Tito Rad's

Tito Rad's is a Filipino restaurant, located in Sunnyside.  Except for making Pancit and Kare-Kare once in culinary school, I have had very limited exposure to this cuisine.  Never mind the fact that there is a Filipino restaurant 4 blocks from my home that I have not managed to try yet.  This cuisine is unique, when compared to other Southeast Asian cuisines.  Having been colonized from the Spanish, the cuisine is a mix of both Asian and Spanish influences.  There is a lot of fried food and a lot of pork.

If you are vegetarian, stay far away from this place.  Even in the vegetable section of the menu, most vegetable dishes include some form of smoked or ground pork for flavor.  The only thing you would be able to eat is the Bean Sprout Fritters, which are lacking in flavor.  This I liked the least.  It was just a crunchy, oily mess with no flavor.

I was worried about the meal as I was far from impressed by these straw-like fritters.  Next was the fried pork intestines.  I was not really looking forward to this, as offals, sweetbreads and the like are not usually my cup of tea. Eaten with the sweet and spicy vinegar accompaniment, these were full of flavor and had a digestible texture; not rubbery as expected, but just slightly chewy.  They were quite good, however, not something you can eat a lot of.  The chewiness becomes not so appealing after the uniqueness of the taste goes away.

The Lumpia Shanghai were full of  robust flavor, stuffed with pork and vegetables.

The spicy liang is one of the vegetable options.  It is made with taro leaves, coconut milk, pork, shrimp and chilies.  This is a multi-layered dish, bursting with the heat of the chile, the salt of the cured pork and the sweet coconut.

The chicken and ginger soup was a wonderful light soup, bursting with ginger flavor.

The tamarind soup was too tart. Tamarind needs something sweet to balance the flavor.  Without the sweet element, it was too sharp and astringent.

Crispy pata, the Filipino version of pernil (Spanish roast pork), is named so because the skin is supposed to be very crispy, with tender meat.  The skin was not crispy which made for fatty tasting skin, although the meat was well seasoned and flavorful.

Pancit is the filipino word for noodles and the menu had several options.  I sampled the Pancit Satonghon, made with cellophane noodles, shrimp and the ubiquitous pork.  This was one of my favorite things from Tito Rad's.  It was very flavorful and offered a balanced plate with the vegetables.

 Kare-Kare is a Filipino specialty of stewed oxtails in peanut sauce.  Although not that special on its own, when eaten with the accompanying shrimp paste, it creates a great marriage of flavors in your mouth.  Sweet peanut butter complements the sharp, salty taste of the shrimp paste with smooth as silk tender oxtail meat.

Tito's Rad's dessert sampler inlcudes ube cake, cassava cake and flan.  Ube is a purple yam, eaten in the Phillipines, India, Hawaii and other parts of Southeast Asia.  It is used in many filipino desserts, ensuring a brighly colored, moist cake.  Very sweet and moist, this flourless cake was delicious.  The cassava cake was another flourless cake.  Again, it was sweet and moist, although it had a little more body to it than the ube cake.  The flan was more dense than Spanish flan.  It is most likely made with more eggs than flans from other Spanish speaking countries.

 There was also an additional special dessert of the nights. Stuffed banana rolls.  These were unexpectedly heavy, due to the addition of cassava in the rolls.  The flourless cakes were preferable.

This is a family style restaurant.  All of the food is served in extremely large portions.  For this reason, it is best to go with a group of at least 4 people.  It also gives you the opportunity to sample many foods, giving you a comprehensive view of Filipino cuisine.  All of these foods seen here were sampled with a group of 8 people.

In conclusion, some things I enjoyed and a few not so much.  With an extremely friendly and accommodating staff, I would come again and now I know what NOT to order.  I hope this gives you some guidance on what to order when you try Tito Rad's.

If anyone can suggest other Filipino restaurants for my to try as comparison, I would appreciate the feedback.



Chef Mireille
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Pakiza...the best Chicken Kebabs in Brooklyn!

Walking down Coney Island avenue in Brooklyn is an exploration into global cultures, from Russia to Pakistan.  Walking down the Pakistani/Bangladeshi area is walking into another world with Bollywood DVD stores, women wearing salwaars and men wearing kurtas.  Some women walk around in full hijab and abaaya.  Stores advertise Halal Pizza and Fried Chicken.  Stores are all closed Friday afternoons, as everyone heads to the Masjid for prayers. 

You will need some quick reflexes walking down this part of Coney Island Avenue to avoid the paan juice.  Paan is a leaf  that was traditionally stuffed with betel leaf, areca nut and lime paste as a palate cleanser.  Today, it is sometimes stuffed with sweet or tobacco.  After it is chewed, you spit it out.  Unfortunately, sometimes men and even women spit it out on the street instead of in the garbage.  I have had to jump to avoid flying paan juice coming at me.  Disgusting, but I just think of it as a travel journey into Islamabad. I always try to regard people as part of their own culture; not mine.  You may ask why I even bother to come here. There is one food that is worth getting hit by flying paan juice.

That is Pakiza's Chicken Kebabs.  Pakiza is a nothing special looking place right off the corner of Coney Island and Foster Avenue.  Basic furniture and no ambience, except for the required TV screen showing Bollywood songs. An enclosed food bar will display curries and dahls of the day.  They also serve roasted, fried and steamed chicken and fish, as well as samosas, desserts and Naan bread.  Curries are sub-standard; quite greasy.  The other meats are very flavorful.  The steamed chicken is loaded with spices and is not the colorless, bland piece of meat you would get at other establishments.  However, 99% of my visits to Pakiza include just one thing - a few chicken kebabs.

As you take your first bite, juicy meat explodes in your mouth with the flavors of chile and coriander.  Varying textures due to almonds and paneer make eating this kebab a culinary discovery.  With each crunch or bite into soft meat, it is a guess as to what you are getting in that mouthful - crunchy almonds, hot chile or cooling cilantro.  The mild, perfectly balanced raita is a must to cool the chile of the kebab.  No muted flavors here to have mass appeal to American palates.  This place is frequented by local Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, so what you get is the strong flavors of their homeland.

This is one of the friendliest establishments in this cultural enclave.  You won't get any strange looks here.  Very friendly staff and customers who are glad to explain to you the scenes going on in the Bollywood songs.

Hop on the Q train to Brooklyn.  Depart at Newkirk Plaza, walk 8 blocks, watch out for flying paan juice and have the best chicken kebab in Brooklyn and probably all of NY! 


Chef Mireille
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Dr. Oz's Sweet Potatoes

Dr. Oz has boasted about the benefits of the Imo Sweet Potato.  Popular in Japan, this beige skinned potato with purple flesh boasts 150% more antioxidants than blueberries.  It is eaten everyday by the women of Okinawa, who are some of the longest living people in the world.

On my recent day trip to Westport, Connecticut I stopped in Stew Leonard's and found they had these potatoes, complete with the Dr. Oz endorsement on the placard.  A little on the pricey side, but I had to try this new potato I have never eaten before.  I am glad I did.  This is a deliciously sweet potato.  Kids will love it.  It is like eating pure sugar.

Here is a wonderful Breakfast Hash recipe I created using these wonderful purple gems, inspired by my sister, who hates eggs.  If you are inviting any egg haters over to brunch, surprise them with this delicious entree, full of antioxidant health benefits.

Breakfast Hash
2 Imo purple fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 white potato, chopped
2 dried Chinese sausages, sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried chives
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or canola)
grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Fill a large pot with water and potatoes.  Boil until just fork tender, about 20 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil.  Saute scallions, garlic and sausage for a few minutes until soft.

Add potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, herbs, salt and pepper.  Toss until spinach leaves are wilted.  Serve in a dish and garnish with Parmesan cheese.  Omit cheese, for a healthier version.

All the colors in this dish make it very aesthetically appealing also.


 
Chef Mireille
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Fried Green Tomatoes with Coriander Mayo

Fall is the most beautiful season in the Northeast with fall foliage everywhere - beautiful golds, oranges, reds and browns are everywhere.  Even for those who live in New York City, this is the time of year when everybody is taking day trips out to Long Island or upstate New York, to get away from the city.  A favorite excursion for these day trips is to visit one of the many U-Pick farms.  At these farms, you can go through their orchards and pick apples, pumpkins and whatever other fruits and vegetables the farm grows.

I visited one of these farms on the weekend and in addition to the many varieties of apples I picked, I also got a great bunch of green tomatoes.  I made a wonderful batch of Fried Green Tomatoes.  Yes, it is a popular food in the South; not just a book and a movie.  Fried Green Tomatoes are a classic southern food, however, I created a spiced up version of this American classic.

The next time you see some green tomatoes at your local Farmer's Market, don't pass them up for the juicy red ones.  Instead, make this delicious appetizer.  Perfect as an accompaniment to soup, for a middle of the week winter dinner.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Coriander Mayo

1 1/2 pounds green tomatoes
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup rice flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Oil, for frying

Slice tomatoes into thick slices.

Mix cornmeal, rice flour, salt, pepper, parsley and ginger.  Mix thoroughly and spread on a plate.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs and milk together.
In a large skillet, heat enough oil to deep fry tomatoes.  Once oil is hot, dip tomatoes, one slice at a time, in the egg mixture and then coat with flour mixture on both sides.  Place in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.

I think they taste fabulous on their own, but if you would like an accompaniment, mix mayonnaise and coriander until well combined and serve the fried green tomatoes hot, with the flavored mayo.

Chef Mireille
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Nha Trang and Little Fuzhou

Everyone knows Manhattan has a Chinatown and most locals also know of the Chinatown in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, but not everyone knows that Brooklyn has a Chinatown also, commonly referred to as Little Fuzhou, due to the predominance of immigrants from the Fujian province of mainland China.

NY has one of the best transportation systems in the world, but if you live on one of the train lines that go outside, as well as underground, you are subjected to environmental conditions.  Yesterday, due to a fallen tree on the tracks, the B train I was riding home in became a D train and ultimately, an N train.  The N train runs nowhere near my house, so no matter where I got off, I would have to take a bus.  I decided to get off of the N train in Little Fuzhou.  I was starving due to having a busy day and not having the opportunity to have lunch. What better place to find a good meal in Brooklyn?

Manhattan's Chinatown is like running an obstacle course.  On your way to grocery shopping or dining, you must dodge the merchants coming out of their stalls to lure you to buy cheap perfume, ladies with photos of knockoff handbags that they have hidden in a little room (away from the cops) and the street vendors.  Dodging them and the tourists is an art form.  Little Fuzhou has all of the neccesities of Manhattan's Chinatown, without the crowds.  Some of the same establishments like Hong Kong Supermarkets and Nyonya Malaysian Cuisine have locations here.

In addition to Chinese dining establishments, there are also Malaysian and Vietnamese restaurants.  Nha Trang is a simply decorated Vietnamese Restaurant with the glossy paintings, characteristic of these establishments.  I have to say this was one of the worst Vietnamese meals I have had, but don't hold Little Fuzhou responsible.  There are some other really good restaurants there.

The service was excellent, with a friendly, English speaking staff.  However, the food left a lot to be desired.  It was just bland.  The spring rolls were greasy with a flavorless ground pork filling.  No vegetables or any other flavorings were added to the ground pork.  Served with lettuce and wilted mint leaves, the best way to stomach these grease rolls were to place them on a lettuce leaf with a few mint leaves and make lettuce rolls stuffed with spring rolls.  Dip in the accompanying sweet fish sauce and it was actually very good, balanced with the fresh lettuce leaves.

The curry chicken soup, which is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes, was bland.  Once I added some Sriracha pepper sauce, it had some flavor.  The Sriracha brought out the flavors of the scallions and the curry.  It was apparent the potatoes were boiled separately in plain water, before being added to the curry at the last moment.  When you bit into the potato, it had no curry flavor whatsoever.  It tasted like a plain potato.  In addition, the cheapest part of the chicken is used so that you get are chicken wings in the soup.  My other experiences with this dish include a variety of chicken pieces, as it is usually made with the whole chicken.

Little Fuzhou is a great little neighborhood to explore, at a leisurely pace without the frenetic pace of Manhattan, but there are better dining options than Nha Trang.  Like all neighborhoods in NY, there is always multi-culturalism.  Even in Littel Fuzhou, there is a large Turkish Market.  You can shop for both Turkish and Chinese products by visiting Little Fuzhou.

 
Chef Mireille
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Fall in the Northeast

How things can change in one week?

Last week, I was still wearing shorts and summer berries were everywhere at my local food coop.

This week, it is 20 degrees colder, forcing me to put away those summer shorts and sandals and pull out the fall jackets, boots and the scarves.  At the food coop, cranberries, pumpkins, squashes and gourds were everywhere.  At the farmer's market I visited in Westport, CT I was in gourd city.  How quickly the seasons can change in one week!

With a new season brings new ideas.  I will be starting two new series on the blog & I need your feedback!

Spices and Herbs
What's your mystery spice? 

I get questions like this from people all the time: "I have heard of caraway (insert your mystery spice) and even seen it at the supermarket, but I have no idea what to do with it? Where does it come from?  How do you use it?

Every month I will be featuring one spice and herb, giving you a little history and valuable information about how to use it and then there will be at least 3 recipes in the month featuring the mystery spice of the month.

I have already picked the November spice (when the video series starts), but I want your feedback for upcoming months.  Please comment and let me know what's your mystery spice or herb and I will feature it in the upcoming months.

Ingredient of the Month
In addition to the Spice/Herb of the month, we will be having an ingredient of the month with several recipes, featuring the star ingredient.  It can be anything from a condiment to a vegetable to an unusual meat. 

Again, your feedback is needed.  Is there an ingredient you have always wanted to try but don't how to use.  Please comment (just click where it says clever thoughts) and I will include it in the upcoming months.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Chef Mireille
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Beet...mediocre Thai

Thai was one of the first Southeast Asian cuisines I started to experiment with several years ago, long before I ever entered culinary school.  I have eaten at more Thai restaurants than I can count and have been cooking Thai food for several years.  For these reasons, I am well informed on the complexities of Thai Food and have rarely had a Thai meal I did not enjoy.
I had not had Thai in quite a while and was looking forward to my meal at Beet.  Unfortunately, Beet did not deliver the quality meal I was looking for. 

The Beet menu includes Thai Fusion, with French and Japanese Thai food entrees on the menu.  The Thai selections include a variety of wok style and curry style Thai meals.  They have a special lunchtime menu, but the choices are very limited.  This leaves the more expensive standard menu.

The complimentary bowl of beet chips promised on the website was not delivered to the table.  They do appetizers well.  Beautifully presented and complex flavors were present in the stuffed full moon pancake with chicken and shrimp. Other appetizers were also flavorful, but the accompanying sauces were too mild flavored to complement the flavors. With dry duck and mediocre entrees, the main courses don't warrant much commentary. For the quality of the food, the restaurant is overpriced.

Crispy Duck in Pineapple Curry

Beet is frequented by locals.  It is very much a neighborhood establishment and caters to the family friendly Park Slope community.  It is a very clean establishment with a unique bathroom sink.  With the large selection of dining establishments in Park Slope, Beet definitely would not top my list, unless I am in a MUST HAVE THAI mood.

Chef Mireille
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Ga Xe Phay (cookbook recipes)

Another edition of Cookbook Recipes leads us to Southeast Asia again.  This time we are in Vietnam with a wonderfully light Chicken Cabbage Salad.  This recipe is extremely easy to make, very time efficient, healthy and most important, delicious.  This recipe is taken from Wendy Hutton's Green Mangoes and Lemongrass.  This cookbook has proven to be a hit or miss.  While most savory dishes are a hit, I have found some of the desserts to be unreliable.  This recipes is one of the hits of this cookbook.   This is her recipe, with some changes for preference and availability of product.

Ga Xe Phay
5 boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1/2 head green cabbage; about 1 1/2 pounds, thinly sliced (original recipe called for Napa or Savoy)
2 onions, halved
1/2 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 cup fresh mint, finely chopped (original recipe called 1/2 cup mint and 1/2 cup long stemmed Vietnamese mint)
liberal amount of freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
1/2 cup lime juice

6 tablespoons fish sauce
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
8 slices picked jalapenos (original recipe had 2 large red chilies, minced)

Put the chicken thighs and onions in a saucepan with 2 teaspoons salt and add just enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked.  Cool in the stock if you have time, then shred the chicken with your fingers. (Strain the chicken stock and reserve in ice cube trays for future use.)  (Original recipe did not use the onion in this step.  Instead, rub salt over onion for 30 minutes, then slice to be added to salad.  This step is not necessary.  I prefer to infuse the flavor of the onion into the chicken, instead of eating raw, salted onion in the salad.  My way will also give you a more flavorful reserved chicken stock.)

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients.

Just before serving, put the cabbage and herbs in a large bowl with the shredded chicken.  Add dressing and black pepper and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.  (If you are making to serve later, do not add the dressing until ready to serve.)

Even though she sometimes makes her recipes more complicated than they need to be, this is a cookbook I can recommend, if you are a cook who knows how to adapt recipes, when needed.
  

Chef Mireille
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Thali...Indian Cuisine at its Best

On a recent trip to Westport, Connecticut I discovered the one thing Connecticut has that is missing from NY...Thali.  Thali is a chain Indian restaurant in Connecticut.  While I cannot comment on its other locations, I can say that Thali Westport expertly combines the unique flavors of Indian regional cuisines in a modern menu and presentation.

Instead of the standard papadum, you are welcomed to Thali with warm Naan, served with an intense mustard oil with mint and cilantro lime butter, that will keep you begging for more.  Gently dip your Naan in the oil.  Dunking or saturating the bread with the oil will produce a head rolling, sinus opening result if you assault your taste buds in this way.

While you can get your standard Tikka Masala, Korma or Vindaloo here, I suggest sampling a variety of their 30 available appetizers for a more comprehensive tasting of Chef Prasad Chirnomula's genius.  Here are a few examples of what you can experience at Thali:

Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo with Nutmeg Brown Sugar Glaze

New Zealand Habanero Rubbed Lamb Chops

Shahi Tukra

The most unique Indian multi-regional menu, with options like:

• Multi Pepper-Crusted Breast of Duck (smoked in Tandoor, served with Cabernet Sauce)
• New Zealand Lamb Chops (Habanero Rubbed and Grilled)
• Spiced Pan-Seared Scallops (Fennel & Fenugreek Crusted, Chili Cilantro Oil)
• Grilled Spicy Chorizo and Shrimp (Nutmeg and Brown Sugar Glaze)
• Jumbo Lump Blue Crab (Coconut and Ginger)
• Crisp Curry Leaf Dusted Spiced Shrimp

Instead of the standard Mango Lassi, begin your meal with one of their unique flavors like Poached Pear Lassi or the Sweet Caramel Lassi.  Being a slave to the wonderful gift from God that is cardamom, I opted for the Cardamom Lassi. The strong taste of cardamom balanced the tart flavor of the yogurt in a way that sweet mango never could.

Cardamom Lassi

The Goan inspired Chorizo and Shrimp creates an unparalleled explosion of flavors.  Each uniquely subtle; nothing overpowering.  Spicy chile, sweet brown sugar and the earthy flavors of nutmeg with the naturally sweet shrimp and sausage creates a balanced, multi-flavored plate.

The intense habanero flavor are exactly that, bursting with the flavors of the habanero chile, these lamb chops are not for those with low pepper tolerance.  However, if you are one of those who give homage to this chile, then this is a plate not to be missed.  The stuffed tomato accompaniment balances the heat of the lamb chops.

They have some fusion inspired desserts like Cardamom Creme Brulee and Lemon Grass Key Lime Pie.  While I did not sample any of these, I am sure Thali will execute these as perfectly as they do everything else.  Instead, I opted for the more traditional Shahi Tukra (Indian Bread Pudding).  There is a reason this is an award winning dessert.  It truly deserves all the accolades it has received.  Again, a perfect marriage of flavors was achieved in this light as air bread pudding, with the flavors of cardamom and pistacchios.

A modern setting, with a large white Ganesh statue and a friendly, accommodating and attentive staff will make you leave Thali, with one of the most pleasurable dining experiences you will encounter.

Chef Mireille
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