First Tarte aux Pommes baked by Melle Eloise my granddaughter

Make a pate Brisee

Place 2 cups of flour with a pinch of salt and a tabl. of sugar in food precessor, add 1 1/1 stick of samll bits of cold butter. Pulse until dow start to come together add slowly 1/2 cup of cold water.
Make a ball wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

12 inch apple pan
6 apples
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 stick of butter 1/2 cup apricot jam

Preheat oven 400o
R

oll pate brisee and put into a buttered pastry pan
Peel, core and slice apples not more than a 1/4 inch thick. Overlap slices in the pan. Sprinkle with the sugar and add little dots of butter

Bake 45 to 50 minutes until pastry is brown on the sides and apples as well.
Heat apricot jam together with Calvados (if you wish) and brush the apples with the mixture.
Serve Warm

Haricots verts with caramelized shallots - from my cooking class "cooking of Provence"

Great goup last week for my cooking class. We all had a lot of fun and everyone swore they would repeat my recipes.

This one is a MUST:

For 6 -
2lbs of fresh haricots verts cleaned
6 tab of butter
3 or 4 large shallots
3 tab of sugar
2 tab of good red wine
Kosher salt and pepper
Fresh Parsley

In salted water cook haricots verts 3 - 4 minutes but remember they have to be "al dente" Drain and pour cold water to stop cooking.

Prepare the shallots peel then cut in small pieces
Melt 4 tab of butter in oven proof saute pan. Add shallots and

sugar. Cook for 10 minutes then add wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Place saute pan in a 375o hot oven and roast until brown and crispy, about 15 - 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, heat haricots verts in a saute pan with a little butter. When warm place on a plater and sprinkle the caramelized shallots and chopped fresh parsley.

UPPER WEST SIDE

Real Estate News from New York Magasine

Some of the most desirable property in the city is on Central Park West, but Amsterdam Avenue is a morass of mid-rises and much of the neighborhood lacks street life.
Boundaries
59th St. (excluding Columbus Circle) to 110th St., Central Park West to Hudson River

Tonight watch: THE HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK IN MARRAKECH with Brad Boles and myself See this video as we are walking through the Majorelle Gardens

http://www.focusonstyle.com/Trends/Style/Exclusive-Video-of-Yves-Saint-Laurent-s-Majorelle-Gardens-in-Marrakech-Morocco-for-RHONYC-Fans

HARISSA OR HOT SAUCE prepared by my cooking class last week

Harissa is an excellent sauce for tagines of meat and poultry or meat and vegetable soups. In the food stalls in Marrakesh they serve it with different types of brochettes. Use it to add flavour to a sauce for couscous as well. A good Harissa should be thick with the consistency of a light mayonnaise. Serve it in a little side dish with a very small spoon.

For 1 cup of sauce:

2 cups of hot dri

ed red chili peppers
6 cloves of garlic
4 tab of coarse salt
6 tab of coriander seeds
4 tab of cumin seeds
8 tab of olive oil

1- Remove the stems from the dried red chili peppers and remove the seeds
Put red peppers in hot water until soft.
2- In the meantime pound garlic in martar with 1/2 the salt smooth. Remove from the mortar and reserve. Add drained red peppers to mortar and pound to a smooth paste with remaining coarse salt. Remove and add the pounded garlic.
3- Combine coriander and cumin seeds in mortar, add a little olive oil and pound until smooth. Combine this process adding more olive oil, until sauce is smooth and well blended.

The easier way: add all ingredients except olive oil in food processor then add olive oil slowly like a mayonnaise until smooth.
It will keep indefinitely in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

First crop of New Asparagus today at the Union Square Market

Fresh and Delicious!

Tomato-andGoat-Cheese Tart with Pistou - Subtle and delicious appetizer I made this for my guests last night

5 to 6 medium size vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled (you peel them in boiling water)
5 oz of fresh goat cheese
1 package of Puff Pastry Pepperidge Farm sheets
1 egg,lightly beaten
Pistou:
1 cup fresh basil plus six sprigs for garnish
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated Parmesan

Quarter tomatoes and remove core and seeds. Place outer shells in colander with some salt to drain for at least 2 hours.
Prepare pistou by adding in food processor basil, oil, 1 teaspoon parmesan
Set aside
Heat oven to 425o

Divide puff pastry into 2 pieces and roll each to 12 inches by 4 1/2, 1/16 inches thick. Keep the side trimming to add to the lenghtwise borders of each pastry. Seal with beaten egg. The strips should be flush with the edges. Transfer to a baking pan lined with wax paper. Pierce sheets with a fork several times.
Refrigerate trays for 20 minutes before baking
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
Place soften goat cheese in a bowl.

Incorporate 2 tablespoons of the pistou souce.
Spread the cheese mixture delicately over the baked puff pastry with a spatula avoiding the raised edges.
Neatly arrange the tomatoes on top.
Place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes
Lightly brush the remaining pistou and garnish with basil sprigs.



Add a long strip of dough to each side of the

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Located at 309 East 49th Street, a full service Condo building in the heart of convenient Midtown Manhattan, is your new two bedroom two bathroom home. Live on the 11th floor with two exposures and two walls of windows with superb city views. Check elliman.com for more information or email me.


A little history and some recommendations regarding excellent restaurants close to this wonderful condo full of light and incredible city views.
Aside from some terrific restaurants in the area such as Chin Chin (216 E 49St) New York's premier destination for haute Chinese cuisine Jimmy Chin the owner has been hailed by Zagat as the most gracious hosts year after year. You are also in the vicinity of so many countless eatery's from Indian and Middle Eastern to Italian Greek. East 49Th street played home to the Great late Kathrine Hepburn as well as Stephen Sondheim where you could find either of them at the famous Steak House Smith and Wolensky on 49 St and Third Ave , or at the Bull and Bear in the Waldorf Astoria for a late night meal and drink.
This area also plays home to the famed Whiskey Blue, bar and lounge as well as the Press Box lounge and the legendary Monkey Bar on 54th St owned by Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter. ! One of the best Japanese restaurants ISE is a stone throw away . What makes this mid-town location so great is its proximity to Rockefeller Center, shopping on fifth avenue, Radio City Music Hall as well as the Museum of Modern Art. The world is right outside your door !

By Daniele Pollitz
http://realestateandrealfood.blogspot.com

My last supper at Daniel's for Easter. GIGOT D'AGNEAU A L'AIL

This recipe is so simple that in my family we call it "Ras le bol" which means "enough already". but we always want more..

Important tips:
Always remove lamb from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
Preheat oven to 400oF
When oven is hot lower temperature to 350oF

5 - 6lbs bone -in and trim of ALL FAT leg of lamb
4 garlic cloves slivered
1 1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Coarse salt and pepper
1/4 cup of butter

Make small slits just large enough for garlic slivers evenly in the leg of lamb and insert the garlic slivers

Add chopped rosemary with salt and peper in softened butter and rub the lamb evenly with mixture.
Place lamb, fat side up on rack in an uncovered pan.
Roast 15 to 20 minutes per pound for a rare and medium rare lamb until 160 - 165o F or 30 minutes to a pound or until the internal temperature reaches 175 - 180o for meat well done.
For a light sauce add a little water in pan scrape juices and add salt and peppper for 5 minutes.

When done, remove from oven, cover the roast in foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving

Delicious with roasted potatoes...and or white beans

Celery Avgolemono (Greek Egg Lemon Soup) with chicken Matzoh Balls

For Passover my daughter made an incredible meal but we know the food is only a background player to all the family. I have always looked for interesting recipes this is a classic combination in sephardi repertoires from around the world believe me this is a keeper! A delicious creamy soup (but no cream) tart and sweet. I love Avgolemono soup and once was challanged to make it on a remote island off the coast of Africa,this different version was perfect and the matzoh ball with chicken so delicious. My taste buds recommend 1/2 a cup of lemon juice instead of 2/3 of a cup and sprinkle at the end fresh chopped mint leaves

The joy of trying new and diffarant foods is sharing them with others. Let me know what you think!

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0h&oq=cele&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DMUS_enUS299US300&q=celery+avgolemono+with+chicken+matzoh+balls

The Windsor Park 100 West 58 St, Unit 7G - Beautifully furnished RENTAL for 1 year- 1 block from Central Park

Prudential Douglas Elliman
www.elliman.com Web ID: 1350181
dpollitz@elliman.com


Located in The Windsor Park a 1928 Rosario Candela building masterfully renovated by Gwathmey & Siegel Architects, whose accomplishments include the recently acclaimed renovation of the Guggenheim museum. Live in a fully furnished eyecatching two bedroom two bath home. Have a gym, roof deck, exercise room and central laundry room. Live steps from central park Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, museums, galleries, theater district and all the resturants Manhattan is known for. Call now for a private appointment.

Price:$4,800

Details
Location:Midtown
Type:Condo
Rooms:4
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2 full
Approx Sq. Ft.:1,161
LISTING AGENTS
FOR AN APPOINTMENT CONTACT:
Daniele Pollitz
O: 917.495.4398
M: 917.495.4398

POULET AUX TOMATES ET CITRONS CONFITS- HOTEL TAROUDANT

                                                             TASTE OF MOROCCO

This is a great recipe for the best Chicken Tagine, you watched me in the market buying the chicken now im going to serve it up for you!
Daniele

       1 small roasting ( broiler fryer) chicken, cut into 6 serving portions(breast resered for another use)

       1 spanish onion, peeled and coarsely grated

       1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

       1/4 teaspoon each powdered saffron and sweet red pepper

       1/8 teaspoon each hot red pepper and powdered cumin

       salt and freshly ground black pepper

      4 tablespoons butter

      4 tablespoon olive oil

      1 preserved lemon, peel only, cut into 6 segments

      3 large, ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and halved

      light chicken stock (broth)

      1 tablespoon chopped fresh green coriander

1. Season chicken pieces generously with onion, garlic and spices, with salt and black pepper to taste, rubbing mixture well into chicken pieces. Add 6 tablespoon water, mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Melt butter and olive oil in a large frying pan and saute chicken pieces until golden.

3. Add lemon peel segments and tomato halves and enough light chicken stock to cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, or until chicken is tender.

4. Transfer meat and vegetables to a tagine and keep warm. Reduce sauce over a high heat until half its orginal volume. Just before serving pour sauce over chicken and garnish with chopped parsly and fresh coriander.

Serves 2-3

Joelle lifestyle article on Daniele

http://joellelifestyle.com/2009/01/15/moroccan-french-grandeur/
Joelle Mastelon who has a superb online news magazine  called "Joelle Lifestyle "wrote this wonderful article on my background. What a wonderful description of my  numerous activities. Joelle also is a superb photographer, do read more of her magasine, you will love it.

Food shopping in Marrakech for chicken tagine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU0npU1XDvk

Cooking with Daniele

Here is a fun picture of me cooking paella in Tangier

Welcome to my new and exciting home!

Working in Real Estate in New York City for over 8 years and being a part of the food world for over 40 years give's me a great edge to combine these two talents. I will be posting weekly so follow me and enjoy!
Daniele