fancy fast food

Just found this site, fancyfastfood.com, and I've got to say it's a pretty great way to kill some time. They turn fast food into haute-looking cuisine and at the moment, I'm considering this pretty genius. Enjoy.

gus and gabriel's gastropub

Photo courtesy of Eater.com

Michael Psilakis's newest phenomenon is opening tonight in the space that previously housed Kefi. Gus & Gabriel's Gastropub will feature classic, affordable bar food à la the man, the myth, the legend, Chef Psilakis himself. Sadly (but somewhat understandably) it will be cash only and reservations are not accepted. But since that's the only "downside" I see this place facing, they can go ahead and consider themselves extremely lucky. Yet luck has nothing to do with the food that Psilakis is known to deliver, genius is more like it, so we look forward to trying. Oh, and also? The menu's price point peaks at $13.95 so once again, hats off to one of my favorite chefs in town.

Gus & Gabriel's Gastropub

222 W.79th St., nr. Broadway

Menu found here.

monday meal planning

Alright so I'm a little underwhelmed with this week's menu planning and for that, I apologize. I'm going super light this week (to make up for last weekend and in anticipation of the 4th) and going to try and use up what I've already got on hand. Honestly, as I glance at my sad looking grocery list, I don't even think it's worth posting. It's that meek!

Avocado, grape tomatoes, seltzer, and tuna. Now what on Earth does that say about me?! Lunch this week will be my mayo-less tuna salad on baby greens and dinner will hopefully be bun-less turkey burgers with a salad and the summer salmon cakes with zucchini fennel slaw I mentioned last week.

You know what just came to mind? Black beans with brown rice. And just like that, I'm going to add it to my grocery list.

I seriously bump up the flavor of a can of black beans (rinsed) with a finely diced red bell pepper, red onion, garlic galore, some chipotle, and chili powder cooked for about 10 minutes. Cook up a small pot of brown rice, top it with a generous spoonful of the beans and then hit it with tons of fresh cilantro. Light, healthy, meatless, and full of flavor.

summer sun = grilled fish tacos

I am quite possibly the happiest version of me after the sun finally decided to grace us with its presence this weekend. The three of us gals aggressively hopped on the 10:07am Metro North Train on Saturday morning, straight to the Westport stop and booked it to the beach. Casually strewn on our oversized and perfectly sun-bleached tapestry, we could barely contain our glee as the sun baked our solar-deprived bodies. We were so content with our surroundings (and heck, company) until, of course, the topic of food came about. And as the all too familiar storm clouds rolled in late that afternoon, we had decided that grilled fish tacos would be the answer to our hungry stomachs and a decidedly festive way to celebrate the return of real Summer weather.

After a quick run to the market (and a serious one to the liquor store), I arrived back at home with a slew of colorful and vibrant ingredients and some fresh fish to boot. I quickly got started on finely slicing a red cabbage, two mangoes, and half a red onion for a make-shift Summer Slaw dressed with a much lighter vinaigrette than typically found on slaw. Finished off with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, I impressed myself with this recipe quickly made up on the spot.

Next, I whipped up a chipotle sour cream sauce for the fish tacos: reduced fat sour cream, a tablespoon of mayo, two tablespoons of chipotle in adobo, a grated garlic clove, salt, and a dash of fresh cilantro. A cool and creamy condiment with a kick of smokey goodness.

When guests started to arrive, the salmon went onto the grill along with some ears of corn and few bunches of scallions that were simply dressed in olive oil, salt, and pepper. I put one of my guests to work on the spicy mayo to be lightly brushed onto my version of a Mexican street corn. Mayo, a generous amount of chili powder, lime zest and juice.

When everything came off the grill, it became a DIY fish taco bar, which quite honestly, is a really fun way to serve a meal and come on, makes plating a heck of a lot easier too. Fresh avocado, shredded iceberg lettuce, and cilantro galore finished off the spread. And for a while there, no one was talking. Just shoveling food into their faces and happily sipping on Coronas with lime.

But shortly thereafter, every single calorie consumed was quickly burned off during a two-hour long Michael Jackson tribute/dance party complete with a shrine (courtesy of my mom) which consisted of a white glove, a black and a white votive candle, and a pair of Ray Bans. Yeah. I don't even know. But what I do know? The albums "Off the Wall" and "Bad" are nothing short of epic and will get every single one of your guests off their behinds and on to the..."dance floor."

little things

A coworker just handed me a small bouquet of Italian Flat Leaf Parsley freshly picked from her garden this morning. Delicately wrapped in damp paper towel, I'm staring at it lovingly. Smiling. Sunshine finally streaming through my window.

Happy Thursday.

grilled pizza a la mario batali

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summer salmon cakes with zucchini fennel slaw

Summer Salmon Cakes with Zucchini Fennel Slaw
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet, July 2009
*Amended by Kiira Leess

3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. red onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 can wild atlantic salmon, skinless and boneless
3 Tbsp. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 zucchini, coarsely grated (1 cup)
1/2 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Whisk together mayonnaise, 1 tsp lemon juice, red onion, dijon, hot sauce, and 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Stir together salmon, panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup zucchini, and half of mayonnaise mixture in another bowl.

Add fennel and remaining zucchini and lemon juice to mayonnaise mixture in medium bowl and toss to combine slaw.

Form salmon mixture into 2 patties. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook salmon cakes, carefully turning once, until golden and salmon is just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Serve with slaw.

*An alternative way to prepare this recipe (without the mayo) would be to toss the slaw with a vinaigrette instead. I'm tempted to add some oranges to it as well...

chicken breasts with zucchini pappardelle

I am not going to lie. This is an honest place, and you should know the truth. Yesterday's grocery list kicked my "starving artist's" behind. I came in way over budget and I'm not entirely sure why. I'm going to go back over my receipt tonight, but I'm sure it had something to do with a snack or two and some frozen staples. But, oh well. What's done is done. Let's move on to tonight's recipe, courtesy of Gourmet which I have slightly amended.

1 medium zucchini, trimmed
2 garlic cloves
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I'm marinating mine all day in a little of my white balsamic vinaigrette)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
1 cup torn basil leaves (and some mint if you have it)
lemon wedges for serving

Shave zucchini lengthwise (1/8 inch thick) with slicer, knife, or peeler and place in large bowl. Thinly slice garlic and reserve separately.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Saute chicken until browned and just cooked through, 8 to 14 minutes total. Add chicken to zucchini.

Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add water and scrape up any brown bits, then drizzle over chicken. Add basil and 1/4 tsp. salt to bowl and toss until zucchini wilts slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

lunch at pastis

In celebration of my beautiful friend Nadina's birth, a lunch at Pastis was clearly in order. An omelette with fine herbs for the Birthday girl and a tuna nicoise salad for her mother and myself. Lovely lunch with lovely company. Happy Birthday, Nadina!

monday meal planning

Regrettably, I left this month's issue of Gourmet at home which I excitedly dog eared page after page of super yummy yet simple recipes to try out this week. I do remember the gist of most of the ingredients, though, so that's what I'm going with for this week's grocery list and menu planning. And let me just say, I am rip rearing excited for the change-ups this week. And you are too, aren't you??

THE LIST

2 medium to large zucchinis
3 nectarines ($.99/lb.)
1 medium to large fennel bulb
2 avocados
1 bunch dill ($1)
1 bunch basil ($1)

1 lb. Boar's Head Virginia Ham

7 grain (or more) whole wheat bread

1 package chicken breast
1 salmon fillet ($8.99/lb.) OR 2 cans of canned salmon*

*I have not yet experiment with canned salmon but am intrigued. Think I might go with the canned this time around but will report back.

The plan for this week is to try out two new recipes that use the same veggie (zucchini) but two different proteins (chicken and salmon) which will be a refreshing change from repetitive leftover usage. Again, I don't have the recipes with me but they are: Chicken with Zucchini "Pappardelle" and a Salmon Cake with Zucchini and Fennel Slaw. Sounds good, right? Additionally, I froze my turkey burgers last week so I'm still working with three of those which will fill in for the nights I'm in one of those, "I ate this last night and I'm not feeling it tonight" kind of moods. C'mon, we all get picky and finicky sometimes, don't we? If you're not feeling Virginia Ham sandwiches with avocado for this week's BYOL, go ahead and utilize those two cans of tuna from a week or two ago and try my spin on tuna salad sans mayo.

Recipes to come!

midsummer

I'm still laughing. Like the gut busting, can't breath, tears streaming down the face, laughing from Friday night's Midsummer Festival. Let's just say it had something to do with a dance around the May Pole called "Carousel" and getting extra close and extra awkward with strangers. One of the many highlights of this past weekend. Anyways, off we went after work on Friday down to the tip of Battery Park to celebrate the start of Summer, Svenska style. The weather was surprisingly perfect and the sun was streaming through the piercing clouds at the waterfront venue. Happy as clams based on the weather alone, we immediately got in line for the massive Swedish buffet (which was $15 by the way, not $20) and piled our plates mile high with an assortment of Scandinavian (and not so Scandinavian) goodies: Gravlax, Swedish Meatballs, Herring, cabbage, potatoes, beet salads, and more. We happily shoveled the food in our faces and sipped on ice cold Heinekens (where was the Carlsberg?!) to fend the welcomed heat of sunshine. I almost forgot what that felt like.
I will be seriously saddened if this was, in fact, the last Midsummer Festival because it was such a lovely little event filled with happy faces and friendly people adorned with crowns made from flowers and foliage. The kind of thing that just makes you feel better simply by being present. We left feeling genuinely content with stomachs full, abs slightly throbbing from laughter, an overwhelming desire to start up Rosetta Stone: Swedish, and huge smiles from ear to ear. Go Svenska. For real.

swedish midsummer festival

As a Swede, I felt obligated to post this and to encourage you (yes, even you Non-Swedes) to go. The annual Summer Solstice celebration will be filled with salmon, herring, meatballs, and devistatingly adorable Swedes running around. The festival takes place from 5-8pm in Robert F. Wagner Park (part of Battery City Park) and for $20 you can help yourself to the buffet spread. Sadly, this is rumored to be the last Swedish Midsummer as the Swedish Consulate may no longer have a post in New York. Not quite sure I understand that, but, regardless, I'll be there with a fellow Swede (and one wannabe) chowing down on some Scandinavian fare and watching little blonde munchkins with flowers in their hair, run around waving ribbons in the air.

Ja!

music in the kitchen

I don't know about you all but this girl can't cook passionately without music. Every night when I get home, I bring my iPod speakers into the kitchen and get down. But here's the thing: it can't just be any music. This is not the time nor place for America's Top 40. In fact, if anything, that is absolutely unappetizing to me. This goes for entertaining music as well. When I'm cooking, it's gotta be something worldly. Something Jazz. Something French. Maybe Buddah Bar. Maybe a CD picked up off the street by a guitar player in Barcelona. The point is, this kind of music sends me somewhere, a happy place, a zen zone where I'm free to create and let loose; unwind.

But lately, I've been at a standstill. My usual go-to's of Diana Krall, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and the Gipsy Kings are all kind of underwhelming me. I need some new stuff. While playing around with Pandora today, I came across some new stuff that I'm dying to get back home to download. "Le Breakfast Club de Paris" by Giacamo Bondi, "Underwater Love" by Smoke City, and almost anything by Yelle.

Now I need your help. Wanted: Any and all music recommendations for jamming out in the kitchen.

10,000 hits and counting!

And there we have it, folks. Today we went right over 10,000 hits (since March)!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over to all who have read and continue to do so. Makes me so incredibly happy and beyond flattered to know that I have readers. And loyal ones at that.

Absolutely deserving of some sort of Prosecco toast tonight, don't we think? Perhaps the perfect opportunity to try out my boy Gary Vaynerchuk's suggestion of Riondo Prosecco for $8.99 (seen here).

Woohoo! Happy Monday!

notakeout

Well this site (thanks @nadinadb!) is pretty darn fantastic. Notakeout.com features recipes, grocery lists, and step-by-step instructions from the moment you walk in your door to ensure take-out-less meals that are quick and simple every night of the week. Hats off, peeps. Search through their menus and recipes. And with Alice Waters as the guest contributor this week, you know you're in for a divine spin on local, sustainable ingredients. Does this make my last post pale in comparison? Uh oh. Alice Waters, if you're listening, come help a sister out.