No Reservations - Rust Belt

This week Tony is back in the US and taking us through several cities, one of which I know particularly well , Detroit. Throw away your preconceived notions of Detroit, and understand that there is a rich culture there with delicious food and warm people. Granted I haven't seen the episode yet, but I hope he exploits Detroit's good qualities :) Here is a preview of his stop in Baltimore!

Also if you are interested, here is what Tony has to say about this episode.

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Sunsets in Chicago and New York

Every now and again I like to divert from food and just show some good ole pictures of the seasons. Recently I went to Chicago and we were lucky enough to get great weather thoughout the entire weekend. Here are some of my favorite summer sunsets in my two favorite cities:

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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:

It all started with this little neighborhood Italian joint that has been on my list for a while, especially since Top Chef contestant Leah Cohen took over from Mario Batalli's right hand woman Anne Burrel. So when the proverbial question arose of "where should be eat tonight?" Centro Vinoteca came to the forefront.

Kerry and I went early on a Friday night, ya know around 8, and were promptly seated at the center bar, a place where I am comfortable. The bartender was very informative and let us (me) try a couple of wines from their extensive wine list before making my final selection.

Never ones to skip directly to the entrees, Kerry and I ordered two "piccolinis" or small plates. I

started with BLT which was pancetta, frisee, and tomato confit. It was salty from from the pancetta and sweet from the tomato. Honestly, it was the perfect bar snack. I could have eaten a couple of them and been satisfied for the whole night. Kerry ordered fried zucchini balls with a marinara dipping sauce. They were incredibly light and not greasy. I would order these over mozzarella sticks any day.

After chowing down on our appetizers, we both decided to order the specials of the night:

• Spaghetti alla chittara with funghmisty and shaved parmigano
• Seared pork belly served with mustard greens, onion puree, grilled pulnot and a pulnot chutney

Let's just say that once Kerry reached the end of her pasta, she replied with "I just don't want to

eat the last bite" I mean this was really, really good pasta. Our bartender/server told us that the pasta was all handmade, and the mushrooms were fresh. All ingredients that make for a delicious pasta dish. Then there was my pork belly (pictured right). It was so crispy that it was almost hard to break though the top layer. The meat was just succulent. Honestly, it was so rich that I had a hard time censoring myself. I knew I needed to slow down, but I really didn't want to. Then there was the pulnot (?)...I am still not sure that this is even the right fruit, but it was a cross between a plum and a tomato the perfect sweet/tangy contrast to the fatty pork belly. It really was so well balanced. I learned from our bartender/server that the belly is set in a brine for two days, then it's pressed, then seared as a whole, and then shaped and seared before serving...all that preparation was well worth it.

We really must have looked like we enjoyed ourselves because at one point the server started to stare at what we thought was the food and Kerry asked him: "Why do you keep staring at the food?" he replied "I just haven't seen people enjoy food like this in a long time..."

The evening ended with a deliciously light and effervecent desert wine name Brachetto and a molten chocolate cake. Can you ask for much more?!

I am actually disappointed that I have never been there before now. Hopefully I will be going back soon!!

Centro Vinoteca

74 Seventh Ave. South
New York, NY 10014

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No Reservations - Australia

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...

Anyways here's a clip of Tony chowing down on some delicious seafood:

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A Lovely Sunday Night

This weekend my roommate Kerry and I decided to have a lovely Sunday night dinner. The weather was perfect and there was no better night to dine on our terrace. So we prepare a delightful menu that had us wobbling back to the living room to watch Harry Potter.

We started off with a delightful Waldorf salad, courtesy of Mr. Emeril Lagasse. Here is recipe taken directly from the Food Network:

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!

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