Oficina Latina

New York is an amazing city. I am always discovering something new and it usually makes me fall in love with the city just a little bit more each time. Sometimes it's a new (to me) museum or a new restaurant and on occasion a new neighborhood. The latter is what happened earlier this month. I never go to Nolita. I'm sure I've stumbled through it a few nights, but earlier this month when I went to a press dinner at Oficina Latina I found a new restaurant that would give me reason to go to a new (to me) neighborhood.

I perused the expansive menu online and was definitely looking forward to the night. When I arrived and reviewed the tasting menu, I was excited that many of the items I lusted over during  my initial review were on the tasting menu! We started with a Calamari and Scallop Ceviche.

Of all the ceviches that I've eaten, I don't know that scallops have ever made it on my plate. I'm usually not a fan of calamari in ceviche but this was quite tasty. The use of celery and pineapple is what really made this ceviche stand out.  They went perfectly with the plantain chips too! I preferred the ceviche calamari over our next dish the Pulpo a la Parilla.

The octopus was tender with a smoky taste and definitely better than it looked. The potato and celery salad added a great textural mix. I wish it had more potato though. They were so tender and deliciously flavored. The arepas were a pleasant surprise!

I usually avoid them because of one bad experience a very long time ago. I'm suspicious of them because they seem like fake me out soft taco in sandwich form.  That day, I learned their joy. The chicken and avocado was a light and tasty blend.  The arepas were a nice warm up for my absolute favorite dish, the Jarrete de Cordero.

Lamb shank that was slowly cooked and melted in my mouth. I was blown away by the flavor.  The sweet plantain puree was a nice touch that I may have to try at home soon. I would definitely return just for this dish. It was definitely the best plate that landed on the table. The Avocado Flan dessert was a refreshing and unexpected way to end the night.

I'm always impressed when an ingredient is used effectively in a non-traditional way. Oficina Latina had more highlights than I expected. The lamb was by far the best dish with the ceviche and avocado flan coming in at a close second. The lamb alone is worth the trip but there are other items on the menu I would love to try.

Hungry yet?

Jamaican Grilled Chicken and Plantains with Rice & Peas

I’ve been catching some flak lately for the drastic increase in frequency of my restaurant posts and the impact it has had on my recipe posting.  Trust, the skills still exist, I just don’t showcase them as often. I’ve made a lot of repeat dishes lately so not as much to post about.  The past week has been filled with adventures in the kitchen though, because my latest kitchen toy arrived.  My cast iron grill!! The thing about living in a wonderful apartment building in NY is that even though we have outdoor space, we are not allowed to grill out there.  It’s summer though and I feel like breaking the rules.  Rather than doing that though, I bought a grill I could use in my apartment.  So far so good! I started by throwing anything I could on the grill.

The shrimp took a while but that’s because I didn’t let the grill heat up.  The corn was oh so sweet and tasted incredible. I then decided it was time to actually make some food so I started playing with my Epicurious app and found a recipe for Grilled Chicken and Plantains, Jamaican Style.  I decided that if I could get some grill lines on my chicken I would be a happy camper.

I missed a few ingredients in the recipe so I think mine came out a little different. I was happy with the taste, but I’d recommend following it as written.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

2 semi-ripe plantains, peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices

I prepared this indoors, but the recipe was created with an outdoor grill in mind. If you’re using an indoor grill, make sure to turn it on while mixing your ingredients so it’ll be nice and hot by the time you’re ready to cook.  Puree molasses and next 7 ingredients in blender until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spoon 1/4 cup sauce into pie dish. Add chicken; turn to coat.

Marinate 15 minutes. Grill chicken, skin side down. 

The cook time will depend on whether you’re using an outdoor or indoor grill and also how hot your grill gets.  You should turn it after about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it but make sure it’s cooked thoroughly before serving. No one wants to find that their food isn’t cooked all the way. The flavor in the chicken is incredible - I don't know if it's necessarily "jamaican" but I know it's delicious!  I couldn’t stop there though so I also made sure to cook some Rice & Peas.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Vegetable oil

1 medium onion coarsely chopped

1 large jalapeno seeded and minced

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (10 ounces)

1 14-oz can unsweetened coconut milk

2/3 cup Water

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 15-oz can kidney beans

Hot sauce

In a large saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook over moderate heat until barely softened, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the rice.

Add the coconut milk, water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the beans, cover and simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. The rice is pretty spicy, especially if you leave the seeds in the jalapenos. YUM!

Still doubting my skills? Didn’t think so!

Hungry yet?

The Mussel Pot

What a brilliant idea! An entire restaurant dedicated to one delicious ingredient that I love - mussels! When I received the email from Blackboard Eats I immediately hopped on it. Thankfully Ms. S was available for what turned out to be one of the best meals I've had this year. Located in Greenwich Village, The Mussel Pot is a delightful restaurant that is tastefully decorated. Their outside garden is beautiful. It's well lit and has a waterfall. Unfortunately there were people sitting there so I wasn't able to snap a quality picture. The menu is obviously filled with mussels but they also had some excellent seafood appetizers. We ordered two items. The Crispy Fried Calamari was a must have.

The calamari was good although certain parts had batter falling off. The best part of the calamari is that it was served with chipotle aioli, classic marinara and chimichurri sauce. The chipotle aioli had a smoky flavor that livened up my taste buds and finished with a slight kick. The marinara was hands down the best marinara I've tasted - especially as a calamari dip! The chimichurri was lacking so I didn't go back for too many dips. When our Seafood Ceviche arrived my jaw dropped.

The combination of shrimp, scallops and lobster served with plantain chips made my mouth water and my eyes bulge! It was incredibly tasty. The tart lime flavor went well with the seafood. The plantain chips provided the perfect balance. I was a little disappointed we only received 4. Who do you think you're feeding here?! I dealt with it though and we moved on to the mussels. The pot of Fra Diavolo was dangerously good.

The mussels were cooked with tomato, garlic, fresh herbs and spicy pepper. The spiciness definitely came through. Each mussel was amazingly delicious. I wasn't even upset when I picked up empty shells. I would scoop some sauce with the shell and slurp it up. We selected another from the Italian section. The Ciopino was fantastic.

A classic Italian broth that was both spicy and sweet. It also contained delicious surprises in the form of clams, shrimp and scallops. I was in love!

Ms. S and I tore through both pots and were pretty successful but in the end the mussels got the best of us. We only left a few but we were incredibly satisfied. 

It was the first time in a long time that I turned down the dessert menu. Hurry over to the mussel pot it is an amazing restaurant dedicated to one of my favorites. The meal was spectacular from beginning to end and I definitely will return soon.

Hungry yet?

Miss Lily's

I love when Bestie's around! Since she's not around much, I try to make sure I see her as much as possible. We had dinner at Ms. lily's a couple of weeks ago. I came across the restaurant when it was featured in one of my daily food newsletters. I was in the mood for Jamaican food so I couldn't wait to get there! We were famished so we immediately ordered the Middle Quarters PepperShrimp.

I'm a big fan of peel and eat shrimp. This was even better because it was served with super spicy pepper sauce. Amazing! The sauce was fire! After that experience I knew spicy was the way to go for dinner. I ordered Jerk Chicken.

It showed up looking pretty plain, but they brought along a bottle of jerk sauce and I obviously doused the chicken.

Holy moly! The best jerk sauce I have ever tasted!! It was crazy hot though. Very spicy and not for those who can't handle the heat. The chicken was served with rice and peas and plantain.

The plantain was perfect. The rice and peas were good but there were some crunchy parts so perhaps it was a bit undercooked. Bestie ordered the Bushman Bowl.

Stew peas, ackee and mushrooms and sweet potato. She was loving every bite. I was a fan of the greens but I think it needed some more seasoning. The stew peas were mouthwateringly good. There were definitely other items on the menu that I would love to try.  Red Snapper, I've got my eye on you!

Miss Lily's has been getting a lot of press these days and it's totally worth the hype. I'm glad we were able to get a seat there and enjoy a really good meal. I will definitely be back!

Hungry yet?

Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia

I’m trying to do better by my kitchen.  It has gotten no love these days.  I decided to see what fresh fish was on sale at my local grocer then find a recipe that featured that item.  Tilapia – you win! I searched through the epicurious app and found this recipe.   Even though it was dinner for two, I still followed the recipe for 4 and figured I could use the remaining rub another time.

1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 (6-ounces) tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler. Purée cilantro, oil, chiles with some adobo sauce, water, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth.

Coat fish with sauce.

Line rack of a broiler pan with foil, then broil fish 3 to 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes. Yes. It really is that easy! I was so impressed with this rub. It created a smoky spicy flavor. I served it with Cilantro Rice and plantain.

Since I prepared so much, I was able to use it on a whole red snapper a couple of days later.

FANTASTIC!

Hungry yet?

Negril Village

Since I am a HUGE fan of Mos Def, I couldn't help but make plans to see him for the second time in as many months. I miraculously was able to leave work early enough to have dinner before the 11:30 show.

Negril Village is down the street from Blue Note so it was the perfect location for the pre-concert feast.  The atmosphere was not exactly what I was looking for but I could deal. They had a live band, which was awesome but the MUSIC WAS SO LOUD!!! We could barely hear ourselves across the table. I definitely had a hard time hearing our server.  When it was time to place our order though, Ms. S kept it simple with the Curry Shrimp and Rice & Peas.

The shrimp was suuuper fresh. 

It tasted as though they caught it that morning. I must admit I had a little food envy, but then again I ordered more than enough to keep me satisfied.

Yup the Negril Sampler that allegedly serves 2 was my entree. It was filled with a great variety of treats – exactly what I needed. The Jerk Shrimp was a different kind of fabulous.

Spicy yet tangy. I loved it. Equally fabulous were the Chicken Ribettes.

I dreamt of these the following day and was quite sad that I left a couple on the plate.  The Collard Green Spring Rolls were my least favorite (maybe that's why the picture is blurry).

It’s not that I don’t like Collard Greens or that Spring Rolls aren’t delicious.  I just think they should lead separate lives.   Thankfully the Codfish Fritters were there to chase away the less than pleasant taste.

Man those fritters were great!! Usually when something is fried, I expect it to be dry but this was quite juicy and the guacamole was a surprisingly good dipping sauce.  The platter also had a couple of sweet plantains.

Literally, just a couple. Apparently they mostly had green ones so they weren’t frying a lot. Shame shame. Everyone knows how sweet plantain can change the game!

We were all sorts of happy when we finished eating.  I was quite satisfied with my meal and for the first time ever the service at Negril wasn’t horrible.  It also helped that the next stop was to see My Mos Def.  He was of course the most incredible.

He had a 5 person band that was very talented.  His banter was as witty as ever.  He paid his respects to Biggie and also gave a shout out to Nat King Cole. Overall it was a wonderful performance and definitely worth staying out late.  And in the end, Mos and I held hands. Some might call it shaking hands, but that’s their business.

Hungry yet?

Puerto Rican Chicken in Green Sauce with Cilantro Rice

I'm missing Puerto Rico quite a bit, especially as the chill starts to creep into the city.  As I sat working at home sometime last week, I decided to put the slow cooker to work and also try to recreate the awesome cilantro rice I had at Inca Chicken.

My subscription to Food & Wine finally kicked into gear and my first issue arrived! I decided to make a slightly modified version of the Puerto Rican Chicken in Green Sauce.

3 skinless chicken drumsticks
3 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups packed cilantro leaves
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 large jalapenos, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/8 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons EVOO
3/4 cups chicken stock
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree the cilantro, garlic, jalapenos, onion, red and green peppers and wine with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Transfer to slow cooker and stir in the stock.  Add the chicken.

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour and 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  No matter how tempting, don't open the slow cooker!  It'll just make the process last longer.

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and through them into the stew.  Cover and cook on high for about 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Season again with salt and pepper (flavor sometimes gets lost in the juices). Done!

The cilantro rice was also pretty easy to make, thanks to a slight change to Mr. Lagasse's recipe.

2 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped white onions
2 jalapenos, chopped (I kept the seeds which made it really spicy)
2 tsps chopped garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 cup long-grain white rice

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil.  Add the onions and jalapenos and stir for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt, cilantro and parsley.  Cook for 30 second then remove from heat and transfer to food processor with 1/2 cup of chicken stock.  Process on high speed until smooth.  Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan then add the rice and cook while stirring for a minute or two.  Add the puree and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add the remaining stock, stir and cover, and lower the heat to medium-low.  Simmer without stirring until liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

Of course I fried some plantain to go with it...shock.

Hungry yet?