Johnny Utah's

Last week was our friend Melanie's birthday, so we gals got together on Friday night for some fun and, hey, why not? some bull-riding. We hit up Johnny Utah's, a kinda-cowboy joint nestled in the middle of Midtown.. I only knew of this place (despite working in Midtown many years over my time in NYC) because my friend Beth L had her birthday here two summers ago. I even rode the bull at her birthday party, but it didn't happen this time (too much food!)

First things first. While Mel chatted away with one of our colleagues, Patty & I took it upon ourselves to order a pitcher of margaritas (a happy hour special). I definitely felt like the first round was strong, even if there was a little too much orange juice in this version for me. Rounds 2 and 3 (calm yourself, we were a big group) were muuuuch weaker, and we were definitely disappointed at how watered-down these were.

The food, however, did not disappoint. We started with the Rattlesnake Nachos. There is no actual rattlesnake in the nachos, so I'm guessing the shredded ribbons of Romaine lettuce are meant to evoke reptilian images? I suppose the sour cream drizzle had a side-winder look to them. Whatever the reason behind the name, these were delicious and we ate them up right quick. Crispy, thin chips weighed down with beans, chili, lots o'jalapenos, and cheese. My only complaint is that they are described as being covered in four cheeses, but most of my pieces were cheeseless. Tasty, but cheeseless!

Birthday gal Mel got the burrito, which was super grande. They call it a 'wet' burrito, because it's smothered in sauce, but I gotta say, that's not a very appetizing word for me when it comes to food. sheesh. Mel says this was pretty good--not the best burrito she's ever had, but it was good! It was also a huge serving of food--I don't think she even finished it.

I darn near finished my whole entrée, though! I got the BBQ chicken, which came with sweet potato fries and blackened green beans. The chicken was downright succulent (and I use that word when I REALLY mean it) and well-seasoned, the sauce was tangy and not-too-sweet, but the green beans, they stole the show. Holy veggies, Batman, were these green beans good (even if you can't really see them in the food photo). They were salty, garlicky, and addictive. If I had not filled up that space with margaritas already, I would have cleaned my plate. Fortunately one of my coworkers was a fan, too, so she helped me finish them off at the end. The fries came with a spicy dipping sauce that was delicious on everything. Be warned--there is some kick to this dish--it's not for the faint of tastebuds.

The service was a little weird--we told our first server that we were celebrating a birthday, but about 20 minutes later we got a new server, and I guess she didn't get the memo. We saw, after we'd left our seat, that they put sparklies on a piece of cake or something if it's a bday, but our dear Mel got no fanfare. :( Also, we were seated quickly but told we could only have the table for 2 hours, as it was reserved after that. We agreed gladly, as we were starving, but then we felt a little stalked when the hostess came up and gave us a 1-hour warning (the late arrivers to our party were told to hurry up and order food as we ONLY had just over an hour left. How long does it take to bring out food?? In this case, 10 minutes.) We also got a 30 minute, 15 minute, and a few more nudges. We were actually waiting a good 15 minutes for the server to come take our cards, so when the hostess swooped in one more time, I was quick to point out that we were more than happy to vacate, but we had this little issue of paying for our food. She took the cards and told us we could go wait in the (packed) bar area and she'd come find us. I opted to wait at the table so I could be sure to get my credit card returned. With all the delays, I was sure there would be an antsy group waiting to sit down in our spots. However, we stayed for another 45 minutes to an hour (to watch some friends ride the bull--yee haw!), and our seats remained empty. Feh. Just annoying.

Long story short: good food, so-so drinks, super fun bull-riding! It's worth a pop in at least once! And while she didn't get a cake with sparklers, I hope Mel still had a rootin-tootin' good time! Happy Birthday, Mel!

Chicken Alla Romana

Oh, Giada, yet another recipe you've given me to love. I DVR'd her "Make Ahead" show months ago, planning to make her Roman-style chicken one of these days. It's one of those dishes that is delicious the day you make it, but exponentially more appetizing the next day. I figured I could make it the day ahead for Valentine's Day dinner with ABF, and then just warm it up when he came over to my apartment. I'm all about living smarter, not harder!

This colorful, tasty dish is well-worth the effort. I bought pre-cubed prosciutto, and used 4 oz. instead of 3 (I read in comments that some people even doubled the prosciutto, but I think this amount was fine). I used red and yellow peppers, which give a colorful burst to the dish's palette. I used fresh thyme but dried oregano (since I already had plenty of oregano on hand). I could only fit two chicken breasts in this pan, as they were HUGE (I mean, how big WAS this Fresh Direct chicken??), but I threw in some Trader Joe's boneless chicken thighs too, just managing to fit it all in there. Seriously. Huge.

It's just beautiful and delicious, and highly-recommended. It takes maybe 30-40 minutes in the kitchen (with the help of my awesome Le Creuset Dutch Oven, again!), and then you put it in the fridge to let the flavors meld.

Warm it up slowly the next day, add fresh parsley and capers (which I now love!) at the last minute, and enjoy with roasted veggies--I did creamer potatoes and asparagus-- a side of crusty bread (day-old baguette I bought a month ago and stored in freezer--such a deal!) and roasted garlic. All the reviewers insisted this is even better the next day, which is when we ate it. There's still some leftover sauce, which I plan to pour over some pasta tonight for dinner! Mangia!

ABF cleaned his plate, and so did I, so I count this as a super win! Even I was impressed I made this! It will definitely go into the Favorites rotation.

Samantha-approved Snacking

Welcome, fellow Tastespotting.com members! I hope you'll add me to your blogroll or Google reader and come back often!!! Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Forget cardboard-y rice cakes or sawdusty, boring crackers. Meet my newest snacking obsession--a peanut butter, banana & honey mixture taken to new heights by the addition of some sprinked cinnamon! It's one of the recipes in my friend Samantha Heller's new book, which just hit bookstores last weekend! I bought a copy at her recent talk and book signing, and of course, being a foodie, I jumped right to the recipe section. This one jumped out at me as I had everything already on hand (Recession Recipe qualification!) and I love peanut butter!

I was so surprised at how much of a difference the cinnamon makes in this sandwich---and it's healthy, too! Naturally, you shouldn't glob on half a cup of peanut butter, so be reasonable, peeps. I spread a thin layer of Trader Joe's all-natural peanut butter on a slice of Trader Joe's high-fiber whole wheat bread. I squeezed the thinnest drizzle of honey on top, and sprinkled the cinnamon all over. One bite and I was a devotee. The crunch of the toast, the sweetness of the bananas, and the stick-to-your-ribs-goodness of the peanut butter make this a snack that makes your taste buds happy. And did I mention the awesomeness of the cinnamon?? This is my go-to snack--I made it three times last week!

What I always appreciate about Samantha is that, while a registered dietitian, she's not at all judgy. She has a reasonable, do-able approach to food. Don't just eat healthy because you want to lose weight--do it because you only get one body, one brain, and one go around this crazy thing called life. Take good care of your body and your brain and they will return the favor!
Seriously..this snack is crazy good. I think I'm going to make another one right now (I know, I know, moderation in all things!) I'll definitely post more of her recipes as soon as I try them. Happy Snacking!

Sea Salt Caramels

THIS is one of those recipes I'm going to keep a long, long, long, LONG time. I'm slowly getting the hang of mixing savory with sweet, but let me tell you--this recipe will get you right over that hump.

I'm pretty sure I didn't even do it absolutely right, and they were STILL crazygooddelicious. I didn't have unsalted butter, so I added 5 tablespoons (really an estimation in my mind) of salted butter and just didn't add any salt (except the grains at the end). My candy thermometer was a dud and instantly steamed up inside so I couldn't even tell if it was at the right temperature. I probably could have also cooked the mixture just a bit longer, but I didn't want to risk burning it. Regardless of my uncertainty, errors, and basic flat-out panicking in the middle of this as the caramel burbled up and almost out of the pan, I think these came out pretty freaking fantastic.

I ate so many pieces of this as I cut and experimented with shapes that I was a little burnt out on it for the rest of the night, but MAN I wish I had some more of these right now. However, I have to fit in a bridesmaid's dress come May, so I guess it's better that I don't.

YUM!

Fig & Olive

Last Monday just so happened to be the two-year mark since I met ABF on our first date. We met after work--ABF even trekked out to our not-so-convenient studio to see where we make the magic happen. ;) Then we headed over to our Midtown east destination: Fig & Olive. This was also Restaurant Week, which means you can order from a pared-down menu for a flat rate of 35 dollars each.

We were both verrrry hungry when we sat down for our 7pm reservation, so I was glad to see a trio of olive oils with some rosemary bread. The oils were from (top to bottom in photo) Spain, France, and Tunisia. The Spanish one was my favorite, very grassy, green, and fresh. The French one was my least favorite--it had a very bitter tinge to it. It wasn't terrible, just not something I felt compelled to finish.

ABF ordered the chicken samosas. They came two to a plate and they're not the heavy, starchy samosas you might have had at Indian restaurants. These were in light, flaky phyllo dough, which a cilantro-laden sauce that was show-stopping. I took a bite and immediately had dish envy (when am I going to learn to just order whatever he orders? He nails it almost EVERY. TIME!) He was sweet enough to give me a second precious bite. We definitely wished there were more of these... like 5 or 6 more? But even just one more would have been nice. :)

I often find myself stuck on 2 choices when perusing a menu, and I will not hesitate to ask the server what s/he recommends. They have usually eaten a meal or two, or heard a complaint or rave or two, so I trust their opinion. I asked our server if he'd pick the fish stew or the tomato-red pepper soup, and he said 'pepper soup' before I'd even finished my last syllable. That was enough for me! I ordered it, and it was super duper. It was creamy without having any dairy in it, and its texture was almost completely smooth, with just a slight pulpy texture from the peppers. The flavors were balanced right between the two, with bites having both strong tomato and red pepper influences. The portion was pretty darn generous, too, so I shared a lot with ABF. His appetizer was even tastier than mine, but there was a lot more of mine to go around. ;) The bread crisps on the side were just okay--they were pretty bland, but we used them to soak up the sauce from ABF's app, so they served a good purpose!

Kevin ordered the filet mignon entrée, which came with a parsley sauce, fingerling potatoes, and some sort of purée on the side. I had a bite of the steak, and it was cooked right and tasted very good, but it wasn't anything compared to those chicken samosas! I think we both agreed that this was just good, not great.

I chose the seafood paella. Restaurant Week servings are often limited and smaller than normal, but that's okay, considering we don't normally order an appetizer AND dessert when we go out to eat. My dish was good, with interesting flavors. I'm a sucker for grilled shrimp and scallops, and these were tender and tasty. I wasn't crazy about the rice, but as you know, I'm not that crazy about it, period. I think ABF actually liked this better than I did. Both of our entrées were about to get overshadowed by the two desserts

There were only two choices: a chocolate pot du creme and the "dessert crostini." I, of course, chose the chocolate, as ABF is not so huge a fan and I definitely am. I saw his crostini had Amarena cherries, though, which I love, so I knew I'd enjoy his, too. Ah, sharing. Isn't it sweet? But back to my dessert. Holy RICHNESS. This thing was awesome. It as better than the best chocolate pudding/custard/creme brulee you've ever had. It had a thin layer of real cream on top, and the chocolate was smooth, dense, dark, and absolutely divine. I couldn't scrape enough of it out. Even ABF had not one, but two bites! If he goes back for a second bite of anything chocolate, it is noteworthy. Oh man this was so so so so good.

But these cherry-topped beauties below are what will bring me back to Fig & Olive. Heavens to mergatroid! They are sandy, not-too-crumbly shortbreads with mascarpone cheese, amarena cherries, and chopped pistachios. And they. are. AWESOME. ABF was more than generous in giving me one all for myself! I ate half first, then ate my dessert, then finished up with the cookie. Worth every single delicious crumb. Wow. It's just BARELY sweet, and it's tangy and zingy and bursting with cherry and creaminess and wow. Sooooooooooo good.

I highly recommend this place for their apps and desserts. I would probably sit at the bar next time and stick to the small plates--the entrées weren't amazing. The smaller plates absolutely were, though!

Roasted Broccoli & Garlic

I love, love, love, love, love broccoli. I'll eat buckets of it if you let me. I prefer it steamed with some crunch, and a good dousing of lemon or lime juice, but I'll eat it just about any way you make it. I can't believe I'd yet to eat the roasted version, though. When I flipped through two random cookbooks this week and they BOTH landed on roasted broccoli recipes, I took that as a sign!

How is is this recipe? Take a bunch of broccoli (on sale, 2 heads for 3 bucks this week on FreshDirect.com!), chop it up, and toss it in olive oil, salt, pepper, and slices of raw garlic. Spread it all out in one layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. I might have taken it out just a tad early to avoid burning it, but it was fan-freaking-tastic! The broccoli florets have a slight crunchy chewiness to them which reminded me a lot of the crispy kale. It was super yummy and, dare I say, super healthy!

I threw in one a slice of my stovetop-roasted red pepper as the broccoli neared its end of cooking time--for a colorful plate with my mustard-sauce pork chop!

Roasted Broccoli

I love, love, love, love, love broccoli. I'll eat buckets of it if you let me. I prefer it steamed with some crunch, and a good dousing of lemon or lime juice, but I'll eat it just about any way you make it. I can't believe I'd yet to eat the roasted version, though. When I flipped through two random cookbooks this week and they BOTH landed on roasted broccoli recipes, I took that as a sign!

How easy is this recipe? Take a bunch of broccoli, chop it up, and toss it in olive oil, salt, pepper, and slices of raw garlic. Spread it all out in one layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. I might have taken it out just a tad early to avoid burning it, but it was fan-freaking-tastic! The broccoli florets have a slight crunchy chewiness to them which reminded me a lot of the crispy kale. It was super yummy and, dare I say, super healthy!

I threw in one a slice of my stovetop-roasted red pepper as the broccoli neared its end of cooking time--for a colorful plate with my mustard-sauce pork chop!

DIY: Roasted Red Pepper

Sure, you could pay six dollars and up for a jar of roasted, peeled red peppers, or you could make your own for one-sixth of the price!

Sara & I attended a Williams-Sonoma cooking class weeks ago at Columbus Circle. Sara had won the class and kindly invited me to join her. We showed up early on a Saturday morning, ready to learn and taste! One of the chefs running the demonstration roasted a pepper while we talked, and it was so easy that I decided to try it myself.

Easy is right--you take the pepper and place it right over the gas flame! Unfortunately, my burners weren't as tall as the ones at the store, so my blackening wasn't as even, but I could tell by the smell it was getting the job done.

A few alarming pops and cracks happen, and you definitely have to keep a constant eye on this, but it was so simple I can't believe I waited this long to do it!

It took about six minutes to get the look I wanted. Once I had sufficiently charred it (you can really smell the aroma of the roasted pepper at this point), I put it in a bowl and sealed the top with plastic wrap. This is supposed to seal in the moisture and make the skins even easier to remove. After 30 minutes of letting the pepper sit, I ran it under some cold water and presto--peeled, charred peppers! I removed the seeds but saved the juice from the pepper and added that to the jar I used to store it. Some reviews I read online said this is not a 'true' roasted pepper, and that you have to toss it in the oven for a bit like I did with the broccoli, so I did half and half. Both versions came out delicious. So fun and so good for you!

Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Pace Layered Dip

Okay, I admit it. I'm a salsa snob. I make my own, working off a recipe my mother learned from a friend of ours from Mexico. Yes, it's a state secret, and yes, I'm pretty sure my mom would cut me if I gave it to you. So when Foodbuzz.com sent me 2 complimentary jars of the 'new and improved' Pace Picante Sauce (part of the Tastemaker program I signed up for), this salsa snob scoffed. I rolled my eyes. And I let the jars sit on my pantry shelf for a good long while. One night, making my weekly batch of tuna fish for lunch, I glance up and saw the jar of Pace. Hmmm...how would tuna mixed with Pace taste? I decided to give it a try, but I wasn't ready to commit to blog about it unless I really, really liked it. I know there are critics who relish eviscerating a dish, but I'd much rather extol the virtues of a perfectly-executed plate than waste time and calories on some not-so-good grub.

Here's all you need: a jar of Pace Picante Sauce (I used the mild in this case), a little bit of sour cream, a can of tuna and some Pepper Jack cheese. PJ Cheese makes EVERYTHING better. I figured even if this turned out awful, I wasn't out that much money (the sour cream was already in my fridge, the Pepper Jack cheese and the tuna fish were on sale at FreshDirect.com, and the salsa was FREE!).

I mixed the tuna and the salsa together. It smelled pretty decent, even if it didn't look so pretty. I took a bite, and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was. It could only get better from here!

Next step, a thin but smooth layer of sour cream. You could certainly use plain Greek yogurt here if you want. I popped this under the broiler for 3 minutes, just to warm it through and get it ready for the cheesy, delicious topping.

I sprinkled a scant cup of shredded Pepper Jack and popped it back under the heat for another 3 minutes, standing guard because I know how quickly it can go from broiled to burned! I opened the door as soon as the timer went off and let out a low, victorious chuckle...oh, this was gonna be good. Ooey, gooey, cheesy, salsa-y goodness.

I doled out a healthy helping on top of some crumbled tortilla chips and went to town. This might be my new favorite snack dip! It's ready in under 10 minutes, it cost me less than five dollars, and it is delicious! The tuna isn't fishy, and it gives the dip some heft. The pepper jack gives it some heat (I wish I'd remembered the Medium-Spicy jar of Pace was already in my fridge before I made this!), and the sour cream cools it all down again. And to my surprise, the veggies really ARE still crunchy! So help me, I swear they were STILL. CRUNCHY. I'm actually impressed.

That's all for now from this salsa snob: stripped of her skepticism (and in the most delicious way). Thanks again to the awesome people at Foodbuzz.com and from Pace Picante Sauce for the free food and the chance to share it with my visitors!