FALLing in Pumpkin Love

Hola, mi amigos!  I can't believe it's already fall!  I am way backed up on my blogs, but I was too inspired not to share my latest foodventure.  Two words: Las Ramblas.  Absolutely, no doubt, the best tapas I've ever had... since the last time I was there... so far.  I say that because I might have to go directly to Barcelona to find something better.  

Located in the Village on 4th St, it has to be the smallest restaurant I have ever been to.  My bedroom is bigger.  Literally.  Building code?  What's that?  3' aisle clearance?  What aisle?  (Sorry, it's an interior design thing).  Almost all the tables are bar height, and there's hooks under the table for purses and jackets because where else are you going to put it?  It's a great place for a date though, because really, that's all there's room for.  Two's company, three's a crowd in this place.  Or the more the merrier.  Just be prepared to get cozy.  

That being said, it didn't bother me one bit once I had one bite of their mouth-watering bits.  With tapas, they recommend  about two or three plates per person.  Seriously, I could have had four on my own.  No photos this time because I was too busy enjoying my dinner!  These are a few of things on the menu I've had on my two visits:

Mejillones Al Jerez (mussels in a sherry wine sauce)

fantastic with french bread

Gambas San Martin (shrimp, garlic, and white wine)

how can you go wrong with this classic?

Patatas Bravas (garlicky potatoes with aioli)

yummy!

Albondigas (meatballs with manchego cheese sauce)

I savored every bite

Brochetas de Res (beef skewers in a red wine reduction)

smoky, rare enough, and tender!

Bocadillos Crujienetes (baby grilled ham and cheese)

precious!

Empanada  de Pollo (chicken turnovers with aioli)

love, Love!  I dipped bread in the leftover aioli.

Olivos Mixtos (assorted spanish olives)

I don't know how you can make those better, but they did!

But what I really want to talk about is the special they had last night-- shrimp stuffed pumpkin.  I had thought the baby grilled cheese sandwiches were precious, but the pumpkin was just as cute-- and absofrickenlutely amazing!  First of all, it was the element of of surprise.  Pumpkin and shrimp anything sounded good to me, but when the waiter brought out the baby pumpkin on a platter last, you already know it's something special.  The next thing I noticed before it even reached the table was the scent-- the smell of Thanksgiving and Christmas wrapped up in a tiny roasted orange ball.  Cinnamon and spices, I just didn't expect when I ordered it, and then I thought, but of course!  Why wouldn't it?  And the last thing that left an impression is the taste.  Just like everything else we had ordered, one small bite delivered such a punch of flavor.. not strong, but flavorful enough to leave you wanting more.  It was sweet and savory, light and creamy, familiar, yet exotic.  As with everything fantabulous in life, it made me giggle... like a school girl.

And so ladies and gents, as I perused the local farmer's market this morning for some fresh fare, I spotted some... what do you know?  Baby pumpkins!  I was left no choice but to try and replicate last night's love bite.  And of course, I documented every step so that you too can try it at home.  Oh, btw, I also grabbed some apple cider and local award winning cheese... the Rupert:  tastes like a softer, creamier parmesan... lovely.  I think I'm going to try a baked mac and cheese with it.

Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkins
Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter
2tbs flour
1 c hot milk
2tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground pepper
2-3 shrimp per pumpkin, peeled completely and deveined
3 or 4 mini pumpkins with tops cut off and seeds spooned out

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

First I started with a basic bechamel sauce:  Flour, butter, and milk.  I'm not going to go into it.  Google it.  OK, nevermind.  I'll be nice.  On a medium low heat setting, melt the butter and whisk in flour, stirring consistently for about 5 min until it's a light sandy color.  Whisk in the hot (not boiling) milk a little at a time until very smooth and then bring to a boil.  Cook for about another 10 min and whisk in the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and freshly ground pepper.  Taste and adjust accordingly to your liking.  Add shrimp and spoon into pumpkins.  In a baking dish, add about half an inch of water.  Place pumpkins in dish and cover.  Cook in oven for 30-35 min. and voila!

Best when shared.

Enjoy! 

Love Bites+Crab Shanty=Love Shanty?

 Those of you who know me know that I love seafood.  So this weekend, we ventured out to City Island, all the way up in the Bronx (so, so far away... I know, right?)  I can't believe this place!  It's like one of NYC's best kept secret... at least it was kept from me!  haha.  You get a bit of that small town feel with a bit of that lazy beach town feel, but you're minutes away from the City.  I am moving to City Island... and eating crab all the time... and lobster.  The Original Crab Shanty is a dream come true.  Looking for some fancy restaurant with seafood dishes you can't pronounce?  You're on the wrong Island, or at least in the wrong shanty, cuz this one's chock full of crab shanty kitsch with plastic bib and all... but charming, nonetheless.  The menu is ridiculously packed, I didn't even know where to start.  So I just decided to stay focused on what I was there for... crab.  There were snow crabs and dungeoness crab, king crab, Maryland crab, crab cakes, crab lover's dinner for two, spicy crab, hard shell, soft shell, crab and lobster combo, crab and bbq combo.  For the love of crab, what's a girl to do?  I settled for the snow crab and whole lobster combo, which I didn't realize included your choice of a baked potato or fries and a soup or salad.  The food came out promptly, and my platter was huge!  I had eaten all my soup (I can't resist a good clam chowdah) but I didn't even bother with the potato.  I needed to save room for me crustaceans.  I had a pretty good sized lobster;  it was cut in half, stuffed and broiled and the three large snow crab halves were dusted with some type of seasoning before going under the broiler.  $30 for all that food was not a bad deal.  The seafood itself was delicious, fresh, and sweet.  Everything was well seasoned and served with a side of butter and lemons.  I'm a simple girl, and that's all I needed.  Now if you don't like seafood or in the company of these other non-seafood eaters, no worries.  They have something for everyone.  Let them eat cake.  Eat whatever you want.  Just don't talk to me when I'm eating crab :)

cocoa-liscious

My friend from the City of Brotherly Love came to visit me this weekend and we planned a girls night in on Saturday doing what else, but eat and have a Bridget Jones marathon... yes!  We couldn't decide between Asian or Mexican food so we did both.  We made spring rolls with a twist with some grilled chicken and shrimp.  I spiced up some steaks with a coco/cinnamon/chili rub and complimented it with my famous chunky salsa.  Traditionally, I add avocado to my salsa, but there weren't any ripe ones at the supermarket :( so I changed it up a bit with some yummy diced mangos.  The sweet and sour combination paired perfectly with the steaks, which had just that hint of heat.  And yes, you read correctly, I did add cocoa to the steak rub!  Crazy, right?  Not really.  I had a Mexican hot cocoa once at Max Brenner, which was surprisingly (and quite pleasantly) spicy with that hint of chili powder, so I figured, why can't I add cocoa powder to chili?  The cocoa mixed with the cinnamon and chili gives the steak a nice smokey, flavorful crust.  While the cocoa melds with the meat and gives it a melt-in-your-mouth effect, the chili balances the exotic, unexpected tastes, resulting in a flavor explosion that begs for the company of some mango salsa.  I love going out in NYC, but sometimes chez moi with some good friends, good food, and Miss Jones isn't so bad.

Plenty of Fish in the Sea...

... and salmon is one of my favorites!  It had been awhile since I updated and I have eaten at too many places since my last post.  I need to slow down!  Or not :)  More restaurant reviews later, but today is about salmon.


I defrosted some wild salmon last night but didn't have time to cook so I went ahead and made some for lunch today since I didn't want it to go bad.  I love it marinated in a garlic oyster sauce base with a little bit of salt, pepper, and sugar and I add some variations now and then like some freshly grated ginger or finely chopped chilies.  Today I went for a maple and brown sugar glaze.  Heat up a wok or frying pan, add a little bit of olive oil, and sear the salmon skin side down first.  Great thing about salmon is that you don't have to cook it very long.  I turn the heat up high just so that the skin is crispy and then I flip it over and let it cook for just a few minutes.  Be careful!  It's too easy to overcook salmon.  The it gets hard and rubbery instead of tender and juicy.  After transferring the fish to a plate, leave the pan on the burner.  I grabbed some frozen fine french green beans from Trader Joe's, ran it under some hot water, drained it, and threw it into the pan with just a smidgen of butter to deglaze the pan of all the flavors still in it.  Heat it up, and viola, you've got a gourmet dinner in minutes.

Braised Short Ribs @ Chez Moi

I decided to document the making of a masterpiece... my version of short ribs.  I scoured the internet trying to find a version of the recipe for which I had all the ingredients.  No such luck, so I took a little bit from this one and that one and it didn't turn out so bad because there isn't any left over :)

One of the recipes called for bacon.  I happened to buy some the day before.  Check.  So I rendered the fat out of the bacon in a large pot.  I removed the bacon bits, put it on some paper towels to absorb excess grease and ate all the bacon.  :)

Next, I browned the short ribs in the rendered fat.  Sprinkle with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper beforehand and resist the temptation to keep turning it over so that there's some good caramelization on the surface of the meat.  I cooked it for about 8-10 min.

I removed the short ribs and added a selection of veggies I got pre-chosen for me in a package labeled "soup greens."  It contained some stuff I never used before like turnip and parsnip, but also an onion, a leek and celery stalk, carrots, and some herbs like parsley and dill.  I added the celery, onion, and leeks first to get the aromas going and cooked it till it was translucent.

I added the freshly chopped herbs to the onion mix.

Then I added the rest of the veggies and water to cover.  Some recipes called for chicken or beef broth.  I added two beef bouillon cubes with the water.

Almost all of the recipes called for some form of another of red wine, but I didn't have any and I didn't want to go to the store for a bottle.  Luckily I found a recipe that called for beer instead.  And I just happened to have a stash of Purple Haze in my fridge.  This was my riskiest move because I could spoil a whole pot of some perfectly good meat if this went badly.  I poured it in and hoped for the best.

When everything came to a good boil, I added the ribs back in, lowered the heat and simmered it for a good three hours.  Oh, and I did add a tablespoon of flour, brown sugar, and some more salt and pepper.

People said that it was best the next day, but I couldn't wait.  I spent all day making it and I was famished.  There was enough left over for lunch the next day, and they were right.  It was definitely better the second time around.

Share the Love... and Those Noodles While You're At It

...a continuation of the love feast from Saturday night...

We ended our night at Spice Market in the Meatpacking District on W. 13th St and 9th.  Although it can feel a little themey, I love the design.  It's very warm, dark and sensual, just like me.... hahahahaha.  OK... moving on.  The interior is speckled with glimmering candlelight and ginormous fabric wrapped lanterns, and you're surrounded by old carved dark wood that looks like it's been there for ages, or stolen from somewhere where it had been for ages.  My favorite part is going down the stairs to the lower level dining area.  There's a landing midway down that's covered like a little pagoda.  I feel like I'm being transported to a far off land.  Cheesy, I know.  

But it works because it's always packed for dinner, especially on a Saturday night; we didn't make a reservation, so it was going to be at least an hour wait for 4.  It was nice because there was seating at the bar, but they also had little groupings of seats strictly for the bar patrons so we didn't have to stand around and clog up the entrance.  I ordered a white passion sangria, which was just ok, but not very good for $12.  Man!

Luckily, we didn't have to wait long at all, and the host was able to seat us within 15 minutes.  Although I love the decor, I'm not so convinced with the seating.  The tables are way too small and some of the benches are grouped around the columns so that if I'm sitting against one of them, facing out, I could potentially be bumping elbows with the person sitting around the corner from me from the next party.

Now the dining experience is quite different from the traditional restaurant.  The concept of Spice Market is based on the street foods throughout Asia (mostly Thai influenced) and is meant to be shared.  So basically everyone orders a dish (sized for one serving) and the waiter brings each dish out one at a time.  Better hope you're there with good friends because you're pretty much forced to share or else if your dish comes out first, everyone sits around and watches you eat.  I personally don't mind sharing because I'm Asian and that's how I grew up eating at the table.  The best thing to do is share everything and just make sure you order something that everyone will generally like and then split the bill equally.  Just don't double dip and everyone will be happy.

We ordered chicken samosas with cilantro yogurt, chili rubbed beef skewers with  a thai basil dipping sauce, beef short ribs with egg noodles and pea shoots, lobster with butter fried garlic, ginger and chilies, and sweet sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf.  The samosas were the favorite.  It was so flavorful but the cilantro yogurt accompanying it was amazingly yummy.  We all just sat around and savored the sauce even after the samosas were gone.  The beef skewers were next: savory, tender, smokey, and the thai basil sauce was almost as good as the first.  It seemed like forever before we got the next dish which was the beef short ribs.  The short ribs were so "fall off the bone" tender and flavorful.  I wish the broth and noodles it came in did the same for me.  It was almost ridiculous how we had to split some of these dishes up sometimes.  Between the four girls, some of the plates provided just a little taste, always leaving us wanting more.  This dish was definitely lacking in the noodle department.  Good thing we still had rice and lobster coming, or so I thought.  What a joke.  For $35 we got a shrunken lobster tail with what looked like the meat of one claw.  Don't get me wrong... it was really good, but we were wondering where the rest of it was.  It sat on a bed of mystery greens which garnered different reactions.  I liked what looked and tasted like fried Thai basil that was salty and garlicky and gingery.  The other green stuff was on the tart side and resemble some form of spinach.  I like spinach, but this was not my favorite.  The most disappointing for me, from a restaurant/serving/dining aspect was that the rice came right before we were nearly done with the lobster.  It was odd and didn't make sense to me.  Isn't rice supposed to be eaten with the other dishes and not on its own? The rice was wrapped in banana leaves alright, but it would have been further enhanced if it were steamed in the leaves, in order to take on the unique flavor and aroma of the banana leaf... just like how my mom would cook sticky rice sometimes. 

Although everyone was happy with the flavors overall, we all agreed that the portions were way too small, especially for what we paid.  The other girls said the food was good, but the portions were not good enough to entice them back.  Expect to pay at least $35 including tax and tip and $45 if you're getting a drink.  That's right, one drink.  Call me a pig, but I had a little room left over for more.  We were more satisfied spending $10 on dim sum earlier and the food was just as good.  But why am I complaining?  I keep going back, nevertheless, and will continue to go back... if only I had someone to go with :)

A Tale of Two Dumplings... or 3, or 4, or 5...

I got together with some friends this past weekend, and that means a little bit of shopping and a lot more of eating.  We started off in chinatown at the Dim Sum place on Bowery and Canal directly across from the Manhattan Bridge.  I was actually headed towards the one on Chatham Square but we happened to pass this place and the entrance was packed with people waiting to be seated.  This was an indication that if the folks of Chinatown were flocking to this place, it had to be good.  

I approached this old Chinese man in a suit who looked like he was in charge...  maybe it was the suit.  He was unusually tall and still had a head full of slick black hair.  I bet he was handsome back in his day.  So I told him we needed a table for 3, and he hands me a post-it note that said, "three" and, "#61."  Yes, we were number #61 and he was just calling out #40... in Chinese.  I never felt so lost in my life; we never knew what was going on in that chaos, but it was quite amusing.  Every time the host yelled out a number we held up our post-it note.  I think he was so annoyed at us that he finally said he would call out our number in English.  We were so hungry, it was torture standing there while the carts of steaming hot food with their enticing aromas passed us by.  

We were seated after what felt like forever, but once the carts came by, we were pointing away until we had more dumplings in front of us than we could count.  We also got some rolled steamed noodles with that yummy sweet soy sauce, this fried dough stuff that was then dipped in a rice flour batter and then steamed, and a dish of steamed chinese broccoli.  We found that if we wanted something we needed to tell them right away because those dim sum ladies are quick.  

This place is definitely better than the last one I went to.  Everything was super tasty... except maybe the mystery dumpling with peanuts in it... that was interesting.  And of course, the meal was accompanied by some deliciously warming jasmine tea that I just couldn't get enough of.  Moral of the story: if you see a Chinese restaurant packed with Chinese people, it's going to be good.

Fiesta In Your Mouth

Frequent trips to the New York Public Library had meant nearly just as many quests for dinner.  My favorite stops near the Mid-Manhattan location include Crumbs and Pret a Manger where they have the best cupcakes and croissants, respectively.  And I looove the Fuji Apple juice at Pret.  There's a zing and a freshness like just pressed apples that I haven't had anywhere else.

Speaking of freshness, my new favorite place to grab a quick bite is Chipotle.  Also right around the corner from the NYPL and Bryant Park, I've been there three times in the past two weeks already.  The place is tiny and it's always packed.  Wanna sit down?  Fohgeddahboudit.  We almost always had to stand at the counters, but it's worth it.  Mexican food never tasted so fresh, so light, so healthy.

I usually get the crunchy tacos (you get 3) with shredded pork or the pork fajita burrito with green peppers and onions.  Then I usually choose tomatoes, corn, medium sauce, sour cream, and cheese as add ons.  You have to get it with corn and tomatoes.  It just makes it taste so fresh, but they don't skimp on the flavor; maybe it's the lime and cilantro.  They even serve beer and margaritas :)  If you decide to get either, you'll pay double for your meal, but where in Manhattan isn't alcohol overpriced?

If you order any of the burritos, you better be hungry because they are huge!  Nevertheless, you don't get that gross, heavy, sedated feeling afterwards like you do after having that steak or a 1/2 lb burger with fries.  My problem now is that I can't go to the library without stopping in for a quick bite at Chipotle... and then there's always room for a cupcake :)

Homework Never Tasted So Good

I went to Grand Central Terminal today to do some research for my interior design class.  Part of our objective was to observe people and how they use the spaces, but we pretty much had to find out everything about the grand old terminal.  As my reverence for the building grew with every turn of the corner, so did my hunger.  If I were to find out everything about the place, I figured I needed to know what the food there tasted like.  I was craving a margarita too so I decided I would continue my "research" at Zocalo on the Dining Concourse level of the terminal.

I was planning to order just chips and salsa to go with my margarita, but what do you know?  I didn't even have to order it.  It was the first thing the waiter brought to the table as he greeted us.  Freshly fried tortilla chips... the only way to go when you're at a Mexican restaurant.  Well, since chips and salsa were gratis, I decided to get the quesadilla de bistec (steak quesadillas with roasted corn, mushrooms, and mexican cheeses) and a blood orange margarita.  The mushrooms didn't sound very appetizing in a quesadilla, but thank goodness I forgot to ask the waiter to leave it out.  They must have used portobello mushrooms, which added a whole other layer of flavor to the dish.  Besides the taste, I could barely tell the difference between the mushrooms and the steak; first of all, they were the same color and cut, and secondly, the beef was so tender.  Add a little green habanero sauce and it was perfect.

Now, a little hot must always be balanced by something that's a little cold... or a lot cold after having some of that habanero sauce.  I usually order my margaritas on the rocks in a salt rimmed glass, but Zocalo's frozen version was pretty yummy (even though they didn't rim the glass with salt).  It was blended to a super smoothness without leaving any gritty pieces of ice and the blood orange added a nice citrus twist to the traditional drink.  It was an absolutely perfect and necessary way to cool down my palate, and my research wouldn't be complete without it.

One Girl Cookies Doesn't Have To Mean Just One Cookie :)

A routine trip to the laundromat on a Saturday afternoon led to a spontaneous grocery shopping trip to Trader Joe's.  And the aggravating search for parking in the area ended pleasantly as we accidentally came upon a sweet little shop on 68 Dean St. in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill Neighborhood.  I glanced at a cute little old fashioned sign hanging above the door and I just couldn't resist checking it out.  This shop is home to One Girl Cookies.  The bake shop may have been started by one girl, but there's a whole lot of cookies... cute miniature cookies.  I was spellbound by the enticing aromas the moment I entered the bakery.  This was a dream for a girl with such a sweet tooth.  I didn't have any cash on me, and there was a $15 credit card minimum.  No problemo.  I pointed to the little parchment paper box and said fill her up with everything... and a lemon custard cake, please!

Now, I'll have to admit that these cookies are more of a "grown up" cookie.  If you're expecting a chips ahoy cookie, or one of those palm sized things laden with m&m's, this is not the place for you.  One Girl Cookies are miniature, a little on the fancy side, and they have names like Lucia and Sadie.  They're the dessert version of hors d'oeurves, and instead of champagne, they pair perfectly with a cup of tea.  My first bite was the pecan sandie.  The taste was standard, but it had the texture of a buttery shortbread cookie, which I love, and I found most of the others shared that same quality.  I wasn't crazy about the taste, overall.  It was good, but not amazing.  What I do appreciate, however, (and it's what I look for in everything I eat) is the quality and freshness of the ingredients.  I could taste the butter and vanilla in every bite, but it's still light.  The ginger cookies had real ginger, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were freshly grated lemon peel in the lemon bars.  Overall, I was satisfied, but I don't think it would be one of those places I'd trek to in a snow storm when the craving for something sweet calls (I have done that before).

The cake, on the other hand, is a different story.  I LOVED the cake.  In a cake, the deal breaker for me is its moistness.  Moistness rating: 10.  Its texture is a bit more dense than your average cake, something like what I call "wedding cake," just cause that's the kind of quality you'd find in a wedding cake.  There's this lemon curd stuff oozing in between the layers, making the cake even more moist, and again, freshly grated lemon peel in the icing.  Every bite was like a burst of lemonade.  Will I go back for cake?  Definitely!

Dim me Sum more

I had a craving for dim sum last night and I didn't have class today so I thought what the hey, let's get dim sum.  My roommate and I trekked out to Manhattan's Chinatown to find the little restaurant I went to my first summer here in NYC since it was a little too late to do traditional dim sum where the little ladies squeeze the carts of steaming hot goodies between the tables (we got to the city close to noon).

I discovered this place two summers ago when my original intention was to try some black pepper ice cream at the famed Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, which is a total other story.  This place is a few doors down from the Ice Cream Factory on Bayard, and the great thing is you can order dim sum right off the menu whenever you want.  Being my first blog, I am a little embarrassed about not taking note of what the restaurant was called (sorry) but you'll know when you see them making dumplings right at the entrance and the interior looks like some cave... or jungle.  But once you get past the decor, you'll find the food is decent.  The waiter brought the steaming hot jasmine tea out right away (perfect for a cold winter day like today).  He kept hovering over our table, however, making us feel rushed to order, but fortunately we knew exactly what we wanted.

We ordered steamed pork juicy buns, steamed crab and pork buns, pan fried pork dumplings, and spring rolls.  The fried spring rolls came out first, along with two dipping sauces resembling soy sauce.  One was mixed with vinegar, and the other was slightly sweet.  I preferred the sweet one and didn't care much for the sour sauce.  Be careful because the spring rolls are hot!  I had my first soup dumplings here two summers ago, and having had them at other establishments since, I can say that I have had better.  I'd have to say though, that piercing through the bun and watching the yummy broth gush out into the soup spoon never gets old.  The problem I have is deciding whether to eat first then sip, or sip then eat.  The crab and pork buns were almost indistinguishable from the juicy pork buns, except for the slightly crabby taste and texture.  But I would have to say that my favorite was the pan fried pork dumplings.  There was something extra in the flavor... maybe the ginger?  I don't know but when everything started tasting the same, this dish stood out the most. Overall, we spent $23 for four items including tax and tip, and we had extra to take home.  Not a bad deal.  If you can get up early enough to catch the real dim sum, however, I highly recommend that instead.  Nothing beats the experience of the chaos of the carts.

Since we were in the area, my roommate wanted to check out Doughnut Plant on 379 Grand St. in the Lower East Side.  We were surprised to find the place was just large enough to open the door and fit maybe three customers.  I don't know why I was so surprised, I mean it's NYC.  So looking at the menu, the first thing that caught my eye was the creme brulee doughnut.  What!!  My favorite dessert in a crispy fried dough!!??  Woah!  After I got past that, I noticed the prices.  $3!  For a teeny tiny doughnut!  I wanted it so badly, it didn't matter... and I wanted the meyer lemon glazed... and the hazelnut... and the big fat jelly filled... and the churros... sigh.  I walked out with the creme brulee and the meyer lemon, and I didn't even wait to get home to break through the burnt sugar layer covering the crispy fried layer covering the chewy doughy layer covering the creamy vanilla bean custard layer.  I was literally giggling the whole way back to the train.  It was a good day.