What the Pho?

Pho is my current obsession. I ate it again last night for dinner with my husband and old friend Roseanna. I can't stop eating it! We went to Pho Grand again.
From their website: Pho Grand opened in 2002 near the Grand Street subway station, so it easy to commute to the restaurant to have lunch or dinner. This place captures the feel of being Vietnam of it dim lighting and the decorations.
Whether you are a meat, vegetarian, or exotic food lover, we have a variety of dishes to choose from, so stop by either Pho Grand or Pho 21. The most common meats used in Vietnamese cuisine are pork, beef, prawns, various kinds of tropical fish, and chicken. Our cooks have 15 years of experience, and they offer creations that will suit your needs. We guarantees satisfaction for any appetite. If you are looking for a glass of our renowned iced coffee or an intimate dinner, we are open 7 days a week to accommodate everyone's busy schedule.
So - carry yourself there and get some!

My friends are talented

Indian Potluck. Everything was homemade....Starting from the top left corner: individual servings of shrimp curry, homemade naan, mango sticky rice, Indian veggies, Chicken curry, bastilla, chana masala, vegan curry, saag paneer, pumpkin curry.

That's a lot of food.

Monica's pumpkin curry!

Saag paneer (on the right) and a vegan curry (on the left). Saag Paneer is SOOOO good!

My contribution: Bastilla!

Making the Bastilla...

All the things you will need to make Moroccan Chicken Bastilla: Phyllo dough, 7 eggs, butter, whole chicken (about 2 to 4lbs) , 2 yellow onions, fresh parsley (both finely chopped), oil for frying, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger powder, powdered sugar, blanched slivered almonds, orange blossom water, saffron and salt and pepper. Word. Let's get started...

Add oil to pan, then onions, then parsley, then spices. Stir. Add the chicken. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, then add a little water (about 2 cups) and cook the chicken on high heat for 25 to 30 minutes.

Separately, fry the almonds...(reserve a little bit of the almond oil for later)

Add 4 ounces of powdered sugar, 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 2 tbsp of orange blossom water. I have a mini food processor, so I had to do mine in batches.

When the beast is done cooking, take it out. Add 6 eggs to the remaining mixture. Cook and stir till eggs are done. Keep cooking on low till the mixture is dry.

Remove the bird from the pot. You can tell it's ready when the meat falls off the bone with a fork. My chicken took me 30 minutes to cook.

Pull the chicken off the bone and then mix one tablespoon of the almond oil into the chicken evenly. This helps flavor the chicken.

Egg mixture is looking ready...

Almond mixture is ready to go!

Add phyllo dough to the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Also have phyllo dough extend out of the dish from each side. (Used to cover the dish in the end)

Add the egg mixture. Separate layers with a sheet of phyllo dough.

Add the chicken.

Add the almond mixture.

Add more layers of phyllo dough. Tuck in the sides as you add the layers.

All wrapped up and ready to go. Coated in an egg wash - there's your 7th egg. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 min or until golden brown.

Curry Potluck

I have some amazing and creative friends in NY and a group of them decided to have a potluck dinner this Sunday. There are about 25 people included (we are taking up the whole apt building) and all the food is inspired by India. When the email chains started circulating on what all the foodies were bringing, I saw lots of Indian dishes like: Daal, Coconut pineapple chicken curry, Pumpkin curry, saag paneer, channa masala, samosas, mango sticky rice and Indian themed ice creams. I decided to go a little off the beaten path and bring a Moroccan dish:

Moroccan Chicken Bastilla!

If you want to make it, this video below gives you step by step instructions:



I am buying the ingredients today and will be making my dish tomorrow. Photos to come soon!

Gettin' creative with brussel sprouts...

No, this isn't my picture. My camera finally shit the bed. But here is how to make it:

Trim tough stems from Brussels sprouts. With a knife, mark base of each Brussels sprout with a shallow "x." Remove about 25 large outer green leaves; set aside.
In pot of boiling salted water, cook Brussels sprouts until just tender but still bright green, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain, and transfer to ice water to stop cooking.
Blanch reserved leaves in pot of boiling water, until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain; transfer to bowl of ice water. Drain; reserve. Transfer sprouts to food processor.
Heat cream and butter in saucepan over low heat until butter has melted. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg; add to sprouts. Process until combined. Transfer to serving bowl. Arrange reserved leaves around edge of bowl.
Yield: 6 servings

I made it and I thought it was delicious! Curtis thought it stunk up the whole house (I admit, it kinda did) and he didn't care for it too much. He actually asked me to never cook brussel sprouts again. hahahaha

Unassuming spot on 9th St and Ave A = AMAZING!

Curtis wants me to rename my blog, "I like food, it tastes good!" As much as I like The Descendants, I can not rename my year old creation. However, I do acknowledge that my writing is purely food focused. And I do agree. I like food and yes, it does taste good. Especially if you eat at Itzocan Cafe in NYC. This unassuming place is Michelin Rated as a yummy place to eat...which means, carry your parts here for a yummy meal STAT!

V day dinner. I had Pan roasted red salmon (amazing) with roasted asparagus on a polenta cake.

Curtis had pan roasted chicken stuffed with goat cheese and a rich mole sauce that would make you want to go find your momma and smack her in the face...

Fried goat cheese salad.

Fried goat cheese ravioli. (We didn't intend to order so many goat cheese related items - it just turned out that way I guess...)

This chocolate flour-less cake was like "chocolate butter" according to Curtis. The creme anglaise on the side made it even more heavenly.

Happy Valentines Day, honey!

Ice and Fruit

I'm obsessed with ice trays. My newest? Fish ice!! Or you can go religious on me and it can be "Christian Ice"! Either way, it freezes fast!

Fish ice can be found at your local IKEA. Thank you IKEA.

I tried my hand at chocolate covered strawberries. It seemed easier than it looked.

I melted the chocolate but it didn't seem right - so I added olive oil and milk...

End result...not sticky enough. Tasted great, but presentation? F!

Beef Stew

My homemade beef stew. Note to you beef stew makers: Beef chunks need to be cut down super tiny or cooked all day in a crock pot - otherwise, it's too tough. Also if you're looking for a kick add Sazon Goya. It gives it a unique flavor that you can't get from other spices.