Congratulations to the Giants on their superbowl win! Woot woot! Now, here’s your chance to meet one of the Giants players!

Check out these fun events that are happening this week at Macy’s in Herald Square:

Wednesday, 2/8: Meet New York Giants Champ, Jason Pierre-Paul!

Image courtesy of Macy’s

Be one of the first 300 customers to make a $50 licensed merchandise purchase, beginning at store opening and get your photo taken with JPP beginning at 6 pm on the Men’s Lower Level.

Thursday, 2/9: Valentine’s Day Cooking Demonstration with Johnny Izzini

Image courtesy of Macy’s

Johnny Iuzzini is the head judge of Bravo’s “Top Chef; Just Desserts” and author of Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets From a Four-Star Pastry Chef. Chef Iuzzini spent the past seven years as Executive Pastry Chef at Jean-Georges.

Planning a romantic meal with your special someone? Sweeten the deal and join Chef Johnny Iuzzini for a free Valentine’s Day cooking demo at 1 p.m. in the Cellar Kitchen as he demos and shares his favorite pastry recipes.

Meanwhile, my fiance will watch hours of football on a weekly basis. Not sure when it happened, but one day we watched football together and I actually started to enjoy it. While I don’t think I can handle watching football for 12 hours straight, I am slowly starting to appreciate the game and its intricacies. Who would have thought?

Pork Belly Bahn Mi Sandwich

This year’s Superbowl got even more interesting as the Giants take the on the Patriots again, just like they did in 2008. See below for a list of easy and mouth-watering recipes to help you plan for this Sunday’s game!

Pineapple salsa


Korean chicken wings

KC Masterpiece Buffalo wings


Chunky guacamole


Galbi Tacos

Hummus

Sriracha & Hoisin spare ribs

Double rainbow salsa (tomatoes, bacon, peaches, pineapples)

Let’s go Giants!!

As I was mashing up the yams, I thought adding a hint of heat would make it much more interesting. Instead of turning to my usual squirt of Sriracha sauce, I wanted something a bit more discreet. I added wasabi from a tube. The flavor was sweet, followed by subtle kick in the end that made my taste buds go “what was that?”

Recipe: Wasabi Mashed Purple Yam
Makes 2 side servings

For a true wasabi flavor profile, I’d try using freshly grated horseradish and mustard. But if all you have is the stuff in the tube, by all means, add it in.

Ingredients:

1 pound of purple yam, peeled and cut
4 oz. of cream cheese
1/2 cup of milk
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 teaspoon of wasabi paste

Procedure:

1. Fill a large pot with 3 cups of water. Add a sprinkle of kosher salt. Bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, peel and cut yams into large chunks. It doesn’t have to be the exact same size.

3. Add potatoes to boiling water and cook, covered, for about 8-9 minutes. The yam pieces with change to a deeper purple color and will come out clean when pierced with a chopstick (or a fork).

4. Remove from heat and drain on a colander. Transfer to a bowl.

5. Add milk and cream cheese. Mash together with a potato masher (or a fork). Add salt, freshly cracked pepper and wasabi. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

This dish took a few hours, but I didn’t mind, as I had a bunch of other dishes to tend to. You can totally impress your friends with this dish, especially on a special occasion. I placed the pork on top of a purple yam wasabi mash, along with Brussels sprouts with smoked paprika. I will share those recipes in another post, so stay tuned.

I just added whatever ingredients I had on hand to create this dish. I’m pretty certain this isn’t a “classic” French recipe but all I can tell you is that it was going-out-for-a-special-dinner-at-a restaurant-delicious.

The gravy (recipe on the bottom) is what makes this dish so amazing. Without it, it’s just ok. If you’ve never made gravy before, I’d highly recommend giving it a try. You’ll be so surprised by how easy it is!

Recipe: Recipe: Pork Loin Braised in Red Wine
Makes 4 servings

Can also be made in a slow cooker. Cook for 1.5 hours.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of boneless pork loin, cut into chunks
Freshly cracked pepper
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
3 teaspoons of grapeseed oil
3 cups of any dry red wine
8 cloves of whole garlic, mashed by the side of a knife
1 large onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns
1 large carrot, cut into large pieces

Procedure:

1. Slice pork into large chunks. Season each piece of pork with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.

2. Heat up a dutch oven (or a large pot) with oil over high heat. Once the pork hits the pan, it should sizzle immediately. Quickly sear each pork piece til it’s brown on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer cooked pork to a different plate. Repeat with remaining pork pieces.

3. Lower heat to medium. Add pork, garlic, onion, peppercorns and carrot. Add 2 cups of wine, making sure there liquid only covers about 1/3 of the meat. If necessary, add more wine. (Some liquid will be released during the cooking process, so it’s best to add less at the beginning.)

4. Cover and bring to a boil, then set the heat to the lowest possible temperature, just enough for the pot to be simmering. Stir every 20 minutes.

5. After at least 2 and a half-hours of cooking, the meat should fall apart easily. Transfer the meat with a slotted spoon to another pot and close lid to keep warm.

6. The flavors in the pork are not strong, so having gravy is a must (recipe is below).

Recipe: Generic Gravy Recipe

Pan drippings
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of milk, cream

1. Transfer leftover pan juices from the dutch oven into a cup. Wait until the fat comes up to the top.

2. Skim off fat and pour rest of the leftover pan juices back into the dutch oven.

3. Over low heat, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan juices, along with 1/2 cup of cold water and whisk rigorously until combined. Add more flour and water if necessary. Add milk or cream. Season if desired.

I’ll be honest and say that I’ve been a lazy blogger and have not been cooking as much as I should. Instead, I’ve been sitting on my butt, reading on the couch. Lucky for you, I thought I’d share specifically about the ones that made me hungry. I just finished two books (not on Kindle – good ‘ol paperback): Angelina’s Bachelors and Julie & Julia.

Photo Credit: Jodi Webb

Angelina’s Bachelors is the story of a woman who loses her husband unexpectedly, but ends up finding herself again by cooking for a bunch of guys in her hometown, who end up becoming her closest friends. This book, at first, was a bit too Oprah’s book club for me, but it was a fast and hungry read, complete with Italian recipes that made me drool. I was not totally wrong about it being a book club book because there were questions in the end for you to discuss with your “group.”

Photo Credit:Amazon

The second book I read was Julie & Julia. Many are surprised to find that I haven’t seen the movie (not sure if really want to, to be honest). It was inspiring for me to read about all the techniques Julie learned, while going through Master The Art of French Cooking. Throughout the book, I was amazed at the volume of butter used in the recipes. French cooking is not easy, and I think I’ll have to wait a while before throwing myself into something so complicated.

Since I’m not used to reading about recipes in such great detail, I really enjoyed these books because it gave me a better understanding of the actual recipe. Not only that, but it confirmed that food is, and will always be more meaningful if you share it with people you love.

Next week, I shall return with some recipes to share. For now, I’d like to know – have you read any books this year that you’d like to recommend?

The end result is supposed to be pillowy, chewy bites of butternut squash goodness, dressed with a light tomato sauce. My version ended up being a gooey, flavorless blob of dough instead.

Next time, I will try the pan frying method instead. I would also use at least 1 potato for its starch texture. The only redeeming part? The sauce came out wonderfully flavorful and light, I ended up cooking some regular pasta as to not waste such great tasting sauce.

Do you have a favorite gnocchi recipe? If so, please share in the comments!

The most time consuming aspect of this recipe is making butternut squash puree. I would suggest putting the sauce on the stove while the squash is getting steamed. Simply add canned tomatoes with 3 cloves of chopped garlic, dried basil, dried thyme to a pot and cook on low heat for about 1 hour. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper at the end.

Because I worked so hard to get the puree, I’m determined to make this again. Any tips you have would be appreciated!

Recipe: Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Adapted from My Recipes

I saved the puree for another recipe but I ended up with about 3 cups of puree for a 2 pound squash. The original recipe recommend microwaving, but I find that steaming produces the best results.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs.)
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
3 to 3 1/2 cups of flour, plus more for shaping
Freshly cracked black pepper
(Any kind of sauce – pesto or tomato or even some cheese!)

Procedure:

1. Slice butternut squash into 3 pieces.

2. Carefully, cut each piece into thirds again, creating rings. Remove seeds and innards.

3. Steam by adding about 3 cups of water to a big pot with a steam rack until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Once cooled, use a pairing knife to peel the skin off easily!

4. Dice into pieces and mash using a potato masher or just a spoon (like I did).

5. Using floured hands, mix squash puree, 2 cups of flour, egg, salt and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Continue adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead the dough about 10-12 times.

They look like circus peanuts! This is a picture of what NOT to do.

6. Roll other batch into a 3/4-in.-thick rope and cut into 1/2-in.-long pieces. Put pieces on a floured baking sheet and set aside. Repeat with remaining dough.

7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil gnocchi until they rise to the surface, about 4 minutes; cook 30 seconds longer and then lift with a slotted spoon, making sure water drains from gnocchi, and place in a large serving bowl (I did not do this, so I had a watery end result -see photo below).

8. Add sauce. Top with freshly cracked pepper.

Bulgogi Bibimbap at BAK (and Dan’s arm. Hi Dan!)

I had to find out – how did the food stack up to its Koreatown competition? I wasn’t sure what to expect but I went with a hungry stomach and my camera in tow.

After receiving the email, I did some internet research. (It’s similar to Facebook stalking before going on a blind date.) I turned up with a few Yelp reviews, but that was about it. I later learned from the owner that it was done on purpose, to use word of mouth and social media to spread the word.

We arrived on an early Friday night. The restaurant has a casual and modern vibe, with high ceilings and beautiful rows of beer along the walls. (By the time we left, the place was packed!)

We scoured the menu for a bit and placed our orders. The banchan (side dishes) consisted of pickled beets and radish, soy sauce boiled potatoes and kimchi. I’m almost positive that the kimchi was made in house, because the flavors were clean and bright, unlike the kimchi found at most restaurants.

By the time our order of Jeyuk (spicy pork) taco arrived, I was hungry! The fiery gochujang sauce on top had a spicier kick than I’m used to (at this point, I was convinced that they got their spices directly from Korea). I liked the crunchy contrast of the cabbage to the pork!

We ordered a Korean classic- Seafood Pajeon - and it came out like this, already sliced. The pajeon had a good balance of crispy and chewy, with lots of seafood in each bite. I thought it was just okay.

Then the Dolsot Bulgogi bibimbap arrived. The vegetables were slightly under seasoned than what I was expecting, but that turned out to be a plus. This bibimbap tasted just like the version I would make at home! I was pleasantly surprised and gobbled away.

While Ddukbokki (spicy rice cakes) is not something I’d normally get, I couldn’t resist ordering it. I am obsessed with ddukbokki. This dish was great because the rice cakes were cooked perfectly, with a slight chewy bite. And this looked and tasted exactly like the version I made a while ago!

We also tried a couple of beers, but I’m sorry to say, I don’t know which ones we had. I just know they were good. If you visit this restaurant, please do not ask for Korean beer, as there are so many better ones available. I would love to go back and try the rest of their menu sometime!

Disclaimer: I was provided with the opportunity to review this restaurant at no cost to me. No monetary compensation has been granted. I do not write on behalf of anyone else; all thoughts and opinions are my own. I will write honest reviews, as I owe it to my readers to continue doing so.

“Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Happy New Year!”

As I look back on 2011, I’m pleasantly surprised by all the memories that every recipe invokes for me. I remember all the delicious meals I share with friends and family. I’m also reminded of my culinary failures. I tried to grow my own herbs (unsuccessfully), I messed up macarons more than once, and I completely ruined my pressure cooker!

In 2012, I want continue on this journey of learning to be a better cook. I’m so thankful that I have an outlet where I can talk about food and cooking. Thank you for reading and commenting and trying out these recipes!

From my kitchen to yours, happy new year!

Here is a photo of a quick and easy pasta dish I made using leftover cherry tomatoes, ham, cheese, along with a lemon I found in the back of my fridge. I did not expect these flavors to complement each other so well but they did! The pine nuts added a nutty note, along with a crunchy textural contrast.

Use whatever ingredients you have on hand to make a delicious pasta dish.

Recipe: Pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

20 cherry tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
1/2 box of linguini
5 slices of leftover ham
2 tablespoons of Parmesano Reggiano
1 teaspoon of breadcrumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
Sprinkle of pine nuts

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350. Cover cherry tomatoes with foil. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until they burst!

2. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5-6 minutes, or just until there is a slight bite.

3. Meanwhile, heat up ham slices on the stove, just until they’re warm.

4. Drain pasta. Transfer to a bowl. Immediately add cheese, ham, bread crumbs, lemon zest and pine nuts. Add more freshly cracked pepper if desired. Mix together. Add tomatoes and serve!

If you’re looking for thoughtful, inexpensive and delicious gifts – look no further! Edible gifts win (hands down) over ugly sweaters or soaps that end up in the back of your closet. They also make great host(ess) gifts for your next party you’re attending.

Here are some delicious recipes you should try!

Peppermint Bark: All you do is melt chocolate, then put it back together with candy and peppermint flavoring. It makes the perfect edible gift!

More recipes after the jump!

Cake pops: You can use any cake mix and use green/red colored chocolate for a very festive treat! If you bring these to a party, I guarantee they will be a hit!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies: These are a dream for every peanut butter lover and freeze really well, so you can make a big batch in advance and bake them when you need it!

Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies: Shortbread + salted caramel = heavenly combination!  This is perfect for when you have a sweet/salty craving!

Homemade Truffles: Forget Godiva! You can make your own truffles, wrap them in a pretty tin, and gift them as well!

Ginger Spice Cookies: Candied ginger and cloves make a great combination!

Be sure to let me know how they turn out!