Our happy place

If anyone was to ask me where I have had some of my best times and favorite meals, a few places in the New York City area come to mind. Yet, if you were to ask me where I have shared some of the best times of my life with my Fiance', I would say Otto without hesitation. So many joyous occasions and memorable date nights have been shared at Otto. It is casual, funky, and most of all delicious. I can only hope that my take on it does it justice.

Otto Enoteca is a restaurant that holds a place in our story that can be summed up in two words, magical and fun. Inside, Otto has been modeled to look just like an Italian train station, OTTO, meaning "eight" in Italian, is tucked away and located on the corner of 8th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood. Within a few blocks in either direction from Otto, you can find yourself in Washington Square Park or Union Square Park. It really is in a perfect location.

On our most recent trip to Otto, we decided to eat on the early side, 6pm. I should mention that through our 2 1/2 years of experiencing this lively enoteca, we have dined on various days of the week and at different times. The best part is that it is that we have gotten to realize that Otto is ALWAYS hopping. You walk through the door and immediately are welcomed by a lovely hostess who checks you in and shows you either to the very large bar or to your table. On this trip, we were shown right to our table, which was lovely.

One of my favorite things to do while dining at Otto is to enjoy the wine,antipasto, and the 3 cheese plate. The ricotta that they offer is always a must for us and from there we allow the waitress to select the other 2 cheeses. To accompany the cheeses, 3 plates are brought over to the table, each with a special addition to the bread and cheese that you are about to enjoy. Amongst the offerings are: brandied cherries, truffled honey, and chili and honey marinated apricots. Each of the options are equally delicious and each hold a special place in my heart. I suggest trying each and everything that is put in front of you.

Otto is known for the antipasto as I spoke about earlier, but they are also known for their pizzas and small plates. This week we ordered a fusilli pasta that had sausage, garlic, and escarole tossed together and a traditional margarita pizza that is a great standby and staple for any pizza lover. By the time our 2 entrees arrived to the table, we were already full from the cheese, bread, and wine that we had indulged in. However, that didn't stop us from enjoying every bite of the pizza and pasta put before us. The pasta had all the simple components that a great garlic and oil based dish should have. There was the right balance of salt, spice, and earthiness that I love. The pizza is made on a wafer thin crust with the perfect combination of tangy tomato sauce, bright basil, and salty mozzarella.

Usually we will end our meals at Otto with some in house made gelato (olive oil or sea salt are our favorites). Unfortunately, on this trip we were too full and opted for a shared glass of Limoncello that made our mouths sing with joy. Although it was a tiny pour, it really felt like the ultimate ending to yet another amazing meal at Otto. Another successful meal at a restaurant that houses the quintessence of what a great bar/restaurant scene should be in New York City.

What are you still doing reading this?! GO TO OTTO.

Enjoy and happy eating to all!

http://www.ottopizzeria.com/home.cfm

My Happy Place

When I feel like getting out of my comfort zone in Brooklyn, I look to places in Manhattan that are equally as fun and homey for me. Back a few months ago, I had the opportunity to take some time off and share one of-these gems with my family.Chelsea Market is located at 75 9th Avenue (15th street). It can best be described as a food concourse of awesomeness. It is a market/office building/TV studio/mall/grocery store/so much more! I may also add as a warning, it is a tourist hang out. I am not mad about that fact though because it is well worth the madness. You can literally spend hours at Chelsea Market. When you eventually leave, you will have a full belly, new outfit, fresh bread, fine wine, and fresh octopus. It is that diverse!

What I love most about this space is the diversity of the ingredients you can gather and the unique experience that one can have on every trip. On my most recent trip, I took the family to Chelsea Market for their first time. I must admit however, it felt for me like the first time all over again. I felt giddy and alive walking through the corridor and taking in all the sites and smells.

We first headed to Amy's Bread where there were tons of items to choose from. I opted for a sour dough baguette and a raisin walnut boule. The family matched the bread with a soup from the seafood shop across the way. Rave reviews across the board!

No trip is complete for me without a stop at The Filling Station. The filling station is a small shop within Chelsea Market that sells various flavored salts, vinegars, and oils. Each of the products that the Filling Station sells is at your fingertips to taste. THIS is the best part!There is nothing like The Filling Station in my opinion. I have never had the opportunity as a food lover to experience a store such as this. A place where you can see, touch, and taste every single product for sale and decide which to take home with you. I have created an entire library of salts, vinegars, and oils from The Filling Station and am so thrilled that establishments like this exist.

So, I have taken you on a short tour of one of my favorite hiding places in New York City. I hope that this entry has given you a little window into what makes my heart sing and my belly grumble. You must promise me, that if you find yourself in NYC one of these days-you will take a walk into Chelsea Market and find your own happy place.

Enjoy and happy eating!!!

Home

In my short 29 years in this world, I have had the great opportunity to live in a few places throughout the east coast. The concepts of home and community are two terms that can hold many meanings for the individual. For me, home is love.

Long Island, New Paltz in the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Central Florida have all been places where I have lived at different points in my life. Yet, there has never been a time in my span that I have felt more at home than my current location. Brooklyn, New York is an outer borough of New York City-maybe you have heard of it?

Brooklyn has been where home has been for me since I was introduced to it in November 2009. Fort Greene, Brooklyn is a small and intimate neighborhood where I reside with my Fiancé, French Bulldog (Goose) and Yorkie (Joey). This area of Brooklyn is about a 10-15 minute subway ride out of Manhattan and is home to some of the nicest blocks that Brownstone Brooklyn has to offer. I love so much about my neighborhood; the but park, the restaurants, the mom and pop shops,etc. Ok, sorry- that is for another day. Anyway, that is enough of a plug for Brooklyn, onto the food!

I started this blog because those i love (me included) love food and love to share food. That is why I have been working on creating a home where cooking and entertaining are central. Our home is where anywhere from 4-6 meals are prepared and shared weekly by Doug and myself. We have a rotation of weeknight recipes that we love because they are quick, healthy, and consistent. We also love to use Sunday evenings as a creative opportunity to test out new and more time intensive recipes(see roast chicken post). I think Weekends are also great for prepping sauces or soups and making salads(slaw) that can last the week or be frozen for later use.

For example, Yesterday I made a large pot of tomato and basil sauce that produced 4 quarts of deliciously tart and savory sauce.

My tomato sauce recipe:

3 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil-chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 garlic cloves-finely minced
1 tablespoon fine sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Heat EVOO in stock pot and sauté garlic for 30 seconds or until aromatic on medium heat.

Stir in tomato paste and allow Flavors to come together for about a minute.

Pour in all tomatoes, basil, sugar,and spices. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover and let go for anywhere from 1-4 hours.

***Use in a lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parm, or on a basic pasta

Don't forget the bread and enjoy!

Forgive me for rambling during this post, but I am still getting used to blogging after almost a year of this venture. I love writing and love food, community, and cooking. I continue to feel blessed and fortunate to share my experiences, food, and thoughts with you all. Food truly is my therapy.

I thank you all and hope bid you all...happy eating!

Storing Produce

Hello everyone!

A family member posted this VERY helpful list on our family blog this week and I learned so much from reading it. That is why I am sharing it with all of you today as a form of reference and insight. For anyone that food shops once during the week for meals like I do, it is helpful to know the best way to get your time and moneys worth from your produce. Enjoy and happy reading!

Apples - Do not wash until just before eating, keep them sealed in the plastic produce bag, in the refrigerator. They give off a lot of ethelyne gas, so don't store them next to anything else.
Avocados - Keep them at room temperature. If you need one to ripen quickly, put it in a brown paper bag along with a banana. If it is ripe and you need to slow the ripening process, put it in the fridge.
Bananas - They produce more ethelyne gas than any other fruit. Keep them away from other produce, on the counter-top, away from other produce. Once they are ripe you can stop the ripening process by putting them in the fridge, just be sure to put them in a sealed bag. The skin will turn black, but the fruit will be fine.
Beans (snap, string or wax) - Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.
Berries - You know when you buy berries and they look like they have a dusty layer one them...? That is calledbloom, and it serves as a natural preservative. Never wash berries until just before use. Pick through them and throw away any berries that are bruised or molding. Store loosely in shallow containers, cover with plastic and keep them in the refrigerator.
Broccoli & Cauliflower - These need to be kept in their wrapping/packaging and kept in the fridge. Do not wash until just before using.
Cabbage - Keep in the fridge, in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before using
Carrots - Whole carrots? Wash them thoroughly. If they have green tops, cut off all but an inch. Wrap them in a damp paper towel, seal in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer.
"Baby" carrots? I just discovered that I should stop buying them... but if you still do, you can put them in a plastic container, covered in water. Be sure to change the water every few days. (Note: this may reduce the flavor of the "baby" carrot.)
Celery - Give it a rinse, loosely wrap it in a paper towel, then tightly wrap the entire stalk in aluminum foil and keep in the crisper. It will keep fresh and crisp for weeks. (I actually have had celery that I bought to make stuffing at Thanksgiving still be fresh and crunchy for Bloody Marys on New Year's Day! Amazing!)
Cherries - Store in the fridge in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before eating.
Citrus - Since citrus fruits have thicker skin, they are easier to store. They'll stay fresh for about 2 weeks in the fridge, about a week on the counter. It doesn't matter if they are near other produce.
Corn - Husks on? Store loose and uncovered in the fridge. Husks off? Wrap in foil and store in the crisper drawer. It will keep for 1 to 2 days.
Cucumber - Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.
Eggplant - Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
Garlic - Store at room temperature. Whole heads will last 3 to 5 weeks, but once cloves are separated, they will last about 10 days.
Grapes - Do not wash until just before eating, as they also have a bloom. Store them in the fridge, in the plastic bags they come in, or poke holes in a plastic bag to allow for air circulation. They say they should last up to 2 weeks. (I have never seen them last longer than a week before getting shriveled up and gross...)
Jalapeno Peppers - Store in plastic bag, in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Kiwi Fruit - store at room temperature until ripe, then cover with plastic and refrigerate. Will keep for about a week.
Lettuces, Leafy Greens & Spinach - Wash, wrap loosely in paper-towels, then bag it... paper towel and all.
Melons - Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. They will keep for about a week.
Mushrooms - Do not wash until just before using. Pre-sliced? Store in the refrigerator in their original packaging. They will last for about a week. Whole? Store loosely in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator
Onions - Store in a cool, dry place that has good air circulation. (Store in the fridge if you don't have such a place.) They will keep for 2 to 3 months. DO NOT STORE WITH POTATOES. (If next to each other they spoil faster. Who knew?)
Pears - If they aren't ripe, store them at room temperature. Once they ripen, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the fridge. They will keep for about a week.
Peaches, Plums, Nectarines & Apricots - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to eat. They will keep from 3 to 5 days. Do not wash until ready to eat.
Pineapple - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Potatoes - Store in a cool, dry, dark place that has good air circulation. They will keep for 2 to 3 months. DO NOT STORE WITH ONIONS. (If next to each other they spoil faster. Who knew?) Sweet Potatoes keep at room temperature for a week or in a cool dark place for about a month.
Tomatoes - Store them in a cool, dry place. Don't store them in plastic bags as the trapped ethylene will make them ripen more quickly. Once ripe, you can put them in the fridge to slow the ripening process, but let them come to room temperature before using them.
Zucchini - Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before using.

I hope that you all got as much out of this post as I have and wish you love and health this week and always.

HAPPY EATING!!!

A thought...

Hey Everyone!

Happy almost Friday!
I just wanted to put up a quick post with a link to a great article I read last night. It basically goes through 12 recipes that this blogger feels we should ALL memorize. I love the idea of having a heavy rotation of simple and yummy recipes, and this article lays it out for you. Each recipe come with a lovely photo of what you can expect. Let me know what you all think and if you have tried any recipe.

http://www.thekitchn.com/12-recipes-to-know-by-heart-165700

In my world, I have a rotation of about 10 recipes myself. My recipes are things that have come to my mind through trial and error OR I have taken recipes that I have attempted and tweeked them. Whichever way you go, know that the moment you put a touch of salt in something-it is yours and yours only. It is the love and care that each of us puts into our food that makes it taste WAY better than any restaurant. This is one of the core reasons that I find food and cooking to be my therapy.

Happy eating!

Simple Broccoli Soup

Happy February everyone!

I thought that I would give my fiancé' a chance to share one of his favorite recipes on the blog this week. This soup recipe (yes, i promised a lot of soup) has become somewhat of a staple in our home. Actually, maybe it has become more of a rescue recipe than anything else. We began making this soup when we were left at the end of the week with a head or two of broccoli that never made it into a recipe the week prior. Doug had seen this recipe made a few years back on a television show and soon we were tweaking it on our own stovetop.

Gordon Ramsay made this soup in a competition against the owner/head chef of Clubway 41. Clubway 41 had a broccoli soup which consisted of 20 different ingredients, whereas Gordon Ramsay’s broccoli soup consisted of just 5! This soup really only contains 3 ingredients, should you choose to not count water and garnish as ingredients; “most importantly, this soup actually tastes of broccoli”!

For our own take on it today, we added a few touches that may have added extra calories, but never took away from the integrity of the broccoli. What we were left with was a large batch (2 quarts) of broccoli soup that cost us roughly 50 cents a serving or less.

2 Bunch Broccoli
Pot of boiling water
Salt and Pepper (to taste
This recipe makes 4 servings.

Butter (optional to taste)

Parmesan (also up to you)

Boil broccoli florets for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. drain in colander and reserve water. put brocoli in blender (while hot).

Fill broccoli water half way up broccoli (toss the rest of the water).

Slowly pulse the blender (to avoid a big mess, your blending hot liquids). once mixed well, blend until it is a good creamy soup consistency.

* For ours, we added some butter and parmesan cheese to taste. Also, remember a crusty bread for serving.

Happy Eating to all and Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Love to all.

Light and Crisp Asian Slaw

Hey y'all! There are a few things out there in the world that excite me as much as a delicious and HEALTHY snack or side dish. We all have been there, the chips vs carrots and hummus debate. You go to the pantry or fridge and you stare into them waiting for something to jump out and say, "eat me!"

Well, in our house the snacks are always plentiful, but not always healthy. Recently though, we have begun to have healthier options on hand for all cravings. I have made granola for sweet cravings, a bean salad for a salty fix, and now I will share an Asian slaw that attacks both salty and sweet cravings seamlessly.

This slaw was a recipe I created after enjoying a meal at a BBQ spot in Brooklyn. I feel that the veggies mix well with the peanut butter and vinegar based dressing. I have experimented with different combos, but this is the classic prep.

Ingredients:

For Slaw:

2 heads red or green cabbage, shredded.
1 pepper of choice, thinly slice into matchsticks
2 medium carrots shredded, about a cup
1/2 head of chopped bok Choy (optional)
1 can baby corn (optional)
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Dressing:

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/8 cup sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

These measurements are the amounts that I like for my slaw, but you should feel free to adjust veggies and dressing how you like it.

Chop and shred all veggies and place in a large bowl.

Set aside and prepare dressing either with an immersion blender or with a bowl and wisk. I always opt for the hand blender.

Combine all ingredients for dressing until it has a golden tone to it.

Toss to combine in bowl and set aside. Using tongs, toss every 10 minutes for 1 hour until wilted and dressed. Toss sesame seeds in.

Store in fridge for 3-5 days or until consumed :)

Happy eating everyone!