Brunch at Back Forty

We went to Back Forty for brunch today. I had the poached egg over white bean ragout. Served on toast. It tastes like a tribute to Tuscany, but the bread got too soggy and became the same texture as the white beans. It was ok - not my favorite.

Curtis had chicken and waffles. Of course! He said it was ok - but he said Charlie's was better. You hear that Charlie? Breakfast IS your specialty!

New ideas for cucumbers

My mother-in-law (one of my seven blog fans) sent me this cucumber recipe and I thought I'd post it. It's a cucumber yogurt dip and apparently it's a pleaser to all palates - even those that hate cucumbers. The print came out kinda small, so I tried to find it online and I found another blogger who made it and raved about it too. Here is what you need to make it yourself:
Cucumber, of course
salt (use coarse sea salt)
three garlic cloves
two cups plain full-fat yogurt (use Greek yogurt – it’s much richer and less watery for dips)
fresh dill

mint

olive oil (use extra virgin, or as Rachel Ray calls it – EVOO).

Peel and seed the cucumber and then grate. The grated cucumber sits, with a sprinkling of salt, and then the water is squeezed out. The next challenge is to mash up the three garlic cloves with salt until they form a paste.
After the first two steps, just mix it all together with the yogurt, mint, dill, garlic, and cucumber. Once it’s mixed, put it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

P.H.O. Real

Man, oh man. Ok, this sandwich was featured in Grub Street NY as one of the 101 best sandwiches in NYC. It's called P.H.O. Real because it tastes just like a bowl of Pho. No lie. At first, I was skeptical. I like the broth part of Pho...I didn't think it would be the same between 2 slices of bread - but I was pleasantly surprised! This thing has it all: eye of round, sriracha, onion, cilantro, bean sprouts and avocado. Mmm...mmm...mmm... You can get this conveniently from the deli on Ave B (down the street from me) called Sunny and Annie's. AND the kicker - it's cheap -- about $6 a pop...kinda like Pho.

Bed, Bath and Boyfriend

I haven't used this yet, but I can just tell this is going to be an amazing frying pan! It's light weight cast iron! I love that the inside is white - so I can see the food cooking to the right consistency and I love the red handle! I love red in the kitchen!

As seen on TV! I can't wait to use this too! I hate chopping onions!

Jordan invented this...

...and it is SOOO good! I don't know what to call this other than, "Jordan's dip". We devoured half the bowl before I thought to take a picture but lucky for you, I'm going to share the recipe!

8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweet corn (strained)
1/2 small jar pimento (chopped)
*optional 1 small jalapeno (chopped)
1 bag Fritos

Combine all ingredients in microwavable bowl. Heat on high for 3 minutes. Stop to stir every minute. If not hot enough for your taste, heat for another minute or two. Serve this with Fritos. That is really important! No other chip tastes as good as Fritos do with this dip. Plus, the scoop shape is mighty convenient.

Mikey's

It's 3 am. You're just been hanging out with your friends - having a few drinks, booty shakin' till your back is dripping with sweat. You're in the LES. You want to eat something good. Where do you go? You go to Mikey's. Mikey's is like an old fashioned soda shop with a modern Asian twist. Best of all, one of the raddest dudes ever works there - Joseph Lee. This blurry photo isn't just a typical burger...it's a lamb burger: Lamb satay style, onion, jalapeno, mint.

Vienna all beef Chili Cheese Dog with chili cheddar cheese

Shine Dog sliced pickle, tomato, onion, relish, jalapeno, mustard.

Black Iron Burger Shop

We ate here the other day and it was delicious. I stole the photo from Time Out New York, but it looked pretty much just like this. Go there - you won't be disappointed. East Village. 12th St between A and B.