White Cheddar Gougères with Apple Pulp and Prosciutto

Jen has always been the gougère-maker when we lived together.  I’ve got to give her props for really becoming an expert at forming the cheese puffs to actually become consistent in size, light, airy and all things elegant and French. I, on the other hand, was experimenting so as my first iteration, these were decent, … Continue reading

Risotto with Prosciutto, Leeks, and Goat Cheese

It has been over a year since I first visited Beretta restaurant in San Francisco, and I still remember the incredible flavors of their risotto with prosciutto, leeks, and goat cheese.  This is still the best risotto I have tasted — primarily because I am obsessed with goat cheese and leeks.  The sweet sautéed leeks … Continue reading

Osteria Morini, NYC

Osteria Morini Executive Chef: Michael White Cuisine: Italian Neighborhood: Nolita Price: $10-15 appetizers, $15-20 mains Address: 218 Lafayette Street, NY, NY 10012 Phone: 212-965-8777 Hours: Brunch Sat-Sun 11:30am -4pm; Lunch Mon-Fri11:30am-3:30pm; Bar Menu Mon-Fri 3:30pm-5pm; Dinner Mon-Wed 5pm-11pm, Thurs-Sat 5pm-1am, Sun 5pm-10:30pm I had a friend in town which gave me an opportunity to play … Continue reading

Maialino, NYC

Maialino Chef: Nick Anderer Cuisine: Italian, Roman Neighborhood: Gramercy Price: $80 per person for a full meal with wine and dessert and some leftovers Phone: 212-777-2410 Address: 2 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10010 Hours: Maialino, another solid culinary outpost in the Danny Meyer restaurant empire sits  on the ground floor of the lovely boutique Gramercy … Continue reading

Sunday Brunch

Brunching is one of my favorite things to do in Manhattan, as the city is packed with a plethora of brunch spots that can suit any desire for a traditional (Bubby’s) or nouveau American brunch (Five Points), an Asian Fusion brunch with a DIY Bloody Mary Bar (Double Crown), a Chinese dim sum brunch (Ping’s … Continue reading

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto

Here is a very classic savory salad with sweet and tender asparagus, poached eggs, and prosciutto from my Ad Hoc at Home cookbook.  The aged balsamic vinegar balances out the richness of the egg and salty ham, and the fried croutons add a nice crunchy texture.  Poached eggs are my favorite kind of eggs (obsessed … Continue reading

Antique Garage, NYC

Antique Garage Chef: Utku Cinel Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish Neighbordhood: SoHo Price: $20 per person Phone: (212) 219-1019 Address: 41 Mercer Street, NYC 10013 Jen and I discovered Antique Garage serendipitously. We were shopping in SoHo, walked past it and were intrigued by the sounds of the smooth sultry jazz emanating from the open space. As … Continue reading