Leah Eskin – Page 8 –

Kusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, <a href="http://www.kusanyacafe.org/">kusanyacafe.org</a> — Grace Wong

Corn pudding recipe transfers fresh, crisp kernels into rich, creamy goodness

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

It's not the heat; it's the corn. Really. Corn, like the rest of us, sweats. It slurps water from the soil and sweats out its underleaves. Millions of acres of...

Give chicken a long bath in a coconut, lime, jalapeno and ginger marinade before grilling.

Coconut milk marinade helps grilled chicken rise to occasion

June 3, 2018 at 8:01 a.m.

The revolution demands: Rise up. And desks heed the call. Enough of sitting idle, standing still, holding steady at 29 1/2 inches above the carpeting. Now: They rise. Which comes...

Whipped cream, strawberries, some sugar and a little lemon zest and vanilla extract for a flavor boost — that's all you need for this fool, an easy summer dessert.

Stuck without a dessert? Strawberry fool to the rescue

July 1, 2019 at 3:11 p.m.

Bananas are berries. This dire news comes direct from the internet, at the far end of a night of berry-soaked revelry. For those college students following along, please note that...

A balsamic syrup, made by cooking down vinegar, helps tame the bite of mustard greens. (Food styling by Joan Moravek.)

How to tame mustard greens to sweet and spicy perfection

June 1, 2019 at 6:50 a.m.

Our farmer girl leaves early and comes home dirty. She brings back the spare clump of radishes, the stray gourd and bulging bags of mustard greens. A slight, dirt-streaked Santa,...

Genius watermelon cubes chill drinks without diluting

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Ice is genius. The cube is genius. The ice cube is genius times two to the third. No doubt a large number. And yet, the ice enthusiast maintains aspirations. Like...

For a light summery lunch or simple appetizer, grill up some rustic bread, slather it with garlic-oil doused ricotta and top with grilled zucchini ribbons.

Start your cookout with simple grilled zucchini over ricotta-smeared bruschetta

June 4, 2018 at 12:48 p.m.

"Adulting" can be pronounced two ways: with dripping sarcasm or bristling scorn. After all, adult is best unadulterated. Either you can hoist a credit score, fix a flat and fold...

Get into ‘Twin Peaks’ return with sweet cherry pie agent Cooper would love

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Remember "Twin Peaks"? Remember how the surreal murder mystery was populated with surreal characters: the woman who lugged a log, the dwarf dressed in red, the special agent who tape...

Fresh lemon juice and plenty of zest flavor a semifreddo served with a summer berry compote. (Food styling by Mark Graham.)

What’s the difference between semifreddo and ice cream? Does it matter?

June 4, 2018 at 4:37 p.m.

Semifreddo means semi-frozen. In a good way. A cream-and-custard-packed-in-a-pan-and-stashed-in-the-freezer way. It doesn't freeze hard, like ice, it freezes soft, like ice cream. Raising questions. For instance: If semifreddo is frozen...

Modern pasta carbonara, with the egg cooked sous vide for an hour, still has the other elements of the classic dish: cheese and pancetta. (Food styling by Mark Graham.)

Sous vide atheist converts with a heavenly silky carbonara

June 4, 2018 at 6:25 p.m.

Sous vide, in the grip of an online translator, comes out "under empty." Who craves a cooking contraption that promises less than zero? Not me. I snubbed sous vide. Vacuum-sealing...

Mushrooms reach pinnacle browned in butter, spiked with sherry, cradled in crust

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Raw is a brilliant state for lettuce, for talent, for truth. Not so much for mushroom. Uncooked, the mushroom is edible, but barely. It offers a spongy bite of bland....

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