It's here, it's finally here! Cinco de Mayo is THIS weekend! I'm kinda a little bit sorta maybe excited, in case you couldn't tell by the torrent of Mexican and Tex-Mex themed recipes I've bombarded you with this past month. Sorry about that. I just couldn't help myself.
And no worries if you missed any of them, because here they are in one, convenient list.
I recently had the opportunity to do a guest post for Dishfolio and just had to share this recipe with them. It's one of those tried-and-true recipes that's been hanging out with me for quite awhile. It's too good not to share here as well, so...
What's your favorite food? This question always stumps me. I don't even think it's possible to answer. How can you pick just one? Even narrowing it down to a single cuisine is pretty darn impossible. More than anything else, I love variety in my food. Italian one night. Maybe some Thai the next. I do, however, have one recurring, predominant food love. Chips and dip.
Oh how I love thee. And just to be clear, we're not talking about that peel back container of commercially-packaged self-stable gunk they sell in grocery stores. Fresh, homemade dips, spreads, salsas, and guacamole is where it's at. That's the stuff that gets me excited.
I'm pretty much required to make this pineapple habanero salsa at almost every party during the spring and summer. A couple of my friends demand it, threatening to disown me from the circle of trust if I fail to deliver. Just kidding... kind of.
You have to try pretty hard to not love tortilla chips dipped in melted cheese. Like come on, who doesn't love queso? My dad, who is notorious in our family for being the pickiest of picky eaters (the man eats almost nothing that's actually delicious and flavorful), absolutely loves queso. He didn't even eat pizza until meeting my mom, who quickly changed that absurdity by threatening to end their relationship immediately. But queso? My dad is all over queso.
This isn't just your ordinary bowl of melted heavily-processed-cheese. Heck no. We can do better. We deserve better. This, my friends, is ultimate queso time.
Do you remember that show Captain Planet? That was the stuff. Earth. Water. Fire. Wind. When our powers combine... That's what I feel like this queso is all about: Real deal queso. Flavor-packed roasted poblano sauce. Sweet-spicy-tangy pepper relish. When their flavors combine... [Read more...]
There's always one. You're about to throw an amazing party, have a killer menu planned, and then it hits you. You remember that one friend of yours that's a vegetarian. Doh! Being the amazingly generous, caring host that I know you all are, your brain immediately starts thinking of a meatless alternative for your plant-loving friend. That's just how you roll. You're thoughtful like that. And that's why I like you.
And good news. This taco is good enough for all the omnivores in your life as well. It'll make them feel like they're being all good and healthy.
I first made these wontons a couple of years back for a little happy hour I threw for friends from work. I remember enlisting the help of my good friend Steve to be my sous chef to make sure everything was ready and done on time. The first task he tackled was filling and wrapping the wontons. We both had never done it before but he decided, very stereotypically, that since he's Asian, that skill must have been inherently imbedded somewhere in his DNA.
Steve was totally right. He filled and wrapped the first wonton with careful approach. After that, he was like a wonton savant. We both had no idea how he was prepping them so fast. We laughed and laughed about this new-found career opportunity... that is, until he realized that now every time I make these southwest wontons, he's in charge of filling and wrapping them.
Anyway, I think you will really love these Southwest Wontons. They are an insanely addictive party snack and after making them for your next friendly get-together, will definitely up your "cooking street cred".
Asheley's new thing is wanting to do a Tough Mudder, a 160-mile bike race in Ohio this summer, and various triathlons. She spent the other day looking up information about wet suits and bike gear. Oh, and she just signed up for cross fit.
Honestly, I don't get "the enjoyment factor" in all of this. But I'm happy because she's super excited about it, and that's really all that matters. Asheley loves these types of athletic challenges. Me? Well let's just say making tortillas has been the extent of my extreme sporting this month.
Didn't I just make corn tortillas? I know, I know. Those were really great. And ridiculously easy to make. But the flour variety are definitely my tortilla of choice. Asheley's too. No, they aren't as healthy. And it's hard to find any redeeming nutritional value about them. But gosh they're good, so leave me alone 🙂 [Read more...]
I'm going to be completely honest with you, because I think we're cool like that. You take time out of your day to come on over and spend some time with me, so it's only fair I'm open with you... right?
Here's the deal. Originally this was going to be a burrito post. But for the life of me I could not get a good photo of all the different components wrapped up in the tortilla. It didn't look appetizing at all! Ah the woes of food photography.
And really, I don't know why I was so fixated on making this a burrito anyway. Asheley always prefers hers as a burrito bowl. And I'm totally happy with a bowl as well.. as long as I still have a tortilla or some tortilla chips nearby so I can scoop up some of the goodness and eat it that way. What can I say? I'm tortilla dependent.
It has many names. Pico de Gallo. Salsa Fresca. Salsa Mexicana. I've even heard some restaurants call it "mild salsa". Hey, it's flexible. Like my wife, it will answer to almost anything.
We actually just had this conversation yesterday. Her name has an extra "E" in it: Asheley. Do you see it? So naturally, she always gets the question, "Do you pronounce it Ashley or Ash-e-ley?" And her answer is always indifferent. Either way. It doesn't matter. You can call me whatever. I avoid this conundrum all together and affectionally just call her hun. It's easier that way.
So feel free to call this popular Mexican condiment whatever you wish. I just wouldn't recommend "hun". That would be weird. This is the best Simple Pico de Gallo Recipe I have been able to make.
It finally feels like Spring outside. The weather has warmed up dramatically. It has me thinking of getting my vegetable and herb garden going again, as well as that dreaded moment when I need to take the lawnmower out of the shed and see if it still works. There was even a thunderstorm last night! You know it's been a tough winter when you get excited over a thunderstorm.
Anyway, the endless parade of Cinco de Mayo recipes continues. Burrito bowls are coming up next and Asheley's really excited. She loves burrito bowls. I'm actually more partial to tacos myself.
But hold on, let's slow down. We're getting ahead of ourselves. This rice deserves it's own post. It's sick and tired of being treated like some second rate ingredient that you throw a bunch of better tasting stuff on top of. Rice has feelings, you know.
This past Saturday Asheley and I spent the day cruising around the city for a little food tour with another couple, showing them some our favorite spots. It's one of our favorite things to do on weekends. Good food. Great friends. Creating memories. That's what life's all about.
On the way home, we were talking about what the favorite food of the day was. That's always a tough question, because everything is so freaking good. And there was much to choose from. We kind of ate a lot. That tends to happen. Our one friend mentioned that he absolutely loves tacos... like he could happily eat them every day, so Dos Toros Taqueria and Brooklyn Taco Company were some of his favorites.
I love tacos too. They are little bundles of joy. It's the perfect food, at least in my mind. And they are so versatile. The combinations are endless. This is one I think you'll really enjoy. I know I did 🙂
We'll get to the carnitas. I promise. But first, there's something we need to talk about. Today, along with over 200 other food bloggers, I dedicate my post to Food Bloggers Against Hunger.
I know I'm normally pretty light-hearted and laid back in my posts. One very, very kind person even said they find my writing witty. But today we need to have a chat. It's a pretty serious one. And I'm asking that you really take a couple minutes and read through this entire post. Don't just skim through the pictures and the recipe. I've never asked you to do that before, but for this, it's important.
What if you woke up tomorrow and didn't have the financial means to feed your family? What if literally, your refrigerator was empty. Pantry empty. You're not a slacker. You work hard and put in long hours to try to provide for your family, but the cost of living is simply more than the wage you're paid.
Or maybe you lost your job and were able to successfully apply for food stamps, but that only allots you $4 per day for food. Four dollars.
What would you do?
That's what filmmakers set out to answer in the recently released documentary, A Place At The Table. Movies don't often disturb me. This one did. A lot. Here's what I learned...
The humble tortilla. A tabula rasa. A perfect, innocent, beautiful blank canvas. It's the foundation on which so many of my favorite foods are built. I love tortillas. I'm uncertain if life would be worth living without them.
I have to admit, I'm more of a flour tortilla kinda guy. Judge me as you will. There are times that I do totally dig the corn tortilla though, and I know a lot of you might be partial to them as well. I figured the safest bet would be to learn how to make both kinds to appease the masses. For those of you who share my flour preference, stay tuned for that post. Today is all about the corn.
This was actually my first attempt at making tortillas. I've always wanted to, but figured it would be a lot of work. And store-bought tortillas do the trick just fine, don't they? Wrong. And wrong. I can't believe how simple and quick it was to whip up a batch of homemade tortillas, and they taste so much better than the commercially packaged ones.
I hope you like Mexican food... because I'm bringing it non-stop for the next few weeks. One of my absolute favorite holidays is coming, and I want to make sure you (and I) are ready.
Cinco de Mayo. Three beautiful words that bring tears of joyful anticipation streaming down my face. Okay, well not really, but you get the idea. It honestly is one of the holidays I most look forward to.
By the end of the month, you will have enough recipes to throw one ridiculous, slightly out-of-control Cinco de Mayo party. People will be talking about it for weeks. You'll be a legend within your circle of friends. And it starts right here, right now.
Asheley loves pickles. LOVES them. I even got her an "I Love Pickles" t-shirt for Christmas. She wears it with a smile on her face and pride in her heart.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the conventional cucumber pickle. They just don't do it for me, unless we are talking about those little bread and butter pickle chips. I've liked those since I was a little squirt of a kid.
But we're about to embark upon a completely different story. Pickled onions are a precious gift. I cherish them. I adore them. And they are ridiculously easy to make. 5 minutes and you're done.
I'm a total nerd. Always have been. Always will. And I don't just accept my nerdom, I embrace it.
Learning is fun to me, especially when it involves food. Cookbooks account for 90% of my bookcase. Stacks of magazine subscriptions clutter every room of the house. My internet bookmarks bar is filled with various food blogs and other recipe websites.
I recently read this pretty interesting list of cooking tips from chefs put out by Food Network. And of course that got me thinking about some tips of my own. Although there is still about 100 lifetimes of knowledge to acquire before I even scratch the surface of the collective culinary world, here is a good start for those of you who are just starting out in the kitchen. 10 very simple, very easy ways to instantly improve your cooking.
Happy spring! Although it's still pretty cold here in New York and it actually snowed yesterday, winter is finally behind us. I'm so ready for warmer weather, breaking out the grill, and getting our vegetable and herb garden going. Asheley is really excited that she can finally start using the bike she got for Christmas. Her new obsession is wanting to compete in triathlons (yea, I know... I don't get it either).
If you can remember way back to the beginning of January, I told you about how Asheley and I were doing this sort of food cleanse. Well the cleanse and its effects are long gone, but the spaghetti squash that was frequently consumed during those ten days stuck with us. Both the Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Red Pepper - Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan have made occasional appearances since then on our dinner plates.
But then my good friend Steve and I went to this little, local Thai restaurant this past weekend and that got me thinking. Pad Thai. Spaghetti Squash. Pad Thai. Spagh.... what if I can make Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai?!
Leftovers. Ugh. The word alone immediately underwhelms me. It's the opposite of an exciting meal. But Asheley is big on leftovers, since she absolutely hates wasting perfectly good food. And I can't say that I disagree. It's just so often, boring... unless you are talking about reheating a batch of that Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup or Fire Roasted Chili from the freezer. I love those leftovers.
But then this amazing idea popped in my head. And amazing ideas rarely pop into my head. Just ask Asheley.
I just made these luscious, tender, fall off-the-bone Braised Short Ribs with Swiss Chard and Polenta. There were plenty of leftovers, but not quite enough for another full meal. Don't you hate it when that happens? The next day as I stared at the short ribs in the refrigerator, sitting alongside the sautéed swiss chard studded with crispy, salty pancetta, a light bulb went off.
When I consulted our constantly evolving list of restaurants we want to visit and asked Asheley where she wanted to go for her big birthday celebration, Eleven Madison park was immediately a finalist. Le Bernandin and Atera were also big contenders, but fell short of the mighty judgement from the birthday girl. I think those three shiny Michelin Stars reeled her in, and there was no going back.
So, I did what any loving, amazing, top-notch husband would do. I marked on the calendar precisely 28 days before her birthday to call the restaurant to make a reservation (that's as far out as they reserve). When I called that morning and after waiting anxiously on hold for about twenty minutes, dinner reservations were already sold out, but openings were available for lunch. Hey, we're flexible and the menu is the same for lunch and dinner (not to mention that natural lighting for taking photos is better during the day anyway 🙂 ), so we booked it.
Madison Square Park is one of our favorite areas of the city. We know the area pretty well. But yet we somehow had no idea where Eleven Madison Park exactly was located. My phone GPS had us walk up to a giant office building. This couldn't be it. It's a huge skyscraper, with no signs of a dining establishment. And then, tucked in the side of the building under a little overhang, was the grand, marble entrance. Cue music.
If you follow me on facebook (which if you do by the way, thanks and you're totally awesome. If you don't, become awesome by going here), you know that I actually made these braised short ribs over a week ago. It's taken me way too long to post this recipe for you because, well, I got distracted. I was just so excited to share that Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup with you and then started the birthday festivities for Asheley.
Asheley had a great birthday weekend. We spent a lot of time with family and friends. Our friends Steve and Val taught us how to play this awesome new game called Settlers of Catan while delicately scarfing down cupcakes from Molly's. And the crown jewel of the weekend was a pretty darn amazing meal at the 3-Michelin Star restaurant Eleven Madison Park. I'll be sharing pictures of that meal with you soon.
But see, now I got all distracted again. Short ribs. Right. I've been really wanting to braise short ribs for a couple months now, and I finally got my chance. Okay, well yes, technically I did actually braise some short ribs in beer about a month ago for my favorite Fire Roasted Chili recipe. But let's not get all technical.
I'm a polenta newbie. The first time I even had it was this past summer in Paris, served alongside a beautiful roast pork tenderloin at the lovely little wine bar and bistro Les Papilles. At first Asheley and I thought we were eating unbelievably smooth, buttery mashed potatoes with some sort of flavor twist. And then it dawned on me... this must be polenta! And my eyes were opened. Glorious, creamy, decadent polenta. Where have you been all my life?
Fast forward eight months later, life got in the way, and I forgot all about how I so wanted to start making polenta. Until now. The short ribs that were slowly braising in the oven cried out to me. polenta. Polenta! Creamy, cheesy, decadent polenta. Being new to the tradition of polenta cookery, I investigated recipes and scoured the internet for tips. Then, it was experiment time. Some went well. Some not so much. And a couple disasters along the way.
March is a such a great month. There are so many things to be happy about. Asheley's birthday is almost here. That means celebrating with lots of good food, surrounded by our family and friends. We actually also made a reservation for the two of us to celebrate at Eleven Madison Park in NYC. We are super excited about that.
The sun is beginning to stretch out it's light ever so slightly. I wake up and it's actually not pitch black. My drive home is spent in warm sunshine. This month builds up my anticipation for all the good things that comes with spring.
But as much as I can't wait for nicer weather and long sunny days spent outside at my grill and in the vegetable garden, I will definitely miss the warming, winter comfort food that Asheley and I have been grasping onto these past couple months.
We've been on this tomato soup binge recently. It's quick. It's easy. It's no fuss, delicious, homey, make me forget about the frigid weather outside type of food. This creamy tomato - basil soup hits the spot, especially with a side of extra-gooey grilled cheese. I make the soup. Asheley's totally in charge of the grilled cheese. I get yelled at for using too much butter (like there is such a thing as too much butter).
We weren't planning on heading into the city this past weekend. It was actually going to be a nice, lazy Sunday at home. Hang out with Asheley. Do a bit of cooking and develop some new recipes. And start planning our trip to the West Coast this summer (it's in the very beginning stages... I'll share more on that once we solidify plans a bit).
But then I totally remembered we had a Groupon for Bareburger that was going to expire in a couple of days! We couldn't let a great deal just go to waste. So after church we headed to Bareburger's Chelsea location, just a block away from one of our favorite spots, Chelsea Market.
If you've never heard of Bareburger, it is a local micro-chain of burger restaurants located throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Definitely not your average burger joint though. Almost all the food on the menu is organic, including the meat, vegetables, and dairy. And we're not talking just beef burgers. They offer ostrich, bison, elk, lamb, wild boar, and turkey. With choices like those, who honestly orders beef (or turkey for that matter)? Curiosity alone had me wanting to try one of the rare, exotic meats you rarely see on NYC menus, let alone a NYC burger menu.
Our good friends Steve and Valerie have been following a Paleo-esque lifestyle the past several months. No pasta. No bread. No ice cream. Basically, no fun. I'm just kidding. I give them a lot of credit. I definitely couldn't do it. I totally lack the willpower. They have been doing really great with it, though, and look absolutely fantastic.
When they hosted a little get together a couple weeks ago, I wanted to make something that would be friendly to their new eating habits.
I've made these lettuce wraps a bunch of times over the past couple months. They are perfect for entertaining. No plate or fork required, and they are loaded with a flavorful balance of sweet, heat, and acidity. My friends also feel pretty healthy eating them, since the steak is surrounded by lots of fresh vegetables. And really, who doesn't love assembling their own little lettuce wrap?
Mother nature has not been nice to us here in New York the past couple of months. The most recent gift was Blizzard Nemo, which dumped almost three feet of snow on our doorstep. I know some of you are laughing at me right now, since three feet of snow for you is just another typical Monday morning. But for us, it's as unlikely as me running a marathon. Without a plow in sight for two days, Asheley and I were snowed in and confined to eating whatever food we had inside. We were totally elated when we opened up the freezer and saw a full stock of chili. It's the perfect winter comfort food on those cold, blistery days.
I actually made a giant batch of the stuff the week prior for a friend's Super Bowl party. That's the beauty of chili. It freezes incredibly well. I always make as much as my two giant stockpots can handle, and then freeze individual sized portions for super quick, easy weeknight meals. It's one of the few times Asheley and I actually get excited for "leftovers".
You are totally going to love this chili, because it's chock-full of secret ingredients (ssshh, don't tell anyone!) put together into one mega, end-all be-all, chili recipe.
Does anyone else share my obsession with corn? I just love everything about it. I can still remember summer days walking up to the local farm-stand around the corner from my house with my mom, where we bought super fresh, juicy, sweet summer corn. It was the kind of corn that when you bit into it, juices would fly out and hit people smack on the forehead on the other side of the table. Those were the days. That farm-stand isn't there anymore... some plumbing company took over the property. Lame, indeed.
I'm a sucker for cornbread. Whenever we are out to eat and I spot it on a menu, uncontrollable excitement takes over and I'll order it. But almost always, it's disappointing. Why is cornbread so often a dry, crumbly, stale-tasting mess? It's almost like an afterthought at a lot of restaurants. Not anymore. It deserves better than that.
You will totally love this cornbread recipe, because it's warm, moist, and has just a touch of sweetness from the honey and heat from the jalapeño.
For some, breakfast is their favorite meal of the day. The thought of cereal gently bobbing in a bowl of milk excites them. They aren't satisfied just keeping it a morning ritual... fanatics want breakfast for dinner too. Preposterous! I simply don't get it. I'm just not a breakfast person. Never was. I don't like cereal, and the thought of having an omelet for dinner visually angers me. A banana or a Greek yogurt is pretty much as fancy as I get.
Once in a while, though, when the mood strikes me, I decide to cook up a nice hearty breakfast. Wanting to eat a bit recently, due to the extra poundage acquired since our wedding in July and because of the constant "encouragement" from my wife, breakfast also has to have some major nutritional value.
If you checked out the smooth and velvety Sweet Potato Hummus recipe from a couple weeks ago, you already know the multitude of health benefits a sweet potato packs. Up the nutrition ante with some kale thrown in the mix, and you have yourselves a dish even Bob Harper would be happy about.
It snowed 30" this weekend. No big deal, just the like the worst snowstorm in the past like forty years here. It's one of the times that Asheley and I are really thankful for a small driveway and no sidewalks. Nemo, the gentle, innocent name they gave the storm, was quite deceiving. Two days later, there were still no plows in our neighborhood, so we were stuck inside. When life snows you in, what do you do? I make soufflés. And Asheley couldn't get to work, which immediately volunteered her for sous chef duties.
Soufflés are one of those desserts that are just so incredibly stunning. You just can't help but ooooo and aahhh as you stare at the towering feats of architecture. I always thought making a soufflé was crazy hard and was something I would only enjoy when dining out at a fancy restaurant. Last year though, I watched Mark Bittman do a quick segment on of those morning news shows, and he made them look quite accessible to the home cook.
I cannot believe how easy they are to make, requiring only a couple of ingredients and a few precise steps. Besides tasting absolutely divine, the best part of making soufflés is seeing peoples eyes light up as you bring them to the table, rendering you a culinary hero in their eyes. [Read more...]
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and it's time for me to start thinking about what I'll be making my beautiful wife for dinner. We refuse to go out on Valentine's Day, since typically menus are limited, prices are inflated (but you get a free rose, after all), and the wait staff is in general not to happy to be working that night. Instead, we look forward to a quiet night at home, catching up on some dvr'd t.v. shows and a thoughtfully-prepared meal of dishes Asheley loves. Maybe we'll even go crazy and open up a bottle of wine.
Asheley has a love/hate relationship with these goat cheese bites, as she has affectionately named them. She loves to eat them. She hates that I have made her my permanent goat cheese bite sous chef. What can I say... she does a great job manning the breading station! You can see her skills in action in the photos below.
So here's a great recipe to start out any meal. It also makes an unreal party appetizer, since it's easy to eat in one or two bites and all the different parts can be made ahead of time and quickly assembled at party time.
My brother tweeted me an article last week from the N.Y. Times which said many upscale restaurants are turning a cold shoulder to cameras. A couple days later, a bunch of other mainstream media sources reported in on the topic as well.
You've all seen it. Heck, most of you have probably done it: You're at a nice restaurant. A beautiful plate of skillfully prepared food is placed down in front of you. You're excited, so you take out your camera or smartphone to snap a photo. Well, you may want to think again, as apparently some very high profile chefs and restaurants are starting to ban and/or limit photography in their restaurants.
There are two very divided camps on the matter of food photography in restaurants. Some say its highly disruptive to the dining experience, bothering other patrons and messing up the flow of service. The restauranteurs work hard to create a certain ambience, and whipping out your camera takes away from that vibe.
Others argue that they paid for their meal, and they should be allowed to do with it whatever they want. Besides, isn't sharing your food photos on one of the various social media outlets free publicity for the restaurant? Just the other day I saw a friend post a picture of a dish he was eating from a restaurant I've been wanting to try, and that immediately reminded me to make a reservation.
And on the topic of being disruptive, isn't it equally disruptive when someone's cell phone starts ringing "Don't Cha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?" Or how about when a certain table next to you has one of those really loud, annoying talkers, so you end up having to enjoy their conversation the entire meal instead of your own. Do we start banning cell phones all together? How about loud talkers?
As a food blogger and frequent patron of restaurants, I'm divided on the subject. Can photography be disruptive in a restaurant? Absolutely, especially when the person is inconsiderate. But is capturing those images of food something I really enjoy and part of the blogging process? Totally. It's hard to talk about and discuss what a great meal I had and convince you why you should go there without any photos to back it up. We do, after all, eat with our eyes first.
So who's right? And what do chefs think? Is there some happy middle ground where we can all coexist? I, of course, turned to the twitter-verse to ask some of the chefs I follow their opinion on the subject.
Asheley and I love sushi. We try to go out for it at least once a month. And actually, writing about this reminds me that we're do for another trip. Let's see if I can convince Asheley to go out for some after work tonight :). We would go for it more frequently but a sushi night out for us typically gets a little pricey. It's not her fault... my over-enthusiastic stomach that jumps with excitement while ordering is to blame.
Have you ever been to a sushi bar that gives out a little plate of complimentary steamed edamame at the beginning of your meal? Two of our favorite local sushi spots do (maybe that's why they are our favorite spots). Asheley and I eagerly attack the little pods, feverishly trying to eat as many as possible before the other gets the chance to do the same. We have a loving relationship, don't we?!
Edamame really only needs a little sprinkling of coarse, flaky salt to taste great. I'll gladly eat a whole bunch of them just like that. But then I went to a restaurant that offered Soy Glazed Edamame as an appetizer. Interested, I tried it. And loved it. Just when you think edamame can't get any better, they go ahead and do this.
Salad. It's one of those things that either people love to eat or feel like they have to eat, like it's a prerequisite to enjoying the main course. Growing up, salad was simple: often iceberg lettuce, some carrots, maybe a few tomatoes, and a heavy dousing of thousand island dressing. It was an amount of dressing that rendered any heathful gain from the vegetables utterly useless. And although I shamefully admit that I still enjoy thousand island dressing on those rare occasions that nostalgia kicks in, there is a new simple salad that I am currently infatuated with.
This salad comes straight from The Meatball Shop, the very popular and trendy Lower East Side restaurant (they also now have locations in Greenwich Village and Brooklyn) that serves up an impressive offering of mix-and-match meatballs and sauces. Although people come for the meatballs, the salad that is served alongside every sandwich shouldn't be overlooked.
This salad is simple. I'm okay with that. Sometimes simple is best, with thoughtfully combined, clean flavors. It's the perfect accompaniment to go along with whatever you're serving with dinner, or even all by itself for a bright, light, and healthy lunch.
This Sunday is The Big Game. "Oh, you mean the Sup..." Sshhhhh! You can't use the "S" word! It's been heavily trademarked by the NFL, and apparently they like to take legal action against people that use it. So in case any NFL representatives out there are reading this, it's best to stay under the trademark radar... phew.
Back to this "Big Game". I have to be honest: I don't watch football. I've never been into it. Who's even playing this Sunday? Football may not be my thing, but I totally love The Big Game. Exciting Parties. Clever commercials. Star-Spangled Banner catastrophes. And of course, the food!
A fun game day fact for you: 8 million pounds of guacamole are consumed annually on S-word Sunday. 8 MILLION POUNDS! I absolutely love guacamole. It pumps through my veins. I've shared with you my guacamole recipe before, but these three versions of guacamole are bigger, bolder, and a whole lot more fun. I recently tested them all out on my family (such loyal guinea pigs, they are) to see which was their favorite. The answer: all 3.
Asheley has been running a bunch of 5-Ks the past couple of weeks as part of a Winter Run Series in our area along with Tyler's Ashley. Personally, I don't enjoy running. At all. But I will do some running in the warm weather just to enjoy the outside and to appease my running-obsessed wife. Running in the freezing cold though is just plain insane to me.
I'm glad the Asheley/Ashley duo enjoy it, because while they are off at their little cold runs, Tyler and I get time to talk food. This past race day we cooked up and photographed a beautiful Sweet Potato and Kale Hash topped with a Fried Egg. Stay tuned for that recipe this upcoming week. Once the girls returned from their freezing 5K (while Tyler and I were enjoying the warmth of his house with food in hand), we decided to take a little trip into the city to try out Chef April Bloomfield's newest spot, Salvation Taco.
And then it kind of spiraled outward from there...
My quest for healthy recipes continue. I want to enjoy food that doesn't sacrifice flavor in the name of "eating better". I don't know what it is, but so often healthy eating is synonymous with flavorless, insipid food. I want delicious food darn it, and I want that food to also do my body good.
This weekend I finally had some time to spend in the kitchen and try out some new ideas. Honestly, some were just huge flops. Total flounders... like right-into-the-garbage fails. Some, however, were real winners, including the Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan I just posted and a couple other real doozies that I'm excited to share with you throughout the next week.
Enter sweet potatoes. They are ridiculously good and can be prepared a multitude of different ways, all with amazing results. Baked, mashed, roasted, grilled, as french fries, in casseroles, au gratin, with brown sugar, pecans... I feel like Bubba from Forrest Gump. Sweet Potatoes are basically vegetable candy. And a huge side benefit: they are full of Vitamins B6, C, and D, as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, and beta carotene. Basically, it helps keep bad stuff out and good stuff in.
Spaghetti Squash is one of my new favorite winter vegetables. I won't go as far as saying I'm addicted (it's only a vegetable, after all). But I really loved the Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Red Pepper - Tomato Sauce that I made a few weeks back, and wanted to try some other spaghetti squash inventions. As I was walking around the supermarket the other night, I saw that broccoli was on sale. Light bulb! Roasted Broccoli is absolutely amazing, especially in pasta (or in this case, spaghetti squash). Something really magical happens to broccoli when its florets begin to finely caramelize in the oven. It pretty much turns into vegetable candy. Adding in garlic and parmesan cheese to the mix doesn't hurt either.
So that cleanse that Asheley and I have been doing is officially over. We both are feeling a whole lot better about ourselves, which is a nice change from the fat-fest that ensued during the holiday season. Although we've made it a personal goal of ours to try to be a little more health-conscious overall for the start of 2013, we had to celebrate the end of our cleanse with a little indulgence!
This past Sunday we headed into Brooklyn to eat at Chef Elizabeth Falkner's new restaurant, Krescendo, which just opened a couple months back. Chef Falkner had previously already made quite the name for herself as chef/partner of the popular Citizen Cake and Orso in San Francisco, but lucky for us, decided to leave the West Coast and set up shop right here in Brooklyn.
Chef Falkner has become quite recognizable over the past several years, making various TV appearances on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, two different seasons of The Next Iron Chef competition, and a smattering of other culinary shows. I've always been quite intrigued by the dishes she came up with on The Next Iron Chef. She was a solid contender on both seasons and consistently brought great food to the judges table. And although she previously carried the stigma of only being a tremendous pastry chef, Chef Falkner quickly proved that she's more than just cakes and ice cream.
So I'm going to let you in on one of my favorite little quirks about my lovely and beautiful wife Asheley. She absolutely gets freaked out by having to mix ingredients together by hand. Like an absurd amount of freaked out. Mix together some egg and flour for pasta? Nope. Bring together a crumble topping with softened butter? No way. Give her a spoon though and she'll be the best stirring sous chef there is. She is the resident stirrer in our house, but her hands refuse to get down, dirty, and up close and personal with those ingredients,
I just find that super odd because she works in the medical field and does (and loves doing) much more hands-on tasks at work, including scrubbing in on surgeries and the like. Excuse me Asheley, can you please reach in there and clamp down on that main artery? Sure, sounds great! Excuse me Asheley, can you please mix together these ingredients with your hands? Heck no, that's gross!
See what I mean? So needless to say when it came time for massaging this lovely, delightful kale salad, Asheley had less than zero desire to participate in the fun.
Anyway, this recipe was actually sent to me from my good friend Tyler's (you've heard of him before... he's the brains behind all the technical aspects of the Shared Appetite) fiancé Ashley. She is doing the same little food cleanse that Asheley and I are doing, and thought this salad was really good. I was skeptical at first, as she handed me a little ziploc bag full of nutritional yeast that the recipe apparently called for. Nutritional yeast? Uhm, what the heck is that...
Well, hello 2013! I can't believe January is already here. It's seems like just yesterday I was enjoying that decadent Crack Pie with Speculoos at Thanksgiving. December was a crazy whirlwind of a month (isn't it always?), filled with the typical gluttony that comes with the holiday season. Although I enjoy me some holiday gluttony, Asheley and I are now trying to recalibrate our systems a bit and start off this New Year with a little kind-of food cleanse. We are on Day 7 out of 10 as of right now. And I'm not going to lie, it's been tough. Although we can eat unlimited fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains, there is no meat, dairy, or bread allowed. It's really showing us how much we are addicted to those foods (Asheley is currently in withdrawal, desperately wanting to dig into the box of Trader Joe's dark chocolate stars we have stashed away under our coffee table).
I've had fun the last couple of days trying to find recipes and think of ways to still eat delicious food, even with all these restrictions. I came across and slightly adapted this delicious recipe for spaghetti squash from a really awesome food blog I just recently discovered: Two Peas and Their Pod. Although I still miss my no-good-for-me regular old pasta, this spaghetti squash made for a really healthy and deliciously flavorful meal.
2012 was really spectacular for me. The highlight of the year had to be July 7, which was the day I married my beautiful wife Asheley. A close 2nd to our wedding day was the week-plus we spent eating our way around Paris on our honeymoon. It was a culinary adventure we will never ever forget. And although a lot of the year was pretty busy with planning both the wedding and honeymoon, there were still some pretty amazing recipes I came across in the kitchen.
Looking back over all the recipes I posted throughout 2012 was a lot of fun... there are some dishes I completely forgot about and totally am going to make soon, like the Pork Tinga Tacos and Baja Fish Tacos. I also got to see how horrendous most of my food photos were at the beginning of last year. Yikes! Improvement has definitely been shown in that department I think... I've been learning a lot about food photography from some books and my good friend and very talented photographer Tyler as of recent, but I still have a ways to go. I actually just bought a new camera as a Christmas present to myself, and am super excited for what's to come in 2013. But for now, here's a look back at 2012.
I love cookies. Sometimes a little too much, as my waistline can surely attest. And although in about a week or so my yearly New Year's resolution to eat better kicks in, for now I can (and will) enjoy all things cookie. My favorite ones to make recently are these Compost Cookies. I actually first made these cookies last year, but in the last couple months I've found myself making them quite a bunch for our friends and family.
The secret to the Compost Cookie greatness is in the same salty-sweet combination that makes chocolate covered pretzels so brilliant. And in the true spirit of composting, you can use whatever salty or sweet mix-ins you have lying around the house, which ensures a new and unique cookie every time you bake up a batch.
This recipe comes from Pastry Chef Christina Tosi of NYC's Momofuku Milk Bar. You may remember that name from when I posted an adapted version of her Crack Pie with Speculoos recipe a few weeks back. Compost Cookies are one of her best-selling desserts, and is a perfect cookie to try out on family and friends during this last week of cookie overload before the New Year.
So yea... this post was finished about 5 days ago, but then I got super busy with lots of Christmas stuff: shopping, parties, some cookie baking, and I even played in an awesome Christmas Brass Quintet Concert that raised awareness and food/toy donations for the wonderful organization Lighthouse Mission. It was a great night for a great cause. Have I ever mentioned I play the trumpet? Anyway, so I finally went to post this recipe yesterday morning and what surprise did I find?! Somehow the post didn't save properly, was erased, and I had to start all over again. Don't you love it when that happens? So let's try this again...
We are officially in a bacon craze. It seems like everywhere we turn lately, it's bacon this and bacon that. They've got bacon wrapped, bacon filled, bacon infused, topped with bacon crumble, cooked in bacon fat, and even bacon desserts. Yes, bacon dessert! Have you tried the Brown Butter - Candied Bacon Ice Cream at the Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck? It's divine.
Although I'm a huge fan of bacon and am not certain that this is just a passing culinary phase, some people feel like it's being over done, kinda like the recent cupcake obsession (but really, you do need to check out Molly's Cupcakes in the village for the most unbelievable cupcakes). I'm really not bothered by the bacon overload. I welcome it. And to add to this bacon overload, welcome these little lovely Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken bites, which are as addictive as that amazing TV series that Asheley and I are currently hooked on, Breaking Bad (we literally watched the first 4 seasons in the span of 1 month).
This recipe actually comes from... cover your ears Anthony Bourdain... Paula Deen y'all. I’m not really a big fan of Paula Deen and I hardly ever make any of the butter-laden recipes, but this one actually caught my eye as I was browsing the google one night for party apps. It's really the perfect party finger food: no utensils required, not even a plate, and it a single perfect bite of sweet, salty, and just a little kick of spicy. It's also lightning fast to make and can even be prepared ahead of time.
It was 2 weeks before Thanksgiving when Tyler, my good friend and techie-guru behind Shared Appetite, emailed me a link of a recipe he found for an adaptation of Crack Pie, with the addition of Nutella. If you've never heard of Crack Pie, made famous byNYC’s Momofuku Milk Bar, well... I’ll get to that in a minute. Just know for now that you have been missing out, big time, if you never had the chance to try it.
Crack Pie in itself is absolutely amazing. Add nutella into the mix, and I could barely hold my excitement. I immediately knew what I was going to make for Thanksgiving dessert this year. Oh heck yea.
But then fast forward to a day or two before Thanksgiving. I was watching my wife eat her daily dose of animal crackers, which she enthusiastically dips into our jar of Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter (their version of the Speculoos). And it hit me... Crack Pie... with... you might want to sit down... Speculoos!
Following the consumption of said pie on Thanksgiving and the subsequent days of leftover gluttony, friends and family have been asking for this recipe more than any other. And I ask, who am I to disappoint?
