Photo: Patrick Talbert
By: Allana Mortell
Let me just say that caperberries are not capers; so for all of you that were about to discard this recipe, not so fast! Same plant, completely opposite flavors! Both caperberries and capers are immature buds of the caperbush, which is derived from the plant, Capparis Spinosa, located throughout the Mediterranean. Capers are much smaller, with a round shape, salty kick and sometimes, crunch. Caperberries, on the other hand, are oblong, semi-green fruits about the size or slightly larger than a table grape with a sweet and tart punch of flavor.
I first stumbled upon caperberries when I was waiting tables at Quartino Ristorante in Chicago. At Q, they served a similar dish, but instead of chicken they used sea scallops that sat on a bed of escarole. The flavor of the scallops with the lemon sauce along with a nice spicy kick from red chilies and the bite of the caperberries made that dish my absolute favorite. [click to continue…]
By: Allana Mortell
Given the hectic schedules of most people these days, oftentimes planning a home-cooked meal isn’t always at the forefront. There’s the list making, the grocery shopping, and then, after a long day at the office, the hours spent slaving away in the kitchen, when all you really want to do is order Chinese take-out and put your feet up. That is, until the one-pot wonder came along. The idea that throwing in four or five ingredients into a single space over time could eventually form a completed meal is seemingly brilliant. The one-pot or one-pan meal works even better when ingredients are used whose flavors are complementary to one another. Enter, chicken and peppers.
Historically and still to this day, it’s always been sausage and peppers. Those two go together like milk and cookies – it just works. However, given a few additions and one major substitution, the original Italian staple is getting a makeover. Chicken, peppers, potatoes and balsamic vinegar when combined in one very hot pan, stewed over a flame, ultimately come together to form a comfort-filled, soul-warming dish. Throw in some fresh herbs and you are left with a dish that was not only simple to create, but full of flavor and low in fat as well. [click to continue…]
Having ignored pork (bacon not included) for most of the fall and winter, I’m taking advantage of our groundhog-mandated extended winter and making the pork dishes that are on my to-do list.
I’ll admit, when I first heard of pork braised in milk, I raised my eyebrows. I don’t keep kosher, but the idea of so egregiously mixing meat and dairy seemed like too much, even for a meat lover like me. I stand corrected. After slowly simmering in a garlicky milk sauce, the pork becomes impossibly tender, infused with the unique aromatics of sage. The milk and garlic reduce together to form a silky sauce that serves as a bath and a dressing for the pork.
This tender and flavorful dish is relatively low impact and easy to make. [click to continue…]
Photo: PrettyKateMachine
If you have a love for combining the two worlds of bitter and sweet together then look no further than this recipe. Here, the sweetness of the sugared figs along with the bitterness of arugula salad matches perfectly to enhance the seared duck. By baking the figs for this dish you will gain a succulent taste to the toppings of the dish. This duck recipe will make you the talk of the town for weeks to come. What’s also great about this simple recipe is that there aren’t too many ingredients so you won’t have a huge grocery bill after this dinner. [click to continue…]
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Photo: anthonycramp on flickr
If you don’t feel like planning a Fourth of July celebration this weekend, why not just leave it to the professionals this year? Head on over to some of the finest establishments in your city to help you out this Independence Day. Check out these great restaurants (some with good views of the fireworks!) that are having celebrations around the country. [click to continue…]
With Red Rooster's Exec. Chef Michael Garrett, Herb Karlitz, and Alpine's Exec. Chef Nicholas Gatti
We had a great event last night at Alpine Country Club in New Jersey. It’s always great to be in the kitchen with other chefs, to see how they do things, and to share tips and ideas. The menu started with five passed hors d’oeuvres including Crab Cakes with Remoulade, Spiced Radishes on Black Bread, Country Biscuits topped with Country Ham, Chilled Spinach Soup with Tuna and Melon, and Jerk Bacon. [click to continue…]
Red Rooster was proud to host Mayor Bloomberg along with Halle Berry, Mariska Hargitay, and Ron Perelman for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City Dinner in Support of the Family Justice Center Initiative. [click to continue…]
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