Cel-Ray

After 25 years and a handful of weeks of living, I was offered my first can of Dr Brown's Cel-Ray soda.

Actually, I had never even heard of celery-flavored soda up until this past Easter. Tom and I had gone to his dad's girlfriend, Louise's lovely brownstone in Park Slope for dinner. Apparently this pop is big in the Jewish delicatessens in New York City (been around for a long long time) and parts of Florida (??). And whattayaknow, it tasted like carbonated celery.


Photo by flickr user yvespaul

Luckily I like celery, but would I drink a whole can again? Maybe if you gave me a Katz's Pastrami sandwich too. Just sayin'.

Oh and Easter dinner was pretty delicious. 2 different kinds of salads; Manicotti, ravioli and meatballs from Lenny's, a yummy spiral ham which I had the honor of doling out to everyone, and lots of desserts. I rolled out of there feeling just right.

Aliseo Osteria del Borgo

Tom had been wanting to go to, what he kept calling "Aiello", which is actually Aliseo Osteria del Borgo in Prospect Heights for awhile now, and I am glad we finally got to get dinner there last night.

It is a cute albeit rustic brick-walled restaurant with empty wine bottles lining the wall. A charming old black & white photo of what I assumed was a family of 100 and pig figurines adorned the mantle of the (faux?) fire place next to our table.
It was a modest menu, but the items were listed in Italian with English descriptions beneath, and actually to my disappointment- a few items were not available, but there were still several left for us to choose from.

To start, we were served a bowl of Ricotta and olive oil with warm and soft foccacia and very thin melba toast-like pieces of bread that were addicting speckled with coarse salt around the edges.

We ended up sharing an appetizer (mini sesame seed-crusted meatballs served over a line of very basil-y pesto sauce and an orange-colored sauce that has yet to be determined (apricot-based? peach? I couldn't tell as the sesame seeds overpowered most of the flavors, but the meatballs tasted like meat.)

Then we shared a pasta and meat dish. I started with the homemade fettucini with beef ragu. and he started with the pork loin in a red cherry reduction with apples. The meat was cooked perfectly and tender and the fruit was a great addition to the saltiness of the pork- which can be attributed to what Tom calls, "An Italian Pinch of Salt". The pasta definitely had that pinch, but luckily we like salt.

For dessert, he ordered a chocolate tart that was very reminiscent of the chocolate ganache i've made that went wrong (but this was made right). I really liked the crust.

Plus he enjoyed his glasses of wine so overall rating? A+

Olives

For whatever reason, Restaurant Week gets people in a fury. I guess the idea of dining in a what would otherwise be an expensive and barely affordable restaurant for only $35 is pretty enticing. I've been to a couple of places and haven't really been disappointed (except by Butter). I wanted to try a classic like the Russian Tea Room but no one got back to me in time. However my dear mum suggested Todd English's Olives at the Union Sq W hotel.
I would always pass by this place on my way to the SVA dorms back in college and always said I'd go here when I made it big. While I haven't made it "big" per se, I found myself being led to a table and to a spectacular prix-fixe menu.

That's another thing, Restaurant Week may sound like a good deal, but their menus and service usually aren't as good as a normal dining experience. However, this one seemed pretty delicious:

Appetizers
Charred Octopus Flatbread
almond romesco, preserved lemon, toasted garlic

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
chestnut polenta, truffle vinaigrette, parmesan

Cured Duck Proscuitto
rye panzanella, celery, mustard dressing

Entrée
Veal Short Ribs
parmesan grits, honey glazed carrots

Pan Roasted Salmon
chorizo basmati, raisins , curry cream

Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle
whipped ricotta, thyme, parmesan

Dessert
Apple Semifreddo
creme friache custard, cinnamon apple compote, olive oil-walnut granola

Hazelnut Semifreddo
crispy hazelnut mousse, coffee cream, cocoa puffs

They brought out an impressive bread basket: foccacia, and crispy seasoned flatbread with green and black olive tapenade.
My mom got the duck, veal (delicious), and hazelnut semifreddo. I got the grilled octopus flatbread. Ok, so when they said "Flatbread", i pictured a 3"x5" piece of bread or something. But no; it was like a 10"x20" pizza brought out on a huge wooden board. Why do I always order THAT dish? (see The Modern) Honestly, I don't see what the big deal was. The octopus was good, but it got lost with the bread and sauce and everything.
My salmon was cooked perfectly and I liked the touch of golden raisins to an otherwise salty dish, but I wish I had gotten the veal. The flavor was so intoxicating and the grits were satisfying.

The apple semifreddo was a perfect way to end the meal. I wish I could've gotten a cappucino but I would've regretted it as caffeine hits me pretty hard. But they did serve us two mini cupcakes at the end. All in all, a wonderful dinner with a wonderful mom.

Black Truffles

I had the honor and pleasure of being my friend's guest to the $50 3-course Locanda Verde Black Truffle Tasting event by chef Andrew Carmellini. Also, 25% of the proceeds went to the Doctors Without Borders aid for Haiti.

It was an extremely last minute invite (I was literally in bed at 10pm ready to watch Lost or some other show on Hulu) when my friend, Mark, who I see 2-3 times a year at the most, asked what I was doing (nothing) and he said he was going to take me out to dinner to a place with hard-to-get-reservations. Immediately I thought Waverly Inn or The Little Owl. This was so much better.

I probably wouldn't have gone out but lately, I've been feeling like I haven't been spontaneous enough, and I definitely do not go out during the week nearly as often as I used to. Second, I love surprises. Third, I love food.

So we met up and at this point I still had no idea where we were going, I just knew that it was off the 1 line. But we finally got off at Franklin St. and he explained how they had a white truffle tasting and it was a huge success, so this was their sequel, so to speak.

It was amazing. I wish I wrote down the menu/took pictures, but my memory will be the best thing for now. I know I am going to butcher it but here it goes...

First they brought out Foccacia brushed with black truffle oil.

For an appetizer, I got the Truffle Salad. It had a fried breaded cutlet of veal with an egg on top, along side a salad with a thin slice of an Italian ham.

He ordered the Crotinis which I would have preferred. There was one with a butternut squash truffle puree, another with ricotta and truffle honey (our fav), and a wild mushroom with black truffle.

For an entree, he got the squab and I ordered the scallops and lentils and shaved truffles. I thought the scallops were slightly overcooked, but the squab was cooked perfectly and it was so juicy and tender. There was also a grilled slice of squash and a duck meatball. I wasn't a fan of the meatball and thought it was too heavy to be a side of the squab, but it did remind me of a childhood memory that I can't quite put my finger on.

For dessert, there was a truffle vanilla ice cream with shaved truffles over a bed of chocolate cookie crumbs (not a fan of the crumbs, but the ice cream grew on me). At first the taste was so pungent and complex, but in reality the cream just enhances the truffle taste even more. Still, I preferred the walnut tart with what I think was truffled whipped cream. The sweet and nuttiness complemented the truffles really well and neither was overpowering.

I felt like a judge on Iron Chef (one of my dreams!) and I would give it high marks all around. I'm sad I missed the white trufflepalooza but I am so happy to have been a part of "Back in Black".

Also, the ladies room was beautiful. You know you're in a classy place when the restrooms are tolerable and nicer than your own bathroom.

The Vanderbilt

Tom and I have walked up and down the streets of his neighborhood of Prospect Heights many times. On one of our walks, we saw a restaurant that was being built called The Vanderbilt. Aptly named, it is on Vanderbilt Ave and Bergen, and it has been written up with rave reviews from nearly every local New York City publication.

After passing by several times, seeing if it had opened yet, we finally got dinner there in the beginning of December. Armed with a Michelin-starred chef, all of the dishes on the menu are small, and moderately priced. Like a tapas bar, a table is meant to order many dishes to share. Tom and I decided on Blistered Shishito peppers for an appetizer. I think these could have been really good had we not gotten insanely spicy peppers. We are known to handle our spicy foods rather well, but these were burning for some reason. Sprinkled with pimenton salt and lemon juice, the peppers were conquered not without a fight. This was about the time I wished my water glass was just a tad bit larger. Incidentally, these peppers were also served at Phil's New Years Party but we were more careful with those.

I also got Crispy Pork Belly with lentils du puy and Tom ordered the butternut squash soup. The pork belly was so tender, perfectly-seasoned, and super fatty with some parts super crispy. I could've eaten 3 portions of this. The soup was velvety, creamy and can certainly warm you up on a cold winter's evening.

For the main course, I ordered the Hangar Steak, again cooked perfectly with a side of pont neuf potatoes and romaine. I think Tom got the Grilled Pork Loin or perhaps one of the specials.

For dessert, we shared Warm Spiced Doughnuts pistachio ice cream, brandied cherries, apricot orange blossom coulis.

A perfect dinner.

I apologize for the poor quality of photos. The lighting was dim and until I actually get a nice DSLR, this point and shoot will have to do.




1. Shishito peppers, afire
2. Crispy Pork Belly, melt in your mouth
3. Hangar Steak, medium rare
4. Doughnuts.

New Years Eve Feast

Phil had a fabulous dinner party for 20-30 people in his new fabulous apartment.

SO MUCH FOOD!

But really, am I surprised? He loves good food as much as the next, except he bumps it up a few notches. Here was the menu he had sent to me prior to the party:

Appetizers/hors d'oeuvres:
Plums with Bacon
Brushcetta
Crackers with: cheese / cucumber and dill /
Olives
Guacamole and Chips and Salsa
Baked Brie with shishito peppers (Lela and Brad will bring all ingredients)
....
Ben/Kristina bringing (already bought groceries):
- shrimp cocktail
- feta mushroom puff pastries
- deviled eggs
- artichokes
- prosciutto wrapped asparagus
- blue cheese stuffed olives

Mains:
Veg Lasagna
Beef Tenderloin
side of Rosemary Potatoes
side of Green Beans
side of butter carrots
side of Broc w/ cheese
big Salad

Desert:
Saelas Crepe Cake
Vanilla Ice Cream?

Yeah. It was quite the spread. Personally, my favorite dish that surprised me? Plums and Bacon. So simple, yet so delicious! and the beef tenderloin, which was cared for by Caleb, the male version of Paula Deen, was perfect.








1. Caleb tending to the beef, Mike cutting into the veggie lasagna
2. Gorgeous food on a gorgeous kitchen counter top.
3. Caleb and the beef
4. Bacon and Plums
5. Spinach dip and guacamole (my two favorite dips ever)
6. No caption necessary. but my mouth is watering; i want this for my birthday.

Everything was amazing. I wish I hadn't gotten sick during the evening so I could've had more food, but what I did have was amazing. Also Saela's crepe cake was magnifique.

The Modern

I realize there are about 4 months worth of food to write about, so let's take a trip back in time to July 24, 2009 when the boyfriend and I tried The Modern (MoMA) for Restaurant Week. For $35, you get a 3 course prix-fixe dinner at the beautiful Bar Room. While I think most museums are notorious for overpricing their cafeteria menu of sandwiches/wraps/soups and think most restaurant week prix-fixe dinners are a rip-off (smaller portions, not the best choices for menu and rude waitresses at Butter, etc.), The Modern has chef Gabriel Kreuther who won the James Beard award for best NYC chef. (For the record, Tom "did not see why he won best NYC chef", while I think I've had better fare elsewhere, I think his creativity and experimentation should be recognized and respected.)

I read the reviews beforehand and the Tarte Flambée Alsatian thin crust tart with crème fraîche, onion and applewood smoked bacon was recommended as the appetizer. I decided to order that and the Duck Confit with shishito pepper hash, passion fruit and natural jus as my second course. I forgot what Tom ordered as an appetizer, but he decided on the Saffron Tagliatelle with cider braised rabbit, wild mushrooms and baby zucchini.

Since I assumed portions were going to be small, I was pleasantly surprised when the Tarte Flambée came out. It was about the size of a personal pan pizza- which is basically what it turned out to be; albeit a fancy pizza. I admit I ended up just picking slices up to eat it instead of a fork and knife but I don't care; it was gooood.



The duck confit was cooked perfectly with a slightly crispy skin and fatty tender duck meat underneath.

For dessert, he ordered the Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome with pistachio ice cream and amaretto gelée


and I got the Hazelnut Dacquoise with milk chocolate chantilly


I didn't know what chantilly was, but according to wikipedia, it is "a sweetened whipped cream". From now on, I will refer to whipped cream as "crème Chantilly".

and here's us!

Big Daddy's Diner / City Crab & Seafood Company

The first time I heard about City Crab & Seafood Company was during my Sophomore year of college when a friend of mine was a hostess/waitress there. However, I always thought it was too 'upscale' for a poor college student like myself and never thought to dine there.
Flash forward a couple of years... I went to their neighbor's restaurant, Big Daddy's Diner (& incidentally another place my friend waitressed) with Stephen during Senior year and revisited a couple of times this past summer with my friend James. We signed up for their "Insiders Club" since they promise a free meal on your birthday. Because of this, we ended up on their mailing list. I took advantage of some of their deals, like when they had "Hot Dog Week" to celebrate the namesake's 124th birthday. James and I went there to claim the "Buy one, get one free" special. We both ordered "The Texas Tommy" which is a hot dog covered in melted cheddar cheese, bacon and spicy ketchup, with tater tots on the side.

It was a disaster. Don't get me wrong, the service was great, as was the first bite of the hot dog, but it all went downhill after the second and third. I get heartburn just recalling it. We didn't even finish our dinner but were so full after that meal; stumbling out of the restaurant, not knowing we'd still feel the effects a day or two after. Lesson learned... be wary of fancy souped-up hot dogs; stay classic and simple with Gray's Papaya or the backyard grill. But if you are going to load up, a la Los Angeles' "Pink's Hot Dogs", go easy on the toppings. (Just kidding. If you ever get to visit Pink's, I recommend the Martha Stewart: 10" Stretch Dog, relish, onions, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut & sour cream... I'll spare you the photo)

Now, getting back on topic, I used to receive an email from Big Daddy's once a week or so, but I suppose things are getting a little rough financially because in the past two months they have been informing me of a promotion every few days. In addition to their specials, they have teamed up with City Crab who has also been sending me an emails. My mom and I decided to take them up on their Buy 1 Entree, Get 1 Free for a Weekend Brunch.

We went on a Saturday morning. City Crab has a very calming sophisticated atmosphere (unlike Big Daddy's which is bright, flashy, youthful and fun); a two-man jazz band played on the floor (see first photo) and we were seated upstairs even though it was basically empty downstairs. Nevertheless, we were happy. It was a beautiful day and who doesn't love Brunch? I decided on Eggs DelMarVa (Eggs Benedict but with crab cakes instead of Canadian bacon) and my mom got the Chef's Omelette (lobster, spinach and manchego cheese). Made very well; my eggs were poached perfectly, huge chunks of crab in every bite... but it was really fishy and I was hungover from the night before.
Another lesson learned: Never consume seafood to nurse a tequila and whiskey hangover.

All in all, a pleasant experience. If you live in Manhattan, please visit either or both of these establishments. They are vastly different in styles, ambiance and food but still quality service and eatin'. Plus, they are practically giving away food.

Armenian Food

A HUGE Thank You to Stephen's parents, especially his lovely mom, who threw him a surprise birthday party in Long Island last night, and for making an amazing spread of food for dinner. I believe it was my first Armenian meal, and hopefully not the last!

Steph's cannoli cake was also worth writing home about. It was moist and the filling didn't have those weird pieces of stuff in it like cannolis usually do.

His parents gave us this amazing yogurt that was more reminsicent of a sour cream (Note to self....need to get some)

AND I had a really good bagel this morning. Long Island just earned some brownie points.

Chicken with Coconut & Peanut "Curry"

I got dinner with my mom several days ago at Pongsri.
She got this delicious Pra Ram Long Song dish, and gave me the leftovers. It was so good I wanted to recreate it.

and I sorta did!

bowl is from CB2

*Please note that I didn't actually measure out teaspoons/tablespoons, but since people out there freak out about eyeing ingredients, I added measurements as close as to what I think I used....

"Curry"- I used quotations because this is a very simplified version.
1 can Coconut Milk
3 tablespoons peanut butter (2 tbsp Chunky, 1 tbsp Creamy, all-natural)
2 chicken breast fillets, sliced then cut into thirds
4 small Yukon potatoes, 1/8ed
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soysauce
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to your tasting)
dash of hot chili sauce (i used sriracha)

-brown rice

-green beans, washed & ends trimmed
1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
sesame seeds

mungbean sprouts

*******
Make brown rice.

To make the sauce...
I poured a can of coconut milk in a medium saucepan over a medium flame. I stirred in the peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste/sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. Add potatoes.

In a separate pan, lightly sauté chicken in a little canola oil and add to sauce. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the same chicken pan, add a little canola oil and string beans. Now, I added the sesame seeds, but they like to fly everywhere when they're heated so add with caution. I like my string beans still crunchy, but you may want to blanch them first.
Definitely blanch them first in a little water! Drain out the water and add some soy sauce so it caramelizes with the beans. at the very last minute, add sesame seeds. toss and serve.

Check the potatoes, they should be fork-tender and the sauce should be creamy, bubbly and thick.

Pour "curry" over rice, add stringbeans and mungbean sprouts and voilà:


You will have a lot of sauce leftover, so make lots of rice and share with a friend :)