Tamales from Tulcingo

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Instagram Post 6/29/2018

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Just the name Tulcingo, a municipality in Puebla, Mexico, evokes the region’s cuisine and is probably the reason that it’s such a popular moniker for restaurants and panaderías around these parts. And Tulcingo Bakery, 103-02 Roosevelt Ave, is one of my favorite destinations in Corona, Queens when I’m craving those flavors. First, the array of fresh baked goods is dizzying – traditional Mexican breads, sweet breads, holiday breads, cookies, cakes, tarts, and much more; watch this space for an upcoming post. It’s also a small but comprehensive market where you can purchase refrigerated and packaged ingredients for your own forays into Mexican cooking.

But today’s post concerns their weekend specials. It’s my go-to place for delicious carnitas and amazingly tender barbacoa (goat) so succulent that I’ve been known to bring friends there just to secure a pound and share it al fresco, plastic forks and abundant napkins at the ready. (More about the meats in a future post, too.)

On my last weekend visit, I tried their chicken tamales in three varieties. Not only are the fillings distinctive, the masa from which they’re made is righteously infused with the flavors of the fillings as well.

[1] Jalapeño – the white chicken meat and the masa picked up the piquant flavor of the jalapeños.
[2] Mole – rich, flavorful, a skillful blend of mole components.
[3] Rojo – red chili peppers made their presence known; the spiciest of the three.

And in case you’re wondering, they were equally delicious!
 
 

East Wind Snack Shop – Dry Aged Beef Potstickers

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Instagram Post 6/28/2018

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My initial foray into the new North 3rd Street Market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn: I suspect there is still a lot of space for new businesses, but of the stalls that were there, East Wind Snack Shop caught my eye with their Dry Aged Beef Potstickers. I had been a little skeptical, but I was convinced when I tasted one: exceedingly beefy and extremely juicy – not what one might characterize as classically Asian, of course: that’s not what they’re aiming for. And yes, it really tasted like aged beef. Glad I tried ’em!

North 3rd Street Market is located at 103 North 3rd St (obvs) between Berry St and Wythe Ave.
 
 

Malaysian Kueh

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Instagram Post 6/27/2018

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Three views of the same item from the grab ‘n’ go prepared food section near the register at Little House Café, 90-19 Corona Ave in Elmhurst, Queens. I assumed this would be the sweet Malaysian kueh (or kuih) that I had enjoyed elsewhere, in this case a pandan (green) and palm sugar (brown) rice flour/tapioca flour dense “custard”, but I was pleasantly surprised by the salty component of the pandan layer in contrast to the sweetness of the palm sugar layer.

They’re shown flanked by eggy almond wafers, crunchy but not crispy, and a satisfying textural contrast to the kueh.

These folks definitely have their own spin on Malaysian food – and I like it!
 
 

Dakwa

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Instagram Post 6/26/2018

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I may have a found new favorite West African sweet snack: Dakwa. A popular treat in Ghana 🇬🇭 and Togo 🇹🇬, it goes by spellings and names that run the alphabetical gamut from Adaakwa to Zowè. Fortunately, I had only to travel to New Harlem Halal Meat on 2142 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 116th St in Manhattan to spot these treasures tucked away in a large plastic jar perched on the cashier’s counter (see second photo).

Made from ground roasted corn flour and peanuts, spiked with cloves, ginger, chili powder, sugar and a little salt, tightly compressed into 2½ inch balls with a measure of peanut oil to stick it together, its texture is similar to Middle Eastern halvah, perhaps a little stiffer. The balls come tightly bound in plastic wrap; the first photo shows one broken apart for closer examination, but mainly for easier eating. 😉

Sweet, spicy, salty, zowie!
 
 

Anticuchos

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Instagram Post 6/25/2018

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In addition to lively dancers clad in vibrant, colorful costumes performing to the beat of traditional music, there were attractions that appealed to other senses at yesterday’s Festival Inti Raymi outside the Hall of Science in Corona, Queens. Among many culinary delights at the Andean Sun Festival were these anticuchos, skewers of tender, marinated beef heart served with slices of boiled potato. If you’ve never tasted them, I strongly suggest that you dance over to the nearest Peruvian restaurant and get an order. Or two!
 
 

Pakhlava

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Instagram Post 6/24/2018

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If you’re someone who likes the sweet chopped walnut essence of baklava (like me) but doesn’t appreciate a beehive full of honey with every bite (also like me), check out the pastry they call Pakhlava at Georgian Deli & Bakery, 2270 86th Street in Gravesend near the border of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. It’s layered like baklava but the dough is richer, more substantial, and sour cream based as opposed to the gossamer phyllo leaves you might expect from the name; the sweetness comes from dried fruit instead of honey. To me, the names are more similar than the pastries themselves.

Second photo reveals even more layers of lusciousness.
 
 

Chao Thai – Tod Mun Pla

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Instagram Post 6/20/2018

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Always a favorite, here’s Tod Mun Pla from Chao Thai at 85-03 Whitney Ave, Elmhurst, Queens. This deep fried fishcake appetizer with its contrasting dipping sauce is a Thai classic that never fails to satisfy. (Sunlight courtesy of a table near the window! 😉)

More posts with more dishes to follow.
 
 

Pikine

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Instagram Post 6/19/2018

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Pikine, a West African restaurant at 243 West 116th St in Manhattan is definitely worth a visit, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with Senegalese food. Portions are large (suitable for two, I’d say) but be forewarned that oftentimes many dishes are unavailable, sometimes because they’re served only on certain days of the week (typical for many African restaurants) but sometimes just because the kitchen reports that they’re out.

We ordered Senegal’s national dish, Thiebou Djeun – spellings vary widely but pronunciation is close to Cheh-boo Jen – and to call it rice and fish is an understatement even though the words translate as rice and fish. It’s made from “broken rice” (easily found at nearby African markets) and if you look closely you’ll see its short grains, but it begins its life as standard untruncated rice that breaks in the field or during processing or milling; the shards are sorted by size and are highly desirable since they cook faster and absorb flavors more readily than whole grains. The rice, combined with chopped onion and garlic, is cooked with tomato paste that lends its deep red color and rich flavor, plus okra, carrots, cabbage (your vegetables may vary) and perfectly seasoned fish.

Our second dish was Maffe (often spelled Mafé), lamb stew with vegetables in a tomato/peanut butter sauce, another Senegalese classic that’s not to be missed.
 
 

Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co.

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Instagram Post 6/18/2018

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Yes, Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. at 513 Amsterdam Ave in Manhattan has dumplings and noodles too, but the attraction for us was the soft serve ice cream available in two flavors, matcha and pickle; of course we went for the pickle since that’s their claim to fame. Perusing my mental catalog of pickle families, I was hard pressed at first to identify its tribe other than cucumber-based. Sour pickle? Not even close. Kosher dill? Nope, no garlic (thank goodness). Then I finally hit upon it: bread and butter pickles! The sweetest in the clan and always welcome at the table. I mean, how else could you get down to the bottom of that cup and not wonder if it would have made a good sundae with a little pastrami topping?

(Remember when a craving for pickles and ice cream was considered a litmus test for pregnancy?)
 
 

Chao Thai

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Instagram Post 6/16/2018

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The venerable Chao Thai at 85-03 Whitney Ave, Elmhurst, Queens had always been a standard bearer for Isan (Northeastern) Thai food; since I hadn’t visited in years, I was overdue for a refresher. It’s still good, but there is a lot of competition in that category now, not to mention the burgeoning popularity of Northern and Central Thai cuisines.

This whiteboard special caught my eye so I gave it a try. Called Northern Style Green Chili Dip, it would make a worthy addition to their regular menu. Surrounded by an assortment of fresh vegetables including cucumber, broccoli, long beans, carrots, cauliflower and (happily) Thai eggplant in addition to sweet potato and crispy crackly pork rinds, the zesty, dominant dip was a perfect partner to the gentle, submissive accompaniments.

More posts with more dishes to follow.