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Archive for August, 2010

Detox Just To Retox

Posted in Healthy Meal, Recipes on August 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Note: Scroll Down For Full Recipes

With a trip to Vegas just around the corner, and a solid week of eating out almost every night behind me (no regrets!!), this week provides the perfect opportunity to experiment with some new foods and ingredients in an attempt to rid my body of that crappy, achy feeling that can come with too much over-indulgence. It all started at a little food co-op around the corner from my apartment called The Health Nuts, where I encountered this cup of gloriousness on Saturday afternoon:

Pretty orange, right? Nope, not a citrus smoothie. This is what some refer to as “Vegetable Juice,” and what I like to call ”Salad in a Cup.” That being said, it was surprisingly good. Clearly it’s chock full of carrots, which contribute to it’s sweetness and color, as well as some spinach, peppers, and other goodies. The Indian man who sold it to me convinced me, after warning me against ordering the cayenne-lemon cocktail on the menu, this would totally detoxify my system. Unfortunately, it just left me with a slightly awkward aftertaste and hungry rumbling stomach.

With this in mind, I decided to do some online digging into different “healthy” cleanses and other types of detox diets (yes, I visited Goop. Thanks, Gwenyth Paltrow), and came up with a few recipes that are high in fiber and protein, antioxidants, and organic ingredients – in other words, they will hopefully rejuvinate my body from it’s sluggish dining-out coma just in time to do it all again and Retox in the Mecca of epicurean extremes, Las Vegas.

But before I begin rambling on about the joys of having CraftSteak located in the lobby of the hotel I am staying in, here are the recipes for a detox breakfast and lunch that have actually been enjoyable to eat for the past two days. Fill in the blanks with Naked Coconut Water (sort of tastes like watered down Pineapple juice) and a handful of almonds whenever you start to get hungry. Go for a light organic soup, such as Pacific Natural Foods low-sodium Broccoli or Butternut Squash soups, which are made with just a handful of natural, fiber-rich ingredients, for dinner. Then it’s off to bed without a midnight snack (for those who know me, you know this is impossible).

For Breakfast: Blueberry-Almond Jumpstart Smoothie

In addition to your blender, you’ll need:

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries and 3 or 4 frozen strawberries, stems and leaves removed

1 scoop of 100% Whey Protein Powder

I also added 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (sorry, the lemon was camera shy).

Here’s the best part. All you do is throw it all in the blender (don’t you just LOVE smoothies?) and hit ON. Don’t be alarmed by how thick it looks. That’s just the Whey Powder doing it’s thing. If it gets way too thick, like you sort of feel like you’ll wind yourself just trying to use a straw to drink this thing, do not fret – just add a little water. I threw a little cooled green tea in mine, and it was really good! Also, this was my first time making anything with Whey Protein powder, so I went with the plain variety, but it also comes in tons of flavors so if you want this to be a blueberry-almond-vanilla smoothie, just opt for the vanilla whey powder. Go wild!

Here’s the finished thick, creamy, delicious product! This kept me full for way longer than my standard oatmeal-almond-berry breakfast:

For Lunch: Wild Organic Fish with Lemon Quinoa and Olive Tapenade

Apologies for the lack of photos here, but if you really want to know what this looks like, you should go make it! If you can’t think of a better excuse than this being an easy, healthy, and absolutely delish lunch meal, then just go get your Thai food take-out already.

Here’s what you’ll need for 2 delicious detox lunches:

  • 1/2 pound of an organic thick white fish, such as organic Cod or Tilapia
  • 1 lime
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup organic Quinoa
  • 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock
  • 20 pitted black olives
  • 2 cloves of fresh garlic
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp of chili powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Turn your broiler on high, and prepare the fish by drying it with paper towels, sprinkling both sides with sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and chili powder. Lay on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and squeeze the juice of half the lime over the fish. Place under broiler and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until fish is moist and flaky (cooking time will vary depending on thickness of fish).

Meanwhile, add the dry quinoa and chicken stock to a medium saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, at a simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. The quinoa should take only about 15 minutes to cook, and it’s done when it is fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. Add the juice from 1/2 of the lemon, season with a little bit of salt and pepper, and stir.

For the tapenade, we once again get to experience the joy of the ON button on a food processor or blender. Simply add the olives, garlic, olive oil, and about a tsp of lemon juice from the remaining lemon. I also added a little parmesan cheese to mine, but that’s not really detox (no dairy is the rule, I believe) so I didn’t include it in the ingredients. Still, “detox” or not, I don’t think a teaspoon of cheese ever killed anyone. So just add it. Then hit ON! Note: This actually makes enough tapenade for 4 – 1 tbsp servings.

Then just add half the cooked quinoa to a bowl, top with a tablespoon of the olive tapenade, and a 4 ounce piece of the broiled fish. I topped the whole thing with some fresh squeezed lime juice and had it with a side of watermelon chunks. Who said detoxing had to be painful? This sounds pretty damn good to me!

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Rendezvous at The Red Cat

Posted in Dining Out, Recipes on August 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Note: Scroll Down for ‘Quick Zucchini Saute’ Recipe

Friends, welcome to The Red Cat. Today we’re going back to basics, familiarity, and old-school southern hospitality. In a word: Comfort. This small, cozy, sexy Chelsea outpost was opened by Chef Jimmy Bradley over a decade ago, and has been raging along every since with its mantra of using a handful of ingredients to highlight the beautiful flavors and textures of each dish it puts out. This is a food philosophy I can get on board with, as I often find that the best dishes are those that are simple – made with five ingredients or less – but work so well because each component is high quality, serves a purpose, and compliments the otheres. At The Red Cat, we see what happens when a great culinary philosophy meets great design and service without the hype; success.

The Red Cat for me was another Blackboard Eats find (you’ve all signed up, right?), and a perfect opportunity to get together with my mom for lunch before I head off to Vegas for vacation next week. When we entered The Red Cat, I was struck by how simply charming this establishment was, from the deep crimson awning fluttering in the breeze outside, to the small foyer filled with small antique furniture and blossoming vases and baskets of flowers every which way you turned, something to add to my “dream home” floor plans, no doubt. Inside, the restaurant was still empty at 1 pm on Saturday, with only two other tables of patrons dining. While disconcerting at first, we took this as an opportunity to peacefully ease into our meal and conversation, without hectic swarms of people around us.

We were led to a charming little table about midway through the restaurant, just past the bar, laid with white linen table cloths and set with sparkling goblets and red lacquered plates. Much to my mother’s embarrassment, I whipped out the camera to capture a bit of The Red Cat’s interior, which I was beginning to fall just a little in love with. Large burnished fairy lanterns hung from the ceiling, leading the way back to a second room set slightly higher than the main dining room. Large floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the front of the restaurant with light, which softly filtered back to where we sat, warm and dusty where it met us. Slow, rocking country music played gently – sounds that seemed to come from a place much further south than what I was used to from my time spent in Maryland.

But alas, I was summoned to put my camera away and partake in proper dining ettiquite, at least until our food arrived. I’ve heard the best thing on The Red Cat menu is the Crispy Sauteed Skate Wing, which is served along side a grapefruit salad with fresh basil and an orange emulsion. This dish came on a very strong recommendation from on of my coworkers who dines out possibly more often than I do. Sadly, though, this dish was absent from the lunch menu, so we made do with the plethora of delicious-sounding options offered there.

It’s so interesting how my ordering habits have evolved just from my short-lived experience so far in writing this blog. I used to be a strictly entree kind of girl; since I usually watch what I eat, I would skip the appetizer and dessert and just indulge on one sumptuous main course. For better or worse, this is no longer the case. I find myself prefacing dining-out experiences by letting my fellow diners know that we’re going to have to at the very least share an appetizer, and that dessert is essential. It probably goes without saying that imposing this informal rule has enhanced and elongated my meals out in wonderful ways, and I doubt that I’ll ever be going back to my old entree-only habit.

I ordered an unsweetened ice tea with a thick, juicy lemon wedge (another change! I usually stick with water or wine) and my mom ordered a light glass of crispy, white Portuguese wine. These arrived quickly, and before long so did our appetizers. The first, which fit the music in that it reminded me of the deep south – maybe New Orleans? – were the Shrimp Fritters: crispy, deep-fried pillows of fluffy, sweet batter filled with succulent chunks of shrimp, which we dipped in a sweet-and-spicy romesco sauce, traditionally made from pine nuts, roasted garlic, nyoras – a smaller, sweet, dried variety of red bell pepper.

Along also came a Quick Saute of Zucchini with Toasted Almond and Pecorino, a dish so elegant yet simple, and utterly scrumptous, I found myself brainstorming how to recreate this for our next family dinner party. Fortunately, The Red Cat was feeling charitable to all us amateur cooks out there, and at the end of the meal left for us small cards that had the recipe printed up on it! Would I leave you hanging? Of course not! Without further delay, here is the recipe:

Chef’s Note: The most important thing here is not to overcook the zucchini. When cooking it, check it with the back of your hand; get it out of the pan when it’s warm, but not too hot.

  • 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 3 to 4 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, than into matchstick-sized segments (about 5 cups of matchsticks)
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 pound pecorino Romano, thinly sliced into 12 triangular sheets with an old-fashioned cheese slicer or very sharp knife

Divide the oil among 2 large, heavy bottomed skillets and heat over high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add half the almonds to each pan. Cook, tossing or stirring, until almonds are golden brown – approximately 30 seconds. Add half the zucchini to each pan and toss or stir to coat with hot oil, just a few seconds. Remove pans from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and return to heat for 30 seconds, tossing to warm and distribute the seasoning.

Divide the zucchini and almonds among 4 warm salad plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and arrange the pecorino sheets in a pyramid over each serving. Serve this while it’s still nice and hot.

So there you have it – an impromptu recipe in the middle of a restaurant review, who would have thought :) But back to the meal!

Our first course was rapidly devoured – I let mom have the last two Shrimp Fritters, since I’m such a good daughter like that – and in no time at all our entrees had arrived. Some serious planning and brainstorming was done to make sure we selected two entrees that were both appealing, yet different enough that we could share without one overwhelming the other. Mom ended up with the “BLT” – possibly the most awesome sandwich I’ve ever had the pleasure of chowing down on. In addition to the traditional thick, crispy cuts of bacon and juicy slices of tomato that any good BLT must include, we found these two crusty baguette halves stuffed with wilted romaine, slivered dates, creamy avocado, feta cheese, and a pepita chipotle mayo that smothered the whole thing into decadence. As if you needed it, served alongside were some homemade potato chips. I had to take a cross-section shot of this bad boy, just so you could understand the full glory.

Despite our attempts at balance, my entree, while very good, was slightly underwhelming in comparison. This would be the Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas Salad. Now, I’m a huge pulled pork fan, and my father passed on to me a pretty unbeatable recipe, so I’m very hard on any type of shredded pork dish that doesn’t deliver on the same level as that pulled pork. The Red Cat carnitas-style pork was very tender – clearly slow roasted – but a little dry and lacking any punch of flavor. That said, the rest of the components of the salad made up for it, and when loaded onto a fork with the lettuce, jalapeno caramelized onions, shredded cheddar, and black beans, well, I wasn’t really sorry I ordered it.

We forwent dessert and instead, ordered a side! This was sort of a novel concept – usually sides are an overlooked part of the menu, at least in my book. But the Baked Polenta with stewed tomatoes and parmesan sounded too good to pass up, and so we went for it. And it was actually sort of perfect – the sweet polenta under the cheese and tomatoes was so creamy and rich, with hints of lemon flavors running through – it was almost like having dessert. That and we saved it for the very end.

Still, I’m not quite sure what was going on with this dish – the cheese was so thick that it was nearly impossible to spoon out, and the tomatoes were very thin and seemed to pool around the polenta rather than resting on top. Regardless, we basically ignored those two ingredients and just went for the polenta beneath, to which the flavors of the dish’s other components undoubtedly contributed. At one point mom threatened to wrench the spoon out of my hand as I neared a dangerous level of gluttony.

Dishing it up!

Even still, we sat contemplating dessert for about a half hour while our extremely patient waiter stood hovering in the corner. We finally decided that walking, and not dessert, was needed.

But, being only blocks from Chelsea Market, a few hours later we found ourselves inside the market’s cavernous depths, waiting in line at L’Art del Gelato. Mom went for the passion fruit and lemon; I had a homemade cone stuffed with Nutella and Tiramisu gelato. I guess some things in life – like dessert – are just inevitable :)

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Going “Local” in SoHo

Posted in Dining Out on August 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Lunchtime yesterday saw an epic fail on my part when I attempted to visit Local Cafe on Sullivan Street in SoHo for lunch. Now, normally I am an avid lunch bringer, and not having cold cuts or left overs or some other sort of go-to item for making a brown-bag lunch would stress me out. But yesterday I decided to cast caution to the winds and embrace this unplanned turn of events. That’s right, I was going to buy lunch. I looked right into the eyes of the enemy – also known as the $12 standard SoHo salad-sandwich – and said Bring It On.

That was until I got to Local Cafe, with my order all picked out and memorized from the twenty minutes I had spent scouring the menu online, and heard the last two words I ever want to hear from anyone on this planet.

“Cash Only.”

I mean, seriously. Come on. This is New York City circa NOW. You don’t accept credit or debit? I stood stupified for a moment, and then gave the cashier a slightly confused, silent nod and walked out. My frustration, only amplified by my growling stomach, was building, but I still had to admire Local’s attempt at maintaining a quaint neighborhood appeal, and trying to minimize their costs. I suppose it’s all part of their image, which I still maintain is rather adorable.

I, on the other hand, was extremely hungry and significantly less adorable at this point, and was forced to settle for a regular old Boar’s Head turkey sandwich from the corner bodega. Luckily, I’m pretty obsessed with every type of turkey sandwiches (re: cold cuts mention above), so I wasn’t too upset. To make matters even better, I got to have my gourmet experience a few hours later when the Harris kitchen was mysteriously visited by a large stack of rustic sandwiches left over from the board meeting. Enter the glorious grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, lettuce and tomato on pumpernickel multi-grain with honey mustard. I housed this in about 30 seconds while sending out the final emails of the day, AND this sandwich was later responsible for one of my best runs ever, so no complaints.

Still, I felt that I had been robbed of a really good blogging opportunity (blog-ortunity?..) and compelled to take one more stab at Local’s lunch menu.

Take two. I arrive at 144 Sullivan Street with my wallet full of well over the $12 SoHo lunch minimum and the menu even more well memorized. I once again stand in line behind a fellow SoHo-ite, and ponder the extensive lunch menu scrawled neatly across a large sea-green chalkboard that reaches to the ceiling behind the counter. I instinctively note that my college roommate Lindsey, who comes to visit New York and drags me to places cooler and more surprising than those I would find on my own, would love this place.

While ordering my Local Salad with numerous toppings (note: these are not included in the price), a smiling woman bounced in from the bench outside, holding two small glasses in her hands. She asked the man behind the counter, “Are these still five-for-two?” and he nodded, so she forked over the glasses. I couldn’t help but ask, “What’s five-for-two?”

“Oh, it’s wine,” she told me. Classic. Mid-day wine specials at noon on a Thursday. Just further reaffirming why I love this city, and particularly little shops like this one. Why conform to societal routines and expecations? There is absolutely nothing wrong with a mid-work day white wine happy hour. Was it not for my rule of never drinking alone (which I usually maintain), I would have jumped on this bandwagon immediately. I even spent a few minutes perusing Local’s quaint beverage display, which also doubled as a built-in bookshelf. Here I found not just wine, but a variety of coffees and sodas.

Since I did have several more hours of actual work ahead of me, I settled for a specialty iced tea, which only run $2.50 at Local. The cafe has far more flavored hot teas available, but they do brew up several of their hot teas on ice each day, so when you get to the counter just ask what’s available – chances are they’ll have a nice selection. I went with the Green Tea with Coconut, which was pleasantly surprising – the tea itself was less infused with hints of coconut than actually a straight coconut tea. Either way, the green tea flavors, which can often be bitter and overwhelming, were the undercurrent here, and the tea was a refreshing, lightly caffeinated afternoon pick-me up.

I got my salad, making the game time decision to grab a cookie on the way out  - it was just that sort of workday, and cookies were required, so it couldn’t be helped. A variety of banana and other dessert breads, biscotti, and muffins were also resting in jars on the counter, and I couldn’t help but think as I walked out of Local how this would be the perfect place to spend a crisp autumn morning, enjoying a hot tea or local coffee and a sweet pastry while writing. Until then…

I headed back to my office, and attempted to capture some pictures of my Local Cafe treats to post on this blog, but the mint green aura and florescent lighting of my cube didn’t really do anything justice. Next time I’m eating on a park bench!

Regardless, here’s what we wound up with:

Local Salad topped with Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Turkey Breast, Vine Tomatoes, Green Peppers, and Hard Boiled Egg, all doused in a tangy Red Wine Vinaigrette. And it came in a box! I thought this was pretty eco-friendly and a nice tie-in to Local’s, well, local image.

The infamous Green Tea with Coconut, which totally turned my work afternoon around. I have a strong feeling I’ll be consuming many more of these before the summer is over. Apologies for this being the weirdest picture ever.  I blame the lighting and my iPhone’s crappy close-up capacity. This is what my green tea would probably look like if I were tripping acid while drinking it.

Finally, the glorious chocolate chip peanut butter cookie. This thing was pretttttty damn good. It had all the cookie essentials – slightly soft, with a crispy bottom, and melty chocolate, so I really can’t complain. That being said, if you’re in SoHo and looking for the best cookie you can find, I recommend “Vesuvio” – also known as City Bakery or the Bluebird Cafe, located on Prince Street a few blocks west of Broadway. Sorry Local, but Vesuvio cookies can’t be beat. (Clearly, I have a lot of work days that require afternoon cookies).

In closing, I sort of feel the need to mention that this meal cost me over $17, which even my NYC standards I thought to be extremely overpriced. What was worth it: The Green Tea and Coconut – for only $2.50, the price was right for this afternoon pick me up. What wasn’t worth it: The Local Salad – I’m fairly certain anyone could make their own for about half of the $13 price tag, and it would taste way better – and the cookie – see aforementioned Vesuvio reference.

Well, not all epicurean adventures end in bliss – that’s what makes them adventures, after all. There’s always going to be a few mediocre grapes in the bunch, but that’s what makes the great, exceptional, over-the-top culinary experiences stand out, and let’s face it, they set the bar pretty high. Plus, a just-okay lunch from Local made a spontaneous happy hour at Dos Caminos later that day seem exponentially more delicious in comparison.

My guacamole still can’t touch this stuff …

Dos Caminos Epic Guacamole For Two. Never goes out of style.

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I’ve Got a Craving, and The Only Cure is More Tabla!

Posted in Dining Out, Imbibing on August 19, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Last night the ladies of the Upper East Side put on our big girl shoes, hopped in a cab, and headed down to Gramercy on a mission. Well, at least I was on a mission. The destination, you ask? That would be Tabla, the trendy, hot-spot Indian fusion restaurant right off Madison Square Park, one of the most successful members of the Danny Meyer’s NYC restaurant empire. The target? A certain Tabla bartender friend (who I will refer to as just “J” to protect his anonymity) who also happens to be a recent ICE graduate. The goal? A first hand recountment of culinary school trials and tribulations from a survivor. And, of course, whatever other unplanned benefits might arise from being friends with the bartender at a critic’s pick restaurant ;)    

I found Tabla, at first glance, slightly intimidating. That is to say, I walked in and immediately noticed that everyone dining there seemed to be slightly older, slightly more sophisticated, and a good deal better off financially that I am. That being said, the vibe of this restaurant was rather embracing, and within just a few minutes I had started to feel at ease and at home here.  

 It was 9 pm on a Wednesday night, but the outdoor patio and first floor bar where J works were fully packed with people eating dinner or just enjoying cocktails. I, along with Corinne, who accompanied me on this particular mission, lingered near the crowded bar, trying to scope out some patrons who looked like they would be exiting shortly. To our delight, a waitress graciously offered us seating at a nearby dinner table, even though we were only having drinks. Moments later, J appeared with two glasses full of thick pink puree, which we quickly learned was the Watermelon Mojito – a refreshing mix of white rum, freshly pureed watermelon, simple syrup, and mint, which he proceeded to “muddle the hell out of,” according to J. One sip of this crisp, sweet goodness and I knew I’d be drinking these for the rest of the evening. 

J continued to go above and beyond by providing us with an array snack foods, which are pretty much a must with any summer cocktail. Along came a tray of cajun popcorn seasoned with cayenne pepper, tamerind, chili powder, and cumin (and probably more amazing spices that I couldn’t identify), as well as pickled carrots, which were surprisingly the show-stealer, and toasted chickpeas. The entire plate was intensely flavorful, with the popcorn and chickpeas spicy and the carrots tart, providing the perfect compliment for our cocktails.  

Still, with spicy food comes bottoms up, and, well…    

 

Clearly, another round was in order. We grabbed our libations and our snacks and snagged two seats at the coziest end of the bar so we could more easily chat with J.  Corinne opted to follow up her Mojito with the Thai Basil Bliss (see that chartruse beauty on the right), made with tequilla (props to her for going for it on a Wednesday night!), lime juice, and simple syrup mixed with muddled Thai Basil and pineapple, and topped with Vueve Champ. This was literally lip-smacking good.  

By this point, we’d finished our snacks, finished 1.5 drinks, and spent a good amount of time chatting about food and the restaurant biz. In other words, we had worked up an appetite. Let me be clear – while the primary mission of this evening was to visit J and check out Tabla, the secondary point was to drink, not to eat. Eating was not supposed to be on the menu this evening. Clearly, I was diluding myself.  

J brought over some dinner menus “just to look, no pressure,” and also happened to slip in that the cheesy flatbreads were life changing and that Tabla made several handcrafted chutneys fresh each day. No big deal. Just existance-affirming flatbreads and peach-almond chutney that I could smell wafting over from a table across the restaurant. We should totally pass that up.  

Well, I’m sure you can guess what happened next. 

  

Okay, so we decided that cheesy flatbread might be overdoing it slightly, so we settled on this bad boy – the rosemary flatbread. It took my mom growing a rosemary garden in our backyard during the months I lived home after college for my opinion to be solified, but I can firmly say that rosemary is the best herb on the planet. It’s fragrant, buttery, woodsy, and makes everything taste good. It grows in the winter. It keeps in the freezer. Case closed.This flatbread was a little bit of paradise, rubbed in kosher salt and olive oil with the rosemary baked right into it. It came with a heaping bowl of this magic…  

 

…Peach-Almond chutney for which I am going to have to develop my own recipe. This was sweet, spicy, nutty, and creamy all at the same time. I wish I had a lifetime supply of it to slather all over my toast, waffles, grilled chicken, mahi-mahi… or just eat straight out of the jar, it was that good. 

And while Corinne and I would have been totally satisfied with just our airy, golden, herb-perfumed flatbread and little bowl of peach paradise, J was just TOO good to us, and reappeared with a trio of three more chutneys. I seriously owe this guy a drink next time I see him.   While I didn’t think it was possible, each of these very different chutneys and sauces were just as good as the Peach-Almond, yet unique enough to completely stand alone. From right to left, they are: Peanut-Chipotle Raia, which is sort of like a spicy, thinned out version of peanut butter, but still thicker than a peanut sauce you might have atop your noodles an asian restaurant. In the middle we have the Mango chutney (J’s favorite), which Corinne likened to a gourmet version of McDonalds sweet and sour sauce. Except ten times better and full of juicy chunks of mango.   

Finally, all the way on the left was the winner, something more delicious than even the Peach-Almond chutney, yet obscure enough that I would have never thought to order it. The highlight of the dish was this Tamarind-Jaggery chutney, a sweet, smokey, spicy love-child of tamarind, a bitter-sweet fruit native to India (among other places), and jaggery, an unrefined sugar made from the sap of coconut palm trees, whipped in with a medley of other spices. Again, no biggie – just an obscure yet delicious tropical ingredient that had made its way into my Madison Avenue condiment spread.    

You could say I was just slightly in my glory. 

   

Corinne was pretty happy too. 

So what are two really happy, slightly tipsy, and very well-fed girls to do? Well, make friends with the adorable old man sitting next to us, of course. While we were immediately intrigued by his enticing meal – guacamole with lotus root chips that looked like slices of overgrown okra – but we stuck around to hear his stories of  the thirty years he spent living in San Fransisco, his upheaval of his life and business to move to NYC just because he felt like it, and his infuriation with the crowds and lines at Shake Shack, which he refused to visit. He also loves True Blood (so do we!) and ordered a fresh cocktail, which upon hearing that I “write a food blog,” he let us both sample. 

 

A Little Cilantro Lovin'

 

A word on cilantro. As I mentioned in an earlier post, not everyone likes it. Some people are even genetically predisposed to think it tastes like soap. Personally, I used to hate the stuff and still really do think it’s got a bit of Dove Soap flavor to it, but it’s grown on me and I can respect the way it enhances the flavors of many a Mexican or Thai dish. In this case, it was front and center in the Kachumber Cooler, made with cilantro, jalapeno (with the seeds!!), and cucumber muddled with gin, lime, and simple syrup. Side note: the bartenders at Tabla (and maybe everywhere?) are all about the muddling, and from here on out, so am I! These were seriously the best cocktails I’ve had in a while. 

  Moral of the story: Mission only semi-accomplished. Our evening at Tabla was fantastic, but it only left me with a craving for more, and a new mission in mind. Keep an eye out for Tabla: The Sequel…. With smiles like these on the menu, we will definitely be back!  

 

   

 

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