Blissful Brunch in NYC

There is nothing quite like brunch in New York City on Sunday. Today was our first spell of spring weather on a weekend, so everyone was out and about. I had the most blissful brunch with my best friend, J.S., on the Lower East Side at a small and sweet spot called Little Giant. I have had amazing meals in my life with family and friends, but the best meals of my life are always with my best friend. Little Giant seemed rather apropos. Though she and I are both around 5 feet in height, we make up for stature in the depths of our friendship.
Sitting in the corner of the petite restaurant, we felt the breeze of the warm day flow into the open windows in front of us. No coffee is served here, just americano, so she had an espresso and I a cappuccino since we are both caffeine addicts. Getting that out of the way, we then looked at the brunch cocktail menu. We toasted to spring this afternoon, she with a perfectly peppery Bloody Mary and I with a perfectly peachy bellini.
Brunch was absolutely delicious and we both finished our entire plates! J.S. ordered Pig in a Poke: Crock of creamy stone ground grits topped with two poached eggs & andouille sausage. I I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy: Buttermilk-chive biscuits, two poached eggs, speck, and roasted garlic herb gravy. I enjoyed my dish immensely and the eggs were cooked perfectly. The speck was delicious and on the lighter side. The biscuits and gravy were, by far, the star of the plate. The biscuit was light and buttery and the gravy was thick with rich garlic notes. I tasted J.S.'s dish and the andouille sausage was spicy and delicious and really paired well with the creaminess of the grits. The prices are extremely reasonable and the service friendly. I would recommend brunch here anytime, and its a great place even if you are from out of town. There is al fresco dining available in the warm months as well!
After a leisurely brunch we walked into Soho and meandered in and out of shops. My heart stopped when I saw the storefront to the Miniature Stuffed Cupcakes baked by Melissa. J.S. said she had them before when they first opened and were giving away free samples. I had to try, despite being on a weight loss regiment! 3 for $3 is not exactly cheap, but popping these in your mouth is a priceless experience.
We had the mint chocolate chip, peanut butter and jelly, and the peanut butter cup!
After more walking and leisurely browsing stores (including Sur La Table), we ended up having a late afternoon refreshment in the winter garden at La Lanterna di Vittorio. Our view included a fountain situated right next to our cafe table. We sipped a lovely rose together and toasted once more to a beautiful day...

Oh Goodness, My Guinness!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

To celebrate the festivities, what could be better than eating Beef and Guinness Stew? I love Guinness and although it is a meal in and of itself, it is also a great ingredient for a meal! For those of you who are Irish, and those of you like me who are honorary Irish folk for the day, enjoy your celebration. I hope it includes lots of soda bread, Guinness, merriment, and luck!

Beef and Guinness Stew (Courtesy of The Gourmet Slow Cooker Cookbook by Lynn Alley)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of flour

2 1/2 pounds very lean stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 large yellow onions, quartered

2 sprigs of thyme

2 cups of Guinness stout or other very dark, hearty beer

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place flour in a re-sealable plastic bag and add the beef, shaking to coat completely.

Heat a large saute pan on high heat and add the oil. In batches if necessary, add the beef and cook until brown on all sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towel to drain.

Place the beef, carrots, potatoes, onions, and thyme in the slow cooker and pour the beer on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (until the meat is very tender). Season with salt.

Enjoy stew with a pint of Guinness!

K-Town's Cuisine!

West and East 32nd Street just past 5th Avenue in both directions in NYC is known as "K-Town" to us locals, short for Koreatown. The row is a long conglomerate of the best Korean restaurants, take-out places, boutiques, and karaoke bars! One favorite restaurant I have been to several times now is BCD Tofu House. The name is misleading because there are plenty of delectable meat options, and they even serve the deadly puffer fish in a cold soup form! The tofu here is supreme and you can order it in many different textures and tastes...the best way to enjoy it though here is in the hot soup pots. Although I have had the soup pots, tonight's dinner with a friend had me craving yet another favorite Korean dish of mine: bibimbop.
The meal starts with ponchon (complimentary appetizers) which include kimchee, pickles, and a whole deep fried crocker fish with a dipping sauce. The kimchee here is quite good and has the perfect balance of spice. My favorite korean appetizer is the pickled daikon radishes.
My friend and I both ordered the bibimbap in the hot stone with ground beef, cucumber, radishes, bean spouts, zucchini, sea aster (a plant), egg, and a delicious sweet chili paste to mix in. The best way to enjoy it is to mix all the ingredients in with chopsticks but not to scrape the bottom of the hot stone. The rice at the bottom cooks and forms an amazing crispy cake by the time you are done with the rest of the bowl.

As I walked back to Penn Station after the meal, I had to stop into Koryodang bakery. It is a well know Korean bakery that has shops in the city and Queens. The bakery is set up like any other Asian bakery, with plenty of room to sit and enjoy teas and sweets for those who have time to relax. For others who don't, big trays and tongs are there for you to pick your breads and pastries and head to the register.
I treated myself to a slice of sponge cake with apricot filling. Sponge cake is one of my favorite types of cakes, and I only get it when at an Asian bakery since I feel it is prepared best with all of the fillings like honey and fruit.

If you are in New York City, it is worth having a meal in K-town, especially at these two eateries! Enjoy!

http://www.bcdtofu.com/

http://koryodang.com/

You Say Potato

I admit I have a preference in the pecking order of potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are first, followed by latkes, with roasted potatoes and scalloped potatoes tying for third. After that I like baked potatoes and my least favorite form of Solanum tuberosum is the french fry (though I admit a good steak frites is wonderful from time to time at a bon bistro). I could easily enjoy sweet potatoes in any of the aforementioned forms, and am eyeing a scalloped sweet potato recipe with apples that I am wanting to try before the weather gets to warm and the only potatoes I am making will be chopped up into a salad.

The red potatoes at the supermarket looked inviting to me, so I grabbed a bag and came home and looked up some ideas for the scarlet spuds. I found a great recipe from Bon Appetit, tweaked it a little, and the result was probably the best roasted potatoes I have ever had. The onions tasted like candy...sweet and caramelized. The potatoes were perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. This would pair well with any rich chicken or beef dish.

Once you read the recipe list, its pretty clear what ingredient made this dish shine. As my friend Lime says, onion soup mix makes everything taste better!

Roasted Onions and Potatoes (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

2 pounds of red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

2 yellow onions, cut into chunks

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 envelope of onion soup mix

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees

-Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat onions and potatoes

- Spread out on a baking sheet

- Bake until potatoes are crisp and golden brown and , stirring occassionally, about 30-35 minutes

- Sprinkle with pepper to taste

Pineapple Express

There is nothing more inviting than a pineapple, and it is no wonder that the fruit became the symbol of hospitality in the United States over 200 years ago. If I had to choose only one fruit to eat and enjoy for the rest of my life, it would be pineapple.

I don't think there is any form the pineapple comes in that I dislike, whether it be grilled, upside down in a cake, baked on top of a ham, and of course on a pizza pie! The only form of pineapple I think is mediocre, but I would still eat, is dried pineapple. It tastes good, but is there really a point to pineapple without its luscious juices? I enjoyed doing a little bit of research about pineapple and found an enjoyable page written by a journalist about the social history of the pineapple. http://www.levins.com/pineapple.html

This recipe is one inspired by what I gave up for lent: cookies and cakes (mainly in 100 calorie pack form...which always ended up being 300 calories by the time I ripped open 3 bags in 1 sitting). Not that I feel I had to give up anything, to be honest. I have had enough tragedy in the past year to last me an eternity, so I don't exactly feel I need to repent for much. Still, I decided to forgo those types of sweets even though I have a sweet tooth. So what is the understudy until Easter? Puddings, iced treats, and yogurt! I made this easy recipe within ten minutes, and it is absolutely delicious.

What is the one fruit you could live on for the rest of your life?

Pineapple Pudding (Courtesy of lowfatlifestyle.com)

Ingredients:

1 package of sugar-free and fat-free instant vanilla pudding

1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, not drained

1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Spoon in serving dishes and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite garish: berries, lime wedges, whipped topping, etc.

Straw and Cheese (Spaghetti Series # 3)

Snowed in with about a foot outside my door, I was upset this late afternoon knowing I was missing out on making macaroni and cheese with my sister tonight - we had planned to make it together at her house for my family. Instead, I am home alone and craving the dish badly. I went to my kitchen and realized I had all the ingredients for my own macaroni and cheese. Not exactly the same, because I miss their company tonight, but at least I get my cheesy noodle fix!

I was grateful to have the time to leisurely browse recipes. I borrowed a little bit from here, a tad from there, and what I came up with was one incredible dish! Of course normally I would use elbows or fusilli, but this IS A Twist of Spaghetti, fellow foodies, and we need to stay true to our roots!

I am sipped a glass of Shiraz with this meal, and it certainly paired well! Cheers!

Straw and Cheese

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons flour

1 cup fat free half and half

1 cup shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I used Jack Daniel's Old No. 7)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3 slices of deli ham, sliced into julienne strips

1/2 pound cooked spaghetti, cooked 2 minutes less than directed

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish

- Generously salt a pasta pot and bring to a boil; cook spaghetti as directed above

- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add flour, whisking for 5 minutes until you get a light caramel-colored roux

- Slowly add in milk and whisk for another 2 minutes

- Stir in cheese, mustard, paprika, cayenne, and salt.

- Drain spaghetti and reserve 1 tablespoon of the pasta water and add this to the sauce mixture

- Add pasta to the cheese mixture and gently fold in ham

- Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a bowl in the microwave. Add the breadcrumbs and Romano cheese and mix well.

- Pour pasta mixture into the baking dish; place topping over pasta

- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly

- Place oven on low broil for 2 minutes until topping is nicely crisp (a light brown color)

Sweet and Sour

It is a sweet and sour day.

It is sweet because it was my last day at work for the week and I look forward to a nice, long three day weekend.

It is sour because New York City has yet another snow storm and tomorrow I am supposed to spend the day with my nephew and now I am worried we will all be snowed in. It is also sour because the snow made me miss a Peking Duck dinner tonight with my team from work! I came home in the slushy mix of weather cranky and upset, too tired to cook but not wanting take out.

So, sweet and sour is the inspiration for this recipe. I absolutely love Hawaiian Pizza and decided to try my own twist on the recipe tonight! Success, indeed, though next time I will add less sweet and sour sauce...a little goes a long way and I used a cup and would halve it...but it was absolutely a sweet dinner for such a sour evening!

Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredients:

1 premade pizza dough crust (I used Boboli thin crust)

1/2 cup of Sweet and Sour Sauce (I used World Harbors)

4 slices of deli ham, torn into bite sized pieces

1/3 cup sweet corn kernels

1/3 cup diced pineapple

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

2 stems of diced green onion, white and green parts only

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- Place pizza dough crust on a pizza pan. Spread sweet and sour sauce with the back of the spoon all over the crust. Top with ham, corn, pineapple, cheese, and onion.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.