THE FAMILY MEAL
The Family Meal
Gather ’round the table and serve up one of Greensboro’s global chefs’ favorite dishes
By Cassie Bustamante • Photographs by Amy Freeman
In the spirit of celebratory feasts, we asked four local chefs — whose roots lie elsewhere around the world — to share a dish that’s a favorite around their own family tables. With so much to be grateful for in the Gate City, our bellies are especially thankful for the rich diversity of world-class hospitality and global fare available without having to travel far.
Jorge Castillo and daughter Jennifer, Embur Fire Fusion
“Food is a symphony,” says Embur chef-owner Jorge Castillo. “Everything that is in the dish, you have to put together in order to feel that.” Castillo, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America’s New York campus, originally hails from the Peruvian coast, where fresh seafood is abundant. “You ever sit with Peruvian people?” he asks. “They eat!” And much of what they eat is a Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine known as Nikkei. His youngest daughter, Jennifer, who is working with her father until she attends law school next year, notes that Peru is home to a large number of Japanese immigrants who have influenced the culture. This dish, homemade Peruvian Nikkei-style fish, is a blend of veggies — snow peas, zucchini, peppers, Napa cabbage and bean sprouts — paired with fish and rice. When the smell of Castillo’s homemade sweet-and-sour sauce bristling with fresh spices tickles her nose, Jennifer says, “Oh, there’s about to be a big ol’ feast here!”
Homemade Peruvian
Nikkei-Style Fish for Two
12-ounces white fish fillet
(Chef Jorge recommends grouper)
3/4–1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup green beans (cut into thirds)
1/2 cup snow peas
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups Napa cabbage, chopped into small pieces
1 handful of bean sprouts
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger, divided
1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
1 tablespoon oyster sauce, plus more for drizzling
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more for drizzling
1–1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon sweet and sour sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red chili flakes, to taste
1 cup any choice of cooked rice (white rice preferably), divided into two servings
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Once the water has started boiling, add the broccoli and cauliflower and cook for about two minutes. (If using green beans instead of snow peas, boil them now as well). Then remove the broccoli and cauliflower, place into an ice water bath and set aside. After a few minutes, drain the water. Cut the 12-ounce fish fillet into two pieces. Place in a bowl and add salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic. Drizzle equal parts of soy sauce and oyster sauce, and then add olive oil.
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the seasoned fish on the pan. Cook until lightly golden-brown on one side, about two minutes. Turn the fish over and repeat to the other side. Place the fish in a baking dish or keep in oven-safe pan.
In the preheated oven, bake the fish in the oven for about five minutes. (Time can vary depending on fish used, but the internal temperature should be 135 degrees Fahrenheit).
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat about 1–1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the bell peppers and snow peas (or prepared green beans if used). Sauté for 30–45 seconds and then add 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic.
Once the garlic is lightly golden, add the cauliflower, broccoli, Napa cabbage and bean sprouts to the pan with the bell peppers and snow peas/greens beans. Sauté for another minute.
Add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce to the vegetables and toss together.
Remove the pan from heat. Add sweet and sour sauce, sesame oil and red chili flakes. Toss and set aside.
Divide fish among two plates, top it with the vegetables and serve with choice of rice.
Ginah & Mike Soufia, Wallstreet Deli & Catering
“My sister-in-law, who is American, calls this purple chicken,” says Ginah Soufia. A first-generation Palestinian American, Gina has owned Wallstreet Deli & Catering for 26 years with her Palestinian-born husband, Mike. “The aroma . . . it takes me back to my childhood,” she says, recalling the scent of sizzling, sumac-infused onions and golden-toasted pine nuts that drifted through the modest three-bedroom home. The table was always loaded with food and family — three generations living under one roof. To this day, she believes in setting a longer table to make room for others. “The great thing about the Palestinian culture is our hospitality — it is unmatched.” Musakhan, the national dish of Palestine, is often prepared at home by Ginah, with Mike — “the baker” — making the flatbread, Taboon, which sops up the flavor. What tradition does she hope to pass on to her own three grown children? “I want my kids to know that no matter what, your family will be there for you,” she says. “No matter what, your family is your family.”
Musakhan
Without chicken:
8 large red onions, medium-chopped
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Chicken bouillon powder, to taste
1/3 cup good-quality sumac (a bright-red spice made from ground dried sumac berries), plus more for sprinkling
6 Taboon or plain naan bread pieces
Pine nuts, fried or roasted
With chicken (same as above, plus):
3 small chickens
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon seven spices
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons salt
Without chicken:
Heat olive oil over low heat. Add onions to pan and sauté. Keep mixing until the onions become soft, have a bright pink color to them and have released all their water.
Continue to mix and add bouillon powder and sumac.
Spread onion mixture on each piece of bread and sprinkle with pine nuts and a little more sumac. Repeat and layer as you go, creating a stack.
With chicken:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut each chicken into either two halves or four pieces. Pat dry with paper towel.
Mix the olive oil and spices in a small bowl then brush on chicken from all sides. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing room between each piece of chicken.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about one hour, then uncover and bake an additional 5–10 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden-brown.
Follow steps 1–3 from the vegetarian version above. Layer as many pieces of bread and onion mixture as you’d like, followed by a piece of chicken on top. For a single serving, one piece of bread topped with onions and one piece of chicken is recommended.
Joseph Ozbey, Cugino Forno
Born and raised in Turkey, Cugino Forno Pizzeria co-owner Joseph Ozbey has fond recollections of family meals centered around Lahmacun, aka Turkish pizza. “Every time I have this dish, it reminds me of our Sundays when I was a little kid.” Armed with the toppings his mother had prepared and some pocket change, Ozbey would go to the local baker, who would put the topping on crusts and bake. When Ozbey returned home with the fragrant, steaming Lahmacun, the table would be prepared — with salads, herbs, tomatoes, yogurt drinks — and the family would eat together. Soon, God willing, he will have a few of his own little ones sitting around the family table and he can share the rich history of his Turkish heritage. “Even a simple dish,” he says, “reminds you of your culture, reminds you of your roots.”
Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)
Makes six 10-inch pizzas
For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cane sugar
2 teaspoons dried instant yeast
1 2/3 cups water
For the topping:
1/3 cup small red bell pepper
1/2 cup onion
1/3 cup parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Turkish red pepper paste (can substitute tomato paste with a dash of hot sauce)
1/2 pound ground beef
For the crust:
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together.
Add the water and fold and mix until a ball of dough forms. Allow to rise for about one hour.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Cut the dough into six even pieces. Shape each piece by hand and then use a rolling pin to create a thin circular shape. (Add additional flour to the surface, to your hands and to the rolling pin when necessary.)
For the topping:
Fine-dice the red peppers and onion, mince the garlic and finely chop the parsley. Aim for tiny pieces of everything — the tinier, the better. Add the chopped and minced ingredients, the rest of the seasonings and the red pepper paste to the ground beef. Massage and mix with your hands for no less than five minutes,
Evenly spread the meat mixture on your prepared crusts. Bake for 20–25 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aurelio Ruiz and daughter Alondra Ruiz Fowler,
Kiosco Mexican Grill
“Every tamale is different,” says 25-year-old Alondra Ruiz Fowler, eldest daughter of Kiosco owner and chef Aurelio Ruiz. “Every family makes them differently.” Her own grandmother, who lived with them when Fowler was a child, still, to this day, insists on thoroughly mixing the masa dough by hand. “I am never fast enough to do it,” Fowler admits. As for the accompanying chili sauce, she says that Mexicans make their own by burning the chilis, releasing a come-hither-if-you-like-spicy aroma throughout the home. “The worse my throat hurts, the hotter it’s going to be,” she says with a laugh. This dish, a tradition at big get-togethers, is one that Fowler hopes to keep alive for future generations. As for the restaurant, her dad talks about one day passing that on, too. “But he’s a workaholic, so he’s going to be here until he can’t walk anymore!” Either way, Fowler says she can’t ever imagine the 35-year-old restaurant not being there. Just another part of the family legacy..
Tamales
Corn
1 pack of corn husks
Masa
1 cup manteca (lard)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt to taste
5-pounds “masa para tamales” (pre-packaged dough found at local Mexican markets)
1 cup of broth from cooked meat
Chicken
1 1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/2 white onion, peeled
2 1/2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chile Sauce
3 ancho chiles*
3 guajillo chiles*
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon manteca
2 1/2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*Remove chile seeds to tone down the spiciness
Directions:
Husks: Soak husks in a large bowl with hot water while cooking, ensuring they stay completely immersed for about 75 minutes. Dry thoroughly after soaking.
Chicken: Place chicken in a pot of water to boil. Add white onion, garlic, ground cumin, kosher salt, chicken bouillon and ground black pepper. Allow the pot to boil, then simmer for 75 minutes. Throughout this process, remove the foam that rises to the top of the pot. Once the chicken is cool, shred it all and place in a bowl, removing the bones. Reserve one cup of broth for Masa step. If using a different part of the chicken, shred and remove all the bones prior to assembling tamale.
Chile Sauce: In a pan, fry the chile and garlic in 2 tablespoons manteca for about three minutes. Once fried, add chiles to a pot of 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Allow the chiles to boil for about 10–15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove chiles plus a cup of the boiling water used and add to a blender. Add seasonings and blend until mixture reaches a paste consistency. Fry mixture in a pan with 1 teaspoon of manteca over medium heat. Add about 1 cup of water and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes until thick. Be careful not to burn the sauce during this step. Once thick, add to the bowl of shredded chicken and combine.
Masa: In a large, clean, open counter space, mix the manteca and baking powder together. Once mixed, add half of the amount of salt. As you are consistently kneading the mix, add your Masa. Do not add Masa all at once. Add it in parts. Continuously kneading the mixture, work in the one cup of chicken broth. Add remaining salt and mix. Taste Masa and add salt if needed at this step.
Assemble Tamales: Using a dry corn husk, spread about 3–4 tablespoons of the masa on the smooth part of the husk. You want to make about a 3 x 3 inch square that leaves about 1/2 of an inch at the bottom of the husk. Once your masa is spread on husk, put about 2–3 spoonfuls of the chicken and sauce mixture in the middle of the masa. Fold one long side of the corn husk, then fold the other long side over top. Finally, fold the bottom of the corn husk upward. You can secure the tamale by placing the folding side of the tamale downwards in the steaming pot in the next step or you can shred an unused corn husk into pieces to use as string, tying a knot over the tamale.
Cooking Tamales: Using a stockpot with water in it and a steamer on top, distribute the tamales evenly and upright. The water should be low enough where the steamer basket can be inserted without touching the water. You want to place your tamales in the steamer basket upright where the tamale is exposed. Once you have evenly spread the tamales in the steamer basket, cover the pot and let it steam on medium for about 75 to 90 minutes. Water may need to be added periodically, depending on the depth; always make sure it is not touching the steamer basket. Once you can see that the corn husks are easily removed, your tamales are fully cooked.
Serving: Remove the corn husk from cooked tamale and place on a plate. Garnish with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sour cream and a crumble of queso fresco. Take a bite and enjoy a delicious taste of a traditional Mexican meal!