Tropical Meal with Octavio Fenech

Fresh from the morning's GreenMarket, summer beets boiled, peeled, sliced and dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper, minced red onion and fresh oregano. Like Revenge, a dish people with taste prefer served cold.

Along with beet salad, Cafe Drake served two of our homemade pickles: Ginger and Honey Cukes and Spicy Okra.

The Prep Station for our Black Bean Cakes entree in respect of our vegetarian guest: form patties of mashed black beans mixed with bread crumbs, chopped onions and garlic and green chilies, minced cilantro, cumin seeds, salt and black pepper and whipped eggs and dip patties in a) seasoned flour then b) whisked egg and c) bread crumbs. Fry in plenty of oil for 3 minutes per side over medium heat. Serve hot with limes and sliced onions.

Amazing Cabbage Salad will astound guests with just a few twists on the more familiar coleslaw. First, grate 1 head of cabbage finely on a cheese grater. This will go much faster and with be less annoying should you have a food processor. Now mix grated cabbage with at least 1 T. of salt and the juice of almost an entire lemon. Sprinkle on a bit of sugar and mix very well. Heat 3 T. of veggie oil in a skillet and fry 1/2 t. of black mustard seeds just until the all pop. Add to cabbage and mix well again. Mince 1 hot green chili and stir into cabbage. Set aside for at least 1 hour for flavors to blend and re-adjust if needed. Serve cold or, even better, just below room temperature with virtually anything.

"Don't try to take these Cafe Drake pickles away from me!"

The building blocks of a tropical-themed meal.

Cafe Drake and dear pal Octavio Fenech have been trying to schedule dinner for days but always were thwarted by both of our busy and irregular schedules. Of course with friends of 15 years+ we're always gonna keep trying and recently sat down finally to a Pan-Tropical Dinner (Afro-Cuban, Portuguese, Brazilian, Caribbean, Indian), or as we dubbed it, a Meal with an Identity Crisis due to Northeast Heat Stroke! On the menu was: multiple servings of Octavio's fave cocktail, Cuba Libre, followed by (mostly from today's GreenMarket largesse) Spicy Black Bean Cakes, Tangy Cabbage Salad, assorted house-made pickles, Steamed Beets with Fresh Oregano and Red Onions, Goan Savory Coconut Crepes and Braised Kale with Heirloom Tomatoes and Black Garlic. The feast was rounded off with upstate artisanal goat cheese and dark chocolate cookies.