Fast & Spicy

I met ABF downtown for a quick lunch date and we felt like having Indian. We met at Bombay's Indian Cuisine(formerly a Baluchi's) and managed to snag a table in the middle of the FiDi (Financial District) lunch rush.

Bombay is set up in a cafeteria style--they have a small but varied menu, pre-made drinks (including lassis!), and trays. Grab a drink, grab a tray, order your food, and you're served in seconds. A plus when you only have a short time for lunch.

While I saved our table, ABF went up to the line and ordered our food. Such a gent, that guy. :)

Look at those prices! We couldn't NOT get samosas (they were a dollar!)

ABF had never had one before, so I was quite happy to bring that deliciousness into his life. So good!

We each got the chicken tikka masala combo, which came with rice and saag paneer (spinach with a cream-cheesy type blend). While fast is good, how it tastes is more important. This was quite possibly one of the most succulent CTMs I have ever had. I was shocked at how tender and tasty the meat was. Kabob chicken often comes to you all dry and tough and overcooked..but not there! This was just great, and for 8 bucks total? Top that! It was more than I could possibly finish, but that's okay.

So while this was ABF's first taste of samosas, I finally broke down and had some garlic naan. I may never go back to regular naan again. Soft, chewy, garlicky---carb heaven!

As seen above in the first photo, I did pick up a mango lassi. It was tart, not too sweet, and just creamy enough to cool off my tongue from the surprisingly spicy chicken tikka.

I am by no means an 'expert' in Indian food, but I do know a tasty chicken tikka masala when I have one. If you're in the Financial District and want a good, affordable lunch option--come here, and come hungry! (And if you have room after, you can take 10 steps to your right and get coffee at Fika!!)

Thanks again to ABF for a delicious, tasty lunch--as if getting to spend some extra time with ABF weren't delicious enough on its own!

Bombay's Indian Cuisine
60 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10004
(212) 742-2222

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What's for dinner? DESSERT!!

ABF & I met his parents at Clovis Point Wines last weekend---they were debuting their summer rosé! (post soon) ABF's parents had already eaten lunch, but we hadn't, so we compromised: coffee & dessert time! Isn't being an adult awesome??? Dessert for dinner! We drove down the road to Mattituck and brought ABF's parents to another favorite place: Love Lane Kitchen.

In the 30 seconds it took us to walk from the car to the restaurant, the sign went from "Come In: We're Open" to "Sorry-We're Closed." It happened so quickly that I wondered if I'd imagined seeing the "Open" part! However, there were several tables of people inside, so we came in and asked if they were open. It turns out they shut down for a few hours to get ready for dinner. I think our faces all fell with disappointment!

The server quickly saved the day, saying since we just wanted dessert and coffee, they could accomodate us, as long as we didn't mind vacuuming and other cleaning going on. Listen...you can drive a train through that dining room as long as I have that rice pudding!

We walked up to the self-serve coffee bar, loaded up on hot caffeine, and happily admired the always-gorgeous floral arrangements while we waited for our delicious treats to arrive.

That rice pudding is exactly what I ordered--no second-guessing or hesitation. It. Is. AWESOME.

ABF ordered his favorite, the red velvet cake (which is like the 1-2-3 cake his grandmother used to make). I'm not crazy about this, but it is good. It's just that my love for the rice pudding will not make room for any other dessert.

And he is such a sweetie that he shared some with me. I heart that guy. :)

ABF's mom ordered the cheesecake, which was super dense and probably my least favorite dish there. Listen, it's tough competing with the pudding. I feel bad for all of the other desserts.

ABF's dad ordered the mixed berry tart a la mode. He said this was too good to share. As good as the rice pudding? Doubtful. ;)

Everyone really enjoyed their desserts, and we were extra grateful that the LLK staff was so welcoming when we were so hungry. Just one more experience at Love Lane Kitchen that made us love it even more!

Love Lane Kitchen
240 Love Lane
Mattituck, NY 11952-3223
(631) 298-8989

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Trader Joe's Taco Dip

I have a long-standing, deep-seated, everlasting love for Trader Joe's. Their products are usually fresh and tasty, always affordable, and the store in general is just FUN. Almost everything I've tried there has been a hit. Almost.

I'll admit the cover photo drew me in to the 5-layer dip. What's not to love? Vibrant colors, oozy cheese, cool sour cream, and chopped scallions. And honestly, Trader Joe's is usually pretty good about the package photo representing the actual product.

FAIL. Big old fail. Never mind that it looks hardly anything like the photo--it was also like a big, soupy, mushy mess of salt. PASS.

I put a hearty dollop of Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt on top since there was barely any sour cream visible in the actual dip. This also helped to cut through some of the overwhelming saltiness.

Don't worry, Trader Joe's--I can't stay mad at you. Nobody bats 1000! Next time I'll make my own dip with Trader Joe's ingredients--duly noted!

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Tongue-Tingling Tomatillos

Tomatillos rank pretty high in my list o' favorite produce. My mom always made a killer sauce. I don't come close to hers, but this easy recipe is something you'll want to add to your everyday repertoire. It also freezes well!

Imagine my delight when Fresh Direct finally started carrying them again! Tomatillos are featured on their "specialty produce' icon, but they have been frustratingly absent for the longest time. When I saw them return, elation ensued! I ordered a pound or two and got to cooking.

This recipe is DEAD simple, but so layered in fantastic flavors. You need tomatillos, garlic, onions, and chicken broth. Yeah, that's basically IT!

You can put the tomatillos under the broiler if you want, but today I opted to sauté them in a nonstick pan, after a few minutes of sweating the onions and garlic.

You'll know the tomatillos are ready when they start to turn from bright green to a duller, yellowish shade.

Now it's time to plop them in the blender--make sure to take out that top to let the steam release, or you'll have a hot and messy explosion on your hands. I usually blend them about half a batch at a time.

Once everything is blended, I put it back in the saucepan and heat it up, stirring it to distribute all the ingredients again. Have some immediately and put the rest in the freezer!

Tangy-Tart Tomatillo Sauce

1-1.5 lbs tomatillos (shuck and rinse them)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 white onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Water to thin, if needed

Sauté onions and garlic in butter or olive oil just until clear. Add chicken stock and tomatillos, turn tomatillos intermittently. Add more stock or water if pan starts to dry up. When tomatillos are yellow and soft, add to blender, combine all ingredients. Return blended mixture to stove for a few minutes, until bubbling. Enjoy! Add to tacos, nachos, enchiladas, soup, anything you want to have an extra kick!

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Eating My (delicious) Words

My first trip to Crumbs had me writing them off--the cupcake I tried was dry, too much going on, and in general left me quite disappointed. When Lil Sis was visiting, ABF asked if she'd rather have cupcakes or French pastry (my mind: French Pastry! Millefeuille!) She opted for cupcakes, so we walked to the FiDi outpost of Crumbs. I sighed inwardly but tromped on gamely because, after all, Lil Sis was visiting!

Maybe I was in a better frame of mind, but the smell of this place snagged me instantly. This was the same place where ABF had picked up the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake we'd halfheartedly shared ages ago, and yet this time smelled....different. Deliciously different.

Oh yeah..calorie counts on my cupcakes? INSTANT (temporary)
BUZZKILL.

Lil Sis snagged the Grasshopper cupcake (530 calories!? eeep!), which had devil's food cake with peppermint flavoring and mint icing--I was set on trying some of hers! She kindly obliged to her (bossy) big sister, and I was so glad! This was superb--rich chocolate, just enough icing, and bits of mini chips on top. Great texture and flavors. Dangit.. I like Crumbs.

ABF ordered the red velvet, your basic deep rich chocolate cake with a serious dose of food coloring and some creamy, fluffy icing.

I felt overwhelmed at first by the dizzyingly colorful cluster o'cupcakes, but eventually settled on the Good Guy, a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream filling and copious amounts of sprinkles. SPRINKLES!

This was soft, light cake with a shot of buttercream in the middle that had an almost whipped consistency. I was shocked at how much I liked this cupcake! The sprinkles went everywhere on the ground and it looked like a clown had exploded, but it was well worth the mess (and I'm sure I made some squirrels very happy)!

The birthday cakes aren't cheap, but they're cute! I bet they're tasty, too.....has anyone out there tried them? They also have mini ones!

The portion sizes are easily double a normal cupcake (hence the larger calorie count), but these are easily shared and will leave you both happy.

A nice hot chocolate and/or coffee accompanies the cupcakes nicely!

The inside of the store is tiny, so we were forced out into the cold and ate our cupcakes outside, shivering but happy. Thank you, ABF, for treating Lil Sis & me to such a sweet treat, and for so gallantly leading us around the Financial District for a top-notch tour!

And thank you Crumbs, for teaching me a delicious lesson---always give a cupcake a second chance to make a first impression!

Crumbs Bake Shop
87 Beaver St
New York, NY
(212) 480-7500

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Mini Shepherd's Pies

The mini Shepherd's pies from my St. Patty's day post are pretty simple to prepare, and they're an excellent way to use up any leftover veggies you might have in the fridge--mushrooms, diced peppers, you name it! This dish was one of the few ways my mother could get me to eat vegetables as a kid. It's not exactly the same as her dish, but definitely inspired by hers!

Forgive me, Mother, but I used pre-made potatoes from FreshDirect--this was all about keeping it easy-peasy!

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until potatoes start to brown on the peaks. Let cool 5 minutes (be careful! Insides are HOT!) and enjoy! This is pretty spectacular the next day, too.

Ingredients:
1/3 large onion (I used white, yellow could work,too)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
(any veggies you might have, I used 2 leftover carrots)
1 Tbs butter
1 lb ground beef
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas (I thawed mine)
Mashed potatoes (pre-made or homemade), 3 cups
6 ramekins

Add butter to pan and start sauteing carrots over medium-low heat, cook 5 minutes or until tender (mine were leftover, already sautéed, so no pic).

Add the garlic and onions (and more butter if needed) until soft and clear, but not browned. Add the ground beef and cook through, adding 2-3 Tablespoons of the Worcestershire at the end. Mix it all together thoroughly and set aside. Spoon 1/4 cup (or a few spoonfuls) of the ground beef mixture into individual ramekins. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons (or just grab a handful) of baby peas, thawed OR still frozen, over the beef. Top it all off with a thick layer of potatoes, using a fork to make little 'peaks' in the potatoes--this will give you the crunchy bits later.

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St. Patrick's Day Prep!

My friend Carlota & I have a video on easy, make-ahead recipes for St. Patrick's day (or any day) that will give you plenty of time to enjoy the party WITH YOUR GUESTS! You can find the recipes below (though the Mini Shepherd's Pie recipe is HERE), and you can visit Carlota's blog here, and follow us on Twitter (@Kittenmagix for Carlota, @LKPNYC for me!) If you like the video, hit the 'like' button on the YouTube page--thanks, and Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Chocolate-Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream from Smitten Kitchen
Guinness, Irish Cheddar and Cashel Blue cheese from Fresh Direct & Trader Joe's
Shepherd's Pie recipe adapted by LKP here (all ingredients from Fresh Direct!)


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Jani

Another trip with Lil Sis took us out to Long island, courtesy of ABF. He drove us all over the island, from Robert Moses Nature Preserve to the Horse Rescue/Vineyard (post soon!) on the North Fork, and back again to his town. We were pretty hungry and it was pretty late, and one shining option still open and welcoming was Jani.

Jani is a long, brightly-lit restaurant in Rockville Centre. Their wall is an elaborate, mirrored display of teapots of all kinds of shapes and sizes--I always find something new and fun with every visit (that dragon teapot is pretty sweet!)

I'm not that 'into' dragons, but even *I* thought that teapot was pretty awesome.

Jani sets you up immediately with a pot of hot tea and some crispy-crunchy things. I'm not a huge fan of fried things, but the mustard sauce that comes with it is too too good.

I was browsing the drink menu and saw an old favorite, The Shirley Temple, for TWO DOLLARS! Heck YEAH I ordered myself one! It was every bit as scrumptious as I remember: ginger ale, grenadine, and the flavor of my childhood memories.

As you can see, there is no 'Capital S' Shame in my 'Capital G' Game. I will order a Shirley Temple at any age, thankyouverymuch, and enjoy it thoroughly.

It was a cold night, so I decided to start with a ($3!) bowl of Tom Yum soup, one of my favorite Thai dishes. This was just what I needed--hot, salty, satisfying broth with tons of mushrooms, baby corn, chicken, and herbs.

I can't even tell you how good this is--and for $3 a bowl!?!?

Lil Sis ordered the Sesame Chicken, which just popped with color. I'm not a big fan of the fried Chinese dishes, but she did share a bite, and it was good, just not up my alley.

The broccoli was JUST like I like it...green but still with a lot of crunch.

And speaking of broccoli, there was a TON of it in my chicken and broccoli dish. Just as crispy-crunchy as that on Lil Sis's dish. I ate half of this and took the rest home for lunch a few days later (and it was still fantastic)!

ABF ordered the General Tso's chicken, which had a sweet flavor to it (again, not my thing, but he seemed to really enjoy it) and came in another thoughtfully-prepared presentation.

As our meal wrapped up, they brought us the bill and a plate full of juicy canned pineapple. It was a delicious finish to a fantastic meal.

This is not your run-of-the mill Chinese food pitstop. Jani puts careful thought into its expansive menu and various dishes, and you can taste the difference. They also offer so much food at such crazy-low prices that I wondered aloud how they manage to stay in business. My guess? Steady, loyal customers like us! If you stop by, let me know what you think, too!

Jani Chinese & Japanese Restaurant
294 Sunrise Highway
Rockville Centre, NY 11570-4906
(516) 766-2554

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