Okay, this has got to stop! My life of travel has enhanced my food experiences, but somehow stopped my writing about it! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?? I have encountered some of the most delightful gastronomic delights in the past year and now that I'm home again for at least a month, I'm going to share them...each and every one! Now, let me start searching thru my iPhoto for the pics...

Oh, yeah...here's a good one to start with! ;-D

This pic comes from my own kitchen! My daughter and I were recreating a dish we had at Pipa in NYC. An absolutely beautiful little restaurant and bar that is hidden around the corner from the ABC Home store at 38 E 19th St btwn Broadway and Park Ave. Pipa is slang for 'having a good time' in Spanish and it's exactly what you have in this restaurant whether you're there for breakfast or drinks and dinner!

Again, I digress. My daughter and I...
We had a dish for brunch that was outstanding and is now no longer on the menu, but we still have these mouth-watering episodes that we needed to quench, hence, our attempt. Quite successful, I might add!

Heat your non-stick pan and add some olive oil - maybe 1.5 TBL on medium heat.

When it shimmers, add your homemade marinara or some brought home from your favorite Italian or pizza place. I actually bought mine from Anthony's Coal-fired Pizza in Tampa. There are several locations now from FL and up in PA, NJ, NY, CT, etc. Check them out because they have an awesome sauce that they sell to take home and it changed my life!

Anyway, put enough sauce in your pan that you will be able to nestle about 4 eggs easily into it. In my 10" pan, I use about 3 cups. When it is good and hot, but don't let it be so hot it'll burn, add your eggs gently in four spots so they don't touch the edges OR each other. Salt and Pepper!

Immediately put a lid on them. My Calphalon pan has a clear lid so I cn watch the setting of the eggs, sort of, through the steam. Try not to keep opening the lid, but this should take about 4-5 minutes for soft eggs with the whites done. (My daughter has an attitude about the whites having ANY runny parts!)

While the eggs are cooking, chop fresh basil and shred parmesan, or at least have it all ready to shred over the top.

Take the lid off and add the cheese to your liking as well as the basil. Serve either on a plate or on top of a piece of toasted cuban toast or any other kind of toast, english muffin, etc. We prefer to have it alone on a plate and serve the toast on the side so we can swish it around to our delight!

ENJOY, ENJOY! (and, PLEASE, go to Pipa the next time you're in NYC, even if it's for a quick drink. You will never be disappointed!!

Mmmmmmm...
http://www.pipa-nyc.com/
http://anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/

Lemons make more than lemonade!

Hello! It's been quite awhile since I've written, but I haven't stopped cooking, or eating!! Or taking pictures of the things I cook or eat - and that means I have ALOT of catching up to do...

So, after traveling non-stop this past year, I decided to spend some much needed time in my own kitchen. Here is a Lemon Crepe Stack that is absolutely divine! You seriously should consider this for the 4th of July picnic this year - the lemons are awesome this season!

I can honestly say that I like it better the next day. It has had a chance to set a bit and cuts much better than trying immediately. If you try cutting right after assembly it tends to slide...which is never a good thing! The crepes, the curd and the candied lemons can all be made a day in advance. In fact, the entire cake can be, so no worries there!

If you're interested in the recipe, I've typed it in below. It is a bit time intensive, but it is well worth the effort if you are serving lemon lovers! I do have two in my family that aren't and although they eat it, (just TRY to stop any of my family from having dessert! Go ahead...try!) they aren't as enthusiastic about it as the rest of us are that truly love the lemon flavor. Because of this, we are going to try a nutella, peanut butter & banana version for them!

Also, I've never purchased lemon curd in a jar, so if you know of a good brand, this would take alot of work out of the lemon version. The curd-making is by far the longest step, and the crepe making is the toughest step until you get the hang of it! ;-)


Sweet Crepe recipe:

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 pinches of salt
1/2 c superfine sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 c milk
4 TBL sweet butter, melted
light olive oil, veggie oil or butter, for greasing pan

1. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Put some of the milk and both eggs into the well. Whisk using a fork, slowly incorporating the flour into the liquid until it is all a smooth paste.
2. Whisk in the butter and add the rest of the milk. Put the mixture into whatever container you're going to pour it out of when you cook, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Put oil or butter into the crepe pan or heavy skillet until it is VERY hot. Pour off any excess.
4. Pour a little batter into the pan and tilt until it is a thin layer. cook 1-2 minutes. This part is purely by eye and the first crepe is always a practice crepe! Don't get discouraged! If you're nervous, make 1 1/2 of the recipe so you can practice - you have to plan on eating the mistakes so have jam or chocolate or something to roll into the mistakes! They NEVER go into the garbage!!
3. Flip with a spatula for about 30 seconds. You may need to re-grease the pan between every 1 or 2 crepes, depending on the pan you use.
4. You can use wax paper to layer them so you can use them later. These can also be made a day ahead, like the lemon curd AND the candied lemons(optional).

Lemon Curd (adapted from Martha Stewart recipe)
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 TBL cold water
4 large eggs and 6 egg yolks
1 c sugar (add 1/4 sugar if using regular lemons and not Meyer lemons)
2 TBL lemon zest (very fine) - MEYER Lemons preferred - can use same lemons to juice below
3/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx 6 lemons)
6 TBL cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and kept chilled
2 c heavy cream, whipped Separated 1c for curd and 1c for topping decoration!

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand 4-6- minutes.
2. Whisk eggs and yolks in a saucepan. Whisk in next 3 ingredients and cook over med-low heat, whisking constantly. Check for doneness by seeing if it coats the back of a wooden spoon. This step should take 10-12 minutes. Don't be alarmed if it takes a bit longer. Mine sometimes does and I can't say why...just does!
3. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin stirring until its dissolved and mixed in completely. Add the butter a bit at a time and stir thoroughly between each addition until smooth.
4. Strain through a fine sieve and then cover with plastic wrap - directly on TOP of the curd. Put it in the frig for a couple of hours at least. It can be made the night before up to this point.
5. Stir the curd and add in the whipped cream gently. Refrigerate again for at least an hour and then stir before using.

Candied lemons: (totally optional)
1 c sugar
1 c water
2 lemons, washed and sliced 1/4" slices (again, Meyer lemons are less tart)

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Wait for the sugar to dissolve and add the lemons. Cover the top of the water with parchment paper. Reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Let the lemons cool under the parchment. The lemons you want to use for the cake, take out and drain on a rack. The rest of the lemons can be stored in the frig in their syrup for 3 weeks. Use it on other desserts, ice cream, yogurt, etc. I have to tell you that I forgot about mine in the frig and when I found them it was past 3 weeks and I was devastated that I'd gone to all the trouble and had to toss them! Take my advice and put them in the FRONT! ;-)

Assembly:
At this point I like to arrange my crepes in size order. I don't know if it's just me or not, but I can't seem to make all of my crepes come out exactly the same size, so I start with the largest on the bottom and work my way up!
Place the first crepe on your serving platter. Spread a little less than a 1/4 c of the curd on top. Add a crepe on top and continue until you've gotten about 15 layers.
At this point, the 1c whipped cream left over from making the curd comes in handy for the decoration. This is plenty of decoration, but IF you made the candied lemon also, it is a beautiful addition and tastes awesome, too!

*Note: I have a wonderful friend, Dorothy, that traveled to Paris last year and brought me back a blue steel crepe pan all the way from France! She is amazing and I love her for this! It is one of my most treasured possessions. If you're interested in finding one of your own, the website on the back of my pamphlet that came in the box is www.world-cuisine.com and I can't say enough to reinforce how this pan has made my crepe-making experience fun instead of dreadful! May you ALL have friends that satisfy your need to cook!

New York Gastronomic Festival!

So...it's been awhile, and I've missed writing about my favorite hobby, but the truth is...my favorite hobby wasn't being my friend. Long story, but the ending is the important part...we've decided to make-up and are learning to be best buddies again!

New York City was the best place to test our friendship and boy, did I test it!

I can't remember all of the wonderful foodie experiences, but I can name a few stand-outs!

Stand at 24 E. 12th St. btwn 5th & University Ave. - standburger.com

I have GOT to show you a pic of the Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes. Don't ask me HOW they do this, but I can taste it as I write this and as soon as I get home I'm going to start practicing. Although I don't think it's possible to top this! I guess I could also mention the burgers. And then there's the mashed sweet potatoes...but just ask the homeless woman about them...another long, but hilarious story that I will take to my grave! ;-D

I guess you've figured out by now that I won't eat a meal unless it's an experience in some way. And fast food such as, well, I'm not sure if I should name names, but we ALL know what I'm talking about...well, they just are NOT an experience worth putting in your mouth - EVER - but street food, well, that's a WHOLE different experience! I'm not sure if Melissa's Miniature Cupcakes - bakedbymelissa.com - counts as street food as it does actually have a window on a building, but you do have to stand in line on the sidewalk, sometimes for quite awhile, to purchase these delectable bites of heaven! If you're being very frugal, you can get 2 bites out of them...but then, that's just messy. One bite. Yep! That's the answer.

A box of 25 will cost you $20. An amazing bargain. Of course, we wanted to take a box to my daughters roommates, so we had...yes, HAD to purchase a box of 6 ($5.50) for us to consume on the step down the sidewalk. No water and we didn't waste the time to find any...just plopped down at the first available stoop and swallowed 6 cupcakes. Did I say they were just bites? I did, right? very small...see?

Another fantastic find was just luck. Usually when I'm in the city I spend hours upon hours doing foodie research, but we were starving and just across the street were about 15 restaurants from Vietnamese to Indian to Chinese to Burgers, etc... and it was one of those moments I hate when everyone is getting cranky because they're hungry, but noone wants to take the responsibility to make the decision on the place! UGH! So...I looked and saw "Yummy House" at 76 Third Avenue and 11th St. - yummyhouse.com - Now, HOW can you go wrong with a name like that? It was genius! And quite possibly the best curry dumpling noodle soup I've ever had...which is never...but I will definitely have it again! And fast!! And amazing!!! The crab wonton was super-filled and the fried rice was perfect, especially considering we ordered and were served in about 7-10 minutes! I LOVE NYC!!

Now, here are some of the quick highlights...

The best of the best list...by Punky!

Best sushi: Morimoto

Chelsea area, awesome decor and don't leave without going in the bathroom stalls! haha 88 Tenth Ave. near 16th St. - morimotonyc.com

Chef Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame! Try the prix fixe menu that he puts together nightly and you'll never go wrong! Pictured here is the Toro with condiments at the bottom and you eat it with a wooden paddle. Awesome!

Best pizza: Lombardi's Pizza (sorry e!)

32 Spring Street - firstpizza.com

Opened in 1897 just down the street and is an icon of the city. I can't say enough about this place. In fact, I think I talked about it before so I'll let it stand on it's own! When you're done eating pizza cross the street to have dessert at my next entry...

Best comfort food dessert: Rice to Riches

37 Spring Street btwn Mott and Mulberry - ricetoriches.com

Again, I think I talked about this from my last trip, but it's worth mentioning - ALWAYS!

Best stick to your teeth dessert: Blue Water Grill

31 Union Square West - brguestrestaurants.com

This is a pic of the Chocolate fudge-pecan tart with pretzel crust...nothing more needs to be said. Oh! Except their actual food food is well worth the dining experience also. Make this a must if you're in Union Square!

Best CHOCOLATE EVERYTHING: Max Brenner

several locations - maxbrenner.com

I went to the one at 141 2nd Ave., but there a couple more. I also first experienced this fantasy in chocolate while I was in Sydney, Australia a couple of years ago and was thrilled when they opened here in NYC. Although the truffles aren't the size of baseballs like they were in Australia, the rest is pretty outstanding. From chocolate soup to chocolate pizza to french fries with cocoa and red pepper spice. It's an amazing experience. S'mores, ice cream sundaes, cold drinks, hot drinks, you name it and they have it! If you can't stay, just go in the store and buy your chocolate in a syringe to shoot down your throat...no kidding! They also have chocolate body lotions! :-)

Well, it's a Sunday now and do you know what that means? Dim sum in Chinatown, silly!! So, off we went to Ping's Seafood at 22 Mott Street. They serve from the carts or from trays they carry to your table and speaking of tables...unless you bring your whole family, be prepared to share your table with someone else's family! It was really fun! We were seated at a table for 8 and there were only 2 of us, so at first I was confused that they thought we were with a larger group, but here came an Asian couple behind us and she said it is their custom to be seated family style. She and her husband were great and explained some of the things they ordered that weren't on the menu so we could try them also. Then 2 more Asian girls my daughters age were seated with us and they also gave their thoughts on things we should try that we hadn't before. We have had dim sum many times before, but this was a totally new experience and one I really look forward to repeating. We learned so much and were WAY too full to try everything they suggested, but we have a list for next time! Overall, one of my most enjoyable meals in the city this trip!

So I wouldn't be thorough without talking about today. I heard about a place that makes their own pierogies and I just had to go. Turns out, so did everyone else! The best part is that it's only about 2 blocks from where my daughter lives so it'll become a staple of my NYC experience now. Veselka in the East Village at 144 2nd Ave. - veselka.com - had a choice of different fillings and you could choose 7 for $9.95. We shared potato, cheese, sweet potato, sauerkraut and mushroom, spinach and cheese and TWO goat cheese and arugula. As an appetizer, I had the Borscht (cold beet soup!) and we shared the seasonal special was Cheese blintzes with roasted peach sauce...yummm. We rolled out of there!

Just a few hours later we caught an early dinner at a place that is sure to be a favorite, although we definitely got the feeling that we were strangers in a sea of regulars. It is on the completely other side of the island, The Spotted Pig in West Village at 314 W. 11th Street - thespottedpig.com - and I had one of the most decadent meals I think I've ever consumed. Seriously!

I'll start with appetizers...Deviled eggs. Sounds simple enough, but they add something special to them and again, it calls for some playing around in the kitchen when I get home because they were really a wonderful start. Then, Devils on Horseback. These were plump prunes stuffed with a chunk of pear and wrapped in a VERY thin slice of bacon and baked. I have tried these at home just wrapped without filling them, and I've tried them filled with a chunk of parmesan, and both are good...but these were outstanding. They must've been fresh as opposed to the dried prunes I've used and I believe are used at the other restaurant I've tasted them at.

But then...dinner came. I ordered the Sheep's Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter and Sage. I will try to explain, but I don't know if it's possible. It was a shallow bowl with approximately 10 'balls' or cheese-filled hmmm...I can't say gnocchi although I can't think of another way to describe it. But that just is too heavy. These were like pillows of soft incredibly flavored ricotta in a bowl of butter. Brown butter that made you want to cry, or laugh, or scream out Hallelujah!! I was transformed...that is until about my 5th one... then I felt like I was going to blow up! So, in retrospect, share this dish! haha!! My daughter had the Prosciutto and Ricotta Tart with Marjoram and it was also heavenly. The atmoshere of this establishment is very laid-back and it made me want to move here and become one of them. A wonderful family neighborhood and beautiful old brownstones that feel warm and comforting in the big city.

Well...I only have one more day of this trip, but I'm sure there'll be more to share. Hope you enjoyed it... if anyone actually reads this. I've tried to take some suggestions and added the websites and addresses so it wouldn't just be about what I ate, but a reference for you when you travel. I hope it helps and please write me if you get the chance to explore any of these fine eateries!

Next, I'm headed to Chicago, so I'll let you know what the scoop is for the Windy City when I get there!!

Memorial Day Food Frenzy!

Well, yes, it HAS been awhile...but I've been extremely busy with graduations and parties and such! I haven't forgotten about what's important, tho, so I have some pics of todays picnic for y'all...

First, these are the most delicious ribs courtesy of my friend John and his neighbor, Patrick! They were going nuts on the grill today and made ribs, chicken breasts, pork and corn on the cob. It was quite a spread. You may be wondering what I contributed...??  With quite alot of help from  my sous chefs, we prepared Spicy Mustard and Green Onion Potato Salad and Eclair Dessert. There weren't any leftovers of the potato salad to show you, but I did get a pic of the Eclair dessert before it was finished off! Oh, we also prepared our favorite recipe of fresh parmesan butter with spices on the corn cob before wrapping it in foil for the grill...but that hardly counts as a skill! Anyway, it was wonderful and alot of food was consumed by all. Enjoy the pics and when you're in town, come over and I'll make the potato salad for you, too!! :-D

Raw Food is the bomb!

I had my first experience with raw food today! Yay to being healthy! This is not something that comes easily to me, so I was skeptical and actually more than a little excited about trying it out. I went to a place called Grassroots in Tampa on North Florida Avenue and let's just say it's in an interesting neighborhood, but more than worth trekking over to find it! PLEASE go try it out! 

I had the pleasure of getting together with an old college friend that I hadn't talked to in a year so we had time to have a nice chat and catch up and all the while she filled me in on the benefits of raw food, enzymes, supplements, wheat grass, etc. It was very enlightening...Zzzzzzzz! No, seriously, it WAS interesting, just a bit much for the first visit. I was still processing the fact that I was eating 'RAW SUSHI' which in actuality only had the ingredient of nori (seaweed) to hold in all of the raw veggies and sprouts that filled it. Not quite the sushi I'm used to consuming - but tasty! REALLY!! 

We also tried the Chik sandwich, non-chicken, of course! It came on a basic whole grain bun and is a sure bet for the skeptic - along with the vegan hamburger or hotdog! But I have to say my absolute favorite was the vegan burrito. Instead of a heavy tortilla, it is wrapped in romaine and the interior was filled with grains that were ground into a paste that had an incredible flavor. I could've eaten this for dinner, too! 

On a sad note, the signature sandwich comes on homemade onion bread that wasn't ready yet and wouldn't be for another hour...it was 1 pm when we arrived... hmmmm. But, the green smoothie chock-full of veggies and fruits was very good, although I must admit, I just tasted it and proceeded to order the green tea with ginger which I thoroughly enjoyed!

I must apologize for the lack of pics (sorry C!), I suppose my only excuse was getting caught up with my friend and forgetting my duties! I will work on that and try not to let it happen again!

So, for tonight, go RAW!!

Cooking for Jack... and me!

So... have you ever had the opportunity to cook any of the recipes out of Cooks Illustrated? I believe that's the name of the magazine my friend uses to cook and boy, oh boy, did he cook last night!! I'm amazed every other week by his culinary skills - it's quite delicious! 

First, I have to tell you that we have this 24 thing going... we are obsessed with Jack Bauer - seriously! So, every week we take turns cooking a meal before the big show and last night was a doozie - can you believe that Tony Almeida is such a bad guy after everything he and Jack have been through? I'm SO disappointed!! Maybe he's in cahoots with the President's daughter - cause she's sleazy as they get!!

Okay, back to the meal - he made Grilled Teriyaki Beef , some fantastic fried brown rice with mushrooms and broccoli and a salad that he topped with his home-grown tomatoes! Now, I ask you...WHAT AM I GOING TO MAKE NEXT WEEK TO TOP THAT?? Jeez, I wish he'd take it down a notch, this is getting ridiculous! Last week the pressure was too great so I took us out for wings - but, they were GREAT wings! Okay, okay, I know... epic fail. 

I'll do better next week and let you know - 

A bite of the Big Apple!

Another day, another city...but, this time it's the best city on the planet...serving the best pizza on the planet (according to Zagat!) which is why I HAD to try it... I thought, "How can it be the best on the planet?? How is this possible??" Let me tell you...it's undeniable! Wowza! Lombardi's Pizza on Spring Street in New York City is awesome. Absolutely the most flavorful, perfected crust, yummy ricotta, amazing crushed tomato sauce... running out of adjectives here... but you can see, I'm hooked and can't wait for another trip to try a different combination! 

Then, to make a great meal even better, cross the street when you're done at Lombardi's and serve your sweet tooth some delicious rice pudding at Rice to Riches! Yes, made famous in Sex and the City, it now stands on it's own as a dessert highlight!

You'll laugh when I tell you one of our best meals in the city was from the Rickshaw Dumpling truck. No lie! And right next to their red truck sits a ratty old white truck that just says dessert truck on it... making the cities best truck creme brulee, goat cheese donuts with chocolate sauce, molten chocolate cake with vanilla creme sauce and these were so good I can't remember the other two desserts they offered - all for $5 each! It's a bargain and they package it up for you to take to your hotel, although there were about 15 people standing around eating it right there on the street corner! 

I LOVE NEW YORK!!!!!