Alor Cafe Social

3 Reasons Why Quinoa is the Superfood of 2016 1. High in Antioxidants 2. Naturally Gluten Free 3. High in Protein and essential Aminos Those are just my top picks. There are of course many other reasons why Quinoa is a fantastic food choice. Lets start with how long its been around. Quinoa dates back 5,000 years referred to by the Incas as the "mother of all grains". Botanically Quinoa is not classified as a grain. It is a pseudo- cereal. Which is to say that it's  not grassy plant that can be milled to a flour like grains and cereals. Nutritionally however Quinoa is considered a whole grain.  Whole grains provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. As a complex carb it will help regulate the digestive system and make you feel fuller, longer, with less ingested. Quinoa provides a high protein to carbohydrate ratio compared to other grains. Naturally gluten free , quinoa is considered a complex carb (good carb) because it supplies a good portion o...

When you own a restaurant sometimes you are in a constant struggle. You struggle with what you want to be happening and what is actually demanded of you. When you are a Chef that is compounded by what you want to cook and what your customer base will tolerate. In the 5 borough area that can also be dictated by the neighborhood the restaurant is located. This is my dilemma of late. I play around with different ideas on my menu alot, however there is only so far I can go. Its not them its me. I want to do extravagant high end service sometimes and my place is located in a kind of blue collar area. So I have a strong base of regulars who expect a good hearty meal that reminds them of home. I get and I am thankful for the 8 years of business I have had there. As a Chef though , you want to grow and change it up.  That's why a new venture is so exciting. I have found a place across the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn, where I currently reside. The neighborhood is known for its range...

Beaujolais Wines are grown in a tiny region of France. Located north of Lyon in eastern France, Beaujolais overlaps Burgundy in the north and Rhône in the south. The picturesque Beaujolais vineyards run along the Saône River, where winemakers have crafted deliciously supple and fruity wines since the days of Ancient Rome. Over mainly granite terrain, the Beaujolais Crus form a meandering path. From south to north, Brouilly is followed by Côte de Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Juliénas and Saint-Amour. The region has ideal growing conditions. It receives lots of sunshine and has granite-based soils that lend excellent structure to the wines. The Gamay grape is used to make all Beaujolais wines with the exception of white Beaujolais, or Beaujolais blanc, which is made of Chardonnay grapes. Only manual harvesting is allowed in the Beaujolais region. Handpicking means that before being vatted, entire bunches are sorted to remove any bad gra...

Coming to the Alor Cafe Stage tomorrow night will be jack Wilkins and Andy Mckee. Below is an excerpt from Jack's website.  Guitarist Jack Wilkins has been on the International jazz scene since the early 1970's. His flawless technique and imaginative chordal approach have inspired collaborations with Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Bob Brookmeyer, and Buddy Rich among many others. A native of Brooklyn, Jack began playing guitar at age thirteen. His mentors included Johnny Smith, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Bill Evans, Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard.  “Windows”, his first album as a leader (Mainstream, 1973,) also available in transcription published by Hal Leonard Publications has been critically acclaimed as a dazzling, seminal guitar trio work.  Later recordings, “Merge”, “Mexico”, “Call Him Reckless”, “Alien Army”, “Keep in Touch”, and “Trioart”, feature the Brecker Brothers, Eddie Gomez, Jack De Johnette, Al Foster, Phil Woo...

Born February 27, 1923 to a Czech family in NYC was Chuck Wayne . He rose to prominence in his 20's as a jazz guitarist in the 1940's. In 1949 Wayne landed himself a spot in the George Shearing Quintet. You can spot Chuck's guitar on the hit "September in the Rain", one of Shearing's most notable tunes. By 1954 Chuck had moved on to be Tony Bennett's music director and accompanist. Throughout the 50's and 60's Chuck peppered his resume with clubs and venue's all over the New York area. Throughout his career Chuck had the opportunity to play with music stars such as  Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Sarah Vaughan, Woody Herman, Joe Bushkin and Hank Jones, among others. Wayne’s own “String Fever” enjoys cult status among jazz guitar fans.  Also producing 5 albums of his own. Wayne was a longtime resident of Staten Island until moving to New Jersey in 1991. Where he pasted in 1997. Survived by his wife,  Mrs. Wayne, who lives in New Jersey...

Every week we experiment with diversity by doing a ravioli of the week on our dinner menu. This week my selection was to do a Thai influence. The ravioli is filled with chicken and then served with sauteed spinach and pork belly lightly glazed with hoisin sauce.  As spoken by  Australian chef   David Thompson David Thompson , a prolific chef and expert on Thai food, observed that unlike many other cuisines: [2] "Thai food ain't about simplicity. It's about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it's got to have a smooth surface but it doesn't matter what's happening underneath. Simplicity isn't the dictum here, at all. Some westerners think it's a jumble of flavours, but to a Thai that's important, it's the complexity they delight in.".

My little pumpkin can be used as a term of endearment but what I really love is the Pumpkin itself.  These cute and sometimes giant round veggies are probably the number one sign that Autumn has started, and have become the mascot of the season. There are literally more than a 101 ways to use and cook a pumpkin. Just this week I am featuring the pumpkin ravioli dressed with shaved asparagus and carmelized pumpkin on the dish.   There are so many little know facts about pumpkin. I think the biggest myth about pumpkin especially in the United States is that its only used for jack -o- laterns and pumpkin pie. Actually until Irish immigrants arrived people used turnips and potatoes for jack-o-laterns. The traidtion of cutting them into face started in Ireland hundreds of years ago.  The word pumpkin originates from the word  pepon  (πέπων), which is Greek for “large melon", something round and large. [7]  The  French adapted this word to  p...

As a Restaurant owner its business. As a Chef its about food. Seemingly there would be no room to make friends with your patrons. Seemingly. However,  that is not the case if you want success on both levels. As an owner you must get out onto the floor and get face to face with the patrons. Like politics you have to shake hands , compliment the ladies, and maybe kiss a baby or two. As a chef your food is a vehicle of love,  really. I love to cook. Its a manifestation of my creativity and I love to see the satisfaction on someone's face when they enjoy my creation. That is a transfer of the energy , of the love. This also is a major part of the key to success. I have never in my career heard of a chef that hates to cook succeeding. LOL. The point here is that this business is primarily about connecting with people. The success, really is in getting to know them on a first name basis, and having your place become like a home away from home to them, not necessarily just in dol...

What is a wrap? Where did this wonderous sandwich filled with just about anything come from? And why do we love them so much?  Question to ponder for sure. Let's start with the obvious...what is a wrap?  A wrap is a sandwich made of soft flatbread rolled around a plethora of filling options. Typical flatbreads are wheat-flour tortillas, lavash  ( a soft, thin flatbread popular in the Northern parts of the Middle-East and the Southern parts of the Caucasus). In the same family as the pita, which is more of a pocket, the wrap is a wider diameter sometimes up to a foot wide and is folded and rolled to hold its contents into place. The base of your wrap is always some kind of meat, poultry or fish served hot or cold. Combined with any number of sauces and condiments and some variation of vegetables. Of course if you are a vegetarian the wrap can be filled in total with vegetables and still be a very pleasurable eating experience.    AS told by wikipedia : A...

Pierogies...are like a little potato pocket of joy. What is a pierogie anyway? According to Wikipedia ... Pierogi / p ɨ ˈ r oʊ ɡ i / ( Polish pronunciation:  [pjɛˈrɔɡʲi] ; also spelled perogi , pierogy , perogy , pierógi , pyrohy , pirogi , pyrogie , or pyrogy in English or other Slavic languages; juvenile diminutive form: Pierożki Polish pronunciation:  [pjɛˈrɔʂki] also in use) are dumplings of unleavened dough  – first boiled, at which point they can be served with melted butter or various toppings, or then fried with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling , sauerkraut , ground meat , cheese, or fruit. Of Central and Eastern European provenance, they are usually semicircular, but are rectangular or triangular in some cuisines. The Polish name pierogi is plural; [ 1 ] the singular form pieróg is rarely used, as a typical serving consists of several pierogis. Pierogi are similar to the Russian pelmeni or Ukrainian varenyky and are...

  Seating service will start at 7 pm for the Summer Wine Dinner  The menu is as follows To Start: Whole wheat rosemary and olive focaccia bread Then: Warm English Pea mint soup            Panzanella Salad ( roasted peppers, blue cheese, tomato, toasted bread)            Tomato and beets carpaccio with goat cheese brulee             Chicken liver mousse with Cabernet glaze and crostinis After: Sweet BBQ glazed chicken wings           Pulled chicken avocado flatbread           Cheese board            Vegetable Ratatouille flaky tart            Bacon, white wine and rosemary steamed mussels Then: Creamy Linguine with rose sauce, thinly slic...