Shinbashi

Lunch in midtown usually comes in a bag and is eaten at my desk in front of my computer screen. My coworkers often ask me why I don't leave the office and the answer is usually because its just more convenient to eat at my desk and continue working. But every once in a while I will treat myself to an actual lunch hour. And when those occasions come up, I try to make the effort and spend that time outdoors if possible.

Last Friday was one of those glorious days - perfect weather, outdoor seating, great company, and delicious food. Shinbashi is a little gem in the middle of crowded midtown. When spring comes around, all the restaurants in the city that have the sidewalk space bring out chairs and tables. The insides of their restaurants clear out and the patios are packed to capacity as New Yorkers try to get as much sun as they can in the few warm months we have.

  Ladies' Set Lunch

Dahsi Kabocha Pumpkin, Charshu, Random Avocado Concoction on a Ritz Cracker?

Chawanmushi

 

Mini Chirashi

Philly in a day... Photo Essay

Reading Terminal Market

Dutching Eating Place's Apple Turn Over

Dutch Eating Place's Open Face Turkey Sandwich

Dinic's Oven Roasted Pork

Dinic's Pulled Pork Sandwich with Broccoli Rabe

Independence Hall

 Liberty Bell

Frozen yogurt on a cold day

 Jim's Philly Cheesesteak

 

Townhall

Hunger Games - Noodles in Green Sauce

How perfect that it is St Patrick's Day weekend because my next Hunger Games recipe is from the same meal as the paper thin beef carpaccio, noodles in GREEN SAUCE!

"The servers, all young people dressed in white tunics like the one who gave us wine, move wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the platters and glasses full. About halfway through my glass of wine, [Katniss] head starts feeling foggy, so [she] changes to water instead." Well let me tell you something, I will NOT be changing to water this weekend. And hopefully there will be young hot people dressed in GREEN keeping my glass full.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup onion, finely diced
3 cups milk
10 oz. frozen spinach
1/2 lb pasta
salt & pepper


Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Follow directions on package; cook until pasta is al dente.


Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Put onions in with butter and sweat them for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour to the pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes. 

Whisk in 2 cups of the milk slowly. I use skim milk to keep it a little healthier but any milk you have on hand will do. Simmer for 5 minutes while the sauce thickens. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add the frozen spinach to the sauce and stir together. Simmer for another 5 minutes until everything is well combined and the sauce takes on a green hue. Stir in remaining last cup of milk until the sauce thins out a bit and reaches desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. 

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Toss together and give the pasta a few minutes before serving.

Stuffed Zucchini

When things come into season and produce is really cheap at the supermarket I can't help myself. A trait I inherited from my mother, if it's on sale and fresh, buy it! However, it can lead to an overstuffed refrigerator and ten pounds of zucchini that needs to be consumed.

When you have too much of an ingredient, that ingredient needs to become the main component of a meal, as to use as much of it as possible. Luckily, I love zucchini so I made delicious stuffed zucchini boats and had it for dinner and lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

4 zucchinis
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Italian parsley
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the zucchini length-wise and scoop the inside out of the halves. Chop the flesh of the zucchini into similar sized pieces like the onions and tomatoes.

Heat the skillet over high heat. Put oil into the pan. Add the chopped zucchini, onions and garlic in with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper while letting the vegetables soften. After 5 minutes, the onions start to look translucent; add tomatoes to the pan and cook for a few more minutes.

Line an oven safe sheet pan with aluminum foil and place emptied zucchini halves onto the baking sheet. Fill the zucchini boats with the zucchini, onion & tomatoes. Stir together the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley in a bowl and top the zucchini halves with the mixture.

Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve with a side salad for a light meal or add a pasta or protein for a more filling dinner.

Endive Lettuce Cups

Light lunch and bored of the same thing over and over and over...? Me too. So for lunch today I decided to class it up with endive lettuce and goat cheese. A quick pop over to the corner bodega to pick up some supplies from their salad bar and I had myself a nice little lunch that my co-workers will give me grief about for the next week probably. But who cares because it was delish!

Ingredients:

12 leaves endive lettuce
2 oz goat cheese
1 cup assorted prepared salads
1 tablespoon hot sauce (everything is better spicy)

Directions:

Cut the end off head of endive and separate leaves onto a plate. Smear a dollop of goat cheese on each leaf. Top with the different salads you pick up that day. Drizzle a little hot sauce or leave on the side as a dip and enjoy a quick and healthy lunch.

Long Island Wine Tour

As mentioned in an earlier post, I went to the North Fork of Long Island this past weekend for a wine tasting tour. Our group of 11 friends had a fantastic time but of course it was not without a little stress, excitement, and drunken shenanigans.

We got a great deal for the tour, their winter special is $75 for a group of 6 or more. The tour included limo transportation for the day, a stocked bar in the limo, tasting costs at all vineyards, and lunch in the middle of the day.

Pindar Winery (not the clearest picture but a very good cabernet franc)

We took a train from the city into Long Island and a 14-seat white surburban limo picked us up at the Ronkonkoma train station. Of course three of the 11 people missed their morning train so we had to wait an hour for them to catch up with us but luckily the limo was stocked with enough alcohol to keep us entertained while we waited.

also not the clearest picture but the only one of the group

After 3 wineries and a return trip to our favorite vineyard, the day ended with us back at Ronkonkoma station at 5:30 homeward bound. Everyone was exhausted but it was well worth waking up early on a Sunday morning.

Margon Restaurant

There are more than 20,000 restaurants in New York City. Some are really great; they usually come with a hefty price tag. That doesn't always have to be the case.  If you look carefully, there are great places to eat in New York all the time. Times Square is not a neighborhood synonymous with good food. It's filled with the usually chain restaurants and tourist traps that we try to avoid. But tucked away mere meters away from the hustle and bustle of Broadway and the glowing lights and crowded sidewalks of Times Square is Margon.

Margon Restaurant on 46th St between 6th and 7th Avenues

This tiny Cuban restaurant caters to the lunchtime rush. The fast service and low prices has no influence on the food. Their flavorful daily specials and amazing sandwiches are a testament to their continual effort to produce great affordable food for the fast-paced New York lunch crowd. I had the Cubano during my visit and could not have been more happy or satisfied. The ham was salty goodnes, the juicy roasted pork was perfectly complemented with the melted Swiss cheese and the sour crunch of the pickles. I've had a few cuban sandwiches in my time and Margon's easily tops the list.

Margon's Cubano Sandwich ($5.50)