El Paso Taqueria

For the first time in a long time I went on a date. Conveniently we both live on the UES, so when he suggested his favorite Mexican restaurant, El Paso Taqueria, I was happy to try something new and relatively close. I also was very nervous as my mind gets ahead of me all the time.

We met around 7:30 and started with fresh guacamole and chips. The guacamole was really, really good - super fresh with all the appropriate ingredients chunked in. I almost didn't notice that complimentary chips and salsa were not offered. I ordered Carnitas Tacos. They were served traditionally with open corn tortillas, more yummy guacamole, onion, cilantro, and the oven roasted pork. They were good. However, I still haven't decided whether they were better at the Mexican restaurant I frequented in Astoria. I guess I'll have to go to both and compare. The prices are reasonable enough that this will be easy to do...

I also had Cemitas Al Pastor, which turned out to be an elaborate sandwich. The description of a sesame bun suckered me in. It wasn't anything special; the roasted marinated pork, while mixed with onions and pineapples as expected, also had those weird chunks of meat that you would rather not encounter in your meal.

I probably won't make a huge effort to go to El Paso Taqueria again, but if I do I will stick to the tacos and guac. As for the date, it went smoothly aided by unobtrusive, pleasant service happy to let us continue talking until 10:30 long after our meal was done.

Location: 1642 Lexington Avenue at 104th Street
Hours: Don't know? I went for dinner.
Cost: $$ or $ depending on what/how much you choose to eat

bill's Coconut Bread

This first time I made bill's Coconut Bread, I ate it all before I could remember to take a picture. See, I have a thing for coconut. Freshman year of college a boyfriend's mom was an international stewardess and introduced me to Ferrero Raffaello candies. They are creamy, perfect candies that apparently caused me to make the same face making out did. Ahem. Next it was Edy's Coconut Sorbet by the pint in a single sitting. Writing this makes me what to sneak into the kitchen for my fourth sliver of the day, but I will resist as bedtime is soon.

Our refrigerator has been broken for almost three weeks now. I'm constantly challenged to make things I can eat quickly without buying perishable items that will need storage since to get the fridge fixed, when and if the part comes in, the whole thing must be unplugged for 48 hours. Remembering this recipe made me slightly less bitter about having to use my last two eggs and some butter just in case the call comes this week.

The bread is just as good as I remembered, obviously. It is dense, thoroughly flecked with finely shredded coconut, and not overly sweet. When toasted with butter it literally melts in your mouth. If you like coconut, you must try making this as it is pretty simple given what it provides. FYI, caster sugar is equivalent to superfine sugar in the US.

P.S. I really need to get better at taking pictures of my food, eh?

Mochi

I had two not-so-successful cooking ventures this weekend. Friday, I tried to poach an egg without paying enough attention. That foamy stuff on the pan? Apparently that is what happens to egg whites when you boil them. Oops. It was definitely cooked through - edible but not what I was going for at all.


Sunday I set about making mochi using this recipe that Vika sent me. Making the mochi itself was easy. I just had to mix together the three or four ingredients, cover, and microwave for 10 minutes. The hard part was handling it. If it gets cold or personally cool enough to touch, you aren't going to have any luck shaping it. It is mercilessly sticky. It is hard to flatten and several times once I managed to get it flat, I added the red bean paste (totally got a can of it instead of making it from scratch!) and shaped it only to have it break.

After the strawberry and halfway through the chocolate I had decided that it is totally worth the cost to buy mochi. As usual, I persevered and made the plain kind next. Somehow it seemed easier. Maybe maying mochi takes practice? It took roughly three hours for the results below. But hey, I had homeade neopolitan mochi that was very popular at the Potluck Club's Pan-Asian night.

Calle Ocho

First - how amusing is this thread? I thought my salsa and cottage cheese phase was something to hide. It seems so commonplace compared to lots of these items!

Sunday I met Renée for brunch at Calle Ocho. It had been months since we caught up and her suggestion of eating at a restaurant participating in Time Out for Hunger helped narrow things down to Calle Ocho. Plus, I've wanted to go for the longest time. Fortunately we had a reservation, which ensured prompted seating, as those without were turned away.

Upon sitting down our waitress informed us that it was Sangria Sunday (!) meaning FREE, UNLIMITED sangria with your brunch. Good sangria. 6 types to choose from. You also receive a tasty little crate with various sweet muffins accompanied by pink butter (didn't have a flavor) and a tasty black bean puree of some sort.

I ordered the Vaca Frita ($13). It was a little greasy, but not enough to put me off so it may or may not be noticeable to other people. I cleaned up the ENTIRE plate. The skirt steak was tender, the latin fried rice (spicy seasoning, bacon, and black beans) was unique and flavorful, the over medium eggs perfectly cooked, and the tomato/avocado offset everything perfectly. Renée had the cuban sandwich. It was good as far as they go... The amount of pickle was perfect for once - you could taste it but it wasn't like biting a giant chunk of kosher dill. The latino chips were thin, crisps of plantain.

The service was efficient without hovering and they didn't rush us through our meal and sangria. We lingered for almost 2 hours without any dirty looks or stolen half-finished plates. We could hear each other talk without trouble. The atmosphere was pleasant - very open, airy, and full of natural light. I'm curious about what it looks like at night, but I'll have to save up for that trip as prices are significantly more expensive then. All in all, I can't wait to go back!

Location: 446 Columbus Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets
Hours: Mon-Thurs 6p-11p, Fri 6p-12a, Sat 5p-12am, Sun 11:30a-3p
Cost: $$ (for brunch), $$$ (other times)

Food for Thought (A Forward from my Mom)

Truth IS stranger than fiction...Who says truth isn't stranger than fiction, but the following does make sense. I hope you enjoy the information, it's accurate. Sounds just like something a higher power would do.

Here is just a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.

* A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots great ly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

* A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

* Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape look S like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

* A Walnut looks like a little brain (come on be honest, you were thinking something else!), a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

* Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

* Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

* Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

* Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the number of Sperm, a way to overcome male sterility.

* Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

* Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

* Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

* Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

Orthorexia?

Jaime sent me this awesome article about food obsession (and not in a good way)!

Lentil Soup (Sort of)

This lentil soup looks delicious, right? The recipe was simple and ideal as I had most of the ingredients on hand and my monthly grocery budget was maxed.

I'm not sure how to explain the mess below since I followed the recipe for the most part. My only deviation was using regular lentils, but as you can see that wasn't the issue. My lentils held their shape. My version tasted okay, but it did not look okay and certainly didn't have the soup-y texture I expected.

It is going to be a while before I try this again, if ever.

Busy Day Cake

I love sweets. The Busy Day Cake recipe on Orangette with its cute story was irresistible.

It seemed so simple and really it was, except for my inspired hand creaming the butter and sugar idea. (I think the butter wasn't quite soft enough leading to blisters from my attempt to cream it by hand.) In spite of that mishap, this took maybe 20 minutes to pull together.

The cake isn't overly sweet and for once I managed to not over mix it, so it rose nicely. My only complaint is the cake is a little dry and crumbly. In fact, it resembles slightly sweet, dry cornbread without the corn flavor.

I'll probably make this again eventually. No rush.

Tomato Sauce

I've been taunted by the 28-ounce can of peeled, whole plum tomatoes on my shelf for almost a year. I purchased a few after reading Superfoods last year (good book!) and made soup with most of them, but none of the recipes I have selected since required non-diced canned tomatoes.

Hungover and tired, I decided I really wanted spaghetti and somehow my fuzzy thought process remembered seeing this recipe for Tomato Sauce on one of my favorite food blogs. It was an excellent rediscovery that made for a tasty, easy dinner.

It wasn't so good that I will stop buying pre-made spaghetti sauce, but I will make it again one day I'm sure.

P.S. Save the onions and eat them. Yum. They were almost better than the sauce.

Broiled Salmon with Spinach and Feta Saute

My arugula and feta were dying a slow, painful death. I felt an urge to eat fish. I have a never ending supply of pine nuts (thanks, Mom!). I wanted something nice to eat for Valentine's Day. Conveniently I had Everyday Food's March 2008 issue with the page folded down to a recipe for Broiled Salmon with Spinach and Feta Saute.

With a substitution of arugula for spinach, I was on my way. This was done in fifteen minutes, it looked classy, and while a little bitter tasted great overall. I can't even complain about the bitterness as it was likely caused by using aging arugula in place of the suggested spinach. I will definitely make this again with the proper ingredients and more greens.

Bon Chon Chicken i.e. KoFC

For months now Deb and I have been discussing Korean Fried Chicken (i.e. KoFC due to her cleverness not mine). She was going soon after our last dinner outing and I was intrigued. I've never loved American Fried Chicken - so greasy, crusty and slimy, and for a long time horrifyingly fattening -- but KoFC seemed different, especially after this New York Times Article. Last night we visited Bon Chon, which Gothamist has some great pictures of here.

Without help it would be hard to find as it looks closed from the outside, if you even realize it is on the second floor. While waiting for Deb to arrive, I was weighing our other options just in case. It turns out Bon Chon was very open; it just is dressed as a nightclub with dim lighting, not-so-attentive staff, loud music, and uncomfortable bottle service style tables.

We ordered a large platter, 9 drumsticks, half Soy Garlic and half Hot Spicy. It is accompanied by some sort of pickled white vegetable and a cabbage salad with a flavorless dressing. I'm pretty sure the purpose of these accompaniments is to tone down the Hot Spicy. Both sauces had a great flavor and the texture is unique - kind of like crispy rotisserie chicken. Don't come here if you want a quick meal; we had to wait for a table and it took a good 30 minutes for the chicken to come out.

I enjoyed it, but I think it will be a while before the urge to go again strikes me. Pio Pio trumps it in my book.

Vika, I hope my next visit will be with you... You love fried chicken and they serve a beverage called Soju. Apparently, it comes by the carafe and in Lychee flavor that doesn't even taste like alcohol. I didn't try as that would have been a recipe for a disastrous Wednesday night.

Location: 314 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor (closer to 32nd Street)
Hours: Sun-Thurs 4:00p-2:00a, Fri-Sat 4:00p-4:00a
Cost: $$

Black and White Rice Krispie Treats

Ever since spotting this recipe for Black and White Rice Krisipie Treats, I knew I had to make them. While they aren't exactly thematically correct for Valentine's Day it seemed like a good opportunity. I also am secretly celebrating my almost one-month anniversary at the new job where I have co-workers to share treats with!

I went to three CVS's to find cinnamon hearts to add in for a festive effect; unfortunately, we barely had bowls big enough to mix the marshmallows, Rice Krispies, etc. so I had to skip it. My application on top after the fact didn't stick too well either. Oh well! I've enjoyed eating them on the side. ;)

I had forgotten how easy Rice Krisipie Treats are to make. My two batches took around 45 minutes. I think I'll revisit this again when I have more than one cupcake tin... That slowed the process down as I had to be creative with the shaping of the other set. It appears that the original ones are thicker too. I'm starting to think my silicone tin is shallow and that a new tin MIGHT fix all these squat comments about muffins, cupcakes, etc. made in it.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Pasta and Spinach Cream Sauce

Last weekend I made a dish that took less than an hour! It felt really nice to eat so quickly; I almost was able to resist eating food while I cooked.

This recipe for Pan-Seared Salmon with Pasta and Spinach Cream Sauce is surprisingly simple and a great way to add spinach and salmon into your diet. I am working hard to eat fish and green vegetables more often. It really is hard work.

I used 6 ounces of spinach instead of 5 and would have been happy to have more as it wilts down to such a small amount that it is hardly noticeable. As the recipe's authors said, it has a light flavor for being a cream sauce.

I'll definitely make this one again. The only problem is what to do with the leftover cream. I've been pouring it on my apple crumble and making, as my roommate pointed out, really lazy Fettuccine Alfredo with it, grated Parmesean Reggiano, Salt, Whipping Cream, Parsley Pseudo-Pesto - idea from here, and whole wheat noodles.

Apple Crumble with Whipping Cream

I really wanted to make cobbler to go with my Pan-Seared Salmon with Pasta and Spinach Cream Sauce, but crumble was so much easier. The crunchy contrast of the cobbler topping with the softened apples was all I really wanted anyway.

I used Sally Schneider's Crumble recipe from A New Way to Cook, which you can find as the very last post here. My only alteration was using almond meal in place of sliced almonds. I had it on hand and was not looking for a really crunchy topping.

As you can see, maybe, the crumble had a very crumble-y texture. I was hoping for something a bit more cohesive as the topping. I plan to try a different topping recipe next time with the hope of finding what I'm looking for.

Cottage Cheese and Egg Breakfast Muffins

I always eat breakfast. It prevents me from being crank(ier than usual), jump starts my metabolism, and tastes good. Cereal is good, especially Kashi Go Lean Crunch, but not the healthiest choice so I am constantly looking for other options.

Now that is colder, I am almost always satisfied by oatmeal with raisins and a splash of milk. However, I sometimes want something different. Eggs may be a great breakfast, but making them and doing the dishes afterward isn't quick; I thought these muffins would be a good substitute (pictured below).

After eating 18 you would think I would have a stronger opinion about them. No luck. They are pretty simple to prepare, filling, and tasty yet the texture just seemed odd. Texture means a lot to me, so this might end up ruling them out. For now they are on my list of recipes to try again.

Pureed Parsnip Soup

An unexpected perk of my new job is the free copies of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food that arrive every month. The downside is now I have access, without printing, to so many more recipes. The first issue I brought home inspired me to make three dishes i.e. way too much food for only me to eat.

The first one I made was Pureed Vegetable Soup and when you see the picture accompanying the recipe, you'll know why I absolutely had to make it right then. So pretty! Parsnips weren't my first choice, but the $1.00 per pound price at the Greenmarket swayed me.


It was super simple to put the soup together and it was a satisfying meal. The parsnips gave it a slightly sweet flavor with a hint of spiciness. I think I prefer parsnips when they aren't pureed and won't use them when I revisit the recipe.

Apple Cheddar Yogurt Muffins

As I grated the apples for this recipe, I realized I could have just used natural applesauce. While Mom always says I should follow the recipe exactly the first time, my slightly grated fingertips have their doubts. Ouch. I left out the cardamon. I didn't think I would use it often enough to spend the $4.00 involved with buying each new spice.

The muffins tasted fine, but something didn't go right. They were very dense and squat. With the amount of effort involved and the mediocre results, I probably won't revisit this recipe.

Spicy Soba Noodles with Shitakes and Cabbage

I have been cooking and eating out. I just haven't felt inspired to write about it after work; I want to relax whenever I do get home. Everything is marked for writing a back entry. One day, perhaps, I will get to it. Our first snow was last night. It is finally here, the dreaded winter, but that does mean I can eat oatmeal and soup all the time!

Yesterday, for the first time in weeks, I made it to Union Square Greenmarket. I loooooove it, even when my fingers go numb from the cold air as I pick my vegetables. It has been a busy, social weekend. I also ended up not having to work today, which is divine.

Anyway, I bought everything to make Spicy Soba Noodles with Shitakes and Cabbage. The recipe is fairly simple and would have been quick, if I wasn't so OCD when chopping. I used Chinese Garlic-Chili paste as I wasn't in Korea-town. It turned out really well! I am looking forward to eating this all week and will definitely make it again. I will probably add a bit more chili paste next time. For amazing pictures and the recipe click the link above. Otherwise, as always, my picture is below.


One note... Shitake mushrooms do not last. If you make this plan to eat it within a day or two or bad things happen. :(

Jap Chae

I just attempted to make Jap Chae at home using this recipe. I was so excited to make the attempt as I adore having Jap Chae when I go out.

It wasn't exactly like the Jap Chae I've had at Mondoo Bar or Bonjoo, but it was pretty close for a home version and surprisingly easy. I think my excessive use of carrot shreds caused the dish to be more orange than usual. Come to think of it, maybe that explains the difference in flavor. That and the noodles, I went ALL OVER trying to find glass noodles. Where do restaurants get them?!

Anyway, given Shitake mushrooms short lifespan, I would pare down the recipe if you are cooking and consuming solo. Somehow I never remember that is an option. Sigh.

Otto Enoteca and Pizzaria

Deb took me to Otto Pizzeria for my birthday. I arrived so late that we missed our reservation. Fortunately things improved from there and the wait wasn't too long. It emulates a warmer, more comfortable train station - the reservation sign flips just like Amtrak's in Penn Station.

The best word to describe Otto is inconsistent. The wait staff seemed on point, but then apologetically brought us a complimentary side dish of Brussel Sprouts and Vin Cotto ($4) for misplacing our order. The brussel sprouts were the best I have had to date - firm, full of flavor, and tangy sweet.

Eventually our main courses came out, we shared the Bsalmic Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza ($13) and the Pasta Alla Norma (Tomato, Roasted Eggplant, Basil and Bufala Ricotta - $9). The serving sizes were great; we couldn't finish either dish after the bread and brussel sprouts. The pizza was outstanding - the light, crispy crust and creative combination of complimentary ingredients won us over. The pasta was good, but we didn't feel like it was better than something we could concoct at home.

The gelato was amazing almost all around and at 3 scoops for $7 it is a good deal. I had Pumpkin, Ricotta, and Fig with Red Wine. Pumpkin and Ricotta were divine - smooth, creamy, and well flavored. The fig, however, tasted like kosher dill pickles. I'm serious. How is that possible? I love pickles, but that just isn't what you want for gelato.

Even with the inconsistencies, I hope to go back eventually. If not to the restaurant itself, I will at least visit the "Gelotto" cart by Washington Square Park when it warms up again.

Location: One Fifth Avenue
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30a-12:00a
Cost: $$

Blossom and Billy's Bakery

Karina and I met up tonight for my birthday dinner at Blossom. After finding the first three crosstown buses too full, I belatedly arrived at 7:30 pm. Luckily, Blossom wasn't packed and Karina had been able to sit while she waited. Blossom's is warm and inviting. The wait staff is attentive, for the most part, and they don't rush you.

I ordered the Seitan Scallopini with Basil Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Greens ($21). The Seitan was pretty convincing in representing lamb's texture and the sauce helped make the flavor seem closer. The basil mashed potatoes stole the show; I savored every single bite of their rich flavor. Karina's entree the Phyllo Roullade with Lentils and Root Vegetables ($17) trumped my choice. The mixture of vegetables, sauce, and phyllo melted in my mouth.

For dessert, we split a Banana Maple Tart with Strawberries ($9). I'm not going to lie, I ate most of it. The tart's crust was phyllo dough again and the center was appropriately creamy, however, it didn't have a strong maple or banana flavor. This was my first experience with vegan food. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised, although, for me, Candle 79 still takes the cake for veggie restaurants.

Blossom
Location: 187 9th Avenue (between 21st and 22nd Streets)
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5:00p-10:00p, Fri-Sat 12:00p-2:45p and 5:00p-10:30p, 12:00p-2:45p and 5:00p-9:00p
Cost: $$$

Afterward the lure of refined sugar across the street at Billy's Bakery was too much for me, so I stood in the short line for a cupcake. Once inside, I attempted to order the classic Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream, which at Billy's is called a Yellow Daisy Cake with Vanilla Buttercream ($2). I could not get the words out, but somehow I got what I wanted. The decor at Billy's makes you think of a pastel, 1950s kitchen and they actually have seating (rare for a bakery up here!).

Upon arriving at the register, I was told my cupcake was on the house. I smiled at the cashier and awkwardly left, as he wouldn't give me change for a tip and I felt strange about it. I lead quite the charmed life sometimes. The cupcake made my subway ride home much sweeter. The cake was a little dry, but tasted like vanilla, not cornmeal. The frosting was sweet without being cloying and complimented the cake nicely. I'm sure I'll go here again, if I'm in the area. This was actually my second trip, so I am posting the original pictures from last year below.

Billy's Bakery
Location: 184 9th Avenue (between 21st and 22nd Streets)
Hours: Mon-Thurs 9:00a-11:00p, Fri-Sat 9:00a-12:00a, Sun 10:00a-11:00p
Cost: $

Pio Pio

I didn't have a voice tonight for the third day in a row, but I did eat very, very well in my own neighborhood. I ran into Megan at Cavatappo on Friday and we agreed to have dinner. She said if we could come up with 4 people, we could eat well for cheap at Pio Pio. Pio Pio came through on both fronts.

Megan, Mya, Leslie, and I met outside at 7:00 pm on Sunday. It took around 30 minutes to get a table, but it only took 5 minutes to get our food once inside. The service was attentive, but they never got around to bring us water... Good thing we ordered that pitcher of Sangria. It was sweet and the fruit was well saturated.

We ordered the Matador Combo, which consists of Chicken Pio, Rice & Beans, Avocado Salad, Salchipapas (roughly hot dogs and fries), and Tostones (flattened green plantains with a garlicky dipping sauce). I'm typically not a rotisserie chicken person, but this chicken was moist, full of flavor, and served with silverware, unlike other South American chicken places I have been to, so I'm in a love. The chicken actually ended up being my favorite part of the meal. The spicy green sauce compliments it perfectly, but thank God for the avocado to cool down your mouth afterward! My least favorite part of the meal was the Avocado Salad, but it was only disappointing aesthetically; the salad was more like a sliced veggie plate than anything else.

Receiving our check, a mere $50.00, confirmed my desire to go back. I'm so excited to take my family when they visit. Mom loves Sangria and we all like South American food.

Location: 1746 First Avenue (between 90th and 91st streets)
Hours: Sun-Sat 11:00a-11:00p
Cost: $

$7.99 Pint Comparision

Feeling stressed out, over warm, and a little bit sickly? I figured a pint of ice cream was the perfect pick-me-up. I didn't realize until check-out that I, yet again, managed to pick out the most expensive pint! Laloo's Goat's Milk Ice Cream totally trumped Wine Cellar Sorbet.

The Wine Cellar Sorbet in Sangria Rojo Sorbet had a cute orange wedge on top. I don't know if it tasted like Sangria, but it did give me a tiny, tiny buzz like wine. However, it had a very strange aftertaste that you don't get with wine. So given a choice, I would just buy regular wine instead next time. Wine Sorbet is novel though!

Today I had the Black Mission Fig flavor of Laloo's Goat's Milk Ice Cream. This was divine and worth every penny of the $7.99. It was sweet, but not too sweet. It had cane sugar as a sweetener, which I seem to enjoy, and had a plentiful number of fig chunks throughout. It has less fat than regular ice cream and no lactose. You really can't go wrong with this choice.

Then again, I don't ever feel like ice cream is the wrong choice.

Oms/b

Wednesday at the last minute my dinner companion changed, but, luckily, Jaime offered to serve as back-up. We already had the restaurant picked out, Oms/b a.k.a. Rice Ball Cafe, so it was easy to get together at the last minute. Oms/b met our needs - midtown for easy access to Port Authority, fairly inexpensive, and ethnic. Okay, so, we don't really make ethnic a priority. It just happens.

Oms/b is small. At first, it looks like you can only sit on one side of the tables lining the right-hand side of the restaurant. It turns out a little stool is tucked under the table. I guess, like everywhere else in NYC, they have figured out a way to make the most of their space. The staff was very friendly and the service fast.

We both ordered Set A: Any 3 Rice Balls + Miso Soup for $7.50. I ordered the Yukari-Plum, Spicy Tuna, and another pickled vegetable type one. (If I took this seriously, I guess I would take notes). Jaime had seaweed, spicy tuna, and salmon, The rice balls are cute, hand-size triangles that remind me of sushi with more rice than filling. The Yukari-Plum was salty; I didn't expect that, am glad I tried it, and won't be trying it again. I really, really liked the pickled vegetable one. The rice was sticky and slightly sweet, just like it should have been. Jaime felt that the miso soup was quality - it had a thicker consistency than lots of places.

I'll definitely go back here. It would be a great place to wander by late afternoon when you are hungry and unable to go home. The hand rolls are at most $2.00 each and much better than a hot dog, dried out pretzel, or even the yummy almonds from the Nuts about Nuts carts.

Location: 156 East 45th Street (between Lexington & Third Avenues)
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00a-7:30p; Sat 11:30a-5:00p
Price: $

Cavatappo

Ever since my move to the UES, I've been dying to split a bottle of wine with someone at Cavatappo. I went once, ages ago, with Jeff and wanted to go again, but for some reason it never worked out. Randomly enough, Jeff contacted me last night and suggested we catch up over wine at Cavatappo.

George, who runs it, let us try the different reds to pick the best bottle. My favorite was the one Jeff didn't like, but eventually we found a mutually agreeable wine and headed out to get a table. It was the perfect night to sit outside, so I'm glad I was able to take advantage of it. I know the dreaded winter is only a matter of time now.

Our wine came and flowed as did our conversation; we shut Cavotappo down. I highly recommend Cavotappo for catching up, enjoying wine, and partaking in cheese (not that I had cheese this time). I can't wait to go again!

Location: 1728 Second Avenue at 90th Street
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5:00p-12:00a, Fri-Sat 5:00p-1:00a, Sun 4:00p-11:00p
Price: $$

Heath Bar Cookies and Coconut Rice

After buying a bag of miniature Heath bars and eating them by the handful, I knew I need to do something with them. I discovered that I had all the ingredients for the Magnolia Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, except the chocolate chips, on hand. It was fate. They were easy to make and would have been quick, if I had remembered that softened butter didn't mean melted in microwave. Luckily that misstep didn't hurt their flavor in the least.


I also baked salmon this weekend and ate it with coconut rice and spinach. Try this recipe for the rice. It's perfect.

Milk & Cookies Bakery

When I mentioned to Kimberly that I needed a West Village location to meet my sort-of co-worker, Molly, she suggested Milk & Cookies Bakery. It was a great pick. The girl behind the counter was friendly and the cozy, quiet bakery had seats available for catching up.

The fare is simple, yet there are enough options that it took a few minutes for me to decide on an ice cream sandwich. I chose one composed of two sugar cookies and almond ice cream and ordered milk to go with it. Molly quickly chose hot tea and mint-chocolate cookies and mint ice cream for her ice cream sandwich. Neither of us shared, but her ice cream sandwich looked good and disappeared rapidly. I can attest that mine was good. My only complaint is that the ice cream didn't have an almond flavor? It just tasted like plain ice cream.

That said, the important thing at a bakery named Milk & Cookies is the cookies and they were rounded as if scooped with an ice cream scoop and slightly chewy i.e. perfect. On my way out, I contemplated buying an oatmeal scotchie cookie and the girl generously gave me one on the house. It tasted very oatmeal and had a great texture, but could've used a bit more butterscotch.

Overall, I would say that Milk & Cookies is slightly uneven but totally worth the trip.

Location: 19 Commerce Street (between Bedford & Seventh Avenue South)
Hours: Tues-Sun 12:00p-10:00p
Cost: $ ($1.00 per cookie and $4.50, I think, for ice cream sandwiches)

Baked Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Tofu, Dried Apricots, and Walnuts

This Saturday's cooking adventure was Baked Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Tofu, Dried Apricots, and Walnuts. I've been curious about it ever since reading Superfoods RX last Fall and Acorn Squash is finally coming into season again.

Much like beets, I only discovered I liked squash over the past few years. The key, for me, is roasting it and bringing out the sweetness. Prior to this discovery, I only knew squash as a slightly soggy dish created with butter, salt, and pepper. Doesn't that sound appetizing? Exactly.

The fact that this roasted squash wasn't honey-coated didn't make it any less appetizing though. My one complaint is the recipe didn't advise me about placing the squash halves face down or face up in the water. Maybe it doesn't make a difference? I won't know until next time I make this recipe, which will likely be sooner rather than later due to its great flavor and texture.

Divine Bar

I went to Divine Bar with my sorority's Junior Circle tonight. I arrived late and tried to join another group, as if I wasn't already flustered by working late. Luckily, the next group was mine. Our group was arranged on comfortable couches around a low table being looked after by an attentive and patient waiter. The background music was low, so Divine Bar was well suited for our purposes.

While the martini menu tempted me, I went with my original plan and ordered the Blue Cheese and Walnut Stuffed Figs wrapped in Crispy Proscuitto and served warm with a Tawny Port Reduction ($9.50) and the appropriate Syrah wine pairing ($17.00). The figs were melt in my mouth good. I literally scraped every bit of the Port Reduction off the plate. What can I say? I'm a classy girl.

When the bill came and the martinis were a record high $15.50 each, I was even happier with my choice. That said I'm starting to think you get what you pay for... I would definitely go back to Divine Bar next time I'm feeling self-indulgent. I want to try a flight of wine and some other tapas to see if they are as well executed as my figs.

Location: 236 West 54th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue)
Hours: Mon-Fri 4:30p-1:30a, Sat 7:00p-3:00a, Sun 6:00p-1:00a
Price: $$ to $$$

Blockheads

It is unlikely that Blockheads is the most authentic Mexican food out there, but it is affordable and tastes pretty good to me. It's dimly lit, a little small, and decorated with sock monkeys. Unfortunately, the webpage doesn't explain that connection and I didn't attempt to figure it out.

We started with the complimentary chips and salsa and two frozen Sauza margaritas ($3.00). I attempted to order the Cuban Rice and Beans plate, but discovered they were out of plantains. Does this mean they didn't order enough or was it a popular dish? I'll have to find out next time. Instead, I ordered their basic rice and bean burrito ($8.50). It tasted good, but was a little too similar in shape to my attempts to make burritos at home. I just can't fold the ends under. Jaime's Quesadilla Grande ($10.95) looked much tastier and she was able to take half home.

Overall, Blockheads was a pretty sweet deal and we agreed that we would go again. Can't beat $3.00 drinks!

Location: 954 Second Avenue (between 51st and 52nd Street)
Hours: ??
Price: $

Cremcaffe

Tonight was another adventure in catching up. Ankush arrived in NYC back in August for more professional schooling, but we just now had a chance to get together. I was nervous, but I had nothing to worry about our conversation flowed smoothly throughout the evening and I didn't think twice about hugging him hello. Yes, it is surprising that I didn't think about it as I'm a bit of a touch me not.

Initially we were going to Holy Basil, but the gorgeous weather enticed us into walking around to find somewhere with outdoor seating. We finally settled on Cremcaffe: outdoor seating and reasonably priced Italian. We started with a glass of wine each and the complimentary bread served with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The bread was soft and fresh, always a plus. This diversion dulled my hunger and relaxed me enough that I could choose a main course and stop manically checking my cell phone for work-related phone calls.

I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Ankush ordered the Chicken Marsala. Both dishes came with pasta or veggies on the side. We chose pasta. The portions were very generous, especially for the price (around $12.00 each). The quality wasn't the best ever had, but it was very good and they didn't overload the pasta with garlic. (Sorry, Jaime, it definitely beat your attempt at Chicken Parmesan from college. Ha!).

I somehow managed to clean up my whole plate while talking a mile a minute about all of our mutual acquaintances in college, our opinions on NY life, and best of all about food. I suspect/hope we will have several more outings of this nature due to that common interest. Anyway, I would definitely return to Cremcaffe in the future.

Location: 65 Second Avenue (between 3rd & 4th Streets)
Hours: Mon-Thurs 3:00p-11:00p; Fri 3:00p-12:00a, Sat 12:00p-12:00a, Sun 12:00p-11:00p
Price: $$

Nectarine Cobbler

After getting home from work tonight around 8:00 pm and finding something to eat, I made this Nectarine Cobbler from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook (Thank you, Kathryn!). I didn't really want to cook so late, but I wasn't sure how long the ripe nectarine's would last. Thus my belly is now full of sweet goodness.

Cobbler wasn't my first choice. I really wanted to make free form nectarine tarts or nectarine crisp, but somehow didn't have the right ingredients in spite of so much grocery shopping on Monday. It doesn't matter. The cobbler is way too tasty. This blog is a not-so-secret an attempt to refrain from eating more. Brushing my teeth will be the next step, followed by blissful sleep.

In spite of the deliciousness of homemade cobbler, I probably will not make this recipe again. I would prefer a crispy topping. Without further ado, here are the pictures!

Our other roommate, Kaitlin, came home tonight after traveling. As soon as she walked in, she was back out to get drinks with a potential crush. Tracy's been telling me about her dates from match.com. Thank goodness for living vicariously through them...only, really, I'm perfectly content baking not dating. It's rather shocking.

So You Think You Can Dance

This is totally off topic, but the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance just ended. I've never been so caught up in a show (well, sort of). The result was almost what I wanted.

Every time I have watched it, it makes me want to get stronger, better, and faster and most of all I wanted to start dancing again. I'm sad it is over, even if it was kind of ridiculous to arrange my life around it THREE nights this week.

I believe these two pieces were my favorites of the season (and neither features who I wanted to win surprisingly). This one was pretty amazing too.

Bran Muffins from Scratch

Last winter I thrived on bran muffins or oatmeal with raisins for breakfast. The idea came from my mother and All-Bran's super simple recipe. They were slightly sweet, filling, reasonable, and quick. A few batches in, I discovered that All-Bran contains the ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup. So, just like that, bran muffins were off of the menu.

You would be amazed how hard it is to avoid high fructose corn syrup. It is everywhere: canned tomatoes, salad dressings, All-Bran, bread, candy corn - you name it. It doesn't add nutritional value and, shortly, it may make grocery shopping more expensive since the increased ethanol demand may cause the cost of corn to rise (go here for a related article). Anyway, back to the muffins...

Months later I discovered this recipe for bran muffins from scratch online. I put off making it for months as I knew it would be a pain to find all the ingredients, which it was, but it was worth the effort. The muffins are slightly sweet and moist. They manage to taste buttery without a drop of butter. They don't even require processed sugar, which makes them the antithesis of All-Bran's high fructose corn syrup containing ways. I highly recommend them.

P.S. I didn't use molasses and my honey was buckwheat.
P.P.S. I think my cupcake/muffin pan is a bit shallow.

Tamarind

Meg and I finally caught up again over dinner at Tamarind in our neighborhood. It still feels a little weird that this is my neighborhood, but I love it. Who cares that my rent doubled? First things first, we started by splitting a bottle of Chianti. Work has been very intense lately, to say the least, so wine was essential. Their cocktail menu was very creative, but we resisted deviating from the wine plan.

We started with an order of Samosas ($4.95). I only recently discovered that I like love these. The flaky, butter shell with spiced veggies inside is irresistible. Plus they come with a selection of dipping sauces. I ordered my usual entree, Saag Paneer ($10.95). I will be forever a little indebted to Jim for teaching me to like Indian. I was with him when I discovered the pleasure of cheese cubes, spicy creamed spinach, rice, and Naan. Tamarind's version was good, but not outstanding. The cheese cubes didn't enough flavor. I can't recall what Meg ordered...

In the end, we were both to full for anything else and requested our check. Out came a little complimentary dessert to share - it was frozen, slightly sweet, and creamy. I have no idea what it was, but it did firm up my opinion that Tamarind has great service. The waitstaff didn't hover yet our water glasses were full the entire meal, our check came promptly, and they treated us to dessert.

While I'm not desparate to go back, as there are so many other options, I will go back.

Location: 1679 3rd Avenue at 94th Street
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11:30a-11:00p; Fri-Sat 11:30a-12:00a
Price: $$

Candle 79

Last night I had dinner with one of my old roommates, K. Belatedly, I treated her to Candle 79 for her birthday. It was a slightly selfish gift as I had been dying to go, but she didn't mind as she felt the same way. Candle 79 has inviting, warm atmosphere and floor length windows in the front of the restaurant.

While deciding on our entrées, the wait staff brought us a complimentary, tasty amuse-bouche: new potato with a yummy herb, tofu cream. I stuck by my pre-selected menu choice of the Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Cake ($19) and K ordered the Rosemary-Walnut Crusted Seitan ($22). That would have been it, but one of the special appetizers was a divine sounding mushroom, truffle risotto with cashew cream and fresh corn ($15). I decided to splurge and we split it. The risotto was totally worth it as was the rest of the meal. The flavors in the food popped and the food was so fresh. Who needs meat?

To top the amazing meal off, the service was some of the best I have experienced in New York. We didn't have to prompt the staff to do anything and I can't stress how rare that is. I resisted the terribly tempting drink menus and stuck to food. Maybe next time?

I also want to try the less expensive, sister restaurant Candle Cafe.

Location: 154 East 79th Street (between Lexington & 3rd Avenues)
Hours: Mon-Sat 12:00p-3:30p, 5:30p-10:30p; Sun 12:00p-4:00p, 5:00p-10:00p
Cost: $$$

Thai Milano, pinkberry, and Best Friends

This past Thursday, Vika and Jaime came to see my apartment and to have dinner. As always their company was sublime. There is always comfort to be found when in free-flowing conversations and time with best friends. Plus! They thought my apartment was cute. Sadly, our dining experience at Thai Milano wasn't comparable to the rest of the evening.

I admit that Thai food is not my favorite, but I can recognize good Thai! My Pad Thai had sticky noodles and was missing the normal punchy tang involved in the seasoning. It also featured a piece of hair, which I swear was too wavy to be mine.

Vika's Pineapple/Shrimp Fied Rice faired better, but she thought it was dry. She also had to ask for the correct dish to be brought out as initially they brought the chicken version. Jaime's dish was okay, but clear noodles are so much better in K-town. Needless to say, I don't plan to return to the restaurant. Did I mention we also had to intervene to get the check? Don't bother.

At least our post-dinner trip to pinkberry made up for the trouble. :)

Location: 1742 2nd Avenue (between 90th & 91st Street)
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30a-10:45p; Fri-Sat 11:30a-11:45p; Sun 12:00 pm-10:45p
Cost: $$

Mesa Grill

Tonight I went to Mesa Grill for Renee's birthday. She's an amazing cook, so it made perfect sense to celebrate her birthday with great food and company. I walked by twice before I identified the entrance, which is subtle, to say the least. Inside the decor wasn't to my taste, except in the very cute bathroom. The main restaurant had a little too much going on with the bright colors, pillars, and the metallic flames (?!) above the bar. However, our reservation was promptly honored and that always starts the evening off on a high note. Throughout the evening our service continued to be pretty efficient.

I ordered the Tomato-Tortilla Soup with White Cheddar Cheese, Avocado, and Cilantro ($10) to start. It had a great flavor; the avocado was very essential as it was also quite spicy. I also tried Renee's Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale with Fresh Corn and Cilantro Sauce ($15). It was unique and tasty, but the fresh corn tasted just like canned cream corn and that was a little confusing. What I really wanted to order to start were the Crispy Squash Blossoms stuffed with Ricotta Cheese, but I heard they were a very small serving for $13, so I passed.

For my entree, I had trouble deciding between the Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Roasted Pineapple-Cascabel Chile Sauce and Caramelized Pineapple-Green Onion Salsa ($29) and a few sides ($7 each). I ended up ordering the Cauliflower-Green Chile Gratin and the Mashed Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto ($7 each). The mashed potatoes were good, but the cauliflower gratin was outstanding: cheesy, spicy, delicious, and nothing I could create at home. Of the other main courses I tasted the highlight was the New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin - oh so tender and full of flavor.

While I am not anxious to return for dinner as I felt like the food didn't live up to the prices, I am anxious to go for dessert! Everyone was way too full to indulge, but the dessert menu looked awesome!

Location: 102 Fifth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets)
Hours: Mon-Thurs 12:00p-2:30p 5:30p-10:30p, Fri 12:00p-2:30p, 5:30p-11:00p, Sat 11:30a-2:30p, 5:30p-11p, Sun 11:30a-3:00p, 5:30p-10:30p Cost: $$$

Bonjoo

After promising to do so since February, I finally hung out with Malik sans Vika and/or Lauren. It wasn't that I was avoiding it so much as once I had a job and the income to go out, I lacked time. I am just now finding a balance, although I still rarely make happy hours or dinner specials, like those at Bonjoo where we caught up. I got there at 7:05 pm when the specials stopped at 7:00 pm!

Bonjoo has a great feel t- sleek and soothing. Our service was prompt, which Malik's being a regular might have helped. He ordered the BiBimBop with extra vegetables; it looked right, but I didn't try it as I wanted to eat my whole dinner. I ordered the only other item I have been brave enough to order at Korean restaurants: Jap Chae. You can never go wrong with clear sweet potato noodles. They just sound cool!

The Jap Chae was good, but not quite as good as what I've had in Koreatown. That said I would go back to Bonjoo again as the food was good, the prices were reasonable, and the atmosphere was much better than Koreatown. I also tasted Malik's apple martini, which had a very balanced, not too sweet flavor. The fact that it was made with sake was the only thing that discouraged me from getting one of my own.

Location: 107 1st Avenue (between 6th & 7th Streets)
Hours: Sun-Thu 4:00p-1:30a, Fri-Sat 4:00p-2:30a
Cost: $

Simple Stir Fry, Plantains, & Beets

I learned a valuable lesson about going to the Green Market yesterday. I should be careful not to overbuy with our not-so-full-sized fridge. Luckily, only one of my two roommates is in town and the other one doesn't cook, so everything fits barely.

Today I was determined to cook the beets I purchased, paint my toenails, and do my laundry. I have accomplished everything! While the beets boiled, I cooked the plantains I accidentally purchased yesterday. I planned to throw them away, but Mom had a better idea, as usual.

She suggested that I slowly cook them in butter and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. I was hesitant to try cooking plantains as I thought you deep frying was necessary for them to taste good, but apparently that isn't the case. (Deep frying food kind of scares me as it just can't be healthy. Of course, sugar isn't healthy either and I'm not phased by that. Oh, how I love sugar!) Anyway, they turned out really well! Now with patience, I can make myself a sweet treat that on several occasions I have gone out of my way to order at restaurants.

Once the beets were drained and cool enough, I trimmed and peeled them prior to cutting. They turned out to have this great striped appearance, which I doubt you can see in this picture. Keeping things simple I just crumbled some goat cheese on top...a lazy version of a fancy salad I enjoy. After my unfortunately experience with a large, delicious beet salad's after effects last weekend, I am attributing any pink tinges to the beets NOT possible G.I. problems.

In spite of my belly full of plantains, I knew I needed a real dinner too, so I used sesame oil, garlic, and minced ginger to sauté some chicken, snow peas, summer squash, and zucchini to go with the beet salad. If this looks like a small portion of food for dinner just consider that I can't cook without snacking as I go (and by snacking I mean eating). It explains a lot.

Lemonade, Banana Bread with Chocolate, Cinnamon, & Sugar, and Salad

One of my favorite activities in NYC is wandering around Green Market tasting the fresh fruit and when finally hot enough buying an ice cold peppermint tea, apple cider, or today raspberry apple cider to enjoy with a sun-warmed piece of bread. It feels so luxurious.

Today I felt inspired and actually bought fresh veggies while sauntering. Orange, purple, and yellow carrots, which surprisingly all taste the same. Red romaine lettuce. Fresh beets. Apricots. Zucchini and summer squash. I couldn't wait to come home and eat.

I even had a new peeler, purchased from the infamous carrot man, to peel the vegetables. Unfortunately, I peeled my finger a little bit too, but that will heal with time. It did a great job and my salad, as you can see, was the prettiest salad I have ever made. I even made the dressing myself using the proportions described here. Not bad.

I also made homemade lemonade with a mint-lemon simple syrup. The lemonade was more labor intensive than I expected. I probably won't make it again, unless I am having a few people over and it can be served all at once. That said I think the syrup will be divine in a glass of tea, so I plan to try that sometime this week while scrambling to consume it before its untimely demise.

My other treat was making banana bread! The grocery store across the street always has the overripe bananas on sale for a $1.00 for 8 or something, so I walked over the buy a bundle. I came home to discover that I purchased plantains. I'm not sure what I am going to do with those...

Luckily, I had frozen a previous batch and was still able to move forward. I find it interesting that this recipe doesn't call for any liquid, really, butter, or oil. As you would expect, this bread isn't the sticky sweet, moist version of banana bread. It is much lighter, but still completely addictive. I can't wait to try it frozen as described in the blog entry. I also think it would be an excellent gift, if I bought cute little loaf pans to bake it in.

How is it that the result of every baking and other adventure results in my wanting to purchase something new that I don't have space to store in my apartment! Damn consumer culture!

P.S. The bread is amazing frozen! We'll see if I can make it last for a week.