Thursday, March 31, 2016

Mansoura



DavidLebovitz

Mansoura
David, 31 Mar 

One of the appeals of Brooklyn is the rich ethnic mix of cultures, cuisines, and traditions, that is somewhat of a microcosm of America. Many of our grandparents, including mine, arrived on Ellis Island and assimilated to life in America in New York City. And it still remains a lively, if sometimes uncomfortable, mix of upscale, downscale, rich, poor, happy, angry, frustrated, and content. But everybody’s gotta eat.
Mansoura Middle Eastern Pastry Shop in BrooklynDuring the last few years, it’s no secret that the borough of Brooklyn has exploded and become something so internationally recognizable that La Grande Épicerie in Paris redecorated their iconic Parisian food store in the style of Brook-leen, as they say. But it’s not just a bunch of people walking around in knit caps and plaid shirts, or spinning wool in a waiting room. There’s all sorts of foods – from artisan to Armenian, Sicilian to Soviet, and American to Yemeni –  all just a subway ride away.
Mansoura Middle Eastern Pastry Shop in Brooklyn
If you go deeper into the enormous borough – its size alone, if it was its own city, would be the third largest in America – you’ll find streets and neighborhoods the reflect the diverse multiculturalism of the borough, with neighborhoods of food shops, restaurants, bakeries, and pizzerias, representing the rich blend of immigrants who’ve settled here over the years.
Mansoura Middle Eastern Pastry Shop in Brooklyn
One culture that interests me is Syria since some of my family was from there, who came to America during the wave of immigration which turned part of New York into Little Syria. We hear a lot about Syria in the news these days, often (unfortunately) due to the turmoil in the country. And for many of us, the things we see on television are the impressions we have of these countries. I had not been to Syria, which was a shame, but friends who have been said it was incredible.
Mansoura Middle Eastern Pastry Shop in BrooklynMansoura was established in Brooklyn in 1961 and food writer Gabriella Gershenson suggested that I go to the Syrian bakery on my last visit to New York, since she knew I loved Middle Eastern food. I wasn’t able to make it then, but it was right at the top of my list for this visit. So I was happy when she offered to meet me there. Gabriella was an editor at Saveur, and is now at Rachael Ray magazine (how do I get on her show?), and we met up in the Gravesend neighborhood in Brooklyn. And let me tell you, this place was worth the trip – and the wait.
Continue Reading Mansoura...
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FRIDAY BAKING Fresh Fig and Orange Pound Cake

31 March 2016
RECIPES
DRINKS
PEOPLE & PLACES

 
Friday Baking
 
Fresh Fig and Orange Pound Cake
 
Figs are a perfect match with orange zest and warm spices. This lovely moist cake uses both dried and fresh figs for a delicious autumn treat.
Get the recipe
 
 
FROM THE KITCHEN
 
Sarah Tuck's Brown Rice Bowl
 
Feel free to change up the toppings for this recipe – broccoli, cauliflower, baby beets, olives, sundried tomatoes and feta will all work well.
Get the recipe
 
 
 

Hello Graham
Our Food Editor Claire Aldous brought in this week's Friday Baking recipe for us today (yes, we get to try most of them!) and I think it was the highlight of my whole week. The sight of those beautiful fresh figs piled high could sweeten even the greyest of mornings. You'll find the recipe for her Fresh Fig and Orange Pound Cake above, but if it's seasonal vegetables you're after, Sarah Tuck and Kelly Gibney make the most of these in their latest columns. 
Below you'll find ideas for comforting desserts from two of our favourite new cookbooks as well as our thoughts on Saan – a beautiful Thai restaurant that acts as a calm wee escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Online Editor,
India Signature
LATEST RECIPES | Our favourites from this week
Sticky Chicken in Chinese Steamed Buns

Feijoa, Ginger and Cashew Nut Cakes (gf)

Roasted Autumn Vegetables with Raw Walnut Curry Cream

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

pipi at home - book launch invitation

  Penguin Random House New Zealand and Unity Books Wellington 
warmly welcome you to the launch of
pipi at home
recipes by Alexandra TyleePhotography by Richard Brimer



Monday 18th April 5.30pm – 7.00pm
Prefab Café
14 Jessie Street, Wellington

Heart-warming home-cooked food from the owner of iconic Hawkes Bay restaurant, Pipi.

In her second cookbook, Pipi owner and chef Alexandra Tylee shares the recipes she cooks at home for her family. These are the meals and special treats Alex makes at her Hawkes Bay farmhouse when she's not working in her busy Havelock North restaurant. In addition to lunches and dinners, recipes for breakfast, puddings and baking feature alongside dishes suited to slightly more elaborate occasions.

As a busy working mother, Alexandra knows what it’s like to be tight on time or running low on ingredients and how the daily dinner rush can become a cooking a challenge. With the recipes in this book she wants to make cooking interesting, satisfying and, most importantly, fun. With readily available seasonal ingredients and her trademark rustic style of cooking, Alexandra transforms even the most humble dish into something a little bit special. As she says, 'as long as the food is healthy and tasty, it doesn't matter if it might not win a prize in a tricky cooking competition.' In Pipi At Home it's all about sitting down to share honest home-cooked meals with the people you love.

Please RSVP by Friday 15 April to jwheeler@penguinrandomhouse.co.nz or 09 4427400

All welcome.
www.unitybooksonline.co.nz57 Willis Street, Well

Julie Biuso says - Would you look at that snitzel ...

Would you look at that snitzel ...There is an art to making good snitzel, though it's not difficult. The result should be tender meat, not boot leather, with a gorgeous appetising crunchy crust. Here's how to do it with all the bizzo on crusts and crumbs, and a mighty fine super-easy caper and tomato salsa to go with it.

If you've been thinking about coming to a cooking class, the April classes may suit you: The recipes are all vegetarian – I just love showing off great ways to use vegetables – and they will pretty much suit vegans and those going gluten-free. And I've got a couple of great prizes for all April attendees. More here.

Last weekend on Waiheke was an absolute pleasure with so many amazing Jazz musicians performing at venues around the island. I absolutely fell in love with the very talented Hopetoun Brown guys, and I couldn't take my eyes off Sex On Toast (true name!) and enjoyed the smooth groove of Tahuna Breaks to name a few of the great acts. Roll on Easter 2017!

This weekend there's another big event on Waiheke, the Waiheke Wine & Food Festival. It's being held in one location, Te Motu vineyard, and offers the chance to taste some exceptional wines and artisan foods while enjoying the likes of Nathan Haines and other talented musicians. I'll be there on the Rangihoua Olive Estate serving up platters of tasty tie-bits, so come on over and say hi. There are heaps of other events running from March 31st to 3rd April including: a farmer's market, the chance to learn how to make mozzarella as well as an opera dinner with the 3 Tennors, all at Poderi Crisci; a wine maker dinner with Luc Desbonnets at the Oyster Inn; a cheese tasting class with Julia Harbutt at Batch Winery; dinners and lunches and tango at Casita Miro; and the chance to get down and dirty foot stomping grapes at Passage Rock Winery. http://festival.waihekewine.co.nz/events/

Have a great week!
And, if you're looking for a little light reading, check out the feature about yours truly in the local Waiheke newspaper The Weekender
 http://waihekeweekender.realviewdigital.com/#folio=1

Pork Snitzels with Parmesan Crust

Golden, crunchy, crusty snitzels do it for me every time

Here’s the lowdown on making golden crunchy snitzel

Getting a golden crunchy crust on snitzels is easy when you know how              

Monday, March 28, 2016

Cherry Poppy Seed Cake



DavidLebovitz

Cherry Poppy Seed CakeDavid, 28 Mar 

Cherry Yogurt Poppy Seed Cake recipe
With spring around the corner, all thoughts are turning to fruit, while we wait for stone fruits to arrive. Nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots will soon be at the markets, usually led by cherries, which are often the first to make an appearance. I was leafing through Sweeter Off the Vine, by Yossy Arefi, a book dedicated to using fruit year-round, from squash, pumpkin and apples in the fall, to blackberries and figs, which – depending on where you live – signify that summer is coming to a close.
I saw a galley (a preview) of the book before it was published and thought, “Wow – this is gorgeous!” (And wrote an enthusiastic quote for the book jacket.) Plus it was full of the kinds of desserts I like a lot, fruit-forward, bursting with berries, cherries, citrus, and more.
Cherry Yogurt Poppy Seed Cake recipeI got so excited when I got an actual copy of the book that I couldn’t wait for cherry season, and used some frozen ones to bake up a sneak preview. I’d originally bookmarked a whole wheat cobbler with blueberries and had a stash of blueberries in my freezer from last summer. Blueberries are very hard to come by in Paris, so I decided to save those. (Still not sure for what…) But cherries, once the season starts, become widely available. And decided to bake up the Cherry Poppy Seed Cake.
Continue Reading Cherry Poppy Seed Cake...

Sunday, March 27, 2016

EAT YOUR BOOKS

     Recipes | Books | Blog      Weekly Round-Up, March 26, 2016
Dear BookmanBeattie,

Finding the best recipes amongst the millions online is not easy – but you don’t have to! The team here at Eat Your Books, searches for excerpts from indexed books and magazines and every week we bring you our latest finds. Every day recipes are added from the best blogs and websites.

As a member, you can also add your own favorite online recipes using the Bookmarklet. With EYB, you can have a searchable index of all your recipes in one place!

Happy cooking and baking everyone!

The team at EatYourBooks

From blogs:

From UK books:
From AUS/NZ books:
14 recipes from Spice Temple by Neil Perry

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The New Spain cocktail

DavidLebovitz

The New Spain cocktail
David, 23 Mar 

I fell in love with sherry the first time I went to Spain, but it’s something that slips my mind when I’m looking for something in the drink department. And Sherry, by Talia Baiocchi hoped to change that for me, and for lots of other people with her book, which has the best subtitle ever: “The wine world’s best-kept secret.” At that sums up a lot about how people see sherry.
New Spain Sherry Mezcal CocktailPeople know about sherry, but tend to think of it as something you cook with, from a jug-like bottle, from California or elsewhere. And while there are sweet and dry sherries, in general, as Talia notes, “Sherries are some of the driest wines in the world.” Sherry is not only the wine world’s best-kept secret, but it’s one of the world’s best wines.
New Spain Sherry Mezcal Cocktail
It’s hard to understand the appeal of sherry until you go to Spain, where it’s consumed with tapas at bars. I love sherry and it’s not something that’s common to find in France nor have I ever seen it served. Interestingly, the French drink port. But as a before-dinner drink, rather than after. Sherry vinegar is popular and widely available (and great for salads), although finding sherry isn’t easy. So I’d like to raise a glass (or two) to making sherry more popular worldwide.
Continue Reading The New Spain cocktail...

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