happy birthday mom

If you know me even a little bit, you know how close I am with my Mom. She's one of my best buds and I feel ridiculously lucky to have the relationship with her that I do and that she's only an hour train ride away. A privilege that I abuse. Way too often. But there's also the kitchen. I can't stay away from that kitchen for too long. Or my little nugget, Molly.

But back to my Mom. Her Birthday was this past Sunday and her best friend, Donna, decided to throw a celebratory dinner for her. Donna is not only a famed textile designer but a phenomenal cook and hostess. No one ever turns down a night a meal at her place. No one. Ya hear?

You'll understand. Especially after you check out this spread.

Beyond Fabulous Table Thanks to the Beyond Talented Donna Gorman

Birthday Girl with Eve

Tuna Tartar with Wasabi Cream

Grilled Swordfish, Lemons, Fennel, and Onions

Baby Arugula with Radishes, Peppers, Cucumber, Olives, and Feta

Lilly with The Cake

Happy Birthday!!

Coconut Cake from Sono Baking Company

I woke up the next morning at around 6:30am with a serious craving for leftover swordfish dipped in tzatziki and wrapped in warm, slightly charred pita. In fact, three days later and I'm still longing for a bite. Yet another incredible meal had at Donna's celebrating one of the most talented, inspiring, loving, and fabulous people I know. Mom, I love you and really, truly don't know what I'd do without ya. Here's to you.

monday meal planning

Back by seriously popular demand is Monday Meal Planning. Had I known how much you guys enjoyed these (cough cough, hello and thank you, comment section) I would have never left you all hanging for so long. My apologies. So, without further ado, I give you your plan:


With all this sunshine and the smell (albeit the promise of a smell) of barbeques being fired up in the distance, I couldn't help but start to crave grilled and slightly charred red meat. London Broil is on sale at my local grocery store (Morton Williams, FYI) for a cool $2.99/lb (it's also my go-to cut of steak anyways) and I say go for it. If you're cooking for one, cut the steak in half and freeze half. Generously season it with salt and pepper then slap it on to a grill pan (or if you're lucky, the real deal) for a few minutes per side, until it's cooked to your preferred doneness. Let the meat rest for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting into it so it stays nice and juicy for you. With a package of Naan flatbread ($1.99) on hand, you can slice the steak up and enjoy a make-shift gyro. Thinly slice some cucumbers (or make some tzatziki), red onion, and avocado ($0.99/ea.) throw on some lettuce and some crumbled goat cheese, fold it up, take a bite, or dig into it open-faced with a fork and knife. Pour a glass of Rosé alongside. This will be damn tasty. And for my veg-heads, grill up some portobello's and follow suit. Bring this for lunch the next day too. It will make for a beyond happy Tuesday.

California Navel Oranges are rocking a 4/$1 price tag so let's pick some up, shall we? Drain and chop up a can of beets into quarters (don't cringe, these are an unbelievable value), throw them into a bowl with some orange segments, some diced red onion, crumbled goat cheese and a splash of white balsamic and olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. You can serve this beautiful little salad along with any leftover steak and a torn piece of toasted Naan. For lunch the next day, throw some on top of baby greens and you're good to go, bebes.


I'm a big fan of turkey burgers. Especially at $2.99 for a pack of 4. Pick up a package and as soon as you get home, freeze two. They don't last long at all in their raw, unfrozen state. Grill up a burger, top it with some cheese of your choice and allow it to gently melt. Slide it onto a plate (or on top of piece of Naan if you need a carb fix) and load it up with toppings. I love avocado and red onion on mine but if you've got extra cucumber (which you will), throw some of those on top. Or, if you really want to earn points with me, make up a batch of Swedish Cucumbers and eat those with your turkey burger. You will, in fact, thank me. Profusely. A side salad of baby greens is a must alongside too. At least it is on my plate.

With any leftover veggies and or goat cheese, throw together an easy orzo salad. You can serve it alongside any of this week's meals and it's perfectly filling on its own for lunch or dinner. I think red onion, orange zest, garlic, parsley, and goat cheese (if you've still got some left) would be particularly delicious. Dress it with a squeeze of orange, olive oil, salt and pepper. But with this one, it's all about what you've got on hand and/or what you're feeling. It's your kitchen. I can't (really) tell you what to do.

Or can I?

And with that, here's your grocery list:

Avocados (2 or 3 @ $0.99/ea.)

Navel Oranges (4 for $1)

Hot House Cucumbers (2/$3)

Red Onions (2 small)

Flat Leaf Parsley (optional but strongly urged)

Baby Greens

1 can of whole beets

Turkey Burgers ($2.99/pkg of 4)

London Broil ($2.99/lb.)

Sargento Deli Style Cheese ($2.99)

Goat Cheese (1 large log)

Naan ($1.99)

Orzo (1 box)

What started off as a totally frazzled Monday (on my end at least), just got a whole lot better with promises of grilled steak, avocados, and goat cheese. Let's hope yours did too.

Cheers.

spontaneity tastes good

Before skipping down Greenwich St. to a sushi dinner, we decided heck, a few oysters need to be thrown back. And at an outdoor venue of sorts. So Megan and I jetted into The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market to get a few Kumamotos and Malpeques shucked and placed on a bed of crushed ice with a lemon wedge for squeezing. Two cups of ice and a half bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and we were beyond set. Then we plopped ourselves outside, cheersed our oyster shells and giddily threw 'em back. Particularly briney with notable hints of cucumber and sea salt and the buzzing traffic around us completely dissipated.

I could get used to that. Start of a weekly ritual? Well, I certainly think so.

weekend dinner party

As evidenced here, here, here, and here, I'm a pizza lover. And c'mon, who isn't? It's the perfect blank canvas that can be translated across any and every cuisine imaginable. And while there's a whole lot of absolutely nothing wrong with the classic Margarita (and a personal favorite, I might add) I find it kind of thrilling to step outside the pizza box (so bad that was GOOD) and try something different. Push yourself in the grocery store. Explore other options. Close your eyes in the produce department, spin yourself around (it helps to have a companion here), pick something up, and run with it.

Don't you dare run out of the store with it. I meant it in a strictly metaphorical way. This blog in no way, shape, or form, promotes shoplifting. Only culinary creativity.

Pizza dough, although readily available at almost all grocery stores and pizza joints (don't forget that tip!), can sometimes make it difficult to try out a number of different toppings and flavor combinations in one evening. So my solution for that is Naan Flatbread. It's miles, and miles, and miles better than, ugh, that Boboli stuff and they're particularly great for small kitchen cooking as you can throw these into a toaster oven if you don't feel like firing up the oven.

Possibilities, as expected, are endless. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite along with some fantastic wine pairings thanks to Jon Troutman, Senior Editor of Cork'd.com and a certified sommelier who explains why the pairings work:

naan pizza with camembert, arugula salad, and proscuitto

"Pinot is so food friendly as it is, and the earthy quality that Oregon's Pinot so often has would match up really well with the Arugula."

naan pizza with minted ricotta and balsamic glazed shallots

"Barbera. I think Barbera is my number one option for Pizza of any kind and the high acidity, low tannin levels would do really well with the Balsamic."

naan pizza with cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, and dill

"This Naan made me think of breakfast, and when I think of breakfast, I think bubbles. Cremant de Bourgogne is a category of sparkling wines that I've really been into lately, and would work well as a less expensive substitute to Champagne."

I'm weary you'll never trust my wine pairings again since I've now supplied you with the incomparable knowledge of a professional. But he's just that. A professional. And even he would recommend us to trust our own palettes when it comes to wine. But, hey. If and when I can get Jon in here to help steer us in the right direction, well, I think we'll all gladly and gratefully take the help.

Back to the pizza. For the first option, I'd use garlic Naan as the base. Turn the oven up to 400F and top the Naan with a few slices of Camembert (or Taleggio, my favorite). Throw the pizza in and allow the cheese to gently melt. Keep an eye on it. This will take no time at all. Once melted, top with some baby arugula that's been lightly tossed in a garlicky balsamic vinaigrette and a few slices of thinly sliced prosciutto (go for the domestic, it's less expensive), or not for your vegetarian guests.

The second pizza will require you to make some balsamic glazed shallots. I'd recommend making these the day before, just to get it out of the way. Use this recipe by Ina but use balsamic instead of red wine vinegar. Warm up the Naan base (plain or whole wheat could be lovely with this flavor profile) in the oven for a few minutes and then top with ricotta that's been seasoned well with salt and pepper and plenty of fresh chopped mint. Chop up the balsamic glazed shallots and thoughtfully top the pizza with them. Done and gorgeous.

Lastly, the smoked salmon pizza: Spread some cream cheese or creme fraiche on a well-toasted base and top with smoked salmon, razor thin slices of red onion, and some fresh dill. A squeeze of lemon and a dusting of freshly cracked pepper and this pizza is good to go. (Talk about an impressive and totally easy brunch option too, by the way.)

All three of these can be served room temperature which means you'll have plenty of time before guests arrive to assemble them and throw them in the oven, and put on your Heavenly Hostess Cocktail Apron. And, when your guests ask what they can bring, delegate out the wine pairings listed above and your party is well on it's way to flat out, flatbread perfection.

Enjoy!

Oh, and here's your playlist: http://sets.songza.com/set/eat-and-greet

heavenly hostess aprons

I don't think I'm a particularly over-the-top girly girl (well, let's put it this way: I do love any excuse to get decked out once in a while BUT I still pride myself in being able to get ready for nearly anything in record time) but I absolutely, positively must own one of these gorgeous cocktail aprons. I would be far too nervous to do any serious cooking in one of these but as soon as guests arrived, I'd throw it on on top of some black tights, a black top, and some killer heels and would feel nothing short of glamorous in a fun, flirtatious, and dare I say sexy kind of way. They're retro and contemporary all at the same time. Cannot. Get. Enough.

I need one, right?

Check out Heavenly Hostess's whole line of beautiful Cocktail Aprons here.

if you're reading this...

Me, waiting for you, to cheers you for commenting

...I need you to comment. Listen, I don't ask much from you besides agreeing with me on most everything I say and laughing hysterically at all my witty banter and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at all my artistic photography attempts.

All jokes aside (but ahh, heh heh not really) your comments mean the world to me. It helps me decide what to post more of, what to post less of, and where your interests lie. And besides anonymous IP addresses, it's the only way I know who's checking in. It's my only way to connect with you. And in case you didn't know, I'm all about making connections. In any way that I can.

And are you on Twitter? Because if you are, I really, truly hope you're following me @kiirabritt. I more often than not have something worthwhile (read: meaningful, funny, random, insightful, and/or mouthwatering) to say.

Bottom line, it's a seemingly small gesture that makes me immensely happy. I love, love, love to open up a page to see that one of you has left me a little note. It not only spreads a smile across my face (that lasts for far longer than I'd like to admit), but motivates me to do more, to write more, to show more, and to share more. And isn't that what this whole social media thing is all about?

So with that, I can't wait to hear from you.

red wine lamb ragu

With more leftover lamb than we knew what to do with, the answer was pretty clear: a lamb ragu. And given my experience with the Locanda Verde lamb ragu, I was ready to roll up my sleeves and give this lamb the justice it deserved. I started slicing the lamb into small cubes and diced up a medium-sized yellow onion. Into a large, high-sided pan went the onion with some olive oil and cooked for several minutes. I then added in 3 cloves of chopped garlic and let it sweat for a few seconds before adding in the lamb. A quick toss of the ingredients and the smells coming from the kitchen could've killed someone. I then added in two heaping tablespoons of tomato paste to the hot pan and allowed that to cook for a minute or two. Then a healthy splash of red wine (I used some leftover Cab, about 3/4 cup) was poured in to deglaze the pan and bubbled away until gorgeously thick. 3 sprigs of rosemary were finely chopped and added along with 1 cup of water or so and an aggressive pinch of salt and a few red pepper flakes. I allowed that to come up to a roaring bubble and stirred occasionally until the liquid was mostly cooked out (about 10 minutes). It then becomes a game of adding water and cooking it out, adding water, then cooking it out: a process that yields the most concentrated, glistening, and silky results you've ever encountered.

After adding water and allowing it to reduce three or four times, I got a pot of water on for the pasta. While I would've loved to have gone pappardelle here, penne was what was available so penne it was. As soon as they were al dente, they were added to the pan of ragu along with half a cup (plus some) of the salty, starchy cooking water and tossed.
Then it was outside to the patio along with a glass of rosé to enjoy the sunshine and the fabulous fruits of my labor.
Had there been ricotta and fresh mint around, this would have most definitely been topped with both (to really stick it to Locanda Verde). But, we were without and this dish did not suffer in the least bit.

an easter feast on easter...saturday

According to this non-denominational crowd, celebrating Easter on Saturday this year proved to be an exceedingly genius idea. Easter on Saturday means more friends are available to gather and Sunday was reserved for nothing but relaxation in the glorious sunshine and puttering around the house. I can't tell you how many times I heard, "This was the best idea ever" over the course of the weekend. But alas, a good idea indeed.

Saturday morning involved slicing fennel, onions, and potatoes and grating a whole lot of Comte cheese (in lieu of Gruyère) for the infamous Potato-Fennel Gratin. The dish that not only gets "ooh's" and "aah's" but makes people contemplate whether or not they want another serving of gratin for dessert instead of the Russian Cream. And while this gratin is out-of-this-world fantastic, I can answer that question for your quite easily. Put down the extra serving of potatoes. And get ready for that Russian Cream.

Marinade/Wet Rub for the Boneless Leg of Lamb: garlic, rosemary, olive oil, lots of salt, and pepper.

Lamb grilling away.

Grilled Asparagus finished with a drizzle of Black Truffle Oil.

Popping the Castellar Cava (a spectacular Spanish Sparkling Rosé)

Sliced Grilled Leg of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction Drizzle

Russian Cream with Berries.

I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, the Easter Feast (especially when served on a Saturday) is one of my favorite meals of the year. The combination of textures and flavors and the whole Spring forward attitude is one that I can so get down with year, after year, after year. I hope your's was equally as lovely and delcious. And if you took my advice and whipped up the Potato-Fennel Gratin too, well, I don't doubt for one second that it was.

happy easter

Just a few lovely Easter egg shots for you all. As a disclaimer, most sadly, using red cabbage to naturally dye eggs, does not, in fact, work (although it will turn your water a brilliant shade of deep, dark blue, your eggs, however, will remain an unphased shade of white). The charming little eggplant colored eggs found below are brought to you by the colors red and blue food dye. Oh well. It's the thought that counts, right?






My friend Meghan had the brilliant idea of posting these pictures followed by a recipe for my favorite egg salad. Genius, no? Since I guarantee the majority of you have more than a couple of brilliantly colored hard boiled eggs peeking out in your fridge. This recipe can be halved, doubled, tripled, whatever to accommodate you.

The Best Egg Salad (Ever)

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut into medium-large chunks
4 scallions sliced into rounds, greens and whites
2-3 ribs of celery finely diced
2 heaping spoonfuls of mayonnaise (Hellman's only, please)
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and gently stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. Serve on well-toasted pieces of country bread or ciabatta as open-faced sandwiches. Garnishing with a sprig of dill would be a lovely addition (if you've got it).