Prune
>> Monday, July 27, 2009
This past weekend my cousin came in town, and since she too is a foodie, we picked several restaurants that she has heard/I have wanted to eat at. One of these was Prune. This east village eatery has been on my list for almost a year now and despite varying reviews, I still wanted to eat there. Known for it's "Unpretentious American home cooking with eccentric, multicultural influences" Prune has one of the interesting menus I have come across in a long time. Bone marrow, lamb shank, sweetbreads with bacon and capers, oh my!
54 East 1st Street
No Reservations - Rust Belt
Sunsets in Chicago and New York
>> Tuesday, July 21, 2009
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Centro Vinoteca
So something big happened last weekend. I ventured into a culinary zone that I have never been to before: I ate pork belly. Now before I get too far ahead of myself, let me go through the whole evening's events:
- Spaghetti alla chittara with funghmisty and shaved parmigano
- Seared pork belly served with mustard greens, onion puree, grilled pulnot and a pulnot chutney
New York, NY 10014
No Reservations - Australia
>> Monday, July 20, 2009
It's back. Tony is back and better than ever traveling all around and for this episode he takes us to Australia...I have never been but Australia is at the top of my list right behind Europe because I think the culture is so interesting, its like a hybrid of things I do not understand...
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A Lovely Sunday Night
>> Monday, July 13, 2009
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup grated yellow onion
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne
- 2 cups diced sweet red apples, such as Gala or Jonathan (2 to 3 medium apples)
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces, broken
- 1 head Bibb lettuce, cored and leaves separated
Directions
In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and vinegar. Slowly add 1/3 cup buttermilk, whisking to thicken. Add the blue cheese, onion, salt,
pepper, and cayenne, and whisk well to combine, adding
more buttermilk, as desired. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the
apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Add the dressing, to taste, and toss well.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on 6 salad plates. Top with the tossed salad and serve.
That little kick of Cayenne really does wonders! I mean this salad is a keeper. Word to the wise...go easy on the onion, between that and the bleu cheese its a pretty potent dressing...
For our next course I made an incredible Italian sausage,mushroom, onion and vodka sauce pasta. On Saturday the kind people from Bertolli were out in Union Square handing out their new90 second vodka sauce. Never one to turn down
anything free, I graciously took it. In fact I got one for Kerry too, so really we had two (and we needed it).
I started out by first going to Chelsea Market and going into their delightful Italian market for some fresh spicy sausage, and homemade pasta.
When I got home I chopped the onion and sliced the mushrooms and threw it all in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil, butter and oregano. Let that cook for a little bit (10 minutes or so), then I threw in the sausage and let that all meld togeth for about 5 minutes. Dumped the sauce into the skillet. Let that all cook together for a while and boom. Done. Tossed the cooked pasta and we had out meal.
It really was the perfect end to a great weekend!
A New Frugal Foodies Segment
>> Friday, July 10, 2009
Art Smith: The Nicest Chef - EVER
>> Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Foodies, this was a big moment for me: I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Chef Art Smith in Chicago. You may know him as the two time James Beard winner or Oprah's personal chef for 10 years or dear friend of the Obama's, but I like to think of him as one of my top 3 picks for Top Chef Masters.
Leah is officially a Chef!
>> Wednesday, July 1, 2009
So I am SO proud to say that Leah graduated from the French Culinary Institute yesterday!!! She is officially a chef complete with a tall hat and everything :) I have sampled many of her dishes and can confirm that they are beyond delicious. She will be leaving me tomorrow something that I am completely not ready to deal with so I won't...
In the slide show are some of her culinary masterpieces. Enjoy!! Read more...