i like have a thing for ground turkey

It's true. I freaking love ground turkey. It's healthier than ground beef and in most cases, I think it tastes a heck of a lot better too. And since Superbowl Sunday is this weekend and we'll all be taking beers to the face like it's no big deal, I thought I'd put up a "light" alternative to the normal game day fare. Here's what I'm thinking: chipotle turkey meatloaf sliders. They'll be so good in fact, that my friends will forgive me for saying "Wait, I like do not understand football" every other minute. Or at least, let's hope.

Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf Sliders

1 package of ground turkey (93% lean)
1 onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, shredded
3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
1 egg
1 tbsp of chipotle in adobo
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix (preferably with your hands) to combine. Do not overmix! Form into slider sized burgers and cook over medium high heat, about two-three minutes per side. Serve on mini potato rolls. (You could also cook it as a whole meatloaf at 375F for 40 minutes and slice it down into slider portions if you don't feel like standing over the stove tending to mini burgers.)

*Serving suggestion: Mix ketchup with a little bit of the adobo sauce for a spicy topping to these sliders. Cilantro would also be really nice on top. And avocado would be downright orgasmic.

go greek

So in light of yesterday's post on Anthos, I thought I'd put up a Greek inspired recipe. Tzatziki is one of those things that has the power to make almost anything taste better. Over-cooked the meat? Throw on some tzatziki. Sick of mayo and mustard on the sammy everyday? Schmear some tzatziki on there. Condiment, side dish, whatever. It's unbelievably flavorful and my version just happens to be pretty darn close to fat free. And you all know that was absolutely unintentional.

Tzatziki

1 english cucumber peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 small lemon, juiced
1 large container of 0% fat faye yogurt
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. fresh dill, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh mint, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Taste for seasoning. Chill before serving.

winter restaurant week: anthos

Ok, so I know that a lot of foodies out there have a thing against Restaurant Week. About how both the food and service lack because the restaurants don't want to deal with the overwhelming demand of "cheap" eaters flooding in. In my experience, I could not agree less. It's the perfect time to check out those restaurants that are otherwise entirely out of your price range. And thus, I digress.

This past summer, I de-flowered myself as a Restaurant Week virgin. I was late to make reservations and as such, was only able to score a table for four at Anthos (the restaurant of my choice) at 10:30pm on a Tuesday night. While not ideal, I always look forward to a night of dining out, as do my food-loving companions, so to Anthos we went.

The meal was ethereal. I really mean that. Everything about it was absolutely incredible and carried out impeccably. My second time around, was equally amazing.

The night started off with a cocktail recommendation from the bartender. While my eye immediately went towards the quince margarita, he immediately disagreed and steered me in the direction of a greek-inspired cosmopolitan (grey goose vodka, raspberry puree, grape ouzo, and campari). The name absolutely escapes me (vloumara or something along those lines?), but it was delicious, if not a tad bit too sweet.

As soon as we were seated, a waiter came around with a platter of small, little bites. Some greek cheese fritters, some sort of fish fritter with tzatziki sauce, small pieces of fried pita with taramasalata, and some delicious citrus and herb marinated olives. A perfect way to start things off.

Next came an amuse bouche: a shotglass filled with warm cauliflower soup topped with fried brussell sprout leaves. Creamy, sensous perfection. I wanted more. We all wanted more. It was creamy without leaving an overly buttery feeling in your mouth. It was the way all soups should taste and feel.

We ordered a bottle of Greek red wine for the table: Agioritiko "Red on Black" Mitravelas - 2006. Fruity without being overwhelmingly sweet. Perfect with the meal and just to sip.

For my first course, I ordered the raw meze: raw fluke with whipped feta, smoked chili, and scallion oil.

I had had the raw meze during the Summer Restaurant Week when it was accompanied by fresh apricot, an herb oil, and crushed pistachios. Sublime. A really, really special moment when I put that first bite in my mouth. I couldn't help but sit there with a stupid smile on my face, almost drunk with happiness. The winter version was also delicious but sadly, the sweet, subtle taste of the fluke was slightly overpowered by the creamy whipped feta and raw chili on top. Still, I have no serious complaints about this dish. It's also presented in a sexy, by means of simplicity, manner.

Next came the entree. Roasted arctic char with orange puree, hazelnut, gigante bean, and mint.

Again, heavenly. The arctic char was just barely cooked through, leaving it silkier than imaginable and with the bright citrusy, orange puree with little hints of mint combined with orange segments, big, creamy gigante beans, and wilted arugula hiding underneath...all on one fork...all worked together to make it a truly perfect bite. The salt, sweet, creamy, citrusy, bright combination never fails to please. When you hit each every one of those notes in the same dish, you've got something special. And for lack of a better word(s), freaking amazing to eat.

Dessert, which almost felt like it came too soon, was a butternut spice cake with candied cranberries and smoked cinnamon parfait. It tasted like Thanksgiving on a plate...and you'll hear no complaints from me about that. It was sweet without being too sweet, the highlight on the plate being the smoked cinnamon iced cream.

I also have to comment on the service at Anthos. The waitstaff could not have been friendlier or more accomodating. They were eagerly there to answer any and all questions without being at all in-your-face. I wish I had written down the name of our waiter...totally charming and a John Krasinski look alike. Aka the man of my dreams. How did I let this opportunity pass me by?!!?

All that said, our meal at Anthos was incredibly memorable and spot-on. Unfortunately, it's a restaurant that I can by no means afford outside of restaurant week, but I will cherish each and every time I have the amazing opportunity to dine here. Because for the time being, this place goes down as my favorite place to eat in Manhattan.

There, I said it.

Chef Michael Psilakis, I'm single. And waiting (You too, waiter, sir).


Anthos
36 W.52nd St.
(212) 582-6900 (reservations can also be made on www.opentable.com)

welcome to eat and greet

Hello, and WELCOME to what I hope will be first of many exciting, interesting, salivating, hunger-inducing and dare I say life-changing posts! Starting a food-centric blog has been on my fateful To Do List for way, way, way too long. And today's the day I've decided to start checking some stuff off. As for the more daunting one's, to the back burner they return.

The premise of this blog will be my ridiculous but incredibly self gratifying obsession and passion towards food and the culinary arts. I'm constantly reading anything and everything food related whether it be blogs, recipe websites, magazines, or cookbooks, I can't get enough. And I think my friends and family (really you guys?!?!) have grown weary of my constant blabber of all things food related so I've come here to channel my thoughts instead.

I'll be doing restaurant reviews, posting recipes and entertaining tips, as well as how to eat and entertain on a "budget." As a twenty three year old living in New York City, I too face the challenge of trying to create perfect little (or not so little) bites on a not so perfect little budget and even tinier kitchen. Let's move beyond this. I'll help you.

I look forward to sharing, eating, and greeting with you all!

xo