Category Archives: What’s Cooking

First Time Making Pipa Tofu

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Pipa tofu is a dish rarely found on a typical Chinese restaurant menu. I know this because if it were on the menu, I’d order it all the time. Mashed soft tofu — often mixed with ground shrimp or pork — formed into an oval … Read More

Spanakopita Made Easy

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Last summer, while shooting TV segments on Turkish cuisine, I gained a newfound appreciation for the art of making baklava. Each of those gooey crispy squares are the product of a labor of love, requiring time, patience, skill, a large amount of counter space and … Read More

Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, Hold the Lobster.

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There’s a great scene in “Midnight Run” – one of the most underrated movie comedies – where the character Jonathan Mardukas, played by a hilariously deadpan Charles Grodin, interrogates a local bar owner.  Here’s the exchange: Jonathan Mardukas: What’s the name of this establishment? Red: … Read More

Baked Falafel

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe, and I hesitated to post the pics of this one because, well, you’ll see. Basically I screwed up a few things along the way. Didn’t turn out so pretty. The plan was to make falafel, but … Read More

Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves… and a Few Unstuffed)

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On a warm day in Tarrytown, the sidewalks on the corner of Main St. and N. Broadway are packed with people dining al fresco. They’re at Lefteris, which indisputably owns the prime location of downtown. It’s impossible to walk by without taking a few nosy … Read More