Sheng Wang, Chinatown NYC

I LOVE CHINESE FOOD. I mean home-style, authentic, Chinese food. And luckily the Chinatown in New York has some of the best authentic Chinese food on this side of the world. I discovered Sheng Weng through what I think was, divine intervention. I get Yelp emails to my inbox because I love food! The email of the day was the best ramen spots. This instantly made me crave a big bowl of home-style ramen! This restaurant had amazing reviews so I had to trek downtown to try it for myself. From the outside, the place looks ordinary, much like the other Chinese shops in the area. But step down into a world of wonderful! Apparently I'm late on discovering this gem because it was pretty busy for dinner. But thankfully, the restaurant has plenty of seating. This place is unique because this place pulls their own noodles! They also make their wontons and dumplings - the old fashioned way - and right in front of you too! I ordered 12 steamed dumplings to start, which costed a few dollars, and it was so perfect! I ordered a bowl of beef noodle ramen and it was SO good! You can taste the freshness in every dish. The prices are cheap but the food is not cheap quality! This place is blows my mind for ramen!  You just have to try it for yourself! 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sheng-wang-new-york

Average Plate Prices

Hand-pulled noodles $4-6

Special Appetizers $2-4

Rice Plates $3-6

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I think ground meat is something that's always great to have in the refrigerator/freezer. Its easy to work with and versatile. But instead of making the same tacos and hamburgers again, mix it up with some Thai food! The flavors are so tasty and refreshing. This recipe uses turkey ground meat because I think its a little healthier. It also calls for some fish sauce, but don't worry, its not very pronounced. A lot of Asian foods have fish sauce, and you dont even realize. You can serve this by itself or over hot rice to make it a heartier meal. Give this a try and I guarantee that you'll love it! 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 minced red onion

1/2 cup of red peppers in strips

1 1/4 pound ground white meat turkey

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 juiced limes

1 bunch green onions, (thinly sliced)

2 red jalepenos, seeded, de-veined, and thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped mint

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

lettuce leaves

cooked rice

Instructions

1) Heat canola oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Lightly sauté red onion until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. 

2) Add turkey and break apart with a spatula. Continue to cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any juice or fat and turn off the heat, cooling meat for 5 minutes.

3) Add fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice to turkey and stir. Add the red peppers and continue to saute. Taste for seasoning then put in a serving bowl.

4) To serve, put 1/4 cup of meat in a lettuce leaf, then top with some green onions, jalapeno pepper slices, a pinch of cilantro and mint, and a sprinkle of peanuts. Serve with hot rice.

Danny Brown, Queens NY

One of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Forest Hills is Danny Brown. A Michelin recommended restaurant in Queens? Yeah, you bet!  It is such a hidden gem tucked away on a small street. It gives you a Manhattan feel but with a local crowd. You'll see new and old families dining here as well as young trendsetters. The wine list is extensive, the food is always impeccable, and the service has never disappointed me. There is something for everybody here. As posted on their website, "Danny Brown... embodies the pleasures of a French wine bar, an Italian "Enoteca," and a Spanish Tapas bar, as well as that of a conventional restaurant." Below are some plates I have tried here - a cheese plate, steak, and confit of duck. Whenever I'm in my neighborhood, I try to have a meal here - reservation permitting! The wait can sometimes be long. But there is a reason why its always crowded, so the wait is worth it! 

Danny Brown

Wine Bar and Kitchen

104-02 Metropolitan Ave.

Forest Hills, New York 11375

Brand Attire Casual to Business 

Reservations Accepted and Recommended on Weekends

Stuffed Chicken Divan with a Sherry Dijon Sauce

In my college years, I used to love to eat this frozen package of broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken by Barber Foods. I never liked to eat many frozen meals, but as a college student, this was a staple!  It's better than ramen and pizza diet, right?  I wanted to recreate this - but fresh - and assumingly, healthier.  I found this great recipe from Food Network that is similar to my college memory.  You can create own variation to this, such as stuffing it with spinach, skipping the dijon sauce or the cheese, etc.  Any variation will taste amazing. Overall, I am very happy with this recipe.  And yes, it's much tastier than the frozen version I loved in college.  However, stuffing the chicken was more time-consuming than I realized. So if you want to give this recipe your best, just make sure you're not in a rush.  Bon Appetite! 

Total Time: 60 min

Prep : 30 min

Cook: 30 min

Ingredients

Cooking Spray 

2 cups (4 ounces) fresh broccoli florets

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere Cheese

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup low-fat evaporated milk (I skipped this) 

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Instructions

1) Preheat the broiler and we will begin cooking broccoli first. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and run under cold water until cold. Drain well again and squeeze dry in paper towels. Chop the broccoli and toss in a bowl with the Gruyere and garlic. 

2) Stuffing the Chicken - there are 2 methods to doing this. I choose the 2nd version, which I pulled from another recipe. Either way works!

• Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a 3-inch deep pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of broccoli. 
• Pound the chicken thin without creating any holes. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of broccoli and then sew it closed with a toothpick. 

Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

3) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Put the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium to finish cooking through. Mist a shallow rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer to the baking dish and put in broiler.

4) Meanwhile, combine the milk and stock in a small pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the sherry and cornstarch until smooth and pour, whisking constantly, into the sauce. Cook until just thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of sauce and place under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

5) Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then cut each breast in half on an angle. (I served mine whole)

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calories 347; Total Fat 11g (Sat Fat 5.1g, Mono Fat 3.9g, Poly Fat 1.1g) ; Protein 50g; Carb 10g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 126.5mg; Sodium 433.5mg

Sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese

Topped with the Sherry Dijon Sauce

Served over Brown Rice

Sweet & Sour Chicken

The thought just occurred to me that I should cook more Asian food.  The ingredients are minimal, the flavors are delicious, and its so easy! This is one of my favorites and who doesn't love a stir-fry? Here is a super simple recipe for the next time you are in the mood for Asian food. 

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup chopped carrots
4 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 teaspoons water
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained with 1/2 cup reserved juice
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce

Salt and pepper to taste


Directions
In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Season chicken cubes and add to pan. Brown chicken and remove to plate. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for a couple minutes. Stir in pineapple chunks, juice, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce begins to reduce. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring liquid to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

WD-50 - Molecular Gastronomy

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS KIND

WD-50 is one of the Top 10 best Molecular Gastronomy restaurants in the world. It lives up to it's reputation because this was one of the most unique dining experiences of my life. Wylie Dufresne is the owner and one of the pioneer chefs of this "food-science" genre. This man is an absolute artist in his creation of all the dishes from the cooking methods to the styling. He was first made famous on Bravo TV, but his excellence has carried him beyond 15 minutes. The food is fascinating with its play on flavors and presentation. It is truly a cerebral food experience. After dinner, our table was graciously invited to tour the kitchen and I met the man himself creating the dishes! One wouldn't think the actual owner would be the person cooking all of the food, but he humbly said, "of course I'm cooking back here, my name is on the door." The entire kitchen is meticulous, very much like a laboratory. Overall, the food and experience was amazing, but not for everybody, especially if you prefer traditional "comfort" style food.

 

Seafood and Meat Paella

On this particular Sunday, I wanted to a) have brunch and b) have a dinner party. I started by visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the morning. At noon, I had brunch and drinks at a nearby bar. Soon the mimosas turned into vodka sodas (typical) and before I knew it, I was drrruuunnnk!

I realized I had to get back into my neighborhood to go grocery shopping. I hadn't even decided what to make at this point yet, but ever since having Paella at a restaurant, I had been craving it. I think being drunk gave me liquid courage to even attempt what I thought was a complex recipe. But if I was in my right mind, I dont think I would've cooked it for the first time for a bunch of friends. Luckily it worked out and everyone loved it!

When my friends started to come over, I opened all the bottle stocked in my bar and the wine and liquor kept flowing. I'm not going to lie, I was drinking from noon to midnight (bad idea) and I was kind of drunk when I was cooking this. But honestly... this recipe is more intimating than it really is. So while I am not suggesting you get drunk before cooking this, I am saying don't be afraid to attempt it!

Total: 1 Hour
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads

1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 lemons, zested
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled

1 pound Mussels cleaned
1 pound Clams, cleaned
1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.

To make paella saffron rice - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a paella pan or large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, peppers and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes. *If you want to take a shortcut at this step, you can buy a package of saffron rice and prepare per box instructions... I won't tell anyone!*

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Fry up the garlic, onions and red peppers. Stir in marinated chicken; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the chorizo with the casing removed; cook 5 minutes.

After everything else is cooked, then you cook the seafood. Stir in shrimp, turning until both sides are pink. If you dont have room in your pan, you can use a separate one. Told you that you need a big pan! Lastly add in clams and mussels and cook until they open. Discard any shells that do not open.

Lastly, spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture and ENJOY!

For the appetizer, I made home-made chips and guacamole, which was all gone before I even took a photo! And some bread and dip.

=

Moroccan Meatballs

Morocco is up there on my list of places to visit. I have a good Moroccan friend who always tells me all about its splendors, and after watching Sex and The City 2, I was hooked. The movie portrays that they're in Abu Dhabi in the Arab Emirates as "The New Dubai," but really they're in Morocco! Parts of the film were shot in various locations and hotels around Marrakech. There are many rumors about which hotel they actually stayed in and trust me I've researched this long and hard, and the rumored places are: Amanjena Hotel in Marrakech, La Mamounia Hotel, and Royal Mansour. And you HAVE to click on these 3 hotel links to be blown away! You may not be able to be physically swept into Arabian Nights at the moment, but you can at least eat as if you are...

INGREDIENTS

Fresh Chopped Parsley

Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Package of Pita

1 10-ounce package plain couscous

Meatballs

1 1/3 pounds lean ground beef (20% fat) 

1 large onion, minced (about 2/3 cup) 

3 tablespoons water 

4 teaspoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon tumeric 

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/8 cup breadcrumbs 

1 egg

Salad

Cucumber

Tomato

Chick Peas

Tzatziki Sauce

8 oz Greek Yogurt

2 Cucumbers peeled and shredded

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by making the tzatziki sauce. Combine yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, either by hand or in a good processor or blender. Process until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Meatball time. Sautee the onion in pan until cooked. When the onions are cooled, mix the onions with the ground beef and all the spices in a medium bowl. Roll the meat into a mini meatball shape. You can use an ice-cream scooper or a teaspoon to create uniform sized meatballs. Put the meatballs on a baking rack over a baking tray in the oven. Cook 400 degrees until brown and crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside, approximately 8-10 minutes.

While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare the coucous according to package instructions. While the meatballs and coucous are cooking, make the salad. Chop up cucumbers, tomatoes, and combine with chick peas. Toast the pita bread. By now, everything should be almost cooked. Add parsley and cilantro to the dishes for garnish.

Chicken & Chilli Tacos

Bienvenidos a Mexico! Tonight was an easy night - made chili over grilled chicken. Had some hard-shelled tacos to keep with the theme and steamed some broccoli. This is an easy dinner idea for a Mexican theme night. You can serve with some guacamole and tequila! 

Clam Linguine Recipe

This is a really easy recipe. It requires minimal ingredients and minimal cooking skills. If you haven't tried cooking too many recipes yet, try this one! 

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt

1/2 pound linguine

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly chopped

1 medium onion chopped

1 pound clams, scrubbed

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 

Head of Broccoli (optional as side)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. I served this with a side of steamed broccoli. Chop broccoli, and add to a pot with just enough water to cover the bottom. Boil on high and remove when broccoli is steamed to your liking, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes. Drain both when finished.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot. Sauté the onions, stirring until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano and cook until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Stir clams into sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cockles open wide, 4 to 6 minutes.  Add pasta to clams along with parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste, then toss with sauce until combined well.

Classic Italian Lasagna

I first got the inspiration to make lasagna in preparation for a hurricane in New York City last summer. Hurricane Irene caused all the subways to be shut down and lower Manhattan to be evacuated. So knowing I wasn't going anywhere that weekend, I just wanted to stay in and eat. Given that I had all the time in the world, I really wanted to challenge myself with a recipe. I chose lasagna because I always felt that good lasagna could only be made by a fat italian mother who has been cooking in the kitchen from the day she was born. But I'm happy to say it came out glorious - with all of its crispy edges (thats the best part!). It involves a little more prep-work compared to other recipes, but it's well worth the labor. Below is a recipe that I used mainly from Giada De Laurentis on Food Network. I combined elements from a few lasagne recipes I found online and created this simplified one in just 3 easy steps.

Total Time: 1 hr and 15mins
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 onions
1 clove garlic
Fresh basil
Fresh Parsley 

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, a recipe follows: 

Simple Tomato Sauce: 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional 

Béchamel Sauce: 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make Your Sauces First.

 
Tomato Sauce
In a large casserole pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. 
Tip: If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Béchamel Sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

2. Meat and Cheese!

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Cook the lasagna noodles per the instructions on the box to al dente. Salt the water to prevent the noodles from sticking together. While the noodles are soaking, make the cheese filling. In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Now Let's Start Building the Layers!

My best tip is to arrange all the ingredients of the layers in a assembly line! Trust me, this will do wonders to minimize confusion. Begin by spreading a layer of bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna. Top it off with any remaining béchamel sauce. It will coat the top of the lasagna nicely.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes. Remove, let cool, and enjoy. Resist the urge to break off all the crispy noodle edges on top! I try to, but I usually cant resist!

Penne with Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

One day at home, I was just in a creative cooking mood and wanted to make something from whatever was in the fridge. I saw broccoli and cherry tomatoes. I realized I had a box of penne and Voila! This recipe was born! Its so easy and quick.  Perfect if you're short on time or want to whip something together for some unexpected guests.

Main

1 package of penne pasta

Broccoli 

Cherry tomatoes

Home-made Pasta Sauce

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste

2-3 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

4-5 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 tsp of salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop your onions and garlic. Cook in a large pot with olive oil until browned. Add tomato paste and mix well. Add tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Mix well. Cook for at least 20 minutes on low heat. (If you have time, the longer the sauce simmers for, the better. Serious Italians will tell you that the sauce needs to cook for 2 hours!)

Cut the broccoli and halve the cherry tomatoes. In a separate pan, steam the broccoli for approximately 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.  Immediately remove from eat, and shock them by running under cold water.  (If you have chicken or some other kind of protein, cook that first as well by browning in a pan first).

In a large pot of boiling water, add a dash of salt and cook pasta until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). When cooked, drain the pasta. When ready, add the pasta, broccoli, and halved cherry tomatoes to the sauce pan and mix well. Let the pasta simmer for another few minutes for everything to mix together. Season again if needed. 

Masala, Woodside, Queens

Below are photos of an Indian crown jewel in Queens.  In addition to the appetizer and entree below, we also got this yogurt drink called the lassi and the mango lassi - and they were both amazing. The lassi is a pistachio flavor and I liked that better. The beef was better than the chicken because it had more heat to it, which I liked. The service was quick and the people were friendly. I would definitely come back here. 

Meat Platter Appetizer

Tikka Masala and Beef Tikka

Shrimp Scampi

This is a recipe not made by me, but was thoroughly enjoyed by yours truly so I will share it with you. Its simple, delicious, and quick to prepare if you're in a rush.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 pound linguine
• • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
  • 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • Juice of 1 lemon

• Directions

Pasta: Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to a boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates. Cover and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp. Coat with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside

Finally: Add wine and lemon juice to the pan and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. When mixed well, divide the shrimp and arrange on a platter with the linguine, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, (and my favorite - red pepper flakes) and garnish with parsley. 


Buon Appetito!

Scarpetta, New York City

Scarpetta is an expression which means" little shoe" in Italian but also refers to the bread that you use to sop the lingering sauce. And it is the perfect metaphor for this restaurant because it will make you want to finish every last drop of food on your plate because it's that good! This restaurant is the brain-child of chef Scott Conant located in the Meatpacking district of New York. If the name sounds familiar, you've probably seen him on Food Network on Chopped or 24 Hour Restaurant Battle.  I actually tried to go to this restaurant in Miami at the Fountainebleau, but the reservations were all booked up! That was a clear indicator that this is a restaurant that I needed to try. I'm glad I finally got to dine here because the food was well worth the wait. 

Like most high-end restaurants, they start off the evening with a gourmet basket of bread. However, what was notable about this bread was that it was stuffed with sausage  and or salami. They pair the bread with an assortment of butter, olive oil, and this chunky tomato paste dip that's amazing. For the primi piatti, you have to get the Polenta. It is creamy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, with TRUFFLED mushrooms.  As you know by my blog name, I love anything with truffles! Why are they so good?! The Polenta and the Seared Sea Scallops were my favorite. The Scallops were cooked perfectly and explodes in your mouth with flavor.  

For the pasta, if you're looking for something sweet, the Pumpkin Consonsei is your dish. Its stuffed with pumpkin and ricotta, and drizzled with amaretto. In my opinion, it can also double as a dessert. But if youre looking for savory, I'd recommend the next 2 dishes in the Piatti section.

For Carne, the server recommended the Veal Loin. It's a refined version of osso buco without the bone. The outside is herb-crusted, but the meat inside is tender. If youre looking for seafood, the Black Cod is an amazing piece of fish and has been compared to Nobu grade, by the way of Naples. The caramelized fennel and slow roasted tomatoes its paired with is harmonious to the flavor. 

For Dolci, the Chocolate cake is a classic. It's a mini molten lava cake with salted gelato. Enough said - its sweet, its salty and it will be devoured in 4 seconds. The Sweet Potato Bombolini was good and had a hint of orange essence. If you like donuts, you will like this. However, my favorite dessert was the Coconut Panna Cotta. Panna Cotta is made by mixing cream, milk, sugar, and gelatin and letting it cool. The guava sauce adds a uniqueness to the coconut flavor that makes it a winning pairing.

The ambiance is great. Its dimly lit, its intimate, and I guess you kind of do feel like you're in a "little shoe."  Overhead is a retractable glass ceiling that I imagine is divine in the summertime and the horizontal mirrors held up by luggage straps along the walls gives the place a whimsical factor. Overall - a great experience.

355 West 14th Street New York, NY 10014.  (212) 691-0555

Sausage Bread and Tomato Dip Appetizer

Creamy Polenta - fricassee of truffled mushrooms

Seared Sea Scallops - sunchoke, apple and black trumpet mushrooms 

Pumpkin Casonsei - ricotta and amaretti

Veal Loin - gremolata crust, saffron semolina and bone marrow

Black Cod - caramelized fennel and concentrated tomatoes

Sweet Potato Bombolini - orange blossom cream, honey-sesame crumble and espresso gelato

Chocolate Cake -  salted caramel gelato and chocolate butterscotch

Coconut Panna Cotta -  guava sauce and caramelized pineapple