Is there anything better than a bowl of noodle soup?

Pho is defined by Webster as a "vietnamese noodle soup". I will say that these are three little words that do not do this dish ANY justice. I will say that Pho is the soup that eats like a meal (a large meal). It is the meal that is bottomless and keeps on giving. Pho is SO MUCH more than any soup I have ever had the opportunity to enjoy and I am thrilled to live in a city that offers so many delicious options.

Pho begins at its ground level as a deep and dark beef broth that has a heaping amount of rice noodles, cilantro, thai basil, onions, and different cuts of beef throughout. From what I understand, the broth becomes so rich and full of flavor from the slow and low cooking down of beef bones from the meat they used the day prior. The lovely folks at Pho Grand in Chinatown, NYC do this soup right! We went for some Pho on a frigid Sunday afternoon this month and had the best meal we have enjoyed in Chinatown in a while. After ordering by the letter and number, the waiter brought over a large dish that has a bunch of extra fix ins on it. This dish included lemon wedges for acidity, a mound of crisp bean sprouts for texture, and extra thai basil for earthiness. YUMMY! A squeeze of the hoisin on the table and some spice if you like and you are ready to dig in.

I opted for the top round brisket and extra veggies on this trip, but I think that I am beginning to open my mind to different cuts on meat in my Pho. One of the best things about this particular mean is that even after getting your soup facial, you don't feel full or heavy. It is easy to taste and see that all of the ingredients are fresh, light, and crisp from start to finish. May I also mention the bill for two large bowls of Pho, 2 diet cokes, and spring rolls=$20!!!

I am getting hungry, so if I type anymore I will find myself back in Chinatown. That being said, I will end this post for now and bid you all happy eating and a warm winter!

Look out for more soups in the weeks to come...

Pho Grand

277	Grand Street New York, NY 10002

Brooklyn Brunches

When midweek rolls around there are few things that push me through to the end of the week. It is about this time (Wednesday evening) that I begin to fantasize about the weekend ahead and all of the wonderful joys that a weekend at home in Brooklyn may bring me. We always enjoy early mornings at Fort Greene Park with our dogs, the Saturday framers market, and coffee (religiously) with our friends @ Bittersweet. I truly embrace these little moments and rituals for so many reasons and I couldn't imagine a weekend without them.

Along with some of the above mentioned reasons why I love living in Brooklyn, one of the BIGGEST rituals when you live in a metropolis is the idea of brunch. I personally am a huge advocate of this meal for a few very important and well thought out reasons:

1) the term brunch can be used both as a noun and as a verb. You can be eating brunch or bunching with friends. Love that!

2) to me there is nothing more comforting than being able to enjoy both sweet and savory on a plate without judgement. Yes, I pour syrup on my bacon :)

I would have to admit that brunch is the ultimate meal to me and something that warms me down to the core. My fiancé and I love this meal so much that we will be holding our wedding at a local brunch location. What can be better than having all the best of breakfast and lunch at my wedding? 12-1-2012!!!

I have had the opportunity recently to enjoy brunch at two wonderful Brooklyn "hot spots" for Brunch and neither myself or my dining partners were disappointed.

Apartment 138 is located on Smith Street in Cobble Hill. It is a small/intimate space indoors, but we had the chance on a cool Sunday Fall afternoon to dine in their backyard. The decor and the ambiance melded beautifully with the wooden trellises and deck. The yard was full with families eating with their young ones, couples having a meal intimately, and girlfriends like us just catching up over a mimosa and eggs. The only down side of this dining experience was that they were CASH ONLY and that we didn't have more time to just sit, eat, and drink.


I ordered a pumpkin soup that was topped with vanilla whipped cream and a perfectly dressed Ceasar salad.


Buttermilk Channel is "the place" for pancakes and brunch according to many. It is located on Court Street in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn. The party of 7 that I was dining with were celebrating the wedding of a close friend. Buttermilk didn't disappoint.


This short stack of pancakes is the must eat item on the menu.


And the bride washed it down with one of Buttermilk's popular bloody Mary's. This one was topped with an oyster.

At the end of the day, Brunch is really about what I began my blog post mentioning and that is community and togetherness. The weekends are for gathering with loved ones and catching up on sleep. There is no better way in my opinion to achieve all of these things than by having a cocktail or coffee and some bacon. Really, is there anything better in this world? I think not. Now, go out there and order a waffle or short stack for the table!!!

Be kind to one another and enjoy the good life all around. Happy eating!

Location:Brooklyn, NY

NYE Feast of the 7 Fishes

Happy New Year to all!! We had our Feast of Seven Fishes a week late this year. Here's some of the highlights:


Our guests made this menu to commemorate the dinner.


Beau Soleil Oysters with Jalapeño Mignonette


Peruvian Striped Bass Ceviche with Tostones and Avocado


Octopus a la Plancha with Smoked Paprika (this was just before they hit the grill)


Whole Bronzino in Salt Crust (just before we piled on the salt crust)


Un Gateau au chocolat


Amy's bread


I found a new wine to love.


Great company!

Location:Brooklyn, NY

Fun and Food in Philly

Hey all. Doug and I took an impromptu trip (thank you Bolt Bus) to Philly for 2 days/1 night and had a great time. I love exploring new places and had only been once to Philly on a field trip in 5th grade. I would have to say this trip was much better! We wish we could have stayed longer. It rained/poured for the entirety of our first day, but we had a blast. Here are a few shots from our journey.

Love and hugs to everyone!















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Location:Philadelphia. PA

First Fall Weekend

Our weekend began on Saturday with a trip outside of Brooklyn for some apple picking.



















It ended with us making 6 quarts of Matzo Ball Soup for the New Year. Perfect. Xoxox



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The Perfect Roast Chicken

A rainy sunday in my house means that I get the opportunity to cook some form of meat or poultry in a way that my weekday schedule doesn't allow for any-longer. This week i opted for a roasted chicken and roasted asparagus. This was the perfect choice. It was comforting and healthy. With a few tweaks from Ina's perfect recipe, I now have a chicken recipe that fits the needs of my small family. The best part is that the simplicity of chicken is something that this pork belly lover still appreciates. I really cannot believe that this came out of my oven. Maybe next time I will try wrapping it in bacon :)


Ingredients for Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken-recipe on Foodtv.com

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

The play by play:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the chicken giblets.

Rinse the chicken inside and out.

Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.

Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.

Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

My own 2 cents:

1) As a side note, I used a 3.5 pound chicken to feed 2 hungry adults. Due to the smaller bird and smaller cavity, I used half the head of garlic and half the lemon. I sliced up the lemon and added it into the toasting pan. This size bird took one hour to cook at same temp.
2) To avoid another pan, I added 1 pound of red potatoes cut in bite size pieces in with the carrots, onions, and fennel.
3) About 1/2 way trough your cooking time, splash about 1/2 cup-1 cup stock over the veg. It is well worth it. A gravy forms during cooking with no extra work.
4) when the bird is done, tent with foil on a carving board and put the roasting pan with the veg back in the oven to crisp up.

Thank you Ina for another great building block that I can use for a lifetime!



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Location:Carlton Ave,Brooklyn,United States

Food Truck Rally

Headed out to the Food Truck Rally in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. 20 local food trucks came out for this once a month event. The rain held out and we had a blast. There were sweet and savory options for one and all.


This is a ice cream sandwich made with brown butter ice cream and white chocolate/maple cookies. The food truck was called Cool Haus.


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Location:Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn