Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Due's Adam Weiss on kale, caviar and kosher salt
dam Weiss has spent the last six months at Ridgewood's Due (pronounced do-ay) attempting to set the "innovative, eclectic" Italian restaurant apart from the town's many other restaurants. His strategy? Elevating traditional dishes by adding surprising elements and his signature touch.
So, instead of preparing a simple chicken marsala, for example, Weiss, a 1997 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, would use a Frenched chicken breast and his own wild mushroom sauce to create something that "serious foodies," he said, might appreciate.
The 37-year-old Ringwood resident was the chef at Esty Street in Park Ridge for a decade before eventually landing at Due in April. The restaurant received 3 1/2 out of 4 stars last week from The Record. Here he talks about kale, caviar and why home cooks should learn to love kosher salt.
Toughest dish to cook at my restaurant: The Key lime semi-freddo ($8). The prep work that goes into it takes four hours or more — I have to choose and then juice the limes, and then I take a can of condensed milk and put it in a pot, bring it to a boil, and leave it for three hours before refrigerating it and then make the custard.
My guilty pleasure: Twix bars, because of that combination of chocolate and caramel and crunch. Also, sautéed medallions of foie gras. I know that's very "poor-man, rich-man."
Most overrated food: Kale. I'm guilty of using it, but it gets to the point where it becomes silly — you don't need candy kale or kale spring rolls.
Favorite local restaurant: Café Matisse in Rutherford. It's such a creative menu, and whatever you order, every dish will turn out extraordinary to exceptional. I don't think anybody can criticize it. My favorite is the crispy crab cake appetizer with guacamole and spicy chipotle sauce.
Simplest tip to improve home cooking: Learn how and when to use salt. When a box of pasta tells you to put one teaspoon of salt in for a gallon of water, no! It has to be salted like the ocean, because when you drain it, you want the salt to adhere to the pasta. I use a quarter to a half cup. And only use kosher salt. Iodized salt should be thrown in the garbage; it makes things taste like chemicals.
The next food fad: Smaller plates so people can try various dishes. It'll be tasting menus instead of one steak hanging over the side of the plate.
Strangest request from a diner: Years ago at Esty Street, I had a woman who ordered a grouper over vegetable ragout in a broth, but she wanted ketchup on the side. And she was the wife of a known chef. I don't know whom I felt worse for, the dish or the chef.
What I'd never pay for at a restaurant: Caviar. I don't need to sit down and have that for $125 an ounce. I'd rather spend that on something more substantial.
Dish I wish I created: Molten chocolate cake. Whoever the chef was that developed it made chocolate cake, came up with the right ratio of ingredients, and then accidentally underbaked it to create a fad.
Favorite cookbook: "The French Laundry Cookbook" by Thomas Keller. There' a lot of insider tips for both professional and home cooks, and it gives you new inspiration — a sense not only of, "How did he do that?" but also of "Why did he do that?"
More info: Due, 18 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 201-857-3232; dueridgewood.com. BYOB. Appetizers $12 to $17, entrées $23 to $32.
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See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/dining-news/due-s-adam-weiss-on-kale-caviar-and-kosher-salt-1.1094803#sthash.abvfHfqT.dpuf
So, instead of preparing a simple chicken marsala, for example, Weiss, a 1997 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, would use a Frenched chicken breast and his own wild mushroom sauce to create something that "serious foodies," he said, might appreciate.
The 37-year-old Ringwood resident was the chef at Esty Street in Park Ridge for a decade before eventually landing at Due in April. The restaurant received 3 1/2 out of 4 stars last week from The Record. Here he talks about kale, caviar and why home cooks should learn to love kosher salt.
Toughest dish to cook at my restaurant: The Key lime semi-freddo ($8). The prep work that goes into it takes four hours or more — I have to choose and then juice the limes, and then I take a can of condensed milk and put it in a pot, bring it to a boil, and leave it for three hours before refrigerating it and then make the custard.
My guilty pleasure: Twix bars, because of that combination of chocolate and caramel and crunch. Also, sautéed medallions of foie gras. I know that's very "poor-man, rich-man."
Most overrated food: Kale. I'm guilty of using it, but it gets to the point where it becomes silly — you don't need candy kale or kale spring rolls.
Favorite local restaurant: Café Matisse in Rutherford. It's such a creative menu, and whatever you order, every dish will turn out extraordinary to exceptional. I don't think anybody can criticize it. My favorite is the crispy crab cake appetizer with guacamole and spicy chipotle sauce.
Simplest tip to improve home cooking: Learn how and when to use salt. When a box of pasta tells you to put one teaspoon of salt in for a gallon of water, no! It has to be salted like the ocean, because when you drain it, you want the salt to adhere to the pasta. I use a quarter to a half cup. And only use kosher salt. Iodized salt should be thrown in the garbage; it makes things taste like chemicals.
The next food fad: Smaller plates so people can try various dishes. It'll be tasting menus instead of one steak hanging over the side of the plate.
Strangest request from a diner: Years ago at Esty Street, I had a woman who ordered a grouper over vegetable ragout in a broth, but she wanted ketchup on the side. And she was the wife of a known chef. I don't know whom I felt worse for, the dish or the chef.
What I'd never pay for at a restaurant: Caviar. I don't need to sit down and have that for $125 an ounce. I'd rather spend that on something more substantial.
Dish I wish I created: Molten chocolate cake. Whoever the chef was that developed it made chocolate cake, came up with the right ratio of ingredients, and then accidentally underbaked it to create a fad.
Favorite cookbook: "The French Laundry Cookbook" by Thomas Keller. There' a lot of insider tips for both professional and home cooks, and it gives you new inspiration — a sense not only of, "How did he do that?" but also of "Why did he do that?"
More info: Due, 18 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 201-857-3232; dueridgewood.com. BYOB. Appetizers $12 to $17, entrées $23 to $32.
--
See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/dining-news/due-s-adam-weiss-on-kale-caviar-and-kosher-salt-1.1094803#sthash.abvfHfqT.dpuf
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Chef Lynn Neumann of Sapphire Thai Food Express in Teaneck on Thai food
It wasn't until she was laid off from the Simmons Jewelry Co. in New York City in 2010 that Lynn Neumann, née Thongnid, had the time to return to the hobby she'd abandoned long ago: cooking.
The 54-year-old Bergenfield resident, who came to the United States in 1990 from Thailand, began preparing traditional Thai dishes, many of which she learned from her father as a girl, for her boyfriend Erwin Neumann to bring for lunch. He soon became a hit at his workplace, thanks to the spicy aromas emanating from the office kitchen whenever he warmed up his meals.
In 2011, Erwin became her husband, and Lynn Neumann continued to practice for several years with friend and fellow chef Mary Jaisue, formerly of Thai Palace in Teaneck, before opening Sapphire Thai Food Express in January.
The restaurant received 2 1/2 out of four stars in July from The Record.
Here, she talks about what home cooks do wrong and the health benefits of Thai food.
A great introduction to Thai food is: Pad Thai, which is noodles and meat. It's very well known, it's like fast food in Thailand. And if a restaurant cannot make a good pad Thai, they don't know what they're doing.
Thai food is different from other Asian foods because: It's much healthier. We don't deep-fry in vegetable oil, we use canola or soybean oil. We don't use a lot of tapioca powder or flour, and we use no MSG, period.
What diners don't know about Thai food: Not everything is sweet. The sweetness is added to make the diners in America happy, but Thai food from Thailand has a variety of tastes.
My favorite local restaurant: Sanducci's Trattoria in River Edge. I love their blackened pasta with any kind of sauce. They don't just open up a box and boil things — they make fresh pasta over there, and I can taste it.
One thing everyone needs in their home kitchen: A sharp set of knives. I don't care if it's expensive or cheap, if it's sharp, I'm happy. Every few minutes we re-sharpen our knives when we're preparing meat — it's something that people don't pay attention to, but once you're in the kitchen, you know how important it can be.
Biggest mistake home cooks make: Don't underestimate the importance of the quality of your ingredients. Even if you're trying to save money, and meat is 50 cents a pound cheaper, buying it will change the meal itself. The quality and presentation is not there.
Favorite cooking show: "Iron Chef." Bobby Flay is my inspiration.
My last meal would be A dish that my father taught me called moo oob ($12). It's pork marinated with herbs, and simmered with a variety of herbs and spices. It's moist and tender, and it's got beautiful color, and it blows everybody away. It's so unusual.
How I keep my weight down: I've exercised from age 11. I also control my food intake, and I don't eat fattening things. I don't eat sweets.
Favorite dish to cook: Pad Thai. You have to perfectly cook the noodles. It sounds simple, but that's how you prove to yourself you're a good chef.
Favorite dish I invented: Nam tod ($10). It's jasmine rice mixed with red curry paste with chopped lime. I make it like a meatball, and I deep-fry it. I let it cool down, and mix it with brown pork.
More information: Sapphire Thai Food Express, 445 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, 201-928-0770; sapphirethaifoodexpress.com. Appetizers $5 to $10, entrées $10 to $18. Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
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- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/dining-news/chef-lynn-neumann-of-sapphire-thai-food-express-in-teaneck-on-thai-food-1.1084490#sthash.do92QeS5.dpuf
In 2011, Erwin became her husband, and Lynn Neumann continued to practice for several years with friend and fellow chef Mary Jaisue, formerly of Thai Palace in Teaneck, before opening Sapphire Thai Food Express in January.
The restaurant received 2 1/2 out of four stars in July from The Record.
Here, she talks about what home cooks do wrong and the health benefits of Thai food.
A great introduction to Thai food is: Pad Thai, which is noodles and meat. It's very well known, it's like fast food in Thailand. And if a restaurant cannot make a good pad Thai, they don't know what they're doing.
Thai food is different from other Asian foods because: It's much healthier. We don't deep-fry in vegetable oil, we use canola or soybean oil. We don't use a lot of tapioca powder or flour, and we use no MSG, period.
What diners don't know about Thai food: Not everything is sweet. The sweetness is added to make the diners in America happy, but Thai food from Thailand has a variety of tastes.
My favorite local restaurant: Sanducci's Trattoria in River Edge. I love their blackened pasta with any kind of sauce. They don't just open up a box and boil things — they make fresh pasta over there, and I can taste it.
One thing everyone needs in their home kitchen: A sharp set of knives. I don't care if it's expensive or cheap, if it's sharp, I'm happy. Every few minutes we re-sharpen our knives when we're preparing meat — it's something that people don't pay attention to, but once you're in the kitchen, you know how important it can be.
Biggest mistake home cooks make: Don't underestimate the importance of the quality of your ingredients. Even if you're trying to save money, and meat is 50 cents a pound cheaper, buying it will change the meal itself. The quality and presentation is not there.
Favorite cooking show: "Iron Chef." Bobby Flay is my inspiration.
My last meal would be A dish that my father taught me called moo oob ($12). It's pork marinated with herbs, and simmered with a variety of herbs and spices. It's moist and tender, and it's got beautiful color, and it blows everybody away. It's so unusual.
How I keep my weight down: I've exercised from age 11. I also control my food intake, and I don't eat fattening things. I don't eat sweets.
Favorite dish to cook: Pad Thai. You have to perfectly cook the noodles. It sounds simple, but that's how you prove to yourself you're a good chef.
Favorite dish I invented: Nam tod ($10). It's jasmine rice mixed with red curry paste with chopped lime. I make it like a meatball, and I deep-fry it. I let it cool down, and mix it with brown pork.
More information: Sapphire Thai Food Express, 445 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, 201-928-0770; sapphirethaifoodexpress.com. Appetizers $5 to $10, entrées $10 to $18. Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
--
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/dining-news/chef-lynn-neumann-of-sapphire-thai-food-express-in-teaneck-on-thai-food-1.1084490#sthash.do92QeS5.dpuf
Monday, September 15, 2014
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