Monthly Archives: September 2022

TBTAM Digest – A Weekly Newsletter from the Blog that Ate Manhattan

I just published the inaugural issue of TBTAM Digest, a weekly substack newsletter from the Blog that Ate Manhattan. Let me help make the internet a little easier to assimilate by sharing what I’ve written and read this week about food, women’s health and other topics.

I’ll be cross-posting it here each week, but encourage you to subscribe !

Blog Post – I Had Lunch at the CIA

This week, I visited the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), where I enjoyed an amazing lunch at Bocuse, their faculty and student run French Restaurant. You can read all about it, plus see pics and an egg video, on my blog.

Health News

  • Hear Her. Over 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications each year in the United States, some because their symptoms were not recognized or heard when they tried to share them. The CDC has launched a campaign to teach women how to recognize the warning signs of pregnancy complications and be heard when they share their concerns with their providers. Just as importantly, the campaign targets healthcare providers, friends and family to listen and trust women when they tell them something is wrong. The personal stories on the site are powerful and memorable. I urge you to visit, learn and listen.
  • My Best Source for Covid News. Ruth Ann Crystal, MD makes it easy to stay up to date on all things Covid with this easy to understand, relevent and timely weekly newsletter. It’s a must-read for both doctors and lay persons.

What I’m Eating or Wanting to Eat

What I’m Watching and Listening to

  • The US and the Holocaust. Ken Burn’s 3 part , 6 hour documentary on PBS about the consequences of America’s unwillingness to open its doors to the desperate people seeking refuge from the Nazis in the years leading up to and during WW II. It’s riveting.
  • The Birds are Heading South about now. This Fresh Air podcast on the Amazing Lives of Migratory Birds is revelatory.

What I’m Reading

  • Savage Beauty – the Life of Edna Saint Vincent Millay. Wow. What a life. What a poet. Did you know she was named after St Vincent’s Hospital in NYC? Had love affairs with both women and men? Was a playwright and actor as well as a poet? And joined in the movement to get Jews into the States in the years leading up to WW II? A hefty read well worth your time.
  • The Secret to Love? Kindness. It’s THE most important predictor of satisfaction and stability in a marriage. Like a muscle, it can be built but takes work to maintain. In other words, exercise kindness towards one another. Sounds just like what my parents (who had a long happy marriage) always told us kids. This article is a must read for all couples out there, so share it with someone you care about if you want to see their marriage succeed.

And that’s it for this week’s newsletter. Feel free to subscribe and share. If you have great links to share, let me know. See you next week!

I Had Lunch at the CIA

Ever since reading Michael Ruhlman’s The Making of a Chef in 2007, I’ve wanted to have a meal at the CIA. No, not that CIA, although I hear they do have a half-decent cafeteria. This CIA is the Culinary Institute of America, one of the world’s finest cooking schools, located in Hyde Park, NY.

Long term readers of this blog may recall that it was Ruhlman’s tales of life at the CIA that led me to my first food blog – Butter Pig – whose author Tom Dowdy had written a diary of his own 3 months at the school. Blown away by what I had discovered, I bought the CIA textbook The Professional Chef, got myself some good knives, read some Harold McGee and began to cook more. Tom’s writing led me to other food blogs, including the Julie/Julia Project, and suffice it to say, life hasn’t been the same since.

This week, my foodie little brother and his wife invited me to join them on their vacation in the Hudson Valley. I knew immediately where we had to go. Hyde Park and the CIA. The only thing available when we made our last minute call for reservations was an early seating for lunch mid week. We took it!

The CIA is one stunning campus. Timeless, ivy-covered brick buildings (one sporting a figurehead of Paul Bocuse, the hero of French nouvelle cuisine), orderly gardens and stunning views of the Hudson River hills, which were still lusciously verdant on the gorgeous late summer day we visited. Chefs and wanna-be chefs dotted the campus in their chef’s hats and whites, walking with purpose or talking to one another animatedly. There is no lounging on the quad on this campus….

The main building houses the CIA’s restaurants, bookstore and classrooms, which we brazenly spied upon through glass windows along a corridor named for Anthony Bourdain.

It also houses the school’s cafeteria, where seeing the rows of students and faculty in the high arched ceiling room led Rachel to proclaim it to be “Hogwarts with chef’s hats”.

I myself was drawn to the pastry kitchens, and it was all I could do to stop myself from wandering inside to sit in on a class.

Our lunch was at The Bocuse Restaurant, a beautifully appointed space with modern architecture, a window into the kitchen, and really great chairs. (I need to find out where to get those chairs…)

Like all CIA’s restaurants, Bocuse is student and faculty run and staffed, and priced accordingly. This makes for an amazing if somewhat uneven food experience. For instance, the french rolls were fabulous – the pale yet crisp crust retained the smoky flavor of the oven and the crumb was light and soft. The duck with pomegranate reduction was proclaimed by Joe to be the most perfectly-cooked he’d ever eaten,

the heirloom tomato salad with whipped feta had the most delicious pickled onion I’d ever tasted,

the just-right cooked egg atop the fresh cappelini first course wiggled delightfully,

and the salmon was perfectly cooked with an amazingly crisp skin and a Meyer Lemon-Caviar Beurre Nantais to die for.

But the blini served with the smoked salmon first course were nothing special (I was dying for a crisp potato pancake), and the dry, flavorless risotto should never have been allowed to leave the kitchen (we left most of it uneaten).

The desserts however, were perfection.

I have to say, I was almost expecting someone to ask me to grade the service provided by the earnest, hard working students who waited on us. After all, I had quite a few suggestions I wanted to share with them. For instance, I’d say, learn a little more about the items on the menu so you don’t have to keep going back to the kitchen to answer our questions. Seeing our empty glasses, offer us another glass of wine before the main course. Ask us if we want coffee with our dessert. Wipe up those crumbs and that bit of cream sauce on my place mat between courses. And never sweep in to grab my plate while I’m still wiping up the Meyer Lemon-Caviar Beurre Nantais with my bread, although I did like the little “Pardon my reach” you said when doing so…

The experience made me consider why we never asked our patients for feedback on our medical students and residents during their training. After all, who better to tell us what we’re doing right or wrong?

But I am really not complaining. I’m lovingly critiquing.

Because if you ask me if I’d go back to eat at the CIA again, the answer would be a resounding yes. Again. And again.

It was such a privilege to be a part of these young folk’s training and to witness their energy, determination and drive to be among the best-trained chefs in the world.

Life in a restaurant kitchen is not easy, and for many, it is not a well-compensated profession. This can make it hard to justify the expense of a high-end culinary school like the CIA. David Lebowitz has a good summary of the pros and cons of a professional culinary education in his post Should You Go to Culinary School? and renowned pastry chef Shuna Lydon lays out a strong case against culinary school education in her blog Eggbeater –

I didn’t go to culinary school, I did not own a single knife, I did not know what an ‘all-day’ was. I learned everything on the job. And so can you. Or you can go to school. Or take all that money you would sign over to a school, put it in the bank, and go work for someone whose food you love for free and live on that bank account.

The Covid Pandemic made it apparent that food industry workers are essential workers, and deserve to be compensated as such. This in turn has strengthened the movement to unionize the industry and get folks paid the wages they deserve. I for one hope the union movement continues to garner strength. And I hope the CIA is preparing their graduates well to succeed in this challenging calling.

I wish them all the very best.

Spanish Sofrito and the Mediterranean Diet

Sofrito topped flatbreads

In the largest study of its kind to date, the Mediterranean Diet has trumped a low fat diet in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The study was conducted in Spain, where participants assigned to the Mediterranean diet received free olive oil. They were also instructed to use sofrito – “a homemade sauce with garlic, onion, aromatic herbs, and tomato slow cooked in olive oil” – in their cooking two or more times a week.

Free Spanish olive oil and Sofrito as a required food group? I’d have moved to Spain to be in that study! But since that never happened, I figured I’d make some Sofrito and find out why it’s front and center in the Mediterranean diet.

What is Sofrito and Why is it So Healthy?

Sofrito is an aromatic mix of herbs and vegetables, a sort of Mirepoix, used as a flavor base and enhancer in Spanish and Caribbean cultures. It’s more a cooking technique than a recipe in and of itself, and it’s where many recipes start. If you’ve made Paella, you’ve made a sofrito.

There are many versions of Sofrito, depending on where it’s being made. A Puerto Rican patient of mine once gave me a jar of her homemade Sofrito, which was a rich, oily cilantro-based delight. (Here’s a recipe for Puerto Rican Sofrito) Dominican Sofrito uses vinegar, and Cuban Sofrito has ham. The Spanish or Mediterranean Sofrito is primarily tomato based, and includes onions, garlic, herbs, peppers and lots of olive oil.

Spanish researchers have analyzed Mediterranean Sofrito, and determined that its heart healthy attributes are derived from an abundance of antioxidants – polyphenols and carotenoids – as well as Vitamin C. Slow cooking the veggies in olive oil allows these bioactive compounds to move into the olive oil, which in turn enhances their bio-availability. The beneficial effect is almost immediate – inflammatory markers decline in the bloodstream after just a single portion of sofrito!

How I’m Using Sofrito

Tuna on Farro with Sofrito and Parsley

It took no more to convince me to start including Sofrito in my diet. I made a simple recipe for Spanish Sofrito, which I served atop some leftover farro and Italian Flott Tuna (My fave canned tuna). It was a delicious, umami-rich lunch! A few days later, we topped a flatbread recipe from Ottolenghi with the rest of the sofrito, and served it alongside his Gigli, Chickpea and Za’atar.

I’ll be making Sofrito again soon and hope to find ways to incorporate it into my diet at least three times a week. Thinking of cooking an egg atop some sofrito, like a shakshukah, or using it to atop broiled fish. If you have ideas or suggestions for using Sofrito in everyday cooking, feel free to comment below.

Print Recipe

Spanish Sofrito

This classic sauce is a staple of a heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet. There are lots of different Sofrito recipes out there – all have varying portions of tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and herbs. This recipe is modified from one I found on the Spruce Eats.
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Mediterranean diet, Sofrito, Spain, Spanish, Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion Minced
  • 4 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 green pepper seeded and minced
  • 14.5 ounces Diced tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Pimenton (Smoked Paprika)
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 1 Bay Leaf (Optional)

Instructions

  • Place a large heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until only slightly brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and peppers, lower the heat and begin to cook them down VERY slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized. This will take about 30 minutes. About halfway through, stir in salt, pepper, pimenton and oregano.
  • Once onions are caramelized, add tomatoes and bay leaf (If using). Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until all the liquid evaporates and the color turns deep red, 25 to 35 minutes more. When everything is caramelized, the oil will begin to separate from the vegetables a bit. Remove the bay leaf.
  • Sofrito can be used immediately, or stored in fridge for a week and up to a year in the freezer.
Print Recipe

Olive Oil Flatbread with Spanish Sofrito

This is modified from an Ottolenghi Flatbread recipe.

Ingredients

  • 200 g Bread flour
  • 1 tsp Fast acting Yeast
  • 1 tsp Olive Oil
  • 120 ml Lukewarm Water
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Sofrito

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the water, pour into the flour mixture and combine w a rubber or dough spatula. Transfer to a lightly oiled work surface and, with lightly oiled hands, knead the dough for five minutes, until soft and elastic (add more oil if it starts to stick to the surface). Transfer to a large bowl, cover with a slightly damp, clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about 40 minutes, until nearly doubled in size, then cut into four equal pieces.
  • Warm the sofrito in a small saucepan on the stove. Heat a large baking tray on the middle shelf in a 450 degrees Fahrenheit oven. When it has doubled in size, transfer the four pieces of dough to a lightly oiled work surface and use your hands to stretch each one into a rough circle about 18cm wide and 5mm thin.
  • Remove the hot tray from the oven and quickly put two flatbreads on it, spacing them well apart. Quickly return the tray to the oven and bake for eight minutes, until the dough is golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  • Top the flatbreads wtih the warmed sofrito and grate a little Parmesan atop. Serve immediately

Foraged Sumac / Ottolenghi’s Gigli with Chickpeas & Za’atar

I first encountered wild sumac in 2015 in Pennsylvania’s Loyalsock Forest. I’ve foraged for it most summers since, both there

and along the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

This year’s sumac crop was a little disappointing. Despite how much I picked, most of the fruits had worm infestations that limited the amount of usable berries. (Note to self – pick sooner in the season next year…) Still, I got about a cup and a half of dried sumac for my efforts, more than enough for my needs. (If you want to know how to harvest and dry sumac to make the spice, read here.)

I used the fruits of my harvest to to make Za’tar, a Middle Eastern spice mix of sumac, thyme, oregano, salt and sesame seeds.This year, my friend Paula gifted me some dried oregano just around the time I finished drying my sumac, so I used that and discovered that home-grown dried herbs make a superior spice blend! (Duh…)

If you’re looking to use za’atar in cooking, look to the cookbooks of Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born Brit who has introduced many a home cook to the flavors and spices of the Middle East. (He sells Sumac and a Palestinian Za’atar on his site.)

From Ottolenghi’s cookbook Simple comes this recipe for Gigli Pasta with Chickpeas and Za’atar. Here he uses za’atar as a garnish, which I find is a wonderful way to showcase the individual spices in the mix.

Even if you don’t forage your own sumac, za’atar is not too hard to find in most good grocery stores or online. I urge you to give it a try!

Gigli with Chickpeas and Za’atar

As much as I love this dish as published by Ottolenghi, I’ve made a couple of changes. First, I increased the garlic from 2 to 3 cloves (and may go to 4 cloves next time) and doubled the spinach. I’ve saved some pasta water to thin out the sauce at the end, as it really thickens if you let it sit. And I feel like the dish needs tomatoes to complete it. There are two ways to accomplish this. One is to add tomatoes to the sauce itself or to leftovers the following day. An even better option is to serve the pasta with flatbreads topped with tomato sofrito and garlic, as I’ve done up there. The combo is perfection.

Print Recipe

Gigli with Chickpeas & Za’atar

Ottolenghi's recipe for pasta with chickpeas, spinach and za'atar.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: anchovies, Chickpeas, Pasta, sumac, Za’atar

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 10 grams thyme leaves, finely chopped 1/2 cup
  • 7 anchovy filets drained and finely chopped
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and black pepper
  • 2 cans 15.5 oz/480 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • 7 ounces gigli pasta
  • 100 grams baby spinach leaves
  • 3/4 cup chopped parsley (15 grams)
  • 1 1/2 tsp za'atar
  • 1 small can diced tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

  • Place large saute pan over high heat, All olive oil, then onion, garlic, cumin, thyme, anchovies and lemon peel, 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry, stirring often till soft and golden. Decrease heat to med-high, add chickpeas and sugar and fry , stirring occasionally, till chickpeas begin to brown and crisp up. Add chicken stock and lemon juice and simmer 6 mins, till sauce slightly reduced. Remove from heat and hold. (Can make ahead) If you are going to add tomatoes, I would do so along with chicken stock and lemon juice.
  • Boil large pot salted water. Cook pasta for 8 mins till al dente, Drain and set aside. (Save some pasta water if the sauce has gotten too thick, you can thin it a bit.)
  • Stir spinach and parsley into chickpeas, warming it to wilt the spinach if needed. Add pasta to the chickpeas and stir to combine. Divide among 4 plates and srpinkle za'atar atop. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.