Recipes

Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine with Carrot-Watercress Salad [1]
Butter-and-Thyme-Basted Mushrooms [2]
Pickled Baby Carrots [3]

"Brooklyn foodies have a do-it-yourself spirit when it comes to what they eat," says Brooklyn Kitchen owner Taylor Erkkinen. "They're eschewing the mainstream and embracing back-to-basic cooking skills."

That's why she and husband Harry Rosenblum recently expanded their successful shop, which features a broad array of well-designed and thoughtfully selected cooking tools, to include a cooking school and grocery, the Brooklyn Kitchen Labs.

Taylor, a self-taught cook, is a former project manager for new building construction; Harry was a lighting consultant for TV and theater. It was an easy jump for both from technology to technique. "We developed the curriculum to give people the confidence to create their own cooking style," Taylor says. She focused on basics--canning, pickling, butchering, home-brewing--along with classes that tap into emerging food trends. Texan-Korean barbecue, anyone?

At first, classes were held at the store's checkout counter. Recently, class offerings moved to a renovated warehouse that houses cooking labs, the Meat Hook butcher shop, and amply stocked grocery aisles. Classes are held weekday evenings in demonstration or hands-on format. They range from $40 to $75 and include a meal, or, in true New York fashion, a take-out sampling of that night's lesson. Local chefs and food personalities teach classes.

Kat Randazzo, a Brooklyn-area private chef whose resume includes Gramercy Tavern, is a frequent instructor. "My classes feature ideas for simple ingredients that are well prepared," she says. Her recipes for Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine and Butter-and-Thyme-Basted Mushrooms were both elegant and humble, a reflection of the mastery of their French origins.

Student Alice Turner was inspired to host a pickling party after learning a short-term approach to pickling that allows results to be enjoyed only days or even hours after preparation. The class's recipe for Pickled Carrots had bright, tangy flavor and subtle heat.

"The store is charming, and the class was informal and relaxed, just the way you would expect in Brooklyn," she says.

Photography: Jonny Valiant

Brooklyn Kitchen Labs director Chloe Brownstein and chef Kat Randazzo

Located in the grocery, the Meat Hook (718/349-5033) continues Brooklyn's historical tradition of select butcher shops. The grocery shelves feature bulk foods, spices, chocolates, home- brewing necessities, produce, housewares, and cookbooks. "People shop here on a daily basis," says owner Taylor Erkkinen. "It's a return to a tradition of getting the best-quality ingredients."

Brooklyn Kitchen Labs is located in Williamsburg at 100 Frost St., Brooklyn (718/389-2982). For a class schedule, go to thebrooklynkitchen.com [13].

Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine with Carrot-Watercress Salad

Two chiles give the braising liquid subtle heat. Add more chiles if you'd like the short ribs a bit spicier.

• 2 pounds beef short ribs with bone
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed, seeded, and crushed
• 6 cups dry red wine
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta), cooked according to package directions*
• 1 recipe Carrot Watercress Salad

Season ribs with salt and pepper. In 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven brown ribs on all sides in hot oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and chiles. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir carefully (do not break up bay leaves) until onions are translucent. Carefully add wine and additional salt and pepper to taste. Bring to just a simmer. Cover; gently simmer 3 hours or until ribs are very tender.

Transfer ribs to bowl. (Discard bones that separate from ribs.) Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs; discard. Cover; keep ribs warm. Whisk tomato paste into wine mixture in pan. Bring to boil. Boil gently, uncovered, 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, adding ribs for last few minutes to heat through.

To serve, spoon polenta into shallow bowls, top with ribs, some of braising liquid, and Carrot Watercress Salad. Pass remaining braising liquid. Makes 4 servings.

* If desired, replace 2 cups of water with whole milk and add 2 sprigs fresh thyme while cooking. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.

Carrot Watercress Salad: 
In small mixing bowl whisk together 1/4 cup sherry vinegar; 3 tablespoons minced shallots; 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/4 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Toss dressing in large bowl with 4 ounces trimmed watercress and 2 carrots cut into long shreds. Makes about 3 cups salad.

Butter-and-Thyme-Basted Mushrooms

This rich, fragrant mélange of mushrooms is a lovely side dish to the braised short ribs.

• 1-1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such
  as shiitake, cremini, chanterelle, black trumpet, hedgehog, or oyster)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh thyme leaves

Cut off mushroom stems even with caps; discard stems. Lightly rinse mushrooms. Gently pat dry with paper towels

In large skillet add enough olive oil to coat bottom of skillet. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add large handful of mushrooms and few sprigs of thyme to skillet. (Caution: Thyme sprigs may cause oil to pop.) Let mushrooms brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Gently turn mushrooms over. Add 1 tablespoon softened butter to skillet. Let butter melt. (It should be frothy.) Baste by gently tilting skillet down toward you and, using spoon, scoop up frothy butter and toss over mushrooms; cook until tender. Use slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and thyme to serving bowl. Repeat until all mushrooms are cooked. Transfer final batch of mushrooms to bowl along with remaining butter in skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Remove thyme sprigs. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Makes about 3 cups.

Fabulous Funghi

Mushrooms range in texture from delicate to meaty, and in flavor from mild to rich and earthy. Just like any family gathering, toss them together and you have an absolute riot of tasty opinions.

Clockwise from top, here are the mushrooms used in Kat Randazzo's Butter-and-Thyme- Basted Mushrooms.

Oyster Mushrooms: delicate and peppery when cooked
Portobello: concentrated, dense, meaty
Porcini: Pungent, woodsy
Cremini: full-flavored
Shiitaki: steak-like woodsy taste

Pickled Baby Carrots

These "short-term" pickles have a fresh tang and slight heat. They should be eaten within two weeks of pickling so the carrots retain their crunch.

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 star anise or 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 bunch baby carrots, washed and stems removed

For spice bag, place coriander seeds, celery seeds, caraway seeds, peppercorns, crushed red pepper, and star anise in center of double-thick 6-inch square of 100 percent cotton cheesecloth. Tie closed with clean kitchen twine.

In small saucepan combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Add spice bag to saucepan with vinegar. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove and discard spice bag.

Place carrots in large bowl; pour hot pickling liquid over. Let cool. Place carrots with liquid in 1-quart jar or storage container; seal. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Makes about 1 quart.

Spice It Up!

Making a spice bag for Short-term Pickled Carrots is simple, quick process and uses spices you're likely to have on-hand. In a double-thick 6-inch square of 100% cotton cheesecloth place:

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 star anise or 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

Coriander seeds add a lemony-sage flavor, celery seeds have a pickle taste; caraway gives a nutty, anise note. Star anise has a slightly bitter edge to round out the punch from the peppers.