Parker House

The PH is a summer tradition. Lounge on the beach in the hot sun, and then scamper on over to the Parker House around 2:30 for the raw bar. Drink specials combined with raw bar goodness--sliders in the form of steak sandwich, sausage sandwich, cheeseburgers, and even a softshell crab sandwich. The steak sandwich is cooked to perfection, and the burgers are nice-sized and juicy. the crab sandwich has a bit too much bread I hear, but the meat is tender and tasty. Clams, both steamed and raw (fabulous), lovely shrimp and cocktail sauce, and the ultimate draw: $8.95 lobster. Yes, ladies and gents, approximately nine bucks for a pound + lobster. Seasoned in old bay, this monster of a deal is so scrumptious that it gets a daily shout out all winter long. Mmmm summer. The ONLY way to kick off summer.

It should be noted that this is a cash only joint except for the actual restaurant. Boasting weekday specials and a quaint open-air peacock chair brunch, this green and white establishment is worth a try. The bar has lines like crazy, which can be avoided by getting into the raw bar section in the back before six and allowing them to stamp your hand. It does close earlier, due to Sea Girt zoning laws, so be prepared for last call to occur around 11:45, as this place clears out by midnight. The bar can get packed, and expect loud music and sweaty bodies. Worth the adventure, don't forget to be safe and take one of the rotating cabs that circle the block. If you're lucky, you'll end up in Wally's and get free candy. It's still summer somewhere!

Rosie's. Sammie's Counterpart: Bronxville Orig!

For my mom's birthday, I decided to take her out to her favorite restaurant. Rosie's. Rosie's is a quaint restaurant on the corner in Bronxville, across from the hospital. Sammie's Downtown, a delicious restaurant on the main drag, is Rosie's spawn. Therefore, Rosie's is the original, and equally delicious.

We started with a bottle of New Zealand sauvignon blanc (171 on the wine list). Crisp, cold, and smooth. We broke bread, which was fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, served warm with ricotta cheese instead of butter, or olive oil. We ordered the melanzane rustica appetizer, which was eggplant, cheese, and spinach in a tomato-marscapone sauce. Delectable.

Moving to the entree, my mom ordered the ravioli quattro formaggi, which is 4 cheese ravioli. Served with green and yellow zerbra stripes and a dash of Parmesan, it was rich without being oily. My spaghetti umberto, which consists of meatballs, in-season zucchini, and thick spaghetti served in a tomato-marscapone sauce. Heaven on earth, and by far my favorite dish on the menu.

For dessert, my mom ordered key lime pie as her birthday cake. So different, but so melt-in-your-mouth yummy. Fluffy rather than smooth, it was a little slice of whipped heaven on a graham cracker crust. Fantastic!

Stew Leonards

Amen for Stew Leonards. First, they have an amazing wine/liquor department which I take advantage of when I need to stock up my wine cellar. I bought 8 bottles of various types of wine for 62 bucks. Helpful staff, various wine tastings (yes, even Opus One, no joke!).

Second, they have an awesome gardening center which transitions nicely to a Christmas section in the winter. Ornaments and wreaths and apple cider.

Third, while I usually end up spending double what I might normally spend at another store that sells food, the quality in so much better and every once in a while, they have awesome meat sales. Like this week on filet mignon: $13.99 a lb. Porterhouse for $5.99 a lb. Golly gumdrops. If you spend over $100, they give you a free coffee or ice cream. Which is more than they have to do. And they make a killer pizza, present a deliciously eclectic buffet, and give you tastings as you shop. A butcher, a fish monger, fresh produce grown locally, a cheese section (with Jarlsberg on sale this week for 3.99), a bakery, craft brews, mooing cows, buttons to press, shiny lights... Ok, so I have a not-so-secret love affair with this grocery store. And this is the real reason why I haven't been eating out diligently. Sigh.

(Photo from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4582255935_0a88bf5610.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/46801360%40N07/4582255935/&usg=__hElpexXgHFiVUF4hCZcenPZa9gU=&h=375&w=500&sz=220&hl=en&start=37&zoom=1&tbnid=_fq4i_QdK6ibxM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=167&ei=3WrdTffUKeTn0QHH8J3BDw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dstew%2Bleonards%2Byonkers%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D591%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C1034&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=615&vpy=142&dur=2488&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=169&ty=130&sqi=2&page=3&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:37&biw=1280&bih=591)

How Loose is Your Goose? Eat More Chicken! Part II

Roasted the sucker at 250 for 3 hours and 40 minutes in a vertical roasting kit with 2 sweet potatoes and an onion on 3 of the 4 accompanying spikes. Visited my grandfather in the hospital, walked the puppy, gave the puppy a bath, greeted Bradford... Ya know. Lived life. Then, took the chicken out when the meat thermometer was between 170 and 180. Served it with a fast pasta salad on the side consisting of chopped green pepper, halved grape tomatoes, oregano, and a bit of olive oil. Whipped up some quick gravy using about 2tbsp of flour, the drippings, and some skim milk. Since the chicken was already covered in spices, I didn't need to add any to the pot. Voila! Dinner!

Delicious.

Two Parter! How Funky is Your (Whole) Chicken? Day 1

So, Bradford makes a mean turkey around Thanksgiving. I was uber impressed. So I decided to give him a run for his money and make a rotisserie-style chicken for no good reason. Mostly, because I've never cooked an entire bird before. Perhaps it was Brad's prowess, or having read Julia and Julia a year ago, but I decided that if I want to hold any clout in the kitchen, I need to tackle a bird.

Went to the grocery store. Bought white pepper. Didn't know that was a possibility. Also bought a 4lb bird, some onions, yams, and garlic. Did a little google research. Quartered an onion. Found out that giblets or whatever comes out of a chicken is already packaged. Weird. Pulled the package out of the chicken. Minced some garlic in the slap chop. Best 6 month anniversary present ever! "You'll love my nuts." You darn tootin'! Side note, sorry. Created a spice mixture that involved thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rubbed the chicken on both the inside and outside. Stuck the quartered onion and some minced garlic where the pre-wrapped package of guts used to be. Guts went in the garbage. I'm not that creative, yet. Wrapped the whole bird in plastic wrap, twice. Stuck in fridge.

Going to roast that sucka tomorrow at approximately 3:30 PM in a funky stand-up contraption! Stay tuned...

Emilia's Italian Restaurant, Arthur Ave.

So for my brother's college graduation (I know, crazy), my brother decided he wanted to go to his favorite Arthur Ave. haunt, Emilia's. So, with family in tow, we trudged in and we greeted with "Chris!" and a host of waiters high-fiving him and slapping him on the back.

The meal was good. Not exceptional, cloud-nine, don't talk to me good, but still good. Thick, crusty bread with Chris' antipasto was well received. The peppers did not taste jarred or canned, the cheese was pungent, and the prosciutto was only slightly fatty. Unfortunately, the Roma tomatoes were a bit tasteless. For an entree, the wild boar pappardelle was tasty, though the pasta did not taste homemade, which made me yearn for Lavagna. The wild boar was delectable, though the few fatty pieces tossed in were a turn off. The sauce was a tad bit salty, but not to the point where I pushed the dish aside. I managed to eat the entire thing in one sitting, so I must have liked it enough for that! Most people ordered the swordfish on Chris and Beebe's suggestion, and they were not disappointed. Perfectly cooked with beautiful grill marks, it melted in your mouth and was served with a cool salad. If I ever find myself at Emilia's in the future, that would be the meal I ordered. I'm a sucker for ordering pasta and an Italian restaurant though, so I'd have to remind myself to go when I'm in the mood for fish. The Sicilian wine that Uncle Joe ordered was a nice complement. Overall, a lovely meal, attentive service, and a made-for-tv family made it a wonderful experience.

Then, we headed to "Howl at the Moon" known to the locals as "Howl." If you drop Chris' name at Emilia's, be sure to drop "Dave" at howl. But seriously, who makes a soco shot without the lime? At least Joe learned how to Catdaddy!

Tim's Fried Rice and Miss C's Black Beans and Plantains

So one of my students from Ghana gave me his "healthy" fried rice recipe. I doctored it up a little bit, tried it out, and found it quite delectable. Figured I'd write it down so as to remember it, and share it with anyone who's interested.

Brown rice, boil in a bag, boiled for about 10 minutes (slightly undercooked, so the rice is still a bit hard).


While that's boiling, saute an onion, a green pepper, and one carrot shavings with 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Throw some chicken on the good old George Foreman. Seasoning of your choice, or just plain.

After about ten minutes, add 3 eggs, low sodium soy sauce to taste (about 2 tbsp.), and the orange package of Goya seasoning. Drain the rice, and add the rice after about 2 minutes. Toss in the chicken. Stir it all together over medium heat for a minute or two, and serve!

As for the beans, saute some garlic, onions, and green peppers in a little bit of olive oil for about ten minutes. Once everything is starting to get soft, add the black beans. I like Goya black beans. Add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of oregano and a teaspoon of cilantro. Add 3/4 cup of water. Bring everything to a boil and then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. I like to add some freshly chopped tomatoes after I take it off the burner, and I actually prefer this dish cold, though it tastes pretty good hot as well.

Then, to make it like casados from Costa Rica, I like to fry up a sliced, overripe (black) plantain with a little bit of butter, about 5 minutes per side, until each side is just beginning to char. If serving as a dessert, fry it up with some Caribbean rum.

Dante's Ravioli and Mint Juleps

Dante's, recently relocated from White Plains Road to Yonkers Ave, contains some delicious homemade ravioli, on top of their famously incredibly pastries. This Italian specialty store has been run by the same little Italian man forever. If you ask for the owner, he comes out in casual clothes, covered in flour, and greets you with a smile and a lovely Italian accent even though he's been living in America for over fifty years. He's owned this joint long enough that my grandfather claims he's been buying products from him for fifty years (take into account whatever a 90 year old's exaggeration is... or not). The pastries are out of this world perfection. Not too sweet, delectable cream, and beautifully packaged. You just can't go wrong. Love the cannoli. Yum.

We bought a 30 piece of the truffle oil ravioli for the Kentucky Derby and boiled them 'til they started to float. Due to lack of time, I just poured some of that Jersey tomato sauce on top, which I can buy at the grocery store, and I find to be pretty good substitute for "Mamie's sauce" (my grandmother's and the best. Sorry, that recipe will never be shared!) considering it's jarred. Then I crafted the perfect mint julep. As for Dante, I will definitely try Dante's lobster ravioli next, and in fall I'm looking forward to trying his pumpkin ravioli in autumn.

As for the mint julep:

Create some simple syrup: 1 cup superfine sugar with one cup water. Boil. Chop up fresh mint (amount depends on your taste, I love a lot of mint, so I went with three sprigs). Let sit for 24 hours at least, covered, in the refrigerator.

The next day, place some ripped mint at the bottom of a glass. Add a LOT of ice in a glass (crushed is the best way to go, but cubes work just fine). Pour 3 oz of your favorite bourbon (I know it's the KENTUCKY derby, but I went with Jack), and add 2-3 tablespoons of the simple syrup mixture (to taste). Stir it up and let it sit for a minute or two. Perfection!

Dining In: Salmon Quinoa Burgers

Ok, so one of my students wrote a research paper for me about cooking in vs. dining out, and statistically proved using fancy graphs and language that people should cook in more. You know, health, save money, avoid sodium and transfats, etc. etc. etc. Well, no problem here. One of the reasons this blog hasn't been updated in over a year is since Brad and I moved to Yonkers, I've been cooking. A LOT. So here's my salmon quinoa creation. One of the few things I've done without following/doctoring up some semblance of wholeliving.com recipe. Love that website, even if it is Martha Stewart.

Mix with your fingers in a giant bowl: canned wild Alaskan salmon, red onions, Italian breadcrumbs, a tbsp or 2 of Greek yogurt to make it moist, Mexican cheese mix (or any kind of shredded cheese really), and quinoa (follow the recipe on the package, it's ridiculously simple, you just boil it with some water) and a little cumin, curry powder, dash of chili powder, and of course, salt and pepper. I basically just dumped the kitchen sink into mine, making it with some sugar snap peas as well, which is more my style and probably doesn't work well for most people. I then heated up a frying pan with a tbsp of Italian olive oil, shaped the goo into burger-esque shapes, and fried the little buggers for a couple of minutes on each side. And they actually came out delicious. So take that, NYC over-priced restaurants.

Devi: The Only Indian with a Michelin Star in all of America

So for Ursula's bachelorette party #1, Urs and I headed into Manhattan to try Devi, the only Indian restaurant with a Michelin star in the entire country. Located on East 18th, the outside looks more hole in the wall than famous top chef restaurant. However, once inside, there are bright lanterns, Indian fences, two levels, and extremely helpful and attentive servers. The people next to us were just finishing, and were more than happy to explain their favorites on the menu. We ended up ordering the okra chips with yogurt and the spinach patties as an appetizer, the shrimp coconut haree curry and the apricot lamb seekh with plain naan for entrees. Everything was good and spicy, the only thing we thought was a bit off was the apricot lamb, mostly because the lamb was not cubed, and instead shaped like a sausage, but more mushy and similar to ground lamb which I felt took away from the flavor of the meat. The Malbec we ordered was exceptional, Las Posta. I definitely would like to find a bottle of that for my wine cellar.

We were too full for dessert, and headed to the Victorian bar Lillies around the corner on 17th for another glass of wine. Decent decor, not enough standing room, and too rushed for my taste. After one glass, we were ready to continue on.

After, we walked off our supper and headed back to Grand Central. Once we realized our train would not depart for another thirty-five minutes, we decided to hit up the Campbell Apartments where we each had a decent but insanely overpriced cosmo. Gorgeous space, great feel, good idea with the staffs' uniforms, but seriously, 33 bucks for 2 cosmos? Not even in Manhattan is that okay.

A lovely evening overall, and just what we needed.

Accent Thai

So on McLean Ave in Yonkers, there's a new Thai restaurant. Well, kind of new. I had gone to a place in the same location years ago that I found rather repugnant, but after a huge renovation, it has reopened and since it is literally down the street from where I am currently living, I decided to give it a whirl.

The appetizers are not worth the price. I have tried various items on the menu, and the calamari was the best, but not worth the price. Extremely small portion, and the side sauce was watery and not very exciting. The crab and fish specials were both rubbery and the rolls were greasy.

As for the main course, the pad thai and the curries are actually pretty good. Considering there is not a lot of Thai in the area, it's nice to have a quick take-out place down the street that will definitely satisfy the need. The pad thai is slightly greasy, and I recommend having a lime at home to squeeze over it because they don't supply you with one. The curry has a nice flavor that they can spice up (for me) or spice down (for Brad) if necessary. Sweet with a kick, and plenty of crispy, fresh vegetables, and sticky rice. My only complaint is that I wish there was a little bit more "meat" whether you order chicken, steak, or shrimp. However, it quenches my Thai tastebuds in the area.