Category Archives: Family-Friendly

Lambent Lollipops

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It’s very French to savor—to pause after your first bite, with a glass of cabernet in one hand, and let your eyes roll back in delicious bliss—medium-rare lamb, with the tastiest trim of caramelized fat. 

But, of course, my family is not French. In fact, I am the only Francophile in my house that cares about enjoying lamb or any other food in its most flavorful, authentic and intended preparation. 

My family prefers their meat burnt, well done, but tender. No blood at all. Very American. Trust me. They leave quality, medium-rare lamb on their plates for the trash, or they follow my son’s lead, which is to pretend to be a dissatisfied patron in a restaurant, while sending it back to the kitchen. 

I often laugh, remembering how sweet life was, when I could go to a restaurant and sit down for a long, satisfying and solo lunch. I still love to eat with my family but learned to enjoy my food alone. 

One of my favorite solo joints was a cozy New Zealand gastropub in Manhattan’s popular and historic South Street Seaport area. 

Specializing in perfectly cooked lamb, Nelson Blue was a hit among tourists and New Yorkers alike. Perfectly cooked lamb lollipops and a French lamb dip sandwich were two of their top lamb choices. 

I always ordered Nelson Blue’s lamb lollipops medium well and they came out spot on, with a honey mustard dipping sauce, which added an extra point of sweet, tangy and satisfying flavor. 

My super easy lamb lollipops recipe is an homage to Nelson Blue, which closed long before the pandemic, but will always be remembered. If you prefer medium-rare results, then marinade these beauties in the sauce before cooking, instead of letting them simmer in it on your stovetop. But I prefer to cook the lamb lollies in the sauce because when cooking them well done, the sauce is the best way to keep them tender and juicy.

Lamb Lollipops

Ingredients
4 lamb chop lollipops, trimmed
Sea salt and pepper
1/2 tbsp of oregano and Herbs de Provence
¼ cup of onions, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clementine, juiced
1 tbsp of fresh herbs of your choice, chopped
1 tbsp honey 

Instructions
1. Season lamb chops with salt, pepper, oregano and Herbs de Provence. 
2. Heat a tiny bit of oil in skillet over high heat and add lamb chops.
3. Sear to a beautiful brown on each side for 3 minutes, then turn heat down to low.
4. Mix onions, garlic, olive oil, honey, mustard, clementine juice, and fresh herbs in a bowl before pouring over lamb. 
5. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tender and cooked to desired doneness. 

Roast Chicken Redux

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The weather outside is frightful, but inside the chicken roasting is so delightful. And if you’ve got no place to goooo… bake it slow, bake it slow, bake it slow… 

It’s finally roast chicken season. And, I can’t really think of a more welcoming and comfy scent to come home to than slow-roasted chicken that’s been lounging in the oven for hours. 

Nearly every week in the fall and winter seasons, I roast chicken. In the recent past, I would use Ming Tsai’s spectacular crispy roasted chicken with very high heat for 30-40 minutes then covering the bird and turning the oven down, but lately I’ve been into slow roasting. 

I turn my oven on 375 F and I carefully clean and rub the bird with butter. Then I season the chicken with salt, pepper, and organic poultry seasoning. I cover loosely with foil and allow it to cook, basting every 20 minutes till the last 10 minutes. Throwing its cover off, I allow it to brown to a beautiful and delicious roasted chicken.

All the effort that I put into roasting chicken is appreciated over and over again. 

For instance, my eight-year-old loves tender and gourmet-tasting shredded roast chicken sandwiches for his quick lunch break. 

Also, for the whole family during cold weather, transformed into an immune-boosting soup, roasted chicken adds a much deeper flavor than steamed or broiled chicken. The soup with roasted chicken broth will be always 10 steps ahead of a soup made with quick-cooked chicken.  

For satisfying lunches, I prefer to use roast chicken in mayo or non-mayo based salads over greens or on a baguette.

Having had the pleasure of tasting so many wonderful versions of roast chicken at French restos throughout NYC—savory, cooked in vinegar, garlic and onions, coated with a honey-dijon mustard sauce, and rotisserie-d—I can’t say which roast chicken recipe is the most authentic, exciting, or deserving of a best in class title. 

But, as they qualified for being one of the best dishes—if not the best dish—on a restaurant’s menu, all of them were inspirational for me in roasting chicken at home. 

Over the years, I’ve relished in figuring out a special roast chicken recipe. A simple recipe is always best—the least number of ingredients allows the chicken to win the superstar status that it naturally deserves—but following my mom’s advice and some food network tips, I felt confident in my ability to choose a flavor that would elevate a simple roast chicken recipe. 

Lately, probably in part because of their abundance at our market, I’ve been craving citrus. I noticed it’s also clementine season, which is a frequent French cuisine ingredient, and I thought a clementine glaze on roast chicken would add the perfect sweet and tangy complexity. 

Cooked with onions, a little bit of red wine vinegar and honey, the brightness and caramelized depth of the clementine flavor have exceeded my expectations.

Hope you try it and enjoy it.

Roast chicken in Darlin’ Clementine Glaze

Ingredients
One 3 ½ pound whole chicken
1 tbsp canola oil 
1 tbsp butter
Sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder
¼ cup shallots, chopped
3 Clementine, segmented
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oregano
¼ cup chicken broth 
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp butter 
2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions
1. Preheat ovent to 375 degrees F. Spray baking dish or roasting pan with oil. 
2. Clean chicken normally and ensure that there are no leftover tiny pin feathers. Run your small knife over the skin to make sure. Rub canola and butter all over chicken and under the skin on the breast. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder. 
3. Put chicken in the oven and allow to cook for 30 minutes.
4. Heat a small bit of canola oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and honey. Sauté until golden brown, making sure not to burn. Lower the heat and mix in oregano, chicken broth, and clementine segments. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in red wine vinegar and add the butter. Fold in the maple syrup and let simmer another 10 minutes. Turn the heat up and make sure the glaze is bubbling. 
5. Pour the sweet glaze over the chicken. Let chicken cook covered for another hour or until desired doneness. Alternate covering and uncovering every 10 minutes, as you baste the chicken. Note that in the last 10 minutes of cooking time, the chicken should be uncovered.

Almost-Candy Apples

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Finally, it’s that time of year again. For spooky and silly spider, bat, and black cat decorations. For expensive, itchy, and hot but oh so cute costumes. For BAM’s (Brooklyn Academy of Music) fun street party before trick-or-treating. And, time for candy, candy and more candy! 

Due to Character Day at school and spoiling my son, he gets two costumes. One that is a storybook character. (Last year he chose Sherlock Holmes because I was addicted to and binge watched the rather quite good TV show, Elementary.) And one for Halloween night, usually a vampire or Spiderman. 

Dracula and I, usually the queen of vampires, go trick—or-treating in our area. Of course, there won’t be any of that this year but there will be candy apples, as soon as I get that candy thermometer.

I knew before attempting this recipe that I should probably invest in one, but I couldn’t find one at our supermarket (only meat thermometers) so I thought that I could wing it and “see what happens.” 

Well, no hard candy happened. Only the almost-candy apples that were extremely sweet and dripping with gooey, ultra-thick and slides right off syrup. C’est la vie. 

It happens to the best of us. We make mistakes and we learn.

I still decided to post my mistake, because not only was it the sweetest one I’ve made yet, the apples didn’t come out half bad. 

My son enjoyed licking the candy off the apples the most, which I suspect, was his plan all along. It was a challenge keeping him away from the leftover “candy” in the pot.

My goal this weekend will be to rectify our candy-apple sich, by cleaning the wax off the apples with a mixture of a little vinegar and water so the candy sticks better, by using a candy thermometer to ensure that the syrup heats up to over 300 degrees, and by convincing my son to eat the apple, not just lick the candy. 

I’ll console myself that at least he’s eating something nutritious in addition to pure sugar.

Candy Apples 

Ingredients 
3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Many drops of red food coloring 
2 tbsp maraschino cherry juice 
12 small red apples

Instructions
1. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, then line with wax paper, then apply another coat of cooking spray.
2. Insert popsicle sticks (or whatever you have lollipop sticks, chopsticks, etc) into each apple and push about two-thirds through—be sure that you can safely pick up each apple, but sticks shouldn’t reach beyond the bottom.
3. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot over high heat, mix sugar, water, corn syrup and food coloring. Bring to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the syrup’s heat rises to above 300 degrees, which should take 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add cherry juice to the mixture quickly.
5. Quickly and carefully dip apples into bubbly, very hot, liquid candy, and put them on prepped baking sheet. 
6. Allow perfect, shiny, and sweet apples to cool and harden. Share with your favorite superheroes and/or villains.

Parisian Potato Salad

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Once upon a summer, my son—who was four at the time—and I traveled to the beautiful City of Light. Paris! 

It was magical by day. Jumping up and down on the second level of the Eiffel Tower as we tried to count the moving spots that were people, 115 meters down (377 feet). The panoramic view of Paris from Sacre Coeur. Fun kiddie rides at a makeshift amusement park in front of the Louvre. Macarons. Madeleines. Chocolate. Chocolate. And more chocolate!

It was magical by night. Dinner at a family restaurant with autographed pictures of Muhammad Ali. Champagne. Night views of the lit Eiffel Tower. Sweet French accents everywhere. 

But my goal of teaching my son why France and travel in general, is amazing and important is still and always will be a work in progress. 

He did fall for the food pretty hard though. We both loved the potato salad at a chicken shop in the food court of a shopping center. I know it probably sounds like a random thing to remember. But it was cheap, delicious, fresh and satisfied my craving for pickles. It was also very different from the American southern potato salad that I’ve eaten all my life. 

This Parisian potato salad was chock full of sweet onions, Dijon and grain mustard, and herbs and vinegar. I noticed that it was egg- and mayonnaise-less. But after two bites, I forgot about the missing eggs and mayo. I didn’t even miss the tangy and sweet—and ridiculously high in sodium—relish that I craved on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. 

I usually make potato salad the way my mom makes it, but I wanted to share this healthy French potato salad recipe because it’s a great tasting, low-calorie option. 

Try it as a satisfying and flavorful side dish for various summertime meals. BBQ. Fried chicken. Or, maybe just by itself with some grilled veggies.

Click here for my recipe for Parisian potato salad. Hope you enjoy it!

What We’ve Been Doing for the Last Five Months, Plus My Homage to Café Lafayette: Shrimp Fritters

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For nearly five months of lock down, my family and I have enjoyed getting fat from eating too much soul food—not my mom because she eats like a bird and not my son because he loses weight as he gains it. He’s in the Ninja phase.

Also, on our list of quarantine activities are:

  • cleaning
  • fighting like Ninjas
  • completing online learning tasks (now the endless summer packet)
  • working from home
  • reading and watching the news
  • becoming addicted to the news
  • getting sick of the news
  • avoiding the news 
  • loving the videos and pictures of peaceful Black Lives Matter protests across the country

Of course, my all-time favorite activities are cooking, eating great food and hearing how wonderful my food tastes.

During the quarantine, I’ve made a bunch of new things. Among the best is a shrimp and sweet potato fritter. My love for the late, great, and quaint Café Lafayette’s shrimp fritters, inspired me to make it. 

Before the treasured Fort Greene spot, Café Lafayette, closed in 2017, my sister and I spent quite a few Sundays brunching in the living-room sized restaurant. Downing mimosas and Kir Royales. Listening to Nina Simone and other Blues notables. Regrettably sharing one chocolate lava cake, instead of ordering two. 

Café Lafayette was one of OUR places, which meant neither of us were allowed to bring anyone else there. We also agreed that the shrimp fritter—juicy morsels of shrimp laced with crispy shreds of sweet potatoes and carrots—was a remarkable, tasty and satisfying bite. 

My family loved my recreation of this shrimp fritter. Omitting the carrots, I added a bunch of other stuff to add flavor and to “French” it up a bit. It’s definitely lighter, moister and richer than I remember.

Try it and I think you’ll agree that it’s the kind of appetizer that takes the word “appetizer” to whole new level.

For the shrimp and sweet potato fritter recipe and more healthy, French cooking, check out Frealthy, a page for francophiles that love to cook.

Video by Melinda Wright.

Frealthy Update

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Simply Stewed Chicken

Need help fighting off a cold sans antibiotics and/or too salty but still no flavor chicken soup? Or just want juicy, satisfying chicken? Try making my half French, half southern recipe for simply stewed chicken. I made it for my family last week and … rave reviews! It will make you smile at having finally conquered the craving you fail to forget: the unbeatable flavor of down home cooking.

Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash

The Greatest Crepe: Five Fantastic Brooklyn Crepe Makers

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Nothing like a great crepe to warm you in the Winter. It’s almost therapeutic to watch a crepe artist do their handywork. And you’ll forget all about the cold when you, before your first bite, admire the neat, tidy bits of cream and strawberries peeping out of tanned, toasty and crisp folds of a crepe. Any of these five creperies will give you an engaging and memorable dining experience.    

Eight Turn Crepe  I went to this busy location in Dekalb Market and loved it. Every time I think of my savory shrimp and avo crepe turned ‘round and ‘round eight times—hence ETC’s name—I want to go back for it, and to try more. Eight Turn Crepe’s Japanese rice crepes menu is extensive, so it took me a while to order. Once I finally ordered, service was timely and effective. Not lightning fast but certainly not slow either. 

Usually, I like to take food to go, but my son’s affection for eating food right away won on this occasion for two reasons. Crepes have a strict no-travel policy—you must eat them ASAP—that if contested, the crepes will turn soggy in half an hour or less. 

I found myself trying to relax, as much as possible, in noisy and so-not-comfy Dekalb market. But the thought of a totally not crispy crepe was almost painful.

My mouth was literally watering as I watched other patrons pick up their orders. Finally, it came to me. And it was ridiculously beautiful, crispy edged, mouthwatering and a lot tastier than I’d hoped. 

Cloud 9 Crepes  A cute and quaint spot with lust-able rice crepes that made me walk to the other side of Bed-Stuy on a sunny but cold afternoon. Buses are not convenient during the day. But I was on a mission and no amount of inconvenience could stop my crepe craving, so I made it there and back in record time: about two hours. The longest time ever. 

By the time I inhaled it, my chicken salad crepe was of course soggy but still flavorful with Dijon mustard dressing. Sogginess aside, I could tell by the thickness of the crepe that it was a bit different from what I’m used to and what I prefer in a crepe.

Cloud 9’s space is sugary sweet though. What an adorable, child-friendly space for a friends’ get-together. 

Lakou Café  Three words, curry chickpea crepe, lingered in my mind for days till I finally ordered it for lunch. Not only did this wow-worthy vegetarian crepe exceed my expectations, it also destroyed any meat protein cravings for the rest of the day. Moments like these reaffirm my belief that Brooklyn is home to some of the best dining in the world. 

Lakou’s distinctive Haitian menu is a cool mix of classic French fare with adventurous Caribbean highlights. The Jerk Jackfruit crepe is on my long list of next times from local restaurants. “Next time, I’ll try this … next time I’ll try that.” 

By the way Lakou Café is the second Haitian resto this month that has blown me away with its undeniable flavor. And more Haitian restaurants are popping up. I see a guide to Brooklyn’s best Haitian cuisine on the horizon. It’s too spectacular to be overlooked.

Madame Poupon  Picture it! Valentine’s day 2020. You and your honey meet here at this authentic and intimate French restaurant. There’s candlelight, red roses and soft French music playing in the background. You find yourself sharing first, the vegetarian crepe, then second, the Daoulas crepe—fresh strawberries, chocolate ganache, vanilla whipped cream and black pepper—by taking turns to feed each other. What a perfect night for love. 

I hope to visit Madame Poupon sooner than Valentine’s Day next year, especially since it’s very conveniently located for me. But if I don’t make it there sooner then, it will skyrocket to the top of my list. The Daoulas crepe is one of a few sweet crepes that I’d like to try. Looks like dessert is the winner at Madame Poupon.

Take a Break and I’ll Bake Café & Creperie  Southern-French is always a favorite of mine. Cajun and Louisiana Creole cooking comes to mind. But Take a Break and I’ll Bake Café is about a fusion of American southern and European (French and Italian) cuisine. 

The decadent Peaches & Cream (Peach cobbler filling), and the Campfire (rich dark chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers) crepes seem promising.  

Lead Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

The Do’s and Don’ts of Devouring a Crème Brûlée Cupcake

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The darnedest things happen when your kid has to use the bathroom, so you run into a favorite Cobble Hill bakery/cafe/treasure trove of pastry lobster tails, tiramisu cakes and one of the best diner style strawberry shortcakes in Brooklyn, and you see it …

Your favorite new snack. A delicious mini version of your most cherished French dessert. Something blogworthy, finally.

The crème brûlée cupcake at Mia’s bakery! Follow these do’s and don’ts of experiencing this very French and very memorable cupcake. Trust me. You really need this eating guide. 

Do order three macarons and a chocolate cupcake—or whatever y’all agree on—as an enjoyable distraction for your child, while you finally focus on this special treat for yourself. Moist and delicious, you won’t want any interruptions.

Don’t let anyone have a clue, including your kid, as to how much the crème brûlée cupcake is making your mouth water. They might ask you for a bite and you won’t want to share.

Do resist the urge to buy two or three because despite its small size, this cupcake is satisfying and simply delicious. One is a good guilt-free indulgence. Two would be over-the-top richness.

Don’t take your order to go. Instead enjoy Mia’s quaint, clean and comfortable enough for a quick dessert stop café. I’ve seen people linger as though they’ve been sitting in the same place for hours but to me it’s not that type of place.

Do marvel at Mia’s cute cupcakes to-go policy. They use Chinese takeout containers as portable cupcake holders.

Don’t be hasty when removing this adorable cupcake from its close-fitting container. You don’t want to mess up the best part of this cupcake: its créme brûlée frosting.

Do eat the fresh berries that top the cupcake immediately, and simultaneously tune out your kid who finishes his snack, notices the pleasure you’re taking in savoring your delightful indulgence and whines for a piece.

Don’t hesitate to take three medium-sized bites—or however many bites it will take to finish—of this fantastic, one-of-a-kind cupcake. My only wish is that the filling oozed down the center of the cupcake.

Do leave Mia’s feeling like you just won a prize. If only you could get paid for eating crème brûlée cupcakes…

If you like créme brûlée and you also like vanilla cupcakes, you’ll love this clever dessert fusion at Mia’s.

Bored with Bread? Try Maison Kayser’s still-so-good baguette

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Sometimes you want something extraordinary. Soft and stinky brie. A long, garlicky kiss goodnight. A really great bread. It’s subtle yet extraordinary and if you’re not a master baker, you probably can’t explain why or how some bread is great, not only nostalgic. It’s just steeped in its own special greatness. 

I could tell right away though, why Maison Kayser’s bread basket’s fresh baguette (and other breads including rye, whole wheat, and tourte de meule) is memorable. In addition to its intoxicating aroma, this lovely baguette offers a crisp crust, with a soft, delicate crumb. It’s served fresh and hot—hot enough to melt the cold butter that comes with the bread basket—and even my picky eater enjoyed it thoroughly.

We struggled to finish our tasty entrée, because we filled up on bread till it was completely finished. I traded my heart (and all the benefits of my usual morning cardio workout) for its buttery, probably calorie-laden glory. Served complimentary with an entrée in Maison Kayser’s cafe, it was an absolute filling treat for our two-person party. I’m sure it would be sufficient for groups of three or four.

In 2012, when its first NYC locations opened, there was much fuss about Maison Kayser’s amazing baguette. It was promptly rated the number one baguette of NY by New York Magazine in 2013. But has something changed?

As I read the so-so online restaurant reviews of Maison Kayser’s various NYC locations, I’m in disbelief that the success of this brilliant bread boss is wavering. Some patrons report that the negative reviews are not the food’s fault, but instead blame the service for Maison Kayser’s occasional two-star reviews. I’ve not seen one, single negative comment regarding the food at Maison Kayser.

Maison Kayser’s service was great for us. Our server was friendly with a warm, genuine smile, just as was the bread basket that our server brought to our table—warm and authentically French. The environment was clean and comfortable. 

Service is extremely important, but so is Maison Kayser’s bread basket. So, I hope that poor service alone is not the sole culprit that ultimately brings my favorite (and only) baguette behemoth down. 

 Here’s a short list of Maison Kayser menu items that I’m eager to sample:

  • Shakshouka tartine—a very flavorful, sometimes spicy, petite Mediterranean version of baked eggs on toast.
  • Crab and avocado tartine—fresh crab and Dijon dressing with a kick excites, pleases and does anything else it wants to your palate, if you’ll let it. (I’ve already sampled this smile maker.)
  • Salmon Tzatziki—simply roasted salmon topped with a refreshing, cucumber and dill yogurt sauce; a winning duo for sure.

Maison Kayser, 57 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash

Sticks of Bliss: Maison-Yaki delivers big flavors in bite-size portions

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My only two regrets of my visit at Olmsted’s Japanese-French spinoff Maison-Yaki is passing on the chawanmushi and resisting the urge to order two of everything. 

I kept staring at the menu and contemplating if we should order the chawanmushi even after we—my son and I—ordered the bulk of our meal: 

• tempura frog legs—the melt-in-your-mouth miracle. The frog legs are delicate, buttery, savory and unforgettable. Served piping hot with a tasty green dipping sauce. This dish is a reason of its own to visit this yaki-topia. Any picky eater will love frog legs the way mine does.

• king trumpet mushrooms—Pick this plate to indulge in pleasantly chewy and satisfying mushrooms served with a diced sweet peppers and tomatoes sauce. Not sure if these mushrooms are the ones grown in house but they probably are!

• lobster & sauce americaine—Divine. A lobster patty that’s been fried and skewered then drenched in a savory sauce. We ate this all too fast.

• chicken breast and sauce allemande—Very good! Cooked perfectly and retained a good amount of moisture. 

• duck a l’orange—I loved this fatty piece of caramelized duck but the sauce was the brilliance of this particular plate. A mini egg yolk posed in the middle of an orange sauce waiting to be mixed. The end result was a luscious, creamy crave-worthy dressing.

• lamb leg & herbes de provence—Gamey, medium on the inside and roasted/grilled on the outside lamb with a light herby sauce. We loved it.

The plates came out fast and not in any order. Maison Yaki doesn’t course, so you get what you get when you get it. I loved this philosophy. It was so refreshing, like every plate that came out was a burst of surprises. Lots of flavor, lots of juicy meats and lots of French sauces that hit the spot. We surprisingly felt full. Each skewer is only two bites but the flavor was amazing. Next time we’ll need 2 (or 3) orders of frog legs. 

After all of that goodness, I was still thinking about ordering the chawanmushi until my son insisted on ordering dessert. After weighing our options, we decided that we’d get the Japanese cheesecake this visit—my son promised the wait staff, the manager and the other patrons that we’d be back next week. He gets carried away about great food like his mom. 

The cheesecake was a cloud. We found ourselves floating on air while eating it, it’s so light and fluffy. The best I’ve tasted, hands down. And it’s served with plums that thankfully, tasted like tart, saucy cherries. A flawless end to a flawless meal.