Christmas Dinner 2008

Christmas Dinner = Decadent

Thanks again to my Aunt Bicky and Uncle Mark for a delicious dinner!


The Dish of the night... prime rib, rare.



I made string beans with portobello mushrooms and balsamic vinegar topped with sesame seeds, with the help of my dear cousins.


Aunt Kathy's amazing Chocolate Mousse Cake

Also served, a turkey, aunt kathy's famous rolls, corn, rice and my mom's stuffed mushrooms.

Can't wait til next year!

I ♥ Cheeseburgers

What is it about a slab of ground beef, grilled to juicy perfection, smothered in melted swiss, gruyere, monterrey jack or cheddar, topped with a leaf or two of boston lettuce, sliced tomato, onions, maybe avocado, bacon and/or pickles, adhered on a great soft bun with ketchup, maybe some mayonnaise or mustard that makes my mouth water???

One of life's great mysteries and delights, I guess.

There is no way that I could be a vegetarian. I've tried, and it just ain't happenin'. It is rare that I'll ever order a meatless dish at a restaurant. With that said, I have somehow enrolled myself on A Great Cheeseburger Search with Lauren, Jess and John- all coworkers/friends. It all started last week when Lauren, Jess and myself decided to get cheeseburgers. I suggested my tried and true favorite, Paul's Burgers, but Jess wanted to go to Corner Bistro and I had just gone to Paul's a week before with Will. Also, Lauren had never been to Corner Bistro and I've been wanting to go forever.


photo courtesy of Will Star

The first time I had heard about it was around four years ago when I had plans to get dinner with Eric K and his girlfriend at the time. However, the West Village is tricky, and this was before phones had maps, so after walking around in circles for 40 minutes, we ended up going to Lemongrass instead (far from a burger). Eager to finally step foot inside, we got to the West Village after work and tada! Corner Bistro shone in the moonlight. Unfortunately, about 40 other people had the same idea and the restaurant is tiny. We stood in the very back of the line for awhile before deciding to find another place. Foiled once again.

I tried to think of other burger joints in that area and Pop Burger came to mind. Ian had taken me there on our one and only date three and a half years ago and while I had never been back (nor did we order burgers), I heard they were tasty and recalled the French Fries being some of the best I had ever had.

It was better than nothin'.


two mini burgers come in this box. $6


Surprisingly filling


fries, obviously

The next day I met up with the girls again, along with John, and we went to Fanelli's to get their incredible bison burger. Now you're probably thinking, "Eating cheeseburgers two days in a row?! animals!" and yes, that's true.

While the service at Fanelli's was subpar (long wait, forgot my gingerale, no tablecloth, nice but ditzy waitress), I gotta hand it to them: Their bison burger is amazing. Though honestly, I don't think I'd be able to tell it apart from a cow. Probably with a combination of hunger, flavorful meat and a really good bun made this a delicious lunch. And I was good; I asked for salad instead of fries.

Sadly the lighting was terrible and I didn't want to rig up a makeshift tripod so this will have to do:


Anyway, we have a long list of other places to hit up in the city: One of which was Dumont Burger, which is actually where I got a late lunch today. It is considered one of the best places to get your fix. I went to Brooklyn to see my friend Adam who was only in town for a few more hours. He and his buddy Aaron were staying with Brett who suggested going (conveniently located several blocks away from his apt). He also had the brilliant idea of sharing an order of their mac and cheese. it had pieces of bacon in it. Amaaazzinngg.
The burger was alright. I got it with Monterrey Jack. I thought the bun was too dry... and in my opinion, a soft bun is one of the most important parts to the construction of a good burger. Also, I hate when the patty is smaller than the bun so the first few bites was all bread and no beef (Granted we ordered mini burgers, but still. Flatten it out a little!). The fries were pretty darn good though. I didn't whip out the camera this time, but if you find yourself in Williamsburg, check it out.

Other places worth mentioning:
-Big Nick's on 77th & Broadway. Try their "Bistro Burger" and waffle fries.
-Shake Shack- You no longer have to wait for the summer months to get them at Madison Sq. Park. Grab one year round on 77th and Columbus Ave.
-Blue 9... ignoring the fact it had once been shut down due to health code violation. It's fresh and delicious.

Jook

Rice porridge, congee or what my family lovingly refers to as 'jook' (rhymes with 'hook') is my comfort food of choice. For as long as I can remember, it was a good day if I was eating jook. I think the last time might've been when Ben Harrison and I went to Congee Village over a year and a half ago which is preposterous.
My grandfather definitely made it the best, but luckily my mom makes it the way I like it too. I had some this morning that my mom gave me last night and it was thick and chockful of preserved duck egg and pork just the way I remember it... She also gave me this fried cruller dough (aka "Deep Fried Devils") that my gung gung first introduced to me over a decade ago. You dip it in as you would a piece of baguette in your cream of broccoli soup.

The jook itself isn't pretty, but it's not meant to be pretty, it's meant to warm your insides on a cold Christmas morning... yum.

The Annual Christmas Eve Dinner

Merry Christmas!!

Apologies for the lack of updates; I've been a busy bee.
Just because I haven't been blogging does not mean I haven't been eating or cooking; quite far from the truth actually!
I must admit I am finding it "embarrassing" whenever I whip out my camera before eating, for people just think I'm nuts.
Then I explain, "It's for my food blog" and first timers ask, "Really? You have a food blog??", as if I were just making that up as an excuse to take photos... Sheesh. But usually people think it's cool and let me click away. You know who's your true friend when they automatically wait before digging in so I can snap a shot of their food, or when they ask if I'm going to take one when I just want to dig into my burger. And you know they're your best friend when they start sending you photos of food they have eaten.

But its Christmas and sure it's about spending time with your family, but it's also really a time to wonder why you ate so much. I'm still full from last night. Every Christmas Eve, my Aunt Kathy prepares a traditional Italian seafood dinner for my uncle and luckily my mom and I get to partake. Kristina, my cousin, of course is there too and this year we had a special guest, Sean, her new boyfriend. He agreed to an eating contest in the future, so stay tuned.

Without further ado, feast your eyes on this... feast. Note, I didn't take pictures of all the dishes, but I think you'll get the idea.


tuna salad & aunt kathy's calamari


Kris and Sean's brussel sprouts and Aunt Kathy's coconut shrimp with an apricot and horseradish dipping sauce


my mom's stuffed mushrooms


Kris' Belgian Chocolate Cake


my pineapple coconut cake which I will post a recipe to another day

Afterwards, my mom and I went over to Daniel and Willy's Christmas Eve dinner and while we didn't eat a second meal (Lord knows I wish I had room to though!), we couldn't help but ooh and ahh over the desserts.




Happy holidays!

Stay warm,
N

La Crepe 2 Go

La Crepe 2 Go

It was 1:30am and we had just arrived in Montreal. We checked into the Holiday Inn-Midtown, scoped out our room, washed our faces and headed out for a night on the town. However, we found out that unlike New York City, Montreal's nightlife does not begin on a Thursday night, nor does it last past 1am. Nevertheless, we walked up St. Laurent- a suggestion made by a passing pedestrian, and we'd soon find ourselves on that street quite often. However, that story is reserved for another day. The point is, on the way back from St. Laurent, on Sherbooke, we passed by a little place semi- underground with a sign: La Crepe 2 Go. Stephen said we should try it the next day, but me being the judgemental snob I am, couldn't dream of going to a Crepe place that had a numeral in place of a word. I was also recommended another crepe place so I had my heart set on that. However, it is a known fact that I usually make bad calls on things (longevity of celebrities, fashion trends, movies, boyfriends, etc). We had passed by it again Friday night and a "ferme" sign hung on the door. We looked inside; It was adorable. Presumably, the owner and crepe-maker extraordinaire gestured it was closed; Stephen pretended to cry. We agreed we'd try it in the morning. At long last, a crepe would be had!

Their menu is modest. a chalkboard that listed a few savoury crepes and paninis, the other half listing a few more dessert crepes. Stephen got the Nutella et fraises (nutella & strawberries), Bobby got jambon (ham) and something (his first crepe ever!), and I decided to try something new... fromage et poivre (Cheese and pear!). All delicious. And the owner, Vartan, remembered Steph crying. It was so good Bobby ordered a second one. We went back the next morning.


Cutest little crepe place. Capacity is probably 15 people


Nutella et fraises


Fromage et poivre

This Chicken is Tso-Tso...

It's how I described my dinner tonight.

I made the "Massaman Chicken Curry" (which was delicious) and had some chicken leftover so I decided to make something new and low-maintenance (meaning I wouldn't have go out and get ingredients). I searched and voila! General Tso's Chicken!

Let me just say this... This is not a recipe you should alter yourself.

I half-assed a lot of the measurements, and left out other ingredients.... BUT now i know for the future.

Nevertheless, this "slurry" is really effective. The chicken crisped up nicely and stayed super juicy. The sauce, on the other hand, failed miserably. First off, I didn't have sherry, fresh garlic or red chilis. I also underestimated the power of corn starch and heat. I figured I didn't need the chicken broth and just used water... as soon as it hit the pan. it thickened up instantly into this gooey mess and I couldn't thin it out. I also forgot the sugar so it turned out to be too salty. But I added Hoisin sauce and it was a little bit better.

I made a slammin' pot of brown rice though!

Reuben's Delicatessen

On our first walk around Montreal, Stephen, Bobby and I found ourselves with a pocketful of Canadian money and hungry stomachs. We were on Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, a busy street full of stores and restaurants and had passed by Reuben's and it just so happened to be recommended by my aunt. It is a meatlover's heaven... which is 'funny' because Stephen is a vegetarian but the three of us went inside. It's a large bustling restaurant, totally the epitome of a delicatessen.

Again, lucky for the guys, a very cute hostess was working that day and sat us at a booth by the window. Also lucky, they had a few vegetarian dishes on the menu.

I ordered their French Onion Soup which was really delectable. I remember my mom always ordering it whenever it was offered, and I couldn't understand the appeal of onions in broth. But as I've gotten older and wiser, I know the reason why it, when made right, can be the perfect thing to satiate your hunger. The cheese was gooey, and the crouton was still crispy even submerged in the soup. I got a side order of their Poutine (also recommended by my aunt). When it came out, I fully regretted it. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but the french fries were laden with shredded meat, gravy and cheese; I couldn't finish the whole thing. Aside from traveling with a vegetarian. I was also with a lactose-free eater (Practically everything I ordered this past weekend, unconsciously, was for me and me alone). Bobby got the beef teriyaki salad: and Stephen a good-lookin' eggplant, pepper and whathaveyou sandwich. He generously gave me his cole slaw which was a nice balance to the salty and heavy Poutine. Next time I go there, I'm getting the onion rings which come with a side of Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce (Because I heard good things... and come on, how does that not sound amazing to you??)


Bobby and his impressive Beef Teriyaki Salad


Steph's sandwich


my soupe de l'oignon

I'd post a picture of my Poutine, but when Stephen saw it, he said "That looks really disgusting". and he's right...

Une Grenouille Dans La Théière (A Frog in the Teapot)

Our Friday in Montreal consisted of "getting lost" and getting food, which I think is a wonderful way to explore a city, as experienced a couple of weekends ago with Mike and Saela. Another way I like to see a new city (with public transportation), is to pick a stop on a transit map, go there and look around. It worked quite well in Vienna and I got a really good sense of 'Wein' in the day and a half I was there.

So in Montreal, Stephen, Bobby and I rode the Metro and chose Jean-Talon, a random spot north of where we were. It was also a station where you could transfer to another line, which made me think it might be a busy part of town, albeit less-touristy. Where we ended up was more like Steinway St in Queens, and less like Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. However, there was a silver lining:

Une Grenouille dans la Théière (or Salon de Thé, if you will) is a calm albeit adorable little shop, that is serious about tea. The menu book is about 8 pages long (not one word in English) that list various types of tea (astray from the usual Earl Grey or Oolong, but they are included as well).

menu book, actually bound like a book

Stephen, Bobby and I were thankful for this little shop on rue Saint-Hubert because we had just walked down blocks and blocks of clothing stores- the kind you may find in Chelsea, or the garment district of NY, but with no way out. If we were looking for wedding dresses or cheap bags, then this may have been a goldmine, however neither of us are brides-to-be. Nevertheless, the Salon de Thé was quiet and cozy. We had a very pretty server/cashier who spoke some English. I ordered a Chai, though I wish I ordered a thé blanc (white tea) because then I would've gotten a little teapot of my own (which they sold in dozens of colors, and I was tempted to get.) They also sold tea leaves/blooms, jam, books and gorgeous ceramics.



We also got scones. I ordered un scone de fromage (cheese scone, which was like a rich man's version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits), Steph- a scone de canneberge (cranberry) and Bobby- a scone aux épices (Spice). Luckily for us, we went at the right time because there is apparently a tea & scone special for $6.50 from 4-6:30pm -which we only found out when we paid our l'additions (checks).

scone de fromage

Then Steph broke the bathroom sink and we jetted out of that place faster than you can say Bon Appétit.