Eating In Translation

Rogowski Farm

The three-berry scone nearest the corner of the bin looked to be the most heavily laden with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Perhaps my eyes did the talking — the vendor plucked out that very scone before I could point a finger. Most of its sweetness, what there was, came from the berries themselves.

Rogowski Farm
Pulaski Hwy., Pine Island, New York
845-258-4574
www.RogowskiFarm.com
Returning Sunday, December 8, to South Street Seaport, Pier 17, 89 South St. (at Fulton St.), Manhattan
www.FultonStallMarket.org/events/2019/10/22/nyc-market-taste-amp-talk-series-9ckpa-x24xn

Taste of Taylor Catering

Collard greens — bolstered by smoked turkey, easy on the salt, free of bitterness — exemplified the soul food that headlined this day's menu. Caribbean cooking played a lesser part; the logo, in particular the cutlery, broadly hinted at the chef's West Indian heritage.

Taste of Taylor Catering
347-693-2220
www.Facebook.com/TasteOfTaylorCatering
At the New York City Public Markets Festival
South Street Seaport, Pier 17, 89 South St. (at Fulton St.), Manhattan
www.FultonStallMarket.org/events/2019/10/22/nyc-market-taste-amp-talk-series-9ckpa-5kkn4
(The second of three autumn 2019 festivals was held on November 3)

Cambodian Now

This serving of amok trey, steamed fish in a banana-leaf cradle, is a modest version of the Cambodian national dish sometimes likened to curry fish mousse. But here you can enjoy it in an outdoor setting, at a low night market price that leaves you latitude to visit many more of the 50-some food vendors. And, at the night market, no one looks twice if you lick your banana leaf clean.

Cambodian Now
www.Facebook.com/CambodianNow-425590594946619
At the Queens Night Market
Behind the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St. (inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
www.QueensNightMarket.com
Saturday evenings; in 2019, through October 26

Sweet Malina Bakery

Out of many pączki, one pączek (Pon-chek), a filled Polish doughnut in this instance flavored by plum, during an appearance at LIC Flea & Food.

Sweet Malina Bakery
1635 Great Neck Rd., Copiague, New York
631-841-3465
Closed Monday
Also at 1907-05 Great Neck Rd.
631-789-1945
Closed Sunday and Monday
www.SweetMalinaBakery.com

Streetside produce stand

"Sweet" is the typical come-on that Chinatown fruit sellers apply to their handwritten signs. A few fruits are "very sweet"; some, merely "delicious." The moniker "Thailan[d] kiwi," however, seems to have been the invention of this one particular vendor. The fruit is known as chicozapote in Mexico and subtropical Florida, and by many other names — including chikoo, sapodilla, and sapota — around the world.

Its flavor mingles brown sugar and pear, Margret Hefner observes in Frutas y Verduras, with some of a ripe pear's granularity. Too bad that this one, like the rest of the batch, was rock-hard, and not nearly ripe. Ready to eat, it's considerably softer. Like a kiwi.

Streetside produce stand
Near the southeast corner of Mulberry St. with Canal St., Manhattan

Queens Night Market

Just another night at the market: garlic langosh, a dense Czech frybread from Bohemian Bakery; fiskegrot, cod pudding from Dotty's Norwegian Kitchen; and chai tow kueh, Singaporean stir-fried radish cake from Lion City Coffee. The variety is always great, and the atmosphere can't be beat.

Queens Night Market
Behind the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St. (inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
www.QueensNightMarket.com
Saturday evenings in warmer weather

Memphis Seoul

"Seoul bowl": pulled pork "served bibimbap-style" over rice, with kimchi coleslaw, sesame pickles, a fried egg, and Korean BBQ sauce.

Memphis Seoul
Various pop-up locations
MemphisSeoulBBQ.com

Wembie

From what is surely New York's only vendor of Moldovan-Bashkir street food, these donuts are enriched by farmer's cheese and decked out in confectioner's sugar. As it happens, October 11 is a national holiday in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan. Why not celebrate with a drizzle of condensed milk, too?

Wembie (previously known as Moldovan Waffle Rolls)
Various pop-up locations
www.Facebook.com/Moldovan-Waffle-Rolls-1768444949887001
On this occasion, at the Queens International Night Market
Behind the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St. (inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
www.QueensNightMarket.com
Saturday evenings in warmer weather (the 2018 season finale is October 27)

Bliss Street Creamery

Harvest moon in frozen form: a scoop of coconut ice cream, courtesy of the proprietor.

Bliss Street Creamery
Various pop-up locations
www.BlissStreetCreamery.com
On this occasion, at the Queens International Night Market
Behind the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St. (inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
www.QueensNightMarket.com
Saturday evenings in warmer weather (the 2018 season finale is October 27)

Joey Bats Café

Unlike a Chinese dan tat, or egg tart, a proper Portuguese pastel de nata will be caramelized on top. Should you treat it, not unreasonably, as a "crème brûlée to go," and if you give the nod to powdered sugar, observe the standard precaution: Keep the wind at your back.

Previously, in perils and pleasures of small-batch food prep: The baker, while adding a brocade of port wine orange sauce to my pillowy slice of torta de laranja, found her squeeze bottle repeatedly clogged with bits of orange pulp. She might use a wider applicator tip, I suggested. But then again, no — the balky tip allowed more time for baker storytelling.

Joey Bats Café (a.k.a. Frankie Portugal)
Various pop-up locations, particularly the Queens International Night Market
On warm-weather Saturdays behind the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St. (inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park), Queens
www.QueensNightMarket.com
Also, as a storefront, at 457 West 17th St. (Ninth-Tenth Aves.), Manhattan
212-951-1189
www.Facebook.com/JoeyBatsCafe