Best Thing I Ever Ate: Roast Chicken @ Barbuto (775 Washington Street, NY NY 10014)

On my culinary hierarchy, I rank chicken somewhere in the middle - its typically dry, tasteless, and boring.  It really can't compete at the top of the food hierarchy with pork belly, duck breast, slow braised short ribs, or seared foie gras (not unless you count its younger sibling - the egg).  Surprisingly, I actually bookmarked and was looking forward to Barbuto's Pollo Al Forno.

The chicken didn't disappoint at all.  The skin was perfectly seasoned and crispy.  I actually felt guilty cutting into it with a knife because I wanted an equal balance of skin and meat with each forkful (I didn't want to eat the meat with a trailing cape of skin and miss out on the goodness on the next bite).  The meat was juicy and meaty at the same time.  I also ordered a side of patate (potatoes with pecorino and rosemary).  They were super crispy and mostly potato skins with some "potato meat" (I didn't really taste the pecorino or rosemary).  By the time you're done with everything, you will feel satisfied full, not disgustingly full.

Storm King Arts Center

If you're looking for a great day trip, this place is the best kept secret away from NYC (they are 10 miles from Woodbury Commons).  It combines hiking (you can also rent a bike or ride a tram around the park), art work, and picture taking (nature or the numerous sculptures).  My favorite sculptures were the Three Legged Buddha and Suspended.

Parking is free and admission is $12 for adults and $8 for students.  They have a cafe on their premises, but you can either pack a picnic or go to Woody's afterwards.  If you're like us (we didn't pack water), there is a beverage vending machine by the elevators down to the tram - it was like seeing a mirage after walking around their vast 500 acre property).  There weren't that many people there, so get there before the secret is out.

 

Best Thing I Ever Ate: Italian @ Del Posto (85 10th Ave, NY NY 10011)

Del Posto must have one hell of a dish washer because our silverware was taken and replaced (whether used or not) on all 7 courses and multiple amuse bouches.

This was the best service I have ever experienced:

- I made a mistake on OpenTable and messed up on the date - they quickly accommodated us in a packed restaurant
- One of the people in our party spilled something on the table and they responded immediately by cleaning it and putting another table cloth over the spill
- The first pouring of wine was a tableside production
- The eagle eye bus boy spotted that I touched the rib eye bone and got me an unsolicited wet napkin with a lemon/sprig of rosemary
- The piano in the background made it a soothing classy experience
- They had someone stationed outside of the restaurant to hail a cab for you (like a hotel)

We went with the 7 course meal with supplements (our main waiter called it "The Captain").  The trio of amuse bouches was a nice touch: risotto bites, a shot that resembled a short rib broth, and another delicious undistinguishable bite.  The bread came with butter and lardo (mmmm lardo).  We went with a few bottles of 2001 Brunello (2001 was an optimal year for the soil, conditions, etc - or so we were told).  Here is what we received:

- Roasted Winter Vegetables with Robiola Sformato & Truffled Hazelnuts: delicious but I always final like truffle oil is "cheating"
- Carne Cruda with Truffled Salsa, Parmigiano-Reggiano & Shaved King Oyster Mushroom: I could have eaten a bowl full of this
- Wild Striped Bass, Warm Late Harvest Radicchio Salad, Bagna Caôda & Campari: we got the meaty tail section; it was cooked perfectly where you could taste the "fish's oil" between the meat
- Pumpkin Cappellacci with Brown Butter: amazing (worth the whole visit)
- Orecchiette with Lamb Shoulder Sausage, Crispy Morels & Minted Soybeans: the ground lamb shoulder made me want to buy a stand mixer with a meat attachment so I could make it at home
- Beef Ribeye with French Fried Potatoes, Seared Butter Lettuce & Dried Tomatoes: I never order my steak medium-rare, ever.  This was meat perfection - perfect hard crust sear
- Pineapple Coppetina: nice palette cleanser
- Tartufo al Caffe, Dark Chocolate, Sant'Eustachio Coffee, & Candied Lemon: it was ok. I wasn't impressed with the desserts.  We each got different desserts and the olive oil gelato is unique - I love the olive oil's tongue coating viscosity  
- Final 6 piece Dessert Amuse Bouche: nice touch

Hot Air Ballooning in NJ

I've already lost the debate, but I never remembered saying that I wanted to go hot air ballooning.  So you could imagine the surprise on my face when I got it as a birthday gift from my gf (I was trying to figure out if it was a gift for me or her....hmm, the plot thickens).

She scheduled it for sunrise so we had to wake up at the crack of dawn and drive out to Clinton, NJ (55-60 miles from NYC).  We got to the meeting area (a field behind the Spain Inn II restaurant) and helped set up.  They unfurled the balloon, laid it on the field, and reality set in.  Was I really going to go up thousands of feet in the air in a wicker basket, flame thrower, and balloon?  We took a few set up pictures, signed a waiver, and hurdled our way into the basket.

We were up in the air in no time and there wasn't much room in the basket for 5 people (turning around in place was not an option).  You better bring a camera along because you're going to get some nice shots of the sunrise, the morning fog in the valley, other balloons, the NYC skyline, and as far out as Pennsylvania.  People waved to us as we hovered over their house (there is a French tradition of giving a bottle of champagne if you land on someone's property).  We were up in the air for about 45 minutes to an hour, landed on a school's playing field, and were shuttled back to the starting point for mimosas and danishes.

We met the owner (Tom) after we landed and he was very nice.  He showed us his photo album of balloon festivals around the world and his travels with Malcolm Forbes.

Its definitely something to put on your bucket list. 

Sustainability

I literally buy unsalted butter and heavy cream like bottled water.  I won't even discuss my weekly Parmesan, Gruyere, or Cheddar consumption.  I try to eat fish once a week (Wednesday = Fish Day), but the rest of my diet heavily consists of meat (chicken, pork, lamb) and carbs (pasta, rice, mashed potatoes).  I've hit the elliptical machine twice this week at the gym (which is 50 feet away from my door).  Hopefully I can keep the momentum going because the couch and DVR call me as soon as I get home. 

Roast Duck with Peach Balsamic Glaze

 

If I see duck on a menu, its one of a handful of things that I zero in on (chorizo, pancetta/pork belly, poached eggs, truffle, and mac & cheese are others).  I read a few recipes and combined aspects of each: I brined it over night, blasted it with heat at 425 degrees for 30 minutes to crisp the skin, roasted it for an hour and 45 minutes at 350 degrees (flipping it twice), and brushed it with a peach juice (1/2 cup) / balsamic vinegar (1/4 cup) / honey (1 tbsp) mixture. Ducks are fatty animals, so be sure to put potatoes under it to soak up their delicious fat (I added potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic with a 1 hour and 15 minutes left).  I personally hate roasting whole birds (somehow I make great turkeys) - but chickens, hens, and ducks don't seem to yield enough viable meat.  I'll try my hand at duck breasts next.       

Botanical Gardens - Orchid Show

When I suggested to my gf to buy Time Out to look for something to do, she suggested The Orchid Show at The Botanical Gardens and I immediately had a look of dread. Why me!?  I plotted everything from unplugging my car battery to faking a mystery ailment.  Guilty to admit, I actually had a good time.

Parking is $12 and Admission for the Orchid Show is $20 / $18 for students (general grounds admission is $6).  The Orchid Show is at the Haupt Conservatory and it is great for picture taking (you just need patience with the people with SLRs).  After the conservatory, there is plenty of room to walk around and get lost.  We walked along the Bronx River and saw a flock of ducks (who knew that there are ducks in the Bronx?). There were some other picturesque sites to see on their grounds: The Stone Mill, Hester Bridge, and the Waterfall.  The free tram tour was educational: it gave the history of how the Gardens came to be - the land was acquired from the Lorillard (tobacco) family and modeled after the Royal Gardens in London.  

Their cafe was reasonably priced and had a gourmet flair on their desserts (peanut butter ganache tarts).  You can even purchase orchids, flowers/plants, and gardening supplies from their gift shop.

The Gardens are also close to Arthur Avenue if you want to have dinner nearby (we went to Roberto's).

Hector and the Search for Happiness

Sometimes I have a hard time finding a book because once I like a topic, I usually stick to it.  I've been in a bit of funk lately, feeling a little unfulfilled and wishing that I could do something that I was more passionate about.  I was at a going out of business sale at Borders and felt obligated to get a book in the frenzy.  I checked out the bestsellers, cooking books, and fiction section and couldn't find anything interesting.  I came across Hector and the Search for Happiness and it couldn't have been anymore ironic.  Hector, a unfulfilled psychiatrist, takes some time off to travel to China and Africa in search of what made people happy.  I started reading yesterday and there is a character in the book (page 2) with my gf's name.  I almost feel like doing a Julie and Julia theme with the book series.  

What's Stopping Us?

What's stopping us from doing what we really want to do?  I'm sure none of us growing up said we wanted to be what we are today (unless of course you are an astronaut, lawyer, athlete, or fireman - then I applaud you for your persistence in following your dream).  But for the 99% of us, the 9 to 5 office grind makes you  re-evaluate everything.  But what stops us from liquidating our 401K / savings and moving down to the Cayman Islands to rent snorkeling gear?  Money?  Family?  Fear?  

If money were no object and you were not restricted by anything else:

- What would you do?

- Where would you live?

Feel free to write your answers in the comment section.  

    

Best Thing I Ever Ate: Ramen Noodles and Pork Buns @ Ippudo NY (65 4th Avenue, New York, NY 10003)

First Rule of Ippudo NY - Do not eat anything within five hours of going (trust me).

Second Rule of Ippudo NY - Try to keep your beverage consumption to a minimum (every time I leave, I feel like I'm 10 months pregnant)

Third Rule of Ippudo NY - If you don't want to wait over an hour for the best ramen and pork buns in NYC (sorry David Chang), then come at lunch time.  

Every time I come here, it is an absolute pork fest.  When you are ushered into the dining room, you are greeted by the entire staff in unison.  Its great when you can go somewhere and order without even looking at the menu.  Here is what you should order when you go:

- Samurai Ribs

- Hirata Buns 

- Akamaru Modern Ramen with the following extras: Kakuni (pork belly) and Nitamago (soft boiled egg)

Just take a deep breath, enjoy, and remember to limit your beverage consumption so you have enough room for their amazing broth.  If you still have space, you can order more noodles by banging your fist as hard as you can on the table and screaming: "KAE-DAMA!"  =)   

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

When I'm not cooking, I'm a complete dork and enjoy reading food blogs.  My blog was recently added to All Top News (Food) so I look at the other blogs with "blog envy".  I kept coming across postings about peanut butter and jelly bars, so I figured I would take a shot.    

Ingredients

2 sticks - Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups - Sugar
1 tsp - Vanilla Extract
2 - Eggs (at room temperature)
16.3 oz - Creamy Peanut Butter
3 cups - Flour
1 tsp - Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp - Kosher Salt

18 oz - Strawberry Preserves
2/3 cups - Salted peanuts (coarsely chopped)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Grease a 9 by 13 cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

3) In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until integrated.

4) Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

5) In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.

6) Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread with a spatula. Spread the preserves evenly over the dough. Drop the remaining dough evenly over the preserves. 

7) Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes (cool and cut into squares).