Archive for September, 2007

Watch Out Kitchenaid!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Cuisinart has a new stand mixer, the Cuisinart SM-70 . With a 7 quart capacity and 1000 Watt motor it seems (can’t verify since I haven’t tried it – Hint Hint Cuisinart if you want to send me one) to outshine my Kitchenaid Professional Six series. While I would really appreciate the larger capacity, I […]

Fresh Dining

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Fresh Direct has started a new section called Fresh Dining. It is a collection of portable meals that can be microwaved in under 4 minutes. The newest line is Presto Italiano, created by Chef Tina Bourbeau. We tried 2 flavors, the Parmesan Meatballs with Mezzi Rigatoni and Basil and the Shrimp Fettuccine with Mint, […]

Mom’s Birthday Dinner

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

We wanted to take my mom out to a fancy restaurant for her birthday, but she asked us to cook instead. My mom is my biggest fan as a chef, which of course makes it even more fun for me. Lon and I decided on a Latin-inspired menu.
The menu:

Picadillo Phyllo Triangles
Baja Fish Taco Cups
Jicama and […]

Dusk Lounge to Midnight Pizza Bar

Sunday, September 9, 2007

We started the night at Dusk Lounge, Dusk Loungewhich was a good place to catch up with a friend from out of town. It was quiet enough to talk AND HEAR and you could easily grab seats. The bartender was friendly and it was just a no pressure environment with some interesting quirks. They have […]

An Eventful Night Out

Friday, September 7, 2007

As my regular readers know, I run as part of Team in Training, where we raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. So last night, I had a fund raiser at Vesta, Vesta a bar/lounge with a generous owner and fantastic staff. They gave us half-priced drinks, owners and staff donated, and everyone raved […]

Quick Tip: Salt That Steak

Friday, September 7, 2007

For a funny explanation of a quick tip to perk up lesser cuts of steak, check out Steamy Kitchen. Keep in mind the two most important elements: remove the salt and moisture before cooking. Always cook steak after it has come to room temperature.

Balducci’s

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I’ve been to the Balducci’s Balducci’s on West 14th Street several times and never noticed that they have a balcony seating area. I was introduced to it by Balducci’s Regional Catering Director Marissa Drago. I met her at a friend’s event that she was catering where the shrimp was really amazing.
So I met with Marissa […]

East Ocean Palace

Monday, September 3, 2007

When you want some good dim sum, you have to go to Queens these days. The places in Chinatown just don’t have the same quality and freshness. Yesterday, we had a family gathering at East Ocean Palace East Ocean Palace with some cousins visiting from Maryland and they kept raving about how good the dim […]

Mama Zuma’s Revenge – Habanero Potato Chips

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Route 11 makes potato chips called Mama Zuma’s Revenge. The habanero potato chips are well named since the heat lasts for quite some time after eating them and that makes for some good revenge, but flavor wise, they lack potential. This ones not going in my pantry.
However, a few weeks ago we tried some of […]