Christmas in Washington DC

Every Christmas we start the holiday off early by visiting Matt's Mom Shari and brother Alex in Washington DC.
This year Shari took us to this fantastic little pub on Capital Hill called Argonaut. I don't know if it was the long drive down that made me really hungry or if this is, in fact the most delicious comfort food in the world.

 We drank thick dark beer!

Crab was all over the menu. The crab dip appetizer was so creamy and warm,  the crab soup was thick and sweet. 

As my main course I had the most delicious fish tacos! The guacamole was rich with lime juice, refreshing.
Matt had the Cuban sandwich and he devoured it! We couldn't stop talking about how good everything was.

 The best was the side of fries that Matt's mother ordered, just your basic hot skinny fries but they had sauteed leeks sprinkled over them. I never knew leeks and french fries could be such good friends! And is that garlic dipping sauce?  LOVES IT!

http://www.argonautdc.com/

The next day we wondered around the Eastern Market and gazed  upon mountains of fresh vegetables and fruit. It was like Willy Wonka and the healthy factory. Everything was so pretty, Washington DC really made this Foodie very happy for the Holidays!

http://www.easternmarket-dc.org/
5 out of 5 forks!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! Keep Tasting!

one word....VIRGIL'S!

My poor belly hurts so good! Just Look at the glory of it all!
Virgil's Real Barbecue in Time Square!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Biscuits and Gravy, Hush Puppies and Train Wreck Fries!

Also Peanutbutter Pie and Banana Pudding!

WOW! Stick 5 Folks in me, Im done!
Thank you so much to Yvelisse and Jim! So Fancy! ;) So Full! So good!
http://www.virgilsbbq.com/

Halloween MeatPies!

Matthew says I make a Meat pie that would put Mrs. Lovett's pie to shame. Given, I don't use the bodies of wondering street merchants but I think its pretty darn tasty and maybe worth reading about.
The meat pies are very easy, filling and perfect for a Halloween night where you have to fill up fast and thick before Trick Or Treating starts!
1st- chop up an onion and saute it in some olive oil, add 2 Garlic cloves chopped small. Then grab half a pound of ground beef and half a pound of ground pork. OR if your grocery store has a "meatloaf mix" that is great because it has both already in it (Thank You Stop and Shop!)  Saute until it is browned. add one cup of beef broth and 1 cup of beer then add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a table spoon of tomato paste and let it simmer together low for an hour or until it thickens a bit.

Mix two tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of water together and then add to the meaty sauteed dish. Mix well on low heat until it blends and thickens some more. Let cool for a few.
Grab your good old store brand (Stop and Shop) pre made roll out pie crust. Lay one down over pie pan and then scoop in the meaty mixture. Brush the edges with a beaten egg and then lay the top pie crust on. Pinch the ends and over lap them if needed and paint the whole top with more beaten egg. Poke 3 slits in the top so the meat can vent.
Then just pop it in the oven at 400 for about 25mins and BANG! I mean, BOO! Halloween Meat Pie!

Good enough for Ghouls!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/french-meat-pie/detail.aspx
or
http://australianfood.about.com/od/beeflamb/r/AussieMeatPie.htm
4 out of 5 scary pitchforks!

Koi, Take 2!

Yes Kio is THAT GOOD! We had to go twice!

Misako got the Creamy Rock Shrimp! Amazing choice!

Chris was a very smart guy and took my suggestion of the Chilean Sea Bass, beautiful! (the sake was a nice touch too!)

To finish, we all split the Warm Apple Crepe and the Milk Chocolate Banana Spring Rolls, YUM!

5 Forks!
Thanks so much to Chris and Misako, can't wait to do it again!

Mushroom Risotto

As Wolfgang Puck said to that poor girl on The Next Food Network Star this past season "Come, I show you how to make a Risotto"
Last night I tried my hand at Mushroom Risotto. I have always heard how hard Risotto is to make because you cant leave it alone. The Risotto must be stirred constantly or it will stick to the bottom or the pot. ALSO you have to add six cups of vegetable broth at only a 1/2 a cup at a time. You have to stand there over the stove and wait until the liquid evaporates and then add the next 1/2 cup, this can take up to a half an hour. In the end, its not all that long to wait for such a yummy, creamy, feel good meal. Just chop up a bunch of mushrooms and toss them into some butter, once those are golden brown add them to the risotto and don't forget to mix in a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese at the end.

Check out the recipe in THE KITCHEN BIBLE. You cant go wrong with this cook book, the photos are mouthwatering!  I highly recommended buying it and jumping right in.
http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Kitchen-Bible-Victoria-Blashford-Snell/dp/0756639743

Mushroom Risotto 4 1/2 out of 5 Forks! (The 1/2 is for all the 1/2 cups on my brain right now)

KOI

I know fancy Japanese restaurants in New York are a dime a dozen but Please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and visit KOI on Bryant Park. Just look at these dishes!

3 of us, including myself, had the MISO BLACK COD, melted like butter in the mouth! The best fillet of cod I have ever had!

Check out the Lobster tail that Camilla enjoyed! Heaven! Is that a flower?!

Lisa had Kobe Beef (from the beer feed, back massaged cows of Japan). Very Tender!

Last is the Dessert! WOW, JUST, WOW! Cheesecake so soft and creamy, Milk Chocolate Banana spring rolls, Gingerbread Ice cream and Check out the pattern on top of the little chocolate cake, Eleganza! 

http://www.koirestaurant.com/

5 out of 5 forks all the way!
Thanks so much to Cindy and Alexa for the experience!

Ryan and Kiley's Wedding

This past weekend my baby brother Ryan married his best friend and long time Love, Kiley and boy do those two know how to through a party! It was up in Brandon Vermont at the charming Lilac Inn.
 Everything was just beautiful! I highly recommend the Lilac Inn for Weddings or any kind of romantic getaway. The gardens were trimmed to perfection and the rooms are each unique and stunning!
My feet are still hurting from the amount of dancing I did the night of the wedding so I don't feel bad at all displaying the giant plate of food that I indulged in.
First things first, they started us off with a beautiful mixed green salad with pears, candied pecans and blue cheese. All of my favorite things, in one dish! It was light, tart and sweet, delicious!

The main course was served buffet style and of course i piled it on, just look at this plate! The meat was so delicate and cooked perfectly! It also came with a creamy horseradish sauce and Auju, now that's fancy! The stuffed chicken and rolled fish were excellent. I think my favorite was the chick pea salad, it was very unique and a lovely complement to the meat.  

To finish off the evening, the Newlyweds decided to opt for an Ice Cream buffet rather then a cake. Now that's a creative couple who know what they like in desserts! Sorry there is no photo, I was busy dancing at that moment.

For sure 5 out of 5 Forks!
Congratulations Ryan and Kiley!
http://www.lilacinn.com/

Carnival Cruise

My family and I went on a Carnival Cruise to The Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten and it was gorgeous! We had an amazing time on each island and the Carnival Dream was a blast! The biggest ship in the fleet, the Dream was filled with lots of hungry cruisers and Carnival knew what they were doing. Yes there is always free soft serve Ice Cream and Yogurt and yes you can get Pizza anytime but the real true thrill for diners was the 3 course dinners every night! Not only was it beautiful to look at but every course, every night was scrumptious!
Check out some selects...
Cold Strawberry Soup, tasted like a milkshake!

 Lobster and shrimp!

 Steak (Rare like Matt likes it)!

 Eggplant Parmesan, Like Butter!

 Sticky yummy Ribs!

Savory Salmon!

Desert? Yes please! How about the biggest slice of Cheesecake you have ever seen from the Steak Resturant!!!

 Or if you want simple bliss? Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!

Oh Vacation, I miss you! We had such a yummy time! Thank you so much Dad and Mom for the flavor adventure!  We will never forget it!

5 out of 5 Forks!!!!

Eastern Market Cheese

Shari brought us a variety of cheeses from Eastern Market in Washington DC. We stared eating it on Sunday morning, now that's a breakfast for Champions!
Pure Happiness!

5 out of 5 forks!

Artisanal Bistro

This weekend my Mother in law, Shari came to visit from Washington DC so I though it would be the perfect opportunity to visit one of my very favorite NYC restaurants, Artisanal Bistro!
http://www.artisanalbistro.com/
 Yes they do fondue but this is not just any campy fondue, it is CHEESE GARLIC AND TEQUILA FONDUE! YES PLEASE! We had been walking around New York all day long so when we finally sat down for our meal at the beautiful french bistro, we were ravenous and ready for some warm gooey cheese and bread! A side of Palm Frites was added to satisfy our moaning bellies. (That's French Fries for those who don't speak the salty tongue of the Parisians) Add a glass of wine or beer and we were in perfect foodie bliss!

The main course was divine as well! I had the Hanger steak and it was melt in your mouth perfection! Shari had the Wild Mushroom Rissotto with fava beans and Black Truffle butter that looked and tasted heavenly.  Matt had the Chicken under a brick (Love that title) he said he never had such a juicy chicken! Sorry there are no photos but I was much to concerned with eating then taking a picture at that moment. ;)

5 out of 5 Forks!
We had a fantastic time! Everything was amazing!
Thanks so very Much Shari!

Home cooked Salmon and Pea Salad

Matt asked me if I wanted to try to cook salmon this past weekend. I said I have never tried but that I would take on the challenge. Found this recipe and went for it!

Salmon with Harissa
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Salmon-with-Harissa/Detail.aspx

Went to Whole Foods and found a lovely fillet of Salmon. For those who don't know, like myself one fillet is good for two people.

The recipe is really simple, just some Harissa (a hot chili sauce that comes in a can), mayo,  lemon, onion, paprika, OJ and a dash of white wine. Flynn was very interested in checking my quality of work.

 The Pea salad was also really easy but be sure to go to a grocery store where the staff can help you determine the difference between snow peas, snap peas and regular shelled peas. Lots of peas here people!  If you don't like capers, do what I did, just use some good olives from your store's olive bar.

Pea Salad with Basil and Pea Shoots
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/pea-salad-with-basil-and-pea-shoots-recipe/index.html 

Bam! Done! It was really delicious if I do say so myself. Matt loved it!!!!
He said 5 out of 5 forks! Wowie!!! Going to keep this recipe around. 

BOND 45

Bond 45 has only been a restaurant for seven years but the time it spent as a theater and night club in back in the day has certainly made an impression on the atmosphere and hospitality!  You will not walk away hungry from this amazing restaurant and if you do, there is something wrong with your stomach, have that checked out.
We started off with a ton of appetizers, including the world's largest shrimp cocktail! I have seen Cornish Hens smaller then these guys!

 Then came the pizza, paper thin perfection! Absolutely dinner worthy on its own.

Still want more appetizers? How about the softest creamiest buffalo mozzarella you have ever tasted, served with sliced juicy tomatoes.

After all that we almost forgot about our main course! (This is just a lunch right?) Three out of five of us orderd the Steak Frites. The Aged New York Strip 12 oz. with sage shoestring frites and baby arugula and roasted red peppers.  I wish I could talk more about this beautiful dish but I'm afraid I was so full from the previous dishes I hardly made a dent. I can say that the meat was extremely tender with a perfectly seared outside. I can't wait to bring it home to finish my lunch for dinner!

Now I know I just got done saying how full I was, however that never stops me from ordering desert. After all, I do have a Foodie Blog to write and I want to be  thorough.
We ordered the profiteroles! A puff pastry with hazelnut ice cream in the middle! WOW! Delicious!

    
BOND 45 is a fantastic restaurant that I have had the privileged to dine at a few times and they never disappoint! I shale return!
Many thanks to Meredith and Jon!!!
4 out of 5 forks! 
http://www.bond45.com/
PS- Check out Lisa having her 1st bite of steak after giving up red meat for lent!
Ha! You've earned it Baby! Enjoy!

Morimoto NYC, yes please!

I have just experienced the most spectacular sushi restaurant in NYC!  Not only was the food beautiful and delicious but the restaurant was all kinda of Oriental fun!
I am talking about Morimoto owned by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and the man knows what he is doing with raw fish and decor.
Once you enter through the restaurant doors (which was a bit of a challenge because of the draping curtains) you find yourself in a fantasy world of Japanese technology and food presentation!  One of the coolest features is the toilet, yeah I said it, the toilet! You walk in and the lid opens for you! The double mirrors make you feel like you are peeing in some kind of Ninja flowered wonderland. And yes, the toilet has all kinds of buttons for cleaning, drying and making your every day routine quite memorable. You just have to visit to know what I am talking about, then you will be that person who took a photo of the toilet and showed it at the lunch table.

The Food! Appetizer was Tuna Tartar served on a board with a bunch of dipping sauces. Your pick! Dip the tartar into seaweed, avocado, Japanese crackers, sour cream, chives or wasabi, melt in your mouth goodness! We also had the tuna pizza and I am not kidding when I say I have never had such a good cold pizza! Not sure what the mayo dressing had in it but it was just the perfect touch and that pizza went quick.

 
Finally the main course, Sushi and Sashimi chief platter. A selection of the restaurant's freshest and tastiest fish. Like butter on a hot pan the fish melted in my mouth. A few to point out was the egg roll, tasted like egg custard, sweet and delicate. The Octopus was very unusual, a little chewy but fun to eat, those suckers can be freaky but I found the texture to be a lot of fun.

I totally recommend trying new things and this was a great way to do it, a little bit of every kind of fish and I was not disappointed in a single bite.  Morimoto, I think you are enchanting!

THANKS Andy and Bryan for the invite

http://www.morimotonyc.com/

5 forks out of 5!