monday meal planning

By now, I'm sure you're more than aware of two things: I love salads in all incarnations and I love Terroir. Put these two together and you end up with their smoked chickpea and calamari salad which I have yet to not order every single time I've ever been to either location. I'd feel all weird inside knowing I wasn't going to get to have it. It's become one of the many driving factors which all too often convince me that I need to visit at least once a week. A brief scanning of my credit card statement recently solidified this for me. It was funny for a second seeing the word "Terroir" so many times. And then, very quickly, it became not-so-funny.

I've since taken a nearly two week break. Don't worry. That will change this week.

Back to salads. And particularly that smoked chickpea and calamari one. This is a salad I've had in my notes to post for you all since the first time I had it, back in October of last year. Don't ask why it's taken so long to put up. I have no answer. But this particular Monday felt like the right time to do it.

I'm going to leave the calamari out but feel free to add some tuna (which is what I'll be doing) or leaving it completely vegetarian. The smokiness in this salad is what makes it otherworldly so I'm suggesting you use some smoked Spanish paprika but I'm fairly confident Terroir is sneaking in some liquid smoke in theirs. So I'll leave that decision up to you. Either way, this salad will not disappoint. It's actually impossible.

Smoked Chickpea Salad

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed (I pinch off the skin on each one, personal preference)

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped

1 large clove of garlic, grated or finely chopped

1/4 cup pitted nicoise olives

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 tsp (or to taste) red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 lemon, zest from half, juice from whole

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss well and taste for seasoning.

Pack a tupperwear of this for lunch or serve alongside virtually anything for dinner. A piece of grilled fish or chicken, or a simple panini or quesadilla. This pretty much goes with anything.

And while we're talking about grilled fish, I'm thinking a piece of grilled, super rare tuna (sorry, I realize that's P.I. but you can go swordfish) with a mango salsa would do wonders for anyone's mood this week.

Mango Salsa

1 or 2 mangoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely chopped (or whole, depending on your tolerance)

a couple handfuls of chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Taste for seasoning. Serve alongside a grilled piece of tuna or swordfish.

THE LIST

celery

red onion (2 small)

flat leaf parsley

cilantro

mangoes (1 or 2)

jalapeno

1 lemon

1 lime

nicoise olives (about 1/4 cup)

1 can chickpeas

tuna or swordfish steak

shh...

Me, two weeks ago, at the tender age of 24. Sigh.

So, it's like kinda, sorta my Birthday today and I contemplated not posting anything and, you know, taking the day off, but, guess what? That would be lame. For the birds. I think. You only turn 25 (how did that happen?! seriously though. how?) once so I thought I'd share it with you all. Plus, y'all make me feel good. So I'm going to shower myself in that happiness. Birthdays (and the like) typically tend to stress me out but I'm making a conscious effort to maintain a very zen-like attitude today by ignoring every irrational thought that crosses my mind and sends me into a panic about aging and life swiftly passing by, by reminding myself of what's to come tonight: great friends, great food, and great wine.

Enter, Terroir Tribeca.

If you haven't been yet, get on that. Like immediately.

Because the Finger Lakes Riesling on tap and the smoked chickpea and calamari salad are so frighteningly delicious it's difficult for me to tell myself "No" on a daily basis. Cravings for it hit me hard. And often. And so what better way to ring in my 25th year than by giving in to my temptations?

Wish you all were going to be around the table with me. But, rest assured I'll be snapping so many pictures tonight, my friends might start to get irritated with me, even though, today, they're not allowed to.

You hear that, guys? Not. Allowed.

xo

terroir

You guys? I'm pumped. You know why? I just discovered an absolute new go-to. And Terroir is the name of the game.

Owned by the same peeps of Hearth and Insieme, Terroir is their wine bar located in the East Village and boasts a seriously impressive wine list (known for their Riesling options) and a menu of small plates. The space is small but intimate and features blond wood paneling and soft lighting. One high, long communal table with stools is supplemented by seats at the bar. And a seat at the bar, is a guaranteed fantastic experience.

First of all, I've got a shout out to give. Tanner, the guy behind the bar, is totally charming and informative. He was more than willing to offer suggestions and catches on to your palette likes and dislikes immediately. An absolute plus as it allows you to try a variety of different wines (they have full glass pours and half glass pours, giving you more opportunities to expand that palette of yours).

I don't know why, but I've been kind of camera shy as of late. So the pictures below are mediocre at best but I had to show you some of the crazy delicious bites we nibbled on. First came a beet and orange salad topped with lemon oil and crushed hazelnuts. It tasted exactly like it sounded and while nothing out of this world, it was a welcomed bite of freshness next to the uber indulgent lamb sausage wrapped in sage leaves and then fried. Salty, incredibly juicy, and a concentrated sage flavor for days. These are a treat not to be missed.


Next came a smoked chickpea and calamari salad with celery, garlic, lemon, parsley and chili. The flavors coming alive in this dish were beyond intriguing and spot on. Smokey and salty meets bright and crunchy. I'm a sucker for calamari in all its incarnations, and this was no exception. I'm going to have to experiment with a recreation of this dish ASAP.

Their duck panini is somewhat famed so I had to squeeze one of those in. Duck ham with hen of the woods mushrooms and taleggio cheese? Please. Seriously, please. The combination of flavors in this guy yielded the...say it with me...perfect bite. Further enhanced by a healthy sip of a hearty red and Kiira was in her happy place.

And then of course, there's the wine. And get ready to be faced with a binder full of options. But before you enter panic mode, relax. The guys working here want nothing more than to help you find your perfect glass. And with so many options, I dare you to not find at least one glass to your liking. One of my favorite tastes of the night was the wine seen below. I couldn't tell you much more than the fact that it was slightly fruity, slightly savory, hints of smoke, and a gorgeous mouth feel. My kinda vino.

Terroir is the kind of place you instantly cozy up to. From the beyond personable wait staff, to the overall vibe this place is rocking, you can't help but want to linger. Try one more wine. Take one more bite. Stay just a little bit longer. And really? Can you think of a better dining experience?

Go Yankees! (Had to.)

Terroir

413 E. 12th St.