Brisket is now the beef cut of the moment
Have you ever thought of brisket as a cut of beef that transcends cultural and national boundaries? We have always assumed that it was Irish (boiled beef and cabbage) or Jewish. But the British salted or pickled it and called it "salt beef" to feed the sailors of the Royal Navy.
Here in the United States, we call it corned beef (meaning pickled, nothing to do with corn). Corned beef is usually available in specialty Jewish delis like Katz or Carnegie Deli in New York City or available in coffee shops as corned beef hash from a tin served with fried egg and toast.
For many Filipinos, corned beef (from a can) is comfort food.
We saute it in garlic, onions and tomatoes and eat it with fried egg and rice. Sometimes, we add water to make it into a soupy stew replete with cabbage and tomatoes. As a child in the Philippines, I distinctly remember having to eat it during typhoons and floods when it was impossible to go out to the wet markets to buy fresh food for our meals. It was always time to open the treasured tin cans -- remnants of the American influence on our food.
Very Special Briskets from US farms
Now we have a chance to savor fresh brisket from special breeds: Piedmontese and American Kobe.
Try our barbecued briskets while our supply lasts. Romy puts a spice rub on the brisket (coriander, cumin, star anise, black peppercorns and sea salt) and cooks them in very low heat in our Chinese smoke house.
(Scroll down for more details about the breeds that the briskets came from.)
Cabbage-Beet-Peach Slaw
We serve the briskets with a slaw made of grated raw cabbage, beets and sliced peaches seasoned with sea salt and red wine vinegar. We read that raw cabbage and beets are the healthiest foods to eat -- very nutritious and high in anti-oxidants. This is a delicious recipe that you all should try especially when you grill those bbqs during the summer.
Summer is the best time to visit Cendrillon
It has always been ironic that the New York restaurant scene slows down during the summer when most people are away at the beach or traveling to someplace other than home.
But this is actually the BEST time in the world to eat at a restaurant that serves the bounty of local farms in upstate New York or New Jersey.
Sweet corn is out now and it is perfect with wild watercress in a soup. The cherries are fading, but the peaches are coming in (both white and yellow). Black raspberries, redcurrants are perfect for vinaigrettes.
Chef Romy's favorite salad is made with Rau Ma (a Vietnamese green called Penny wort that the Vietnamese use to cure arthritis), steamed peanuts, crispy jackfruit chips, stewed peaches, cucumber and heirloom tomatoes served with a homemade plum vinaigrette.
The sweetest strawberries around
When we come across a good thing, we love to share it with our friends and customers. These strawberries from Berried Treasures Farm from Roscoe, NY are some of the best strawberries we have ever found here in NYC. So we are getting the strawberries regularly and making preserves.
We are selling the 16 oz jars for $14 a jar. The prices of the strawberries have gone up since we went to the market last week and we are afraid that by the end of the season, these strawberries will be even more expensive. They are truly worth their weight in gold. But we are determined to enjoy them while they last.
We shall be making some strawberry yogurt ice cream sundaes that will be the perfect antidote for a very hot summer.
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