Miscellaneous

New York Restaurants and Covid 19

July 22, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

New York Restaurants and COVID 19

We had dinner on Broadway. I mean really on Broadway, right in the street. The City has granted restaurant owners the right to set up tables in what used to be the parking lane in the street fronting their restaurants.

We ate at Telio, one of our favorite locals. They went a step further and had a singer at dinnertime. The whole scene was very festive.

On some avenues, there’s a bike lane between the curb and the parking lane, so ‘Watch Out.’

Some of them have gotten very creative and set up platforms, colorful barriers and planters under canopies and umbrellas that look like a small oasis.

I don’t suppose this will work well in winter, but for now it offers an opportunity to eat out without going into a restaurant.

Click here for updated GALLERY III
Portfolio and Yelp

Drinks

Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail

July 17, 2020 robiulo 2 Comments

Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail

Sweet tea and Bourbon are two favorite Southern drinks. Put them together and you’ve got a perfect Southern summer cocktail.

Let’s start with the sweet tea. If you don’t already have a recipe try this –

3 tea bags
2 tbs. sugar (or to your taste)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
A few mint leaves

Fill a 16 ounce measuring cup 8 ounces of boiling water. Add 3 teabags, sugar, lemon juice, and mint. Remove the bags when the tea is good and dark. Fill the measuring cup with ice and when it melts strain the tea into a liter bottle. Top it off with cold water and refrigerate.

Now the cocktail –

1 ½ oz. Bourbon
4 oz. sweet tea

Pour the Bourbon and tea over ice in a rock glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.

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Miscellaneous

Garlic Scapes

July 14, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Garlic Scapes

I’ve never heard of ‘garlic scapes’ and don’t know where to find them but here’s a recipe that I’d like to try. An article in Italy Magazine explains it.

Zolle Sott’Olio | Pickled Garlic Scapes in Oil

by Domenica Marchetti

“Zolle sott’olio ~ pickled garlic scapes preserved in oil ~ are a specialty of Sulmona, a picturesque medieval city ringed by mountains in Abruzzo. The city is mostly famous for confetti, those candy-coated almond confections you see at Italian weddings, and for being the birthplace of the poet Ovid. . .”

See the whole article and recipe here.

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Sides, Vegetarian

Purslane

July 8, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Purslane

The West 97^th Street Green Market was set up for social distancing. The sidewalk was marked with chalk to indicate where to form lines and keep 6 feet between customers. All of the vendors wore masks and gloves.

I was at the West 97^th Street Green Market when I came across purslane, a type of greens I’d never seen or heard of before. It’s common in Spain, Greece, and Italy and is a good source of omega-3 and other vitamins and minerals. Purslane is also known as hogweed, pusley, and fatweed. It’s tender enough to use raw in salads. It also works it in stews and frittatas. This recipe for a simple side dish is the one given to me by the farmers who grew it.

Ingredients:

2 cups purslane
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Put 1 cup of water and a garlic clove in a frying pan. Turn the heat to medium-high.

When the water boils, add the purslane, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the frying pan and keep cooking for 6-7 minutes. If the Purslane has woody stems cook it a little longer.

Remove it from the heat, drain, and season with salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil, Sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.

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Miscellaneous

Hot Chocolate and the Pirate

July 8, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Hot Chocolate and the Pirate

From a article in Atlas Obscura –

A Pirate Botanist Helped Bring Hot Chocolate to England

William Hughes was a buccaneer with an early recipe for “the American Nectar.”

by Reina Gattuso

“. . . If you had met him the year his famous book was published, you might have mistaken William Hughes for a mild-mannered gardener. By that time, he had settled into his role at the country estate of the Viscountess Conway, a noblewoman and philosopher, and had published a book on grapevines. But the old man was more than a tottering plant enthusiast. When his treatise on New World botany, The American Physitian, dropped in 1672, its contents revealed a swashbuckling history. . .”

Complete article here.

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Poultry

Pollo alla Potentina

July 3, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Pollo alla Potentina

Pollo alla Potentina is a stewed chicken dish from the Basilicata region of Italy. My father’s parents were born there in a town called Laurenzana. The cuisine of Basilicata is typically highly spiced. You can use more than 3 chilis or leave then out. It’s up to you.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken cut into 10 pieces
• 3 tsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1large onion, sliced
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 3 bird’s eye or Calabrese chilis, seeded and minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 28 oz. canned whole tomatoes roughly crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped basil
• 2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon

Brown the chicken in a pot with the butter and oil and remove.

Add the onion to the pot and cook until it’s slightly browned. Next, pour in the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the minced pepper, tomato, and salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, adding water if liquid gets too low.

Stir in basil, parsley and lemon juice and serve.

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Restaurants

Trattoria il Gusto Wine Bar

July 1, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Trattoria il Gusto Wine Bar

After almost 3 months of not eating in a restaurant they’ve finally begun to reopen. We went to one of our neighborhood favorites, Trattoria il Gusto Wine Bar. Even with our masks on the waiters and the manager recognized us when we arrived. We were all glad to see one another after so long. Rather than paper and ink the menu was electronic. And water was served in individual sealed bottles. The only seating (tables 6 ft. apart) was outside but the weather was great so no problem there. They always had a partially enclosed outdoor seating, but they added more tables right up to the curb. The City relaxed its outdoor seating regulations for restaurants.

The Digital Menu

Gus lowered his mask for a photo.

Tomato spread – better than butter.

Appetizers

Entrées

Waiting for tables.

Trattoria il Gusto Wine Bar
(212) 579 7970
625 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024

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Drinks

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

June 26, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

Some friends returned to the city from their summer house with strawberries. I had some with Wheaties for breakfast and now a frozen strawberry daiquiri for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz light or dark rum
• ¾ oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• A few strawberries
• 6 ice cubes
• Lime sugar for the rim of the glass
• A slice of lime for garnish

Add the rum, lime juice, syrup, and strawberries to a blender. Give it a whirl, first without ice. If it doesn’t appear thick enough add some more strawberries. Instead of whole ice cubes, it’s a good idea to crack them first. Wrap the cubes in a kitchen towel and hit them with a pan or rolling pin. Add the ice to the blender and mix it with the strawberries until you get a slushy consistency. Pour into the lime sugar rimmed glass and garnish with a slice of lime.

For simple syrup, heat 1 part granulated sugar and 1 part water over low heat and stir until the mixture is clear.
For the lime sugar, you need 1 teaspoon of lime zest and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Put it in a food processor and grate for minute or two. Moisten the rim of the glass with a cut lime so the lime sugar sticks. (Thank you, Martha Stewart)

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Miscellaneous

Tough Time’s Dishes

June 23, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Tough Time’s Dishes

Necessity is the mother of invention. When you can’t get the ingredients you need for a special dish you can improvise.

From an article in Gastro Obscura – Even More Historic Dishes Born from Tough Times to Make at Home
By Luke Fater

“While most sheltering-in-place restrictions remain in effect and frugality is paramount, here’s a new batch of dishes from bygone tough times like these. World War rationing and Great Depression resilience gave birth to unthinkable concoctions like an apple-less apple pie and a chocolate cake without butter, milk, or eggs . . . “

For the complete article on Tough Time’s Dishes click here.

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Poultry

Chicken Vesuvio

June 19, 2020 robiulo 2 Comments

Chicken Vesuvio

Chicken Vesuvio is a standard in Chicago Italian restaurants but I got this recipe from a friend who owns a pizzeria in New York. He calls it Chicken and Potatoes but served in a Chicago tratoria it becomes Chicken Vesuvio. I used boneless, skinless thighs but you can use any parts that you like.

Ingredients:

2 large russet potatoes cut into wedges
5 tbs. olive oil divided
1 ½ tsp. dried oregano divided
5 or 6 chicken thighs
4 tbs. butter
3 thinly sliced garlic cloves
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
1 can of peas
Salt and black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Chopped parsley

Set oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the potatoes with salt, pepper, ½ tsp. oregano, and 3 tbs. oil until they’re well coated. Spread them out evenly in a baking dish and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway.
While the potatoes are cooking, season the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. of oregano. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and without crowding the pan, lightly brown the chicken on both sides (about 10 minutes) and remove to a plate. The chicken will continue cooking later in the oven.
Add the butter to the pan on medium heat. Lightly sauté the garlic (about 3 minutes) and then add the stock and wine to the pan. Simmer and cook for about 5-8 minutes while deglazing the pan.
Pour the butter/garlic mixture over the potatoes in the baking dish and place the chicken over the top of the potatoes. Roast about 20-25 minutes. Add the peas and finish cooking under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
Arrange the potatoes and chicken in a serving dish and pour the pan juices over it through a strainer to remove the sliced garlic (skip the strainer if you love garlic). Squeeze the lemon and sprinkle the parsley over the dish and serve.

Click here for updated GALLERY III
Portfolio and Yelp

New York Restaurants and COVID 19

We had dinner on Broadway. I mean really on Broadway, right in the street. The City has granted restaurant owners the right to set up tables in what used to be the parking lane in the street fronting their restaurants.

We ate at Telio, one of our favorite locals. They went a step further and had a singer at dinnertime. The whole scene was very festive.

On some avenues, there’s a bike lane between the curb and the parking lane, so ‘Watch Out.’

Some of them have gotten very creative and set up platforms, colorful barriers and planters under canopies and umbrellas that look like a small oasis.

I don’t suppose this will work well in winter, but for now it offers an opportunity to eat out without going into a restaurant.

Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail

Sweet tea and Bourbon are two favorite Southern drinks. Put them together and you’ve got a perfect Southern summer cocktail.

Let’s start with the sweet tea. If you don’t already have a recipe try this –

Fill a 16 ounce measuring cup 8 ounces of boiling water. Add 3 teabags, sugar, lemon juice, and mint. Remove the bags when the tea is good and dark. Fill the measuring cup with ice and when it melts strain the tea into a liter bottle. Top it off with cold water and refrigerate.

Now the cocktail –

Pour the Bourbon and tea over ice in a rock glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.

Garlic Scapes

I’ve never heard of ‘garlic scapes’ and don’t know where to find them but here’s a recipe that I’d like to try. An article in Italy Magazine explains it.

Zolle Sott’Olio | Pickled Garlic Scapes in Oil

See the whole article and recipe here.

Purslane

The West 97th Street Green Market was set up for social distancing. The sidewalk was marked with chalk to indicate where to form lines and keep 6 feet between customers. All of the vendors wore masks and gloves.

Ingredients:

Put 1 cup of water and a garlic clove in a frying pan. Turn the heat to medium-high.

When the water boils, add the purslane, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the frying pan and keep cooking for 6-7 minutes. If the Purslane has woody stems cook it a little longer.

Remove it from the heat, drain, and season with salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil, Sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.

Hot Chocolate and the Pirate

A Pirate Botanist Helped Bring Hot Chocolate to England

William Hughes was a buccaneer with an early recipe for “the American Nectar.”

Pollo alla Potentina

Pollo alla Potentina is a stewed chicken dish from the Basilicata region of Italy. My father’s parents were born there in a town called Laurenzana. The cuisine of Basilicata is typically highly spiced. You can use more than 3 chilis or leave then out. It’s up to you.

Ingredients:

Brown the chicken in a pot with the butter and oil and remove.

Add the onion to the pot and cook until it’s slightly browned. Next, pour in the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the minced pepper, tomato, and salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, adding water if liquid gets too low.

Stir in basil, parsley and lemon juice and serve.

Trattoria il Gusto Wine Bar

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

Some friends returned to the city from their summer house with strawberries. I had some with Wheaties for breakfast and now a frozen strawberry daiquiri for lunch.

Ingredients:

Tough Time’s Dishes

Necessity is the mother of invention. When you can’t get the ingredients you need for a special dish you can improvise.

From an article in Gastro Obscura – Even More Historic Dishes Born from Tough Times to Make at HomeBy Luke Fater

For the complete article on Tough Time’s Dishes click here.

Chicken Vesuvio

Chicken Vesuvio is a standard in Chicago Italian restaurants but I got this recipe from a friend who owns a pizzeria in New York. He calls it Chicken and Potatoes but served in a Chicago tratoria it becomes Chicken Vesuvio. I used boneless, skinless thighs but you can use any parts that you like.

Ingredients:

Reveries and Recipes

The West 97^th Street Green Market was set up for social distancing. The sidewalk was marked with chalk to indicate where to form lines and keep 6 feet between customers. All of the vendors wore masks and gloves.

From an article in Gastro Obscura – Even More Historic Dishes Born from Tough Times to Make at Home
By Luke Fater