NYC REVISITED

Last week’s FFF included an extensive travelogue of places to see, dine and make NYC as distinctive and extraordinary as we all know it is. This week I want to share recipes based upon (not the actual recipes) of what I ate during that week of gustatory delights.  These recipes are my interpretation of dishes at various restaurants I dined, for the chefs don’t exactly share recipes for smaller quantities such as these, nor would many be inclined to do so.  They are busy serving hundreds of customers a day. The chicken bites are big people chicken nuggets, especially with the Calabrian hot pepper sauce for dipping. It’s definitely the condiment of 2016…from the west to east coast.  Served to me in LA and now everywhere in NYC. Be the first on your block to serve this! Little ones can substitute any kid-friendly dressing or tempt them with Asian gyoza dipping sauce. The pizza, when using store bought dough, is a thirty minute meal, including the roasting of the mushrooms.  It’s a crowd pleaser, especially when using burrata, fontina, and fresh basil as the finishing herb. The mussel dish is classic with sweet mollusks swimming a pool of sautéed leeks, butter, wine and tarragon. Again, if kids are not mussel eaters, maybe cook jumbo raw shrimp in some reserved liquid before adding mussels.  This is also delicious with clams and sautéed chorizo in the broth. Be creative; make your own recipe work for your family! And May is fresh rhubarb season.  Yes, it’s tart, but when the merlot hued stalks are chopped and combined with strawberries, orange zest and sugar, then tucked into a crispy crust and served warm with gelato or ice cream, this crostata will make any rhubarb doubter a convert. I can pretty much duplicate a taste, style, method of cooking with a bite and then a photo to inspire. These recipes work.  I had a class this week where I made all of them and with much success.  Hopefully they will work for you as well.  Recipes are written based on how the author tested them.  Your interpretation may alter the recipe and not create the same outcome but remember to stick with procedures and methods.  Just look at comments by folks who add, delete or substitute ingredients in recipes on the internet to their liking, then comment that “it didn’t turn out.”  Not the original author’s fault. If you are an experienced cook and have a diner who doesn’t eat a particular ingredient (mushrooms, fennel, etc.) go ahead and change it up as you desire with the risk of it not tasting as it is presented.  You know your family better than I do.  Recipes are springboards for your particular tastes. Be adventurous.  It could be the one recipe that the family gives you a standing ovation. Have a great weekend!  Cook away!