Well, folks, we made it. Spring officially “sprang” this week, and the sun is staying out almost deceptively late. On Sunday evening, I strolled over to my local butcher shop for some hot dogs (warm weather means it’s time to dust off the grill!) in what I thought was the bright light of midday, only to find it closed (it was 7 pm).
If, like me, you needed a few days to acclimate yourself to the new sunlight schedule, you’ll probably be just about ready to break out your “transition” coat — the one you can wear for approximately two weeks of the year — and get going on some springtime activities.
Perhaps this will include one of the Spring Workshops from League of Kitchens, whose Founder/CEO, Lisa Kyung Gross, is this week’s Face Behind the Food. Or, perhaps you’ll start utilizing that outdoor seating that’s finally, officially, here to stay. So tell us: where do you like to sit outside for a drink or a meal? I personally like the back patio at Panzerotti Bites or my own porch, hotdog in hand.
–Alice
Faces Behind the Food: Lisa Kyung Gross
Photo courtesy of Lisa Kyung Gross.
They may not be your grandmother, but they can come pretty close. That nurturing, immersive feeling achieved only by cooking alongside a seasoned home cook is the one Kyung Gross was chasing when she started League of Kitchens 10 years ago. Since then, she’s built a network of online and in-person cooking classes taught by immigrant women from around the world, all living here in the five boroughs. A Brooklyn-ite herself with an immigrant heritage, she’s managed to curate this specific, hard-to-find feeling through classes taught by her network of talented instructors.
Pasta Louise, a family favorite in Park Slope, opened a new wine bar on Wednesday called Bar Louise with sophisticated cocktails and bar bites.
Main Street Landing, a new American restaurant in DUMBO, also opened its doors this Wednesday. It offers elevated American dishes and sweeping views of the DUMBO.
Nobody Told Me, a longtime Upper West Side favorite, opened in DUMBO on March 14, bringing even more fun cocktails and small bites to the area.
The Brooklyn Dining Club has a few tickets remaining for its March 27 event at Sociale in Carroll Gardens, featuring a talk by our very own Andrew Cotto. Get your tickets here.
Restaurant Highlight: Amuní
Busiati Al Pesto Siciliano. Photo: Courtesy of Amunì
It’s appropriate that the word “amuní” means “let’s go” in Italian because you’ll be saying it all the way to this authentic Sicilian restaurant in Bay Ridge. It’s different from what you’d find at an Italian-American red sauce place, with specialties like fried artichokes and fried cardoons – a cousin of the artichoke not seen on many Italian menus. And you’ve got a choice of ten panini, with fillings ranging from classic Sicilian chickpea cakes to sardines.
Tuesday of this week marked St. Joseph’s Day, also known as the Father’s Day of Italy. Traditionally, food on this day is heavy on the breadcrumbs, symbolizing the work that St. Joseph did as a carpenter. This pasta dish from Chef Thomas Perone at Brooklyn Roots is exactly that. Plus, the dish features sardines and anchovies, which make it perfect for Lent, when meat takes a backseat to seafood.
St. Joseph’s Day Pasta at Brooklyn Roots.
Ingredients:
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tsp. saffron
4 oz. sardines
4 oz. marinated anchovies
1 tbs. fennel pollen (+ 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. fennel seeds
Fennel fronds for garnish
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (+ more for garnish).
1/2 cup fennel brunoise (between a dice and a mince)
1/4 cup caramelized onions
1/2 lb. dried bucatini, prepared al dente.
1 tsp. Calabrian chili oil
Salt & pepper to taste.
Directions:
Steep the raisins and saffron in the white wine overnight.
Marinate the anchovies and sardines in olive oil overnight.
Combine the fennel pollen with the breadcrumbs.
In a hot sauté pan, add the oil from the anchovies and sardines.
Add the anchovies and sardines.
Add the white wine/saffron marinade and the raisins.
Add the toasted pine nuts.
Add the fennel pollen (saving the additional 1 tsp.).
Add the fennel seeds.
Season with S&P. Toss.
Add the prepared bucatini. Toss.
Add the breadcrumbs and the additional fennel pollen.
Toss vigorously and plate.
Garnish with fennel fronds, additional pine nuts and a swirl of EVOO.
This newsletter is written by Alice Gilbert and Andrew Cotto. Email [email protected] with any questions or comments.
Copyright (C) 2024 Eagle Urban Media. All rights reserved.
SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.
ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.
