Tom Steele's Profile
Recipes You've Never Heard of Outside Your Family
My late brother LIVED on peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches. He would eat 2 or 3 in one sitting. He also liked to dip a stick of butter into a bowl of sugar and eat it like a banana. I was horrified!
Will In N Out Burgers ever open a restaurant in NYC?
Well, they'd be very smart to ride the crest of the burger craze that has SEIZED New Yorkers. I respect their commitment to quality, and will keep my crossables crossed.
I never thought Trader Joe's would make it here, but they did, following (as they tend to) Whole Foods into my neighborhood (Union Square, Manhattan).
Looking for great SPANISH TAPAS with great ambiance
I'm fond of cozy Las Ramblas on West 4th between Cornelia and Great Jones. It feels so much like Barcelona in there.
Les Halles Butcher Shop?
Does the Park Avenue South edition of Les Halles still have a butcher shop toward the front of the restaurant? And does that shop still sell the best boudin noir (blood sausage) in town?
Your East Village go-tos?
Last time I was there (several years ago), I felt like I was sitting in the anteroom of a funeral parlor. I half-expected two suited men to roll a casket through the dining room. But it's a great bargain and those dumplings (pierogi) are heavy and heavenly.
Union Square Greenmarket-good on weekdays?
I've been going to the Union Square Greenmarket for over 30 years, from back in the day when all they had were apples and pretzels, and when Union Square Park was seriously scary. (I live a few short blocks away.) They weren't always open on Mondays. But like Ann and egit, I go all four times a week, and am always cheered by just being there. This and September are the very best time of year for produce, but now there are wonderful purveyors of cheeses, meats, and I've never bought my Thanksgiving turkey anywhere but Quattro Farms. I'm just so lucky to live so nearby!
How do you determine a jalapeño's heat?
I've found that jalapenos with stripy mottled skins are indeed usually pretty hot. A farmer friend told me that the smooth-skinned peppers are picked when they're too young to be hot. The hot peppers are those that stay on the plant longer/longest. Apparently this is true.
best chicken francaise in NYC?
I haven't been in years, but I vividly recall adoring the Chicken Francaise at Patsy's on West 56th Street.
Moving to NYC - Where to live for a die-hard foodie?
Yet another vote for the East Village. I live on 11th Street near Union Square, and have watched the neighborhood grow and change over the last 31 years. It's Nirvana for food lovers and cooks: Whole Foods, Garden of Eden, Trader Joe's, and above all the Union Square Greenmarket are all just a few steps away for me, plus there are three more supermarkets with competitive prices (though no one's cheaper than Trader Joe's). Not a day goes by when I don't wander through Whole Foods, whether I'm buying anything or not.
Country Fried Steak
I usually make my own (it's pretty easy), but I had chicken-fried steak at Acme Bar & Grill several years ago, and it was good! $15 @ 9 Great Jones Street, between Broadway and Lafayette St.
Your Favorite Lasagna (not a discussion re traditional lasagna)
Like many stews and soups and other dishes, yes, lasagnas tend to reheat very well. But I've found that if I make this lasagne for five or more people, as heavy as the dish is, there aren't leftovers!
Your Favorite Lasagna (not a discussion re traditional lasagna)
I have to say that my lasagna, while labor intensive, can make people cry. Here:
Lasagne With Wild Mushrooms, Sausage, Four Cheeses, and Prosciutto
Because this crowd-thrilling lasagne has to bake for only 45 minutes and rest for just 15, you can prepare and assemble it up to an hour before your guests arrive, and put it in the oven during the first round of cocktails. But keep in mind that the sauce needs to be started 3-4 hours before the lasagne is composed.
Unless you really enjoy soaking and scraping and cleaning a lasagne pan, use a disposable “Medium Roaster” aluminum pan, approximately 16” x 11” x 3” (supporting the bottom with a jelly roll pan, of course). The aluminum pan even folds up nicely to store foil-covered leftover lasagne.
This recipe uses “no-boil” lasagne noodles, which rehydrate rather thirstily, so don’t be stingy with the wines.
The Beginning:
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
3 medium onions, well chopped
The Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage, preferably without fennel, casings removed
1 1/2 lb. ground chuck
1 cup whole milk
32 oz. of your favorite bottled tomato sauce (Raos is pretty good; so is Muir Glen with Romano Cheese)
28 oz. can of tomatoes and their juices, squished with your impeccably clean hands (Muir Glen preferred)
14-oz can of diced tomatoes and their liquid (again, preferably Muir Glen)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, if available (never use dried basil; it has no flavor)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup dry French white vermouth
1-3 tablespoons tomato paste
The Fillings:
1 lb. assorted sliced fresh wild mushrooms, especially shiitakes, chanterelles, and/or criminis
3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water to cover
Two good pinches of crumbled dried rosemary
1/2 cup Marsala wine
2 lbs. fresh ricotta cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
10-15 grates of fresh nutmeg
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Butter, for greasing the lasagne pan
1 lb. grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup crème fraîche
1/2 lb. prosciutto (di Parma, if possible), torn into bite-size slices
1 lb. fresh mozzarella (for topping)
The Noodle:
about 3/4 pound of No-Boil Lasagne Noodles (Delverde preferred)
Set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, and onions, and sweat until the onions are very soft, 10-15 minutes. Remove all but about 4 tablespoons of this mixture and reserve it for the filling.
To the saucepan with the 4 tablespoons of onion mixture, add and brown the sausage and ground chuck, breaking up and stirring with a wooden spoon. Salt the meat to taste. When the last pinkness begins to disappear, drain fat to taste and add the cup of milk. Boil gently until the milk has virtually vanished, about 15 minutes.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients, heat, stirring, and taste carefully. Now simmer the sauce, partially covered, for at least three hours. The mixture should seem a bit soupy as it goes along; add wine if it’s not. The noodles will absorb a lot of liquid.
Now make the filling: First, get those dried porcinis soaking. Place the reserved onion mixture over medium heat in a large deep sauté pan, and “refresh” it with 2-3 tablespoons fresh olive oil. Add sliced fresh mushrooms to the pan, and cook two minutes, stirring, just until they release their liquid.
Remove rehydrated porcinis from warm water, rinse them to remove any grit, and set aside. Pour the water through a very fine sieve into a cup, and pour the liquid into the pan. Chop the porcinis well and turn them into the pan with the rosemary. Cook until the liquid is virtually absorbed, a few minutes.
Add Marsala and let it, too, reduce for a few minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl, add the rest of the filling ingredients (except Jack and mozzarella cheeses and crème fraîche), mix well, and set aside.
Taste the sauce carefully. Adjust seasoning, adding tomato paste, salt, and/or even a jot of sugar, as necessary.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an aluminum “medium roaster” pan. Cover the bottom with two ladlefuls of sauce. Lay in a layer of lasagne noodles to fit, spread on about a third of the filling, sprinkle on Jack cheese, dot with crème fraîche, then sauce again. Repeat until everything’s gone, finishing with the last of the sauce. Layer the top with the prosciutto and 1/4” wedges of fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with oregano, if you wish. The lasagne can be assembled to this point and left to stand at room temperature for an hour before baking.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until nice and bubbly. Let the lasagne rest for 15 minutes before cutting into serving wedges.
Yield: 10 or so servings
What do you make for yourself when you eat alone?
If I'm not sending out for a big Blue 9 Burger, I might make a goat cheese omelet, or have nova/cream cheese/red onion in a kaiser roll or bagel, or sear up a fat pork chop wrapped in bacon and showered with freshly ground black pepper, or 'wave one of Amy's cheese enchiladas. Most of the above is given a generous scattering of chopped jalapeno or serrano chilies. If I'm feeling a little more ambitious, I might make steak tartare with my processor. But my boyfriend is usually here for dinner, and we love nearly all the same foods.
Indian Red Onion Relish/Chutney
Does anyone have a recipe for that wonderful ruddy red onion chutney that's served at most Indian restaurants?
Quick! Good NY-Style SLICE of pizza in the E-Village?
Vinny Vincenz also operates a truck with a pizza oven on Union Square West, in front of Staples. The squares (Sicilian) are as good as any Sicilian I've ever had anywhere. You could get a slice or two, find a seat in Union Square--oh, never mind, it's pouring outside. Go to Vinny Vincenz on First Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.
Best Buffalo Chicken Sandwich?
Whole Foods at Union Square often has a very good buffalo chicken sandwich with melted cheddar. It's pretty spicy, which is good. More than once I've bought the sandwich (at one of the prepared food sections at the back of the first floor), had them grill it up, and taken it across to the picnic tables in Union Square Park.
Baoguette Saint Mark's
I've been three times to St. Mark's Baogette, and I'm afraid I get the same "Baoguette"
(banh mi) sandwich every time. Because the bread is so fresh it's usually still warm, it has exactly the right texture. The fillings are the ideal balance of hot/sour/salty/sweet and have plenty of texture. I agree with kathryn--you don't want to eat there, but since I go there by myself that wouldn't be any fun anyway. Instead, I waltz over to Cooper Union's lovely little park, just south of the main building on St. Mark's. There's almost always a free bench (unlike, say, St. Mark's Church courtyard). All that said, even though it's been open only a few weeks, at lunchtime the manager told me that it's "a madhouse." Try to go at off-hours. If you love banh mi, you certainly won't be sorry.
Fresh produce in the East Village?
I realize that most people can't shop from 10 a.m. till noon on weekdays, but Trader Joe's is a different universe at those hours. It *is* pretty hellish at prime time. But most grocery stores are. And I totally agree that TJ's produce is mostly C-minus. At least Whole Foods has a highly efficient check-out system. It's by far my favorite store in the whole area. But we're just approaching the outer edge of the Greenmarket's eight months of glory. Ramps will be here before you know it.
As for ripe avocados, usable the day you get them, some of the street vendors have the best--and cheapest--ripe avocados. Food Emporium usually has some ripe avocados, organic or not, because for some reason they have hundreds of them at all times, and their turnover is kind of minimal.
Decent East Village Burger
Last Friday, I had an *excellent* burger at The Smith on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. About 13, with a ton of slender fries. The burger is very thick, with bacon and cheese, and the bun is not too chewy.
Shepherd's pie recipe?
This is always a *big* hit:
Shepherd’s Cottage Pie
Despite the daunting appearance of the list of ingredients, this can ready in about an hour, and there’s enough comfort food for at least five hungry shepherds. (I realize shepherds eat primarily lamb, but we're urban shepherds.) The garlic/carrot/onion/pepper mixture gives the right lilt and moisture to the meats, the sausage gives good texture, and the olives offer a discernible Mediterranean edge to the many other flavors. Be sure to taste the final mixture for salt before spreading on the mashed potatoes.
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled, passed through a ricer, and stirred with cream, butter, and salt to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
3/4 cup pearl onions (frozen are just fine)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. ground lamb
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped green olives stuffed with pimientos
1 teaspoon chopped chives
3/4-1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Make the mashed potatoes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large food processor fitted with the metal blade, chop the garlic, then the carrot, then pulse the onion and red pepper until nicely minced, not puréed. Sauté the mixture in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a roomy skillet over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pearl onions and heat through. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, sauté the meats in 1 tablespoon of butter until no longer pinky rare, breaking up the sausage with a fork. Drain. Stir in the onion mixture and everything except the cheese and mashed potatoes. Taste for salt. Spread the meat mixture in a lightly greased rectangular 9x13x2’’ ceramic or other roasting pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat, make little peaks and valleys with the tines of a fork, and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are lightly browned. Run the pan under a hot broiler for a few moments, if you wish, to make the cheese sizzle.
Yield: 5-8 servings
Should I really give gin another try?
I always have a fifth of Plymouth gin in my freezer. I usually drink vodka (pure grain alcohol), but gin is pure grain alcohol with various flavorings. Plymouth is practically the only gin I really like.
Top 5 Chicken Wings (IMHO)
I haven't been to Virgil's in several years, but I still remember those wings. Our waiter told us they were the best thing on the menu, and he was perfectly correct.
Best Black Cod
BLT Fish on West 17th between 5th and 6th (upstairs only) has the best black cod I've ever tasted. Laurent Tourondel's recipe is very simple and is one of his signature dishes. He marinates the black cod fillets overnight in acacia honey, low-sodium soy sauce, grapesed oil, and white wine vinegar. He roasts the fillets and reduces the marinade to make a sauce. Really delicious!
Best slice in Union Square (walking distance)
I have become seriously addicted to Vinny Vincenz's truck's Sicilian slices. (I live near Union Square.) I have one slice every day. When they're just right, the crust is crispy on the bottom, light and fluffy in the middle, and the marinara sauce is slightly sweet. Not too much cheese. Reminds me of pizza I've had in Italy (I know, I know, it was really invented here, but hey). I figure one slice with just a little cheese isn't going to wreak havoc with my weight. It's pretty much all I eat all day, other than a few spoons of plain yogurt. Anyway, Vinny (actually Salvatore) rocks!
Steakhouse with best lobster?
Morton's has terrific steak and lobsters that could eat Chicago.
Best slice in Union Square (walking distance)
Artichoke opens at noon, sometimes even earlier. The only problem is that the Sicilian slice (their best, IMHO) is usually just about to come out of the oven at noon, and it's too hot to eat for a good 20 minutes. But they'll box up a slice and I carry it over to the park at St. Mark's Church on E. 10th. By the time I get there, it's just right. Heaven!
Leftover ricotta, any ideas?
Stir your cup of ricotta with a beaten egg, a little nutmeg, a few tablespoons of grated parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Using a small spoon, stuff 8-10 zucchini blossoms with the mixture, and tuck a well-rinsed anchovy fillet inside. Pinch and twist the tops of the blossoms shut as best you can. In a roomy bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup club soda (or beer). Bring an inch of oil in a heavy skillet to 375 degrees, then dip the stuffed blossoms into the batter, coating each completely, and drop carefully into the hot oil. Turn the blossoms for about 2 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste and serve.
What to do with Halloumi Cheese?
I *love* haloumi cheese! I have a Cuisinart Griddler (rather like a high-end Foreman grill in that it has two grilling surfaces and it opens and closes like a panini grill), and I often make this marinated vegetables, sausages, and haloumi cheese. Here's my recipe:
Grilled Vegetables, Sausages, Tofu, and Haloumi Cheese
Mix and match the vegetables, and be sure to use interesting sausages. The timings in this recipe are specifically geared for a Cuisinart Griddler. Revised 4/08, adding tofu.
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon white wine Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons mirin (unseasoned rice wine), divided
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon mace (no more!)
8 grates of nutmeg (no more!)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, rubbed between your palms
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red onion, quartered and separated into layers.
2 medium poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and halved lengthwise, seeded if desired
10 ounces very large white mushrooms, quartered
1 medium-small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium-small yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, cut into 3/4-inch logs
4-8 nice fat pork sausages, raw, not chicken
A 6-8-ounce wedge of haloumi cheese, rinsed well and patted dry,
Sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
In a medium glass measure, whisk together the garlic, balsamic, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of the mirin, red pepper flakes, mace, nutmeg, oregano, and black pepper.
In a 1-cup glass measure, whisk together the mustard, the remaining 2 tablespoons of mirin, the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil, and the Tabasco sauce.
Place the broccoli florets in a sealable plastic bag. Pour 1/4 cup of the first marinade into the bag and toss to coat well. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as you can.
Place the onions and peppers in a second sealable plastic bag. Pour 1/4 cup of the first marinade into the bag and toss to coat well. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as you can.
Place the mushrooms, zucchini, and squashes in a third sealable plastic bag. Pour in what remains of the first marinade and toss to coat well. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as you can.
Place the tofu in a fourth sealable bag. Pour in the second marinade and gently toss to coat well. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as you can.
Let all the vegetables and the tofu marinate for at least 1/2 hour at room temperature. Heat the oven to 250 degrees, and have a 2 1/2-quart gratin at the ready. Heat the two-sided grill to high (not “sear”). Prick the sausages several times on both sides and grill them, whole, for 6 minutes, more or less, depending on how fat the sausages are, turning once. Test the largest sausage for pinkness by slicing it in half crosswise. When the sausages are done, transfer them to the gratin and to the oven. (The sausages lubricate the grill beautifully, and lend additional flavor to the vegetables, so it’s best to start with them.)
Place the broccoli on the grill, close the lid, and grill for 3 minutes, until tender-crisp. If you’ve got room on the grill, do the onions and peppers at the same time. Go with the flow. When that batch is done, add the vegetables to the gratin and return it to the oven.
Place the onions and peppers on the grill, brush with marinade, close the lid, and grill for 3 minutes. Add to the gratin and return the gratin to the oven.
In two batches, if necessary, place the mushrooms and zucchini on the grill and close the lid. Grill for 2 minutes per batch. Add to the gratin. Transfer the mushrooms and zucchini to the oven gratin.
Grill the haloumi slices for about 1 minute, until dark grill marks appear on the cheese. Remove the gratin from the oven, slice the sausages (if desired) and toss them with the vegetables. Drape the haloumi cheese slices over all. Return the gratin to the oven.
Finally, grill the tofu for 2 minutes, or just until grill marks appear on the surfaces. Transfer the tofu to the gratin and bring the gratin right to the table.
Yield: 4 servings
