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!

Onion Soup

So, my throat was starting to hurt. I was tired, and all I wanted was soup. Unshowered and not wanting to leave the house, I immediately rummage through the kitchen to see what I can find. Frozen beef stock, half an onion, one drop of olive oil, garlic, a tiny bit of shredded Parmesan cheese and half of a bottle of red wine. Yup, that'll do.

So you've got the ingredients already. Chop up the onion into tiny pieces, and saute them in olive oil until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add beef stock and a drop of red wine, salt and simmer.

Spoon into a bowl and top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Not bad for cooking from what's left in the kitchen!

Pulino's

282 Bowery
NY NY 10012
212-226-1966
(Lower East Side)
From Times Square, take the Downtown F train and get off at 2nd Ave., exit near the intersection of E Houston St. and 2nd Ave, and go west on E Houston, then turn left onto Bowery....about 25 minutes.

September 3rd-

So I was watching TV one day, and happened upon a story about a pizza place called Pulino’s. Ok, another pizza place, yeah, yeah. They’re all the same in New York, all thin crusted, and all claiming they are indeed the best, or the first, or some other claim to fame. I wasn’t too hopeful, but then, they started showing me things like breakfast pizza. Yes, breakfast pizza......and I don't mean the cold slab you pull out of the fridge the morning after. I was intrigued. At my first opportunity, I was there. I wanted to experience this first hand. After all Nate Appleman is the chef, and he is supposed to be oh so fabulous. I decided to give him a chance. Why not?

We get there and are greeted by friendly staff, and taken into a very bistro looking dining room, airy, with tiled walls and a high tin ceiling. It has the same kind of feel as Schiller's or Pastis, which I personally like. It's pretty full for being 2:30 on a Friday afternoon. Maybe everyone else saw the show on TV, too?

As we peruse the menu, we see some of what is so unique about this place in particular......the creative combination of upscale, gourmet toppings. They list toppings which include things like grana, pork strutto, pickled chiles, pancetta, smoked ricotta and prosciutto. This is pizza for foodies. Yeah! I'm in the right place. They have various combinations already laid out for you to choose from, or you can customize your own. We decided to start with one of their suggestions and tweak it. We ordered the prosciutto and arugula pizza with mozzarella, pecorino and garlic, and added tomato sauce and an egg. I mean, it was, in fact, the breakfast pizza that had drawn me in here in the first place. You didn't think I would go home without trying an egg on my pizza, did you?

They did have other things on the menu besides pizza. There are several versions of bruschetta, some salads and even a cheeseburger, but the pizza definitely takes center stage. By the way, there is no better compliment to pizza than sparkling wine. They have this, and actually also possess quite a unique, fun, cocktail menu with drinks called the Aranciata Amara, an Aperol and vodka concoction, and the Journalist, which is gin based. Maybe I will try these next time when I come back for dinner.

I have to say, I very much enjoyed my lunch at Pulino's. It was more than a meal, it was an experience, and that is always what I am in search of.

Fennel and Orange Salad

It couldn't get any easier and any more refreshing than this! Now, really, you should eat local, but in the heat of the summer, when it feels like the Tropics, I think an occasional orange here and there is just fine.

Ingredients-
I Fennel bulb
1 Orange
Organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Chop off the ends of the fennel bulb and discard. (If you bought one with the fronds still attached, you can keep those for later.) Chop fennel into long, think slices and put in a bowl. Now, take your orange and cut the round tips off of both sides(where the stem attaches). Now you can sit your orange up and it won't roll around. Carefully trim off all of the outside. Don't leave any of the white pith on the orange. Then, slice around the middle, so you just have this square "core" remaining. Squeeze the juice from the core into the bowl and discard. (It will be full of pith.) Take the remaining juicy orange segments and slice thinly. Add to the fennel. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and combine. This salad actually benefits from a few minutes of marinating before you serve it. The anisey crunch of the fennel, the juicy sweet orange, the richness or the olive oil and the bite of the pepper together create a wonderful combination- yum!

Fresh Summer Salsa

I know tomatoes are nightshades and all, but I love them so! Ok, I am not talking about the reddish round things you find in the supermarket in the middle of January that they call tomatoes. No! Those are a depressing travesty! They have no taste whatsoever, and barely any nutrients, either. You may as well eat rubber. I am talking about heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market....or better yet....your own garden in August! My favorite are Brandywines....Black Brandywines especially. If you can get your paws on some of these....do! They are really great for things like tomato, basil and mozzarella salads or anything that you want a nice, juicy, gorgeous slice of tomato. Last weekend at the farmers market I found some beautiful grape and cherry tomatoes in all colors....red, orange, pink with green stripes....so fantastic! One of the things I like to do in the summer is make fresh tomato salsa. It goes great on a nice whitefish with some guacamole- the perfect dinner in the summer heat! Here is my salsa recipe:

Ingredients-
Organic farmers market tomatoes
Red onion
Garlic
Cilantro
Salt

Chop tomatoes, garlic, onion and cilantro and combine. Salt to taste. Yup- that's really it. Sometimes, I don't even add the garlic. You could add a touch of honey if you want it to be a little sweet, or a touch of tabasco for a bit of a kick. The most important thing is to get good quality tomatoes, because they are what provides all of the flavor.

PESTO!

Ok....its the end of the summer and all the basil is being harvested. Go....run to your local farmers market and buy it all up. Make pesto, and save the leftover basil by chopping it up and mixing it with organic extra virgin olive oil. Then, fill ice cube trays with the basil mixture and freeze. After they are frozen, pop out the little basil cubes and store them in the freezer to use all winter long. Here is an easy pesto recipe:

Ingredients-
Basil
Garlic cloves
Organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Pine nuts
Parmesan cheese (raw)- grated
Salt

Chop basil leaves and garlic very finely, or put in a food processor, and combine with olive oil. Add cheese and salt. Combine. Everything is to taste. I usually add two medium sized cloves of garlic to a small two person food processor and fill the processor half way up with the pesto mixture. Then I taste and add. You can always add, but you can't take it back out. Add the pine nuts in when you are happy with the pesto. They look better whole. That's it!

Enjoy!

Guacamole is so easy to make!

Everyone loves this dip when I make it, so I thought I would share....just in case you've never tried this at home. Guac never seems to be good when you buy it at the store, and its so inexpensive and easy to make, that it is almost ridiculous to go to a restaurant to get it.

Here is what you need:

1 avocado
1 clove of garlic
1/2 of a lime or lemon
Salt

Choose an avocado that isn't hard, but isn't mushy. You want it to just give just a little when you touch it. Cut the avocado down the middle, divide into two halves and remove the pit. Take off the skin and discard. Chop the insides into chunks. Put the chunks in a bowl and mash until it is the consistency you like. You can mash it into a smooth paste, or keep it more rustic and varied.....whatever suits you. Next, finely mince the garlic and add it to the bowl. Squeeze about half of a lemon or lime into the mixture a little at a time, so you don't overdo the citrus, mix and taste. Add more citrus as needed. Some fruit is stronger than others, so you never know exactly how much you will need unless you try it. The same goes for the garlic. Season with salt and serve with chips.

See? How easy was that?

Caesar Salad

Melanie Ferreira taught me how to make Caesar salad and it is the best one I've ever had!

Ingredients-

Anchovies- the ones in the jar, not the can
1/2- 1 lemon for freshly squeezed juice
2 large cloves of garlic
Romaine, chopped into large pieces
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (raw)
1 egg yolk
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Chop up garlic. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, about three or four anchovies (to taste) and salt. Put mash, egg yolk, a drizzle of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and the juice from one lemon (to taste) in a bowl and mix together. Taste and re-season if necessary. You might need more salt, more pepper, more lemon, etc. When you are satisfied with the dressing, add romaine and mix well. Serve immediately.

Di Fiore Marquet Cafe

Ok.....I have to confess something. I am obsessed with Eggs Benedict. I've perfected it at home, and every time we do brunch, I feel compelled to order it. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I could eat it for breakfast lunch AND dinner! I keep a mental log of how each restaurant fares in its execution of this dish. Yesterday, in the village, I found the best one I've ever had! Every part of it was made perfectly......PERFECTLY! The English muffin was just the right combination of soft, yet crunchy. The hollandaise was buttery and lemony, with a touch of mustard, and I was able to taste all of the flavors. Nothing overpowered anything else. The egg yolk was a beautiful rich shade of orange and was runny, but not too undercooked. Even the salad on the side was fresh and properly dressed. It was a dish in its own right, unlike the gob of greens I usually get thrown on the plate. And......wait for it......the bacon was crunchy! Yeah! I found someplace that can actually cook bacon! To top it off, the service was outstanding, and the restaurant was darn cute! Original artwork that was for sale covered the warm yellow walls and gave it a cozy, yet hip feeling. The rest of the menu looked fantastic, too. I just had to order the Eggs Benedict. GREAT place!

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

Nathan and I went to the farmers market in Union Square this afternoon, and I must say......it is on the same level as shoe shopping.....actually, I may have even liked this better! A cornucopia of pure food, full of color and fragrance and energy. Everything was so beautiful to look at and had the most amazing fresh smell! we bought so much- eggs, pasta, cilantro, maple syrup, etc. We would have bought more if we were headed straight home. I would have loved some raw cheese and some fish! We found the most beautiful basket of tiny heirloom tomatoes.....yellow and red and pink and orange, some round, some oval, some tiny, some larger. I popped one in my mouth when we got home, and it tasted like sunshine....all warm and delicious. We also bought some red onions....the most beautiful purple color with their green stems still attached. I put them in a bowl when I unpacked them after our outing and they look like art just sitting there- amazing! So.....here is a salad we are making tonight using these newly acquired treasures....

Ingredients-

Watermelon
Heirloom tomatoes (grape and cherry sized) of varying colors/shapes
Red onion
Cilantro
Lemon
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Cut tomatoes in half and put them in a colander, with salt. Mix and let sit. Finely chop onion into very thin half moon shapes, and soak in lemon juice and a little salt. Let both of these sit for about half an hour. Cut the watermelon into bite sized squares and put in a bowl. Chop up cilantro and mix in with watermelon. Add the tomatoes and the onions. Next, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix all together, and taste. When you are happy with the seasoning, serve. Delish!

Tip- never EVER put tomatoes in the fridge. It compromises their flavor.

Marvelous Miso Soup

This is by far the best miso soup I've ever had! Once I made this soup, I think I continued making it and eating it for breakfast for months! I always make enough for several servings. I learned this from holistic health counselor, Marian Buck-Murray. Although, it might not be her recipe to a tee. So, not only is it delicious, its really, really healthy! This soup is so good for your immune system, a great thing to incorporate into your diet when cold and flu season comes around, or for any day you want a good, quick, nutritious soup.

Ok, back to the recipe. Here are the ingredients:

Organic sweet or white miso
1 onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Kombu (seaweed)
Salt
White pepper
Filtered water

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat olive oil in a pot and add onions. Cook until translucent and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for about another minute. Be careful....don't let it burn. After the garlic is cooked, add water until it almost fills the pot. Add a piece of kombu.....don't be afraid. It's just dried seaweed and it is really good for you. I promise you won't even taste it. You can get this at an Asian grocer, or someplace like Whole Foods. Next, cover and let simmer. (You will have to play with the quantities a little bit here. The bigger the pot, the more of each ingredient you need.) After it has simmered for a few minutes, its ready.

To serve, put a spoonful of miso in your soup mug. (You can put more if you want. This is totally to taste.) Pour in a little bit of the soup.....just a little bit. You do this so that you can mix in the miso. Otherwise, you will have unmixed clumps of miso in your soup, and that is so not appetizing. Also, do not put boiling soup on the miso, or you will kill all the good stuff in there. Let it cool down a bit first. After that is well mixed, fill up the rest of your mug, and enjoy.

You can vary this, too. Once, I added leftover brown rice to mug, for a heartier soup. I've also made a more "oniony" soup, by using a ridiculous amount of onion. That one was good! You could add tofu and eat the kombu like they do in Japanese restaurants. Play with it! Have fun!

By the way, if you chose not to eat the kombu, and you have dogs, you can chop it up and add it to their food. It's super healthy for them, too! My dog, Elie, really likes it. Of course, I give them a little miso paste, too.

Mediterranean Rice and Beans

Here is another concoction inspired by what was left in my kitchen..........

Ingredients-
1 can of organic chi peas/garbanzo beans
1 container of grape tomatoes
1 small container of mixed green and black pitted olives
2 cloves of garlic
1 small red onion or half of a giant one
Extra virgin organic cold pressed olive oil
Real/raw butter
1 cup of brown rice
2 cups of organic chicken or vegetable stock
Oregano
Black pepper
Salt

The rice-
Heat olive oil in a pot, add the rice, season with salt and pepper and stir. Yes, I swear, add just the rice without the stock. This really flavors the rice and makes it taste much more delicious.

Note- if you know ahead of time that you are going to make this, soak your rice in water overnight and drain it before you use it. This will make the rice more nutritious. Of course, I wasn't planning on making this, as this was another one of my "shop from my kitchen" meals, so I didn't do this. Even perfection in moderation.

After a minute or two, add the chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil. You can use water, of course, but it won't have as much flavor. Once it boils, turn the heat down very low and simmer. Do NOT take the lid off! Nope.....don't do it. (A pot with a glass lid is best for this, because you can see what is happening inside the pot without lifting off the lid.) Tunnels will begin to form in the rice and you will see the liquid still bubbling inside those tunnels. When the liquid is gone, turn off the heat and let the rice sit for about ten minutes. No.....don't you take that lid off yet. Let the rice sit for a bit to finish cooking. Otherwise, it is going to come out undercooked, and your jaw will hurt if you try to eat a bowl of it. (Trust me, I know. I've done it!)

The "beans"-
While the rice is cooking, you can tend to the beans. Open the can of chic peas and rinse really well. Of course, it would be optimal to buy these dried in a bag instead of a can, and soak them overnight before attempting to cook them. (Refer to my previous statement regarding the way I shopped for this meal.)

Wash the tomatoes, give them a rough chop and put them in a colander. Salt the tomatoes and mix them up, so the salt is distributed. The salt will pull some of the water from the tomatoes, causing the tomatoes to become more concentrated in flavor. Ok, if this sounds like a pain in the ass, skip it, but I learned this on Jamie Oliver's show and I swear, it really works. The man is a genius!

Note- I don't cook with tomatoes very often, because they are nightshades. Nightshades aren't something you want to eat regularly, if you want to be healthy, but they are less harmful if you cook them. Do you know in ancient times they thought of the tomato as ornamental, like a flower? They didn't eat them. Interesting, huh? Are you going to google that now? (I so would if I were reading this.)

Next, dice your onions and mince your garlic. Heat olive oil and butter in a pan and add the onions. It was a favorite of Julia Child, after all....so pay homage. (By the way, you can't get real/raw butter from the grocery store. To find out how to get it, go to www.realmilk.com.)

When the onions are translucent, add the garlic. Be careful not to burn them. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. About a minute after you add the garlic, add the beans. Cook on low heat for about fifteen minutes, then add your tomatoes and cook for another five and add your rice. Taste and re-season. Last, roughly chop the olives and mix them into the dish. (I like using a mixture of black and green, because it adds more color to the dish.)

Eat.

Best Bean Soup Ever!

Ok, I know what you're thinking....bean soup....how boring. I promise you, this was anything but boring. Nathan and I just got back from spending a few days in a hotel and eating out the whole time, which was not very healthy to say the least, and I just felt like poo. Food really has a huge effect on how you feel! I wanted to cook something, so I could control the ingredients, and control how I felt. However, I wasn't feeling very motivated to make the trek down the six flights of stairs it takes to leave the apartment.

What does that mean? Well, I went shopping in my kitchen! I found some beans, an onion, garlic, chicken stock....why not try to make bean soup? No, as simple and easy as this sounds, I have never made bean soup before. That wasn't going to stop me. Did I look up a recipe? Nah! Here is what I came up with:

Ingredients-
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of organic butter beans
Half of a 1 quart box of organic chicken or vegetable stock
organic extra virgin olive oil- first cold pressed
Oregano
Black pepper
Salt- Eden or any kind of good real sea salt

First a note about the ingredients. Good ingredients are essential for good food- period. Don't get the cheap stuff, just because its cheap. It will have less flavor and contain less nutrients. Get the highest quality ingredients you can find. If you can do local food from the farmers market, or better yet, fresh from your garden, that is fantastic! Do organic if you can. Buy real salt. I mean the salt that looks like real salt. I like Eden's Sea Salt, but there are a lot of others....just not the one with the girl in the raincoat on the container, please. Buy the pepper that you have to freshly crack. Make your own chicken stock, and freeze it for later. You see what I'm saying? I cannot stress this enough. Now, having said this, my beans were from a can, but they were organic. I bought my garlic and onions from the grocery store, and I didn't make my own organic chicken stock. So....we can't be perfect all of the time.

Ok....now for the cooking part. This was so easy that I did it in the morning when my eyes were barely open! First, open the can of beans and rinse them very, very well. See all of that foam? That will give you gas, so rinse away! Next, dice the onion. I had a giant red onion, so I only used half of it. Now, heat the olive oil in a pot, and throw the onion in. While the onion is cooking, mince the garlic. If you see any green stem-like things in the middle of your garlic, take it out and throw the "stem" away. When the onion is translucent, throw the garlic in and cook for about a minute. Pay attention, because if you burn the onion or the garlic, you will have to throw it all away and start over again, and that will suck. Next, put the beans and stir everything together. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste. ALWAYS TASTE!

Remember when you read any recipe, that it's hard to say how much of something you will need. It always varies. You could have a large onion or a small onion, fresh or dried oregano, the taste of your produce can be great and flavorful, or not.....always taste and use a recipe in cooking as a suggestion. Of course, I guess, this doesn't apply to baking, but that's why I don't bake. It's too precise and unforgiving for me. I like to improvise along the way.....feels more creative and fun.

Back to the soup.....add the chicken stock, taste and re-season, cover and simmer on the lowest of low heat for three hours. You may not have to do this for three hours, but I'm sure any amount of simmering will help improve the taste of the soup.

That's it! I made this in the middle of a heat wave in July, which is not the most appropriate thing to do. I bet this would taste even better on a cold winter day.

New Focus!

Ok, I know this whole blog was originally devoted to its previous subtitle, "Mostly Manhattan Restaurant Reviews", but why limit myself? I've recently been re-obsessed with cooking food, not just eating it.....and cooking healthy, delicious food most of the time, so why not share that as well? I recently finished school, and am now a certified holistic health practitioner. I've been eating, and living healthier this last year, and it has changed my world. I stopped getting sick, I have more energy, and I went down two dress sizes. As I evolve, so does my blog. I want to share recipes and health tips, as well as give suggestions for great places to eat. I've renamed the subtitle, "Eat, Drink and Be Merry", because quite frankly, if you added shopping in there, that would be my ideal life. I make no apologies for this. Someone has to do it. Why shouldn't that someone be me? Enjoy!