Latest news with #Blechman
Time Out
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Photograph: Courtesy Miss Ada
Tomer Blechman didn't set out to become a chef. Moving to San Francisco from Tel Aviv back in 2005, his intentions were of a holistic nature, looking for a career in acupuncture and massage. But once those didn't pan out, he decided to take his calling for healing in a different route, starting with what we eat. The aspiring chef sharpened his knives at Bar Bolonat and Gramercy Tavern before debuting with Miss Ada in 2017. Back in 2018, we praised the Fort Greene eatery for its "verdant platter of herb-dyed green falafel as crisp on the outside as it is tender on the inside." As for the hummus masabaha with a crown of lamb shawarma, we said it was "nothing short of a religious experience, especially when paired alongside their fluffy pita for scraping the plate clean." Years later, we still sing the same praises, with verses dedicated to the late-night skewers such as the Kofte Kebab that spills out with pine nuts, lashed with a zippy habanero relish. AM specials follow suite in their greatness, like the flaky Malawach and the challah French Toast drizzled with dollops of an airy labne mousse that begs to be licked clean. The vibe: Miss Ada is a cozy find with pinewood banquettes and round bulbs that glow over the marble bar. The back of the space houses a community table, made to encourage conversation over plates of pillowy pita. The food: Blechman roots around the Middle East with all manner of mezze and dips and skewers, plus brunch specials that range from massive Bourekas and a warming Chocolate Babka. The drinks: The drinks call out to Israel, most evident in the Dead Sea cocktail with a blend of guava, mezcal and mint and the arak-forward Thyme After Thyme, balanced with gin, egg, and, naturally, thyme.
Eater
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Wood-Fired Fish Makes Theodora One of the Hottest Reservations in Brooklyn
Open fire is at the heart of one-year-old Theodora, a Brooklyn restaurant where the showmanship of cooking over a live fire and Mediterranean dishes with smoke-filled flavor draw in hopeful diners that wait in line for the chance to sample owner and executive chef Tomer Blechman's menu. 'There's so much we can achieve with caramelization and umami, and the creation of what it makes is amazing,' he says. Related Theodora, the New Restaurant from Miss Ada, Opens in Fort Greene The menu itself is split into five sections: crudo, breads from sister bakery Thea, wood-fired vegetables, and mains like chicken and dry-aged fish cooked on the grill and in a high-heat oven. Prep begins with marinating a spatchcocked chicken that stands out on the fish-heavy menu. The chicken sits in a marinade of lemons, olive oil, Serrano peppers, thyme, and rosemary for three days, instilling a deep flavor. The chefs cook lima beans overnight in a sealed oven with two burning logs of woods and then combine them with chicken broth to make the perfect accompaniment for the grilled chicken. Jumping over to the bakery, only two doors down, Blechman checks in on the sourdough that is used for his ever-popular brown butter toast with whipped ricotta. Dry-aged fish turns into crispy roasted branzino and red snapper ceviche with grilled pineapple, basil, and a lime vinaigrette. The entirety of fish are used throughout the restaurant, with the gelatin from cooked down fish heads turned into a creamy sauce and dried out fish bones combining with dry seaweed to make a slowly simmered dashi broth. As the line begins to fill up outside, Blechman prepares a Moroccan fish stew with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and the more untraditional ingredient of gochujang (Korean red chili paste). Everyone gets amped up for service as the fish stew is finished with a quickly seared tilefish that is placed on the slow-cooked vegetables and topped off with toasted cassava flour. More mains fly out of the oven: butterflied trout covered in harissa and chermoula, bone-in branzino that is dry-aged for four days with rosemary, and the slow-roasted chicken tossed with charred carrots in an anchovy sauce. 'When guests come here, I think that our hope is just like for them to really be together, enjoying their company of each other, enjoying the food, exploring their palates,' Blechman says. Watch the latest episode of Mise en Place to see how Blechman and his team thoughtfully prep every incredible sauce, dry-aged piece of fish, and fresh slice of sourdough at one of the hottest restaurants in Brooklyn. The freshest news from the food world every day
Fox News
21-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
5 excellent protein sources that aren't meat, according to nutritionists
Whether you're a Catholic abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent or are a vegan or vegetarian hoping to boost your protein intake, you can still eat a wide variety of protein-rich foods. Wherever you fall on the eating spectrum, nutrition experts agree it's a good idea to cut back on red and processed meats. "The majority of nutrition research consistently shows that high intakes of red and processed meats are detrimental to cardiometabolic health, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes," Stephanie Wells, a registered dietitian and owner of Thyme to Go Vegan Nutrition Services in Dallas, Texas, told Fox News Digital. Processed meat is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, meaning it increases the risk for certain types of cancer. "In light of these health risks, many people have been trying to eat less meat and are opting for more plant-based protein sources," Wells said. Fox News Digital spoke with some dietitians who revealed the best non-meat protein sources to add to your diet. Wells of Dallas is a big fan of this product made from fermented soybeans with a whopping 34 grams of protein per cup. "It's an excellent source of iron, calcium and magnesium, all of which are made more bioavailable thanks to the fermentation process," she said. Tempeh is also rich in fiber and antioxidants, promoting heart and gut health and reducing inflammation, she noted. You'll want to marinate or season tempeh to give it more flavor, she added. Firm tofu provides nine grams of protein per serving, or about 23 grams in half a block, Wells said. "It's also one of the best plant-based sources of calcium, as long as the tofu is calcium-set," Wells said. "You should see calcium sulfate in the ingredients list." Tofu contains iron and magnesium, which are essential for oxygen transport and muscle function, Wells said. Another bonus is that tofu is rich in isoflavones, which are antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation and support heart health, she said. As with tempeh, make sure to marinate or season tofu to make it more palatable. "Dairy foods are a non-meat protein source that, because they're still an animal product, provide high-quality, complete protein," Amanda Blechman, director of nutrition and scientific affairs at Danone North America in New York, told Fox News Digital. These foods deliver adequate amounts of all nine of the essential amino acids – or protein building blocks – that our bodies need but can't make on their own, Blechman said. Greek yogurt is an affordable protein source, which is especially important to many consumers these days, and a good way to add calcium and vitamin D, Blechman said. Calcium and vitamin D, together with protein, help promote bone and muscle health, she said, and are considered nutrients of public health concern because most Americans aren't getting enough of them. Beans, Blechman said, are a nutritious source of plant-based protein. A cup of black beans, for example, boasts 14 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber, "which is important for digestive health and overall wellness," she said. Other nutrients in black beans include around 25% of the recommended daily amount of iron, which is essential for cellular functioning and to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of your body. Black beans, chickpeas and lentils offer 7–9 grams of protein per ½-cup serving, Wells said. For more Lifestyle articles, visit Beans help regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day and fight chronic inflammation, she added. Some of Blechman's favorite ways to add beans to her day are to swap kidney beans for meat in chili or black beans for meat in tacos or lasagna, throw a handful of chickpeas on top of salad and make a mashed chickpea salad with yogurt and avocado to enjoy on a sandwich made with whole wheat or sourdough bread. Nuts and seeds are another way to get plant-based protein, Blechman said. "The amount of protein and other nutrients varies based on the type of nut, but as an example, one ounce of almonds, which is about a fourth of a cup, has around six grams of protein on top of being a good source of other important nutrients like fiber, magnesium and vitamin E," Blechman said. Make your own trail mix with your favorite nuts and nutrient-dense seeds like pumpkin, chia, flax or sunflower seeds. Or enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as "two tablespoons of peanut butter has around seven grams of protein," she said.
