Eggs Benedict

While reading a random cookbook I came across the statement “The mark of a true chef is the quality of their hollandaise sauce.” To my dismay, I realized as a novice in the kitchen I had not attempted to make or have had any interest to try hollandaise sauce. I’ve read the recipes for it a number of times…egg yolks…butter…then more butter…but it’s always sparked little interest, until now. I took it as a challenge so this weekend I made eggs Benedict with a twist. Instead of ham I used smoked salmon. With whisk in hand I beat the yolks and bitter
Into creamy submission and coddled the poached eggs into surprisingly perky little orbs of white. Yum!

Off the top of My Head Guac

I finally decided to record my go to guac recipe on this blog. A group of us got together for an impromptu football “linner”  for the Chicago Bears v. Packers game. This served as the perfect last minute go to.

Off the top of My Head Guac

3 avocados

a handful of cilantro minced

pinch pepper

chopped half a medium tomato

pinch salt to taste

juice of one lime

green jalepeno- deveined, deseeeded, and diced

1. cube avocado flesh

2. pour in lime juice and mash with fork or blend

3. add tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro mix

Memory Through Food

So much of my life is remembered through food. I remember in college reading a book, something dense and unending. I would go to a local cafe and order cheesecake and coffee. It was the perfect combination of sugar and caffeine to get through the thick material. Now the combination of carrot cake and coffee makes me thoughtful, bringing up emotions of college productivity and hopefulness. What memories does food bring to you??

Soupy Dumplings

Soup or Soupy dumplings (Xiaolongbao-Wikipedia Post here)  are in NYC! To quote the brilliance of Seinfeld “Yes they are real..and their fabulous!”  These yum creations are almost singularly made by one powerhouse of soupy dumpling goodness, Joe’s Shanghai. If anyone has alternatives in NYC I am open to try, but so far this seems to be it. I’ve tasted the soup dumplings in Singapore and at Din Tai Fung in Taiwan and these though not as good hit the spot and are the real deal. The trick to eating them is giving them a nibble at the edge in a soup spoon then slurping up the goodness that spills out and gobbling up the meat and wrapping. Mmm…notice in the picture a few are left. If you haven’t noticed I have little restraint when it comes to food and drink. Hope this isn’t too mundane of a post of those soup dumpling aficionados.

Peruvian Cold Pressed Coffee

On a recent trip to Peru, we encountered a new way of drinking coffee. Peru is known for is nice rich beans that can have a thickness to it when brewed. When paired with their cold brewing system, the results are delicious. When I first asked for coffee at our hostel I was pleasantly surprised by its thickness which was enhanced by their use of evaporated milk for creamer. The cup was lukewarm, but incredibly tasty. Little did I know I was a bit of a dumb a** and was supposed to add some hot water. Our group made the same mistake at a small restaurant where we were served a small carafe of coffee concentrate which only filled one our cups. When we requested another carafe the server seemed a bit puzzled as to how we finished the last one off so quickly. Then we learned the little hot water trick….doh! What I love about this coffee is that it has a natural sweetness and thickness to it. Also you can modify how strong you want your coffee by adding more or less water. After a little research, I learned that the Peruvian way of coffee brewing is called cold press brewing. Basically a thick concentrate is made by letting grounds steep in cold water overnight.  Mastering this technique will be my next endeavor. Review on home brewing to come!

Alinea

Alinea.

Enough said…probably, but definitely not enough words to describe. I have no pictures, no truly justifiably descriptive terms for my dinner here. We did the large tasting tour with wine pairings and each gustatory moment left me in suspense for what was to come. So many complex flavors, clever textures came into play with this food that it really is edible art.  Genius. This place left me and my friends “Chasing the dragon” for weeks attempting to satisfy our palates and wondering why everything else tastes so bland. Am I a snob? Maybe…was it worth the wait, flight to Chicago, and eye bleeding check? Yes.

The Breslin

One of the best burgers in town. Moist and tender he meat just melts in your mouth. The fries are perfectly crisp. I could eat this every week.

Lady M

The Mille cake is a delicious layering of crepe and whipped creme, amazingly melt in your mouth delicious. The cafe is tiny and seats two at a time, but worth the squeeze.

9th Street Espresso

As good as they say….no sugar needed

PanYa Bakery NYC

Living close to Japan town has a lot of perks including a plethora of restaurants ending with -YA, Soba-ya, Robataya, Curry-ya. One of my new favorite bakeries is Panya. What makes it so awesome? Two words….Danish loaf. It is a loaf of bread that has the buttery richness of a danish. Like picking out the soft innards of a croissant and condensing it into a loaf of break, this creation has been sustaining my stomach and clogging my arteries for the past week. I toast it lovingly in my toaster oven and then spread a healthy dose of Nutella spread. What you end up with is nothing short of a chocolate croissant experience without the crumbs. Delicious!!