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 :)

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.

Saturday Afternoon

Since I last wrote, I made chicken cacciatore for dinner one night and breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast this morning.

Last night we went to dinner with Joe and Denise at El Quijote on 23rd Street. Yummy! garlic soup, clams quijote, manchego cheese with olives, salad, arroz con pollo, lobster paella, cafe con leche and yucky apple pie :(

Company was totally worthwhile!

Today was a wash out of sorts, weather wise. Later this afternoon we are going to Leslie's for a BBQ and bringing wine (what else?). That will be fun!

Tomorrow Barbara and Paul are having a graduation party for Jackie, Joey and Katie at Dee's. I am looking forward to good food, good wine and mostly good friends! Congratulations to all the graduates!

Yesterday and Tomorrow

Yesterday was Arroz con Pollo with spinach, tomatoes and garlic on the side. (Leftovers become spinach with white beans-Yum).

Tomorrow will be something with Brussels sprouts and bacon. Maybe steak. Can't decide.

I have two meetings tonight, one after the other (School Leadership Team then Parents Association) so there will be no cooking today.

As for the rest of the week and the weekend, we will be in Ithaca with our family so we can bring Jesse for his college placement tests and celebrate our niece's 27th birthday.

Maybe I will blog about Ithaca food........

The Week Beginning March 21

Sunday night our very good friends: Jill, Lenny and Brett shared dinner with us. We had "Sunday sauce": Homemade gravy with meatballs and chicken sausage, spaghetti, mozzarella and tomato salad, warm Italian bread and broccoli rabe with garlic and oil. Red wine and gasatta (seltzer) to drink and brownies for dessert (ok, the brownies were Dunkin Hines-I apologize). But the company is always good :)

Last night I made chicken breast sauteed with olive oil, garlic and cherry peppers with corn and salad on the side.

Tonight is Rigatoni Arrabiata with spinach, Wednesday will be Arroz con Pollo with broccoli on the side and Thursday should be Chili night, if all goes according to plan....

The best laid plans of mice and men.......

Men plan and God laughs....