Beef Stew from Leftover Pot Roast

After making a full sized pot roast last week, I had a ton leftover. I put the leftovers into two tupperwear containers and threw them in the freezer. Earlier this week, I decided to take one out to thaw for dinner. Instead of just heating it up, I re-purposed it into beef stew. It was great! I may even like it more than the original pot roast. I put the meat and the sauce into a sauce pan and gently warmed it up and finished thawing it. Once the meat was thawed into to cut, I took it out, put it on a cutting board, and shredded it into bite sized pieces. I returned it to the sauce and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. I added some red pepper flakes, a cap full of Balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt to taste. I served it over orecchiette topped with some Pecorino Romano and it was such a tasty stew! A great incarnation of pot roast. I'm having some for lunch today - can't wait!

Momofuku Fried Chicken Dinner

Yum!!! I don't know if you've been to Bonchon or tried Korean fried chicken, but man, the Momofuku Fried Chicken Dinner is fabulous. My friend Alice made the reservation about a month ago (you have to, they fill up fast) and we went for dinner last night. It's $100 for 4-8 people - definitely get a group of 8 because it's plenty of food. It's also great because you get to avoid the extremely long line. One draw back is that the times are a little weird - our reservation was at 6pm. But having an early dinner is nice because even if you go out after, you'll probably be home by 10.

Secret Naked Lady Room at Bell Book and Candle

I'd been dying to try the Naked Lady Room at Bell Book and Candle. I'd eaten there once before (BB&C) but didn't know about the special, secret little room. For Jamie's birthday, we made a reservation for 5 (that's all it holds) 2 weeks in advance and got to try it out. It was super cool! Great for an intimate dinner, and also great because it's a private room but there's no extra cost. It's teeny tiny, so you can only fit 5, maybe 6, people. Also, I wouldn't advise it for people with claustrophobia. The ceilings are high and there's a small window looking out to the bar, but it's definitely cramped.

Window looking out to the bar - perfect for ordering drinks and summoning the waiter

Fried Cornish Game Hen

Jamie and I had a big ugly sweater Christmas party and the next night were feeling like we needed a little comfort food.

I had never made real, deep fried chicken before and went to the grocery to pick out what I thought I might need. There was a sale on Cornish game hen and I love these little birds. They cook faster than chicken and they're delicious, and great when you just have two people to feed. So then fried chicken turned into fried Cornish game hen. Sounds fancy, right? You could totally serve it at a dinner party without seeming too down home. (Don't be intimidated by the name - Cornish game hens are basically just mini chickens.)

Pot Roast with Polenta

Merry belated Christmas! Sorry for the break in posts. On December 23, Jamie and I decided we'd exchange our presents and have a special dinner. (He's quite the wrapping enthusiast as you can see above - aren't I lucky?) 

He is not wont to making dinner requests, but I implored him. His request was pot roast. I've never made pot roast before, but it follows the same formula as short ribs, lamb shanks, etc. (Anything you cook for 2+ hours with wine and lots of veggies is always melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so I obliged.) I followed Ina Garten's recipe, but added a little Balsamic vinegar - a trick I learned to give amazing flavor and a touch of sweetness from another slow braise recipe.

Chicken Chili

I love chili. Nothing better on a rainy, awful night like last night than a big bowl of spicy chili to warm you up. So I had my friends Alice and Elaine over for a chili night. I made chicken chili to be healthy, and it's so tasty and satisfying and I only used 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole thing. All of the different beans make it colorful and have great flavor and texture and the chipotle powder gives it a little bit of smokiness. Next time I may double the recipe so there are more leftovers! (This recipe serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 package ground chicken (turkey is fine too)
1 28 can whole tomatoes, chopped or torn up w your hands, juices reserved
1 can red beans
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 yellow onions, diced

Barbara Lynch's Pappardelle with Tangy Veal Ragu

Jamie and I had our friends Allen and Colleen over for dinner last night. We'd been trying to get them over for a while, so I wanted to make something special. My brother-in-law bought me a great cookbook for Christmas last year, "Stir" by Barbara Lynch. I've already made a few things in there, but just found this really great recipe. It's definitely not a quick thing to throw together, so make sure you've got at least 4 hours free before you want to eat. It's delicious! The marrow from the bones really makes the sauce rich and silky, and the long braise make the meat incredibly tender. The flavors are intense, and paired with fresh pasta it's an amazing winter meal. (Dried pasta would be fine too, but fresh can't be beat.)

Followed this with a light salad and some pecan pie.

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

I was in Africa over Thanksgiving (amazing, amazing trip!) so I didn't get to cook or eat any of my Thanksgiving favorites, so when we had our friends over this weekend, I made some pecan pie. I wanted to try a new recipe and this one from Martha Stewart sounded great. Also, Jamie's a big bourbon fan so we had a lot of that on hand. It was great! Really sweet and great flavors. Be careful of overflow in the oven and use a cookie sheet and some foil to catch the run off. Really great dessert!

Ingredients:
Frozen pie crust (or make your own, I just didn't have time)
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 large whole eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbsp dark corn syrup
2 tbsp bourbon (or dark rum)

Happy December!

Happy December! Jamie and I got our Christmas tree and now the whole apartment smells piney and great. I also bought an amaryllis so soon we'll have big, red flowers. Good recipes on the way...

Super Easy Thin Crust Pizza

Calling this pizza easy doesn't really do it justice. It's awesome and the whole process takes about 10 minutes. I got the idea from this Martha Stewart recipe, but then gave it my own twist trying to emulate the cacio e pepe pizza at Otto. I've already made it twice and will happily make it again for a great meal served with a salad or cut into thin slices as an hors d'oeuvres. (I tried one with tomato sauce and it doesn't quite work because it looses its crispness.) Also, you don't need olive oil! The cheese has enough oil when it melts.

Ingredients:
1 burrito tortilla
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
Lots of freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Bortolomiol Prosecco Doc Treviso

Need a good prosecco for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season? I can't wait to try this one! I love my proseccos dry, and according to Bon Appetit, this one is extra-dry, drinkable, and versatile. What's not to like? Check out some more party tips in Bon App's "For Those Who Like to Throw Parties."

Herb-Marinated Lamb Chops with Purple Cauliflower Puree

While all of the summer veggies were dried up and Tim Burton-esque in my garden, the herbs were actually thriving - especially the mint. There was a ton! I brought a big bag of mint (along with two smaller bags of oregano and lavender) back into the city and was craving lamb chops. I made a tasty, herby marinade for a few little grocery store lamb chops and cooked them on the grill pan and they were incredible! Such great flavor, and an interesting twist on traditional mint jelly with the chops. I also had some leftover purple cauliflower, so I made a puree. Looks a little like play dough, but I think could look very cool under a piece of salmon or something. Maybe with a pesto swirled around. Yum!

Lamb
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 big tbsp fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic

Roasted Acorn Squash, Purple Cauliflower, and Strip Steak

Last weekend Jamie and I stopped at Babinksi's farm stand in Bridgehampton to grab some veggies for dinner. I saw the most beautiful cauliflower I've ever seen. It was bright purple. I want my mom or sister to paint a picture of it for me! Along with the beautiful cauliflower, I got an acorn squash - such a great, homey fall side. I steamed the cauliflower and tossed it with oil and salt - be careful not to over steam! You want it tender but still with a bit of a crunch. Mushy cauliflower is the worst. I roasted the acorn squash (with bacon) and grilled the steak. This was a great fall dinner.

Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1-2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
salt

Directions:

Black Bean "Guacamole"

I was all set to make Jamie and his friend Chip some snacks for Sunday's Patriots game and was in the mood for guacamole. I had all of the ingredients in my grocery basket (limes, jalapenos, cilantro, etc), but when I got to the avocados they were rock solid. Don't you hate when that happens? So instead of putting it all back, I decided to swap in black beans instead of avocado. I love black bean dip, so it was a bit of an experiment. It was delicious! Tasted a lot like regular guacamole, and is super healthy. There's no oil or anything. We ate it in about 5 minutes (as it was an experiment, I wanted to test it before putting it on the blog so only snapped a picture after we'd already eaten half of it) and this will definitely become a regular snack. It's also a lot cheaper than guac because a can of black beans is usually about 99 cents.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch cilantro, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
1/3 cup grape/cherry tomatoes, sliced into little pieces,
1/4 of a red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed into a paste
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, minced
salt

Cookshop

I've been dying to try Cookshop for brunch after my mom said how great it was. Jamie and I just went this morning and it was amazing! We got the Cookshop scramble and the burger. Both were fab. The scramble was scrambled eggs with creme fresh, caramelized onions, chives, and bacon. The creme fresh made it so creamy, and the caramelized onions made it sweet and went well with the saltiness of the bacon. Plus, I love when eggs are served with a salad.

We weren't planning on ordering the burger, but a girl next to us was eating it and it looked amazing. It's topped with bacon, pickled red onions, cheddar cheese, and chipotle ketchup. So juicy and decadent. The French fried were also great! So crispy and thin, delish with the chipotle ketchup. I highly recommend it for brunch!


Also, it's right off the Highline, so on a nice day it's great to take a stroll after brunch. We walked down back to the West Village and hoped we burned off a fraction of our food. Always feels good to take a walk after a big meal.

Bismarck

Anyone who has spent the night at my house or my parents house has probably tasted the wonder that is Bismarck. I don't know where the recipe came from, but my family has been making it for weekend breakfasts as long as I can remember. I'm told it's like Yorkshire pudding. It is the crispiest, fluffiest, hands down best sweet breakfast food (I would pick Bismarck over pancakes or waffles any day of the week). You slice it up like a pie and serve it with maple syrup. Great with a little bacon, too, to dip in the syrup run off!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 stick of butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450. Put the butter in a medium cast iron skillet and put in the oven while it warms up. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and flour until smooth. Once the butter is melted, pour the batter into the skillet. Cook for about 15 minutes until it's fluffy and a little browned. Cut into wedges and serve with syrup!

Las Ramblas

Last night was Jamie and my 2nd anniversary and, to follow tradition, we had dinner at Las Ramblas. This is a tiny tapas place on West 4th. We had our first date here, so we came last year for our anniversary and again last night. It's so cute, we probably should go more often, but now it's kind of established as our once a year special date spot.

It's a great place for a first date! Intimate, but crowded enough that there's a good atmosphere and a little noise so it's not awkward. The food is flavorful and it's fun to share, and the red pear sangria is great - especially the booze soaked slices of pear in there.

We ordered:
Brochetas De Res-grilled skewers of beef in a tempranillo wine reduction

Banderillas Con Chorizo De Pato-mini skewers of duck sausage, quail eggs, & pearl onions (above, very pretty)
Piquillos Con Morcilla-spanish peppers stuffed with morcilla, saffron rice, & manchego cheesE

FRIED cuddle fish, just like calamari, but a little less chewy (I had already eaten a lot of it before I remembered to take a picture - can't go wrong with crispy, fried things!)

Everything was served on a bed of fried veggie and tortilla strips. Yum! And it's not terribly expensive.

Las Ramblas
170 West 4th St (between Cornelia and Jones)
no reservations

Halloween Dinner: Carrots and Black Bean Dip, Black and Orange Pasta

Happy Halloween!! 

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love pumpkin carving, I love candy, I love dressing up...it's got everything. Jamie and I had some friends over this weekend for pumpkin carving and I wanted to make a Halloweeny dinner. The black and orange pasta recipe came from Epicurious, and then I made a roasted garlic black bean dip with carrots as an hors d'oeuvres. It was yummy - the bean dip was silky and had a great depth of flavor from all of the roasted garlic, and the pasta had a great mix of flavors with the spiciness of the red pepper flakes and the sweetness of the roasted peppers and butternut squash. And, of course, it looks very cool and Halloweentastic. If you have no plans tonight (and need some fuel before braving the crowds for the village Halloween parade), whip this up and celebrate All Hallows Eve in style.

Roasted Garlic Black Bean Dip
Ingredients:
1 whole head of garlic
1 can black beans, drained
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp water (maybe more)

Patisserie Claude

Any West Village resident has probably stopped in (or at least strolled by) Claude's on West 4th Street. This teeny, unassuming bakery has the flakiest pastries outside of Paris - and their meringues are incredible as well. This morning, I wanted to treat myself to a special breakfast. (After spending two days on Nantucket and indulging in amazing oysters, crab cakes, rabbit tagine, clam chowder, and chicken liver pâté at TOPPER'S and Brant Point Grill, I didn't eat much last night and was finally hungry again this morning.) I got a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant). It's fabulous! I just finished it and I am now picking up the flakes of crumbs to eat. Their croissants are great too, but I was craving something sweet this morning. If you live in the West Village, or are in the neighborhood around breakfast time, definitely stop in for a latte and a pastry. Or pick up some meringues for a dinner party dessert!


Patisserie Claude
187 West 4th Street (between Barrow and Jones)
New York, NY 10014

Rustic Hearty Fall Pasta

Jamie and I had some sausage from Faicco's for breakfast on Sunday which inspired me to make a pasta with sausage. I love using sausage with Swiss Chard or kale, so I decided to make a fall pasta with Swiss Chard, sausage, butternut squash for sweetness, and some white beans (because I had them). It was a good Sunday night dinner and we had plenty leftover. I used orecchiette because Jamie loves little pastas and it goes well with sausage.

Ingredients:
1 hot and 1 sweet sausage link (can use more if you want)
1 shallot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped, separated into leaves and stems
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth/stock
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
orecchiette (or your choice of pasta)

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 450. Toss butternut squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, the red peppers flakes, and plenty of salt and pepper and roast until tender (about 30-45 minutes).

Summer Rolls

After a very fun weekend in Seattle full of eating and dancing and sightseeing at the wedding of our friends Charley and Andrea, we needed something healthy and veggie-full. Light and crunchy and fresh, summer rolls sounded perfect. I found a tasty recipe and whipped some up. They're not very hard, except it takes some time to assemble everything. They were so good that we ate them two nights in a row. I even found rice paper at the grocery store. They're colorful and full of fresh flavor and the spicy peanut sauce is amazing.

Ingredients:
Sauce:
3 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp water

Red Wine Braised Chicken Thighs

I wanted something somewhat healthy for dinner last night, and something cheap. It was a little cold, so I thought chicken thighs braised in red wine would be perfect and warm and tasty. My grocery run cost $5.06 (for 5 chicken thighs and a big leek) and it fed two of us for dinner and lunch the next day. Letting the red wine and broth cook down makes the sauce so flavorful. I served it over some Israeli couscous just because that's what I had on hand, but this would be great on polenta or mashed potatoes too. The whole process took an hour, and most of that was just braising/cooking down, so it's totally doable for a week night. Of course, feel free to add other veggies if you want it to be more coq au vin style, but this is simple, tasty, and cheap.

Ingredients:
5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
1 large leek, rinsed and sliced into 1/4 inch rings
5 cloves garlic, crushed

Taureau

Jamie and I went to Taureau last night for some fondue. I had been once before and the damp weather had me craving warm gooey cheese. This is the sister restaurant of my fave La Sirene and is also BYOB. We grabbed a Cotes du Rhone and ordered up the prix fix (for $37 per person, you get a cheese fondue, a meat fondue, and a chocolate fondue). We ordered the Pyrenees cheese fondue which was a mix of Swiss cheese with garlic and white wine and nutmeg. It was amazing. As you can see, we devoured it. The garlic flavor got stronger as we got towards the bottom. Yum! So decadent. It comes with a little salad and some torn up bread pieces. You can also opt for additional sides like veggies or charcuterie. We got some asparagus which was super tasty.

The cheese fondue when we finished it

Jamie not wanting his picture taken while eating the hanger steak

Apple Tart

This is from Ina Garten's recipe, but instead of making the pastry by hand, I just use puff pastry. This always looks really fancy and just takes a few steps and ingredients. Great to serve with some vanilla ice cream. Don't be alarmed by the sugary caramel that forms around the pastry - it's totally normal. Just make sure to use parchment paper to line the cookie sheet otherwise clean up really stinks.

Ingredients:
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored (melon ballers work well), and thinly sliced
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
just under 2 cups sugar
3 tbsp cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes
2 big tbsp apricot jelly
2 tbsp water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Roll out pastry into a square and put on parchment lined baking sheet. Arrange apple slices overlapping (as shown below) and sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Jamie has a cold, so I wanted to make him a warm soup to make him feel better - and I also love soup and the weather is cold and rainy, so I was in the mood. He requested chicken tortilla soup - one of my favorites. It's not too tricky to make and it's so flavorful and also pretty healthy. This recipe serves 6-8, so we'll be eating it for lunch for a while too, but I don't mind. I definitely suggest making this soup this week to ward off the fall dampness creeping in.

Ingredients:
3 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
olive oil
1-2 tbsp canola oil
2 yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 quarts chicken stock
1 28oz can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
2 minced jalapenos
4 gloves garlic, minced
4 corn tortillas, cut in strips
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed (half the bunch, including stems, minced, other have roughly chopped for topping)

Fried Jalapenos and Zucchini

I had some fresh vegetables from my garden (an eggplant, some zucchini, and some jalapenos) and was trying to think of new ways to eat them. I made a pasta with zucchini, eggplant, garlic, bacon, and tomatoes, but I wanted to try a new an hors d'oeuvres as well. I sliced the smallest zucchini into very thin discs with a mandolin, tossed them with flower, and quickly shallow fried them. I then did the same thing with a few jalapenos. So good! I don't know why this isn't a regular bar option. The fried jalapenos were so tasty - they were spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, and had a great crunch. Mixed with the little zucchini discs (which were crispy and a little sweet) it made such an amazing snack. I definitely want to make this next time I have people over. Also, it's so cheap! A couple zucchini and a couple of jalapenos will cost like $2 tops. Can't wait to make it again!

Ingredients:
One (or more) small and firm zucchini, sliced into very thin rounds
2 (or more) jalapenos, sliced into very thin rounds

Lamb Kofte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara

I wanted to make a healthy dinner as Jamie and I have been going out a lot lately (baseball games, concerts, etc). I can't complain, because we had an awesome weekend/week, but I wanted some veggies. I searched Epicurious for a healthy main course and this came up. Not so heavy on veggies, but I served it with a Greek salad at the end. It was super tasty and not too difficult. A little more labor intensive than a regular week night meal, but all in all it took about an hour, so not bad. And it was delicious! (So were the leftovers I had for lunch.) The yogurt sauce is mild, but a nice, cool accompaniment. I like the way the tahini makes the yogurt thicker and more earthy. The muhammara (first time making it) was really tasty. I'll probably add more red pepper flakes next time. And I would probably roast my own peppers - the jarred peppers make it a little acidic. Also, it made me buy pomegranate molasses which I can't wait to experiment with. It taste like a sour candy, and I love sour candies! I want to make drinks with it. More on that later! Here's the recipe for these tasty kofte and their delectable sauces.

Muhammara (from this recipe on Epicurious)

Salmon Carpaccio and Tomato Tarte Tatin

Yes, it sounds like an odd mix, and kind of was, but both were super tasty (next time I'll use two different plates and just suck it up and wash two extra dishes). The nice thing about them is they both bring out fresh summery flavors but you can make them in the winter. The carpaccio recipe I found in the New York Times, and I'd seen tomato tarte tatin recipes and researched a few before landing on this New York Times recipe. The carpaccio was so fresh and the lemon zest and chives perfectly balanced out the richness of the fish. The tomato tarte was flavorful and rich and also looks so pretty with different colored tomatoes! I got these red and yellow grape tomatoes at the farmers market, but Trader Joe's also has great colorful grape and cherry tomato packs. Both dishes aren't terribly hard, but are impressive - good for a special at home date. Especially the individual tarte tatins.


Salmon Carpaccio (for 2)
Ingredients:
8 ounces salmon, preferably wild (if you can't find wild, I try to get the deepest orange color of the other options)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

Mary's Fish Camp

I'd heard Mary's Fish Camp had the best lobster roll in the city, and now I think I can confirm it. I was never a huge lobster person - I would eat it, but never go out of my way. That has changed this summer and I've become a lobster fiend. This lobster roll looked a little mayonnaise-heavy so I was suspicious, but it was light and tasty and full of big chunks of lobster meat. The potato roll was buttery and soft and such a good accompaniment to the lobster. I highly recommend it. Also, we tried the fish tacos. They were pretty tasty, but the lobster roll was the star for sure.

Dim Sum at Chinatown Brasserie

I had a lovely dinner with my friend Kara last night at Chinatown Brasserie. I'd walked by the columned building on Great Jones a hundred times and always wanted to try it, then it came up on Savored so I booked right away. (If you book with Savored, you pay $10 for the reservation but then you get 30% off your meal.) The restaurant was huge! It seemed like a different era of New York restaurants because everything now is small and cozy. This was a big space with high ceilings and several different areas, a bar, a lounge, a downstairs with a big koi pond...

We felt very fancy in this big, grand spot. The menu is pretty big with lots of Chinese dishes, but we stuck to dim sum. We got beef satay with coconut curry sauce, roasted pork buns, pork and shrimp dumplings, and vegetable spring rolls. All very tasty! Also, about half way through, the waiter asked if we wanted chili sauce and brought over a really hot red oil and a chili paste. I love chili sauce, so this was a great addition. The sweet and fluffy pork buns were great with a few drops of red oil. Also, the dumplings came with the most delicious dipping sauce and there were these awesome roasted onions in it. The satay was caramelized and came with a healthy dose of cilantro, which Kara and I both love. The spring rolls were crispy and tasty. All great, and I love dim sum because you can try a bunch of different things.

Since it was a really warm September night, we ordered rosé to toast the end of summer. It was a really delicious rosé! Triennes. Of course, didn't get the year, but highly recommended!

And when the bill came, we saved $20. Not bad.

Hudson Clearwater

Now that we're all back in the city for the fall, it's time to enjoy the beautiful September weather. All summer I would hear, "Let's go out for drinks - where can we be outside?" I don't think the outdoor seating needs to end yet. A few weeks ago I went to Hudson Clearwater. This hidden spot (the very attractive owners have shunned PR, don't advertise, and have no signage) has the cutest outdoor patio and lots of tasty cocktails. The lights strung above and the ivy create such a fun, pretty atmosphere to escape the city. They have a full menu, although we only sampled a few appetizers (the spinach empenada was flaky and salty and the perfect thing to nibble on with cocktails).

This beautiful concoction was a beet margarita with jalapeno. It sounds odd, but was actually pretty good, and the most striking color! Bright magenta. The first sip seemed a little off, but the earthiness of the beet juice, the spice of the jalapeno, and the zing of the lime actually go together quite well. I also felt healthy having the beet juice (even though there was plenty of tequila as well). The dark and stormy (a personal drink favorite) was also tasty. Definitely a good spot to go - get there early because it fills up!

Hudson Clearwater
NW corner of Morton and Hudson, walk a few doors down on Morton and into the courtyard.

At my sister's request, I'm going to try to start putting up more restaurant review. Stay tuned!

Fatty Cue Style Ribs

After an amazing dinner at the new Fatty Cue in the West Village, I couldn't wait to have another savory and sweet rib. I tweeted about it the next day asking for a recipe and was directed here. I'd already bought some baby back ribs from Faicco's that morning, so I decided to adapt the recipe to baby backs. I had a trip to Kalustyan's for the more exotic ingredients. They were a big hit! So juicy and tender, and the meat really shines through, so make sure to get some meaty ribs. (If you live in Manhattan, it's worth a trip to Faicco's - their baby back ribs are the meatiest and juiciest I've ever had.) Don't be scared of all the fish sauce - you really don't notice it in the final product. It just gives the ribs a great umami flavor.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 racks of baby back ribs
2 cups fish sauce
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 medium shallot, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sugar

Vegetable Garden - Week 21

I went out to the garden Saturday morning to pick off what I could before Irene. I had lots of tasty zuke blossoms, a few red tomatoes and one bright orange one, some Swiss Chard, a couple little zucchinis, and some herbs. Pretty good harvest. There are two eggplants out there, but I wanted them to get a bit bigger.




Jamie and the dogs were cuddled up on the couch during the rain.



 

Here is the ocean on Sunday morning. As Jamie says, "the sea was angry that day, my friend." I almost got blown away by the wind.

Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

The batter bowl after Jamie snacked on it

I love Ina Garten and have probably watched all of the Barefoot Contessa episodes. She and Mario Batali are my favorite Food Network chefs because their recipes are always great. I saw these brownies on her show a while ago and have always wanted to make them. I got a craving for some super chocolaty, home-made brownies the other day, so I whipped these up. It's a labor of love - much more time consuming that boxed brownies, but sooo tasty. I might cut back on the butter next time (they were a little crumbly) but they were so chocolaty and rich. Jamie and I each brought them into our offices - big hit. The coffee really makes the chocolate flavor stand out (a great Ina trick).

Outrageous Brownies
Ingredients:
1 lb butter (4 sticks)
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Vegetable Garden Week 20

May garden was looking a litle downtrodden last weekend with the deer and all of the hot sun, but it looked a lot better this weekend. The Swiss Chard came back and there were lots of tomatoes and a big eggplant. There are a few little jalapenos growing and some zucchini that will probably be the perfect size next week. There was a beautiful yellow brandywine tomato that still had to ripen a bit, but I picked it to ripen in the city off the vine because I was afraid it would fall off during the week. I may make more Babaganoush with my big eggplant because it was so tasty last time, although I'm tempted to grill it too because it's so fresh and sweet. We had some Swiss Chard sauteed with garlic and chorizo last night - with a drizzle of maple syrup - and some crispy fried zucchini blossoms. Also some great August corn (not from my garden, but really really fresh and tasty).