How to Burn Your Tongue

Make the easiest personal pan pizza ever and get too excited to let it cool down...

After my after-work run today, I headed over to Fairway to pick up some groceries. After scoffing at how much the loaves of bread were ($4!) I decided to pick up some wraps. I saw Aladdin Bakers made Sundried Tomato and Basil wraps which was something like $2.50. I read the packaging and it had a list of things to do with it such as various sandwiches but also... pizza. Intriguing, I thought. Even though I have had a lot of pizza recently (including today for lunch where I got 2 slices at Spunto), it was one of the few things that I craved as I was so sick of eating lentils, kale and quinoa that i needed something fatty, cheesy and/or meaty (nevermind the fact that is all I ate over the weekend). So I went to the cheese section, picked up a small ball of mozzarella ($3.99), some anchovies ($2.50) and a can of tomato puree ($1.60). When I got home I just HAD to make it so I found my circular pizza pan, put a piece of tin foil on it, laid out a sundried tomato & basil wrap, spread a tiny bit of tomato puree, cut up some mozz (ok...a lot of mozz), and 3 filets of anchovies, drizzled a tiny bit of Olive Oil and popped it in the oven at 400F. 15-20 minutes later I found the cheese bubbling and the wrap toasted. I pulled it out and it was PERFECT. Surprisingly the wrap held together nicely and crisped up to a SUPER thin-crust. the cheese melded together and the anchovies gave it a nice salty kick. I sprinkled basil, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and one of the easiest tastiest AND cheapest meals was born. This will definitely be made again soon.

P.S. I went up to the Organic section and found Sprouted Multi-Grain loaves for only $2.50. Organic, gluten-free AND cheaper than the heavily-processed sugared bread downstairs.

Eataly

I FINALLY got to go to Grimaldi’s. I don’t know what took me so long, but Tom and I had gone to Amorino (on Vanderbilt) for dinner on Saturday night and I satiated my lust and craving for anchovies (Tom hates them and opted for the white pizza special with onions, ricotta, sausage and basil). Mine was super salty with the fish, capers and olives. His eggplant caponata was nothing special so I won’t even bother discussing it. Apparently this little pizzeria is Zagat rated and he said if I liked this crust (thin, a little chewy) then I’d really love Grimaldi’s, so we finally made a date to go yesterday (Sunday). I also wanted to bring him to Eataly which I will talk about in a bit.
We got to Grimaldi’s in the dreary cloudy weather and of course there was a long line outside. This pizza better be good. They are very efficient in getting people in and out so we didn’t have to wait longer than half an hour but it is very cramped. We had this Asian guy behind us who kept trying to get Tom to tell the guy we were together with his wife/gf in case they called a table of 4. Turns out they were seated next to us anyway as he pointed out… For future reference: Please don’t talk to me when I’m about to eat and don’t appear too clingy.

We ordered a large margherita with half ricotta and Italian sausage. Delicioso! We actually managed to eat the entire pie between the two of us. I can now check off this NYC institution off my list with rave remarks.

After we paid the bill, we trekked off to Eataly in Chelsea. If you love Italian food, this market brought to NYC by Mario Batalli is the gastronomical paradise you’ve always dreamed of. It is very reminiscent of the indoor Italian markets in Italy which is where Batalli got the idea from. However, it is a complete zoo inside. I thought it was going to be more like Chelsea Market where it has one long corridor spanning across one block with various restaurants and shops along it. Eataly is just one massive maze of gelato, pastries, espresso, artisanal breads, chocolates, restaurants, cured meats, cheeses, seafood, pasta, paninis, and beverages; also kind of like Harrod’s of London if you’ve ever been. But it’s kind of great seeing people walk around with their European-inspired basket-shopping carts and a glass of wine in hand. The restaurants are literally in the middle of aisles and there are seating areas all over the place; really neat atmosphere. We ended up getting a tiramisu and a gelato to share. Both hitting the spot, but what I really had my eye on was the pastas, meats and cheeses. Unfortunately the crowd was a turn-off as was the long line to purchase items so we walked away empty-handed. I will have to give it another try during the week when it hopefully won’t be as busy.

Spunto Pizza

shroomtown

The company I work for moved offices from midtown to SoHo. My commute stayed the same but the selection of eateries multiplied by 3. Sure there are a ton of places to grab a bite near Times Square, but most of it is for tourists which means 1) it's overpriced and 2) it's not nearly great quality.

On the first day we moved in, our boss treated us to some pies from Spunto. Super thin crust pizza. Wow was it good!

Besides the fact we were starving and it was a rare free lunch, the pizza was legitimately tasty.

We got the Classica which is Marinara Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil; Salsiccia Dolce which has Marinara sauce and cheese, sweet Italian sausage, caramelized onions, fresh basil; Shroomtown that has Marinara Sauce & Cheese, Portobello, Shitake, Button Mushrooms, White Truffle Oil; and The Big Pineapple- Marinara Sauce & Cheese, Fresh Pineapple, Smoked Bacon, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Basil


Salsiccia Dolge

Seriously amazing. I got to try every single slice. The plain was nothing to write home about (though I probably shouldn't have had that one last). Shroomtown has the truffle oil which makes it a step above the others. The Big Pineapple was a great twist on the Hawaiian- and really, how can one go wrong with bacon? And the sausage was unusual because it wasn't large chunks of sausage like I usually see on pizza. It was more of a chili-consistency.

This is not for Chicago-style lovers!! The crust is super thin, crispy but still soft. If you're around for lunch, there is an outdoor patio and a special... 2 plain slices and a beverage for $5, or $6 if you want a topping such as mushrooms. Not bad, not bad.

Grandaisy Bakery

Firstly, if you've never heard of Groupon, go sign up for their daily emails for awesome deals that are offered by your location. They have deals like 50% off restaurants ($25 for $50 worth of food), spas, dance classes, sailing classes, etc. Please sign up using my link so I can get credits if you purchase something (Remember, Karma is the best!).

Now that you're acquainted, I will tell you how my first Groupon purchase went. A few months ago a deal for Grandaisy Bakery was offering $15 worth of food for $7. I had gotten menus from here before and always wanted to try it, so this was the perfect opportunity. I got 2.

After work today, I headed to the movie theater to get Tom and myself tickets to see Iron Man 2 this weekend at the Lincoln Center IMAX. Aghast from spending $19 PER ticket, I headed into Bacchus Wines after seeing signs advertising "Wines under $10". I bought 2 bottles totaling $18.95 (STILL Less than a movie ticket!). Then I passed by Gray's Papaya, and after resisting the smell of the hotdogs, I thought I'd stop by Grandaisy and pick up dinner. I heard they had flat pizzas. They only had 3 kinds left: Pomodoro, Funghi and 1 Potato left (with gruyere and onions). I got one of each, plus a Chocolate torte, and Lumaca. It came out to $15.50. Ah, so close. I gave the cashier my groupon and 2 quarters and headed home.

I put the pizzas into the toaster oven to reheat. Sadly, that didn't do anything for the pieces of cardboard. The Pomodoro was so bland and the sauce was barely existent. I added basil and crushed red pepper flakes to try to revive it but even that couldn't fix the dry tasteless crust. I had higher hopes for the mushroom but again, bland. What the heck Grandaisy? You sell these pieces of paper for $3-$3.50 each?? I drizzled a little bit of olive oil and it helped a tad, as did the basil I dusted on. Surprisingly, the potato slice had the best flavor. It was very reminiscent of the potatoes au gratin my mom makes. Again, I had to drizzle a little bit of Olive oil since it was very dry, but I enjoyed it.

Grandaisy: -10 points



Then again, it's a bakery, not a pizzeria. I tried the Lumaca.
WOW. Packs a lot of flavor, is dense but still light and flakey, not too sweet; reminded me of baklava. Ok, Grandaisy, you get +8 points.

Chocolate torte. WOW. Such wonderful chocolate flavor and it was so amazingly light! It tasted like the best brownie you ever got with the consistency of a moist chocolate cake. The outside has a bit of a crunch but inside... angel food. +10 points.

Ok, so you redeemed yourself with your pastries. I would like to try the pear tart next and the various cookies stacked on your wall. Good thing I have another Groupon!

Genius - Deep Fried Pizza

Deep-Fried Pizza from Adam Kuban on Vimeo.

This gives me ideas...

Pizza & Juice

I haven't been cooking/baking lately- at least nothing worth writing about. Therefore, I am posting about a meal from what feels like eons ago: the BEST pizza and juice combo I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It's not just any pizza and juice... it's real Italian pizza and juice.

I was looking through some of my old photos from when I was living in London, and this was during my spring break. It was taken in Bergamo, Italy in March 2006. I ate a lot of pizza while I was in Italy, but this was from a pizza shop in Cite Alta that had a variety of Sicilian slices that they cut up for you. I think they also sold pastries.

The juice (what most called "ABC Juice") was an interesting blend of carrots, oranges and apparently lemons. We drank a lot of it that week. I enjoy the fact I took pictures of my meals back then too.


Spinach, mushroom, tomato pizza with a juice box

A Nice Little Sunday

What's the best way to spend a Sunday? Apparently, meeting up with some good friends for Brunch and scouring the East Village, West Village and Lower East Side for cafes, restaurants and bars over the course of 10 hours...

Saela called me up and invited me out to brunch at Life Cafe (On 10th St & Ave B) with Mike M. and Mike R. I originally wasn't going to eat, but I have zero willpower, so I ordered French Toast. I was REALLY sad to see they took their Kentucky Hot Brown off their Brunch Menu as it was the heartiest and least-healthy dish.


I'm pretty sure someone had a crush on me (or knew of my blog?) because my plate was the only one decorated all pretty-like! However, I did have 3 complaints.
1) it was cold-ish.
2) the promised cinnamon cream was non-existent
3) I had to get up to ask for maple syrup.

That aside, it was quite good and our waiter, Jake, was entertaining ;)

Also good, but not as pretty? Mike R's breakfast burrito and tempeh bacon.


Saela, Mike R. an I also hit up Dante's Cafe, (MacDougal between Bleecker and Houston St) to get some cappucinos. Mike got profiteroles. Service is notoriously bad, and the atmosphere may make you lethargic. But one thing is for sure... they know how to make coffee and desserts (including gelato!)

Cream Puffs with a chocolate mousse filling, smothered in a light white glaze (?) that almost resembles marshmallow fluff.

Also got seasoned french fries (that come in a cone!) at Mason Dixon (Essex between Stanton and Rivington). Unfortunately we did not try to Mechanical Bull. Next time, for sure.


Then got pizza at Two Boots (Ave A and 3rd St).

Normally I get a slice of the Tony Clifton which consists of onions, mushrooms with red pepper pesto:

(Photo from Seamless Web)
However, I decided to try something new and got The Earth Mother: vegan pizza with spinach, onions, peppers, artichokes and mushrooms).

(Photo from flickr)

All in all, a nice little Sunday.


***
Other food/drink establishments visited:
-A cute little Cafe, (albeit a little too quiet aka "intellectual" for our taste) on Ave A.
-Think Coffee on Mercer St. (too crowded)
-Esperanto Cafe on MacDougal (too crowded)
-Puck Fair on Lafayette and Houston (nice bar, but no one interesting to talk to on a Sunday night)
-Eastern Bloc (a gay bar clearly anti-straight people)
-Hi-Life Bar (clearly anti-fun! Do NOT go to this bar if you hate obnoxious bartenders)