Bean There, Ate That

I'm trying out a few new recipes before this week's 24/24/24 dinner on Saturday. One dish I plan on serving is a white bean dip with garlic. Holy moley is this dip tasty. I tried a new variation, this one from Giada di Laurentiis. She uses raw garlic, not roasted, so I decided to give it a whirl. You probably have everything to make this dip right in your kitchen NOW--try it! It takes a matter of minutes to whip up a creamy, satisfying, and even HEALTHY treat that tastes quite decadent: cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic! Throw it all in the food processor (my mini-Cuisinart is the perfect size for this!), pulse for 30 seconds, and... ta-daaaaaah!

My only complaint is that the raw garlic is quite pronounced. In fact, it made me a little burpy. Good thing I live alone. ;) When I make it again later this week, I'll be roasting the garlic. I think a dip as creamy as this should also have a creamy flavor. Don't get me wrong, I'm still eating this version, but for a party, I think roasted garlic will be a friendlier flavor.

While watching a Barefoot Contessa episode I'd DVR'ed, Ellie Krieger had a 30 second blurb where she shared HER recipe. It had more beans, less olive oil, and a little more lemon, plus the roasted garlic. Serendipity! I think I'll be using her version for this weekend. Updates coming!

Seriously--go make this dip now. Just have some Beano first.

Burger Alert!!!

While New York City has more than its fair share of fancy-shmancy eateries, sometimes a gal just wants a good burger. And oh mercy, did I find one this week! My friend Carlota, she of the native New Yorkness, took me (for my birthday-yay!) to a small but stupendous spot in the East Village: Black Iron Burger. It's small, it's hot in the summer (no A/C), and it's pretty dark at night, but trust me, none of this matters.

Carlota and I hiked over there Thursday night after I worked the late shift. She warned me that the burgers are huge, so I should come hungry. I took her a little too seriously and ate very little that day, leaving plenty of room for the coming feast. I was maybe a little too hungry by the time I got there, feeling the blood sugar levels dip to a shaky low. Whatever, I was ready: BRING ON THE MEAT!

We both ordered the Black Iron Burgers, which are their specialty: two patties with horseradish cheddar and sautéed onions. I normally prefer raw onions on a burger, but Carlota had raved enough about this place that I was just going to do as in Rome and whatnot...and thank goodness I did. The burgers are SO succulent, so I appreciate that they take the time to toast their sesame-brioche buns. The meat was tender and juicy, dripping down my hands as I ate (it was almost burning the tips of my fingers at one point but I surged on anyway), the horseradish cheddar was so creamy, and the sautéed onions were perfect: still a bit crunchy, not overly-caramelized, and a nice addition to the layers of fantastic flavors. Carlota also ordered tries and the fried green tomatoes. Yeah, we were gonna eat. The fries were well-seasoned, but I much preferred the fried green tomatoes (which I've had at other places and not really enjoyed). The seasoning on the tomatoes is zing-zang-tastic, and it's exponentially better when slathered with a bit of Dijon mustard (another trick Carlota shared). Holy YUM were these little babies yummy.

We also ordered some Abita root beer, which they have on tap. It was sharp and not too sweet--the perfect foil for the salty burger, and a cool relief on that toasty, humid, August night. I believe they offer a free refill with your soda purchase, but there was no way I was letting even delicious root beer take up space where there could be more burger!!

Don't doubt me: this is a lot of food. Once I devoured my finger-licking-good burger (the 'after' photo is just above), I sat there in a bit of stomach shock, amazed at how much food could fit in one belly. There was no way I could finish the fries, but I did have one or two more fried green tomatoes, because YUM. The fries are good, but if you have to pick between the two, pick the tomatoes!

The service was also great--I have to salute the cook, who was kicking butt at the grill while suffering in some serious heat. He churned out so many burgers so quickly, and man were they tasty. I wouldn't want that job, but like he said, someboday's gotta do it, and I'm glad he does it so well! Kudos to him and the bartender, who were both friendly even under the stifling heat they were working in that night. I also noticed the bartender was very on top of keeping things clean: as soon as I'd used up a whole napkin to soak up the grease or the ketchup or whatever, he'd come by and swipe it, putting it in the trash. Once we finished, he wiped down the bar with a cloth soaked in a mild bleach solution (I LOVE that smell!), and it left the bar clean, smooth, and not at all sticky, which is shocking considering how messy those burgers are. I really appreciate a clean establishment, as I know how hard it is to keep it clean, and this one stood out to me. I will definitely go back again. You should go, too--but remember: GO HUNGRY!

Black Iron Burger
540 East 5th Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 677-6067

Too Xai Xai (hush hush...)

THIS place has been on my radar for YEARS! It opened up when I was still working at the Montel show, and it wasn't far from our office, but darn if I just never made it there. We were so much more likely to hit the after-work bar one block from us. It was dark and crowded and all-too-often smelled ungodly, but the wings were amazing and the bartenders knew us..so Xai Xai got pushed to the back of the line..until this week!

We were bidding adieu to someone in the office and it just happened to be on my birthday! : ) Isn't multi-tasking fun??

The place is much smaller than I expected inside. I was imagining a louder, more boisterous scene, but it's very low-key and understated. I highly recommend it for small groups.

The food was good, but not amazing. We ordered the small cheese platter, which had a farmer's cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese (very mild), and an Italian cheese, the name of which wasn't exactly clear to me. It came with mixed nuts and an apricot chutney, which tasted very strongly of rosemary to me (what is it with all the rosemary lately??) We also ordered the 'melted cheese bowl,' which had a pungent cheese melted inside the bowl, and buttery, ridged pita triangles for dipping. The cheese tasted MUCH better than it smelled! It was just enough food to keep up with the wine, but not so much that you walked away feeling stuffed (which is good, because I was saving room for my birthday dinner!)

But truly, you go to Xai Xai for the wine, and it was well worth the schlep across Times Square! We started out with a gorgeous-looking rosé (its name escapes me but it was the first offering under rosés, for about 28 dollars). It was very fruity, with a heavy raspberry flavor, at least to my tastes buds. The gal who was leaving our office is more of a white drinker, so for the next bottle (don't worry, there were several of us there) I asked the server about the pinot-chardonnay blend. He let me try a sample, and I found it quite unique and delicious, so we ordered a bottle. THAT time I remembered to take a photo of the bottle (see the Haute Cabriere label below). I thought this was a fantastic glass of wine--and I'm definitely more of a red drinker than white. I'll have to keep an eye out for this blend--a fabulous find!

Xai Xai Wine Bar
369 W 51st St
New York, NY 10018
(212) 541-9241

Best. Birth Week. Ever. :)

Today was my 36th birthday, and it turned out to be a pretty good one. Despite the sweltering heat and the constant sweating and the looming threat of rain, the day was pretty pleasant. I went out after work with some coworkers to a bar that had long been on my 'list,' then met my awesome BF for dinner.

He had a few ideas up his sleeve, and asked if I'd be in the mood for Cambodian food. I don't know the first thing about Cambodian cuisine, but I was game for just about anything. Then he also offered another option, which was 5 blocks from the wine bar I was going to with the girls. I took into consideration the heat, humidity, and the fact that it was a 'school night,' and opted for the nearby Italian place, Puttanesca.

It was in the neighborhood where I used to work when I was at Montel. I'd been once or twice for lunch, but always tried basic stuff. It was good, but I'd heard dinner was GREAT. The BF had also long wanted to try this place. It did not disappoint!

I started out with the Insalata di Barbabatiole, aka warm beet salad (pictured at the top of this post). It came with green beans, goat cheese, leeks, candied walnuts, and a raspberry vinaigrette. Sumptuous! The beets were perfectly cooked, the goat cheese was mild and flavorful, and the vinaigrette was not too sweet. I cleaned my plate, except for the candied walnuts, which were not really my thing, at least not with the beets.

Kevin's salad, one I'd also considered, was the Insalata di Pera, or pear salad: thinly shaved Bosc pear gave just the right crunch to a bed of arugula, crispy bacon, tangy Gorgonzola cheese, and roasted walnuts. He shared a bite and it was absolutely perfect. He thinks I should make it for the upcoming Recession Recipes party--I might have to give it a shot!

I ordered the Branzino, which came over a bed of tomatoes, roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach. The menu said it was a tomato-oregano broth, but I swear to you it was rosemary, NOT oregano. I'd bet real money on it. I would have preferred oregano, but it was still good. The fish was absolutely succulent, and the smattering of clams and mussels were spot on--not a single grain of grit anywhere (which I've had happen in some really nice places). It looks like a huge portion of fish in the photo, but it was much smaller than it appears--it just looks bigger as it's perched on top of the bed of spinach. I thought the spinach was a bit too salty, so that was the one thing I didn't finish (and I loooooove spinach), but everything else was great. Yum.

BF ordered the steak, cooked medium. It came with a Barolo wine sauce (yum!!) and was so juicy, it almost didn't need any accompaniment. However, who are we to waste a tangy, puckery red wine sauce? My BF awesomely shared TWO bites with me--one with sauce, one without, so I could compare, contrast, and eat more of his steak. He's great like that. ;) He also apparently liked the spinach a lot more than I did (but maybe I was just saving room for dessert...?)

And we did still have room for dessert--there was no hemming and hawing this time! My BF had read a review about some apple or pear dessert with amaretto (I looove amaretto!), but the server said they didn't make that anymore. The BF opted for his favorite, chocolate "souffle," and I got the warm banana tart, as the phrase 'with port wine reduction' was practically screaming my name. I put quotes around the soufflé because it was really just a molten chocolate cake, and not a delicate, fragile, puffy piece of dessert. Still tasty, but not really a 'soufflé.' It was very small, though, so I only took one small bite. I'm great like that, too. ;). The banana tart was worth going back again--there was a whisper-thin layer of caramelized crunchiness on top of the bananas, which were ripe and soft and delicious. This whole meal was delicious from start to finish, and definitely worthy of a birthday splurge.

PS: Birth Week is only half over--there's still so much more fun stuff ahead!!! Woo hoo!

Puttanesca
859 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
(212) 581-4177

Ballpark Eats

I was lucky enough to hit not one, but two Mets games last week! The first was on Monday, and it was a sweltering, sweltering night. I don't think I ever stopped sweating the whole evening. The Mets also lost by a crushing 10-1, so wahh-wahhh (sad trombone sound). However, the next night, Tuesday (against the Braves-feh), was a complete turnaround. Yes, still muggy, but our seats were awesome and we had our own little 'club!' My BF got some free seats from his office, so he and I and my friend Carlota hit up Citi Stadium for a night. As we entered Citi Field, I noticed the tickets said 'Promenade Club.' Wait..what!? Sounds sweet! I asked the helpful man standing outside ANOTHER club, and he directed us upstairs. Turns out there was a lovely, air-conditioned, private area where folks in our section could eat in the cool, order with little to no lines, and just enjoy the good life. :)

I ordered my first-ever sausage & peppers at a ballgame. It was pretty good! The sausage (spicy, not sweet) was a bit dry, but still flavorful, and the veggies were outstanding--perfectly crisp-tender, not soggy--you could still taste them!

My BF got the burger and fries--the crinkly fries are hands-down my favorite, and these were delicious. Salty, squishy, just right. And of course he shared a bite with me (and I did the same with my sausage & peppers). Thank goodness I got a guy who doesn't mind sharing!

Carlota got the chicken quesadilla, which was one hefty serving o' food. It had shredded, well-seasoned chicken inside, along with mucho queso. The quac and salsas that came with it were quite tasty as well. It was too much for even the three of us, but tasty for sure. There was something in the tortilla, though, and I couldn't quite place the flavor. It had these green flecks...could it have been basil? It was a smell that didn't quite go with the flavor of the meat and cheese, so it was a bit distracting at first. Solution: more guac! : )

We then left the air-conditioned coccoon of the Promenade Club and took our drinks out to our seats, which were great. We had an awesome view of the game, which took an Amazin' turn in the 4th inning, when, down 4-0, the Mets scored a remarkable EIGHT RUNS IN ONE INNING! And they held the lead the rest of the game to win! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Sublime Sammiches

Last weekend, the BF & I went to an olive-oil tasting class at the Columbus Circle Williams-Sonoma. This was another event in our Finer Things Club, which was my 'gift' to him last Christmas (I plan these events that may or may not be fancy shmancy and we do them together).

After the class, the BF suggested lunch upstairs at Bouchon Bakery. I'd had their sweets before, but had never eaten there. We were immediately seated (shocking to me on a Sunday afternoon!) and our server came right over. She was friendly and nice and not at all snooty. She described the specials to us, and one of them jumped out to the BF. It was a sliced sausage with ricotta salata cheese on a baguette. We've been jonesing for some good baguettes since our trip to Montréal, too! I asked her to repeat the sausage name, because it sounded like she said Petit Jésu...but that can't be right.. can it?

Turns out, that's exactly what it's called...loose translation is 'little baby jesus' sausage. I don't know WHY it's called that, except maybe you do want to thank the good Lord for making something so delicious, but I am oh-so-glad my BF ordered this AND let me share a bit. It also had a light layer of tomato marmalade on it. YUUUUUUUUUM. My sandwich paled in comparison. It was Wagyu corned beef with watercress and a horseradish creme fraiche. Horseradish is one of my buzzwords--anything with horseradish, chipotle, raspberries, or wasabi is guaranteed to edge out other items on a menu. The horseradish wasn't that strong to me, though the BF tasted it and said it was very strong. Hmm..perhaps the awesomeness of his sandwich was overshadowing mine.

My sandwich came on a mustard-whole wheat baguette. While I enjoy mustard, I thought the bread overpowered everything else, and ended up taking the top half of the bread off the sandwich. I also don't care for watercress--it's too bitter for me, so I removed that as well. Then I could better appreciate the succulence of the Wagyu beef--it was buttery, almost melt-in-your-mouth soft, and just remarkable. What a exceptionally delicious cut of meat!

We were pretty full after our sandwiches, so instead of sweets, we opted for hot lattés. Sadly, my camera battery died before I could snap a shot. This is hands-down one of the best lattés I've ever had. I don't know what kind of bean they used, but it was smooth, not bitter at all, the foam was hefty and gorgeous, and the milk had a creaminess to it that made it taste like a dessert--no sugar needed!

Squash Bisque

Some people hoard stuff; I hoard recipes. I will rip them out here and there along the way, filing them in a big old box that I keep in my living room. Now and again I'll browse through it and set aside a few I'd like to try. This particular recipe never even made it to the box. I LOVE zucchini, and I knew I'd be using this squash bisque recipe quite soon.

It still took me a few weeks to get around to it, but today was the perfect time. I got a bunch of squash (on sale this week at FreshDirect! I paid 3.43 for a total of 5 squash, and I didn't even use them all) delivered this morning, so I unpacked it, washed it, and got to cutting. This recipe also gave me an excuse to use one of my favorite toys..I mean tools. Sara and her boyfriend gave me the Williams-Sonoma chopper for my last birthday, and man have I put some miles on this one! Allow me to demonstrate with a creatively-shot video (Hey, it's hard shooting when you're cooking solo! I did several tries using one hand, the other holding the camera, before getting a little more creative..):

The chopper made quick, perfect, precisely-diced work of 5 zucchini in, oh, about 30 seconds. In a word: AAAAAAAAAAWESOME!!!

Once I finished playing with my chopper, I realized I had wayyyyy more zucchini than I needed for this recipe. I set some aside after a few minutes of sautéing, and kept cooking the rest. While the zucchini cooks quite quickly, I have agree with the author of the NYT post on this recipe: the zucchini doesn't really brown! Once you can really smell the zucchini, it's done. I halved the recipe and sort of fudged my way along (more fractions!) and I think it all turned out quite nicely.
I also used white pepper instead of black--it's one of my favorite ways to spike the flavor in a dish. I also didn't purée the soup as much as I could have, so it really felt more like a 'chowder' than a bisque, which was just fine with me! I like my soup to have some heartiness to it. I want to feel like I'm EATING something, not just 'drinking' my food. I also took some of the zucchini I reserved earlier, while it still had some crunch to it, and put some of that on top of the finished dish. I also added a few dices of red pepper just for color, but I didn't care for the bite this had when mixed with the mellowness of the zucchini. Looks pretty, but I'll skip it next time around! Also, don't let the cream content freak you out: it's 1/3 of a cup for a good 6 hearty servings--you're only getting a few tablespoons. This dish was suprisingly light and refreshing. I didn't feel heavy or too full after eating it. And I have plenty of leftovers for the days ahead. Excelsior!!

LKP on 24/24/24

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! That's the sound I just made when I found out Foodbuzz.com selected MY proposal for one of their 24/24/24 meals to be featured on their website this month! The meal will happen on Saturday, August 29th, and be posted both on my blog and on Foodbuzz.com on Sunday, August 30th. Woo hoo!

This is JUST the great news I needed today. I am very excited and am already planning the menu. My proposal was a Recession Recipes party, where I feature recipes that are affordable and delicious; ideas that show that eating affordably does NOT mean eating flavorlessly. I have a bunch of fun summer recipes spinning around in my head, and they're all budget-friendly. I stressed the fact that food brings together people in a wonderful way, and the night will be just as much about the company as it is about the food. I can't wait!!

Dessert on a Dime

We Yanks joke a lot about British food being terrible (and most of what I've had was not great), but boy, do they know custard. Heaven help me. I am a sucker for a good English custard. Not too sweet, not too thick, all too easy to eat. I found a brand (Ambrosia) I'd tried before this weekend while at the grocery store with the BF. I brought a can home and decided to make some fruit parfaits of sorts. The first night I plopped almost a whole pint of raspberries in and splashed some custard on top. Gone before you could say Blimey!

Last night, however, as the oppressive heat & humidity reminded me why I never want to live in really hot states again (I can't do this all year. I can't! I won't!), I scoured the fridge for a cooling treat. Seeing as I'd scarfed all the raspberries from the night before, I pounced on an unsuspecting pint of blueberries, plump and naturally sweet and without a chance of survival around me. I gave about 1/4 cup of berries a big old dollop of the custard and settled on the couch, where the air conditioner hit me at the perfect angle. Deeeeeeeeeeeelicious, cheap, and no cooking required!

Is it fall yet?

Not quite cracktastic....

Hands down, my favorite dish to order when out for tapas is Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp in garlic & oil). Sala 19 is probably my favorite spot for this dish: there is something cracktastically delicious about this dish--the softness of the shrimp, the incredible garlicky tang of the olive oil..divine. Once the shrimp is gone, I will gladly scoop up the sauce with just some crusty bread. I found an article in a magazine that gave me hope I might be able to create such culinary cracktastickness (sp?) in my own kitchen.

This recipe (which calls for only olive oil, shrimp, red chile peppers, and fresh parsley for the garnish) came out okay...but something is missing. Yes, the shrimp is soft and delectable; yes, the garlic infuses the oil nicely; yes, the red pepper (less powerful since I removed the ribs and seeds--I think I removed too much, fyi) gives it just the right amount of quiet heat, lurking in the back of your throat as you're distracted by the garlic. But it's just...okay. The first batch came out a bit bland, so while the recipe didn't originally call for it, I added a sprinkle of sea salt. That helped, but it's still not quite there.

Has anyone out there tried this dish? Any suggestions for how to take it to the next sensory level? What am I missing? I used fresh and jarred garlic (sliced the fresh, the jarred was already minced). Ayudame, por favor (Help me please!)! Gracias. :)