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