Watertown's Little Armenia and Sevan Bakery

By Margarita Martinez   |   Monday, April 22, 2013   0 comments.

Meet Chef Rich Garcia

Tuesday, April 16, 2013   0 comments.

Born in Central America to a Guatemalan father and an American mother, Chef Richard García discovered his passion for food at a young age while watching Julia Child on TV. García launched his career as a chef in downtown Boston before heading south to cook in some of Miami’s hippest kitchens.
 
His growing love for the restaurant industry compelled him to enlist in the Marines and enroll in the U.S. Army Food Service School at Fort Lee, Virginia. Here he received his formal education in culinary arts. After his deployment, Chef García served as a personal chef for high-ranking military officials in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and other American bases.  

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Q&A with Chef Rich Garcia

Tuesday, April 16, 2013   0 comments.

Executive Chef Rich Garcia oversees all culinary operations at the Renaissance Hotel in South Boston.  He is known for his commitment to spreading the word about ocean-friendly seafood, fishing and the state of the oceans.  Chef Garcia was interviewed by series producer Patricia Alvarado Núñez. Below are excerpts from the interview.  
 
NK:  When did you discover your passion for cooking?
RG:  I discovered my passion for cooking I think as a kid.  The first thing I ever made with my mom was a quiche.  And I think I was six years old.  And saw Julia Child making a quiche on TV and I said, 'Wow that's cool, I want to do that.'  And I asked my mom to do it and she thought I was a little nuts but  she let me do it.  And I think just from a kid, I really enjoyed watching food--you know, I didn't watch too many cartoons, I guess.  But the passion for cooking really didn't come in until a couple years after I had already been in the industry.  When I saw the impact food could have on people and the experience you could create with a person through your food--that's really when food started to become a passion. 
 
NK:  You are known for your innovative cuisine and for being an advocate for ocean-friendly seafood.  
RG:  We have so many challenges with our local fisheries that I wanted to essentially save the American fishery, so to speak.  And I wanted to help you be able to understand what's going on with the fishermen and the fish that's in our waters.  But also help you understand that we're not running out of fish.

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Neighborhood Kitchens visits Boston's Fish Pier with Ocean-Friendly Chef Rich Garcia

Tuesday, April 16, 2013   0 comments.

There are many transportation options, but this time I decided to travel by water taxi to South Boston, which allowed me to see Boston from a completely different point of view.  
 
It’s hard to imagine that South Boston was once a remote peninsula with only iron foundries, machine shops shipyards, and refineries…connected to nearby Dorchester by just a narrow stretch of land. Today this area is one of Boston's fastest growing neighborhoods…home to a $850 million 516,000 square foot Convention Center, award-winning Institute for Contemporary Art building, the World Trade Center, Bank of America Pavilion, several major hotels, parks and over 50 restaurants.
 
I met Executive Chef Rich García at the Renaissance Hotel, where he oversees all culinary operations.  Chef García is known locally and nationally for being an advocate for ocean-friendly species.  He travels the country talking and learning about overfishing, the importance of giving a break to some species as cod and haddock, and introducing what he calls “trash fish” or underutilized species of fish to menus.
 
I was excited to meet Chef García and learn about South Boston’s evolving history and how and why he sources locally harvest products.  He took me across the street from the hotel to Boston’s historic Fish Pier, which opened in 1914 and is the oldest continuously operating fish pier in the country.  He introduced me to Jared Auerbach, owner of Red’s Best, a local seafood distributor whose innovative logistics technology streamlines, tracks and accelerates seafood transactions, reducing costs and transport time between fishermen and consumers.  
 

Inside Red’s Best warehouse I experienced all kind of fish and shellfish and learned about pollock and dogfish, two species of fish that are less utilized, but equally delicious.  I also tasted ocean fresh raw scallops, and for the first time sea urchin.   Sushi delicious! 
 
Back at Chef García’s kitchen we prepared three fabulously tasty recipes: Taylor Bay scallops with ceviche sauce, local pollock with bacon & seaweed consommé, turnip puree and pickled mushrooms,  and Chef García’s famous “trash fish” minestrone…all made with ocean-friendly seafood choices.
 
Working on this episode intrigued and excited me to cook at home using locally caught sustainable seafood species.  Hope you find inspiration on Chef García’s recipes too!
 
 Hasta pronto!! 

Myers + Chang's Scallion Pancakes

Wednesday, March 27, 2013   0 comments.

Scallion pancakes are a simple, yet popular, Chinese snack. A side of soy dipping sauce adds the perfect finish to these crispy and flaky treats.

Ingredients

For Scallion Pancakes
1 bunch (8 to 9) scallions, washed and minced
1/4 cup sesame oil
1-1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. store-bought pizza dough
All-purpose flour, as needed
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil, for frying

For Soy Dipping Sauce
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sriracha chili paste
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbs. ginger, finely minced
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
1 scallion, washed, trimmed, and minced

Directions

Prepare Scallion Pancakes
In a small bowl, mix the minced scallions with sesame oil and the salt.

Cut the dough in thirds.

On a well-floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a thin 10-by-5-inch rectangle.

Spread the scallion mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around the edge. Starting at a long side, roll up each piece of dough jelly-roll style (long side to long side) and pinch to seal. Coil each roll of dough into a circle and tuck the end under the coil.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for about 2 hours to allow the dough to proof and relax cover. (At this point pancakes may be stored in an airtight container overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you may store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a week. Remove from freezer and let defrost in fridge overnight before using.)

Generously flour a work surface. Press dough round into a flat circle, deflating any pockets and squishing the scallions gently into the dough. With a rolling pin, slowly and carefully roll out each dough coil into a 10-inch round. It is easier if you start in the center and roll outward. Flour the dough and work surface as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. (It's okay if some of the scallion mixture comes out.)

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sprinkle a bit of flour onto the oil and when it sizzles it is ready to go. Fry one pancake at a time over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Poke holes to deflate any air pockets that form while cooking.

Drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt onto each pancake.

Prepare Soy Dipping Sauce
Place all ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk until sugar is dissolved. May be made up to a week in advance and stored in fridge in an airtight container.

Cut the scallion pancakes into sixths and serve with the soy dipping sauce.

Serves: 3

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Chef Joanne Chang is the chef and owner of Myers + Chang and Flour Bakery. She shared this recipe with us when she was featured as our guest on Neighborhood Kitchens.

Chef Rich Garcia's Trash Fish Minestrone Soup

Wednesday, March 27, 2013   0 comments.

This minestrone soup is Chef Rich Garcia's take on a classic comfort food. It uses "trash fish," the less marketable or more unusual types of seafood.

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About Neighborhood Kitchens

Building on a 35-year history of producing Latino and multicultural programming, WGBH’s award winning La Plaza team has a new offering — Neighborhood Kitchens, a series about the exploration of culture through food. Every week the show offers a unique window into immigrant communities in New England.

Saturdays at 4pm on WGBH 2
Fridays at 7:30pm on WGBH 44

Margarita Martinez
Margarita Martinez grew up in the Bronx, NY and Ossining, NY with a Puerto Rican father and a Franco-American mother. She now calls New England home. Margarita has always had an insatiable appetite for travel and food. She made her first empanada as a teenager visiting Argentina, satisfied her sweet tooth with poffertjes and stroopwafels while studying in Holland, engorged herself on Thai street food for a month in Bangkok, and continues to search for authentic international cuisines in the Northeast. Margarita loves to discover new ingredients, flavors, and cooking approaches that she can bring to her own home kitchen.

On the Go

In each episode, host Margarita Martínez visits a different ethnic restaurant and learns three delicious recipes from the chef. She also explores the restaurant’s neighborhood, discovering hidden gems along the way. Join her as she learns about new ingredients, new cultures, and new neighborhoods. ¡Hasta pronto!

  Watch: Full Episodes

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  Follow: @NKitchensWGBH

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Find a Neigbhorhood Kitchen

Margarita's Neighborhood Visits

»Boston: Bristol Lounge
»Boston's South End: Orinoco, Teranga and Oishii
»Boston's Back Bay: Casa Romero
»Boston's North End: Taranta
»Roxbury: Merengue
»Boston's Beacon Hill: Scampo
»All Around Boston: Mei Mei Street Kitchens
»Cambridge: Muqueca, Oleana, and Sandrine's
»Somerville: Dosa Temple
»Lawrence: Cafe Azteca
»Lowell: Simply Khmer
»Fresh from the Fish Market
»Jamaica Plain: Tres Gatos
»Dorchester: Pho Le and Cafe Polonia
»Medford: Bistro 5
»Portland, ME: Emilitsa
»Newport, RI: Tallulah on Thames
»Pawtucket, RI: Rasoi

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Topics

• Neighborhood Kitchens
• NK Recipes