Archive for May, 2010

Food TV in NYC

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

FriedFoodies rejoice. Finally there is a cooking show for those of us who are actually interested in great cuisine, and learning tricks of the trade from true masters, as opposed to some made for TV food personality, or some frenzied cooking competition. Each week, Steven Fried of Beyond the Dish takes you behind the scenes to shop with the chef, hear what inspires them, and learn first hand how to prepare some of their signature dishes. Who knew that swirling the pan was the key to Wiener Schnitzel? This is not glamour TV. It’s real and funny, in the end you feel empowered to actually give some of these complicated dishes a try.

Check it out starting tonight at 9:30PM on NYC Life. That is Channel 25 for you Time Warner, Verizon, and Comcast subscribers and 22 on Cablevision. AND as an added bonus, this marks the debut for sponsor hour.ly.…the first of its kind online hourly/temporary jobs platform that was started by my husband, with inspiration from yours truly. For the time being both are largely tri-state based, but look for lots of news to follow over the summer.  We are cookin!!

View from Upstairs

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

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In New York City there is nothing more coveted than outdoor space, but sadly as this week has proven, the weather on the Northeast is unpredictable at best. That’s why we were so excited to find Upstairs at the Kimberly Hotel, which has just opened this month for private events, and will open to the public in June. What’s to love? 4,000 square feet overlooking midtown manhattan, that is enclosed by retractable glass walls and ceiling, allowing you to host your soirée without fear of what mother nature will dole out. Even better, is that you actually get to enjoy great food with your cocktails. Upstairs has employed Chef Gwenaël Le Pape, who has worked with the likes  of Jean-Georges and Anthony Bourdain, and turns out wonderful little tidbits like baby lamb chops, truffled mac & cheese and duck cigars. And just to round it out, the space has an outdoor fireplace, VIP room, and is wired for music. This past Friday DJ Fauzy and the staff at Upstairs did us proud. Don’t let the front door fool you, this is one to check out!!

Get Shrimping

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

DB ShrimpLike many of you, watching the news from the Gulf coast this past week, and listening to the plight of the Louisiana fisherman has been nothing short of heartbreaking. I won’t even get into what BP should have to do to make amends, but instead today address what can be done to help the LA shrimp farmers, and your own pockets. BUY shellfish, now, direct from the farmers and squirrel it away in your freezer for as long as you can!!

I am not sure if you have bought shrimp recently from a high end market, but what I have bought was in excess of $18 a pound ($10 at my beloved Fairway), and is not “fresh”. Little known fact is that 90% of what shrimp is out there is flash frozen and sold thawed, so if you freeze it again, you are thawing twice or even a third time. Ick!! Instead go direct. There are a couple of great Louisiana purveyors, like Four Winds & Bayou Bounty where you can order FRESH shrimp, crab and oysters, and have them shipped to you on dry ice. Granted the shipping cost is not cheap, but the per pound cost is (at $7 for large shrimp), and if you have room in your freezer, LOAD UP!  According to Stilltasty.com, fresh shrimp will keep in a freezer for 6 months and crab meat 3 months. Recipes to follow!

Recipe: Spring Spritzer

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

LimeadeSpring has sprung, and in as much as it is a shock to the system to go from 50 degrees to 90 in a matter of days, it is so fantastic to be outside and free of jackets and endless layers of clothing…(that said, work must be done before bathing suit season arrives!!) There is something about this weather that makes you instantly want lemonade and fresh mint, and after souring my pantry this afternoon, came up with a great summer alternative. For this we used sparking water, which even my kids loved, but certainly would go nicely with a little vodka as well. Here’s to sunny days!!

Recipe: Spring Limeade Spritzer

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh mint, washed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro or basil, depending your preference
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Club Soda

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water, and simmer a medium flame to make a simple syrup. Once combined, add the mint and basil and allow to continue to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow herbs to steep in syrup as it cools. Once cool, strain syrup and discard herbs

Combine lemon and lime juices

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 1 ounce of syrup, 2 ounce of lemon lime juice, and 2-4 ounces of soda water. Adjust to your own taste and garnish with lime wedge.