Busy in Brooklyn – Modernizing traditional food, one dish at a time.

RED: Strawberry Sago!

On June 30, 2026

Strawberry Sago! the perfect recipe to kick off my Red, White, and Blue Series for July 4th! Over the next few posts, I’ll be sharing recipes inspired by each color of the American flag—celebrating summer with refreshing desserts that are as beautiful as they are delicious!

Last summer, I was fixated on creating a bowl of sago that was kosher. It popped up on my Instagram feed one day, and I just had to have it! The ice cold bowl of creamy coconut milk, fresh fruit, chewy pearls, and refreshing textures looked too good to be true on a hot summer day. It reminded me of my Bubby’s ambrosia, only less cloyingly sweet, and a lot “cleaner”.

This year, I wanted to give another fruit a try, so I swapped the mango for sweet summer strawberries. The result is this Strawberry Sago: creamy, fruity, refreshing, and surprisingly simple to make.

What I love most about this dessert is the contrast of textures. The tender tapioca pearls add a satisfying chew, the strawberries bring freshness and sweetness, and the creamy base ties everything together into something that feels both indulgent and light. It’s the kind of dessert that’s perfect for a hot summer day when you want something cool and refreshing without turning on the oven.

Strawberry Sago

1/4 cup small tapioca pearls (such as @bobsredmill )
1/3 cup strawberry popping boba
1 pint strawberries, sliced
13.5oz can full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, or more, to taste
1/4-1/2 cup coconut water, optional

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls, cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring every few minutes so it doesn’t stick together. Cover the pot and rest for 10 minutes or until the tapioca is translucent. Drain and rinse in cold water to remove the gelatinous coating.

In a blender, blend 1 heaping cup strawberries with coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. Freeze until ice cold.

To a large bowl, add the remaining strawberries, boba and tapioca pearls. Stir in the coconut mixture until fully incorporated. If the mixture is too thick, thin it out with some coconut water until desired consistency. If the mixture is too tart, add more sweetened condensed milk.

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Coffee Rub Pargiot

On June 22, 2026

by chanie

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You guyyyyzzzz, this chickennnnn – it’s our newest obsession and we CAN’T GET ENOUGH!! Seriously so easy, and so. so. good. Of course there is a catch – you’ll need to get your hands on Trader Joes viral bbq coffee rub, but if you can’t you know I got you!! I’m putting my homemade blend below!

YOU’RE WELCOME!!

Coffee Rub Pargiot

6-8 pieces boneless dark meat chicken
1 1/2 tbsp @traderjoes coffee bbq rub
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup silan

Broil on high on the highest rack for 10 minutes on the first side and 10 minutes on the second side, or until edges are crisped and caramelized.

For the stickiest coating, flip the chicken and baste in the sauce every few minutes.

Busy In Brooklyn Coffee Rub

2 tbsp Instant espresso
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp kosher Salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic Powder
1 tsp onion Powder
1/4 tsp cayenne

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Tangy London Broil with Sumac Herb Salad

On June 18, 2026

by chanie

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Lets talk London Broil. Did you know that it’s not an actual cut of meat, but rather, a cooking method? That’s why you see many different cuts at the butcher all labeled “London Broil”. Some are butcher’s cut, shoulder London Broil etc. What it actually means is that it’s a cut of meat that is meant to be marinated and grilled – which means it’s not a braising roast (you don’t cook it low and slow in the oven), but rather, you grill or broil it over high heat.

London Broil is somewhat budget friendly (at least it used to be!), easy to cook and so delicious! It’s great served cold or room temperature, and it’s delicious on a charcuterie board, or in a sandwich.

Tangy London Broil

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
1 tbsp silan
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 lb. London Broil

Sumac Herb Salad
1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced on a mandolin
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp sumac
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Add the marinade ingredients to a Ziploc bag. Add the London Broil and marinate for one hour or up to overnight.

When ready to serve, prepare the herb salad by mixing the cilantro, red onion, and craisins and dressing with oil, lemon, sumac, salt and pepper.

Preheat and grease the grill. Place the London Broil over medium-high heat and grill for about 10 minutes on each side, until a thermometer reaches 130-135 degrees. Rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain. Serve with herb salad.

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Fig Granita Breakfast Sundae

On June 17, 2026

by chanie

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Oh. Em. Gee. I don’t know if I’ve ever tasted something so delicious in my entire life!! I’m not much of a dessert person, but this components of this breakfast sundae come together like a midsummer’s night dream!! Tart Greek yogurt, shaved frozen figs (yes!!), crispy filo dough, honey, pistachios and flaky salt – GIVE. ME. MORE.

Fig Granita Breakfast Sundae

3 sheets filo dough
olive oil spray
kosher salt, to taste
cinnamon, to taste
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 package collagen, optional
2 tsp honey, plus more for finishing
2 frozen figs
2 tbsp chopped roasted, salted pistachios
flaky salt, for finishing

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crunch up the filo dough and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spray with olive oil spray and season with salt and cinnamon. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Mix the yogurt with the collagen and honey. Add to a serving glass. Shave the frozen figs on a microplane directly over the yogurt. Top with filo flakes, pistachio, honey and finish with flaky salt.

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Knicks Victory Fish Tacos!

On June 15, 2026

by chanie

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New York has a way of turning sports into something much greater than just a game. When a team wins, it doesn’t stay confined to a scoreboard or a TV screen. It spills onto the streets, into strangers high-fiving each other, into music blasting from the streets, and people dancing around their neighborhoods. That’s what the Knicks victory felt like.

Saturday night was one of those rare city moments where everyone came together like family! People were proudly wearing blue and orange, jumping with excitement, honking their horns, and clanking their glasses. It wasn’t just celebration—it felt like a reset of the city’s mood and a reminder that shared joy still exists here.

I wanted to capture that feeling in food.

So I built a fish taco that mirrors the colors of the moment: orange and blue, bold and festive, simple enough to eat standing up in a crowd if you had to.

The base is blue corn tortillas, obviously. And the fish, salmon, of course. For the slaw, I used red cabbage (we’ll make believe it’s blue even though it’s more of a purple) and carrots to play into the color story, and add some crunch. For the sauce, I made an orange chipotle-lime crema that really pulls everything together.

The combination is simple, but intentional. Blue, orange, crunch, smoke, acid, heat. A celebration on a plate.

There’s something about making food after a city moment like that. It’s less about replication and more about interpretation—taking a feeling and translating it onto the plate.

Knicks Victory Fish Tacos!

Old Bay Flaked Salmon
4 slices salmon fillet
2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Rub Old Bay seasoning over the fish until well coated and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with lemon zest and juice and sprinkle with salt. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Cabbage Slaw
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, julienned and cut into small pieces
olive oil
fresh squeezed lime juice
fresh squeezed orange juice
kosher salt, to taste

Drizzle the cabbage with olive oil and season, to taste, with lime, orange juice and salt.

Chipotle Lime Crema
1 cup sour cream (can sub mayo or Greek yogurt)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

For serving:
blue corn tortillas
fresh cilantro
lime wedges

To assemble fish tacos, heat the tortillas over an open flame until lightly blistered. Fill with the fish, cabbage slaw, crema and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

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