Welcome to our new Greenpointers food series called Behind the Toque.
Behind the Toque is where we’ll be featuring Greenpoint’s most talented chefs discussing their cooking philosophies, restaurant operations and community relationships. As a special treat, we’ll also feature a recipe pulled directly from their current menu, so you can enjoy Greenpoint’s favorite cult dishes in the comfort of your very own home.
Chef Eldad Shem Tov is the new chef at Glasserie, the chic, sophisticated Middle Eastern haven nestled in an old, repurposed glass factory at 95 Commercial Street. He welcomed us to his restaurant on a snowy Sunday evening with the perfect appetizer: luscious tahini and a heavenly housemade grilled flatbread.
Read on to find out how Chef Eldad is trying to reframe American notions of sharing food, to cook his delicious recipe, and to get one of the best dining deals in Brooklyn.
Chef Eldad, hard at work. Photo via Kimisa H. courtesy of BrunchWith.
The NY Post, the most trusted source in local news, let us in on some super serious scientific data over the weekend, which proves that Brooklyn women are the pickiest daters in the country. Why? Well, it’s obvious that the men of this borough are the worst, according to two women who were disappointed by their online dates.
This data was culled from AYI.com, a dating app (has anyone used it? anyone?), which supposedly analyzed nearly half a million online dating interactions and found that Brooklyn women were the least likely to respond to messages from suitors. This online report is actually a blog post that links only to the dating site itself, so just to clarify, none of this data is actually visible, and therefore, it’s safe to assume that it is 100% accurate.
To investigate, the Post “ventured into the land of hipsters and artisinal pickles to speak to local women about why plaid shirts and scruffy beards are no longer cutting it.” After conversing with one girl in Bushwick and one in Williamsburg, this reporter concluded that online dating is difficult, because there are a lot of dumb people on the internet who only want sex. WHAT? I thought only wealthy, PhD students used AYI.com! EVERYTHING IS A LIE!
Growing up, I lived a stone’s throw from Lake Michigan. Nearly every day during the summer I’d go to the beach, but on the hottest afternoons, I stayed indoors. On these lazy days, I’d grab a fistful of freshly peeled carrots (this was before the ubiquity of packaged “baby carrots”) and a stack of picture books, and disappear for a while to my hiding spot— above a floor vent, under a sunny window, behind a big, blue chair.
Fellow block & lot and rooftop chefs: Burger season is upon us. Let 2013 be the year you took your burger to the next level. Your patty prep is key to getting compliments around the grill from your homies! There are a lot of things you can add to your beef before you grill to make it tasty. Start with quality beef. And try some of the following additions to the mix. Just remember to go easy with quantity. If you are using butcher beef, you don’t want to overpower a complimentary flavor with the natural flavor of fresh beef. The following five ways to prep your ground meat are tried and tested, so give these ideas a chance for your next rooftop BBQ.
Beef From The Butcher
Half & Half Use 50% ground pork with 50% ground beef. I hear a lot people say this is a Greek version of the hamburger, but my Italian grandmother made her meatballs this way, too. If you do want to go Greek, add some parsley and minced onion and squirt a little lemon on the patty right before you take it off the grill. Otherwise keep it simple with the mixture with good amount of fresh ground salt & pepper.
Soy Sauce Use a tablespoon of soy sauce for every 8 ounces of meat, mix thoroughly. I like to use my hands for all ground beef mixing. Your fingers can mix more efficiently than any stationary tool. Squeeze the beef in both hands in a big bowl. Add some fresh ground pepper, but no more salt. Don’t forget that the soy sauce is all the saltiness that you need. Continue reading →
