You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘food + wine’ category.
2 cups seedless watermelon cubed
1 cup orzo, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped parsley or basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
s&p to taste
1. cook orzo, drain and let cool. 2. toss with watermelon, cheese and parsley. 3. drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2 medium-sized chunks of fresh watermelon
2 ounces rum
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
muddle watermelon in the bottom of mixing glass. add rum, lime juice and simple syrup and shake vigorously with ice. strain into chilled daiquiri cocktail glass. garnish with melon slice.
my dear friend emily of emily’s homemade has created a new cookie, inspired by my daughter, lulu bee. this rich, buttery treat is hand-decorated with smooth, sugary icing and lots of love. it looks too pretty to eat, but trust me, it’s too good not to eat. to find a brooklyn retailer, go here.
yes, there is an actual day dedicated to the delicious chocolate hazlenut spread (it falls on february 5th this year). and why shouldn’t there be? according to the world nutella day website, it is a way of life.
i recently ate an amazing nutella-nut-pretzel bar at iris cafe in brooklyn heights. my sister was so moved that she wanted to make them. i’m sure she can find the recipe among the hundreds listed here.
a selection from a still life series based on his grandfather åke carlsten’s memoirs reviewing his favorite food and drinks. photography by erik wåhlström.
i love this little spot in a charming corner of brooklyn heights (joralemon at columbia place). frank and i enjoyed a cozy fall evening last night with delicious food, warm service and great company. i still haven’t been able to stray from the pappardelle con funghi; it is divine.
photo from new york magazine.
we’re well into soup season at our house and the name of the game is variety. my husband found a recipe for pozole soup and it was simply delicious. there was an encore performance the following night which is one of many reasons that i love soup. you can make enough for several nights and it only tastes better. the recipe from simply gluten free (with our own twist) is below.
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ teaspoons ground dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 15 ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 can tomatoes with jalapeno peppers
1 pound tomatillas, diced
8 radishes
1 large bunch swiss chard, coarsely chopped
8 sprigs of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
garnish:
8 green onions, thinly sliced
2 limes, quartered
1 avocado, shopped
heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. add onions and garlic and cook until softened about 5 minutes. add cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook until you can smell the spices, about 30 seconds. add the remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes. remove bay leaves and serve in bowls with garnishes.
out of this world cookies and cupcakes can now be found at lucas fine foods in park slope, courtesy of emily’s homemade. enjoy a peanut butter or ginger cookie, or if you’re feeling adventurous, ancho chile valrhona or salted chocolate chip. need a few dozen for a birthday party or because they are so dang good, you just want to fill your cookie jar? call emily at 917.428.2132 to place an order.
featured on lolita
i continue to be stunned and delighted by the creativity out there. they draw and cook features recipe renderings by artists, illustrators and designers. cooking never looked so cute.
last night, i met my gal-pal ilene at tipsy parson, a new(ish) soulful restaurant in chelsea. high scores for delicious food, fun atmosphere and a kind staff. we left vowing to return. if you need further encouragement, take a look at what their website suggests meal by meal.
breakfast: new york city’s best sticky bun, doughnuts and farm-fresh eggs
weekend brunch: our famous mac & cheese, lemon-cornmeal pancakes, benton’s country ham with biscuits & gravy, poached eggs atop a crock of creamy, stone-ground grits from south carolina
lunch: pimento cheeseburger
after worK: frozen mint julep, cheese straws, fried pickles
their sister restaurant, little giant on the lower east side is great too
i love this photograph.
sometimes a lady can’t be a lady
every moment of the day.
sometimes she needs cake,
and a fork just takes too long.
from retrozone
photo from gourmet traveler
i made dhal for the first time tonight. it was easy, delicious and comforting. i found the recipe from vegetarian cooking, which is a great cookbook i might add. if you feel like making something a little warm and mushy, here is the recipe:
8 oz yellow split peas
2 onions, chopped
1 large bay leaf
2 1/2 cups stock or water
salt and pepper
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp melted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 inch cube fresh root ginger
1 small green pepper, sliced
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
3 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
fresh coriander or parsley to serve
1. in a covered pan, simmer the split peas, 1 onion, the bay leaf, and stock / water for 25 minutes, seasoning lightly towards the end.
2. in a separate pan, fry the mustard seeds in the butter for 30 seconds until they start to pop. then add remaining onion, garlic, ginger and green pepper. saute for 5 minutes until softened, then stir in remaining spices.
3. add the split peas, tomatoes and a little extra water if needed. cover and simmer for 10 minutes. check seasoning and serve hot, garnished with coriander or parsley.
i am a guest writer on i loved new york this week. to see my post and other new york ruminations, go here. or look no further than below.
The first time I discovered Fela Kuti, I remember feeling like I struck gold. I hit the music jackpot by uncovering the Afrobeat pioneer. It didn’t take long to understand that he is a massive legend and that I was hardly unique in being a fan. But he was new to me and I was thrilled.
Then I learned that he had a son named Femi, who was playing at the famed Apollo Theater. Although Femi was an established artist independent of his father’s legacy, I felt awestruck by the possibility of seeing Fela’s son. One quick call to my friend in the music industry and I had a pair of tickets.
Before the show, I dined with Katie – my companion (and I Loved NY scribe) at Amy Ruth’s on 116th Street. A true southern restaurant with all the fixings: catfish, collard greens, okra, candied yams and chicken and waffles. Come to think of it, waffles with anything – rib eye steak, shrimp or fried chicken wings. Salty and sweet does make sense. I ordered an ice tea to start and automatically added a packet of sugar. Upon first sip, I realized the tea was already sweetened and that my teeth might just fall out. I drank the entire glass. After the fried food and sweet tea, we welcomed the 9 block walk north to the Apollo.
Entering the building, it was easy to feel that you were in a special place. Knowing the talent that preformed in the music hall – Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, James Brown and Marvin Gaye, was magical. I was a little fidgety through the opening acts because I was so excited for Femi to perform. And then suddenly he appeared on stage like a force and I was on my feet.
The energy that radiated from that man was incredible. Backed up by a 17-person band known as the Positive Force, the entire Apollo was under his spell. Shirtless, he was strong, confident and sexual. His lyrics told the same tale:
She said, love me now [beng beng beng]
She said, squeeze me now [beng beng beng]
To the left now, don’t slow down now [beng beng beng]
To the right now, don’t come too fast [beng beng beng]
But mostly it was Femi’s dancers that demanded my attention; I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Their moves were fluid, fast and beautiful and they oozed erotic seductiveness. Their thick, fit bodies, outfitted in bright, colorful, African costumes were mesmerizing. They didn’t stop dancing the entire show.
That evening – much like any New York evening, worlds converged in Harlem. Amy Ruth from Alabama, Femi Kuti from Nigeria and two Midwest transplants experiencing all the city has to offer. It was truly an unforgettable evening.
photograph credit: kim bacan
i’m off to whole foods to prepare for the holidays. christmas eve dinner goes a litttle something like this: bread, cheese and olives to start, brisket, brussel sprouts and this outrageous, pumpkin pie from city bakery for dessert. christmas morning (if i’m able ingest anything), we’ll make pancakes. additionally, i plan to make cookies during the holidays because my husband loves them (and i love to sneak a little raw cookie dough). after all is said and done, i will need dental attention and time at the gym.
i’m enjoying cooking lately. if you’ve been following along, my latest creations include potato latkes and challah bread. if i had this gorgeous kichen featured on blomsterverkstad, i’d probably never leave. i dream of a cozy kitchen, with a fireplace, built in shelves for cookbooks, plenty of workspace and a hopeful lab nipping at my feet.
as promised, i’m following up with a baking report. i encountered some trials and tribulations, but strangely enough the challah came out pretty tasty.
first, the darn dough refused to rise. i took my husband’s advice and put the bowl of dough into a bowl of warm water, which helped tremendously. then came braiding challenges – the top half is bulbous while the bottom half is slimly braided. lastly, those are not my hands because mine were completely webbed with dough and using a camera was not an option. the dough was so sticky that forming it into a neat mound to knead was not possible.
despite the challenges and nerves, i enjoyed a big hunk this morning for breakfast and my colleagues simply loved it. in one week, i fried latkes and baked challah. no one can say i’m not trying!
happy last day of chanukkah!
so it is quoted on my new favorite food site. sprouted kitchen is the creation of a husband and wife team – she cooks, he takes the photos. but to say that he takes photos is an understatement. his photographs are stunning – and i agree with his wife, hugh is an ‘image making mastermind.’ to see more of his work, go here.
i am totally inspired by this website and can’t wait to try some of the recipes. if it tastes as good as it looks, i’m in for quite a treat.
i never knew that brussel sprouts grew on stalks. in fact, i never knew how they grew; i never gave it much thought. but i keep seeing stalks at farmer’s markets, grocery stores and veggie stands. so strange how one never notices something and then sees it everywhere.
preparing them from the stalk makes cooking even more fun. a quick steam before roasting them in the oven doused with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and ground pepper, makes a tasty side. i don’t know why this vegetable gets such a bad rap (picture kids being forced to eat brussel sprouts before they could have dessert), they are delicious.
jack the horse tavern, a great haunt in brooklyn heights, serves roasted brussel sprouts and radishes with a vinegary vibe. my husband and i love to snack on them at the bar while waiting for our meal to arrive. as a side or as an app – brussel sprouts are a great way to veg out.
i love the idea of creating your own art and pairing it with real pieces. similar to wearing a h&m sequin skirt and a chanel bag (sort of).
this photo from desire to inspire is a great example. framed statements on cardboard look chic, and of course “make tacos, not war” are words that we should all live by.
as many times as i have heard the terms ‘free range’ and ‘grass fed,’ i don’t think i fully grasped what that meant until i watched food inc. i guess i shouldn’t be stunned by dispicable farming practices and the mega corporations that control it, but i never understood the implications that it has – on the immigrant worker trying to survive, the small farmer who is imprisoned (basically) by corporate greed – even me ordering a burger at my favorite joint. you can bet i will be asking questions before i order my food from now on.
the film is jarring, scary and real. some farmers even feed corn to fish! fish! that is not right. food inc contains some positive messages, however. awareness. companies becoming more conscious and mindful (even if their motivations aren’t completely pure). and the fact that i (one person) was touched enough to tell you (many people) to watch it. so what are you waiting for? netlix…blockbuster…joe’s video den…enlighten yourself!
this post explores the age old question of: what the heck is a cheese curd? cheese curds is cheddar cheese in its natural, random shape and form, before being processed into blocks. this regional phenomeon started with wisconsin cheese makers taking handfuls of the morsels home to their children. i experienced this first hand in madison, wisconsin this weekend.
it began with a trip to the farmer’s market where i sampled many a curd, and my husband purchased several bags for friends. i learned that the orange color associated with cheese curds is really a dye; the natural color is white. later i learned that cheese curds that are fried and dipped in horseradish sauce is the most decadent and divine snack ever created. we tried this delicacy at the old fashioned , a jamming restaurant near the capitol. the bartender described them as fried mozzarella sticks, but better. indeed. we should have stopped here, but alas our meal was on the way – chili (served over spaghetti) and bratwurst. but no need to dwell on this over-indulgent, calorie infested meal…
let’s face it, sconnies love cheese, and who can blame them? whether it’s cheese curds in a plastic bag or artisinal cheeses from fromagination , it’s all delicious. just one of the many reasons why i love wisconsin.
lately, i’ve been clocking time at bloomingdale’s to help launch the bumble and bumble styling bar. i never realized what a cult following their frozen yogurt has. women stroll the “b way” with towering cups of fro-yo. friends sit across from each other at 40 carrots, chatting over piles of the frozen treat. weary shoppers lap it up to reenergize before throwing down more cash.
did i mention how big the serving is? it’s just not normal for someone to consume that much yogurt in one sitting. i’m happy to say i did not finish mine (although i made quite the dent). my regret, however, is minimal. i got vanilla + berry, the latter to support breast cancer.
photo from flickr.
good luck dana and mark
December 17, 2009 in commentary, food + wine | Leave a comment
dana rounded up more than 50 people – from the us to mexico to australia, to make a challah between sundown thursday, december 17 and sundown friday, december 18. i will be participating tonight, making my first challah! i’ll follow up with a report, and perhaps pictures.
easy challah recipe:
-dissolve 1 tsp. sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. sprinkle 1 pkg. yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes in large mixing bowl. stir to dissolve.
-combine with 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp. salt and 2 eggs. beat well. then stir in 3 1/2 – 4 cups flour. dough should be sticky. cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes. knead for 10 minutes.
-cover bowl and let rise in a warm place about 2 hours. punch down, cover and let rise about 45 minutes.
-divide dough in to 3 equal parts, shape in to strands and braid loosely on greased baking sheet. fasten ends securely. bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
photo from is that my bureka