Signature Tastes of Manhattan: Favorite Recipes of our Local Restaurants

Do you remember enjoying a meal at that famous restaurant, and wishing you could get the recipe? Or visiting a city and eating at that cute little café that everyone raved about? Well now, you literally have your cake and eat it too. Or at least the recipe for the cake.Signature Tastes of Manhattan captures the recipes that define The Big Apple. From the Four Seasons famous desserts, to the Chocolate Bread Pudding at Gramercy Tavern, these are the restaurants, recipes and pictures that define the culinary tastes of Manhattan.Truffled Macaroni & CheeseSmith & Wollensky2 Tbsp garlic, chopped½ cup shallots, chopped3 Tbsp butter, divided1 cup white wine1 cup heavy cream ½ tsp black pepper, ground1 tsp chicken bouillon 1 cup half & half 2 Tbsp flour¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated¼ cup provolone cheese, grated¼ cup Monterey jack cheese, grated¹/³ cup cheddar cheese, grated2 Tbsp truffle oil¹/³ lb. elbow macaroni, cooked al denteTo taste salt1. Sweat garlic and shallots in 2 Tbsp of butter until translucent. 2. Add white wine and reduce by half.3. Add in heavy cream, black pepper, chicken bouillon and half & half.4. Bring to simmer.5. In a small saucepan, create a roux by melting the remaining tablespoon of butter then whisking in flour.6. Whisk continually until light blonde.7. Whisk roux into simmering mixture to thicken.8. Simmer for 10 minutes.9. Add all cheeses and truffle oil.10.Blend mixture in blender covered with kitchen towel. Be careful—hot mixtures expand when blended!11.Return to saucepan and bring to simmer.12. Add in cooked pasta.13.Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.14.Allow to cool.Topping¼ cup Panko bread crumbs 2 Tbsp truffle oil2 Tbsp butter, meltedTo taste saltTo taste black pepper, ground1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.2. The resulting bread crumb mixture should have a moist appearance and texture.Preparation1. Divide macaroni and cheese mixture evenly into three 8 oz. casserole dishes. 2. Divide topping between the three dishes. 3. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. 4. Serve immediately

Steven W. Siler is a firefighter-cum-chef serving both in the Deep South and the Pacific Northwest. He is the best-selling author of the Signature Tastes cookbook series. Long marinated in the epicurean heritage of the Deep South, Steven has spent over 20 years in the much-vaulted restaurant industry from BOH to FOH to chef. In addition, he has served as an editor and contributing writer for several food publications. When not trying to shove food down his fellow firefighters’ gullets, he enjoys sailing and sampling the finest of scotches and wines, and has an irrational love affair with opera.