ForkAndPen

Birthday Bash 2005

I have a great girlfriend. I already knew this but after cooking me a dinner like she did for my birthday it's painfully obvious.

We started off with a mushroom appetizer - scallion, mushroom stems, tomatoes, panko, and parmesan all sitting nicely in the muschroom cap.

Some garlic bread

and then - rich oozy homeade lasgna

and the piece de resistance was my favorite desert - strawberry shortcake - made completly by Jazz. She wanted to buy it but nope - no shortcakes on the upper west side - soo much better homemade.

after that amazing meal both of us vowed not to eat ever again - about 12 hours later we of course broke said promise and had Holiday French Toast - baked with apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins - Yum!!

I would also like to thank Jazz's mom for providing most of the recipes.

A mighty fine dinner

Tonight proved to be a mighty fine meal for myself:

Omelet - with onion, jalapeno, tomato, dill

Fresh Bread - with basil butter

Spinach, mushrooms, and bacon with curry vinaigrette

Neal's Yard - Berkswell

Millbrook Vineyard - Pinot Noir 2003

Hagan Daz - Vanilla

The Griddler

Cuisinart Griddler (via Manhatten User's Guide - go sign up for the MUG daily - it's great)

I am soooo buying one!

crazy about fish

(picture from NY Magazine)

Its been about a week since I stopped eating copious amounts of sushi day in and day out. Do I miss it - you bet! But I have always been enjoying some of my usual fare. Missing the fish mixed with reading about the soon to open raw fish bar Bar Tonno propted me to make crudo - italian raw fish preperation with olive oil and sea salt. It turned out better then I could have hoped. The grassy olive oil mixed perfectly with the taste of the tuna. My only word of caution is that the sea salt should be used sparingly - the salty taste can get very strong on such little pieces of fish. I served it with tomatos and fresh italian bread.

Crudo in nyc: One of these days I must go to Esca - the fish haven. They have an entire section of the menu dedicated to antipasti crudo - the crudo tasting is hopefully awe inspiring

A small taste

My job is a bit like a game show. You go to work and if you are lucky you just might win employee of the week. With this comes the prize of 1. choosing lunch for everyone in the office for our weekly work lunch 2. a $50 gift card . Recently I was employee of the week and won a shiny gift card to Dean & Deluca.

Dean & Deluca for those that have never been is basically heaven for a foodie. They have everything you want from relatively good produce, a large amount of cheeses, and a pretty big bakery department (though most stuff comes from other high end bakeries like Amy's Bread). I had $50 burning a whole in my pocket and then I saw it. One lone black truffle. I bought it (ended up being 35 bucks) and then also got some fresh organic greens and a hunk of parmigiano-reggiano. My goal was to make a elegant omelet with my black truffle.

As I walked home my mind raced through all the stories I have read about truffles. The intrigue and double crossing that always seems to surround them makes it all the more exciting. I almost felt like I had been on at least one truffle expedition with my pet pig. Of course I have never but the mystery is there. This small fungi had a very high status in my head.

The smell of the truffle definitely was different. I don't think it was that fresh (not frozen at all but still probably taking from the ground a good while ago) but still that savory/sweet scent stayed with me. Now more then ever do I want to smell and taste a truffle just pulled from the ground.

I made a simple omelet with a large amount of truffle grated into it and on top of it. To this I added salt, pepper, and grated cheese. I made a nice orange vinaigrette and drizzled that on top of the mixed greens. All in all the black truffle didn't make me gasp but still the meal as a whole was very satisfying. Probably one of the most enjoyable meals I have had in awhile. Before this I had always had black and white truffles as part of an oil or butter - and really you don't get even close to the same perfume or taste.

Next I think I am going to try and get a simple pasta with white truffles shaved on top. Its important to have goals in life.