The winner! Congratulations to Elizabeth Moss, who won the chef’s choice prize for her Jerry Lee Lewis – Great Balls of Oysters (with Hell’s Kittens Dipping Sauce). We know what you’re thinking … oysters from a bodega?! Ingredients Flour Salt/pepper Eggs Bread crumbs Parmesan cheese (for this challenge, you have to settle for the pre-grated stuff in a tube) Dried parsley flakes Canned whole oysters Instructions 1. In bowl #1 combine flour, salt, and pepper. 2. In bowl #2, whisk eggs. 3. In bowl #3, combine bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley. 4. Coat oysters with flour, dip in egg, and
“It’s sheer terror when you realize you have to make at least 25 tastings of something interesting, shopping in a place you’d only ever go to for beer and toilet paper.” funny, and oftentimes pure magic. One woman came in with a version of Rice Krispie treats – only she made
Above (clockwise from top left): A very British tea party; Kim Moore contemplates bodega cuisine; Jane Conlin (whose vegetarian three bean chili had a spicy kick, just like her); Sue Pazos presides over the voting booth.
them with dried ramen noodles. They were friggin’ awesome! In addition to delicious riffs on rice, chilis, dips, and desserts, we’ve seen exotic Chinese tea eggs, an entire pizza made from scratch, and a 1950s recipe revamped and rechristened the Hell’s Kitchen Kugel. See? All that culinary culture out of one bodega! It’s sort of an analogy for life: you’re not always dealt a great hand, but when you make do with what you’ve got, you often end up inventing something unique and marvelous. Our raffle prizes are kickass, too, thanks to our generous and fancy restaurants and shops in HK. And the raffle tickets are only $1. You can’t buy anything for a dollar anymore.
coat with crumb mix. 5. Place in a greased dish. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Hell’s Kittens Dipping Sauce Combine home-made sour cream and mayo with diced jalapeno and lemon zest To make sour cream: 1. Combine heavy cream with some whole milk and a splash of lemon juice and/or white vinegar. Shake well. 2. Put in a jar and cover with a paper towel or thin clean cloth. Leave out on counter for 24 hours. 3. Stir and voila! It’s thinner than at the store but tastes great. To make mayonnaise: Use a hand-held emulsion mixer to combine one large egg (room temp), some mustard, lemon juice, salt, and ¼ cup vegetable oil. Mix for 30-60 seconds.
To keep in touch with next year’s event – and to see all the previous year’s recipes: bodegachallenge.com
DIGITAL EDITION
2. SLOWLY add about another cup of oil while still mixing. 3. Add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
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