4.30.2008

SICK SUPPER





I was feeling sorta gross last night so I ended up going to be pretty much immediately following dinner. But Meena was kind enough to order some dinner before I went off to bed. And whenever you need some quick, cheap food, Joya is the way to go.

Meena had:
- spring rolls
- pad thai (spicy!)

Alec had:
- tom yum koong
- pork with basil

Yummy. And after a good night's sleep ... I'm better! Whoo, hoo!

4.28.2008

DUCK, DUCK, SAUSAGE



Oh yeah. Duck sausage. You heard it right.

When Meena and I were at the butcher on Sunday, we decided at the last second to tack a few duck sausages on our hanger steak order. I don't know why. They just looked really nice.

So I wanted to cook them up last night and I did indeed do that.

Nothing too fancy, but because the sausages were made with Grand Marnier, I figured I'd try to jazz them up a little and keep that sweet theme consistent throughout. So I grilled up the sausages and then whipped up a little cabbage concoction:
- cabbage
- red onion
- chives
- hoisin
- orange marmalade
- rice vinegar
- olive oil
- sambal oelek

So I cooked that business down and then threw those plump (giant, really) sausages on top of it all. Then I gave it a little flourish of that sweet BBQ type sauce as a bit of a garnish. Some chives, too.

Yeah, the sausages were pretty awesome. I expected goodness and they delivered. I love duck and now that I've done this, you can mark me down as a fan of the duck sausage as well. I'm happy. I'll do this again for sure. But maybe next time ... something with the lamb sausage. Or venison ...

4.27.2008

MEENA LOVES CABBAGE!



I'm only titling this post with that little note because I think it's the funniest thing ever. See, Meena hated cabbage for a long time. I'm pretty sure the only thing she ever enjoyed cabbage in was kimchi. That's it. The rest of the dishes where this lovely vegetable turned up ... she just turned up her nose.

But not anymore. I wouldn't call her a fan across the board, but more and more, I'm turning her. She's feelin' it. And I love it. I'm a big cabbage fan, so I couldn't be happier.

Anyway, this little dinner had some cabbage. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it because I find her so annoying, but we were watching Rachel Ray this morning right when we woke up and she was making this big surf and turf thing. But the turf side had a warm cabbage salad and some flat iron steaks. And well, we thought it looked good!

I couldn't find flat iron steaks at the market so we went with the lovely hanger steak instead. I love hanger steak. And so does Meena. So no harm there.

I started this sucker off when we got home in a marinade. Sorta nothing special ... just some Indonesian ginger thing that Meena had picked up at some point. I think it's made by the Barefoot Contessa. Weird. But whatever.

When it came time to fire them up, I just seared both sides and finished them in the oven for a few minutes. They came out just medium and completely delicious. I loved it.

I served them with a variation on that thing Rachel Ray made. Mine went like this:
- cabbage
- olive oil
- canadian bacon
- red onion
- rice vinegar
- sambal oelek
- lime juice

The smoky bacon gave the final dish a nice flavor. I wouldn't have used it but it had been in the fridge a minute and I needed to get it moving or it was going to go bad. The cabbage still had a little crunch and the onion and lime really made the final product sing. With the Asian beef, the whole meal was a terrific combo.

So thanks Rachel Ray. I didn't follow your every instruction, but you inspired us and we ended up eating very well as a result.

THE END OF WILLIAMSBURG






Well, not the end, end. We'll be back. But ... BUT, not for long! Wanna know why? James and D are buying an apartment! Whoo Hoo! They're going to live in Windsor Terrace and that'll pretty much mean there will be absolutely no reason for us to hit Williamsburg. Not that it's a horrible place or anything. I can just think of a bunch of other spots I'd rather hang out. And now that James and D are taking off, we won't really have anything drawing us back.

But Saturday night we started at their place and had a bunch of yummy treats D whipped up. Just a nice eggplant dip and a version of hummus that was pretty dope. She also threw together some nice tomato sauce with some delicious bread. I sorta pigged out on it. I was hungry! And it was awesome!

Next, we went to hit Bozu, a weird little Japanese place down the street. We ended up having to wait a minute so we hit this bar around the corner and met up with Matty C and his wonderful girlfriend Emily. That was fun. The bar was very nice. Sorta weird. But nice.

Once we were called to come back over to Bozu, we got a nice little seat toward the back and started leafing through their menu that was one of the more weird little booklets I'd ever seen. This place ... it was just weird. I mean that in the best way possible. It was just strange though. Weird little cartoons in the menus. Tons of items. Strange items. But I sorta loved it.

I have NO idea what everyone got, but I do remember Meena and my orders. Meena had:
- pork betty (pork belly cooked in sake and sweet soy)
- mc low bomb (tuna, avocado, wasabi)
- seaweed salad

And Alec had:
- fried tako balls (something with octopus ... can't remember the rest)
- salmon herb roll (salmon, cilantro, cucumber and red cabbage dressing)

Other standouts ... there was a lovely set of bombs that Matt and Emily picked up. All sorts of flavors going on there. James had this version of Japanese meatloaf that was pretty awesome. I had a sake that was pretty tremendous. Matt had a soju cocktail with soy milk that was like a cocktail sent from heaven.

I liked it. It was super weird and I think me being just a little buzzed from the bar prior to made it even more odd. But I liked it. And despite what I said before, I might even make a special trip back to Williamsburg some day to check it out again.

4.26.2008

WE LOVE MEXICAN



Friday night was lovely. It was warm out. We didn't have to work the next day. The work week was over. I mean, it gets no better.

So after stopping home for sec to drop everything off, we took a walk around the hood just sorta ... wandering. We were sorta in search of a place to eat. But we didn't really have anything in mind. For whatever reason, we ended up on Atlantic and stopped by a spot we'd never even thought of trying before - Mezcal. But I don't know. It just seemed right. So we did it.

And ... it was great!

We had some serious second thoughts at the beginning. We thought we had totally screwed up and we were in trouble. But it turned out great.

Meena had:
- chicken enchiladas with verde sauce

Alec had:
- pork fajitas

Nothing special. Nothing fancy. DEFINITELY nothing fancy. But the food was really solid. Not Tex Mex - just good, delicious, standard Mexican food for a warm Friday night in the hood.

I forgot to take a picture of mine. And nearly forgot Meena's ... but thankfully she eats slower than I do and we were able to take one quick snap of her very tasty enchiladas.

Thanks, Mezcal. I'm not sure we'll be back soon, but I have a feeling we will be back. Probably on another random night further into summer. But we'll be back.

4.25.2008

MORE GREENS FOR ME


I know it's the same thing, but I don't care. And it's not, really. It's not the same. I made a few changes!

See, it was LOST night, Meena was out for dinner with a friend and my friend Ben was going to come over so I wanted to eat something quick and easy. I wanted to eat, watch some Yankees and then flip over to LOST. So I did.

Here's what went into the salad:
- arugula
- avocado
- prosciutto (crispy and regular)
- fresh mozzarella
- toasted whole wheat wrap (with olive oil and sea salt)
- sea salt
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar

Super decadent, but ... super delicious. Nothing special, just delicious all the way around.

4.24.2008

SINGLE SERVING SALAD



Meena had another long night at the office so I was on my own for dinner while she grabbed bites of sushi between fits of work.

I had to grab a few drinks with a new contact immediately following the work day, but that was pretty quick and was able to hit Pacific Green for some minor supplies on my way back.

I made sure I picked up a few things Meena doesn't like (I like to grab arugula whenever she's not around because I won't get to eat it otherwise!) and got started on a salad for one. It was pretty simple and featured:
- arugula
- prosciutto
- whole wheat wrap (toasted with olive oil and sea salt)
- fresh mozzarella
- sea salt
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar

Honestly, it was sorta awesome. I didn't expect it to be anything special, but it turned out quite well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's a bunch of delicious ingredients. Mixed together. So you know, awesome results.

4.23.2008

GHANG LIFE


On our way home last night, we threw the idea of cooking out the window and decided it was a nice night and we should just try one of the restaurants in the hood we'd never tried before.

Enter Ghang Thai. It's this little BYOB Thai place on Smith Street we've walked past 3 million times and never thought a whole lot about other than the fact that you can bring your own booze.

So we went to Smith and Vine, grabbed a bottle of Chardonnay and said, why not?

I read a review of the place this morning calling it perfectly mediocre. I mean, that might be pretty accurate. The food was pretty good. The decor was OK. I mean ... I'd go back. The people were beyond cool. I had no real complaints.

Meena did the following:
- thai dumplings
- chicken pad thai spicy

And Alec got down with:
- tom yum koong
- jungle thai with veggie duck

I'm not sure why I tried the veggie duck. That was sorta a weird call. I think I'd do chicken or something next time, but I just saw it and went with it. I don't know why. It wasn't bad. But I'm over it now.

Ghang life wasn't bad. No violence. I'd for sure do it again.

4.22.2008

USE IT OR LOSE IT



On my way home last night, I got to thinking that I had a couple things in the fridge that needed to be eaten or they'd end up in the trash. So I decided to stop by Pacific Green and pick up a couple essentials that could complement what we had on hand.

Meena had requested something that "wasn't that bad for us" so I figured whole wheat wraps would be a good one.

The first wrap used up our Fairway smoked salmon:
- hummus
- red onion
- mixed greens
- smoked salmon
- basil
- whole wheat wrap
- tomato

And the other went like this:
- canned tuna (with light mayo, dill pickle, red onion and anchovy)
- gruyere
- mixed greens
- tomato
- whole wheat wrap
- crushed red pepper

Then I threw a little mix of veg in the oven:
- red bell pepper
- brussels sprouts
- salt
- olive oil

I think everything was pretty successful. The tuna was very light on the mayo so it wasn't overly creamy or rich. It had tons of tuna flavor and the anchovy gave it really nice depth.

The smoked salmon was pretty rad. I had thought about doing the old NY style combo with cream cheese, but I thought ... NO. That's NOT what I'm going to to do. I'm going to use the hummus in the fridge because ... why not? It'll be awesome. And you know what? It was. So there.

Not five star or anything, but I feel like I delivered on Meena's "not too bad for us" request with a meal that was layered with yummy flavor.

4.21.2008

STICKY RIBS


We’d done ribs recently and received rather favorable results. I used an Epicurious recipe and after an hour in the oven with this lovely Chinese inspired glaze, they were pretty delicious. Messy, sticky … just what you’d expect from some ribs.

I think because we enjoyed them so much last time, I figured I’d give them another whirl last night. We picked up a slab at the butcher and I didn’t think about them much until it was a couple hours from the beginning of dinner.

Then, for whatever reason, I abandoned my idea to do the same recipe again and thought I’d make some alterations and tweaks to see if I couldn’t get something else going last night. I immediately threw the slab in the oven at 300 degrees bathed in a little apple cider vinegar and a bit of this tomato dipping oil. Just some tomato, garlic and olive oil along with a few other spices I think (just in case you’re playing along at home).

Anyway, I let those dudes lie for about an hour and forty-five.

While they were doing their thing, I whipped together a quick slaw:
- brussels sprouts
- red onion
- jalapeno
- dressing (white vinegar, salt, sugar and cumin)
- olive oil

I threw that concoction in the fridge to let it chill and got together a quick rib sauce:
- hoisin
- tomato paste
- soy sauce
- maple syrup
- hot sauce

Once the ribs came out of their sauna, I noticed the meat was falling off the bone. Which, I believe, is typically the goal. Tender meat falling off the bone seems to be the ultimate accolade bestowed on the humble baby back slab. Anyway, I then coated the meat with the sauce and let it bake for about 10 more minutes. Then for one final kiss of fire to make sure the sauce was really glazed, I threw them under the broiler for about 3 or four minutes.

I think the results were lovely. Tender meat, excellent sauce. I think this one really outdid the previous effort. I loved it and I’ll definitely do this one again.

CHANNELING TINI



Saturday morning Meena and I wandered around Red Hook, Brooklyn and went to the famed Fairway market for the first time ever. It was a trip filled with mixed emotions. The Fairway, while impressive, was pretty underwhelming. I have to admit. I know people just love this place to death, but come on dudes, it’s like a dirtier Whole Foods with prices that are far more expensive than my local butcher and cheese shops. So while I appreciate it, it’s not a place I feel like I need to hit again unless I’m after some caviar or their house coffee.

Anyway, we did find that the neighborhood was charming in a filthy, undeveloped sort of way. There isn’t much down there and the streets are pretty desolate, but it’s charming for sure. You have to take a train and a bus to enjoy the charm, but it’s charming nonetheless.

While we were wandering though, we ran into one of those rare little restaurants that makes both Meena and I feel like we need to open our own little place at some point in our lives. Tini. The perfect little café in the heart of Red Hook. Perfect people, perfect food and positively simple. We loved it. Every second.

I forgot to take pictures of our food so I didn’t document it on Memoirs, but Meena had this lovely truffled egg scramble with Provencal potatoes and I had the same potatoes with a smoked salmon and goat cheese scramble. All made with eggs raised somewhere in Red Hook. Did I mention I love Red Hook?

Anyway, Sunday morning I wanted to pay homage to our new friends at Tini with a quick breakfast. Nothing special, but the eggs featured:
- smoked salmon
- hummus
- eggs
- sea salt
- black pepper

And then I whipped up a little sprout side that went like this:
- brussels sprouts
- prosciutto
- black pepper

Not nearly as wonderful as Tini, but with a little Canadian bacon and Sunday morning TV … not a bad breakfast.

4.20.2008

QUIET NIGHT WITH THE BOYS


Saturday night was a night out with the bros. A couple of James’ band mates were in town for a small birthday celebration so I was invited to join the men in an evening of bowling, drinks and foods. I was more than happy to join.

I dropped Meena off with Diana and they went on about Brooklyn doing their thing. I believe they had some nice wine and lovely dinner. That’s the story.

The boys, on the other hand, kicked the event off with a stop at Gutter for some heated competition, beerz and a random pizza. I’m not sure I did all that well in the game, but I did enjoy myself some beers.

After the game, we hit Silent H, the little Vietnamese spot we’d hit once before with James and D. It was just as good as I remembered it (though sadly not BYOB any longer). I kept it totally standard and had:
- Vietnamese crepe

The night carried on from there to a handful of bars where I happily consumed a handful of beers. Needless to say, Sunday made me hate the idea of beer. Not because I was hung over or anything … I just felt STUFFED all day. Beer. It’s like eating loaves of bread.

Anyway, great night with great friends.

4.19.2008

EATING COBBLE HILL




Friday was lovely. The weather was warm, we had nothing to do and the neighborhood was alive. I love New York about this time of year. It’s like vampires coming out at night. We’ve been cooped up in cramped apartments for so long and when the sun starts to shine and the cool breeze is gently whipping down the avenue, we all come out to play.

In honor of the occasion (and the weekend ahead) we decided to start off the night at Black Mountain Wine House. We hadn’t been in a minute and figured … why not?

We both had a single glass of Shane’s pick (Meena a white, Alec a red) and a couple small bites. We shared:
- cheese plate with bread and chutney
- charcuterie with bread and mustard

Both were quite wonderful and the atmosphere was perfect. We had one cheese I felt was the standout – a smoky, crumbly aged joint that made me stop and pause for a second when I tasted it. The subtle smoke made it one of the better I’d tried in a long time. I can’t remember what it’s called but if you’re there, it’s the one described as smoky in the tasting notes.

After the House, we wound our way through the neighborhood to Smith and Vine and Video Free Brooklyn. Couple movies and a bottle of wine for after dinner chilling at the house.

We thought of several different things but finally elected to sit on the back porch at Cube 63.

We actually switched it up just a touch. Meena had:
- electric roll (salmon, white fish, crabmeat, caviar & tempura)
- pink lady (california and spicy tuna, top with crunch)
- shrimp shumai

And Alec had:
- miso
- hawaiian roll (spicy kani and shrimp)
- yellowtail and scallion

I don’t think Meena was a huge fan of the electric roll but she did seem to dig the pink lady. I love the Hawaiian. It’s nearly perfect.

Awesome night.

4.18.2008

SO NECESSARY




We weren't so much feeling making dinner last night and because the weather was simply amazing, we wandered right into Lobo as we were walking home from the train. I don't know what happened, we were just magically drawn to delicious Tex Mex I guess.

What's even better is that we were able to sit in the back yard! That's right, the porch is open and we wanted to make sure we took full advantage.

Meena kept it real with a standard order:
- edwin's enchiladas

And I went back to an old favorite
- chicken tacos

Meena was saying she had some enchiladas the night before that were twice as expensive but not quite as satisfying as good old Lobo. I know it's not the world's finest food, but man, it really hits the spot on a warm evening in the spring (or cold evenings in the winter or hot evenings in the summer ...). And the staff is great. I can't reiterate that enough. They're some of the nicest people in the neighborhood.

Lobo, we love you. In all your imperfect, rough around the edges glory. We love you.

4.17.2008

FAST FOOD


You know what? It's sorta annoying to make dinner for one. I guess after making dinner for two over the last few years, I'm reminded that it's just not as easy to reduce recipes already designed for four to a lonely single serving.

So when I was at that store trying to figure out what on earth I'd consume during the Yankees game, I wandered for a minute. Aimlessly. I kept thinking I'd do one thing then just realized I'd end up with way too much left over. So I settled on a wrap/roll-up and a simple salad with some olives. Fast, simple ... and just right for one.

Here's what went into the wrap:
- olive and jalapeño tapenade (kalmata olives, jalapeño, olive oil)
- dijon mustard
- prosciutto
- mixed greens
- gouda
- flax seed flat bread wrap

And then I threw together the most simple of salads:
- mixed greens
- kalmata olives
- salt
- olive oil
- rice vinegar

Pretty simple and it took me all of 10 minutes in the kitchen to get it ready. And I'll be honest, it was pretty good! The flax seed flat bread is highly recommended. I got it pretty fresh I guess because it was soft and buttery. Not like the tough flat bread you sometimes find on your grocer's shelves. And that little olive and pepper mix gave me some bite while the gouda mellowed it all out.

Simple and mostly not impressive to anyone but me. But it was delicious and I enjoyed it throughly.

4.16.2008

TACOS FOR ONE



Meena had to be with the Glamour girls last night so I was on my own to watch the Yankees, answer some eBay questions and of course, eat.

I had to run some errands in the city before I could make it home so by the time I got back to Brooklyn, the Yankees were in the fourth inning and I didn't feel like cooking. So I made a quick stop at California Taqueria to pick up a couple tacos.

I kept it real and picked up a fairly usual order for me:
- barbacoa taco
- pollo taco

They were pretty steamy when I got them home and ended up breaking out of their doubled up corn tortilla shells, but that was fine. I threw a little sambal oelek on there and mostly ate these dudes with a fork. Not very authentic, but it was incredibly realistic. That's what you do with take out Mexican, y'all.

4.15.2008

SICK DAY, GREAT NIGHT






Hey, y'all. I took a night off because I wasn't feeling so well but after a day home getting better, I was back in gear. And luckily, just in time to hang with two of our best friends in the whole entire world - Grant and Sara!

Our dudes were in town being total saints - helping out in some of NYC's more under-privileged neighborhoods. And at the end of their trip, they were nice enough to spend a little time with us!

Where do you take friends from out of town when you're looking to show them the best food in your neighborhood? Well, I'm sure you'd get a variety of answers on that one if you polled the hood, but we went with Bocca Lupo. I mean, it's just the one spot that makes us feel so good every time. We had to share that experience with G n' S.

I can't remember EVERYTHING we had, but here's what I recall. Meena had:
- pasta with bacon and marinara
- shrimp scampi

Sara had the risotto of the day. I can't remember what was in it, but it was creamy and perfect.

Grant had:
- speck and fennel panini

Alec went the bruschetta route:
- butternut squash and crispy pancetta
- warm mushrooms and mascarpone
- sausage and fennel
- creamy leek and truffled cheese

I think everyone enjoyed the foodz. I know I did. I'm going to stick to my guns and say this was one of the best culinary experiences we could have shared with our friends when they were in town. The food is small and simple, but it's just so darn filling and perfect.

4.13.2008

TENDER


After a little wandering around the hood yesterday we found ourselves at Staubitz on Court Street looking through the glass at the butcher's lovely counter. Meena says I light up like a kid in a candy store at the butcher. That's sorta weird. I'm not sure I like that about myself. But I'm pretty sure it's true. I love trying to think about all the great stuff I could make with all those lovely cuts of meat.

Yesterday, we decided on some nice pork tenderloin. We hadn't done a pork tenderloin in a minute and I figured it was high time I pay a little homage to my home state and get one of our most beloved delicacies fired up in my Brooklyn kitchen.

I started it out in a marinade of:
- lemon
- olive oil
- garlic
- rosemary

And once it had sufficient time to rest in the fridge, I fired it up on a skillet and got the sides browned before tossing it in the oven to finish.

Meena was kind enough to mix up a nice little rice pilaf and I got to work on some more brussels. Man, we really love those things, right? This time we used:
- shallot
- olive oil
- salt
- brussels sprouts

Once the meat came out of the oven, I gave it a minute to rest and then sliced it up for consumption. And it was lovely. The lemon and rosemary gave it a nice little punch of piney, citrus flavor and the delicate nature of the cut really did the rest.

With some brussels and some rice? We were eating like kings.

4.12.2008

GARBAGE BREAKFAST RETURNS


That's right. It's back!

We had a nice long day of nothing ahead of us (that's a lie because we had to go to the city to get Meena's hair cut and stuff) but we really didn't want to run out and buy ingredients for breakfast or anything. We had some stuff in the fridge and I was going to put it all together and make something edible. That much I was sure of.

Our sandwich went like this:
- assorted cheese (a bleu, a brie, some cheddar I think)
- egg
- salt
- tomato dipping oil
- turkish bread
- mustard

And then I whipped up a little green with some leftover brussels:
- brussels sprouts
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil

I wasn't expecting much, but this was all pretty good! I've even made Meena a FAN ... not just a casual eater, but a FAN of Brussels sprouts. Amazing work, Alec. Amazing work.

BACK TO THE EV



Friday. Oh, lovely Friday night. I love Friday nights because it's just total relaxation. After a long week at the office, you can just kick back knowing you have NOTHING to do on Saturday and it feels amazing.

This particular Friday we went down to a bar that was being opened by the son of Meena's fashion director. I can't remember the name, but it's on 1st and 1st sorta and it was very nice. Very large. Whatever was there before, I always thought it was really small. But once you make it past the opening bar, it expands into a very elaborate space in the lower level. So that was fun.

Then Dan and Steve (who joined us at the first bar) were kind enough to roll with us to Lil' Frankie's for some of the best pizza in the world. I'm not sure we'd been since we left the hood for Brooklyn so it was nice to be back. Nothing had changed. And that's what's great about Lil' Frankie's. Also ... it's only been about 8 months. So I guess not much should have changed. Anyway, Meena and Dan both had:
- rigatoni with baby meatballs

Alec had:
- pizza marinara (you know it has no cheese, right? Yes, I know.)

And I can't remember what Steveo had. Hey, Steve, if you're reading this, can you post it? I remember you debating that four sided pie but I can't remember what you had. Must have been the wine. But anyway, it was all pretty awesome.

That pizza I get is just so wonderful. And it doesn't even have cheese! The sauce is just lovely and the garlic and peppers make it so simply perfect.

And Meena's ragu is so thick and rich and the meatballs are totally awesome when bathed in that rich tomato goodness.

Ah, Lil Frankie's, how I miss you so. Thanks for another great Friday night.

4.11.2008

LAMB AND CHEESE




Meena was feeling better last night so I had the green light to get the lamb chops out of the fridge and fire up the kitchen.

Given our previous experience with the chops of lamb, I was super conservative about how I trimmed the fat off the meat before I applied any rubs or got even one pan heated. They were so coated in fat last time that I just knew I needed to get as much off as I could. I realize fat is necessary to great food, but last time was just insane.

Also, maybe this is just a well know fact. I don't know. Or maybe our butcher sucks. Again, I'm not sure. But I'm more or less going on trial and error here in the kitchen so forgive me. I'm just feelin' it out here.

Anyway, we started off with some cheese and bread while everything was getting ready. It was a nice cheddar, a bleu and some smoky eggplant dip from the place down the street. The dip wasn't that good and it pretty much looked disgusting. But the cheese was delicious.

After the lamb was trimmed, I gave it a quick rub in:
- sea salt
- garlic
- olive oil
- paprika
- cumin
- cinnamon

Then she went onto the pan for a sear and then into the oven to finish. It came out perfect and just a touch over medium rare. Medium I guess. Anyway, it was nice.

Meena also made some olive oil and garlic couscous. It went with the meat well. We had thought about an orzo, but went with the couscous instead. I think it was a good call.

And finally, we had some brussels sprouts. Just cooked them in the oven with a little honey and salt. Probably a touch overdone but they were still nice.

In the end, I think it was a pretty solid meal. Still a little too much fat for Meena, but she did like the "clean" bites. It might be a minute before we do these again, but we'll be back. Fear not, lamb chops.

4.10.2008

THAI FOR MIGRAINES





Meena was suffering from one of her most excruciating headaches yesterday so our plan to make a little dinner fell by the wayside. I gave her carte blanche to choose whatever was going to make her feel human – and she went with some good old fashioned Joya. I can’t blame her. What’s more comfortable than some old school Thai delivery, right?

Pretty standard for the little lady:
- chicken pad thai (spicy)
- spring rolls

And I got this joint I’ve been having lately:
- moo kratiam
- tom yum koong

It’s some kind of pork with vegetables and a healthy handful of crushed red pepper. Mine was fire. And I mean that in a few ways. It was delicious … so fire meaning it was great. And it was also super hot … so fire meaning spicy. Just wanted to clarify that for you. In case you were wondering. You know?

Anyway, despite Meena’s horrible headache and the Yankee’s blowing another one, it was a nice night. The food was just as solid as always. And I won a new camera on eBay. So I’m feelin’ good about it all.

4.09.2008

CHARRED ONIONS




Meena was at an event last night so I was home all by my lonesome with a little work to do. When she rolled up on 40, I decided to spring into action and cook up a little fish and attempt some onion rings I'd seen in Cooking Light.

I'll say this ... I need to do a lot of work on the rings before I get these joints right. I didn't follow the recipe (big surprise) and that obviously killed me a little. When I have some more time I'll try it again. But for now, I'm without that notch on my kitchen apron.

Anyway, I started with those suckers and they featured a batter:
- egg
- flour
- paprika
- cumin
- mustard
- sea salt
- black pepper

Then I covered them in breadcrumbs and baked. And they came out mostly uncoated with the crumbs. I should have used a big bag as directed but I didn't have one so I didn't. Whoops.

We also did a little sammich that featured:
- char fillets
- sea salt
- black pepper
- shiitake
- wasabi mayo
- sambal oelek
- turkish bread
- hoisin

The sandwich was awesome. No problems there. The mayo was creamy and spicy and the fish was simply cooked but packed with that smooth char flavor that's so lovely. Between a couple slices of crisp (but still a little soft in the center) Turkish bread - delightful.

4.08.2008

SIMILAR TO SUNDAY


I know what you're thinking ... this is almost the exact same thing you had last night, right? No? Ok. That's fair, too. But just so you know, I'm fully aware that we essentially just switched out one cut of meat for another. The thing is ... it was just SO good the previous night we had to do it again.

The salad was the exact same:
- kale
- ricotta salata
- lemon
- garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- olive oil

And the pork chop was pretty similar to the ribs with a couple small tweaks. The sauce featured:
- hoisin
- garlic
- thai red curry paste
- honey
- soy sauce

In addition to the sauce, I butterflied the chops and stuffed them with a little ricotta salata and apricot preserves. I gave them a quick sear on the stove and then finished them off in at 400 degree oven until they were done. And finally, I gave them a little trip under the broiler to give the top of the chops a little color.

Another complete success. The whole thing was perfect. The acidic dressing on the kale went perfectly with the rich and creamy pork chops. Everything looked really pretty and the flavors were just what we wanted.

I promise I won't make this again tonight, but man oh man ... I'm tempted.

4.06.2008

RETURN OF THE RIB




After another afternoon Yankees game and some general errands around Brooklyn today, Meena and I made a stop at the butcher to pick up a few things for the week. And from our little meat shopping spree, we decided to hold back a slab of baby back ribs for tonight.

I haven't ever made baby back ribs but for some reason, they looked super delicious sitting in the deli case. I know not why, but I was magically drawn to them. I needed them. I didn't know what I wanted to do with them, but I just decided they would be mine.

I did a little searching around on the internuts and landed on a few recipes. I didn't have all the stuff the joints called for but I figured I could get close enough so I dove in and started whisking and mixing and came up with a few nice results.

I started with some Chinese BBQ Baby Back Ribs seen HERE:
- baby back ribs
- hoisin
- garlic
- soy
- thai red curry paste
- honey
- olive oil

And I did this salad I saw HERE:
- kale
- lemon
- olive oil
- garlic
- sea salt
- pepper
- ricotta salata

Oh man. I haven't had ribs in a long time and these were a really wonderful welcome back to the party. The ribs baked for an hour and finished under the broiler and came out just peachy. They were juicy and delicious, packed with that lovely flavor of the various "Chinese" BBQ ingredients and positively sticky. Awesome for a dish that literally took slightly over an hour start to finish.

The salad was also pretty solid. Meena wasn't into the idea of the kale but ended up digging it. The dressing ended up being the perfect compliment to all that leafy green roughage. And to give a shout out to my man Jaime, it was a nice way to get a touch of veg on the plate.

Probably not the best meal for us, but whatever. It's Sunday night and we were just feelin' it.

FREE FOOD



Not free food at all, actually. Expensive food. In a super trendy spot at the end of an alley in the Lower East Side. To be perfectly honest, it's not insane or anything. It's pretty reasonably priced for the quality and it was Saturday night, so it's cool.

Meena and I met a couple of her friends from work at Freemans last night to say hello and kick back in the famed spot's cozy confines. I'm pretty sure I'm the last person in NYC to finally try this place, but now that I have, I can join the chorus of praise and offer my nod of approval. Not that they needed it or anything, but I can definitely say I'm fan number 1.2 million.

I wouldn't normally mention this, but just so you know we were in good company, Ryan Gosling and Kiki Drunkst sat a couple tables down from us. So if it's good enough for the stars of Spiderman and Lars and The Real Girl, you know it's probably good enough for us as well.

We got started with a medley of appetizers for the table:
- devils on horseback
- grilled cheddar toasts
- lamb meatballs
- hot artichoke dip with bread

The devils on horseback are their famed starter so I was eager to check them out. Honestly, they're like the number one holly homemaker appetizer of the Midwestern United States. Bacon wrapped figs? Seriously? Delicious, but there was something about the toothpick through them that brought be back to a church supper or something.

Honestly, that artichoke dip was the bomb. Crazy, right? What's more commonplace than the humble artichoke dip? But this one was really amazing. Not sure what put it over the top, but it was pretty outstanding.

For dinner, Meena had:
- seared filet mignon (with roasted onion, mashed potatoes and horseradish cream

And Alec had:
- heritage pork chop (with a fig sauce and collard greens with bacon)

Dinner was awesome. My pork was lovely but Meena's steak really outdid everything else. It was cooked perfectly. And the flavor was just amazing. I'd order it next time without batting an eye.

I guess I went with the pork because I'd always heard they did specialty meats and game better than anyone. Not that mine was bad, but I really did like Meena's better.

We had a couple desserts, too, but I didn't really try them and by that time I was into a nice glass of scotch, so I don't really remember or care to be perfectly honest. But everyone seemed to enjoy it and I'm very happy for that.

All in all, it was a great experience with some lovely company. Definitely looking forward to round two.

4.05.2008

SAMMICH


I woke up relatively early Saturday morning and I wanted to get moving with some leftovers from the previous night and clean a few other things out of the fridge. And what better meal to move the remnants than breakfast, right?

Nothing elaborate. It just went a little something like this:
- baguette
- egg
- gouda
- spinach
- garlic
- yellow bell pepper
- hot sauce
- tomato dipping oil
- sea salt
- black pepper

I toasted up each side of the bread with a little of that dipping oil under the broiler and slapped the rest together between each slice.

Crunchy, creamy, rich and delicious. Just the right concoction to get us going for a day of Yankees, college hoops and general laziness.

HOME SWEET HOME




I'd been gone most of the week so when Friday afternoon rolled around, Meena and I were both pretty sure we wanted to stay home and kick it in the kitchen.

Meena got us started off right with a little salad she whipped up:
- scallops
- spinach
- bell pepper
- dressing (lemon, honey, soy sauce, salt and apple cider vinegar)

Meena felt like it was a little too acidic, but the scallops were seared perfectly and I loved them.

Next up was a little fish dish based on a little recipe I saw HERE. I mixed it up a little, however and did it with the following:
- flounder
- black sesame
- miso
- rice vinegar

And then I steamed it all in a miso broth:
- lemongrass
- shiitake
- miso
- red curry paste
- water
- soy sauce
- basil
- spinach

I have to be honest, I'm not a big fan of flounder. I didn't know that until I tasted this, but it's true - I'm not into it.

I liked the rest of the dish. The broth was nice and the layers of miso and fish were nice ... I just wasn't into the flavor of the fish. It was a little too ... chalky? I don't know. It was weird.

But I'll try this recipe again for sure. Just with a different fish. Something white and mild, just not flounder.

4.04.2008

PARTY AND TOONS




I had my previously mentioned event and it went very well. It was in the Meatpacking District and I couldn't wait to get out of there. The scene is pretty annoying over there but at least we had our party early and I was able to get out before it got too insane.

While I was away, Meena was kind enough to call in the services of our friends at Zaytoons. And they were kind enough to bring the good stuff.

Meena had:
- shawarma platter

Alec had:
- lamb kebab platter

Mine was awesome. Even after it was reheated once I arrived, it was still insanely good. Usually when you're required to warm something up, its quality goes way down - not my kebabs last night!

Meena also loved hers so I'd say the whole night was a success. And today is Friday. Which is amazing and I can't wait to cook something tonight and sit on our couch with a lineup of movies and a couple glasses of wine.

4.03.2008

FAIRYTALE RETURN




Last night I returned to the East Village to check out the opening night of the New York Underground Film Festival because they were showing a film from my friends at VICE called Heavy Metal In Baghdad. I've always felt like VICE was really progressive and told great stories masked in complete stupidity. Last night they cut out a bunch of the stupidity and just told a really amazing story. If you get a chance to check it out at any point, I'd highly recommend it.

Anyway, on to the food. While I was in the East Village with Matty Chaymez, he said I should get something I miss about the hood. I didn't have time for Lil' Frankies or Momofuku so I decided to just hit Cinderella Falafel! Quick, easy and delicious.

Nothing serious, I just had a gyro sandwich (note: photo is old ... actually from the East Village. But it still looked the same!)

While I was out, Meena called in some pad thai from Joya (note: again, photo is old but it's ok because Joya's pad thai is always the same).

All was wonderful. Tonight I have another Men's Journal event so it'll be some weird eating again. Sorry about that. But maybe I'll get something fun. Who knows?!?!