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.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce

Most people like their spaghetti with normal marinara sauce... tomatoes stewed into a thick sauce with some basil for aromatics and carrots for sweetness. I personally like my sauce with a little more KICK! My go-to sauce for pasta would definitely have to be the fiery spice of arrabiata sauce. This easy sauce can be made with things in most pantries for a quick and easy meal.

According to wikipedia, arrabbiata (the Italian word for angry) is a Roman sauce of garlic, tomatoes, and red chili cooked in olive oil. Basil is sometimes used, although the majority of chefs in Italy do not use basil for this recipe. The dish is usually served with pasta and chopped fresh parsley sprinkled on top. That's how I like! SPICY!



Ingredients:

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 large can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:

Put a pot of water on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and infuse the oil with those flavors for 2 minutes. Watch carefully to not burn garlic or you have to start over. Add onions to the oil mixture and soften for about 5 minutes. Hand crush the whole tomatoes into the pot along with all the juices; this gives the sauce better texture.

Allow the sauce to simmer while preparing the pasta. Salt the pasta water and throw the whole wheat spaghetti. After the spaghetti is al dente (about 10-11 minutes for whole wheat), add pasta to the sauce pot.

Toss the pasta in with the sauce and turn of heat. Give the pasta a few minutes in the sauce and allow it to absorb the flavors of the sauce. (This would be a good time to prepare a salad to accompany pasta.) When ready to serve. Top the sauce pasta with parsley and give it one last toss before plating.

Twist the pasta with serving fork and place a heap of spaghetti on each plate. Top with a little extra sauce and sprinkle Parmesan  cheese over the dish for a extra richness and flavor.

Ippudo

Ippudo. Momofuku. The rivalry between these two restaurants is legendary. Whenever you talk to someone in New York City about ramen, one of these restaurants will be mentioned. We got to Ippudo ten minutes before they opened and there was already a line of people waiting outside. My expectations at that point went up 100% because if people are willing to wait outside a restaurant on a freezing Sunday morning hours before the Superbowl (when the NY Giants are actually playing in) it must be pretty freaking good.I knew this place was popular but I had no idea the hype around Ippudo vs Momofuku was so intense. I swear I even got a couple side glances when I asked my friend if Momofuku was better.

 Hitari Pork Buns

Shiromaru Chaschu Ramen

I thought the pork buns were phenomenal! Thick juicy pork belly slices with crisp lettuce and spicy mayo. The ramen soup was nice and savory without being overly salty (a common downfall with ramen broth). My friend's spicy soup was a little more to my taste and her noodles were normal thickness. I orderedAkamaru Modern had thinner noodles. Not my favorite but still good. The main reason I decided on this bowl of ramen was their signature "Umami Dama" paste they top the bowl with. It was a cross between miso and chinese bean paste. An additional seasoned soft bowled egg made this a pretty tasty bowl of soup noodles.

 

"Umami Dama" paste & soft-boiled egg

 

 Akamaru Modern Ramen

Now I just have to try Momofuku (post to follow soon) and finally put this rivalry to rest. :)

Italian Meatballs

What comes to mind when you think comfort food? Mashed potatoes. Meatloaf. Fried chicken. Mac n' cheese. And of course the Italian comfort food, spaghetti and meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef/veal
1 egg
1 tablespoon whole milk/cream
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon lukewarm water (optional)
2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put egg and cream into a mixing bowl. Beat the egg and cream together lightly and mix in the onions, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt & pepper. Add the beef into the bowl and fold together until the ingredients look evenly dispersed. Try not to overwork the meat.

Fold in the panko breadcrumbs and add the lukewarm water if the mixture looks dry or overly tight.  Form the meatballs with your hand to the size of your liking. Coat the bottom of a baking sheet and the meatballs with the olive oil and place in the oven for 35-45 minutes (depending on size of meatballs).

Remove from the oven and finish cooking in your tomato sauce for 5 minutes and serve over pasta.

One if by Land, Two if by Sea - Restaurant Week

Behold! Another restaurant week adventure! My goal for this restaurant week season was to go somewhere every week. Though is wasn't properly spaced out, I did get to go to four restaurants that were participating in this winter's restaurant week. Though I was really excited for Cafe Boulud, I have heard so many good things about One if by Land; I was glad to finally have the chance to go.

Many have said that One if by Land is the most romantic restaurant in New York City, I'm not a fan of absolutes but I will say that it was very comfortable and their candlelit tables gave the meal a certain ambiance. The room was mostly tables of two, though there were a few larger tables that came to enjoy restaurant week in a group. Since Sarah and I both had lighter entrees we paired our meal with a great German white wine. Riesling-Kabinett is a dryer version of a typically sweet wine. It was really delicious and went wonderfully with our food. Slam Dunk! 

Prinzsalm Riesling-Kabinett 2007

 Amuse Bouche - Aerated Celery Root Puree topped with Green Apple and Champagne Vinegar Meringue

 Honey-Jalapeno Butter & Roasted Red Pepper Butter for bread

Roasted Bartlett Pear with Maytag Blue Cheese, Endive & ‘Trail Mix’

 Chestnut Tagliatelle with Venison Ragout & Pecorino Ginepro

 Hake in Japanese Pine Broth, Shitake Mushrooms, Ginger Sticky Rice & a (perfectly) Steamed Egg

 Beech Mushroom Risotto with Castelmagno, Superfino Carnarolli & Chervil Oil

 Maple Ice Cream Sundae with Caramel Popcorn, Bacon-Infused Chocolate Sauce & Candied Bacon

 Complimentary Petits Fours at the end of our meal

Normally a meal at this restaurant would run you $80 dollars and though the restaurant week menu is more limited than the normal prix-fixe menu, the options were still delicious and I was completely satisfied (if not stuffed) by the end of dinner.

Armani Ristorante - Photo Essay

Last week I was fortunate enough to go with my friend Will to a menu tasting of the new chef at Armani Ristorante. This beautiful restaurant is located 2 floors above the Armani store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. The Italian chef, raised and trained in Italy, has been at the restaurant for only eight months. His menu is full of bold rich flavors and delicious pastas. There were many things we wanted to try on the menu and the chef graciously opened his kitchen and allowed us to order whatever we wanted. If you are willing to splurge a little bit for clean but robust flavors in modern Italian food, Armani Ristorante should be considered on that list.

   Amuse Bouche - Raw Langoustine topped with Asian Pear & Caviar

 Il Fegato Grasso D'Oca Giovane - Chilled Foie Gras, Red Beet & Pear Salad, 92' Port Wine Reduction

 Capesante Scottate - Sauteed Sea Scallops, 'Thousand Layer' Potatoes & Black Norcia Truffles

 Crudita Di Mare (Left to Right) - Poached Langoustine, Red Beet & Orange Marinated Wild Branzino Carpaccio, Fresh Oyster, White Sturgeon Caviar, Grilled Octopus, Blue Fin Tuna Tartar

 Tartar Di Manzo - Beef Tartar with Finely Diced Vegetables, Caper Berries, Parmigiano and Baby Artichoke Salad

 Agnolotti - Duck and Foie Gras filled Pasta in Sage-flavored white butter sauce (half portion)

Risotto All'Imperiale - Risotto with King Crab Meat and Brandy Reduction (half portion)

 Variazione D'Anatra - Duck Two Ways, Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Sicilian Orange Reduction, Confit Duck Leg with Acacia Honey Potato Fondant

I Bomboloni - Italian Doughnuts with Vanilla Red Currant Ice Cream

Harvest on Fort Pond

Now that the holidays are over.. I'm already thinking about summer. Last summer I had a fabulously relaxing weekend in Montauk just past the Hamptons in Long Island. Highlight of the trip... Harvest on Fort Pond.

My friend and I shared an early dinner on their outdoor patio and watched the sunset across the pond. With a few drinks and a massive plate of  penne with sautéed asparagus, mushrooms and a creamy mascarpone cheese sauce. They serve large sharing portions and the pasta was more than enough to fill us up. The pasta was cooked just al dente and the cream sauce was not overly heavy. Very nicely balanced and the asparagus and tomatoes were fresh and crisp.

A light refreshing platter of food to go with our blueberry mojitos and spiked lemonades. To add to the charm, the cocktails were served in mason jars.

It's hard to complain when you have a spread of delicious food in front of you and a view to match. Luckily I won't have to wait too long before heading to Long Island. This weekend I'll be heading to Long Island. With a group of friends in tow, we are going wine tasting on the North Fork of Long Island. Hopefully the cold weather won't put a damper on the trip. Knowing my friends, it will be a blast regardless.