Okey-Dokey, Smokey!
...the mozzarella become hot and stringy, the provolone had more of a creamy melt, and the gouda was more, let's say, gooey. And the gouda's natural and aromatic earthiness and slight sharpness nicely picked up the mozzarella's mellowness, while the provolone danced nicely in between, helping the to softer and firmer cheese blend into one. The pumpernickel added richness and texture to each bite, accentuated by little burst of nutty brightness by the sunflower seeds.... [Full Post]
Cav Daddy
...I decided to overwork my already too old air conditioner by boiling pasta and preheating an over to °350 for my new take on mac 'n' cheese, which substitutes cavatappi (a grooved, longer, and more twisty version of macaroni) as the pasta, and using only mellow cheeses—brie, goat, mozzarella, ricotta, and a sprinkling of grated parm on top—and stirring in some sliced smoked salmon for an earthy and colorful compliment.... [Full post]
Dogs Days of Summer
...Both were tasty; the Italian-themed one serving up some nice homey and familiar old world tastes, the other a cornucopia of textures, temperature, flavors, all of them brightly explosive, almost, with neither of the hotdogs' toppings overwhelming or masking the well-seasoned, snappy, juicy meat.... [Full post]
Breakfast Pita-za
...We both finished these handily and happily, the eggs being nicely serviced by the peppery pork and mellow cheeses, with a finishing kick from the chili oil. My anchovies adding some meaty saltiness and her onions providing a bright, crisp piquancy on the tongue... [Full post]
UPDATE | You Wanna Pizza Me...?!
...I topped the cheese spread with slices of fresh mozzarella, then thinly sliced white mushrooms, and more thinly sliced scallops. I finished it with drizzles of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon, then popped that into a preheated oven set to broil.... [Full post]
Quick Post | You Wanna Pizza Me...?!
...On the second tortilla, I spread a thin layer of pesto sauce, then topped that with some shrimp I had briefly boiled, then some bacon bits. I drizzled some white truffle oil (expensive, yes, but worth it with the high number of applications it's capable of), and a "splattering" of black lumpfish caviar.... [Full post]
Quick Post | Assorted Italian Chicks
....Wanting to keep it Italian at heart and simple, I picked up stuff for two different versions of the bruschetta. One version would get fresh mozzarella, a tomato and basil salad, and be topped with a sunny side up egg, the other would get proscuitto, pesto, parmesan cheese.... [Full post]
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... Truly, the Brussel sprouts are purposefully on this pie, not as a parlor trick or gimmick, but to surprise you with the extra punch of flavor that is its charred leaves, all at once herbal, woodsy, and—maybe because of the sugars in the leaves—sweeter and less bitter than its always yummy un-charred parts.... [Full post...]
Pulino's Just Might Deserve (and Survive) The Hype
...But eventually you have to give McNally some credit. I've liked—if not raved about—the food at Pravda and Balthazar, and frequented those for many years regardless. Pulino's will have its heralders—and, I'm sure, some detractors—but longer after fanfare, discussions and debates have subsided and been forwarded to the new "next big thing", people will be squeezing in rezys and inviting their friends to grab a bite and a beer here with them.... [Full post]
EVENT | National Pizza Week, Part 4 | 'Nabe 'Za Faves
...And almost every neighborhood in at least 4 of the five boroughs has a pizza place with minutes of their doorstep. And if you live in a neighborhood like mine—where pizzerias average 1.3 per block, you're going to want to do the work of finding out where you $2.50–$3.75 per slice is best spent.... [Full post]
National Pizza Week, Part 3 | Old School vs. New School
...I'm starting to learn that I am acquiring a preference for the "new school"-ology of pizza prep. The use of fresh products and foods, cooked quickly and/or barely to maintain not only the integrity of their flavors, but their textures as well. Letting the ingredients sing as individuals while only improving as a whole.... [cont.]
Fond of Defonte's
... No pimply-faced, faux slacker "sandwich artists" here; the real art obviously happens in the kitchen, and the proof is in the ingredients' presentation, and in the exquisite smell of the place: more like a kitchen and less like a store. They were even baking cookies from scratch during my visit!.... [Full post]
