Best Brooklyn Recipes

BRICK-OVEN PIZZA (BROOKLYN STYLE)

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in salt and cold water, then stir in the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into two pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using.
• Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.
• Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and stretch gradually until it is about 14 inches in diameter, or about as big around as the pizza stone. Place on the floured peel. Place thin slices of mozzarella over the crust, then grind a liberal amount of black pepper over it. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Randomly arrange crushed tomatoes, leaving some empty areas. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
• With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.
• Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Sprinkle a few basil leaves randomly over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir in chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl; stir in vanilla. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until cold., Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa; cook and stir until blended. Stir in sugars. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk, coffee and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Stir in flour mixture just until combined., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., For frosting, in the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over hot water, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in hot water, all at once. Whisk in corn syrup and vanilla. Refrigerate 25-30 minutes or just until spreadable., Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the pudding. Repeat layers. Top with a third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake., Crumble remaining cake layer; sprinkle over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere. Refrigerate leftovers.

BROOKLYN GIRL'S PENNE ARRABIATA

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, and cook for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
• In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Stir the garlic powder, salt and pepper into the bread crumbs. Dip chicken cutlets into the egg, then press into the bread crumbs until completely coated.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until the coating is a nice dark brown color.
• Remove chicken, and cut into slices. Toss the chicken slices into the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked penne, simmer for a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve.

BROOKLYN BIALY RECIPE(BIALYSTOK KUCKEN)

Steps:

• Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Prepare Onion Topping:.
• In a small bowl, combine vegetable or olive oil, poppy seeds, onions, and salt; set aside, set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup water, yeast, and sugar; let stand 10 minutes or until foamy.
• Add remaining 1 1/2 cups water, salt, bread flour, and all-purpose flour.
• Knead by hand or with dough hook of mixer for 8 minutes until smooth (the dough will be soft).
• Add flour if you think the dough is too moist , a tablespoon at a time.
• If the dough is looking dry, add warm water, a tablespoons at a time.
• Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 hours or until tripled in bulk. Punch dough down in bowl, turn it over, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise another 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• On a floured board or counter, punch dough down and roll into a log.
• With a sharp knife, cut log into 8 rounds. Lay dough rounds flat on a lightly floured board, cover with a towel, and let them rest 10 minutes.
• Gently pat each dough round into circles (a little higher in the middle than at the edge), each about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Place bialys on prepared baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise an additional 30 minutes or until increased by about half in bulk (don't let them over-rise).
• Make an indention in the center of each bialy with two fingers of each hand, pressing from the center outward, leaving a 1-inch rim.
• Place approximately 1 teaspoon of Onion Topping in the hole of each bialy.
• Dust lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bake on upper and lower shelves of the oven for 6 to 7 minutes, then switch pans and reverse positions of pans (front to back), and bake another 5 to 6 minutes until bialys are lightly browned.
• NOTE: These are soft rolls, and it is important not to bake them too long or they will be very dry.
• Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.
• After cooling, immediately place in a plastic bag (this will allow the exterior to soften slightly).
• NOTE: These rolls are best eaten fresh, preferably lightly toasted and smeared with cream cheese. For longer storage, keep in the freezer.
• Makes 8 bialys.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. One by one, add the eggs, mixing after each addition. With the mixer running at low speed, add the vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix. With the mixer still running at low speed, add about 1/3 of the cake flour, then about 1/3 of the milk, and mix. Repeat with the remaining cake flour and milk and mix. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until dry and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely, to room temperature. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake layers in half horizontally. Reserving 3 halves for the cake, put the remaining half in a food processor, breaking it up with your hands. Pulse into fine crumbs.
• To finish the cake, place a cake layer on a cake plate or serving platter (reserving the most even layer for the top) and spread with cooled custard. Top with another layer of cake, then custard, then the final layer of cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining custard. Coat the cake with the cake crumbs. Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Serve the same day.
• Pour 2 1/2 cups of the water, the sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder into a large non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water and the cornstarch. Whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until very thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

BROOKLYN CHILI BURGERS WITH SMOKY BARBECUE SAUCE WITH OIL AND VINEGAR SLAW

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce in small pot and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens and the flavors combine, about for 20 minutes.
• Whisk together the vinegar, honey and oil, in a medium bowl. Stir in the celery salt and black pepper, to taste. Add the slaw mix and onions and toss together. Let the salad wilt up to 10 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat a grill or griddle to medium.
• Put the meat in a bowl with the grated onion and season with steak seasoning or salt and pepper, to taste. In a small bowl combine the Worcestershire with the herbs, chili powder and beer. Pour the herb mixture over the meat and mix thoroughly. Form the meat mixture into 12 sliders and drizzle with vegetable oil or olive oil. Put the burgers on the grill or griddle and cook for a few minutes on each side. Baste the burgers liberally with barbecue sauce. Top the burgers with Cheddar and let it melt, if you prefer cheese burgers.
• Serve the burgers on slider rolls topped with pickle slices and the slaw.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the custard first as it needs to chill. Put all the ingredients, except the vanilla, in a large pan and bring gently to the boil, whisking all the time, until the chocolate has melted and you have a silky, thick custard. It will take 5-7 mins from cold. Stir in the vanilla and a generous pinch of salt, then scrape the custard into a wide, shallow bowl. Cover the surface with cling film, cool, then chill for at least 3 hrs or until cold and set.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease then line the bases of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Melt the butter in a pan, then remove from the heat and beat in the oil, buttermilk, coffee and eggs. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients togetherplus 1/4 tsp salt (saves sifting) and squish any resistant lumps of sugar with your fingers. Tip in the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins, then transfer to a rack to cool completely, parchment-side down.
• Remove the parchment linings from the cakes. If the cakes are domed, trim them flat. Now cut each cake across the middle using a large serrated knife. Put your least successful layer and any trimmings into a processor and pulse it to crumbs. Tip into a large bowl.
• Sit one layer on a cake plate and spread it with a quarter of the custard. Sandwich the next layer on top, add another quarter of the custard, then top with the final layer of cake. Spoon the remaining custard on top of the cake, then spread it around the top and down the sides until smooth. Chill for 15 mins to firm up the custard again.
• Hold the cake over the bowl containing the crumbs, then sprinkle and gently press a layer of crumbs all over the cake. Brush any excess from the plate. You'll have some crumbs left. Chill for 2 hrs, or longer, before serving, and eat it cold. Can be made up to 2 days ahead. The cake gets fudgier and more enticing the longer you leave it.

MARK'S SPAGHETTI WITH BROOKLYN CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large covered pot, heat a gallon of water to a boil. When water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir well, and cover until boiling. Uncover, and boil until just tender to the bite all the way through.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a skillet (with a lid) large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and slowly cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add clams with their juice, wine, tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the clams are quite salty. Stir, reduce the heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, drain pasta in a colander. Add the drained pasta, parsley, butter, and salt and pepper to taste to the sauce, and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water if needed to coat the pasta evenly. Cover, and cook 1 minute. Serve immediately.

MARTHA STEWART'S SPAGHETTI WITH BROOKLYN WHITE CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In large covered pot, heat a gallon of water with a Tbls. of salt and bring to a boil. When it boils, add the pasta and cook al dente.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a skillet, large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat the oil over medium-low heat.
• Add the garlic and slowly cook until golden brown. Do not burn! Add the clams with their juice, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander. Add the drained pasta, parsley, butter and salt and pepper to the sauce and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water if needed. Cook 1 minute and then serve.

BROOKLYN CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Combine the butter and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Add the flour, ricotta, salt, pepper, parsley and egg, and stir until well combined. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet, spacing the rounds about an inch apart. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill until the rounds are frozen solid, at least 30 minutes.
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the baking sheet with the puffs directly to the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the puffs to a serving platter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve immediately.

CATHY'S VERSION OF BROOKLYN DINER COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in the flour mixture in several additions, alternating with the coconut milk, and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Divide the batter between the 3 prepared cake pans.
• Bake the cakes in the preheated oven until they are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. A wooden toothpick inserted into the center of each cake should come out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning out the cakes to finish cooling completely on wire racks.

SUNDAY IN BROOKLYN SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

Steps:

• 1. Begin by making the sauce. In a large sauce pan, brown garlic in olive oil.
• 2. Add remaining ingredients, stir together and bring to a boil.
• 3. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Stir frequently. (add a little water if sauce begins to stick to pot).
• 4. While sauce is cooking, prepare meatballs
• 5. Mix together meatball ingredients ground beef through minced garlic.(Oil will be used for frying the meatballs)
• 6. Form meat into 2 inch balls.
• 7. Heat olive oil in large frying pan. (If the oil is not hot enough, the meatballs will stick)
• 8. On a medium flame, quickly brown meatballs on each side. (Be careful not to fully cook the insides of the meatballs). ( Also, use a spatula to gently lift under meatballs and turn over)
• 9. Transfer meatballs to sauce pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. (If meatballs stick to bottom, add a little water.)
• 10. While sauce and meatballs cook, prepare spaghetti.

BROOKLYN-STYLE COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Place turkey wing or hocks in a very large pot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, turn heat to medium and simmer until water is reduced by about half.
• Meanwhile, plunge greens into a sink full of lightly salted cold water, drain and then rinse well with cold fresh water. Trim or remove biggest stems. Place five or six leaves on top of one another and roll like a cigar, lengthwise. Cut collards into inch-wide ribbons, then, keeping collards rolled, cut ribbons in half.
• Turn heat under pot to high. Add vinegar, one teaspoon salt and the garlic, then add as many greens as pot will hold. Wait until greens cook down, then add remaining greens. Turn heat to a simmer, cover and cook until greens for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add sugar, onion and crushed red pepper, cover again and continue to simmer until tender, another 15 to 30 minutes; time will vary depending on toughness of greens. Serve.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the filling and frosting: place the pudding mix and milk in a 2-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add the chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla and stir until the chips and butter melts, 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and cover the pudding with plastic wrap placed directly on its surface. Let cool for 45 minutes at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F Line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.
• Make the batter: place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Batter will be thick.
• Scoop 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake well~you should get 24.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, until tops are springy when lightly pressed. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.
• Remove 4 cupcakes from the pans and crumble them into a bowl, making coarse crumbs.
• Loosen the remaining cupcakes from the pans and cool them on wire racks for 15 minutes.
• Divide the pudding mixture into 2 portions. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and spoon 1 cup of the filling into the bag. Gently push the tip into the center of each cupcake and squirt a generous amount of pudding inside. Refill the bag as needed and repeat for all 20 cakes.
• Place a heaping tablespoons of the remaining pudding portion on the top of each cupcake and spread to cover the entire surface. Top the frosting with a sprinkling of cupcake crumbs, pressing down slightly so they stick.
• Store uneaten cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

BROOKLYN EGG CREAM

Steps:

• Fill glass 2/3 full with a very chocolately chocolate milk. Add seltzer to fill.

SPAGHETTI WITH BROOKLYN RED CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large covered pot, heat a gallon of water with a tablespoon of salt to a boil. When it boils, add the pasta, stir well, and cover until it returns to the boil. Uncover and boil until just tender to the bite all the way through.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a skillet (with a lid) large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and slowly cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the claims with their juice, wine, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper, to taste, keeping in mind that the claims are quite salty. Stir, reduce the heat to simmer and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander. Add the drained pasta, parsley, butter and salt and pepper to taste to the sauce and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water if needed to coat the pasta evenly. Cover and cook 1 minute. Serve immediately.

BROOKLYN CHEESE PUFFS – IN MEMORY OF REEVE DECARLOS LYNN

Steps:

• Combine the butter and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Add the flour, ricotta, salt, pepper, parsley, and egg, and stir until well combined. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet, spacing the rounds about an inch apart. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill until the rounds are frozen solid, at least 30 minutes (can be put in a ziploc bag at this point and kept for up to one month). Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the baking sheet with the puffs directly to the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer puffs to a serving platter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve immediately. Yield: 36 puffs.

BROOKLYN BOWL FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with oil to a depth of about 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reads 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a large, shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the matzo meal and flour. Keeping the dark meat and the white separate, dip each chicken piece in egg white and let excess drip back into the bowl. Then roll each chicken piece in the matzo mix, and tap off excess.
• Carefully lower the chicken thighs and drumsticks into the oil. After 3 minutes, carefully add the breast pieces. (Keep the oil at 375 by adjusting heat as necessary.) Fry until dark gold, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle immediately with salt and pepper, then coat the pieces with the Cajun seasoning. Serve the chicken with honey, for dipping.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them inches In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. One by one, add the eggs, mixing after each addition. With the mixer running at low speed, add the vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix. With the mixer still running at low speed, add about 1/3 of the cake flour, then about 1/3 of the milk, and mix. Repeat with the remaining cake flour and milk and mix. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until dry and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely, to room temperature. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake layers in half horizontally. Reserving 3 halves for the cake, put the remaining half in a food processor, breaking it up with your hands. Pulse into fine crumbs.
• Custard: Pour 2 1/2 cups of the water, the sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder into a large non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water and the cornstarch. Whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until very thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
• To finish the cake, place a cake layer on a cake plate or serving platter (reserving the most even layer for the top) and spread with cooled custard. Top with another layer of cake, then custard, then the final layer of cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining custard. Coat the cake with the cake crumbs. Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Serve the same day.

MARK'S SPAGHETTI WITH BROOKLYN CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large covered pot, heat a gallon of water to a boil. When water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir well, and cover until boiling. Uncover, and boil until just tender to the bite all the way through. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a skillet (with a lid) large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and slowly cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add clams with their juice, wine, tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the clams are quite salty. Stir, reduce the heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, drain pasta in a colander. Add the drained pasta, parsley, butter, and salt and pepper to taste to the sauce, and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water if needed to coat the pasta evenly. Cover, and cook 1 minute. Serve immediately.