Last Night's Dinner: Porco al Horno (and today's lunch and tonight's dinner)

Last night Femi made pork chops with red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, and some lemon.  It is called "al horno" in Spanish which we thought was really funny.  We saw this dish on a menu in Barcelona and laughed about it because we have does dirty minds.  Does pollo al horno make you horno?  But today during my Spanish homework, I learned that "horno" means oven, so "al horno" means of the oven.  So pork chops of the oven.  Yum!  Buen appetito!

My Spanish Pot Luck Birthday Party!

Was a ton of fun!  I made mixed paella (with mussels, scallops, calamari, shrimp, chorizo, and chicken), spanish tortilla, patatas bravas, clerico, and pan con tomate.  I will include the recipes for some of these things after the jump.  Femi made aioli, manchego frito with apple glaze and guava paste, and gambas.  There was a ton of cheese and wine.  We also had some olives, tortas, crema stuffed plantains, spanish stew and more!  My roommate made rice pudding and gorgeous paper flower decorations.  Pics and videos below.

Adam had to change shirts because of an accidental red wine spillage.

He looks thrilled especially near the orange flowers.

People piggin out on Spanish wonders.

Jen's diggin' her grandmas chorizo bread.

Ryan loves bread and Reid loves beer.

My Clerico with white wine, strawberries, grapes, apples, lemons, oranges, sugar, peaches, and more!  Yum!

We got some fried potatoes, bravas sauce, aioli, pan con tomate, chorizo, tortilla, and queso.  Yum again!

How beautiful were those decorations?  Jen made them by hand!

Food baby/coma time.

Maiko and her boyfriend gettin ready to eat!

Adam and Ross chowin' down.

Femi's spicy garlicky shrimp dish.

Patatas bravas con aioli

Spanish Tortilla (that kinda fell apart)

Videos!!

I used this paella recipe just added more stuff in it.

I made this same recipe but added hot sauce and a little ketchup into the bravas sauce.  Femi made the aioli with olive oil, eggs, lemon, and garlic.  I don't know how to make aioli like he does.

My Birthday Dinner!

Wednesday, June 17, was my birthday.  So after work and after Spanish class, Femi took me to dinner.  We met in Union Square and walked to the West Village.  We walked through Washington Square Park  holding hands (how romantic hehe).  I hadn't seen it since the renovation.  I really love arches and fountains and that whole combination in parks.  It is so beautiful.  It makes me feel like I am in a different part of the world or something.  Then we ran into our friend Mikey and chatted for a bit.  We finally ended up at La Lanterna for what was about to be a great birthday feast.

I have been to La Lanterna twice before.  Once with some of my friends for drinks and apps.  We sat outside in the back and I was really impressed by the decor, trees, and greenery inside the restaurant.  Then the second time I went was with my friend Maiko and we sat downstairs.  Downstairs is really nice and romantic.  It is dim lit with candles and exposed brick/stone walls (can't remember).  The perfect place for a date and the food is really good and fresh too!

When Femi and I got there, the downstairs was closed boo.  But we were able to sit outside which was nice too.  Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable as well.  We started off with the Caprese salad (buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and bread.)  It was very good and very fresh.  The mozzarella melted in our mouths, it was very soft.  Not at all chewy like some mozzarella can be.



 

For drinks, I got a glass of Pinot Grigio and I am not sure what Femi got.  I am not a huge fan of Italian wine.  I don't know too much about it.  I do like Pinot Grigio though.  Its an easy wine to drink.

I ordered a panini with speck, mascarpone, and a splash of cognac.  I love this panini.  The saltiness of the speck and the sweetness and creaminess of the mascarpone goes hand in hand to me.  I got the panini on crostini bread.  It, to me, is one of the best paninis I have ever tasted.

Femi got pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, proscuitto, basil, and olive oil.  It was delicious!  Thin crust, fresh ingrediants, really nice pizza.

For dessert, I wanted to share one thing but Femi insisted that I get my own.  So I got tiramisu and Femi got raspberry cheesecake.  My tiramisu was really good.  I don't know a lot about it but on the menu it said it was their house specialty so I got it.  I love the whipped cream and cocoa powder the best.  Femis was great too.  La Laterna is definitely a dessert place.  We both got fancy drinks too.  I got a Nikki Coffee (because it is my name) which is coffee, baileys, and butterscotch schnapps with whipped cream.  Femi got a Irish Coffee which is coffee, Jameson, and whipped cream.  Mine was better!!!

All in all a great birthday meal.  We did end up taking half of the panini and half of the pizza home with us to save room for such rich desserts cuz that's how we roll. 

Last Night's Dinner: Ensalata

Last night I made a salad like the one below. I didn't use shallots or carrots. I added some cured ham and cucumbers. Instead of walnuts, I used peanuts and sunflower seeds (because I am on a budget and I had those things already). The best part of the salad was the dressing though. I used gargonzola instead of roquefert. I mashed it into the olive oil (like demonstrated in the video) and added some pepper. Who knew? I am not usually a fan of such a pungent strong cheese but mixed with olive oil it was delicioso!

I also made the dessert. Bananas, yogurt, honey but I used a little peanut butter instead of walnuts and I added a lil whipped cream. I love the banana peanut butter combo and I can't resist me some whipped cream. I think it is best condiment on the planet.



Bon appetit!

Last Night's Dinner: Lettuce Wraps

I forget where I found this recipe. I made this about a month ago because I am trying to not eat carbs during the week. It consists of beef, peanuts, chili paste, rice vinegar, peppers, onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts and is basically one big spicy delicious stir fry. Then you spoon it into lettuce leaves (romaine or iceberg work best). Last night Femi made it for us. His wasn't as spicy as mine was. It was sooo good! I highly recommend this dish for a healthy dinner (or lunch).

Jen's Grandma's Sausage Bread

is sooooooooooo good! Jen's grandma is Portuguese and she makes the best sausage bread! All I know is its got some chorizo in there. I don't know her grandma's secret but whatever it is I like it!

Legion: Fun Bar With Good Choices

So maybe I am biased towards Legion because my boyfriend works there but I really like this bar a lot! They have something for everyone: a good selection of tap, bottle, and can beers. They have a few beer and a shot specials for the recession-friendly. They also have an abundance of scotch and bourbons. They have a great outdoor space where there are frequent bbqs on Sunday afternoons.

I like the fact that this is a regular bar catered towards patrons of the beer and whiskey drinking type, but they actually give you a choice of wine that goes beyond "red or white?" Just to be clear, this is definitely not a wine bar. But they do carry 4 types of wines and 2 types of ports. They have: Protocolo White, Nathanson Creek Chardonnay, Trapiche Malbec, and Luzon Verde Monastrell. The ports that they serve are Sandeman Fine Ruby and Cockburns Special Reserve.



I had the pleasure of tasting both of the white wines last night. The Protocolo White is a Spanish vino that is made of 100% White Tempranillo grapes and comes from mainly the Rioja and Penedes regions. My first impression was the strong fruity smell and when I tasted it I got a light-medium body. It is more dry than sweet but still has fruit aromas. When I looked this up on my phone, I read that it is composed of strawberry, raspberry, black pepper hints, black cherry, mint, and earthy tones. I wasn't too too far off.

The Nathanson Creek Chardonnay is from California. When I first tried this i got fruity again with a light bodied and sweeter than the Protocolo, less dry. I looked it up and it says that this wine is smooth with apple flavors with oak notes. Again, I was close! I need to work on picking out the specific fruits though. That is my mission!

My Favorite Water Ice

Ralph's has the best water ice in the city. There are so many flavors and combinations. Yesterday, I got No Sugar Added Chocolate Mousse and No Sugar Added Mint Creme Ice. I am a huge fan of the Mint Creme Ice but the Chocolate Mousse was just okay. It was really grainy and fell apart. I lost a couple chunks just because they fell off of my cup. It is sweet and doesn't taste like sugar free. It is kind of like regular chocolate water ice...I didn't really get that mousse flavor. But the mint is out of this world. It is creamy and minty with chocolate chip chunks in it. Yum! I saw that Ralph's has a Birthday Cake creme ice flavor. I think that is the next flavor on my horizon.

Best Drink Ever!

In my opinion, is sparkling orange soda like San Pellegrino Aranciata. It has the perfect amount of fizz but not too much fizz. It not too sweet like orange soda but is sweet enough that its drinkable. It has the same bitterness to it that regular San Pellegrino has but extra sweet so its actually yummy (unlike plain.) It is crispy and has a bite and its a great thirst quencher plus it is inexpensive (only $1.25 for a can at the bodega on Norman and Manhattan.) I also like Orangina too.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Lately, on the weekends, I have been eating a simple but delicious breakfast.  Baguette, cured meat, gourmet cheese, and a little guava paste.  I haven't been able to find the bread that Catalans use for their bocadillos but this is pretty damn close.

I am also of fan of eggs benedict especially at Brooklyn Label.  I used to be able to make my own eggs benedict.  I haven't done this in a while though.  The trick is to crack one egg into a cup and then drop that egg (carefully!) into boiling water and take the handle end of a wooden spoon and stir the water around the egg so it spins.  Then turn down the heat to simmer and let the egg simmer for a while.  I still have yet how to figure out to make hollandaise sauce.  I got a recipe from weight watchers which said to take egg subsititute like egg beaters and squeeze half a lemon into it and whisk.  There you go.  But I always but it in the microwave for 15 seconds so it doesn't cook but gets a little warm.  I know there is supposed to be some double boil action in there somewhere.

During the week, I am on a boring diet.  So I just eat lowfat vanilla yogurt (activia is my favorite) with raisins, sunflower seeds, and maybe fruit if I have it.  I always have a triple espresso with milk.  I have been drinking that flavored cream stuff but I think I am going to stop and instead use fat free half and half with splenda again.  I don't know.

Spain On The Road Again

Before my trip to Barcelona, I came across this show on NYC-TV.  Spain on the Road Again is a show that follows Mario Batalli, Mark Bitman, Claudia Bassol, and Gwyneth Paltrow around Spain.  They embark on culinary adventures, wine tastings, and some touristy bits.  I honestly can't stand Mario or Bitman and the two ladies get on my nerves a little bit too, but I am addicted to this show for the beautiful scenery and interesting food knowledge that it brings to the table.  I think it is on NYC-TV on Fridays at 9PM.  But I just download the episodes on xtorrent.  If you want to learn more about Spanish gastronomy, this is definitely a good way to do it.

Arroz Con Costra (sort of)

This recipe traditionally calls for eggs and garbonzo beans but Femi and I are not such a fan of either. (I do like my poached eggs though) We also didn't have access to rabbit or blood sausage unfortunately. Not that I would have ever eaten rabbit. I do love blood sausage. We used pork instead of rabbit (I know not at all the same.)

Ingrediants:

2 cups of Rice

4 cups of chicken broth

2 garlic cloves

chorizo

pork

chicken breasts

white wine

thyme

paprika

can of diced tomatos

one red pepper

1) Cut the meat up and season with salt and pepper

2) Add olive oil to a large pan and heat

3) Add two garlic cloves and saute

4) Cut up red pepper

5) Add chicken and brown on both sides then set aside

6) Cook chorizo and set aside

7) Cook pork and set aside

8) Add tomatoes and pepper

9) Add rice and mix

10) Add meat back in

11) sprink some paprkia

12) add broth and white wine

13) add thyme

14) bring to boil and then simmer for 30 min covered.

Voila! Yummy meat and rice dish! Sorry for the lack of photos. I will take one soon and post it tomorrow!

My favorite "Funky Chef"

When I got back from Spain, I was on a mission to recreate some of the food that I ate there.  I came across this video channel that is full of spanish recipes.  Of course, you have to either watch very closely and interpret your own way or know very good Spanish.  I do a little of both.

So far I have made arroz con pollo, spanish tortilla, empanadas, bocadillos, arroz con costra (sort of), spaghetti bolognesa, meatballs, and more.  All came out really well.  I will start translating the recipes into English in my own interpretation and I will take photos of what I make.  I will leave it to him to take the videos.  

My Trip To Barcelona

My trip to Barcelona was the inspiration for this blog.  I am really interested in food, wine and travel.  Especially combining all three.  So here is my "official" guide to Barcelona.  Click here to see my photos.

My boyfriend and I went to Barcelona during May 09.  The weather was fantastic, sunny, hot days but not too hot.

We stayed at Hotel Zenit Borrel in L'Eixample which I highly recommend.  It was affordable and very nice.

The thing I most love about Barcelona is the cafe seating on the street corners.  There are countless numbers of cafes and all are good.  Anywhere you go, you can get amazing cafe con leche (espresso with steamed milk) and bocadillos (meat and cheese sandwiches).  Femi and I did this every day for breakfast.  Dos cafe con leches y dos iberico jamon bocadillos.  Iberico jamon is the best thing on earth!  I wish it was more readily available in the U.S.  Chorizo bocadillos are also great as well as manchego too.

My first "real" meal in Barcelona was at Inopia.  This place was really good.  At first, we were really skeptical because of the decor and loud American music playing in the background but we gave the food a chance and it was amazing.  We got the Croquetas caseras de jamon iberico (which were great!), the Patatas bravas con salsa mixta (their specialty and my personal favorite), the Bomba de l'Eixample (because we were staying in l'Eixample we wanted to try it), Pork Belly (not what I was expecting, it was like pork rind with some soft pieces, but was really yummy nonetheless), and Lamb Kebabs (Femi's favorite).  They have a really extensive menu which we didn't even make a dent in.  

After dinner, we went to Minusa, which became our favorite bar in Barcelona.  It was cheap, had great music, and was close to our hotel.  A Estrella was like 3 euros.  Some people danced but contrary to my blog title, we just sat at the bar.  We went back to this bar three more times during our trip.

The next day we went up to Gaudi's Parc Guell which was beautiful but full of tourists.  That day for lunch we decided to budget and made our on "bocadillos" with bread, jamon, and gouda from the grocery store as well as some Sunny D.  That night, we got dinner at Cocina a la Antigua.  This place was okay for Barcelona, good compared to any place in New York.  I ordered octopus but instead got fried calamari (meh), mussels (yum!), mushrooms in olive oil and parsley (meh), and a meat place with jamon, chorizo, and blood sausage (which by the way, I had never had before, and now I am a total believer.)  I really want to find blood sausage in Brooklyn so I can eat it at home.  It is sausage made from pigs blood and rice.  It really is the best thing ever.

The day after, we went to the beach (my favorite part of Barcelona!)  There are some really cute cafes and restaurants along the pier and boardwalk.  After the beach, Femi and I got a traditionally big lunch.  We just happend to come across it while we were walking back to our hotel.  We got macarones a la bolognesa (Femi's favorite dish of the trip I think) and I got some chicken dish and Femi got lamb.  Both dishes were really great.  They served some jalapenos that were cooked and weren't spicy at all.  The jalapenos were really good.  The reason that the maccarones were so great was because the pasta was homemade, the tomato sauce was fresh and creamy, and the parmasean was fresh and real.  Catalan food is so basic but is so good because of the amazing, fresh, local ingrediants.  Sunday for dinner, we went to Taller de Tapas. It was okay for Barcelona but good for New York.  Another tourist catered type of place.  The one place we were going to go to was really crowded, Cerveceria Catalana.  And the other place, Taktika Berri, was closing.  We got chorizos in red wine, espinicas a la Catalana (spinach, chickpeas, pine nuts, and raisins mmmm), langostine two ways (one grilled with aioli and the other served cold), we also got some creme brulle.  Good meal all in all.

Monday was wine country day...off to the Penedes region where they produce cava!  We were scheduled to go to dos wineries but only made it to one because we took the wrong train (we went down the coast and past Sitges instead of in the country).  And Google Maps gave us the wrong directions, they told us Codorniu was in one location when it really was not and was very far away.  We finally made it to Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, had a picnic lunch of homemade "bocadillos" and went to Freixenet for our only cava tour of the day.  We learned a lot about how they made the cava.  They crushed three different kinds of grapes, Macabeo, Xarello, and Parelleda, and stored them seperately.  Then they mixed them in different amounts to create different types of cave.  They added something to make the cava sweet for the different levels of sweetness.  Then they store these bottles of cava in slanted holders and turn them every day until they lie in a flat direction.  Then they move them to another cellar where they are stored for a while.  A lot of the bottles were broken because of the pressure from the cava in the bottle.  Then we got to taste cava which was the best part!  I bought a few bottles home.  I am a fan of semiseco.  I don't like brut cava too much.  That night we just got some late night pizza around the corner called Trattoria Pizzeria Genova Milano.  Pizza in Spain is really thin and crispy...just the way I like it.

Tuesday, we walked around the old town, saw MACBA, went into the Boqueria Market, saw the Catedral, and hung out in the park.  We had a fantastic lunch at a restaurant that was right on the park.  We got paella which was very good.  I can't seem to find the name of the restaurant, but it was across from the park and had outside seating.

Wednesday was our last day.  We walked around L'Eixample and saw some Gaudi.  We got gelato.  We got a fantastic dinner at Arenal near the beach.  Femi got Paella and I got Arroz Negra (squid cooked in its own ink with rice).  Such a great end to a fantastic trip.  Oh yeah and Barca won the Copa de Fira that night so that was awesome too!