Best.Sandwich.Ever

Posted on August 8, 2012

Sabich. The best street food in Israel. Simple yet complex in its layering of hummus, hard boiled egg, fried eggplant, tahini, Israeli salad, potato, parsley and drizzle of amba (a tangy mango pickle sauce) all tucked into a fresh pita. Michael and Dana took us to what is considered to be THE spot for sabich: Sabich Tchernichovsky at 2 Tchernichovsky Street.

Holy schizzle… it was insanely delicious, hitting our list of top picks for sandwiches and street food eats of the year.

Categories: Eating Out, Travel

A Cape Cod Sky

Posted on June 9, 2013

From one of my favorite places on the planet: Cape Cod. Deep dunes meet long stretches of gorgeous sandy beaches and cold blue water. The briny smell of the Atlantic at low tide. Long warm days and cool breezy evenings. Just shucked Wellfleet oysters, freshly caught local bluefish and sweet corn on the cob. I am ready for summertime.

Categories: Seasonal, Travel

Memorial Day barbecue {recipe}

Posted on May 29, 2013

Sarah and Allon hosted a close circle of friends on Monday for an impromptu bbq. They are the couple that know how to host with ease and grace and seem to throw together a party with minimal effort. The menu was Mediterranean in theme with olives, hummus, kofta, tzatziki, grilled asparagus with mushrooms, raw kale salad with pecorino and a mustardy potato salad. A fresh berry cobbler was dessert!

Recipe: Turkish kofta may be made with ground lamb or beef. Stoke a gas or charcoal grill. Combine 2 lbs of ground meat with a medium finely chopped onion, a couple of minced garlic cloves, a couple of tablespoons of toasted and roughly chopped pinenuts, a handful of chopped Italian parsley, equal parts cinnamon and allspice (1 1/2 teaspoon) and about 3/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill and gently turn until cooked through. Serve with tzatziki or tahini sauce.

Categories: Eating At Home, Markets, New York City, Seasonal

A quick trip to San Francisco

Posted on May 25, 2013

I think the farmer’s market in San Francisco is one of my happiest places. Whenever I am in town, I make sure to arrive to the Ferry Plaza early on a Saturday morning and take in the sensory overload that happens to me there. I am intentional in how I take it in, walking around the periphery and then weaving through the middle so as not to miss a single bit.

This weekend showed a bounty of full-on early summertime goodness. Stone fruits in every variety of plum, peach and apricot, cherries, berries, the gamut of lettuces, wild greens and lavender!

Categories: Markets, Travel

Wild Ramp Pesto {recipe}

Posted on May 18, 2013

Wild ramps are one of the best signs of spring. They arrive in the farmer’s markets for a brief window making them all the more exciting to obtain. My friend, Melissa, went foraging at a friend’s farm upstate and generously shared her gorgeous finds with me. These ramps were the most lively I had even seen and I am sure it was because they had been picked within hours of being delivered to my city door.

Recipe: Bring a pot of hot salted water to a boil and drop the cleaned ramps in for about a minute. Drain, cool and coarsely chop. In a food processor, add about a handful of toasted walnuts, about 1/2 c of grated pecorino cheese, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Pulse the processor and then slowly drizzle in some good olive oil until you have reached the desired texture. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon and adjust seasonings as you like.

Eat with grilled fish or chicken, toss with warm noodles or stir into cooked grains.

Categories: Eating At Home, Markets, New York City, Recipes, Seasonal

Birthday Gazpacho {recipe}

Posted on May 11, 2013

Otis made me a birthday dinner that incorporated all my favorite springtime ingredients. I would be hard pressed to pick my favorite course but if I had to, I think the chilled green gazpacho would have been it. It was an experiment of sorts since he used an idea he read about and then tweaked to meet some of our dinner guests’ dietary needs. The result was a velvety, gorgeous green soup that I envision sipping all the way through summertime.

Recipe: Blend about 10 peeled Persian cukes with cold water until smooth. Add a clove or two of garlic, a small chopped onion and a small handful of fresh mint. Blend again and then add about 1/2 cup of blanched almonds, and 1/4 cup each of olive oil and sherry vinegar. Whirl again and season to taste, adding more water to create the desired texture. Chill.

Categories: Eating At Home, New York City

Springtime Risotto {recipe}

Posted on May 6, 2013

My dear friend, Gemma, made me a dreamy spring risotto tonight to kick off my birthday week. Bright and fresh with seasonal golden beets, asparagus and spring peas she finished it off with with fresh mint. It was unlike other risottos in how uniquely bright and light it tasted. My palate sang with delight at the perfect dish to bridge winter into spring.

Recipe: Saute spring onions and garlic in olive oil. Add arborio rice and coat in oil for a few minutes. Add wine and lemon juice until nearly absorbed. Ladle by ladle, add homemade chicken broth bit by bit over the course of the next 30 minutes, allowing the rice to gently plump with each addition. Finish with a bit of butter, mascarpone, blanched local asparagus and spring peas, cubed roasted golden beets and freshly shopped mint. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Categories: Eating At Home, Recipes, Seasonal

Urban Pea Shoots

Posted on April 19, 2013

We have just started growing pea shoots on the window sills in our living room. We love the energy of growing things in our apartment and the taste is far superior to anything available at the market. The process is simple, we soak the seeds in filtered water for a few days and then scatter them in fresh, organic soil. With a bit of water and some full sun, the shoots grow within a matter of a week. The photo above is our most recent harvest, we will have a gorgeous shoot salad with dinner tonight.

Categories: Eating At Home, New York City, Seasonal

Kale and Egg Sandwich {recipe}

Posted on April 8, 2013

Last weekend, I discovered a new condiment that I have since fallen for: Rick’s Picks Smokra. They are a deeply delicious smoky (from the smoked paprika) pickled okra that I keep finding new excuses to add to my meals. Having been at the farmer’s market on Friday, I also purchased a locally produced Nordic rye bread by Ruis.

Recipe: Feeling inspired by both locally made products, I decided upon a breakfast sandwich based on what I had on hand. I toasted the bread, added a smear of fresh avocado, sauteed garlicky kale, a medium cooked egg and some sliced Smokra. It was a gorgeous medley of flavors and textures.

Categories: Eating At Home, Markets, New York City, Recipes, Seasonal

Brown Rice Sushi {recipe}

Posted on March 5, 2013

Nori rolls have always been my favorite ‘on-the-go’ food. They can easily be made in advance, they are portable, and customized to the whim of your palate on a daily and seasonal basis. I have made nori rolls with many different whole grains but my current favorite is light, protein rich quinoa paired with a ginger kissed sautéed dark leafy green and a toasted crunchy nut. Serve with on a platter with gingery cucumber salad, small bowls of tamari, pickled ginger and horseradish/wasabi.

Recipe: Cook quinoa. Whisk a couple of tablespoons of brown rice vinegar, with a tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of sea salt. In a sauté pan, warm a bit of coconut or olive oil, add some minced ginger, a couple of cups of chopped kale, a couple of sliced scallions.

Place a bamboo mat on the counter and spread a layer of quinoa, sautéed kale, chopped almonds and toasted sesame seeds. Beginning with the edge closest to you, begin to tightly roll, using the bamboo mat to guide.

With the seam side down, either leave whole and wrap with plastic or use a sharp wet knife and cut into equal sized pieces.

Categories: Eating At Home, Recipes

Queen of Kale

Posted on February 17, 2013

My husband lovingly refers to me as ‘Queen of Kale’. The truth is that I have never met a green vegetable that I didn’t adore. Friends often ask what to do when their CSA boxes arrive with unfamiliar vegetables. Over the years, I have found endless ways of incorporating dark leafy greens into over half of my meals. This photo was taken at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market on Saturday. If I could have dove in, I would have!

Categories: Markets, Travel

Carlin Greenstein