neighborbee - New York City

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Hive Cooking: How to Please a Health Nut (And You Too)

January 27, 2010 Manhattan by neighborbee

: As tasty and colorful a breast as you'll find on Melrose. (With sides. Minus "enhancement.")

To focus on one ingredient and one New York purveyor of said ingredient in each posting was what I intended for this blog. Well, three postings in and I’m already going to renege on that promise. Instead, I’m writing about how to make a meal to please the health-obsessed but not totally palate-challenged, in this case my dad and stepmom.

My excuse for this bit of divergence is that for the past week I was back where I grew up in Los Angeles, California. Yes, while you were here in New York suffering through the coldest weather in two years, I was out in a record high 87 degrees under a sunny sky, perusing farmer’s markets (in contradiction of my earlier advice, but hey- I was on vacay!) filled with some of the best citrus I’ve ever had (mandarin oranges, blood oranges, Satsuma tangerines, Oro Blanco grapefruit, pink navel oranges, to name a few). Now, if you’re me, faced with superlative perfect fruit, you don’t do anything with these. You enjoy them as unadorned as possible.

So instead I made a meal as a thank-you to my dad and stepmom. Being the health-nut Angelenos they are, my task was to find a tasty way to cook that bland staple-- boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

The deal with these is: You don’t want to overcook the breasts, making them dry and flavorless, but to get good flavor you’ll want a bit of brown on the outside. Traditionally, the response to this conundrum is to drench in breadcrumbs and pan-fry. But there’s another way: broiling. After merely a couple of minutes per side, the high heat browns but does not dry.

You can make the chicken on its own, or follow the full recipe that uses eggplant in an asian-inspired way. Pair as I did with roasted root vegetables (an upcoming post) and quinoa for a colorful and surprisingly good match. I like to think of it as a Cal-Asian fusion meal done right.

Here’s the recipe, with a couple small changes, from Mark Bittman. In the last step I topped a couple breasts with a touch of cumin and honey, as added insurance against blandness. Either way, it’s likely to wow a picky eater without much effort.

Honey-Cumin Chicken Breast With Eggplant, Shallots and Ginger

(Chicken a la L.A.)

Yield 4 servings

Time 30 minutes

Summary

Ingredients

8 ounces shallots (about 6 large)
1/4 cup neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 to 1 1/4 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger or 2 teaspoons dried ginger
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 half breasts)
1/4 cup or more minced fresh cilantro
Ground cumin to taste
Honey to taste

Method

- 1. Peel shallots. If they are small, leave them whole. Otherwise, cut them in half the long way. (Most large shallots have two lobes and will naturally divide in half as you peel them.) Heat the broiler or a gas or charcoal grill.
- 2. Place oil in a large nonstick skillet, and turn heat to medium high. Add shallots, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Add eggplant, salt and pepper, and lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant softens, about 15 minutes.
- 3. When eggplant begins to brown, add half the ginger, and cook 3 minutes or so more, until eggplant is very tender and the mixture fragrant.
- 4. Meanwhile, rub chicken breasts with salt, pepper and remaining ginger. Grill about 4 inches from the heat source for 3 minutes a side or until done. Top with cumin and honey and return to broil briefly.
- 5. Stir half the cilantro into eggplant mixture. Serve chicken breasts on a bed of eggplant. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Tags: Hive Cooking, Chicken, Manhattan, Healthy Cooking, food, upper east side, upper west side, neighborbee

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Dish Buzz: The Magic Slice?

December 22, 2009 East Village by neighborbee

Few things are more contested in Manhattan than king of the slice. Artichoke is one of the newest offerings, located in the East Village just directly east of Union Square on East 14th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue.

There can be quite a wait for piza, which often depends on luck of the draw as well as whether they happen to be super backlogged with those already waiting for their slices. If you are expecting a clear menu of options, be forewarned there's nothing of the sort here (although I have heard rumblings that should be changing). In the meantime, the cashier will recite the three types of pizza offered - their eponymous artichoke offering, Sicilian slices, or Neapolitan. They also had baked artichokes, cannoli, and complimentary warm bread. They also occasionally have pasta and offer sandwiches, but no such luck when I went.

I opted to try one of the artichoke slices (which consisted of lots of cheese, artichokes, and spinach), and one of the Sicilian. I was told it would be a while, so I had them tack on a cannoli ($1.50) and a complimentary slice of bread. The bread was so fresh - just the right touch of yeastiness. I was impressed it was warm, since it was just sitting on the countertop. (Note: you have to ask– they won't necessarily offer!)

When the pizza came out, it was survival of the hungriest to scramble and claim the available slices. There are no seats inside and no benches nearby, so I will own up to eating (and yes, eventually wearing) my warm slices at a bus stop around the corner. The artichoke slice was definitely my favorite. Different from other slices I've eaten in the past, this one had many distinct flavors. The spinach provided the perfect compliment to the rich cheese and moist artichokes. The sauce was more of an alfredo base (no tomato sauce on this one). This slice dwarfed my Sicilian slice, which looked like a child's portion alongside the other. I will warn that I recommend a big tall glass of water with the artichoke slice, as the sodium must be through the roof. I was drinking water all night long as a result.

The Sicilian was more of a standard offering. The tomato sauce was basic and I found it begging for red pepper flakes to jazz it up. The crust was too crunchy and thick for my taste. Not bad, but that specific slice was nothing to warrant eating at the bus stop again.

Overall, Artichoke is worth checking out. I would recommend waiting for a warm day and going with a tall bottle of water, about 5 good sized napkins, and one slice of their artichoke pizza. If nothing else, you can see how it'd stack it up versus the other more "traditional" Manhattan offerings. I'm not going to make it a regular stop or wait in a ridiculously long line, but it's not half-bad.

Tags: Union Square, food, Pizza, Manhattan, lara ruth, Dish Buzz, Artichoke

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Dish Buzz: Let's Do Brunch!

December 18, 2009 East Village by neighborbee

Hi there! My name is Lara and I’ll be your columnist for all things food around the city. I may be new to the city, but it did not take long for me to discover that New York is truly like no other when it comes to food. I’ve been writing reviews of restaurants for some time, and am excited to have this opportunity to share my experiences with you here.

Sadly, many think it takes a lot of money to dine out in New York. While you can definitely opt for excellent-but-pricey restaurants helmed by famous chefs, you can also find great food at fabulous prices if you just know where to go. Lucky for you, I’m here to help point you in the right direction. Whether it's a recommendation for date night or a place to visit when warm-weather visitors start to arrive, I'll be able to help you find a restaurant for every occasion.

You will see all types of restaurants on here, as I love variety. Just one warning: I’m from the Deep South, so I like my tea sweet and bread options plentiful. I also have a ridiculous sweet tooth, so there’s likely to be frequent mention of desserts and brunches. To me, brunch is a NYC staple on par with pizza, and as such, is going to get some serious column time.

I look forward to interacting with you, as I’m hoping you guys will feel free to comment lots along the way.

Now that that’s all out in the open, let’s dig in!

It was shortly before my actual move to the city that I was first introduced to one of my brunch favorites, Essex. I've coerced friends to leave the circumference of proximity to their Times Square hotels in favor of an excursion to the Lower East Side.

The interior is nothing fancy, but the atmosphere as well as the patrons seem to capture the fun and eclectic essence that is the Lower East Side. There are the certainties: the hostess will be surly, the restaurant will be packed, and you're guaranteed a long wait if you don't make reservations. After you are seated though, rest assured that service is typically prompt. Brunch is $16 (including three mimosas). Note that the three-mimosas-included-per-customer rule is not enforced, with the key element being taking your time in completing your meal. You will need to be sure however to hit the ATM prior to your visit, as brunch is cash only.

The pancakes, coming either in the blueberry or chocolate banana variety, are the fluffiest in NYC to ever decorate my fork. Their manchego macaroni and cheese is excellent, and the side of chicken and apple sausage pais well with the somewhat sharp edge of the manchego. While I’m not an omelet connoisseur in any regard (as I don’t care for eggs), I will say those I’ve dined with over the months have had nothing but the best to say of their egg offerings – especially of the Mexican Matzo Brei. And even though you might catch me complaining about the crowds, Essex is a favorite of mine I come back to time after time (after time).

That's it for me this week, but if there's a food establishment (be it restaurant or street cart) that you think I should know about, please email me at tips [at] neighborbee dot com.

Tags: Southerners, pancakes, Mexican Matzo Brei, lower east side, Essex, Manhattan, Grits in the City, lara ruth, Dish Buzz, food