al-Astoria

Astoria has its fair share of street food -- Mexican taco trucks, souvlaki slingers, kebab carts, and even a Vendy Award winner all grace these fine streets. With so many options, how can you tell if a vendor is the real deal, or just a jive turkey?  You could check yelp, Chowhound, or Grub Street, but sometimes those unscrupulous foodies keep the real finds to themselves.  This would explain why I couldn't find much info on the al-Shamy kebab car located down Steinway Street.  

al-Shamy Kebab Cart

Steinway Street b/w 28th & 25th Avenues

Astoria, NY 11103

This guy is good, almost too good to share -- but I'm going to throw you a bone.  That's the way I am.

All kebabs are grilled to order, and served w/ a side of rice, salad and stewed vegetables.  The half-chicken plate can easily feed two people, and for only $9 you'd be a fool to pass.  The clientele consists of mostly Middle Eastern men, but the vendor goes out of his way to make outsiders feel welcome.  I discovered al-Shamy about five weeks ago and have been back every week since.  All it takes is one fix and you'll be hooked.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Glazed & Confused

Been glazed and confused for so long it's not true.

Wanted a carrot, never bargained for you.

Lots of people cook and few of them know, 

soul of a veggie was created below.

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A solid glazing technique is essential to any cook's culinary arsenal.  At the most basic level, a glaze consists of three major components: a sugar, a fat, and a liquid.  The key player on this team is the sugar.  As the liquid evaporates, the sugar starts to caramelize, resulting in an smooth sexy sheen.  The fat molecules stabilize the glaze by providing some much needed lubrication.  Beware -- if you apply a glaze too soon into the cooking process, there is a good chance the liquid will completely evaporate, the fat will render and the sugars will "over-caramelize".  Try to keep the total cook time around 15 minutes.  

A glaze can be sweet or savory -- rudimentary or complex.  You can go hog wild w/ some fish sauce, Worcestershire, and rose jam or keep is simple w/ some sugar, chicken stock and olive oil. Let's start slow.

Glazed Carrots

1 quart carrots, chopped & blanched*

1 tsp salt

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS vincotto

1 TBS olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

1. combine all ingredients in a 12-inch saute pan.  bring to a boil, reduce to a vigorous simmer.  cook down for 10-15 minutes, long enough for liquid to evaporate and sugar to sheen. 

* to blanch carrots -- cut into equal sized chunks, place in a pot w/ cold water and a pinch of salt.  bring to a complete boil, kill the heat, drain the carrots and allow to cool at room temperature on a half sheet tray.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Astor Place

The Astor Room is a new addition to the Kaufman Studios sector of Astoria, bordering Long Island City.  The subterranean dining room is throw-back chic, as is the menu.  The speakeasy vibe is reminiscent of the roaring twenties, or if you're a gamer -- the underwater city, Rapture, from Bioshock.

***

Astor Room

718.255.1947
34-12 36th Street
Astoria, NY

Oysters Rockefeller, baked Alaska, and chicken pot pie are among a few of the revamped classics that make an appearance on the Art Deco menu.  From what I've sampled, the execution is spot on, and the extensive raw bar is a refreshing treat given the restaurant's location.  The staff is friendly and efficient, but they struggled to maintain the level of service as multiple large parties arrived.

Overall, the food was inventive and well prepared; however, the menu is a bit limited.  There are a few dishes that I would come back to try, but beyond that I'd like to see a more seasonally relevant menu.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Roll Out

The Italian word "involtini" roughly translates to "little roll up".  Pretty much anything can be constituted as an involtini, so long as there is a thin layer of meat or vegetable wrapped around a stuffing.  Guests love rolled/stuffed food items -- it says to them, "I care enough about you to put food inside of food."

Involtini can be a laborious and time consuming task -- take, braciole, for example -- or as simple as rolling a piece of prosciutto around asparagus.  This roasted pepper & mushroom roll-up is middle of the road in terms of difficulty and top of the heap in terms of flavor and presentation.  

"Now, where'd you get those roasted peppers w/ them mushrooms in'it?"

Roasted Pepper Involtini

2 qt (16oz) sliced mushrooms 

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 TBS capers

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1/2 cup marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken or veal stock

1/4 cup half & half

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 TBS olive oil

2 TBS grated cheese

2 TBS parsely, chopped

2 roasted peppers, seeded

1. saute the mushrooms in a thin layer of canola oil over high heat until they take on a deep brown color.  cook in batches as to not over crowd the pan.  season w/ salt & pepper.  remove to a warm plate, cover and reserve. 
2. add a splash more oil and saute the onion, garlic, and capers over medium-high heat until limp and translucent -- about 6 minutes.  
3. return the reserved mushrooms to the frying pan.  add the fresh thyme and marsala wine; reduce by half.  add the stock; reduce by half.  add the half & half and cook long enough for the mixture to thicken.  kill the heat.
4. combine the bread crumbs, parsley, grated cheese and olive oil in a small bowl, making sure to coat evenly.  apply the bread crumb mixture as a thin layer over the mushrooms.  place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes -- just enough to get some color, don't burn the mushrooms!
5. allow mushroom mixture to cool.  meanwhile, slice each roasted pepper open down the side and "unravel" so that you have an open-faced roasted pepper canvas.  add about half of the mushroom mixture to each pepper -- mushrooms go on the right; roll it over to the left.  serve whole, or slice in half.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Pho-getaboutit!

Pho (Vietnamese pronunciation: "fuh") is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served w/ chicken or beef.  A rich, clear broth is the hallmark of a high quality pho, and while the recipe will vary from place to place, you should expect a deep beefy flavor that is accentuated by a subtle sweet twang reminiscent of the Chinese "five spice" flavor profile.  The crisp, refreshing broth makes pho the ideal summer soup, which makes sense considering the weather in Vietnam is "sauna" year-round.

Pho Grand
277 Grand St # C
New York, NY 10002-4468
(212) 965-5366

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Adventurous eaters will enjoy the various cow parts that are traditionally served as part of the meal: tripe, tendon, and cartilage -- the good stuff.  The flank, brisket and eye-round cuts will be more inviting to the more pedestrian pallet -- everyone wins.

Most establishments encourage the diner to self-garnish by providing a dazzling array of dipping sauces, fresh herbs and vegetables. Hoisin sauce, Sriracha, fresh cilantro & basil, bean sprouts, onions, peppers, and lime are all at your disposal.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

Fil'er Up

You should never judge a convenience store by its appearance -- no matter how cheap the awning, dim the lighting or close in proximity to the Ravenswood housing projects.

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Fil-Site Food Mart
23-25 30th Avenue

Astoria, NY 11102

From the outside, the Fil-Site Food Mart looks like your garden variety bodega, but you won't find malt liquor & loose cigarettes here. This sleepy Pacific Rim importer specializes in foods and products from the Philippines. They stock a sizable variety of dried noodles, fish sauces, house-prepared meals, and exotic sweets.

This order of sapin-sapin was $2.50.  Sapin-sapin is a layered glutinous rice and coconut dessert. It's made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and water. It is often enhanced with coloring and toasted coconut flakes.

The overall experience is sweet, but mild and has a flavor and texture similar to Japanese mochi. The different colors are pretty to look at, but otherwise all taste the same.

© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com

New Egg

Late night web surfing isn't always a sordid affair, sometimes you just stumble upon asinine products like the Egg Perfect Egg Timer.  This is not an endorsement; please do not buy this product.  If you want to waste $10, I happily accept donations.  You don't need a gadget or gimmick to cook a soft boiled egg -- all you need is 4 minutes.  Hmmm, is this what that song's about?

soft boiled egg; roasted pepper hummus, old bay & fresh dill.

Technique:

Gently place eggs in a suitably sized pot -- nothing too big or too small. Add enough cold water to cover by about two inches.  Add a dash of salt and a drizzle of oil. The salt and oil are supposed to make peeling the egg easier, but it's probably just an old wives tale.

• Bring water to a boil, and then reduce to a lively simmer.  Cook for 4 minutes.  Don't "wing it", use a timer. 
• Remove the eggs and submerge into ice water.  If you don't want to set up an ice bath (and who does?), you can just submerge them under cold, running water.  
• Peel the eggs.  

Eggs are usually easier to peel once they have cooled.  Fresh eggs are harder to peel than old ones -- go figure.  My Fred Flintstone fingers make peeling a terrible chore.  Unfortunately, I don't have any tricks for peeling eggs, but this guy does:

It's like they always say -- once you know, you soft-boil.



© 2011 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable - http://www.missioninsatiable.com