Rosa Mexicano

So I had the good fortune to have dinner with a wonderful friend at one of my favorites, Rosa Mexicano. This was now probably trip 5 or so for me, and I have to report, I just love this place. I like to start with the house special, a pomegranate martini that is delicious, and usually a little stiff. I love the smoky red salsa, and I like that the chips are still free. That is for sure one of my biggest pet peeves. Chips and salsa in a mexican restaurant should always be free!

I have to admit being stuck in a wonderful rut when it comes to entrees- I always order the chicken suiza enchiladas. The chicken is served in an amazing cilantro sauce, with rice and black beans. Lots of flavor. Rosalia had the same thing, damn.

There are several locations throughout manhattan, I've been in 3 and ate at 2. I have to admit, the meal I had at the mid-East side location was disappointing, and the environment isn't nearly as snazzy as the Lincoln Center spot. The new one- at Union Square, is loud, but looks like fun. I still vote for the one right across from the met. Three times I've gone pre-show, and they've always done a bang up job of getting us out for our curtain, without feeling rushed. This last time, we cut it super close, and got there just an hour before the show. We let the waiter know, and our entrees were out within 15 minutes- Ole!

Pumpkin Pie

I love pie. I make my own crusts, which can be used with any fillin'. It is super easy to make, not sure why people make such a big deal outta crust. So if you are still buying it from the store, stop!! Try this:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)- softened

5 tblsp ICE water

Put the flour & salt in a small bowl, whisk. Cut the butter into little squares and mash into the flour with a fork. Add in 5 tblsp of water, slowly, then start using your hands to kneed the dough. Collect it into a ball, should be a little moist, so not crumbly, but not wet. Wrap in saran and refrigerate for 1/2 and hour or until you need it!!

Now, for the fillin'.

I've made the pie both ways, by buying sugar pumpkins and roasting them and scooping out the flesh, and by opening up a can full of pumpkin pie filling. I hate to admit this, but having done it the labor-intensive way, there was really very little difference in final product. So, I'll tell you how to do it, in case you have some extra time to kill, but in this one instant, I'm gonna advocate for the canned goods.

1 medium-size sugar pumpkin

carefully cut pumpkin in half. discard seeds and stringy bits. Save seeds for roasting if that's your thing. Lightly oil baking sheets, either one large one that will fit both halves, or two smaller ones. also lightly oil the halves themselves, then place face down, with the fleshy parts exposed. Bake @ 325, until flesh is tender when poke with a fork. scrape the warm flesh from the peel. mush or puree in a blender.

OR

Go buy a can of Libby's pumpkin pie filling. open and pour into bowl. Add:

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp crushed cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg/ allspice

1 tsp salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz honey- warm in boiling water in the jar, then pour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Beat ingredients with a mixer on low. This will make a ton of batter, might be enough for a deep dish pie or two smaller ones.

Bake @ 400 for 50-55 min until fork comes out clean from center

Fresh whip cream to dress it up, and serve!

Roast Chicken with Garlic, Shallot, and Rosemary

This is a dean & deluca inspired recipe:

1 roaster- we went for 6.5 lbs (organic! antibiotic free!)

rub:

3 tblsp chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

12 shallots, peeled

20 cloves garlic, peeled

for the jus:

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

Bed of Veggies:

mushrooms

carrots

fingerling potatoes

Preheat oven according to bird weight/ approximately 350 degrees. Prep the veggies. Mix the rub in a small bowl. Clean out the giblets, wash and pat dry the chicken. Place veggies in bottom of roasting pan, then the chicken, making sure there is enough room for air to circulate. Disperse the shallots and garlic in the pan. Rub the olive oil mixture all over the chicken, the veggies, the garlic and shallots. Be heavy handed. make sure to get inside the cavity, coating every surface. Roast the bird, basting every 20 minutes. Add a little water and white wine to the pan juices. Turn the bird belly side up for about 15 minutes, then back over. After about 2-2.5 hours, test to see if bird is done. While resting, prepare the au jus: scrape the pan juices into a small pot, add in 1 cup stock and 1/2 cup white wine. Reduce to 1 cup. Serve over chicken.

Notes: The veggies carmelized and were amazing!! The garlic was sweet enough to eat whole...And this really was tender, flavorful chicken!

Daniel

So, it was a special occasion, and we went all out. For our second anniversary, Ryan and I went to Daniel Boulud's flagship, Daniel. We sorta had a chef crush on him to begin with, and we got to see him in person, which was amazing!! As for the food...

WOW.

The amuse bouche were amazing. The size of pinheads, but more flavor packed in one bite...my personal favorite of the 3 was a leek and mushroom, super creamy soup-type thing. It was basically served in a thimble, but oh what a thimbleful!

For appetizers, we had the artichoke soup with foie gras and sunchoke, and a lobster foie gras in consomme with small strips of duck prosciutto. I thought they were both very delicate and delicious. We also went with the wine pairings, Ryan had some crazy riesling that smelled like a mechanic shop. Ryan swears it tasted good...

For my entree I had a killer piece of lamb. The sauce was... very rich, creamy, and flavorful. Don't ask me what all was in it. There was also a bed of garbanzo beans that were nice and crunchy, which really added to the dish. Ryan had the beef two ways. The short rib was melt in your mouth goodness, and the filet was tender and really flavorful.

For dessert, I had a cheese plate, and Ryan had a chocolate peanut butter ganache, and we have no complaints.

Overall, the setting was gorgeous, the service was great, the food was delicious- and the wine was both wonderful and palate- pushing. Our only complaint was that the pours were a bit small! We will definitely be back someday soon!

Food, Inc.

So, as this blog is devoted to our culinary delights, both homemade and found out and about, I felt I had to talk about the movie I watched today, Food, Inc. If you haven't seen it, please do. Not because it's amazing (which it is) but because it is essential. Ryan and I are your typical food consumers- we buy what we see in the store, and we trust that our food is safe, regulated by the FDA- but it's not. Exposing the corruption and deregulation, the mass industrialized production of food- and the dehumanizing work practices- I think we're going local, and I think I'm ready to make some long-lasting changes. Between what I've learned about climate change of late- and food production- I think it's time to make a commitment to long-standing sacrifice and change for sustainable eating.

1. I'm willing to eat meats less frequently, pay a little bit more when I do, and KNOW that the product is high quality, from a REAL farm and not a factory, and produced by workers who are treated with respect.

2. I'm willing to go local, and eat seasonally.

It's not gonna be easy. I like bananas. I LOVE tomatoes. But I think it might be time to admit that the winter tomatoes I get- from halfway around the world, grown in hothouses, not in soil, and ripened chemically. They never taste like a good ol' jersey tomato anyway.

3. Farmer's markets RULE.

So how come I don't shop them more often? I want to support the ma's and pa's, sustainable agriculture, and the local economy. And they are SO fun.

4. I haven't been feeling good lately about what I've been putting into my body.

Weight watchers? Lean cuisine? All these companies are marketing "healthy" food- but let's read the labels. It's all chemicals. Blech. I'm done with those! I want to make my "vote" count- and use my power as a customer to show the food industry the type of food I want!

See Food, Inc.

The Amazing "Italian Flag" Sandwich

Ok, so these sandwiches are a total addiction. You will love them too!!

Ciabatta rolls

olive oil

balsamico

fresh basil

italian seasoning

prosciutto, speck, etc as desired

Buffala Mozzarella

roasted red peppers

tomato

pepper

Heat up the ciabatta rolls, drizzle on the olive oil and vinegar. It really makes it better if you spring for imported buffalo mozzarella.

presto!

Alibi @ The Liberty Hotel

So Saturday night we got our shi-shi on at a Boston bar. It was Ryan's 10 year high school reunion, so my plan was to a) look like a hottie and b) get really, really drunk. Let's just say, mission(s) accomplished. The Liberty Hotel, ironically, opened in what used to be a jail- and the architecture hints playfully at its origins. "Alibi" is dark and dungeon-y, with arrest photos of famous folks hanging on the walls. The drinks were NOT cheap, and we dropped some dough, but they have a nice wine selection and mixed a good cocktail. Don't go by the picture above, they practically had the lights off inside. The hotel itself deserves mention, there is a second bar upstairs, and a restaurant named clink, which looked great. I'd come back for dinner and another round!