Hey folks! We’re throwing a big rooftop party for a good cause!
*UNFORTUNATELY WE NEED TO CANCEL TONIGHT’S EVENT DUE TO WEATHER, AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING A NEW EVENT DATE FOR THIS – WILL BE ANOTHER EVENING IN EARLY AUGUST! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEW DATE ANNOUNCEMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS!
Food created by The Artful Gourmet (stuffed mushrooms, caprese cocktails, mini skewers and more!) – that’s ME!
We’re championing the health benefits of good life, good people, good food and wine.
Join us in our efforts to raise a toast AND exceed our fundraising goal of $500
This is how you can help the cause, while you are enjoying the fiesta!
1. Tip the Tip. Ayza Wine Director, Lea Williams, will be present to answer questions about wine and food pairings. All we ask is that you “Tip the Tip” jar, which will ALL be donated to the KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Charity.
2. Tip and Be Merry. For every glass you drink, we ask you to consider tipping the Tip Jar. ALL funds will be donated to the KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Charity.
Everyone who tips and attends will be eligible to win a special gift from miditto business member sponsors:
I recently attended an amazing food styling and photography workshop with Beatrice Peltre, of La Tartine Gourmande at Haven’s Kitchen in NYC. Bea is an amazing Chef, food stylist and photographer and author of the cookbook La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life and one of my favorite food bloggers on the planet! If you don’t know Bea, she is very talented and creative – not only in her cooking and recipes but in her unique, fresh, colorful food styling and photography that has given her fame in the food community.
The workshop was at Haven’s Kitchen, a great cooking school and event space in Chelsea, NYC. If you haven’t visited this place you must next time you visit New York! The front area is stocked full of gourmet food items, cooking tools and utensils, kitchenware, and housewares; and they also serve coffee and tea, wine and great gourmet snacks. They offer small group cooking classes in their great location too, which you can check out online. The kitchen was set up with all of the fresh, beautiful food that we cooked and prepared together with Bea before we went upstairs to the private event space to prop, style and shoot the gourmet dishes we prepared.
After the shoot, we all sat down for a healthy gorgeous lunch of smoked salmon, veggie and dill cream tartines, fresh fruit and salads, cheese, gourmet pizzas and more. We laughed and ate, and had great conversation among the group and learned valuable lessons in the art of cooking, food styling and photography with Bea.
Check out my photos from the workshop and event below (there’s a slideshow on Flickr and a mini-gallery below for viewing pleasure). And if you have the opportunity to ever take a class from Bea or Haven’s Kitchen, I highly recommend! Enjoy.
I had the opportunity to attend a fantastic event for a menu tasting at Gotham Bar and Grill in NYC with several other influential food bloggers this week. The special lunch event was in celebration of the launch of Greenmarket to Gotham 2012 highlighting the farms they love best and in support of GrowNYC.
For 12 weeks, Gotham will be featuring their “Greenmarket to Gotham” Menu – a Vegetarian, $25 Prix Fixe two-course Lunch menu crafted by Chefs Alfred Portale and Livio Velardo. The dishes will change weekly, featuring one of Gotham’s favorite regional farms from Union Square Greenmarket. In their commitment to supporting NY farmers and purveyors and the city of New York, $1 of each menu will go to GrowNYC’s program Grow to Learn: The Citywide School Gardens Initiative.
Vino
Our all-vegetarian lunch featured fresh ingredients from the Union Square Greenmarket purveyor Cherry Lane Farms, and we sampled some great wines from French and NY State wineries to accompany the meal.
Green Garlic Soup
Green Garlic Soup made with sunchokes, leeks, spring onion and new potato parmesan emulsion
Cherry Lane Farm's Summer Squash
Cherry Lane Farm’s Summer Squash made with goat cheese stuffed zucchini blossom and smoked eggplant panisse and sauce vert
Strawberry Shortcake
and a lovely Strawberry Shortcake for dessert made with fresh market strawberries, white chocolate ganache and Thai basil ice cream
Desserts
Visit Gotham’s Facebook Page to see the weekly Farmer’s Markets and Menus.
On a recent trip to Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend I discovered this awesome Big Green Egg grill. If you haven’t seen one of these things – its totally cool and easy to use. And it’s BIG. And GREEN. And looks like and EGG. It’s actually a ceramic grill and smoker that reaches temperatures up to 700 degrees F and has the ability to grill, smoke or steam everything on the planet in about 15-20 minutes. Very cool. We made a delicious Thai Sea Bass in Banana Leaves recipe from their Big Green Egg Cookbook and for our big BBQ party we smoked some amazing Texas-style Beef Brisket for about 11 hours and grilled a ton of fresh veggies from the farmer’s market. The result? Perfectly cooked crispy veggies and BBQ with a charred seasoned crust to DIE for – if only I could have one of these cool tools on my NYC rooftop, life would be even sweeter than it already is!
It’s funny how when you live in Manhattan, going to another part of town feels like going to another country at times. I discovered this cool market on a recent excursion to the Upper East Side when I went to a book launch party at Candle 79 for Michael Natkin of Herbivoracious. It’s more than a grocery store, and its not just a farmers market. Butterfield’s has an amazing bakery full of fresh baked breads, pastries, cookies, pies, tarts and cakes that will make you feel like you’re on a little hidden street in Paris. Rows and rows of fresh fruits and veggies, cheeses, frozen yogurt, gourmet prepared meals, sushi, sandwiches, soups and salads, imported goodies (chocolates, oils and vinegars, jams, caviar, coffees and teas..the list goes on) in their gift shop and a great catering menu to boot. Definitely worth paying a visit even if it means taking a trip to the other side of the world (just kidding!) or you can check them out and order some goods online.
I recently attended The Manhattan Cocktail Classic – a really cool event in a private suite at the Andaz Hotel sponsored by Mandarin Napolean liquor brand. The waitresses were decked out in French costumes, the lounge suite had old B&W movies with backgammon, zengo games on the table and some video games you can play with the help of sites like http://mycsgoboosting.com – and the outdoor bar had some really unique cocktails they whipped up featuring this delicious Belgian liqueur – a rich Sicilian Mandarin orange flavor-infused luscious brandy. Mandarin Sours, Belgian Coffee, Mandarin and Tonic, and Mandarine Mojitos are just a few of the creative cocktails we sampled at the event. The story goes that Napolean actually created the idea for this unique liquor back in 1892, by soaking Mandarin oranges in cognac – Mandarin oranges were a symbol of wealth and power, a perfect blend for the powerful ruler – and a legend to this day.
Manducatis Rustica is a cool little Italian place in Long Island City, run by owner and head Chef Mamma Gianna. They serve classic rustic Italian dishes and fresh pasta such as Lasagna, Wood-fired Pizzas, Antipasti, Chicken Piccatta, and Lobster Ravioli in Sage Lemon Butter and more. What’s even cooler are the life-sized statues out front, imported from Italy (which according to Mamma Gianna won’t be there much longer, so visit while you can!) and their famous homemade gelato in tons of different flavors like Pistachio, Mocha, Lemon and Tiramisu..mmmm!
I don’t know about you, but I’m an absolute sucker for a mean Grilled Cheese sandwich. Enter Melt Shop, the ultimate hot shop for comfort food in Midtown Manhattan, run by Spencer Rubin and Chef Katy Sparks. They offer 13 different kinds of gourmet Grilled Cheese sandwiches – try the Truffle Melt made with Havarti, Arugula, fresh cracked black pepper and truffle oil, or the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Melt full of Jalapeno-Jack cheese, red cabbage slaw and Melt sauce, or the 12-hour Braised Pulled Pork with sharp cheddar, dill pickles and homemade BBQ sauce. Their Tater Tots are amazing and come with 5 different types of dipping sauces like Parsley Pesto or Truffle Mayo, and they also serve a great list of Breakfast Sandwiches, Wraps and Biscuits and have a few tempting desserts and handmade milkshakes on the menu too. Don’t forget a side of Homemade Tomato Soup to dip your Grilled Cheese in for the classic comfort food fix.
Handpainted and made to order by RTR Packaging, these bags are just chic, creative and downright cool. Most of their clients are corporate but their bags are so fun that I might just need to track them down to get some hand-painted bags of my own – perfect for an event or party!
If you’re looking for a great Sunday brunch place in NYC – this is the place to go. Tello is a trendy Chelsea-based Northern Italian trattoria decked out with red-checkered tablecloths, a big brass and wood bar, year-round Christmas lights, a jukebox pumping out Sinatra tunes, outdoor cafe seating and a Prix-Fixe Brunch Menu including cocktails for only $20. I ordered the Moules Frites (steamed mussels soaked in buttery white wine, garlic and herbs) with a refreshing Mimosa while soaking in the sun on the patio reading a good book and being amused by the Chelsea crowd walking by. According to NY Magazine, their Fried Calamari, Penne and Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and Chicken Tello (boneless pieces sautéed in garlic and white wine with mushrooms and sausage) are a few of their specialties also worth a try.
Located on West Broadway in Soho, Barolo’s Italian Ristorante and Garden is just a beautiful place to eat, period. I went there with some friends this past Easter for Sunday Brunch, and we dined on their magical garden patio surrounded with Cherry Blossom trees studded with sparkling white lights. We sampled a delicious Watermelon, Feta and Arugula salad and Fresh Mozzarella with Basil and Tomatoes for starters while sipping Champagne and enjoying a beautiful sunny Spring Day. For entrees, we had the Risotto with Gorgonzola and Blueberries (interesting combination of flavors!) and their Classic Rigatoni with Sausage and Peas in a Tomato Cream Sauce. They specialize in Northern Italian cuisine from the beautiful wine region of Barolo, Italy and also have an amazing wine list with over 1,200 Italian and imported wines and also have a huge restaurant inside and offer space for catering and events. A must-see for a special or romantic occasion!
It’s amazing to me that I lived in Atlanta Georgia for 12 years and only visited this awesome international farmer’s market maybe ONCE?! I was down there for Memorial Day Weekend this year visiting friends and we took a trip over there to buy some fresh goodies for our Thai Sea bass we made one night. This market has fresh fruits and veggies from all over the world, and also has every kind of spice you can imagine along with fresh baked breads, seafood, meats, cheese, a pastry and dessert section, teas and coffees and ingredients that you won’t find here in the U.S at a regular grocery store. I bought about 12 different bulk spices (all for less than $10!), tea, Thai coconut, mini wild blueberries, pecans, pistachios, sea salt, seasonings and other dried goodies that I could take back in my suitcase with me. Oh, and you can’t take pictures in there (I actually got scolded and was asked to put away my camera LOL) but you’ll absolutely love this place – it’s like taking a trip around the world and finding the best international gourmet foods all under one roof.
I may be a die-hard coffee fan, but tea is something I’ve been trying to drink more of not only for its health benefits but also to reduce the caffeine buzz in my life. I discovered this Mayan Cocoa Spice tea at the Dekalb Farmer’s Market but I’m sure you can find it at health food stores or other gourmet grocery places. This delicious tea is a concoction of ground cocoa shells, (full of powerful antioxidants!) mixed with Ayurvedic warming and cleansing spices of Cardamom, Clove and Organic Cinnamon Bark, Black Pepper, Chicory Root, Natural Vanilla and Ginger Oil. Perfect way to start your day before a healing yoga session or a run – and it will get your blood flowing without the caffeine jitters with only 5 mg of caffeine. Serve it with a natural sweetener and steamed milk and you’ve got yourself a tasty Cocoa Chai Latte you can make at home!
On May 1st I attended the annual Taste of Queens – a massive, lively food-filled event celebrating the food and restaurants all over Queens, NY. It was well fit to be hosted in the top level, window-filled Caesar’s Club at Citi Field (home of the Mets!), as there were over 47 restaurants and food vendors from Queens proudly displaying their tasty creations and cocktails.
I attended the event with David Hillman of eDiningNews.com to capture all the food, fun, people and highlights, so keep reading to see great photos and a fun video of the fab food finds we discovered there! There was also a taste competition as judged by a team of local foodies and media types, here are the winners:
Magna Italian Dishes
The Best Appetizer award went to Pop Diner (above) for their Platano Relleno. I sampled their slow-roasted pork with Latin seasonings—accentuated with a hint of sour orange, shredded spicy beef, both served with chimichurri atop jalapeño corn cakes. Yum!
Papazzio Restaurant
Magna Ristorante of Flushing (above) won the Best Entrée award for its Penne alla Siciliana, which featured sautéed eggplant and long, tubular pasta in a marinara-style sauce,
Magna Italian Dishes
and Pollo alla Romana, which included lightly sautéed chicken breast and specially prepared artichokes in a tomato-and-cream sauce.
Papazzio Restaurant
Bayside’s Papazzio Restaurant & Caterer (above) won the Best Appetizer award for its Pasta e Fagioli, which consisted of various kinds of red and white beans in a creamy, savory broth with onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, prosciutto and noodles. According to Papazzio’s Dominick Bruccoleri this soup also contains “a lot of love.”
Tropisec
In the Best Dessert category, the judges chose Tropisec (above), a Long Island City-based company that creates flowers and other edible designs from dried tropical fruits such as mango, papaya and pineapple. One of founder Blanca Lilia Narváez‘s signature products consists of dried banana pieces mixed with unprocessed cocoa.
Video:Highlights of the Taste of Queens event as Kristen interviews the restaurants and food artisans about their tasty creations. Video credit: David Hillman, eDiningNews.com
I stumbled upon this handmade cheese-making mecca a few weeks ago while on a stroll to the Union Square Farmer’s Market in the Flatiron District in NYC and was blown away by the impressive facility and store/restaurant as soon as I walked in. Founded by Seattle cheese makerKurt Beecher Dammeier, Beecher’s offers customers a full range of handmade cheeses and gourmet artisan foods and wines with a cafe, coffee bar and store. There’s a huge window as soon as you walk in where you can watch the cheese makers, well, making fresh cheese in their in-house facility all day long. You can also visit their cellar and taste a glass of wine and check out their “cheese cave” where rows upon rows of cheeses are being aged to perfection. They also have three cookbooks with their signature recipes, and are famous for their “World’s Best” Macaroni and Cheese recipe which is in the book and you can also purchase pre-made in their shop or cafe. The retail store offers a bountiful, well-curated selection of the “best of” American artisan cheeses and charcuterie. While visiting, they’ll introduce you not only to their favorite cheeses and meats but also to the talented producers they know and love. You’ll also be provided with fantastic accompaniments- antipasti, crackers, honey, pickles, etc- for your carefully chosen cheeses and meats, all true to their mission of natural, additive-free foods.
I can’t believe I’ve lived in NYC for 7 years and haven’t been to this amazing place until last weekend when I stopped in for brunch. Veselka is a hopping little place in the East Village that specializes in Ukrainian foods and I had to stop in to sample their potato pancakes. Coming from a German-Polish family, my Mom used to make the best potato pancakes served with apple sauce and sour cream so of course I had to size these babies up to see if they compared, and I have to say they did. I had the brunch with a cheese omelette, a piece of their fresh made Kielbasa, rye toast and of course the pancakes. Bummer I forgot to order some of their famous Pierogies, Stuffed Cabbage and Beef Stroganoff – more family favorites I grew up eating..oh well, maybe next time! I’ll definitely be back for another foodie excursion to this yummy place. In fact, I just may grab a copy of the Veselka Cookbook to make some of these noms at home!
Veselka Restaurant was started in 1954 by Wolodymyr Darmochwal who had recently emigrated from the Ivano-Frankovsk region of Ukraine. In the early days Veselka was a humble neighborhood candy store and newsstand that had a small counter and a few tables where a small selection of Ukrainian dishes were served. The popularity of these homemade dishes helped Veselka to grow over the years and become a full fledged restaurant serving a large variety of homemade Ukrainian and American dishes. Some of their signature dishes include: Cabbage Soup, Pierogies, Kielbasa, Potato Pancakes, Ukrainian Borscht, Beef Stroganoff, Bigos (a hearty Ukrainian Hunter’s stew made with Kielbasa, Sauerkraut, Pork and Onions served with a side of mashed potatoes), Ukranian Meatballs, Veal Goulash, Stuffed Cabbage, Soups, Salads, Burgers, Brunch…the list goes on! The atmosphere is buzzing and busy, and the kitchen is open in the front near the fresh baked goods and desserts counter which you also should not miss.
I don’t get out to Brooklyn as much as I’d like to and especially Williamsburg – a funky creative foodie part of town that has some great restaurants. I stopped in to Roesling Tea Room after visiting a photographer friend of mine looking for a small bite to eat and a glass of vino after our meeting. I ordered at the bar and sampled a side of their luscious Macaroni and Cheese which was oooey gooey layers of cheese and shells with a dash of hot sauce topped with some fresh parsley. It was the perfect size for a small bite of goodness and was only $10 to boot. Their cocktail menu is pretty cool too with unique drinks such as “The White Witch” made with Flor de Cana and Creme de Cacao and Cream, or the “Way Too Early” made with Earl Grey tea, Gin, Lemon and Champagne.
They do have a full dinner menu (see link below) offering Apps such as Grilled Razor Clams, Raviolo with Garlic, Ricotta, Chili and Squid and a hearty Lamb Ragu over Vermicelloni with ground hazelnuts. If you’re hungrier and want a full meal, try the Steak Tartare, “Cock-a-leekie” Chicken, Grilled Hangar Steak or Softshell Crab. The atmosphere is dark and moody, with an open wrap around bar and is perfect for a quiet, intimate dinner with friends or a date. They also serve lunch and brunch with burgers, eggs, salads and fresh sides and offer room for parties and events in this impressive cool space and location.
If you’re ever in Chelsea in NYC, this is a must-see destination. The ultimate “Festival of Shops”, Limelight Marketplace is a theatrical and fun shopping experience, located inside the restored Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion of 1845, and the infamous swanky Limelight Nightclub that was hoppin’ in the 70’s and 80’s. Redesigned by Henry Bendel, it re-opened its doors in 2010 to reveal a 3-story grand emporium filled with shopping, food, fashion, restaurants, art and home furnishings, decked out with grand arched ceilings, and the recently uncovered huge stained glass windows and limestone arches from the original church architecture. Inside you’ll find some cool bars and restaurants like the famous Grimaldi’s Pizza, Cava Wine Bar (Italian Meats, Cheeses, Wines), Jezalin’s (artisan soups, sandwiches, salads and chartucerie) and soon Cross Bar. Upstairs on the top floor you can’t miss the Marie Belle Cacao Bar and Luxury Chocolates. They also have an outdoor garden atrium (which is currently decorated with Indian tents) where you can chill out and enjoy a coffee or just stare at the amazing grand old architecture in awe.
Funny story how I ended up here in New Haven, CT for Cinco de Mayo…last Saturday I was supposed to go to the Foodstock Festival up at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT to see a great lineup of speakers and check out some amazing food vendors. So I rented a car online, took an early 2 hour train ride up to New Haven Union Station to pick up my rental car. Well, apparently even if you’ve pre-paid for your car you still need a credit card to give them to take the car for the day. All I had was my camera, a Mastercard debit card and some cash – no go. Needless to say, my day in New Haven wasn’t all that bad. I walked around the beautiful campus of Yale University, went to the Yale Art Gallery, cruised around Chapel Street to grab a coffee and checked out the cute shops and boutiques. On my journey around town, I started getting really hungry for some Mexican and discovered a cool little place called Geronimo’s Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some margaritas and food.
I had a couple of margaritas since they were only $5 for Cinco de Mayo, and tried their Chicken Tortilla Soup which had huge chunks of white meat shredded chicken, fresh veggies and crunchy tortilla strips on top. The chips were handmade, and the salsa super fresh and chunky with lots of cilantro, just how I like it. For an entree I ordered the Pork Quesadilla which had shredded roasted pork bathed in a Chimayo chile sauce with chihuahua cheese and scallions; topped with fresh grilled corn salsa salad. Delicious! warning: just be super careful if you sample their homemade habenero pepper sauce – its super tasty but super HOT, believe me you only need a smidge to taste the heat!
My waitress was super cool and was patient with me as I ran around the restaurant taking pictures of all their cool Southwestern artifacts and cool interior design inside the restaurant. Chef Timothy Scott (Connecticut native who studied with Anne Willan at La Varenne Culinary School in Burgundy, France) and I chatted for a while as he showed me around the restaurant and told me about all the local, organic ingredients he uses and the South Dakota farms he visits to source all of his meats for some of their unique dishes as the Smoked Buffalo Brisket Tacos and Elk Chili. The menu has your typical Mexican dishes but they are infused with a “Santa Fe” New Mexican flavor, using traditional foods and flavors of the Native Americans, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-Americans that settled there. Its primary ingredients consist of corn, beans, chile peppers, rice, tomatoes, avocados, pork and bison. Slow-stewed meats and chilis, and natural heat from various chile peppers give the cuisine here a bold, rustic flavor that is distinct from other Mexican cuisine. Don’t miss it if you’re ever up visiting Yale or just cruising around New Haven for a day.
There’s a new kid in town – an amazing organic grocery market and restaurant called Forager’s City Grocer in Chelsea, sister to the Dumbo Brooklyn location. Everything inside the market is sourced from their local farms and made fresh daily on premises. They have a meat counter and prepared foods kitchen with fresh soups, salads, roasted veggies, house-cured pastrami, roasted chicken and herb-roasted porchetta (to die for!). Cruise towards the back and you’ll find a lovely cheese section, olives, cured and fresh butchered meats, and a full line-up of local, and more organic dairy products like yogurt, cream, butter and milk. They have plenty of spices, honeys, jams, imported pastas and other cool gourmet items. And in the front, you can’t miss the coffee bar and dessert counter where they have freshly baked cupcakes, croissants, and unique-flavored glazed donuts like Hibiscus and Blood Orange…Oh my.
The restaurant inside the market has a clean design with an open kitchen and bar, high tables and stools and lots of natural lighting. The cuisine has an Asian flair, offering lunch, brunch and dinner. All the menu items are created with local, organic ingredients, house-cured meats and fresh veggies straight from their farm. They have great salads such as Raw Dayboat Salad with Yuzu Koshu and Crushed Lemon Oil, or Fermented Tea Leaf Salad with Dried Shrimp, Sesame, Peanuts, Crispy Garlic and Split Peas. Or try the Wok-Tossed Berkshire Pork Short Ribs or Crispy Whole Prawns with Chiles, Prickly Ash and Green Onions. Brunch is a new thing, serving up fresh omelettes, buttermilk biscuits and gravy, cinnamon french toast, house smoked pepper bacon and house made quinoa granola with fruit. And don’t miss the Forager’s wine store attached to the market next door where you can find organic wines from grape farmers all around the world.
The Chelsea location has also launched the debut of their expertly handcrafted cocktails along with a menu of beers and eco-minded selected wines on tap. The new, eclectic cocktail menu was designed by head bartender Aaron Polsky (also of Amor y Amargo). The menu is heavily influenced by the market’s hyper-local foraged produce and seasonally inspired house-made syrups and infusions. Some of the cool new cocktails to try are:
Gordon’s Healthy Lunch – made with Dorothy Parker Gin, Foragers Farm spicy baby lettuce juice, lime, meyer lemon oleo saccharum
Doug’s Spring MP – with Tequila Pueblo Viejo Blanco, rhubarb, tarragon, raspberry shrub, soda
I recently went on a search of some pretty cupcakes for a photoshoot I am working on, and found this cute little place called The Cupcake Cafe in Hell’s Kitchen on 9th Avenue and 40th Street near Times Square. It’s a quaint little place with a tiny kitchen in the back where they bake and design their pretty floral cakes and cupcakes with great detail. Anne Warren, co-owner, also designs custom wedding and personalized birthday cakes and offers cake decorating classes and film catering. The interior has a cute bench, a table and a few stools where you can sit and enjoy a coffee and a luscious buttercream-frosted flowery cupcake, just because. No frills, just a cozy spot to indulge.
While on my journey around town in New Haven, I stopped into this cool, colorful store on Chapel Street called Metaphore -Eurostyle. I met the owner and artist, Liza Clayson, who showed me around her store full of custom art andgorgeous hand-painted furniture, shower curtains, linens, dishes, glassware, French pantry gourmet items such as sea salts, oils, honeys, vinegars, mustards, jams, teas, and cookies. We had an even more colorful conversation about the town, restaurants, blogging and marketing and who knows what else. I couldn’t help but start dreaming up all the cool photography and food styling sets one could design with her pretty hand-painted and imported goodies. Liza also has plenty of unique and unusual European-imported goodies in the store, thus the name “Eurostyle”. Many of her items are things you won’t find here in the U.S. – she has customers that come in the store from all over to buy her unique things. You just have to check it out for yourself. If you can’t make it to New Haven, you can call her directly and place a personalized order. Now that’s pretty cool.
If you like fried chicken like I do, great – but this is no ordinary fried chicken – this is Seoul, Korea-style fried chicken and a tasty one at that. Located on Fifth Avenue near the Empire State Building, KyoChon came to NYC from Korea, opened its flagship store here and never looked back. KyoChon has become a cult-like obsession with New Yorkers (including myself) with its fresh, crispy, juicy fried chicken and tasty dipping sauces. The Soy Garlic and Hot & Sweet Chile sauces are apparently are secret recipes that founder Won-Kang Kwon and his wife whip up in a secret room in the basement of their production facilities in Seoul. They claim to use only fresh, not frozen, chickens, and hand-trim and hand-brush each piece, which is apparent when you taste a piece of their crunchy chicken. This ain’t no Chicken McNugget, folks. They also have sandwiches, salads and wraps filled with fresh veggies and fruits and the interior is pretty cool looking too, with its bright red spiral staircase and clear acrylic Jetson-style chairs and tables. Oh, and the Sweet Potato Fries ROCK.
After living in Atlanta for almost 12 years, it was refreshing to find a honky-tonk fun place in NYC that reminded me of the South.Rodeo Bar & Grill is probably one of the ONLY places in New York that you’ll find local and regional country and blues musicians playing live, where you can sit and enjoy a Margarita and some chips and salsa. This Tex-Mex bar and grill is located on 3rd Ave in Murray Hill and serves a kickass portion of chile con queso and chips, and other Tex-Mex specialties such as Enchiladas, Slow-Smoked Texas BBQ, Quesadillas, Tacos and a nice selection of burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and soups and salads. The live shows are on pretty much every night with different artists, until midnight during the week and late on weekends. They have a great happy hour from 4-7 pm offering half price margaritas and bar food like wings, nachos and sliders. Grab your cowboy boots, get yourself some tequila and some live country and blues – too fun.
To help home cooks unleash the limitless power of the pork chop, America’s pork producers have enlisted a pro who knows a thing or two about chops. Because this worldly chef is known for blending diverse inspirations from around the globe and the pork chop is one of his favorite go-to meats to cook, the Pork Board asked Chef Madison Cowan to create some fresh global-inspired pork recipes and talk about them with a live demo for a national satellite media tour that was broadcasted on television and radio stations around the country last week (see video clip below to get a behind the scenes glimpse of the live interview).
Chef's Pork Creations
The three most popular types of pork are bone-in rib chops, top loin chops, and blade chops but not all consumers are aware of all the great choices they have when it comes to cooking with pork. To educate and inspire home cooks, the Pork board asked Chef Madison to create some fresh and global inspired recipes with new ways to cook pork chops other than the basic frying and baking techniques.
Chef Madison & Kristen Hess
During the taping, Chef Madison demos his amazing pork recipes, talks about his London, Detroit and Jamaican heritage, his step-mother’s influence on his cooking and his passion and love for food, family and his culinary career. His pork dishes were absolutely gorgeous and tantalizing and colorful!
Amazing Pork Chop Creations
The three main recipes that Chef Madison made on set were Grilled Pork Chops with Manchego Cheese, Chorizo and Date stuffing, Chinese 5-Spice and Maple-Glazed Pork Loin Chops and Moroccan-Inspired Country Style Rib Ragu with Couscous Cakes. (See full recipes below).
Chef Madison Cowan
We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Chef for an intimate talk about his background and cooking philosophy and he told us about his first cook book “Soul Voyage” which chronicles his philosophy of cooking from the heart as well as his favourite soul food recipes. Chef Madison is truly a talented individual and everything he does is from the heart. He is a true inspiration to me and hopefully all home cooks out there by his pure passion and dedication to his craft.
Check out the video above of Chef Madison Cowan on set taping the live satellite media tour as he discusses the recipes he is making, his inspiration and background for his cooking and culinary career. (Note: the taping is one sided so you’ll only hear the Chef’s answers to the live interview questions he is being asked by the media!)
And to top off all the great photos and videos from the event, Chef Madison has shared his three Pork recipes he made on the tour, which are included for you below. Enjoy!
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Moroccan-Inspired Country-Style Rib Ragu with Couscous Cakes
Moroccan-Inspired Country-Style Rib Ragu with Couscous Cakes (photo credit: National Pork Board)
For this pork and beans dish, I’m inspired by the Berber classic from North Africa, named for the earthenware pot traditionally used for simmering lamb or chicken stew. Tagine also refers to the stew itself. Here Moroccan spicing brings out the best in boneless blade chops, which are from the loin nearest the shoulder. These thick chops are well marbled, full-flavored, and often called “Boneless Pork Loin Country-Style Ribs.”
2 large leeks, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced and washed well
2 large carrots, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 (3-inch) sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chile flakes
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with their juices
1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
Couscous Cakes
1 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup couscous
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped chives
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the pork chops: Put pork cubes in a large bowl and toss with oil. Mix paprika, coriander, turmeric, salt, pepper, ginger, and cumin, Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over pork and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 and up to 3 hours. Reserve remaining spice mixture.
To make the tagine: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. .In batches, add pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
Add more oil to the skillet if needed. Add leeks, carrots, cinnamon, thyme, chili flakes and bay leaves to the skillet and sauté together about 4 minutes, adding more by the tablespoon, if needed. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining spices and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes with their juices, broth, and tomato paste and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large sauce pan. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices thicken and vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas. Bury the pork in the sauce and cover. Simmer until the pork is just tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the couscous cakes: Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the couscous, almonds, currants, chives, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and stir well. Remove from heat and cover tightly for 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in yolks. Press couscous mixture into six 3-inch-wide cakes. Transfer to a plate and let stand 5 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry cakes, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs and transfer tagine to a serving dish. Sprinkle cilantro and mint on top and serve hot, with couscous cakes.
Makes 6 servings.
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Grilled Pork Chops with Chorizo, Dates and Manchego Stuffing
Grilled Pork Chops with Chorizo, Dates and Manchego Stuffing (photo credit: National Pork Board)
In the U.S., stuffed pork chops usually have a breadcrumb filling. This Spanish treatment calls for a unique and flavorful stuffing of spicy chorizo, sweet dates, and Manchego cheese, a sharp cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain. Alternatively use local, affordable cheddar if Manchego is unavailable.
6 double-thick bone-in rib chops, about 12 ounces each
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup sea salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
½ gallon iced water
Chorizo Stuffing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound smoked Spanish chorizo, diced
2 medium celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup pitted and finely chopped dates
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Manchego or sharp Cheddar cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To brine pork chops: Bring vinegar, brown sugar, salt, mustard, and peppercorns to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve salt. Do not inhale fumes. Transfer to large, deep food-safe container. Let cool until tepid. Stir in iced water. Submerge chops in brine. Refrigerate for 3 hours, no longer.
To make stuffing: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add celery, dates, and shallot, and cook, stirring often, until celery is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, and paprika. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Remove chops from brine, rinse under cold water, and blot dry with paper towels. Cut a horizontal pocket in each chop to the bone using a sharp knife. Spoon equal amounts of stuffing into each chop, and close each opening shut with wooden toothpicks. Do not overstuff the chops; you may not use all of the filling.
Prepare a medium fire in an outdoor grill. (For a gas grill, preheat to about 400ºF. For a charcoal grill, let the coals burn until covered with white ash and you can hold your hand about an inch above the cooking grate for 3 seconds.) Brush cooking grates clean. Grill pork, with the lid closed as much as possible, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of a chop reads 145ºF, about 15 minutes. Remove from the grill and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove toothpicks and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
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Chinese Five-Spice-and-Maple-Glazed Pork Loin Chops
Chinese Five-Spice-and-Maple Glazed Pork Loin Chops (photo credit: National Pork Board)
For this dish I marinate lean and versatile boneless top loin pork chops (also known as “America’s Cut”) in five-spice and finish it in a tangy and smooth maple glaze. This dish pairs well with my Asian Pear and Cucumber Slaw. The Asian pear, native to China, Japan and Korea, has a sweet flavor with a crisp texture, marries well with a variety of flavors and is a quick no-cook side dish option. A plastic V-slicer or mandoline will make quick work of cutting the Asian pears and cucumber into matchsticks.
6 boneless top loin pork chops, 1 1/4–inch-thick (“America’s Cut”)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Chinese five-spice powder
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Glaze
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup maple syrup, preferably Grade B
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Asian Pear and Cucumber Slaw
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chile
2 Asian pears, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced into matchsticks
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal.
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Saltto taste
1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts
To prepare the pork chops: Brush pork chops with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the five-spice powder evenly over pork chops. Place on a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before searing.
To prepare the glaze: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup and vinegar and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
To make the slaw: Whisk lime juice, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and chile in a medium bowl. Add Asian pears, cucumber, scallions, and cilantro, and mix well. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Add a little cooking oil to pan and heat over medium–high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, sear the pork chops until brown, about 3 to 5 minutes each side. Place the pan in the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of a chop reads 145ºF, about 10 to 12 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, reheat the maple sauce and brush both sides of the chops until well glazed. Remove from pan from the oven and let stand for 3 minutes.
Sprinkle the slaw with peanuts and serve with a slotted spoon onto 6 dinner plates alongside each chop.
Makes 6 servings.
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Every week for the next month, the National Pork Board will showcase a unique chop recipe on PorkBeInspired.com to keep your culinary juices flowing, including exclusive recipes from Chef Cowan. While there, you will find a “Pork Chop Personality Guide” to help you explore a new chop cut and match it with a new recipe for every night of the week. With the versatility of the pork chop, there is a perfect recipe and cut to suit your personality. For additional inspiration this summer, follow @AllAboutPork on Twitter, “like” them at Facebook.com/PorkBeinspired and find them onPinterest.com/PorkBeinspired to unleash the power of the pork chop and for a chance to win pork prizes during the month of May.
This is a non-paid sponsored post by the National Pork Board with The Artful Gourmet for the promotion of Chef Madison Cowan, his recipes and the National Pork Board. All opinions, videos and photography (unless otherwise noted) are by The Artful Gourmet.
Last week I attended the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show in New York City, an annual event put on by the New York State Restaurant Association. The show took place in the massive Jacob Javits Center and was a mecca of amazing food, restaurant interiors and equipment, local and artisan food vendors, master chefs, professional restaurant marketing experts and industry speakers. Highlights of the show were: the New York Wine Expo showcasing some of the top wineries and wine producers from around the world, the Japan Pavillion showcasing the latest equipment, liquors, foods and cooking techniques from Japan, and the New Product Showcase which highlighted some of the newest and coolest food products to hit the market. The Pride of New York showcase had amazing local and organic food producers and farmers, wineries and snack foods from around New York State.
Last week I was looking for a fun place to go for happy hour with some friends, particularly one with some food and drink specials that didn’t look like a college fraternity party just swooped in with beer and peanut shells on the floor. I found Barmarche, a lovely little fusion place on the corner of Spring Street and Elizabeth Street in the heart of Nolita.
Barmarche Interior
When we arrived around 5 pm, it was still a bit early so the place wasn’t crowded at all. The waiter immediately greeted us and offered the best seat in the house at a corner nook near the window. The interior was impressive with its crown moldings around the bar and windows, its antique chandeliers and whitewashed tin ceilings – almost a bit fancy for my taste, but charming all the same. The tables were donned with small votive candles, and the music and dim lights gave it a cozy, romantic ambiance – like the bistros you would find on the streets in Paris.
Bubbly
The happy hour drink menu had a great selection of $6-7 wines, bubbly and cocktails, and offered a variety of Italian, French, Mediterranean and Mexican small plates to choose from.
Bacon Hummus
We shared the bacon hummus which was absolutely delicious – smooth and creamy, topped with chunky bacon and whole chickpeas, lemon and parsley, served with a side of homemade crispy tortilla chips. (It tasted a whole heck of a lot better than the picture looks too – the lighting wasn’t ideal for shooting!)
Popcorn Shrimp w/ Chipotle Aioli
The popcorn shrimp was nice too – it came out steaming hot with a crispy, light batter (similar to tempura) and was served with a spicy chipotle aioli for dipping on the side. More nibbles on the menu included mixed olives, charcuterie and cheese, spicy guacamole, salads and calamari. If you want more of a meal for happy hour, they also offer shrimp or bass taquitos or a classic grass-fed beef cheeseburger and frites. The dinner menu offers the same small plates and salads but with a larger selection, and also includes entrees such as Truffle Shrimp Risotto, Roast Chicken, Rib Eye Steak and Frites, or Mediterranean Branzino served over sauteed greens.
Barmarche bar
Overall I was pleased, but think it might be a nicer place for a romantic dinner or cocktail brunch on the weekend than for happy hour with friends.
Cocktail Brunch
Barmarche is open for brunch from 10 am to 4 pm on weekends, mid-day from 4 pm to 6:30 pm on weekends, happy hour from 5 pm to 6:30 pm everyday (except Saturday), and dinner from 6:30 pm – 11:30 pm Sunday through Thursday and through 12:30 am on Friday and Saturday.
In spirit of the Chinese New Year, I attended a Chinese Potluck party with a group of NYC food bloggers hosted by Tiger Beer, Jackie of The Diva that Ate NY and Ken of Hungry Rabbit NYC. We were all asked to make our favorite Chinese dish to share with the group for the party and I decided to make my all-time favorite, Kung Pao Chicken. This is a semi-spicy Chinese dish made with soy and rice vinegar marinated chicken, chile sauce, garlic, water chestnuts, green onions, and peanuts, served over white or fried rice. You can adjust the heat by adjusting the amount of chile sauce, and if you prefer a spicier dish just add a little Sriracha and red pepper flakes to give it a kick.
Gold Dusted Cookies
Thanks to Jackie and Ken for a great time and to Tiger Beer for sponsoring a great party full of amazing Chinese food and fellow New York foodies!
Click here to see a slideshow of all the food and the festivities at the party!
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in to chunks
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in equal part water
fresh ground black or white pepper to taste
2 1/2 tbsp hot chile paste
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes (omit if you like less spicy)
1/2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (omit if you like less spicy)
2 tsp white wine vinegar
4 tsp brown sugar
6-8 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp garlic, chopped (approx 2 garlic cloves)
2 (8 oz) cans water chestnuts, diced
2/3 cup dry roasted peanuts garnishes: green onion, peanuts, sesame seeds, red pepper chile flakes
Soy-Chile Sauce & Marinade
Marinade and Soy-Chile Sauce:
Marinade: Combine 2 tbsp wine, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, and 2 tbsp cornstarch/water slurry, a sprinkling of white or black pepper and mix together in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.
Soy-Chile Sauce: combine additional 2 tbsp wine, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, and 2 tbsp cornstarch/water slurry in a separate mixing bowl, and add chile paste, vinegar, brown sugar and mix well with a whisk to combine.
Ingredients
Meanwhile, preheat a wok or large saute pan over medium heat. Chop green onions, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts and mix together with the soy chile sauce marinade. Pour the sauce and vegetables and peanuts into the wok/saute pan and cook approximately 5-7 minutes until sauce becomes aromatic and vegetables are slightly browned. Remove sauce and veggies from the pan and set aside.
Saute chicken and veggies in Soy-Chile sauce
Remove the chicken from the fridge and with a slotted spoon add to the large skillet and saute approximately 8-10 minutes until chicken is browned. Add the sauce and vegetables back to the pan and simmer over medium-low another 5-7 minutes until sauce is thickened. Serve hot over white or fried rice and garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes (optional) and peanuts.
