CheeseCake Catastrophe



Hello Friends,

So a few weeks ago, I was watching the Create channel and Martha Stewart Bakes.  I was never really a fan of Martha's...but I do have to say her cooking shows I find very intriguing.  Anyway - She was making all sorts of cheesecakes... Ricotta Cheesecake and NY Style Cheesecake and even one with a fruit Jelly kind of thing. 

I was curious about her NY cheesecake as her recipe called for some flour.  Any cheesecake I've ever made didn't have any flour in it... and hers looked so good...

Martha Stewart's NY Style Cheesecake

I decided to make it!  Now, I'm sure I've said in the past... but I'm a terrible baker.  I hardly bake anything because it is too precise for me when I'm a 'handful of this' kind of a girl. So even though I've decided to bake this cheesecake...it took me about three weeks to work up the gumption to actually do it. 

So...here is the recipe...

Ingredients:
12 Graham Crackers
6 tablespoons of melted butter
2 tablespoons of sugar
a pinch of salt

7  eight ounce packages of Cream Cheese - room temperature
2 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1 cup of room temperature sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
5 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Take a bit of extra butter and butter your spring form pan and then wrap the pan with aluminum foil (this goes in a water bath to cook, so this will protect the cake from getting water in it).

Put into your food processor the graham crackers, melted butter, salt and sugar...process until a fine crumb.  Press the crumb into the bottom of the pan and compact it down.  Put the pan into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.  Then bake the crust for 15 minutes until golden.  Let it cool.

Beat the cream cheese for about 3 to 4 minutes to combine it and make it creamy.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour.  Slowly add a bit of the dry mixture into the bowl and a bit of the sour cream and then let it beat for about a minute.  Repeat until all the dry mix and the sour cream is incorporated.  Add in the vanilla...and then one at a time add the eggs.

Take the mixture and pour it into the cooled pan.  Place that pan into a large roasting pan and fill with hot water so it goes up half the side of the cake pan. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  Then - reduce the oven temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes are up...shut off the oven but leave the cheesecake inside for one hour.  Remove and let cool.

This is what mine looked like when finished:

Not as pretty as Martha's ... but a good first time effort!

I cut a piece and I will have to say - it was delicious!!  Very moist and creamy, very light and fluffy.  I really do recommend making this cheesecake.  I was so excited - and looked forward to sharing it with Dave and even bring some to my brothers house as they all love cheesecake.

This is what happens when you don't take the bottom of the spring form pan off the cake and then try to wrap it up to put it into the fridge:

Splat

Catastrophe.

'Nuff Said.

Until Next Time...

EAT

A Lazy Dinner turned into a Great Breakfast...

Hello Friends!

Well - I said vacation was over, didn't I??  So surprise, surprise... another post!  I really meant it when I said I'm in a cooking mood - the weather cooled just enough... (I mean like 5 degrees???) for me to feel like making something for dinner.

(Honestly - it was either I cook so Dave had something to eat when he gets home from work other than a Pb&J sandwich - or...I order Chinese, which Dave loves and is my least favorite food.)

So - I cook! Plus...who knows how long I'll be inspired for - I have to jump on these things while I feel them!

Tonight's dinner - Crust less Vegetable Quiche!

What is an easy dish to make... I'm horrible at baking - so crusts are so beyond me... and I know I can do store bought, but it still seems so soggy to me.  When Dave was doing Atkins - I discovered using Ham for a crust, or going crust less...and for my lazy at heart self - crust less is perfect!

To start - preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

First, rough chop into bite size pieces:
1/2 a medium onion
1 medium zucchini
a bunch of asparagus (ends removed)

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and a good splash of Olive Oil into the pan and lightly sautee the vegetables with some salt and pepper to taste.  You'll cook this for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender.

Place into a greased baking pan (no crust!) to cool for a bit.

Then crack into a bowl:
6 eggs
add 1/4 cup (about... I eyeball it) of milk (any type)
and about 1/2 a cup of heavy cream...  (don't worry...you don't have a crust, you can afford the cream!)
Mix well with salt and pepper to taste and some fresh ground nutmeg (I do about a 6 count when grating it).

Grate:
about 3 oz of Gruyere cheese
and 4 oz of Sharp Cheddar Cheese...
and about 3 oz of Crumbled Goat Cheese...

*Yes, its alot of cheese...<um...have you met me??> but again, not having a crust gives you a little leeway to not feel guilty into using the heavy cream and cheeses...  and if you do feel guilty - please feel welcome to join me in the Emily-verse - no guilt here!

(Or, get your own Emily-verse where you cut down on the portions until you feel comfortable...but you can't call it an Emily-verse....it has to be a You-Verse ... but admit - it doesn't sound as awesome as an Emily-Verse, does it??   I told you so. )

But I digress... Lets continue...

Sprinkle the goat cheese over the vegetables and add a little over a half of the Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses on top.

Pour the egg mixture over the pan and allow the liquid to settle in. 

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and put into the oven.

You'll bake this for about 30 minutes until the mixture is just set (it may have a bit of give to it, that's OK) and the cheesey top is golden brown. 

Let the quiche sit for about 10 minutes before serving.



I admit...I didn't wait 10 minutes...

Best thing about this quiche (or any quiche, really) is it can be served hot, warm, room temperature and yes... I'll eat it cold too.  Its great to have hanging around the house for Breakfast, Dinner or a snack.  You can even bake it in muffin tins to have a quick 'grab and go' breakfast or snack that is already proportioned.  (Yes, its a great idea.  It's not mine...someone else thought of it...but I use it often!)

I'll also make quiche with just about anything.  You can use the base mix and put in any veggie or meat or cheese that you like.  Its a perfect go to for me when I have extra veggies from the night before - I just throw it in some eggs and poof... a great quiche!

Until Next Time...

EAT

Summer Vacation is OVER!

Hello Friends!

As you might have guessed, since my last post was in June ... I took the summer off from Blogging...from cooking...from rating restaurants... from a lot!  Reminds me of the good old days, when I could be less responsible and would quit my jobs for the summer!  I did that for about three or four years straight - right around my birthday at the end of June, put in my notice and then bum around for the summer ... on the boat...at the lake...in the back yard in the pool or on my hammock ... and not look for a job until after Labor Day.  Oh I Wish!

Of course I can't do that any more...(but of course when we win the Mega or PowerBall - I will!) but with getting a third week of vacation and some lovely summer Fridays...I didn't work a full week all summer - so that's just about the peaches for me!

Dave and I spent many a Sunday or (but mostly and!) Monday at Overlook Beach - having a ball in the water and sitting in the sun... people watching and of course commenting on all the idiots ..I mean people... who don't have an ounce of Beach Etiquette and feel the need to sit right on top of you with three of their screaming kids when there is a whole empty beach to sit on.


A calm day at Overlook Beach - a few hours before the crowds!

Dave and I spent a gorgeous week upstate with my Mom, my sister and some of my nieces and nephews... There is nothing like relaxing at Keuka Lake!

 A Day shot...

A grainy night shot

Sam and Lilah with their little cousin Dottie

Waiting at Bully Hill for lunch...

The Bully Hill View

 

Rachel, Julia and Andrew at Lunch

On our last night of our stay at the Cozy Cottage - my sister Kris got Chinese lanterns for us to light...let fill up with the heat...make a wish and let it go - we all got one to set free and made our wishes... How Beautiful!

Lighting and filling Dave and my lantern

Our wish...set free



Ah...No... I will not be telling you our wish... I want this one to come true!! 

But as it does when I have to leave the Emily-verse and get back into real life...Vacations come to an end... as slowly does Summer, as Labor Day has come and gone and while the heat and humidity are still around - they will slowly ebb into the cool, crisp days of Autumn ... and as my mind goes - to cooking soups and stews and Sunday sauce... Going out east to the farmers markets and pumpkin picking...and eventually cutting down a tree (Oh My!).

So - for the first time in just about forever - I decided to cook a new dish for Dave for dinner.  We'd just had a large red meat meal the night before ... and fish for lunch - so we decided on pork.  I searched the net for a fun, different, interesting meal to make for us - and decided to share it here with you!  Your Welcome. :)

I found a recipe on the food network - so of course I couldn't just follow it, I had to add my own touch and flavors to it... so here goes:

Pork Chops Stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 a large onion, diced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
• 1 container of sliced crimini mushrooms, broken into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 4 (4-ounce) center-cut pork chops
• 1 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white whine
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Whole Ground mustard

Directions

Warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook until combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese and the cream cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.

 

Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the pork chop. Carefully move the knife around to create the pouch then use your finger to widen it (ew..my least favorite part!).

 

Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach, mushroom and sun-dried tomato mixture and close the pork around the stuffing.  Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.

 

.

In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard.

 

Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the pork.

 

Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the chop - mine took about six minutes).

 

 

Transfer the pork to a side dish and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth simmers. If you overstuffed your pork chops like I did mine - you'll have lovely bits of flavor and chunks from the stuffing, which just adds a great dimension to the broth.

 

 

Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Nestle the Pork Chops back into the broth and simmer for about 2 minutes, spooning some sauce over the pork before serving.

We served over pasta - but any rice or potato would work too - you want something to sop up that fabulous sauce!

 

It felt good to cook again - and I'm scouring the net, my cook books and even Pinterest for some fabulous recipes to share with you.  I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things on this blog ... I hope you are too!

 

Until Next Time...

EAT

 

A New Favorite Recipe!

Hello Friends!

I saw this on (of course) one of the many, many cooking shows I watch... and it was a "must try" in my book. 

So much so - that I've made it twice in one week...Yes, that's how much I loved it!!

SO...  Brussel Sprout Gratin!

I altered it a bit (surprise!) so I'm posting the original recipe and adding my 'notes' of what I did or didn't do so you can choose to doctor the gratin to your liking!

Ingredients

• 1 pounds brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
• 3/4 cups grated sharp Cheddar  (I actually used the entire stick of Cracker Barrel Vermont Extra Sharp Cheddar... as well as about 1/2 a wedge of Gruyere Cheese...do this.. it was Delic!)  

1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon picked fresh thyme leaves (did this the 1st time...forgot it the 2nd... go with the flow)

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (I added also about 4 stalks of Scallions)

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (I used regular Italian as that's what I had in house)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Shave the brussels sprouts horizontally into 1/8-inch slices with a sharp knife or mandolin. (I used my food processor).  Add to a bowl.  Add the Cheddar (all cheeses, garlic and scallions were also grated/minced in the food processor), flour, thyme, garlic and some salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine. Add the mixture to an 8- by 8-inch baking dish, packing it in. Pour over the heavy cream.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil and pour over the brussels sprouts mixture.

Bake uncovered until the brussels sprouts are tender, the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden, 30 - 40 minutes. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Its a bit liquid as I was so excited to try it that I didn't let it sit!

The next time I make this... I'll do it pretty much similar to how I did it this second time... however.... 

I will first render down some slices of bacon cut into pieces... put them on paper towel to drain when they are nice and crispy... drain 3/4ths of the oil - leaving a bit of that lovely bacon grease in the pan... then flash saute the brusssel sprout mixture (sans the flour/cheese) for a few minutes... then let it cool & mix with the flour and cheese mixture.... Then - put it in a quiche pan with a quiche mixture of 5 eggs, about 3/4 to 1 cup of heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste, a bit if fresh graded nutmeg... and make a lovely Brussel Sprout Bacon and Cheese quiche!

Try it... Let me know what you think!
Until Next Time...
EAT

You've got to love Versatility...

Hello Friends!

I saw this recipe done on Food Network the other day and just HAD to try it... it looked so delicious!!

But of course, you know me (or at least you should by now...!) I don't do very well with following recipes so I just created my own version of the actual recipe I saw.

The one thing I loved about this (other than the cheese) is that it can be so versatile!  I'll put some variations at the bottom to show you what I mean... but here goes..

No Boil Noodle Lasagna!

What you'll need:

For the white sauce:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Lasagna:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds bulk of Italian sausage (spicy or sweet.. your choice)
• 3/4 cup sliced button mushrooms
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Coarse salt
• 1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 small zucchini, finely sliced on the bias (2- to 3-inch pieces)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the white sauce: Bring a medium saucepan to low-medium heat and add the butter.

Once the butter is melted, stir in the flour with a wooden spoon; cook for 2 minutes (do not let it color).

Add the milk and bring to a boil, continuing to stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in the Parmesan, whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.

For the lasagna: In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and cook the sausage until just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, 4 to 6 additional minutes.

Season with kosher salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Stir well, and then shut off the heat and set aside to cool.

In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, about 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and a few rounds of cracked pepper.

Spread 1/4 cup of the white sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch nonreactive baking dish.

Begin layering with 3 noodles, followed with about 1 cup ricotta mixture.

Layer about half of the sausage and mushroom mixture in the pan.

Follow with half of the ricotta mixture and a layer of the zucchini rounds.

Add the white sauce to coat, sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat.

Top the second layer with 4 noodles, white sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and remove the foil cover. Heat the broiler to maximum temperature. Broil until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 1 minute.

I will admit to a few issues with my 'not following the recipe'... I used only one pound of sausage and that definitely was too little.  Next time I'll do the two full pounds or maybe even split it with ground turkey.    My second issue was the cheesy white sauce....I used too much (gasp!).  The recipe above makes about 3 cups of the white sauce..  I made about 4 and a half (I mean, come on - we all know I love a good cheesy sauce!).  It ended being too much by far - so next time, I'll stick to the three cups!

Other than that - this dish had good flavor and was incredibly easy to make!  While I was putting it together, I thought of how many different ways this could be made!

Vegetarian:  eliminate the sausage all together and substitute several different kinds of mushrooms (shitake, portobello, crimini, porchini).

Mexican:  in the white sauce - use queso fresco.... for the meat...I'd use 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb of spicy chorizo sausage.  Rather than Mozzarella, use cheddar or a combo of Monterrey Jack and Cheddar.

Greek:  I'd use a well spiced ground lamb (with garlic, oregano and mint) and in the ricotta mixture - I'd use chopped cooked spinach with 1/2 the amount of ricotta and the other 1/2 cottage cheese and lots of Feta Cheese.

Try this out and let me know what you think!  If you have any ideas on variations - let me know... I'd love to try it out!

Until Next Time...

EAT

 

Time to get back to your ROOTS...

Hello Friends!

I have to ... just have to tell you about Roots Bistro Gourmand in West Islip.  Dave and I had been there once before on a whim...after hearing about a relatively new restaurant.  Well, on an odd Tuesday night off, Dave and I tried Roots for the first time and fell in love. 

So when we decided to 'splurge' on a place to go for the start of Long Island Restaurant Week - for us, it was a no-brainer... Roots, here we come! 

What is Roots, you ask?  (Well, I'm sure you did when you read that...)...

From their web site,"Rooted in the bistronomic revolution of French cuisine, ROOTS BISTRO GOURMAND pays homage to the simplicity of the modest bistro while infusing gastronomic techniques. Our love for cooking is inspired by fresh, close to home ingredients brought to life with global flavors. We believe the art starts with the respect for the process, the ingredients, and the people."

I tell you - you can believe in their respect for the whole process by just a bite of one of their dishes!

Before we went, I admit to peaking online at their menu and got my self so excited to try some of their new dishes... I say 'new' as Roots does change their menu based on the seasons.  When we were there last, the menu was definitely geared toward the winter vegetables and hearty, comfort dishes. The restaurant week menu is taking from their spring menu with fabulous spring dishes and vegetables.  

So, let me start on the evening!

By now, you should all know that I'm a cheese whore.  If you don't - go back and read my archives...I live for cheese.  So even though the restaurant week menu is 3 courses...  We just HAD to order a round off of the Charcuterie & Formage menu.

We ordered the Chicken Liver Pate, Brie de Meaux (cows milk, from France) and the Selle Sur Cher (goat from France).

It is served with brioche slices, a red wine with pear and truffle jam, pickled vegetables and whole grain mustard.

First - I was NEVER a liver/pate fan.  I've only tried it in recent years and have come to really enjoy the flavor... One of Dave's and I favorite restaurants has a really nice pate and I eat that all the time. 

Until this one. 

This one, blows the other out of the water!  So flavorful, silky smooth - like a mouse almost...and perfect on a slice of brioche.  Dave got all Guy Fiere on me when he put some pate on the brioche with the jam and said "I'm creating a flavor town bite here."

The Brie had such a wonderfully nutty flavor, so rich and creamy that it was perfect with the tartness of the mustard and the sweet brioche.

The Selle goat cheese - one of the best I've had.  Not as tart as some, with such an earthy, ashy flavor that blended so perfectly with the sweet pear, earthy truffle jam. 

Seriously - I could eat just this and would have been happy!

But - appetizers await us!

Mine:

Soupe de Moules
mussel consommé, ravioles de rayons, lobster, truffle oil & parmesan

The mussel soup...there are almost no words to describe the delicate beautiful flavor of this dish.  The mussels and lobster are perfectly cooked and that consume...delightful!  The truffle oil adds just the right depth to the dish - I will absolutely eat this again...several times.  Yes - feel free to join me!
Dave's:

*Slow Poached Farm Egg ($3)
lamb bacon, english peas, spring onions, braised bibb lettuce, bibb emulsion & shaved gouda

This dish was like a bite of spring... That is simply the best way to describe it.  So earthy but not heavy, so fresh tasting - each bite (well for me..the one bite I was allowed to have) was rich and delicious but light and hearty at the same time. I know that really makes no sense, but neither does this dish...but it works oh so well!

Holy Dinner, people.  At this point, I already know I'll be eating mine for lunch the next day as well.... but it was OH so worth the few bites I could take!

Passatelli
house bread gnocchi, mushroom mousse, morels, chanterelles, caramelized ramps & shallot confit

This was mine...I'm having a love affair with mushrooms at the moment, so I had to order this dish.  I will admit...the gnocchi were good, but not great...a bit dense and dry even.  However, they took a second seat to the sauce they were in...the mushrooms and ramps...this was a part of the dish that I just wanted to pick up and lick the plate clean.  So rich and full of flavor!

Poussin en Cocotte ($2)
roasted young chicken, leeks, carrots, root vegetables, snap peas, chicken consommé & truffle oil

Dave's dish ... succulent.  The chicken was about the most moist I've ever had - and the vegetables in the consomme were just amazing...just a perfect addition to the dish.  A very simple concept for a spring dish but yet had such complex flavors.  A perfect spring dish!

Dessert... Oh Lovely Dessert...At this point, I'm so done. D.O.N.E.  But can one say no to caramel?  (yes..."car-a-mel"....Never "car-mel".  Lesson over. Thank you.)

I had this lovely creme caramel, with a caramel brittle holding a caramel ice cream.  Yes...I ate it...I just had to.  And I refuse to describe it - as if you don't want to jump into the dish by just looking at the picture - then see that little red X in the upper right corner...click it now.

This is the 2nd time I've eaten this dessert...and no, my friends, it will not be the last time!

Crème Caramel

Dave, in his usual fashion went for the apple tarte.  He has such a thing for apple pie and apple tart...while they do nothing for me at all.  So, I concentrated on my Creme Caramel but in his words - the apple tart was simple and delicious!

Apple Tarte

So - my ratings:

Food: A.  So far - not one thing I would complain about...each dish was better than the next.  Roots is a culinary experience that I loved and will love to do again! 

Price:  a bit on the expensive side.  We were there for restaurant week, so our 3 courses were 27.50 each.  A great price obviously!  However when we first were there it was the regular menu... Roots can be reasonable depending on what you order...but can also be expensive depending on what you order.   Either way - it is worth every cent!

Service: A.  Not an easy score to get from me (the service snob), but our waiter was Michael - and he was fantastic!  It was a busy night, but that didn't deter from how aattentive and focused he was with his customers.  He was very knowledgeable with the menu and quick to offer suggestions.  If Roots is a culinary experience, Michael was certainly the cruise director... everything in hand and made the evening very enjoyable.  Thank you!

Friends, take a night (except Monday's when they are closed) and go to Roots.  A cute place, fun and friendly atmosphere and food to die for!

Dave and I will definitely be back - and we swear, we'll just do the Charcuterie & Formage with an appetizer and dessert... well, maybe we'll throw an entree into the mix - how can we not when the food is this good!

Until Next Time...

EAT

This is not a real post...or is it??

This is just to make you drool...and want to have dinner at Ai Fiore in NYC!

Hi Friends!!

I'm so slacking on my blog...and for all of my like 2 avid readers - I'm so sorry!  I've been so busy with work that I've let my blog rest for a while. 

While I'm still busy with work - I've decided to squeeze in some time to tell you about a fantastic dinner Dave and I had (to celebrate his birthday!).  A few days before his actual birthday, we went into NYC to have dinner and see a show (Matilda - I do recommend seeing it!!).

Now, let me clarify a few things first...  While I love a good dinner and show... the musical was Dave's idea - not mine.  We had seen the commercial on TV for the previews and it was the only - one and only - time that I'd ever heard my husband say "I want to see that" to a Broadway musical.   So yes - I immediately ordered tickets!

Second - I know nothing about restaurants in NYC...other than a small handful and none of which I wanted for Dave's birthday celebration.  So I asked the only person I could think of to give me a recommendation..  Michael - owner of Vittorio's Restaurant and Vero Italian Kitchen (our local favorites in Amityville - if you haven't been there yet...shame on you!) for a recommendation.

So, Michael - this meal ... one of the best I've had ... is all your fault.   Thank you!

He recommended Ai Fiori @ the Setai Hotel. 

As Dave and I looked at the menu - we couldn't decide if the food was Italian or French - as there were items of each ethnicity on the menu.  Now if I had been smart enough to read the About Us section of their web site.. I could have said with some intelligence the food "celebrates cuisine from the Italian and French Riviera and showcases modern interpretations of traditional regional dishes."

Yes, it does!

Being that it was my husbands birthday - I decided to just sit back and enjoy the meal - so no pictures to show you of the amazingly presented food.  Most of it looked too good to eat (but obviously, we ate!).  I hope, I sincerely hope I can do the food we ate justice with my descriptions... I probably won't, which is why you need to head on in and eat there yourself.

OH!  Before I even go into the food - I will say, if you want to know what impeccable - absolutely flawless service in a the food industry should be like - this is the place to go.  Seriously, I've never, ever experienced service like this before... Their level of care to their diners creates a true dining experience. 

OK, now the food. 

Dave and I choose to do the 4 course pre fixe menu on the recommendation of our server, who pointed out that each portion was of a small size so that you could enjoy each dish and not feel overly stuffed.  He was 100% correct!  I neglected to get his name, so rather than call him 'waiter' or 'server'... I'll call him Al.

With so much to choose from on the menu and my inability to make a decision when it comes to good food - I gave Al a list of what I was looking at and took every single suggestion he gave me. 

So - my meal consisted of:
An offering from the chef... amuse bouche if I were to be all technical, but I'm not even sure if I can spell that correctly!  It was a little shooter of an earthy, luscious, bright green fresh pea soup.  So much different than the muddy flavor of a pea soup boiled with ham until mushy.  Even though this was a puree...it had a brightness - a snap to it.  Ultimately a fresh, bright start to an amazing meal.

First Course:  Uovo in Brodo.  This was a slow poached egg nestled on a bed of frisee lettuce, Parmesan, black truffle and chicken broth - served with focaccia.

I have to take a big sigh...this was such a simply flavored dish and one I'd love to be able to make and eat at home.  I'd eat it daily.  To say it was delicious is such an understatement.  When brought to the table, the chicken broth was separate and Al poured it into the dish.  I have never, ever seen chicken broth this color...rich, intense brown (not the pale yellow we're used to) could be mistaken for a very light beef broth almost.  Once it was poured, the shaved parmeasan just melted into the broth to give it saltiness, nutty undertones - and once you broke open the egg - the broth thickened so slightly and added a velvety richness.  The frisee added texture that was needed and the truffle that earthiness it lends to every dish you put it in.  Using the house made focaccia was not enough to sop up the broth I couldn't get to with my spoon... If I wasn't in a fancy restaurant, I would have licked the plate clean (and no one would need to pay me $100, Elena!)*

Second Course: Tortelli. This was a ricotta and mascarpone ravioli, sottocenere and a red wine glaze. 

In my life, I've never tasted a cheese like the sottocenere, which was melted so gently over the top of the lovely pillows of cheese filled, perfectly cooked home made pasta.  I had to look up what this heavenly flavored bite of amazing was... and no wonder it was so amazing!  It's a raw cow's milk and slices of truffles, then rubbed with various herbs and spices. It is aged in an ash rind as a way to preserve it over a long period without losing flavor, a tradition in the Venetian region.  Get your hands on some.  Now.  I'll wait.... 

I've never had such a pasta dish - with all the cheese, it was not too cheesy and the flavor of the sottocenere and the red wine glaze cut through any of the heaviness that you can usually get with such a cheese flavored ravioli.  I want this again.  Soon!

OK.  I did it again....but only because Al told me to! 

 My third course: Capesante. Yes, friends, I ordered the pan seared sea scallops, hedgehogs, hen of the woods, puntarelle, sugo di funghi.  Yes, I had no clue what a hedgehog or hen of the woods were ... Dave had to tell me they were mushrooms...I had to look up puntarelle (a form of chicory) - but I thought it was radicchio...but at the time, I didn't care what the heck they were!  One of the best, most well cooked scallops I have ever had.  So sweet and succulent and the earthy, woody flavor of the mushrooms and the sauce... balanced perfectly with the bitter, tart flavor of the puntarelle - a stronger word than spectacular needs to be inserted here - I'm just not sure of what that word is!

Course Four: Torta di Olio.  Ligurian Olive Oil Cake, with marscapone cream, grapefruit slices and lemon ice.

Ever have olive oil cake?  I've heard about it and always thought it was going to be really gross.  I mean...Olive Oil cake.  I'm OK with it on salads and cooking with it... but a cake?  And - as we all should know by now, I'm not a huge dessert fan .. but Al said to get it, so I did.  One of the most heavy but not dense, flavorful but not overly sweet cakes that I have ever eaten. The marscapone cream was a delightful moistness to a dry, but not really dry cake.  I know that makes no sense...but its the best way to describe it.  The grapefruit slices and the lemon ice - so completely perfect tartness to balance the dense, flavorful, moist but dry cake. 

Being I'm not a baker - I could imagine trying to make this cake and failing miserably...and making it the horrible concoction that my mind thought it was.  I was so glad to try it - and will do so again, in a split second!

The end of the meal - yes, we got another offering from the chef at the end of the mean (I've never even heard of that!) of four delightfully flavored, decedent, elegant flavored chocolates and candy jelly's.  My favorite - dark chocolate and Meyer lemon.  <sigh>

So - let's talk about Dave's dishes.  I just had a small bite of each, so I will preliminarily say, I'm not going to do this justice...

Dave's Meal:

First Course: Cassoule.  Coco beans, pork belly, calamari and pearl onion.  Strange combination, but what wonderful flavor!  No, the Coco beans were not the ones chocolate is made of... but a small bean with a similar flavor and texture to a lentil - sort of...that's the closest I can come up with... they're small white beans, but not as meaty as a white bean.. simply delicious!

Second Course: Corzetti.  Hen of the woods mushrooms, green garlic pesto, walnuts and lemon with a free form pasta (similar to linguine).  If you were blind folded and tasted this - you'd be struggling to find out what meat was in this dish.  That is how rich and hearty the mushrooms made this dish... the walnuts added a great texture and the lemon - a brightness that just sang with the dish, along with perfectly cooked pasta.

Third Course: Merluzzo.  Laurel crusted Atlantic cod, chorizo, potato with manila clam jus.  I can't describe how amazing this dish was - as Dave only let me have one...small...bite.  The cod was perfect, the sauce so flavorful - briny and sea tasting... and while I didn't get to taste them...the potatoes were teeny tiny little balls of perfection - according to Dave.

Fourth Course:  Budino di Cioccolato.  Chocolate creameax, hazelnut praline, fior de latte gelato.  Dave loved it - I tried a bite of the chocolate creameax, which was the best tasting chocolate I've had in a long time!  But at this point, I was so engrossed in my Olive Oil cake...and full... I didn't dive in for more.

Yes - of course I would recommend this place.  The entire experience was delightful...pricey, but so well worth every single dime.

So - I'm recommending a recommendation - and doing so very highly!  Next time you're in the city and need a special place to have an amazing meal ...  Ai Fiori is the place.

I'll post again soon - have a great meatloaf recipe for you!!

 

Until Next Time...

EAT

*This - my blog friends is a story for another time!