May 2008
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Ilili
Between Lon's acupuncture appointment and ballroom dancing lessons (for our first dance), we had to squeeze in a quick dinner. Unfortunately, we were in that area, I call the culinary black hole, around the upper 20s by Fifth Avenue. To our great surprise, we found a diamond in the rough, Ilili Ilili. This very large and newly renovated Lebanese restaurant just opened in November and I ha... -
Bed Bath & Beyond Coupons
Since readers seemed to appreciate my saving tip last week, I thought I'd mention another... -
Mother's Day Brunch
We had both families over to celebrate Mother's Day. It was a challenge to create a menu for the three mom's, mine, Lon's, and Kasi (Lon's sister and new mom). My mom is allergic to lemon and lime, Lon's mom cannot have any balsamic or red wine vinegar or red onion, and Kasi keeps kosher.~~Mother's Day Menu~~Watercress, Cara Cara Navel, and Edamame SaladVeggie &... -
Eight Course Salmon Tasting at Aquagrill
Lon really knows how to make a girl happy. I've been talking about how I want to be a judge on Iron Chef, so for my birthday, he called up a few restaurants to find out who would make a salmon tasting menu just for me. I would get to taste and judge each dish. The idea alone made me feel special enough, but Chef /Owner Jeremy Marshall at Aquagrill Aquagrill came up with quit... -
Randazzo's Clam Bar
Randazzo's Clam Bar Randazzo's Clam Bar doesn't look like much, no table clothes, no host, and water comes in a disposable plastic cup, but they've got extremely fresh seafood, and that's enough for me. Little Neck Clams on the half shell were super fresh, pink, and meaty.... -
Sushi Yasuda - Quickie #9
I'm still as in love with Sushi Yasuda as the day I first tasted their sushi. I'm still getting new pieces on each visit and it's exhilarating to know such a place exists. On our 8th visit, we had tamago, the omelet, so this time, we tried the Custard, which Chef Tomura described as having shrimp and potato. The texture is still smooth like Tamago, so... -
Carmine's Pizzeria
During the Bike Tour on Sunday, we took a little detour for lunch, and headed to Carmine's Pizzeria ... -
Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne
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I Attempted to Make Kalbi Tang
I'm not Korean but boy do I love Korean food. I get serious cravings for Kalbi-Tang and Duk Mandoo Guk when I'm sick. Unfortunately, my favorite place, I called the Secret Korean Grandma shop, closed, so I figured I had better learn how to make this stuff. I read a few Kalbi-Tang recipes on-line and ended up making it like this.... -
Artichoke Basille's Pizza
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Lon's Clambake
I call myself an athlete, having been actively involved in sports since I can remember. Gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, years of figure skating, track & field, 2 years on a dance team (hip-hop/break dancing), ran my first marathon in October, and I'm signed up for a triathlon this fall. When Lon and I first started dating, my mom was a little concerned that he wasn't the active type and occasionally friends ask too, if it has affected our relationship. Amazingly it never has and he has been more su... -
Update on New Yeah Shanghai
We just went to New Yeah Shanghai New Yeah Shanghai last night for my dad's birthday. It was my favorite place for soup dumplings for a long time but the reign has ended. Sadly, the dough is now thicker, the meat a bit stiffer. The dough on the pork and chive dumplings has gotten too thick as well. The other dishes we got were mostly too salty but still meets th... -
Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake
It's Cinco De Mayo and my dad's birthday, occasion enough to make a cake. My parents are like most Chinese parents, not fans of most American desserts. They find them too sweet, too dense, and too heavy. I tried to make a cake that was more suitable for my dad's taste buds, a simple Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake. It's deceivingly light because the cake is actually a high fat cake but everyone was fooled, and loved it.... -
Save in Bulk
We try to make trips out to Costco or BJ's so we can stock up and save money. Did you know you can also buy in bulk right at Whole Foods? I always buy 5 or more of t... -
McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit
Avid readers already know that Jessica and I avoid most fast food like the plague. Just like the plague, sometimes one can't help but catch it. So when a coupon f... -
Pasta Tasting - Course 3: Good Old Meat Sauce Topped with Criminis
I wanted to end with a classic pasta dish so that it would satisfy what anyone would imagine as a pasta dinner. You can't go wrong wit... -
Pasta Tasting - Course 2: White Truffle Laguiole Mac & Cheese
The cheese guy at Whole Foods suggested Laguiole, a French Cheddar-style cheese, and after my first bite, I was sold... -
Pasta Tasting - Course 1: Wilted Spinach and Tomato Orzo Salad
Tomorrow, I'm riding in the NYC Bike Tour with a group of friends. So tonight, I had them over for a preparatory pasta dinner. The idea is to have pasta so I d... -
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Shoulder Chops with Mango Raita
Lon's friend Justin gave us some lamb shoulder chops the other day and I thought hmm, interesting. I had never had lamb shoulder chops before. I made them for lunch today and I'm hooked. It's a great cut of meat!!I needed to make a quick lunch with the 1/2 inch thick lamb shoulder chops so I decided to rub them with a Moroccan Spice Blend. Use a generous amount and then throw them on a the grill for 4 minutes per side ... -
A New Potato Side
One night, a few weeks ago, as I was starting to fall asleep, an idea for a potato dish came to me. It was in thinking about some dishes for a mother's day brunch that's coming up. My sister, about to celebrate her first mother's day (thanks to my niece Sabrina), loves potato and a new recipes was called for. First step, two huge potatoes:... -
Sushi Yasuda #8 and Still Going Strong
You probably realize now that Sushi Yasuda is a weekly ritual (see past posts) for me, and almost weekly for Lon. The biggest decision to make is how much of the meal to allot to past favorites, and how much to allot to trying new pieces. I have to have orange clam and peace passage oyster every week, I alternate a few other favorites, and I always try to get at least three new pieces. I thought they would've ran out of n... -
Got Fruit?
I've mentioned my favorite fruit stand before but I thought I'd remind you again since it's the season to be loading... -
Fornino Part II
I was back in Williamsburg today, apartment shopping, and couldn't resist having dinner at Fornino Fornino with my broker/friend Caroline. I guess that means I like the place. They do have an extensive list of interesting pies which draws me back because I want to try them all. Since Lon wasn't with me, I took this opportunity to try the Funghi Misti (mixed wild mushroo... -
Mocha Cheesecake Brownie Bars
Lon's co-worker Marcos gave me his old bike when he bought a new one. This is a life-saver for me since I'm riding in the NYC Bike Tour this Sunday. If you haven't noticed, I often show my gratitude with food. These Mocha Cheesecake Brownie Bars are just layers of good stuff, brownie bottom, mocha cheesecake middle, and sour cream topping. Sweets for the sweet! Thanks ...
