1. Sam Sifton of the NY Times recently wrote about New York food staple Russ & Daughters: Over time the place has become more than simply a store. Russ & Daughters is, for many, a secular synagogue, a temple to the enduring power of food and memory. “I smell Judaism,” a customer once told Niki: brine and yeast and smoke. But gentiles are welcome, too. As Lenny Bruce said, “If you’re from New York and you’re Catholic, you’re still Jewish.” (He added, “If you’re from Butte, Mont., and you’re Jewish, you’re still goyish.”) Tonight at 92Y, Leonard Lopate of WNYC sits down with two generations of owners - Mark Russ Federman, Josh Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman - to talk about The House that Herring Built.

    Sam Sifton of the NY Times recently wrote about New York food staple Russ & Daughters:

    Over time the place has become more than simply a store. Russ & Daughters is, for many, a secular synagogue, a temple to the enduring power of food and memory. “I smell Judaism,” a customer once told Niki: brine and yeast and smoke.

    But gentiles are welcome, too. As Lenny Bruce said, “If you’re from New York and you’re Catholic, you’re still Jewish.” (He added, “If you’re from Butte, Mont., and you’re Jewish, you’re still goyish.”)

    Tonight at 92Y, Leonard Lopate of WNYC sits down with two generations of owners - Mark Russ Federman, Josh Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman - to talk about The House that Herring Built.

  2. Beer and latkes. What do you have for dinner?

    Beer and latkes. What do you have for dinner?

  3. Classic clip of Julia Child with David Letterman in 1987: Blowtorch and Beef Tartare au Gratin!

    In this centennial year of Julia Child’s birth, Judith Jones (vice president and senior editor at Alfred A. Knopf and editor of Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking), Laura Shapiro (culinary historian and author of the prize-winning Julia Child biography), Alex Prud’homme (great-nephew of Julia Child and co-author of the best-selling Julia Child memoir, My Life in France) and Dana Polan (Professor of Cinema Studies at NYU, author of Julia Child’s The French Chef) come together to celebrate America’s first lady of French food at 92Y on Oct 28.

  4. 92y: 92Y, Fairway Market and Smokey Joe’s are looking for the three best kosher grillers in New York City. Are you up for the challenge? And if you don’t have a recipe, you can still enter the sweepstakes for a $100 gift certificate from Fairway Market. All entries get a 30% discount on select 92Y food talks!

    92y:

    92Y, Fairway Market and Smokey Joe’s are looking for the three best kosher grillers in New York City. Are you up for the challenge?

    And if you don’t have a recipe, you can still enter the sweepstakes for a $100 gift certificate from Fairway Market. All entries get a 30% discount on select 92Y food talks!

  5. 92Y, Fairway Market and Smokey Joe’s are looking for the three best kosher grillers in New York City. Are you up for the challenge?

    92Y, Fairway Market and Smokey Joe’s are looking for the three best kosher grillers in New York City. Are you up for the challenge?

  6. paula deen, y’all

    citizenkerry:

    Paula Deen has been the “Two and a Half Men” of celebrity chefs for me—both are beloved by millions of Americans, none of whom are my friends, and produce things that are not-very-good-for (and possibly downright harmful to) the country.

    Or so I thought.

    I don’t remember how I came to this assumption about Paula Deen, because all I knew about her is that she uses lots of butter. I figured lots of Americans don’t care about nutrition and have bad taste in food. But I knew there had to be more to the story, which is why I was very excited to see her at the 92Y this week. 

    The bottom line is: I have a new hero, y’all. 

    Read More

    More food talks at 92Y coming up! Nigella Lawson, Christopher Kimball, Jacques Pépin, Padma Lakshmi and Amanda Hesser.

  7. This Week’s Chosen Recipe from the International Jewish Cookbook: Vegetable Koftas (Balls)

    Continuing our exploration of different Jewish communities through food, here’s an Indian recipe for Vegetable Koftas (Balls) from the Kosher Gourmet Book by the 92nd Street Y Kosher Cooking School. For more information on diverse Jewish communities please visit the Resource Center for Jewish Diversity at 92Y.

    Vegetable Koftas (Balls)

    Makes 6 to 8 servings

    Koftas are an excellent way to use up odds and ends of fresh vegetables that may be collecting in your refrigerator.

    1 ½ cups shredded raw vegetables, squeezed dry (carrots, green beans, zucchini, and/or cabbage), measured after squeezing out moisture
    1 tablespoon ground coriander
    ½ tablespoon ground ginger
    ½ tablespoon ground cumin
    1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
    1 teaspoon dill weed (optional)
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    ½ to 1 cup besan or gram flour (lentil flour)
    Vegetable oil for frying

    1. In medium bowl, combine shredded vegetables, coriander, ginger, cumin, garlic, dill weed, if desired, and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
    2. Add enough flour to hold mixture together. With hands, shape mixture into 1-inch balls.
    3. In large saucepan or deep skillet over high heat, heat 2 inches oil until hot. Add vegetable balls, a few at a time. Fry about 5 minutes, or until golden. (Reduce heat to medium if oil starts to spatter.)
    4. Drain koftas on paper towels. Repeat until all are fried. Serve hot.

    Related: Food & Wine Programs at 92Y

    Previously: Moroccan Eggplant Salad