For The Love of Pasta

Day 1 in NYC.... Eataly!

2013-05-01T11:40:00.001-07:00

After a severely delayed train ride Sunday night that finally delivered me to my new home around 10:45 pm... I was spent. I successfully managed to get myself into a cab, and make it to my sister's apartment in 15 minutes.

We exchanged some brief greetings (it was past her bedtime) and then I climbed into my temporary bed (aka... the air mattress). Obviously still being on California time meant I was awake watching Law and Order: SVU on Hulu until about 4 am... despite the fact that I had an interview the next morning at 9:30 am.

I returned from the interview the next morning and immediately fell into a sleep coma until about 4 pm when I finally decided to wake myself up and order some delivery. This consisted of wings from Dominos. Enough said. When my sister finally returned home around 7 pm I felt like her cat.... starved for attention and craving a nice bowl of pasta and a big class of red wine (her cat clearly has drinking problems and a love for Italian food... I try not to judge). Kayla and I mulled over where to go, and eventually she suggested that we walk to Eataly, located around the corner from her apartment.

Eataly is amazing. Literally if I die and go to heaven... heaven will be Eataly. Eataly marries the idea of a specialty supermarket with the enjoyment of taking your time and enjoying good food (and wine). Communal tables allow for customers to purchase wine, cheese, gelato, and just enjoy the food before they continue shopping.

Our walk was quick, and we were actually able to secure two seats at the bar of Manzo. Manzo, which literally translates to beef, is a Mario Batali restaurant that centers around the sustainability of meat, but also offers a plethora of other Italian items.

I wish I had done my homework a little more before going here because I definitely would have ordered a meat dish instead... unfortunately my decision to order pasta was an incorrect one.... at least the one I ended up ordering.

Kayla and I decided to start with an appetizer, which was delicious. We began with the Mozzarella with pea pesto, guanciale & fresno chile oil for $17. (I had wanted the veal sweetbreads... but Kayla was craving some Mozzarella). This antipasti came with three large chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese, as well as a beautiful and vibrant pea pesto, sprinkled with pine nuts and topped with crispy pancetta.

Mozzarella with Pea Pesto

After we placed the order for the appetizer, the waitress came back and asked us what we were thinking about for wine. I said I was looking for a pinot noir. She asked me a few questions about the kind of pinot I like, and then brought over something for me to try. I will say.... after being in California for so long and dealing with such terrible restaurant service (because everyone is actually an actor, not waiter), it was nice to see someone act professional and take their time with a customer. The wine was great and my sister and I polished off the bread, and the appetizer, and waited for our main courses. We both ordered the "Vesuvio" under the Primi section of the menu. This was vesuvio pasta, with peas, soft shell crab & pancetta for $19.

Vesuvio with soft shell crab

The texture of the pasta was perfectly al dente, however I wasn't really a fan of everything else. The sauce was slightly oily, and there was an off putting aftertaste that I couldn't quite figure out what it was. Also, I just didn't really understand how soft shell crab matched with this entree. It felt like the pasta, crab, and pancetta were just separate, non-harmoneous components. I was disappointed, but since everyone around us seemed to be thoroughly enjoying what they were eating, I will definitely be giving Eataly, and Manzo, a second chance.

All and all I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with my sister an our favorite environment... an Italian restaurant! I can't wait until my next NYC food experience. Stay tuned!

A New City, A New Life, A New Chapter...

2013-04-15T20:57:00.001-07:00

In two short weeks I will be moving to New York City, aka The Big Apple, aka The City That Never Sleeps, aka My New Home (my favorite name). I look forward to this new (and long overdue) chapter in my life, and hopefully this will bring forth new inspiration for my blog.

California definitely had it's ups and downs. I made some great friends who I will truly miss. I reconnected with old friends who will be hard to leave. I was in love.... and then.... well, you get the picture. Although it was all a great learning experience, it was also a huge distraction from my blog (that and the fact that shortly after arriving I broke my laptop and blogging was a lot less fun on an iPad)!

Although my credit card statements may prove otherwise.... I didn't really get to eat out at a lot of fun places like I used to in Boston.... so I look forward to seeing all that NYC has to offer in terms of culinary experiences, and I hope you guys can all enjoy along with me!

In the mean time... I am going to share some of my favorite dishes that I enjoyed while here in California..... so stay tuned for one coming up shortly!

NYC Danielle! (Yes I'm wearing a construction worker vest... long story).

La Vecchias - Santa Monica

2012-12-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

So I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I guess I've lost a little of my passion for food since living in California... However, there have been a few restaurants that have found their way into my repertoire. One of these restaurants is La Vecchia Cucina in Santa Monica. My girl Ally and I go there on a regular basis to enjoy enjoy bowls of pasta ... I mean half bowls ... and bottles of red wine... I mean glasses. Since we both live on Main Street it has become our version of "Cheers." Every bartender knows our name, and we are always greeted with smiles and open bar stools.

Last week when my family was in town (the details of that trip belong on a different blog entitled "My Thanksgiving from Hell.") I decided to share with them one of my favorite restaurants. After being greeted by the friendly staff we were quickly seated at our table.

Unlike when Ally and I go, and always order the same thing, this time while out with my family we decided to change things up.

For an appetizer we started with the Melanzane alla caprina. This is rolled slices of eggplant stuffed with goat cheese and herbs, topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil, and then baked in the oven. I really enjoyed this app and would definitely order it again in the future.

Baked eggplant

For an entree I decided to order the gnocchi special. It was homemade gnocchi with fresh ricotta in a red sauce. I take gnocchi very seriously ... so therefore I am always hesitant to order it. A bad gnocchi is a sin.... to an Italian.... fine, half Italian. Regardless, it was delicious. The gnocchi had a perfect texture, the creamy ricotta was a really great touch, and the red sauce offered a really nice sweetness.

Gnocchi w/ fresh ricotta in a sweet red sauce

Chris ordered the veal (shocker) in a red sauce with carrots and mashed potatoes. I mean the veal must have been pretty great because Chris didn't even offer me any of it. So speaking from no personal experience, it seemed pretty awesome. I can vouch for the potatoes however, they are amazing. I am always excited to eat there on the weekends because that's the only time they have them.

Veal w/ red sauce, vegetables & mashed potatoes

My sister ordered a salad (boring) and the rest of my family ordered steak. I didn't get a picture fast enough but next time I'm there I will because Ally and I always end up ordering it. Overall the meal was amazing and I will obviously be back again! Highly recommend it!!

The Tasting Kitchen... Aka heaven

2012-07-23T22:14:00.002-07:00

Brunch is hands down the greatest meal ever created. Period.

One of my favorite places for brunch is The Tasting Kitchen on Abbott Kinney in Venice, CA. This industrial looking restaurant has minimalist décor, however the food is anything but. A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I decided to branch out from our usual M Street Kitchen brunch, and when 26 Beach had a line out the door, we decided to try The Tasting Kitchen.

We were offered seats at the main bar because the restaurant was filled up, however we had plenty of elbow room and a purse hook underneath (so clutch!) I ordered a mimosa to start, and then we eventually decided on the short rib hash and croque Madame. As we waited for our meals I watched the gentleman next to me devour a bacon-wrapped sticky bun….. enough said.

Our food arrived shortly after, and it was amazing. No complaints. The eggs were perfectly cooked. The brioche was crispy. Chris’s short rib was nice and tender. All and all it was a truly delightful brunch.

That being said, I decided to go for a round two with my girlfriend this past weekend. We arrived and were seated at the overflow bar (it was that or one of the communal tables). We were immediately greeted by our server, ordered two coffees and two mimosas (our standard Sunday drink order) and looked over the menu.

Cheers!

I will say the menu can be somewhat cryptic to a non-foodie (for example: roasted tomato and white cheddar cheese = tomato grilled cheese), so don’t be afraid to ask questions! I was torn between the chicken ("fried clucks") and waffles or the grilled cheese, but ultimately went with the grilled cheese. My friend Ally went with the bacon stuffed waffles. We sat sipping our mimosas, anticipating our food’s arrival.

When the food arrived it was like the gods delivered it from heaven. (Or more realistically that one of their servants did).

My grilled cheese was pan fried in butter, with white cheddar cheese and roasted tomatoes on thick crispy toast. It was literally one of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten. Cheesy, buttery goodness.

Grilled Cheese and tomato

Now to Ally’s…. hers was equally as buttery and delicious (well almost as delicious as mine). It was a large waffle, with each crevice filled with butter and syrup, and then when you cut into it there was a thin layer of crunchy bacon to be discovered. The waffles were light and fluffy, and I would definitely consider ordering this to go the next time I have brunch there (since I’ll obviously be ordering the grilled cheese again).

Waffles stuffed with bacon.... iphone on the table.... bad ally

All and all this was another delightfully delicious brunch, and I look forward to trying their dinner entrees in the near future. Stay tuned for a dinner post coming soon! And if anyone has eaten dinner there please tweet me your suggestions! @dyellrutherford

Brick + Mortar

2012-04-30T12:47:00.001-07:00

New neighborhood favorite: Brick + Mortar.

Although originally Salute, this new restaurant and bar, Brick + Mortar, hasn’t begun to show signs of slowing down yet! Set slightly back off of Main Street in Santa Monica, Brick + Mortar is a rustic space, complete with wood beam ceilings, exposed brick, and comfortable tufted leather booths. This gastropub, which opened in January 2012, features specialty pizzas, as well as some other delicious dishes (cheeseburger, tuna tartar, half roasted chicken) and just steps from my apartment, has become one of my favorites.

When I first tried this restaurant with my friend and coworker Katrina, we ordered the cheese board, as well as the proscuitto and arugula pizza. Now, my all-time favorite proscuitto pizza is from Stella Rosa, located in my building at 2000 Main Street (review to come), however this pizza gives Stella a run for its money.

Katrina and I ordered two glasses of wine, along with our appetizer and entrée, and waited for everything to begin arriving. The cheese board consisted of four large portions of cheeses, toasted baguette, mixed nuts and fruit spread.

My only complaint was that the bread was tough to eat because it wasn’t sliced completely through, and when we asked for honey to go with our cheeses we had to ask three different times before they actually brought it.

Regardless, my wine was tasty and when the pizza arrived all was forgotten after the first bite. The pizza consists of buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese, topped with proscuitto and fresh arugula ($14). The three cheeses compliment each other nicely, and the fresh arugula helps to cut the saltiness/heaviness of the proscuitto. All and all the meal was very good, minus the issues with our waitress.

Since going with Katrina I have been back several times, although mainly for drinking, not eating. This past Sunday, Chris and I woke up starving, and decided to go grab some brunch. Although attempting to go to M Street, one of our Fav spots that also happens to be in my building, we saw the line around the corner and opted to head elsewhere. I wanted to eat outside, and I wanted a breakfast sandwich (high maintenance much?) so we decided on Brick + Mortar. We arrived and were immediately seated at a two person table outside. We were handed our menus, however I had clearly already decided on what I was having, so as Chris perused, I eased dropped on the hilarious conversation happening next to us. (Obviously 20 minutes into sitting next to this couple we realized Chris knew them, and we later ended up joining them and their other friends for a drink afterwards).

Chris and I both ordered the breakfast sandwich, and eagerly waited for our
food to arrive. The sandwich was topped with bacon, a fried egg, cheddar cheese, greens, and a wonderful aioli that completed the sandwich ($11) (I have no idea what the sauce actually consisted of… but it was heavenly)! Even the roasted purple potatoes served with it were tasty. With bottomless brunch mimosas ($15) it’s a hard place to pass up! In fact, when I went last Tuesday with my girlfriend for a quick bite, pizzas were ½ off, and $2 off of drafts. They have a Wednesday night special as well. Although the service is still a little rocky, I would absolutely recommend trying Brick + Mortar next time you’re looking for affordable food and a great
atmosphere.

2012-02-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

After a small hiatus.... I am ready to get back to my blog. Perhaps it was because I moved into a building with a pizza place attached... or because there was a pasta bar today at work. Regardless.... I'm back. And a new post will be coming very soon!

Maple Bacon Ice Cream

2011-12-29T18:48:00.002-07:00

So tonight my dad and I had dinner at the Mohawk Club. The amazing bartender Jeff is also quite the ice cream maker, and has been experimenting with different ice cream flavors for quite some time. Tonight he gave me a sneak preview of his newest creation, maple bacon flavored ice cream.

He typically uses the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream recipes, which is a sweet cream base of:
2 whole eggs
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
Mixed together in an ice cream machine.

He has previously made garlic and pumpkin ice cream, which for the garlic he poached 8 cloves of garlic, and for the pumpkin he used a can of pumpkin mix (in addition to the sweet cream base).

All of his ice cream creations have been super delicious, but I must say that the maple bacon and the pumpkin have been my favorite! The maple bacon ice cream tasted like a traditional vanilla ice cream, but with the essence of both maple syrup and bacon flavors. The pumpkin (probably my favorite) tasted like a lighter version of pumpkin pie, which I really enjoyed (and I don't even like pumpkin).

Maple-Bacon Ice Cream

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Six Cheese Mac & Cheese with Ham

2011-12-28T21:34:00.003-07:00

Mmm I will be posting our Christmas feast with recipes very soon, but here's a little something to hold you over until then. My mom prepared a delicious ham for Christmas dinner, and needless to say, we had a ton left over. Since my mom was working the other night I decided to use some of the leftover ham to make mac and cheese with ham (a family tradition after we have a big ham for dinner).

Mac and cheese is one of the easiest things to make, and probably one of the most delicious & comforting foods (in my totally biased pasta-loving opinion).

What You Need:

1 lb pasta (I used orrecchiette, but elbow or shells work great too)

5 tbs butter

3 tbs flour

3 cups of milk (I used 2 cups whole, 1 cup skim)

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

pinch of paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup mild cheddar, shredded

1 cup Bel Gioiso Four Cheese Shred (if not available, this includes Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan, and Provolone cheeses)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of ham, diced

1 cup breadcrumbs

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Boil a pot of salted water, and cook the orrecchiette until it's al dente (the box will tell you how long)

As your pasta is cooking, begin to melt 3 tbs of butter in a separate pot. As your butter melts, whisk in the flour, and continue to whisk for approximately 5 minutes until it is well combined and no longer clumpy. Next, mix in the milk, onion, paprika, and cayenne pepper, and allow it to simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes.

As the mixture is simmering, dice up your ham so it'll be ready to add.

After it has simmered, add in almost all of the cheese, and mix everything until it's smooth. At this point you should have already drained the pasta, and should now combine the cheese sauce and pasta. After you have poured in the cheese, add the diced ham and mix it all together. After it's been combined, pour it into a large baking dish.

Check out that creamy goodness!

Set the dish to the side, and begin to melt the remaining butter in a skillet. Add the breadcrumbs to the skillet, saute them, and then add them to the top of the mac and cheese. Sprinkle the remaining bit of cheese on the very top, and place in the oven.

Cook the mac and cheese for approximately 25 minutes (until the breadcrumbs appear toasted and the top cheese is melted).

This is an awesome dish, and depending on the types of cheeses you use, it can really take on many different levels and layers of flavor. By using the mix of the six different cheeses, seven if you count mild and sharp cheddar separately, it gives the mac and cheese a more "sophisticated" taste. Also, the ham added a really great smokiness to the mac and cheese... mmm mmm mmm!

I served my creation to my brother and his friends for dinner, and there were no complaints! Although there were also not any compliments either...15 year old boys are still pretty shy so I guess they could have hated it... we may never know.

Obviously added some extra cheese to the top of mine :)

Here's a little secret... mac and cheese does not have to come out of a box! It is so simple to make, and it is a great vessel for leftovers (extra bacon left over from the morning, spinach, broccoli, etc). Don't be afraid to get creative, and in less than 40 minutes you can have a quick and easy dinner that everyone will love! (except the lactose intolerant).

Enjoy!

Cella Bistro - Schenectady, NY

2011-12-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Since I'm still on my hiatus from California, my family and I went out to dinner at Cella Bistro the other night. This quaint restaurant, located in Schenectady, focuses on "New American" cuisine, and offers both a full plate menu, as well as a frequently updated tapas menu (updated so often that it is only able to be viewed on two chalkboards located on the walls of the restaurant's bar).

I really enjoy going to Cella Bistro because of the atmosphere. In Schenectady it can be more challenging to find "trendier" restaurants, but I would put Cella Bistro (and Aperitivo) in that category.

We made our way into Cella and chose to sit in the bar area where the tapas menu is served. After being seated we were given menus and had our drink order taken. One thing I will say, the service isn't the best, so if you are looking for a restaurant where they bend over backwards to please you... this is not the place. In fact, at times the waitress is down right rude... I say waitress because every time we go we get the same woman. Also, Cella doesn't have an individual tapas menu, so sometimes it can be difficult to read what they are, depending on where you're sitting.

All the being said, we looked over the menus and with cocktails in hand were finally ready to order.

Bouillabaisse

My dad ordered the Bouillabaise for his dish. This was a traditional bouillabaise, and came with white fish, lobster, clams, scallops and mussels. The flavor of the soup was nice, and the claims were tasty. My dad said overall he enjoyed it, but was underwhelmed at the amount of lobster (just one small claw).

Calamari with aioli

My brother's friend Ben decided to order the calamari. It was crispy calamari, fried in spices, and served with a side of lemon-caper aioli. I enjoyed this dish, and liked that it was paired with an aioli instead of a red sauce. I would personally prefer a lighter breading, but the overall dish was satisfying, and a fairly large portion for an appetizer.

Tuna Carpaccio

I ordered the tuna carpaccio. This was thinly sliced tuna, drizzled in olive oil and cream sauce, topped with capers and greens. I enjoyed the flavor of the tuna, but something about this dish was slightly off putting to me. I think that the portion was much more overwhelming than I had anticipated, and the pool of oil it sat in added a heaviness to the dish. I think this dish would be much more successful if the fish had been drizzled with the dressing and oil instead of swimming in it.

My brother Jordan (left) & his friend Ben

Jordan and Ben trying raw tuna carpaccio for the first time!

Chickpeas

One of our favorites at Cella Bistro (well my mom's absolute favorite) is the fried chickpeas with lime. This is a great thing to order as an appetizer for the table, and can be extremely addictive... it's like their version of a "chips and salsa."

Collard Greens

My mom ordered the fried collard greens as one of her tapas. They were fried and served in a very simple presentation. The flavors were clean and we enjoyed the crunchiness of the greens. This dish doesn't really stand out to me, but it was still tasty.

Artichoke-Goat Cheese Spring Rolls

My mom and I both ordered the goat cheese and artichoke spring rolls. The shell was nice and crispy, however I found the goat cheese slightly overpowering (as goat cheese tends to be), so it was hard for the other flavors to get through. I'm not sure if I would order this again... It wasn't bad by any means, but it just didn't really wow me. Also the sauce that accompanied it was runny so it was hard to get any on the roll.

Fried Wonton Shrimp

My brother ordered the fried wonton shrimp, in a sweet chili sauce. The shrimp were lightly battered and coated with wonton noodles and then fried to perfection and served with a sweet chili sauce. This is a fun plate, and the sauce goes nicely with the shrimp. Overall we enjoyed the flavors of this dish.

Venison with potatoes

Lastly, for dinner, my mom and I ordered Venison with fingerling potatoes. The venison was really good but the potatoes were practically raw. This dish would have been amazing if the potatoes either hadn't been on the plate or were cooked.

Lava Cake

Lastly, my brother decided to order dessert.... and in my brother's words, "My second favorite lava cake I've ever had." If you knew my brother, you'd understand how huge a compliment this is. Jordan does not mess around with dessert. In fact, this reminds me of a particular dinner we had at an Italian restaurant at the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal in Florida.

Jordan was around 11 at the time, and we went out to dinner at this amazing Italian restaurant, Bice Ristorante, at the Portofino Bay Hotel. Jordan was eager to get dessert and ordered the creme brulee, which came with a side of sorbet. The waiter asked my brother what flavor sorbet he wanted, and my brother asked the waiter for his opinion. The waiter gave him his opinion, my brother thought it over for a minute, and then he ordered his creme brulee with the sorbet the waiter had suggested. Several minutes later the waiter returned with my brother's dessert, and along with the original sorbet he had requested, there were six additional scoops of different sorbets for him to enjoy with his brulee. The waiter said that he was worried my brother might not like the one he suggested (realizing how serious my brother was about this dessert), so he wanted to make sure he would have others to choose from.... I think we have another up and coming food blogger in our midst.

That being said, the lava cake was nicely done. All and all Cella Bistro is a fun place to go if you're looking to get drinks and maybe a few apps, but if you are looking for a truly satisfying dinner I'm not sure if I would recommend it. Although I enjoyed what I ate, I have gotten much better meals in the area. If anyone visits Cella Bistro please send me your comments about what you thought of it!

Nico Ristorante - Boston, MA

2011-12-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Goodbye California, hello Boston! Chris and I made the long trek from Cali to Boston on Friday for his winter break from grad school. I always forget how long a 6 hour flight really is, and although we grabbed food prior to taking off, we were both STARVING by the time we landed. In fact, towards the end of the flight we began discussing what we were planning on ordering for dinner once we landed.... such little fatties. We finally landed, picked up our luggage, and began loading it into his parent's car. As we were loading the luggage, Chris's father, Dennis, asked if we would rather just go back to the house instead of out to dinner (assuming we were too tired). We immediately both yelled "No! Feed us!" so it was off to Hanover Street we went! Jan and Dennis decided to take us to Nico Ristorante, located on the very Italian Hanover Street in the North End of Boston. I had actually never been to Nico's before, but the next time I'm in Boston I will absolutely be going back.

We arrived at Nico's and began the ever so fun task of valeting the car on Hanover. For those of you who aren't familiar with Hanover, it's a very narrow street that is always congested with cars trying to get to the many restaurants located on it. After we sorted out the valet ($20) we were promptly greeted by the friendly host, who had been waiting outside, and were quickly seated at one of their window tables. Our waiter brought us our menu and wine list, and shortly after we were ordering a bottle. As they poured us our wine the waiter went over a list of specials, some of which I struggled to understand because of his thick accent, however the accent also helped to make what we could understand sound absolutely mouth watering. We ended up ordering two appetizers, meatballs in sauce with ricotta cheese, and burrata with prosciutto, tomatoes, and artichokes. Up until this point I had only read about burrata in cook books so I was very excited to finally try it. Burrata is essentially mozzarella cheese encasing creamy ricotta cheese. Let me just say... it exceeded my expectations of how good it was.

Burrata

This appetizer was amazing, exactly what an app should be. The tomatoes were fresh, the meat was tasty, and the burrata was nice and creamy. My only comment would be that I wish there was more cheese!

Meatball with Ricotta

Our other appetizer was an individual meatball with a dollop of ricotta cheese. It was delicious - It was a calabrese meatball with ground veal and wild mushrooms. The meat was extremely tender, the sauce was amazing, and the cheese was super creamy.

Linguine with Clams

For dinner I ordered Linguine with Clams. The meal was homemade linguine sauteed with clams in a fra diavolo sauce. This dish was straightforward, and overall very tasty. I don't normally order spicy food, but I guess Chris has been rubbing off on me, because this was spicy and I loved it. My only complaint was that the clams were a little gritty, and a few times I chomped down on a hard piece of shell, or sand, or something that shouldn't have been there.

Veal Parmesan

Chris ordered one of his favorites, Veal Parmesan. The veal was served with a spicy red sauce, over a bed of homemade pasta, with tons of creamy mozzarella cheese on top. Although very messy to eat, this was a really well done dish. On a side note, after eating at Nico's I have officially been inspired to start making my own pasta.... there is just no comparison.

Veal Saltimbocca

Dennis ordered the Veal Saltimbocca for his dinner. It was topped with prosciutto, fontina cheese, and sage, finished in a demi-glaze, served with a side of red peppers, asparagus, and creamy mashed potatoes. Dennis mentioned how much he loved this dish, although the portion was so large he couldn't possibly finish the whole thing.

Risotto with Scallops and mushrooms

Last but certainly not least, Jan ordered the risotto of the day, which was risotto with scallops and mushrooms. This is how risotto should be done. It was creamy, delicious, and had overall a great flavor. Risotto should be made with a lot of love and attention, and you can tell that this one was. I would be excited to see what other risottos they have to offer!

As we were finishing dinner we were stuffed. Chris and I had inhaled our food because of how hungry we were, so the thought of ordering dessert seemed blatantly out of the question. However, our waiter came over and told us that he would make us a special dessert, compliments of him. After we attempted to politely decline (we were seriously filled to the brim), we realized that we should just accept our fate, and we waited for the dessert to arrive. The plate, as you can see, was a deconstructed cannoli, served with fresh fruit, strawberry sauce, and chocolate sauce.

Dessert!

Although we all were almost too full to try it, the filling had a great taste, and the fruit was extremely fresh. We all ate as much as we could of it, paid the bill, and headed home to pass out. Our entire meal was amazing. The food was great, the service was great, and the company I was with was perfect. It was the best place they could have taken two extremely hungry fatties who had just traveled for 7+ hours... so thank you Jan and Dennis!

And by the way, absolutely go to Nico's! The prices were extremely reasonable for the quality and amount of food we got (Around $20 for a pasta dish and $20 - 37 for a meat dish), and the service was impeccable!

Gjelina - Venica, CA

2011-12-08T15:06:00.001-07:00

Since moving to Santa Monica I haven't really had a chance to explore some other local parts of California. So, you can imagine I was pretty excited to meet up with friends yesterday, and stroll around Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice. After walking around for two hours waiting for Ms. Ally to come meet up with us, we were starving, and I was excited to eat anywhere Ally told us to meet her. She ended up suggesting Gjelina, located at 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, CA.

We sat down, and Ally, who had been running roughly an hour behind, rushed us over to the table and told us to "Hurry up and order! They're switching menus!" We skipped the pleasantries and got down to the business of ordering. The lunch menu offered various sandwiches, salads, and pizzas, among other things. Jamie and I both ended up ordering the lamb burgers, and Ally went with the steak sandwich and a side of brussel sprouts. Jamie mentioned that he has learned to order the same thing as me because that way he doesn't have to wait for me to take a picture before he can start eating.... thanks for helping bring diversity to my posts Jamie.

We also decided that after a long day of shopping, wine was necessary. The restaurant has an extensive list of wines by the glass, and bottle, however both are on the pricier side ($15 per glass, and $42+ for a bottle of red). We decided that the responsible thing to do would be to order a bottle, ultimately saving us all money - at least that's the story we're sticking to.

We began to enjoy our wine and soon after our food arrived.

Charred Brussel Sprouts

The brussel sprouts were amazing! They have a very nice char on the outside, and were served with red onions and slab bacon. I strongly recommend ordering this!

Steak Sandwich

Ally also ordered the steak sandwich, which looked amazing (although I didn't personally try it). As you can see, it was thinly sliced flatiron steak, with anaheim chili, arugula and horseradish aioli. Flatiron steak is a very tender cut of meat, with a good amount of marbling. This sandwich has a bite to it so only order if you're ready for a little spice!

Lamb Burger

Jamie and I both went with the lamb burger. It's a Niman Ranch lamb burger with harissa aioli, roasted tomato, and arugula. Harissa is a hot chili sauce, that typically consists of hot chili peppers (including serrano). My burger was cooked perfectly, the fries were very well seasoned and delicious, and the sauces on the side went perfectly with both the burger and the fries. The arugula also gave a nice tang to the burger. All and all I would absolutely order this burger again.

We had our lunch in the outdoor patio, which was fun and romantic - if I have a chance to eat outside I always like to take advantage of it. The tables were rustic, but it only added to the trendy, borderline hipster, feel of the place. Also, if you're in a rush Gjelina has a "to-go" window next door called GTA that's perfect for the "in a rush" customer.

The next time I'm out in Venice and hungry I will definitely go back to Gjelina. The food was really great, as well as the atmosphere.

Fraiche - Santa Monica

2011-12-03T12:36:00.001-07:00

Last week my new partner in crime Jamie and I decided to grab a bite to eat while Chris was studying his butt off in the library. He had a Groupon for a restaurant near the Promenade called Fraiche, an Italian - French - European inspired restaurant, so the decision to go there was pretty easy.

We arrived around 6:30 on a Monday night and found the restaurant pretty empty, which I guess is typical for a Monday night. The ambiance is nice and cozy, and would be a great place to have a more intimate date in one of the corner booth tables.

Our waiter promptly came over and scanned our Groupon, and then brought us two glasses of champagne that were included with the deal, and came back soon after to take our dinner orders.

I wasn't really that hungry so nothing was really speaking to me on the menu, so I ended up ordering the Egg Raviolo ($20). Jamie decided to go with the Pancetta Risotto ($22). I also order a to-go dinner for Chris, another Egg Raviolo.

Our food arrived shortly after, and everything looked delicious.

Pancetta Risotto

Jamie really enjoyed his risotto, which had black kale and pancetta in it. I tried a little bit and the flavors were very nice, my only complaint was that it wasn't creamy enough like a traditional risotto should be.

My Egg Raviolo was comprised of ricotta, gruyere and fontina cheese in a butter sauce, with an egg in the center. I enjoyed the overall flavors of the ravioli, but I wish that the pasta was cooked a little bit more, and that the egg yolk was cooked a little less. I will say that Chris really enjoyed his though, and had no complaints!

As Jamie and I were eating we watched a couple on a date come in and be seated at a table nearby. The waiter came in and brought them water and menus, and after he left we watched the couple briefly peruse their menus before getting up and walking out. We were slightly shocked to see this, especially since they had already gotten their menu and drinks, but the waiter was more surprised when he returned to take their order. I couldn't help but chuckle a little as he looked around the restaurant thinking that he was at the wrong table. Jamie and I spent the next ten minutes thinking about possible reasons why they left... unimpressed with the menu, lack of a crowd, didn't realize it was a restaurant, and meal prices were the top three we came up with.

Although the food was good, I was kind of disappointed with the service. For us being the only table in there, at one point, I expected the waiter to be more attentive. I was starting to get thirsty for some pinot noir, and since our waiter wasn't around I asked the guy who filled our water glasses if I could get me a glass of wine. He said he would tell our server, but I never received my wine. After I asked for my wine, Jamie mentioned that he wanted a glass too, so the restaurant lost out on the additional money they would have made from two glasses of wine (which was a big loss considering the Groupon covered our meal).

I will probably go back on a more popular night, mostly because it's conveniently located neat our apartment and has a great happy hour, but I can't see myself order the raviolo again (or the risotto).

Stuffed Chicken & Couscous

2011-11-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

So as I sat on the couch flipping through the channels I ended up landing on the food network - which I only watch when Chris isn't home because he makes fun of how many food programs I watch - and It was Giada. She had just started explaining a couscous recipe, which peaked my interest because I had just purchased couscous at the store. Anyway, she started to explain the ingredients, and I had them all... that never happens. I mean it does happen to people, like my mother, who's fridge is a bottomless pit of perfect cooking ingredients.... but not to me. So anyway, I decided to make this couscous (minus the mandarin oranges because I wanted this to be more off a side dish than a salad), and I also decided to make some stuffed chicken breasts to go with it.

For the couscous you will need:

1 cup of couscous, cooked per instructions

For the couscous dressing you will need:

1/2 orange, juiced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp EVOO

salt & pepper

For the couscous "crunch" you will need:

1 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped

1 handful of slivered almonds, chopped

This is super simple to make - While the couscous is cooking I mixed together the orange juice, red wine vinegar, EVOO, salt and pepper. After the dressing was mixed I chopped up some parsley and some almonds, and as soon as the couscous was done I mixed everything together.

Add some butter to the couscous for more flavor

This dressing would also be great on salad!

The almonds add great crunch!

For the chicken I decided I wasn't leaving the house to get more ingredients, so I went searching through the fridge to see what I could come up with. I ultimately decided on two different kinds of stuffed chicken.

Classic (2 stuffed chicken breasts):

2 pieces mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp italian parsley, chopped

1 tbsp scallions, chopped

1/2 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Spicy (2 stuffed chicken breasts):

2 pieces Hot pepper jack cheese

2 tbsp red pepper, chopped

I used a knife and created pockets in all four of the chicken breasts. I filled them with a mixture of all of the ingredients and baked them in a 350 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes (or until no longer pink). I cooked the chicken uncovered until the last 5 - 10 minutes when I covered it just to make sure the cheeses were melted.

As you can see I sliced the chicken's in the middle without breaking through and filled the pockets with the yummy ingredients!

I put them into an oven-proof skillet with a little olive oil for cooking. I also sprinkled the outside with s & p.

The finished dish!

Sorry the plate looks so sloppy! Chris came home starving and dug into the couscous before I could snap the pic! I also made him some quick sauteed peppers so go with the dish. I simply sliced up some peppers and sauteed them in some EVOO and hot sauce, and seasoned them with some salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and a tiny bit of garlic salt. They were a last minute decision to tie the whole dish together, and Chris seemed to enjoy them (although he was starving so he probably would have eaten anything).

If you're looking for a fun way to jazz up chicken I would definitely recommend stuffing it! You can use almost anything to stuff the chicken, and it adds some variation to what would be a plain grilled chicken dish. Have fun with it!

Sonoma Wine Garden - Santa Monica Place

2011-11-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

The other day my friend Jamie and I decided to grab a quick bite to eat, after a long day of shopping, at the Sonoma Wine Garden at Santa Monica Place. Where I'm from in upstate NY, eating at the mall consists of poorly-lit chain restaurants or fast food in the food court.... in California it's a whole different ball game. Dining at Santa Monica Place means enjoying the same quality restaurants you would find anywhere else in Santa Monica.

As we made our way inside Sonoma, we immediately exited onto their multi-tiered outdoor patio. We sat down at one of their many wrought-iron patio tables, and were promptly greeted by our waiter. We perused the extensive wine list, and both ended up ordering a glass of Fogdog Pinot Noir at $15 a glass.

Since we had both eaten breakfast we decided to just start off sharing the Chef's tasting platter (pictured below), and then if we were still hungry we would order something else as well.

The tasting platter consisted of Fromager D'Affinois (creamy and soft cow's milk from france), Mycella Blue (semi-soft cow's milk from Denmark), Bucherondin Loire (cremy, semi-soft goat's milk from France), Salami, Pork Terrine, nuts, dried fruit, and mustard.

When we first saw the plate we were both thinking that it wouldn't be enough... but let me tell you, this plate goes a long way. It was a great combination of cheeses and meats, and I think my only complaint would be that the bread tasted just a little bit stale. Other than that, the cheese plate was very good and I can't wait to go back soon and see what their dinner menu has to offer. If you are looking for a restaurant with great views, friendly staff, a nice wine list, and the convenience of being in a mall, look no further than Sonoma Wine Garden.

Although the wine was on the pricier side, I really enjoyed my Pinot Noir, and I felt that the tasting plate was priced very fairly, especially since a piece of cheese that size would normally be $6 per piece ($18 would have been the price just for the three cheeses). Overall I had a great lunch and I would definitely go back again!

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-25T17:02:00.001-07:00

Happy post-turkey day readers! So Chris and I (and our "child" Nick) had our first Thanksgiving in me and Chris's new apartment! Oh, and I cooked! Now I was hoping that my pre-thanksgiving night would consist of a glass of wine and getting to bed early so I'd be ready to cook my butt off the next day.... lets just say that my night was the antithesis of that. I'm going to keep the details of the night under wraps, but I will say that it ended with street art and sleepwalking.... that being said, I was exhausted when it was time to start cooking, but I rallied and decide to forge ahead with my intended menu... even though my guest list went from five to three (some people from our group had too much fun the night before).

The menu:
Turkey (duh) & Gravy
Maple Flavored Sausage Stuffing
Maple Syrup & Almond Green beans
Cheddar & Sour Cream Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My cooking stance.

Because I had planned on there being five people I purchased an 11.4 pound turkey, which required about two and a half hours to cook (Chris will be eating turkey for the next few weeks!). With dinner planned for around 3:30 / 4 pm I made sure to put the bird in around 12:45 pm so it would have time to cook and rest, and I actually took it out of the fridge around 11 am so it would have time to warm up to room temperature. It's important to let meat sit out prior to cooking because meat will cook more evenly if it's at room temperature instead of straight out of the fridge.

For the bird,
1. Remove from fridge about an hour and a half prior to cooking
2. Wash the turkey and remove the giblets from inside
3. Tie the legs together
4. Season the outside well with salt and pepper
5. Let the bird reach about 147 degrees (I consulted a James Beard approved cook book) - cooking in a 350 degree oven for two and a half hours
6. Eat!

For my turkey preparation I seasoned it aggressively with salt and pepper. I figured for my first Turkey day I wouldn't get too crazy with my seasoning... and I think it turned out well. One thing I also decided to do was I put the giblets in the bottom of the pan so that I could use their flavor for the gravy later on.... I was really happy with that decision as well.

For the gravy,
When I removed the bird from the oven I placed it on a serving plate and covered it with tin foil to rest. I then took the pan it baked in and removed the giblets and then began to scrap the drippings off the bottom while it heated on the stove. Next I added about two cups of chicken broth and some flour to thicken it, and just allowed it to heat and reduce slightly. As it heated I also added some additional salt and pepper to taste. I know you're supposed to strain the gravy, etc, but I just served it in this raw form and it added great flavor to the bird.

My version of gravy

So, after I put the turkey in my next task was the stuffing... aka my favorite part of thanksgiving! This needs about 45 minutes in the oven... and requires an additional 30-40 minutes of prep work... depending on how fast of a chopper you are, etc.

For the stuffing,
1 pound of breakfast sausage (maple flavored if available), castings removed
1 1/2 cups of dried cranberries
1 1/2 onions, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
3/4 stick of butter
1 - 1 1/2 boxes of stuffing
3 green apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
2 tsp chopped sage leaves
2 tsp chopped parsley leaves
1 - 2 cups of vegetable stock
salt and pepper

To start, I heated a pan on medium heat and allowed the butter to melt a bit.... all of this can be done in the same pan, but I didn't have one large enough so I also heated butter in a separate pan to cook the sausage.

Breakfast sausage, maple syrup & butter

I cooked the sausage in the butter, added some maple syrup for flavor, and as it cooked I chopped it up. In the second pan I added the onions, apples, and celery and allowed them to cook.

Celery and onion cooking

I allowed both skillets to cook for ten minutes, combined them, and then added the poultry seasoning, herbs, cranberries, stuffing, and then vegetable stock to soften. I mixed it all together, seasoned with salt and pepper, transferred it to a baking dish, and baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

The finished product :)

Nick drinking some wine & peeling potatoes.

The mashed potatoes were up next,
6 Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cream (or less)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
4 tbsp of butter

I started by peeling and cubing the potatoes, and then boiling them in well salted water until they are soft (20+ minutes).

After the potatoes were finished I drained them and then returned them to the pot. From there I added the softened butter, sour cream and garlic and began to mash them. I added the cheese, a little cream, salt and pepper, and finished the mashing process. Simple, tasty, and kind of fatty which is why Thanksgiving is only once a year :).

Mashin' like a champion

Final product

Last but not least....

The green beans!
3 cups of green beans
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
salt and pepper

To start, boil a pot of water and cook the green beans until they are just tender and still bright green. After the beans are cooked, strain them and add them to a skillet that you have heated with some EVOO. Add the maple syrup, salt, pepper, and almonds, and cook until the almonds are slightly browned.

Make sure not to cook them too long though! You want the beans to still be firm and bright green!

After several hours of cooking it was finally time to eat!

My turkey! Gobble Gobble

Everything!

My favorite Pinot Noir - highly recommend it!

After we finished stuffing our faces... which only took about 30 minutes.... and that's being generous... we all curled up on the couches and watched the movie Super 8. It was a great Thanksgiving. Although I really missed my family and was bummed out that this was the first Thanksgiving without them, it was a nice accomplishment to cook my very own Thanksgiving Dinner.

My 25th Birthday

2011-11-22T17:22:00.001-07:00

This post is long overdue (my first two weeks in California without Internet were painful), but I still want to give a quick shout out to the Mohawk Club for making my 25th birthday (which was November 4th) so special.

I included a picture of the wonderful seafood platter we got to start the night off with, and although I didn't get to snap a pic of our dinners, every single one was amazing. The team at the club went above and beyond to prepare us each a unique meal that's not featured on their menu. It was wonderful and I will strongly suggest that they consider adding one or all of the items to the menu immediately!

Mom texting while I blow out my candles... :)

My staged candle blow out.

Yum! My wonderful Villa Italia cake!

It was a wonderful and memorable night, and a great way to celebrate both my birthday, and my departure to California.

MIA

2011-11-16T18:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry I have been MIA for the past two weeks. I just made the BIG BIG move to Santa Monica, CA and we JUST got our internet hooked up today. I guess I could have gone to Starbuck's to blog, but after realizing how many crazy people frequent there I decided against it. Stay tuned for new blog posts later this week!

Pineapple & Apple Spring Rolls with Vanilla Honey Sauce

2011-11-01T21:50:00.002-07:00

I'm pretty sure everyone has something they like to do when their mind is restless and they just need to get to a more settled mental place... tor me that's cooking. Not just any cooking mind you; whenever I am feeling stressed or frustrated I often find myself in the kitchen cooking something brand new. It always works at putting my mind at ease, and sometimes results in something super delicious (Mac & Cheese Cups ... and now my Pineapple & Apple Spring Roll).

So, there has been this package of spring roll wrappers just sitting in our fridge, starring me dead in the face, just challenging me to make something delicious - well jokes on you spring rolls. Since I hate food shopping, and because it was 11 pm when I started this task of mine, I decided to use what we had in the house. I knew I wanted to make a sweet spring roll because I plan on making a savory one in the next few days and we didn't have any of the ingredients I needed in the house. What we did have in the house were some fresh apples and a pineapple, so the choice was very easy.

For the Rolls: (I only made 2 rolls but this will probably make around 6):

1 large wedge of pineapple, chopped

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp cinnamon sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut flakes

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

I started by chopping up pineapple and apples - make sure to peel the apples.

After you chop up the fruit, add 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tbsp cinnamon sugar, and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract.

Next you should take 1 tbsp of butter and melt it in a pan.

As your butter is melting, add about 1/2 - 1 tbsp of fresh grated ginger. I added 1/2 tbsp and I think I would add some more next time so that the ginger flavor comes through better.

After the butter is melted, add your fruit to the mixture. At this point I decided I wanted some crunch in my rolls so I also chopped up some walnuts and added those to the pan.

As the fruit begins to soften, about 2 minutes, add a little brown sugar and coconut flakes to the pan.

Let the mixture cook for another two minutes, and then remove from the heat to cool off. As the fruit is cooling, heat some canola oil in a separate pan.

As your oil heats, and once your fruit has cooled a little, you need to make your rolls.

Use about 2 tbsps of filling, and place it diagonally in the center of your roll. From there you should fold up the bottom, then fold the two sides in, moisten the top corner (using egg or water), and finally roll up the roll (there will be instructions to follow on the back of the spring roll package).

Your oil will be hot enough at this point, so place the roll into the pan.

You should allow the rolls to cook in the oil for about 2 - 3 minutes, turning as needed. Make sure that the oil doesn't get too hot - mine got a little too hot so the first roll got crispy on the outside too quickly. If your oil is too hot the rolls will crisp on the outside and not be completely cooked all the way through. Once the rolls are brown and crispy on the outside you should remove them from the pan.

As the rolls cool down you will have time to make your dipping sauce.

For the Vanilla Honey Sauce:

3 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp orange marmalade

1/4 tbsp cinnamon sugar

Mix it all together and you have your quick & yummy dessert!

My Fatty Girl Portion :)

Normal Person Portion

The pineapple and apple go really nicely together, and the flavors are elevated by the vanilla and the coconut. The sauce is simple, but really pairs nicely with the roll. This dessert is great if you are in a time crunch because you can make up the mix ahead of time, and then just fry them right before it's time for dessert. Also, being a family of chocolate lovers, this is a nice change of pace from your typical heavy chocolate cake. I plan to modify this recipe to incorporate some other fruits, so stay tuned!

Sweet Potato Fries

2011-10-23T12:15:00.001-07:00

The other night my mom, Jordan, and I decided (aka my mom decided and we agreed - remember that Italian guilt I mentioned?) to go to this musical in Schenectady called "Ragtime." One of my mom's bribing tools was to treat us to Aperitivo prior to the show. Aperitivo had just changed their menu around, and although they removed the Matchstick fries (which I may never forgive them for), they added Sweet Potato fries with a Bacon Aioli ... this was my inspiration for today's blog.

Side note, we sat through half of the musical and then left because the first act was an hour and a half of torture and we still had an entire second act to go. I am not proud that we left, but it was purely to keep our sanity.

Moving on... I've never made sweet potato fries before, but I can say with confidence that they will now be one of my go to side dishes. This recipe is super quick, easy, healthy, and pretty yummy.

For this recipe you will need:
1 large sweet potato
Cinnamon Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt (optional, if you use it don't use regular salt)
EVOO

Start by pre-heating your oven to 450 degrees and peeling the sweet potato.

Step #1

After you should cut the potato in half, and then cut into roughly 1/4 of an inch - 1/2 an inch slices (depending on how thick you like them).

Step #2

I put all of the pieces in a bowl, drizzled with EVOO, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cinnamon sugar.

Step #3

You should lay all of your fries on a parchment paper lined pan, and bake in the oven for roughly 20 - 25 minutes depending on how thick the fries are. (During the cooking process you may want to turn the fries once or twice so that they cook evenly).

Once the fries are cooked, remove them from the oven, let them cool for about 5 minutes, and then enjoy!

Step #4

I served my fries with a side of ketchup, and just a quick garlic mayo. For the garlic mayo I simply used some chopped garlic, tiny bit of lemon juice, and mayo. I enjoyed the mayo but my brother wasn't a huge fan so make it with caution :) I had fully intended on recreating a bacon aioli but Jordan was starving and I was already busy cooking the fries and the steak for his steak sandwich - but please stay tuned for my bacon aioli attempt!

I would also like to take this opportunity to update everyone on the Max and Maddie progress. In case you're not familiar, my parent's demon cat Maddie has still not taken a liking to my adorable cat Max, even though they have been living together for about two months now. I think there may be some light at the end of the tunnel (ironically just in time for me to move out)...

1 month ago

Today... even though shortly after this picture was taken she woke up and attacked him.

The Century House

2011-10-22T10:40:00.004-07:00

The other night the whole family (unfortunately minus Jordan) was together and decided to head out in the middle of a severe thunder storm and pouring rain to go to dinner at The Century House; located at 997 State Route 9 in Cohoes, NY. The Century House is a hotel, restaurant, and banquet hall that has been around for 220 years on the same original plot of land.

In all of my years living in upstate NY I have driven by this place hundreds of times and never thought to go there for dinner - mostly because it appears as more of a banquet hall than a restaurant. I was definitely curious about what it had to offer, and excited to try it. Obviously on our way there it went from sprinkling to a straight downpour, which clearly didn't let up by the time we arrived... and did we bring umbrellas? nope. Needless to say, even with our 10 ft run from the car to shelter we all got pretty soaked.

Once we finally got inside and waited for my mom to make her big escape from the car we shook off and headed to our table. My first impression of the restaurant was that it was a little dated on the inside. It was just something about the dark wooden chairs, and the very dim lighting, it seemed homey but almost log cabin like. There was live entertainment so the volume was on the louder side, but not as bad as 677 Prime. The restaurant was pretty crowded which surprised me, and it remained crowded for the duration of our dinner. This restaurant definitely has a bit of an older crowd (there was a woman celebrating her 97th birthday that night) so if you are looking for a trendier spot this might not be for you.

Our waitress came by to take our drink orders, and we perused the menus. For appetizer's my dad ordered the French Onion Soup, I ordered the White Asparagus Soup of the day, and my mom ordered the Century House Wedge Salad.

White Asparagus Soup

The white asparagus soup was absolutely delicious. The texture of the soup was extremely pleasing, and the portion was just enough that I actual finished the whole bowl. The asparagus flavor really came through without being too overpowering.

Classic French Onion Soup

The french onion soup was a traditional french onion soup with tons of that creamy crunchy cheese on top - my dad really enjoyed it.

Wedge Salad

The salad was iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, shaved red onion, cracked black pepper, pancetta crisp and avocado ranch dressing. My mom enjoyed her wedge salad, but to be honest I'm not a huge fan of the presentation at all. First of all - too many red onions and not enough pancetta (or BACON).... Also, the cucumbers are all different sizes, and why is the dressing on the opposite side of the plate? Definitely not my favorite presentation for this kind of salad.

For dinner, I ordered the Peppered Hudson Valley Margret Duck Breast, My dad and Kayla ordered the Light House Shore Dinner, and my mom ordered the Veal Oscar.

Peppered Duck

The duck was crusted with both black and pink peppercorns, served with a smoked blackberry duck sauce and a crackling and confit wild rice cake.

I enjoyed the duck, however it was a little too dry. I asked for the duck to be served medium rare, and I was hoping for more pink on the inside. The sauce was nice, but there was a lot of it, and it tasted more like BBQ sauce than blackberry, but overall I enjoyed the consistency of it. The cake was okay, I had a few bites of it but it just didn't make me want to keep eating it. I'm disappointed because I love duck and it's hard to find it cooked in this manor (usually it's served as a whole breast), so I was really looking forward to it - I just wish it was juicier.

Light House Shore Dinner

The Light House Shore Dinner was broiled lobster, pan seared scallops, crab stuffed jumbo shrimp, and whipped potatoes with veg. This dish missed the mark a little. The scallops were pretty good, but the potato was bland and it just didn't seem like a great plate of seafood. My dad seemed to enjoy, it for the most part, but my sister wasn't really a big fan. I think her and I have become seafood snobs after living in Boston and being around great, fresh seafood all the time, but at the same token I don't think restaurants should serve an entire seafood dish unless they can deliver.

My mom's Veal Oscar was veal scaloppini, poached asparagus, topped with lobster and scrap meat, a hollondaise sauce, and whipped potatoes.

The asparagus was done nicely, and had a beautiful green shade that added nice color to the dish. The overall flavor of this dish was nice, however I found the veal to be a little dry. I think this is because it was such a thin cut of veal that it would be almost impossible not to overcook it. My mom seemed to enjoy the majority of the dish though.

Finally for dessert we ordered the Baked Alaska. It was a coconut sponge cake, with a passion fruit sorbet center, with torched swiss meringue and fruit coulis. The presentation was very appealing, but it just wasn't my favorite. My mom liked it, however the whole texture of the dish seemed a little off - for me personally. I will say that I would never order this type of dessert, simply because it's not really my cup of tea, so it may be a win for others ... just not for this girl.

I have to say that I'm kind of disappointed with the way this review turned out... but I think my family needs to take some of the blame. One of my big issues is the number of entrees on this menu. There are so many different choices that I think the restaurant set themselves up for failure. I can tell from my asparagus soup that there are definitely some hidden gems in this menu, and I think this was a case of poor ordering. If I were to do it again I would love to go back and try the pot pie, and perhaps the potato wrapped cod, and maybe even the lamb. I think that this restaurant has some amazing things on the menu (my dad insists because he's gone there for lunch on several occasions and loved it) and I would like to dine here again before I completely write them off.

The real highlight of the night was probably the fact that there was a wedding going on at the same time, so the drunken characters that ended up in the bathroom were pretty entertaining. All and all it was just great spending time with my family, and although the food didn't quite live up to my expectations, the conversation and good times did.

On a side note, at the end of the meal we were informed by our waitress that for every meal we ate tonight, they would be donating a meal to the regional food bank. I think that is more than enough of a reason to enjoy a meal at The Century House.

Danielle & Joan's Hiking Adventure

2011-10-21T11:25:00.002-07:00

This past week my mom woke me up bright and early and told me that we were going hiking and to get ready. Still half asleep I agreed to go, and twenty minutes later we were on our way. When my mom decides she wants us to do something we pretty much don't have a choice. It's just much easier to say yes because ultimately we end up giving in, and if we just agree right away we save ourselves from the Italian guilt trip that would otherwise be inevitable. She'll say things like "I guess I'll just bring the dog with me so I don't get kidnapped." Or, "I just wish my family wanted to spend time with me." So to avoid the next few hours of guilt I just agreed.

Anyway, we obviously got lost on our way there - a difficult thing to do because we own a house on the lake and go there often - I love how there's never a dull moment in the Rutherford family... keeps things exciting! So after a slightly longer ride we arrived at the mountain and began are ascent.

Clearly we got a little lost on the mountain, which probably added about another mile onto our already 3.8 mile climb, but overall it was a great hike.... minus the kind of creepy guy lurking the whole time. After our four hour climb we were dirty and starving and decided our number one priority was food.

The views were absolutely stunning

Well prepared Russian family

Less prepared Italian mother-daughter duo...

Catwalk pose at the top of Buck Mountain.. fierce.

After realizing that our hike took longer than anticipated and therefore our original restaurant choice was already closed, we ultimately decided to go to Pasta Pane, located at 16 Park Avenue in Clifton Park. Pasta Pane is described as a "rustic Italian bistro," and is just one of several restaurants owned by Restaurateur David Zecchini (probably most well known for Chiantis in Saratoga).

All of his restaurants are Italian themed, but each offers it's own original take on Italian cuisine. Pasta Pane is described as offering homestyle Italian meals that are more moderately priced than some of his other restaurants. As we arrived at the restaurant I was skeptical at first. The outside looks a little like a tacky chain restaurant, so my hopes for a true Italian meal were crushed, but because I was so hungry I kept my mouth shut and prepared for the mediocrity. As soon as we walked inside though I was impressed - the decor was homey, inviting, and seemed to have a nice bar scene.

As we perused the menu we aggressively fought over the bread, and tried to decide what we wanted to eat. My mom ended up going with their three-course Harvest Menu, and I obviously went with a large bowl of pasta... wasn't even a question.

My mom decided that she would try the Harvest Menu, which features seasonal dishes for the shocking price of just $20.

To start, she decided to order the Rape E Formaggio, a roasted beet napoleon, goat cheese, arugula and tarragon vinaigrette with toasted sesame flat bread as her appetizer. My mom really enjoyed this appetizer, surprisingly since she didn't realize it had beets in it. Did I mention we were blinded by our hunger?

I really loved the contrasting color of the red beet with the white goat cheese, and although I'm not sure I would describe these as "napoleons," they did remind me of red velvet whoopie pies. The tang from the arugula went nicely with the earthy sweet flavor of the beets.

For her main course she ordered the Ravioli Con Zucca, butternut squash ravioli in a sage, amaretto, and fontina cream sauce.

This was very yummy, and just the right portion because the dish was on the heavier side. In fact, I could almost describe this dish as sweet not savory - it fit nicely with the "harvest menu" theme.

For my main dish I ordered the Granchio, which was capellini pasta, sauteed crabmeat and shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs, in a light tomato sauce.

Overall this was a decent dish, although as someone who loves pasta like I do, and someone who was at a restaurant with pasta in the name, I was slightly underwhelmed. Pasta Pane has about eight pasta dishes on the menu, half of which are penne. I was hoping for more homemade pasta, and more of a variety. Regardless, the pasta was cooked nicely, but the sauce was a little oily, and the crab didn't taste fresh. Although the shrimp was cooked properly, the tails were left on which made it more difficult to eat. All that being said, I was starving, and it still hit the spot.

Finally, for dessert, my mom ordered the Zeppole Con Miele, which is Italian sugar doughnuts served with apple cider honey.

This dessert was actually really well done. The doughnuts were warm and fresh, and the cider honey went very nicely with it. I wish I had saved more room for the dessert, but I would absolutely recommend ordering this!

Despite some of the restaurant's shortcomings, I still think I would come back. The atmosphere and service was very nice and I think if I tried some of the other entrees my opinion might change a bit.

Lukes Lobster, East Village, NYC

2011-10-21T09:09:00.001-07:00

So for "breakfast" the other day my sister and I left her boyfriend's apartment and started wandering around the East Village looking for a good place to eat. Our original destination was closed, so as we were trying to figure out a back up plan my sister goes, "I mean if you're in the mood for lobster I don't mind going to Luke's Lobster." I looked at her slightly puzzled and wondered if in my hungover state I had mention wanting lobster? I just replied to her that I didn't care what we ate, and that the diner on the corner would suffice. Again she said, "Dee if you feel like lobster it's fine we can go there, I don't mind." I laughed and asked her if she was in fact the one craving it, and she just grinned from ear to ear.

We decided to go to Luke's. Best. Decision. Ever.

Luke's Lobster is the home of the best lobster roll I've ever tasted. Luke's has several different locations around NYC, and I had the pleasure of going to the one in the East Village, on 93 E 7th Street. This hole-in-the-wall lobster shack does have more on their menu, but the real star is the fresh lobster which is flown in daily from Maine. Although there are just a few stools in this tiny restaurant, it won't matter because I housed this roll in a matter of minutes so eating inside would have been pointless.

Although I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it because I was too busy eating it on the way to Chris's apartment, there are tons of pictures on the Internet, and on Luke's website for you to check out.

This lobster roll is served on a lightly buttered and toasted hot dog bun, filled to the brim with fresh cool lobster, garnished with a small amount of mayo, melted lemon butter, and fresh herbs (and I swear I tasted a little balsamic vinegar on there as well). If you are in the city, pressed for time, and starving, I highly recommend that you check out this hidden gem. At $15 I can say that it's completely worth it and you will not regret it!

677 Prime - Albany, NY

2011-10-12T05:00:00.003-07:00

Last Friday we finally decided to change things up a bit, and the whole family (sans Kayla :( ) went to dinner at 677 Prime, located at 677 Broadway St in Albany, NY. Prime is one of the many restaurants owned by Angelo (the owner of Aperitivo), and I would describe it as an upscale steakhouse.

Cute butter display!

Although Albany is a little bit of a drive from our house in Niskayuna, I was admittedly excited to get dressed up and go out. We arrived around 7:45 for our 7:20 reservation... aka right on time for Rutherford standards, and were promptly seated. I'm sure at this point everyone knows what I ordered... and for the record the pinot noir was very tasty. I'll also take this moment to mention that the wait service at Angelo's restaurants, especially Prime, is extremely professional. Our waiter was on point, attentive, and extremely friendly/professional. I've heard from an inside source that there is an extensive training process to work your way up to waiter, and it pays off.

After we ordered drinks, we started off our meal with some appetizers. Jordan ordered the Clams 3 Way Platter, which included garlic chardonnay steams, clams casino with bacon and lemon, and crispy strips with aioli.

Clams 3 Way Platter... lovely photo Jordan, Bravo.

This appetizer was awesome. One thing I'll say is that just because my family is a bunch of chubs doesn't mean you have to be - most of the apps on the menu can be split between multiple people. We just don't share well. That being said, this dish was so delicious. I think my favorite was the fried clams with aioli. The steamed clams had good flavor, but the clams were a little small/tough for my taste. I didn't get to even try the clams casino because my brother had eaten them all in a matter of minutes.... so that should speak for itself. On a side note, I really love this whimsically plating... very clever and inviting.

My dad ordered the Lobster Spring Roll Platter - 3 rolls - chili roasted lobster thin roll, ginger lobster egg roll, and mushroom lobster egg roll, served with hoisin, sweet chili & ginger scallion dipping sauces.

I apologize for the blurriness - thanks Dad.

This spring roll platter was also amazing. My favorite of the three was the thin roll, dipped into the sweet chili sauce. I also really enjoyed the other two, they all had good flavor and great crunch... a little bit dry, but overall they made a great appetizer. The only component on the plate that I did like was the hoisin sauce ... it's just not my thing, so try at your own risk.

My mom ordered the 677 Chop - comprised of chopped iceberg, romaine, avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, fried buttermilk union, blue cheese crumbles, and white balsamic vinaigrette.

677 Chop

I love this presentation. The salad was really good and fresh, and the crunch on top was a great addition. I think it may have been slightly overdressed, but overall it was very good... and deceivingly large.

As we waited for our entrees we ordered another round of drinks, and played on of our favorite games. How it's played is my mom tells a story, almost in a whisper, in a very loud restaurant, and the rest of us try and read her lips. Okay so it's not actually a game, but it does consistently happen when we go out to eat, and the frustration that erupts on both sides is rather amusing. But on a serious note, the restaurant is rather noisy, as the patrons are competing with the live singer/piano player to be heard, so if you prefer a quite spot this place isn't for you.

For entrees me, my mom, and Jordan all ordered the ten ounce filet. I had mine Au Poivre (black peppercorns and brandy cream), and my mom had hers with the Diane topper (mushrooms and brandy cream sauce).

The meat was extremely tender, however the au poivre sauce was way way way too spicy, and almost ruined this dish for me. Even spicy food lovers would have found this dish almost inedible - which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. Everyone else's steaks were completely finished so they're really good steaks, I just don't recommend this sauce.

For side dishes the three of us got - sauteed spinach, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, and lobster mashed potatoes.

All three sides were really good. Apparently so good that I didn't even remember to get pictures of the potatoes. All of the sides are a large enough portion that you can absolutely share a few for the table - we chose to order our own and bring them home... except Jordan who somehow managed to finish his. I honestly don't know where Jordan puts all this food... oh how I miss my metabolism. The potatoes had great texture, and were so creamy and delicious. I also really enjoyed the spinach - it wasn't grainy, was cooked nicely, and had great light flavor.

My dad decided to order the Veal Maria as his entree.

As you can see, it is a hefty veal chop, pounded thin and breaded, served with tomatoes, arugula, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette.

I can say with absolute certainty that my dad enjoyed his meal. How do I know this you ask? My dad always offers us some of his food... and by offer I obviously mean force feeds... This time he didn't ask a single person at the table if we wanted some... and he finished the chop. The only conclusion I can draw is that he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Something else quite miraculous happened at dinner as well... I. ordered. dessert. And wow I'm so glad I did. Jordan and I both ordered dessert actually... although no shocker that he did.

Jordan ordered the Banana Cream Pie, which was a giant slice of banana custard on sweet pastry crust, served with caramel tossed bananas and banana chips.

It was a very solid, and might I add hefty, dessert. I really love the huge slices of banana, and the crust had great crunch. I'm not even a huge fan of banana cream pie, but I really enjoyed this one.

I went a slightly different route, and ordered the Cupcake Pedestal. This had four different cupcakes on it - tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake, s'mores, and chocolate hazelnut banana.

So wow... what a dessert. I really loved the presentation, although don't try and cut up the cupcakes on the pedestal.... little wobbly. My favorite of the four was the cheesecake. The inside was actual cheesecake and it was just super super delicious. I also really enjoyed the s'mores and chocolate hazelnut banana because they were very moist and had great flavor. My least favorite was the tiramisu, which worked out nicely because it was my mom's favorite. I'm not even sure what prompted me to order this dessert because I'm not a huge cake fan, but I'm really glad I did. I think it's a really unique thing to see on the menu, and it was just another example of Prime's wonderful plating abilities.

All and all this was a nice dinner. Although I was slightly disappointed with my steak, everything else was very delicious. My favorite will always be Aperitivo, mainly for the less formal atmosphere and more modest prices, but Prime is a nice treat from time to time (if you're willing to pay the NYC prices).

Santa Fe - Brooklyn

2011-10-09T13:09:00.001-07:00

So like all of my excursions, this one to Brooklyn also got off to a rocky start. After cleaning out my apartment in Boston, all of my belongings were put into storage until I move into my new apartment in NYC. One of the things that got put into storage along with my stuff was Kayla’s flat screen TV – which needed to come with us to Brooklyn.

We showed up at the storage unit expecting the TV to be ready and waiting for us – but obviously that would be too easy. The TV was clearly located in the middle of the storage unit, which required me to climb over everything to get to the center, and then we had to strategically move this 52 inch flat screen out of the unit with out it breaking. Which we managed to do. But alas, as I opened up my trunk to load the tv, the box filled with all of Kayla’s glass kitchen bowls came spilling out of the trunk and one by one smashed onto the ground as we helplessly watched.

We made a speedy getaway out of the storage facility, and are still keeping our fingers crossed that there wasn't a camera taping us.

After we arrived in Brooklyn (finally) we unloaded the car and proceeded to make multiple trips up two flights of stairs to bring all of Kayla’s things into her apartment. Finally, right around 8 pm, we were finished unloading the boxes, and were ready for some dinner. Kayla said she knew this great Mexican restaurant called Santa Fe, located down the street, so we decided to go there (Santa Fe Grill is located at 62 7th Ave in Brooklyn).

The restaurant wasn’t very large, but they had a nice little bar area, and then a small dining room area. The colors and art were cohesive with an authentic Mexican restaurant (masks on the wall – almost reminded me of Casa Romero), and the menu was definitely authentic.

As soon as we sat down we ordered a couple glasses of sangria, and enjoyed the chips and salsa.

The chips were crispy and warm, just as they should be, and the salsa had great taste and texture - although I think I would have preferred it to be a little on the spicier side.

Sangria

The sangria had deep developed flavor, and was very delicious - we obviously enjoyed more than one glass. I will say that I typically prefer sangria with some chopped up fruit inside, however what it lacked in esthetics it made up for in flavor.

For dinner I ordered the chicken and guacamole tacos. As described on the menu, they tacos were served in crispy corn tortillas filled with grilled chicken, pico de gallo, oaxaca cheese and lettuce, topped with a guajillo pepper salsa. I asked if I could substitute the corn tortillas with flour ones instead, and they happily obliged. The sauce was very tasty, and all of the flavors married well together. The guacamole was my favorite part because of how fresh it tasted. My only complaint was that I wish it was served with a side of rice or something - love my carbs.

Chicken Tacos

Kay ordered the chimichangas which were flour tortillas filled with beef or chicken (she had one of each), refried beans, cheese, and onions, deep fried and topped with sour cream and guacamole served with a side of rice and beans. The outside was really crispy, and inside the meat was tender and delicious. I can definitely see myself ordering these next time.

Overall the food is very yummy, most of the dishes are under $15, and the atmosphere is really fun and inviting. We had a great time there, didn't feel rushed through dinner, and although it was lively inside the restaurant we were still able to have a fairly quiet dinner. I will absolutely be going back to Santa Fe!

Romano Cheese Crusted Chicken

2011-10-04T18:53:00.001-07:00

So I've decided it was time to get back into the kitchen - mostly because my sister hasn't sent me my photos from the places we ate in the city yet. My mom was working late tonight so I decided to whip something up for my dad and brother to eat when they got home. I decided I would make just a quick no fuss chicken recipe, and ultimately decided on romano crusted chicken. I've never made this dish before, but I looked at a couple different basic recipes for it, and decided to add a few ingredients to make it more unique.

I honestly would cook ten times more, but I just truly hate grocery shopping... like down to my core, and tragically the grocery shopping situation in Niskayuna has just gotten worse - thanks to Shop Rite. The big talk of the town is the new grocery store they just put in St. James Square, which is down the street from my house. I couldn't even get my morning Starbucks because the parking lot was completely full with shoppers, due to the "double coupon" deal (which I told my mom I took advantage of but really I didn't because I just wanted to get out of that place) ... the madness needs to stop!

Alright, enough with my ranting...

The ingredients you will need for this recipe are:
Grated romano cheese
All purpose flour
2 eggs
One package of thinly sliced chicken (my package had 8 pieces)
1/2 - 3/4 stick of butter
Cayenne pepper
Pepper
Garlic salt
Dried parsley
1 1/2 lemons
2/3 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
EVOO

Start by tenderizing the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper - on both sides.

Tenderized Chicken

Romano cheese, flour, & egg (the scissors and calculator were not used in this dish...)

After I washed off and tenderized the chicken, I got three bowls and filled them with the dredging ingredients -
1) all purpose flour
2) 2 eggs
3) romano cheese mix

(That's the order I dredged them in)

I decided to "spice up" the cheese by adding garlic salt, parsley, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

After all of the pieces were dredged I heated a pan with some EVOO on medium heat, and fried the chicken, two at a time, until it was golden brown. I fried about 8 pieces, so halfway through I added some fresh EVOO so it wouldn't burn.

As the pieces came out of the skillet I transfered them to a baking pan. While cooking the chicken you should also preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

After all of the chicken is completed you can begin on the sauce. To start, begin melting the butter in a skillet.

As the butter begins to melt, squeeze in the lemon juice. Once all of the juice is extracted, add the whole lemons into the skillet for more flavor.

Finally, add the parsley, wine, and chicken stock. Let the mixture come to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover with foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for roughly 20 minutes.

Obviously I poured myself a glass - I clearly was not going to open a brand new bottle of wine and only use some for the sauce...

Mmmm delicious!

I decided to serve the chicken with some spaghetti and homemade sauce that was left over from the night before. I actually incorporated a little of the liquid from the chicken into the red sauce to tie in the flavors.

And there you have it... a quick and tasty meal! I'm going to assume it's tasty because my dad and brother both went back for thirds.

Kelly creepin' on my amazing meal....