orangina as art

Who doesn't love Orangina? It's slightly sweet, bubbly, absolutely refreshing, and comes in an adorable little glass bottle. And if that weren't enough, these posters by Bernard Villemot are even more fabulous. I'd take any one of them and display it proudly aka in postcard size and plaster them all over my fridge. They'd make me happy every time I'd glance their way.

cheap date: mussels

SeriousEats "Dinner Tonight" column features a Mussels with Fennel and Orange recipe today which got me thinking: what a perfect, cheap date night meal. Mussels are one of the last great deals to be had in the market and we all know my affinity with fennel and orange. So really, done deal right there. That special someone will think you went to such great lengths by serving up a big bowl of these black beauties when in reality, you remained well under budget, and got it done in a cool 15 minutes. Sexy.

the sole meunière is ready for it's close up

Nora Ephron, Director and Screenplay writer of Julie & Julia, had a clear focus when diving into this project: the food. A well seasoned cook herself, Ephron took it upon herself to test every single recipe (minus one) seen in the film until each one was perfected. If this movie was going to serve any justice to Julia Child, the viewers had to be swooned, romanced by the food in the way that Julia was. Her Sole Meunière experience was one of the most defining moments in her life (MUST READ: My Life in France by Julia Child). It was what opened her eyes to the fulfilling and sensual world of food and the culinary arts. And while this may not seem like a terribly daunting task for Ephron at first glance, you try cooking each dish to camera-ready perfection, take after take after take, with limited resources. So this week, the New York Times went behind the scenes with Ephron to explore the food stylist challenges faced in the film. And don't worry. There was no application of sunless-tanner to any fish or foe to achieve "optimal brownness." Yes, that actually happens and no, I don't want to talk about it.

monday meal planning

Food genre specific or not, this week's winning category was vegetarian-friendly food. And that's just fine with me! The goal here will be to please both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike with options and variations for both teams.

At my local Morton Williams grocery store, Naan flatbread is on sale this week for $1.99. A steal, ladies and gents. So my first recommendation, besides running to the store and grabbing a few packs to freeze, is to make Naan Pizzas. Treat the Naan exactly like a pre-cooked pizza shell and top it with whatever your little (I mean, great, big!) heart desires. Need some direction? Try cranking the oven up to 400 degrees and while it comes to temperature, thinly slice up some zucchini, grate a clove or two of garlic, and slice some fresh (or buy pre-shredded) mozzarella. Then load up the Naan with the zucchini, garlic, and cheese and pop it in the oven just until it all melts. Keep an eye on it, shouldn't be more than 6 minutes or so. Then top it all off with some hand shredded basil and/or mint and relish in the goodness that will be this Indian Flatbread meets Pizza Fantasy.

The toppings are quite obviously endless. And for the meat-lovers that want the above pizza but are desperate for a protein fix, some proscuitto would be a fabulous, albeit luxurious addition. Another idea is a salad pizza. Toss up your favorite salad (arugula, red onion, goat cheese, vinaigrette) while gently heating the Naan in the oven. When the Naan is toasty to your satisfaction, top with the cool, crisp salad and enjoy immediately.

Since I'm looking at a fridge full of fresh herbs that will soon be on their way out, I'm going to whip up some tzatziki sauce to use throughout the week. Naan is very similar to pocketless pita which means you could also turn it into a makeshift gyro. For my veg-head friends, grill up your favorite assortment of veggies, spread 'em out over the Naan and top with a generous dollop of tzatziki. Meatheads: grill up some steak or lamb, slice, and add that to the mix. Absolutely perfect for lunch or dinner.

This is a no-brainer but for some reason, in this crazy hazy heat, I can't get enough of this avocado salad inspired from my favorite Cuban joint. Fresh iceberg lettuce, plenty of creamy avocado, and slivered red onion, lightly dressed with my white balsamic vinaigrette and I'm happier than I ever though a head of iceberg could ever make me. Grilled shrimp would make this even more special.

And lastly, if you can swing it, pick up a piece of salmon, poach it, and throw it in the fridge to cool. Then serve it alongside some of that tzatziki and a little salad and/or steamed asparagus and you'll forget about my little hiatus of missing posts.

Have at it, and as always, let me know how it goes.

THE LIST

1 English Cucumber
Dill
Mint (or Basil for pizza but might be smarter to just go mint here)
Garlic
Veggies to load up Naan Pizza, your choice
Veggies for Naan Gyro, your choice
Avocados
Iceberg
Red Onion

Naan Bread (2 or 3 packs - utilize freezer!)

Filet of Salmon

Mozzarella Cheese

i need you

As I jump back into the faithful blogger saddle (my apologies, again, for my slacking) I thought I'd throw a question out to you all in hopes of getting some fabulous feedback. What food genre should we explore this week as I start this week's menu planning? I'm open to all suggestions and do not discriminate against any cuisine. So let's hear it. The question is simple: What do you want?

summer means lobster rolls

For as long as I can remember, I have yet to go through a Summer without at least one steamed lobster or lobster roll experience. As a faithful New Englander, it just wouldn't feel right to go without. And certainly not a sacrifice I'm willing to take. Starving artist budget and all. So this past muggy Sunday, my Mom and I found ourselves at Rowayton Seafood's outdoor seafood shack where we ordered two lobster rolls (although they're calling them "Lobster Sliders") and two large lemonades. As we patiently waited at the red picnic table we enviously watched the lucky boat owners in the harbor lazily lounge. Finally, when our biodegradable "lunch boxes" were called up, I could hardly wait long enough to take a picture before I dove in.

Although the slider format didn't do much for the eating experience (I'm a purist and missed my top-split New England hot dog roll), the lobster meat was absolutely tender, light on the mayo, with just some chopped celery. My all-time favorite Summer treat. But since I longed for my typical top-split lobster roll, my Mom and I both agreed that the next time we treated ourselves to this special and luxurious lobster sandwich, we'd straight up order a tub of the lobster salad (sans slider buns) and dig right into the lusciously large chunks all while sipping our Country Time Lemonades.

Butter poached lobster with vanilla bean? No. And quite frankly, no thank you. But the classic, no frills kind of lobster we both grew up on? Yes, please.

101 salad ideas

The New York Times Dining section this week featured a spread on 101 Summer Salads to help you beat the heat in the kitchen. And since I can't even fathom putting a pot of water on the stove to boil at this point in the season, these recipe ideas are fabulously received on my end. So before you sweat over a hot pot and think pasta, let's rethink the salad.

Cool, refreshing, endless seasonal possibilities, and a heck of a lot better for you than any other naughty ideas (take out, mac 'n cheese, yada, yada, yada) running through your head. And the best part? No waiting around time here. Chop things up, throw 'em in a bowl, give it a gentle toss and you're ready to munch.

A couple of stand-outs?

12. Combine sliced fennel and prune plums; serve with vinaigrette spiked with minced ginger. Nice pairing.

13. A red salad: Combine tomato wedges with halved strawberries, basil leaves, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.

14. A classic Moroccan thing: Thinly slice carrots, or grate or shred them (the food processor makes quick work of this). Toss with toasted cumin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and cilantro. Raisins are good in here, too. There is no better use of raw carrots.

16. Slice fennel and crisp apple about the same thickness (your choice). Combine, then dress with mustardy vinaigrette and chopped parsley. Come fall, this will be even better.

26. Combine mushroom caps and thinly sliced red onions with olive oil; broil gently until tender and browned. Toss with a lot of chopped fresh parsley or basil (or both) and a simple vinaigrette. Some chopped escarole, arugula or watercress is good, too.

31. Roast beets whole (or buy them precooked), then slice or cube and toss with a little chopped garlic (or a lot of roasted garlic), toasted walnuts, orange juice and olive oil.

38. Cube watermelon; combine with roughly chopped mint, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olives. Dress lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Despite saltiness of feta and olives, this may need salt.

43. Grate raw beets (use the food processor to avoid ruining everything within spattering distance) and toss with watercress or arugula. Top with sherry vinaigrette and a little goat cheese. Especially obvious, perhaps, but also especially popular.

44. Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on anything, but especially tomato and basil salad. This you will do forever.

54. Slice roasted red peppers (if you must use canned, try to find piquillos) and fresh mozzarella. Toss with cooked white beans, olive oil, red wine vinegar, a chopped shallot and fresh rosemary or parsley.

55. Mix watercress with chopped smoked salmon, avocado, red onion and capers. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar and mustard powder.

69. Stir-fry small or chopped shrimp in olive or peanut oil with lots of ginger; while still warm, combine with tomato wedges, chopped romaine, cilantro, scallions and lots of lime juice. Good in pita.

81. Soak sliced prune plums or figs in balsamic vinegar for a few minutes, then add olive oil, chopped celery and red onion, shreds of roasted or grilled chicken, chopped fresh marjoram or oregano and chopped almonds. Serve on top of or toss with greens. So good.

playing food stylist

So this past weekend, a good photographer friend, Aimee Herring, came up for the day on Sunday to shoot some food in the new tricked out kitchen for her portfolio. And who was to do the food prep? Well, none other than yours truly, my friends. Throwing everyone for a curve ball (including myself) I decided to try my hand at some Asian-inspired foods and settled on the following menu: Vietnamese Summer Rolls (shrimp, mango, avocado, cilantro, lettuce) with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce, Pan Fried Pork, Shrimp, and Leek Dumplings with a Cilantro-Serrano Dipping Sauce, Korean BBQ Beef Skewers served in Boston Lettuce Cups, and a Ginger-Mint-Lime Mojito to cool the heat and wash it all down. An Asian-style tapas spread, I suppose. Anyways, I really can't stop looking at the pictures in complete and utter awe. They're stunning and I can't believe how beautiful the food ended up looking. Hats off to Aimee for making my food look better than I could have ever imagined. (And for the record, it tasted pretty darn good too.)

don't leave me!

A sincere apology is in order. I have been pathetically M.I.A. but not in the least bit by choice. Work has been much crazier than usual and since work is what allows me to foot the bills for my epicurean escapades, well, work must thus come first. I hope to be back as soon as humanly possible with more and perhaps a little preview on a photo shoot done this weekend on an Asian-inspired food spread I whipped up...

bastille day

Better late than never I suppose, but today is Bastille Day and to that I say Viva la France! To get your French on, GrubStreet has supplied us with a couple of to-do's around the city tonight. But the real winner here? For $7 you can suck and sip away on a "French Flag Popsicle Flight" over at Counter in the East Village which is featuring, are you ready for it? A blueberry-lemon verbena and vodka, Provence rose and lavender, and raspberry sparkler. I mean, really? Are you kidding? How gorgeous tasting does that sound? Or you could go the non-alcoholic route and munch away on some merguez sausage sandwiches and a join in on a round of French lawn bowling over on West Broadway between Walker and White Streets which has been blocked off for the celebration.

Bonsoir mes cheries! Bisous!

livestream with gary vaynerchuk

Brought my Gary Vaynerchuk obesession to a whole new level today by participating in a ustream/livestream talk with him this afternoon where he answered almost any and all questions fired at him by the 300+ participants. He said my name a couple of times and I would by lying if I said I didn't get more than super giddy and sport a severely beet red face. Long story short? His favorite wine bar in the Soho area? Lure.

Guess where I'm headed next paycheck?

Lure.

Lure Fish Bar

142 Mercer St.

wine down and pizza night

A suprisingly short car ride right after work to our little angel, Megan's house in Long Island for some homemade pizza, arugula salad, vino, and much needed down time with the best of people is how we spent our Friday night. Quick run to the grocery store followed by pizza dough pick-up at the best joint in town and we were throwing toppings all over the place. To the left is a classic mozzarella, tomato, and basil with a mushroom, garlic, goat cheese and parsley pizza to the right. Love nights like these. Can't get enough of 'em, really. No other way I'd rather be spending my time.

coconut brown rice and black beans

Don't hate on me for stroking my own ego (hey, somebody's gotta do it) but last night's experimental dinner was divine. The coconut brown rice, while not entirely coconut-y enough (will try using a different brand next time), came out luxuriously creamy and almost risotto like. The flavorful and practically stupid easy black beans, thank you Goya and fresh veggies, were the perfect ying to the rice's yang and the pieces of fresh cilantro just sealed the deal. And right alongside this power couple was an avocado, red onion, and iceberg salad. Meatless, light, and crazy inexpensive, it tasted nothing less than an indulgent treat.

Coconut Brown Rice

3/4 cup lite coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown rice

Add the coconut milk, water, butter, and salt to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice, stir, cover and lower the heat drastically. Allow to cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and taste. If it's still crunchy, stir in a little more coconut milk, cover and turn the heat off. Allow it to sit for a few minutes.

Stupid Easy Black Beans

1 can black beans
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt

Fresh Cilantro for garnish

In a medium-sized saucepan, add a drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the peppers, red onion, and garlic and allow to gently sweat for about 3 minutes. Open the can of beans and quickly rinse the beans. Add them to the pan along with the chili powder and salt, stir and reduce the heat to medium. Let the beans cook for 7 minutes or longer (just reduce the heat to low if you're going to go longer than 7 minutes). Serve with plenty of fresh cilantro on top.

BYOL: chicken and arugula pita pockets

If I wasn't on "Mission: Do NOT spend an unnecessary dime this week," I'd be all over this recipe for lunch this week. Giada's Chicken and Arugula Pita Pockets are totally easy (rotisserie chicken to the rescue) and sound absolutely filling. If you're not in the poorhouse like me, give this one a try. Also, I bet you could use lite mayonnaise in this application or do half mayo half dijon, reducing the amount of mayo even more. And with that, this will undoubtedly be on next week's menu planning.

monday meal planning

Is this Summer wrecking havoc on anyone else's wallet? Good God, I am feeling utterly depleted on the monetary front and it's causing stress. That said, this week's grocery store run will be extraordinarily minimal. Using up what I have on hand (this is when you'll be thanking me for the heads up on utilizing your freezer) and re-stocking the must have staples (fresh produce). If I can swing it, I'm going to try and recreate the coconut brown rice and black beans from the 4th of July Cuban spread as I have both brown rice and a can of black beans already on hand. With the addition of a red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and chili powder the black beans will be set and then I'll experiment with a make-shift coconut rice by bringing a combination of coconut milk and water to a boil before the brown rice takes a plunge. I typically also have a hunk of ginger in my freezer so, fingers crossed, if that's in there, a generous piece will be added to boil away with the liquids, lending its lovely, pronounced aroma. With fresh cilantro on top, I'll forget all about my current financial woes and will (hopefully) feel like I'm on a vacation outside of my own head. Because for the time being, that's about as far away as I'm getting.

THE LIST (ya know, if you're following along)

1 red bell pepper
1 large red onion
1 bunch cilantro
box of baby greens (iceberg is crazy cheap, might even go with that since I can double it up as the lettuce on work week sandwiches and it's quite good shredded up with some of the rice and beans as well; cool, crispy, crunchy)

1 can black beans
1 can unsweetened, lite coconut milk

1 lb. thinly sliced (turkey, ham, roast beef, whatevs)

hearty, multigrain bread

ching's table

Sunday night at Ching's Table in New Canaan, CT: pan seared sesame encrusted tuna with soba noodles, green tea vinaigrette, and seaweed salad.

Cool, slightly spicy, and spectacularly smooth from the sesame-flavored noodles hiding underneath; tiny cubes of an Asian-style mango salsa brightened up the beautiful dish. The perfect and slightly indulgent yet light bite with an icy cold Tsing Tao beer.

Here we go, work week.

to do: sliced steak with chunky two olive tapenade

Photo courtesy Kerry Saretsky, SeriousEats

While doing my hourly peruse through my usual food blogs and sites, I came across this little gem on SeriousEats. Under the title "French in a Flash," I was of course immediately drawn to it. But then after looking over the recipe, it's also a no-brainer. A couple of ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand and there's no doubt the flavor payoff will be gi-norme. Olives, thyme, anchovy, dijon, capers, and parsley generously slathered over a piece of steak? Yeah. Enjoy it this weekend. Impress someone. I dare ya.

bruni on nyc's latest pizza craze

In this week's New York Times Dining section, Frank Bruni provides us with an interactive guide to this city's most notable pizzerias. From Co. to Motorino to Lucali, take a drool-inducing look at New York City's finest. My vote? Lucali (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn) all the way.

Although the pizza craze is nothing new to New York, given the economic climate of the past year or so, it has become especially popular with city dwellers looking for a night on the town that won't ravage their wallets. And what's better than pizza? I've gotta be honest, a good pizza, arugula salad, and a spicy, fruity red wine, and you'd be hard pressed to make me more content. A simple crust is one of the most ideal palettes a culinary artist could ask for. Endless possibilities.

On a side note, Keste just recently opened up on Bleecker so based on proximity alone, this might be the next one to try. Plus the picture snapped of their pie looks particularly promising.

english breakfast

A proper English breakfast was prepared by my sister Hanna, to nurse slightly severe hangovers on the morning of July 5th.

Soft-boiled eggs, fingerling potato and onion homefries, and well-toasted bread with sliced campari tomatoes, salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Served alongside a gigantic iced coffee, we were feeling chipper and ready for the beach in no time.

And perhaps ample amounts of Advil.

beer sangria at boqueria

Last Tuesday was "Beer Sangria Day" at Boqueria Soho and given that we practically live on top of this fabulous little tapas restaurant, we decided it had to be tried. With one roommate on my right arm we excitedly entered the Spanish haven and were seated at the high communal table in the center of the room. After asking our decidedly yummy waiter about this mysterious beer sangria, he suggested we get a pitcher. For two. Because once we had one glass, we'd be sure to polish off a pitcher in no time. We laughed him off but ordered the pitcher anyway. Fizzy and not the least bit overwhelmingly sweet, it was spiked with triple sec and speckled with fresh fruit.

And roughly one hour later, said pitcher was empty, and my dinner date and I were chatting away with our fellow communal table diners, urging them (successfully, I might add) to go for the beer sangria too.

And don't worry, there was some food consumed too. Pan con tomate, Pintxos Morunos (seared lamb marinated in lemon and cumin, served with salsa verde), Croquetas Cremosas (croquettes three ways: mushroom, salt cod, and suckling pig), and Pintxos de Pulpo (grilled octopus, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and artichoke skewers served with green olive vinaigrette), our overall favorite of the four. Definitely a Tuesday night splurge but a well-deserved and excitingly delicious one at that.

Boqueria Soho

171 Spring St., nr. Thompson St.

shrimp and avocado ceviche

While this was my first go-around at ceviche it ended up being a huge hit. Not entirely a "true" ceviche, as the shrimp are quickly boiled before they take an hour long bath in the lime and lemon juice marinade, it's a totally easy and quintessentially perfect summer recipe that will have your guests groveling at your feet.

Or, something like that.

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche

1-1/2 pounds extra-large or jumbo shrimp
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup finely diced red onion
3 cloves of garlic, grated
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
3 avocados, cut into chunks
salt for boiling shrimp

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the shrimp and add in a generous handful of salt. Carefully dump the shrimp into the pot and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on size. Allow them to just become pink and then immediately transfer to an ice bath.

Drain the shrimp, pat dry, and cut into 1-inch sized pieces. Transfer them to a large, shallow bowl or dish and pour over the lime and lemon juice. Cover and allow to refrigerate for a half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add in the red onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Stir, cover, and refrigerate for another half hour, stirring occasionally.

Before serving, add in the avocado and cilantro and gently stir. Taste for seasoning and serve cold.

a decidedly cuban fourth of july

This year's Fourth of July Cuban celebration was, if I do say so myself, a huge success. A house full of family and friends and a sweeping table set up in the yard to accommodate them all, guests piled their plates high with a group effort of Cuban treats. After a long, lazy, yet wild and crazy day of boating in the Long Island Sound, we dragged our sun kissed bodies back inland so that I could get my contributions to the feast underway. Gargantuan-sized shrimp were quickly boiled, chopped, and then immediately tossed in a ceviche marinade full of lime and lemon juice, garlic, red onion, jalapeno, avocado, and cilantro. Then the spread for the cuban grilled corn was whipped together with mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, and lime zest and juice: to be lightly brushed onto the hot grilled corn and covered in crumbled queso fresco and a side of sliced limes for squeezing. This was all to be served alongside a cuban slow roasted/grilled pork, black beans with coconut brown rice infused with ginger, and sweet and salty tostones.

A quick jump in the shower to somewhat regrettably wash off the salt water and into a festive blue cocktail dress and I was ready to enjoy the holiday.

Mint-tea infused mojitos were then hastily prepared in a large pitcher and immediately poured over a generous amount of ice and just like that, party-mode was in full force.

Then it was off to the town fireworks to lay back, relax, digest, and watch the sky light up with fantastic bright lights, our bodies feeling the smooth vibrations of every crack, sizzle, and pop.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone.

the gourmet institute

A little bird in the culinary PR world gave me the heads up about this Gourmet Institute weekend-long event and I assure you, I've been hounding the poor kid ever since. This has yours truly written ALL OVER IT. First off, as you all know, Ruth Reichl is my hero. My inspriation. My idol. Clearly, I could go on and on. Second of all, Gourmet is my jam. Not only for fool proof and always impressive recipes but for food photography so intense yet simplistic, it's frameworthy. I tear out recipes and photographs from every issue as a reminder of how to do food right. THEN, you add in folks like Dan Barber, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Psilakis, Marcus Samuelsson, and Jean-Georges Vongreitchen (among many, many others) giving seminars, demonstrations, tastings, and cooking classes and I'm not even kidding you, I'm having a full blown panic attack. Hives are happening.

Kiira. Must. Attend.

This is the epitome of the ultimate culinary experience. Unplugged.

Give me a second to collect myself.

Ahem. Alright, so this epic event is going down October 23-25 and a "Special Weekend Package" is going for $825. Here's where you all are going to come into play. Donate. Now.

All jokes aside, a number of restaurants are participating and offering dinner specials which makes this all a little bit more accessible. But, for the time being? Some sort of fundraiser will be in the works combined with nightly prayers. All hail.

feasting on the fourth

When faced with planning the menu for this year's Fourth of July celebration, burgers and dogs didn't even cross this girls mind. Not once did I consider whipping up my favorite potato salad or perhaps giving Bratwursts a try. Nope, not this year. Because this year? Well, I decided to go Cuban.

I suppose it's not so much of a surprise given the affair that's turned into a committed relationship between Cuban cuisine and I this year. There's something about the flavors and the overall feeling of happiness and festiveness that this food genre most literally brings to the table that I thought would be perfect for a Summer party. And when faced with the skeptics who say, the Fourth is an All-American holiday, well I'll quickly have their lips zipped. Because as our friend Donna said, there are plenty of Cubans living in America. And with that, I got to planning.

MENU

Roasted Pork Shoulder Cuban Style (orange, lime, garlic galore)

Coconut Brown Rice with Black Beans

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche

Cuban Grilled Corn (à la Cafe Habana)

Tostones (fried plantains)

Homemade Mango Sorbet

Mojitos (lots and lots of Mojitos...maybe Mango Mojitos)

But the special thing about this year's spread is that I have delegated out the dishes amongst three of us (the other two are seriously well-seasoned cooks that ALWAYS deliver phenom food). A hard thing for me to do, I will admit. But I'm thinking about it this way: the more I get out of the way the night/morning before, the longer I get to lazily lounge in the sun on my good friend's boat laughing the day away with the best of company. In other words, Saturday could not come soon enough.

So with that, I now ask you: What are your BBQ plans for this year's Fourth??