BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

on our NYC FOODAPOLOOZA, one of our stops was dumont burger, where we went specifically for the mac & cheese. this little brooklyn joint had one of the best offerings of mac & cheese i'd ever had (the best still belongs to home). so, what does that lead me to do? search online for a recipe worthy of thanksgiving. i looked up "dumont burger macaroni & cheese recipe" and was directed to a food blog that attempted to recreate this signature dish. so, how'd it measure up? we all agreed that it was good, but i knew it wasn't quite dumont-approved. but, give it a go...it's still delicious!

BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE
posted on grace notes nyc by grace g. yang on november 20, 2009

• 16oz elbow macaroni (i used rotini, i've always liked how it holds the cheese)
• 4c small curd cottage cheese (two 16oz tubs)
• 2c sour cream
• 16oz block sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 handful of trader joe's quattro formaggio (blend of asiago, provolone, & parmesan)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 16oz block asiago cheese
• 12oz thick-cut bacon

preheat oven to 350°F. shred the sharp cheddar cheese and set aside. 

cut up bacon strips and fry. do not over crisp them. once cooked, drain on a paper towel and set aside.

boil water and cook pasta as directed.

meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, sour cream, cheddar, and trader joe's cheese blend. mix in eggs and bacon. set aside.

drain and run cold water over cooked pasta to keep it al dente. add pasta to the cheese mixture.

spread mac & cheese mix into a buttered 9x13 inch casserole dish. bake in the oven for 40 mins.

meanwhile, shred asiago cheese. once baking time is over, remove mac & cheese from oven. top with shredded asiago and place back into oven on low broil until it forms a nice crust, about 10 mins.

STUFFED MUSHROOM WITH SPINACH

this was the appetizer offering i decided to go with for thanksgiving. i LOVE mushrooms and when there's cheese involved...that is serious love! i really liked this recipe because it was simple and tasty, which is what matters most. when hosting a party, i am a huge believer in finger foods and this one does not let down.

STUFFED MUSHROOM WITH SPINACH
posted in real simple by sarah quessenberry on november 2010

• 24 medium mushrooms, about 1 1/2 lbs
• 2T olive oil, plus extra for the baking sheet
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 5oz pkg baby spinach, chopped
• kosher salt & black pepper
• 3/4c panko bread crumbs
• 1/2c gruyere cheese, about 2oz

heat oven to 375°F. remove the stems from the mushrooms; finely chop the stems and reserve. coat a baking sheet with oil. bake the mushroom caps, stem-side down, until just tender, 10-12 mins.

meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. add the garlic and chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring, until tender, 3-5 mins. add the spinach, 1/4t salt, and 1/8t pepper and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 2-3 more mins.

in a bowl, combine the spinach mixture with the bread crumb and cheese. spoon into mushroom caps and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 mins.

my yummy tip: i did make this a day ahead, so this tip was courtesy of the original posters. if you plan on making these a day (or two) ahead, stop after stuffing the mushroom caps (they cannot be baked twice with the stuffing). you can store in the refrigerator, covered. then, bake stuffed mushrooms when ready.

PUMPKIN BISCUITS WITH ORANGE-HONEY BUTTER

this was one of my favorite results from thanksgiving. the biscuits had a nice, subtle sweetness from the pumpkin ad spices and the orange-honey butter pulled it all together. i would make this for any fall get-together. they're easy to make, but are impressive.

PUMPKIN BISCUITS
posted on dine & dish by kristen on october 21, 2010

• 2c all-purpose flour
• 3T sugar
• 2t baking powder
• 1t ground cinnamon
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• 1/4t ground nutmeg
• 1/4c chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4c fat-free buttermilk
• 1/2c canned pumpkin
• cooking spray

preheat oven to 450°F.

lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with knife. combine all dry ingredients. cut in chilled butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

in separate bowl, combine buttermilk and pumpkin. add to flour mixture, stir until just moist. turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. roll dough about 1/2 inch thick. cut into 12 biscuits with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. place biscuits on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. bake for 11 mins or until golden brown.

ORANGE-HONEY BUTTER

• 1/2c butter, softened
• 1/2c honey
• 1/2t grated orange rind

combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended.

my yummy tip: i didn't have a cookie cutter, so a glass cup will work great!

CHRISTMAS EVE FEAST

this was the first year we didn't have any family obligations for christmas eve, which was kind of nice. of course, the next day and the day after were going to be filled with family love, but having one night to celebrate the holidays with just us two (and the furry kids) was very special. so, how do we celebrate? with a feast! i fully enjoyed the ambition menu for thanksgiving and wanted to do a slightly smaller menu for christmas eve...and, it all began with a mail order from the honeybaked ham store. the rest of the menu planning was really for decoration, but i enjoyed it very much. in addition to classic garlic mashed potatoes, our feast included:

GREEN BEANS WITH BACON VINAIGRETTE
i remember finding this recipe and thinking, "everything truly is better with bacon". i really do love green beans, even if they're jus steamed, but the idea of turning bacon into a vinaigrette sounded amazing...and it was!




posted on real simple by kate merker & sarah quessenberry on november 2010

• kosher salt & black pepper
• 2lbs. green beans, trimmed
• 6 slices of bacon
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2T cider vinegar
• 2T whole-grain mustard
• 2T olive oil

bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1T salt. add the green beans and cook until just tender (about 4-5 mins). drain & run under cold water to cool; transfer to a serving bowl.

in a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp (about 6-8 mins). transfer to a towel paper-lined plate. let cool, then break into pieces.

discard all but 2T of bacon drippings from the skillet and return to medium heat. add shallots and cook, stirring for about 1 min. stir in vinegar, mustard, oil, 3/4t salt, and 1/4t pepper. add to the green beans, along with the bacon. toss to combine.

GRUYERE POPOVERS

one of the most delicious things about going to an awesome steak house is the popovers they offer. when we were in new york, BLT Steak not only had these in their beautiful mushroom form, they were baked with gruyere. this gave them a salty boost in flavor. so, naturally, i took my first opportunity to find and buy a popover pan to recreate the fluffy goodness.


posted on daily candy dallas by blt steak on december 27, 2007

• 4c milk, warmed
• 8 eggs
• 4c flour
• 1 1/2 heaping T salt
• 2 1/4c grated gruyere

place popover pan in oven. heat oven & pan to 350° F.

gently warm milk over low heat and set aside.

whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (as to not cook the eggs). set aside.

sift the flour with the salt. slowly add the dry mixture to the egg mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth.

remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with nonstick vegetable spray.

while the batter is still slightly warm, fill each cup 3/4 full.

top each popover with about 2 1/2T of grated cheese.

bake at 350°F for 50 mins, rotating the pan halfway after 15 mins, until the popovers are golden brown.

take out of oven and pan and serve immediately.

BAKED MAC & CHEESE
i am on a mad hunt for baked mac & cheese, constantly. i feel like i felt one i liked, which was a recreation of the one from dumont burger, but the husband wasn't a fan of the cottage cheese incorporated in the mix. so, the hunt continued and i found this one. i think i have to try this again because i was not a fan. but, everyone else didn't mind this recipe. clearly, i have a specific way i like my baked mac & cheese that is not the status quo...oh well, until the next mac & cheese post...


posted on daily candy chicago by lottie & doof on november 15, 2010

• 6T unsalted butter, divided
• 3 slices of bacon, diced
• 1c yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1t red pepper flakes
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 3T all-purpose flour
• 3c whole milk
• 1c parmesan cheese, grated
• 4oz cream cheese
• 3c coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 3/4c panko bread crumbs
• 1/2c fresh parsley, chopped
• 1lb. penne pasta

melt 1T butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. add bacon and cook until crisp.

remove bacon and drain on paper towel. break into pieces when cool.

remove all but 3T of drippings from pan. add onion and saute until tender (about 5 mins). add red pepper flakes and garlic. stir for 1 min. stir in 2T butter until melted. add flour and stir for 1 min. gradually whisk in 3c of milk; simmer until thick enough to coat a spoon, stirring frequently (about 5 mins). remove from heat. whisk in parmesan, cream cheese, and 2 1/4c cheddar. return bacon to sauce and season with salt & pepper.

in a separate large skillet, melt 3T butter over medium heat. add panko and stir until golden brown (about 5 mins). remove from heat. stir in parsley and set aside.

preheat oven to 375°F. lightly butter a 13x9x2 casserole dish. cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until very al dente. drain well.

toss pasta with cheese sauce. transfer mixture into baking dish. top with panko and remaining cheese.

bake for 30 mins or until topping is golden brown. let stand 5 mins before serving.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
like the mac & cheese, sweet potato casserole is an everlasting hunt. i think i've had a really, really good one once and have just not found the recipe that gives me that nostalgic feeling. i feel like the orange juice in this recipe added a little too much tartness, where i prefer a sweet only casserole. i think this recipe is really close, but maybe next time i won't add the o.j. i do think it needs some sort of crumble/oat texture, so we'll see...

posted on pennies on a platter on november 15, 2010

• 5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
• 1/4c butter
• 1/2c packed brown sugar
• 1/2t cinnamon
• 3T orange juice
• 1 pkg of miniature marshmallows

place sweet potatoes in boiling water. cook until fork tender, about 15 mins. meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.

drain potatoes and return to pot, away from heat. mash in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice. spread evenly in a greased 9x13 inch casserole pan. top with marshmallows.

bake for 25-30 mins, or until marshmallows are golden brown.

my yummy tip: it can seem daunting to pull together more than 4 sides, but i find that the best method is to: 1) study the recipes beforehand. making sure to start on the ones that take longest and/or can be made ahead. 2) working on 2 recipes at once, so you're not overwhelmed. 3) clean after each recipe. you'll feel less frenzied.

DEVOURING NYC...LITERALLY!

so, here was the game plan: 30 hot spot eats in 3.5 days. thanks to a well mapped out itinerary by my foodie companion, regina, my handy iphone, and the determination to find THE BEST and delicious eats of New York City, we were able to accomplish the impossible and literally eat NYC!

i will post each photo (which was captured with the hipstamatic app) and a little review of the food by day, by location...get ready for a serious food coma!

[SATURDAY, 10.23] east village & lower east side (includes the arrival to nyc; solo visit to midtown; quick bite in chinatown)
this was my first time flying a red eye and i HATED it! i'd rather lose a day, then endure a sleepless night. my flight arrived at jfk at 7:30am and wasn't excepting my friend until 4pm, so i tried to catch some zzz's at the airport before i made my way to manhattan.

i took the subway to midtown so i that i could enjoy central park and maybe grab a quick bite.

DEAN & DELUCA (1:07pm): sadly, their hot foods station was closed, so i decided to grab a pre-made sandwich & a jasmine tea ginger ale. the roast beef, gorgonzola spread, and arugula sandwich was not very comforting on my cold nyc greeting, but it hit the spot. and, the ginger ale by bruce cost is not for the faint of heart...it is unfiltered and incredibly strong.


TASTY HAND-PULLED NOODLES (5:15pm): aside from the uncomfortably small quarters, this was much needed and pretty tasty, as the name implies. the noodles were delicious and cooked perfectly. the broth was light, but flavorful.

DESSERT CLUB, CHIKALICIOUS (7:16pm): initially, we wanted to go to the chikilicious dessert bar, where they make the desserts in front of you, as if you were sitting at a sushi bar. sounds pretty cool, right? well, they have less than 10 seats and there wasn't on (or three) available.

so, this is how we found our way (across the street) to the dessert club. we shared a choc eclair ice cream sandwich, a hot fudge sundae (vanilla bean soft serve, chocolate pearls, kataifi, & toasted pistachio), and a chocolate macaron ice cream sandwich. the eclair had a denser consistency, but i guess it's necessary to hold the fast-melting soft serve. the sundae's components added a crunch and flavor. the macaron was soft and chewy.

MOMOFUKU MILK BAR (8:18pm): this was a must from all i spoke to of the nyc food fest. i also read how it may be confusing to find (as confusing as my first sentence there). we were still sugared-out from chikalicious, but went after the pumpkin cheesecake soft serve and the crack pie (toasted oat crust & gooey butter filling). if you know me, you know i love fall for one thing...PUMPKIN anything. so, getting the featured soft serve was a must. disappointingly, the soft serve was like eating whipped pumpkin-flavored butter. it was a dark moment when i actually tossed the three-fourths that was left. the crack pie was extremely sweet, but it was good. the crust was yummy and the filling had a caramel consistency.

 

YAFFA CAFE (8:52pm): we wanted a place to chill and honestly assumed this was a coffee shop (cafe doesn't imply coffee shop). so, we sat in the garden and ordered a mediterranean platter with tahini, hummus, & babaganoush. the dips were all pretty much the same color, so it was a little hard to tell which was which. i have definitely had better mediterannean...way better. but, not only was it a place to relax for a minute, but the garden had an awesome atmosphere. perfect for a girls' night out or a date.

KATZ'S DELI (11:11pm): quick, make a wish...i wish for a delicious sandwich that lives up to its hype. yay, the 11:11 wish came true! there is so much history here and this place will undoubtedly stand the test of time. when you walk in, you must get a ticket...every single person, even if you plan on sharing. we ordered the pastrami rueben and it was everything i could ask for and more. yes, it is $15, but so are restaurant sandwiches. this is one of the best things to put in your face. this is my recommended must eat in nyc.


[SUNDAY, 10.24] lower east side, upper east & west side, & theater district
this was a day that i felt was a more balance meal: breakfast, brunch, & dinner. we also had a broadway show planned, avenue q. if you want something light-hearted, sarcastic, and for everyone, then entertain yourself with avenue q.


RUSS & DAUGHTERS (10:41am): i am a big fan of lox bagels...so, during my search for goodies to try in nyc, this place caught my attention right away. this actually was not our first stop this sunday morning, we were adamant about getting into clinton st. baking company, but so was everyone else for sunday brunch. so, we put our names down for a one-hour, forty-minute wait and walked a couple blocks down to russ & daughters. seems a little crazy to grab something to eat while having your name on a waiting list to eat some more, right? well, the timing was actually perfect and regina and i shared a lot of food.

we ended up sharing a norwegian lox, everything bagel with horseradish cream cheese. so, how was it? simply delicious, which it really was...simple, in the best way possible. there were no veggies to give it an extra crunch or flavor, but i can see why you wouldn't want to add silly capers or all-over-the-place sprouts to such a delicate slice of lox. i was hoping the horseradish cream cheese would have a little more kick, but it didn't. in any case, i loved it and wish i could start my day off like this everyday.

CLINTON ST. BAKING COMPANY (11:37am): seriously, how can you be hungry still after an hour? have you sat and waited for an hour? your body digests food pretty effectively. either way, the wait was way worth it! since i already had something savory, i went with sweet and ordered the brioche french toast with caramelized bananas, roasted pecans, and their signature warm maple butter. that maple butter alone is something you can swim in. the french toast was perfection, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. the bananas gave it some additional sweetness. the pecans a nice crunch. and, the warm maple butter was all the icing on the cake.

i almost forgot, i ordered the pumpkin hot chocolate special. the pumpkin note was definitely there and the hot chocolate was light and not overly sweet. i also got to try what everyone else ordered: potato pancakes with cinnamon sour cream & apple sauce (that was good, but not really something i'd choose for myself), vanilla waffles with peanut brittle & apples (this was also a special and really tasty...think apple pie for breakfast), and blueberry pancakes (the night before at katz's, the very friendly guy making our reuben wrote a few key things and places we needed to try in nyc and this was on his list...they were fluffy and delish). as i said before, well worth the wait!

DYLAN'S CANDY BAR (2:39pm): we definitely needed a break from eating and i added this to our list. i enjoy visiting candy shops that are every child's dream. there's something that happens to an adult who enters these kinds of places...you start remembering your favorite confections and you feel like running all around with a sugar high seeing everything candy. the candy-built dresses in the windows were impressive and inspiring. the floors filled with "candy" gives you a sense of complete awe. and, upstairs there's a great dessert bar with shakes and sundaes...i almost wished we were going to serendipity 3 so i could try one of their sundaes. oh well, it gives me something more to look forward to when i come back to nyc.

SERENDIPITY 3 (3:48pm): my first frozen hot chocolate was actually at the cheesecake factory...i remember going back and being adamant about ordering it, but was disappointed when it wasn't on the menu. i guess serendipity 3 trademarked it and made sure no other restaurant could offer it. in any case, i was happy to see serendipity 3 in vegas to introduce the husband to the legendary frozen hot chocolate and had to make sure we made our way to the original restaurant in nyc.

unlike vegas, you cannot order it togo (vegas has a separate stand for ordering togos) and must sit and enjoy. that was fine with me. luckily, we beat the early dinner rush and only had to wait half an hour. there is a mandatory amount you need to spend, so that the servers aren't dealing with frozen hot chocolate orders only. so, we added the spudnicks, which were essentially potato skins and that was a nice little snack. this time i got to try the frozen mint hot chocolate and it gave the icy effect some extra zing.

LEVAIN BAKERY (5:20pm): this is another MUST when visiting nyc. we shared the outrageously large chocolate chip cookie and dark chocolate peanut butter cookie. they were served fresh from the oven...warm and gooey. they were definitely some super delicious cookies, but my poor palette was a little over sweets (i never thought i'd see this day come...oh, wait, it happened at the ghiradelli square chocolate festival). either way, i totally want to add this to my next nyc list. the cookies are divine and that's all there is to it. i'm at a loss for words...that should say it all. they make me speechless.

53RD & 6TH HALAL CART (10:13pm): what the eff is halal? that's exactly what i asked myself. so, i looked it up on wikipedia and in arabic it means "lawful" or "legal" and is used to designate food seen as permissible according to islamic law. it gets more specific, so click the link if this has piqued your interested. going back to the food...my traveling foodie basically had this listed at her #1 place to go back to. and, although we were sharing everything, she insisted that she had to have her own from this cart. okay...i'm good with that. little did i know that the amount of food for $6 was gigantic. so, we both got the combo (chicken & lamb) with rice, lettuce, & pita bread. the tzatziki and chili sauce were on the side for you to add to your liking. i guess the trick is to add a lot (LOT) of tzatziki and go easy on the chili (add more for as much as you can handle). so, was it out of this world good? umm...i agree it was good and would definitely be something i'd want to come upon in a drunken state, but it wasn't the best thing i ate i nyc. maybe i needed more tzatziki.

[MONDAY, 10.25] greenwich village & theater district
today was a little less jam-packed. we signed up for a guided food tour through greenwich village and i was planning on meeting up with some of my other nyc friends.

FA GUO SAN CANDY SHOP USA (11:23am): as i mentioned before, we were staying in chinatown and we were headed off to greenwich village for our food tour, but felt like we needed something in our tummies. so, i proposed some bubble tea. this place wasn't our initial choice, it was actually teariffic we were headed to, but they claimed to be closed even though they seemed pretty open...oh well, i'm sure we can manage finding a bubble tea place in chinatown. and, we did...right across the street. when you walk in, it's like the chinese version of dylan's. some classic asian candies with the iconic cartoon characters, as well as bins filled with dried fruits, jerky, and seafood. this place is not for the faint of heart, but i think it's a great introduction for anyone actually curious enough to give it a chance, as they let you "try, before you buy". anyway, we ordered the thai milk bubble tea, but i think we got the rose milk. it was still substantial.

FOODS OF NY TOURS (12:09pm): as reg and i were planning the foodapolooza, we were discussing other things to do and thought going on a guided tour would help kill some time and find some eats we didn't already have. so, i chose the greenwich village, which had 7 spots listed...honestly, murray's cheese shop was what helped me choose. when we arrived to greenwich, i thought, "how quaint," this was definitely one of my favorite districts. so, you're asked to meet in front of a certain shop a half hour before the tour is scheduled to start and your guide should be around to take roll. our guide was quirky and assertive. she was knowledgable and entertaining. in the disclaimer, they do mention that restaurants are subject to change and 3 of the 7 were, but i didn't miss them. i highly recommend doing this. there's enough little bites to give you a good amount for lunch and some serious history to learn about.

JOE'S PIZZA (12:43pm): food tour stop #1. fun fact: this is where peter parker is working, then gets fired in spiderman 2. it's also where philip seymour hoffman was dripping excess grease onto his pizza in along came polly. mmm...sounds tasty? we sampled a slice of cheese pizza. so, why is new york known for their pizza? it all in the water. i was excited because i was going to have my own internal pizza food war (this was the first of three). i thought the pizza sauce was good and it was definitely your typical thin-crust. this was ranked in third place for me.

MURRAY'S CHEESE SHOP (1:09pm): food tour stop #2. i love cheese and found out that murray's hosts their own tour of their shop...i may have to schedule one during my next visit. (as you can see, i took lots of picture). i wish i could recall the types of cheeses presented, but i think i was having camera issues (the images are clearly different in aesthetic than the rest...that's okay, this was a special). one of my favorite things to snack on is a formage with some olives and meats to complement the cheeses. i can't wait to go back and make a truly special grilled cheese.

OLIVIER & CO. (1:46pm): food tour stop #3. isn't that a beautiful chandelier? no, it not actually olive oil because you should store olive oil in a dark, cool area.

this stop was a pleasant alternative (this was not among the list stated on the website), so much so that i had to come back and use the 10% discount to buy a souvenir. we had a sampling of the basil olive oil with fleur de sel and rosemary honey with white truffle salt. magnifiq! the store clerks were very knowledgable and passionate, which is always a tell-tale sign of quality and value.

SOY & SAKE (2:14pm): food tour stop #4. this was the only sit-down stop and was also substituted from a stop that was posted on the website. again, this was a pleasant surprise...literally! sadly, my photo didn't come out so well (it was pretty dim lighting in the restaurant). what you can't see is the faux bbq pork at the top left corner. the texture and taste was just like real bbq pork. if we weren't told that we were going to be eating vegetarian food, i would've thought we were just going to an asian restaurant. it was delicious! i would easily become a vegetarian with food like this.

MILK & COOKIES (2:43pm): food tour stop #5. the best time to eat a cookie is fresh from the oven (or anytime, really). so, the name is so sweet, cute, and genius! it piques your curiosity and makes you a little nostalgic, which gets you in the door...great name! does the name live up to what's offered inside? you bet! i was so happy with this delicious cookie (it was chocolate chip with oatmeal). honestly, as famous as levain is, they're cookie ranks second in nyc to this one. it's just how i felt at the time. maybe i'll do another comparison, but i believe that this cookie had both the textures i loved from levain, but the oatmeal is what elevated this cookie to the top for me. you may argue that these are two different cookies, but as a chocolate chip, milk & cookies was the winner for me.

BLEECKER STREET PIZZA (3:24pm): food tour stop #6. another pleasant alternative on our tour. in the front of the pizza shop, there is a front easel stating, "best pizza in new york, voted by food network." if that doesn't get you in the door, i don't know what would. so, does it "deliver" (heehee)? YES! best.pizza.in.nyc...voted by me! the topping are so fresh and great quality, but it was the crust. the crust was flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. everything about this pizza hit the right notes for me. i truly believe that one of the things you need to do in new york is have yourself a pizza taste test...it is so much fun!

PASTICCERIA ROCCO (3:40pm): food tour stop #7. the last and final stop through greenwich...and what better way to end it than with cannoli? actually, we started the food tour with a black & white cannoli (while we were waiting for the tour to start, regina wanted to wandered around and found rocco's right before and had to have one, not remembering that this was going to be part of the food tour). i don't have a point of reference for cannolis, so i can't tell you if this was the best or not. as my first try, i thought they were a fun treats...the pastry shell and cream center is always an instant favorite in my sweet world.

THE LOBSTER PLACE (4:11pm): so, the tour ended less than a half hour ago, yet we're getting more food. that's the sign of a true foodie. regina wanted to try their clam chowder and i just really wanted to see the seafood offerings in the shop. i tried a small bite or two (i was actually full from the tour) and it was definitely a high quality cup of chowder. i definitely enjoy a good bowl of clam chowder and this was worth the overload of food in my belly.

STAND4 (4:37pm): i don't know if you've started seeing a trend, but i have serious problem...it's called a sweet tooth. my contribution to the list involved the toasted marshmallow shake from shake4. we sat at the bar and ordered a mini toasted marshmallow shake and honey lavender shake. so, the main attraction was everything i had hoped for. it tasted like a blended toasted marshmallow! i loved it...this is for sure going on my list of places to try again because i really wished i could've had their burgers. oh, and the honey lavender tasted exactly like tasty ice cream version from bi-rite and i love, LOVE that flavor! all great things, but very confusing theme for the restaurant...is it just americana?? i don't know.

NUM PANG (5:14pm): to our pleasant surprise and utter demise (we were FULL), the next stop on our list was right across the street. i could not, would not eat anything else, but i did take a bite of the coconut prawn banh mi and i was so glad i did. it was super light and just a great combination of flavors...i really wished i wasn't full! i also tried the blood orange lemonade, which was refreshingly tart. again, something to add to my returning list. i want to actually be able to eat a sandwich and enjoy it to its full extent!

PAM REAL THAI FOOD (9:23pm): this was not on our list, but upon meeting up with my friend, i was able to find my appetite. one of the things i remember doing with my friend when she and her husband lived in the bay area was going to our favorite thai restaurant, thai time...so, when they move to the east coast, they made it their mission to find one as close as possible to what was near and dear.

in my opinion, pam real comes really close. the food was very tasty. my pick for the family-style meal was the crispy pork with basil and it was full of thai flavor. i would definitely visit this place again!

BAR CARRERA (11:31pm): when we were making our plans for nyc, i was really looking forward to going back to woo lae oak, where my friend was a mixologist. i loved the food and the delicious drinks that were created, but found out that was working somewhere else in the village and went from korean to spanish tapas...oh yeah, i was all for it! lyndsay told me i needed to try the egg in a blanket (i also ordered a strawberry sangria, which was super delicious). the egg in a blanket is essentially an egg in a hole, but elevated with a truffled egg in a brioche with serrano ham and manchego cheese...seriously decadent! if you try anything at carrera, try that and you will be hooked!

LEHNER RESIDENCE (2:15am): so, this is actually my friends' apartment and the link is to their outstanding food blog, "beer meets food". the night before, they orchestrated a 8-course tasting menu, which consisted of 8 guests (including the two of them) and each guest was assigned a dish, which they had to find a wine pairing. i really wish i was on the guestlist, but this was organized way before the idea of the foodapolooza was confirmed. i was, however, given some special treatment and was saved the two desserts to try. the first was a lavender shortbread with fig and herbes de provence & lavender sorbet. this was delicate and fragrant. the next was a bourbon chocolate cheesecake with a pretzel bacon crust and brown butter ice cream. this was heartier, in the best way possible. both dishes were extraordinarily impressive and i am happy to have such talented friends! by the way, i was also treated to the marjie drink, which is essentially a chocolate martini, but i wasn't allowed to photograph it. not because it's top secret, but because there was an ingredient that was substituted that cause my cocktail to look pepto bismol pink...i totally appreciate the fact that they keep chocolate vodka on-hand for my visits!

[TUESDAY, 10.26] lower east side, brooklyn, & midtown

today was the last day of running around nyc and this was to be our carb day, but we were ending it with and awesome hurrah...read on!

WAFELS & DINGES (10:09am): so, we had actually been trying to eat at this cart since day 1, we officially attempted the night before, but missed it at its posted location by half an hour...so, you can imagine how determined we were. we were very happy to finally see the yellow truck...so, what did we choose on this much anticipated visit? de throwdown wafel, of course...how can you not want to try the waffle that beat out bobby flay? and, what about that spekuloos spread? it's a spread that's supposed to taste like a gingerbread-cinnamon cookie. so, did it live up to its hype? mmmm-hmmm!

DOUGHNUT PLANT (11:22am): i remember seeing this place on the food network, so this was also a MUST! that day, we had the pleasure of trying the creme brulee and peanut butter & jelly doughnuts. the creme brulee was small and had a custard filling and caramelized glaze and was a great little doughnut. the pb & j was the best of the two for me. the peanut butter glaze and the jelly filling was the best pb & j i've ever had. i wouldn't mind trekking it back over here to try the rest of them. it was so worth the calories.

GRIMALDI'S (11:52am): this was reg's choice of best pizza in nyc (i already declared mine). i can definitely see the appeal because the actual slices of mozzarella took this pizza to a whole other level. again, the ingredients were high quality and it was definitely one of the best i've ever had.so, why did it get 2nd place in my book? the crust...as soft as it was, the one from bleecker street was my preference. grimaldi's is more of a thin crust, which i like, but i prefer fluff more in the center, i guess. like i said, conduct your own taste test and see for yourself.

PARK SLOPE CHIPSHOP (2:04pm): again, another food network moment for me. when i saw that they accommodate customers who bring something in to be deep-fried, i had to try it. it's like a brick & mortar fair, how could i resist? unfortunately, we weren't hungry...our appetites were failing us here and there. so, we just got the deep-fried snicker, hoping it would be similar to the dessert ravioli that reg and i used to share at macaroni grill. it was our early days of becoming the foodies we are today. as fun as it was, it was not the same, but the british decor was awesome and my friends joined us so they can have lunch. this was great because we got to try haggis. don't know what that is...well, the dictionary on the menu says that you probably shouldn't be ordering it. just a head's up, it is sheep's heart, liver, and lungs encased in its own stomach lining. this one was deep-fried, which might have helped. as they say, "everything is good when it's deep-fried". 

DUMONT BURGER (4:21pm): as you can see in the photo, we did not come for a burger, like when we went to stand4. that right there is a large dumac & cheese that dumont is famous for and something i decided to attempt this year for thanksgiving. when you go to dumont, you'll find that sit-down restaurant to the left and the take-out are to the right. we didn't want to bother another server and order one dish under $20 to share, so it we hit up the take-out.

the mac & cheese was superb, not the best i've ever had (that one goes to home), but damn good! the comination of swirly pasta (radiatore) that holds everything, bacon lardons, and cheddar & gruyere were harmonious. definitely going to add this to the returning list. i'll also let you know how mine turns out.

BLT STEAK (8:30pm): can you tell what's in that over-exposed photo? large cauliflower or broccoli? muffins? nope, that are signature gruyere popovers (which i have the recipe for and hope to succeed). now, get ready because this was a true feast! another friend of mine works here as the bartender and i thought this was a classy way to wrap up nyc. instead of trying to explain every bite, i will just add captions to the photos. here;s what was on our VIP menu (lyndsay used to work here, too):

another marj special made by luis

VIP charcuterie

duck liver mousse
with fig compote

fontina & bacon

tuna tartare, avocado,
& soy-lime dressing

lobster cobb salad

baked, fried, & sauteed potatoes
(basically, potato skins)

onion rings

peanut butter chocolate mousse
with banana ice cream

VIP cookies & gelee

crepe souffle with passion fruit sauce

what a fun bonding trip this was. i got to see old friends, meet new ones, and had a serious food adventure with my best foodie. i do have one bonus review, if you have room.

AMERICAN AIRLINES FIRST CLASS (10:39am): so, i married into an airplane pilot family and one of the perks is flying standby and potentially getting a first class seat. there are definitely downsides, such as the stress of possibly being bumped off and having to wear business attire to be considered for first or business class. thankfully, i got it when i needed it the most. i was still out the night before with my old friends and when that clock hit 2am, i guess that logically there would be no need to sleep before leaving for the airport...i felt like i was dying. so, i got a seat that fully reclined into a bed, a blanket, some wine, and leather seats...i definitely went to heaven.

so, what's heaven serving for lunch?

marinated cheese antipasto
& warm mixed nuts

salad with olive oil & balsamic

chicken achiote

ben & jerry's vanilla ice cream
sundae with butterscotch sauce

coconut oatmeal cookie