the terrace at jean george

Last week, I met R and his coworker for after work drinks at The Terrace at Jean Georges in Columbus Circle. I wasn’t expecting much, but boy, was I surprised.

This is an off-shoot of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Nougatine at Jean-Georges. The terrace is a less formal dining experience, but it is perfect for after-work drinks in summertime because they have a beautiful patio and the drinks are superb.

R’s coworker got the ginger margarita (left) and R got the cucumber martini (center). I picked the Damson Gin Fizz (right), since I have heard so much about Damson plum-infused gin that I had to try it. The Damson Gin Fizz was a perfect summer evening drink, not too sweet, but fruity and perfect for a light drink.

R. and his coworker ordered the tuna tartare.  It was a base of avocado with  the tuna on top. It came with spicy radishes and a ginger marinade that the pour around the base at the table. When they pour the marinade, the whole area smells like ginger and soy, which is a sure-fire way to whet your palate.

I ordered the ice cream sandwich trio. There was a strawberry macaron with strawberry ice cream, a chocolate cookie with coffee ice cream, and a peanut butter cookie with praline ice cream. They were all fantastic, and the perfect dessert.

If you are in the Columbus Circle area, it is definitely worth a stop in at the Terrace for drinks and appetizers.

auntie june’s avocado toast

My great-auntie June has an avocado tree in her back yard. Ever since I was a kid, I remember her going out and picking a fresh one and making us some breakfast with it. She lives on the West Coast, but whenever I see her, I remind her how she has made this my favorite breakfast, ever.

There is this special bread that is only available on the west coast (believe me, I’ve tried to get it here). It is Oroweat Master’s Best Winter Wheat. It is a small loaf, with a very dense and hearty crumb, and there are sunflower seeds and it is the perfect bread for toast. All of my relatives think I’m crazy, but whenever anyone goes to the west coast, they better bring me back a loaf!

This is the most simple breakfast, and it is relatively healthy, too! My sister just returned from a trip out west and brought me some Winter Wheat, so I thought what a perfect reason to post about it. It is just toast, avocado, and cottage cheese. I like to put a little kosher salt and some freshly cracked black pepper on the top, but it depends on your taste.

This is the perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In fact, I had it for dinner last night and lunch yesterday. It is just so delicious and filling, too.

Auntie June’s Avocado Toast

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 slices Oroweat Master’s Best Winter Wheat

1/2 ripe avocado

4 Tbsp cottage cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Toast up two slices of bread. Half an avocado and remove the pit. Using one half, slice within the skin into thin strips.

2. Remove the slices of avocado and divide between the two slices of toast.

3. Using the back of a fork, smash the avocado lightly until it is mostly broken up. (Make sure to lick the fork when you’re done, too, we don’t want to waste any avocado!)

4. Dollop the cottage cheese on the slices of bread and spread it out so it covers the avocado. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

* This meal is best enjoyed on a sunny porch and with a good book.

summer berry pavlovas

I have been wanting to make this for a long time. I finally got around to it and boy, was it a fantastic dessert! It is really simple and so pretty (if you have a steady hand, I am sure your attempt will turn out much better than mine). Also, you can fill these with anything sweet. Lemon curd, chocolate pudding, the possibilities are endless. I went with what was in the freezer (frozen raspberries) and whipped cream.

Summer Berry Pavlova

Yields 4 pavlovas or 12 mini pavlovas

Ingredients

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup splenda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp cornstarch

Toppings (anything will work):

1 package of frozen raspberries

1 half pint fresh raspberries

cool whip or whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites and, once separated, discard the yolk and add the white to a large glass bowl. Add the cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.

2. Once soft peaks form, add the splenda and vanilla extract (I didn’t have any so I used my in-process homemade vanilla extract before it was 6 weeks old but it turned out great nonetheless). Sprinkle the cornstarch and lemon juice over the top and whip to combine. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

3. Using a big cup or pitcher to support the bag while you fill it, place a gallon zipper bag in and fold the zipper edge over the edge of the cup. Using a spatula, transfer the egg white mixture to the zipper bag and fill. Once filled, set aside while you prep the cookie sheet.

4. Using parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray, line a cookie sheet and cover with nonstick spray.

5. Take the gallon bag and gather the top (you don’t need to close the zipper). Choose one of the bottom corners and squeeze the bag to get out most of the air so you can snip off one corner to make a pseudo-pastry bag. Once most of the air is out (be careful, you don’t want to deflate the meringue), begin piping the meringue in a spiral on the parchment. Once you have a good size base, begin creating walls by piping up the sides.

6. Repeat until the meringue is gone. I ended up with 11 mini pavlovas, but depending on your size, you can get as many or few as you’d like.

7. Once you’ve finished piping the pavlovas, place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes is up, turn off oven and leave in for another 30 minutes.

8. While the pavlovas are cooking, take the frozen raspberries and thaw. Sprinkle with some splenda and mash very slightly with a fork. Let the berries macerate. Once the pavlovas have cooled, fill with the berry mixture, top with the whipped cream, and a few fresh berries.

turkey sliders

We got a bunch of ground turkey at Costco and decided to make some sliders last weekend for dinner. We picked up some Martin’s Dinner Rolls, a couple of vidalia onions, and some deli cheddar cheese. This was all R.’s recipe and it turned out beautifully. We have a griddle area on our stove, but if you don’t, this can also be done in a frying pan or cast iron skillet.

R’s Turkey Sliders

Makes 12 sliders

Ingredients

1 bag Martin’s Dinner Rolls (12)

butter

2 lbs ground turkey

1/2 cup bbq sauce

2 onions, diced

salt and pepper to taste

sliced cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Add 2 tsp olive oil to a pan and sautée until softened. Remove half and set aside. Continue to cook other half until caramelized. Remove from heat and add to a large bowl.

2. While the onions are cooking, slice the dinner rolls in half and spread with softened butter. Place butter side up on a sheet pan and toast under the broiler until lightly browned. Set aside.

3. To the large bowl, also add the ground turkey, bbq sauce, salt and pepper. Combine with hands and form into slider patties. Set patties aside on a piece of parchment and heat the griddle (or cast iron pan) over medium-high heat.

4. Spread a layer of softened onions over the griddle and place the slider patties on top of the onions. Cook for about 5-7 minutes and flip, trying to keep the onions on top of the burger. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the cheese.

5. Once cheese is melted and burger is cooked through, remove from heat and place on the bun. Continue for remaining sliders and keep warm in the oven (set to 200°F and keep the completed burgers in there until time to serve).

6. Serve with ketchup and mustard and enjoy!

simple shallot vinaigrette

I love a simple vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and shallots. This is one I made to go on some chopped spinach as a side dish to the Cauliflower Pizza on Monday night.

Simple Shallot Vinaigrette

Makes 2 servings of salad

Ingredients

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp good extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp mustard, Dijon or Whole grain (dijon makes a smoother vinaigrette)

pinch of sea salt

a few grinds  of fresh black pepper

4 cups baby spinach, chopped

Directions

1. Put minced shallots in a bowl and cover with the red wine vinegar. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. This mellows out the shallots and brings out their sweetness. If possible, leave for longer, up to 45 minutes.

2. Add oil, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Mix with a fork until combined. If using dijon, this will help it emulsify. Whole grain less so, but don’t worry, it is still delicious.

3. In a salad bowl, dress the chopped spinach and serve immediately. This would be delicious with some crumbled feta, but we didn’t have any.

cauliflower pizza crust

R and I have been super busy over the past week, me especially with my new job. However, last night we had a really easy dinner after our workout. This is a recipe that I found on Your Lighter Side and tweaked a little.

Stages of the cauliflower pizza crust

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Makes 1 cookie sheet sized pizza

Ingredients

2 bags frozen cauliflower

2 eggs

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

salt

granulated garlic

white pepper

dried onions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F Cook cauliflower in microwave according to directions, I use a microwave safe bowl and just microwave them for 10 minutes. Once thawed (doesn’t have to be hot) put in a strainer and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. There will be a lot.

2. Once squeezed of as much liquid as possible, return to the bowl, and crack two eggs onto the cauliflower. Then, using an immersion blender, puree the cauliflower until smooth. I put the eggs in here because the cauliflower needs some liquid to be able to puree.

3. Once smooth (a few lumps are ok), add the cheese and spices to taste. Set aside. On a cookie sheet, cut a piece of parchment paper to size and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then, using your hands or a spatula, spread the mixture as thinly as possible over the parchment.

4. Bake at 450°F for about 25-30 minutes, until the edges are crispy and dark brown and the crust is firm in the middle. Turn off the oven and let cool. Loosen edges with a butter knife and make sure it can remove easily from the parchment (it if fragile while it is hot, but it should be relatively resilient when it is cool).

5. Once cooled, add toppings, like Rao’s Homemade Marinara, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Stick the pizza under the broiler to melt the toppings, and let cool.

6. Enjoy!

summer streets

This past weekend, R and I started training for a 10K that we are slated to run in September. We have been trying to get into better shape, but I realized in order to actually motivate us longer-term, I would have to sign up for something we both didn’t want to go into without any training. So, we decided to run the Run10Feed10 race on Sunday September 24th (thanks to my friend S. who convinced me to sign up!) and we are trying to incrementally accumulate outdoor mileage. This past weekend was the first weekend of Summer Streets. We live right by Madison Square Park and decided to try running down Park Avenue from 23rd Street to the end (the Brooklyn Bridge). Although it is only about two miles, good thing we started light. It was a tough run but my nightly runs ever since Saturday are getting easier! Our goal is to run or bike during Summer Streets every weekend this August. We are 1 week down and three to go (and six weeks to the 10K!)

Here are some pictures from our run on Saturday.

And even if you don’t want to run/bike there are tons of great side areas with booths and rock climbing (REI) and also some nice public art I hadn’t noticed before.

jiro dreams of sushi

R and I watched a great movie from Netflix this past weekend. Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It is a documentary about a n 85-year old man, Jiro Ono, who runs “Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station.” The film was beautifully done and really shows the complex relationship of this sushi master and his sons and apprentices. It is definitely worth a watch. And it really made me want sushi!

Image Coutresy of http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/

new adventures

I am starting a new job today, so I didn’t have time to prep a real post for today, but R and I were grilling out on Saturday for dinner. We went to Costco and got a pack of delish steaks and grilled some asparagus and green onions with it on the roof. R. is in charge of grilling, and he did something deliciously brilliant this time–he took the steaks off the grill and topped them with a half teaspoon of butter and some Cyprus flake salt. It was delicious and just like they do in the classic steakhouses.
Happy Monday!

bedford cheese shop on irving place

R. and I were wandering around the neighborhood tonight and stopped by the new outpost of the Bedford Cheese Shop on Irving Place (between 18th and 19th). We live right down the street from here and our old apartment is just around the corner, so we are already huge fans of the establishments on Irving Place (Casa Mono, Pete’s Tavern, Pure Food and Wine— all of them are favorites) but this is going onto the already long list of fantastic spots on a very short street. (Irving runs from 14th Street to 20th Street right below Gramercy Park where Lexington Avenue should be).

They have tons of “pantry-esque” items: canned anchovies, mustards, pastas, candies. But they have a fantastic selection of cheeses, fresh bread, meats, and other goodies. Below are some pictures of the shop and a list of the cheeses we got.

Mustards and Mayonnaise

Olives and cured meats

They let us sample cheeses.

Pastas and Anchovies

The massive cheese selection. They have sentences of description — amazing and witty.

My favorite (a cheddar with big crystals): Crawford Wheel made of raw cow’s milk from 5 Spoke Creamery in Lancaster, PA.

R.’s Favorite: Soft Wheel made of raw goat’s milk from Twig Farm in West Cornwall, VT.

We also got the best butter ever: Sea Salt Flake European Butter from Vermont Creamery that I tried a few months ago at an Edible Manhattan Dairy Event.

Team favorite: Australian Feta made of sheep and goat’s milk with olive oil from Meredith Dairy in Victoria, Australia.

The fantastic Australian Feta

All in all, a fantastic cheese shop with so much selection (for stinky and non-stinky cheese lovers). And, with a baguette (which we got there too), it was a delicious dinner!

Baked Ricotta — looks like a delicious cheesecake. I want to go back just to get some of this.

Some of their aged cheeses. They look like green marshmallows.

R. checking out (and trying) many of their cheeses.

Our selections of cheeses, butter, and bread.

Vermont Creamery butter.

The beautiful Australian Feta.