On New Year’s
Eve 2004, friends who belong to the DUMBO Neighborhood Association
got together for a potluck dinner. The eclectic dishes they contributed
gave way to an idea: "Why," one wondered, "shouldn’t
we compile our recipes and turn them into a cookbook?" They
planned to use the proceeds of the books’ sales to beautify their
community, as well as fund their ongoing project of having the
DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) neighborhood
designated as a historic district.
Several of the members sent out fliers and e-mails to DUMBO residents,
as well as nearby communities and local restaurants, and an article
was written by GO Brooklyn, asking for recipe submissions. The
result is "DUMBO Cooks" (Morris Press Cookbooks, 2005),
an attractive, three-ring, hard-cover book with 80 recipes, most
developed by home cooks with a few from chefs.
As you’d imagine from a community that blends artists with business
types who can afford Walentas-style mortgages, "DUMBO Cooks"
is no "ladies auxiliary" cookbook. Instead, it appears
that plenty of experimental foodies with seasoned palates call
DUMBO home.
In the "Main Dishes" chapter, Sonali Mody offers a
chicken curry that is easy to assemble and takes only 10 to 15
minutes to simmer on the stove top. This writer can recommend
Elizabeth Kelly’s "Moroccan stew," a heady mix of vegetables
and chickpeas, fragrant with ginger and coriander. If you can’t
pick up a book like this without pining for homey, grandma’s
kitchen dishes, there are a few of those, too.
Bubby’s, Five Front, and several other area restaurants, as well
as local bakery, Sensational Sweets, added recipes. Five Front
chef Paul Vicino contributed his "cumin-dusted scallops,"
while Water Street Restaurant chef Reggie Taylor shared his "tropical
salmon satay with curried pina colada glaze."
Sections on cooking tips, definitions of spices, a measurement
chart, and helpful hints for making fail-proof soups and salads,
breads and rolls, main courses and desserts can be found in the
back pages.
To order "DUMBO Cooks," send a $12 check (made payable
to the DUMBO Neighborhood Association) to: DUMBO Neighborhood
Association, 30 Main St., Apt. 2A, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Three
local businesses which have the book in stock include: Almondine
bakery [85 Water St. at Main Street, (718) 797-5026]; Half Pint
children’s boutique [55 Washington St. at Water Street, (718)
875-4007]; and Halcyon music shop [57 Pearl St. between Water
and Front streets, (718) 260-9299].
For more information, e-mail Marisa Farina, DNA’s treasurer,
at Marisa@dumbo-dna.org.
THE DISH ON DUMBO
