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Green Mangoes during a White Winter

When completely immature and unripe - a bit like Cafe Drake ourselves- mangoes are far from the sweet, orange-fleshed fruit so most commonly consumed. Maybe because we tend to favor the tart and pungent (literally and metaphorically) over sugary sweetness, Cafe Drake is fully embracing the assertive citrus notes of the green mango this cold and snowy winter. Just peel one to discover the potent floral scent and then slice thinly and season with a bit of salt and red chili pepper for a tongue-tingling, frisky snack.

If green mangoes prove difficult to find in your area, head to the nearest Asian or Indian food market where they will most certainly be available. Barring a specific trek to track down the unripened fruit, most supermarkets will have a few on offer that are still quite green. Choose the brightest green and firmest specimens and proceed with recipes as below.


CHICKEN WITH GREEN MANGO

If you don't have curry leaves or nigella seeds on hand, proceed without them but consider ordering the seeds online or searching for them at the nearest Indian grocer.

• Peel and remove the seed from 1 green mango. Revel in the heavenly scent reminiscent of Guerlain's classic and citrusy Eau de Savage.
• Place chicken cubes (from 2 boneless, skinless breasts) in a round dish and add a teaspoon of black onion seeds (also called nigella) , a T. or so of chopped ginger, 2 cloves of garlic (chopped), a t. of cayenne pepper, a healthy dash of turmeric, about a t. of salt and 2 t. of coriander powder.
• Mix the spices into the chicken and add half the mango slices to this mixture as well.
• In a medium saucepan, heat up 2 T. of vegetable oil and fry 2 sliced onions until golden brown.
• Add the 5-10 curry leaves.
• Gradually add the chicken pieces, stirring all the time.
• Pour a cup or so of water, lower the heat up and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the water has been absorbed.
• Add the remaining mango slices, 1 chopped tomato, a few sliced green chillies and some chopped cilantro.
• Serve hot with basmati rice. (Red) lentils or curried chickpeas makes a good side dish.
  

FRESH GREEN MANGO TEA

Sounds odd but watch how quickly you become addicted to this mouthwatering tonic of a beverage.

Peel and grate 1 green mango after removing the seed. Simmer the grated fruit with 4 cups of water for 10 minutes.

Add brown sugar to taste and about a tablespoon of fresh lime juice.

Strain, cool and sip.

December Wrapped up in a Pretty Post

The first course of dinner - Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Truffled Croutons . . . to be followed by house-made pate with pickled pomegranate seeds, pickled and spiced cantaloupe and escarole salad with a maple syrup-mustard dressing and champagne . . . to be followed by a palate-cleansing cranberry sorbet (courtesy of Mother) . . . to be followed by roast quail with chestnut and pear stuffing, braised escarole and parsnip-potato-leek gratin . . . to be followed by manchego cheese and raisin chutney and an aged port wine . . . to be followed by homemade pine nut ice cream (again, courtesy of Mother and the hit of the meal!) and cookies and digestifs.

Sailor enjoys his last winter by gazing at the blizzard outside.

The coats. scarves and hats of dinner guests always prove irresistible to Sailor Page.

Posing for Daddy.

A holiday table setting.

Cafe Drake's homemade pate with cornichons, rye toast and pickled pomegranate seeds.

Mother and Miki enjoy a Christmas dinner at Cafe Drake. The multi-course meal included a Shepherd's Pie of lamb and fluffy mustard mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts with chestnuts and a special, raw-milk aged bleu cheese.

Mother, Jen L and Jorge.

Christmas Decorations in Greenpoint.

At Columbia County's Michelin-starred Le Bouchon, where we indulged in a decadent mid-day meal of Steak Tartare and iron skillet Cassoulet.

Jorge snacks before the Big Meal to come . . .

Dinner at Cafe Drake with Jorge and Jen Lazzaro.

(for some reason we can't remove the double photo of Gougeres and a cocktail made from fresh Mandarin orange juice, vodka and bay leaf syrup)

Relaxin' at Cafe Drake.

Ice cold Manhattans are always the very essence of the Holidays at Cafe Drake.

Drinks in front of the tree.

The Cloisters museum.

Upper Upper Upper Manhattan's snowy Fort Tryon Park.

The Cloisters.

A New Leaf Cafe in Ft. Tryon Park - housed in a 1930's WPA-sponsored stone cottage, this gem of an eatery stirs up gorgeous Pumpkin Martinis as well as delicious and elegant lunch fare. Full review to follow soon.

Cold and windy and beautiful Cold Spring, NY, nestled on the Hudson River at the foot of the Catskills Mountains.

Discovered roadside.

Mother at Palisades State Park.

Raynman Hall in Oyster Bay, NY.

At Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The estate belonged to President Teddy Roosevelt and is now a fascinating house museum.

Chicken with Green Mango

The D P Chutney Collective sets up shop at the Greenpoint Food Market.
Check out a few more photos at Eating in Translation's Flickr photostream here.

Belated Blog Posts

Scallions and Chinese chives soak in brine overnight prior to pickling.

At The D P Chutney Collective we're developing a new product: Pickled Spiced Cantaloupe

5-year aged dry gouda with salt crystals makes a delicious dessert with raisin chutney . . . or tasty gougeres for the cocktail hour.

Our favorite flavor of holiday candle.

The humble chicken cutlet Two Ways: with South Indian cornmeal porridge, pickled cantaloupe and cabbage salad AND (for all you carb-phobes) pan-fried with spicy peanuts atop a green salad.

Apologies for the Lack of Updates

Our beloved mascot of 13 years - and the son of Cafe Drake - is resting comfortably in his final days.

Check out an earlier post for our exclusive recipe for Ivory Coast Plantain Bread, pictured above with Carrot Chutney.

Susan McKeever's 40th B'day was a recent smash hit, combined with a holiday party plus an Indian buffet (exquisite offerings) and a Sunset Park's kids-free-for-all.

Despite a legendary busy schedule, the Tree is Up at Cafe Drake. 2009 is all about silver, white, frosted glass and shiny red tones. Who says you can't be chic and start a business at the same time??

Jen L. feeds an ailing Sailor Page and still finds time to dance at Cafe Drake! Thanks Jen for showering Sailor with love in his last hours!!

Spices and a bouquet garni are but a small part of the delicate seasoning in the chutneys of Cafe Drake. We'll be selling our products December 19, 12 - 4PM at the Greenpoint Food Market on Russell St. between Driggs and Nassau Avenues. It's in the basement of the Lutheran Church so you know they're open-minded and liberal and you have no excuse to not attend.

Cafe Drake has been swamped during the holiday season with duties far and wide . . . read below for details concerning our heretofore mysterious online absence.

We're launching at Cafe Drake a new food product line of chutneys and assorted exotic condiments over at The D. P. Chutney Collective. Come visit us in person on Dec. 19 at the Greenpoint Food Market. We'll be the chicest of the groovy foodie nerds hawking local, sustainable food products ccrafted here in Brooklyn, U.S.A.

More November Moments

A constant dining companion at Cafe Drake is the Pickle Plate. Above: French cornichons and bird's eye chilis.

Mysteriously labeled (beyond the indecipherable Mandarin characters, what exactly is steam powder?) to attract the curious attention of Cafe Drake, this esoteric seasoning is becoming a fast favorite in these parts. A powdered mix of rice flour and Chinese spices, the steam powder is dusted across fatty cuts of meat (spare ribs, pork belly) that have previously marinated in soy sauce and white wine and are then steamed until tender. The ultra-moist method of cooking ensures a juicy finished product. We like it even better with wedges of sweet potato and daikon radish added in the final half hour of cooking.

Besides generally amplifying the flavors of most anything, roasting is a welcome contribution to a chilly winter kitchen. Even jumbo whole prawns get the baked treatment at Cafe Drake! Simply toss with salt, pepper, a bit of olive oil and some lime juice. marinate at room temperature for 1/2 hour then roast for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Delicious.

Another autumn-themed table setting at Cafe Drake.

Mood lighting!

Easy Steps to Perfect Pumpkin Soup

We began our soup making with a 4-lb. pumpkin used in the previous weeks as autumn decoration at Cafe Drake. Smaller squash will be easier to work with for the pumpkin soup novice.

Wash pumpkin of any dirt or debris then chop in half. Scrape out all seeds and stringy flesh. If you plan to roast the seeds later, scatter them on dish towels to dry thoroughly.

When pumpkin halves are cleaned, cut into quarters or large wedges and place on a baking sheet with a 1/4" of water. Roasting the squash will not only improve the flavor and consistency (i.e. creamy, soft flesh) but also saves you from the daunting task of peeling.

While the pumpkin is roasting in a 400 degree oven until fork tender (about 1 hour, maybe more) begin cooking 1 large onion and 2 peeled and chopped apples in a mixture of butter and olive oil. To this we added some dried red chilis and a few cloves of garlic.

When the pumpkin is cooked scrape all orange flesh into the soup pot with onions and apples. Add at least 4 cups of water, some salt and pepper and a tablespoon of good quality curry powder. Simmer for 20-30 minutes then process till very smooth in a blender. Return to pot and stir in a little heavy cream and salt, pepper or even sugar to taste.

Cafe Drake likes a thin soup as a first course, so as above, we used more water/stock than others may desire. Garnish with snipped chives or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Octavio samples the finished product.

Condiments, Cordials, Oven-Roasted Veggies and a Garden in the Sky

Persimmon Vinegar Sure Is Easy: Place 1 fruit, trimmed at top, in a jar with approximately 2 cups of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Seal tightly and decant in 4-6 weeks. Use flavored vinegar for salad dressings, and by all means slice up the pickled fruit to add piquant flavors to any roasted meat entree. Vegetarians will enjoy the pickles with beans and rice.

Never Roasted Grape Tomatoes: Why not? Roasting for 15 minutes at 400 degrees intensifies the sweetness of baby tomatoes, which can then be added to pasta dishes or served as a side. Toss tomatoes with olive oil and kosher salt prior to roasting. Also delicious when stirred into finished risottos.

A 6,000 sq. ft. garden lies improbably on top of a former factory building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn's waterfront district. Recently the collectively-run, volunteer manned Rooftop Farms opened its doors (or, um, fields) to the public and Cafe Drake snagged fresh chiles, micro greens and a bag of dinosaur kale. Talk about local produce!

Sweet and tender baby turnips make a delicious gratin, and for those busy weeknights, aid in speedy preparation by their lack of need to be peeled. Slice a bunch thinly and layer with slivers of leek. Salt all and sprinkle a teaspoon of flour on each layer. Cover with good, nutty cheese and grated nutmeg. Salt again and pepper well, then pour in a few tablespoons of cream and dot with tiny bits of butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Incomparable with pork roast but mild enough to dish up alongside fish as well.