Almond Flour

This post piggybacks on my last post about almond bars. It's just another way to use that leftover pulp, and it's just as easy, if not, easier. Take the pulp and spread it thinly in a baking dish or cookie sheet. Turn your oven on as low as it goes. Put the dish with the almond paste in the oven and don't remove until the paste turns dry from dehydrating. This takes several hours. Next, put the dehydrated almond pulp into a food processor and grind until you have a fine flour. So simple.

Frozen Almond Bars

What does one do at 2:30 in the morning when one should be sleeping, and preparing for the soon to come adventures of a busy toddler? Write, of course. Here goes. So, I am constantly making things that I find so simple I deem not worthy of writing down. These are, however, the same things that completely vanish from memory after the fact, until something like Timehop brings it back into consciousness. This time, I decided to write a couple down. We will begin with the frozen almond bars. Since my afore mentioned toddler loves almond milk, I have become obsessed with providing her the freshest, most nutritious version possible. Enter Soyajoy G4. Let me start by professing my undying love for this newly acquired contraption. I could write pages describing all of its wonderful attributes, but this is a post on almond bars, not my beloved Soyajoy, so I will refrain. Anyway, the procedure of creating almond milk leaves you with two things in the end, the milk and the pulp. In seeking to find ways to make use of this pulp, which I'm certain is still full of nutrients, I have googled and googled and finally have come up with my own version of almond bars....the simplest version possible. So simple, I doubt it could actually be classified as a recipe. You'll see. Take the leftover almond pulp and mix it with almond butter until it forms a sticky, not runny texture. Spread into a baking dish, making it about half an inch thick, sprinkle with pink Himalayan sea salt, cover and freeze. Once frozen, cut into small bars and put back into a storage container in the freezer to pull out whenever you crave a bite of pure awesomeness. Of course, you can switch it up by adding mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, the options are endless. However, I had just returned from a much needed vacation to South Beach and almond pulp and almond butter were pretty much the only things left in my kitchen at that time. Yes, that is seriously it. See? That is precisely why I never write these things down. Now I have. You're welcome.

Whole Wheat Almond Butter Pancakes

So....a bit of a different take on the ol' blog today. Since becoming a mom, and now newly a stay at home mom, I spend much more time in the kitchen than in restaurants, much to my dismay. So...in lemons to lemonade style, I decided to save myself from my daily afternoon pull my hair out stuck in the apartment winter boredom, and start listing my triumphant, kid friendly, kid tested recipes on this site....mostly, so I wont forget in my mom fog. It is still about food, after all. Here we go... Whole Wheat Almond Butter Pancakes.. not being much of a baker, I went online and googled a few different recipes, and created this one solely based on what I happened to have in my kitchen at the present moment, since it is snowing and 23 degrees outside right now...aka...no way in hell I am going outside, or even getting out of my pajamas for that matter. Here is what you need for about a dozen silver dollar sized pancakes: 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons of raw sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of almond butter 3/4 cup of almond milk, Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil, and a nonstick pan/skillet. Warm up the almond butter enough to make it easy to mix, then combine everything and drop circles onto a coconut oil greased heated nonstick pan or skillet. When the pancakes start to bubble, flip them over until they are golden brown. Easy peasy. My toddler just ate five of these....FIVE! Seal of approval.

Bowery Bay

10-33 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, NY 718-721-1933 I love this place so much I’m almost afraid to write about it and risk not being able to get a table whenever I want to, and containing my excitement over the fact that it is in walking distance from my apartment is near impossible. Alas, it seems selfish to keep it to myself, so here you go. I’ve been here several times, for brunch, for drinks, late dinner, early dinner, with a baby, without a baby…..every time it is great. It’s good for couples, good for families, good for drinks with friends, anything. The atmosphere is cozy and unpretentious, small, but perfect….has a real neighborhood feeling to it. I want it to be my new “Cheers”. I want to be Norman at the bar every night. Ok, my alcoholic dreams aside, this place has truly terrific food. Jacques Pepin said the test of a good chef is being able to cook a chicken properly. I figure this man knows what he’s talking about, so last night I had the “Chicken Under Brick”. I woke up thinking about it this morning. I am not kidding…..wondering if, by chance, I brought home leftovers, and just forgot. No such luck. Here’s the thing, I don’t really even like chicken that much. It’s my least favorite meat. I don’t think I have ever ordered it in a restaurant, like ever, but when I saw the description…..”hearts of romaine, soft boiled egg, lemon crème, stilton bleu cheese, anchovy croutons, I was compelled, and order the chicken, I did!

It fell off the bone- so moist! The various flavors complimented each other perfectly. It was like a chicken Caesar salad with a giant upgrade. I might go back and order it again tonight. Yeah, I so am. Ok, now let me tell you about a dish that should be called” Bowery Bay crack”. This was on their menu in their last life as Bistro 33, and when they reincarnated, they tried to remove it from the menu, but there was so much demand for it, they had to put it back. See? Crack. It’s the Lobster Mac and cheese……Maine lobster, fontina, gruyere, mozzarella, white truffle oil. You’re drooling. I know it. You should be. It’s manna from heaven. It might make me believe in god, it’s that good.

This food goes down great with their cocktails. I am the absolute pickiest person when it comes to my festive beverages, so much so, that I rarely order anything but a classic or dirty martini, because almost every time I muster up the strength to expand my horizons, I am disappointed. Drinks are either too weak, too sugary, or made with less than fantastic ingredients, aka premixes. Who drinks these things? They appeal to the palate of a toddler, and a toddler I am not. I heard a rumor that this place was one of the only places serving Queens Courage gin that is made right here in Astoria. Wanting to support local businesses, I decided to give it a try. Yeah, that’s why. I’m glad I did. I am now in search of this gin, so I can procure it for my home sipping pleasure. Let me know if you find it.

I tried the Local G&T, North Beach Pimms Cup and the Queens Triforce, for research purposes, of course, and you know, support. The local G&T and the Pimms Cup are light and refreshing, where the Queens Triforce is a pretty beverage, great for sipping. They have a variety of beer, too. Although, I can’t speak to that, not being much of a beer drinker myself. I heard the Dreamweaver was like a hefferveisen.

Ok, so, I didn’t get to the dessert menu, because, well, there was that cocktail research, but I think I’ve given you enough reasons to give this place a visit. If that’s not enough, they also have random movies showing every Wednesday night. Last night they showed “The Princess Bride”. So, check this place out, just make sure you leave me a seat at the bar.

Nuela

Nuela
43 W 24th Street
(Flatiron)
212-929-1200
www.nuelany.com

I discovered this nuevo Latino restaurant, Nuela, through my current addiction, the sales site, Bloomspot. I checked it out online and the menu looked like it had potential, and the photos of the space looked chic, modern and fun, so I took a chance and went for it. I was a little nervous when I went online to read the reviews the day I had scheduled my reservations, though, because people kept saying the portions were tiny, and that it was very overpriced. I already bought the voucher, so I was stuck. Too late now, so off to Nuela I did go. I don't know what they were talking about! Those reviewers must be the same people who are used to super sizing fast food....cheap, fat, overfed Americans. I thought the prices were reasonable and portion size was perfect. I was actually able to eat my entire meal and not feel like an overstuffed turkey the day before Thanksgiving, and the food was amazing! First, they brought out this delicious bread with honey butter...a nice twist. I'm not a bread lover. I usually take a bite, just for the sake of trying it and then leave the rest, but this bread I kept on eating and even accepted a second basket! For my entree, I ordered the Churrasco, since I was in quite a carnivorous mood, and have been in a passionate affair with chimichurri sauce for the last three years, (when we were first introduced). And if I wasn't already convinced that this dish was meant for me, all I needed to see is that it came with a side of yucca hashbrowns. Hashbrowns.....yes! Mmmmmmm...... When my food came, I expected it to be good, but it was better than that. It was exceptional! My steak was cooked perfectly, and "perfect" is the highest compliment I can give. There was absolutely nothing I would've changed about this entire meal. I couldn't tweak it in any way if I tried. I loved it! Loved! The decor was as it looked on the website, too....fun, modern...energetic...all in all, a good vibe, not cheesey and not too formal...very nicely done. I even started looking at the way they draped the orange cloth they used in their design and wondered "Hmmm....how can I incorporate this into my Manhattan apartment?" The bar looked comfy and inviting...next time, (yes, I'm going back), I'm gonna sit there. Even the bathrooms are cool...downstairs, dimly lit and sexy, coed with no attendant....do you catch my drift? Yeah...you can be naughty. Anyway....I recommend checking out Nuela....great place for a date!

Dinner prices:
Appetizers- $12-14
Entrees- $22-30
Dessert- $7-9

Dulce Vida Cafe

August 11th-

Dulce Vida Cafe
1219 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10028
212-535-2424
www.dulcevidacafe.com

So......I've recently discovered a few things....Colombian food, and a little Colombian restaurant that recently opened up on the Upper East Side down the street from where I work every Friday. I've been asking myself, "Self, how is it that you claim to be a lover a food....a self declared foodie, in fact, and yet you haven't ever tried, or even thought about Colombian cuisine ever in your life?" This just seems almost impossible to me now, and way too Caucasian of me. It's almost as if the universe has been purposely keeping it from me. Well.....in the dark, I no longer reside. The secret has been revealed, and now I even have a regular spot in which to indulge my new found obsession. And no, obsession is not an exaggeration, for I have dedicated my lunch each and every Friday to trying something different on the menu of my new eating hole, and have even taken hostages (my coworkers) into this obsession with me. I insist we ALL throw ourselves into this mission with wild abandon. How could I possibly let my poor coworkers suffer the fate that befell upon me all these years in missing out on these delicious morsels? I could not.

Now that I've caught you up, let me tell you exactly what this restaurant is all about:

Arepas- Heavenly little round bread-like things that look like thick tortillas, but are much more delicious....get the one with the melted cheese in the middle called arepa de choclo rellena de queso. Those are by far the best type of arepas that have graced my lips so far.

Empenadas- Chicken, cheese and beef....you can't lose

Arroz con Pollo- Chicken in seasoned rice with vegetables...tasty and very filling

Ropa Vieja- Shredded beef on an arepa....this was a little dry...needed a sauce

Sancocho- The most delicious soup ever...chicken, corn on the cob, potatoes, yuca and plantains....tastes so homemade like your grandmother made it with love. I really like that they put cilantro in it. I think it makes the dish...gives it
more complexity of flavor. This is, of course, served with rice.

Ajiaco- Another soup, but different from sancocho. There is no cilantro, but a little cream and capers instead and avocado. Otherwise it tastes the same.

They also have a wide array of desserts, (guava pastries, cokitos, mojicones, obleas, achiras, bochadillos, brevas, flan, arroz con leche, tres leche, bunuelos), but a sweet tooth I do not possess, so I cannot personally vouch for them, although I heard they were also quite good. The only exception to this is the bread pudding (pudin de pan), which they gave me a sample of. That was moist and quite tasty.

The cafe is a tiny little place, very clean and brand new looking filled with a very friendly staff who now call me "Friday" (see first paragraph regarding my obsessive tendencies).

Writing this has made me hungry and I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. You know where to find me!

Meat and Potato Soup

Yes, I am trying to simultaneously avoid going to the grocery store and clean out the fridge. And Dad, I'm sorry, but this is way better than pulling out all of the leftovers in the fridge and showing us the microwave. The whole idea came from reading Mike's Facebook post about the delicious soup he was eating. I wanted some, and was going to pretend this was it.

So, here's who was sitting on the bench. (Did some of you just fall over now because I used a sports reference? I did play basketball in school. What still on the floor? I wasn't very good....ok....now you feel the earth readjusted, right?) Ok, enough of the chit chat. Back to the ingredients:

Merguez (sausage)
Onion
Garlic
Chicken stock
Potato gnocchi
Bok choy
White wine
Salt
Black pepper
Thyme
Oregano
Olive oil

If you ever read the recipes on my blog by now, you know the drill. Saute the onions in olive oil first. Next, add the merguez. I probably should have cooked these in separate pans, but if I wasn't in the mood to go to the store, I certainly wasn't in the mood to wash a bunch of dishes later. When the merguez is almost cooked, add the garlic. A minute after you throw in the garlic, put in the chicken stock, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, gnocchi and white wine. When the gnocchi is cooked, add the chopped up bok choy (in appealing looking pieces, not massacred), cover for a few minutes, just enough for it to wilt a little and serve.

It looked really pretty in a big white bowl, and tasted delicious!