bistro 160: a summer tasting menu - Friday Night Dinner by CTP 160

sadly, it's nearing the end of my chef's training program at Natural Gourmet.   for the past several months we have been anticipating, dreading, practicing for, worrying over, and just plain thinking about our big final project.  Friday Night Dinner at NGI - a 4 course vegan meal served to 100 guests, including NGI folk and the public at large.  this dinner showcases our own menu,  theme, decorations, and cooking.  there were 6 of us in my group, and for the past two months we have been busy planning every last detail of this menu.  as group leader of this project and a self-proclaimed perfectionist (read total Pita for my fellow Ayurvedic geeks out there), I spent several hours considering how to make not only our meal amazing, but also the overall dining experience unique & beautiful.     

our chosen cuisine was Bistro-meets-seasonal American - think Chez Panisse or Blue Hill mixed with some Spotted Pig.  from the start our entree gave us nothing but trouble, but we were insistent on seitan strips and we went through many revisions to compose the perfect stock and sauce.  and in the end they came out moist and delicious.  nearly everything on our menu went through some sort of metamorphosis, from adding millet to the cauliflower mash for a softer texture, to the original dessert - watermelon 3 ways - becoming our appetizer.

check out the pictures below of our meal (in the craziness of it all we didn't get a pic of the 2nd course, an arugula salad with heirloom tomatoes & oyster mushroom frittos with a pesto aioli, all a huge hit).  

our menu:

garden fresh mint lemonade

sage tossed popcorn

watermelon 3 ways

heirloom tomatoes & oyster mushroom fritto

savory seitan with a fresh corn sauce

lavender-cashew ice cream with candied figs

karolina & melissa in the kitchen after several hours cooking and a good amount of pie

the line - where all of the plating happens

filling lime cups with watermelon granita

prepping the watermelon salsa

watermelon 3 ways, our appetizer

seitan strips over the kale, cauliflower mash & corn sauce, topped with a red onion pickle & a red pepper sauce for garnish

a delicious & beautiful dessert - ice cream in a pecan tuile cup, which is dipped in chocolate.  also, a salted caramel swirl, a raspberry coulis swirl, and an edible microflower.

some of CTP 160A, just after serving our meal!

and now we celebrate...

check out the Friday Night Dinners at NGI here and make a reservation for one soon!  they're the best deal in town - amazing food, fun atmosphere, and a unique experience in the city which any foodie or foodie-in-training will surely enjoy.  

squash blossom wings

last weekend while I was working at the farmers market (see entry below) I had a chance to walk around and fill up my bag with some fun summer treats. free farmed eggs, garlic scapes, green beans, walla walla onions….all delicious and fresh from the earth. but the crowned jewel was something I had never before used – squash blossoms. I had eaten them out but had never purchased them myself, so I decided to give it a try. turns out they’re extremely fun & easy to work with, with the added pleasure of being a scrumptious summer treat. they won’t be around much longer so make sure you try them out soon – and try to use them as soon as possible after buying or picking them.

this is just a very simple recipe I threw together the other night. play around with them though - you can slice them thinly and throw them into a salad raw, sauté them, or bake them stuffed.

** VEGAN option: try a white bean puree, caramelized onions & fresh herbs. use a beer batter instead of the eggs & breadcrumbs. my friend Melissa & I made these together this week also and they were absolutely delicious.

Squash Blossom Wings
12 squash blossoms
¾ cup herbed goat cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped thai basil
1 egg
1 cup fine breadcrumbs*
a pinch of cayenne
½ cup coconut oil
sea salt

1. Wash squash blossoms and open up one side completely. If the stamen is big you can pick that out. Keep ½” of the stem on for the “wings” effect.
2. Mix together goat cheese and basil for filling. Using a small spoon, place a dollop of the filling in the center of the blossom, close up and twist the top so it’s sealed.

3. Beat egg and put in shallow bowl for dipping. Mix breadcrumbs & cayenne (and any extra seasoning you want to add) and put in a shallow bowl.

4. Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan until hot – test this by dropping in a bit of the breadcrumb, if it sizzles immediately it’s ready. Dip squash blossoms in egg, coat with breadcrumbs, and place in oil. Allow to brown 2 minutes on one side, flip and cook 2 minutes on other side. Move to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt immediately.

5.  Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice and a fresh salad for a great summer meal.

*instead of throwing out stale bread, make your own breadcrumbs: bake it at 400 degrees until it’s completely dried out and throw it in the food processor. pulse until it gets to the desired consistency & add salt to taste.

get your farm fresh summer squash party on

I grew up in a household where canned and boxed foods were a rarity, and nearly every night we were offered something fresh and hot for dinner. for a long time I rebelled against the healthy, wholesome food in our cupboards and begged instead for boxed mac & cheese with its powdered flavoring and bright orange coloring, or canned green beans (which, for some reason, I preferred eating straight from the can with chopsticks). over time, however, my taste buds have become more particular about the quality of food they enjoy, and my food choices are no longer limited to what I’m eating but also to where it comes from and how it was cultivated.

for me this exploration really took hold when my brother began exploring organic farming a few years back. as he took to the earth so did I. I started eating less fake meats & processed foods, and in turn realized how poorly my body reacted to them. I began to appreciate the quality of foods coming fresh from the earth in their proper season.

not everyone can live on a farm and grow their own food, but most of us can still reap the benefits of farm-fresh produce. becoming a member of your local CSA is one way to do this. joining a CSA – community supported agriculture - is like becoming a member of a local farm. you purchase a subscription and in turn receive weekly or bi-weekly shares of whatever is in season. this is a great way to support your local farmers and stimulate your local economy, and also to get in touch with the food you’re eating (you’ll notice a difference in quality, I promise). it’s also fun to experiment with familiar and new foods alike as they come in season.

you can also support your community farmers by shopping at local green markets or farmers markets. (check out a list of NY green markets here, organized by neighborhood) this week I worked my school’s booth at the green market, cooking up delicious & simple recipes with food donated by farmers at the market. (that's Suzanne on the right - a graduate of NGI who often heads our booth at the green market)

the featured vegetable this week was summer squash. this variety of oftentimes funky-shaped vegetables are low in calories and high in lutein, a pigment concentrated in the eyes which contributes to good vision. they’re also a great source of vitamins C & A, manganese, potassium, and magnesium. summer squash are said to have anti-inflammatory properties, helping to reduce symptoms in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. play around with this recipe skeleton (as in you can really add whatever you like to it) for a delicious & simple summer side dish:

Sauteed Summer Squash
yields 4 side dishes

½ cup pine nuts
2 lb variety of summer squash
1 tablespoon garlic, julienned or minced
5 large basil leaves, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Dry roast pine nuts in a small skillet over low-medium heat about 3-5 minutes. Once oils have released and they are evenly browned, remove from heat immediately to avoid burning.

2. Cut squash according to their size. Long thinner squash (like zucchinis) can be julienned into long, thin strips. Round & disc-shaped squash can be cut into small dice. Do not discard the skin or seeds – those can be used!

3. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat and add garlic strips, stirring so as not to burn. Add squash and toss with garlic. Sautee squash about 5 minutes until all pieces are soft – you do not have to brown them but you can if you prefer.

4. Add pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix together for 1 minute. Turn off heat, add basil & mix well. Serve hot or at room temperature.

and now i succumb to red meat...

at the beginning of school, our teacher Jill told us “if you’re waiting for someone to give you permission to eat something specific, here it is. eat what you need to eat. you have no one to answer to but yourself.” odd as that may sound, that advice resonated deeply for many of us, and happened to translate to one thing in particular – beginning to eat meat again.

this week my school offered a special meat class which I attended with some of my classmates. all of us had started the program as either vegetarian or vegan. I’m not saying we all eat meat all of the time, but we are all listening to our bodies in a different way while still making informed decisions about the food we choose to eat. the meat at the class was all either organic or grass fed, and came from local sources. if there’s one thing they stress at Natural Gourmet, it’s high quality food, and that is particularly important when it comes to animal protein. grass fed meat tends to be a bit tougher because the animals are actually out in the pasture getting exercise, rather than being cooped up & fattened up for the sake of tender meat. tough schmuff – I’m willing to take a slightly tougher piece of meat for the sake of humanely treated animals.

of course I’m not here to preach that you should start eating meat if you don’t already – everyone’s body needs something different, and everyone’s diet will change and morph over time according to what you need at a specific point in time. if you do happen to eat meat, however, then try these delicious & easy recipes courtesy of Elliott Prag, instructor extraordinaire at NGI. (though I don’t suggest gorging it all in one night as we did because that’s just a bad idea):


Skirt Steak
serves 4-6

2 shallots, minced
¼ cup shoyu
¼ cup brown rice vinegar
2 pounds skirt steak
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1. Mix together the shallots, shoyu, and rice vinegar.
2. Add steak to marinade and marinate for several hours to overnight.
3. Heat a grill until very hot (you should have difficulty holding your hand 3 inches above the grill).
4. Remove the steak from the marinade. Place remaining marinade in a small sauce pan.
5. Grill the steak 2 minutes a side for rare, then let stand 4-5 minutes before slicing.
6. While the steak is resting, mount the marinade with cold butter to make a sauce. (Mounting means dropping in the sauce and whisking until the butter thickens the sauce)
7. Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve immediately.

*This is a great served in fajitas or burritos.

Short Ribs
serves 6-8

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds short ribs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 large onion (10 ounces), small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
¼ cup mustard
¼ cup horseradish

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven.
2. Add ribs and brown on all sides, 20 – 30 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
3. Remove the ribs to a plate, and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. (if there is no fat at all then you might want to add a drop of olive oil)
4. Add smoked paprika, onions, garlic, and sauté 10 minutes.
5. Add beef stock and tomato paste.
6. Add ribs back in, bring liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and add more stock if necessary to cover. Cover the pot with a lid.
7. Cook ribs another 90 minutes, turning ribs occasionally. They will be done when the meat is falling off the bone.
8. Remove ribs from cooking liquid and refrigerate the stock overnight.
9. Skim fat from stock and reheat ribs with stock.
10. Transfer ribs to a plate, and whisk mustard and horseradish into the sauce.

*These are delicious with the sauce, but equally as delicious without. Feel free to eat them immediately and save the sauce for later or for something else entirely.

chicken-eaters beware - easy & delicious recipe below

it’s no secret that I have, as of late, been exploring various non-vegetarian (& even non-kosher!) options at mealtime – pending that they’re of a high quality and hopefully are from a local source. this new diet started during our week of poultry & fish classes at school. on chicken day we took turns trussing, cutting, brining & cooking our chicken, experimenting with established, classic recipes as well as doing a bit of improvising. I walked away with a newfound interest in chicken. not only did I like sampling all the different dishes we made, I also truly enjoyed the hands-on experience of bringing the chicken from its raw state to its cooked state, and everything that entailed.

chicken, like most food these days, can be a tricky buy. the free-range & cage-free certifications have such low standards they often mean nothing at all. vegetarian fed doesn’t seem to make sense as chickens naturally eat bugs and other non-vegetarian animal protein. a healthier “diet” for chickens would be to let them eat whatever grass & grub the earth naturally offers them. one label which I’ve been told is quite reliable is free farmed – an American Humane Association label assuring the animals were raised in the most humane & natural environment possible. check out some info on free-farmed animals here from the American Humane Association. and of course, buying your poultry from local farmers or green markets is a great way of supporting your community and eating in a more sustainable fashion. if it’s a nearby farm you can always pay it a visit and see for yourself how the animals are treated.

* * *

Mediterranean Chicken & Red Onions

this originally came out of our chicken day at school, although at this point I’ve tweaked it quite a bit. this recipe calls for whole breasts but it’s also delicious if you cut them into large cubes & skewer with red onions. *step 1 calls for a basic saltwater brine – this is not necessary if it’s a kosher chicken. check out another basic brine recipe here.


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ medium red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon fenugreek
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lime


1. Butterfly open the thickest parts of the chicken breasts by slicing in half lengthwise & opening up. Place in medium bowl with ¼ cup salt and water to cover. Allow to sit in fridge for at least a half hour in the brine, stirring occasionally.
2. Thinly slice red onion along the grain in half-moons, set aside.
3. Heat dried spices - cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, fenugreek & cayenne - on a low flame in a small sauté pan for about 1 minute or until aromatic. This will bring out their flavors but be careful, dried spices burn very quickly! Add spices to medium bowl along with garlic, parsley, salt & olive oil. Mix well.
4. When chicken is ready, drain, rinse & discard saltwater. Add chicken & red onion to marinade and let sit for 1-2 hours in fridge, stirring occasionally.
5. Preheat oven to broil.
6. Place chicken & red onion on a lightly oiled broiling pan and broil 7 minutes. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through.
7. Remove from oven and drizzle with lime juice immediately. Serve with red onions over a grain or green of your choice.

there's a new chef in the kitchen

I’ve always told myself that I would never, ever step foot into a restaurant kitchen. the idea of working in such a fast-paced, high-pressure environment scared me nearly to death... the thought of it alone brought on Hell’s Kitchen-esque images of crazy, screaming chefs throwing slabs of meat at their staff. so when I enrolled in culinary school I knew that eventually I would have to face this long standing dread of working in a restaurant, as much as I tried to ignore it.

last weekend I entered, for the first time ever, a restaurant kitchen. with only a month left in school we are all searching for the right fit for our August internship. once you’ve found the place you’d like to intern, you then spend a day in the kitchen “trailing” – working an entire 10-12 hour shift to see if you like them and they like you. it’s kind of like a blind date but in a chef’s jacket and black & white checkered pants.

when I started researching restaurants I quickly became enamored with one in particular. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is Dan Barber’s restaurant (some of you might know him from the most recent Top Chef finale) up in Tarrytown, NY; there’s also a Blue Hill here in the city. a huge factor in my internship search was finding an establishment which supports local farmers, and Blue Hill is the ultimate farm-to-table restaurant. the vast property houses a farm, a learning center, a café, and the well-respected & much loved restaurant. I’d been hearing about Blue Hill for quite some time but had never made it up for a visit.

I arrived at 12:30pm and was thrown right into the kitchen. I separated and shucked spring peas fresh from the farm and finely julienned red and purple radishes. in the garden I picked fresh Purslane (a wild, edible weed) and Johnny Jump Ups (also known as a Viola Tricolor, an edible flower) for the special tea they serve at dinner. after eating the staff meal outside overlooking the farm – a cool summer shower patting down on us – I returned to the kitchen for the real challenge. the kitchen is divided into two sections: the “a la carte” section, for those ordering off the menu, and the private dining section for parties and events and runs more like catering. I spent the second half of my day (well, night by then) prepping and plating appetizers & small plates… bite-size chicken on skewers with basil & cauliflower; tufts of homemade salami, bologna & prosciutto served on slate slabs; warm sturgeon strips over a bed of zucchini & pistachios, topped with large crystals of salt. while dessert was being served – mounds of chocolate truffles, homemade raspberry & yogurt marshmallows – I was out in the back hallway already prepping for the next day of service, skimming the fat off of gallons of chicken stock. I ended the night peeling the shells off of soft-boiled eggs, freshly lain, for their signature fried soft-boiled eggs dish (I had been forewarned of this task…) and at the end of the night I nearly knocked myself out on a pig hanging frozen and skinned in the walk-in.

as luck would have it, I start my internship there in one month. so much for never stepping foot into a restaurant kitchen… who would’ve thought?!?!