I want that...

White Sauce

2012-02-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

All the Mexican restaurants at home serve this white sauce with chips and salsa. I miss it and crave it when I'm home - that is, until now. Got the recipe - AND WHAT?!?! Maybe I have no reason to go home anymore? I kid, I kid...

Ingredients

2 cups creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Directions

Measure salad dressing into a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the milk. Season with red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and oregano, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. If you taste it right away, all you will taste is salad dressing.

456 Fish

2012-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

Came here for a birthday dinner with friends and basically had crab two ways. First, the 456 Potato Chip Encrusted Jumbo Lump Crab Cake: White Truffle Potato Salad, Cucumber Salad and "Inner Beauty" Remoulade.

Second, the Crab Cocktail Norfolk: Chilled Colossal Crab, Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce, Lemon Oil and Celery. Just look at those hunks of crab! Amazing!

Bonnie's Brunch

2012-02-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law had me over for lunch and she wanted to show off her fancy cooking skills to me (as she says, "To prove to you that I can cook!") She made two kinds of quiche - one with spinach and cream cheese and one with ham and cheese. They were both delicious. It got me wondering why I never make quiche at home!? Then she made a wonderful spinach and pear salad with a chocolate vinaigrette dressing. Her recipe was from Taste of Home magazine, but here is another one I found online that is very similar:

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1 ounce dark chocolate (melted)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on low until mixed, less than a minute. (Makes 1 cup salad dressing: serves large salad for 10)
Oh, shout out to Katie for rockin' the asparagus! :)

El Azteca

2012-02-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of visiting my home town (aside from the obvious like seeing my family) is being able to have white sauce again. I freaking love it and you can't find it in NYC.

I also love the low quality Mexican food chains - they're everywhere and they have my favorite taco salad. The taco salads in NYC just can't quite get it right. You need refried beans, lettuce, chicken, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and a tomato to get it perfect and El Azteca makes it perfect.

Just Baked Cakes by Trish

2012-02-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

Last year my brother got me a cake for my birthday that was super cute. I found out who made the cake and since then I've become her number one fan. I've ordered two cakes from her since December! She makes them from her home and she puts great attention to detail. This cake here was for my BFF's 30th birthday. She is in love with pink and Hello Kitty so I figured, what the hell?! I loved how she still managed to make this look sophisticated and not like a kid's cake. BTW - if you're in the Hampton Roads area and need an awesome cake, click here for her FB page.

Tomato, Watermelon and Basil salad with Feta

2012-02-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

This is such a simple salad to make and it's super good for you too. My dad isn't exactly adventurous when it comes to food and even he loved it!

Ingredients
2 c watermelon (cubed)
1 c cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 c feta cheese crumbled
2 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette

Just combine and devour!

Scalloped Potatoes

2012-02-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

This photo isn't that appetizing because it's basically what was left in the dish after we all devoured it. Oh well.

1/3 cup chopped onion
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 cups milk
6 cups thinly sliced potatoes

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
Place half of potatoes in a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Pour half of sauce over potatoes. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until potatoes are tender and top is lightly browned. Let cool for 15 minutes. They come out soupy and need to stand to thicken.

Beer and Cheddar Soup

2012-02-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

When Jonathon Erdeljac opened his new restaurant, Jonathon's Oak Cliff, in Dallas, he knew he wanted to serve this rich soup. It's a favorite of his, especially with jalapeños and smoky bacon stirred in- so, I decided to make it myself and it was a big hit!

INGREDIENTS

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garlic-rubbed toasts, for serving

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 large jalapeño, seeded and chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

One 12-ounce bottle lager or pilsner

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 pound piece of slab bacon, sliced 1/3 inch thick and cut into 1/3-inch dice

About 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 pound sharp yellow cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded

4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Add the celery, onion, jalapeño, garlic and thyme to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 8 minutes. Add half of the beer and cook until reduced by half, 5 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk this roux into the soup until incorporated and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the heavy cream, cheddar cheeses and the remaining beer and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of broth if the soup is too thick. Serve the soup with garlic toasts.

MAKE AHEAD The cheddar soup can be refrigerated overnight. Rewarm gently and thin with additional broth.

Superbowl Delights

2012-02-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

We watched the Superbowl this year at my friend Kurt's house. What am I saying? We watch it there every year. Anyhoo, I ate a lot. The Giants won. Overall, a good night. These cookies above are oatmeal, cranberry and chocolate chip - really good. (Thanks Heidi)

These delights are Earl Grey Shortbread cookies. Heidi actually put about 6 bags of Earl Grey tea into the cookie mix. I had no idea you could bake that way with tea. They came out really good and super buttery!

Ok, these things that look like donuts are called "Toad in the Hole". This dish is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter. The bowl in the background is an onion gravy that gets served on top. The little pieces of bread that are also on the same plate are another English delight called Ploughman's lunch. It's a sandwhich with cheddar and something called Branson's pickle. It's very popular pub food. My wontons aren't showcased here, but they were there - along with hummus and chips. I was still full the next day! Ah, Superbowl...

Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots

2012-02-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

This recipe is courtesy of Martin Yan from Food and Wine magazine. I thought they'd be good to have with friends while we watched the Superbowl. If you plan to make a bunch, start early! These suckers are time consuming!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
Cornstarch, for dusting
Soy sauce and Chinese chile sauce, for serving
1/4 cup finely diced bamboo shoots
One 12-ounce package wonton wrappers
10 ounces shelled, deveined medium shrimp, cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 ounces ground pork ( 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

In a medium bowl, mix the diced shrimp with the pork, bamboo shoots, canola oil, sesame oil, salt and white pepper.
Work with a few wonton wrappers at a time: Brush the edges of each wrapper with water. Spoon a scant tablespoon of the filling into the center of each wrapper and fold the dough over to form triangles. Press the edges to seal. Place the dumplings on a cornstarch-dusted baking sheet. Keep the finished dumplings covered with a lightly dampened towel while you work.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings and boil until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the dumplings well and serve with soy sauce and chile sauce.

Make Ahead
The uncooked dumplings can be frozen on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer, then transferred to an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month.

Cat Cora's North African Fish Stew

2012-02-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/4 cup salted roasted cashews
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes—peeled, seeded and sliced crosswise 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 pounds catfish or tilapia fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups couscous
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned, 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Add the raisins and cashews to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the remaining onion and both peppers. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ras el hanout (go to Whole Foods for this one) and stock, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until the fish is cooked, 5 minutes.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and toss with the cinnamon and cumin. Pour the boiling water over the couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the couscous into bowls and top with the fish stew. Garnish with the onion, raisins, cashews and scallions.

If the Food Network can post a recipe for Birds in a Nest, then I can post this...

2012-02-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously. The Food Network has a recipe online for toast with an egg cooked in it. I know this isn't much to look at but it's waaaay better than an egg in toast. This is chicken pizza. I cut up my chicken and cooked it in EVOO with garlic. Put it on a thin crust Boboli with a ridiculous amount of mozzarella and shaved pecorino cheese. I also drizzled honey on it. You weren't expecting the honey were you? Man, it is goooood...

Glass Noodle Soup

2012-02-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

Ordered in from a vegetarian Thai place called Pukk the other night. Stage left is my yummy glass noodle soup (I scooped out the fungus - err, mushrooms), but it's good tofu, glass noodles and cabbage and the broth is super good. Stage right is my dipping sauce for my curry pancakes (spicy crispy pieces of heaven!)

Chicken Alambre

2012-02-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
12 ounces fresh chorizo, casings removed and meat crumbled
6 ounces 1/3-inch-diced slab bacon
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
8 ounces Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella cheese, torn

Heat the oil on a large griddle. Add the bacon and chorizo and cook over high heat, stirring, until browned in spots, 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through. Add the peppers and onion and cook until softened. Scatter the cheese on top and stir until it just starts to melt, then serve.

Serve With Flour tortillas, avocado, cilantro, salsa and lime wedges.

Killer Mac 'n Cheese

2012-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz pound Sharp Cheddar, shredded
3 oz freshly grated pecorino cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 box penne pasta
1/4 cup chorizo, diced

Start boiling aqua for the pasta. Add it in once the water is at a rapid boil. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until smooth and thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in the Jack cheese until melted, then stir in half the pecorino and half the cheddar; season with salt and pepper. Set cheese sauce aside. Dump pasta into strainer. Toss into the cheese sauce and mix up. In a separate pan, fry up the chorizo for about 5 minutes. Add it to the cheese pasta mix. Put in a baking dish. Top with left over cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Soooooooo gooooooooood!

Pret

2012-01-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

So, I used to eat at Pret all the time and I've tried to not go as much (to save money). But I found myself back in there today at lunch time and I realized why I heart them so. Their food is super tasty and super quick. Today, for example, I picked up this awesome soup: Butternut Squash with Apple. It sounds like it would be overly sweet, but it surprisingly wasn't. It was actually really good - super creamy like a good butternut squash soup would be with little bits of pureed apple and I believe onion too. If you find yourself in the city looking for a quick lunch bite, don't be afraid to head in to Pret. In my opinion they are way better than Au Bon Pain. Also, their pesto mozzarella and tomato toastie is divine. So is the ham, cheese and cornichons toastie. Try those too!

Bondi Road

2012-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Talk about bang for your buck! I had a lovely girls night at Bondi Road the other night and it was due to the company (of course), but also the awesome wait staff and killer pre-fixe. I got to the restaurant first and was greeted by this super friendly Aussie. I didn't have my whole party with me, but she sat me anyway. Awesome. While I was waiting, she explained the way Monday Night Dinners work there. It's a $20 four course pre-fixe. No a la carte options. At first I was like, "Whoa - but I don't want all this food?!" And then she proceeded to tell me that the meal also included FIVE drinks. I said, "What? Five drinks and all this food for $20?" And she said, "Yes, ma'am!" I was stunned. What an amazing deal - how does this place make any money?? The drinks are good and strong - I kept having the same thing called a "Sunburn": passionfruit tequila, strawberries and oj. It was yummy. My friend Sara kept ordering the same thing too, except she had something called: "Surf's Up": pineapple rum, watermelon, lemonade, splash of blue Curacao. Zoe had something called: "Greyhound": vodka and grapefruit. It made for a rainbow of beverages on the table. I know you're wondering - if they are good strong drinks, how did you drink all 5? Well, we didn't. We gave up a few rounds in and left our fun raffle tickets on the table. We also couldn't eat all the food in the pre-fixe, it was just too much!

I took photos of all the courses, but some didn't come out that great. My camera phone flash is kind of ridiculous and I only turned it on once. Any hoo, the meal began with your choice of a garden salad or fried calamari. We got 2 salads and one person got the calamari. The portion sizes were normal, which worried me from the get. I knew I couldn't eat 4 normal size dishes, so we started jumping around. Next we got mussels. They had two kinds: Mussels with Coopers beer and mussels with tomato and wine. The broth was really yummy but the mussels weren't that great. I had a few that were really gritty. There was a pasta course in the menu but none of us ordered it - we skipped it entirely, but for all you dying to know, it was "Pesto Shark": chunks of fresh shark tossed with bacon in pesto. Finally, I ordered my fish and chips. It was a huge portion (as you can see from the pic above), but they did right by it. It was super fresh and came with vinegar! Zoe and Sara ordered a "burger with the lot" (seen in the background). Holy hell, that thing had everything on it: caramelized onion, bacon, cheese, beets, fried egg, lettuce, tomato and pineapple. Yeah - I know! Strange combo, but they loved them. Anyways, if you're looking for super friendly staff and a ton of food and drink for a cheap price, this is your place.

Shilla in K-town

2012-01-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

In NYC, when you want good Korean food, you go to K-town. Tonight, a bunch of us went and had a feast at Shilla. Ugh! So MUCH FOOOOOOD!!! I really wanted to try Bibimbap for the first time. I love Asian food - but I had yet to try Bibimbap! Weird, right? I was reeeealllly looking forward to runny egg yolk. We ordered a pork version at first and the server said there were no veggies in that version. So we opted for the chicken version. It was really good - I can't deny that. BUT - there was no egg! BAH! Tip to you first time Bibimbap eaters - stir that shit! That rice will burn in that hot pot!

Chicken Teriyaki Gobdol: chicken teriyaki, vegetables in hot pot

Bulgolgi with bib lettuce, bean sprouts and spicy sauce. Probably my #1 pleaser of the night! I wish I had more of these! This meat was scrump-diddly-umptious. And on lettuce with condiments it was heaven! My favorite bite all night for sure!

Tuck Po Ki: spicy rice cake stew w/ vegetables. I've had rice cakes before and I loved them then just as I knew I would now. I ate these two pieces of rice cake like I was eating treasure. They are chewy and divine - like gnocchi but better.

Haemool Or Kimchi Pajun: seafood/kimchi scallion pancake. Holy hell. Really yummy but super heavy. I could only eat half of what was on my plate.

Beef Ribs. Delishhhhhhh! Super fatty and chewy but sweet and meaty too. I ate these outright. No bib lettuce involved. We also had pork belly - not sure where that photo went - but it was also delicious.

Broiled Yellow Corina: lightly salted broiled Croaker. I was scared of this guy but I found breaking him apart with my hands wasn't too bad. I ate around the bones. Really yummy actually!

Huevos Rancheros

2012-01-29T08:56:00.000-08:00

I love Huevos Rancheros. It is by far one of my favorite brunch items. I usually always order it when I see it. Today, I made it at home and I made use of Bobby Flay's left over salsa! I love this dish!

Ingredients
2 Flour tortillas cut in half
1/2 c black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 tsp ground cumin
4 pieces of bacon
4 eggs
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1tbsp EVOO

Salsa
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced
3 plum tomatoes, finely diced
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt

MAKE THE SALSA: In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt.
MAKE THE REST: Get a pot of water to a boil (for the eggs) and in a frying pan crisp up your bacon. When cooked, set aside on a paper towel. Heat beans in another small pot with the cumin. In a large frying pan add EVOO and tortillas and flip them every few minutes until crispy and browned. Cook your eggs in the boiling water. (We are making poached eggs for this, but you could do over easy as well). Build your plate: tortilla on bottom, then bacon strips, then beans, then eggs, then salsa on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve.

Bobby Flay's Nacho Burger

2012-01-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

I saw this on the front cover of Food and Wine back in January and I've been dying to try it. I finally stopped putting it off and made them for dinner. (Constant posting is making me dig through my old Food and Wine magazines now and hunt for fun recipes - my grocery shopping has never been so inspired before!)

Salsa

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced
3 plum tomatoes, finely diced
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt

MAKE THE SALSA: In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt. Tip: I found the chile in adobo canned in the Asian Food section of the grocery store. Oh, and when you open the can, lean back. I got a huge blast of chipotle and heat in my throat that it made me start coughing! Also, if you have salsa leftovers save them - this would be great on Huevos Rancheros!

Cheese Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (8 oz is 1/2 a pound)
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE: In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until smooth and thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in the Jack cheese until melted, then stir in the pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce cool until it is very thick and spreadable.

Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Sliced pickled jalapeños and blue corn tortilla chips, for topping (optional)

MAKE THE BURGERS: Light a grill (or use a grill pan, like I did). Form the beef into 4 patties and brush with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat until browned outside and medium within, about 4 minutes per side.

Place the burgers on the buns. Top with the cheese sauce and salsa. Bobby's recipe also suggests topping your burger with pickled jalapeños and crushed up blue corn tortilla chips. I didn't use these two toppers and it was great without them. Close the burgers and serve.

Isabella's Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

I love mint chocolate chip ice cream. I saw a photo posted on Facebook recently of mint chocolate chip cookies and I thought, "That's clever. I've never seen that before!" Also, I found out that a little girl, Isabella (aka Chef Bella), made these cookies all by herself! I knew if she could do it, I could do it - so I emailed her mommy for the recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
6 to 8 drops green food color
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. I couldn't find any creme de menthe baking chips (I looked in two stores and gave up after that) so I just used chocolate chips instead. Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Joseph Lee's Mole Chili

2012-01-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Joseph, had us over the other night to watch the playoffs and since I don't really follow football I was really excited to learn that there was chili. Ladies and gentlemen, this is no ordinary chili. You see, Joseph is a man of many talents (singer, song writer, musician), but this guy can also cook his butt off too! In fact, Joseph has had one of his recipes for Bulgogi Tacos (page 84) published in The Kimchi Chronicles by Marja Vongerichten and Jean-Georges. WORD!Ok, back to the chili...I know you want the recipe, shoot - I want the recipe. But alas, I don't have it. All I know is what he put in it: ground beef, beans, tomato, onion, bell peppers, thai chilies, mushroom, crushed almonds, dark chocolate, corn, beer and toasted spices. He topped it with a piece of toasted bread filled with swiss cheese and a dab of mexican crema with cilantro. Delish!!

The Peter Luger Cheeseburger

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

So the NY Times has a burger of the month club and the judges go out every Monday and try burgers from all over the city. Then they rank them and share that knowledge with everyone who wants to know where the best burgers are.

My husband has been on the best burger quest for about two years now. It's kind of ridiculous actually. But he once told me that one of his favorites was the burger at Peter Luger. (Which coincidentally is ranked #1 on the NY Times as well). The thing is, you can only get the burger at lunch and who the hell has time to go to Williamsburg for a burger at lunch time? You like need the day off for something like that! Well, recently we did have the day off and we took our journey over the Williamsburg bridge for a meaty lunch. We had our friends Terence and Brandi with us too. Terence has been a vegetarian for as long as I've known him and he just recently started eating meat. This was quite a memorable lunch!

Ok, let's talk about this burger. We all ordered the burger with cheese. You can get it with bacon, but we didn't opt for it. When it came out to the table it looked really plain. A burger on a plain bun with cheese and red onion. There was no ketchup or mustard or tomato or lettuce - none of that! It was almost like Peter Luger's was saying, "We only care to do one thing right and not dress it up with condiments!"

Did it hold up? Well, yes and no. The meat is undeniable - the best hamburger patty I've ever had. The patty reminded me of something my dad would make on the backyard grill - a giant ball of meat (but not grilled to death)! It's not a thin patty and with the bug bun it's served on it's kind of too big for your mouth, but it is super juicy and salty and just absolutely delicious. The cheese was good too - it was just the right amount and slightly melted.

But here are my gripes: aside from it being so big, the meat soaked the bottom bun up so much with grease that the bun practically fell apart. I had grease running down my hands at every bite. We actually had a debate at the table about hamburger buns and we realized that they are made backwards. The bigger part of the bun should be at the bottom (to capture all the meat juices as you take continuous bite after bite) and the smaller part of the bun should be at the top (just there to give your fingers something to rest on). I swear I need to copyright this bun idea. Also, my other gripe was that it was just too much after awhile. I needed the veggies to balance this burger out.

Overall I would still rate it as good, but it's not my perfect burger. That joint lives at The Breslin and he's made out of lamb. But that's another story...

Kambi Ramen House

2012-01-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Nothing cures a hangover or a cold quite like a hot bowl of ramen. And well, face it - it's just delicious to eat anytime (even if you feel fine!) I am a creature of habit and I always hit up Minka (on 5th between A and B) or Rai Rai Ken (10th between 1st and 2nd), but this time we decided to travel up to 14th St and try a new spot...at least what we thought was new. I am pretty sure the owners of Minca own Kambi House too - their menus are identical!

Since I wasn't a stranger to the menu, I ordered my Minca usual to see how they compared. I got the vegetable tanmen with chicken. It was pretty much the same. Actually it was the same. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it tasted delicious! But next time I will just go to the spot closer to my apt.

Pasta with marscapone, bacon and walnuts

2012-01-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

I had nuts in pasta last week and now it would seem I'm adding them to pasta every time I make it! I would say that if you haven't boarded that train yet then you need to! It's such a great way to get added protein to your meals without having to cook one!

Ingredients:

1/2 box curly pasta

3 to 4 tbsp marscapone cheese (which did you know has less calories and fat than butter?!)

3 pieces of bacon

1/2 c walnuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley for garnish

Get a pot of water to a rapid boil and add pasta. While that's cooking, cook the bacon and set aside to cool. Arrange nuts on baking sheet and toast at 250 for a few minutes. Nuts can burn quickly so set a timer and keep your eye on them! Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add back to pot. Add marscapone cheese stirring until well mixed. Crumble bacon into pasta and crush the nuts before adding. Mix once more then plate. Top with salt, pepper and parsley.

Heritage Turkey

2012-01-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

So, I was deleted a bunch of photos off my phone today and I stumbled across several food pics that I failed to ever blog about, one in particular - this bird. Well, for all you turkey lovers, here is what I did with mine. You. Are. Welcome.

Actually, let me start with what I had planned to do with my turkey. I wanted to brine my bird. I've never brined a turkey before and from what I have read, it's really the way to go. So I searched the Internet for a good brine and finally settled on one from The Pioneer Woman. (hmm...maybe if I reach my goal of 365 blog posts this year the Food Network will hire me too?!) But then we ordered a heritage bird, which is not like your typical butterball from your local grocery store - a heritage turkey is defined by the "historic, range-based production system in which they are raised. Turkeys must meet all of the following criteria to qualify as a Heritage turkey:

1. Naturally mating: the Heritage Turkey must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating, with expected fertility rates of 70-80%.
2. Long productive lifespan: the Heritage Turkey must have a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 5-7 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years.

3. Slow growth rate: the Heritage Turkey must have a slow to moderate rate of growth. Today’s heritage turkeys reach a marketable weight in 26 – 28 weeks, giving the birds time to develop a strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass. This growth rate is identical to that of the commercial varieties of the first half of the 20^th century." (according to heritageturkeyfoundation.org) But I digress...

We ordered our bird from Fresh Direct and that shit was expensive! Do I feel better about myself for not eating a commercial produced turkey? Of course, but why does doing what's right have to be so expensive? It's not fair!

The bird came the day before I wanted to cook it. I had already been reading about heritage turkeys and how their meat has more flavor than commercial turkeys. Many people say NOT to do a brine on heritage birds. Actually, let me rephrase - they say not to do a wet brine (which is what I was planning on doing); however, if I got my bird about 4 days earlier I could've done a dry brine on it...which is basically just salt. It has to sit in salt for like 3 days or it won't work. Needless to say, I hadn't the time.

So, I went a more traditional route: I borrowed from a Martha Stewart's recipe and put pats of butter under the skin. (Something tells me Paula Deen does this too) I always put garlic, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper on my big birds too. I covered my bird in foil for about an hour and then cooked without foil the rest of the time. Heritage turkeys are smaller and take less time to cook. The result: super crispy delicious skin and tender juicy meat! Phew! Next year I want fried turkey!

Cheesy Polenta Chorizo Cakes

2012-01-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

This side dish can take over the spotlight of your dinner. I made it for friends and it was devoured within minutes.

Ingredients:
1 Polenta log (plain)
6 tbsp marscapone cheese
6 tsp Parmesan cheese
1 package chorizo

Method:
Cut the polenta log into 6 pieces. Cut a whole into the top and scoop out with a spoon. Fill with the marscapone cheese and top with Parmesan. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Dice the chorizo and pan fry for 10 minutes until crispy and browned. Top the cakes with the chorizo. Holy hell. A crowd pleaser FO' SHOOOO!

30 second Sangria

2012-01-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

Sangria is the cure for hangovers, hot summer days and left over cheap wine. I made this in a snap and it sure hit the spot - afternoon delight, indeed!

You'll need:
1 jigger of lemon vodka
1 jigger of orange vodka
splash of orange juice
8 oz of red wine
slice of orange
2 tbsp diced apple

Mix and enjoy. Oh, and if you are fortunate enough to own an ice crushing machine, use it.

Bacon-Braised Collard Greens

2012-01-21T11:28:00.001-08:00

I've made this a ton of times before, but here it is again. I'm probably doing my Southern roots some disgrace by not using a ham hock in this recipe but I don't care. Bacon works just as well and besides, I'm a New Yorker now. :)

Ingredients:
A giant bushel of collard greens
1/2 chopped onion
3 pieces of bacon
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 cap fulls liquid smoke
4 c water

In a large pot add onion and bacon and let simmer until onions are cooked. The bacon doesn't have to be crispy, in fact, it shouldn't be. Take your cabbage and separate the leaves from the stem and the vein of the leaf. Cut leaves into large pieces. Add 2 cups of water and then add greens. I had to add my greens in phases. I had too much to fit into the pot at once so I had to add a bunch, let it cook down (2 - 3 minutes), then added more. Once all the greens are in the pot, let them cook down for about 5 minutes then add the vinegar, liquid smoke and rest of the water. Put a lid on the pot and let it cook on low heat for several hours (3 to 4). The collards will not be bright green when they are done - they turn more of a deep green (olive) when they are cooked.

Seafood Summer Salad (on a snow day)

2012-01-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

Woke up to 3 - 5 inches of snow today so I cranked up the heat, put on my bikini and made a summer salad with citrus and seafood. Take that! Now, it's your turn...

Ingredients

3 fillets of white firm-fleshed fish, completely deboned
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 limes
1 lemon
3 tsp of orange juice
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 cups of finely chopped green cabbage
2 tbsp Hot Chili Oil (found in the Asian food section of the grocery store)
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
dash of sugar
Tortillas or tortilla chips

Directions: Boil the fillets for 3 minutes under almost cooked through. Place fish in a casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, and break apart into pieces with a fork. Cut shrimp into pieces and add to dish with onion, cabbage, cilantro, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cover with lime, lemon and orange juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for several hours (3 to 4), giving time for the flavors to blend. Stir occasionally. Serve with heated tortillas or with tortilla chips.

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sausage and Walnuts

2012-01-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much Emeril's recipe except I made some minor tweaks...err, improvements. :)
If you want the original, it's at the above hyperlink. Also, tip for you nut buyers - look for the $2.00 bag of nuts at check out instead of buying the $15 container you found in an aisle. You know what I'm talking about. That generic candy stand that they have in the check out lanes usually includes such winners like circus peanuts, sugared orange slices and butter mints, but you can find nuts up in that mix too! Get the plain ones - no honey-roasted if you're using them for cooking.

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp powdered sage
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (or 3 tbsp normal butter if you must)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound fusilli or other curly pasta (I used Campanelle - like pretty little flowers!)
1/4 cup freshly grated aged Parmesean cheese, plus more for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of oil and toss. Arrange in an even layer and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bake for about 30 minutes, until just tender.
Meanwhile, put the walnuts in a pie plate and bake for about 4 minutes, until toasted.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the sausage to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the sausage, until no pink remains, 7 minutes.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the sausage and melted butter, ( put the powdered sage in with the melted butter) and gradually stir in the cooking water over moderate heat. Gently fold in the squash, walnuts and the 1/4 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Top with more cheese. Eat it.

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

2012-01-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

I have never made a cheesecake before and this recipe seemed simple enough. Since I don't have a giant food processor I had to make my mix in small batches but it was easy enough. The hardest part was getting the egg whites firm. They blended forever and still only looked like a thick soup. I only made half the portions that this recipe called for and I also only had one giant pan to cook it in so it came out really thin - I practically made cheesecake-crepes! If you do a smaller cake, use a small pan!

6 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons honey
2 tsp cinnamon
Two 15-ounce containers ricotta cheese (whole works better but I used part skim)
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. If you have one, spray a springform pan with cooking spray. Otherwise, just spray a cooking pan. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one of the large bowls and the yolks in the work bowl of a food processor.

Add the sugar, cinnamon and honey to the work bowl of the food processor and process until thick and light yellow, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta and zest and process until smooth, another 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into the other large bowl.

Beat the whites on high speed with the mixer until they hold stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the ricotta mixture and scrape into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the cake is deep golden brown and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, about 1 hr 20 minutes. Transfer to the rack to let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day. To serve, release the sides of the pan, dust with confectioners' sugar using the strainer, and cut into wedges. To make smaller bigger cake, do half the recipe portions and cook less time - about 50 minutes checking it every 5 after 45 min. The cake should rise and then fall during cooling.

Papillon

2012-01-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

I labeled this "Eating in NYC" but I didn't technically eat here - we had drinks. I wouldn't normally blog about this, but I have a quota to hit so in it goes!

We met up with some family friends last night for a drink. They were in NYC for the day and had reservations for dinner in Midtown, but before they dined - we had a drink and chatted about everything from how unseasonably warm it was to social faux pas. It was a lovely visit, but I digress... This place was blindly chosen by me off Goggle Maps because of it's location. Afterwards, I checked Yelp and it only had 3 stars. I figured if we showed up and it looked bad, we'd leave; however, the decor inside wasn't that bad actually. All dark hard wood - a typical Midtown after work crowd - it wasn't that bad. The drinks were good but nothing to write home about - mostly typical wines and top shelf liquors, but no fancy twists (like blue cheese in your martini). If you're looking for a place to catch up over a glass of wine in Midtown this place will suffice.

Latin-Spiced Chicken in Lettuce Cups

2012-01-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

I got my new edition of Food and Wine magazine the other day and I saw this recipe in there and decided to make it! Thank you Bill Telepan for the recipe.

Guys - this isn't hard to do. Just mix everything up in the morning and let it sit for 4 hours. The only hard work you end up doing is chopping up all the ingredients, which isn't that hard!

Ingredients:

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 whole chicken legs (about 4 1/2 pounds)—excess fat trimmed, skin scored
1 pound Savoy cabbage, finely shredded (8 cups)
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
16 large Boston lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper with the chile powder, oregano, garlic, orange juice and 2 tablespoons each of the lime juice and olive oil. Put the chicken legs on a large rimmed baking sheet and coat all over with the spiced oil. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup each of lime juice and olive oil. Add the cabbage, onion, jalapeños and cilantro. Season the slaw with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours, tossing occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the chicken legs skin side up for about 40 minutes, until browned and cooked through. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred the chicken.
Arrange the lettuce on a platter and fill with the chicken; top with the slaw and serve.

It's a French thing...

2012-01-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

My friend, Kurt, introduced me to a new drink last night called Kir. Traditionally it is white wine mixed with a splash of creme de cassis; however, in North America the trend of using Chambord instead of creme de cassis is on the rise. I also learned that a Kir Royale is with Champagne and Chambord. Sounds awesome, right? Well, they are! Better get on that with a quickness!

Cafecito

2012-01-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

We hung out with friends last night and decided to order in some grub from Cafecito. They have a solid 4 stars on Yelp, and I've eaten from there several times before and was always happy with my masitas de puerco. This time I ordered the Cubano (Cuban sandwich): roast pork, fresh ham, swiss cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and dill pickles pressed on crusty cuban bread. For $9, you couldn't complain. The sandwich tasted yummy and clean - it wasn't a greasy mess. The pork was the best part - it was obviously slow cooked all day. Delish!

Eileen's Cheesecake

2012-01-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

(photo from LunchStudio)

Eileen's Cheesecake is New York's number one spot for cheesecake. At least, according to their website it is. I mean, they are good. Eileen has been baking her cheesecakes for over 35 years so she's probably mastered it by now.

I remember bringing my parent's here on one of their first visits to NYC. I thought my dad would be stoked since he loves cheesecake so we scooped up a few of the individual sized treats and brought them home to have with coffee. If you are expecting a real cheesecake taste, the individual ones are not what you want. I think you have to spend the extra money and buy a whole cheesecake - the bigger ones might be different but I can't be sure. (I've always bought the individual sized ones). The small ones are more airy - lighter in texture, not dense like a baked cheesecake. Personally, I like these better because I don't feel like I have a pound of cake in my belly afterwards. I'm not sure if my parents thought they were the #1 NY cheesecake, but they were delicious nonetheless.

Oh, I ordered my cheesecake on impulse last night from MaxDelivery. Convenience never tasted so good. Diet? What diet? Oops.

Schiller's Liquor Bar

2012-01-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

Met my gals for brunch the other day at Schiller's and it did not disappoint. The first time I ate here with my husband we ate dinner. I'm not sure what our entrees were but I remembered we had the garlic shrimp as an app and a few years later that dish was featured on the hit TV series "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". That's right - I ate it BEFORE it was on TV! If you haven't had it yet and you like garlic, shrimp and olive oil you need to go get it. Anyways, I didn't get the shrimp this time - I got the Croque Madame. And yes, it's just as good as the one I ate in Paris. The bread is a nice hearty slice topped with salty thin sliced ham, that creamy sauce and then it's topped with gooey cheese and a fried egg. Schiller's pairs it with a simple salad of greens. With a hot coffee, it's easily one of my perfect meals.

Slow Cooker: Turkey and Bean Beer Chili

2012-01-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Left over Coors Light, you DO serve a purpose!

vegetable oil spray
1 package of lean ground turkey (about 1.5 lbs.)
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 large can tomatoes in puree
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of beer
1/2 c stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 dash liquid smoke flavoring, or to taste
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 envelope commercial chili mix

Directions:

Spray cooking spray in a large kettle or Dutch oven. Brown ground turkey. While turkey is cooking add minced onion, cumin, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or more on very low heat. Can also be cooked in the crock pot, after the ground turkey has been browned. Top with grated cheese (Mozzarella, cheddar, or Monterrey Jack), sour cream, chopped scallions, etc.

L'asso

2012-01-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

There are few places in this city where I crave foods that I'm supposed to despise. L'asso has made me a believer out of gorgonzola. What's wrong with gorgonzola you ask? Well, don't get me wrong - I love cheese. But I HATE fungus. I don't eat cheese with fungus. No blue cheese, no roquefort and definitely no gorgonzola for this gal. That is until I tried the Mela pizza from L'asso. (Pictured above - not my photo though. I devoured my pizza too quickly and had to steal this one off the interwebs). The first time I had it I had NO IDEA there was fungus-ey cheese up in my slice. I just knew it was heaven in my mouth. The second time I ordered it I had to do a double take. Did I just read the menu right? Did that say gorgonzola? I remember being bummed out - thinking they changed the recipe on me. But alas, they hadn't changed a thing. I was just being foolish and unaware of the amazing flavors of this pizza.

Let me explain, I like a classic pizza with red sauce. I like pepperoni and/or pancetta and peppers and onions. And if you're like me, then you need to just put that pizza aside once and go try this one. It will change your life. It's got all the good stuff: mozzarella, gorgonzola, asparagus, apple & truffle oil. It's tangy and sweet and salty. It's perfection. It changed me. Now, let it go and inspire you...

New L'asso location now up in the East Village, son! First Ave and 6th St!! BAH! They're within walking distance now! This could get dangerous!

Best Way to Serve Soup

2012-01-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

in a bread bowl!

I had my first bread bowl in Ghent (Norfolk, VA) at some little coffee shop that served soup and sandwiches. I was a freshman in high school I believe and the spot was so cute it had coffee mugs hanging on the wall that belonged to the regulars. I want to say it was Baker's Crust but I don't think it's that easy. Honestly, I think the place isn't there anymore...but, I digress...Here's what you'll need to make yours:

two small round loafs of bread ( you will most likely find sourdough and italian in a round shape)
olive oil for brushing
basting brush

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a circular piece off the top of the loaf with a serrated knife. Remove bread on the inside, making it hollow. Leave about 1 1/2 inches thick on the inside. Using your basting brush, brush olive oil on the inside of the bread bowl. This creates a seal, ensuring whatever you put in the bread bowl will not leak out. Bake bread bowl on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, until golden on the inside. Remove from oven, fill with desired soup or stew and serve! Tip: thicker soups work better - like the New England Clam Chowder seen above that I used. (Campbell's Select has one that's only 120 calories) You can also save the top and dip it into your soup and then devour the bowl! Yummers!

Ponzu Chicken over Rice

2012-01-04T08:09:00.001-08:00

1 lb. chicken breast (skinless and cut into bite size pieces)
1/4 c Ponzu sauce (bottled)
2 tbsps soy sauce (preferably light)
1 tbsp line juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 small heads broccoli (cut into bite size pieces)
4 cups cooked brown rice (I used Uncle Ben's Instant Brown Rice)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut up the chicken and place into a bowl. Tip: chicken cuts easily if slightly frozen. Mix chicken with all ingredients except the broccoli and rice. Cover and let it sit for 1 hour in fridge. When ready, cook in a frying pan on medium heat until chicken is golden brown. I sprayed my pan with non-stick cooking spray instead of using any oil. Steam broccoli separately until almost done and add to chicken for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve mixture over rice. Serves 4.

Honey Garlic Greek Chicken

2012-01-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is simple, light and super yummy!

Ingredients:

12 oz Chicken breast sliced thin

2 cucumbers diced

4 tbsp feta cheese (reduced-fat)

1/2 c cherry tomatoes halved

1/2 sliced red onion

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Prepare the chicken by covering them in the salt, pepper, garlic and drizzling one tbsp of honey on each breast. Grill on the stove top until cooked.

In a separate bowl combine tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Mix and then place a handful on your serving plate. Top with 1 tbsp of feta, EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Put your chicken on the plate and viola! Dinner is ready! Serves 4.

Potato Shrimp Salad

2012-01-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

Ever bought potato salad pre-made from the grocery store before? It's great when you need it but have no time to make it but usually, if made by the grocery store it's just potato and mayo and not a whole lot else. Here is a way to take it and make it amaze-balls.

1 small container of red-skin potato salad (pre-made)

1/2 lb cooked shrimp , peeled and deveined

1/4 cup chopped celery
1/8 cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I used Henderson's Relish)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Sprinkle the old bay over the shrimp. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl adding the shrimp last. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Note: I made a small batch (2 servings). Double the portion sizes if you want 4 servings.

Edi and the Wolf

2012-01-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

I spent New Year's Eve day with my lovely friend Sara having brunch at Edi and the Wolf in the East Village. I've been here three times already, it's a super cute brunch spot. (Never tried dinner - one day I will). I noticed when I came in that they changed their menu slightly (they got rid of their Toasted Tartines (aka "Belegtes Brot") and added a poached egg dish). All my last visits involved me ordering the prized Schnitzel Burger: heritage pig, sliced challah, cucumber salad, shredded cabbage, lemon aioli and spicy tomato. If it's your first time at this Austrian joint, I'd go with the Schnitzel Burger, but since I was looking to change things up I tried the poached egg dish. (Pictured above). The dish itself was good but the eggs were a little under to my liking. I prefer the whites cooked a bit more through - but that's my taste. The concept of the dish was right up my alley though - fresh cooked spinach with runny egg yolk and nuggets of yummy goat cheese and pumpernickel croutons. Delish! It was a light way to start the day, but I ruined that when I sat down and devoured a nice slice of challah bread with butter and jam and ordered a mimosa to wash it all down. Duh - this is how brunch works, ok?

I mentioned it being a cute place. Here's a photo. I didn't take this photo. NY Mag did in an article I found here, so take your credits NY Mag. :) In the summer they open up the garage door in the front of the house and really gives you the feeling of dining al fresco. But it's equally enjoyable in the winter too when the door is down. All the green makes me feel like I've got this secret hidden garden to eat in only a few blocks from me. Me likey!

How to Cheat at Poaching Eggs

2012-01-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

I love eggs - particularly ones with a runny center and cooked whites. Poached eggs are the best, but unless you have great technique (or waste a carton of eggs and a few hours trying to master this technique), making a perfectly poached egg can be quite frustrating. Unless, that is, you have a cheat method like I do. I got this tip offline so it's not my own but it works perfectly. All you have to do is take 2 measuring cups or coffee cups and line with a square of saran wrap. Make sure it's a big enough piece because you need to tie the egg up. Crack the egg and place it in the cup. Tie him up. I grab the opposite corners and make a loose knot.

Drop your egg bundle into a pot of boiling water. It must be at a rapid boil or this won't work. I set my kitchen timer to 4 minutes but for you first timers I would do 3 min and 45 seconds. Unwrapping these suckers can be a slow process and the egg will continue to cook. When time is up carefully pull the eggs out of the boiling water one by one and set them on the counter. (I usually hold onto a piece of saran wrap that isn't touching the water so I don't burn myself). Carefully untie your egg. The saran wrap should pull off easily but you have to do it slowly.

You can put your poached egg onto anything - I put mine on a bed of arugula with light balsamic dressing, cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp feta cheese and 1 piece of crumbled bacon. Since it's New Year's Day - I'd though I'd start off with a salad for breakfast.

Cranberry Orange Biscuit Pudding

2011-12-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

4 leftover biscuits (I used Pillsbury Grands)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar in the raw
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 c cranberry sauce
1/4 c cran-raisins
1 tsp orange zest

Preparation:

Cut leftover biscuits into cubes. Place bread in a baking dish. In a bowl combine all other ingredients. Pour over bread pieces and soak until soft. Bake at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes, or until custard is firm. This can be served for breakfast or as a dessert!

Adrienne's Chicken Empanadas

2011-12-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

I made a whole roaster chicken for Xmas dinner and had tons of leftovers. I decided to make empanadas but I went a little non-traditional with the filling: no olives or hard boiled egg.

The filling:

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken shredded (mine was leftovers and had a hint of rosemary!)
1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar finely grated

1/4 cup super finely chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 c diced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light

In a pan combine onion, garlic, and fake butter. Stir occasionally and after onions are cooked add all remaining ingredients except for the cheese. Turn off heat and stir in cheese last. Set aside to cool in fridge.

Empanada dough:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup partially frozen butter (cut into small cubes, place the butter cubes in the freezer until ALMOST completely frozen)
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions:

In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.
Blend in the cold butter cubes using you fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal (the mixture should be pea-size).
In a small bowl whisk together egg, ice water and vinegar.
Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will look somewhat lumpy).
Transfer the mixture onto a LIGHTLY floured surface.
Gather the dough together with your hands and gently knead with the heel of your hand once or twice (just enough to bring the dough together, do not overwork the dough or it will be tough!).
Form the dough in a semi-flat ball or rectangle.
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Roll out the dough, then cut into desired size circles.
Fill with favorite fillings then close the dough over the filling as you would a pierogi.
Brush the ends with egg wash then seal together with a fork.
Pan fry in vegetable oil on each side till golden brown. I made mine early in the day so I plan to reheat in the oven later.

At first they were really big and awkward.

But then I got the hang of it! YAY! Trick: A wine bottle can be a great rolling pin substitute!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2011-11-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

Tired of the traditional pepperoni pizza? This is sure to be a pleaser and it's much healthier!

What you'll need:

BBQ Sauce

Chicken

Whole wheat pita

Part-skim mozzarella

white onion

sugar

EVOO

How to make it:

Place a pita on a baking sheet and spread about 1 tbsp of bbq sauce on it. Take your white onion and dice it. Add to pan with the EVOO and saute for a minute. Add 1 tsp sugar. Let them bad boys caramelize. Spoon onto your pizza. Chop chicken into bite size pieces. Cook in same pan as the onions. Spoon on top pizza. Add cheese. Back at 350 under cheese is melted. Serve.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple

2011-11-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

It's almost Turkey day! Here's one side dish I'm doing! I got this one from Food and Wine magazine folks. Here's how to make it:

One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 large Fuji apple, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries with the apple, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently until the cranberries are completely broken down and the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes. Scrape the cranberry sauce into the prepared pan and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Invert the jelly onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Slice with a serrated knife before serving.

Make Ahead! The cranberry sauce can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Serve chilled.

Pylos

2011-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

So my mom was in town for her b.day and I took her to lunch at Pylos in my hood to celebrate the occasion for a light lunch. If you like rustic greek food, then this is where you need to be! When we got there (around 2ish) there was one other couple in the whole place so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We got the Spanakopita appetizer to start (crispy savory greek phyllo pastry filled with fresh spinach, feta and aromatic herbs). It was so good - I forgot to take a photo. My mom had a dish called Htenia Me Fasolia Kai Roka - which was grilled sea scallops tossed with white beans and arugula and served with a dressing of extra virgin greek olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

I had the Horiatiki: the classic greek village salad, with fresh tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, capers, kalamata olives, feta and a simple dressing of extra virgin greek olive oil and red wine vinegar. I absolutely LOVE greek salads and this one did not disappoint - everything was super fresh.

Skrimp Pasta

2011-11-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 c Pasta (linguine used here)

String beans (fresh) - about 2 good fistfuls (not sure how much that is)

1/4 c Cherry tomatoes

2 c cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp

1/4 c EVOO (a lot - I know)

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1/4 c white wine

1 tsp parsley

salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

I boiled my string beans for 5 minutes then set aside. Then I started cooking the pasta. When pasta had a few minutes left I sauteed the garlic in EVOO in a frying pan and then added the beans. After 2 minutes of stirring the beans I added the shrimp. Stir it up - try to get that EVOO over everything. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook 2 more minutes. Kill heat. Drain pasta - do NOT rinse pasta under water! Drop it into frying pan. Mix it all. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve. Mmmm....so fresh and yummy.

Asparagus wrapped Prosciutto Bundles

2011-11-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

YAY for yummy side dishes again! I made this for lunch one day and for a side dish for dinner. I fed it to my hubby and even though he says he hates asparagus, he ate all of it! Success!

Ingredients:

Asparagus (try to get the tiny guys)

Crushed garlic

Prosciutto

Salt, Pepper

Directions:

Rinse your asparagus and nestle a few into a bundle. Start at one end of the prosciutto and start rolling. Once your beautiful bouquet is bound together, brush with chopped garlic. Roast at 450 for 15 minutes. It's a salty, hammy, asparagus-y delight! And NO OIL needed! Amaze.

Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric

2011-11-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

I love roasting veggies! Usually I go simple - EVOO and salt and pepper with a squeeze of lemon, but this recipe is fun and different on a chilly afternoon. Great as a healthy snack, light lunch, yummy side dish -whateves. For those of you not familiar with Turmeric, it has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly hot peppery flavor and a mustardy smell. It's got a beautiful orange color and sprinkles on nicely! I used it when I made by Moroccan Bastilla ages ago and figured I could get good use out of it again.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp powdered garlic

salt

pepper

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Get your oven hot as hell. Toss cauliflower in EVOO. Sprinkle remaining ingredients. Toss well. Bake for around 15 minutes at 450. Serve immediately. Optional: Squeeze a little lemon on top. Yum!

BigLittle Get Together

2011-10-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a little Virginia Beach reunion and we hired the wonderful ladies of BigLittleNYC to cater the dinner. Oh and it was Halloween themed of course. First course: Ghostly cauliflower soup with with cranberry "blood" and puffed cumin and cardamon rice "maggots"with micro basil. This course was paired with an oaky Rioja called Muga Blanco.

Second course: Crispy Skin Chicken Breast with sorrel and roasted romanesco and garlic bat wings with garlic and ginger puree. Honestly, I was cutting my chicken with a butter knife. I've never had chicken this juicy before! This course was paired with another Spanish wine called Clos Lojen - fruity and light, like a Beaujolais.

Carrot souffle with maple vanilla vegan ice cream and candied puffed rice. Soooo good. I despise dessert wine so for dessert we had two pairings. A bigger Rioja called Beronia Gran Cru and a sherry called Alvear Oloroso Asuncion. Seriously, I love Oloroso now- especially the hazelnut finish that lingers and lingers. I'm going to have to go buy more of that stuff!

Polenta Lasagna

2011-10-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this isn't my photo. I took a photo on my phone, email it to myself and then deleted the photo. When I checked my email though...nothing. Bummer. Anyhoo - I made this a few days ago and had leftovers today for lunch. It was still yummy!

Ingredients

1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into very thin slices
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix 2 tbsp marinara sauce with water into an 8-inch square baking dish to cover bottom, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in beef; cook. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add marinara sauce; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Arrange polenta slices over marinara in baking dish, and top evenly with half of beef mixture. Layer zucchini over mixture; layer spinach over zucchini. Repeat 2 more times. Sprinkle with cheese on top.
Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Navy Bean Soup

2011-10-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 can of white beans
1 can Chicken Stock and fill it about 5 - 6 times with water
2 cups leftover ham (diced)
2 teaspoons parsley
1 cup of diced onions (about 1 small onion)
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
Salt and pepper

1 Add diced onions and let them sweat it out for a few minutes in a pot. Add chicken broth and water.

2 Add the ham and beans and seasoning. Cook on low for about 1 hour until the soup is cloudy. Serve. Perfect on a rainy or cold day. :)

Chicken Apple Sausage over Lentils w/Garden Salad

2011-10-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

This dinner is super yummy and healthy and can be made two ways: the easy way or the hard way.

SAUSAGE HARD WAY:

Make your chicken apple sausage (Directions here)

SAUSAGE EASY WAY:

Buy it already made. Gourmet sausage can be found in the meat section of your grocery store. I cut mine up and saute in a frying pan with a little olive oil.

LENTILS HARD WAY:

Buy dried lentils and cook them. Directions found here.

LENTILS EASY WAY:

Buy them already cooked. Trader Joe's sells them this way. So does Key Foods. Microwave them for 3 minutes and add to your pan of sausage.

SALAD HARD WAY:

Make a Lentil salad from scratch here. Spoon on top your sausage/lentil mixture.

SALAD EASY WAY:

Buy it already made. They sell it where they sell all the hummus. It will say "Lentil Garden Salad" on the container. After I make my plate I spoon this on top. It makes it very pretty and adds more texture and acid.

Garnish with Alfalfa sprouts. Just buy those. Don't grow them.

The choice is yours. Dinner in 10 minutes or...like 5 hours.

Crustini

2011-10-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Snack time is a callin' and this hits the spot!

To make this, you'll need:

French Bread or any type of baguette

olive oil

herbed goat cheese

Sage Honey

Salt and Pepper

Just cut the bread into slices and top with EVOO, then salt and pepper, then goat cheese, then drizzle with sage honey. Toast. Done. Amazing.

Soft Taco Bake

2011-10-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

This doesn't look nearly as appetizing as it tasted, but it's stupid easy to make and delicious.

To make this you'll need:

Ground beef

Refried beans

Chopped tomato with green chilies (canned)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Soft Taco shells

1/2 c Cheese sauce (like salsa con queso or Velveta)

Taco seasoning

Sour cream

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a pan and add the taco seasoning with a little bit of aqua. Turn off heat and set aside. In a baking dish (preferably one you make lasagna in) take soft taco shells and place on the bottom of the pan. (I cut my shells so I could arrange the round shells to fit a rectangle dish).

Put in some ground beef (it won't cover every space). Use the refried beans and the canned tomatoes to fill in the space. Top with shredded cheese. Add a layer of taco shells, repeat. Pile that sh#t as high as you like or like me, until I run out of ingredients. Top the whole thing with the cheese sauce (not a lot - like 1/2 a cup). Cover in foil and bake at 350 for 30 min. Serve with sour cream (optional).

Also optional: For a kick you could top with hot pepper slices. Or shred some lettuce and add a little green garnish.

Beef "Stir Fry" with Chinese Noodles

2011-10-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my hiatus. I've been really bad about keeping this updated. I'll try to be better at that, folks. :) Funny thing is I'm taking photos of my food all the time - I just forgot to blog about it!

So, here we have a yummy beef dish. I call it a stir fry because it has all the makings of one but the way I prepared this was I actually roasted the veggies in the oven first.

To make this you'll need:

4- 5 cups assorted veggies (I used cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, celery, tomato, onion, carrots)

Beef Cubed (You know the stuff you see for stews - I took that and diced it up much smaller)

Ponzu Sauce

Chopped Garlic

Olive Oil

Stir - Fry Sauce (Unless you want to make your own, I just bought some)

Chinese Noodles (I got mine in the produce section. They were already cooked and I just reheated with boiling water but they sell dry ones too. Either are fine)

Directions:

Roast the veggies first. I put one tablespoon of EVOO and try to coat as much of the vegetables as I could. Sprinkled with salt and pepper and then blasted them for about 25/30 min at 450. (I like them to brown). After you cut up your meat into tiny bites sauté it in a pan with garlic and Ponzu sauce. When the meat is almost done cook the noodles and the turn the heat off the meat. In a big bowl combine veggies, meat and cooked noodles. Add a little stir fry sauce and mix. Everything is hot so the stir-fry sauce will get hot too. (It was kinda hard for me to separate the noodles - they like to clump together. I tried to separate them as I was mixing in the stir-fry sauce).

Enjoy!

Warm Bacon and Poached Egg Salad

2011-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Christina Shorter, this post is for you. Tomorrow you will make this for brunch. It's delicious. Every gal loves a good salad, especially when you amp it up with warm bacon and runny egg yolk! Sounds fattening, but surprisingly not that bad for you. (275 cal total for the salad)

For the salad you will need:
Baby Arugula
1/8 red onion diced
1/2 c cherry tomato (halved)
2 tbsp light balsamic dressing (mine was Newman's Own and it was 45 cal)
4 pc bacon (mine was Oscar Mayer and it was 70 cal for 2 pieces)
4 eggs (160 cal for 2)

First, boil some water. While that is getting to a boil mix the arugula, onion and tomato together. Start frying your bacon. If you know how to make poached eggs then go for it. I cheat. I take measuring cups and line them with saran wrap. I break open an egg into the cup and then tie up the ends of the saran wrap with the egg inside. I saw this online before and it totally works. Once your water is at a boil, drop the sacks into the water and start your timer for 3:50! When the timer goes off gently take the sacks out and lay them on a paper towel. Untie each one VERY carefully. They are going to be hot so be careful! Add the dressing to your salad now. Mix well. Once the bacon is crispy, blot with paper towel and then throw into your salad mixture. Crush the bacon up with a fork. Put the salad mixture on a plate and carefully top with your poached eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Eat it. (serves 2)

* I made this for Curtis and I made toast for him. You could totally add toast or croutons if you need that bready crunchy element.

Um, you are welcome. :)

This Little Piggy

2011-08-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

had roast beef...and it was like if Arby's had done the Arby melt right...(according to Curtis Williams). But seriously, this little spot in the East Village is amazing - and cheap too. The sandwich was $5.50 and it was juicy, meaty and cheesy wonderfulness. I highly recommend when you are debating what to eat for lunch/dinner that you give this spot a chance.

Stuffed Peppers

2011-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

These peppers are super easy to make. First, take 2 green peppers and cut tops off. Cut in half and de-seed. Drop in boiling water and cook until tender (about 10 min). Remove from water and let cool in a baking dish. In a separate pan, fry up ground beef (I used 90% lean) and add marinara sauce (any jarred sauce will do but I used Prego Traditional). Then I took Uncle Ben's Brown rice (the kind that comes in a pouch and only takes 90 seconds to cook) and I added that to my meat sauce. Stop cooking and stuff your peppers. If you don't want to cut your peppers in half you don't need to. I only did because they don't stand up very good sometimes - plus I didn't want to eat a whole one. I topped the pepper with sliced cheese (use mozzarella). Brown the cheese by putting in oven on broil for like 1 to 2 minutes. Done, son!

The Foods of Iceland

2011-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ok - so we got back from Iceland a month ago, but I haven't blogged about the food just yet...until now...

First up, this hot dog stand on the side of the road is like the country's National food - seriously. Bill Clinton ate here back in the day (and oddly had a heart attack a week later, but that didn't stop us!) I ordered "The Clinton" - which is just mustard - but not like yellow mustard - more like a brown sweet sauce. We also ordered one with the works (I split that with Curtis). It had the mustard but also crunchy onion bits and maybe something else - ketchup? I liked that one better actually.

We also had our fair share of burgers in Iceland. Once we ate at Hamborgarafabrikka, which coincidentally enough is a famous "Reality TV Show". I use that term loosely because you can tell the show is scripted but it's supposed to be like Icelandic reality TV. Anyhoo - this burger here is one that our friend Justin ordered. Love that fried egg on top - it just looks like a cholesterol nightmare! haha

We also went to this more traditional burger place - Burgerjoint. This one here is the original and the best. The burgers here are more like a typical fast food burger but the meat is fresh and all burgers come with cheese!

So, this photo is funny but we didn't eat any sheep's head or lamb face - but I did try fermented shark - but idea. At first it didn't taste like anything (but I plugged my nose - they smell is HORRID!) then all of a sudden my tongue started going numb (I swear they soak that stuff in formaldehyde!) So I spit it out. Never again. The legend is that virgins pee on the shark meat and then they bury it in the ground for several years to develop the flavor. Umm...yeah...you can tell just by that that it can't be good! haha Anthony Bourdain actually said it was the worst thing he's ever eaten and he's eaten some horrible things!

Speaking of Tony, we did make it to one restaurant that he praised highly called "3 Frakkur" or "The 3 Coats" or also translated as "The 3 Frenchmen". There we enjoyed wonderful halibut with wasabi mash. So good! I also tried whale for the first time. (I know, that's bad...) Whale tastes like steak - not like fish at all. (Pictured above) This place is featured on Food and Wine and is a treasure to chef's worldwide. The gallery on the website has Jamie Oliver posing with the Chef.

Lastly, we ate at FishMarket and had the tasting menu - about 8 or 9 dishes that ranged from huge mussels, to sushi, to fish to lamb...it was so much food! Fish Market uses Iceland’s freshest ingredients to prepare original fish, meat and sweet dishes with a modern twist. They buy direct from the country’s farmers and fishermen to guarantee the sustainability and quality of our dishes. Everything was delish!

The best part of Iceland wasn't the food (although the food was great!) It was definitely the people - love you Kristin and Steini!

El Camion

2011-07-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

This place just opened up in our hood recently and we went to go check them. The drinks were on happy hour prices when we went around 7 pm ($5 a pop, so we had 2!). Then we ordered a bunch of tacos and split them so we could try a bunch!

The Carne Asada tacos were ranked a 3.5 out of 5. Not because they were bad - just that the others were so much better! The grilled skirt steak was marinated in a jalapeno and cilantro marinade and served with caramelized onion and guacamole.

Next, Baja style Fish tacos. Ranked 4 out of 5. Crispy fried cod in a flour tortilla with red cabbage and cucumber slaw and avocado crema. Mmm...

Lastly, Tacos El Pastor! The best of the bunch! 5 out of 5! Orange and Chipotle marinated pork with a grilled pineapple salsa. Delish!

East Village peeps - go check this spot out!

Imperial Woodpecker Sno-balls

2011-07-17T09:10:00.001-07:00

Imagine a hot summer day in NYC. You've been laying out on the lawn on the Hudson river all day and now you are walking home, dripping with sweat. As you make your way through the West Village you see a beacon in the distance. Beyond the air, rippling from the heat - you see a sno-ball shop. "Holy, hell...", you mutter, "I need that in my life right now...".

This place is super cute and is all about sno-balls served in Chinese take-out boxes. Curtis got the dreamsickle flavor with a condensed milk drizzle - umm...YUM! I got the green apple - so good!
Highly recommend to cool down on a hot day! Warning - the green apple will turn your mouth and tongue green! ;)

Clinton Street Bakery

2011-07-17T09:01:00.001-07:00

I've blogged about this place before here but it was October of last year when my cousin was here and coincidentally the last time I was there. Why so long ago? Because I have to wake up at 7 am during the week to get there when they open to avoid a 2 hour wait. This place is jam-packed by 8:30 am - every day!

If you know me you know that I HATE waking up early and I also HATE waking up and eating breakfast immediately. I'm also not a fan of drinking coffee and eating food at the same time (makes me feel gross). I like to wake up - have a cup of coffee - then eat breakfast 2 hours or so later. That's just me. That's how I roll. But not my husband. He has been craving their blueberry pancakes for months now and I finally agreed to go with him. (That's love, folks...)

If you ever make it to NYC, go try the blueberry pancakes. They won't disappoint. Oh and get the sugar cured bacon - it's like ham candy. Ridiculous! Just make sure to wake up early for it!

Masitas De Puerco

2011-07-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Kiddies - it's been awhile, I know...

This dinner was so good that I forgot to take a photo of it! But I found one on someone else's blog and it looks about right.
Ingredients:
2-1/2 lb. fresh pork loin12 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed1 large onion chopped1/2 cup sour orange juice (or 1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice & 1/4cup lime juice)2 cups water1 cup pure Spanish olive oil1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 fresh onion sliced into ringslime wedges1 teaspoon oregano1 teaspoon cumin

Directions:Cut pork into 2 inch chunks. To prepare marinade: mix together garlic,chopped onion, orange juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, oregano, cumin andsalt. Pour over pork chunks and marinate for at least 3 hours orovernight in the refrigerator.

Remove meat from marinade. Place in pot with two cups of water and 1/2cup olive oil. Simmer, uncovered until all water boils away -- about30 to 45 minutes. Brown the pork in the oil until crispy on theoutside -- DO NOT overcook! Add onion slices and saute briefly.Garnish with lime wedges. Serve with white rice.

Guilt Free Ribs

2011-06-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been passed around a few times (originally it came from Men's Health Magazine) but I found it in an article my friend Rachel wrote here. (I don't have a grill, I made mine to serve 2 and I didn't have all the original ingredients so I doctored my recipe a little)

Ingredients:

1 rack baby back ribs

1 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper

2 tbsp cup salt

3 tablespoon chili powder

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 onion, minced

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoon Henderson's Relish

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

a pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place the ribs in a large baking dish or on a cookie sheet. Pour in Dr Pepper to cover them, reserving at least 1/2 cup for the sauce. Add the salt and soak the ribs in the fridge overnight or at least 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the ribs from the liquid, dry them, and rub with the chili powder. Place them on a baking dish, add 1 cup of water, and cover tightly with foil. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat nearly falls off the bone.

For the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until they’re soft and fragrant, and add the ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, cayenne, and 1/2 cup of Dr Pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Set the oven to broil, and brush the ribs with sauce. When the oven is hot, stick them in for a few minutes to get them a little crispy. When done, remove and brush with more sauce.

Saucy Balls

2011-05-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

I made spaghetti with whole wheat penne for dinner. These balls were a little on the creative side (trying to clean out the fridge before our vacation on Wednesday), but they came out pretty good.

Start with ground beef, bread crumbs and ricotta with fennel, honey and orange. (Thanks Lauren for the yummy ricotta - I re-purposed it!) They ended up sweet, savory and tangy!

My balls. They chilled in the fridge for 2 hours.

Then I deep fried them in duck fat. Yup.

Golden brown delicious. Added some high quality tomato sauce and baked off in the oven to finish for 30 minutes. (Covered in foil at 350).

Vamos!

2011-05-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Huevos Rancheros.

Eggs Benedict with potato hash

The food here was ok at best. The best part was the fresh made guacamole and the warm chips they serve with it. AND the unlimited frozen margaritas for only $6.

Greek Yogurt Chicken

2011-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1- 8oz Container plain fat free Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 C. Whole wheat bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking (about 2 tbsp. total) and one lemon (used right before serving)

Directions

Pepper both sides of the chicken and set aside. In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, salt and pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp cumin. Place the chicken in a re-sealable bag and pour the Greek yogurt mixture on it. Then massage the yogurt into the chicken and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a half an hour to an hour. Meanwhile in a pie dish add the whole wheat bread crumbs and remaining garlic powder, cumin, more salt and pepper. Stir the mixture with a fork to combine. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. When chicken is done marinating coat one piece at a time into the bread crumb mixture and coat both sides; repeat until all pieces of chicken are coated in bread crumbs. Pre-heat a skillet with extra virgin olive oil to medium high and sauté chicken breast on one side, flip after two minutes or until golden brown crust has formed. Place pan with chicken in the oven to finish the cooking process, 5-10 minutes depending on how thick your piece of chicken is. When thoroughly cooked remove from oven and squeeze lemon on top of the warm chicken to serve.

Penne with Red Cabbage

2011-05-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe online but decided to modify a few of the ingredients. It's healthy and it's vegetarian!

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 pound whole wheat penne
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup low fat cottage cheese (this sounds gross, but the original recipe calls for feta - cottage cheese can be savory! It's salty and mixes well - it works - I promise!)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced red cabbage and vinegar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until it is al dente. Drain the pasta well. Return the pasta to the pot.
Scrape the cabbage over the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cottage cheese and mix well. Serve.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon

2011-04-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

Wrapping prosciutto around salmon is the best way to make a dish that makes you want to slap somebody. The prosciutto is very easy to work with. It actually “shrink wraps” as it cooks, tightly sealing itself to the fish. I made mine with half a small potato and roasted brussel spouts.

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets (skin off)
4 slices of prosciutto
1/4 cup of grainy mustard
a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Meanwhile, season the salmon fillets with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Evenly spread the mustard on the top surface of each fillet. Tightly roll each fillet in a slice of prosciutto so that the end is weighed down beneath the salmon. The ends of the salmon will protrude beyond the prosciutto.
Place wrapped fillets on a baking pan, seam sides down. Bake until done - I like mine cripsy, about 25 minutes.

Quick Tuna Steak

2011-04-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients


	2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
	1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
	2 tsp olive oil
	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
	1/4 cup(s) white wine
	3/4 pound(s) Fish, tuna, raw

Instructions

Combine wine, soy sauce and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper; add steaks to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side until steaks are medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to a serving dish, and keep warm. Pour mixture into pan. Cook 1 to 11⁄2 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons, stirring to deglaze pan; pour over steaks.

Rye

2011-04-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend Patrick had a birthday dinner a little while ago and we ventured out to Rye in Brooklyn to celebrate with a little surprise dinner. Dinner was so much fun (it always is when you have good company)!

We had a pre-fixe and many folks ordered the Beet Ravioli as their first course: roasted beets, goat cheese, baby arugula, roasted tomatoes, toasted pine nuts & fresh basil. I opted for the House Smoked Sturgeon.

The smoked fish came with boulanger potatoes, bacon, frisee & quail egg. This photo I found of the dish shows it with caviar. I didn't get any caviar. Also - I've never been a fan of frisee but I rather enjoyed it this time. (It looks like it should be living in a fish tank - or in a bed of coral in the ocean.)

For dinner, Curtis had the Meatloaf sandwich made of: duck, veal and pork, topped with crispy buttermilk onions. Curtis loved it. I didn't order this because it sounded really heavy. I took a bite - it was darn good.

Joe and Haney had the Roasted Chicken with sage butternut squash & pancetta risotto. The chicken was cooked perfectly. Very delish! A bunch of the girls ordered the Grilled Berkshire pork belly served with white beans and brussel sprouts. I admit - I'm a big fan of pork belly BUT it has to be cooked properly. I don't like eating fat - I trim it off of everything! (The texture grosses me out!) But proper pork belly can melt in your mouth like a BBQ cloud. Rye's pork belly was really meaty and the fatty part could have been cooked longer. I didn't eat all of it because it was too chewy.

For dessert - we had two choices: Chocolate Cake with pistachio ice cream or warm donuts & ice cream. Whenever I see warm donuts I usually order them. These donuts were dense, cake-like donuts. (I prefer the fried airy kind). They were good - but I took a bite of someone's chocolate cake and that was better. I was so tired and full after dinner - we took cabs out of Brooklyn back to the city (ha ha - LAZY!). Again, the food was okay (not sure if I left feeling there was something I'd definitely be back for), but the dinner itself was super fun. I love this group of people. They rule.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

I know Easter is next Sunday, but if you're making a basket for anyone special there is really only one thing you need in your Easter basket...Cadbury! :)

Best way Broccoli

2011-04-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is broccoli. The best way to prepare broccoli is to toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven on 400 for about 8 minutes. Then, squeeze a little lemon juice on top. I find myself craving this. Shout out to Tracy for making it for me this way last year. I don't cook it any other way now. Mmm...

Meatball Shop

2011-04-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

We went to the Meatball Shop today for an early dinner.

The ordering system is different - you use a marker and circle the items you want off the lamented menu. I got the basic - 4 beef balls in sauce with a simple salad of arugula and apple. Curtis got the risotto as an appetizer (It was eh at best - there was really no flavor at all)

He said his sliders were good. I believed him. If you want to try a bunch of different balls, the sliders are your way to go...

The best part of dinner was the ice cream sandwich dessert! We split a chocolate chip cookie with mint ice cream - the mint ice cream was unlike anything I had ever had before. It was like eating a spearmint leaf! Overall rating = B-.

Good Morning, Frittata

2011-04-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Mmm...good morning!

I over did it on the scallions. Oops. Please follow the instructions and only use one. I used 3 and I wouldn't recommend it this way.

Ingredients


	2 spray(s) cooking spray
	1 small shallot(s), chopped
	2 large egg(s)
	4 large egg white(s)- make it healthy!
	1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
	1/2 cup(s) grape tomatoes, cut in half if large
	1/4 cup(s) crumbled feta cheese
	2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs 2 slices prosciutto (diced)

I don't own an oven proof skillet so I baked mine in a glass dish. (Typically, you would cook this on a skillet first and then finish off in the oven). But, despite that it came out just fine. Preheat oven. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Dice shallot set aside. Pour egg mixture into dish; top with bread crumbs and cook at 350 for about 30 min. Dice the prosciutto and crisp in toaster oven for about 4 minutes (on a 300 degree setting). Remove from oven and let sit for 1 minute; cut into 4 wedges. Top each piece with prosciutto. Yields 1 wedge per serving.

Greek Salad w/Chicken

2011-04-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is super easy to make and healthy too. You will need:
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1/4 c Reduced fat feta crumbles
1/2 c cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 c diced cucumber
1/2 c diced peppers (red, green and yellow)
1/2 c fresh spinach
1/4 c diced scallions
3 oz chicken breast
1 tsp oregano
1tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp EVOO and then drop in chicken (cut up). Season the chicken with the oregano, salt, pepper and garlic. On your plate combine all the salad ingredients. I piled mine on one at a time. Dress with the left over balsamic and olive oil. Top with chicken.
YUM!

Like Mom's Collard Greens

2011-03-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients


	3 slice(s) uncooked reduced-fat bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces
	3/4 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
	2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), sliced
	1 pound(s) collard greens, washed well, center stems removed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch wide strips (about 8 cups)
	1 1/2 cup(s) water
	2 tsp apple cider vinegar
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, (or more to taste)

Instructions

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to sizzle and release some of its fat, about 1 minute.
Add onions to pot; stir and cover for 30 seconds. Decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until onions are light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add collard greens to pot and increase heat to high; cook, stirring, until greens wilt, about 2 minutes.
Add water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, salt and hot sauce. Serve extra hot pepper sauce on the side if desired. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Notes

For optimal flavor and texture, select bunches of collard greens with smaller leaves — they're younger and more tender.

Better For You Benedict

2011-03-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats = 100 calories. I toasted mine. The ham disks are 50 calories for 2 slices - what, what?! I got mine crispy in the frying pan with just cooking spray. Two poached eggs = 180 calories. The hollandaise was a mix (I know - I cheated) but I made it with skim milk and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light. It was thick and heavy like a gravy not lemony and frothy like a fresh hollandaise would be. Oh well. It was devoured in less than 10 minutes. :)

Lasagna with Zucchini

2011-03-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

I made some yummy lasagna the other night and I snuck in veggies to make it healthier! 85% lean ground beef (about 8 ounces), garlic, chopped zucchini.

Ricotta with finely chopped fresh parsley and one egg.

Of course I added lots of good quality tomato sauce then made my layers. I didn't put a lot of cheese on top and to be honest, I didn't even miss it! I also made two batches. One for now...

One for later (maybe next week).

So yummy! (And my honey didn't even complain about eating vegetables!) :)

The Breslin - Best Burger in the history of my life

2011-03-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

We went to The Breslin for brunch. Crystal and I split this above average Caesar salad. It had whole anchovies croutons, great dressing and fried something...parsley??? I thought it was seaweed! Very yummy!

Fried Peanut Butter and Banana sammy. Very yummy. Very filling. I only took one bite. My fatty husband ordered the meal as his appetizer. He's joining WW real soon, ya'll....

Hands down - best burger I EVER ate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lamb burger with with onion and feta and thrice cooked "chips" with cumin mayo. Holy hell. I ate half of this baby and I wished I had the whole thing! SOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo good! I couldn't stop eating it! It was juicy and tangy and salty and meaty and the bomb. Please - go try it. You need to know my new love.

Stanton Social Birthday Dinner

2011-03-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

We made our way to Stanton Social last night for Curtis' birthday dinner. The vibe was trendy but still inviting. A little crowded, but cozy. The plates were shared and it made for a fun experience. We got to try so many things - thus, our conversation of the evening often came back to the food we were tasting. There were some winners that I would def. go back for! Thanks again to fellow bloggers for the photos. Here was our meal (out of order):

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Ravioli: vanilla brown butter & candied pecans. Since these were on the sweeter side, eating one ravioli was enough.

Kobe Beef Burger, Pulled Pork Slider, 'Kobe Philly' - truffle & goat cheese fondue. (You could smell the truffle on the Philly for miles! SOOO inviting!!)

Chai Crème Brulee spiced 'misfortune' cookies. This was okay (nothing special).

Social Mac & Cheese - chorizo & ovendried tomato. Holy hell. I could've dived into a bowl of this. The breadcrumb topping was a nice touch and the smoky flavor from the chorizo made it special. It was very heavy though - great for sharing!

Maryland Jumbo Lump Crabcake 'Corn Dogs’. I bit into this expecting a hot dog (I didn't know what it was when it got put on the table). I was pleasantly surprised to learn I was eating a crab cake. Very yummy!

Hot Chocolate Mudslide Shot: patron xo, bailey's & homemade marshmallow. This was probably my favorite dessert. Very yummy chocolate and WARM! Mmmm!

Warm doughnuts. Fresh doughnuts are always a winner. The dipping sauces were divine as well.

The Stanton Social Beef Wellington: grilled filet mignon, foie gras mousse & mushrooms,wrapped in puff pastry. Again, another rich dish - perfect for sharing. The foie gras really elevated this dish.

Grilled apple & brie Quesadilla: with mustard- maple syrup and smoked 'bacon bits'. Another crowd pleaser. Yum-o!

The Red Velvet 'Twinkie' cream cheese - crème fraiche filling. Creme fraiche really elevated this dish! Kurt and Charlie split the Guinness Toffee Cake toffee sauce & bailey's ice cream (not shown)

Zucchini Tempura - tomato jam and asiago. (Gotta fit in a vegetable somewhere!)

French Onion Soup Dumplings. They lived up to the hype. We ordered two of these. :)

Curtis' misfortune

Red Snapper Tacos - creamy avocado & spicy mango. Out of all the dishes, one of my top pleasers.

Rai Rai Ken

2011-03-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

We went to the small 14 seats Rai Rai Ken for dinner and I'm sold on their Miso ramen. Seriously. It's amazing. Miso Ramen is a soy bean based noodle soup topped with beansprout, cabbage, onion, crispy garlic, chicken and scallion. Out of town friends, get ready! This place looks unassuming but you will thank me!

Curtis went the more traditional route. He had the Shoyu Ramen-- soy sauce based noodle soup topped with bamboo shoot, boiled egg, roast pork, spinach, fish cake, dry seaweed, and scallion. (This was also good, but mine was better!)

Matilda's

2011-03-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

The foodie crew (me, Haney, JC, Michelle) ate at Matlida's for brunch today. Michelle had two eggs served in a tomato and pico de gallo sauce and a champagne cocktail with mango puree.

UOVA “TUTTI GUSTI”: 2 eggs any style with pico de gallo, served over garlic and olive oil toasted bread. I paired mine with a mimosa. :)

Curtis and JC had the same thing to eat-- UOVA IN CAMICIA: crispy tortilla topped with chorizo, poached eggs and chipotle-crema fresca sauce. Curtis had a michelada (like a bloody mary but made with beer).

SOPA AZTECA CON RICOTTA: Tomato and guajillo chile soup, topped with ricotta salata, avocado and shoestring tortilla chips. Haney asked for it extra spicy and I think they put ghost chili peppers in there! It was ridiculously spicy! We also ordered guacamole and salsa for the table. The guacamole was really good and different (they add basil to theirs).

Refreshing Fruit Salad

2011-03-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Super easy to make - honeydew melon diced into pieces with chopped mint, cilantro and a touch of honey. I also did a little squeeze of lemon juice.

Good Italian in Cancun?

2011-02-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was actually! Sorry this post is so late! I forgot I had these pictures! This was our amuse bouche. A delightful warm pesto bite!

Chicken Parmigiana. So fancy for resort food!

Seafood Marinara. (So yummy!)

Thomas was creeped out by the giant prawn's head.

Employees Only

2011-02-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Curtis, Justin and I went to the Walter Reade Theater (right next to Juilliard in the Upper West Side) last night and saw "Submarino" - amazing film directed by Thomas Vinterberg (same guy that did the dogme-film, "Celebration" (which is also amazing). Two brothers meet at their mother's funeral, each in his way on a path of self-destruction, both haunted by a tragedy in their youth. Go see it! Anyways, I digress....

After the movie, we went to Employees Only in the West Village. This place has a very 1920s speak easy vibe to it. In fact, it's not clearly labeled as "Employees Only". You have to look for the neon psychic sign in the window to really know that you're there.

And looking at the dinner menu, you can tell they know how to make a cocktail or two - in fact, the bar area here gets SUPER crowded late night.

Small dining area.

I wish I got the one with the dried roses - so girly!

No, I wasn't flashing photos last night - thank the LAWD for the interwebs. Someone else did. But yeah, it looked exactly like this...the seated area for diners was on a raised platform behind the bar area. I was like..."Um, how do we leave?"

With dinner I had the Pimm's Cup: Pimm’s No.1 served tall with a blend of
Combier Royal, Fresh Lime Juice and Ginger Soda, garnished with Cucumbers & Fresh Mint.(thanks Yasmin for introducing me to these!)

To eat I had the Seared Salmon with Artichoke, Fingerling Potato & Mache. (Sorry other blogger- I stole your photo from the interwebs! The skin on the salmon was my favorite - it was crispy and delicious and it was just enough - they don't go crazy on portion size here).

Curtis and Justin both had Bellini's (Pureed White Peaches stirred with
Prosecco & dashes of Peach Cordial) with dinner (yummy - but sweet!) Curtis had Bacon Wrapped Lamb Chops with Salsa Verde. He also had Orecchiette Spicy House-made Pork Sausage,Arugula & Parmesan.

Justin had his most favorite Potato Gnocchi with Shitake, Oyster & Cremini Mushrooms. He also had Elk Loin with Kaboucha Squash & Broccoli Rabe in a Sage Brown Butter. I took a bite of all of their dishes and they were all very good. The lamp chop seemed like the whole thing was deep fried. It was very crispy! The gnocchi was good and I even ate a fungus and didn't mind it!

(Elk - in case you forgot what one looks like - and yes, I took a bite of him. Elk is kinda chewy for any of you adventurous carnivores out there looking to try him - Ahem, Friedy!).

For dessert Curtis had Butterscotch & Mascarpone Cheesecake with Sea Salt & Nut Brittle. Justin had Poached Apple ”Tufahija” with Candied Walnuts & Clove Scented Yogurt. Thank goodness I was with boys that let me take a bite of each! They were sooo good!
Again, my apologies and a thank you to all the folks that I stole photos from. I forgot my camera last night and well, you done good taking photos of the exact foods I needed. Bless you fellow foodies of America. :)

11 Point Dinner

2011-02-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

Such an easy dish - I sauteed brussel sprouts in EVOO for a few minutes and then took it off the heat when they were ready. I tossed in a chopped Fuji apple at the end (I wanted the apple to be a little cold and crisp, not warm and mushy). For you WW peeps, the only thing that counts in this is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (4 pts) Boo YAH!

This my friends is good ol' corned beef and cabbage. I heart this dish - my mom would make it growing up and she made it the right way - slow cooked in the crock pot all day. Yum! I made mine in a large pot on the stove and it only took about 5 hours ( although I think it would of been fine to eat in 4). Here is how to make it yourself...

I got this recipe online and for you WW folks, one serving is only 7 points! Get out!

	2 large onion(s), sliced
	2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), chopped
	1 3/4 pound(s) corned beef brisket, lean, trimmed of all visible fat
	3 medium carrot(s), cut into 2-inch chunks (optional - I actually didn't add any)
	3 medium uncooked potato(es), all-purpose, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
	1 pound(s) green cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
	1 1/4 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I didn't have this item either and it still tasted fine without it)

Instructions

Place the onions and garlic in a slow cooker. Place the corned beef on top of the onions. Arrange the carrots and potatoes around the meat. Place cabbage wedges on top of vegetables. Pour the broth over and around the vegetables. Cover and cook until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender, 4–5 hours on high or 8–10 hours on low.
Transfer the corned beef to a platter and cut into slices. With a slotted spoon, lift the vegetables from the broth and place around the meat. Yields 1/8 of dinner per serving.

Notes

A tablespoon, or two, of mustard should be enough to accompany this amount of food. For the tamer palate, serve a prepared mustard such as Dijon.

To save precious time in the morning, assemble all the ingredients in the insert of the slow cooker the night before and refrigerate. In the morning, you’ll only need pop the insert into the slow cooker and plug it in.

Seafood Marinara

2011-02-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

I was inspired to make this dish from my recent trip to Cancun (yes) we had Seafood Marinara in Cancun! Unfortunately for you, you get the photo of the leftovers because I forgot to take one when I was cooking! This wasn't quite the same (I was missing a giant prawn head - but it was very good nonetheless!) This dish is super easy to make: Take 1 Tbsp of olive oil and saute 1/2 large onion (finely chopped). Add 2 cloves garlic (also finely chopped) and let simmer till onions look cooked. Then add 1/2 c white wine. Let it simmer for 2 minutes then add about 3 cups of good quality tomato sauce, 1/4 ts red pepper flakes, and then your seafood!
I bought a bag of mixed seafood from Trader Joe's that had shrimp, sea scallops and squid. I defrosted it, then tossed it in. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes to cook in the sauce - not long at all. I let it simmer for a few more minutes then I served this over spaghetti noodle pasta. Mmmm....good. WW folks - one cup of sauce (with the seafood) and 1 cup of pasta = 13 points.

My first attempt at ceviche!

2011-02-04T20:37:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I labeled this Island cuisine because you can find all sorts of tasty ceviche's in the islands - but my absolute favorite is Ecuadorian ceviche. (Not the islands) Specifically, Mr. Farfan Senior's ceviche (whose son still promises me the recipe one day). Man - that stuff is the stuff that dreams are made of!

Anyways - I attempted to make mine from a hodge-podge of recipes I found online. And I have to admit, for my first attempt - I kinda hit it outta the park. Now you can too! Just follow this recipe:

You can make ceviche with white fish, shrimp or just about any kind of seafood. I chose to do a mix of shrimp and seafood. I cut up 1 lb of shrimp (no tails) and I par-boiled 1 lb of white fish fillets (I chose tilapia but you can also use corvina, halibut, sea bass, or sole), cut into small square pieces.

Next, add about 4 garlic cloves, crushed and then lime juice - lot's of it! If you don't plan to par-boil the fish then you need 20 limes, separated into about 10 limes to cook the fish and 10 limes for the ceviche marinade. Since I cooked my fish first, I only needed 10 limes.

Next: 2-3 hot peppers (I chose jalapenos and I diced them WITH the seeds to make it extra spicy) You can also use red chilies or serranos. If you don't like it too spicy de-seed the pepper. Also add bell peppers, I chose a mix of green, orange and yellow, diced finely.

Lastly, 4-5 large shallots, peeled and sliced finely. 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced very finely. 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped as finely as possible and trust me hear - take the time to remove the stems. I did and it was well worth it! 2-3 tbs of EVOO or sunflower oil. Salt to taste. (If you are serving with tortilla chips you can go easy on the salt - I actually didn't add any!)

Viola! A wonderful healthy dinner that will be "something different" and a crowd pleaser.

TIP: Make sure you use a non-reactive bowl to make this in. I chose a glass baking dish.

Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ

2011-02-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

Yup, I made this. Took me all day - but it was goooood-od!

And here we go:

3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
One 5-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
8 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300°. Mix together the salt, pepper and paprika; sprinkle all over the pork and rub in.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 24-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil and double-wrap the pork.
Place the pork, skin side up, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; roast until tender, about 4-1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and carefully unwrap the top of the pork, revealing the skin. Increase the heat to 450° and roast for 20 minutes more.
Transfer the roast to a large bowl, along with any juices. Using two forks, shred the pork. Add the vinegars, sugar and hot sauce; toss. Serve on the hamburger buns.

Bacon Pancakes

2011-01-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

This is super easy to make and tastes delicious! Just cook off a few strips of bacon prior to making the pancake batter. Let it cool and then crumble the bacon. Make the pancake batter (any boxed mix will do) and dump the crumbled bacon inside. With a bit of butter and syrup, your pancakes will be sweet and savory! Every bite will have salty bits of bacon with sugary syrupy goodness. Amazing!

Health Nut

2011-01-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

Tofu over stir fry veggies.

Terrapins

2011-01-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Over the Xmas holidays I was down in Virgina Beach, VA and I had the chance to dine at one of my favorite restaurants: Terrapins. The first time I went with my good friends Missy and Matt and the second time I went with my parents. Both times I forgot to take pictures of all the dishes. (What's wrong with me? I'm slippin' up!)

However - thanks to the internet I was able to find a few photos for you so that you can have some understanding of what my delightful gastronomic adventures looked like.

We begin with the first courses:

My dad had the MUSHROOM RISOTTO with local & wild mushrooms, fresh thyme

white truffle oil & parmigiano-reggiano. I took a bite (even though I HATE fungus - and I actually liked it!) Truffle oil makes everything amazing!

I had the TRUFFLE MAC & CHEESE with Vermont extra sharp white cheddar & black truffle. I convinced my mom to try it too and she loved it! Some other dishes worth noting but not featured here are Matt's PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND MUSSELS in a green curry & coconut milk broth. Delish!

For dinner, I had the BRANDT "ALL NATURAL" NY STRIP with truffle & Parmesan french fries, local seasonal broccoli rabe and thirty five year old emiliana balsamic drizzle. It was amazing! Both my parents had the same thing - they were not disappointed! BTW - truffle oil and Parmesean french fries? OMG! Where have you been all my life?! Some other dishes not shown here but consumed by us were Matt's Colorado Lamb: pan seared lamb chop loin, cauliflower puree, lemon roasted peewee potatoes, apple cider-mint sauce, smoked chile oil. Also. the second time I went I had the LOCAL ROCKFISH with pee wee potatoes, crispy pancetta, fried sage, collards & whole grain mustard sauce. Missy had the FENNEL POLLEN SPICED SEA SCALLOPS: local dave & dee's oyster mushrooms, wild mushrooms,oven dried tomato, sea beans, & truffle pan sauce.

I had a spoon for dessert - and with it I used it to taste some of everyone's desserts. This was the CHOCOLATE TURTLE: rich valrhona chocolate & caramel cream, warm butter caramel, toasted pecans, tahitian vanilla bean gelato & turtle tuile.

THE MACAROON dark chocolate mousse, rich fudge brownie, crispy french macaroon, sour cherry spoon sauce & pistachio gelato.

Mono Mono

2010-12-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

We ate at Mono Mono the other night for Alicia's Surprise B.day dinner! You can find this spot in the fabulous East Village - (which is convenient for me) but this place is cool! They have over 30,000 vinyl records played through vintage tube amplifiers. The place is a Korean chicken heaven, but not only that - the Soju comes with flowers...how nice...

Korean Fried Chicken. Nothing beats a soy garlic glaze on a fried piece of heaven...

Not sure what those girls got but I think it was Prosciutto on a bed of grilled calamari with lemon, aioli, Parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley.

Wedge cut fries with rosemary sprinkles, spicy mayo and hot bacon mustard sauce. You can also spy the grilled edamame with lemon in the background.

More Soju...this one was fruit infused. We also had the Dduk Galbi on a Stick with rice cake balls. It was amazing - so amazing we forgot a photo...