Archive for the 'Miscellaneous stuff' Category
June 7th, 2009
Last month, my husband and I went to New York for the weekend. It was my little niece’s baptism on Sunday and we were there for less than 48 hours; however, we did manage to squeeze in as many culinary delights as possible.
The minute we landed, we hopped in a cab and met my brother and his wife at Orsay; an adorable little upper east side French Bistro. Sitting there on a beautiful May afternoon, sipping a wonderful Sancerre, while enjoying a delcious Croque Monsieur, I did forget for a moment that I was in NY.
After lunch it was straight to our hotel, The London NYC in midtown. We chose this hotel because Gordon Ramsay is behind all of the food. He has two restaurants in the hotel and they handle room service as well.
We had reservations at the more formal Gordon Ramsay at the London for that evening. I was very excited. I am sometimes wary of these expensive, multi-course meals because they often leave me disappointed. But, being Gordon Ramsay fans, my husband and I decided to give it a try, despite the hefty price tag. I also had the opportunity to wear a gorgeous Philip Lim dress that i had been saving for the occasion.
We both chose to have the five-course tasting menu with the cheese supplement (why not?) and wine pairing. We began our meal with a glass of champagne, chosen from the lovely champagne cart that was wheeled over by a member of our wait staff team and then the meal began…..
Each course was paired with a delicious wine that was explained and poured by the sommelier. Even after four courses and as many glasses of wine, we did manage to polish off most of the wonderful cheese course.
Despite being unbelievable full and a tad bit drunk, we were delighted when the bon bon cart was brought over, as a prelude to our real dessert. . Each course was exquisitely presented and the restaurant was formal without being intimidating. It was truly a remarkable dining experience that my husband and I will never forget.
The next day, we woke up and you would think that we would be sick of food after a five-course+ meal, but no, not us!! We are in NY for two days and we were going to eat as much good food as possible. You can not come to NY without getting real NY pizza. (It is just not the same in Florida). We grabbed an early lunch, (late breakfast or just a pre-lunch snack maybe?) at the famous Ray’s pizza and then did some shopping along Madison Ave. We did have to work off some of the food we had been consuming.
That afternoon was my niece’s baptism and yes, we ate again. My brother and sister-in-law had a lovely lunch for family and friends at Centolire, a upper east trattoria that specializes in traditional Italian-American cusine.
Sunday evening, we had reservations at the infamous Waverly Inn with my good friend and her husband. The concierge at our hotel managed to get us reservations at the still apparently hard to get in celeb favorite in the Village. I am not really into restaurants that are famous just because they are impossible to get in, but The Waverly is different. The food is really good. The truffle mac and cheese is one of the best I have ever had and let me tell you….I am the truffle mac and cheese aficionado. It is one of my favorite dishes and I ordered it anytime it is on the menu. The Waverly’s is one of the best! I also recommend the hamburger, shorts ribs, and the tuna tartare. They are all delicious.
I could not ask for more than spending time with family and friends, while experiencing great cuisine. It was a perfect weekend!
April 8th, 2008
Last night on the Food Network, I watched the Chefography about Julia Child. She was such an extraordinary woman and an even more extraordinary cook. She is the reason Americans developed a passion for cooking and food in the first place. She is responsible for the existence of the Food Network as it is today.
In Julia Child’s legendary, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Ms. Child wrote a recipe for home-made French bread. It was 14 pages and had many illustrations on how to get the bread just right. Can you imagine a cookbook today having a recipe that is 14 pages? After watching this, I am inspired to make my own bread, which I have never done. I am guilty of going to the gourmet market and buying fresh bread instead of taking the time to make it myself.
Julia Child was not only a great cook, but she was a great teacher. Her quirky personality came through onscreen and found the way into the hearts of people across the country. In a world where many of today’s cooking shows are focused on “quick” and “easy”, it was refreshing to see a woman that inspired so many home cooks and famous chefs to take the time and learn the art of cooking.
I know that today everyone is busy and does not have the time to spend on 3 hour dinners every night. However, if you have a chance, watch her remarkable story, and just maybe you will be inspired to make a meal the Julia Child way; from scratch.
March 31st, 2008
The Robert Irvine scandal officially broke in February; however, in the April 7th issue of US Weekly, Chef Irvine admits to the tabloid that he lied about certain aspects on his resume. He never worked for the British royal family and has never been knighted. His popular show, Dinner: Impossible, has been canceled, along with his plans to open two restaurants in Florida. In the article, Chef Irvine thanks his fans for their numerous letters of support. He said he plans on either doing another TV show or charity work with the military.
Now let me just say, this is another instance where the Food Network has dropped the ball. Remember the Jag drama from several months ago??? As a major network, why not hire someone to check backgrounds?! What a great idea that would be! I am not saying that embellishing a resume is the right way to go, but on the Food Network, why not? Apparently you can get away with it for at least a season or two.
I think it is far more embarrassing for Food Network than it is for Chef Irvine. This needs to stop because if not, it will be endless. I really liked Dinner: Impossible and now one of my favorite shows (and there is not many) is cancelled. Not because it is not popular, not because it is not getting good ratings, but because the Food Network failed to check Robert Irvine’s resume before they gave him his own prime time show.
I leave you with one question: Why couldn’t it have been Robin Miller who lied about her resume instead?
January 4th, 2008
I have been gone several months now. I started my own business and moved into a new home so I was too busy. However, I missed writing about my favorite hobby: FOOD! I am back and excited to write about the new stuff going on at the food network, as well as sharing all of my new receipes. So, stayed please return to find out what is going on with the New Iron Chef, Michael Symon, the never tiring Chef Robert Irvine from Dinner Impossible and all other the latest food news.
May 15th, 2007
I have to say from the very beginning one of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Ace of Cakes. I love Chef Duff and his whole staff! Food Network has been disappointing me with some of their new shows and this is the first one that has caught my attention. Chef Duff and his staff are not only great at what they do, but they have FUN doing it. It is very apparent that they all genuinely like each other and love their jobs! This comes out in the amazing cakes they create.
Mary Alice is the best! I don’t know how she handles the emails, phone calls and quirky personalities of everyone. I will be writing much more on the Ace of Cakes and hope it is back for many more seasons! My dream is to one day have a cake made by Chef Duff!
May 15th, 2007
I have to comment on the Food Network Awards even though I started this blog after they aired in April. I was very disappointed. As usual, the Food Network promoted the awards like it was the Oscars, and it turned out to be rather boring. What I would like to know is why Paula Deen and Bobby (although I love them) and Rachel Ray and Giada De Laurentiis (love Giada) gave several awards and other chefs who were in attendance (like Tyler Florence) did not really participate.(except for walking “the red carpet”.
May 6th, 2007
To all you food fans out there, I would like to say Hi and welcome to my food blog. I am a self-professed foodie. I love the Food Network, but I really just love food in general. You will find lots of information on this site, not just about the food network, but about food, wine and dining out. Please feel free to comment (or just read, whatever you prefer). I have my favorite “celebrity” chefs and my not so favorite chefs. I will try to be nice (most of the time) and talk about the shows and people I love, rather than those I do not.
I will only post receipes that are my own or that I have personally made. Anyone can go to the Food Network and find recipes. I will offer a new twist or advice on what went wrong (or right) when I make something.
