Coast to Coast
June 15, 2011
Last night, my friend invited me to a 4 course dinner at Chef Brandon Chavannes’s pop-up restaurant, Coast to Coast. Inspired by worldly coastal flavors, the exotic dishes were all beautifully presented and delicious. In between courses, the mixologists served up specialty cocktails, wine and Greenport Harbor beers.
Curried watermelon with black pepper, scallions and curry scented dressing with the Bisin Fire cocktail- Polish Bison Grass Vodka, jalapeno lemongrass elixir, crystallized ginger and fresh basil
Chilled crab soup with roasted gazpacho broth, hearts of palm and green apple
Cebollada- braised beef cheeks, salsify puree, romesco verde and an onion jus
Mahi Mahi with dandelion greens, chorizo and Marjoram vinaigrette and a 1970 bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild
Tres Leches with maple tuile and chili and Apricot tart with cardamom, cinnamon, marcona almonds and caramel with orange blossom ice cream
Beacon Strawberry Fest
June 13, 2011
Summer is upon us, and it’s time to spend the weekends away from the city and out in the fresh air. While in Beacon over the weekend, a quaint art town about an hour and a half from New York, my friends and I stopped through the Strawberry Festival being held at Riverfront Park. The line was far too long to indulge in the fresh strawberry shortcake, but we enjoyed locally grown berries and a refreshing strawberry mint popsicle.
Beacon's annual Strawberry Festival
Strawberry Mint Popsicle
Volunteers hard at work making fresh strawberry shortcake
Paul McCartney’s Vegan Enchiladas
June 9, 2011
If Paul McCartney cooked them, they must be good, so we gave it a try. A fun, completely vegan answer to the classic Mexican dish, these tofu enchiladas were delicious. Serving up some homemade sangria with fresh fruit and homemade guacamole on the side. If you’re feeling inspired to try, you can check out the recipe in the PETA Celebrity Cookbook or online.
Homemade sangria and peppers
Avocados
The making of..
Enchiladas
London Calling
June 6, 2011
One of my favorite places in all of London is by far Borough Market, tucked away in the tangling streets of the city’s southeast neighborhoods. Visitors not only get a taste of England’s finest foods, but international vendors from Europe and elsewhere gather here to proudly share their produce. If you’re thinking about stopping by, it’s best to get here early on Saturdays or Thursday and Friday afternoons to beat the crowds and truly enjoy the selections offered.
Fresh market fruit
Fish Market
A Friday morning at Borough Market
A Friday Fruit Dish
June 3, 2011
The weekend is here and I wanted to share this fruit dish I put together recently. Taking a whole 10 minutes, it was fun, easy and totally photogenic. Spreading nutella and whipped creme on crackers, I topped with a variety of fruits including strawberries, blueberries, kiwis and bananas. It’s the perfect after dinner treat, because even when guests are too stuffed from their meal, there is always room for this small bite.
Have a lovely weekend! x
Nutella, fruit and cream on crackers
A Vegetarian Combo
June 2, 2011
Last night for dinner, my roommate, Genni cooked up one of her wonderful vegetarian dishes; a pesto pasta salad with arugula and parmesan cheese and veggie balls. To get a bit eccentric with the menu, we added Wakame, or roasted seaweed as an appetizer to hold us over before the meal was ready.
Veggie Balls and Pesto Pasta Salad
Wakame (roasted seaweed)
Happy Memorial Day!
May 30, 2011
Wishing everyone a wonderful Memorial Day filled with plentiful barbecues, picnics, sunshine and relaxation.
Little Red Lighthouse and some grilled vegetables
Four cheese toropitas
Olive and rosemary crisps
Mini hotdogs
Dinner on the Roof
May 26, 2011
The warm evenings have arrived in the city, and what better way to kickoff the season than putting together this simple, yet delicious vegetarian dish my roommate created for a rooftop dinner. Taking no time at all, you cook whole wheat couscous and combine with an eggplant tapenade sauce and chickpeas. For the side, a spinach, mozzarella and cherry tomato salad.
Couscous, mozzarella, spinach and cherry tomatoes
The garden: Twisted Grass and Basil
Public in Nolita
May 23, 2011
Saturday afternoon a couple friends and I headed to brunch at Public to share Friday night stories at the industrial chic hang out in downtown’s Nolita neighborhood and give us some fuel before hitting up the Brooklyn Flea. The service was probably the best I’ve had in a long time, and the eclectic menu was fun to browse, although I stuck with my usual eggs and toast. I’ll have to make a note to stop back through when I’m feeling more experimental.
Tropical fruit salad with rosewater and sweet tahini yogurt and an iced tea
Quinoa hashbrowns
Scrambled eggs on sourdough toast with slow roast tomatoes and buttered mushrooms
Lunch at Bergdorf’s
May 16, 2011
After spending a day shopping around Manhattan with out of town friends, a little lunch break at Bergdorf’s Bar 5F was the perfect remedy.
Lobster salad wrap with avocado, bacon and mixed greens
Smoked turkey wrap
a camera in the kitchen 