For the last three years, I’ve lived in a crappy little apartment above a bakery.
Although the neighborhood skews primarily Orthodox, my building is a little enclave, mostly of immigrants. Beyond the three doctors-to-be across my hall, or the grandma on the floor above me whose absurdly large bags of onions I carry up the stairs when I see her, or the salwar kameez-clad women who stop me in the lobby to ask me if I’m married, in proper New York fashion, I don’t really talk to any of them.
My neighbors are deeply communal, knocking on my door when my keys are left in the lock, sliding misdelivered mail between door and jamb, and never once claiming my boozy misdeliveries for their own.
I think everyone who’s lived in a NYC apartment at least once has been in a place with a little nook where their neighbors leave out things for others to take—clothing that’s well-worn but not worn out, books that won’t be read again, a purse that you thought you loved but now just makes you sick.
During the last few months of the pandemic, people don’t just put out reminders of exes long past—they put out food. Cans of tomatoes, and mushrooms, and fruit. A head of lettuce and cabbage. A bag of apples. Cream cheese and shelf-stable milk and a carton of eggs nestled beside an open window to keep them cool.
I’m not much for holidays, but this feels like Thanksgiving.
As we reveled in what a “New York Thanksgiving” feels like (especially during Covid), we asked fellow New Yorkers to share some of their favorite recipes. Continue reading to see more.
A Halal One Pan Roast Chicken by @MuslimFoodies
We asked MuslimFoodies is an Instagram account run by 3 Muslim girls on the search for the best Halal food across NYC (hint: you can find a map here).
Materials:
Baking dish (preferably aluminum)
Tongs
Basting brush
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (7 lbs) thoroughly cleaned
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp adobo seasoning
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp of Trader Joe’s “Everyday Seasoning”
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 whole lemon, halved
10 smashed garlic cloves
3 medium-sized yellow onions, halved
3 pounds of red potatoes, cut into small pieces
3 carrots, sliced up
3 stalks of celery, sliced up
2 tbsp salted butter
Instructions:
Make sure the chicken is patted dry and puncture holes everywhere with a sharp knife.
Take a cup and mix olive oil and all seasonings together.
Pour the mixture all over the chicken, coating entire chicken evenly into the holes and under the skin to trap in the mixture.
Marinate for up to 8 hours or overnight.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat aluminum tray with cooking spray or olive oil.
Place all red potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, and only 2 onions on a tray (sprinkle salt & pepper if you wish, the chicken drippings will add all the flavor).
Take out marinated chicken and stuff the halved lemons, a few garlic cloves, remaining onion, and rosemary sprigs inside the chicken.
Tie up chicken’s ends, place breast-side down on top of the veggies, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, toasting the chicken over breast-side up halfway.
Periodically baste the chicken with its juices and salted butter when in the oven
When done, mix up all the veggies up in juices and serve.
An Easy Breezy Steak Dinner by @Dlapidous
Looking for a super easy recipe? @Dlapidous recommends the quick and efficient pre-marinated steak tips from Trader Joe’s.
“The steak tips are awesome! They’re in the butcher section at TJ’s in a vacuum-sealed bag and pre-marinated and all you do is fry them in a pan or grill, etc. not much of a recipe”.
Ingredients:
Steak
Trader Joe’s Steak Tips
Salad
Lacinato Kale
1.5 lemons, Juiced
3 minced garlic cloves
Shaved Parmesan
1/8 – 1/4 Olive Oil
Directions:
Cook steak according to directions. Sear on medium-high heat in a pan in oil until preferred texture.
Salad:
Combine olive oil and the juice of ~ 1.5 lemons, 3 minced garlic cloves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Rub the dressing into a torn bowl of Lacinato Kale and add some shaved Parmesan. Give it time to rest/marinate but not required.
