Food Notes: 1/14

Bloody potatoes, borscht, halal carts, citrus season, and more.

One of the things about midwinter I look forward to is the arrival of citrus season when all our favorite citrusy fruits are available. I have come to love a good Sicilian Citrus salad, but there’s nothing quite like mixing a bunch of sliced citrus together in a bowl and being done with it.

When I start seeing fresh-looking Pomelos showing up in the grocery store, I know the season has arrived. The hefty fruits aren’t cheap, but the price falls as more are harvested.

I like to include red and yellow grapefruit, blood oranges, and Cara Cara oranges in the salad mix. I thinks its important to include a mix of sweet and bitter citrus, otherwise the whole thing becomes too much of a one-note dish. Another part of the appeal is the combination of shades of fruit. It’s a pretty dish, and works great in a glass bowl.

I supreme the fruit— that’s a difficult cut where the peel is sliced off and then the membranes are sliced off the sides of the individual pieces of fruit. Sharp knives and careful cuts are essential. When I feel really ambitious, I’ll even include a mandarin or similar varietal, but they are so tiny I often give up after one or two.

There’s no need to dress the salad, but if you’re feeling adventurous, I suppose some olive oil couldn’t hurt. I usually just squeeze the juice from the pulpy remains of the fruit, and the juice provides plenty of “dressing.” It’s a great side dish for dinner, especially with anything fried like chicken cutlet, or save the leftovers for breakfast.

The Latest

Borscht is Best

Jason Diamond writing at Food & Wine waxes poetically about his favorite borschts. Some are thin, some are thick, some sweet, some spicy. Anyway, now I really regret not having made borscht last week when I said to my wife, “we should make borscht this week.” (It’s also possible I merely thought to myself that we should make borscht while in the local C-Town, and forgot to relay this critical information to her). Perhaps this is a good project for next week when the continental US is inundated with frigid Siberian air.

High Cost Halal Carts

Progressive NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani Tweeted about the spiraling costs of Halal cart chicken. The platters of rice topped with chicken, vegetables, and white sauce are as iconic as pizza parlors, hot dog and papaya juice stands, and bagel shops. Halal (and Halal-style, as in, similar to but not necessarily meeting the standards of Halal) have grown pretty popular in recent years with more famous spots like The Halal Guys having long lines at all hours of the day. One of the contributing factors is of course the NYC vendor permits that can cost $20,000 a year. Apparently, offering Eric Adams extra chicken isn’t enough to get him to look the other way on those fees.

The invention of Bloody Potatoes

José R. Ralat looks at how a new dish known as Bloody Potatoes was invented by accident, and became a hit. Only time will tell if Bloody Potatoes has the staying power of popsicles and nachos, the two other examples Ralat discusses.

Where To Eat When You’re On a Date

I’m writing a new column over at Unattached, a still-in-development web magazine. The publication is focused on dating and dating advice, but my column is date night restaurant recommendations from an old married man. In the first two articles I’ve recommended C Di Palo and Fish Market.

Turnip Latkes

Over the New Year break, we made some turnip latkes. I posted a recipe for anyone who wants to follow along. We had access to the extra, most special Eastham turnips, but I assume you could use regular turnips too.

Girl Scout Cookie Season

The season for Girl Scout cookies is upon us. The Girl Scouts announced that they are retiring Toast-Yay! and S’mores flavored cookies after this year. My girl scout cookie mains are Thin Mints and Tagalongs. Not everyone called them tagalongs, which I’ve always found weird.

More About Citrus Season

Food & Wine has a rundown of Pomelos and Yuzu, and explains why oranges weren’t always orange. Flavoring provider Monin has declared Yuzu the flavor of the year. The Florida orange is endangered. Citrus actually is good for your health, and there’s hope for people on medication that prevents them from eating grapefruits.

Boston’s Best Italian

Boston Magazine takes a look at the best restaurants in the North End, the Little Italy of Boston.

Recalls of the Week

Taquitos, chicken broth, sausages, and ice cream