Sweet-Meat

Halva roughly translates to "sweet-meat", and is the catch-all nomenclature for a large number of small Middle-Eastern & Indian confections. Depending on whom you ask, Halva can be made w/ sesame seeds, or tahini, or carrots, or something else all together. Similarly, technique also varies from source to source. Some recipes call for a roux, others call for a cooked sugar-syrup and some don't call for any cooking at all.

My main goal was to achieve a texture as close to the commercial stuff as possible -- so dense, yet so impossibly light. The best I was able to do was w/ this no-cook recipe. The result was flavorful and dense, but not nearly light as the store-bought stuff.

Iranian Halva

1 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1/2 cup tahini

1 tsp rose water

1/4 cup honey

1. pulverize toasted sesame seeds in a food processor until light and fluffy. add tahini and rose water, pulse until the sesame mixture starts to form a paste. drizzle in honey and continue to pulse until a sticky, semi-firm mass forms.

2. wrap halva in wax paper and let set in the fridge for 24 hours.

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I also tried a cooked syrup based recipe w/ mixed results. This batch was way sweeter and recieved more favorable reviews from tasters, however, I didn't like the texture -- it was more like a soft-chew caramel than any halva I've ever had.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com

The Bare Necessities

Bare Burger is a new addition to the Astoria landscape. While not the first, and possibly not the best, Bare Burger certainly is the most progressive burger destination in the area. The restaurant's physical space was constructed using sustainable, reclaimed and recycled materials. The eco-friendly digs must've cut into the bottom line, because the prices are a bit steep considering the services rendered. I suppose it's a small price to pay if you love the Earth.

Unless you hate the Earth. You don't hate the Earth, do you?

Bare Burger

33 - 21 31st Avenue

Astoria, NY 11106

718.777.7011

The menu is largely organic and features an array of exotic meats such as, Piedmontese beef, ostrich, bison, lamb, and elk. I opted for an Elk burger w/ jalapeno jack cheese, lettuce-tomato-onion, and horseradish dill mayo. A well-constructed tower of flavor. One criticism, I ordered my burger "rare" but what I got was quite blatantly "raw". I'm talking purple & mushy raw. I'm talking Eddie Murphy raw.

--order medium.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com

Pesto Panache

Let's face it -- sometimes it's too damn hot to cook, but you still have to eat. A salad or sandwich is just fine for lunch, but if you want something that eats like an actual meal, consider making pesto, the O.G. no-cook pasta sauce from way, way back. All it takes is a handful of fresh ingredients, a food processor and about 20 minutes. Even better yet, in that 20 minutes you can make enough pesto to last you months if used sparingly and stored correctly.

You still have to boil a pot of water, but if you use gnocchi (fresh or packaged), the pasta will only take 3-4 minutes to cook instead of the standard 8-10.

Pistachio Pesto

3 large bunches of basil, leaves blanched

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; as needed

1 TBS pumpkin seed oil

1. Combine the basil, garlic, cheese, and pistachios in a food processor or blender. Add enough olive oil to just cover the blades; power on. Drizzle in another ounce or two of EVOO and TBS of pumpkin seed oil.

To store -- cover the remaining pesto w/ a thin layer of olive oil, seal in an air-tight container and freeze for up to two months.

-- experiment with different types of leafy greens and a variety of nuts:

- a cup of fresh arugula or parsley adds a nice little punch.

- a cup of cilantro adds a nice little twang.

- walnuts add some warmth

- pine nuts add some depth

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com

Tastes Like Korean

Sometimes an underlying flavor pervades a culture's culinary consciousness to the point where it is impossible to think of one and not the other. For the Italians it's garlic & oil, for the Thai it's fish sauce, and for the Koreans, it's Gochujang.

Gochujang is a red pepper paste made w/ powdered fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt. It has a texture similar to miso paste, hoisin sauce or even a really thick BBQ sauce.

Gochujang is simultaneously salty, sweet, sour and spicy. It's flavor is vaguely reminiscent of miso paste, only far less sweet and infinitely more spicy. Gochujang is used in Korean cooking primarily as base for soups, hot pots, and various other condiments. It is also used to season seafood and other light proteins.

A taste so bold and unmistakable -- surely it will leave you saying, "It tastes like Korean."

Tteokbokki (Korean Rice Cakes w/ Chili Sauce)

1 # Korean rice cakes (Tteok)

4 scallions, sliced on the bias (whites & greens separated)

1 clove garlic, grated

1 1-in. knob ginger, grated

1/2 cup kimchi

1 TBS sesame oil

1 TBS soy sauce

3 TBS Korean chili paste (gochujang)

2 cups water

1 cup fish cake, sliced

2 serrano chilies, thin sliced

sesame seeds, to garnish

1. soak the rice cakes in cold water while you prepare other ingredients; 10-20 mins.

2. saute the scallion GREENS over medium heat until wilted; 2-4 minutes. add the ginger and garlic, saute until fragrant. add sesame oil, soy sauce, gochujang, water, fish cakes and rice cakes. mix well and let simmer until rice cakes are tender; 4-6 minutes.

3. serve rice cakes on a flat plate and garnish w/ the scallion whites, serrano chilies and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com

Do You Speak Greek?

You can learn a lot about the Greeks by living in Astoria for a few years. Indeed, there's much more to these Mediterranean peoples than just Gyros, bad techno and seemingly unmanageable body hair. For example, did you know that Greeks are masterful confectioners? No shit, beyond the ubiquitous Baklavah exists a myriad of delectable desserts with a heavy focus on nuts, fruits and natural sweeteners. Personal favorites include loukoumades, galaktoboureko, and the Frappé.

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Loukoumades are basically Greek zeppoles, only far more light and textured than their Italian counter-parts. Instead of being covered with powdered sugar, loukoumades are doused with a warm honey sauce and dusted with sweet cinnamon.

Galaktoboureko is a wild semolina custard ensconced in flaky phyllo dough. It's warm, gushing slice of sweet comfort -- I haven't had anything else quite like in any of my culinary escapades.

The Frappé is an interesting concoction that is reminiscent of both a Starbucks Frappachino and a cappuccino proper. They are made from instant coffee, but don't let that dissuade you; this piquant caffeinated jolt is a real treat.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com

Meat Mecca

New York City plays host to a number of upper-echelon steak houses: Del Frisco's, Old Homestead, Craftsteak, Keens, Churrascaria Plataforma, Prime House, and Ruth's Chris -- just to name a few. Indeed, this carnivorous multitude encompasses a large number of fine establishments, each with varying degrees of food and service. The approach and execution differ from place to place, but there's one thing they all have in common, they aren't Peter Luger's.

Peter Luger, Inc.

178 Broadway

Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211

718-387-7400

The Peter Luger Steak House is a culinary institution of epic proportions. Sure, I could go on and on about the peerless porterhouse cut, or the decadent triple-thick cut bacon strips, or the surly, straight out of 1926 waiters -- but you know all that already, so why bother? Instead, I'm just going to share some pictures and let you draw your own conclusions.

Let me just say this, it IS as good as the hype.

Mmmm, bacon.

Porterhouse for two.

Perfect medium.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com

Wheaties -- The Pasta of Champions.

I used to have a real hard-on for whole wheat pasta; I didn't like the way it tasted or its grainy texture -- mind you, I was also 300lbs, so the obvious health benefits were inconsequential to me at the time. I have since reconciled my differences with pastas of the whole wheat variety, and oddly enough, I find that I've grown to love its nuanced taste and grainy texture (and of course the health benefits!).

When working with whole wheat pasta:

-- Add about a teaspoon of honey along with a heavy pinch of salt to the cooking water. Honey is a natural sweetener and has a way of adding some pep to the pasta.

-- Keep the sauce simple; make the pasta the star. There's no need to mask the pasta's wheatie goodness with a heavy red sauce -- stick to a light olive oil based sauce for best results.

My favorite way to prepare whole wheat spaghetti is to toss a tangle with olive oil, garlic, parsley, some caramelize onions and fennel.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com