Annual Holiday Dinner - Main Entree #2

My friends and I share a common passion - we love *LOVE* anything truffled, such as truffle oil, salt, cheese, and the best one of them all, truffle honey!  One of my friends attending the holiday dinner (and actually the non-vegetarian one) requested truffled mac and cheese.  I had originally planned to make a wild mushroom cream pasta dish, but the request for mac and cheese gave me a great idea to combine the two.  I searched long and hard for a great recipe and simply incorporated mushrooms into the entree.  I knew that this entree was a success when, besides me having an orgasmic time as I was eating it, there were barely anything left at the end of the meal!

Truffled Mac and Cheese with Mushrooms
adapted from One Perfect Bite

A few variations...
...added cremini and fresh shiitake mushrooms to the dish.  Saute the mushrooms with 1 Tbsp butter, until cooked down.  Drain liquid.  Add to dish during the part where mixing of pasta, cheese, and cream takes place.
...used panko breadcrumbs
...in the madness of cooking several dishes at the same time, I forgot to toss the pasta with truffle oil.  Instead, we added the oil on top after serving to each individual person.
...used whole milk instead of heavy cream (for a little less fat...)
...I recently purchased black truffle salt from the NYC trip, so I added the salt wherever I can (to the pasta, to the cream sauce, to the mushrooms)

Baked to perfection.

Besides the amazing buttermilk fried chicken and orgasmic truffled mac and cheese with mushrooms, we also feasted on:

• Waffles - regular and bacon
• Green beans with caramelized onions
• Sauteed spinach with toasted sesame
• Holiday spiced yams with almond and hazelnut

It was one incredible meal.  And one great get together.

Table setup, with this year's party favors.

Annual Holiday Dinner - Main Entree #1

For the past 6 years, my husband and I have been holding an annual holiday dinner with our close and dear friends.  Wow, I didn't even realize how long it has been until I had to think about it!  I love hosting this dinner because we get to unite under one roof, especially with friends coming home from New York.  As we go through our daily grind of work and life during the year, the holiday season is a great excuse to spend a little more time together, and not to forget, to stuff our faces to the maximum!

In the past, I have tackled roasted chicken, beef roast, and different types of pasta.  This year, I got the crazy idea (I think it came to me in a dream) to be ambitious and cook something unfamiliar to me: frying.  I figured that if I was to go all out and serve a fried main entree, I might as well make something amazing.  I chose Thomas Keller's famous Buttermilk Friend Chicken from Ad Hoc.  The result?  Oh My Goodness.  I've never tasted the actual fried chicken from the restaurant, but if it's as good as the ones I made, Oh My Goodness!

Thomas Keller's Buttermilk Fried Chicken
from Ad Hoc at Home

I also found this recipe online, at this blog.

Because of my unfamiliarity with frying, I held a kitchen "test run" the weekend before the holiday dinner.  A few lessons learned:

• I messed up on the salt measurement and the chicken turned out to be much saltier than I would have liked.  
• I decided to fry outside (as to spare my house from being filled up in oil fumes), so I used our side burner on the BBQ grill.  Keeping the oil at a constant 320 degrees was challenging.  Although difficult, we watched it carefully and all of the chicken came out cooked and delicious.  
• There are different cooking times for different parts of the chicken.  Drumsticks and thighs are about 12 minutes at 320 degrees, and breasts and wings are about 8 minutes at 340 degrees.  This was explained in the recipe book, but as it was near the end of the page, I stopped reading midway through (bad habit of mine).  I cooked the breasts and wings also at 12 minutes and although not overcooked, the outside was much crispier and darker than the rest.

Lots of chicken drums and thighs, laying out to dry after 12 hours of brining.  As Thomas Keller stated in the book, the chicken brine is KEY!  Chicken pieces dredged in the spiced flour mixture.

I used peanut oil to fry.  Look at it go!  And they all came out golden and crisp!  Another important tool to have is a deep fry thermometer.

Yum yum yum.

I have a vegetarian friend so I typically serve 2 main entrees at the holiday dinner. Main entree #2, a vegetarian item, will be featured in the next post!  Stay tuned!

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Casual Meals

And to think I had no more to share about NYC... but I do!  This is actually my last post for the "New York City Edition" series of pictures.  I hope you're not sad.  I am a little sad since it will be awhile before we get to roam the streets of New York City again.  It was a really great trip!!  Thanks to our wonderful hosts, E and A!

I leave you with pictures of a few casual lunches and dinners.

Crif Dogs // East Village

Hot dogs are our counterparts' favorite thing to eat, and a few months before this trip, the boys bought coupons to Crif Dogs: $8 for $16 worth of food.

(From left to right, clockwise)

Chihuahua - bacon wrapped hot dog, avocadoes, sour cream
Good Morning - bacon wrapped hot dog, melted cheese, fried egg

Veggie Special - veggie dog with onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and jalapenos

Jersey's Finest - taylor ham wrapped hot dog, mustard, onions, secret chili sauce

(From left to right, clockwise)

Spicy Redneck - bacon wrapped hot dog, chili, cole slaw, jalepenos

Good 'ol waffle fries

Crunchy tater tots smoothered in melted cheese

Grimaldi's Pizzeria // Brooklyn (under the Brooklyn Bridge!) and other locations

As I previously mentioned, before this trip, we have never stepped out of Manhattan.  The hubby heard of an amazing pizzeria under the Brooklyn Bridge and we thought this trip would be a perfect opportunity to explore one of the New York burroughs.  Good decision.

Long lines right before opening!  We were part of that line too.

Fresh garlic, mushroom, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, italian sausage.  It doesn't look like anything special, but it was amaze-balls.  Yes, I said it, amazeballs.  Thin crust and hot piping cheese and ingredients.  So, so good...

Ippudo // East Village

Our "must-hit" spot whenever we visit New York.  This wonderful ramen restaurant comes straight from Japan, and is the only location in the states.  The homemade noodles are thin-cut and freshly made downstairs (you can see them make it on your way to the bathroom), and the broth is just simply amazing.  If you are ever in New York, you have to try Ippudo!

Entrance

(From left to right, clockwise)

Karaka Men - original "Tonkotsu" soup base, special blend of hot spices, pork chashu, kikurage, cabbage, onion, minced pork, and scallions

Akamaru Modern - original "Tonkotsu" soup base, secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil

Wasabi Tonkotsu Ramen (special of the day)

Vegetarian Ramen

Food Gallery 32 // Koreatown (Midtown West)

I love Korean food courts.  There is one near my area and I tried to go whenever I can.  My friend suggested Food Gallery 32 in Koreatown as part of our itinerary and I was excited the moment I saw it.

Nestled in busy Midtown, the entrance to this place can be easily missed if you don't look hard enough.  All of the food are purchased downstairs, and you can find seating on the all three different floors.

From Noodle 32: bibim-nangmyun, much like cold noodles, Korean-style.  Buckwheat noodles mixed in a spicy and thick red pepper sauce.  Lots of veggies, such as cucumber, radish, carrots, cabbage, and kimchi.

From Hanok: Vegetarian bibimbap

From O-de-ppang!: Spicky pork teppan-yaki.

From Bian Dang: Xiao Long Bao (although these buns are more like regular meat buns, and not soup dumpling xiao long bao's, they were still good!)

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas!  The air outside has been cold and nippy, truly perfect for this holiday season.  I wanted to write a quick post to simply wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I hope that 2012 will be a fantastic year! 

Our 3-year-old tree. :)

What is a food blog without any pictures of food?  You know I had to!  I held a few of holiday parties and decided to remake these Pumpkin Gingerbread Mini Bundt Cakes, since they were so delicious, and spruced them up with this glaze recipe.

 

Party favors all wrapped up.

Mr. Snowman says, "Happy Holidays!"

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): More Markets

We visited three other markets on this trip: Chelsea Market, Union Square Green Market, and Union Square Holiday Shops.

Chelsea Market // Chelsea

The Chelsea Market reminds me of the San Francisco Ferry Building, but bigger.  It's an indoor market with lots and lots of different shops and restaurants, from bakeries to seafood markets, gourmet shops and various cuisines.  Besides eating to your heart's content, there are also stores where you can shop to your heart's content.  It is like a girl's paradise!  My friend and I spent hours inside a sample sale store (designer clothing at a much lower price) and drooled as I went window shopping for food.  Little food shops were everywhere.  Love.

Shops and stores all along the way and freshly baked breads from Amy's Bread.

Eleni: a unique bakery with giant cupcakes and fancy (and quite expensive!) cookies.

Fresh seafood galore!

Right next to the Chelsea Market was an area called The High Line.  It used to be an old railroad situated above ground and in the last few years, turned into a public park.  The High Line stretches about 18 blocks with lots of shrubbery and trees, along with office and residential buildings along the way.  We saw a couple of residences that were placed right next to the High Line, with large windows that people can look in (and the homeowners can look out).  I'm not sure why anyone would want to live there?  We were lucky and caught a weekend of nice high 60's degree weather in New York, and we had a leisurely little walk on the High Line.

Union Square Green Market and Holiday Shops // Union Square

I have been to the Union Square Green Market before, but it was nice to come back again to roam around and sample various items.  Because of the holidays, the Union Square Holiday Shops were also open, right next doors.  First off, the Green Market:

So much produce, unique plants, and fragrant flowers!  They were also selling beautiful fresh holiday wreaths.  I would of bought one if I lived there!

A couple of goodies we picked up - apple cider doughnuts and pretzels. 

Then on to the shops.  The Holiday Shops was an overwhelming gathering of local stores in New York, selling anything and everything. We saw cool artists' paintings and pictures, creative T-shirts, and super cute animal beenies. Of course, there were edible items mixed in, from Belgian waffles, to macarons, and spices, olive oils, and salts.  My favorite purchase was the black truffle salt from The Filling Station (the main store is actually inside of Chelsea Market).  Ever since I've had the truffle salt in my posession, I think of every occassion to get a little bit of the delicious truffle salt on my food!

(From left to right, clockwise)

Salted Caramel, Nutella, and Pistachio macarons from Macaron Parlour.  Belgian waffles from Wafels & Dinges (I really wanted to try this but was so stuffed from lunch!).  Tahitian vanilla ice cream from Coolhaus (pictures of the truck to the left).  Black truffle salt from The Fililng Station.

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Markets Are Like The New Malls

Specialized markets are my new favorite places to go.  It used to be a chore to go to a market to pick up food, but with food becoming a new "fashion trend", markets with gourmet foods, local and organic produce, and items that are just one of a kind have become quite popular and hip!  We visited several markets during our New York trip.  It was fantastic! 

Eataly // Flatiron

Eataly (sounds like Italy) is a grand Italian market where you can shop for remarkable gourmet items and fill your empty stomach with the same delicious foods, all in one trip!  Their motto: We Sell What We Cook And We Cook What We Sell.  The market it divided into different sections, from sweets such as gelato and pastries, to breads, to pasta, to cooked and roasted meats, to vegetables, to seafood, to cheese and deli meats, and also fresh fruits and vegetables.  Whatever your Italian-craving heart desired, Eataly had it.  I was quite overwhelmed and circled the market 10 times before I can decide what I wanted to buy and eat.  I thank the hubby for being a patient person.  Heh.

(From left to right, clockwise) Fresh breads, gelato counter and sign, outside of Eataly (you can enter from 4-5 different entrances), focaccia, more breads, the Vegetarian section, and packaged breadsticks in the pasta section.

Of course, we had to sample some food here.  After 3 full days of eating breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, dessert, and more snacks, we opted to go for something light on our last day in NY.  The I Salumi, I Formaggi section caught my eye.  We picked the Grande Piatto Misto Di Salume & Formaggi from the menu, which was an assortment of their best meats and cheeses.  The lemon soda was for me (a great choice)!

Forgetful me, I didn't ask the waiter what these meats and cheeses were so I can't describe it to you here.  All of the meats were delicious, and I really liked the blue cheese (very left) and the medium-soft cheese right next to it. The other cheeses were either too hard or didn't have a distinct taste.  Now, the most amazing thing on this plate were not the meats or cheeses, but it was the almond honey (shown on white plate).  Oh my lord.  It was the most delicious sweet honey I've ever put in my mouth!  I gasped and smiled immediately.  I did ask the waiter about the almond honey, hoping they would sell it, and they did!  But then he laid on the bad news that because it was freshly made everyday, they were placed in the refrigerator.  It needed to be refrigerated 2 hours after purchase, which was impossible for us as the flight alone from NY to SF was 6+ hours.  Damn.  I left without that amazing honey.  The other two items on the plate were candied orange peels and figs.  The platter also came with 4 slices of fresh bread.

The I Salumi, I Formaggi section.  I wish I had the time and money to sample all of these!

Dessert... a must in my book.  After looking at all the different choices at the counter, this triple chocolate mousse cake caught my eye.  It was delicate and the perfect portion for our light lunch.  Also, it wasn't overly sweet, which is a big thumbs up for me!

This place was glorious!  I think this is what I would want my heaven to be like.

Brooklyn Flea // Brooklyn

On this trip, we decided to venture outside of Manhattan to see other cities in New York.  It was our first time to Brooklyn.  We hit up a famous pizzeria for lunch (details to come in a later post) and stopped by this flea market afterwards.  Although this market sold mostly inedible things (I know, oh darn!), they had a small area for local foods.

During the winter time, the flea market is held inside this empty, old-school bank.  The architecture was amazing, as you can see!

Lots of different unique things on sale.  I took a picture of these mirrors because, as explained by my friend, the frames were from old window frames of abandoned buildings.  Prior to demolishing old buildings, the frames would be salvaged and made into mirrors.  So cool!  I also bought an Apple Ginger Lemonade (top right) from The Stand to quench my thirst.  Hmm hmm!

More markets to come!

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Dinnertime

We went to two amazing restaurants for dinner during our stay in New York.  On Sunday night, we put on our nice clothes and headed to Tom Colicchio's new restaurant in Midtown called Riverpark.  The next night, we met up with my old college roommate for a Japanese-Italian fusion meal at Basta Pasta.

Riverpark // Midtown East

Riverpark is situated within Alexandria Center, a life sciences building in Midtown and right next to the East River.  It was an interesting walk to the restaurant as we roamed through many new and modern-looking buildings on our way.  Right outside of the restaurant sits a grand vegetable garden for Riverpark.  I love the fact that fresh vegetables and herbs are just a few steps away from the restaurant, at their ease for use.  Since it's wintertime, most of the garden was covered up in plastic tarp, keeping the vegetables in greenhouses and safe from the cold wintery weather of New York.  Our waiter explained that it's their first winter encounter this year so they are hoping the protection will work.  Just a small row of the garden was open with few items growing.  I'm not sure what was growing since we were too far away to identify any of them.

(From left to right, clockwise)

Bee's Knees - vanilla honey, lime, soda

The Concoction from Brooklyn Brewery

The Roots - beet-infused vodka, ginger, citrus, basil 

Mushroom Consomme - mushroom salad, frisee, pecorino crouton, caramelized shallots.  The pecorino crouton was a great surprise under the mountain of mushrooms and frisee.  The broth was poured into the plate and was very tasty.  We even used our tableside bread to soak up all of the delicious broth.

Roasted Leg of Lamb - swiss chard, pinenuts, capers, raisins, eggplant, oregano.  Incredibly well-cooked lamb (not a hint of gaminess at all!) and various flavorful vegetables.  This was my entree and it was a great choice.

Basil Ricotta Ravioli - Pumpkin pesto, delicata squash, spiced pumpkin seeds.  Buttery ravioli in a pumpkin-spiced sauce.  My friend ordered this and cleaned the plate, stating that she wished there were more!

Grilled Flatiron Steak - Braised brisket, broccoli, form smashed potatoes, balsamic glazed cippolinis.  Doesn't this entree look like a grand forest?  So pretty!  The entree contains a few slices of flatiron steak and a big chunk of braised brisket, with a caramelized sweet and salty shell on top.  The hubby ordered this and he loved all of it.  Another clean plate!

10 oz. Berkshire Pork Chop - brussels sprout-apple hash, parsnip puree.  I swear, I've never tasted a more tender pork chop than this one!  Interestingly, the waiter asked my friend how he would like the meat cooked and he stated medium.  I've never heard of that asked for a pork chop.  The pork was grilled to perfection.  The meat was pretty much cooked through but not long enough to make it tough.  I guess cooking it medium is a good choice for pork chops.

Trio of hazelnut ice cream, Concord grape sorbet, and pear sorbet with biscuits.  Three words: yum, yum, and yum! 

The restaurant was sleek and chic, setting a great mood for a double date on a Sunday night.  All of the food was fantastic and the service was wonderful.  Mr. Colicchio did not disappoint!

Basta Pasta // Flatiron

(From left to right, clockwise)

Lots of different breads to eat.  The sliced bread with gorgonzola cheese spread was brought out first and was a great start to the meal.  The cheesy breadsticks were the best out of the entire selection.  Cartoccio di Funghi Misti - oyster king, enoki, and cremini mushrooms baked inside sealed cooking paper with thyme, garlic, and olive oil.  Insalata Mista - young Boston lettuce and mesclun salad with tarragon balsamic dressing. 

Pappardelle alla Siciliana - homemade pappardelle with eggplant, basil, and fresh tomatoes in tapenade.  I actually didn't get to taste this dish, but I'd imagine that it was pretty darn good!

Risotto con Gamberi e Funghi - risotto with shrimp and 3 kinds of mushrooms.  I also didn't get to taste this dish but risotto and mushrooms?  Great combination!

Fettuccine with shrimp, bacon, and fresh tomatoes in creamy sauce (special of the day).  Al dente fettuccine with fresh shrimp and really tasty creamy sauce.  Delicious!

Spaghetti con Prosciutto e Parmigiano - spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano and pharma prosciutto, served in a half wheel of parmesan cheese at the table.  The only reason I wanted to come to the restaurant was because of this cheese wheel.  How it works: cooked spaghetti is placed in the cheese wheel and parmesan cheese are scraped from the sides.  Parmesan and spaghetti are mixed together for a few minutes and taken out of the wheel.  Slices of prosciutto and chopped basil are placed on top.  SO GOOD.

The one cool thing about this restaurant is that the kitchen is open and right in the middle of the restaurant.  You can smell and see everything that is cooking.  The refrigerator is also right out in the open and part of the decor.  We all loved the food!