Filed under Greek, SoHo · Print This Post
105 Thompson between Prince and Spring Streets
212/925.1040
about $60 for two for dinner or $15 for one during lunch, with drinks, with tip
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
At least once a month, I get a craving for Snack’s artichoke chicken salad. A big bowl of potatoes, butter beans, tomatoes, string beans and chicken are tossed with black olive vinaigrette. If I’m in the mood for braised lamb without the heavy sauce, I order their braised lamb sandwich with tomatoes and roasted red onions with tomato aioli and arugula on ciabata bread. The bulgur wheat salad is also delicious with mint and walnuts in citrus vinaigrette. I’ve had better houmus and pita bread elsewhere but I doubt any other Greek restaurant, Queens included, can beat their spanakopitakia or spinach triangles. The phyllo flakes off ever-so-lightly at each bite.
For dinner hours, the menu changes to include heftier items. When I visit, I always order the white anchovies and the octopus as appetizers. For main courses, I’ve enjoyed their vegetarian mousaka with eggplants, mushrooms and potatoes in creamy bechamel sauce. The braised lamb stifado smells really nice with currants and apricots while the keftedakia or veal meatballs are a treat with pine nuts.
Snack’s menu rarely changes, but with meals that are sure to please, I don’t see a reason why it should.
Filed under Chicken · Print This Post
What’s the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth? Even though the terms are used interchangeably, chicken broth has more gelée properties when reduced to make sauce, so you want to use fleshier chicken parts to make broth. That gelatinous quality will bind up pan drippings better for a beefier reduction. Chicken carcass will suffice to make chicken stock for almost any kind of soup. Breast and neck bones are great but you can also buy whole chicken carcasses in Chinatown for a dollar. I always add celery stalks, leeks and carrots when I make either. Browning them first with garlic and onions will give your stock or broth a more roasted taste in the end. I use quart containers I’ve saved from my parents’ Chinese takeouts to store the stock in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Ingredients:
2 chicken carcasses
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 carrot, cut into thirds
1 large leek, cut into thirds
salt, pepper and oil
1. In a large stock pot, sauté garlic and onions in hot oil. Lightly brown all the vegetables before adding the chicken bones. Let the chicken bones heat up in the pot while stirring ocassionally to avoid sticking.
2. Add enough water to cover the chicken bones. Bring to a boil over high heat and let the impurities rise to the top. Scoop and discard the impurities using a strainer. Reduce heat and let the stock simmer for 2 to 3 hours until water is reduced.
3. Remove from heat and let stock cool for a few minutes. Store in quart containers and put in the fridge. Excess fat should rise and coagulate on top and you can remove them before using.
