Pickled beets and eggs

A favorite treat and after school snack:

-Hard boil 1/2 dozen eggs and place in large container. Combine:

1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 can red beets

Let sit overnight, and let the feasting begin.

Mis En Place Party!

I needed to spice up my cooking life- and Ronna (of Purple Kale Kitchenworks) was just the lady to set me on my next steps. I, like many people I know, struggle to 'throw something together' on a weeknight- and often end up ordering out instead from the pizza joint across the street.

Ronna's theory is simple: forget life by the recipe and cook each individual ingredient as far and as well as you like- and then use these ingredients to make quick and delicious meals throughout the week.

The principle that struck me best was that if I could cook each item unto itself, the worst that happens is I stand at my fridge, fork in hand, and eat a little of this and a little of that, and get a strange, yet satisfying meal.

So, when the challenge came up of putting together a luncheon menu on super short time (I was going to be out of town the day and morning before!!), I decided to put the theory to the test.

I knew I had only about 2 hours the day of to put everything together, so I spent some time the Thursday night before doing the real prep. I ended up using 3 pots and 1 small saute pan, and it took me 2.5 hours, including time to wash the dishes. At the end of the night, here is some of what I now had on hand:

Steamed Broccoli
sauteed shallots
cut radishes
cut orange pepper
Seared Portobello Mushroom
Crispy browned garlic
herb butter

I walked in my house Sunday at noon, and by 2pm, had the following dishes on hand:

Pasta salad with orange pepper, jarred summer tomatoes, steamed broccoli, crispy browned garlic, and an olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper dressing

Spinach salad with seared portobello mushroom, roasted red pepper, radish, and balsamic vinegar

Crostini with herb butter, broiled baby artichoke, parmesan cheese, and sauteed shallots.


Everyone was impressed by the goods- but really, it wasn't such a cooking masterpiece as it sounded!!!

I'll be preparing my Mis En Place again next week, ready to eat a little of this and that again!!

Otto Enoteca

I recently checked out Otto with my dad. Part of Mario Batali's NYC Italian empire, it reminded me a bit of Eataly (see review: http://amateurchefofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011/02/eataly.html) in both decor and menu, but that's a good thing. The bar area has high marble table tops to stand at and sip wine, and the view to the open pizza kitchen is an excellent visual appetizer. The train station theme was both entertaining and maybe a bit much at the same time- the hostess hands a slip of paper with the name of an Italian city on it, and instructs each guest to watch the board for our 'departure' to know when the table is ready. Seemed like extra work to me, but I could imagine kids thinking it was the coolest.thing.ever. But it still felt a bit forced....

I liked the menu which had options of pastas, pizzas, cheese and meat plates, and a wide array of vegetable sides/appetizers. We tried two- cannellini beans, which were awesome and seasoned with sage and celery, and tasted, as my dad put best, "just like Grammy's stuffing", which was what I was thinking too. We also had some red and yellow roast beets, and accompanied by the fresh baked bread, it made a nice start to the meal.

For my entree, I had my 'usual'- pasta with red sauce and eggplant. I love this dish and order it at many restaurants- Otto's version was tasty, but I must say the pasta was about as al dente as it gets without actually being undercooked- it was a little underdone for my taste, but the sauce was amazing and I cleaned the bowl anyway, so obviously it did not ruin it for me, lol. My dad tried a different pasta with a sauce that included braised pork shoulder which he really loved.

I knew from other reviews to save room for dessert- and I was sooo glad I did- because the gelato was as good as rumored. I tried the hazlenut straciatella, which is a combo of two of my favorite things anyway, and it was delicious. They give a nice large cupful which I could barely do justice to, but it was totally worth it.

Perhaps the service was the only part I did not love, it seemed a bit scattered, but the check was another nice surprise- with the pastas super reasonably priced at $10 each, and the antipasti at $5, it was by far the cheapest Batali meal- and one I can easily afford on a regular basis and for any old weeknight. What a nice discovery- and I so will be back!!!

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.