Sweet Potato and Turnip Mash

Some recipes are just so gloriously simple and quick, and this is one of them! Ryan creates this one whenever we have turnips- it's really the only way I like them. They have a subtle broccoli-like flavor to me when mixed with the sweetness of the sweet potato!

Peel 2-3 small/medium turnips and 2 large sweet potatoes. (You definitely want a ratio of more sweet potato to less turnip.)

Cut into medium sized chunks and boil until tender with a fork. Add about 1/2 stick of butter, salt and milk to taste and desired creaminess. Mash and whip with a wooden spoon.

Voila!

Anella

We recently tried this lovely new restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The NY times review made it sound awesome, and the menu had lots of tasty veggie dishes, so it seemed like a great place to try!

The bread is of note; it arrives fresh-baked in a flower pot!! Warm and soft, the way it should be.



We shared an appetizer of the roasted broccoli with watercress, parmesan cheese, and lemon. It was ah-maze-ing! The tartness of the lemon and the parmesan topping was so delicious!

The other appetizers sounded equally awesome- a sunchoke salad and a roasted beet salad- and I'd love to try them both sometime.

For my entree, I tried the gemelli pasta, a homemade pasta with roasted squash, sage, brandy and ricotta cheese. Super savory and rich, it was over the top.

Ryan had the roast chicken with an arugula and gorgonzola salad, and fingerling potatoes. Ryan doesn't normally order chicken when we're out, but he loved it.

The bar was good too- I had a few glasses of prosecco and Ryan sampled some cocktails. Definitely going back soon!!

Carrot Bisque

Another fabulous recipe that we found in the vegetarian time's- and put a Lora & Ryan spin on.

Olive oil
2 tbs grated ginger
2 leeks
1 yellow onion
garlic
1 tbs curry powder
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
4 cups carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
1 can coconut milk
2 1/2 tbs lime juice
2 cups water
2 cups stock

Heat oil in bottom of deep pot. Add onion, leeks, and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook until fragrant. Add curry powder, cayenne, and 1/4 cup stock. Cook a few more minutes, stirring to coat onions with mixture.

Add in carrots, the remaining 1 and 3/4 cups stock and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until carrots are soft enough to pierce with a fork.

Puree soup in a blender in batches. Return soup to pot and stir in 1 cup of coconut milk and lime.

Simmer remaining coconut milk in small saucepan about 10 minutes, until reduced by about half.

Serve in bowls, swirling coconut milk into soup and topping with homemade croutons, if desired.

WD-50

This post is about to break my heart. Wylie Dufresne, of top chef and world fame for his modern cooking- called 'molecular gastronomy'- a weird mash of science and food fiction- did not deliver. Well, not entirely. I was soooo excited to go check this place out- having watched Wylie on TV, and read the NY Times reviews, I knew I was going to have a unique meal. The point, I understood- was to take the ordinary and turn it into something more concentrated and playful... but where did the flavor go? Let me break it down...

The appetizers were by far a highlight- though they took quite some time to arrive. The service was nice, but slow. And we skipped the drinks, as the prices were really stiff.

Ry started off with aerated foie groie with pickled beets and a currant jelly- he declared the beets the best part of the plate, and I agree. They tasted pretty much like... beets. The foie was rich, and came in a sizeable portion. It was good, and 'interesting', says Ryan, though I doubt he would get it again.

I had the famous Eggs Benedict- though mine were technically florentine, since I skipped the bacon and substituted spinach. I must say, this was the highlight that it has been made out to be in so many articles- read this one from the NY times for a run down of the technical process and revelation in form that this dish is: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/reviews/05rest.html

In short, it is pretty amazing. The yolks are turned into a gel- reminding me of the texture of the custard part of a lemon meringue pie- and the deep friend hollandaise was.... well, mind blowing. This dish was definitely pretty awesome, and when the bites mixed together- really exquisite.

For my entree, I had the vegetarian special- a forgettable and bland quinoa-based dish that was super disappointing. It did not do justice to the turnip or other veggies on the plate, and the portion seemed insubstantial. Even the baby bok choy was uninspired. It was dry, and lacked really any flavor.

Ryan had a coconut fish dish that tasted more like hand lotion and also had muted, bland flavors. I felt urges to reach for the salt like never before, and I just couldn't believe this was the guy everybody raves about!!

The best bites of my meal by far were the eggs benedict appetizer and the tiny complimentary dessert of an amazing freeze-dried ice cream rice krispy treat, which was heaven.

All in all, we left shaking our heads, wondering if it was just a mismatch of flavor palates- we like savory, earthy foods- or truly a disappointing meal. I don't know if I can say for sure, but I definitely left feeling let down, hungry, and unsatisfied.