11th St Cafe

I feel as though I have to preface this post with ‘This place is a hike to get to’. It was a lovely walk on an overcast afternoon in the West Village, but I was still trying to keep a tight schedule here. I’m slowly working my way through the recommendations of my acquaintance Greg Wong and finally hit up another of his spots, 11th St Cafe. Granted he rates his coffee shops on atmosphere and I base mine solely on the buzz I get from the caffeine, I still love taking the recommendations of fellow caffeine addicts, sorry, connoisseurs.

In terms of atmosphere, I see where Greg was coming from. A small tiny shop in the West Village, I felt a little claustrophobic. The staff wasn’t the most courteous, but I feel as though sometimes New York is the kind of place you don’t really go somewhere for the service. Latte was still made and with a little heart made on the top, all was forgotten. Also this might just be me, but when I order a drink to stay, I assume it will come in a ceramic coffee or espresso cup. But as I looked around with my paper cup, I noticed everyone else’s was in paper cups too. It’s a small thing, but to me I feel as though coffee is an experience, especially when I am staying at the cafe for a while. It probably doesn’t make much of a difference to the taste, but alas, those are my quirks.

After taking so much time from the blog, I feel as though I’m having to work my way back up to lattes. Living on cart coffee and the occassional Americano lately, I’m still reeling from the espresso in this little latte. Not as strong as I remember lattes being but the frothiness on top definitely made up for it. I had such a warm feeling all throughout my body after this, which I will definitely write off as an excellent thing. Slowly switching from fake sugars such as Splenda, I’ve started adding raw sugar and just a little bit goes a long way. I feel as though I better enjoy my lattes this way. The raw sugar sprinkled lightly on top of the foam was perfect and a delightful reward for the trek here.

La Colombe

So I’ve had the last 2 days off of work to get ready for starting my new job. But I’ve had to fill these days with opportunities to catch up on this blog and finally check out the coffee shops I’ve been eying and mentally marking. Yesterday I was intending to go to a coffee shop in the East Village but ended up in NoHo to pick up some flowers and was reminded of La Colombe which I’ve walked past several times in the past month. This bright coffee shop on the corner of West 4 and Lafayette has a modern feel while also having a rustic farm feel, all centered around the barista counter in the middle of the place.

I’ve been in a bit of an Americano mood lately. There’s something perfect about it’s strength and smoothness. More velvety than a regular cup of coffee while still being a close comparison to the latte for half the price, I see what the drip coffee lacks in comparison the the coffee in the rest of the world. The Americano here was frothy and rich. Even with less milk than I usually add, the boldness of the espresso was so thick I felt I could stick a spoon in it. Far worth the 2.50, the cup itself was a bit smaller than most coffees I get. But i love the standard one size drinks I am seeing around New Yorker. Keeps an order simple, the way it should be! I felt as though you could get a mustache from the thickness of the froth on top (and that’s without milk)

I found out today that Leonardo DiCaprio has paired with this company to create a coffee bean available by the pound only available here. Pretty fascinating information to know that the stars caffeinate at the same place you do. I’m only aware of this one in New York, but my co worker yesterday mentioned that her favorite coffee shop in Philadelphia was La Colombe and asked if I new it was a chain or not. Perhaps it is…but the atmosphere here is enough to want to return.

Les Enfants Terribles

It seems as though everything has been a bit crazy here lately! Along with finding jobs (and actually landing one!), finishing out my job at Courant, and getting into the swing of a life with my boyfriend in the same state, there has been a serious lack of posts. But with this short break between jobs, I’m catching up and blogging away. Was considering post dating some of them, but it’s a bit too much really. So for the burst of blogs in a small amount of time I apologize, but I promise there are a few excellent things in store!

Eric and I decided to celebrate after I accepted my new job offer at our favorite restaurant Les Enfants Terribles in the Lower East Side. With enough alcohol to go around, I was so excited to celebrate with Eric who just moved out here. I can’t even remember how long it’s been since I’ve been to Les Enfants.

Every time Eric and I have come, we’ve been overly pampered by the staff and even received shots of this homemade liquer. I’ve been told that every fine dining French restaurant will have a mixture of their own that they keep secret. Last time Eric and I ased what was in it, the staff just told us it was a secret. So sweet, you can hardly taste the alcohol maing it a smooth and amazing after dinner drink. Sipping it would probably be just as delightful but with such a small amount, you just want it all in your mouth.

Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria

Color me surprised. The weather in New York City has been nothing short of AMAZING. So what better to do than take a late lunch in the afternoon and stroll around the East Village? With the sun on my face and a slight breeze on my back, there are few better things than exploring a new neighborhood. On my adventures I crossed a cafe/restaurant/grocery store I had seen once before and decided to caffeinate myself for my afternoon wanderings.

Oddly enough, I decided to order an Americano. After having my first one at 5 Leaves the other morning at brunch, I’ve decided to expand out my coffee orders. This americano was perfectly bitter with strong espresso and I was delighted to have the barista hand me a small shot glass of warmed milk to add. It was absolute perfection on this spring day. A little jolt in my day and this Americano was more than I could have asked for. The balance of the espresso watered down gave it more kick than a coffee, while still being more refined and less creamy than the latte. Also the bar of this cafe is not one to be missed. Definitely aspects of it to add to my dream kitchen, you know, when I get that dream apartment in Greenwich Village!

Chocolate Babka

Add this to my list of things to do this weekend! I’ve never had Babka but it looks similar to a cinnamon bread I remember from my childhood. Thanks to Laurie at RelishingIt for the inspiration! Her loaf looks so magical. She mentions enjoying it over coffee with friends, so if anyone wants to invite me over for coffee, I’ll be sure to bring a few slices of this along!

Chocolate Babka.

The Food Matters Project- Baked Rigatoni

After several weeks of crazy job searching and interviews, I’ve finally found at least a few minutes of solitude and down time to start posting for the Food Matter Project. This weeks recipe is Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs, and Blue Cheese

This recipe looks like something to whip up on a night where you’re out of all energy and ability to think creatively. Mark Bittman always has such amazing recipes and this one is definitely not to be missed! Check out Marcia’s version here. I’ve also included her recipe and directions below for easy findings!

Serves 4

Bittman notes that pears, apples, and cranberries would also work in this dish. If you don’t care for bleu cheese, you can substitute fontina, Gruyere, or another cheese that melts easily. However, I’d strongly encourage you to try the recipe with the original ingredients before deciding they’re not for you. 

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

Salt

8 ounces rigatoni, preferably whole wheat

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, roughly chopped

4 ounces Gorgonzola or other bleu cheese, crumbled

6 to 8 fresh figs, or 1 cup dried, chopped (I used dried–worked great)

Black pepper

1/4 cup chopped almonds, for garnish (I used crumbled cooked bacon instead– fabulous!)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400°.  Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with a little olive oil. (I used a slightly smaller pan and it still turned out great).  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it (I omitted the salt). Add the pasta and cook it halfway through (start checking after 3 minutes; it should still be quite firm inside). Add the Brussels sprouts to the pot and cook, until the pasta and vegetables are just barely tender, another 3 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and return the pasta and Brussels sprouts to the pot.          (Note: This was where I made a major adaptation. Instead of boiling the Brussels sprouts with the pasta, I instead sauteéd them with just a little onion, then proceeded to Step 2, adding them to the pot with the other ingredients).

2. Stir in the bleu cheese, figs, the 2 Tbs. oil, and a splash of the cooking water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss, and taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn the pasta mixture into the prepared pan.

3. Bake, checking once or twice and adding a bit more of the cooking water if the pasta looks too dry, until the mixture is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes (mine took 20). Garnish with chopped almonds (or bacon!) and serve.

Tofu & Kale & Beets Oh My!

Recently have become obsessed with Kale. After spending Mardi Gras cocktail time talking about kale chips, I felt I ought to pay proper respect to this delicious and nutritious leafy green. Twice this week already, I’ve used it in a sort of veggie stir fry. Although I failed to document Wednesday night’s dinner, here is a recipe for the second one I made last night.

Tofu Beet and Kale Veggie Fry

• 1 container of extra firm tofu

• 1 can of sliced or diced beets (reserve roughly 3 tablespoons of beet juice)

• 3-5 stalks of kale

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• sea salt

• dash of cayenne pepper

Drain and press water out of tofu and cube into thumb sized pieces. In a pan, heat olive oil and add a dash of salt, then add tofu and allow to brown. When tofu has browned, add reserved amount of beet juice to allow to simmer. Add the beets, sauteing and stirring every few minutes. Last add the kale for the last minute or 2. It should go dark green and wilt slightly. Add a dash more salt and olive oil while still in the pan and then toss and serve.

This super easy to make dish should honestly take you all of 10 mins to start and have ready to eat. Even fasteri if you already have everything cut up and ready to go! I’ve found the best way for me to drain tofu is line a bowl with paper towels and place tofu in bowl, covering with paper towels. Then put another bowl on top and give a slight press down. Allow to drain for at least 5 mins.

Let me know what you think. I am saving kale chips for this weekend’s cooking experiments list (when I find a chance to breathe) but would be open to any other recommendations you all have for playing around with kale!

The Smile – SoHo

This little lady comes from the sleek restaurant called The Smile. I have a list of lattes in New York that I want to try and for Valentine’s Day I told Eric that I only wanted to go have a nice latte. After our Donut Plant stop, we made our way to Bond Street in the East Village. The beauty of this latte made me sit in awe for the first few minutes. the creamy frothiness on top reminded me of the Gimme! coffee latte I experienced last Sunday night. The smoothness and lack of a bitter after taste definitely makes this latte rank high up on my list of memorable caffeine experiences.The foaminess was dreamy and the atmosphere and mood of the restaurant was latte drinking perfection. Located downstairs off Bond street, this restaurant is small and has the feel of an English pub with heavy curtains at the front of the entrance. Sitting on bar stools, we waited for our egg sandwich and also ended up with a scrambled egg plate. Eric was in love with the egg sandwich from first bite. With the gouda cheese and grilled onions, it was hard to not want to eat the whole thing in one sitting.

Also in speaking of memorable, while at The Smile, the lovely Jessica Alba walked in. Sadly to say, it wasn’t even me who noticed her, but Eric. She was very lovely and seemed to be having a wonderful time with the group of friends she was with in the back. I’ve been told that The Smile is the place to go for celebrity watching, especially with New York Fashion week last week.

Donut Plant – The Chelsea Hotel

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s Day! Eric and I made a small day of it, as my work was closed Mon and Tues, we figured we would take a day to explore and do some of the ‘touristy’ things that usually are swamping the city during the weekend. After Monday’s lovely walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and meandering around DUMBO in admiration of all the lovely converted factories, we decided to take Tuesday a bit slower. With my current donut faze, I was excited when Eric suggested we hit up the famous Donut Plant in Chelsea. The wait in line was worth it, even with the small disappointment on my face when I found out they were out of the salted caramel cake donut I’d had my heart set on.

I had no problem though choosing my donuts from the rest of their selection though. I decided on a triple chocolate cake donut ( I personally prefer cake donuts to yest donuts) and a Valentine’s Day special Passion fruit yeast donut in the shape of a heart. Eric’s oddly shaped square donut was a yeast filled with vanilla and blackberry jam. Even for being a sweet donut, Eric enjoyed his, with more Blackberry jam than vanilla. It looked highly appetizing, but I had my eyes on the prize donuts of my own. The passion fruit donut was quite tart. Sweet frosting and glaze over it was a little bit outdone by the tartness, which I absolutely loved though. A little disappointed with the satisfying carb feeling that comes from cake donuts with this yeast donut though. The black out chocolate cake donut was a bit more to my liking. A chocolate cake donut, with chocolate frosting, chocolate cookie crumbs on top, and a bit of chocolate pudding on the inside, it was chocolate overload. I loved the cakiness but the pudding/filling was a bit too much for me. I’ve found as I’m getting older that I prefer more caramel things rather than chocolate. (My mother would have a fit if she knew this!) Overall it’s a great experience and with a constantly changing line up of donut choices, I’m going to have to make my way back to the Donut Plant, just so I can try every single donut and make sure that I’ve really got an unbiased opinion!

Your Beauty Shines Through Like A Diamond In The Rough

I think we can all get over the ‘engagement ring’ part of this gorgeous piece of jewelry, and just admire it’s beauty and how much I want it!

Anna Sheffield Hazeline Black Diamond, $5,000, available at Anna Sheffield