Cosme

Finally tried the infamous Corn Husk Meringue at Cosme last night - yum! It was amazing. Food & Wine actually published the recipe so I'm now dying to try to make it. Cosme was really delicious. If you're looking for regular Mexican food, this is not it. This is really fancy, creative food with a Mexican influence. The duck carnitas is amazing, but definitely have at least three people to split it, it's huge! Mmm. Dinner was amazing. Still dreaming about this dessert. It's crunchy, creamy, and rich and has a little salt on top. So great. 

Habanero Cauliflower Puree and Adobo-Marinated Flank Steak

I bought some pretty orange cauliflower at the Union Square market and still had some adobo sauce leftover so thought I'd make something Mexican. I bought a habenero and some flank steak, too, and decided to make a spicy cauliflower puree to go with it. It was delicious and all the flavors really go well together, especially with some good spicy salsa. 

Fast Mashed Canned Black Beans

This is a delicious side for Mexican food, and would be perfect as a layer for a 7-layer dip. It's incredibly easy, and very cheap, and I just love black beans. I probably don't even have to say it, but it's from Truly Mexican. (There's a theme this week...)

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, including liquid, plus 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp mild olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp  chipotle chili powder (or more if you like more spice)
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crumbled

Jalisca-Guajillo Salsa

This is a pretty easy salsa to make, and is excellent drizzled on tacos. Its more of a sauce than a dipping salsa, but is great in addition to some pico de gallo for tacos, or for serving with meat. It's from my favorite Mexican recipe source, thanks Jamie! It's great as an interesting additional beyond the more common salsas.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces guajillo chiles (about 6), cleaned, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
1/2 oz dried arbol chiles (15-20), cleaned and stemmed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1.5" piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup water for blending
1 tsp apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 tsp fine salt/1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
Place the chiles in a medium pot with enough water to cover and bring to a simmer. Cook them until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger to the pot for one minute.

Best Lunch - Burritos

Often I have to run out during lunch and end up spending like $10 on a little salad. I hate spending lots of money on lunch just because those are the only options. I do bring leftovers a lot, but not every day. Then I decided I should make some burritos and freeze them, wrapped individually, to take to work for lunch. Also, if I made them myself, I knew I could make them taste just the way I like, and be sure they're actually pretty healthy at the same time. I made 8 the other day and Jamie flipped out and loved them so much he begged me to make more, so last week I went to the store and loaded up on supplies.

Adobo-Braised Lamb

This lamb will make your apartment/house smell amazing. Definitely go through the effort to find the chiles. Toasting them gives them an amazing aroma and brings out all of the flavors. The adobo sauce has a  mix of ingredients that make a rich, beautiful red sauce. I loved the flavors of the peppers. When it has been in the oven a few hours, it falls off the bone incredibly easily and shreds into a beautiful taco or enchilada filler. We did tacos and had chopped white onion, cilantro, avocado, radish, jalapenos, and salsas so everyone could make his own. A very luxurious taco.

Spicy Pineapple Salsa

Of course, I'd made this one as our friends were arriving and I was rushing to finish up so I could get out of the kitchen and be social, so I forgot to take pictures! This is a very quick salsa to throw together and is a real crowd pleaser. Everyone loved it. It's bright and spicy and sweet. It was delicious on chips, and would be great with fish or pork or chicken, anything really.

Ingredients:
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh jalapeno chiles, including seeds, or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 tsp sugar, if you need it (I didn't use any)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 small red onion, minced


Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste with additional chile, lime juice, sugar, and salt.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa

This is a beautiful salsa and has a mellow sweetness from the roasted tomatoes and a mellow heat from roasting the jalapenos. The garlic and lime provide a fresh bite. This is a perfect salsa to make for winter because cherry tomatoes are easy to find and are usually still pretty good in the winter. Even if they're not the best, once they're roasted it doesn't really matter. These little roasted tomatoes are fab. Also, we learned that when you skin them it's a treat to just pop the skins into your mouth as you go - yum.

Ingredients:
1 pint red cherry tomatoes
1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes
2 fresh jalapenos or serranos, stemmed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Usually, when I make my own chips, I toss them with oil and roast them because it's a bit healthier, but for the Mexican Feast, I wanted to do the real thing. It's really easy to do, and they chips are crispy and thicker than store bought chips. Perfect for complimenting homemade salsas.

To make 64 chips

Ingredients:
8 yellow corn tortillas
1/2 cup-1 cup vegetable oil
salt

Directions:
Pile the tortillas on top of each other and slice down through them so that each tortilla is in 8 equal pieces. Poke the tortilla pieces with a fork to avoid air bubbles when you fry. Heat the oil to about 375 (or until a chip sizzles when it hits the oil). In batches, fry the chips for about 30 seconds each side. Drain chips and toss liberally with salt on a paper-towel-lined plate. Continue with the rest of the chips, then put them in a bowl and eat!

Chilaquiles

For the hors d'oeuvres for my Mexican Feast, I made chilaquiles. These are the predecessor the the modern nacho. It's super tasty, and apparently is great with eggs for breakfast. The sauce has a touch of cinnamon in it which is an unexpected but great flavor. And the fresh toppings are a great contrast to the saucy chips.

Ingredients:
2 cups Ranchera Sauce (recipe to follow) or cooked green salsa
1 cup water
about 64 tortilla chips
1/3 cup finely chopped which onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco or ricotta salata
2 tbsp Mexican crema, or sour cream thinned out with water

Mexican Feast from Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez

Jamie got me an amazing Mexican cookbook for Christmas - Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez. We decided to try it out this weekend and have a few friends over for a Mexican feast. It was great! And in the process, I found the coolest spot to source all of the harder-to-find Mexican ingredients (dried peppers, corn flours, big, ripe tomatillos...) It's a stall in Essex Street Market called Viva Fruits and Vegetables. I went a little overboard and bought a bunch of things, including masa tamale flour and lard, so there may be tamales featured on here in the not so distant future.

We had chilaquiles to start along with freshly made tortilla chips and three great salsas - roasted tomatillo with toasted chipotle powder salsa, roasted cherry tomato salsa, and spicy pineapple salsa. For the main course, we had an adobo braised lamb, shredded up perfectly for tacos. It was delicious.

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

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)

Carnitas tacos with spicy roast pineapple salsa

I had a few people over for Cinco de Mayo and wanted to try making carnitas - one of my fave taco options. They were delicious, and though you have to have a few hours to kill before you serve them, it's not a lot of work, just a long cooking time. The meat was extremely tender and flavorful and the spicy and sweet salsa went perfectly with the pork. I also like to top tacos with some very thinly slice radishes - gives it a fresh crunch and looks pretty too! This would be perfect for having a bunch of friends for a casual Mexican night, maybe adding in some carne asada and other salsas. Just throw it all in the pot a few hours ahead of time.

Carnitas

Ingredients:

3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into cubes

2 cups water

1 white onion, peeled and cut into quarters

Go-to Restaurants

For my AMPR FYI at work, I put together a list of my favorite places to go in New York and I thought why not share it here too? I broke it down into a few categories, so hopefully you'll find it helpful if you're looking for a night out!

Best BYOBs
La Sirène – I’m hesitant to give out the name of favorite restaurant – this is the most romantic, delicious, hole-in-the-wall. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere in SoHo and serves up the best mussels I’ve ever tasted (the moules vignerones). Everything I’ve tried on the menu, I’ve loved, and each entrée is served with a side of roasted and pureed vegetables. Be sure to save room for dessert – the profiteroles are heavenly.

Taureau – This narrow fondue restaurant in the East Village is by the same chef who started La Sirène. The prix fix gives you lots of food – both cheese and meat fondue with a little green salad, followed by yummy chocolate fondue for dessert.

Kuma Inn – This “Asian Tapas” place fills up super quickly, so be sure to reserve well ahead of time. There’s a small corkage fee per bottle, but it’s a great place to go with friends for a night out. Be sure to order the Chinese sausage and the wasabi shumai. And afterword, head next door to Los Feliz.

Morakote Siam – This is pretty bare bones, but great for a casual dinner. It’s right by my apartment, so I’ll often grab a bottle of wine and go with a friend. Our bill is rarely over $20 total. Be sure to try the Thai Chili Beef and the veggie spring rolls.

Most Romantic
La Ramblas – Sentiment may be why I think this place is romantic (I went on my first date with my boyfriend here) but the dim lighting and emphasis on sharing back up my opinion. The small, high tables get filled with various tapas plates like grilled octopus or truffled mushroom salad with avocados, and the sangria is sweet, delicious, and disappears quickly.

The Place – I stumbled across The Place during a snowstorm and went in for a drink. The bar was dimly lit with candles and it was extremely cozy. I went back for dinner and it was equally romantic, even in warmer weather – although I think it shines most in winter.

Recette – This restaurant is super hot right now, so be sure to make a reservation and don’t expect to be seated right away (comfortable shoes may be in order). After a rough start waiting to be seated, once we were, it was wonderful. We sat at a little table next to the big, tiled windows looking out onto West 12th street. The food was incredible, and I recommend the carpaccio wrapped buratta with tomato jelly – creamy, savory, and tart. (More here)

Lupa – Mario Batali doesn’t ever seem to go wrong, and this is his less-expensive version of Babbo. I actually find the food here better than Babbo, and the atmosphere certainly wins out. Ask to be seated in the back room in the corner booth. It’s much more cozy and romantic sitting next to your date in a corner booth than sitting across from one another. Order the buccatini all’amatriciana.

Best Indian
Ghandi Café – This narrow, little Indian place is right around the corner from my apartment and serves up the tastiest curries and hands down the best naan I’ve ever eaten. For two people, I suggest ordering the dinner for one and an additional curry. (The dinner for one comes with this amazing, crispy vegetable fritter, naan, papadam, and a curry – along with three chutneys.) That way you get to taste a few things, and there’s usually enough left over for lunch. My favorite curry so far is the dansahk, slightly spicy with spinach and lentils.

Best Chinese
Grand Sichuan Eastern – There are several outposts of this chain, but the one of 55th and 2nd is the best. Along with the American Chinese food staples, they have a Sichuan menu with spicy, fresh options. If you live nearby, order because the place isn’t terribly charming. If not, stop in if you’re in the neighborhood. The Spicy Chicken with Chinese Broccoli is delicious, and if you like heat, also try the Spicy Wontons in Red Oil.

Best Sushi
Tomoe – This unassuming little sushi place looks pretty run-of-the-mill, but the line outside the door proves it isn’t. The décor doesn’t wow, but the sushi does. It’s incredibly fresh and noticeably better than other sushi. I don’t know how they do it, but the fish is just better. Go for rolls instead of à la carte or you’ll be in for a hefty bill.

Best Pizza
John’s – This place is conveniently located about 30 seconds from my apartment, but even if it’s a hike, it’s worth a trip. They don’t serve slices, only whole pizza’s, but it’s not hard to gobble one down even with just two people. It’s New York pizza at its best. The secret to avoiding the long lines is calling ahead for pick up, as long as you have a place to eat it!

Moustache – John’s has the best NY pizza, but Moustache has the best Turkish pizza. This cute little place has brass tables and a casual vibe, and along with the usual suspects (hummus, babaganoush, etc), they have Turkish pitzas with thin crusts and lots of flavor.

Best Bar Food
Blind Tiger – This craft beer bar has a surprisingly good menu. It’s a fun and unexpected place to grab lunch on the weekend. Along with your Allagash White or Rogue Brutal Bitter, nosh on amazingly flavorful and juicy bahn mi minis, chili, or savory BLTs.

Rye House – The bar snacks here have a southern bent with things like fried pickles and boiled peanuts. A great place to grab drinks with a boy, especially one who enjoys bourbon.

Best Mexican
La Palapa West – The salsa they give you to start is so good you can eat it with a spoon – and embarrassingly enough, I’ve been known to scoop a few bites before the chips arrive. The tacos are great too, especially the chipotle chicken.

Best Trucks
Bistro Truck – Just down the street from AMPR, I love running here for a quick lunch like salad niçoise loaded with potatoes, tuna, tomatoes, and other goodies or chicken cigars, crispy, tasty, and cheap. Also, the Portobello burger is tangy and delicious with roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and balsamic.

Seafood
Fish – If you like oysters, this is the place to go. For $8 you get 6 Blue Point oysters (or clams) and your choice of house red or white wine or PBR on tap. If you sit at the bar, you can also snack on the big, marble bowls of peanuts.

Milos – This can be a little pricey, but the fish is amazing and fresh and it’s just like a restaurant in Greece – you get to choose your own fish. I definitely recommend getting a whole fish because it’s fun to pick it out, and they’re flakey and served simply with lemon and olive oil. Really authentic and light.

Best Cupcakes
Sweet Revenge – You may know this place from its appearance on Chase commercials. It’s a great place for an afternoon snack or after dinner dessert. The cupcakes come in several varieties with two daily specials. Plus, they do wine and beer pairings, so you may be recommended a sparkling framboise to drink with your red velvet cupcake. If you like salty and sweet, try the fleur de sel cupcake – it’s amazing. (More here)

Baked by Melissa – These tiny little cupcakes are perfect for a snack with fun flavors like oreo and cookie dough and they won’t leave you feeling guilty. I can’t claim credit for discovering this – thank you Sarah Winters for getting these for the office.

Best Pork Buns
Fatty Crab – While the pork buns at Momofuku are savory and delicious, Fatty Crab’s win in my book. With the same basic set up – a fluffy, sweet steamed bun, a fatty, caramelized slice of pork belly, Hoisin sauce – Fatty Crab goes the extra mile with its spicy cilantro salad to stuff into the bun and its bulls eye of Sriracha in the bowl of Hoisin dipping sauce. Be careful – once you stop eating you really start to feel the burn. The slices of hardboiled egg on the plate help a little. (For my full pork bun rundown)

Los Feliz

Apparently a Mexican restaurant by day, I wandered into Los Feliz Saturday night for a friend-of-a-friend's birthday party. While the bar upstairs looks quaint and fits in well with its Ludlow neighbors, if you walk past the bar and down a small staircase, you end up in this basement club. For all those claustrophobics, don't worry: the high ceilings are met by giant mirrors hanging on the walls, making the little club embody a sort of old Hollywood glamor. There was dancing by the bar and then banquettes flanking the walls towards the back. This is a great place to go if you're looking for a fun new place downtown where you can drink and dance without going to a big club. Also, they apparently have tons of kinds of tequila, which I'll remember for next time.