest day of all. That’s why we grasp the Shore so hard, why we hang on to it so fiercely. How much can we squeeze from this wave, from this romance, from this fishing trip, from this bar band, from this sun? How much more before it all chills and fades and we have to wait nine more months to try again?”

For the time being we have lost our summer refuge and my heart goes out to those who lost even more.  It’s a hard hit for an area that depends so much on a short season to make money for the year.  New Jersey will start to rebuild and then we can contribute by doing what we enjoy anyhow, going to the Jersey Shore.  Putting money to the businesses and towns that need it.

For now I will think about the Jersey Shore as I knew as a kid riding the rides at Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights, walking down the boardwalk in Belmar, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, and Spring Lake.  I’ll see you again next summer.

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Fig Trees and Fig Tart

by Elena on November 7, 2012

In the house I grew up in we have a fig tree.  It is sturdy and provides a lot of shade but unfortunately not a lot of fruit.  It is a constant battle against mother nature and it’s creatures (mainly deer, squirrels, rabbits, and other hungry animals) when you are trying to upkeep a garden and protect your hard work from scavengers.  I occasionally see deer rummaging around the fence of our garden where I can only imagine they had been feasting on a meal of our heirloom tomatoes and zucchini blossoms.  Our fig tree has not fared any better where it sits in the shade of our backyard.  Rarely do we get to eat the fruit because they are picked off by birds and squirrels.  Every once in awhile we do get to them beforehand just like these beauties below.

Now that winter has snuck up on us, our garden and trees are bare.  A couple weeks ago, however, a friend of my father gave us a bag full of ripe figs.  He has much better luck with his fig trees.  From what I am told he has had them for years and they grow so much fruit that he can give out bags full to his family and friends.  Lucky for us.  I usually avoid figs in the market because they are fairly expensive but here I was rewarded with a bag full of figs.  After making a few bottles of fig jam I turned the rest into these tarts inspired by the lovely Dorie Greenspan and her book Paris Sweets.  The recipe calls for the tarts to cool before serving but I like to eat them warm and gooey out of the oven.

Fig Tart

Adapted from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

7 ounces fresh figs
3 tbs butter
1/3 cup confectionate sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
1 large egg
1/3 cup heavy cream whipped to medium peaks
1 tbs lemon zest

Cut the figs crosswise and scrape out the seedy pulp from each half.  Put the butter in a bowl and beat until soft.  (You can use an electric mixer or by hand.  I made these by hand).  One by one add the figs, confectioner’s sugar, baking powder, ground almonds, and egg.  With a rubber spatula slowly fold in the whipped cream that you whipped to medium peaks.  Chill in the fridge until cold.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Slice the fresh figs into thin slices.  You will use these to top the tarts.

For the crust you can use a sweet tart dough recipe or use ready made puff pastry dough.  If you have ever made puff pastry you know the process is very labor intensive.  I used Trader Joe’s ready made puff pastry and it worked beautifully.  It is much easier to use when they are slightly frozen.  Once the dough thaws it becomes to soft to handle.  Using your tart mold cut out circles of the dough.  Press the dough into lightly buttered tart pans making sure you press the dough against the bottom of the pan and up the side.  Spoon the fig cream into the tart shell.  Cut fresh figs from top to bottom into slices.  Arrange your figs in any decorative pattern you chose on top of the cream.  Sprinkle the tarts with your lemon zest.  Be careful not to fill the tarts with so much cream that they will bubble over when you bake them (3/4 the way up of the crust works well).  Bake the tarts for 50 minutes to an hour or until the cream has risen and your tarts are golden brown.
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Welcome Oliver

by Elena on September 25, 2012

Puppy!  That is my customary reaction when I see a dog sauntering down the street.  He could be a ninety pound blue pitbull and I still have the urge to hug him while he licks my face.  It’s a sickness really.  I’m destined to become an old dog lady and I’m quite proud.  Jon pacifies me with a swift head nod when I tell him that we are going to have five dogs one day.  Yes, yes…. sure Elena. Well, let me tell you that I am one step closer to my canine dream.  My lovely Nico who currently lives in the quiet suburbs of New Jersey with my parents just inherited a brother.  He’s not very happy about it at the moment but I hear sibling rivalry is quite common among the dog kingdom.  Our happy Queens family now includes this little guy.

Could you say no to that face?  Well we couldn’t and we didn’t.  He currently resides with us in our two bedroom Queens apartment.  He’s a very spoiled dog and already took one bedroom all to himself.

It’s impossible to go down the street with him without at least one person stopping to pet him.  We could be walking for 20 minutes as Oliver twists and turns searching for the perfect spot to do his business and right when we may have landing, a teenage girl will run up and want to take his picture.  He of course has no problem being doted over.  Oh and his name is Oliver.

Oliver is not completely housebroken and like most puppies he has a penchant for putting anything in his mouth, so needless to say there has been some stress between work and pet ownership.  One day, however, when I was perusing the internet and the apartment seemed oddly quiet I looked around and saw my boys on the floor.  This picture makes me smile.

My friend asked me if this photograph was posed.  It isn’t.  These two happen to love falling asleep on the floor and keeping each other company.  I call these photographs “The Sleeping Series” despite the fact that Oliver is surreptitiously peaking at the camera in the next one.

Between the early morning walks and scrubbing down the apartment after a few accidents there has been some cooking but lots more sleeping and take-out.

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Governor’s Island

by Elena on August 28, 2012

We are at the end of August which means I need to revel in the last bits of summer we have left.  Some days are still hot but you may notice the cool brisk air at night.  Fall is creeping into the picture, bringing along it’s cool breeze and the colorful autumn leaves.  While I am happy for apple cider, pumpkin pie, and light leather jackets I don’t completely want to let go of beach weather just yet.

When summer was in full force, sticky and sickeningly humid we decided to take a day trip to Governor’s Island.  While the boat ride is short, it feels great to have the wind blowing in your face as you slowly ride away from Manhattan for the day.  Work is draining so there is always the temptation to sit around the apartment on your day off watching How I Met Your Mother episodes and ordering take out.  Not this time.  Since I am stuck inside most of the week, I wanted to get up and be outdoors.

Governor’s island is just south of Manhattan’s Financial District.  It is 172 acres and looks uncannily similar to an ice cream cone.  The island is separated from Brooklyn by the Buttermilk Channel (the ice cream references abound) which my internet sources, wikipedia, inform derived it’s name because of the dairy farmers that used to cross channel to sell their milk in Manhattan.  Nowadays the channel is mostly filled with New Yorkers on their way to buy inexpensive Swedish furniture and meatballs at the IKEA in Brooklyn.  Oh how the times have changed.

At the Governor’s island visitors can picnic, ride their bikes, have a beer at the Water Taxi Beach, roam the historic military village, or enjoy various events such as the classical music festival, the Jazz Age lawn party, or a bocce tournament.  We wandered around for a bit but spent most of the day lounging at picnic point in the shade next to the Mark di Suvero exhibition.  Suvero is an abstract sculptor whose work is usually very large and consists of bold pieces such as his bright red beams with hanging balls pictured below.  After we saw his work I did some research and found out that he used to work in construction and got into a horrible accident that caused him to be in a wheelchair for years.  Doctor’s told him he would never walk again but he did eventually learnto walk.  Now he creates sculptures that are largely made from steel beams and scrap metal such as the one we saw called Figolu. I admit that I don’t really understand the meaning or inspiration behind a lot of abstract art however I can appreciate how it makes the surrounding area much more interesting.  Suvero has more projects like Socrates Sculpture Park which he founded and just so happens to be in our neighborhood of Astoria Queens.

I had big plans for our day trip that involved an elaborate picnic with tartines, fresh jam, and french pastries that I slaved over the night before but sleep got the best of me and we woke up late and opted for a sandwich and salad from Le Pain Quotidien downstairs.


When we came back to Manhattan we stopped to visit a very close friend of mine who lives in the Financial District.  We met her at Stone Street, the historic cobblestone street that is currently lined with bars and restaurants.  In a neighborhood that is practically devoid of life at night when everyone leaves work to go home to their luxury apartments or houses in the suburbs, stone street can still be bubbling with life.  It reminds me of a European street complete with the dutch facades and outlined windows you would find in Amsterdam.  Outdoor dining will come to an end soon when New York starts to get cold.  One last weekend of summer left.

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[Taste of Spain] Traditional Spanish Gazpacho

by Elena on August 21, 2012

It is August and I can safely say that everyday this month I have eaten a tomato and let me tell you I enjoyed every last acidic drop.  I have a slight obsession with this member of the nightshade family and can eat these fruits/vegetables in any form.  Sprinkle some fleur de sel and bite into a super ripe, heirloom tomato that is sweet and juicy and then tell me you don’t feel the same way.  My boyfriend finds it amusing how much I enjoy tomato products, even ketchup (it used to be a tomato right?).  He smiles at the mound of ketchup on my plate when I eat scrambled eggs, or fried chicken, or french fries, etc etc.  You can do so many things with tomatoes!  Drown green tomatoes in egg, flour, and bread crumbs, fry them and then dip them in yes, you guessed it ketchup (or a chipotle mayo or ).  If you live near a farmer’s market make sure to buy the heirlooms, and if you don’t get in your car and drive.  We are spoiled because we get to eat tomatoes like these below that grew in my parents garden.  We dress them in oil, vinegar, and fleur de sel and make salads.  We slice some on top of puffed pastry and bake them into little tarts.  We can them and we sauce them.  We even puree them into my favorite cold soup.

As much as I love tomatoes now I used to loathe gazpacho as a kid!  Raw vegetable soup was too much for my young underdeveloped taste buds to handle.  My aunt always had a jar of gazpacho in the fridge when I was visiting Spain as a kid.  In the summer when the tomatoes were ripe she would sometimes store fresh gazpacho in two liter soda bottles for my cousin.  She would pour the cold soup into a water glass and drank it like soda.  I thought it was strange and a little too healthy.  My American cousins and I would go for the Nocilla (Spanish Nutella) sandwiches instead.


Over the years my taste buds began to tolerate tomatoes, slowly I began to enjoy them, now I crave them.  I also grew to love gazpacho.  There are many kinds of gazpacho of course.  In many restaurants the word gazpacho has become interchangeable with cold soup. Restaurants serve melon, cucumber, or strawberry gazpacho on their menu.  There is also the white gazpacho of Southern Spain made of blanched almonds and garlic.  While I like many of these preparations, for me gazpacho was always red and tasted slightly of sherry vinegar and a soft baguette.  You don’t need to follow the recipe exactly; however, the traditional tomato gazpacho can be made in different ways.  Add more chiles if you like heat, more tomatoes if you like tomato juice more oil and bread if you like body.  My favorite recipe is creamy and rich with just a little bit of spice from a few chiles you throw in.

This recipe has all the usual suspects of a traditional Spanish gazpacho.  You take day old bread and soak it in milk to soften.  The bread will give the soup body.  You drizzle in extra virgin olive oil to emulsify so the soup is rich and almost creamy.  I like to garnish with a lot of various ingredients.  Fresh basil is nice but you can also use basil oil.  Dice some of your bread and saute them in butter until you get crisp croutons.  Dice your vegetables or slice open some cherry tomatoes.  If you want a change in flavor and color don’t use red tomatoes.  You can play around and use green tomatoes or yellow heirlooms, whatever strikes your fancy.  Just remember if you use yellow heirlooms they will take a slight color of whatever you blend with them.

This post is part of the Taste of Spain series.  This series contains information on Spanish flavors, ingredients, dishes, and culinary culture.

Spanish Gazpacho

Every Spanish family has their own gazpacho recipe because you can alter it to your own taste.  If you can get fresh ingredients the flavor of the soup will be much more intense especially since there isn’t actual cooking involved.  To help bring out the flavor in the vegetables, you can sprinkle the vegetables in a little bit of salt and let the juices extract.

Ingredients

About 6 Ripe Red  Heirloom Tomatoes (about 2.5 pounds)
1 Cucumber, Peeled and Seeded
1/2 Green Pepper, Cored and Seeded
1/2 Red Pepper, Cored and Seeded
1 Small Onion
1 Small Chile (Serrano or Jalapeno)
3 Pieces of a rustic baguette (white part) soaked in milk
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs Sherry Vinegar
Garnish with minced parsley or basil as well as small dice of peppers, tomato, onions, and croutons.

Roughly chop the tomatoes, green and red pepper, onion, and chiles and sprinkle with salt in a large bowl.  Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow for all the juices to extract from the vegetables.  This will help to enhance the flavor of your soup.  You achieve more flavor this way than merely adding salt at the end.

Take the inside of your baguette (day old bread works well) and soak with a little bit of milk.  You can also cut some garnish.  Use the half of your red and green pepper and cut into small dice.  Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Take your vegetables you set aside and blend in a food processor with your soaked bread as well as all the juice from the vegetables.  While the food processor is running slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil.  Next strain your soup through a fine-mesh strainer.  Make sure to get our as much liquid as you can.  Put the soup back into the food processor and while it is running slowly drizzle in the other 1/4 cup of olive oil.  If you pour the oil too quickly your soup may break.  Your soup should look creamy and rich when it emulsifies.

Now you can stir in the 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate and garnish with minced herbs, diced vegetables, and olive oil when you are ready to serve.

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

by Elena on August 6, 2012

Last night I went out to eat with Jon and a very close friend and we ate Kentucky fried apple slices dipped in chipotle mayonnaise.  The idea of deep frying fruit may deeply disturb some people but we were curious and after eating a few slices I have to say it was quite satisfying.  I sense a few experiments of tempura fried fruit in my future.  Or maybe deep fried peppers!

We went out to eat because I needed a distraction from the fact that we do not have a working refrigerator.  Over a week ago ours decided to call it quits.  It packed it’s bags and unwittingly to us it quickly destroyed everything we had inside including a rather large beef tenderloin and two flavors of homemade ice cream, Mexican chocolate and raspberry Cabernet sorbet.  We lost a lot more items but these particular items held a more emotional value.  We were in the middle of our ice cream flavor experiments.  One of my friends brought up the fact that it is a little funny, you know two cooks without a fridge.  Oh how much I miss a cold beer on these 90 degree days.  On the bright side we have been assured that our brand spanking new fridge is on the way but in the meantime there have been many visits to the 24 hour rite aid and taco truck down the block.   I admit the taco truck is quite delicious past midnight.  We order salted beef and chorizo tacos.  You have to put on every sauce they got even the hot sauce, if you’ve got the stones.

When we finally get our new fridge (crossing my fingers) one of the first things I will make is this roasted tomatillo salsa.  In the What Chef’s Eat Series you will see a lot of Mexican influenced dishes mostly because they are freaking delicious but also because some are easy to make.  Some of my personal favorites include our egg tacos and egg quesadillas.  Tomatillo salsa is like my Mexican ketchup (oh and I love me some ketchup) a condiment that you keep in your fridge to dress up anything from roast chicken to salads to chicken al pastor tacos.  We always had an assortment of sauces in the fridge because I am kind of a sauce fiend.  It’s is a problem I admit, a tasty, tasty problem.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos are a staple of Mexican cuisine; in fact the use of Tomatillos in Mexico date as far back as the Aztecs.  I usually have a jar of tomatillo salsa in my fridge because it is incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients
6-8 Fresh Tomatillos
2 Jalapenos or Serranos, rough dice no seeds
3 Garlic Cloves
5 Sprigs Fresh Cilantro
1/3 cup water
Salt and Pepper To Taste

Remove the husks of the tomatillos. The husk is the paper-like inedible covering of the tomatillo. Put the tomatillos and garlic in a half-sheet pan under the broiler in your oven until they start to soften and blacken. You will need to flip them over to make sure they roast on all sides. It should take about five minutes.

Remove the tomatillos from the oven and let cool. Take the tomatillos, garlic, and juices released while cooking and blend in the food processor. Add the cilantro and peppers as well as a 1/3 cup of water. You may need to add more water until you get your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa

Ingredients
6-8 Fresh Tomatillos
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
4 Garlic Cloves
5 Sprigs of Cilantro
1/2 Cup of Water

Follow the same procedure as the roasted tomatillo salsa but add 2 chipotle peppers in adobo instead of the jalapenos.

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[What Chefs Eat] – White Bean Ragout

by Elena on June 12, 2012

This post is part of the What Chef’s Eat series. This series contains recipes created by cooks who need a quick meal after work.

One of the small ironies of working in a restaurant is that most of the time you find yourself extremely hungry.  It is a misconception if you think cooks (line-cooks) get to eat the bounty of food that surrounds them.  In reality most of us are trying to steal bread from the bread baskets before service.  Sure you taste what you are making throughout the cooking process but if you work in a busy NYC fine dining restaurant chances are you do not have time to sit down and enjoy a decent meal. By the end of the shift most cooks are usually hungry.  We do however have an array of places to chose from after we get off work.  You can have breakfast at one of the many 24 hour diners, a burger at JG Melon (conveniently open until 4am), the extra crispy Korean fried chicken in K-Town, Japanese pancakes at Sake Bar Hagi in Midtown, a hot pastrami sandwich at your local deli, or maybe just a can of chunky tomato bisque soup or simply a bowl of cereal.

My boyfriend and I frequent what we like to call ‘the good deli’ in the Upper East Side because of their wide variety of spreadable condiments such as spicy hummus, pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and surprisingly delicious late night sandwiches. You might call it to our own little Cheers bodega where they may not know our names but they certainly know our orders; chicken cheese steak for me, pastrami for him.  One day I forgot to tell the sandwich guy what condiment I wanted on my sandwich and he simply put it on anyway (honey mustard – don’t judge).  That was when I realized that it might be time to branch out.

In an effort to eat healthier and save some money we decided to start cooking more at home.  Since we are both tired and usually get off work close to midnight, meals have to be quick and we usually use whatever we have in the fridge.  It can be challenging to scrounge up some interesting meal combinations.  Some of our favorites include egg tacos and egg quesadillas, the perfect late night snack if you ask me.  But then again piling eggs on top of any mean always makes it better?

After getting a few inquiries about what cooks like to cook for themselves I thought it would be fun to write about it here.  So I started another series that will include these recipes.  Trust me they aren’t fancy but rather a late night snack after we work the pm shift at our respective restaurants.  Most of the recipes can be improvised, more salt here, a little less vinegar there, in order to suit the diner’s taste.  Personally we like spicy, and I use tomatoes and peppers whenever I can get my hands on them.  We get home, cook our meal, then sit in front of the computer and watch the latest Modern Family or old Scrubs reruns.

So here we go, this is the first recipe in the “What Chefs Eat” series.  It is a white bean ragout, specifically Italian cannellini beans, a second cousin to kidney beans and navy beans among others.  You may recognize these beans in such popular foods as minestrone or maybe pasta fagioli (beans in Italian).  If you are using dried beans make sure to soak them overnight.  In this case we used canned since we stopped by the Food Emporium 10 minutes before it closed and ran around a la Super Market Sweep trying to grab items for a satisfying dinner.  This is what we came up with.

White Bean Ragout – Canellini Ragout

A ragout is essentially a stew that you cook on a low temperature for a long period of time in order to bring out the flavor of the food.  A bean ragout can be quick, since you don’t need to break down the beans like you would meat in other ragouts.  Make enough so you have some leftovers.  Like many stews this recipe tastes good the next day after the flavors had time to come together.  The Italian frying peppers in the photo weren’t used in this recipe but rather fried and eaten with our salad.

Ingredients
2 Cans of White Beans such as Canellini
1 Bell Pepper, diced
3 Cherry Peppers, diced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flake
1 Tsp Parika
2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
2 Sprigs Oregano

First you want to make a sofrito.  Heat up your olive oil and toss in your onions and let them sweat for a couple of minutes.  Next add your peppers and let them simmer until they are soft.  When your sofrito is soft add your garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes.  The cherry peppers and red pepper flake will add some heat to the beans.

Next add your cherry tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and fresh oregano.  Let them stew for ten minutes for the flavors to combine then add your beans.

We let the cannellini beans cook in order to thicken the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and add more vinegar according to taste.  If you like you can wilt in some arugula.  Turn off the flame and add the arugula to the pan.  Cover with a lid and the excess steam will cook the arugula without overcooking.

You can serve over a salad like we did or you can serve on toasted bread.

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Laws of the Kitchen

by Elena on May 21, 2012

When it is almost eighty degrees New Yorkers start to linger outside, strolling through the streets seemingly with all the time in the world.  That might explain why I spent most of today doing absolutely NOTHING besides eating brunch at an outdoor cafe, perusing store fronts, and fantasizing about running away with an armful of puppies from the dog park.

Since I started working in restaurants I haven’t had that much free time.  That changed a couple of months ago when I quit my job at Cafe Boulud.  It feels strange to write down those words since the past year I truly dedicated myself to my job and hardly had time for any writing.  My life revolved around cooking.  I would eat, breathe, and sleep while thinking about my job; I had dreams, or probably more accurate, nightmares about work.  There is something very disturbing about waking up in a cold sweat after having a very life-like dream about messing up an expensive recipe or dropping all of your mise en place right before service.  There were times when I would lunge out of bed like a bat out of hell thinking that I was late for work only to realize I still had a few more hours of sleep before I needed to wake up.  I wasn’t the only one.  I’ve caught my boyfriend a couple of times mumbling something in his sleep about getting the fish out of the oven.

It is very easy to get caught up in the rush of being in a kitchen.  You may love the work but it can drain you – your body, your mind.  In a recent issue of Lucky Peach magazine they printed a set of rules that used to be posted in the kitchen at Cafe Boulud.  The rules were written by Andrew Carmelini the Executive Chef at the time.  These words really affected me, not only because Cafe Boulud was the place I dedicated so much of my time, but also because they were written by someone with passion for food and respect for what they serve.  It is inspiring for a young cook to strive to put this much integrity into what they do for a living.

“You are now at the point of your life when you are developing your professional reputation. You are doing so at the top tier of restaurants in New York City — make it count. Only your work ethic will speak for you, not past chef’s or friends.

You must love the do this for a living — no question. You must love to stay late or come early if it is necessary to get the job done. You must love to practice only the best. Most perfect techniques in order to produce a product you are proud of. Your end product is a direct reflection of how much love and respect you have for yourself and your work.

All cooks must work in the most efficient manner, with full regard to producing the highest quality product possible.

Responsibility of each and every cook to keep any area at which they are working spotless, regardless of its condition previously.

Responsibility of all cooks to know everything about their stations. What is it? Why is it here? How long has it been here? Who made it?

Each cook should familiarize himself with every product they are using on a hands on basis. Learn its origins, its classic uses in the French kitchen, and how we use it here at Cafe Boulud. Each cook should know and record all recipes and techniques that are applicable to their stations.

All cooks must think ahead and anticipate. Having your stations set up completely, with back up mise en place close at hand is anticipation. Doing small projects during service lulls is a way to think ahead for your partner. Always think about the next project, doing mise en place for the next day, work to keep your partner set up, start breaking down your station early, etc.

All cooks must watch each others back. If you are done setting up, see who needs a hand. If someone is in the shit do extra chives or shallots for them. Split common jobs between stations. Work for the team so we can have the tightest kitchen in New York.”

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Frannys

by Elena on May 15, 2012

One of the great things of working in the restaurant industry is that you meet people in high places, or rather hot places, like my friend who works in front of this 900 degree oven.


We used to be partners and work side by side on the line.  He was a great teacher who would keep this hot headed cook calm when other line cooks decided to pull a Carrie.  When he left everyone was happy but also a little bit envious of the person who would be learning to cook with this temperamental oven putting out great food.  Franny’s is in Brooklyn, a restaurant committed to using local and seasonal ingredients.  Before you shake your head, roll your eyes and say ‘yeah that’s what they all say’ hear me out.  Like many other NYC Chefs, the Chefs at Franny’s frequent the various farmers’ markets in New York City.  My friend told me that Serious Eats once wrote about a Franny’s dish of roasted sunchokes.  They roasted them in the oven until they shrivel into a deep caramel brown so soft you could cut it in half with a spoon.  Soon after Franny’s took it off their menu.  Maybe the sunchokes at the market weren’t as good as they used to be; maybe they found something better.  That’s what happens when you have the flexibility of an ever changing menu.  Isn’t that the dream of most Chef’s, the capability to cook the food they want with quality ingredients.  Of course fresh ingredients make a huge difference, but it is also what you do with them and that is what it makes Franny’s stand out from the rest.

We started our meal with a salumi plate and tasted all they had to offer – finocchiona, sopressata, spicy salami, salami sarda, bresaola, pancetta, and coppa, aged, cured, dried and full of flavor.  They were soft and juicy, fatty and not overly dry.


While my friend and I were busy perusing the house-made salumi and various other hearty dishes on the menu my boyfriend ordered a citrus salad to supplement our fatty choices.  The salad had cara cara oranges, mandarin oranges, blood oranges, olives, pistachios, and chopped parsley.  The vinaigrette was tart and spicy, so simple yet remarkably good.  I never would have thought to order a salad what with all the tasty cured meat luring us just a short distance away, but I’m glad that we did.  We talked about this salad for days and tried replicating it at home after one of our shifts.  It was flavorful but not quite as flavorful as we had here.


They sent us over a bowl of marinated olives roasted in the brick oven.  Typically I don’t get excited about olives (I am a very bad Spaniard) but these olives were different.  They were roasted and still warm and really delicious.  I never really thought to roast olives.  The roasting accented their flavor but added a more smoky component to the typical brininess of olives.  I kept reaching for more.


We obviously didn’t have enough charcuterie (is there ever enough?) so we ordered the wood roasted pork sausage and freekeh.  Freekeh is a grain that is set on fire so the straw can burn.  The high moisture grain doesn’t burn, it roasts.  The freekeh was more flavorful than other grains I’ve eaten.  The comical name was not lost on us either.  The more glasses of wine we drank the funnier we found the name ‘freekeh.’  We may have sang a few songs that night, much to the disappointment of the diners around us.


We had one pasta dish that was tossed with chicken livers, olive oil, and a sharp cheese.  Again it was simple but delicious.


Now the real reason we went to Franny’s besides the cook with the snazzy mustache that works behind the counter was the pizza.  As you can see the pizza has a lot of dough but the dough is pretty awesome.  Soft on the inside and a crisp chewy outside.  All they did was put some marinara, olio verde, and sliced garlic on one pie and on the other anchovies, capers, olives and chilies.  I may be a little biased but someone really knows how to cook pizza.



Cheers to the pizza cook!

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Day Trip To Boston

by Elena on February 18, 2012

It was during the last snow fall that we spent a day in Boston. I realize that a day trip from New York City isn’t the ideal time frame for a sufficient visit, especially since it takes a good four + hours of speeding on the highway in order to get to Boston from New York City. It also takes four or so more sleepy and eyes half-closed hours to drive back home. When you work in an industry that doesn’t allow for a lot of time off (as well as a slimmer chance of getting the same days off as your friends) you learn to take what you can get. Which is why we decided to take to the road after a long Saturday night service with only a BLT, a chicken sandwich with extra mustard, and a playlist of streaming tunes to keep awake the designated driver. The designated driver in this case being me.

We stayed near the Bay Village section of Boston only a few blocks away from the Boston Common (the central public park of Boston). The neighborhood is known for the rows of small brick houses.


Beacon Hill is known for its federal-style rowhouses. Needless to say it was one of my favorite neighborhoods in Boston. I hear the neighborhood is a little out of my price range but I couldn’t help but daydream about being on the inside of one of these houses.


I had some company on the overnight ride up to Boston. He’s from Massachusetts so he may have wanted the Patriots to win the Superbowl but only judge him a little bit for it. He did come in handy when circumnavigating the city. He likes pastrami sandwiches and Swedish Fish and occasionally lets me chose what to watch on television. Oh yeah and he’s an amazing cook.


Most of our trip consisted of walking around Boston (as well as a trip to the aquarium!  I touched a shark).  When visiting a city you aren’t familiar with I feel like exploring each neighborhood is the best way to experience it.  I hadn’t been to Quincy Market since my 7th grade trip to Boston years ago.


Before our arrival in Boston I did some research on Boston restaurants and I discovered Chef Barbara Lynch. She is friends with the executive chef at the restaurant where I work, and he had great things to say about her. After I read a few articles about her I became very intrigued, mostly because she seems to embody the tough, no frills, female chef persona that I am very envious of, especially when I have flashbacks of my crying in the walk-in at work after a particularly nasty service. Her group of restaurants include fine dining, a butcher shop, an old fashioned bar, an Italian lunch counter, a catering company, and an oyster bar. I often look upon certain chefs with admiration but in her case I felt admiration and also the desire to emulate her choices and follow just a few steps in her footsteps.


We decided to eat at Chef Lynch’s restaurant Menton. My decision was further cemented after a girl from Boston trailed at our restaurant a week before our trip.  She works at Menton. During our dinner she graciously came to our table and described one of our courses to us. She later gave us an extensive tour of the kitchen and they shared in their shift beers.  (Shift drinks are drinks provided to employees after their shift is over).  It is amazing how welcoming people are when they know that you are also in the industry.  It was a great surprise and a wonderful experience.

Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of our meal.   I was a little distracted by the delicious food and by my company.  I do however have the names of the dishes that we ate. Yes the list is long and yes we ate everything.

Butter Soup
Lobster, Little Neck Clams, Royal White Sturgeon Caviar

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Squash and Goat Cheese Sable
Whipped Ricotta, Walnut

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Maine Shrimp Crudo
Royal White Sturgeon Caviar, Allium Juices

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Local Skate Wing
Caper Emulsion, Gem Lettuce, Raisin Puree

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Razor Clams
Potato, Horseradish, Dill

House-Made Bigoli
Fresh Perigord Black Truffle, Sea Urchin, Chive

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Katafi Wrapped Langoustines
Almond, Greek Yogurt, Honey

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Seared Foie Gras de Canard
French Butter Pear, Chestnut Honey, Pecan

Terrine of Foie Gras, Ris de Veau, and Rabbit
Pistachio, Rosemary Raisin Toast, Red Currants

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Cavendish Pheasant
Perigord Truffle, Veloute, Turnip

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Elysian Field Farm Lamb Loin
Cauliflower, Golden Raisin, Harissa

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Assorted Cheeses

Reypenaer VSOP – Cow – the Netherlands
Bayrischer Blauschimmelkase – Cow – Germany
Keen’s Cheddar – Cow – England
Challerhocker – Cow – Switzerland
Hanna’s Awashed – Goat – MA
Brebirousse d’Argental – Sheep – Rhone Alps

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Grapefruit Ice
Saffron, Demarara Sugar

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Baked Banana Chiboust
Oat, Pistachio, Caramel

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On Food and Cooking

by Elena on June 27, 2011

Harold McGee’s book On Food and Cooking has been sitting on my cookbook shelf for way too long.  On the occasional ambitious evening when I get home past midnight I pull it out for a read, but am usually so tired from work I don’t get very far.  Many call this book the bible of cooking for the very reason that McGee explores the reason why things happen in cooking.  Why does yeast make bread rise?  Why is it that potatoes oxidize and chocolate needs to be tempered?

I made a deal with a friend of mine to read this book cover to cover, not just skimming the index.  I am mentioning it here as a way to push myself on those nights when I get home from work and would rather search through my dvr than read a book.  It has been written!

School was only 9 months and I still have so much more to learn.  The next couple of months I am going to scour my cookbooks and culinary references to supplement what I’m doing in the kitchen.   A series on The Science and Lore of the Kitchen seems like a fun idea.  Yes I used the words science and fun in the same sentence.  I really don’t know what has come over me.

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Sledding on Sheet Pans

by Elena on June 27, 2011

It’s been almost two months since I started working in this restaurant.  It feels like ten.

I made the decision to change careers because I am passionate about food.  It seemed like a valid reason.  At school I was proficient in the kitchen and truly enjoyed working with my hands.  I was warned about some of the hardships of the industry but I knew – maybe thought – I could handle them.  Even though I knew what I was getting myself into, there have been days during the past two months where I had serious thoughts of making a grand exit like that crazy JetBlue flight-attendant who popped open the plane chute and jumped.  What would be the culinary equivalent?  Not too sure but thoughts of sledding down the stairs on a full sheet pan did cross my mind on a particularly stressful night.

The other night I had some drinks with some of my FCI classmates to commiserate about our new jobs.  My friend who shares the same crazy hours and competitive work environment as I do seemed to share my irrational thoughts about walking out on stressful days.  My other friend was a different story.  She didn’t have those crazy thoughts at all, but I have a feeling it has something to do with her unionized kitchen which inevitably means better pay, much less hours, and what is this?  Two days off a week???  I look upon those days with whimsy.

Things get better though.  The stress is the same but the good news is that you will learn… eventually.  Don’t get me wrong, there is never a day where I feel like a complete idiot at some point during the day.  But I suppose if I didn’t that would mean that I knew everything and had nothing left to learn.  That day will never come.

A friend at work, who has the most unfaltering attitude about work I can’t help but be a little jealous, has given me many words of wisdom since I started.  He has been my yoda so to speak, my Mr. Miyagi in Chef whites.  Wax on, wax off.  You need to get your work done and block out all the bullshit around you.  Remember your goals and stick to them.  If you let every insult get to you, you will quit.  I like to think that I can find a balance between it all.

Hopefully none of you will hear about some crazy cook who stole a full sheet pan from work and rode it down Park Avenue.

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