Fun Foodie Gifts

Keeping with the spirit of the season I'm posting a few links, guides and lists for gifts that I think your foodie loved one needs this holiday season:


• http://www.josephjoseph.com/  I stumbled upon this site via one of my favorite blogs, Apartment Therepy, the kitchen goodies are cute, colorful and unique.  A good secret Santa gift for the office foodie (ME)
• http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=119832&RN=787&  A key kitchen item that I cook with at least once a week, so much that I don't bother putting it away, i proudly display it on my stove top.  Its a great deal for a quality product that rivals the over priced Le Creuset brand.  Also, at BBB you can use a 20% off coupon and make yourself happy too!
• The GelPro Floor Mat - or any Anti Fatigue gel floor mat that goes on the floor in front of the cooking space, great for the marathon cook that spends the entire day/night at the cutting board and then complains about pain in the feet, legs and back:  
• http://www.chefscatalog.com/catalog/search.aspx?scommand=search&search=floor%2Bmat&sourcecode=CW2GG2025&gclid=CNyF05as3awCFUbf4AodLBexpg 



 I have the Green but the Red is cute

• http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/search/search.aspx/gel-mat/?sstr=gel+mat&grid=50&dim=1&nty=1&
• http://www.uncommongoods.com/dining-entertaining  Great site in general but the entertaining and dining items are especially unique for the person that has everything.  A few personal favorites:

• http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/reclaimed-slate-cheese-board  for the cheese fan
• http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/brie-baker-and-spreader  for the baked cheese fan
• http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/box-appetit-lunch-box  for the salad for lunch fan

More to come as i see fun items that I want this Xmas.

For now, Happy Shopping!!

Go Big and Stay Home - Braised Sunday Dinner

After a long weekend of big meals at other peoples house, leftovers and eating from our packed freezer I decided this Sunday's dinner needed to be rich, slow cooked, home cooked and slightly indulgent.  Its back to salads and chicken breast after today, so go big and stay home (my Sunday dinner motto)
Red wine braised beef boneless short ribs with risotto and roasted carrots...a favorite in our house

Apologies in advance for barely measuring on this one but I've made it so many times its hard to know measurements:

Short Ribs - I use the leftovers for meat sauce...Ill post that one later this week

• 4 large pieces of *boneless short ribs, cut in half
• 4 Carrots, 1 inch chunks
• 3 Celery Stalks, 1 inch chunks
• 1 Onion, 1 inch chunks
• 4 Garlic Cloves, sliced thin
• 1 Shallot, sliced thin
• 1 Cup Beef Broth, low sodium
• 1 Cup Red wine, use the good stuff that you are drinking...nice and heavy, never sweet
• 1/2 cup cola
• Thyme, Rosemary, Bay Leaf
• S&P
• 5 quart cast iron dutch oven - A MUST

Steps are pretty basic and straight forward but there are some that are so important and can't be skipped or rushed:

1.  Salt and pepper the room temperature meat generously, it may feel like a lot but its not, when you consider the amount of elements in the pot and how important the meat is to the dish, you must form a good crust on the meat before browning. 
2.  Next, browning, make sure the meat is not crowding the pan, the heat is medium high (not smoking),  and the meat is not cold,  you will have an awesome flavor starter for your ribs.

I wont bore you or try to attempt to sight science but watch any Alton Brown episode about cooking meat and he'll tell you the same things (that's where I learned it)

3.  Once you have a good crust on all sides, remove from the pan and allow to rest on a plate.  Add veg to hot pan and  saute for 8 mins, then add 2 tablespoons of flour to make a flavorful roux.  Once its thick and feels like its about to burn, add red wine and scrap the bottom of the pan, bring to a boil and then add broth, herbs and meat back to the pan.

4. Bake for 2.5 hours in a 325 oven.  I open keep it closed for 2 hours, scraping the side of the pan a few times to make sure the good stuff makes it in to the sauce.  Then, add the cola and remove the top for the last 30 mins to thicken and enrich the sauce. 

Once its tender remove the meat to a platter covered with foil, then strain the sauce to make it smooth and taste.  Keep the good bits from the sauce, you can make great sauce with it later if you freeze it.  (I recycle everything in this kitchen!!)

Holiday Cocktail - A great starter

Since I don't do the whole meal I have to make sure I contribute a few awesome dishes, that I love!First - A festive cocktail for the hardworking cooks in the kitchen, usually I'm one of them so I selfishly like to make sure I have something other than wine to start my day.  This year it was something fizzy, still unnamed so I'm open to suggestions.
Can be made in a pitcher or in each glass, but only 1 pitcher at a time to keep the fizz. I suggest making more than 2 pitchers, its very popular

1 Bottle Prosecco (Brut)
1 Bottle Blood Orange or Pomegranate Italian Soda - the Trader Joes version is perfect
2 cups Raspberry Vodka
Garnish with Raspberries, Orange Slice or Clementine Wedge

Mix, poor over ice...enjoy and don't drive home

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving

I couldn't let the holiday that's all about food go by without a post, seems a bit sacrilegious considering I'm not religious and all my holidays are about food (and family).

Despite my obsession with cooking I do not cook Thanksgiving Dinner, our apartment is too small and we have way to many people to visit. We celebrated by visiting my favorite Thanksgiving location, my Aunt Carolyn's house. It was a first for Chris so I was even more excited to show him how the Durkin's throw down.  Only 27 people this year, but still an amazing time as always. It seems as though my Aunt and Uncle can host hundreds with ease, as I'm sure they have at some point. Maria (Cousin) is nonstop in the kitchen like me. She's side by side with her mom with the to do list, the recipes in her head and eyeball measuring to perfection. Its like watching a cooking show to see them in the kitchen together.

The Turkey was home grown, or raised I guess is the proper term, yard to table as I like to call it. The veggies were plenty, the stuffing came in doubles and the desserts were my personal favorite.

We started with my dad's famous antipasto, complete with roasted long hot peppers, anchovies (ew), meat, cheese, olives, pesto, bread and more meat

The only picture...i was too busy eating

It all seems like a food drunk haze but to list a few dishes...

• 30 Lbs. of garlic mashed potatoes, which I mashed by hand - ouch
• Buckets of the smoothest gravy since Boston Market
• Stuffing with or without onions...not sure why you would opt for without but that's okay, more onions for me
• Cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes, another fave of mine
• Juicy Yard to Table turkey
• Rutabaga, something I only have on Thanksgiving but really enjoy (note to self to cook that more often)
• Brussels sprouts roasted with pancetta and maple syrup (My addition)
• Sweet delicious corn
• Cranberry sauce and relish...of course we need more options
• My Uncle Tom's awesome homemade bread

Dessert, is another event and I personally think it should have its own holiday

• My cousin Judy's pumpkin roll, with spicy cake and cream cheese frosting, its another dish I look forward to
• Apple pie, pumpkin pie
• Some amazing chocolate pudding cake concoction (Aunt Pat found the recipe in Heaven)
• Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake (My addition)
• Chocolate covered yummy things

For the after dinner leftover fest I opted for the extra helping of taters and a little turkey sandwich to make sure I had my fill of bird before going to bed.

It was carb filled, family fun and I cant wait for the next time we go!! 

Thanks again Bivins' crew, love you guys!

Restaurant Review - Kingswood, NY NY

A birthday dinner for a dear freind brought me to Kingswood in the West Village, one of my favorite neighborhoods in NY, for one of my favorite friends!  Its a cute old area, rich with history, expensive appartments, cobble stone streets that are a challenge in heals but worth every painful step for each corner has a unique and amazing restaturant.

Its an open room with a great bar in the middle, dimly lit, with great long tables and dried plants, flowers and herbs hanging from the ceiling.  Windows and plants on the back wall look real, feeling like your in a house and not a street front restaurant.  The bartender has a great selection of fun concotions, with fresh honey, house made grenedine, fruit juice, and house made Pimm's.  I got there early and had a Rose Royale...an amazing combination of rum, housemade grenadine, champagne and some kind of citrus.  Delish, but way to pricey for such a small cocktail, I could have had at least 10 shots of this.

The ladies arrived, hugs and kisses, wine, chitchat and and then realized we were way past our reservation time and took our seats.

We opted for the small plates as we couldnt decide between all the amazing options, and we like to pretend we wont each that much.

•  Zuchini Salad - Amazing, raw, crunchy, fresh, with a little kick and some goat cheese
• Farro Salad - Bits of bacon, hazelnuts, and fresh spinach - perfectly dressed
• Meat and Cheese platter - served with fresh bread, fruit and honey
• (More wine)
• Mussels and Fries - SPICEY, but delish with lemongrass, green curry, coconut, and a little too much jalapeño (+Bread, lots of Bread)
• Butternut Squash Soup - I didnt try this because my mouth was on fire and i was so stuffed that more wine was the only thing to make it better

Overall, amazing meal, nicely priced for three appropriately stuffed young ladies.  We didnt do dessert as we all pretended we were hitting the gym early in the morning, I did not make it.
I highly recommend a visit and all the food...perhaps ask them to go light on the jalapeño.

http://kingswoodnyc.com/site/

Veggie Soup for the Soul

This is an old one (but a good one)...I made it a few times and was supposed to send the recipe to a friend and here I am about a month later finally typing it up.  As I said, I'm a lazy blogger  :(
Its a super easy tomato based soup and can be made with very little from the fridge/pantry, in the late summer for a good use of summer veggies from the garden, also its very versatile:
Add chicken if you have it, or omit for Vegetarians, great with a grilled cheese sandwich, with pasta/or without, the only rule is the fresh spinach...its a must and if you make it you'll see why

1 half large onion, diced
1 small shallot, chopped
2 heads garlic, chopped (or more if you are like me and love a lot of garlic)
2 table spoons, olive oil
3 ribs celery sliced plus celery greens, sliced 1/4 inch
4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch
1 or 2 zucchini and summer squash, quartered and sliced 1/4 inch
1/2 mall can tomato paste
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (plus 1 cup water)
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 table spoon chopped parsley
1 bag fresh spinach
1 cup small pasta (Ditalini, orzo, or cut spaghetti)
Grated Parmesan Cheese to serve

• In a Dutch oven, or sauce pot saute onion, shallot, garlic, in olive oil, adding garlic last to ensure it doesn't burn 
• Cook 5 mins to soften onions, add carrots - cook 5 mins, add celery - cook 5 mins, add zucchini - cook 5 mins
• Add 1/2 can of tomato paste, cup of water, thyme, bay, black pepper and bring to fast boil
• Reduce heat to low and add stock, salt to taste
• Cook for 15 mins or till veggies are tender but not mushy
• If adding pasta, add it after soup cooks for 10 mins
• Last, add chopped FRESH spinach, cook for a few mins to wilt
• If adding cooked chicken, add after spinach is wilted 
• Serve with grated parm and crusty bread

*Slice all veg the same size (1/4 inch) on the bias to add a fancy touch*
**add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like**
***you may need more broth or water if you use pasta***

Sunday Morning Baking

This early Sunday morning called for fresh muffins and good coffee.  I could finish the entire pot of french press my self with these yummy muffins.I go a little heavy on the nutmeg as its the only spice in the recipe...also, makes the house smell amazing.

The recipe says these are "moist and flavorful" -- and they are. Very moist. some like that; some prefer muffins a little firmer...use less banana, or less milk, or less butter as you see fit.  Either way, delish:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted [I used 3/4 cup]
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup unsalted macadamia/walnuts or pecans nuts, toasted, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease twelve muffin cups or line with muffin papers. Sift first 4 ingredients into large bowl. Combine bananas, both sugars, butter, milk and egg in medium bowl. Mix into dry ingredients. Fold in half of nuts. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining nuts and a sprinkle of suguar. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes [I took 30 minutes or so, and maybe 35 wouldn't kill them ... but maybe that's just me wanting them a little less moist]. Transfer muffins to rack and cool.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit, June 1991
Pictures courtesy of Me

Before

Ode to the Cafeteria Lady

Our coporate cafeteria is rarely something to write home about, we're generally happy that it doesnt make us sick and dont ask for more.  Its expensive, but clean and they often over do it with seafood dishes, pasta with cream sauce and too many fried foods.  The salad bar starts off great on a Monday but clearly declines in quality as the week goes on...ending with a random mix of leftovers that creates "pasta salad" as an offering on Friday.  I warn the new employees with a friendly "dont eat the chicken" as they pile it on the plates.
The sandwich lady never dissapoints though, while her tray is not filled with Boar's Head's finest deli selections its okay.  She's tiny Spanish lady that always asks me if I want a pickle, yet I've never ever said yes. 

Today she impressed me, hense the entry "Ode to the Cafeteria Lady":  I had to cancel my colony pizza lunch plans since work had to take over my Friday.  I was prepeared to be dissapointed as nothing could compete with my expectations for that greasy delight. But, my thinly sliced chicken cutlet on toasted whole wheat with fresh Mozzeralla, roasted peppers and pesto made me amost forget my pizza.

As I ordered it told her she should name the sandwich after me, she laughed akwardly and asked if I wanted a pickle...no thanks, no pickle for me.

There's no picture because I ate the whole thing and decided to write this after I washed it down with my Poland Springs.  I think I proceeded to rave about the sandwich for the rest of the afternoon and the people around me had to hear "wow, that was so good" , "seriously, my sandwich was so yummie"

Cooking class

Here's some pics from our recent class at ICE.   Essentials of mediterranean cooking

New Layout, New Blog

I was getting pretty lazy with the updates...the pressure of posting a recipe was a bit too much for this busy little lady.  I thought a new layout and new look would help refresh the site and my comitment to posting.  Ill do fewer recipes and more general posts, with links, pics and random thing related to my obsession with food. 

With the news style is a new name...My Brain on Food...get it, much like a brain on drugs...my brain on food is like a fried egg.

I hope you read, like, enjoy and follow.  If you dont, it will at least drain my brain of all the junk I see and read day and night.

Happy eating,

Age