Meet Chef Adam Shepard from Lunetta with an in-depth, close up interview as Kristen interviews Adam for eDiningNews about his background, Lunetta’s Mediterranean gourmet fare, insights on his cooking style, and his commitment to the Slow Food philosophy.
Lunetta, a trendy Mediterranean restaurant on Smith Street in Brooklyn, has a fantastic menu and atmosphere that you must try for yourself! They offer a variety of small plates and gourmet market fare such as bruschetta, antipasti plates, fresh roasted market vegetables and a variety of pasta dishes and entrees including Pappardelle with Porcini-braised Berkshire Pork, luscious Lunetta meatballs, and savory Sullivan County chicken, roasted under a brick with mushrooms and marsala wine.
Lunetta has been featured in “The New Brooklyn Cookbook” and is a practicing member of the Slow Food International group who’s philosophy it is to commit to food biodiversity and use all local and organic farmers, growers and food suppliers.
In warmer temperatures, you can dine alfresco in the back garden, and you can always enjoy dinner in their cozy yet spacious dining room with a full bar, or reserve Lunetta for a private party or event of your own.
Aphrodisiac Recipes To Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day
“Aphrodisiac: any of various forms of stimulation thought to arouse sexual excitement. Aphrodisiacs may be classified in two principal groups: (1) psycho-physiological (visual, tactile, olfactory, aural) and (2) internal (stemming from food, alcoholic drinks, drugs, love potions, medical preparations)”.
We’ve all heard that there are certain foods that have aphrodisiac powers, but which ones and what effect do they have on romance? There are several foods that increase passion and the mood for love – almonds, arugula, asparagus, avocado, bananas, basil, chilies, chocolate, coffee, figs, garlic, ginger, honey, nutmeg, oysters, pinenuts, raspberries, strawberries, black truffles, vanilla and wine, just to name a few.
Truffles are said to stimulate and sensitize the skin for touch. Vanilla’s scent and flavor is known to increase lust. Chilies increase blood flow and sex drive. The chemicals in chocolate trigger neurochemicals in the brain that increases passion. Red wine relaxes and stimulates the senses.
For Valentine’s Day, I rounded up a few recipes featuring some of these love-ly passion-inspiring foods, guaranteed to spice up your night and make it one to remember!
Broiled Oysters with Fresh Herbs, Garlic and Cheese
Ingredients:
24 fresh oysters
¾ cup of breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon of fresh basil, chopped
¼ teaspoon of fresh marjoram, chopped
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Shuck the oysters and set aside on the half shell. Discard the remaining shells. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, mustard, olive oil, thyme, basil, marjoram, lemon zest and Parmesan. Top each oyster with about 1 teaspoon of the breadcrumb mixture and place the oysters on a baking sheet. Cook under high broiler (grill) for about 6 minutes or until the oysters are crispy and golden brown. Serve hot, with a wedge of lemon and your favorite hot pepper sauce on the side. Pop open a bottle of your best bubbly and indulge with your honey.
2 c. of chicken juice (gravy)
2 + 2/3 c. of milk cream
1 oz. of fresh truffle
2 lbs. of fresh bread
2/3 c. of truffle juice
1/3 c. of milk
2/3 c. of egg whites
Salt, white pepper
Preparation:
Reduce the chicken juice to half.
Add the milk, milk cream and reduce again.
Add the truffle juice and reduce until you get a nice texture.
Check on seasoning and put aside for the moment.
Preparation of the bread toasts:
Whisk 2/3 c. of cream, season with salt and pepper.
Cut the bread into 1 inch thick slices and cut them into circles (2 inch diameters)
Toast both sides of the bread pieces, dig one side on the piece and pour the wiped cream into it, bake it “au gratin”
under the broiler for a few minutes until lightly browned around the edges.
2 lbs. chicken, cut up — (2 to 2 1/2)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil — (1 to 2)
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. anise seed
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
2 tsp. hot crushed red peppers
1/8 tsp. cayenne (or to taste)
Sesame seeds
Brown chicken in a medium skillet in hot oil. Remove to a large (13x9x2) cake pan or baking dish. Pour oil from skillet and add the stock. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cocoa with vegetable oil to form a paste. Add cloves, cinnamon, anise seed, and blend. Stir spice mixture into simmering stock and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over the chicken parts. Cover and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until chicken is tender (around 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds over a bed of rice.
Spicy Scallops with Capellini
Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops, quartered if large
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small dried chipotle chile with seeds, stemmed and chopped
Fine sea salt
1/2 pound capellini
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large shallow glass or ceramic baking dish, toss the scallops with the oil, wine, parsley, garlic and chipotle. Season with salt and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the oil is sizzling and the scallops are firm.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the capellini until just al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain; transfer to a serving bowl. Add the scallops and their juices, toss well and serve immediately.
Olive oil or lard
5 lbs beef short ribs
Salt and Pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cups strong coffee
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes, with juice (or one 28 oz can)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup unsweetened chocolate (70% or higher cacao)
Cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Preparation:
Rinse short ribs under cold water and pat dry, season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Place a few of the short ribs in the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Brown the short ribs well on all sides until they have a nice seared brown color. Transfer the meat to a plate and continue to cook the rest of the ribs. When done, remove all of the meat to the plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. If you used a cast iron pan for the browning, heat more oil in a large oven safe covered casserole dish. If you’re using a Dutch oven, just keep on cooking.
Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, approximately 5-10 minutes. Next mix in the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the brown sugar and spices and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the coffee, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring the whole mixture to a boil.
Return the short ribs to the pot and cover. Braise in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. Mix in the chocolate until melted. Season ribs with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, pasta or polenta. Indulge in a nice hearty red such as a Cabernet or Zinfandel or Shiraz which goes great with the chocolate and spicy flavors in this dish.
Arugula and Avocado Salad With Shaved Parmesan and Toasted Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
2 bunches arugula, washed and dried ( about 6 cups)
1 avocados, peeled and sliced
Shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, to taste
Lemon Dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
4 -5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions
To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and garlic. Slowly whisk in olive oil until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Place arugula in a serving bowl and add dressing to taste. Mix well. Top with avocado slices, drizzle a bit more dressing over them and season with a pinch of salt. Using a vegetable peeler, shave slivers of Parmesan over the top.
Top off the salad with some toasted pine nuts for an extra crunch (and spice to your Valentine’s Day!)
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
¼ cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately. Prepare to swoon almost immediately.
12 oz of dark crispy chocolate
5-6 dessert spoons of pure honey
3 cups of fresh cream
Instructions
Mix together dark chocolate (should be crushed into pieces), 5 dessert spoons honey and ¾ cup of fresh cream. The ingredients
should be mixed over luke warm water. This mixture will need to be stirred constantly, till the dark chocolate stats to melt and combines itself with the honey and cream.
Once all three ingredients have blended into one another, keep it aside for it to cool.
While the chocolate mixture is kept aside to cool, start whipping the remaining cream (2 ¼ cups) but not very firm.
Once the cream is whipped and the chocolate mixture is cool, gradually and slowly fold the cream into it. Blend this mixture well.
Take a special serving dish and carefully pour the whole mixture into it and keep it to set in the refrigerator.
The chocolate honey mousse can also be poured into separate individual bowls as it does make a lavish amount.
If the mousse is poured into one whole serving dish, the chocolate honey mouse might take about 3 to 4 hours for it to set well.
Chocolate honey mousse can be served with creamy vanilla ice cream. Garnish with crushed nuts as a topping.
White Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup of walnuts, finely chopped
¾ cup of unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 ½ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of freshly-grated orange zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups of fresh raspberries
12 oz of white chocolate, chopped
½ cup of heavy cream, warmed
½ cup of whipped cream, to garnish
Directions:
In a bowl with an electric mixer, blend walnuts, ¾ of the butter, sugar, flour, orange zest and egg until thoroughly combined, and press into an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
Freeze the shell for 15 minutes. While the shell is freezing, preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake the shell in middle of your oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the shell to cool on a rack.
Remove the side of pan and transfer the shell to a plate. Fill shell with 2 ½ cups of raspberries.
In a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the cream and the remaining butter, whisking until smooth. Spread the white chocolate mixture over the raspberries, smoothing top and chill, covered, for 3 hours or overnight.
Garnish the tart with whipped cream and remaining ½ cup of raspberries. Serve at room temperature.
Tuscany is probably one of the most beautiful and scenic regions of Italy and the most popular places to visit, known for its rolling hills, mesmerizing sunsets, rustic landscapes, vineyards, farmhouses and olive groves. I have not had the opportunity to visit there yet, but I love the cuisine and it’s first on my list when I plan my next trip to Italy (hopefully sometime next year!)
Tuscan cuisine is a simple and earthy way of cooking, which centers around fresh and local ingredients from the farming region such as olive oil, greens, poultry, beans, beef, pork, rabbit, lamb, and sausages. Crostini is a famous antipasti which are little toasted breads spread with toppings such as olive tapenade or chicken liver pates. Bruschetta is also a popular antipasti made with rustic bread, fresh chopped tomatoes and garlic. Other popular dishes from the area are Panzanella (bread salad), Minestrone soup, Pasta Fagiole (cannelloni bean and pasta soup) and Ribollita.
Because of the ample farm land in Tuscany and areas surrounding Florence, there is a large production of olive oil, grapes and wine, and a variety of fruits and vegetables and herbs such as pears, oranges, thyme, rosemary, tomatoes, wild mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, spinach and beans – all main ingredients in Tuscan cooking. Risotto is an earthy dish that incorporates many of these vegetables and cheeses from the region. Fennel is another ingredient often used in salad and sautéed with meat dishes. In Florence, Pecorino (a salty sheep’s milk cheese) tends to have herbs, garlic and red pepper added for flavor and is served shaved in salads or as cut in chunks served with grapes, olives and rustic breads like Foccacia bread with rosemary and olive oil.
Almond and Anise Biscotti and Oranges in Marsala Glaze are standard desserts and most of the wine that originates in the area is Chianti, aged in small oak barrels. Another popular white wine is Vernaccia, ranging from light and crisp to full-bodied, made in a small medieval town known as San Gimignano.
The following is a sampling of some of my favorite Tuscan recipes that use rustic and earthy ingredients originating from a Tuscan Cooking class I took at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. If you’re interested in learning more about Tuscan cooking there are a variety of cookbooks sold online, as well as cooking excursions in Tuscany with local chefs and other sites dedicated to Tuscan cooking.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom stock:
½ lb. cremini mushrooms
½ lb. white button mushrooms
½ lb. shitake mushrooms
2 quarts chicken stock
½ c. dried porcini mushrooms
4 tbsp butter
3 oz. Madeira wine
Risotto:
3 tbsp butter
2 shallots, finely minced
4 c. Arborio rice
¾ c. white wine
Mushroom stock (reserved)
1 tbsp. minced chives
1 tbsp. Italian parsley
¼ c. grated Pecorino Romano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the mushroom stock, wash and trim the stems of the fresh mushrooms. Reserve the stems and slice the mushroom caps for use later in the recipe. (Make sure to dust of the dirt first and don’t soak the mushrooms).
Combine the chicken stock, stems, dried porcini mushrooms in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes over low heat. Strain through a cheesecloth and reserve the liquid for the risotto.
Heat a large sauté pan and add 4 tbsp of butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned. Deglaze the Madeira and reduce until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Reserve the mushrooms. (Try to let the Madeira glaze sit, don’t stir).
For the risotto, heat a wide pot or rondeau (flat bottom pot with tall sides) over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp butter. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir the mixture together to coat the rice with the shallots and butter.
Add the white wine, lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the wine has evaporated. Begin adding the mushroom stock, a large ladleful at a time. Continue to add the mushroom stock (slowly and continuously), stirring constantly until the rice is just cooked through and all the stock has been absorbed, about 20 mins. The rice should be slightly al dente but have a creamy consistency and not dry.
Stir in the reserved mushrooms, the remaining tablespoon of butter, chives, and parsley. Top off the risotto with Pecorino Romano and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6.
Pork Chops with Olives and Fennel
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 pork rib chops, bone in
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1 c. white wine
2 fennel bulbs, cored and quartered or cut into eighths
6 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, roughly chopped
¼ c. Gaeta olives, pitted
1 spring rosemary
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it turns brown, and remove the garlic. Season the pork chops with salt and add them to the pan. Cook until one side is brown, then turn and brown the other side. Remove and reserve until later. Add the fennel seeds to the pan and cook for 1 minute (toast them lightly to release oils and flavor, watch closely to not burn them).
Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with wine. Return the pan to the heat and cook until wine nearly evaporates. Add the fennel pieces, tomatoes, olives and rosemary.
Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the pork chops back to the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. Remove the chops and if liquid is too runny, reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.
This recipe can also be made with veal chops, and for extra flavor and to ensure juicy chops that won’t dry out, soak them in a brine overnight made out of 2 quarts of water, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of salt and throw in some chopped up herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
Makes 4 servings.
Pollo alla Toscana (Tuscan Chicken)
2 c. dried navy beans, soaked overnight (or canned beans drained and rinsed)
1/3 c. diced slab bacon or pancetta
2 (4 lb.) chickens, cut up into 8 pieces each
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Flour for dredging
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 celery ribs, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup white wine (dry and crisp, such as Chablis)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp. freshly minced rosemary
3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp freshly minced parsley
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Discard the liquid.
In a medium saucepan, over high heat, bring 5 cups of water to a boil and add the rinsed and soaked beans. Cook them until they are soft, but not mushy. Drain the beans, but reserve the cooking liquid.
Cook the bacon in a large rondeau or Dutch oven until just browned. Using a slotted spoon put the bacon on paper towels to drain, reserving the fat in the pan.
Pat the chicken pieces dry, season with salt and papper and dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the bacon fat over high heat and when it is hot, add the chicken and cook, in batches, turning the pieces once, until the skin becomes golden brown and crisp. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the wine. Return the pan to the heat and bring it to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce by 1/3. Return the chicken and bacon to the pan, add the beans, thyme, rosemary, tomatoes, and 2 cups of the reserved beans cooking liquid (liquid should come half way up the pan, use more or less accordingly). Cover, place in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink and most of the liquid has absorbed. You may have to add more liquid if it looks dry.
Season with salt and papper to taste and garnish with parsley.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside.
Blanch the onions for 2 minutes in boiling water. With a slotted spoon, immediately remove the onions and place them in ice water. Remove when cool and peel removing the stem and first layer of skin.
In a large baking dish, mix the onions, sugar, vinegar, sage, olive oil, and salt making sure that onions are coated evenly (this makes a lot of liquid so you don’t need to use it all).
Bake in the oven for approx. 60 mins, or until the onions are well caramelized. Make sure to turn the onions and watch them while in the oven, taking care to not let them burn.
Makes 6 servings.
Pear and Fennel Salad
2 fennel bulbs, cored and cut into thin slices
8 cups mixed salad greens (red leaf, Bibb, Boston and Radiccio), washed and dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
3 red Bartlett or Bosc pears, cut in half, cored and thinly sliced
Combine the fennel with the salad greens. Refrigerate until ready to toss.
When ready to toss, add the salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Toss gently and arrange on individual plates or a platter. Top with the pear slices and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Oranges in Marsala Glaze
6 large navel oranges, peeled and pith removed (save one peel with pith removed)
¼ c. sugar
¾ c. sweet Marsala wine
½ c. Cointreau (orange liqueur)
12 mint leaves
In a small saucepan with boiling water, simmer the orange peel over high heat for 5 mins; drain and set aside. When cool, slice into julienne strips.
Separate each orange into sections, removing all membrane between sections. Place sectioned oranges in a large bowl, cover and chill.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, Marsala, and Cointreau. Bring to a boil over medium heat until the mixture has reduced by half or until it becomes syrupy. Add orange peel strips to the syrup and chill. To serve, spoon orange sections into individual dessert dishes. Top with Marsala glaze. Garnish with mint leaves.
Tip: this dessert is delicious topped over Vanilla ice cream and served with Almond and Anise biscotti on the side.
I’m Kristen Hess: food fanatic, amateur cook, graphic designer, writer, aspiring food stylist and photographer living in New York City. My new blog is the product of plenty of late nights of planning and dreaming, reading and writing, cooking and eating, and styling and shooting. My purpose is to share my passion and love for cooking and food and travel, alongside with my creative expressions of it through writing, design and photography.
I’ll be dedicating myself to updating content weekly, with stories and photos about cooking, favorite recipes and cooking techniques, restaurant reviews, local markets and food finds in New York City and other places I have lived or traveled to around the world. I’d like this blog to be my creative journalistic view on the food scene as well as a source of inspiration to others by sharing my own cooking and culinary experiences, recipes and stories with others as passionate about food as I am.
I’m excited to join the food blog community and am looking forward to sharing my stories and experiences with you all – Bon Appetit!
