Monday, February 27, 2012

Bamboo Ya, El Quijote and Brouwerij Lane

How's that for eclectic varied ethnic eating and drinking?

Friday night Barbara and I took Jennie out for her "29th" birthday.  We went to a new Japanese restaurant on Queens Boulevard called Bamboo Ya.  They have a cool bar area, four tatami tables (take off your shoes and climb in) and regular tables in the back.  Hot sake all around...then vegetable gyoza, cajun salmon carpaccio (seared in chipotle spice rub, sliced thin with wasabi mayo on a bed of greens), roast duck nachos (roasted duck meat on crispy wonton skins with wasabi creme fraiche), garden salad, sexy salmon roll (spicy salmon and cucumber with crunchies on the inside and fresh salmon and mango on the outside topped with spicy mayo, sweet wasabi and eel sauce), chicken teriyaki and hamachi kama (grilled yellowtail collar).  Everything was really good.  Service was consistent, water glasses filled, sake replenished and the company was great! Thanks ladies!

Saturday night, Michael and I went to El Quijote on 23rd Street.  Of course we started with a small pitcher of red sangria at the bar, then we moved to our table (a booth up front-my favorite) and had garlic soup (holy crap-it's fabulous) and salad (with their blue cheese and vinaigrette dressings). Michael had arroz con pollo and I had a 1 1/4 pound broiled lobster.  String beans and broccoli and we were stuffed.  Such a favorite place of ours and never a disappointment.

Michael was looking for coffee stout and so after dinner we drove to Greenpoint to Brouwerij Lane (probably pronounced like brewery).  It's a small slightly hipster (sorry) joint which specializes in beer.  On tap and by the bottle.  Very cool, very beery.

Sunday we ate take out tex-mex.

This week is another week of Wisners :)  We are having:  turkey lasagna with string beans and garlic bread; arroz con pollo with chorizo and peas (planned before Saturday) with mesclun salad; rigatoni marinara with broccoli and Greek salad; balsamic chicken breasts roasted with peppers and olives with a side of spinach.  I also made brownies for tonight, just for Brett :)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Full Plate

That's what we've been having lately.  Last week we went to Teddy's in Wiliamsburg with Jill and Lenny.  They were taking us out to dinner as a thank you for cooking meals for them the previous week.  Teddy's is a bar/restaurant on North 8th and Berry.  The sign outside does not say Teddy's, but we still know it's there.  We had:  Tomato soup and grilled cheese; goat cheese and beet salad; fried oysters; shrimp cabana (with jalapenos and bacon); a chicken burger and a regular burger and spinach quesadillas.  Add in a few beers and a few cocktails and a few glasses of wine and we had a really good time.  Afterward, we checked out the bar at a new place called Masten Lake .  Michael found the place on line and the name was reminiscent of where he spent summers as a child.  The bar is nice, they have strange and interesting cocktails.  The menu is a bit eclectic but we decided we would come back and have dinner there one night. However, after checking on line for their menu and website I just discovered that they closed.  They had only been open for seven months.  Sorry to see them go.

We were also at Dani's recently.  A long time favorite of ours.  We had:  Garden salad, truly the best stracciatella soup anywhere, eggplant parm and chicken with broccoli, peppers and onions in marinara.  Yum!

This past week the Wisners have once again joined us for dinner.  Their kitchen is not finished yet.  I made:  Baked shrimp scampi, orzo and spinach; Rack of pork chops, roasted potatoes and broccoli; chicken cutlets and asparagus with an appetizer of mini steamed pork buns from Chinatown.  Tonight is a staple:  Turkey burgers and Greek salad.

Tomorrow night Barb and I are taking Jennie out for her birthday and we have no other plans for the weekend, but I am sure eating will be involved :)

Friday, February 17, 2012

For the Wisners

Jill, Lenny and Brett are in the process of construction.  They are renovating their kitchen and one of their bathrooms.  Needless to say, their apartment is in quite a state. So they have been eating dinner here for the past week:  Roasted BBQ chicken with rice and mixed greens; Meatballs and sauce, rigatoni, broccoli and garlic bread and last night was soy-scallion-honey broiled skirt steak with corn on the cob and Greek salad.

Tonight they are taking us out to dinner at Teddy's in Williamsburg.  Next week they'll be back at our house again:  Chicken cutlets, shrimp something, turkey burgers and rack of pork chops.

Very neighborly, very good friends!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

So Very Worthwhile

Please visit this site http://www.alznyc.org/singforthehope/ and pass it on to all you know.

It is so very worthwhile!

Liz Queler was a counselor of mine from Camp Towanda back in the seventies.  She was always a warm and wonderful person with an amazing talent and she obviously still is.

Thanks.
Jan

Post Valentine's Day

Yesterday Michael I met Joe, Denise, Joe, Penny, Tom and Monica at the Kew Gardens Theatre to see A Separation.  It is an Iranian film subtitled in English about a family who tries to cope with their situation. I don't want to give anything away by saying more, but the movie is supposed to win best foreign film and I have to say that I liked it a lot and it gave me more food for thought than any movie I've seen in years.

Afterward, we all walked to Mood (http://moodnyc.com) for dinner.  We shared:  Chilean Sea Bass Ceviche with mango, chili, red onion and chorizo oil; Escargot Risotto with pickled mushrooms, grilled red onions, arugula, garlic herb butter; Fried Calamari with sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, ginger, lime and chili; Grilled Shrimp  with avocado, bacon, fried chic peas, chipotle cocktail sauce; Black bean soup and Buffalo Mozzarella with vine-ripened tomato, grilled prosciutto, basil, balsamic reduction, extra virgin olive oil.  All were very good (except I did not try the risotto).

Dinner was:  Skillet Roasted Herb Chicken with gouda gratin, broccoli rabe, pinot noir sauce; Pan Roasted Duck Breast with green onion fried rice, bok choy, Korean BBQ sauce; Pan Roasted Salmon with asparagus & crab risotto, sauté of spinach & watercress, warm almond milk; Pan Roasted Sea Scallops with cauliflower & white bean puree, haricot vert, pancetta vinaigrette; Goat Cheese Ravioli with carpaccio of beets, grilled prosciutto, watercress, beet vinaigrette and Orrechiette with sausage, broccoli rabe, cannellini beans, sundried tomatoes & garlic.  Again all was good.

We've not been here since they opened and I admit I didn't have any interest in going back, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was.  The service is adequate, nothing to complain about but the wine list is lacking.  I know they are in the process of re-doing it, but when we asked what reds they had, the server answered "Cabernet, Merlot, Pinor Noir and a Yellow Tail Shiraz."  Some list huh ?! Anyway, we had two bottles of cabernet and they were fine.

Too stuffed for coffee and dessert we all went home.  Happy Valentine's Day and thanks for the company!!


Sunday, February 12, 2012

At the Shapiros

Last night Michael and I went to Steve and Lori's.  We brought wine (as usual) and an apple pie from ButterCooky (http://www.buttercookybakery.com/Buttercooky_Bakery_Home.html).

When we arrived there were all sorts of goodies on the counter:  roasted peppers, olives, parmigiano-reggiano and balsamic creme and most importantly--fresh mozzarella that Steve makes himself.  Amazing!  We hung out with the girls and heard all about new plays that they will be performing in, as well as their past accomplishments.  Steve was busy trying new recipes from his birthday cookbook from the American Test Kitchen.  He made:  mushroom and leek risotto and rosemary foccaccia-both were absolutely great.  He also made braised beef short ribs with onions and carrots.  And don't forget the homemade vanilla ice cream that Lori made!! We were full and happy when we drove home.  Thanks!!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Dinosaur BBQ

Last night I went to Dinosaur BBQ uptown with Barbara, her daughter Jackie, her niece Katie and Katie's partner Anna.  The scent of the place outside is more than enough to draw you inside.  The smell inside is enough to make you want to stay forever.  Wood bar, floor, tables, chairs and walls with old movie posters and tin signs.  A great selection of beers and of course there's the BBQ!

We had:  An order of fried green tomatoes which are yummy, however, an order of 5 slices of tomatoes costs $8.95.  Truly unconscionable.  We also had:  Pulled pork sandwich; blackened catfish; bbq ribs; pulled pork over portobello mushroom cap and collard greens, corn bread, mac and cheese; whipped sweet potatoes and chocolate ice box cake for dessert.  I brought home an order of garlic chipotle wings for Michael.  Good late night snack :)

Always exactly what you expect, decent service and street parking.  Along with great company, what more could you want?

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Wednesday

Saturday night we went to Glenn and Eileen's for pizza (from Emilio's).  It's GREAT! And Sunday we spent at Leslie's for the Super Bowl...3 foot hero, chili with rice and fixin's, crudite, dip, guacamole dip, bean and corn salad, olives, cheese, roasted peppers, hot dogs with sauerkraut, chicken wings (many assortments-all homemade).  And of course, NY won so that was good, even if it wasn't the Jets.

Monday night I made the best meatballs I have ever made.  Now truthfully, I don't make good meatballs so it is relative.  But here's what I did:  1/2 pound of ground dark meat turkey, 1/2 pound of ground sweet Italian pork sausage, 1/4 onion chopped, 4 garlic cloves chopped, 1/4 cup parsley chopped, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs soaked in milk, a few tablespoons grated parmigiana, salt and pepper.  I made meatballs, put them on a rack over a cookie sheet and baked them in the oven for 40 minutes or so.  Then I added them to the sauce I was already making on the stove (2 cans crushed tomatoes, 1/2 onion chopped, 4 garlic cloves chopped, 1/4 cup parsley chopped, oregano, salt and pepper, red wine).  That cooked for a few hours and the sauce was great and the meatballs were great.  Good taste and texture.  Michael came home from work the following day saying he was thinking about having a meatball all day :)

Last night was arroz con pollo, but the brown jasmine rice would not soak up the liquid, so I added more and more (broth) until the rice became al dente.  The taste was great, just a bit crunchy :)

I am glad Michael is my food tester.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Cabana

Tonight I went to Cabana on Austin Street with Jill.  We had a vodka and club soda (hers) and a Mojito (mine) at the bar before we sat down.  We shared mariscados (clams, shrimp, mussels, scallops and salmon in a light tomato broth) and empanadas (1 chicken and 2 shrimp).  Both came with black beans and yellow rice and both dishes were delicious.  If you haven't been to Cabana in a while, go back and check it out. The dinner and the company were worth it!

Photo is Missing

When I posted about Ray's Candy Store I included a photo of the funniest beignet.  It looked like a penis :) but now it's gone from the blog. Not sure why. Sorry you missed it.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Last Week

Last Sunday we went to the Gandiello's house for dinner.  Glenn, Eileen and Sarah were also there :) Debbie made ravioli, sauce, turkey meatballs, chicken parm and salad.  Everything was yummy!
Tuesday night I made chicken cutlets, spinach with garlic and oil and (finally) farro with onions, garlic and carrots.
At this point you may be wondering exactly what farro is. According to Garzanti's Italian-English dictionary it's spelt, but Luciano Migliolli, author of Il Farro e le sue Ricette (Farro and its recipes), says that though it looks rather like spelt they're not the same. Farro must be soaked, whereas spelt can be boiled straight off. Also, cooked farro has a firm chewy texture, whereas spelt softens and becomes mushy.
Last night I went to see Jackie's new apartment in Astoria with Barbara.  It is great!  Two bedrooms, full bath with a nice deep tub, eat in kitchen, long entry hallway with closets and a living room.  After the tour we walked to 30th Avenue and spied many restaurants.  We decided on Sugar Freak (www.sugarfreak.com).  They serve "Louisiana homestyle cookin' & spirits."  The decor is great!  We had:  Abita Haze Purple BBQ shrimp, Fried oyster Po'Boy, Crawfish Etouffee and a Turkey burger.  Everything was really good.  Service is good, they certainly do not rush you out the door.  The bathrooms are cute and we would all go back.






S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night

Tonight Michael and I went into Chinatown.  I was hoping to catch a little Chinese New Year spirit, but there were no parades only a few drum beats down the street.  We ate dinner at Shanghai Cafe (100 Mott Street between Hester and Canal).  We specifically went there for their soup dumplings to be able to compare them with the ones at Joe's Shanghai.  And the verdict is...not so dissimilar from each other, but if I had to pick a winner it would be Shanghai Cafe.  The rest of the food was so-so:  Shanghai pan fried noodles with chicken, shrimp, pork and vegetables and also eggplant in garlic sauce with pork.  They do refill your water glasses without asking and I really liked their hot tea. 

Afterward we went to Ray's Candy Store (113 Avenue A) for beignets (think zeppoles).  They were hot and yummy and dusted with confectioner's sugar.  Here is the most special one of the bunch: 

75th Birthday party for Chris

If any of you remember, last year we had a 75th birthday dinner for my mother in law Chris.  Except she was only 74.  So we did it again this year for her 75th.  Invited were her closest friends, us (of course) and Margo, Mike, Chrysalis and Ryan.  I spent most of the night in the kitchen, which was fine with me :)

We had:  Crudite with blue cheese dip; Ciao Angelo and French feta cheeses; parsley garlic olives; tomato-garlic dopping sauce from Ithaca Bakery; Rosemary foccacia; onion baguette; pepperdews, roasted peppers and bocconcini.

Then we had:  Smoked salmon on brown bread with caper-dill sauce; Chicken dumplings; Crab cakes and Rosemary Frenched baby lamb chops.

Dessert was fruit and a beautiful chocolate Ribbon cake from Baked to Perfection in Port Washington.  Wine, soda, coffee and cordials too.