Irene

Well, I'm sitting here waiting for Irene to strike down her fists of fury on the city. First I went to Whole Foods and along the way I got a tweet telling me that WF is closed for the weekend. I turned around came back and went shopping in Queens. After snatching the last loaf of bread, last two packs of ground beef and last egg carton I patiently waited in line as people scrambled to fill their cabinets. This reminds me of when I lived in North Carolina and Tennessee. If there was a mention of snow, a thought of ice or a murmur of blustery winds the shelves would be attacked as if suddenly the world would cease to produce food. I only went to the store because I really did need to go grocery shopping!

I literally have no excuse for not going out. MTA has been shut down so what do I do? I bake. My roommate cooks. Everyone is happy. Earlier I made my Dad's super secret chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Here is the result:

J made a delicious bowl of guacamole and has just prepared a pizza margherita for the four of us that are holding down the fort. I bought us some Belgium beer.

William Hallet

I'm sitting here stuffed to the brim from a wonderful dinner at William Hallet. Located on 30th this restaurant is right in the middle of a row of restaurants and hustle and bustle.
 
I started with a wonderful Merlot which was most enjoyable throughout my whole meal. For my main I enjoyed the Vegetable tatin which had seasonal vegetables, puff pastry, mixed greens, summer truffle oil. Again, let me emphasize my love for truffle oil. I love it. When my plate arrived it was still steaming which allowed the scent of the truffle oil to escape into the air in front of me. Delightful. Then my side of onion rings arrived which was covered in a buttermilk batter. Yum!

L ordered the Suckling pig with cheddar grits, zucchini pancakes, roasted apples, pork jus. She enjoyed hers as much as I enjoyed mine. For dessert we enjoyed the Whoopie pie which was devil food cake, crème filling, chocolate ganache. It also came with a shot of milk which tasted strangely like alcohol. Mmm. This whoopie pies is something that needs to be shared, I could not have finished it alone.

The atmosphere was most enjoyable. I usually arrive early to my dinners so it was nice to see the restaurant before it filled up and absorb the atmosphere. The noise level was fine, L and I could talk at a normal level without yelling at each other. The cocktail list was a little sad, I would have liked to have seen more drinks with vodka. I'm a little Polish, I need my water.

Chocolate Brownie Strawberry Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Here's the story: F gave me a packet of strawberry mix. This morning when I got up at 7:30am I realized it said I could only get 6 cupcakes out of the mix. That would NOT work as seeing I was going to bring these to a birthday party tonight. My early morning solution which turned out to be a great idea was to use a box of my brownie mix as a base and top them all off with a little strawberry mix. I baked the chocolate mix for 7 minutes, took them out and put the strawberry on and baked for another 12-14 minutes.

What's the frosting you ask? Cream cheese frosting! A wonderful mix of cream cheese (2, 8 oz), butter (1/2 c.), confectioners sugar (2 cups, sifted), and vanilla (1 tsp). The bag method as pictured failed miserably so I switched to the piping gun I was lent from my co-worker. And topped with fresh strawberries! Let's hope they are a hit tonight!

Night of Joy and The Grey Dog

Two great places to go, one in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan:


Night of Joy Bar
The location on Lorimer is a little sketchy because I had to walk under the overpass and guess which building was my destination. After asking the door attendant if this was in fact Night of Joy I was overjoyed. This speakeasy type bar has wooden floors, ornate moldings, and comfy chairs to sink into. I enjoyed the Orange Blossom Rum Lemonade for $9. Although the glass was small the drink sure packed a punch. There is an upstairs which I did not visit because it was too crowded. Definitely worth a trip with a group of friends as there is plenty of space and not too much yelling to hear each other.

The Grey Dog
This morning I needed a breakfast place near Union Square and I am sure glad I selected this one. The most painful part of going out is trying to split the bill at the end of the meal - it's just looming, waiting to happen. Here you just go up, order, pay, and your delicious food mysteriously appears. K ordered a spinach, pepper, and cheese omelet, toast (that was nice and thick!), and potatoes. I got pancakes with chocolate and bananas and a glass of orange juice. I wished my pancakes had been a little thicker but they were still delicious. With the rain falling outside it was nice to sit with the ceiling fans running and the local crowd streaming in.

A UK Food Study

I apologize for the long break...I have been in the UK but am back and better then ever! Whilst there I tasted many different and wonderful foods including:

- Italian
- Thai
- Lebanese
- Indian
- Japanese
- Pub Food
- English Nouveau
- Homemade food

The first night our hosts treated us to a lovely Italian meal next the Thames. The second evening we decided we would make our own dinner. My contribution was a Caprese Salad (pictured below). It is so easy and delicious... I love adding sea salt for an added crunch. So good!

Ah Fish and Chips, I'm so predictable right? At the Marlborough Arms Pub J and I each dined our own fish and chips. I indulged in a delicious Guinness while J had a Snakebite which I had next. She has tried to get snakebites here in the states but no one knows what they are so we had to take advantage of it while we were there.

J and I made a trek down to Brighton for one evening and discovered the world's best kept secret...freshly made doughnuts covered in cinnamon and sugar. Normally I am not a doughnut fan ( I know, gasp) but these were divine. So we purchased 4, sat on the boardwalk and covered ourselves in sugar like the disgusting Americans we are.

That evening our B&B hosts suggested The Giggling Squid for Thai food. Our app was a medley of toasted and fried treats with one dumpling which I loved. For my main I got Pad Thai. I have a slight addiction to Pad Thai. On any other menu I believe in ordering something different but not with Thai food, I stick with what I like. 

One of my favorite activities was going to the Mad Hatter Tea Party at the Sanderson Hotel. We each indulged in a cocktail that was tea infused - mine with Chamomile and hers with Earl Grey - and they were oh so easy to drink. We were also brought real tea. We had a pot of Chamomile and then Green. For food...well... just look.

 Our platter included:
- An opera cake (with a clock on top)
- A strawberry shortcake (that said 'Eat Me')
- A bottle of 3 flavored mousses ('Drink Me')
- Scones (my favorite)
- Ice cream lollypop with pop rocks sprinkled on top
- Hard candy lollypop that felt cool on one side and warm on the other
-  4 types of sandwiches
- Strawberry jam
- Clotted Cream

My favorite was the Indian. Our host brought my friend and I to a byob place on a main street in a not-so-great part of town where you must wait in line to be seated and are lucky to eventually gain the attention of a waiter to take your order. After we borrowed menu's from the neighboring table I picked pilau biryani and plain biryani, naan, and chicken tikka masala. I loved tearing pieces of the naan off, hugging a piece of chicken and using the sauce to collect rice and enjoy all the flavors at once.
(Lahore Kebab House 2-4 Umberston St, London E1 1PY, United Kingdom)


Coming in a close 2nd was the Lebanese dinner. Please note: I tried Goat Testicles. There it is, I said it. For my main I had lamb in a garlic yogurt sauce - watch out bad breath!

England is not this food wasteland that everyone coins it for. I studied abroad there and because of a low budget did not enjoy this vast array of food but instead snacked on pb&j sandwiches constantly. This return trip instilled a new confidence in the wide variety of food London has to offer and the fun places you can discover when you talk to the locals.