New York Cookbook

by Molly O'Neill, Howard Earl Simmons (Photographer)

Overview

Nibbles and noshes from New York City, America's kitchen.

New York is pierogi, pasta fagiole, and chicken soup: Avgolemono, Brazilian Canja, Kreplach, Soo Chow, and Ajiaco. New York is Sylvia's Ribs, plus Edna Lewis's Greens and Mrs. Kornick's Polish Corn Bread. And the New York Cookbook is all of this, and much, much more. Collected from all five boroughs by New York Times food writer Molly O'Neill, here are over 500 recipes—and over 700 photographs—that celebrate one thing: a passion for food and eating.

Deborah Markow's Braised Lamb Shanks and Mrs. Urscilla O'Connor's Codfish Puffs. Four-star chef Andre Soltner's Roast Chicken and Vernon Jordan's Jerk Style Jamaican Chicken. Robert Motherwell's Brandade de Morue and the Abyssinian Baptist Church's Long-Cooked Green Beans. Plus Katharine Hepburn's Brownies, Lisa's Mexican Flan, and Sally Darr's Golden Delicious Tart. Includes shopping guides, cooking tips, and walking tours.

Winner of a 1992 IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award. Winner of the 1992 James Beard Food and Beverage Book Award.

A percentage of the royalties goes to Citymeals-on-Wheels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780894806988
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	01/10/1992
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	313,791
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Molly O'Neill was the food columnist for The New York Times Magazine for ten years, the host of the PBS series Great Food, and an award-winning cookbook author.  

Read an Excerpt

Confessional Chili

David Durk, whose career in law enforcement has spanned 23 years and included a stint as the partner of the famous Frank Serpico, purports to have served this atomic chili to tight-lipped prisoners and potential informers, many of whom he claims "would never talk to a New York Cop." How soon after consumption did they start gabbing? "Immediately," he laughs.

2 to 3 large onions, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, minced

3 to 4 small Indian green chiles, chopped, or 4 jalapeno chiles, chopped (including the seeds), or 3 tablespoons extra-hot ground dried chiles

3 tablespoons peanut oil

3 pounds lean chopped sirloin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon ground coriander

3 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano

2 cans (28 ounces each) imported Italian whole plum tomatoes

4 bay leaves

2 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch cilantro or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, rinsed and chopped.

1. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, sautS the onions, garlic, and chiles in the oil until the onions are translucent, 5 minutes.

2. Crumble the chopped sirloin over the top of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the coriander, cumin, thyme, and oregano. Cover and cook until the meat is cooked through, about 7 minutes.

3. Pour the tomatoes into a small bowl and coarsely crush with your hands. Pour the tomatoes and juice on top of the chili mixture. Stir in the bay leaves. Cover or leave uncovered, depending on the consistency you prefer (a covered pot with yield a thicker chile), and simmer until the flavors are well married, about 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the pinto beans and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve at once.

Serves 8 to 10

Subhir's Aloo Parantha

Subhir Seth learned to make this bread in the Khyber Pass on the border of West Afghanistan and North Pakistan. He recommends serving it as a first course with cumin-flavored yogurt for dipping.

BREAD

3 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

STUFFING

1 pound potatoes

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

teaspoon gound cumin

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

teaspoon salt

COOKING

About 1 cup vegetable oil

1. To make the bread: Combine the flour, vegetable oil, salt, and 1 ½ cups water in a large bowl. Knead to make a smooth dough, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 equal balls. Place the dough on a tray and set aside to rest in a cool place while you make the stuffing.

2. To make the stuffing: Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly.

3. Peel the potatoes, then rice or mash them by hand in a bowl. Stir in the cilantro, chile, cumin, ginger, and salt. Divide the mixture into 10 equal balls.

4. Use your finger to make a deep indentation in each of the dough balls. Place some of the stuffing in each and seal the dough over the stuffing. On a lightly floured board, use a rolling pin to gently flatten each stuffed dough into an 8-inch disk.

5. To cook: Place a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat and coat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, place 1 bread in the pan and fry for 1 minute on each side. Sprinkle the bread with additional oil and fry for another minute on each side. Continue frying the breads one at a time, with additional oil. Srve immediately.

Makes 10 paranthas

Table of Contents

LOOKING FOR THE HEART OF THE CITY

NIBBLES, NOSHES, AND APPETIZING

Meal Starters, coffee breaks, street food-New York's best little bites. Falafel, Jamaican beef patties, hummus, clam fritters, savory chicken wings, and Jarlsberg squares.

Noshing with Lou Singer

Nosh Stops

A Taste of the Tropics

On Being a Hostess with the Leastest

Lox, Stock, and Bagels

To Catch a Proper Nova

Smart Cocktails by the Borough and Beyond

Many-Faced Quiche

Stone Fence

The Caviarteria and What It Knows

New York's Artisan Springs

SOUPS FOR SIPPING, SLURPING, SUPPER

New York bowlfuls. Chicken soup in all its ethnic varieties. Scotch broth, hot and sour soup, and Hungarian szekely. Borscht, bisque, green minestrone, white bean soup, and snert.

Chicken Soup: A New York Panacea

Matzoh Bowl I

The Soup Man of 55th Street

Manhattan Clam Chowder

TO BAKE AN HONEST LOAF

Breads with crust and breads with heft. Fresh muffins, bagels, babka, beer bread, roti, parantha, and focaccia.

The Brick Oven Brotherhood

Where to Buy a Good Loaf

Stalking the Perfect Pizza Pie

Pizza Stops

To Make a Soft Prezel

A Bagel Is a Bagel . . .

FOOD WALKS

Food on foot. Tours of New York's ethnic neighborhoods and food markets. Where to stop and why.

THE GREENING OF NEW YORK

New York cooks offer up Southern-style and Chinese-style greens, Caribbean callaloo, Marrakesh carrots, and artichokes with a Turkish twist. Plus baked beans, potato chips, and potato latkes. And salads. And pickles.

The Greening of New York

New York's Greenmarkets

Produce Paradise

Mrs. Beausojour's Short Guide to Caribbean Vegetables

Lexicon of Asian Vegetables

Mickeys and Chips

For Those Who Don't Know David "The Latke King," There Is Some Hope.

Vegetable Wisdom

Brighton Beach Memories

The Caesar Salad Song and Caesar Salad Translation

New York in a Pickle

Wildman Looks for Dinner

The Smart Cook

Using Infused and Syrup-Flavored Oils

A CHRONOLOGY OF SIGNIFICANT CULINARY EVENTS IN NEW YORK CITY

New York has always been a happening food town. From the first coffee-houses in the 1600s to soda fountains in the 1800s to hot dogs, cafeterias, Chiclets, Tootsie Rolls, and cheesecake, New Yorkers have made their mark.

NEW YORK NOODLES

Spaghetti, linguine, penne, orzo-pastas dried and fresh with their sauces. Plus pierogis, wontons, polenta, grits, tabbouleh, and risotto.

Pasta Plus Dumplings, Noodles, and Grains

The Red Sea

Mrs. Romana Raffetto of Houston Street

Just a Few New York Noodles

Bumper Crops in Bensonhurst

Arthur Avenue Nights

Salvatore ("Mr. Wab") Medici of East Harlem

National Spaghetti Carbonara Day

Fresh Noodles

Dueling Dumplings

THE MEAT OF THE MATTER

Great Steaks, brisket, casseroles, cutlets, stews, and chops. Unbelievable barbecue, meatloaf every way, and a hamburger like no other. Plus shish kebab, leg of lamb, couscous, and South African