HONORING BLACK LIVES MATTER MONTH
AND SOUL FOOD MONTH

By Great Performances

As we honor both Black Lives Matter Month and Soul Food Month, it is important to acknowledge the significant contributions of Black chefs and restaurant owners to the culinary world. From traditional Southern dishes to unique and creative fusion cuisine, Black chefs and restaurant owners have brought immense talent and creativity to the industry. We are honored to partner with Black chefs and restaurant owners who have made an impact on the culinary scene, both locally and nationally.

Join us as we celebrate their achievements, cultural heritage, and culinary mastery this month and every month.

Recent and Ongoing Collaborations Include:

JUNE FOOD FESTIVAL:
BERRY JAM

Our 2023 calendar theme, Preservation, is an ode to the art of preserving the harvest as well as a salute to the self-preservation of body and spirit. These have been challenging years! It’s fair to say we have been pickled and fermented, but that life goes on. It is the celebratory moments and the opportunities to come together that we relish.

This month, we’re celebrating with a Berry Jam recipe brought to you by Pastry Chef, Albert Bello.

Capture the best flavors of summer with this triple berry jam. You can use almost any combination of berries – and we encourage you to get creative! The jam is delicious on toast or pancakes, is perfect on ice cream, and can make a delicious sauce. We even love it in a cocktail.

Berry Jam Recipe

by Albert Bello, Pastry Chef

Yield: about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

  • 100g raspberries
  • 50g blackberries
  • 50g blueberries
  • 130g sugar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt

PROCEDURE

  1. Crush the berries and macerate with lemon juice, sugar, and salt.
  2. Add berry mixture to heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and jammy. Test for doneness by running a heatproof rubber or silicone spatula along the bottom of the pan. If the space fills in quickly, continue cooking until the space fills in slowly.
  3. Jar, cool, and put aside for future use or give away as a gift!

More Food Festival Recipes

New Cameron Bakery

Cameron Bakery bakes fresh breads and pastries for Manhattan Chinatown locals and visitors alike for over 20 years, recently undergoing new management! We pride ourselves in our traditional bakes but are always innovating new things!

So whether it be a simple breakfast or special occasion we would love to be apart of your day!

Featured items provided by New Cameron Bakery
on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023:

Tiger Roll Cake
Matcha Roll Cake
Strawberry Roll Cake

Featured items provided by New Cameron Bakery
in celebration of the Lunar New Year 2023:

"Gok Zai" Chinese Peanut Hand Pies
and Sesame Balls

Photos courtesy of New Cameron Bakery

New Cameron Bakery

242 Canal St, New York, NY 10013

www.newcameronbakery.com

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Pinklady Cheese Tart

Established during the summer of 2020, amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 global pandemic, a cozy shop in New York Chinatown, called Pinklady, is the latest home for the irresistible ooze of sweet molten cheese in Japanese Cheese Tarts, which has been spreading around the globe. Founder Jean Lim grew up in Malaysia, where shops selling individual Japanese cheese tarts had been very popular with her friends and family for years. It was only in 2019, on a trip home from New York City, that she tasted one for the first time. “It was okay,” she said, “but it could have been cheesier.” The attraction of these cheese tarts is that eaten fresh out of the oven, their creamy middles offer an alluring molten melt of cheese, making them an instant Instagram darling.

Lim had moved to New York for a Master degree several years previously but realized that wasn’t the path for her. She had always imagined running a business. Armed with 5QT Kitchenaid mixer and an oven at home, Lim started testing her recipes for 6 months. Neighbors, friends and family all agreed that the cheese tarts were delicious before Lim she took a giant leap in 2020 and opened the petite Pinklady. “Life is short,” says Lim, “you have to go for your dream.”

Lim’s version of Japanese cheese tarts is she says, “less sweet, fluffier, easy to eat, and not heavy.” All 200-300 a day are made in the tiny kitchen at the back of Pinklady. Lim started with the original cheese flavor, which is still the most popular, adding 7 more options in a range of natural flavors and hues, (green matcha, purple ube, cocoa chocolate, silvery black sesame, original with blueberry filling, fruit flavors such as lemon and pink strawberry). The name Pinklady came to her in a dream.

Featured Treats provided by Pinklady Cheese Tart
on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023:

Matcha Green Tea Cheese Tart
Black Sesame Cheese Tart
Ube Cheese Tart

Photos courtesy of Pinklady Cheese Tart

Pinklady Cheese Tart

11 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013

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MAY FOOD FESTIVAL:
RHUBARB CHUTNEY

Our 2023 calendar theme, Preservation, is an ode to the art of preserving the harvest as well as a salute to the self-preservation of body and spirit. These have been challenging years! It’s fair to say we have been pickled and fermented, but that life goes on. It is the celebratory moments and the opportunities to come together that we relish.

This month, we’re celebrating with a Rhubarb Chutney recipe by Chef Andrew Smith.

This tangy-sweet Rhubarb Chutney is a versatile and lively garnish. It pairs perfectly with grilled pork chops or served alongside ham.

Rhubarb Chutney Recipe

by Andrew Smith, Culinary Director

Yield: about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups medium diced rhubarb
  • 1 cup medium diced red onion
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp finely diced fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup raisins
    1 tsp five spice powder
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • Salt to taste

PROCEDURE

  1. In a thick-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, sweat onions, garlic, and ginger till they become translucent.
  2. Mix in the rhubarb, raisins, and five spice powder. Then stir in water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
  3. Reduce to low heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes till mixture begins to thicken, occasionally stirring. Remove from heat and chill overnight.

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Damascus Sweets

Damascus Sweets first opened its doors in early 2020. This small Bronx bakery located in Little Yemen has become a favorite to many locals in the greater Bronx area.

Damascus Sweets specializes in Middle Eastern treats like baklava, kunafa, and much more. We are very excited to bring their delightful treats to you.

Featured Treat provided by Damascus Sweets
on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023:

Kafaiti & Baklava

Photos courtesy of Damascus Sweets

Damascus Sweets

677 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY

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Librae Bakery

Librae Bakery is a labor of love from every corner to every layer of croissant.

Located at 35 Cooper Sq in the East Village, Librae is a Third Culture Bakery influenced by flavors from the Middle East using fermentation techniques from Copenhagen.

We take pride in being the first ever Bahraini female owned bakery in one of the most energizing cities in the world.

Featured Treat provided by Librae Bakery
on Wednesday, April 5th, 2023:

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Librae Bakery

35 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003

www.libraebakery.com

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Lilly's Baking Company

Since 1943, our Brooklyn bakery has crafted authentic natural baked goods. From a small kitchen in Brooklyn to the leading baker of babkas, cookies, cakes and breads sold through in-store bakeries, we continue to handcraft the best small batch, artisanal baked goods around.

In 2005, Lilly’s Baking Co. was born. The owner wanted to produce a separate line of natural products that were truly authentic. Lilly’s was created to primarily service the natural market with its tasty Brooklyn treats.

Featured Treats provided by Lilly's Baking Company
on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023:

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Lilly’s Baking Company

Mott Haven, Bronx

www.lillysbakingco.com

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Chocobar Cortés

Mott Haven (Bronx) Location

A FAMILY COMPANY
Chocolate Cortés is a 4th generation, family-owned, Caribbean, bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturing company. Originally established in the Dominican Republic in 1929 by Don Pedro Cortés Forteza, his pioneer spirit promptly moved him to export, and subsequently begin production of Cortés products from his native Puerto Rico; thus paving the way to fulfill his vision of developing Caribbean grown cacao to its fullest potential. Known for its rich and delicious hot chocolate, Chocolate Cortés quickly became a favorite of Puerto Rican and Dominican households to this very day.

The original Chocobar Cortés location, which opened in Old San Juan in 2013, often tops review and travel websites.  In the Dominican Republic, Cortés has cocoa plantations and a popular brand, Embajador, that uses the Cortés logo. A visitor center, with a cafe led by Ricardo de Obaldía, the chef of the Chocobar in San Juan, opened in September at a Cortés factory in Santo Domingo.

The Bronx restaurant, modeled after the San Juan location, continues the company’s tradition of using chocolate in varied and often surprising ways.

Featured Treat provided by the Cortés family
on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023:

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Photos courtesy of Chocobar Cortés

Chocobar Cortés

Mott Haven, Bronx

www.chocobarcortes.com

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Branch Patty

The Branch Family

Established in 2013, Branch Patty is a family owned business focused on the art of making Jamaican-style patties. As a Caribbean child, Samuel Branch grew up with a love of patties. He perfected his recipes and technique through his skill and perseverance as a professional chef. Branch Patty was re-launched in 2017 with his wife Lisa. Together they emphasize serving with kindness and integrity as primary ingredients. They don’t believe in serving anything they wouldn’t serve their own children! Branch patties are produced by hand in small batches. We look forward to serving you the “Branch Patty Experience.”

Our Core Values

We believe in using real foods & not cutting corners. We love creating Caribbean flavors that make you feel good.

We source with integrity to get the best ingredients from farms and suppliers that are committed to the same values as we are.

We practice sustainability because we know these decisions will change the world and affect our children’s children.

We firmly believe in supporting other small businesses & our local community.

We love our customers and will feed them with the same respect we feed our own family.

We believe in paying it forward & donating as much as possible.

Our culinary ambassador, Georgette Farkas, interviews Chef Samuel Branch about his culinary career and family-owned company Branch Patty. Read more about it here.

Featured Patty provided by The Branch Family
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Sweet Potato and Lentil with Beet Crust

Featured Patty provided by The Branch Family
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Seasonal Greens Patty:
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Featured Patty provided by The Branch Family
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Branch Patty

43-46 10th Street, Queens, NY 11101

www.branchpatty.com

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