Fried Chicken Dinner at Momofuku Noodle Bar
Fried chicken has become quite the sport in the New York City restaurant world of late. And as the king of all things new and trendy, David Chang, the chef-owner of the many Momofukus, is right there leading the way. At his Momofuku Noodle Bar, we tore into a big plate — 2 1/2 chickens — with all the accoutrements, lettuce wraps, crepes, vegetables and four dipping sauces.
22:32:00 on 10/30/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Tequila Drinks at Mayahuel
When you have a dinner reservation for a big plate of fried chicken at 10 p.m., you’re going to want to have a drink first. A good drink. In a bar nearby. Tequila at Mayahuel fit the bill nicely.
20:13:00 on 10/30/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Say Goodbye to the Trusty Camry
After nearly 12 years, the Camry called it quits. The head gasket blew, and there was no fixing it. We drove her, smoking under the hood, to the mechanic's place and left her there. Poor girl. Ye served us well. Thanks.
Fall at the Lake
Catching Up Over a Great Meal at Oceana
It’s because of Oceana and other restaurants owned by the Livanos family, such as Cafe Meze and City LImits Diner, that, way back when, I first met my friend Stephanie. At the time, she was doing the restaurant’s PR. We hadn’t see each other in eons, so when we wanted to catch up, we decided: what better place than the new Oceana? It recently moved into a much bigger — and much grander — space. The sausage-stuffed calamari was excellent.
10:45:00 on 10/20/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Iron Pizza Chef, Battle of the Basil
The last of the 2009 tomatoes played a big role in my pizza. Greg’s? You guessed it: pepperoni and olives. But what do we both have in common?
Recipe: Black Calypso 'Cassoulet'
After our huge meal at The Cookery last Sunday, we had a nice chunk of veal shank leftover. So Greg and I got resourceful. We cooked some Rancho Gordo beans, black calypso, in fact, and made a cassoulet of sorts, with veal instead of pork. On a cold fall night? Nothing better.
Recipe: David Tanis' Apple Tart
It’s fall and Greg keeps buying apples. This easy recipe for a beautiful tart — from David Tanis’ “A Platter of Figs” — was a great way to use them. I love the recipe for two reasons. One, it looks so fancy but it's actually really easy to make. And also because the pastry is easy to remember with a ratio: 2-2 and 1/2. Two cups of flour, two sticks of butter and a half a cup of egg-water. Just crack the egg into a measuring cup, stir, and fill the rest with water. He says the pastry is good for just about anything: savory or sweet. I believe him.
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich
It's not that I was trying to regress to childhood in the '70s. I just saw a can — yes, a can — of Campbell's Tomato Soup in the cupboard and I knew there was a big hunk of cheddar in the fridge. Toasted bread, a little butter and you're all set. Lunch on a rainy, raw day by the fire:
Nancy Whiskey Pub
When, after dinner, you feel like a nightcap and there’s a bar right across the street from your restaurant, it’s best to take advantage of it. So we did that. It was called Nancy Whiskey Pub.
23:47:00 on 10/17/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Dinner at Bar Artisanal
Terrance Brennan, chef of Picholine and Artisanal, is known for having restaurants with excellent cheese selections. Bar Artisanal his newish place in TriBeCa, is no different. Indeed, we ordered our dinners with an eye toward cheese afterward.
22:38:00 on 10/17/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Drinks at Gramercy Park Hotel
A stunning space.The modern art is museum quality. Tons more photos on its web site here. Good drinks, too.
17:10:00 on 10/17/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Recipe: Eggplant Parm
Trae and the Tarry Lodge
Trae was in town visiting Marissa this weekend, and we were honored to accompany the Miles-Feind gang to Tarry Lodge on Thursday. I am really digging the pizza there lately, and we tried a new one this evening, potato with a spicy guianciale (or bacon?):
22:08:00 on 10/15/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Rickshaw Dumpling Truck
I’ve been working on a story for Arrive about street food in New York. So when paths happened to cross Wednesday — mine heading to midtown; the truck hanging out on Broadway on the UWS — I got to try the dumplings at Rickshaw Dumpling Truck.
21:22:00 on 10/14/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
A Birthday Feast at the Cookery
To celebrate Greg’s birthday and Mom and Leigh’s annversary, we headed to the Cookery , David DiBari’s casual Italian restaurant in Dobbs Ferry. We had a feast and some nice wine, too. Here, Kelli reads Greg’s card while the Hunna pours Leigh some more wine.
22:58:00 on 10/11/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Recipe: Waffles for a Birthday Breakfast
What a way to wake up, huh? Home made Belgian-style waffles with apple compote, maple syrup and bacon? You betcha.
Saturday Night Pizza
We did a lot of chores around the farm on Saturday. Greg was stacking wood. I was cleaning windows. We were a regular little house on the prarie. So we didn’t feel much like cooking on Saturday night. We went to one of our favorite neighborhood pizza joints, the Mountain House.
13:18:00 on 10/10/09
by liz -
Restaurants -
Friday Night Supper
Sometimes we don’t feel like eating the same meal. On this Frida night, I had chicken baked with panko bread crumbs over salad with radishes, mango and red onion. Greg had leftover tacos al pastor with refried beans and plenty o’toppings. We watched TV.
Recipe: Portuguese Orange Olive Oil Cake
This fabulous Portuguese Orange Olive Oil Cake comes from David Leite’s new cookbook, “The New Portuguese Table.” It’s made with olive oil and orange juice and zest, and it’s the perfect do-ahead dessert because it gets better the longer you let it sit. Indeed, David suggests leaving it alone for at least a day; two are better.
Sometimes, Recipes Just Don’t Work Out
We cook. A lot. And sometimes, good ideas don’t work out like you’d hope. And sometimes, that’s when you’re having people for dinner. Thank goodness this time it was family. Including Grandmom, who happens to like steak well done. Oh well. Because I thought Asian Surf & Turf was a good idea. Well, maybe it still is. Just not this time.
And Then, There Were Burgers
We felt like grilling, but wanted something a little different. Then I remembered the ground lamb-beef burgers we served at Kelli’s surprise birthday party last year. Between that and an arugula salad with figs and pine nuts, we were all set. Oh and corn, too.
