Falling into Flavor

10/31/10  Fall is here and I can feel it in my taste buds. I did a test recipe for my upcoming Fall Dinner Party Extravaganza. Pancetta-wrapped Loin of Pork with a Pancetta-Apple Stuffing. WOW. Topped with extra apples and pancetta left from the "stuffing", added some pan juices, butter, and vegetable stock, simmered until thickened. Mmmmm...Tested. Approved. It's good to go.

Bobby Ravioli debut on my blog

10/31/10 Allow me to introduce my lil bro, Bobby Ravioli. A creative soul who shares my passion for food. Tonight he graced our family dinner table with his Southwest Style Meatballs with Chimichurri sauce. Delish. And they are baked! Moist and absolutely habit-forming. Amen brother.

Explore NY

10/29/10 Okay so here is the stuff that really fuels my passion. Being inspired by great food and great business ideas. Exploring the unique spots of NYC. It's a shame, no it's a crime, to not take advantage of all the wonders of this melting pot city. And you call yourself a New Yorka? Get to it, people!
First Stop, The Meatball Shop. Located downtown on Stanton, between Orchard and Allen. This small eatery has big taste and a monster crowd ALL the time. Open until 4am Thurs-Sat, and 2am Sun-Wed, it seems as though there is never a dull moment. So we arrive and the hostess says that it will be an hour and a half wait for 2. Mind you, it was 9:45 at night. Did not expect that. So I gave my cell number and we walked down to Pianos for pre-dinner drink, as was suggested by the hostess (Actually, Pianos was my idea, love this neighborhood). Cool. I get a call about 45 minutes later, Score! Two parties canceled. On our way to yummy town! Enter The Meatball Shop. A witty crowd with a witty little laminated menu on which you check off your choices with a dry erase marker. Or even write little notes on it like the guy next to me did. So me and my new food adventure partner chose the sliders for $3 a pop, so we could try out a variety of ball and sauce flavors. (Okay the lingo may get weird here, but not all the balls are meat! Just keep your mind out of the gutter and in the sauce pot and we will be fine). My choices: Spicy Pork Meatball with Marinara Sauce, Beef Meatball with Spicy Meat Sauce, and Chicken Meatball with Pesto. All served on a mini brioche bun. My partner in crime chose: Beef with Marinara, Veggie with Mushroom Sauce, and the Special of the day (I think this is probably always a good bet) Thai Meatball with a Special sauce. A couple sides: Fresh Milled Polenta (reminiscent of my fav childhood dish, pastina) a delicate taste of butter and parmigiano cheese; Roasted Veggie of the Day, butternut squash with walnuts and goat cheese. I couldn't put my finger on what made this roasted veggie dish so amazing but I think there's a good chance it has a lot to do with how Chef Daniel Holzman and Manager Michael Chernow pick their sources for produce and ingredients. I'm going to have to try to recreate this one.  So we nibbled and forked (no gutter intended) and had a great time. A nice little wine list (I had the Sangiovese, Cesani-Ireos Chianto Colli Senesi, Tuscany, Italy 2007) and Peroni on tap. Nicely done.Oh! And then of course we shared a dessert. A classic: the icecream-cookie sandwich. I have to give mention to the Special Housemade Icecream flavor of the day, Apple Pie. Fresh from the oven! --only colder. :)  View the deliciousness below.
http://www.themeatballshop.com/

Simple Entertaining

10/27/10 I love to cook for friends. Making a simple, fun meal is a great way to spend time, catch up, and of course eat great food. Add a little reality TV and a UFC fight and you've got yourself a party! :)

Here's my take on a somewhat off the beaten track Southwest-style meal. Served: Honey Skirt Steaks with yellow rice, fresh guacamole, and grape tomato salsa. Don't forget the scoops! Pictures taken by Ric Starr.

Food as Art

10/31/10 Just thought I would share one of my Food as Art pics. Also a great example of one of my frugal eats recipes. Lemon-oregano chicken thighs with wine pan juices served over a mixed green and herb salad. Topped with yellow peppers and vine tomatoes. Simple and quick- on a budget.

A visit to Sea

10/21/10 I love this place to chill with a cocktail and listen to some nice beats. Although it is only one of the many hot Williamsburg spots. My new favorite drink there: the mango puree and grape vodka cocktail was awesome. A little sweet and a sour bite. Went down too easy!! as you can see :)

My quick version of the fish taco

10/21/10 Ok so I was making a quick lunch and wanted to eat the flounder milanese that I had on hand. I thought to myself..How do I make something quick and tasty? So here is my version: Warmed the flounder milanese on a panini grill until crispy.  Cut a 1/4 of an avocado, added a tablespoon of mayo, and salt/pepper, mixed with a fork to make a quick avocado crema. Tossed some crisp grape tomatoes (my fav) with a little basil, garlic, and olive oil. Put it all on a wrap with shredded lettuce and a dash of hot sauce. A little mixed fresh fruit on the side. Delish!

St Nick's Festival

10/11/10 Okay, so I want to say it is Flushing's best kept Greek secret but apparently I was the only one that didn't know! The Greek Orthodox Shrine Church of St Nicholas is a really great example of how culture and religion can make a beautiful impression on a community. Alright I won't get all sentimental. But great food from Greece and Cyprus. Great neighborhood people. A cultural wake-up call and a good time. Til next year! Here are some pics of the delicious (and totally affordable +) food finds.
A very special thanks to Bill and Flora, my Cyprus connection, for introducing me to this festival. Great cooks and gracious friends. Always a pleasure!

Mad. Sq. Mark't

10/11/10 So I am here writing my first blog entry as I listen to The Strokes on my first day off this week. Phew! Long week. I'm new to this, so suggestions on how to improve are welcome. Be nice. :)
...Checked out the Mad. Sq. Mark't last Sunday. It was definitely worth it. Designers, food, cool people. Had really interesting jewelry pieces. And yes I made a few a purchases. My fav vendors: SaraDesigns.net and Arzadesign.com , City Shuffle selling Diner's Deck wasn't bad either (cityshuffle.com). Not like I need an excuse to go out.  BUT the food alone was worth the visit. I love the opportunity to visit with and get a taste of great culinary finds all in one place. Some of those in attendance were: Almond, Roberta's, Pies n Thighs, Wafels & Dinges, Resto, to name a few. It's too bad you won't always get to meet the owners of these scrumptious spots, I love to schmooze and get the stories behind the story. But hey sending personable employee-representatives does do the job. Entertaining personalities and delectable bites? I'm in.
So what did I eat? Okay here it is, don't worry, I had a partner and I go to the gym :)
Fresh brick oven pizza from Roberta's out of Bushwick, a nice crust with speck ham, talleggio cheese, mushrooms and the kicker?? very thinly sliced garlic and FRESH, did I say fresh? yes super fresh thyme-WOW. A chicken biscuit from Pies n Thighs, a slightly crumbly and super moist biscuit kissed by some honey butter, squeeze a just-fried crispy chicken cutlet and a dash of hot sauce and you've got yourself a date with deliciousness. We could have kept going but hey we are ladies, so we went for dessert! a fresh waffle with hints of vanilla topped with speculoos (a gingerbread spread, yum), fresh bananas, whipped cream, and a drizzle of real chocolate. A perfectly sweet ending. Check out a few of these guys for yourself: wafelsanddinges.com, piesandthighs.com, robertaspizza.com, restonyc.com.