Just a couple of weeks ago, the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, released an official map of wine regions, split into seven areas: Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Negev, the Coastal Plain, the Valleys and the Carmel Mountain range. It is not that wine is new as it has been produced for thousands of years, with innovation coming into play for several years now, with techniques like drip irrigation that has revolutionized agriculture, making Israel one of the fastest wine growing regions in the World. The diversity of its soil and microclimates offer endless possibilities: from bold reds to crisp whites, it is surely putting Israeli wineries on the map, with more than 40 of then joining the Israeli Wine Producers Association.
It’s always exciting when you find an unusual place and it is how I felt when I found Coffee Project New York. We were with our friend Jeannine, looking for a coffee place since we were too early for our brunch reservation, when I noticed this place on Google Map, a comment mentioning their Deconstructed Latte ($12). I was thinking that this was probably a marketing thing where they would just give me an espresso and a some milk that I would need to mix myself, but it was not the case. When I ordered, they told me…
With just 500 sqf, Little Bar is one of the smallest restaurants in New Jersey. But it might be small, its experience is bigger: delicious craft cocktails and interesting small plates, without forgetting desserts, make this place worth knowing. Perfect for a date or a casual drink in a relaxed atmosphere. Surely, their cocktails, besides having interesting names, are creative (they have a full bar and can probably make any cocktail you cannot find on the menu). For instance, I got their La Vie en Rocks ($20, a reference to La vie en rose from Edith Piaf), that is…
Listen to the last episode: A discussion with Vincent Todarello aka Johnny Prime Carnivore Connoisseur, foodie and meat expert.
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Pick of the month
If you have never been to The Tin Building, you are truly missing an incredible experience. This food market from Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is superb, with my favorite spot being their bakery that proposes delicious items, similar to what you would get in France. My favorite is their brioche au sucre that is better eaten there, as the sugar will fall in the bag on the way home, and their...
President Cheese sent me a Brie to come up with a recipe and of course baked Brie is what comes immediately to mind. I mean Brie with a good bread is fine, but I often get Brie bites or baked Brie in restaurants, so, why not make my own? It is an easy recipe that will make for a great appetizer and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
A while back, I published a recipe of vegetarian chili, made with tofu. Since then, I discovered a meatless product at Trader Joe’s (I am not paid for this nor was I asked by this company to promote their product!) that really looks like ground beef and has the same texture, but is made with soy.
Ratatouille is a Provencal dish that originated in Nice, in the South of France. Needless to say that this dish became popular after the Disney movie of the same name and it is now not uncommon to see it on menus in New York. Comforting, this is the kind of dish where every family has its own recipe. Some cook the vegetables separately. others together. Even the way the vegetables are cut can differ, some preferring them grossly cut and others, like myself, small. Know that it has to cook for a long time and you will surely get a fantastic smell in your apartment.
When I was a kid, the only soufflé I knew was the cheese soufflé that my Mom was making. We never heard about sweet soufflés and it is only much later in my life that variations on soufflés started to appear, like the cauliflower soufflé we made one time with my sister. Then I discovered chocolate soufflés, and one time, banana soufflés. The latter is fantastic; well, if you like bananas! So, the recipe below is my take on a recipe I learned at the Institute of Culinary Education few years ago.
I love ramen and New York is a perfect city to try different ones, having so many places proposing that delicious Japanese dish. And my favorite moment to eat that soup is now, as I like it hot and was never really impressed by cold versions of it. This recipe requires a bit of work, but it is worth it!
I discovered S'Mores in this country, this treat not being known at all in France. Even roasting marshmallows, that we call chamallows, is pretty uncommon there. So, I decided to make my own version of a S'Mores pie, layering a Graham cracker crust, a fudgy brownie and some torched marshmallow. An easy recipe that will satisfy adults and kids!
I discovered olive oil cake a couple of years ago, eating in an Italian restaurant. Since then, I never hesitate to order it for dessert, often preferring it to the popular tiramisu. And in fact the best olive cake I ate, that inspires this recipe, was at Maialino. So, I decided to make my own: an easy recipe for a succulent cake...
This is a simple recipe for a dish that is very comforting: meatballs with orzo (that we call in French langues d'oiseaux or birds' tongues because of their shape).
I remember that when I was a kid, I used to see TV series or movies where people were making pancakes, wondering what it was, as we did not have that in France. In all cases, I would definitely not say that crepes are like pancakes and it makes me cringe when I hear people comparing the two as they are totally different!
Anyway, here is the way I make pancakes at home.
I love BAO, these steamed buns of all sorts of shapes that you can find in Chinese restaurants. I love it so much that I was curious to know how to make it and decided to try myself. I made two versions: pork belly for me and tofu for Jodi (not entirely vegetarian as it contains fish sauce). It is not that this recipe is complicated, but it takes some time.
During our trip to Florence, we had some amazing Tuscan white bean soup. This recipe is inspired from it. Enjoy (I did)! and bon appétit!
Bugnes are some sort of beignets that are popular in Central-Eastern France, the most known being the bugnes de Lyon. There are two sorts: the soft and the crunchy, the difference between the two being the presence of yeast (soft) or not (crunchy). It is not difficult to make, but takes a bit of time as the dough has to rise.
I love paella and tried to recreate my own version, made with meat and seafood and cooked for long enough so the rice gets very soft and flavorful. In this recipe, I have replaced the saffron by turmeric, to give to the rice this nice yellow color, saffron being expensive. Here is the recipe:
Check out this recipe to make some delicious butternut squash ravioli with taleggio cream. In this recipe you will learn how to make homemade pasta! Yum!
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I was recently invited to try Leonetta’s brunch and, as I was checking out the menu and information about the place, I realized that the Chef and owner is also the Executive Chef and partner at Jack & Charlie’s no.118, and is not unknown: it is Ed Cotton, who was at some point the sous-Chef of Chef Cat Cora on Iron Chef America and participated in Top Chef season 7 among other TV appearances. So, I…