Union Sqaure Cafe

Union Square Cafe

www.unionsquarecafe.com

21 East 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 243-4020

So I've been meaning to go here for a while. I went to Maialino a few months ago and loved it (I promise one day I will review all the restaurants that I've eaten, in NY, Hawaii, and Boston... but it takes a bit of time...It will get done though..). The other and original Danny Meyer restaurant did not disappoint. First came a tuna tartare that was good (a little salty for my taste though). My dining partner enjoyed it immensely however, I'm just not the biggest fan of capers so I just accept that I was biased to begin with... For my main course, I ordered the pork lasagna. The Lasagna used fresh pasta and balanced the meat and cheese well. Surprisingly, that balance came in not using too much cheese at all. The dish was comprised with a savory tomato based sauce with well seasoned pork, layered between perfectly cooked pasta. For dessert, I decided against something sweet, and decided to go with the cheese plate. I loved one of their raw cow's milk cheese (forgot the name). But this cheese was perfectly harmonized with the honeycomb honey on top of the walnut toast. Delicious.

In all, the beauty of the Union Square cafe was not the overwhelming flavors, or the wonderful service. The beauty was in the balance.

Citrus and Beet Salad

I need to start cooking more with beets. This is next on my list of things. I was just at the grocery store and thought, "I love beets, I should really cook with them more." This recipe looks simple enough for my first foray into beet-ness..

Isabella's Citrus and Beet Salad

Recipe adapted from Jason Kim, Forage, Los Angeles

INGREDIENTS

6 large beets, washed and trimmed

1 cup fresh citrus juice (such as tangelo, lime, orange or lemon--or any combination of these)

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tangelos or oranges

1 cup arugula

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚. Place the beets in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Roast until the beets are tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the beets from the oven. When they're cool enough to handle, peel and let cool completely.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the citrus juice with the shallot. Let the shallot rest in the citrus juice for 10 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the beets into wedges and toss them in the vinaigrette. Let the beets marinate for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, working with 1 tangelo at a time, use a sharp knife to remove the peel and pith in strips, following the curve of the fruit. Cut the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Repeat with the remaining fruit.

4. Remove the beets from the vinaigrette with a slotted spoon and divide among six plates along with the tangelos, reserving the vinaigrette.

5. Top each salad with a handful of arugula leaves and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the feta and serve.

⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese

Orecchiette pasta with roasted sweet potatoes

I work in a "foodie" office. For example, one co-worker went part time so she could go to pastry school 2 days a week. Never is there a week that goes by when there isn't some type of home made food in the conference room! Every holiday, birthday, and event is celebrated with homemade deliciousness!

This recipe won for best pasta dish (with over 15 entries) during our Christmas pot luck competition. The competition was fierce, as the winner won a free paid day off of work! Not only is it delicious, it's also vegan! You would never know because of the delicious sweet potato that balances out with the white wine. The orecchiette is the perfect pasta to use for the dish. I describe the pasta as little cups of joy ;-) They pick up just enough of the sweet potato to have a perfect bite every time.

Orecchiette pasta with roasted sweet potatoes

(This recipe is vegan for a cholesterol-free and cruelty-free meal!)

Ingredients:

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1 pound of orecchiette pasta

Dry white wine (good wine that you would drink)

Extra virgin olive oil

Butter (I use vegan butter, such as Earth Balance)

5-6 shallots, diced

Salt & pepper to taste

Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Coat the diced sweet potatoes in 2-3 TB of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread out evenly on a tin-foil lined baking sheet.

-Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.

-Meanwhile, cook the pasta and get to work on the shallots. Sautee the diced shallots in a pan over medium heat with 1 TB of butter & 1-2 TB of olive oil. -Once softened, add the wine (about half a cup) to the shallots, more butter (1 TB) and continue to cook (enough so that the wine reduces).

-Lower the heat and add the roasted sweet potatoes to the shallots in the pan, breaking up the sweet potatoes so that they mingle with the shallots.

-Add another 1/4 cup of wine and another 2 TB of butter to the sweet potato/shallot mixture. Cook for a few minutes so that the wine reduces and cooks out a bit.

-Add the cooked pasta to the mixture and throw in a handful of chopped parsley. Add salt & pepper to taste and mix everything together.
-Eat and enjoy!

Lemon Layer Cake

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
I describe this as a sweet tart dish... which is exactly how my valentine's day was.......

Lemon Layer Cake
from the Episode: Lemon Layer Cake

The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, but it will become quite stiff; fold it with a rubber spatula to loosen it before spreading onto the cake. For neater slices, dip a knife into hot water before cutting the cake. Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator, with the cut side of the cake covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

Serves 10 to 12

Lemon Curd Filling
1	cup fresh lemon juice from about 6 lemons
1	teaspoon gelatin (powdered)
1 1/2	cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/8	teaspoon table salt
4	large eggs
6	large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for cake)
8	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen
Cake
2 1/4	cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus extra for pans
1	cup whole milk , room temperature
6	large egg whites , room temperature
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4	cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
4	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon table salt
12	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened but still cool
Fluffy White Icing
2	large egg whites
1	cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/4	cup water
1	tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1	tablespoon corn syrup

1. FOR THE FILLING: Measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over top. Heat remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolks in large nonreactive bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with heatproof spatula, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to leave trail when spatula is scraped along pan bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated. Pour filling through fine-mesh strainer into nonreactive bowl (you should have 3 cups). Cover surface directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, at least 4 hours.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans and line with parchment paper. In 2-cup liquid measure or medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, and vanilla.

3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs with no visible butter chunks. Add all but 1/2 cup milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running at low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture; increase speed to medium and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer. Divide batter evenly between cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops.

4. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pans with small knife, cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto greased wire rack; peel off parchment. Invert cakes again; cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. TO ASSEMBLE: Following illustrations below, use serrated knife to cut each cake into 2 even layers. Place bottom layer of 1 cake on cardboard round or cake plate. Using icing spatula, spread 1 cup lemon filling evenly on cake, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge; using cardboard round, gently replace top layer. Spread 1 cup filling on top. Using cardboard round, gently slide bottom half of second cake into place. Spread remaining cup filling on top. Using cardboard round, place top layer of second cake. Smooth out any filling that has leaked from sides of cake; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making icing.

6. FOR THE ICING: Combine all ingredients in bowl of standing mixer or large heatproof bowl and set over medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and transfer mixture to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until mixture has cooled to room temperature and stiff peaks form, 5 minutes longer. Using icing spatula, spread frosting on cake. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.)




Step-by-Step: Assembling a Four-Layer Cake

1. Place cooled cake layers on top of each other and make 1/8-inch-deep cut into side of each cake layer.	2. With long, serrated knife, use sawing motion to cut cakes in half horizontally so that each cake forms 2 layers.
3. Assemble cake, aligning cuts in each layer. Stacking layers in their original orientation conceals uneven cutting.

Hawaii

I spent 15 days in Hawaii. I told my local friends, I don't want to do anything touristy. 15 days, 1 island, 50 meals... Here are some highlights.... Though I have an album of over 500 pics...


Butter Fish, aka black cod, with miso glaze. There's a reason why they named it this... It definitely tastes like butter...

































AMAZING....






































Yes, the food is on fire! It was called volcano pork...



Ice cream filled mochi. They had awesome flavors like Okinawa sweet potato, passion fruit and guava, but also normal flavors like strawberry, coffee and chocolate....

A traditional Hawaiian meal... The ribs were featured at Man vs. Food... and they were DELISH!! The middle one is called lau-lau, meat stewed in leaves for 5 hours...
Hawaiin Poi bread. Think potato dinner rolls but sweeter, using Hawaiin "poi" or taro.

Abalone, roast in the shell...

Malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) filled with Haupia (coconut) cream...

Julie & Julia

So, being the foodie that I am, of COURSE I saw this movie and of COURSE I saw it opening weekend. It was very cute. The best part of the whole show was watching it with a foodie audience. I saw it in Union Square New York, which, with the farmer's market and all the restaurants, we know it's a mecca of food.

The best part was when Julie pulled out a duck, someone in the audience made a loud "MMmmmmm yea!" It was HILARIOUS. The movie inspired me to cook more (though I'm not gung-ho enough to cook through a cookbook). I'm definitely going to try to cook new recipes more. Check out the movie, Meryl Streep was a spitting image of Julia Child.

Bond St

BONDST
6 Bond Street
New York, NY 10012

The food here at Bond St is outstanding. All the dishes we had were masterfully created and wonderfully executed. What makes this dining establish truly exceptional are the sauces. The chef ingeniously blends the flavors and perfectly compliments the sauce/coulis/puree/dressing to the main item. The result is not an over powering flavor, but rather a taste that is a perfect balance and harmony in one's mouth.

I did the tasting plate and there were perfect bite sized options that were little bundles of joy in my mouth--each different and truly a unique experience in itself. The chilean see bass was amazingly complimented with a sake infused sauce that was mind blowing. What was truly marvelous was the ginger salad. Now, if you've been to ay sushi restaurant, you've had the ginger salad with dressing that is a pale yellow and slightly pasty. The flavor is either too bland or too much. But the ginger salad at BondSt blew my mind! Do not expect your run-of-the-mill, in the bottle experience here. The flavors from the ginger salad were deep and plentiful- yet not overpowering. I am merely mentioning the salad, not because it was the best dish I had (I had too many "best" choices to choose from!), but becuase it is the only tangible way I know to reach across to a wide audience about how truly exceptional this dining experience was.

Go to Bond St. Don't get the normal, plain rolls. Venture out. You won't be dissapointed.