Category Archives: Traditional Tuesday

Traditional Tuesday – Spring Long Island Restaurant Week – Nassau County – Game Plan

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Long Island Restaurant week began in 2006 as an annual fall promotion week long event. Five years later in April 2011, Spring Restaurant week launched and five years after in January 2016, Winter Restaurant week debuted due to popular customer and restauranteur’s demand.

Currently Long Island Restaurant week is celebrated three times a year. The goal is to promote businesses during slow periods and it literally last for eight days. Long Island Restaurant also includes Saturday participation but until 7pm. Long Island Restaurant Week started on April 27 and will end on May 4th. This post will be focused on my personal picks from participating restaurants in Nassau County. Based on their website, 84 restaurants are participating in Nassau County and their prix fixe prices are $29, $39 and $46 and to date I reviewed at least 25 restaurant week menus out of the first 28 restaurants listed. Below is a list of restaurants that I would go for lunch or dinner along with the dishes I would order.

Restaurants for meal for 1:

AG Steakhouse – Bar Menu ($29 pp) (1) Queijo Assado/Picanha/Chocolate Mousse Cake

Anchor Down Dockside – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Mussels/Cod Oreganata/Key Lime Pie

Atlas New World Bistro – Lunch ($29 pp) (1) Caesar Salad/Wagyu Smash Burger/NY Cheesecake

Bluebird Kitchen – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread/Everything Spiced Salmon/Flourless Chocolate Cake

Brasserie by Chef Aless – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Wedge Salad/Rosemary Marinated Hanger Steak/Chocolate Mousse

George Martin – Lunch ($24 pp) (1) Crispy Organic Chicken Wings/Grilled Branzino Fillet

Restaurants for meals for 2:

City Cellar – Lunch ($24 pp) (1) Roasted Garlic Hummus/Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl (2) Caesar Salad/Rigatoni Bolognese

City Cellar – Dinner ($39 pp) (1) Hoisin Sticky Ribs/Free Range Chicken/NY Cheesecake (2) Honey Sriracha Wings/Maple Glazed Salmon/Wild Berry Donuts

Dodici – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Vongole Al forno/Pollo Fontina/Italian Cheesecake (2) Fagioli Bianchi/Paccheri/Tiramisu

Havana Central – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Chicharrones de Pollo/Tour of Havana/Affogato (2) Empanadas/Vaca Frita/Churros

Restaurants for meals for 3:

AG Steakhouse – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Market Table/AG Rodizio/Chocolate Mousse Cake (2) Market Table/Grilled Miso Salmon/Creme Brulee Cheesecake (3) Market Table/Cauliflower Steak/Key Lime Pie

Atlas New World Bistro – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Butter Chicken Flatbread/Short Ribs/Eton Mess (2) Roasted Baby Beets, Chevre & Fennel Salad/Maine Lobster Ravioli/Chocolate Lava Cake (3) Greek Salad/Roast Chicken/Tiramisu

Avenue Social Kitchen & Cocktails – Dinner ($46 pp – cash is discounted) (1) Baked Clams/Rigatoni & Burrata/Olive Oil Cake (2) Zucchini Croquettes/Eggplant Tower/Social Brownie (3) Avenue Salad/Chicken Milanese/Cheesecake

Azerbaijan Grill – Dinner ($29 pp) each four course meal contains a choice of house salad or soup, soda, Persian tea or American coffee, and baklava; for the main entree here are my top 3 choices: lamb and beef stew, Mediterranean pasta or chicken adana. All three entree choices include a choice of either white rice or brown rice.

Cinco de Mayo Restaurant – Lunch ($24 pp) (1) 5 de Mayo Nachos/Salmon Veracruzana (2) Quesadilla Mexicana/Bistec Ensebollado (3) Homemade Chicken Salad/Bandeja Azteca

Joey’s Bold Flavors – Dinner ($46 pp) (1) Lobster Baked Clams/Boneless Short Ribs/Creme Brulee (2) Super Fine Antipasto Salad/Ginger Teriyaki Glazed Salmon/Pistachio Tartufo (3) Eggplant Meatballs/Shrimp Limoncello/Toasted Almond Tiramisu

Restaurants for meals for 4:

Azerbaijan Grill – Lunch ($24 pp) each four course meal contains a choice of house salad or soup, soda, Persian tea or American coffee, and baklava; for the main entree here are my top 4 choices: salmon shish kebab, shrimp kebab, falafel patter and vegan moussaka. All four main entree choices include a choice of either white rice or brown rice.

Harley American Grille – Dinner ($46pp) (1) Bang Bang Shrimp/Branzino/NY Cheesecake (2) Chicken Dumplings/Chicken Paillard/Chocolate Gelato (3) Ribeye Egg Roll/Berkshire Pork Chop/Vanilla Gelato (4) French Onion Soup/Shrimp Risotto/Lemon Sorbet

Restaurants for meals for 5:

Azerbaijan Grill – Dinner ($39 pp without an alcoholic beverage and $46 pp with an alcoholic beverage) each four course meal contains a choice of house salad or soup, soda, Persian tea or American coffee, and two baklavas; for the main entree here are my top 5 choices: Persian steak, Lamb Shish Kebab, Brook Trout, White Fish and Salmon Filet. All the main entree choices include a choice of either white rice or brown rice.

Chef’s Table – Dinner ($39 pp) (1) Polpette Di Melanzine/Salamone al Genovese/Tiramisu (2) Fried Artichoke Hearts/Flounder Oreganata/Cannoli (3) Insalata Caesar/Pollo Amalfi/Pistachio Gelato (4) Mozzarella alla Caprese/Chicken Parmagiana/Chocolate Gelato (5) Insalata Misti/Rigatoni Cara Mia/Vanilla Gelato

Personally we have dined in Luigi’s Restaurant for lunch and dinner. The Meatball Parm Hero is one of the options that will be sold during restaurant week lunch. Meanwhile the fried calamari, eggplant polpette and salmon peperonata will be sold during the restaurant week dinner.

Realistically it will be difficult for me to dine in any of these restaurants due to my current work schedule and commute. In the meantime, I’ll be check their social media pages and hopefully I’ll be able to repost on my stories as my way of support small businesses and another restaurant week concept.

Traditional Tuesday Game Plan – Sunnyside Restaurant Week

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Happy Easter!! Another restaurant week!! With the recent successes restaurant weeks and restaurants months over the course of 30 years, Sunnyside Restaurant Week is back again!! Sunnyside Restaurant Week starts on April 22 and will end on May 4th. Based on their website, 49 restaurants are participating and their prix fixe price is $35 and/or other deals/discounts. This restaurant week actually will last two weeks, below is my best bang for your buck list of places I’d like to go.

Restaurants for meal of one:

Ariyoshi NYC – $35 pescatarian meal: seafood salad/shrimp tempura/flounder ginger/ice cream

Chihuahua – $35 dinner: chicken nachos/tilapia y camarones/flan

La Pollera de Mario – $35 dinner: Guacamole and Tostones/Plato Aguacatala/Flan

Sanger Hall – $35 dinner: Cheese curds/Rasta Pasta/Funnel Fries

Takesushi – $35 dinner: Ankimo (Monkfish) Liver/6 piece sushi and one roll/Nama Choco

Restaurants for meals for two:

Bajeko Sekuwa – $35 dinner: (1) Riesling/Timmure Chicken/Bengali Fish Curry/Rasmalai (2) Merlot/Chicken Tikka/Goat Rogan Josh/Lal Mohan

Bar 43 – $35 dinner: (1) Sheet Pan Nachos/Sizzling Chicken Fajitas/Bailey’s Cheesecake (2) Pretzel Bites/Steak Baguette/Turtufo Truffle

Costa Y Mar – $35 dinner for one: Papa la Huancaina/Lomo Saltado/Tres Leches (2) $28 Seafood Duo: Fish Ceviche/Jalea

Restaurants for meals for three:

Cardamom – $35 dinner: (1) Chicken 65/Tandoori Chicken/Kheer (2) Samosa Chaat/Chicken Sheekh Kabab/Gulab Jamun (3) Lasuni Gobi/Chicken Tikka/Rasmalai

Tito Rad’s – $35 dinner: (1) Lumpia Shanghai/Beef Mechado/Leche Flan (2) Ukoy/Grilled Tuna Belly/Ube (3) Fresh Lumpia/Chicken Adobo/Cassava

Zirve Turkish Grill – $35 dinner; (1) Piyoz/Manti/Tres Leches Cake (2) Lentil Soup/Chicken Adana Kebab/Baklava (3) Chicken and Vegetable Soup/Kofte Kebab/Rice Pudding

Personally I have dined in three restuarants listed for Sunnyside Restaurant week on different occasions. I’ve had the grilled tuna belly from Tito Rad’s and it was very good. It’s actually one of my go to dishes if I dined in this restaurant. I’ve also ate at Cardamom which is listed on Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list but the dishes I had in this restaurant are not participating in this restaurant week. More recently I’ve dined in Bar 43 for brunch and their pretzel bites will be sold during this restaurant week.

Realistically I don’t know if I’ll be able to dine in one any of the restaurants listed above due to my current work schedule. In the meantime, I’ll be check their social media pages and hopefully I’ll be able to repost on my stories as my way of support small businesses and another restaurant week concept.

Traditional Tuesday – Game Plan – Astoria Ditmars Restaurant Week

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Happy April Fools Day!! Another restaurant week!! Actually not kidding haha. Recently there have been emergences of restaurant weeks and resturants months, which is inspired by the successes of NYC restaurant week. During my routine daily scrolls on Instagram, I came across the It’s In Queens account stories of the day and they promoted Astoria Ditmars Restaurant Week. Astoria Ditmars Restaurant Week starts on April 2 and will end on April 8th. Based on their website, 26 restaurants are participating and their prix fixe price either is $25, $35 or $45. Since I gave up alcohol for Lent (40 days), I was already able to narrow down my personal picks. In addition, this restaurant week actually lasts a week, I will have a best bang for your buck list, which may include alcoholic options and another list to accommodate people who gave up alcohol and/or red meat for Lent. Personally I have never dined in any of these restaurants so there will be a first time for everything. To date, I was only able to review 16 of the 26 participating restaurants.

Restaurants that include alcohol:

Alba’s Pizza and Restaurant – $25 lunch

Bar Parioli – $45 dinner for at least two even three people with glass of wine for at least 2-3 people

Restaurants that accommodate to Lent (alcohol free)

Porto 23 – $45 dinner for one

Queen’s Room – $45 dinner for at least two

Rivercrest – $35 dinner for one

Spanglish – $25 lunch for two

The Bonnie – $35 dinner for one

YAAR – $25 dinner for two

Acento Latin Kitchen – $45 dinner for one

Telly’s Taverna – $35 lunch for two

The Pomerboy – $45 dinner for two

Realistically I don’t know if I’ll be able to dine in one any of the restaurants listed above due to my current work schedule. In the meantime, I’ll be check their social media pages and hopefully I’ll be able to repost on my stories as my way of support small businesses and another restaurant week concept.

Traditional Tuesday – Game Plan – NYC Winter Restaurant Week 2025

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NYC Winter Restaurant Week is back! Starting from 01/21/25 to 02/09/25, 597 restaurants have signed up to participate in this dining promotion that started 33 years ago. What I can’t believe was that I didn’t blog a NYC Restaurant Week game plan since becoming a mom; my last game plan post for NYC Restaurant Week was in 2022 right before I became a mom. Since I returned to work, I’ve taken advantage of dining in restaurants during lunch and early dinner to avoid eating late due to the long commute. The price points for this season are $30, $45 and $60 for lunch/brunch and/or dinner depending on the restaurant. Below is a list of restaurants I’ve dined in the last two years:

January 2023 – I dined in Malibu Farm for dinner after work where I had their Helene’s Long Island Fluke Ceviche paired with their Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Then I had their seared Faroe Island Salmon, which was generous (I recall eating half and taking the other half home for the hubby/baby to consume). Finally I ended dinner with chocolate cake and I just ate the ice cream and took the cake home. Malibu Farm is also participating in this season’s Restaurant Week but their menu has not been posted. In the meantime, the ceviche is still on their regular menu. The salmon that is currently on their menu is roasted and contains different vegetable. The chocolate cake is not on their current menu, but may appear in the restaurant week menu.

Helene’s Long Island Fluke Ceviche
Seared Faroe Island Salmon
Chocolate Cake

The following day I dined in The Fulton for lunch. This was a three course lunch so I had the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Ume Sesame Crusted Salmon with a yuzu mocktail. Service was slow and the main entree was the perfect lunch portion, which I devoured. I had to take my Whiskey Pecan Ice Cream and Coconut Sorbet to go because I had to head back to work. By the time I got home, both desserts were melting so I had to refreeze it to consume it. The Fulton will be participating for dinner only in this season’s restaurant week.

Yellowtail Tuna Tartare
Umi Sesame Crusted Salmon

I also dined in Carne Mare for restaurant week lunch. This was another three course menu. I started my lunch with the Arnold Palmer along with the Brooklyn Burrata Con Pana. I recall loving the burrata and pesto but not the bread. Portions were generous. I was starting to get full after finishing the appetizer. Once the main entree came, I was able to only eat half of the Mezzi Rigatoni and took the rest home to be devoured by my husband who approved this dish. When the dessert came, I was way too full to even attempt eating it, but I did consume all the fruit, which was refreshing. Unfortunately, this dish is not ideal to take to go. Carne Mare is also participating for lunch and brunch for this season’s restaurant week and they are offering the same dishes I ate this time around.

Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Brooklyn Burrata Con Pano
Brooklyn Burrata Con Pano
Mezzi Rigatoni
Mezzi Rigatoni
Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta

February 2023 – I had a girls night dinner on the last day of restaurant week two years ago at Bar Boulud. We ordered a bottle of the 2021 L’effet papillion IGP Cotes Catalanes Pinot Noir red wine, which was the sommelier’s choice for Restaurant Week. For appetizers we ordered the Pate en Croute and Escargots Persillade, I recalled enjoying the pate and my friend enjoyed her escargots, but had better version of the French dish at other French Restaurants. For the entrees, we ordered the Coq Au Vin and Rainbow Trout, portions were perfect. The trout was the better entree of the two because the sauce had so much alcohol in it (not all of the alcohol burned off) that someone who does not drink will get drunk off this dish. We ended the dining experience with the Passionfruit Cheesecake which was beautifully presented and Gateau Basque. Both dishes were delicious, I personally liked the cheesecake slightly better than the Gateau Basque. Bar Boulud is also participating for lunch and dinner for this season’s restaurant week. Bar Boulud will be offering a variation of the trout and gateau basque along with the escargots.

Fast forward a year later or rather a year ago, January 2024 – I had a work reunion dinner at Vallata Unfortunately I don’t have the photos for this dinner, but I did write a review on Yelp about the dinner and experience. This restaurant will also be participating for restaurant week dinner. For an extra charge, Vallata will be offering the foccacia, chickpea salad, skirt steak and cannoli bombolone.

February 2024 – I did two restaurant week lunches because they were on the Michelin list. The first spot I dined in was Gramercy Tavern. I got the first reservation of that day and I took a long lunch break (2 hours) to dine in this restaurant. The dining room area is only used for dinner service. So for restaurant week, the restaurant week menu for lunch was only served. The restaurant week menu showcased dishes that are usually served on their dinner tasting menu. To start, I received a complementary bite along with a sweet potato roll, both items were amazing. The complementary bite set my palate for the three dishes that I ordered. The sweet potato roll and butter were amazing. I don’t usually eat rolls before my meal because it is filling, but I definitely devoured this roll. The restaurant week portions are smaller than what would you get if you were to dine here on a normal night. For the appetizer, I ordered the sweet potato agnolotti, which was amazing from the texture of the freshly made agnolotti to the butter sauce. I made sure that every piece of agnolotti was drowned in the sauce, so the plate would be perfectly cleaned. For the entree of the roasted duck and it was a perfect portion. The duck was cooked medium, and it was lean. I still enjoyed that agnolotti dish. For dessert, I had the Meyer lemon tart, which was a perfect ending to my amazing lunch experience. This was one of the best overall meals I’ve had for restaurant week. Everything was to die for. Gramercy Tavern will be participating for lunch only during this season’s restaurant week. The menu is completely different and it appears that there are more options offered on this menu. The marinated scallops, golden tilefish, butternut squash lumache (lasagna for dinner), roasted duck breast and bacon, apple & quince tart and dark chocolate cake will be part of this season’s restaurant week lunch.

Complementary bite and sweet potato roll
Sweet potato agnolotti
Roasted Duck
Meyer Lemon Tart

For another restaurant week lunch, I went to Le Jardinier, which had a one-star Michelin rating during the time I was there. I was running late and the staff was very accommodating as I arrived towards the very tail end of their lunch menu. I recall their portions were huge that I ate half of both my appetizer and entree and took the rest home for dinner. I ordered the chicory salad with green apples and pine nuts as my appetizer and for the entree I had to get the infamous Carolina gold rice risotto with mushroom and cheese. The risotto was too pretty to consume and one scoop of all the components together was to die for. Unfortunately, both dishes are no longer listed on their current menu and they are not participating in this season’s restaurant week.

Chicory Salad
Carolina Rice Risotto

On the last day of last year’s winter restaurant week, I had a girls night dinner at The Consulate Midtown. The restaurant was very pretty. I started with the Ginger Optional Cocktail, which was refreshing. We ordered a variety of dishes such as the blood orange salad, octopus carpaccio, burrata, cauliflower and parsnip soup. The appetizers were good. The entrees could be better, I think the dishes that were served were rushed because there were components that were undercooked. The steak frites had more fries than the steak, rabbit tagliatelle was good, scallops and risotto (risotto was undercooked), salmon with bernaise sauce. I enjoyed the salmon dish. The desserts of bread pudding and blueberry panna cotta were good but not memorable. The Consulate will be participating in this season’s restaurant week. They will be offering the octopus carpaccio and both desserts.

Ginger Optional
Octopus Carpaccio
Blood Orange Salad
Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup
Burrata
Steak Frites
Scallops and Risotto
Salmon with Bernaise Sauce
Rabbit Tagliatelle
Bread Pudding
Blueberry Panna Cotta

During my commute since 01/07/25, I’ve developed a bucket list of restaurants I want to dine and support new restaurants especially the ones with the best deals. Unfortunately, I won’t be participating as much as I would have liked due to the upcoming Lunar New Year, Long Island Restaurant Week, life and priorities. Here’s the my wish list for this season’s restaurant week:

  1. Al Fiori
  2. Delmonico’s
  3. Jiang Nan
  4. Lincoln Ristorante
  5. House of Red Pearl
  6. Great Jones Distilling
  7. Metropolis
  8. Hav & Mar
  9. David Burke Tavern
  10. Luigi’s

I may hit up other restaurants in Queens because it’s more convenient and definitely worth exploring. I’ll definitely be hitting up at least three of the restaurants on this list. Stay tuned.

Traditional Tuesday – Carbonara

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Ten years ago I have had the privilege of traveling to Italy for vacation. At time the Euro was stronger than the dollar so most things were pricey. Throughout my time there, I was approached as being “giapponese” which means Japanese. I went to Rome, Florence, Umbria, Vatican City and Pisa. We went to many churches, most of them were labelled as minor basilicas. We attended many masses unintentionally, maybe it was a blessing. A lot of people spoke English but they don’t want to speak English, so I spent time during my 9 hour flight there learning the basics and if I can’t speak it in Italian, I spoke Spanish. We hit the major tourist spots such as the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square, Duomo, Tower of Pisa and Spanish Steps.

Now to the food, I have the privilege of tasting authentic Italian cuisine and wine throughout the trip. Given the cost of food, I resorted to what the Italian’s call “the poor man’s food” – Spaghetti Carbonara.

What is Spaghetti Carbonara?

Carbonara is a dish that consists of eggs, spaghetti (any pasta), cheese and leftover pancetta, guanciale or bacon. This dish was invented by a chef from Bologna, Italy named Renato Gualandi in 1944 just approximately at the end of World War II. During this time access to food and resources were very limited and he had a banquet to prepare for. Therefore, “he concocted a sauce for spaghetti made of bacon, cream, processed cheese and dried egg yolk, topped with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper”.

During quarantine I’ve been creating dishes with the food that we have. I had leftover bacon along with onions, cheese, eggs and pasta so I made carbonara. I searched for authentic recipes and I came across the simple recipe from Lidia Bastianich and I almost followed it to the “T”. So here is what I did:

Ingredients set up: bacon, onions, whole grain spaghetti, olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, two eggs (yolks were used), salt and pepper.
1) Boil water 2) Chop bacon and cook it over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.
Push the bacon to the side and add the chopped onions. Cook the onions for five minutes.
As the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Combine the bacon and onions. Ladle 2-4 cups of pasta water (depending on serving size) to the bacon and onions.
Bring it to a boil and reduce.
Whisk egg yolks and add 1/2 cup of hot pasta water.
After the pasta is cooked add it to the bacon and onion mixture. Combine until well mixed.
Remove from heat and immediately add in the egg yolks. Stir until it’s creamy.
Add parmesan cheese and toss.
Serve immediately!!

Recently, I came across a recipe that was a low carb and even keto friendly from Food & Wine called: Asparagus Carbonara. There are so many health benefit to consuming asparagus. Asparagus contain antioxidants, which prevents inflammation, improve the immune system, remove excess water from the body. They treat ulcers, kidney stones, and depression. They also lower sugar levels, prevent wrinkles and breakouts, maintain skin elasticity and improve reproductive health. So, here is what I did with this recipe provided by Melissa Clark from Food & Wine magazine.

Heat skillet and cook chopped bacon for approximately 4-5 minutes.
Add asparagus and two tablespoons of water. Cook for 2-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat immediately and add the egg yolks with butter. Note: Pan was still hot and the egg yolks started to cook.
After the butter is melted, add in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Toss and serve immediately!!

For the last 75 plus years, carbonara has become a staple dish in Roman Italian cuisine. The dish is easy to make and it does not break the bank, therefore it is budget friendly. I am happy to be finally posting and blessed to do it on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Cheers! Enjoy! God Bless you all!

Traditional Tuesday – Bread Pudding

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Over the weekend, I decided to clean out the bulk of my refrigerator. What I came across were the following: Whole Wheat Bread, Mushrooms, Eggs, Milk, Thyme, Cream of Mushroom soup and White Cheddar Cheese. So it’s Sunday morning and I don’t want to waste food so I decided to create a family style portion of this comforting, hearty dish, which can also serve as a perfect potluck dish.

What is bread pudding?

Bread pudding is a dish that comprises of layering pieces of bread with a bunch of ingredients and mixing it with egg cream mixture prior to baking the concoction.

Where did bread pudding originate?

There are various version of where bread pudding originated from. The concept of this comforting dish came from the idea of utilizing leftovers while not wasting food. After reading the versions, I personally came to the conclusion that the bread pudding originated from the Egyptians. The Egyptians call their dish “Om Ali”, a dessert containing bread, milk or cream, almonds, and raisins. The Romans also created their version using stale bread, milk, fat and sweetener. In the Middle East, they create their own version called “Eish es Serny” which contains dried bread, sugar, honey syrup, rosewater and caramel. Currently, there is an Indian dish called “Shahi Tukra”, which is made from bread, ghee, saffron, sugar, rosewater and almonds. Of course, the real geniuses behind this comforting dessert do not get the proper recognition for creating bread pudding.

Now let’s get into on what food history has addressed the origins of bread pudding. Historians have stated that bread pudding originated in the Middle Ages with the invention of custard. By the 13th century the dish was labelled as a “poor man’s pudding” because it was made from leftover bread and was consumed by the lower classes. By the 18th century, the dish was served to people who were sick because the bread was easy to digest.

Over the last few centuries bread pudding has evolved to become a versatile dish where it can be made sweet, which popular in most high end restaurants (found in desserts) and savory.

A year ago during NYC restaurant week I had the privilege to eat the the Australian restaurant “Burke and Wills” located in the Upper West Side, which permanently closed early this year. They served an amazing dessert that was part of their three course prix fixe called “Bread and Butter Pudding” which was made with bread, toffee sauce, marscapone, and hazelnut.

Burke and Wills “Butter and Bread Pudding”

Over the weekend, I purged the refrigerator by utilizing all of the Whole Wheat Bread, Mushrooms, Eggs, Milk, Thyme, Cream of Mushroom soup and White Cheddar Cheese to made a Savory Mushroom Bread Pudding .

  • 1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2) Cut up the bread into cubes and layer the bottom of the pan. 3) Slice mushroom and spread it across the bread.
  • Combine 4 eggs, milk, cream of mushroom soup and thyme.
  • Whisk all ingredients until it’s well combined.
  • Pour mixture over bread and mushroom. Press the bread slices to absorb the egg mixture. Let it sit for 30 minutes
  • Place the dish in the oven and cook it for 35 minutes.
  • Add white cheddar slices/shreds on top and cook it for another 10 minutes so the cheese will melt. Serve.

The dish came out almost perfect because I used what I had leftover so this version had an unequal ratio. There was way more bread than there was mushroom and cheese. The cream of mushroom soup and thyme saved the day because the flavor of the dish was on point. In addition this dish serves six people and after consuming a third of what would be considered one slice was already filling. I had a lot of fun making this dish and would like to explore different variation of creating bread pudding. I definitely want to explore creating a different version that is gluten and dairy free.

Wine Wednesday – Beef Bourguignon COVID-19 style

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Week three of COVID-19 began with a stay at home Easter meal for two which leftovers lasted for two days.

I spent hours and days reading various recipes about the French classic Beef Bourguignon. My father introduced me to this dish when I was a child and regretted not staying by his side taking mental notes on how to cook this dish.

Anyways, back to the history and origin of Beef Bourguignon. This French class dish originated from Bourgogne a regional section in Burgundy, France. Beef Bourguignon is a rich slow cooked dish made with beef braised in red wine with carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions, parsley, bay leaf and thyme.

Beef Bourguignon was originally considered a meal for peasants during the Middle Ages. It was economically friendly, filling and perfect to feed a crowd. The meat used was the once that were not consumed by high class groups e.g. royalty. The dish initially took two days to cook as the longer the cook, the more flavorful the dish will be and the meat will be more tender.

The first recipe was published in the beginning of the 20th century. Chef Auguste Escoffier labelled as the “grandfather of classical French cuisine”. This chef presented this provincial peasant dish to a high society group. As a result this dish became a overnight success where it is now served in fine dining restaurants in Paris, London and New York. Beef Bourguignon was labelled a national dish in France and in 1961, Julia Child introduced this dish which made her famous to America.

There were some subtle differences between Chef Auguste Escoffier’s 1903 recipe and Julia Child’s 1961 recipe. First, Chef Escoffier used whole beef and it would take two days to make the dish while Chef Child’s recipe used diced or cubed beef. Chef Child also used bacon fat and dried each piece of of meat prior to searing in the pan.

Well, guess what, I combined the two recipes without mushrooms and committed the cardinal sin by cutting a rib roast into think half in slices instead of cubes.

Well to start I used healthy ingredients such as beef, garlic, onions, carrots, tomato paste, red wine and homemade beef broth using the bones of the rib roast and onions. The broth tooks 18-24 hours to make.

Working with the ingredients that available, I made a very modified version with no mushrooms.

Traditional Tuesday – Soup Dumplings

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Happy Tuesday! As I was leaving the subway station I came across a Chinese restaurant in Queens that just opened up. The owner gave me the menu and after glancing the menu, the prices of the dishes appeared to be expensive. A few months after the opening, a family friend was raving about these black truffle soup dumplings ($12.75 for six), even, Eater loved them. Therefore, I have to try them.

So what are soup dumplings?

Soup dumplings were created as a street food in Nanking, China in 1875. The dish traveled to other provinces throughout China and Japan. These dumplings are usually steamed filled with gelatin based soup broth, pork and vegetables.

Are they healthy? Well, the soup broth is high is saturated fat and sodium. However, soup dumplings are usually dipped in a sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. This concoction can be viewed as healthy because vinegar aids in digestion and lowers blood sugar while the ginger holds many health benefits as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant.

After completing my weekend 4-6 mile walk, I decided to reward myself with soup dumplings. The Shanghainese restaurant Shanghai Zhen Gong Fu appeared to be a small Chinese takeout spot, but inside there were a bunch of tables. One of their popular dishes were the soup dumplings, so we ordered the crab and pork soup dumplings, pork soup dumplings and the infamous black truffle soup dumplings. Well, let’s just say the wrappers of these dumplings were perfectly thin and folded very well. The crab and pork soup dumplings and the black truffle dumplings were so good. The overall soup dumplings especially the crab and pork soup ones were even better than the ones I’ve had in the past. The black truffle soup dumpling were so tasty and they even have real black truffles on top of the dumplings. One can even taste the truffle oil in the soup broth.

So if you’re in Elmhurst, stop in Shanghai Zhen Gong Fu and try those black truffle dumplings. They are the best bang for your buck for an luxury street food.

Traditional Tuesday – Dumplings

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This summer I was on a dumpling phase  where I’ve eaten at various restaurants that serve various dumplings.

Historically dumplings were developed during the Han Dynasty in China by Zhang Zhongjing. Zhongjing was considered the “Medicine Saint” in his village.

One year, the people’s ears were frostbitten and he took a piece of dough skin and filled it with mutton, chili and medicinal herbs, wrapped it up and boiled it. This popular winter concoction helped promote blood flow to warm the body.

Today there are varieties of dumplings:

Korea – Mandoo

Italy – Ravioli

Poland – Pierogi

Spain, Portugal, South and Central America – Empanada

India – Samosa

Japan – Gyoza

Turkey – Manti

Tibet/Nepal – Momo

Below are images of the various dumplings I have had within the last two years. I definitely all kinds, but unfortunately no pictures were taken.

Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao $6.95

Loofah Xiao Long Bao $7.95

Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao Chocolate Dumplings

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao – Steamed Pork Buns $5.25

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao – Steamed Vegetable Dumplings $4.50

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Shanghai Shumai $2.95

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao – Steamed Crabmeat and Pork Buns $6.25

Shanghai Cafe Steamed Tiny Buns $4.95

Shanghai Cafe Steamed Tiny Buns with Crabmeat $6.95

 

Korean octopus dumplings and glutinous rice dumplings

David Burke Kitchen – BBQ Chicken Dumplings

Klimat Lounge – Polish Pierogi $11

Klimat Lounge – Sauerkraut & mushroom, Spinach Mixed Polish Pierogi $11

Manor Oktoberfest – Pierogies with sour cream $8

Mrs. P’s Pierogies $2.50 (on sale any supermarket)

Agozar Cuban Restaurant – Empanaditas $9

Momos – Himalayan Yak $7

Below is a recent dumpling recipe (Thank you Tasty Japan) I made for Mother’s Day back in May that was creative and very budget friendly.

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Meatless Monday/Traditional Tuesday – Sautéed Black Eyed Peas and Spinach 

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Welcome to Tablespoonsandteaspoons first Meatless Monday post of 2017. As part of this week’s game plan, we will be exploring what is considered lucky New Year’s foods that is also beneficial for one’s health.  To start the year off, we will be working on another 5-ingredient dish that consists of two lucky foods that are also healthy: Black Eyed Peas and spinach. 
Black eyed Peas – are the creamed colored bean with a black speckle on it almost resembling an eyeball. Consumption of this bean is considered good luck according to a Southern food tradition.  For New Years, eating black eyed peas symbolizes coins, which brings in good luck and prosperity for the year. 

Consumption of black eyed peas also has several health benefits including: 

  • Improving digestion and preventing constipation due to its high dietary fiber content
  • May prevent anemia due to its high folate content, which is partly responsible to producing red blood cells
  • May lower blood pressure thus potentially lower the risk of heart disease due to its high potassium, which balances blood pressure. 
  • Helps protect vision and skin due to its high vitamin A content.

Spinach – is a vegetable that are relatives with Swiss chard, kale, and collard greens.  Eating spinach or any greens on New Year’s is good luck because the green color resembles money. 

Consuming spinach has many healthy properties making it one of the best foods to consume to prevent and potentially treat illnesses. These include:

  • Cancer prevention due to its high antioxidant & anti-carcinogrnic properties, protects the cells from DNA damage and oxidative stress. 
  • Reduces inflammation associated with heart disease in the long run and due to its high antioxidant content.
  • Reduces cholesterol, improve circulation especially in blood vessels, and reduces blood pressure, 
  • Helps maintain a strong immune system thus reducing inflammation and protects eyes, skin and teeth. 
  • Helps protect against diabetes prior and even during diagnosis due to its protective steroid properties responsible for maintaining blood surgar levels in the body.
  • Preserve and even protect macular degeneration due to its high vitamin A and carotenoids content 
  • Maintain strong bone due to its high vitamin K content, which also helps blood clots and reduces inflammation.
  • Help prevent skin cancer 
  • Its high fiber content helps serves as a detox.
  • Protect and even reduce neurological damage 
  • Contains magnesium which help regulate and control nerves and muscular functions

Given these two lucky and yet very healthy foods, here is a recipe that would be considered lucky while promoting good health. 

Sautéed Black Eyed Peas and Spinach –

Serves at least 2

2 tablespoons of olive oil = 120 cal/tbsp.

1 tablespoons of minced garlic = 15 cal/tbsp.

1/2 red onion sliced = approx. 40 cal/100g

2 cups (32 tbsp.) spinach = 7 cal/16 tbsp. 

1 can (15 oz.) Eden Organic black eyed peas = 90 cal/8 tbsp.

1) Sauté oil, garlic and onion for approximately 5 min. 

2) Add spinach and stir until wilted (approximately 3-4 min).

3) Drain and rinse the canned black eyed peas (dried black eyed peas would be cheaper but due to time, we had to settle with the canned peas). Add them to the mixture. Stir until heated through. 

Ready to serve.