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Restaurant Review: Abidjan (Brooklyn, Food of Ivory Coast)

Posted by roodonfood on July 2, 2015 in Food Adventures, New York City

New York City is home to a large West African population, most famously Little Ghana in the Bronx. Since I live nowhere near the Bronx, I did some searching and discovered several restaurants in Brooklyn. Abidjan, is located on an unassuming block under the elevated J line, next to an appliance repair shop.

Stepping inside the restaurant though, it was quiet and cool. The restaurant owner seemed almost confused by my presence. After perusing the menu, he seemed to warm up after I recognized a few items like attieke couscous. The menu features pictures of every item – extremely helpful for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. There are options featuring “sauces” including peanut, palm, chicken and others. There are also platters with fish, chicken and lamb. Being a fan of okra, I went with the “okra sauce.” Against my better judgment I got the foutou (also known as fufu).

Both the husband and wife stepped into the kitchen for a good twenty minutes before emerging with a steaming bowl of okra sauce and the fufu. Now, I’ve read about fufu before. It’s made from ingredients such as plantains, cassava potato and or yams which are then mashed down and form a stick paste. Having never tried it, I didn’t know what to expect. It came in the form of a massive dumpling. Sticky to the touch, I tentatively tore off a piece and tried it by itself. It requires a bit of chewing. The texture is not unlike mochi but without the sweet aftertaste. It was also very sticky.

The okra on the other hand was delicious. While it’s described as a sauce, it’s more like a stew and also had some pieces of beef in it as well. It was totally cooked down, and had the slimy texture that okra fans are okay with but non-okkies wouldn’t be into. It was seasoned lightly with salt, pepper and garlic. Very tasty in its simplicity. Eating the foutou with the okra didn’t make the carb much better.

I don’t like to waste food, but when finishing the meal, about half the dumpling was left on my plate (as opposed to finished bowl of okra). Without anything to compare it to, I can’t say how this place compares with others. It was a unique experience. I will absolutely go back but next time, I’ll try out attieke.

Restaurant Abidjan
1136 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
M-Sat: 12pm-12am
Sunday: 4pm-12am
Nearest Subway: J/Z (Gates Avenue)

Tags: abidjan restaurant brooklyn, brooklyn, new york city, west african food brooklyn, west african food new york Permalink

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Review: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit Mix

Posted by roodonfood on July 1, 2015 in gluten free

I don’t generally buy or make biscuits at home but Bob’s was on sale and featured a cheddar biscuit recipe a la Red Lobster. It was a fairly simply recipe involving throwing a few things into a bowl and mixing. After a judicious cheesing and buttering we were good to go. In keeping with tradition for pretty much all baked goods, we made them in the whoopie pie pan because they end up bite size and cook in half the time. At 350, they only took about 12 minutes to bake.

The final product was melt in your mouth good. I ate six in one sitting. While not Southern style, these biscuits went well with our soul food dinner of collard greens and mac and cheese. I highly recommend this product from Bob’s Red Mill.

Tags: bob's red mill, Gluten Free, gluten free biscuit Permalink

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Updated: Milan’s Restaurant Is Still Kicking (Park Slope, Brooklyn)

Posted by roodonfood on June 10, 2015 in Brooklyn, New York City

I wrote about Milan’s in Park Slope, Brooklyn a couple of years back and even interviewed the gracious owner. Back then, the restaurant looked like it was closing for good. I’m happy to report that for now at least, the long running Slovakian restaurant is still kicking.

Yes, there are slicker restaurants with high-end pretentious food but if you’re like me, you like food comfortable. Pictured above is galasova, a goulash soup filled with meat and potatoes.

Milan’s Restaurant
710 5th Avenue @22nd St
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718)788-7384
Tuesday-Friday: 2pm-9pm
Saturday-Sunday: 12pm-10pm

Tags: central european food brooklyn, food, milan's brooklyn, polish food park slope Permalink

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Bob’s Donuts, San Francisco, CA

Posted by roodonfood on June 5, 2015 in Food Adventures

I’d be remiss to not get this up on national donut day. San Francisco is a donut crazy town. Perhaps the best indicator that they’re a cultural touchstone are the donut magnets available at every gift shop. On our tourist itinerary was a stop at Bob’s Donut Shop, a 24 hour spot. We stopped by at around 10am to a small line. The blogs suggested getting there early to avoid an apple fritter sellout.

The donuts are for the most part placed in the window. (Yes, your eyes don’t deceive you. There is a human head sized donut).

The inside is spare with a couple of 2 tops are and handful of stools. Usually these bare bones establishments are the best places in my experience. I got a cruller, maple glazed and an apple fritter. The cruller actually tasted oily. The maple glazed which I saved for a trip to the park was delicious, even if it did get squished. I don’t have many fritters to compare them with but this one was fresh with a slight crisp to it. Well worth the 2 minute wait.

Bob’s makes tasty, traditional donuts. The next time I’m in the Bay Area, I’ll try to stop by as recommended, when the donuts are still warm.

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Tags: bob's donuts, food, national donut day, san francisco, san francisco donuts Permalink

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Updated: Krish Classic Jeera Khakhra Review (Wheat Crisps)

Posted by roodonfood on May 31, 2015 in gluten free

Good news, gluten free folks: I’d posted about Krish Classic Khakra back in January of 2013. The product featured the words “gluten free” despite clearly being “wheat” based. Recently someone from the company followed up to say that they’ve removed the words “gluten free” so there is no confusion. It’s a tasty product and I’m glad they’ve finally made the change.

Original Post:

Khakhra are a paper thin cracker/bread native to Gujarat, India. Typically they’re made from wheat flour only and/or one other flour such as lentil. A pappadam (papor) is a close relative, but tend to be gluten free (made of lentil, rice and other flours).

The Krish Classic come 12 to a pack. They’re about 7 inches in diameter and super thin. The ingredients are whole wheat flour, ghee, salt and cumin. These khakhras are crisp with a nice roasted flavor from the cumin and a faint sweetness. The crisps are enjoyable plain or with chutney and onions on top.

<strong>Wheat = Not Gluten Free</strong>

It’s a tasty product with one big problem. For some strange reason, the back of the label says “gluten free.” Most people who are GF check packages anyway, but it’s rare to see such a clear error. I’ve written to the makers, <a href=”http://krushnafood.com/”>Krushna Foods</a> and will post any follow ups about removal of the gluten free language.

Tags: Gluten Free Permalink

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Annual Eating of the Chocolate Bunny: A Confession

Posted by roodonfood on April 10, 2015 in Uncategorized

Despite crazy eyes, Binks the bunny was rather dapper,
He awaited his fate, within the confines of a plastic wrapper.

With a smirk everlasting, his attitude was to be admired,
How would he have known the events about to transpire?

Perhaps he one day dreamed of hopping through an enormous field,
Instead he ended up a dessert after my Easter meal.

Your end was unceremonious but not without meaning,
Why, after eating you I was positively beaming.

So off you go to meet your fate in chocolate bunny heaven,
I hope you forgive this once-a-year tasty transgression.

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Birthday Fun

Posted by roodonfood on April 8, 2015 in Uncategorized

Yours truly celebrated a birthday recently. Being a nerd, you know what that means – time to hit up the museums. This year we decided to check out the National Museum of the American Indian and the African Burial Ground.

After a delicious bacon and spinach omelette and home fries we hopped on the train. It’s very liberating taking a weekday off while everyone else is gearing up for work. It was a chilly day and felt even more so since the destinations were by the water in lower Manhattan.

Usually eye candy doesn’t catch my eye but it did this time. Look how cutely all the candy is packed up. The Twizzlers practically appeared in my hands. The National Museum of the American Indian is located in the stately Alexander Hamilton Customs house at 1 Bowling Green. A sister location to the Smithsonian’s museum down in D.C, it’s probably about 1/4th of the building. Other occupants include the National Archives and somewhat dubiously, U.S Bankruptcy Court.

Alexander Hamilton Customs House

The museum is free which is a big plus. It houses some beautiful ceremonial, cultural and household items ranging from peace pipes to masks to weapons. One of the most interesting pieces was the last image in the slide show, the scissor dance.

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After the museum we needed to warm up. Momentarily we were tempted by the prospect of margaritas but the cold talked us out of it. We found a place to get cappuccinos and took a few minutes. It was about a 10 minute walk over to the African Burial Ground located at 290 Broadway. Also free, this small museum gives a brief history of the African population that was based in NYC in the late 1600s onwards. Construction had begun in 1991 when workers uncovered hundreds of graves and skeletons. Researching, they realized this was once an African Burial Ground. The city rallied, and rather than building a new building, the land was given to the National Park Service. There is now a proper memorial there for the estimated 15 thousand bodies.

It was a dream like day. It even started to snow a little. For lunch we walked over to Chinatown. These guys sell 20 mini-cakes for a $1 over on Canal street. They taste just like angel food cake.

The cool looking griddle used to make the mini cakes.

Piping hot off the griddle, these were a fun cheap treat.

We spotted a bakery off Hester St. Congee, a traditional rice porridge for only $2? Yes, that sounds correct. It was a bit of a wait but delicious in it’s simplicity. Rice, Chicken brother, garlic and a bit of hot sauce. We then walked over to the legendary Punjabi Deli to pickup a classic 1,2,3 (chickpeas, spinach and dal) and samosa chaat to go. It was a nice day in the city made all the better for being so affordable.

Tags: african burial ground new york, Birthday, food, native american museum, new york city Permalink

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Chicken Paprikash Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on April 6, 2015 in Recipes

Chicken Paprikash

Despite originating in Mexico, paprika is most closely associated with Hungary. Magyar paprika is naturally a bit sweeter than paprika elsewhere because “of the longer cooling season.” From cultivation to turning it into a powder, the process takes seven months. The spice is so important to the country that at one point it was nationalized. And in the cities of Kalocsa and Szeged there are museums devoted to it.

I first learned of Chicken Paprikash on Master Chef when a contestant advanced to 2nd round after making it. I was intrigued by a dish where paprika was the star. This recipe is quick and easy. It’s great for a cool night especially when you have extra sour cream available.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped
1 T tomato paste
1 T sweet paprika
1 T butter
6 garlic cloves
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
4oz sour cream
1-1.5 cup water or chicken broth
1 package egg Noodles or other wide noodle

Method:

In a pot bring water to a boil for egg noodles. Cook and drain. Set aside. In a skillet, heat pan to medium. Add the butter. Toss in the chicken pieces. Let them brown on each side for about 4 minutes. Set the chicken aside. Place in the garlic and onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until they begin to brown. Place the chicken on top of the cooking onions. Add about a cup or cup and half of water, salt, pepper, cayenne, tomato paste. Mixed in well. Water should partially submerge chicken. Bring to a simmer then back down to low and cover. Stir occasionally. Once chicken is cooked. Add in sour cream and if needed re-season with more paprika. Color should be burnt orange to reddish. Serve on top of egg noodles.

Tags: chicken paprikash recipe, food, hungarian recipes, paprika Permalink

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Vegetarian Pad Thai Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on March 31, 2015 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Arguably, there isn’t anything more satisfying than a bowl of noodles. Well perhaps more satisfying is a glass of riesling with said bowl of noodles. Pad Thai is one of those dishes, like biryani that we’d tried to make a few years back but failed spectacularly. They ended up mushy and the tamarind concentrate tasted like pain. But due to a full moon and a freak sale on brown rice noodles we decided to try it again. The results were actually really tasty. It’s highly customizable so add in the vegetables and meat you prefer. Note that we opted to bake the tofu to make it firmer.

Ingredients:

1 10oz package medium wide rice noodles
10 oz firm tofu, chopped small
1 carrot, diced
½ onion, chopped
1 broccoli spear, diced
½ bell pepper, diced
couple ounces of cabbage, chopped bite size
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 T tamarind chutney (substitute: brown sugar if hard to find)
2 T peanut butter
1 oz lime juice
salt
pepper
Lime for garnish
Peanuts for garnish

For Tofu:

Preheat oven to 350. In an oven safe pan mix 1t of peanut butter, ½ t lime juice, tamarind chutney and a few ounces of water. Place tofu in the pan. Mix it up very well. Marinade should partially cover the tofu. Place in oven for about 10 minutes. Pour some of the marinade out into a bowl for later. Flip tofu and put back in oven. It will start to firm up. Pull out tofu, if it’s browned enough to your liking set aside. If desired continue cooking in oven till desired firmness is achieved.

For Noodles/Vegetables:

Boil noodles, till just a minute before they’re done. Drain water. This helps to keep them from getting mushy when added to the vegetables. In a large pan or wok add a touch of oil and heat to medium. Add in onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes till they begin to brown and wilt. Next, add in other vegetables. Add a touch of salt and pepper. When the vegetables are done, add in peanut butter, tamarind chutney, chili sauce. Cook for a minute till done. Finally, mix in the noodles, tofu and leftover marinade. Re-season as needed. Serve hot. Garnish with lime, cucumbers and peanuts. Suggested wine: Riesling.