Savory Recipes
Right away it seems like a misnomer, pan de sal because there is only 1 teaspoon of salt in the recipe. But, the sal refers to the salt lining of the original ovens used to bake pan de sal. So I finally had, “the authentic”, pan de sal. I get it, and now that I’ve […]
Pan De Sal Recipe (Pandesal) Read More »
Pizza Rustica / Pizza Gain My father’s mother may have made this a few times if I can remember. She died young and I was young when she died so my memory is not so vivid. There were a few Easter delicacies that I may have tasted when I was young, but didn’t know who
Pizza Rustica / Pizza Gain Read More »
I remember reading about boiled peanuts in the 90s. There was an article in Food & Wine magazine. I think they were called goobers in the article and the discovery was described. Never did get a chance to have them until our family vacation in July 2013. Somewhere between Savannah GA and the Florida border,
Goobers – Boiled Peanuts Read More »
You don’t need to be Italian to make awesome meatballs. Actually, if you look in any kitchen of an Italian restaurant, you will find Hispanics. Maybe they are Mexican or Puerto Rican, or Cuban, or Dominican, but they aint Italian. Yes I know aint isn’t a word. Having grown up in New Jersey, dad’s family
I mean no disrespect to my Greek friends, but I’m about to level the playing field. I’m not a professional chef, I don’t own a restaurant, but if you’ve had dinner at my house, you know.
I love to eat. Actually, love to taste and have a great curiosity for how and why something works. That is why I enjoy cooking. I also love to share when I’m successful at producing something that I think tastes good. Being an average man with a bad temperament, I needed some edge to convince my hot wife to marry and stay with me. I do this with food.
If you want to make grilled octopus at home, follow my instructions below, and then tweak it to your liking and share what you did. Together we will make the ultimate grilled octopus.
I’ll never forget Teddy’s a Mexican place on Broadway down the block from the Odeon in Tribeca pre 9-11. Teddy’s had the best margaritas and a baby octopus appetizer that got us hooked. Sadly, Teddy’s is gone, but not from our hearts and memories.
In no particular order, we’ve have great octopus at Axia Taverna in Tenafly, Sofia’s in Hasbrouck Heights, Elia in East Rutherford, Paisanos in Rutherford, to name a few. Call in advance to make sure it is on the menu.
I needed to know how to make my own. It’s my thing, I’ve got to know how it works. Actually that’s a partial truth, Lea had a craving, and I wanted to be the hero that delivered.
Did a little research online, talked to our favorite fishmonger, and then started trying things. It took a few tries, but I think I have it. The decisive test in my house is if the whole family likes it. Once it passes the Tom, Lea, and Tyler test, then the next test is how soon we want it again and more importantly, if I put it out, how quickly is it consumed.
With octopus (all seafood), 99% of the flavor can be attributed to freshness and the quality of the catch. When making octopus, the texture is as critical as the flavor for the finished product. While there are many places nearby to get it, I prefer Woo-Ri mart in Northvale. I have not tried to use frozen octopus yet, but I suspect there will be little difference if the same steps are followed.
You don’t need to be Greek to make awesome grilled octopus. Read More »
