Restaurant Review : Willow Road (NYC)

A couple of nights ago I went to a fairly new restaurant on the outskirts of the meatpacking district in Manhattan called Willow Road (85 Tenth Ave b/w 15th & 16th).  I had read a few reviews on the place and most were very good so when it came time to suggest an alternate restaurant for the evening (Alder was our first choice but booked), I thought it would be a good bet.  It was an interesting experience and we had a fun evening but it's not a place I would return to again as there are many more restaurants in Manhattan with better food and better service for the same price point.

The ambiance of the restaurant is quite nice and unpretentious, and I imagine if we had been there on a busier night it would have been more noisy.  It gives off the air of an old bar with dark paneling and dim lighting.  The bar area is quite welcoming and seems like the kind of place I would go as a local for a drink.  We were greeted with a smile and seated promptly.  The wine list is quite good and the menu is very interesting including some off the wall items like Boiled Peanuts and Roasted Bone Marrow.  We ordered the Delicata Squash, Fries, Short Rib Meatballs, Braised Octopus, and Fried Chicken.

So why wasn't I blown away by this place?  The squash was very flavorful, albeit a bit salty.  The meatballs were ok and I know I can make better.  Their only saving grace was the marinara with a kick that accompanied them. The octopus was not chewy which is always good, but it had an almost grainy texture to it which wasn't all that pleasing.  The fried chicken was a disappointment as I had read many reviews stating it as the best ever.  The chicken was good - super crispy on the outside and moist on the inside - however the description promised something with jerk spices and an orange honey glaze.  What we got was all honey glaze and no spice whatsoever; to the point that the chicken was too sweet even.  In my opinion, if you're not really adding any spice to a food item, just don't say so - a menu description sets expectations and this one failed miserably in delivery.  Sadly the fries were our favorite food ordered that evening.  They were thick wedges of potatoes that were well seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and served with a delicious dipping sauce.

One note for the owners of Willow Road - please either make the font on your menu larger or make the lights brighter.  It is impossible to read without a magnifying glass and a flashlight, and my age has nothing to do with it this time - it is THAT small!!!

My favorite snafu at Willow Road is the bar tender who claims to be a mixologist.  If that is indeed true, the owners should seriously send him back to mixology school.  My friend ordered the same drink off the menu three times and got three completely different drinks each time.  They weren't even similar in the ingredients with one containing blueberries and the next containing ginger and cucumber water. We didn't complain because each iteration tasted good and we were having fun, but thank goodness a glass of wine needs no mixing.

For all the hype around this newbie, I'll have to pass on it.  I know it seems like I'm not having a lot of luck with restaurants in Manhattan lately, but I'll make a side note on two restaurants I went to about two weeks ago that were very good - Craftbar and La Pizza Fresca - both in the Flatiron district.  The Arancini at Craftbar was the best I've ever had (sorry MM) and the pizza at Pizza Fresca is always fantastic. I needed to end the last article on a positive note after all.

And so I bring 2013 to a close and wish you all many adventures in the culinary world in the new year!!

Remembering Gray Rocks

Some friends and I decided to head up to Vermont for a little ski vacation just before Christmas this year and so that is where I am as I write this.  We drove up as soon as my son came home from school for the holiday break and we were definitely in for a big surprise.....warmer temperatures in the mountain than at home.  Any other time, I welcome the warmer weather but for a ski trip it is not exactly ideal.  As I have made my way around the mountain the past two days, my mind keeps going back to a little over twenty years ago when I first learned to ski.

The barely covered top of Okemo Ski Area

Most of my readers know that I was born in Mumbai, India in the month of May, probably the hottest month of the summer in a region of the country that doesn't really ever get colder than 70 F; Not generally anyway.  Growing up, I was not exposed to skiing.  It is an expensive hobby and my parents just plain couldn't afford to get us involved in it, nor did they even really think about it - they were too busy thinking about survival and paying the mortgage and those sort of mundane things.  In 1992 I was employed with a company that allowed me to travel a bit, and on one of my trips I was perusing through a magazine that contained an advertisement for a ski trip package to a place called Gray Rocks that was an amazing deal for one week for $999......Canadian!!!  It included everything - lift tickets, rentals, lodging, 22 hours of instruction and all meals.  With the exchange rate at the time, that was like 50 cents US (not really) and way too good to pass up. Plus I had recently decided I liked new adventures and this would most certainly qualify.  All I needed to do was convince a friend to go along which of course I did do and off we went up the NYS Thruway in my yellow Honda Prelude.  What I didn't realize was that even in Canada, it's pretty warm in April and so the bargain was a marketing gimmick - one that clearly worked.

All I can say is I came out of that week absolutely hooked on skiing.  I loved it!  I didn't care that we were learning on slush and avoiding puddles most of the week.  Any more of a meltdown and it could have qualified as water skiing.  Over the next few years I fell in love with every aspect of skiing - waking up early to make first chair, making fresh tracks in new fallen snow, the cold beer at lunch time, the mystery of the trail never taken, the apres ski  adventures at the bar, etc. etc. etc.  And Gray Rocks became an annual tradition. 

My son learning to ski as age 4

Over the next fifteen years, I introduced the amazing school at Gray Rocks to my then husband, friends with small children, my family and so many more people.  My father learned to ski there at the age of 69.  Even my mother tried it once.  My son started lessons at Gray Rocks at the age of three and today can ski just about any terrain at pretty fast speeds.  We looked forward to going there each year, staying at one of their condos just one mile from the base and meeting the other skiers on the first day of class.  After a while we knew most of the ski instructors well and would even invite some of them over for dinners with the group or go out for apres ski drinks with them at local bars or over to the village at Mont Tremblant.  Over the years we even got to know many of the guests who went during the same week each year.

There was something magical about Gray Rocks that I can't quite describe.  The resort was not fancy or luxurious but it was that sense of feeling like you were a part of a family that made it special.  If you lost a mitt or hat, someone would find it and get it back to you.  You could leave anything anywhere on the mountain without losing it.  We would always compare and compete which class we were assigned to based on the first day evaluations, class number one being the best.  My first time there I was in class 22 and my last year I finally was  assigned to class 1 - I had made it!!!  There was a lot of history in this place as it had operated as a teaching only mountain for many decades with a ski school, in my opinion, that was top notch

The small town of St. Jovite which was just a few kilometers away, too, was something special.  It had some great restaurants mostly specializing in French cuisine in rustic looking home spaces.  Two of my favorites were Le Cheval de Jade and La Ripaille.   Both restaurants had amazing food, friendly service and a wonderful ambiance that made dinner an experience all by itself.  My favorite place at Mont Tremblant was the micro brasserie Le Diable where I spent many an apres ski hour drinking great beer trying to numb the pain of my muscles that had been worked to their max by the ski instructor of that week.  Many of our meals were also cooked in the condo based on what we found at the local IGA on the day of arrival.  Lunches were often had at the mid-mountain Lucille Wheeler lodge where one could find the usual ski lodge foods along with local specialties like poutine or a few healthier choices too.  A Labatt with lunch would help get you kick started for the afternoon lesson.  Often we were so into the skiing that we would rush through lunch just to get a few extra runs in.

I don't generally miss many things or places except home, but I truly miss Gray Rocks.  It shut down

Top of Champagne run at Gray Rocks

a few years ago after being mismanaged and poorly marketed by an owner who likely purchased it as a tax write off.  Everyone I know who went there with me was saddened by the news of its closing.  My son, to this day, will say "I wish we could go back to Gray Rocks" as we begin making our annual ski plans.  But we can only go back in our memories.  I have not gone back to St Jovite since then.  I imagine it has changed some.  I stay in touch with some of the ski instructors and get news here and there about the goings on and where others have moved on to.  I suppose life is full of closed chapters.... Gray Rocks is one of my favorites and I am truly glad I didn't ignore that advertisement in that magazine so many years ago and decided to adventure into the world of downhill skiing.  It opened up so many possibilities and adventures for me in life.

So, as I ski in the warm temperatures, dodging puddles of water and grass patches and drink my Cuba libres (my official apres ski drink thanks to CC) by the fireplace at the end of my day, I can't help but reminisce about the place I learned to ski and was lucky enough to take my son to also learn to ski.  I'm thankful for the experience that so many will not have and will never forget the tiny little ski hill called Gray Rocks!!

The required apres ski fire

The thick fog at Okemo at top of Solitude

Happy Skiing!!!

Dedicated to all the amazing ski instructors at Gray Rocks who were tireless in their efforts in teaching so many of us with great skill and patience.  Thank you all!!

Recipe : My Famous Chili (a mix of Texas & Cincinnati)

Posting this recipe as I got a request for it recently and happened to be making it yesterday for my ski trip to Vermont.....Enjoy JC.....Let me know how it turns out for you...

Ingredients

2 lbs London broil or any other lean cut of beef
2 cans tomato sauce
1 large onion chopped finely
2 Serrano chilis chopped finely
2 - 3 Cups water
5 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tsp  Cayenne (optional)
3 Tbsp dutch processed cocoa
2 15 oz cans Red Kidney beans
2 8 oz cans kernel corn
2 Tbs masa flour

Recipe

Cut meat into small bite sized pieces and brown on all sides in a large dutch oven.  Drain excess fat.  Add tomato sauce and water.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Add onion, chilis, garlic, cumin, thyme, chili powder, salt and cayenne.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes covered.  Add cocoa, cover and simmer for 30 minutes more or until meat is tender.  Add kidney beans and corn.  In a small bowl mix masa flour with enough cold water to form a thick slurry.  Pour into chili and stir well.  Bring back to a boil and simmer uncovered for 30 more minutes stirring occasionally.  Enjoy topped with grated cheddar, scallions or chopped onions!!  Serve with warm bread or homemade cornbread.  I like to add some chopped jalapenos and cheese to my cornbread but that's a whole other recipe. :)

Note: For a hotter chili add 1 or 2 more serranos or 1 more Tsp of cayenne.

Note too: The chili can be slow cooked in a crock pot if you wish.  Add all ingredients except kidney beans, corn and masa into the crock pot and slow cook for 6 hours.  Add the beans, corn and masa in the last hour of cooking.

A Small Cocktail Party for 25

This year I opted to take a hiatus from my annual holiday party which typically sees anywhere from 40 to 80 guests.  I started the tradition in 1992 and it's the first year that I chose not to do it due to my recovery from a recent neck injury.  But since I love to host and wanted to do something to celebrate that same road to recovery, I decided to host a smaller party to thank all the people who helped me while I was down and out for a few months and contributed towards it.  I really appreciate all these people who did so much for me from providing physical therapy to bringing over food to taking walks with me to inviting me over for dinners and in so many other ways.  And so last night, I had this small group of friends over for a cocktail party.  

The forecast looked ominous with snow and ice predicted and I woke up with one of my intense sinus headaches.  I had bought all my food and planned a menu and really hoped that the evening would not need to be cancelled.  Lots of warm compresses and a bit of Advil took care of the headache.  The snow started early and continued throughout the day.  I was determined and continued with my prep and cooking.  My friends M & R came over early to help.  Always more fun to cook for a party with others so we had fun and kept our fingers crossed.  A few "maybe" texts, emails and calls started coming through but we kept on going.  If no one came, the three of us would be gaining a few pounds that evening.  At 6pm, I went out and cleared off the steps and walkway and made a walking path on the driveway.  There were only about two inches of light fluff on the ground and I felt hopeful.  By 7pm I had received a couple of cancellations but some guests started arriving too.  I put out towels for the snowfilled shoes that were sure to trek in and began greeting those who braved the weather.  And so the party began......

Soup & Cava Stations by the Front Door

I had warm soup waiting for everyone at the door along with filled flutes of Cava - perfect for coming in from the cold.  The snow was left outside (well mostly) and I ended up with about 20 guests and we had a fantastic time.

When I host a party I like to serve food I can make ahead of time and reheat or serve at room temperature.  This allows me to enjoy the party and talk to my guests.  Planning ahead and making lists is key to the success of any party.  I prepare the house during the entire week, late at night, after work and dinner have been taken care of.  Sleep is not something I get a lot of before one of these but there's always time to catch up after the party.  So my menu was......

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Salmon Roe marinated in Smoked Olive Oil

Asian Beef Salad

Spicy Thai Shrimp served chilled on a Himalayan Salt Block

Crostini with White Bean puree

Batata Wada (spicy potatoes fried in a coating of chick pea flour)

Spiced Rosemary Walnuts

Cheese/Salami/Olive board

Smoked Salmon with Capers, Dill & Red Onion served with Pumpernickel Bread

Meatballs (provided by PK)

Crudite with a Greek Yogurt Herb Dip

Desserts - Brownies, Custard Squares with Prunes, & Lemon Ginger Tart (provided by IN & MG)

Plate Tags

For drinks I kept it simple and served some Cava and lots of wine.  I had planned to make a cocktail but shoveling snow took away the time I needed and so it was skipped.  I don't think anyone missed it.  Since it was going to be a somewhat smaller group I decided to forego the paper goods and use real plates, cups, etc.  I served the soup in espresso cups (borrowed some from neighbors) which is a great way for guests to walk around and sip the soup, and used small appetizer plates that I have collected over the years.  My only concern with the plates was that most people, at parties, will take a plate, put it down and lose it.  Well since I didn't have enough plates to allow for multiple takings, I came up with the idea to tag each plate with festive looking binder clips and asked the guests to write their names.  This way plates could be put down and found again for refills.  

Asian Beef Salad with Watercress, Herbs & Red Chilis

Creamy Cauliflower Soup w/ Salmon Roe

Here are photos of some of the food....

Smoked Salmon with Dill

Spicy Thai Shrimp on Himalayan Salt Block

Crudite with Greek Yogurt Herb Dip

Happy Holidays and a Fun 2014 to all my readers out there!!!!!

Restaurant Review : Hudson Common (NYC)

This past Friday night I took my son to his first adult music concert at Lincoln Center to see the NY Philharmonic.  He’s been to their children’s concert series before and really enjoys music, so I thought I would introduce him to his first real concert.  We were excited to go despite the threat of bad weather and planned accordingly.

When I asked him where he wanted to go for dinner, I fully expected to get the usual answer of an expensive steakhouse or some fancy restaurant.  Instead he surprised me by saying he was in the mood for a good old fashioned burger.  Being that we would be going to the symphony, I couldn’t very well take him to the Shake Shack.  They have awesome burgers, but I wanted something just a bit more upscale but casual than a burger stand or a diner.  I also wanted to try something new.  After some online research, I decided we would go to Hudson Common on 58^th Street in the Hudson Hotel.

The description for Hudson Common is of a casual beer hall with good, basic bar food such as burgers, fries, sandwiches, etc.  It sounded right up our alley and it was a short walk to our eventual destination.  Upon arriving at the entrance, it’s very difficult to even know you’re actually there as there are no signs.  We just guessed and followed the crowds up an escalator to the hotel lobby where someone greeted us and pointed in the direction of the restaurant. 

When we got to the restaurant, the “hostess” told us that most of the communal type benches were reserved that evening but there was one bench that wouldn’t be filled for another two hours that we could sit at.  She didn’t walk us over or provide menus or any other instruction.  Ok, I figured out that the menus were on some of the tables (not ours).  We looked over the menus I swiped off another table and decided what we wanted, but after waiting nearly 15 minutes, no one came to take our order.  So I walked over to the bar to see if we needed to order with them.  Here is what I discovered……

At Hudson Common, there’s an order window at the back where you place your order and pay, then they text you when your order is ready and you are supposed to go pick up your order, collect any condiments you need along with flatware and napkins.  Oh and if you want a drink, you have to go back to the bar for those and order & pay separately.  By now I was feeling like I was not just in a McDonald’s but one at a rest stop on the New York State Thruway.  But we were hungry so I ordered the food and we waited while sipping on some water and a Brooklyn Winter.  Oh yes, it took a full five minutes for the bar tenders to acknowledge my presence as they were too deep in a conversation among themselves.  When our burgers & fries arrived, I couldn’t believe how small they were.  I got a lamb burger and my son got their Common Classic.  Neither came with fries which we ordered separately.  The burgers were ok, nothing to write home about but they most definitely weren’t filling, even for our generally small appetites.  We had to eat again after the concert.

What bugged me about the whole experience was that I had just paid $48 for two mediocre burgers, a pint of beer, a glass of water and received absolutely no service whatsoever.  The so called beer hall isn’t even all that great.  I’ve been to so many better beer halls including Radegast in Brooklyn, Zeppelin Hall in Jersey City, Pilsner House in Hoboken and the Andecher Monastary Biergarten in Bavaria.  This one is pathetic in comparison to any of them in so many respects. 

All I can say is I would have been better off at the Shake Shack or convincing my son to go to a steak house to spend that much money.  Trust me, it wouldn’t have taken much convincing.  If you’re looking for food around Lincoln Center, skip Hudson Common. 

By the way, as we left the restaurant, I spotted a new place called “Red Cork” right next door which is a wine & tapas bar.  Menu looks interesting and the ambiance promising.  Will have to check that one out soon……

Recipe : Cauliflower, Roasted Red Pepper & Fennel Soup

After a very long time, I was able to spend some time yesterday to plan and execute a "not so ordinary" dinner.  I had a friend over for dinner and decided on the following menu:

Cauliflower, Roasted Red Pepper & Fennel Soup

Spicy Grilled Fish with a fresh Tomato Salsa\

Stir Fried Rice with Black Beans, Corn & bell peppers

Wine: Masi Chianti Classico

The fish is a recipe from the book "Mexico: One Plate at a Time" by Rick Bayless.  The only thing I did differently was to use Chilean Sea Bass instead of the Tuna recommended - mostly because I prefer sea bass to tuna. The spice came from a marinade of 8 pan-roasted garlic cloves, 3 small Indian green chilis (similar to Thai bird), and the juice of 2 limes.  I grilled the fish on the stove top and then finished it in a 300 degree over for 10 minutes.  The fish was spicy, flaky and perfectly cooked with a nice crispy skin. The marinade is also used to give the typical tomato salsa a nice pop.

The rice is pretty basic.  I precooked plain rice but cut the water by a bit to keep it slightly underdone.  Then I sauteed some shallots and dried, crushed chipotle peppers, added some black beans, corn, diced red & green bell peppers, salt & black pepper stirring until they were cooked (about 5 minutes) and all the water had evaporated.  Then I added the rice and stirred it till heated through.

The soup I made up as I went along.  I do that often, especially in the winter when soups just seem to hit the spot.  It was really just a matter of having some red peppers in the refrigerator that my son doesn't eat and needed to be cooked.  My mother had brought over a small head of cauliflower and I thought the two would make a nice combination.  While at the store yesterday morning I spotted the fennel bulbs and thought that would be a great flavor addition to the soup.  Everything else just got figured out as I went along.  And so this recipe was born.......

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower - cored, washed and cut into small florets
2 red bell peppers - roasted (see instructions below) & chopped in to strips
1 fennel bulb - cored, quartered & sliced (save the fennel fronds for garnish)
1 medium onion - sliced
3 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt - add more to taste after soup is cooked
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 15 oz cans of chicken broth (can use vegetable broth)
1 cup water
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp butter

Recipe

Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over a medium-high flame and add the olive oil.  Immediately add the garlic to the cold oil and allow it to sizzle slowly.  This imparts more garlic flavor.  Once garlic is sizzling, add the onions and sautee for 1 - 2 minutes until translucent.  Add the slice fennel and stir.  Add the thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.  Stir and sautee for 2 minutes until fennel & onion begin to turn golden.  Add the cauliflower and stir until evenly coated with oil and sautee for 2 - 3 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.  Uncover and add the roasted pepper and 1 can of broth.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Using an immersion blender or a regular blender puree the soup until creamy.  If using a regular blender, you should do this in batches only filling the blender half way as the hot liquid will spatter out otherwise.  Return the pot to the stove on medium heat and add the remaining broth and water and bring to a boil.  Turn off the stove and add the heavy cream and butter stirring until completely blended.  Serve with some warm crusty bread

Roasting Peppers

Method 1 - Using tongs, place pepper over a flame on a gas burner and allow the skin to blister and blacken continually turning the pepper until all sides are mostly charred.  

Method 2 - Preheat oven to 450 F.  Place peppers in a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Add about 1 tsp of olive oil on top and rub the oil all over each pepper.  Roast the peppers in the hot oven for about 30 minutes or until browned and soft.

Irrespective of the method you choose, once the peppers are roasted, put them into a brown paper bag and roll the bag closed and allow to stand for at least 15 minutes.  This will allow them to steam and the skins to loosen.  Remove from the bag and onto a plate.  Peel off the skin and remove the core and seeds.  If you used the gas burner method, you will want to rinse any excess char from the pepper by running under cold water.  These can be used for many purposes other than this recipe.  I love them with some fresh mozzarella, basil & olive oil.

Happy cooking!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What do cooking and the road have in common?  I miss them both.  Yesterday, I had a meeting about an hour away from home and though the drive there was busy with phone calls, the drive back was rather quiet.  That’s when I realized how much I miss the road.  And I don’t mean traveling which I have done plenty of, but driving on the road.  I really enjoy driving, because I find it peaceful and it’s a great time to do lots of thinking.  I feel the same way about cooking – it’s very relaxing for me.  Unfortunately of late, I have not had much chance to do either very much.  My new job allows me to work from home (I am not complaining about the convenience & flexibility of this) and life in general leaves little time for any serious cooking any more. 

While driving yesterday, I suddenly had the notion to go home and make cookies for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Not just cookies from a recipe, but I wanted to experiment and change a few old tried and true recipes to make them more festive for the occasion.  And so I used my time to listen to the radio and devise a plan.  I stopped at the store on the way and picked up a few things.  After finishing up my meetings around 7pm, taking care of dinner & helping my son with his homework, I started baking. 



First I made some Madeleines.  I love these French cakelike cookies and make them every year for the Christmas holidays.  But to keep in the spirit of the season at hand, I made Pumpkin Madeleines laced with bourbon.  I took the basic recipe that I’ve had for over 20 years (not even sure where I got it anymore), and added some Woodford’s Reserve instead of vanilla and folded in 2/3 Cup pumpkin puree in at the end.  I also added ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg into the dry ingredients.  Crossing my fingers as I removed them from the oven onto the cooling rack, I tasted one.  It was a success.  So much so, that my son wanted to eat the entire tray.

After finishing up dinner and cleaning the kitchen, I set off making some oatmeal cookies, once again with a pumpkin twist to them.  What I ended up with is spicy pumpkin oatmeal cookies with a maple glaze.  Again I used my usual oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, eliminated the raisins and added in some pumpkin and spices.  The glaze recipe I found online.

The funniest part of my need to make cookies around the holidays is that my son and I don’t really eat cookies.  He’ll eat a few when they are fresh and warm but then they are forgotten.  So why do I bake?  To deliver to my friends and neighbors of course!!

My Thankful list for 2013

• I am thankful for being healthy and pain free!
• I am thankful for a wonderful life!
• I am thankful for my awesome son who makes each day worth living!
• I am thankful for my mother who is always there for us no matter what!
• I am thankful I had a wonderful father who I miss daily but especially during the holidays!
• I am thankful for my family everywhere in the world!
• I am thankful for my friends near & far who are there for me when I need them!

And last but not least……

• I am thankful for the opportunity to eat great food, drink wonderful wines and the ability to travel!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Oodles of Noodles & a Donut Burger too!!!

It seems that lately every other post I write involves Portland OR.  I suppose with the amount of time I have spent in the city this year, it’s only logical.  I was recently back there for two long, grueling weeks for work which barely allowed time to see daylight, but my son joined me for the second week and on the flight out we decided it would be fun to theme our meals.  The theme we chose was noodles.  It only made sense because there are so many options in Portland.  We made some delicious discoveries and some were just mediocre considering the hype around them.  It was a rainy week so we opted to stay within walking distance of the hotel except the one night a friend with a car joined us.

Jade Noodles

Our first noodle adventure took us to Luc Luc on 2^nd Street.  Luc Luc is a Vietnamese restaurant and I had eaten there the previous week when I ate a Bahn Mi which I loved.  We walked in intending to order a bowl of Pho but instead ordered their special Jade noodles.  The noodles are made with soba and spinach and then sautéed with chicken, scallions, peppers and bean sprouts.  We ordered them medium spicy which was perfect for our combined taste though I would probably order them hotter next time.  They were delicious despite the fact that we ate them in our hotel room (little man was suffering from jet lag which made for a not so great mood).  They were tangy, spicy and full of flavor.  My only negative comment would be that the chicken was a bit dry but hey, we were looking for noodles.

Ramen with Shoyu & Chia Siu Pork

The next day I walked back to the hotel for lunch and we decided that we would try the House of Ramen just up the block on Columbia Street.  It’s a tiny hole in the wall that I have passed many times on my trips here but never actually ventured in.  Turns out this was our favorite noodle joint of all the ones we tried.  My son had the make your own bowl which he ordered with the Shoyu soup base, normal size noodles, and the Cha Siu Pork.  Also added to each bowl are bok choy, bean sprouts, scallions, corn & ginger.  I ordered the Kyoto bowl which also has the Shoyu soup base, scallions, mushrooms, jalapenos, kikurage and ginger. Once you place your order and find a seat, the Ramen is brought to you in about 5 minutes.  We chose counter seats along the window so we could watch the passersby and examined a variety of hot sauces on a tray while we waited for our food.  Both our bowls of ramen were delicious.  We added sriracha sauce to kick it up a bit and just ate in silence till the bowls were empty.  One thing I was thankful for as I enjoyed my ramen was my local Chinese friends who have over the past few years gotten me fairly comfortable eating with chopsticks.  Even my little guy did pretty well with them.

Pappardelle with Bolognese

Having tried two Asian style noodles thus far, for my business dinner that evening I offered to make reservations so that I could keep with the theme and decided Italian noodles were likely the safest option.  The restaurant I chose is Pazzo on Washington Street.  I have eaten at Pazzo before and also been there for cocktails, but had never eaten the pasta.  It’s an Italian restaurant and they make some of their own pastas.  We ordered the Pappardelle with Bolognese sauce to share since our bowls of Ramen earlier in the day had not yet completely digested.  The pasta was very good and perfectly cooked.  The Bolognese also was rich and flavorful.  We ate it all despite our already full stomachs.

Roti Mataba

Our next noodle adventure took us back East to Thailand and to a restaurant in the Southeast called Chiang Mai.  Online reviews claimed it is as good as, if not better than, Pok Pok so we figured we’d check it out.  This one was a semi-disappointment.  I say that because my son’s soup and sticky rice were very good and had a nice spice level.  My friend D, who joined us for this one, ordered the Pad Thai and was very happy with it.  I tried some and it was very good with the hot, sour and slightly fishy flavor a good Pad Thai should have.  Their spicy Roti Mataba appetizer was delicious.  But the noodles I ordered (I wanted to be adventurous and try something besides the Pad Thai) were mediocre at best.  It was called Kuay Tiew Nua Sap Kai Dao and was described as wide rice noodles stir fried with ground beef, tomato, onion, lettuce and sweet & sour sauce topped with a crispy fried egg.  Sounded great to me and I asked them to turn up the heat on it to make it hot.  Unfortunately what arrived was a plate full of unseasoned noodles with dry ground beef lying on top of whole lettuce leaves, and a way too fried egg sitting on top of it.  No tomato, no onion, no sauce were to be found.  Oh and there was absolutely no heat.  My son’s soup, ordered medium, was spicier than my noodles.  Thoroughly disappointed, I asked for some hot sauce, added it to the plate and ate as much as I could handle.  Note to self – next time stick to the Pad Thai.

My Noodles

Pad Thai

On our last day, my son was tired of noodles.  I suggested going back to Luc Luc for the Pho but he wouldn’t have it.  So we decided to walk toward Pioneer Square to a restaurant I had read about to check out their happy hour.  What interested me most about this place were the donut burger sliders on their menu.   The name of the restaurant is The Original on 6^th Street.  It is an interesting place with a diner style décor located on the street level of an office building.  It is bright and friendly and when you walk in, you get a sort of nostalgic feeling.  We were seated in a booth and ordered the Donut Burger sliders, Chicken & Waffle sliders and some Black Bean Nachos.  To put it in text language…..OMG!!!  Both the sliders were absolutely delicious.  Generally I find that burger sliders tend to be overcooked meatballs, but these were cooked a perfect medium and full of flavor.  The bun is made from buttermilk donuts, the burger is topped with some Tillamook cheddar and then it’s all coated in a sticky, sweet glaze that has a hint of spice to it.  They were so good, my son wanted to place a second order.  The chicken & waffle sliders were equally good.  The chicken was moist and tender and the waffles nice and fluffy.  There was a honey-dijon drizzle on top which was flavorful though my son & I added some hot sauce to it for an added kick.  Black bean nachos were also quite good.  Having broken our noodle theme, we walked back in the rain by way of the Microsoft store where my son enjoyed playing some video games for a while before heading back to the hotel.

This noodle fest was delicious but came with a price in the form of six pounds of gained weight.  I don’t normally eat so many simple carbs but what a fun and delicious way to gain weight.  I’ll just have to be sure to lose it before the holiday eating begins.  As one of my friends put it yesterday, the diet always starts tomorrow.

If you know of any interesting noodle places, please post them for us.  Or if you’ve had any interesting burgers for that matter….

Happy Eating!!

Recipe : Chicken & Hot Italian Sausage Meatloaf

Several years ago I decided to try and make a healthy meatloaf.  I tried using ground turkey but I don't like the taste and smell of turkey in general.  Then I tried it with ground chicken which was ok but lacked flavor no matter how many other things I added.  The best attempt of this one was very similar to the one below minus the sausage & soup mix.  Instead I added some sauteed onion, red bell peppers, button mushrooms, chipotle peppers, corn and spinach all chopped finely.  If I have the time to do it (not a weeknight), I use fresh veggies instead of the soup mix but I do add dehydrated onion flakes in addition to fresh onion.  They just taste good after cooking.  So here goes the recipe I made last night.  Not quite as healthy as my mission started out but a delicious end result just the same.

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken (not the chicken breast)
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage (approx. 2 links) - I buy at the local meat market & they make it fresh
1 packet Knorr Spring Vegetable soup mix
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp BBQ sauce (I used Stubbs)
1 egg
2 slices of bread (I used the Arnold's 9 grain) cut into cubes
1/2 cup milk
1 - 3 Tbsp ketchup
____________________________________________________________________________

30 minutes before starting, place bread cubes into a flat bowl and add milk to cover and coat all.  Stir occasionally so the bread absorbs most or all of the milk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a large bowl combine the ground chicken and the Italian sausage (casing removed) and mix until uniform. Add the soup mix, garlic and black pepper and mix until just combined.  Add the BBQ sauce and egg and combine together.  Then add the bread with any leftover milk and mix until you no longer see any whole chucks of bread.  It should break apart easily.  Grease a loaf pan with spray cooking oil or canola oil.  I line mine with foil and grease the foil for easier clean up.  Place the meat mixture into the pan and form a loaf. Squeeze the ketchup over the loaf and gently spread it all over the top.  It will form a skin as the meatloaf bakes.  Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes before slicing. 

We enjoyed ours with a bowl of Cream of Asparagus Soup and some warm French Bread.

Note: If you use fresh vegetables, you may want to add a bit of salt. If you eliminate the sausage and use fresh vegetables, then you may want to add more.  I eliminate it entirely in this recipe since these two ingredients are already quite salty.

Feel free to add any suggestions or variations you might try in comments below.

Bon Appetit!

Meeting Floyd Cardoz – A Gentleman in the Culinary World

During my last business trip to Portland OR, I took one night off to attend a dinner at Feast Portland at Irving Street Kitchen that was hosted by Floyd Cardoz and Sara Shafer.  I bought tickets in advance and bribed a friend into going with me.  The break from the craziness from work was very welcome.  We had a fantastic meal paired with local Oregon wines and a fun evening.

At the end of the dinner, Chef Cardoz & Chef Shafer came around to the tables to chat with us.  I have been a fan of Mr. Cardoz since his days at Tabla restaurant in NYC where he put an elegant spin on the kathi roll, an Indian street food and used innovative ideas to fuse other Indian dishes with the Western palate.  At a time when all other Indian restaurants in New York were boring and predictable, he made food interesting.  I’m ashamed to admit that most Indians don’t appreciate such bold moves and downright turn their noses at them.  I imagine other ethnic groups might have similar reactions to change in traditions though.

I had a lovely conversation that night with Chef Cardoz, and explained to him that my son would be jealous that I had a chance to meet him since my son followed the chef’s journey on season 3 of Top Chef Masters right through to his ultimate victory.  He immediately handed me his business card and asked that I email him and let him know when I’d be bringing my son to his new restaurant in NYC called North End Grill in Battery Park.  I took his card thinking “sure I’ll email, but the likelihood of getting a response is unlikely”.

When I returned home I did email Chef Cardoz and told him that we would be in the city on October 14^th and would very much like to dine at North End Grill, and that my son was looking forward to meeting him.  Lo and behold, I got a response.  Not only did he respond, but he offered to make the reservation for us.  And he had read my blog post on Portland so I was thrilled!  I wasn’t a skeptic due to my lack of faith in this particular chef but my son had been burned once before when he had met and challenged Bobby Flay to a biryani throwdown with me which Mr. Flay accepted but of course never actually showed up for.  So here was my disappointed seven year old waiting for Bobby Flay to show up any day now and realized eventually that it would not happen.  So you can imagine he was beyond excited for October 14th to arrive.

I took the day off yesterday since it was  a school holiday, and my son & I spent the day in New York City.  We got a late start and began our day with lunch at Mangez Avec Moi on West Broadway.  We were craving Thai food and Pok Pok Phat Thai was too far to travel from where we scored a street parking spot.  This place seemed to have great reviews and while it is known for Vietnamese, they also serve a few other popular Asian dishes.  The food was very good and the restaurant was constantly packed with a few people waiting at all times for the next available table.  The hot sauce (like a sriracha) is quite good.  Satisfied with our Pad Thai and Fried Vegetable Dumplings, we made our way toward the 9/11 Memorial. 

I had not yet been to the memorial since it opened.  A part of me wasn’t ready to go yet.  The towers were a very special place for me in so many ways and a big part of many fun times in downtown Manhattan.  I also know several people impacted by the tragedy and was myself thinking of making my way downtown with a friend that tragic morning while five months pregnant with my son.  So I decided it was time.  I’m not sure I could describe my feelings very well in words but emotional, surreal, sad all come to mind.  The memorial is very well done and I’m happy to see the resurrection of the whole area with the building of the new towers and the revamping of the World Financial Center that is scheduled to be complete next year.  New Yorkers can get through anything!!

Visiting the memorial put both of us in a somber mood and my son wanted to sit down and read his book.  So after a walk by the river and a cup of Earl Grey each, we made our way back to the car to freshen up, do a quick shoe & jacket change for dinner, and made our way over to Atrio, a wine bar in the Conrad Hotel one block from the restaurant that would be our final destination for the evening.  Atrio is kind of cool!  It’s large and very modern.  The wine selection is good and they have an open kitchen that sends some nice aromas your way.  I ordered a glass of Sancerre and some roasted olives and we sat in silence for the next 90 minutes, me enjoying my wine while reflecting and my son reading his book.  It was the coolest way to spend some quiet time together I thought.

Finally at 6:20 we left Atrio and made our way to North End Grill.  We were promptly seated at a great table that overlooked North End Avenue and gave us a view of the setting sun on the Hudson.  Our server was very nice and very professional.  The restaurant was packed, much more than I expected for such an early hour.  Upon perusing the menu, my son ordered the Red Snapper Crudo with Wasabi & Tamari for the first course and the charcoal oven roasted Sea Bream for his main course.  He does me proud when he orders like that.  I chose to order the charred Shishito peppers (to connect the experience to Portland perhaps) and the Tuna Tartare with Fried Quail Egg as my main course.  In looking at the selection of wines by the glass I spotted a Francois Gaunoux, Clos des Chenes, Volnay 1er Cru and decided to treat myself.  I was not disappointed with the elegant and well balanced elixir that was poured into my correctly shaped wine glass.

Along with my glass of wine came some amazing bread with soft butter.  You can’t imagine how much we both dislike cold, hard butter served with bread at so many restaurants.  Soon after we were served our first course, Chef Cardoz himself walked over and presented us with a plate of baby beet salad served with baby watercress and homemade lemon ricotta.  I introduced him to my son and he hung out and spoke with us for a bit, even asking when my son was going to cook breakfast for him.  I could tell my son was nervous (a rarity for him as he’s generally full of conversation), but he did great just the same.  We proceeded to enjoy all three of our first courses and my son only shared a small piece of the crudo with me – it was THAT good!!  I had a similar version of it made with Pacific salmon at the dinner in Portland so I let him have his plate to himself.  I enjoyed the beet salad which was equally delicious served with a piece of grilled bread.

We moved on to our main courses and I ordered a second glass of the amazing Volnay.  Again, my son polished off his plate of fish and I loved every bite of my tuna mixed with the runny quail egg, capers and just the right amount of fried shallots to add a bit of crunch.  As I finished, the server brought over another plate compliments of the chef – Nova Scotia Halibut with pine nuts & green raisins in a clam broth.  We love food but we’re not big eaters in terms of quantity, but since the chef had gone out of his way to make this plate of food for us, we were determined to eat it.  And so I started on my second main course as I knew my son would likely only eat a bite or two.  Well this dish completely blew me away.  I had looked at the halibut when ordering but didn’t do so because of the raisins.  You see the Maharashtrians (referring to those of us from the state of Maharashtra in India) have a tendency to put raisins and nuts in a lot of food and growing up I never cared for the combination in savory dishes.  Usually the raisins would be mushy and make the dish overly sweet and so I decided the halibut was not for me when I placed my order.   After taking the first bite however, I couldn’t put my fork down.  The ingredients on the plate, from the perfectly cooked fish, to the briny & slightly spicy clam broth, to the crunchy pine nuts and yes, even the sweet raisins just worked in harmony with each other.  This was my favorite dish of the evening.  Quite possibly the best fish dish I have ever eaten!!!

My son decided to take a walk around the block, while I finished my wine, in order to make room for dessert.   He ordered the Sour Cream Cheesecake with poached nectarine, pistachios & lemon verbena ice cream.  I got one bite of the cheesecake and all of the ice cream, which he didn’t care for, to enjoy with my cup of coffee.    It was a truly memorable day that ended on a high note with a truly memorable dinner.  We wanted to thank Chef Cardoz for his hospitality but unfortunately he had already left to go home so I had to do it in an email.  I look forward to enjoying his food again sometime soon.  I also realize that my son’s taste has just gotten a bit more expensive!!

I definitely recommend you try both the restaurants we went to on this wonderful day in New York City. Two completely different yet yummy experiences.

Information:

North End Grill

104 North End Avenue

New York, NY

Ph: (646) 747-1600

http://northendgrillnyc.com

Mangez Avec Moi
71-73 West Broadway (b/w Murray & Warren)
New York, NY
Ph: (212) 385-0008

http://www.mangezavecmoi.com

Bon Appetit!!

Recipe : Spicy Beef Stir Fry

Generally when I return from a business trip, I ask my son what he would like me to make for dinner his first night home, and so I did again yesterday after a brief stint in Atlanta.  He asked for a beef stir fry.  I had already picked up a few things I could use at the farmers' market earlier that morning and then added a few more to my list for the trip to Wegman's for my week's menus.  The stir fry turned out very tasty and several folks on my Facebook page requested the recipe and so here it is:

Recipe serves 2
Prep time : 30 minutes
Cook time : 10 minutes approx.

Ingredients

2 thin sliced strip steaks cut into small squares
4 Tbsp Ponzu sauce
1 Tbsp Mirin
3 dashes sesame oil
1/4 tsp ginger oil
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 small hot red chili seeded and cut into small fine strips - leave the seeds in if you can handle the heat
1 inch piece ginger diced finely
1 medium onion cut into large chunks
2 carrots - peeled and cut on the bias
10 Snow pea pods cut on the bias into strips
1 small bunch Tat soi - I found it at the farmers market - if you can't find, baby spinach will work too
10 - 12 sprigs fresh cilantro - coursely chopped
juice of half lime

Recipe

Combine the beef squares, Ponzu, Mirin, sesame oil, ginger oil, fish sauce, salt & pepper in a bowl and set aside.  Prep all the other ingredients while the beef marinates.  Heat a wok on high heat and add 3 Tbsp canola oil.  When the oil is hot, add the beef only (save the marinating liquid for later) to the wok and stir to brown all the pieces - about 2 minutes.  Add the sesame seeds and stir for another 30 seconds.  Remove the beef into a bowl.  Keeping the wok on high heat, add the red chili and ginger and stir for 10 seconds being careful not to burn them. Quickly add the onions, carrots and snow peas and stir for about 2 - 3 minutes or until the onion starts to caramelize.  Add the marinating liquid and continue stirring for another 2 minutes.  Add the seared beef along with the Tat soi into the wok and stir for one more minute.  Turn off heat and add the cilantro and lime juice.  Serve with Jasmine or Basmati rice.  

Gewurztraminer or a semi dry Riesling would be a great pairing for this recipe

For a vegetarian option you can use extra firm tofu or add soy beans to the mix of vegetable.  If using Soy beans you may want to pre steam them for a short time as they can be tough if not cooked enough.

I hope you try it out and enjoy.  Feel free to provide feedback if you do.

Bon Appetit!!!
Swati