8.18.2014

photo op: SWEET mini cupcakes


RER 8.13.14
The clock is ticking. The weeks are flying, but at the same time, these last few months also seem as if they have dragged on forever. You know how time has that funny talent of manipulating moments, stretching, shrinking, taunting. Well, this week I will be heading out west for a great friend’s wedding, and I am pumped. There is so much to do and so little time.  Might as well start the celebrating a little early with a fat dose of these mini cupcakes from Sweet in Hoboken like I did last week.  It was sweet times with a sweet friend and super sweet sweets!
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Don’t forget to follow on facebook, instagram, twitter, and yelp to keep up with all the food adventures while I am on my trip!


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8.18.14
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8.13.2014

NYCRW: fig & olive


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It was warm and the sun was still shining so they sat outside. An early dinner. They lounged at a table hugging the exterior wall of Fig & Olive Downtown, enjoying slow sips and silent laughter. The pair indulged in time while perusing the Restaurant Week menu. But, in reality, they were hungry.
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Being simultaneously presented with amuse-bouche focaccia paired with three varieties of olive oil (light-, medium- bodied and peppery) and two colorful plates, left them flustered and hungrier than ever. Both appetizers were gorgeous, vibrant with colors aching to be devoured.
The seductive burrata arrived on top of orange rings of cantaloupe, bruised red wedges of heirloom tomatoes and a bright green basil oil. Its creamy center oozed, merging with the sweet fragrant cantaloupe. The tangy tomato brought its own sweetness and mimicked the texture of the other fruit, mildly more firm. The herbaceous emulsion added a savory feeling forging a rounder dish— fresh, light and luxurious.
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He handed her his spoon, an invitation to try his blisteringly bright lobster bisque. The bold red broth was briny and smooth, saltwater and sunshine. Dense pimenton chive mascarpone floated in the shallow pool, accompanied by partially submerged lobster pieces and a pretty crouton. Layers of lobster were highlighted by taste, texture and easy comfort.
Before she could even soak up the lingering delicate wet strands of burrata from her plate, darker hued entrees arrived, a striking contrast.
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The little rosemary lamb chops were served with herbed goat cheese gnocchi. The gnocchi were dense and shocking, luscious accents elevated to the level of the fancy gamey chops. Slabs of grilled eggplant added smoke and bitter notes as relief of richness. It was a decadent mix of familiar and flavors.
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He eyed the pretty set up of steeped oils and almond slivers, a pathway to a small bowl of her spiced couscous, perfect to soak up the deep juices of the chicken tajine entrée. Chicken pieces, dark with spices and buttery with time and seasoning, were placed on top of stewed carrots, zucchini and cippolini onions, plump figs and briny green olives. An aromatic dish, which tempted the senses. 
Even after eating their fill, they still craved something sweet, something to complete the circle.  Desserts, however, were less layered but the minimalist aesthetic resembled still life.
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A chocolat pot de crème was lined with a lose blanket of white cream hiding a thick chocolate pudding. Its sensuous bitter acquired taste diminished with every bite, blooming to smooth memories. While the dessert crostini were gorgeous—ripe red strawberries resting on a crunchy shortbread rimmed with sugar, smeared with sweet lusty mascarpone, and drizzled with dark balsamic. Both desserts featured expected connections and contrasting textures.
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With that, their early dinner was over and the sun was still out. Holding hands, they left, musing about the pretty eats, full flavors, and delectable bites.
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8.6.14
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8.11.2014

NYCRW: LAVO new york


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Lunch at Lavo for New York Restaurant Week was not just tuna tartare and margherita pizza, it was a lovely time catching up and soaking in the City. The just right breeze rolled into the restaurant through the open tall windows, but hardly any light came in passed the heavy bar into the darker dining area. Mixed music disrupted the mood lighting and detailed décor, which spoke to another time and place. But the food was classic and straightforward, combinations that were expected and reliable.
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It was thick colorful tomato slices with too little creamy bufala or a bed of buttery avocado supporting chunky pieces of pink red tuna in a pool of dark acidic dressing.
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It was peppery steak slices lost in sauce and accompanied by truffled parmesan fries or a little margherita pizza, straight to the point.
It was also dessert— light and colorful fruits with an adult strawberry sorbetto or doughy and greasy fried Oreo zeppole with a miniscule malted milkshake.

But most of all it was good company, good chatter and a good time.
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8.8.14
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8.08.2014

MangiaMore: CHEESECAKE(s)

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RER 7.30.14
In honor of National Cheesecake Day last Wednesday, I went in.

My sister announced one of the most important days of the year by saying “july 30 = national cheesecake day. get on it.” She was so direct, but so correct. So I got on it. I couldn’t just make one plain cheesecake —it’s a celebration! Many mini cheesecakes. Done.
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I’ve made cheesecake before. I went wild with a sinful salted caramel cheesecake pie for Thanksgiving last year. Not a super run of the mill, plain old cheesecake, that’s just not me.

This time, I dared to make four flavors with different add-ins or toppings using the Philadelphia Mini Cheesecake recipe.
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Blueberry Lemon
For this little gem, I added a little bit of fresh lemon juice to the filling. Um, yum. This made the heavy cake feel a little lighter and fresher, like summer. And the blueberry lemon compote topping took advantage of beautiful summer blueberries. The combination of the smooth cheesecake and that sweet and tart fresh compote was absolutely lovely.
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Oreo Sprinkle
We had Oreos. And we had sprinkles. Boom. Oreo sprinkle cheesecake. My mother questioned my sprinkle addition, but I was baking and I wanted sprinkles. I saw them at the very top of one of our cabinets, next to the cookie cutters, food coloring and extracts, and I went with it. I wanted to add some fun and color to these babies. Even though they look a little funny and silly, they had just the right amount of chocolate to tone down the sweetness from the base, graham cracker crust, and explosion of rainbow sprinkles.
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White Chocolate Strawberry Swirl
I’m going to say right now, swirling is not my forte. I was hoping that these would turn out pretty and refined, but they didn’t. Boohoo, they still tasted bomb. Melted white chocolate chips went in the filling and heated strawberry jam (Bonne Maman is my jam!) was “swirled” in with a knife. Can’t say they look superb but they are pretty darn tasty.
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Caramel Almond
Well, mostly just almond. I failed at the caramel. Oh well, t’was super delicious anyway. This little guy had some ground almond mixed in with the graham for the crust and some golden Disaronno in with the creamy filling. This might have been a favorite within my test group, for its simplicity. Just yum.

Do anything special for National Cheesecake Day? Like, I dunno, stuff your face with sexy cheesecake…
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7.30.14