Fortunato's

So it is far past due that I give a shout out to my favorite local bakery. Fortunato's. Conveniently located right up the street, I love stopping in after dinner for a cappuccino and a cannoli. I love the old italian men who idle away the afternoons here almost as much as the food. The cheesecake is fabulous, I love the cannoli, the eclair, and the cream puffs. I also love the bite size of each pastry, it's just the right amount of dessert. They also offer gelato, some I've enjoyed, some I have not. I love straciatella, but I find their version to have a strange tinny flavor. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

Looking forward to my next visit...

No Impact Man

So it's been almost a month of being a vegetarian, 3 since I vowed to "change my diet instead of go on a diet", and about 4 since I watched Food, Inc, which started it all. So far? The changes have all felt pretty easy- I'm actually not missing meat very much at all (Although hot wings I have missed, dearly). It has been great to see what I've truly missed (italian imported Speck, YES) and what I've probably been eating just because I didn't know any better (chicken breast, breast, breast). I can't say more than I'm signing up for another month. I feel really good about the fuel I've been putting in my body, and that is all that matters to me.

It has been really interesting, on the other hand, to see and hear friends and family member's reactions to the news. I kinda tried not to make a big deal out of it, but when it eventually came up- most seemed intrigued, and then wanted to know if it was politics, health, or some other reason. Well folks, as I've said before, it is both- though I still stand by my belief that meat is an ok and natural part of the diet, as long as the animals are treated humanely during their stay here on earth. I have no doubt there will be times in the future when I am going to treat myself to some meat- but that is exactly what I think it should be- a very special treat.

The past few weeks have led down some interesting paths. Can you really be aware of how your food consumption impacts the environment and your health without starting to question every other thing you do? The answer is no. Cleaning products? Make-up? It all becomes suspect. And as I look around me, I start to question our collective consumption- and my individual, too- and wonder about my impact on the environment. Right now, I take and take and take- and I'm leaving a footprint. Yeah, I comfort myself with my use of mass transit, our new reusable grocery sacks, and that we recycle our plastics and paper products. But we still produce more trash than we should, and we fly on an awful lot of airplanes, and eat food from far away. In the long run, we'll have to do more.

Which brings me to No Impact Man. A film and book about a NYC family that spends an entire year reducing their carbon footprint to zero, No Impact Man goes to the limits- riding their bikes EVERYWHERE for a year, shopping only in local farmer's markets, reducing their trash to nothing (including not using disposable TP!), and turning off their electricity.

Understandably, the author does not expect most to got to the extremes he did- and following the experiment, some things in their lives have gone back to "normal". But just like my food experiment, by pushing the limits- this family realized what they really needed and what was excess. I hope to live like that- in the balance, taking just what we need- and giving some back.


Check out No Impact Man's blog @:
http://noimpactman.typepad.com/

Vegging Out: The Entree Salad

Since going the way of the veggie-eater, I have given some thought to what makes for a good entree salad. I have always been a fan of eating my greens, but trying to "beef" them up to be the main part of the meal has taken some creativity. But here are some of my new favorite ingredients, and my classic salad secrets. Friends swear by them, and revealed here for the first time- I feel a little strange. I only told my husband the trick a few years back... Well, for you, dear readers, I present the world:

(As you move through each category, the trick is to add less and less of that set- so lots of leaves, a little less veg, a little less fruit, and then a pinch of dairy, protein, and finally light on the dressing makes for the right ratio!!)


1. Begin with...

Rubbing the bowl with a clove of garlic. Reserve to make dressing.

2. Add: Leaves:
-Arugula
-Spinach
-Radicchio
-Endive
-Romaine Hearts
-Boston lettuce
-Red and Green leaf
-Dandelion, frisee, etc
-fresh herbs: basil, parsley, oregano

I like at least 2 kinds of lettuce in my salad. I can't stand iceberg. Not sure why anyone eats it, it's predominantly bland, pretty much like eating water, and it makes me burp like crazy. *Dislike* If I am using a head of lettuce, I do not cut the leaves with a knife but rip them with my hands. I rinse them and pat them dry, but leave a little water on them to mix with the dressing.


3. Add: Veggies

-Roast Red Peppers
-Cherry tomato (Room temperature! No one likes a cold tomato...)
-green or yellow bell pepper
-baby bella mushrooms (I can't stand white button, again NO flavor whatsoever, though at least in this case I get why the texture can be pleasing)
-garbanzo or black beans
-corn
-red onion
-shredded carrot
-beets
-cucumber
-asparagus, other dark greens

I usually overdue it if I use more than 2-3 veggie mix-ins tops. It's hard to stop myself sometime, but then the veggies just become overwhelming.

4. Add: Fruits, Nuts, Seeds:
-strawberry, apple, pear, orange, grapes
-dried cranberry
-walnuts
-pine nuts
-seeds

I will put in one of these choices for a sweet compliment to the salad.

5. Add:Protein
-eggs
-chicken (for my carnivore friends!)
-marinated beef
-portobello mushroom
-tunafish
-tofu
-bacon or pancetta

I suggest a small serving, just a handful!

6. Add:Dairy
-mozzarella
-parmesan/ pecorino
- crumbled goat cheese, feta, or blue

*Just a pinch!

7. Add: Secret Seasonings
-Pinch italian seasoning, pinch salt, fresh ground black pepper

8. Add:Balsamic Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced very fine
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Up to 1 cup olive oil

Mix mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk. (This is key). Taste to adjust flavors. Pour on slowly, and enough to wet salad, but it should by no means be taking a bath! MY biggest pet peeve is an overdressed salad! If you actually put in great ingredients, you won't need to hide the bland flavor with a ton of dressing. If you like a crouton, or olives, toss just a few on top, and voila!

Serve!

Teddy's Bar & Grill

This is probably my favorite neighborhood "joint". We've been coming here for several years for brunch and lunch, and enjoy the food. I don't really see it as a dinner spot, but right through afternoon snacks, this place is great. I love the veggie and chicken paninis, which come with a side salad and are served hot and gooey with cheese. I LOVE the veggie burger here which does NOT come from a box, but which is clearly hand-made and delish. Ryan likes the burgers, and the bar food- nachos and quesadillas- are really good too. On a nice sunny day I love sitting by the open windows and watching people go by. Fun fact, it was featured in the the film "PS I Love You", so if you've seen the movie, you've already spent some time in this bar. The bar is over 100 years old, I believe, and has a great tin ceiling and wooden bar.

The reviews on Yelp are hit or miss, and I have heard this too. But I think I've almost always had hits- the complaints about mixed drinks just make me want to stick to the iced tea, wine, and beer option. I have never really tried some of the more complex food items either, so I suppose my advice is to just stick to the bar basics, and you should be satisfied too!!

Formaggio Kitchen

Few things get my heart pounding like "Formaggio". I love cheese. I have fond memories of eating cheese on picnics in the italian alps, on the steps of cathedrals, and in some of my favorite restaurants. The sight of many cheeses really just makes me happy. Throw in wine, local organic produce, fresh baked bread, and an impressive selection of fancy cold cuts... well, it took a lot not to buy the whole damn store.

My friend Casey accompanied me on our adventure, and we spent a solid 45 minutes shopping- and tasting! Of course, silly me, I neglected to write down all the names- but a few highlights:

- Sottocenere al Tartufo:

Let's just call it heaven. A soft white cheese with truffles. What more can a girl ask for?? It was divine. I had to buy some of this to bring home...

Comte- a french white, somewhat nutty, not my favorite, but tasty.

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar- this stuff was soooo tasty! The cheese lady was super helpful- and told us about how cabot makes this cheese at one dairy, from one herd. crazy.

We also tried several others- including an incredible blue cheese that is an exclusive import.

I highly recommend stopping by the next time you are in cambridge or on the lower east side of new york. But for everyone else, good news- they sell on their site, too- at: http://www.formaggiokitchen.com/

Pizza, Pizza: Motorino, Fornino, and Sal's

Everybody knows pizza is what it is all about in Brooklyn. A review of my favorites:



I gave a shout out to this place way back in my early posting days, but it deserves a full review. We probably go about once every other month, if not even more often. Along with Le Barricou, my favorite local brunch spot, this is definitely one of our most frequently visited spots. The menu changes often, with seasonal foods popping on and off. The pizzas have a thin crust and are fired in a charcoal oven. Ryan loves the sopresetta picante, which has spicy sopresetta on it and mozzarella cheese. I have had a few outstanding pizzas- most recently, I had one with cremini mushrooms that was to die for. I also really appreciated that they made me a non-meat version! They have some tasty salads too, and a nice bar. However, the real highlight- and I mean this as no small compliment- is the tiramisu for dessert. I have never seen Ryan inhale anything like he does this! I have to make sure to be aggressive, or it's gone. The custard is creamy, with cocoa powder and mint garnish, and a really great hazelnut flavor. We have also had the house-made bomboli- donuts- which were pretty insane. This spot has had a lot of press- Rachel Ray is apparently a very big fan of the East Village branch, but I can attest that it is not hype!





Before Motorino, there was Fornino. The first gourmet pizza place we had, it still offers a few amazing pies that are worth the trip. Perhaps most noteworthy is the truffle pizza, which is a $40 pie, and worth every cent. I've only had it once, but I'll remember it forever. Usually, though, I go for its cousin- a mushroom pizza with truffle oil. At about a fifth of the price, it still has so much flavor. The margarita pizza here is great, and all the ingredients are super fresh.




And before them all, there was Sal's. Sal's is old school. It is conveniently located across the corner from my apartment, and it has had my allegiance from my earliest visits to the neighborhood. The pepperoni is awesome, but over time I have come to love some of their specialty slices- the salad pizza, which requires a fork, is great. The white pizza is awesome. The marinara and pesto slice is great, and I also really love the fresh vegetables. I also have a particular fondness for their baked ziti, which I am dying to replicate at home one of these days. Finally, the chicken parm sub gets my seal of approval, though now that I am in meat retirement, I might have to try the eggplant. Next time you're in the burg, stop in to one of my fav's, and let me know which one is yours!

Nero D'Avola & drinks at Buddakan

I met my dad for dinner in the city the other night. Ironically, it was St. Patrick's day, and we went for Italian. Go figure. I have walked past Nero several times, and it always looked really romantic inside. It was also always packed, so it was nice to have a reservation on a *quieter* evening. I was really impressed by my glass of montepulciano, and couldn't get enough of the fresh bread and garlic-infused olive oil. We split an appetizer of Crostini- There was an artichoke, a tomato and basil, and a prosciutto- all were great and served with melted delicious buffalo mozzarella cheese. For my entree, I had super think maccheroni- real italian style- in a marinara sauce with eggplant. This is quickly becoming my go-to item- something about the eggplant really makes the tomato sauce pop, and brings out just so many fresh, spring flavors in the sauce! My dad opted for the carbonara, which he reported was also good, though not as good as he has had in the past. Overall, I was really pleased with this spot. There was a ton of flavor in the food- something that can be lacking, but here, it was clear everything was fresh and quality.





After dinner we stopped in Buddakan for a drink and to soak in the sexy atmosphere. I'd been dying to check the bar out for a while, and I figured my dad would appreciate the elaborate decor. This really is a beautiful space. I recommend sitting at one of the low tables- the bar stools were a little rough, but the place was really cool!!