Eggplant Parmesan

So this recipe was quick and easy. The sauce though lacked flavor. I got to find a nice old style "grandma" marinara sauce recipe. The eggplant itself was tasty I has gotten it from my trip to the farmers market last week. Bottom line simple recipe simple flavor, might revisit this with some tweaks but here it is..

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 6 cloves of garlic; sliced thinly
• 1- 28 ounce can San Marzano plum whole tomatoes
• 3 tbs olive oil
• red pepper flakes
• basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Eggplant:

• 1 pound eggplant
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 5 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 grated parmesan
• 1 pound Rigatoni pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparations:

Sauce:

Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the garlic is golden, about 6 minutes. Crush a 28-ounce can of San Marzano plum tomatoes into the skillet with your hands; rinse the can with about 1 cup water and add to the sauce. Add a handful of torn basil leaves and season with salt. Increase the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until thick, 20 to 25 minutes.

Eggplant:

Soak 1 pound cubed eggplant in warm salted water, about 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry. Season 1 cup flour with salt and pepper in a bowl. Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 cup milk in another bowl. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup grated parmesan in a third bowl. Dip the eggplant in the seasoned flour, the egg and then the flour-cheese mixture. Fry in 1/4 inch olive oil over medium-high heat until golden; drain on paper towels. Mix with 4 cups Perfect Marinara Sauce. Toss with rigatoni.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I love buffalo wings. I love blue cheese. I get excited when they're both on the same plate, who doesnt really?! I also love a good baked mac and cheese. This recipe combines all of those yummy elements into one dish of perfection. I loved the smell of the chicken cooking in the pan with the hot sauce and onions. I was tempted to eat the chicken right out of the pan but i contained myself. If your trying to watch your waste line, then this recipe is not for you. Its jam packed with so much fat, its almost deadly. I promise, its worth every bite. Lets get to it..

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank's)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparations:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

This dish was beyond tasty. The crunchy top with the not so melted blue cheese, the creamy sauce and the creamy, spicy chicken and cheese mac, my god it couldnt really get any better. It was very filling and definitely worth every pound i gained from it. Ill make this again year round; very homey, stick-to-your-bones good!

I also made drinks tonight with dinner. Passion Fruit Margaritas; 1 cup passion fruit nectar, 2 teaspoons of superfine sugar, 1/4 cup orange liquor and 1/2 tequila: shake in a cocktail shaker and serve over crushed ice. Came out sweet and tangy, not too strong.

And tomorrow is lunch...

Almost Famous Lettuce Wraps

Tonight's dinner was another Asian one. PF Changs is a really good Asian restaurant and the Food Network Magazine: May decided to make a recipe for a "Copy That!" version of this dish. Ive personally never had the real thing but this recipe gave me a good idea of what it was; and if the original is better, then all i have to say is wow!

It was kind of similar in style to the Moo Shu Pork i made last week but in taste it was very different. It had flavors of the peanut butter i used and especially ginger. I ran out of hoisin sauce and i completely forgot until i had to make the dish so i put together a little version of it. To the stir fry sauce, along with the ingredients listed, i added about 1 tsp of peanut butter, 2 tsp of honey, 1 tsp of ginger, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1/4 tsp of hot sauce. It came out really well considering it was a bunch of different ingredients.

I did this dish without the cellophane noodles because i dont like their taste.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Noodles:

• 2 bundles cellophane noodles
• Peanut oil, for frying

For the Stir-Fry:

• 4 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 4 scallions; 2 minced, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms,stemmed and diced
• 3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
• Small lettuce leaves, for serving
• Soy sauce, chili paste and/or hot mustard, for serving

Preparations:

Prepare the chicken: Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk 1/3 cup water, the oyster, hoisin and soy sauces, the rice wine and sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until dissolved.

Fry the noodles: Pull the noodles apart into sections. Heat 3/4 inch peanut oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 degrees F. Working in batches, press the noodles into the oil with a spatula until they puff, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Make the stir-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet; when almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and minced scallions, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and chicken and cook 1 minute.

Make a bed of noodles on a platter and top with the chicken mixture. Serve the noodles and stir-fry with lettuce leaves and soy sauce for dipping.

I really enjoyed this dish. You could really taste the ginger and the peanut taste from the peanut oil & peanut butter. Id love to taste the actual dish at the restaurant so i can compare this version to that one. The recipe called for jalapeños but i didnt really taste them much in the dish. It wasnt spicy at all, didnt think it would be but i thought there would be a little heat from jalapeño but i guess since they were seeded..... It couldve used a little heat so id say to use the hot mustard as a dipping sauce instead of soy. Everyone else thought it was delicious too!

Tomorrow is going to be really good!

Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Nothing like a warm juicy fruit during the summer. I love peaches especially in the summer when they're in season. I wanted to make a really good "down-south" type of dessert this weekend. I want to take advantage of fruits and vegetables that usually are only in season for the summer. Peaches, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, basil, chilies, corn, eggplant, figs, mangoes, melons, nectarines, plums, raspberries, STRAWBERRIES, tomatoes and watermelons are all fruits and vegetables that need to be put to good use during summer days.

I went to the farmers market in union square on Friday. Its pretty big and there was a pretty good variety of stuff there. I saw tomatoes, squash, a lot of corn, peaches, strawberries, honey, different milk cheese like goat and sheep and i also saw a few wine stands. I brushed thru the stands kind of quick because it was raining but they seem to have a ton of vegetables and fruit with a mix of cheeses, some seafood also, along with some butchers and some herbage and flowers. I would like to go back on different days seeing as they have different stands open on different days. Awesome experience just need to go there with time and a nice day. Me and Bobby didnt go out to eat this weekend either since he is still sick so hopefully next weekend we could venture out to another place to eat.

Bourbon is a super strong smelling and tasting whisky. Even when the alcohol is cooked out of it, its still pretty strong tasting yet really warm and a little spicy and good. The fruit with liquor is always a go in my book seeing as the bitterness or strong flavor in most liquor plays a good counterpart to most fruit because of their sweetness especially when they are cooked down together. So sinfully good.

Also, recipe taken from the Food Network Magazine: July/August.

Ingredients: 6-8 servings*

• 8 peaches, peeled and sliced (6 to 8 cups)
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• 1 quart vanilla-bean ice cream, for serving

Preparations:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Sift the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cut 1 1/2 sticks of the butter into small pieces; add to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter in a10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the peach mixture and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish (or leave in the skillet). Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. (There can be gaps because the dough will puff up and spread as it bakes.) Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar and a little extra cinnamon.

Bake in the oven on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) until the cobbler is browned and the fruit is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with the ice cream.

Everyone loved it! It was warm, it was crunchy and it was gooey and soft in the middle with warm sweet fruit; ugh it was a perfect summer treat. Im definitely going to do this cobbler again maybe in the fall with other seasonal fruits. My favorite part was the crumbly top. The cold sticks of butter really makes the difference in the flaky texture. Desserts are the best part of my week.

Next Sunday i want to try something maybe with chocolate? Who knows? Surprises, surprises..

See you tomorrow for dinner!

Moo Shu Pork

Todays dinner was alot better than last night, not only was it better but it was WARM! I guess everyone has their bad dishes and their tasty ones. Yesterday was my bad dish.

I made moo shu pork, a typical Chinese stir-fry dish. Who said healthy stuff wasnt delicious!?

You can make it was any type of meat you want because essentially its only meat and veg. I got this recipe from the Food Network Magazine: July/August. I have to get a few main cookware items because doing things in a regular frying pan isnt cutting it anymore.

I picked really good recipes for next week so im really excited! Im going to the farmers market (really this time) either Thursday or Friday.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, plus more for serving
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 3/4-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 14-ounce bag coleslaw mix
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 12 Bibb lettuce leaves

Preparations:

Whisk the hoisin sauce, vinegar, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the pork and marinate 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade using tongs (reserve the marinade) and stir-fry until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons water to the skillet, then pour the pan juices over the pork on the plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; when hot, add the mushrooms and stir-fry until slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the coleslaw mix and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the pork, the reserved marinade and half of the scallions; stir-fry 2 more minutes. Season with salt and sprinkle with the remaining scallions. Serve the stir-fry in the lettuce leaves with more hoisin sauce.

This recipe is pretty easy but a little advice? Prepare this in a big wok or BIG frying pan. I really liked this dish, i think mainly because i love salt and hoisin sauce is like thick and salty soy sauce. Bobby and my mom enjoyed it a lot to. You can eat it right out of the lettuce leaves or roll them up into little wraps.

The coleslaw as it was cooking smelled pretty good. Cabbage as it cooks down naturally smells good but with the combination of garlic, hoisin sauce and the mushrooms it all smelled really good! Im going to continue to look for more asian dishes to make. I think next to italian, asian food is my favorite type of food.

Tomorrow no lunch because ill be at the beach! So ill be back on Sunday!

Gazpacho with Lime Chicken

Im going to start off by being honest. Tonights dinner = not so good.

I think soup shouldnt be cold and thats exactly what it is, VERY cold.

I dont really know why i wanted to try it but i guess it was a good trial and error. Gazpacho is supposed to be a cold soup and i knew that before i tried it but i guess all the flavors in the soup that were really cold i wouldve preferred to have warm. The chicken was good though...

You can try it if your thing is chilled food.

Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot, minced
• Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges for serving
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds chicken cutlets
• 1/2 cup large-cut croutons
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 bell pepper (any color), stemmed, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Preparations:

Preheat a grill to high. Soak the minced shallot in cold water, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow dish; add the chicken and turn to coat. Grill the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Let cool, then slice.

Crush half of the croutons; set aside. Soak the remaining croutons in 1/4 cup water, 5 minutes, then squeeze out the water and put in a blender. Drain the shallot and add to the blender along with half each of the diced tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add 2 cups ice and blend until smooth. Stir in half of the cilantro and the remaining lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

Divide the soup among bowls. Top with the chicken, the remaining tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and cilantro and the crushed croutons. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the lime wedges.

Not much to say about this one. Epic fail; Wendy's for dinner.

Tomorrow will be a better day for dinner! PROMISE!

Tres Leches with Mango

This weekend unfortunately i couldnt review a spot because Bobby wasnt feeling too good due to a tooth ache: poor baby. Therefore, this entry will only consist of my delicious dessert.

This weekend i made a Tres Leches (Three Milks) cake. Ive had countless pieces of it here and there at different restaurants, families houses and store bought but everyones take on it is a little different. Some people add different flavorings such as coconut or caramel, i like the coconut ones because its not overpowering with sweetness like some caramel ones tend to be.

The one i made from the Food Network Magazine: May 2010, it came out pretty well. My only concern was the amount of liquid, i used almost all of it but i left out maybe a cup because it didnt want it to be falling apart when i tried to get it out of the pan. Most peoples review of this recipe said the liquid was a little too much and yes, it was but i think if you pierce the cake enough when its hot/warm, it'll absorb so much more as appose to it being cooled off then pierced THEN soaked. Another thing to it is the longer it sits the more it absorbs. When i was pouring the liquid over the cake i did it kind of it steps. I allowed the cake to soak up about 1 1/2 cups of the liquid at a time. Once the liquid disappeared into the cake i repeated it until the liquid was overflowing onto the top of the cake and that left me with about a cup left over that i mentioned before.

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil, for greasing
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 2 large ripe mangoes
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Preparations:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer until pale and slightly thick, about 6 minutes. Slowly beat in the melted butter, then beat in the vanilla and 1/4 cup whole milk.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula to make a thick batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Run a knife along the edges to release the cake from the pan.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 cups whole milk, the evaporated milk, condensed milk and rum in a bowl. Pierce the warm cake all over with a fork, then pour the milk mixture gradually and evenly on top, letting the cake absorb the liquid until all is used. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Before serving, make the topping: Peel, pit and dice the mangoes. Puree half the mangoes in a blender with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the remaining diced mango.In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form. Slice the cake; top each piece with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve the mango topping on the side.

Another thing i want to mention is cake flour. Cake flour is a type of flour that is made differently from the typical flour. It has different enzymes so dont think that you could make this at home. Some people believing if you sift it and add salt its cake flour, NO. They usually sell it in the box where they sell all the baked goods in the supermarket.

So good this cake is, it was worth the overnight wait. It wasnt too sweet, too soggy or anything. It was moist and delicious. The mangoes cut the richness that the cake may have so its a great compliment to the cake. You can always do without it and deal with the decadent richness. I hope someone tries this at home, you wont be disappointed. It isnt hard to make or time consuming as you may think. DELICIOUS is all it is! Pictures are courtesy of my loving boyfriend and his new Droid X.

Tomorrows dinner is served chilled....

changes..

I didnt get to go to the farmers market today but i went to another supermarket in Astoria. The produce, meat and cheeses are extremely fresh and its a huge selection. They have great stuff for a low price. Only draw back is that its kind of a stretch traveling with groceries on the train. Ill work it out.

Just a few changes on the blog specs!

No dinner on Thursdays because i need that day to run errands that have nothing to do with food. This blog consumed a couple weeks of my life and i fell away a little bit.

So this is how its going to remain till further notice:

Mondays & Tuesdays - Dinner

Wednesday- Lunch

Thursday, Friday, Saturday- No cooking

*Fridays & Saturdays- Exploration Days

Sundays- Dessert

Eventually im going to start doing dessert on a regular basis seeing as im going to be going to cooking school soon for pastry arts.

Tomorrow is Friday! The weekend is finally here so its time to get ready for my food adventures!

Until Saturday.....

Ham-Taleggio Grilled Cheese

Today for lunch, i cooked for Bobby and my mom; she stayed home with a cold, so ive been cooking for her this week.

I was in the mood for sandwiches and cheese. So i figured i would try this variation of a grilled cheese. I couldnt find taleggio (is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese that is characteristically aromatic yet mild in flavor and features tangy, meaty notes with a fruity finish. The texture of the cheese is moist-to-oozy with a very pleasant melt-in-your-mouth feel.), so i substituted for Brie instead since its tangy and almost oozy.

Food Network Magazine: May 2010 - yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 8 thin slices white bread
• 10 ounces taleggio cheese, rind removed, sliced
• 8 ounces thinly sliced ham
• 1 green apple, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. (For a shortcut, use onion marmalade in place of the caramelized onions.)

Lay out 4 slices of bread. Top with half the cheese, then half the ham. Layer the caramelized onions, apple slices and the remaining ham and cheese on top, then the remaining bread slices.

Wipe out the skillet; melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bottom is golden and the cheese begins to melt, about 4 minutes.

Flip and cook until golden, about 4 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.

Since i made it with Brie, it went really well with the green apples and the green apples went really, really well with the caramelized onions, funny enough. My mom liked it but she said it was too much onions for her but Bobby and i had no complaints. Fruit and cheese is pretty amazing and the fact that they were both in a sandwich made it even more amazing! Definitely going to do this sandwich again!

Tomorrow im going to try to go to the farmers market in the World Financial Center by Bobby's job , just to look around and see what they have. Dinner tomorrow! Im super excited for the weekend and so is my belly..

Chicken Tandori

Tonights dinner was super aromatic i must say. I love different spices especially middle eastern spices. The moment i put all the spices in my food processor, it smelled amazing; my mouth literally watered. Im going to do a blog on spices and herbs and what they pair well with and what their flavor components do to the foods you add them to. This was yet another recipe from the Food Network Magazine. The yield is for 4.

Ingredients:

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 tablespoons yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 11/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

This by far was my favorite dinner. I love how my family is really enjoying what ive been making. Bobby really liked the yogurt sauce, i loved the wet spice rub and my mom enjoyed all of it. Although, i cheated a little! The rice i made with the chicken was out of a box but i added a little cumin as it was cooking and it came out pretty good.

Id like to try this rub with a different type of meat. Maybe a shredded steak? Maybe.. Tomorrows lunch. Sandwiches with a little twist!

FYI: we still have a hunk of cheesecake! Trying to decide in what direction id like to go for dessert this week. We shall see..... Hasta mañana!

Japanese Style Crispy Pork

Tonight i made pork cutlets breaded in panko. Panko is the best breadcrumb by far, EVER.

I love pork chops. I especially love it on the bone but i dont mind boneless cuts of it. When i decided to make this recipe it didnt really come with a side dish so i had to come up with one. The cutlets call for ginger and i was thinking of making a rice with the cutlets but i didnt know what i wanted to add to it. So i sat and thought about what fruit goes best with ginger; oranges immediately popped into my mind.

Citrus runs through alot of asian cooking so orange it was.

For the rice i just used jasmine rice, cooked it typically; water, oil and salt. To that i added about 6 whole big strips of orange peel (without the pith), i then added about a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger. When you can smell the ginger, you have put the right amount. Cook it like you would plain white rice (let boil uncovered until water has evaporated and cover once it has become dry; lower heat and cook till done).

I got this recipe from my Food Network Magazine. It popped out at me because like i said in the SUSHI entry, i love pork katsu and this is a close copy of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thin-cut boneless pork chops or cutlets, trimmed
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, sake or sherry
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• Peanut oil, for frying
• 1/4 cup tonkatsu sauce
• *(a sweet-spicy Japanese dipping sauce, sold near the soy sauce; or make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons each ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and sugar with 1 tablespoon water.)

Preparation:
Season the pork with salt. Mix the rice wine and 1 teaspoon ginger and spread on the pork. Stack the pork and set aside.

Beat the eggs with 1/2 cup water in a shallow bowl. Put the panko and cornstarch in 2 separate shallow bowls. Dredge each piece of pork in cornstarch, dip in egg, then coat with the panko. Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. Fry the pork in batches until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Mix the tonkatsu sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger in a bowl. Serve the pork with the sauce.

First off, i would advise; although it might be dependent on the quality of your frying pan, that you heat the oil more on medium heat as appose to high because the breadcrumbs get dark and can burn fairly quickly on high heat.

Second, i made the sauce because i couldnt find it at a regular supermarket, im sure i couldve found it in a market in flushing but this was my only option and it came out pretty good. However it came out a little wetter than i expected. Hold back on a little worcestershire and only try a 1/2 a tablespoon of water.

Last, this dish came out pretty damn good. I loved the breading and the sauce really went well with the pork. My rice recipe came out pretty good too, Bobby thought i got the recipe somewhere but i didnt!

My mom, Bobby, his mom and little sister all liked it a lot. It was Bobby's new favorite so far.

Tomorrows dinner will be something from the middle east. What could it be? What could it be?...

White Chocolate & Strawberry Cheesecake

You all have been patiently waiting for this, i know.

I got this recipe from epicurious.com.

This app on Bobbys iPad is awersome and i picked so many to do this summer, so be excited.

Let me cut to the chase:

12 to 14 servings

*make this at least one day ahead.

Ingredients:

crust

• 1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

filling

• 1 pound good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker’s), finely chopped
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled, halved
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons brandy

Preparation:

for crust-

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

for filling-

Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, then salt; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, whipping cream, vanilla and white chocolate; beat until well blended.

Bake cake until top begins to brown but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Open oven door slightly; turn off oven. Leave cake in oven 30 minutes. Chill cake uncovered overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep refrigerated.)

Run small knife between pan sides and cake. Release pan sides. Starting at outer edge of top of cake, arrange strawberry halves in slightly overlapping concentric circles, covering top completely. Stir preserves and brandy in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain preserves. Brush glaze generously over strawberries, allowing some glaze to drip between berries. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.)

Everyone loved this cheesecake. It was huge and the fact that it came out of my spring foam pan ever so lovely, had me pretty impressed. I let it set for a whole night and it was perfect. I cant wait to continue making desserts; its my favorite part of cooking and truthfully my favorite part of eating. On to the next post! DINNER!

as it sets..

my dessert still hasnt fully set therefore it isnt camera ready!

tomorrow is dinner plus tonights dessert!

Goodnight!

Katzs Delicatessen - Meat like "Budda"!

205 E. Houston Street New York (212)254-2246

www.katzdeli.com

After our dessert, we thought .."hey, im kind of hungry!", as we always are. So our hunt began for a good sandwich. Katzs Delicatessen immediately came to mind and we have never been there... EVER! So thats where we journeyed.

When you walk in they give you this raffle ticket and warn you "If you lose it, you pay $5o!" You better believe we did our best not to lose that ticket.

As im choosing which sandwich i wanted to try, Bobby was eagerly waiting to tell the deli man what he wanted. This place is famous for their sandwich meat, especially pastrami. So i decided to get soft salami on rye with mustard because i LOVE salami and Bobby got pastrami on rye with mustard. The deli man gave us a little slice of pastrami. Ok so ive never been a huge pastrami fan, im usually the ham & cheese or salami and mustard type of lady HOWEVER, this little slice of pastrami... oh this little slice, it was so silky, so soft and so moist that it literally broke apart before it reached your mouth and when that piece actually got there, it melted away. By far the BEST piece of pastrami i ever ate. Bobby loved every bite of his sandwich. Me, well, this place is definitely for a person who likes to taste the meat and likes the hardy hardy sandwiches. It was a little too heavy on the meat for me but Bobby thought it was the perfect amount for a person who likes a solid meaty sandwich. Dont get me wrong the meats were very tasty, it was just a bit much. The prices are a bit steep for a sandwich but it isnt your typical deli so prepare to pay between $10+ for a single sandwich. 2 sandwiches and a shared soda cost us $32!

The decor is pretty cool, you go thru a couple centuries of celebrities who have come to Katzs and taken pictures with the owners or workers. It blew my mind that this place has been around since 1888. Its pretty nostalgic when you see where this little deli started from to what its become today.

It gets an 8.5!

^not including tax!

No Tabs At This Bar!

5 Carmine Street New York (212)255-4874

www,pop-bar.com

So yesterday as i promised, me and Bobby went to pop-bar.

This small parlor doesnt sell your traditional soft serve ice cream, instead, it sells POPSICLES!

Right in the middle of The Village, this place brings you back to summers when you were a little kid and your shirt and hands got the majority of this icy treat. Since we ended up going 2 hours shy of the store closing, the selection of flavors was a little slim. So i advise if your going to make the trip, go during the day when all flavors are freshly put out. Bobby got a melon pop dipped in milk chocolate: weird right? TASTE SO GOOD! I got a hazelnut pop dipped into milk chocolate and covered in hazelnut pieces. It tasted exactly like a Rocher! LOVE!! You have your choice of toppings and what you would like to dip your popsicle in such as white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coconut flakes, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, almond, granola, coffee grains and a few more. Your just going to have to go to find out!

We give this place 7.5 (contingent on a return visit)