Freddy J's BBQ

Freddy J's BBQ is operating out of a tiny spot on Grant Street near the corner of Grant and Lafayette  in the heart of the Westside of Buffalo.

The building was recently revamped from the inside out by owner and architect, Kathleen Kinan, and now includes extensive landscaping and a wrap-around patio.

The new space now allows for indoor seating as well as to go from the shuttered window. The place is  whimsical and colorful and the smell of jerk floats through the air, drawing you in.

The tight but very well run kitchen, churns out dish after dish in record time. I enjoyed a quick lunch of jerked fish with steamed vegetables over a fluffy layer of Spanish rice and steaming hot cornbread.

I was shocked by the jerk!

Most restaurant created jerk I've had hits you in the face with it's heat, never with it's flavor. This was the best I have ever eaten. The heat still made my upper lip sweat but was not so powerful that I couldn't enjoy all of the subtle layering of flavors. The veggies were firm and earthy and the rice was excellent. I highly recommend taking the time to visit the little spot with a friend. It was a truly wonderful meal.

Otto's Restaurant

Otto's Restaurant is located in Cheektowaga, NY, not far from the Walden Galleria Mall. This decades old restaurant shows it's age, and some reviews have not been kind, but I find that long lasting eateries are still in business because they are doing something right. The decor is dated and the service is a bit pokey but it seemed endearing rather than obnoxious.  Whether it's the traditional Italian dishes or family traditions that keep patrons returning I'm not certain, but our visit was rather pleasant.

We ate at 3pm on a Saturday, and there were only a handful of tables in the whole of this sprawling building that were occupied and quite a large number of servers. We were seated immediately on the patio, and our waiter was quick, efficient, and polite.

We ordered beers and golden fried mushrooms, a guilty pleasure of mine. I was expecting the boxed variety of factory dipped button mushrooms but was surprised by the fresh large caps served with Ranch flavored sour cream. They were super hot and very flavorful.

The bar isn't anything to rave about, not much to choose from, but the large product glasses were a nice touch, rather than the expected small beer glasses you might see at an older restaurant.

Bob ordered the Seafood Platter, which featured a large filet of freshly battered cod, fried strip clams, and crisp shrimp. He remarked the clams casino and the German potatoes were tasty. It certainly smelled fresh and tasty.

I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, which was very juicy. The fries were a bit bland but were served hot and crisp.

It was a nice visit. Family friendly and clean, I wouldn't mind going again with my children in tow.

Fish in Korma and Dal

Fish in Korma

1 tbs cumin seeds
1/4 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs dried coconut
1 tbs garam masala
3 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 cup oil
1 can light coconut milk

5 filets of fish

Place the cumin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.

Blend the cumin seeds, tomato puree, fresh coriander, garlic, coconut, garam masala, ginger, ground coriander, paprika and turmeric in a blender until coarsely chopped.

Add the oil and blend, scraping down the side of the blender occasionally, until a smooth paste forms.

Add to the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Layer Korma and fish in a baking dish and cover. Bake at 400* for 30 minutes.

Dal

1 tbls sesame oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbls finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 t. tumeric

1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbls tomato paste

In a medium-sized soup pot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.

Stir constantly, add the broth, lentils, spices and salt. Bring to a low boil, then turn down the heat to low, cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are very tender.

Stir in the tomato paste until well combined. Cook several minutes more. Serve hot.

We ate this with potato and pea samosas with mint chutney, basmati rice, and strained plain yogurt.

Halibut Cream Curry

2 tbls coconut oil                                          1 cup heavy cream

1 onion, minced                                           1 tbls garam masala

2 tbls finely chopped fresh ginger        Salt

4 garlic cloves, minced                        1 lb. halibut fillets, cut into 4-inch pieces

1 tsp cayenne pepper                           Small red potatoes, quartered

1 tsp turmeric                                           A pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

1 tsp ground coriander                         Peas

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt            Basmati rice

In large wok, heat the oil. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the cayenne, turmeric and coriander and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in the yogurt, then add the cream, garam masala and saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Add the halibut to the sauce and turn to coat. Cook over moderate heat, turning once, until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes. 

Pot boil quartered potatoes. Add rice, potatoes, and frozen peas to the wok, turning over gently. Cover for 5 minutes. Serve with a large salad and fruit.

Tilapia with roasted sweet pepper sauce crust

                 

                    4 fillets of tilapia             Panko crumbs  
                    1/2 cup roasted red pepper sauce  
                    1 cup rice                             4 tbls butter

Prepare rice. Preheat oven to 425*. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil shiny side up, folding the edges over to prevent any juice from escaping. Spoon the sauce on each filet. Spoon the panko crumbs over the sauce evenly. Bake for 18 minutes. Fluff butter into the rice. Dish and serve. This went very well with a large Greek salad with olives and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Apologies to all of my readers...

This heat and drought has left me making smoothies and grilling and that's not all that interesting to write about. One can only say so much about, "Throw eight fruits and a fistful of kale in a blender and blend on high speed till it's green and smooth". Meh...

But I will be talking about other people and their scrumptiousness!

Look for a write up on Lucy's Ethiopian Cuisine.

A tour of Community Beer Works!

A shout out to JJ's Jams and a recipe using their jelly. A brand new West Side business, created by canning duo, Jackie McGee and Jean Doerr. Their rhubarb jelly is stupefying!

Lastly, a NEWS FLASH concerning NOFA-NY's CSA Fund as well as their 3rd Annual Locavore Challenge that I will be captaining again this September, potluck and all.

So be patient and in the meantime check out some of my easy peasy summer time recipes from last year. Last year was the Year of the Long Wing, looks like this year is the Year of Grilled Fish...so stay tuned!

Haddock with Pesto and Fruit Salad

I've been feeling rather under the weather lately. I still am not certain what that was but suspect the temperature and moisture constantly changing had something to do with it. Because of this I decided something simple yet nutrient dense was in order.

The organic fruits at the co-op looked luscious, so I picked up watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, golden apricots and a mango.

The wild caught haddock from Iceland was firm and without scent. In the produce section I found packs of the Lexington's Local Garlic Scape Pesto. A blend of locally sourced garlic scapes, walnuts, basil, parmigiana cheese, salt, pepper and olive oil. I foil packed each filet with two to three tablespoons of the pesto on top. Sealed the packs up tight and baked them at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes.

This was so mouthwatering and filling and satisfying, I highly recommend  you give it a try.

Black Rock Kitchen & Bar

Since it's opening, The Black Rock Kitchen & Bar has been near the top of our must visit restaurant's list. We had all decided that twice a month we would, the four of us, visit an eatery we have never been to. I picked up a pack of Buffalo Dining Cards from the Lexington co-op two months ago and we've been steadily working our way through it.

On top of all of this, this is Chef Berdine's home and since watching and cheering him on at the Nickel City Chef Battle earlier this month we had to go to eat his tasty vittles!

We weren't disappointed! The place was bright, clean and in the setting sun, very winsome. The stunning and provocative art was created by Jackie Felix.

My oldest had the macaroni and cheese and the lamb and sweet pea pastries with curried yogurt sauce.

 I had the ocean perch tacos with guacamole and pico de gallo.

The fish was light and crisp and had a superb sharp lime taste. The pico de gallo was fresh and well seasoned, the guacamole was delicate and not grainy or overly seasoned.

My husband picked the 12 oz strip steak sandwich with onions, peppers and provolone. The fries were perfect, right mix of crunch and softness.

Juicy huh? Was so good I nearly yanked it out of his hands!

This was the biggest hand formed burger I'd ever seen and she ate every bite! This was a fantastic visit, the girls really liked our time there and we will certainly be returning. 

Nickel City Chef Part 2 - Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding, Jerk Chicken, and Rice with Beans and Fish

I took my daughter Samantha with me yesterday to the 2nd battle of Season 4's Nickel City Chef Competition. She was less than enthusiastic at the last moment when she heard that everyone else would be taking a trip to the NoNoo Ramen, a new Japanese noodle shop we've been talking about wanting to visit. But I strong armed her into coming and by the time we were standing in line she was excitedly chatting about the who, what, and why's of the event. 

I won these two sauces, along with the signed book. I immediately knew what we were having for dinner later that night.

The cider was perfect for this Jamaican inspired dish.

I used a mallet to flatten the chicken breasts and then marinated them for 20 minutes in the Jerk Sauce. If I wasn't serving it to my girls I would have taken a whole chicken, quartered it, bagged it and added the sauce, turning it over until fully coated, zipped it closed and refrigerated it over night. 

This saucy chicken just begs to be grilled, but with it being 17 degrees out and blowing icy pellets, that is just going to have to wait a few more weeks.

I adore Japanese sweet potatoes! So instead of a traditional Jewell or Vardaman, I used this deep purple skinned pale tan fleshed potato.

This pudding had cardamon, cinnamon, salt, pepper, ginger, sugar, butter, and cream.

The rice was fried before boiling water was added, then seasoned and then steamed flaked fish and pink beans were added during the last 10 minutes. This was so good when seasoned with Krista's hot sauce!

WJ Morrissey Irish Pub and Fish & Chips

 

Do you know what that is? 

That is a plate of the finest fish and chips in Buffalo.  

WJ Morrissey batters their fillet in Harp and the fluffiest batter and serves it with chips (french fries) and Mike's outstanding cole slaw. Mike's slaw has very finely slivered and chopped cabbage, carrots, and radishes and what my husband described as a bold zesty mix of mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and perhaps Coleman's Mustard. I was pretty sad to slide all of that luscious smelling slaw onto Bob's plate. Can't stand cole slaw, but this, this smelled and looked so good I was sorely tempted to test my body's ability to digest egg whites. As it was I felt done in by the teensy amount of yolk in the batter, but sometimes, and probably quite foolishly, I say "Egg allergy be damned! I want me some of that!"

I opted out of the traditional dunking of tartar sauce and went for malt vinegar and Colman's Mustard and the powerful spice knocked my nose askew! This is mustard and for those of you who think the watery yellow glop in a yellow bottle is mustard, I challenge you to try this. One tablespoon is generally enough for a whole fillet. This is the same mustard I use when making my homemade mac&cheese. Powerful stuff!

Tuscan Pigeon Peas and Artichoke Bread with Smelt

2 cups of soaked Pigeon Peas
artichokes
& tomatoes,
olive oil, garlic, basil, and onions, sea salt and ground dried chili
cheese

 Bread recipe:
2 cups flour
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp yeast
Sprinkle of sugar and salt
Mix well and let rise for 2 hours. Roll out and spread Pea mixture.

 Roll up tightly. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

 Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Smelt can be fried or baked, either way they are tasty little bites.


This Bean bread is usually made with cannellini, but I found these beautiful Pigeon Peas and decided to see if they would translate well in this recipe. They were an excellent substitution. Little, firm, earthy, they added a different level of flavor to the mix that were quite enjoyable.

Alternative to going out for Sushi - Pan Seared Rainbow Trout and Tuna in Vodka Blush Sauce

As an alternative to going out for sushi, consider serving two types of sustainable fish for dinner. The body requires certain nutrients; with trout and tuna combined, everything the body needs to function beautifully is served up in one meal. Consider serving with rice pilaf, barley risotto, or herbed amaranth.

Tuna in Vodka Blush Sauce

1 chopped medium onion
2 tbls butter
2 mince cloves garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large can, about 28 oz, of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Vodka
1 lb Tuna

Saute onion and garlic in butter, add tomatoes then simmer 30 minutes. Add cheese and cream. Simmer for about 3 - 5 minutes. Slice tuna into 1/2 inch strips. Stir in Vodka and allow to simmer for five more minutes. Slide in tuna strips and continue to cook until tune is firm. Serve hot.

Organic Lemon Garlic Tilapia with Sweet and Basmati Rice blend with Walnut and Blue Spinach Salad

Keep things simple when the Summer heat is unbearable. Light proteins with subtle flavors will keep you refreshed and energized when exhausted by triple digit weather. Serve with un-sweeted iced tea or a large glass of ice water. The fish can be pack boiled, no more than 8 minutes. A pat of homemade garlic butter and lemon wedges keep it flavorful without overwhelming you. A blend of rices and a large spinach salad add a nice touch to an ordinary filet of fish.