Dim Sum NYC

Big Apple Bites

You don't need to go far to find good Chinese food in New York City. I am a big fan of dim sum and thought it would be a great idea to compare a more traditional dim sum restaurant (Nom Wah Tea Parlor) to a modern and "trendy" one (RedFarm). Let's start with Nom Wah Tea Parlor in the heart of Chinatown...

Food was flying out of the Nom Wah kitchen at lightening speed and the menu was a mile long. The only one who could understand the menu was Leo, so he was our designated "orderer" and he did a great job...

We tried everything from the House Special Roasted Pork Buns to Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf and Fried Chicken Feet. The soup dumplings were my favorite.

Next up, RedFarm...amazing. There's a lot of hype around this new modern Chinese restaurant. Some of the reviews on yelp were harsh so we didn't know what to expect. Let me just say that RedFarm was nothing but delicious. NOTE: They do not take reservations so what you should do is call when you are in the neighborhood (West Village), put your name in over the phone, go get a drink nearby, then RedFarm will call you when your table is ready! Onto the food and drink (we shared everything and each bite was heavenly)...

Le Club Hot (left) & Shiso Cucumber Martini (right)

Infused jalapeno tequila, lime, agave, jalapeno, and mint & Gin, shiso, cucumber, lemon, and agave

Avocado and Mango Summer Roll

On top of guacamole - an interesting but shockingly delicious combination

RedFarm 'Pac Man' Shrimp Dumplings

From left to right: lobster, mushroom/leek, blue crab, and shrimp dumpling

Kat'z Pastrami Egg Roll

Nothing short of perfect

Pork and Crab Soup Dumplings

Get in my belly

Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime

Savory Eats

Fresh corn...yum. There's one unavoidable downside to eating corn-on-the-cob: it gets stuck in your teeth...and by your teeth, I mean every damn tooth. That being said, there's nothing better than a sweet and buttery ear of corn at a summer BBQ. The following recipe is an adaptation of Cafe Habana's  crack-on-the-cob ...I mean, Mexican-style corn. This Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime is Jean-Georges Vongerichten's recipe and therefore, it's perfect. You'll never eat plain corn again...

Recipe from Bon Appetit (picture)

Ingredients:

*Makes 6-8 sides

• 6 ears of sweet yellow corn, unhusked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted this to avoid being too spicy for my liking)
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 1 cup Manchego cheese, finely grated
• 1/4 cup chives, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons lime zest, finely grated
• Salt and pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Roast the unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp, roughly 15 minutes. Let the corn cool then shuck the corn and cut the kernels from the cob:

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and saute until heated through and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper:

3. Transfer the corn to a dish. Sprinkle your chopped jalapeno on top (this is when you'll add the red pepper flakes, but I omitted them). Squeeze lime wedges over the corn, sprinkle with grated cheese, chives, and lime zest. Serve while hot alongside a delicious dinner!

Yum Yum Yum

Recipe to print:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Roast the unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp, roughly 15 minutes. Let the corn cool then shuck the corn and cut the kernels from the cob.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and saute until heated through and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the corn to a dish. Sprinkle your chopped jalapeno on top (this is when you'll add the red pepper flakes, but I omitted them). Squeeze lime wedges over the corn, sprinkle with grated cheese, chives, and lime zest. Serve while hot alongside a delicious dinner!

NOTE: To healthify this dish, just use half the amount of oil and half the amount of butter (this will take the calories from 173/serving to 130/serving). You could also reduce the amount of cheese, but I wholeheartedly discourage that.

Superb NYC Restaurants (with price tags to match)

Big Apple Bites

This year, I have done my best to seek out New York City's cheap eats and hidden gems. But, considering NYC is the capital of fine dining and trendy, expensive restaurants, I had to indulge a bit (at the expense of my bank account). I've already told you about Bohemian, La Esquina, Aquavit, and Catch, but stay tuned for two more amazing restaurants with price tags to match...

Sushi Yasuda

204 East 43rd Street

Sushi Yasuda has the best sushi in New York City, end of story. The fish is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. In fact, I have never tasted anything like it. Word has it, this omakase sushi joint is the closest thing to Jiro's outside of Japan. Two points to considering before going to Sushi Yasuda: (1) have an open mind and just eat what the chef gives you, and (2) your bank account will take a hit after this meal - but, it's worth it.

The sushi masters

Omakase: "I'll leave it to you."

Estiatorio Milos

125 West 55th Street

Another fantastic restaurant: Milos NYC...Greek food that is so good it rivals a few meals I had in Santorini and Mykonos. The fish is off-the-boat fresh, in fact, you pick your own whole fish from the Milos Fish Market in the back of the restaurant. Not only is the food unbelievable, but the decor is refreshing and summery as if you flew to Greece for the night.

Octopus

sashimi quality, charcoal broiled

Grilled Lavraki

 simply prepared with olive oil and capers

Dark Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies

Sweet Treats

Happy (early) Father's Day to the most incredible dad in the universe...

To properly show my appreciation for everything this amazing man has done for me, I did what I do best...BAKE! My dad is obsessed with dark chocolate. Yes, he is a member of the chocolate of the month club. Now that you all know how to get on my dad's good side, here is a recipe I know he will love...

Dark Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies (picture)

Sorry for ruining the surprise, Dad, but there is a batch of these delicious (and healthy) cookies in the mail as we speak!

Ingredients:

*recipe from Cooking Light magazine

**makes about 25 cookies at 100 calories/cookie!

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 & 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tbs unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used a Ghirardelli 70% chocolate bar)

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Spoon flours into measuring cups, level with a knife, and combine the flours. Add the oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk:

3. Melt the butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the brown sugar. Stir until smooth then add the sugar mixture into the flour mixture:

4. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended:

5. Add the cherries, vanilla, and egg. Beat until combined:

6. Fold in the chocolate. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet:

7. Bake at 350F for 11-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the pan for a few minutes until almost firm. Move the cookies onto wire racks and let cool. Serve with some milk and enjoy!

All wrapped up and ready to send to Dad!

Recipe to print:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Spoon flours into measuring cups, level with a knife, and combine the flours. Add the oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk.
3. Melt the butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the brown sugar. Stir until smooth.
4. Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
5. Add the cherries, vanilla, and egg. Beat until combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350F for 11-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the pan for a few minutes until almost firm. Move the cookies onto wire racks and let cool. Serve with some milk and enjoy!

Pea & Pesto Pasta Salad

Savory Eats

This was my first time making homemade pesto...and it was a huge success. In my opinion, pre-made pesto is a tad too oily and quite caloric. This pesto is light, flavorful, and fantastic on pasta or spaghetti squash.

If you're craving pasta salad (left) or a lighter spaghetti squash dish (right), this pesto is perfect.

Without further ado, here is the ultimate summer pasta salad...

Ingredients:
*Recipe from HonestlyYUM

• 1 lb of pasta of your choice (recommended: orchiette or riccioli)
• or substitute pasta with 1 medium size spaghetti squash (healthy substitute)
• 1 cup basil, packed
• 1/2 cup spinach, packed
• 1 Tbs toasted pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups fresh peas, shelled
• 1 cup steamed broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup steamed asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
• Handful of torn mint and dill
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta (French or Greek, French is milder)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. If using spaghetti squash, steam or roast the squash and fork out the flesh into squash strands.

2. Drain the pasta and spread it into an even layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together (if using spaghetti squash, set it aside until pesto is finished). Allow the pasta to cool completely:

3. To prep the peas, prepare a bowl of cold water with ice. Cook the peas in boiling water for 10 minutes then drain the peas and place them in the ice water for several minutes, then drain again:

4. To prepare the pesto, place the garlic clove in a food processor and mince. Add the spinach, basil, and toasted pine nuts, and pulse several times. Stream in the olive oil until it blends into smooth pesto:

5. Toss the pesto with the pasta (or spaghetti squash). Add the peas, broccoli, asparagus, torn dill, torn mint, and feta. Mix and enjoy!

Pea & Pesto Pasta Salad

Pea & Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Recipe to print:

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. If using spaghetti squash, steam or roast the squash and fork out the flesh into squash strands.
2. Drain the pasta and spread it into an even layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together (if using spaghetti squash, set it aside until pesto is finished). Allow the pasta to cool completely.
3. To prep the peas, prepare a bowl of cold water with ice. Cook the peas in boiling water for 10 minutes then drain the peas and place them in the ice water for several minutes, then drain again.
4. To prepare the pesto, place the garlic clove in a food processor and mince. Add the spinach, basil, and toasted pine nuts, and pulse several times. Stream in the olive oil until it blends into smooth pesto.
5. Toss the pesto with the pasta (or spaghetti squash). Add the peas, broccoli, asparagus, torn dill, torn mint, and feta. Mix and enjoy!