I Don't Do Well With Change

I am so rigid, organized, and routine-focused, that whenever there are events that change what I have planned, I get really anxious. So when will I learn that life happens, and my plan is usually (or a lot of times) not what my HP has planned for me? I'm so silly :-)

In my last post, I had mentioned that tonight was my Mom's Birthday Party. And I was doing all the necessary preparations yesterday; cleaning, grocery shopping, preparing some dishes...

At 6 o'clock, Ed came to pick me up and we had been planning to go to Whole Foods to do some other grocery shopping. As he was calling me to tell me he was downstairs, he says, "Babe, can you come down quickly. I feel like my body's shutting down." OMFG! What the hell?!

When I got down to his car, he was leaning on the wall of the building, unable to keep himself up. We went straight to Lawrence Hospital. To make a loooooooooooong story short, the doctor is pretty positive he has Guillain Barré Syndrome which is a rare disorder where the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. Basically the symptoms are weak/numb/tingly limbs and eventually paralysis if left untreated.

Lucky for Ed, even though his symptoms came on out of the blue and was pretty bad, he got well over night. He had to stay in the hospital over night, and he's still there... probably until tomorrow. He has been ordered by the doctor to take a few days off from work (yay for him!). So basically, I was a nervous wreck thinking about all the things that I had to do for today for my Mom's Party. But I took all this as a sign from HP saying that today just wasn't the day. "Just go with the flow" he was telling me, because nothing was gonna go the way I had planned.

So I called my mom to cancel the party and of course she was totally OK with it. Instead, we decided to go out for dinner. Her dinner of choice as of late has been Moscato in Scarsdale. I had been there with her like 4 years ago and it was really like a forgettable experience. I remember ordering a fish special for lunch, and it was like $40.00. And it wasn't even that good. Also, my mom had ordered a "LOBSTER" pasta... if by lobster they meant crawfish, it would've been cool.

So, as of late, my mom has been obsessing about this place and all I could think of was that unpleasant experience. Plus people on Chowhound had been complaining, so I wasn't too enthusiastic to go. But tonight really changed my view of them.

We ordered a bajillion dishes and shared everything. Unfortunately, for the appetizers, I didn't get many pictures because the waiters served everything so we all just had a big plate scattered with unpretty-but-delicious food :-)

My mom said we HAD to order the Fegatini di Pollo al Balsamico (chicken liver) appetizer, so we did. AND OMG, I love liver so this was heavenly. The liver was delicious, and the balsamic vinegar dressing on the salad was the perfect flavor to go with it! And the parmesan crust was delish!


We also got the Burratta with Tomatoes and Watermelon. I had heard some Burratta talk on Chowhound so I was curious. Apparently, it's a cheese made with 3 different kinds of milk? It was so delicate, and so very mild. It was great!

Finally, for our last appetizer, we got the Vongole Oreganata. My mom and bro were like obsessed with it. I thought it was just OK.


We got two salads. The Insalata di Carciofi (Baby Artichokes, Arugola, White Mushrooms, and Pamiggiano in lemon and olive oil) and the Insalata Cesare (with two whole strips of anchovies! I claimed one and my brother got the other!). Both were so good but I definitely loved the first one better!

For entrées, I got the fish special:

Mako Shark with Shaved Melon and Spinach. OMG my new fav fish! It's a meaty fish similar to swordfish! And the lemony sauce that accompanied the fish just screamed, "MEDITERRANEAN!" It was sooooooo good!

My Mom got the Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Sauce.

This sauce went great with the meat! However, the meat was a little tough. Maybe I'm just used to the perfect rack of lamb at X20!

Amanda (my brother's gf) got the Beef Medallions with Almonds.

The meat was super tender, and I loved the crunch of the sliced almonds!

My brother got the Breaded Veal stuffed with Proscuitto and Cheese.

This was pretty good. But I could've sworn the inside was ham! Like regular cold cut ham! OOPS!

And since my mom can't go to an Italian restaurant without ordering a pasta dish, we got the pasta special.

Basil Ravioli filled with Goat Cheese and Chives. This could've been heavier on the goat cheese flavor, but with the tomatoes and the sweet cookie crumbs (I think), it was great!

Dessert Time!!

Warm Banana Cake with Bruléed Bananas and Vanilla Ice Cream. The banana cake was in the shape of an overfilled muffin, and it was dry and the top was hard. BUT the bananas were amazing!


We also got the Upside Down Apple Tart with Apple Sorbet. This one I definitely liked better. The apple tart was simple and delicious. The apple sorbet tasted, as Amanda said, "like a Jolly Rancher!" It totally did!

And finally, since the waiters forgot to since my mom Happy Birthday when they brought the desserts over, they brought over a plate of Chocolate Biscotti and they sang Happy Birthday!

Awww! Happy Birthday Mom!

Soooo.... all in all, it was a great meal. Not perfect by any means, but I enjoyed many of the dishes. Plus, our waiter was super Italian and so awesome!


Moscato
874 Scarsdale Avenue
Scarsdale, New York 10583
Phone: 914-723-5700
Fax : 914-723-1781

Slow To Warm Up...

Yes, I'm slacking in the blogging... but I'm warming up!
I've just been swamped with fun events, celebrations, and of course my dear old Yeshiva. Yeah the semester's coming to an end, so I'm in partial neurotic, crazy, no-time-to-bake mode :-(

But here are some fun events that I will be cooking/baking for or just eating!
Saturday, May 2, 2009- My mom's birthday party! Crabcakes, asparagus, buttermilk biscuits, cream puffs are on the menu, and they're all things that I've never made!
Saturday, May 9, 2009- My friend Paul's B-day/Graduation party! Smore's cake... ;-)
Sunday, May 10, 2009- Mother's Day! Dinner out at either Blue Hill, Momofuku Ko, or Bouley? Mom gets to pick!
Friday, May 15, 2009- MY 23rd BIRTHDAY! FOOD FOOD FOOD!
Sunday, May 17, 2009- Dougie (Ed's little brother) Graduation Party.... food and family!


So, be patient. Lot's and lot's of yummies are coming!

My Favorite Sandwich

It's funny I never posted my Favorite Sandwich!
I rarely ever make a sandwich with 2 slices of bread and cold cuts. No regular condiments, no boring combinations. I get really creative with my sandwiches. And 95% of the time, they are grilled.

So if you haven't already tried, you must get the Pepperidge Farm Fruit and Grains Apple and Pomegranate Bread! The first generation of this bread was the Fruit and Yogurt Apple Bread. And now they have modified it to be Apple and Pomegranate. It's made with Whole Grains too!

It's too bad that not many supermarkets carry this bread. I sometimes literally drive to 3 supermarkets to find it!

So here is the equation: Delicious Bread + Goat Cheese Crumbles + Apple Slices + Frying Pan

I like to fry up the apples a little so that the hot apple melts the goat cheese. I then place neatly (more like OCD-ly) on top of the crumbled goat cheese that I sprinkle on one side of the bread.

Toast both sides in a frying pan.
Voila!

I love how the edges get kinda crusty, and the outside is crispy. The inside of the bread is soft and chewy. The sweetness from the apples (I always use Fuji apples because they are sweet, and even after heating them up, they retain a firm consistency), and the sweet-tangy-creaminess of the goat cheese is to die for! And finally, I l-o-v-e that occasional crunch that I get from the nuts in the bread.

Ready in under 5 minutes... it's the best dinner after 10 hours of school.... like today :-)

Playing Hard To Get

That's the game that Galloways plays. They are a local bakery in Scarsdale, and they are only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and on major holidays. Every since I was a little girl, Galloways has been like the place to go to get a pie or some cookies. Oh, and their jelly donuts! Everyone knows Galloways. When I was little, my favorite was their Banana Cream Pie :-)

In these past few years, I have actually strayed from their pies. They are always tempting, but if I have a choice between a pie or cake, I go for cake. I have tried their cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and doughnuts (only on the weekends and get their early!).

One thing that people always tell me to get are their Meltaways. I have never had it. I asked the girl who works there where I should get the meltaway or the raisin rolls (because I had this totally random craving for a Cinnamon Raisin Roll). The only thing she said was, "The raisin rolls have a lot of raisins." And I thought, "GREAT! I love raisins". Ed got a Meltaway for his family for Easter, so I, on the other hand, got the Cinnamon Raisin Roll. My excuse not to get them is usually because there are too many and I don't want them to go to waste. Luckily, this time, they had a pack of 4 not-so-enormous Cinnamon Raisin Rolls! I think usually they come in a pack of 6. It was my time.



These were great. My only memories of a cinnamon raisin roll are those from Cinnabon! Cinnabon's rolls are enormous, super sweet, and insane! Galloways version was very pleasant. It really wasn't too sweet, there was just enough frosting on top, and it was moist! However, even me, the raisin lover, would have to say that there was a raisin over-load!


Look! 8 raisins just from that angle!

The next night, I had another piece... microwaved... 30 seconds. O-M-G...


Galloways Country Kitchen
69 Harney Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Phone: (914)-725-4074‎

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

I finally got to experience the Blue Hill at Stone Barns experience!!! It's a Westchester staple, and I feel like everyone I know has been there except me!
The restaurant itself was not what I expected. The entrance does not seem like a restaurant, and when you're in the bar area, you don't expect the large dining area. We were the first one's there and we got to pick our table! We got a really nice comfy table facing the window. It was still light out (it was only 5:30!) so the lighting was beautiful.

My mom and I both enjoyed the Farmer's Feast. Basically, you don't get any kind of menu, but they give you a list of what's in season.
I went in with my own expectations of this restaurant because I'd been reading some conflicted reviews. What I expected was a nice restaurant that uses high quality ingredients to make delicious food. And honestly, that's exactly what I got.

There was an abundance of food!
9 amuse bouche, delicious Balthazaar onion bread with fresh butter (2 kinds, Blue Hill and Ronnybrook), homemade ricotta, beet and arugula salt, 6 savory dishes, and 2 desserts. Topped all off with chestnut macarons.
I will begin from the VERY beginning:

Fennel Soup

Fresh Garden Vegetables

Dried Garden Vegetable Chips

Anchovy Mousse

Lettuce with Chickpeas

Salsify with Pancetta

Beat Burgers with Goat Cheese and Preserved Tomatoes

Pork Terrine with Chocolate



Charcuterie (Uhh... Capocolla, Lonzino, and Speck)

Veal Shank Marrow with Paddlefish Caviar
END OF AMUSE BOUCHE.




Balthazaar Onion Bread with Blue Hill Butter, Ricotta, Arugula Salt and Beet Salt

Beets with Mache, Blue Hill Yogurt, and Pine Nut Butter

Scallops with Parsley and Cilantro Broth

Cobia with Ramps a la Greque
As you can see, the last picture is pretty dark. It was getting dark out side, so the lighting was lacking... plus, there's no flash photography in the restaurant! So the next couple of dishes will be written only... sorry if I got you excited!

Farm Egg with Lentil and Lettuce Broth
Goose Egg Pasta with Embryonic Eggs
Braised Lamb Belly with Saldify Noodles and Bordeaux Spinach, Couscous

Dessert!
Candied Meyer Lemon with Yogurt and Passionfruit Ice Cream
Parsnip Cake with Ginger Ice Cream
Carmelized Pink Lady Apple with Toasted Oatmeal Ice Cream and White Cinnamon

Everything was presented beautifully, especially the fresh carrots, lettuce, and cauliflower from the garden! I think what I loved most about the food was that the flavor of each ingredient was so well-emphasized. There were some dishes where I chuckled at the description. "Lettuce Broth"?? That sounds SOOOOO bland.... but it was far from it!

Because the farmer's feast focuses on the seasons freshest, most delicious ingredients, I was able to taste some new ingredients that I never had. Cobia is awesome! Goose egg noodles, oh yeah! And of course the farm-fresh egg from that morning in a lentil soup???? Ugh, it was heaven!

Also, I love the little story behind each star-ingredient, and how it plays a role on their farm life. I really appreciate what their mission is and what they believe in. It's unique and fun, and all the waiters showed a passion for food, which i always love!

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, New York 10591
Phone: 914-366-9600 (reservations and general information)
Fax: 914-366-7920

Diner Desserts at Mirage Diner

Diner desserts kinda freak me out. It's like either really freakishly artificial-looking or just so like robotic. Also, I wonder how long those cakes and pies have been out for. I could be totally wrong, and they could be super delicious, but judging a book by it's cover, I never feel compelled to order dessert at a diner.

This past Friday, me and Ed went to Mirage Diner in New Rochelle for a quick bite to eat. When I walked by the dessert case to go to the bathroom, I felt a different vibe... something was calling me name. But I ignored it.

After finishing up my custom order salad, and filling up on the delicious, warm, made-on-premises (that's what our waiter told us) challah bread, I thought, "Hey, my meal was actually pretty good. Especially the bread." As our waiter, who by the way was the most helpful, charismatic waiter at a diner I've ever had, came back to take our plates, he asked if we wanted desserts. And he added "It's all homemade." I don't know why but I get so excited when I hear the word homemade.

I know, I know. Homemade does not = good. And sometimes, frozen, wholesale desserts (such as Bindi) = delicious!

Anyways, I decided to try something, and I walked to the dessert case. My waiter followed. He said, "I'll tell you which one's were made today, and which ones are my favorite." Now immediately, I love people who are enthusiastic about their food, so getting the inside scoop from my waiter was the first step. He recommended the banana cream pie (a.k.a. one of my favorite pies ever) and the chocolate mousse cake. Then he said, "Come to this side," and led me to the pastry case. He presented me with the "Rock". I think he said it was called The Rock. He said it was his absolute favorite out of everything. It was an enormous purse-shaped puff of a pastry. It looked like a square croissant, drizzled with chocolate, and dusted with powdered sugar. I asked, "What's inside?" Chocolate and cheese. I was somehow sold. But before I could say anything the waiter says, "Here, I'll bring you over a sample to see if you like it." Dang! Free shiz is always nice, but to get a sample at a diner, I felt kinda special :-)

He gave me and Ed each a quarter of the ginormous beauty. And yes, I liked it. I even loved it. And we got one to take home. And I had another half!!!




Hahaha! Wow, yeah seriously. Maybe eating that whole half was a bit much. The middle part was over-dough-load. But the outside was nice and light and flaky, and the cheese/chocolate combo was YUM!

Mirage Diner
690 North Ave
New Rochelle, NY 10801
Phone: 914-235-2568

The Need For More Meat On Sticks

I LOVE the movie There's Something About Mary...

Anyways, last Friday, I went out to Tori-Shin in NYC again with my family! It was still a wonderful experience! If you don't remember, I visited Tori-Shin back in July and was so impressed.

Just an FYI... Tori-Shin is not the traditional Izakaya Yakitori experience you would have in Japan... it's very fancy schmancy, but the food is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

On this visit, we had a lot of the same skewers but here were the highlights!


Salad with Chicken "Prosciutto" and Yuzu Dressing... I kept asking the guy, "I thought proscuitto was made of pork." And he kept saying "No, you can make it out of chicken."


Chicken Paté... It was like really rich, tasted like cream cheese-ish.


Chicken Meatballs with Takenoko... BF didn't share this one :-( But said it was delicious!


Nagoya Style Chicken Wings... Holy crap, this was like my favorite one! It was fried to a crisp, super juicy inside, with a sweet/spicy glaze on the outside. Heavenly!


Asparagus with Butter... Seasonal perfection!


Chicken Jerky with Mayo ... It's not really jerky, but it had that tough skin and stringy insides. I <3 jerky

That is all. Oh, and now they offer Curry Rice as the rice dish for the end of your meal! Ed got it and I tasted it and it was delicious!

Go now.

Tori Shin
1193 1st Ave (Btwn 64th & 65th St)
New York 10065
Phone: 212-988-8408