Friday night lights: Skirt steak a fun way

In honor of Friday night lights' last season starting tonight (tear) I made a special dinner for two.  Something different but a dish I knew we'd both love:  Sliced steak salad with bloody mary vinaigrette.  A-mazing.

It's a Rachael Ray Magazine (I subscribe and wait eagerly for her new mags every month...) recipe and one worth trying if you love that classical delish tomato drink...

*photo courtesy of RR's website.
Mine certainly turn out as pretty as hers and that's surely because I didn't have a shallow bowl on hand...but boy it tasted great!  My hubby's one complaint was it could have used more horseradish.  I followed her recipe exactly so next time I'll increase by a tablespoon!

Party Preppin'

I'm having a little ditty a week from today...just for a few friends, to celebrate spring.  Even though it doesn't feel like spring outside...and I have yet to retire my winter sweaters, brrr, I still thought it would be fun to ring in the new season.
A few things that I've done to prep so far are as follows:
* To do lists.  I have lists for my lists.  So what?  They keep me organized.
* Pull out items to use for decor...such as solid/pattern paper in my theme color (green) to line platters with.

* Grow wheatgrass in eggs to use as table card holders (to display the names of the tapas on the main dining table).  I visited my local nursery to pick up potting soil + wheatgrass seeds and followed the instructions that I recently posted on my blog a few weeks ago...

And I tested some recipes...including milk chocolate chocolate flowers.  They were delish.

The prep continues this week.  But first comes Passover...stay tuned for some down home Boobie inspired cooking!

Tilapia Tales

I made a delicious dinner tonight...

An open face tilapia sandwich topped with a lettuce slaw + sweet potato fries.  Incredibly easy to make...the meal took me about 20 minutes total.  Here's what I did...

Ingredients - for 2 people:
2 sweet potatoes
2 pcs of fresh tilapia
1 bag shredded lettuce
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
EVOO
1 hero type baguette
salt + pepper

Preheat the oven to 450.  Scrub the dirt off the sweet potatoes and dry well.  Slice into wedges and place onto a baking sheet.  Drizzle EVOO all over and hit the potatoes with a couple good pinches of salt and pepper.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.

In a medium size bowl add your mustard, vinegar, good pinch of salt + pepper and 1/2 cup EVOO and whisk together.  Add the lettuce and mix well.

On a non stick skillet heat a tablespoon of EVOO over medium high heat.  Add salt + pepper to the tilapia and place into the hot skillet.  Saute for 6 to 8 minutes turing once.

Slice the baguette in half and add to the oven to toast up (only needs a few minutes so keep your eye on this).  Top the baguette with the lettuce mixture, tilapia and add a sliced up pickle on the side.  Pile on the fries next to your sammie and enjoy!

Dim Sum, Yum!

I heart Asian cuisine.  Most specifically:  Dim Sum.
My favorite spot in NYC is Dim Sum Go Go located in Chatham Square.  I was craving it this morning when I woke up (often do so on Sundays) and my hubby was going to work for the day so it was just me and LM.  I tried to find a friend to join me but everyone had plans.  So I figured LM and I could just go alone.  After all, the lil guy is my best friend.  We'll find stuff to talk about I'm sure...

As I was packing I thought how can I make this lunch most enjoyable for myself with the lil banchi on my hands?  First things first - seating.  They do not have high chairs at this establishment.  And unfortunately I'm getting to a point where LM doesn't like sitting in high chairs at restaurants anymore.  So, I thought it would make sense to bring a long the portable Phil & Ted's chair that I've got.

What a genius idea.  It's light weight, fits into my diaper bag and is always easy to put on.
I attached it to the table as soon as we sat down and LM went in without making a peep.  He sat there and played with chopsticks patiently while we waited about 8 minutes tops for our food and just shoveled noodles and pork buns in his face for the rest of the meal.  Pretty amazing actually.  I had to pry him out this place...

As for the food - they don't walk around with the push carts but instead there is a menu page on the table with a pencil for you to mark off what dim sum you'd like to eat.  You hand it to the waiter and they bring it all fresh and piping hot, just how I like it.  There's also a full menu with all sorts of noodles, rice, beef, chicken and seafood dishes.  LM and my fave's are:

* Crispy pan fried noodles with beef (off the full menu)

* Chive and shrimp steamed dumplings

* Roast pork buns

* (any flavor - they are all amazing) Rice noodles

* Pork dumplings

Give it a go go...you won't be disappointed!

Dim Sum Go Go

5 East Broadway

New York, NY 10038

(212) 732-0796

10 creative date ideas

A friend of mine just asked me to come up with a list of creative and fun date ideas for him and his wife...so I figured I'd post this list for all of my readers to enjoy since (if I do say so myself) this is a pretty great list!  Here you go...


1.)  Skating and dinner The Standard hotel has opened up a small skating rink!  You can rent skates there, get on the ice and maybe even take a walk along the highline after.  If you can go for sunset would be AWESOME!  Then grab dinner at the Biergarten (they serve beer and sausages) OR make a reservation at the Standard Grill (I’ve eaten there and really enjoyed the food and the scene).
The Standard Ice Rink
848 Washington Street, at West 13th street
212.645.4646
$12 for adults, $6 for children and $3 skate rentals.
On-on-one instructors are $25 for 30 minutes; skates included

2.)   Bowling:  So this doesn’t sound creative at all BUT this Brooklyn Bowl place is supposed to be AMAZING!  They play awesome music while you bowl and the food and drinks that they serve are by Blue Ribbon (Adam and I LOVE this restaurant!!). http://www.brooklynbowl.com/bowl

OR this sounds pretty awesome too!  Deep fried Twinkies...woah!!  HA!!!
Floyd It only takes two to play bocce, and the 40-foot clay court devoted to the Italian version of bowling is the main draw at this vast bourbon bar. Players waiting their turn can sink into antique couches and order the Crap-a-copia (an assorted six-pack of beer, $13) and a spread of Kentucky Beer Cheese and crackers ($4). Or pick up potpies ($11) and deep-fried Twinkies ($3.50) from neighboring Chip Shop (129 Atlantic Ave between Clinton and Henry Sts, Brooklyn Heights; 718-855-7774, chipshopnyc.com). 131 Atlantic Ave between Henry and Clinton Sts, Brooklyn Heights (718-858-5810, floydny.com)

3.)   Cooking class:  So I’ve taken classes at ICE.  It’s AMAZING there but not necessarily romantic...maybe you could call to see if they could do a private cooking class or something?  That would be cool! http://rec.iceculinary.com/

4.)  This place sounds really interesting and romantic! The Bar Next Door at La Lanterna Vittorio (Greenwich Village) Bar / Lounge, Jazz
129 MacDougal St, Basement (btwn W 3rd St & W 4th St), West side of street; 212.529.5945 Notes: Small jazz lounge in the basement of La Lanterna Vittorio, features live jazz sets every night of the week, cozy and intimate space with a small bar, tables for two and banquettes lining the wall, full menu available from the restaurant upstairs, order a dessert and/or some wine and enjoy the music, How to find it: Walk down the stairs in front of La Lanterna to the basement level room, but if there is no access, ask the host/ess inside how to get down there through the restaurant.

5.)   Jimmy Fallon Show – this would be SO COOL!!  Here’s the link for tickets...You need to call and you can try to get tickets for up to one month in advance...I just called to see if I could get tix...they said they are sold out for now but if you call on Monday they will be opening up seats for the second week of May!! http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/about/tickets/

6.)  Bingo - This sounds absolutely hilarious!!  I must go to this place...brilliant idea! Dirty bingo and a late-night bistro Erect penises and the big O aren’t fodder for winning patterns at most church-basement gambling parlors. Too bad for them: At Provençal restaurant Paradou’s Dirty Bingo soirée (8 Little W 12th St between Ninth and Tenth Aves; 212-463-8345; Tue 23 8pm, $4 per game), these racy variations—along with saucy prizes from high-end erotica boutique Kiki de Montparnasse—spice up the lucky-balls pastime. Pairs of cards run $4 per game, while $5 champagne-cocktail specials ensure that you won’t blow your wad too early. A late-night supper awaits at Gansevoort 69 (69 Gansevoort St between Greenwich and Washington Sts; 212-989-5779), a street away. Chow down on the bistro-comfort food like mac & cheese ($9) or the seared Tuna LT sandwich ($13).

7.)   Comedy show – Adam and I sometimes go to the shows at this place and LOVE it!  The comedians are hysterical!  You could go to Minetta Tavern for dinner before or after...a VERY cool spot right down the street.  You need a res for both places... http://www.comedycellar.com/
http://www.minettatavernny.com/

8.)  I kinda love the dance idea even though she already suggested it...so manybe you could make it totally funky like this idea...off the walk – sounds so fun! Tango and Pakistani food We could go on about how tango inspires la pasión in the unlikeliest of folks, but we all know it’s true. For an eve packed with serious cheek-to-cheek action, try Lafayette Grill & Bar’s Monday night sessions (54–56 Franklin St between Broadway and Lafayette St; 212-732-5600, lafayettegrillandbar.net; 7pm–1am, $10), which include an hour-long beginner’s lesson and four-and-a-half hours of deejayed tunes. After your Buenos Aires–style hoedown, cool your heels at subcontinental spot Pakistan Tea House (176 Church St between Duane and Reade Sts; 212-240-9800) five streets away. Though it’s only a counter and a smattering of tables, it’s a must for foodies. Display your culinary prowess by asking for mango lassis ($6), baked-to-order naan ($2 for two pieces) and chicken curry ($14 for two). Then linger over paper cups of chai ($2 for two) and rasmulai ($5 for two)—a milky cheese pudding—before further astonishing your sweetie by easily conjuring up a cab.

9.)  As for the boat idea...this sounds like a GREAT way to go! Grey Dog’s Coffee and Downtown Boathouse Breakfast is to morning as protection is to sex: You wouldn’t dare get going without it, would you? Jump-start an early date with brunch in the West Village at the cozy Grey Dog’s Coffee (90 University Pl between 11th and 12th Sts; 212-414-4739, thegreydog.com). Carbo-load to your heart’s content with the bagel-and-lox platter ($10.95) or the challah French toast served with fresh fruit ($9.75). Avoid slipping into a food coma by walking to the Downtown Boathouse at Pier 40 (hudsonriverpark.org) and becoming one with the Hudson—and your date—in a kayak. The aqua-loving staff offers free paddling tutorials (complete with paddles and boat). If you’re lucky, you can convince them to hum the Love Boat theme as you and your date drift away.

10.)  Mini golf – this sounds super cute! Mini golf and a beer garden on Randalls Island If you want a typical summer date in the city, you can hit up an outdoor concert or take in a rooftop movie, but more-daring daters should head to Randalls Island (hear us out before you laugh). Walk across the footbridge from East 103rd Street to the Golf Center (1 Randalls Island; 212-427-5689, randallsislandgolfcenter.com), where you can putt-putt around for only $6 per game. The course is tougher than it looks—with rock caves and nearly impossible angles—so bring your A-game. You’ll have worked up an appetite (golf really is a sport!), so refuel with lager and burgers (just $13 for both) at the Beer Garden and Bar. The nearby batting cages provide a free snack-time show as patrons take their best shots. It’s a date straight out of suburbia, without the tunnel traffic.



*Note I turned to Time Out New York online for several of these ideas.  A great resource for what to do, where to eat, etc., in New York City!

Date weekend ~ mormon eatz

I'm a big fan of broadway.  But I mostly enjoy musicals.  This Saturday night my husband and I went to see the Book of Mormon on Broadway.  Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) together with one of the dudes who put together Avenue Q - this play did not disappoint.  I laughed through the entire show.  The storyline was brilliant and the content was tolerably offensive.  I was thoroughly impressed by the writing, singing and casting.  The actors in this show were outstanding.

PRE-show my hubby and I grabbed a bite for dinner at Social Eatz.  Angelo (we love Top Chef) Sosa's new restaurant up in Midtown.  I was so excited to try this place.  He's a laid back chef who likes to use a lot of flavor in his food and that's exactly what we found in the dishes we ordered.  An American menu with Asian flavors.  It was brilliant, actually.  My hubby and I shared all of the appetizers (listed in our ranked order of fave to least fave):
1.)  Crispy Spring Rolls (with home made plum sauce - omg.)
2.)  Smoked ribs
3.)  Hot wings
We also had 2 tacos:
1.)  Chili kissed tilapia
2.)  Korean beef taco
I could rave about the food all night long and I cannot wait to go back to try the rest of the dishes here.  I literally had to ask the waitress for a menu half way through our meal just so I could study it and decide what I want to order the next time I go back...
I will be honest though, and tell you a few things that I noticed.  The service was not great.  The staff seemed nervous for some reason, and they have been unable to get their liquor license (expected 4/9).   They had two large TV's which is great for watching games but they gave us a hard time about putting the College basketball games on during a march madness finals series.   This was touch and go for the people sitting next to us (we got there at 6:30 on Saturday and had to eat at the bar - they do not take reservations) who also had to send back their french fries because they were cold...
But seriously - I still want to eat here again.  The tasty and beautiful food won me over!


Social Eatz
232 E 53rd Street (between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
212-207-3339

Smiling at the Smile

It was a beautifully sunny morning today.  Unfortunately, winter has not fully left us yet and there was a deep chill in the air.  But we had to get out so after a stroll through Washington Park we started walking over to the Bowery for some lunch.  We planned on going to Peels for a bite with LM but when we arrived there was a monster line outside for some sample sale going on next door and as a result the restaurant was packed.  So we dodged the crowd and kept walking.  Last night our friends told us about a spot called The Smile.  Since we turned onto Bond Street this placed popped into my head as it was right on the block that we were walking along...

A steep set of stairs made it slightly hard to get our beast of a stroller down but since there were two of us we managed just fine.  We walked in and were greeted by a friendly staff, cozy and rustic atmosphere and warmth which was so nice coming in from the cold outside...

The menu was different.  No simple eggs and bacon but instead a showcase of sammies, baked eggs and salads.  Really nice change from the usual brunch items we normally see.  My hubby went with the smoked salmon platter and I had baked eggs with crushed tomatoes, manchego and avocado.  I also got a baguette with brie and fig jam (which was a total eyes bigger then my stomach type order).  LM couldn't have been happier.  He ate everything.  And I mean everything that we ordered.  Never without a baguette slice in his hand, he gobbled up a full piece of salmon (including capers!!) and was all over the baked eggs.  What kind of kid eats this sort of food?  Unreal.  He didn't move for the whole meal because he didn't want to miss a bite.  I highly recommend this place for a weekend brunch or midday lunch.  I suspect their dinner is also wonderful.  This place was a great find.

The Smile

26 Bond St # 1
New York, NY 10012-2491
(646) 329-5836