Author Archives: Karina
Latinfoodie Goes to Europe
Hello Friends, I’m thrilled to share with you my first international byline! I have just been published in Sabor, a food magazine distributed in the Netherlands. For their Winter 2011 issue, I had the honor of covering Latin American tamales, prepared throughout the Caribbean and Venezuela during the Holidays. The story has been translated to Dutch, but here’s the original story in English. Hope it’s what you need to kick off a wonderful and blessed Holiday season! ¡Felices Fiestas! more »
¡Viva México!: Chef Salum at The James Beard House
It was a clear Autumn night, one of those nights in the middle of October that deceivingly charms us into thinking that we’re ready for what is to come. In downtown Manhattan, shiny pumpkins sat on brownstone stoops and bursted in their orange skin, leaves hung on to branches, beginning their transition from a joyful emerald green to their brittle golden selves. Yet on this night, even though a sharp chill encroached upon me without an invitation, piercing through my tights and slithering behind my collar, I walked briskly to my refuge for the night. A warm place awaited, and I didn’t even have to leave the city. more »
The Jam Stand comes to brunch
Lately I’ve been brunching at home, a lot. One of the highlights of this brunching spree included pairing crepes with Drunken Monkey jam from The Jam Stand, an artisanal jam business founded by two girlfriends Sabrina Valle and Jessica Quon. These adorable ladies are experimenting with wild flavor combinations in their Brooklyn kitchen, creating jams like the Razzy Gabby (raspberries and jalapeños), You’re Bacon me Crazy (bacon!), and Drunken Monkey (bananas and rum). The result is these crazy spreadable concoctions unlike any jam I have ever tasted before. They’re super fresh, have no preservatives, and many of them are made from seasonal ingredients. more »
Mangoes with Sticky Rice
Are there certain dishes that remind you of someone special? For me, bread pudding reminds me of my Mom. Potato salad reminds me of my Aunt Tiita. Thai Mangoes with Sticky Rice will always remind me of a special woman who changed my life this summer. She was an adventurous spirit, a traveler who lived in Thailand for part of her life. She was intelligent, calm, and brave, all of the characteristics I would like to pass on to my children some day. We ate this Thai dessert while we talked about life. The rice was warm, the mango was cool and sweet, just like the conversation.
So here it is, my tribute to the mighty mango and to the special women that unknowingly touch our lives.
Mangoes with Sticky Rice (adapted from Saveur)
1 cup Thai sticky rice
1 cup coconut cream (or 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk)
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
1. Prepare rice as indicated on the bag.
2. Place coconut cream or milk in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour over rice, mix well, then set aside until liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. To serve, spoon rice onto 6 plates and garnish with mangoes.
“YOU GOTTA HAVE A BABY!”
Do you remember that Seinfeld episode in which Elaine is surrounded by girlfriends who are telling her that she’s gotta have a baby and move to Long Island? My friend Jess sent it to me this past week, and it got me thinking. It seems like motherhood is knocking on my door in the most unexpected of places.
Every Tuesday morning, Gus and I have the same conversation.”Who’s going to pick them up?”,”Can you pick them up?”, “Are you going to pick them up?”. We’re not talking about babies (yet!), we’re talking about our veggies from the CSA, which we have to pick up every Tuesday night. The thing about the CSA that nobody tells you is that these vegetables become a responsibility. First of all, we have to pick them up before 7 p.m. from the Hudson Guild, which means we have to rush out of work (no later than 6:20 p.m.) if we want to see our vegetables that week. I know what you’re thinking: Why stress over these veggies? Well, we paid a nice and hefty fee back when the year began ($530) to get them, so why not do everything we can to enjoy them?
Don’t get me wrong, the veggies have been great. Last week, I prepared a summer squash and corn soup that had the clearest and most beautiful garden flavors I had tasted all summer. The recipe was included in the weekly newsletter we receive from Stoneledge Farm, which lists the produce of the week, and tips for what to do with it. Last week, I got squash, red onion, dill, eggplant, okra, and green beans. For the soup, I sauteed the squash with onions, poured in some chicken broth, blended it, stirred in some corn, and topped it with feta and lemon. It was unbelievable!
I also have to volunteer at the Chelsea CSA during the course of the summer, which takes place during the work day. They scheduled a trip to the farm, which sounded amazing, but it was on a Friday. So, as you can see, it’s a big commitment, and often work gets in the way. But man, I love those vegetables. When we went out of town this weekend, I thought of them often. “I hope they’re OK. I hope that that they’re OK over the weekend”. And you know what? They were. I got home last night and prepared a big, beautiful summer salad. The romaine was perfectly crispy, the red shallots were firm and plump. I was one proud Mama.
Diary of a CSA
Strawberries for a summer spritzer
This year I finally remembered to join a local CSA. For those of you who are wondering what the heck I’m talking about, it’s a Community-Supported Agriculture program that connects you with a local farm so you get fresh, seasonal produce every week straight from the farm. Think of it as a farmer’s market club membership, except that instead of having to go to the farmer’s market, the market comes to you! A few months ago, after some extensive research, I came across the Chelsea CSA, which is supplied by Stoneledge Farm, run by the Kavakos family and located in upstate New York. Every Tuesday night from June through August, I will rush out of the office with paper bags in tow to pick up my vegetable share at Hudson Guild on 26th street. more »
The Herbfarm Restaurant: A Gift of the Earth
Edible herbs and flowers from the garden
My cheeks were flushed. My head swirled in wine-induced hyperreality. I raised the silver goblet of water to my lips to help dilute the copious amounts of wine that were now coursing through my veins. The sixth dish of the night arrived, “Young Milk Lamb”, with luscious and delicate slices of suckling lamb contrasting with a firm and juicy medallion of pastured lamb. They were nestled in a lime green whip of shallot mashed potatoes and punctuated by a spiraled fiddlehead fern, which I had seen at the market earlier that morning. The lamb had been sourced from a farm nearby. “This is the perfect example of sustainability,” said Chris Weber, the 25-year-old chef that headed the kitchen at the HerbFarm restaurant in Woodinville, Washington. more »
Here Comes the Sun
So the past few weeks have been pretty hectic around here. I was working on a final project for school on solar energy in NYC and learned about the growth it’s experiencing and will potentially experience in the next couple of years. Did you know that second to California, New Jersey is a top producer of solar energy in the country? I know, crazy.
Coincidentally, all this attention on the sun has made me notice how quickly the city has shed its wintry layers. This past weekend, G and I enjoyed a breakfast picnic in the Clinton Community Garden, an emerald jewel in the neighborhood that I pass by every day on my way to work. It’s a discovery I’m actually even hesitant to share–a calming oasis in the middle of the Hell’s Kitchen hustle. It seemed that just a few weeks ago, the garden always looked quiet, recovering from a long and bitter winter. That morning, it was completely alive: tulips were blooming, sparrows were chirping, and we took it all in while munching on blueberry oat scones from Amy’s, fruit salad and earl gray tea.
So yes! One of my favorite seasons–picnic season–is upon us and with it the cue to start dining outdoors. I had the pleasure of putting together a guide to al fresco dining in NYC, and discovered a list of interesting places to keep in the radar throughout the next couple of months. I also came across an inspiring Selby film about the owner of Rockaway Taco, a pop-up taco shack that opens for the summer to feed hungry surfers fish tacos and fresh juices. The chef Andrew Field works half the year and spends the other half surfing and traveling around the world (sigh). According to Rockaway Taco’s website, there are 14 days until opening day, and I can’t wait. Let the countdown begin.
Rockaway Taco, A Selby Film from the selby on Vimeo.
Easter in a bun
Red bean bun from Ming Du
Ever since we moved to Clinton, a year and a half ago, we’ve been savoring the perks of living in the heart of the city. We not only walk to work, but to a butcher shop, spice market, flea market and fishmonger all located within a 5-block radius. But one of the most treasured discoveries has been the “Chinese Bun”. Ming Du, formerly known as Ying Du, is a Chinese bakery located on 38th street and 7th Avenue, and a neighborhood goldmine. Some days, when I get my breakfast on the go, a quick stop gives me a glimpse into the early morning buzz of Chinatown. When I place my order at the counter, I always notice a devoted clientele stationed throughout the restaurant, ready to start the day with noodles, hot broth, the daily paper and sweet milk tea.
However, the main reason G and I visit Ming Du are for the assortment of their breakfast pastries. They are puffy, golden spectacles filled with red bean, pineapple, egg cream or onion scallion, making them one of the most affordable breakfasts in the city. A bun plus a small cup of tea usually sets you back about $1.35.
Which brings me to the main point of my story. Lately, I’ve been craving my habichuelas con dulce, that unique Easter dish from the Dominican Republic made from cooking red beans, coconut milk and sweet potato. With the red bean bun from Ming Du, now I can get the sweet and creamy flavors of my habichuela in a slice from the Far East right down the street.
Fresh from the market Latino!
Squeeze some lime and top with a little chopped cilantro
You must think I’m turning all health nut on you. I realize that many of my recent entries have been focusing on healthful cooking and wholesome recipes, but that doesn’t mean I’m leaving my Latin roots behind. The truth is that this semester a Consumer Journalism class at school has opened my eyes to some of the realities of our country’s food system. Coincidentally, I’ve come across some interesting articles recently that bring fresh ideas to the Latin kitchen. One of my favorite Latin food bloggers Ana Sofía Pelaez, recently wrote about the benefits of Latin American super-grains amaranth and quinoa. Lorenza Muñoz shed some light on the vegetarian options that abound in Mexican cooking in her latest story in the LA Times. more »
Food For Thought