Where I’m eating
Every time I’m in Miami I make a point of visiting Little Havana but this time I decided it was time to switch things up and check out Little Haiti. Admittedly, I don’t know much about Haitian food. I know it’s an island in the Caribbean that shares land with the Dominican Republic. But I did some research and found out some cool things like the fact that apparently barbecue originated there! This Wikipedia article gets into it and it’s super fascinating. Haitian food has been shaped by colonization and is influenced by many cultures: African, French and Spanish to name a few.
There were a ton of Haitian restaurants to choose from but I ended up checking at Piman Bouk where I had an incredible, memorable meal. I ordered the stewed oxtail which was delicious: tender, shreddy meat that still had a little bite to it and of course, plenty of collagen which is one of my favorite textures of all time - gelatinous and bouncy. The meal came with rice & beans which I promptly dunked into the stewy oxtail, smashed and fried plantains (Bannann peze, also referred to as “tostones” in some cultures) and pikliz: a very spicy pickled cabbage dressing.
On my way out, I passed by We Pâté Different and while I don’t really have any point of reference or comparison, I’m pretty confident this Haitian patty - baked to order with handmade pastry dough and plenty of filling - is top of the line. Obviously I’m aware that French colonization shaped the food and language of Haiti but I was surprised to see “patty” spelled “pâté” which I’ve always understood to be a creamy dip made from chicken or duck liver. However, get this: the French word pâté actually refers to a meat stuffing cooked in dough. So it all makes perfect sense!
Chef the Rose and her husband started selling Haitian patties during covid and have since expanded due to demand which makes me so happy.
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Piman Bouk: 5921 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137
Pâté Bar: 5825 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137 - @wepatedifferent
What I’m cooking
I am currently finding a lot of joy in making (what I consider to be) a perfect breakfast. Now, to be clear, what constitutes a perfect breakfast is extremely subjective and highly personal. I, for one, have never been one to want a sweet breakfast. I’m a fan of the table pancake (aka getting an order of pancakes or waffles for the table to share) but under no circumstance would I commit to something sweet as my primary dish.
Breakfast is also the single meal Americans budge the least on. Lunch can be anything - you can get sushi, you can have soup, a sandwich…anything is acceptable for lunch and dinner is even more wide-spanning. But the American view of breakfast is surprisingly rigid. I mean, think about it: there’s a limited selection of breakfast-appropriate foods and veering outside of them is considered “weird” by many (a problematic word/statement but just hear me out…I’m not done yet). Breakfast in my Russian/Ukrainian-Jewish household would be considered “weird” by most Americans. I mean, most weekdays when I was growing up, breakfast was cereal or something else equally quick and easy because both my parents worked but for my purposes here let’s consider a typical weekend breakfast meal. We always had some kind of salad: usually a tomato/cucumber/onion/radish situation either dressed with olive oil and salt or sometimes sour cream (aka Ukrainian summer salad). There were usually boiled red potatoes with garlic and dill, a selection of smoked fish (and no, I’m not talking lox but more like smoked butterfish or smoked mackerel and/or pickled herring with onions) and of course, black bread. It’s a breakfast that hits all the notes yet for some reason the concept of eating pickled herring and salad for breakfast is off-putting to some - go figure.
That’s one version of a perfect breakfast. Dim sum is also a perfect breakfast. Noodles are also a perfect breakfast. The “perfect breakfast” is both regional and situational and right now my situation calls for a highly traditional American breakfast. I have been making some version of eggs, bacon and toast almost every morning and I am in love. I know, I know - all that poetic breakfast talk just to tell you guys I’m eating bacon and eggs?? A little crazy but I’m having a serious “back to the basics'' moment in life dedicated to appreciating the simple things and this iconic breakfast fits that vibe. It’s just really good bacon (I love the Niman Ranch double smoked uncured bacon and Nature’s Rancher no sugar added hickory smoked uncured bacon), scrambled eggs, some sliced avocado with olive oil and Maldon salt, and toast with plenty of Kerrygold butter (and sometimes a drizzle of honey). So simple, so delicious. A perfect breakfast.
What I’m drinking
I’m currently super into the 2020 Alpamanta 'Breva' Pet Nat Criolla.
This funky, fizzy Argentinian red wine tastes like sour cherries and is super bold but also refreshing and chuggable. I get mine from my local shop, Leisir, but you know the drill: google and find some near you. A quick warning, though: when I opened the wine it nearly exploded (like if you were to shake up some soda or kombucha before opening). I didn’t shake the bottle but some effervescent wines are just so intensely fizzy that this happens! Apparently I’m not the only one who had this experience with this bottle. My advice? Just have some glasses ready and start pouring right away! Oh, and this might be obvious but I will reiterate anyways: serve chilled.
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/alpamanta+brava+pet+nat+criolla+mendoza+argentina/2020/usa-ny-y
Oxtail stew is delicious. I haven't had the Haitian version, though. I've had West African versions.