Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

A Grilled Cheese Spin

Filed Under: Recipeson May 25th, 2010

I don’t generally like grilled cheese. Don’t ask me why, I’ve just never chosen “grilled cheese” over any other sandwich on a menu … or at home …

I also don’t love an American style panini. I mean who wants a thin smashed sandwich, that’s generally not even served hot?

I like bread people! Big slabs of bread! Isn’t that the point of eating a sandwich?

But, I put two and two together and thought of a new idea … an Italian style grilled cheese! The heat of a panini with the crunch of a grilled cheese, but filled with Italian ingredients.

Two pieces of stiffer whole grain bread lined with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Instead of coating the pan with butter (as in a traditional grilled cheese) I used a little olive oil.

And to create that “crunch” I used a cast iron skillet to create pressure and insure melted cheese. It was delicious! Give it a whirl.

Tags: Italian Style Grilled Cheese
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »

If Only I Were European

Filed Under: Life, Recipeson April 20th, 2010

Lunch is my greatest indulgence. If I could spend more time, calories, and/or money on any meal it would be, without a doubt, lunch. No, not “brunch” which is basically lunch (sometimes early dinner) but with breakfast food.

I’m not talking about pancakes, waffles, and omelets, I’m talking about real authentic sink-your-teeth-into kinds of lunches. Sandwiches, burgers, salads, and yes, of course desserts. Shock! I eat desserts at lunch … I mean doesn’t everyone?

If I had unlimited funds (and no obligation to work), I would go out to a nice lunch everyday. Three courses, a glass (or two!) of wine, and a nice leisurely afternoon with company I enjoy. Too bad I picked the worst city in the world to do this because lunch for most New Yorker’s consists of a muffin and coffee (they eat at 10:30 am), or the mix-your-own salad at the nearest Cosi.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that but … in the ideal world, I would “lunch.” Lunch for me is a verb. Not to be confused with a “lady that lunches” because mine would be a culinary endeavor rather than two Vodka martinis and half a salad on the Upper East Side.

This is one of the reasons why I loved being abroad so much. The day began with a light breakfast, a huge leisurely lunch, which either turned into a nap or an early night at a bar. What could be wrong with this? I think I’d be the perfect European … French? Italian? Spanish?

But I do get the luxury of a some-what freelancer’s schedule. Which obviously means that on Friday night when the rest of the world is “out” … I’m NOT, I’m working! Ha, but lucky me, I get a leisurely Tuesday to wander through Chinatown picking out the cheapest (and freshest ironically) produce and the ability to make myself a beautiful lunch.

Sans vino, I mean I am somewhat civilized, and drinking alone, in your apartment, in the middle of the day? Well, it sounds a little more alcoholic than “fabulous.”

Today I made a chicken salad sandwich without mayo. I HATE MAYO. Gag me. I look at a tub of Hellman’s and I want to run to a bathroom. I get why people like it, its just eggs, oil, and seasoning … but, not for me.

French Chicken Salad

1 chicken breast from a Rotisserie Chicken (get at the store)

4 grapes, quartered

Toasted Pine Nuts (or any nuts you have on hand)

Fennel (thinly sliced)

French Mustard

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Combine and add desired amount of mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Tags: lunch
Posted in Life, Recipes | 8 Comments »

Rediscover Cooking

Filed Under: Food, Recipeson April 18th, 2010

I have a confession to make: when I was in school it was hard to find the motivation and satisfaction of cooking at home. I needed to get out, put on make up, get dressed up and go out to eat. Or, I’d do the exact opposite out of sheer exhaustion and live on scramble eggs and peanut butter and jelly.

The idea of tackling new recipes and ideas was exhausting! Since the end of school, I’ve rediscovered my love for creating masterpieces (small or great) in my own kitchen. Granted, I always loved to cook, eat, and entertain but the process was so much more complex.

Now things seem easy in comparison to wedding cakes and plated desserts.

Last night I made lamb shanks for very pleased guests. Having never made this before and following no specific recipe I have to say it turned out pretty great. I plated it with a fresh arugula salad with olives, blue cheese, and asparagus and roasted rosemary potatoes.

Granted I still live in a tiny apartment, with an even tinier kitchen. You can see our makeshift tables. Necessity is the mother of invention …

Lamb Shanks

About 1 shank per person, ask the butcher how much each shank weighs, remember this weight includes the bone
flour, salt, pepper, olive oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic (again depending on what your preference is you can add more or less)
beef broth
rosemary
can of tomato
red wine

Generously salt and pepper the shanks and dredge in flour. Heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in large pan oven proof pan with a lid. Brown shanks on each side and remove from pan. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil and add chopped onion until it begins to sweat. Add chopped garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup wine and 1/2 cup broth. Allow it to come to a boil and reduce a bit. Add shanks back to pan and add tomatoes. Bring entire mixture to a boil, cover and move pot to a 250 degrees oven. Allow to cook for about 3 hours until meat is tender and falls of the bone.

Plate shanks and cover to keep warm. Bring sauce to a boil on the stove top and leave for about 10 minutes uncovered until mixture reduces. Skim the fat off the top of the sauce. Top shanks with reduced tomato sauce and serve.

Tags: cooking, lamb shanks
Posted in Food, Recipes | 3 Comments »

Happy Easter

Filed Under: Life, Recipeson April 3rd, 2010

Easter means the start of spring. My fondest memories of Easter from childhood were mornings spent squeezing into the back pew at Catholic masses, either in Florida or in New Jersey, and wanting to wear my new spring clothes when it wasn’t exactly warm enough yet.

Now Easter means something a little different. Obviously the religious aspect still reigns number one in priority, but eggs and baskets have been replaced by mimosas, leisurely afternoon in my parent’s house, and on a weekend such as this … maybe a little sunbathing?

Oh, and cooking. Because God knows (yes, he does know, this isn’t in vain) that I love cooking. Hell (sorry, I know it’s Easter), he’s the one that gave me this crazy gift. And since my kitchen in New York isn’t fit for much hardcore cooking, and my budget hardly allows for me to buy eggs AND milk AND cream AND butter, I save a lot of my baking for my mother’s kitchen. Ha, she HATES this.

I also know that I haven’t given you a recipe in a long time, and I’m well overdue. Here is my basic bread pudding recipe. For me, nothing says comfort food like bread pudding. If the idea freaks you out, it’s literally liquored-up French Toast, topped with ice cream. How bad can it be? Taste wise, not health wise, that is.

It’s the perfect brunch dessert.

Basic Bread Pudding Recipe (makes 6 ramekins or one 9″ casserole dish)

From here the recipe can be changed or modified. I always add a fruit, whether it be berries in season or ripe peaches in the summer. Nuts are a great addition, as are chocolate chips. I usually add a pinch of liquor to compliment the nut/fruit/chocolate.

1 day old French baguette

2 cups dairy (this can mean either 2 cups milk (any % you have on hand), heavy cream (for very rich dessert), half and half, a combination, 1 cup milk and 1 cup Greek Yogurt, the sky is the limit, and so is your waistline)

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract (I use less when I’m using an addition of liquor, you don’t want the flavors to compete but compliment each other)

1 tablespoon liquor (I like bourbon the best, but rum is a great option for summer time as well)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar (this can also be more or less depending on diet and/or how sweet your fruit addition is)

Chocolate Chips (optional)

Nuts (optional)

Fruit (optional)

Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut bread into one inch cubes and allow to soak in dairy, vanilla, and liquor for five minutes. Whisk eggs and sugar together and add to bread mixture, stir to combine. Mix in fruits, nuts, chocolate and place in greased ramekins or dish. Dot top with butter and bake for 45 minutes. If top starts to brown before the custard is cooked through, cover with tinfoil.

Tags: bread pudding, Easter, spring
Posted in Life, Recipes | 11 Comments »

Knead It Outta the Day

Filed Under: Food, French Culinary Institute, Recipeson February 23rd, 2010

There are so many comical things I could tell you (my readers) everyday about the idiosyncrasies of school life. These include:

The assignments that ask us to make sugar owls that end up merely resembling Liza Minnelli or a showgirl working the Main Stage in Las Vegas … or when we’re asked to create chocolate showpiece cake stands, because after spending thousands of dollars on a wedding cake a bride really can afford a decorative cake stand …

The teachers which for all intensive purposes are fabulous at what they do. They really are. Once I leave FCI, I will say that I went because of the instructors, because I did, but that doesn’t excuse their quirks, personalities, sense of style, or favorite says/songs/habits. They’re too easy to love/laugh at. But because a blog is “public” record, and not everyone has the same sense of humor as me (or my fellow classmates) my funny teacher puns are few and far between.

My fellow classmates probably give me the most comical stories I could write about. But like the former teacher comment, I don’t want to burn bridges with different ideas of what constitutes as humorous. That, and I’d like to have friends tomorrow …

But despite all of the odds and ends of my class room, today was on of those days where everyone’s “bad” was clashing. Not so great for class room chemistry, let alone kitchen chemistry. Did I mention that we’ve been working with sugar ranging in temperature of 300 plus degrees Fahrenheit that can burn through your skin? Not a good combo.

I’m usually quiet and removed when I’m angry in public situations. At home with my family, I’m the loudest thing since the morning rooster. But when it comes to friends, work, teachers? I’m mute, and simmering. Probably a habit I picked up from past boyfriends where fighting always got me into more harm than good … learned that lesson a little too late, but it seems to have helped me from fighting with everyone who crosses my path …

So today was a quiet day. A very quiet day. Except when I dropped my pulled sugar structures, popped my blown sugar, or set off the elevator alarm when I returned food items to the downstairs kitchen.

I wish I could say I was joking about the last comment, it’s completely true, and almost brought me to tears when the Spanish speaking maintenance man came running towards me. Suffice to say, I did not tell the teacher about that.

So when I got home after having a very long and aggressive run I decided to make home-made pizza dough. Hand knead the shit out of something and get my hands dirty. Most people wouldn’t attempt this feat, most culinary students wouldn’t attempt this feat, and I probably could count one person other than myself that finds cooking therapeutic after a day of hell. But what can I say this is my calling!

I made the recipe up, so I can’t help too much with exact measurements, but I know this, I used All Purpose Flour, not Bread, so I’m not sure how the end result will be once it’s baked but I’ll keep you posted.

All Purpose Flour Pizza Dough

1 packet of quick rising yeast (check the expiration date, often times they’re old in stores)

1 1/4 cup warm water (just when the faucet starts to feel “warm” your body is 98 degrees and the water should be about 110, you don’t need a thermometer, just don’t have the water HOT)

1/4 cup flour

Combine all these ingredients and all to stand in a bowl for about 10 minutes.

After ten minutes combine additional cup of flour and mix, the mixture will still be wet. Add another cup of flour and mix. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. At this point the mixture will be formed but very wet. Get dirty. Pull it out onto a floured counter and add 1 tablespoon additions of flour until it resembles a ball.

At this point you knead, and knead, and knead. Or stick it in a mixer with a bread attachment. Did I tell you I had a bad day? The kneading takes about ten minutes and grunt work, it’s not quick task.

You’ll know the dough is done because it will be consistent in texture and be able to “pull a window” which basically means taking a pinch of the dough and pulling slowing. The dough should break, it should puuuulllll apart.

Form into a ball and place in a oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise for about an hour in a warm area of your kitchen. It should double in size. Punch the mixture down, allow it to rest about 5 minutes and then you’re ready to make a pizza!

I place mine the refrigerator overnight, I think it tastes better after allowing to rest. I’ll let you know how the results are tomorrow!

Posted in Food, French Culinary Institute, Recipes | 5 Comments »

I Like Everything Sweet

Filed Under: Recipeson February 21st, 2010

Like most things in my life, they seem to taste better when they’re sweet. The contrast in taste and texture for food is one of the most rewarding experiences about eating. Like nuts on a salad of smooth bibb lettuce or a sprinkle of fleur de sel on a sweet caramel candy, Most sweet foods contain salt and most savory foods (that are seasoned with salt) and balanced with a little bit of sugar.

So yesterday, I was antsy. What’s new? When you’re hung over, you’re supposed to milk-it, stay in bed, watch movies, and “veg.” The only thing “veg” about me is what I cook. Suffice to say in full morning after mode, unlike my friends who were watching marathons of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” or Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” I made tomato sauce.

The great thing about tomato sauce that most people don’t realize is that it’s so easy to make. Granted, it’s easy to buy too, but often times those sauces are laden with extra sugar, salt, and artificial ingredients. Sorry Prego, you don’t make the cut. And most artisanal sauces can cost you up to $10 a jar.

This is what you need:

A can of tomatoes, whole, chopped, crushed, whatever you like. Whole peeled San Marzano are my personal favorites.
garlic cloves
olive oil
red pepper flakes
nutmeg (optional)
tomato paste
mushrooms (optional)
salt
black pepper
onion
any other spices you might like to include, maybe oregano, basil, bay leaf, whatever you like and have on hand
and … SUGAR, don’t get too excited, it’s just a pinch worth

Home Made Tomato Sauce

Heat olive oil in a large deep sauce pot and add an onion that you’ve thinly sliced and mushrooms if you’re using them. Allow the onions and mushroom to “sweat” on very low heat for about ten minutes. After the vegetables have wilted down add garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the can of tomatoes and mash with a wooden spook or potato masher. Stir in tomato paste until you get desired consistency. Allow the mixture come to a boil and add a sprinkling of nutmeg, salt and pepper, other spices you might care to use. Lower the temperature and simmer the mixture for about an hour.

Taste and adjust as you see fit.

Now, there are no quantities listed above, you’re going to have to TRUST YOURSELF and follow your taste buds. Here’s the kicker. When you add the spices, add a pinch or two of sugar. Yes, sugar. This will counteract all the savory increments of the dish and enhance them. It also helps bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.

Cover pasta with it, use it on pizza, or simple eat it. I do!

Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment »

Fat Tuesday

Filed Under: Food, Life, Recipeson February 16th, 2010

If I were a cooler person, I’d live in New Orleans.

Unfortunately, my body can only handle a few days of funnel cakes, fried okra, extra-large to-go margaritas, pancakes, strawberry shortcakes on buttermilk biscuits, and bacon … I could go on for hours about the food in this city, it is by far my favorite place to eat …

And that’s just the food. Usually there’s gambling, little sleep, driving weird rental cars, brawling with locals, eating at Cafe du Monde at 4 am, getting hit in the head with beads, attempting to not look like the “morning after” everyday you’re there and attempting to at least stand when you arrive at the airport.

You only visit Nola like this once. Then you learn, you go back and you really enjoy the city for what it is, an incredibly strong passionate and cultured metropolis rich with tradition and pride. And this was true even before The Saints won the Super Bowl.

Fortunately, my sister is cool enough to live in this city, so visits are a must! In honor of Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins, and the biggest party day during Mardi Gras, I’ve included a recipe for the Nola famous King Cake.

Legend has it, the person who get the “baby” trinket baked into the cake has the obligation to bake the next king cake. Now, most King Cakes made in grocery stores and bakeries are not up to par on the New Orleans standard. I had the honor of staying in a beautiful old New Orleans home on my last visit and tasted a King Cake worthy of praise – by even a king.

Grab a Hurricane cut yourself a piece of King Cake, put on some beads and give me a little shimmy. Happy Tuesday …

King Cake

Dough:

1 cup Milk

1/4 cup Butter

2 (.25 ounce) packages of active dry yeast

2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

5 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

Filling:

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon

2/3 cup chopped Pecans

1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup melted Butter

Frosting:

1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar

1 tablespoon Water

Scald milk, take off heat and add butter and stir until melted, let it cool. Add yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon sugar and allow to sit and get foamy, about 10 minutes.

After yeast seems bubbly add the cooled milked mixture and stir. Then add remaining dough ingredients sans flour. Once all combined add flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough comes together into a ball. Oil a bowl and place ball into a bowl and cover, allow to rise for 2 hrs, it should be double in size. Punch down the ball and divide into two.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease two sheet trays. Combine all ingredients for filling and melt butter. Pour melted butter over filling toppings and combine until crumbly. Roll two balls into large rectangles, split filling between two rectangles and roll up into log forms.

Loop the log into a circle and take kitchen scissors and cut ever 2 inches or so half=way through the dough. All to rise for 45 minutes.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes add the baby figure by pushing it down into the dough. In the meantime combine all ingredients for icing. Allow cake to cool slightly after cooking for about 15 more minutes and top with icing.

Food coloring, sprinkles optional.

king cake

Tags: Fat Tuesday, King Cake, Mardi Gras, New Orleans
Posted in Food, Life, Recipes | 2 Comments »

Burger Bash Winner

Filed Under: Recipeson February 15th, 2010

What did I do with all that fabulously fresh and inexpensive ground lamb, as you ask?

I made the winning burger recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine. A lamb pomegranate burger. The recipe called for ground lamb stuffed with feta cheese and pomegranate seeds, topped with a mint arugula salad, red onion slices and dressed with a goat cheese lemon pomegranate seed spread.

I used what I had, which is something I think everyone should learn how to do. So instead of feta, I used goat cheese. Instead of arugula I used a combination of baby lettuces and watercress and mint. And instead of red onion, I used an olive bread as my roll.

Success!

I also had a side of broccoli rabe which I flash boiled and then sautéed in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Not a bad little Monday night meal with my new find …

Tags: lamb burger
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »

Good Night Kiss

Filed Under: French Culinary Institute, Recipeson February 1st, 2010

One of the most important days in a chef’s year is Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Years, Mother’s Day, etc. Aka all the days normal people have off and feel as though they must book reservations so that (fill in the blank) doesn’t kill them.

The obligation to please a special someone(s) on these such days comes with the territory, BUT this is one thing a chef doesn’t have to worry about. They’ll be too busy working. Oh, and making money. Because just like the candy companies, the card sellers, and the florists, chefs make bank on sentimental holidays.

Valentine’s Days (and restaurant week, in my opinion) are great opportunities to bring people into a restaurant that don’t dine out often, and feel as though they must to adhere to some status quo set by pop-culture American standards. Menus are reduced, chefs get rid of overstock, and people flood in and end up spending more money than what they bargain for.

Boys have to buy flowers, husbands make reservations, wives buy sexy lingerie, and people exchange chocolates. Ah, the last blip in that sentence is where I come in.

Hand made chocolates are labor intensive and fine delicacies. These chocolates aren’t your cheap Hersey’s chocolate sugar gorged creations that make your teeth hurt just biting into them. No, these chocolate bon-bons are works of art. Works of art, and a lot of time.

Over the last few days we’ve learned how to make bon-bons. Molded bon bons in contrast to our hand rolled ones from level two. We use tempered chocolate, plastic molds, and lots of patience. Once you get the hang of it though, the possibilities are endless. Any flavor combination from coconut curry, to balsamic strawberry are possible (these were two class examples).

They’re not always good flavor combinations, but with the right ratios you can create any medley you wish.

bonbon

Oh, and we had to come up with a clever (corny) name for our bon-bon.

Mine was, Midnight Kiss. The idea behind it was to create an after dinner treat that would act as a breath mint, thus, leading to a first (or thousandth) after dinner kiss. The thrill!

The recipe goes as follows:

Midnight Kiss

Zest of 1 Lemon

Juice of 2 Lemons (reduced)

20 mint leaves (chopped to release aromatics)

290 g heavy cream

250 g bittersweet dark chocolate

15 g butter (soft or room temp.)

30 g Creme de Menthe

Reduce lemon juice to about half. Place cream, zest, and mint leaves over the stove and allow to boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, take off heat and allow the mixture to seep for 30 minutes.

In the meantime temper chocolate for bon-bon molds and line the trays with tempered chocolate. Allow to dry.

Reheat the seeped mixture and have it reach a boil. Pour the hot mixture through a sieve over the bowl of chopped chocolate and softened butter. Allow the mixture to sit for a minute before stirring. Gently begin to stir so that all the chocolate is combined. Stir in lemon juice and Creme de Menthe.

Allow to cool and pipe into molds. Cover the molds again with bottom layer of tempered chocolate.

Allow to harden and remove from molds!

This sounds complicated, and honestly it is, but its beautiful and delicious. Best bet, buy a couple at a local chocolate shop, its expensive to make at home if you’re not experience or possess molds.

The flavor is strong for this bon-bon. As my friend Vanessa says, “It’s like brushing your teeth but with chocolate.” That sounds bad, but if you want the sexiness of dessert AND a kiss, you’ll love them. The lemon cuts the bite. Think gourmet Andes Mints.

Eat one and maybe you’ll get a good night kiss, I sure hope I do!

As a side note, after the first couple days in level one I’ve begun to learn a few things:

1. There’s much more homework, showpieces, and artistic expression.

2. We have windows and sometimes sunlight. Having been trapped in a windowless kitchen for the last four months this is quite a lovely thing.

3. It’s four long floors up. So my tushy is getting tight from all those stairs.

4. The chef is foreign, and in my experience harder to read (so far), but smart and incredibly talented.

5. Quiet, more room, and definitely less chit-chat. Suffice to say, we’ve all got our serious pants on.

I’ll keep you posted!

bonbon1

Tags: bon-bons, Valentine's Day
Posted in French Culinary Institute, Recipes | 2 Comments »

Mid-Winter Blues Cures

Filed Under: Food, New York City, Recipeson January 31st, 2010

I’m always cold. Always. I’ve been graced with a particularly odd illness which causes multiple fingers of mine to turn white so that they resemble those of a dead person, or a member of the Adam’s Family. I’ve been known (yesterday case in point) to have ALL ten fingers void of blood circulation. The only cure being really hot water.

So obviously winter is not my favorite season. But I don’t hate it. I love the pretty white snow, the twinkling Christmas lights, the family and friends during the holiday, and the allowance to drink as much red wine as your teeth (and lips) can handle. Skiing, sledding, hot toddies, sweaters, cozy socks, all aren’t bad too.

But, it’s around this time of year when things begin to feel and look … well, a little blue. Mood included. On the eve of February first, (the most dreadful month of all) I find myself in need of a jolt of sunny weather, a summer cocktail, and a little bit of spice. With a lack of money, layers, and sheer will-power to venture out into the single digit winds New York seems to be cradling, I opt for a Sunday in.

I love how people love when you invite them over for dinner. “Do you want to go get dinner tonight?” I check the weather … um, 14 degrees WITHOUT windchill … um, “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll cook!?”

sweet

“Oh my God that sounds FABULOUS! I’ll bring the wine!”

Signed, sealed, delivered. Not only did you just impress your guest, but you don’t have to leave home. Stop. Don’t rush out to the grocery store and buy things to make. Remember, the point is to not have to leave the warm comforts of your home. You can literally make something out of nothing, guaranteed.

So what do I have?

Well for one, a guest who thinks she’s an adventurous eater but she’s really not, craving foods mostly from the Mediterranean region and preferring to keep her wine bubbly and her desserts chocolate. So I already know what’s she’s bringing to drink, Prosecco. I already know what she’s craving, little bits of a bunch of different things.

So tapas, appetizers dinner here we come!

I have pita bread, goat cheese, garlic, an assortment of winter veggies, ground beef, greek yogurt, roasted red peppers, hummus, sun dried tomatoes, and an assortment of random pantry staples.

I’m going to make a goat cheese pizza with roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and hummus on top a whole wheat pita. Maybe I’ll top that with a little bit of lemoned and olive oiled greens.

A side of roasted broccolli rabe with lots of garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.

A great piece of fresh bread I purchased this morning (while I was out …).

And mini meatballs filled with salt, pepper, oregano, red wine, roasted garlic, and a little bit of panko. These will have two sides, a mint yogurt sauce with garlic and a classic tomato sauce.

These things and lots of red wine …

Did I mention one of the perks of it being winter? Pictures posted soon …

Tags: dinner for friends
Posted in Food, New York City, Recipes | 1 Comment »