BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO One Astoria writer is taking readers on a delicious trip around the borough with her new book. Andrea Lynn launched her fourth cookbook called “Queens: A Culinary Passport” on Sept. 30, providing a guide to the most diverse borough and the variety of ethnic cuisines it has to offer. Lynn, who grew up in Alabama and moved to Astoria seven years ago, attended culinary school in New York City and worked as a personal chef. “Brooklyn gets a lot of hype, Manhattan gets a lot of hype, and it seems like Queens as a whole doesn’t get the same appreciation,” said Lynn, who is now a freelance food writer. “I decided why not try to do a book about it. I was trying to think of things that would let people explore things like I do.” In the 214-page, fully-illustrated book, Lynn offers a guide to more than 40 restaurants and food stands, chef and restaurant profiles, interviews with establishment owners, and recipes, which Lynn said would help readers bring ethnic dishes home. “I realized the more you start exploring, the more you find and it seems almost endless,” Lynn said. “I feel like the book scratches the surface. It’s a good guide to Queens but there is so much beyond it.” The book also features ethnic grocery stores, fish markets, delis and more. It also includes “easy-to-follow” subway directions and neighborhood walking tours. “The common excuse from outside people is that Queens is so far away,” Lynn said. “All the excuses that people make, the book troubleshoots the excuses. I tried to make it as accessible as possible.” She said the hardest part of compiling the book was trying to fit everything because the Photo by Mark Bennington borough has a lot to offer. “You can’t get everything represented. There’s so much,” she said. She also added that after finishing this guide, she hopes other people will also begin to work on food guides to specific neighborhoods in the borough. “I hope the readers will use the book to explore Queens or even to just start making more ethnic dishes at home,” Lynn said. “Or even start learning how diverse the borough really is.” “Queens: A Culinary Passport” is available on Amazon and bookstores, including the Astoria Bookshop, located at 31-29 31st St. Lynn will be having a book signing at the Jackson Heights Fall Festival on Oct. 19 at 34th Avenue and 78th Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. QUEENS Grilled or Broiled Octopus Recipe courtesy of Queens: A Culinary Passport by Andrea Lynn. Yield: 4 appetizer servings This appetizer is adapted from the dish at Gregory’s 26 Corner Taverna in Astoria. To bulk it up into a meal, double the recipe and add an order of oven-roasted beets or sautéed dandelion greens, two sides served at the restaurant. 1 (4- to 5-pound) octopus, cleaned 4 to 5 garlic cloves 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 lemon, halved 3½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large tomatoes, sliced 2 large cucumbers, peeled (optional) and sliced ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar, as needed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed Using either a knife or kitchen shears, remove each tentacle from the octopus head. Discard the head, and cut the tentacles into a few pieces. Add octopus to a large Dutch oven or a heavy-duty large pot, and cover with water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, and reduce to medium-low to low heat so liquid is simmering. Let octopus cook for 2 to 3 hours until very tender. (To check, I recommend removing an octopus tentacle and cutting it with a knife to see if it’s tender.) Remove octopus tentacles from liquid, transfer to a container, and drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over it. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, in a large bowl, add tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. Drizzle with vinegar, remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to combine. Cut octopus tentacles into pieces. Grill until slightly charred, just a few minutes per side. If you don’t have a grill, don’t worry. Warm a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat with ½ tablespoon olive oil and sauté until octopus is warmed and slightly charred, a few minutes per side. Divide salad between the plates and top with octopus. Serve. Photo by Janis Turk The Grilled Octopus appetizer at Gregory’s 26 Corner Taverna
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