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My mom used to make something like this for me when I was a kid and It’s still one of my favorite go-to dinners. Loaded with veggies, it’s a great way to get a ton of nutrients in one meal. It’s grown up slightly, with whole wheat penne and chopped peperoncini, but for the most part it’s still a comfort food for me. This version is super healthy; using cooking spray instead of oil, way more veggies than pasta and just a finishing sprinkle of Parmesan. You can feel free to vary the veggies, but this is my favorite combo.
Prep all of your ingredients first. Cook the pasta while you do the following.
Spray a pan with cooking spray and saute some minced fresh garlic and shallots. Add mushrooms, carrots, brussels sprouts and yellow squash and continue sauteing, add in shredded radicchio and toss a couple of times. Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatos and chopped peperoncinis. Add 1/4 cup of white wine and half a cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally as the liquid evaporates. When the brussels sprouts are tender, add the drained pasta and toss. Top with shredded Parmesan and enjoy!

>Fresh Direct was having a great sale on fresh mussels so I ordered some to make for dinner tonight. They came out perfectly. Light but very flavorful, super easy and fast to cook.  Here’s the concept:
Scrub a lb of mussels and throw away any opened ones that don’t close when you tap them. Heat up a little olive oil in a big cast iron skillet. Add some whole cloves of garlic (I used 6 cloves). Add some chopped grape tomatoes. Add some fresh or dried oregano. Saute that for a few minutes and then deglaze with a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Add about a cup of chicken broth and a half cup of white wine. Bring it to a boil, back down to a simmer and then cover with a lid for 5 minutes or
until the mussels are all opened.
I happened to have some sweet potato fries that I made a while ago in my freezer so I had those on the side with a lovely salad. It was pretty much a PERFECT dinner, and thanks to the sale at Fresh Direct, the whole thing cost me about $3.

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I bought a ‘Pay $25 for $50 worth of food/drinks’ coupon online for this restaurant and asked my dining pal to meet me for lunch. When I arrived, there was literally no one there except 2 people eating sandwiches. No one at the bar. No one at the hostess stand. No one. I waited for about 5 minutes and eventually the adorable bartender came out to seat me. After finding out how bad he is at his job, his adorableness faded pretty quickly. Harsh? Yes, but also true. He offered me a taste of red wine while I waited for my friend, which I accepted happily. That was pretty much the end of his attentiveness. For the rest of the meal, we had to constantly remind him that we’d ordered a glass of wine, a cocktail, an appetizer or a cappuccino. He hung out behind the bar ignoring us and the 2 other tables that now had people at them, texting on his iphone like a 16 year old at the diner table.
It quickly became clear that this restaurant probably offered the 50% off coupon because they are in grave danger of going out of business. They were out of about 6 items on the menu and apparently, as our waiter informed us, that’s very common.  We decided to share the sliders and the spinach/artichoke dip. The dip was actually surprisingly good, with big chunks of artichoke and not too much goo. The pita was fresh and warm and perfect to stuff with the dip. The sliders were ‘eh’. Fine, but certainly not worth any real praise. When we asked about dessert, we were told all they had was apple pie which we passed up, but 5 minutes later the next table over had a chocolate mousse. Hmmm. Weird. Anyway, the best part of our meal was actually the cappuccino at the end. Maybe because it was really a good one, but more likely it was because it signified the end of a not very good meal. Without the coupon and plus tip, this would have cost us about $55. Given the whole experience however, it wasn’t even worth the 50%.

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 I’ve been meaning to try Parlor for a couple of years now and when my father asked me to pick the meeting spot for a family dinner, it was the perfect opportunity to finally try it.
On the corner of E. 90th and 3rd ave, an area that is mostly tiny asian places and pizza joints, It has quite a presence to it. It’s business/casual with an ever-so-slightly funky edge to it- a little different that most of the uber-masculine steakhouse that speckle the city. In warm weather, they round the corner with tons of outdoor seating. We had asked for a quiet spot, but once we got there realized there was really no such thing. It was totally jam-packed with a typical UES crowd on a Monday night. I’d imagine a weekend dinner requires a reservation.
 They have a 3 course prix fix for $35 which was totally reasonable and had plenty of choices that sounded great. As is typical for me after a winter of running half the mileage that I do in warmer months, I’m trying to get a few lbs off that have crept on so I ordered healthy choices. I do, however, follow a strict ‘everything in moderation’ theory and budgeted my calories/fat with my entree and app so that I could save some room for the fresh baked cookies dessert. I usually don’t do things like not-ordering-steak at a steakhouse, but I did make sure to taste off the plates of those who did. My brother’s cheeseburger was especially noteworthy, as were the needle thin crispy onions that came with it.
I started with the baby greens salad with beets and radishes and thought the uncut lettuce leaves were kind of annoying. If they are truly baby greens, wouldn’t they be tiny leaves? I think this was really just butter lettuce. Adult butter lettuce. I also felt that 3 square centimeters of beet are hardly enough to get that ingredient highlighted in the description. It was fine though, just nothing noteworthy.
Next I had the garlic crusted salmon over spring peas/lentils with a horseradish sauce. I asked them to prepare it with minimal fat/butter and made a note to myself to take that into consideration when I went to write my review. I have to say, there was no compromise at all. This was a really outstanding piece of fish, cooked perfectly with a crisp topping and a slightly raw center- exactly the way I like it. The fresh vegetables underneath were cooked al dente, lightly seasoned and tasted of the season that we are supposedly in the middle of.
For dessert, a plate of fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies were totally charming, but I kind of wish I had taken them home to enjoy at midnight with a glass of cold milk.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend Parlor to others. Knowing myself, I’ll be too busy trying the zillion other awesome restaurants in this city to find time to return to this one…but ya never know. Once I’m back down the 3-5 lbs I want to lose, you might find me there chowing down on my own cheeseburger.

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www.bitehunter.com

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This might be the absolute perfect ending to a beautiful 5 mile run on a sunny Saturday. My friend and I wound up here at the end of our route today and decided to have lunch outside. Within a few minutes of sitting down, we were freezing and decided to go sit by the heat lamps in the covered section instead…Muuuuuucccchhh better. I ❤ heat lamps.

We both had turkey burgers with cheese (that came with potato chips) and they totally hit the spot. Nothing to write home about food-wise, but it’s the location that’s key here. Where else can you eat a $10 lunch while looking out onto the Hudson? And the burgers really were pretty good. Was it because we’d just had a great run and were starving, or were they actually really good? I’m not sure…and I’ll probably never know since I most likely will only be eating here post-run.

That said, I plan to do that pretty often from here on out now that I know about it! The menu was small and simple, but had the things I’d want for lunch like a burger, a grilled chicken sandwich or a caesar salad.
I also REALLY liked the crowd…Mostly filled with my type of people… bicyclists and runners pre or post exercising. It felt like really comfortable group to be around when I was in no makeup, hair in a ponytail, sweaty and in running clothes. I imagine that might change as we get into warmer months ahead and the crowds get thicker. Today was a quiet day (the outside picture up on the top left is not from today) and there were only about 30 people total there.
Next time I go for a run on the west side I will surely be back!

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 I recently had the pleasure of teaching intensive private voice lessons to a lovely young woman who was here visiting from Sweden. (17, hour long lessons in one month!) (www.careyspassionvoicestudio.com for more info)
 In one of our conversations I asked her about her findings, if any, of good Swedish food in NYC. I do not know enough about Swedish food to be able to judge whether it’s a good representation or not, but I DO know that I like every single Swedish meatball I’ve ever tried. Be it the Lean Cuisine frozen dinner (which I imagine would offend the Swedes), the cafeteria style ones at Ikea, or the various Bar/Bat Mitzvah/Wedding appetizers on toothpicks, they are all pretty tasty as far as I’m concerned. When this student finished up her series of lessons, she surprised me with a generous gift of a credit at the restaurant she had discovered and raved about.
There are a few locations for Fika, and my first attempt was actually to the one in midtown. It was so tiny and crowded, with only a couple of stools and small tables that my friend and I decided to go somewhere else for lunch that day (If you’d like to read about that one, please see http://careysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2011/02/todd-englishs-plaza-food-hall-1-w-59th.html) and retry a different Fika location next time. We did a little looking around online and found that the Pearl street location looked much more promising as far as getting a seat and relaxing over lunch.
Although their business was steadily hopping, there were plenty of places to sit when we arrived. We ordered our Swedish meatball platters and a salad to share and were told that they’d bring it out to us when it was ready.  As we sat down I had a moment to notice my surroundings. It does sort of feel like it was designed at Ikea. It has a sleek decor, shiny black tables with sharp edges, bright, modern lighting, a view of the chefs making chocolate, plenty of gift items and cases of delicious looking sandwiches and desserts. The crowd was a mix of financial/business types and international tourists. The items they serve seem to all be authentically Swedish- but what an odd mix. It’s essentially an espresso bar that serves fresh chocolates and meatballs among other things.

Our salad was lovely and large, more than enough for the 2 of us to share. Fresh ingredients with a great, light balsamic dressing. The peeled orange slices and slivered almonds were a nice touch on the mesclun/radish/tomato salad. The meatball platters arrived and we joked a little about our ‘light’ lunch of meatballs and a mound of mashed potatoes the size of 2 fists. We probably could have shared one order- but they were so tasty that both of us pretty much filled our tummies to the brim. Delicious. So THIS is what ‘real’ Swedish meatballs should taste like. It’s a really interesting flavor, complex and earthy with a pungent, sweet accent. We had trouble figuring out exactly what the herbs were- but maybe sage and/or rosemary? It came with a side of lingonberry sauce- which frankly, tasted exactly like cranberry sauce to me, and it was perfect alongside the rich meatballs. The mashed potatoes were ohhhhhhhhh so good. Creamy with just the right amount of lumps. A treat I rarely consume but can’t turn down if they are right in front of me. I guess tomorrow’s run will be extra long to compensate- but it was sooooooo worth it. I had every intention to get an espresso drink and dessert, but was way too stuffed to even contemplate it by the time I finished my lunch. I will plan to go back on another occasion to try a few things. There was a marzipan covered cake with my name all over it, not to mention the tiny, perfect looking pieces of freshly made chocolate. I’m so glad I was introduced to this restaurant. It’s definitely not the same ol’ same ol’ menu-wise, or in a neighborhood I usually venture to, and I look forward to returning soon.

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It’s one of those rainy, dreary NYC days where I didn’t really feel like doing anything except hanging around and cooking for the week ahead. I recently had a wonderful pasta/seafood dish at my friend Deb’s house, and I wanted to see if I could recreate something similar. I was just playing around with things I almost always have on hand (except for the crab which was in the freezer- not a common ingredient in my house at all) and this pasta bake surprised me and came out great. It will surely feed me well for a bunch of meals in the coming week.  I usually try to go heavy on the veggies and light on the carbs in this kind of creation, and it worked really well in this one. As always, my recipes are just concepts- meant to be played around with and loosely interpreted.

>I’m convinced that having a compatible dining partner  is almost as elemental to NYC life as having a stack of delivery menus, comfortable-yet-fashionable shoes and a metrocard. ‘B’ and I try to go out to eat once a month or so. We have intellectually stimulating conversations, share a love for trying interesting restaurants, enjoy schmoozing with the waitstaff, and share a similar schedule with Fridays off. Perfect!
Today we went to Dovetail on the Upper West Side. I always preview the menu online before I go to a restaurant and was instantly drawn in to their website with such beautiful photos showing inventive and creative dishes. http://www.dovetailnyc.com/  I had an idea of what I’d order, but as always planned to ask the waiter for his suggestions. Since I have very few dislikes when It comes to food, I almost always take staff recommendations to heart and today was no different.
We each ordered a glass of wine, a Sauvignon Blanc for me and a Rose for ‘B’. I loved mine right away, but ‘B’ was not thrilled with hers and switched to a Pinot Noir that made her much happier. I wondered if they’d charge for the rejected Rose, but they did not. Excellent customer service. Speaking of which, our waiter was fun and friendly and helpful. I took recommendations for all of my courses and he was spot on. Judging by the very appealing prix fixe menu, I think it’s hard to go wrong. Everything sounded delicious.
An amuse-bouche was brought out first. It was a mushroom gelee with radish. Very interesting texturally, but I doubt I’d want more than that one little taste. It made me think of mushroom flavored gefilte fish jelly. I guess I’m not a big fan of gelatinous foods because I will always associate them with that dreaded fish jelly that I always had to scrape over to the side of my Passover plate as a kid. I won’t hold it against anyone except whoever came up with that horrible idea in the first place. We also got two pieces of warm, fresh, cheddar cornbread that was totally scrumptious.
For my first course, because the waiter recommended it and because it sounded whimsical and silly, I ordered the salsify soup with marshmallow, chives and apple. Wow- SUCH a great presentation when the waiter brought the bowl of marshmallows and apples out, and then poured the hot soup over it at the table. The small, perfectly cubed homemade marshmallows started to slowly melt into foamy, sweetness and were an amazing compliment to the hearty, earthy soup. The apples were peeled and cut into tiny little marbles and the combination of all of those flavors and textures was incredible. This kind of creativity is what I love most about NYC restaurants.

For my entree I had the hake, a fish I don’t believe I’ve tried before. It was flaky and light, with a bright, lemony flavor, peppers, potatoes and artichokes. A great choice for lunch, and the perfect portion size. I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I prefer a small portion, especially at lunch time. A tiny plate of excellent quality beats out mass quantities of anything in my book. This was satisfying without being filling, and to walk away from a three course lunch without feeling full to the brim is a major perk to me. 

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I ordered delivery last night from Andaz Indian Restaurant because I had a 25% off coupon. I am not a huge fan of Indian food, but a few times per year I get an intense craving for it- and this was one of those times. 
I ordered 2 of the most highly rated items on the menu, putting my trust in Yelpers and seamlessweb.com-ers. The Saag Paneer (spinach with cheese) was awesome- huge chunks of the paneer cheese and fresh spinach and spices. The lasooni Gobhi (cauliflower in a sweet red sauce) was also good, but the sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking and tasted like it  was definitely ketchup based. Both dishes were quite tasty when eaten folded up on the nan, even though the nan itself was on the greasy side. I always love the sauces that come with Indian food, and the cilantro sauce cut the sweetness of the cauliflower just enough. I also ordered a mango lassi – a mango yogurt drink, that was such a bright shade of orange that I assume they must either add food coloring or perhaps some canned fruit to get that intensity. It tasted excellent, and I wished I had more when I finished it. The basmati rice that 

came with my meal was fine, but it’s just plain rice, so I put it in the fridge to use for something else. The nan bread was plenty of carbs for me, and I didn’t feel the need to waste my appetite on boring rice. They also included some kind of dessert, free of charge. As much as I love free stuff, when it’s an orange rice pudding-ish, jello-y thing with soggy cashews and raisins, It goes straight  to garbage-land. Yeah. Not interested.