Delmonico’s

To celebrate my new job, my husband took me out to dinner at Delmonico’s last night. I rarely wear heels anymore (after becoming a Manhattanite, I walk pretty much everywhere), so it was a nice excuse to dress up.

I met him at the bar, which oddly, has a separate entrance. We thought it might be nice to start with a drink before dinner, but unfortunately, the bar was nothing like we had expected. It felt like we were hanging out at a suburban sports bar. So, I helped him finish his glass of wine and we quickly escaped into the main dining room.

In short, dinner was fantastic. I would highly recommend it.

The dining room was lovely. Being a steakhouse, with dark wood, large murals and chandeliers, it could easily be a caricature of itself, but instead it is quite elegant. While the space is undoubtedly formal, you feel surprisingly comfortable and at ease. We commented on the pitch-perfect lighting as well. (Although the couples seated right underneath the murals along the wall may have had to deal with the glare from the art lighting.)

We started with the Lobster Newburg, which was created and first served at Delmonico’s in 1876. Main ingredients include cream, brandy, caviar and of course, lobster. Although tasty, it is not something I would order again. But, of course, it’s one of those dishes you have to try when you’re there. It’s iconic.

Their wine list is pricey, as to be expected, with a focus on Napa Cabs. When we asked our server for a recommendation for a California red, he enthusiastically pointed out a Bordeaux blend that was only $50. I was surprised, since I am pretty sure that was the cheapest wine on the entire list. He said that he chose that particular bottle because a lot of wines in the middle price range were just ok, so unless we wanted to go way beyond our budget, it wouldn’t be worth it to buy a more expensive bottle. I already really liked our server, but this clinched the deal. Ultimately, we decided to go with a Burgundy from Givry. We always look to see if anything from the Côte Chalonnaise is available, since Patrick used to live there when he was a child. It’s an under appreciated region, so bottles are generally priced modestly. We knew we’d love it, so we figured we’d explore California wines another time.

For our main course, we shared the Delmonico steak, with an order of Pancetta Spaetzle and Broccolini.

The steak had a beautiful crust and was cooked perfectly medium-rare. Plus, it was rested just long enough that it was still warm but nary a drop of juice spilled onto the plate when you sliced into it. Rib-eye is one of my favorite cuts of steak, with all of that gorgeous marbling, so this was stellar.

The sides were equally as well-prepared. I love spaetzle in general, but this was a great version, flavorful and rich. I would much prefer to get my cream intake this way, rather than creamed spinach. And although it seems silly to rave about a simple vegetable dish, I couldn’t get enough of the broccolini. It’s rare to be served a dish that is prepared exactly the way you like it, but this was garlicky with a ton of brightness from lemon.

For dessert, there was no question. We had to have the Baked Alaska, since Delmonico’s is widely credited for inventing it. A dome of cake, ice cream and apricots, topped with peaks of browned meringue. Crunchy, creamy and cold, this was really delicious.

One of the best meals we’ve had in a long while.

(Before you dine, sign up for Delmonico’s Club. Trust me.)

Sauce à tartre

Tartar sauce was created by the French, taking mayonnaise and adding a few gherkins, but has since evolved into something a little more complex that really could compliment almost anything.

Tonight, I’m making pecan-encrusted tilapia for dinner and you guessed what the key condiment is!  Tartar sauce is just one of those really simple things to make, but most people just go for the store-bought variety that really doesn’t even compare.  Even though it’s more than just mayonnaise and pickles today, it’s still super simple to make and the result will not disappoint.  Try it out and let us know how it goes!

This sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small shallot , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons drained capers , minced
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Stir again before serving.

Pickles!

Spent a lovely Saturday afternoon last month with my friend Soa, wandering around the Greenmarket and then pickling our bounty. We pickled dill cucumbers, bread & butters and peppers. My lesson for the day: fresh dill and dill flowers smell and taste very different.

We’ve already eaten our way through two jars of dill and working on the peppers and bread & butter now.

Shorts – Royale

Royale (Ave. C bet. 9th and 10th): I’m going to preface this by letting you know this was the last stop during a late night out. That being said, I know what I like. So, I’m fairly confident that my opinion of their burger would stand up in any situation. And I thought this was a pretty damn good burger. Bacon and cheese, medium rare. Next time, I’d opt for medium. It tipped over to the rare side a little too much for me. Squishy crap bun, which I prefer to brioche and other fancy versions. Juicy, juicy, juicy. And flavorful. (Keep in mind that I really love Shake Shack burgers. I like steakhouse burgers as well, like Primehouse, but they’re just not as satisfying to me.) I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was inside and how lovely their back garden/patio was. I can’t believe we live 2 blocks away and have never been before. We’ll definitely be visiting this bar again.

Tomato Sandwiches

Patrick grew up in Rochester eating tomato sandwiches, while I had never even heard of them before. But I love tomatoes and since we’ve been trying to come up with simple and cheap meal ideas, I was all for trying something new.

So, on a random Saturday afternoon, we decided to assemble a few open-faced beauties. I toasted some multigrain sandwich bread, slathered on some tofu cream cheese (the best and cheapest is found at East Village Cheese), topped with thick slices of tomatoes and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Absolutely delicious! So delicious, in fact, we ended up eating more tomato sandwiches the very next day.

But, while that first rendition was good, we would greatly improve upon the recipe over the next few weeks.

Tomatoes: The tomatoes I had on hand when I first made the sandwiches were local Jersey tomatoes from Associated. They’re expensive at about $2.80/lb and while pretty to look at, kind of tasted like water. So, we set out to find some juicy and sweet tomatoes at the local farmers markets. I cannot stress enough the HUMONGOUS difference in taste. It’s remarkable. The best ones taste almost sugary sweet when you bite into them. And when you’re only dealing with a few ingredients, you need to make sure the ones you have are the best you can get your hands on.

Bread: I can’t speak for Patrick, but my favorite version is on toasted bagels. I like the contrast in textures–crunchy and chewy, along with the creamy and soft. He loves potato bread, though, so that might be one of his top picks. Maybe he’ll eventually write a related post and share his thoughts.

Spread: Hands down, Hellman’s mayonnaise. A good quality, full-fat cream cheese is tasty as well, but for me, it has to be Hellman’s. And none of that low-fat, flavorless goop, either. A tablespoon of the real stuff won’t kill you. While I’m curious to try my hand at making homemade mayonnaise, I just haven’t gotten around to it. I’ll update, if I do.

Salt & pepper: Generous sprinkling for me, a lighter hand for Patrick.

Other notes: We added fresh mozzarella once, but found it made the sandwich too bland. We tried it with thin slices of speck, which was pretty good, but unnecessary.

After about 3 weeks of non-stop tomato sandwich making and eating (averaging out to about 3-4 times a week, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks), we’re still at it, full-force. And probably will be until the summer tomatoes run out!

All-American Oysters

We spent our 4th of July at a friend’s house in Martha’s Vineyard.  It was a quintessential all-American time – dressing preppy, singing the national anthem, etc. etc. etc.   Our friend is a private chef, and an amazing one at that.  On the 4th our friends threw a 20+ person dinner party, which involved lots of incredibly fresh oysters from local waters.  In fact, it involved so many oysters, we couldn’t finish all of them.

What do you do with a bunch of amazing oysters the next day, when they aren’t so fresh anymore?  Fry ‘em!  I learned that even the nicest restaurants use canned oysters when they offer them fried, but a proper fried oyster is right out of the half shell – even if it isn’t the freshest thing anymore.  These oysters had a great flavor and texture, unlike any other fried oyster I’ve ever had.

Ingredients:
Oysters
Panko
Flour
Salt & Pepper
Egg

Preparation:
Lay out 3 bowls, one with beaten eggs, one with flour that’s been seasoned with salt & pepper, and one with the Panko crumbs.
Dip the oysters in the Flour bowl.  Then dip it in the egg.  Then dip it in the Panko.
Next, put the oyster in the frying pan on medium heat with a little canola oil. Fry the oyster on either side for about a minute and a half or until golden brown (3 minutes total per oyster).  Remove from heat and set on a paper towel to absorb some of the extra oil.  Sprinkle with some lemon juice and serve with some tartar sauce if you want.
Enjoy!!

Tofutti Cuties – who knew?

I was initially hesitant to try these ice cream sandwiches, given my knee-jerk aversion to tofu-based food products. I’m pretty sure it stems from the time when my mom brought home Tofu Pups. Freaking disgusting. I don’t know, maybe they’ve changed the recipe since my elementary school days, but I’m not interested in finding out. And it’s not that I don’t like anything soy because I drink soy milk and eat tofu. Maybe it’s the processed food product aspect that gets me.

Anyway, I am in love with Tofutti Cuties. Ice cream sandwiches are one of my favorite treats and these are amazing because not only do they taste delicious, they are dangerously guilt-free! Go get some! I prefer the classic ones, but Patrick likes the mint chocolate chip

Sesame Crusted Tuna

Although I’ve had this particular dish many times in restaurants and love the simplicity and flavor, I’ve never made it at home. I’ve always had this crazy notion that there was some complicated method to getting the sesame seeds to stay on the tuna steak. I don’t know why I thought this. Because I made this last week and it was stupid easy. And yes, all the sesame seeds stayed on.

To make my life easier, I didn’t bother making sides from scratch for this meal. Instead, we picked up a hot and sweet corn salad and a kale salad from Whole Foods, which were both amazing. Especially that kale salad – that was dope. Anyway, I think it was one of the better summertime meals we’ve had in a while. We even had some tuna left over that we ate two nights later with some cheese and bread for a simple late night meal.

Sesame Crusted Tuna

Tuna steaks (about 1-1.5 inches thick)
Toasted sesame seeds

Marinade
Minced ginger
Minced garlic
Soy Sauce
Mirin
Lime Juice
Ground Pepper

I’m sorry I don’t have measurements for the marinade, I tend to make marinades, vinaigrettes, etc. on the fly . But as a guide, use the soy sauce as a base and add the mirin and lime juice to taste. Feel free to add some sugar or honey, if you’d like. Spoon the marinade over the tuna steaks just to coat and let it sit, refrigerated, for up to 2 hours. Set aside remaining marinade.

Heat some canola oil in a frying pan over med-high heat. Pour the sesame seeds onto a plate. Take the tuna steaks, letting the excess marinade drip off, and press each side into the sesame seeds until fully crusted. Sear the tuna steaks for approximately 1.5 to 2 minutes per side (but no longer than 2 minutes, tops!). Rest the steaks, then slice and serve. You may also drizzle a little of the reserved marinade over the tuna, but I would test a piece first, just to make sure the additional marinade won’t make the tuna too salty. Enjoy!

Eat more chicken.

It’s the beginning of July in NYC and yes, it’s still raining. Although, with temperatures in the 70s and low 80s most days, I can’t complain too much. However, there have been a couple of glimpses into the heat of the summer to come, with a smattering of days in the mid-to-high 80s. The hot sun, combined with high humidity and an air-conditioner-less apartment, makes for a cranky and uncomfortable environment for cooking at home.

So, what are the options?

One simple and no-cook meal that we love is really no more than an indoor picnic. We’ll pick up a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, several different cheeses, maybe a side of vegetables and a baguette. It’s delicious and fun, plus you’ll have leftover chicken to make a cold chicken salad you can eat the next night. You’ll need to use the stove to cook the potatoes and green beans for this dish, but that’s the extent of the cooking required.

Chicken Salad with Potatoes and Green Beans

1/2 lb red, purple and/or yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
meat from approximately half a rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1-2 ribs of celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, tarragon or chives

Dressing
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Garnish
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges

Halve or quarter potatoes to desired size and place potatoes in a saucepan with salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender; drain and set aside. Cook green beans in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a strainer, run under cold water and then pat dry. For the salad dressing, combine garlic, mustard, basil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in oil a little at a time until well mixed, and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine chicken, potatoes, green beans, red pepper, celery, and fresh herbs. Toss with dressing. Garnish with egg and tomato wedges.

It’s great on it’s own, with some crusty bread on the side. Feel free to substitute or add different veggies–leftover asparagus or broccoli are other options. Olives or sun-dried tomatoes would probably be tasty additions as well.

Summertime Pasta Sauce – Pesto

It’s hot in our apartment, and I mean REALLY hot.  We’re on the top floor of the building and have windows facing in three directions, which is awesome most of the year but in the summer it can be horrible.   We need to get an air conditioner.   But, in the meantime, we’re focused on cooking food that doesn’t require a lot of heat – the oven/stove kind – and is cheap.  That led me to try a tomato and almond pesto that has since become Jina’s favorite pasta sauce.  Since then, other friends have tried it as well with great success; so good luck and let us know how it goes!

Serves 4 – 6

A half teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes can be substituted for the pepperoncini. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender may be substituted. In step 2, pulse ingredients until roughly chopped, then proceed with the recipe, reducing processing times by half.

Ingredients
1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)
Table salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions
1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.