Today Dishing: Guest Editor NYC Eateries

 An update to eateries for foodies in NYC from my traveling companion Marianne is presented to you today. She ventured there without me this time  but her tenacious planning serves you well and she shares her "finds" with you.

Jackie Onassis favored The Four Seasons, Bob Fosse was a regular at the Carnegie Deli, Dylan Thomas drank at the White Horse and Hemingway frequented  Minetta Tavern for dinner.

On a recent trip to NYC I chose three places at which to eat for three very different reasons. Despite the temptation to return to personal favorites like Bryant Park Grill, Becco, or the Brooklyn Diner, I followed my travel mandate to seek out the new. Decisions were informed by three inclinations.

The first was to find a place that would be unique, upscale and well-reviewed. The second rested on what the local folk would patronize. The third involved convenience.

Keen's Steakhouse (36th at Sixth Avenue) has served chops and steaks since 1885 when it was the heart of the theatrical community of Herald Square. Not only the food was famous. The habit of supplying the smokers with churchwarden pipes with individuals' names on each began there in
the early 20th century. Today the pipes decorate the ceiling and one can see Teddy Roosevelt's pipe or others belonging to Will Rogers, Babe Ruth, and General MacArthur. Keen's serves Chateaubriand, Prime Rib-King's Cut, Roasted Buttermilk Chicken and the best chocolate cake on the planet.
Reservations well in advance are necessary and it is not inexpensive; however, it is worth every penny spent to be in such an historic restaurant where great food and great service dominate the scene.

Pipes on display at Keen's.

                                
Finding a place where the locals eat can be done by going on Google Street View. I searched to see what was in the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. After noting the possible, I checked  Open Table, Chowhound, and Trip Advisor for reviews. The Crooked Knife on 14th Street met my criteria for the place I wanted to lunch with neighbors. It is below street level, intimate, eclectic and very, very friendly. Roasted chicken tenders with a kick provided much to appreciate as did the hummus tray. The wine pours were generous and the cost was quite affordable. Its location is a huge plus for those on their way to or from the Highline or the Ground Zero Museum Workshop.

Photo courtesy of Google images.

Sometimes eating convenience in NYC means finding a food truck .The best ones are in Union Square. A plethora of them can be found near  the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue, however, in the Rockefeller Plaza area, trucks are not plentiful. Luckily the Morrell Wine Bar on 49th Street caught  my eye.  After a stint at Top of the Rock, this was the perfect place to nosh and to choose a Cabernet from their extensive wine by the glass list. The bar food to accompany was exceptional. Deviled eggs with truffles and chicken skin, onion tart, Steak Tartar, crab crostini.  Culinary heaven. Outside dining is available.

Directly across from 30 Rock sits  Morrell Wine Bar.

The perfectly convenient place for post theatre drinks can be found at the R Lounge in the Renaissance Hotel in the heart of the theatre district. The view is spectacular from the second floor, the food is tasty and the entire Times Square razzle-dazzle is available with a reservation.

The Rainbow Room is re-opening, Harlem does a foodie tour and the River Café beckons from Brooklyn.  The next trip will be as tasty as all the others.

Today Dishing: Eggs

Even though Easter is past, I still have eggs on my mind. If truth be told, I have eggs on my mind everyday. I love them. For me, most days begin with an egg white omelet.

It is disturbing to me how often eggs I order out are not cooked properly. In my mind, breakfast restaurants have no business serving undercooked, overcooked or rubbery eggs. I've expressed my impatience with  eggs  cooked poorly to others only to find, they too have difficulty making one type of egg or another.

Because of this revelation, I feel I, as a good egg cooker should offer a few tips in ensure success in your egg cooking.

Generally speaking, high cooking heat is not an eggs friend. This tip alone may be all you need to improve the quality of your eggs.

FRIED EGGS: Use cooking spray on the pan plus a small pat of butter.
                         Cook over medium low heat.
                         Once the egg sets up, flip it. If you have trouble flipping eggs, add 1 tablespoon
                         water to the pan and cover until desired doneness. This is really basting but it
                         works.

 

Here one egg has set up but not the one on the left.

These eggs are over medium.

            

SCRAMBLED EGGS: Raised on scrambled eggs made with milk, it took me years to discover milk
                                      has no place in scrambled eggs. If anything a teaspoon of water can be added
                                      but just the eggs alone is the way to go.
                                      Scramble the eggs with a fork, not a whisk.
                                      Cook low and slow and gently  keep the eggs moving  to get light, fluffy eggs.
                                      Don't add salt until the eggs are almost done.
                                      Please do not overcook or flatten the eggs with your spatula.

POACHED EGGS: Rule  number one: Don't be afraid. These may take some practice to get just
                                 right  but the payoff is worth it.
                                 Be sure to use enough water. Eggs should be totally submerged in water.
                                 Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to the water.
                                 Don't let the water boil ever! Once the water comes to a lively simmer , you're
                                 ready to  go.
                                 Swirl water slightly before breaking the egg into the water. Don't let the egg sit
                                 on the bottom of the pan.

Egg swirling in water.

Beautiful poached egg.

Note: When entertaining poached eggs are best made ahead of time. Cook then remove them to a container, cover and refrigerate. This can be done earlier the day you need them or the night before.  Before serving heat a pan of water to simmer, add the eggs and let them heat through, about one minute. Voila! Perfect poached eggs for a crowd.

OMELETS: Again the secret is low and slow cooking.
                     Spray the pan and use butter just as with fried eggs.
                     Over-filling the omelet will make flipping it difficult.
                     Once the egg mixture has set, flip one end over the other.
            
         

                                                 It should slide right out of the pan.

QUICHE: Is another do-ahead dish which makes it great for a group. Because  it is versatile, it can be  served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Don't shy away from it because of the crust. Store
bought crusts work really well for quiche.

Crab quiche

Spinach quiche

   
And finally, if you are looking for something to make with those left-over Easter eggs, DEVILED EGGS are your answer. They are simple yet leave all kinds of room for your personal touch. For our Easter dinner yesterday we changed things up with a Texas Bar-B-Que and deviled eggs rounded out that menu nicely.
                                             
                                                           Now go poach yourself an egg.



                                     

Today Dishing: Chocolate Cupcakes

The next time you're looking for an activity to share with kids consider baking and or decorating cupcakes.

Yesterday  I had the opportunity to watch my thirteen year old neighbor, Ashley who is battling leukemia. Having just returned home the day before from her latest month long stay in the

hospital, Ashley couldn't do anything too physically taxing.

Naturally when brainstorming for activity ideas, my mind automatically turns to food. Ashley has two younger sisters who  love a good sweet treat. With that thought in mind, cupcakes seemed the perfect solution to my dilemma.

Before Ashley arrived I made the cupcakes. Her job, should she be up to it, was to decorate them. She jumped at the prospect of being a cupcake decorator and just like that using a pastry bag, she iced the cupcakes.

Chocolaty cupcakes wait to be decorated.

Next Ashley showed off her creative self by selecting colorful and seasonal decorations. She is a natural  at decorating and although she tired easily she had fun discovering this side of herself. And hopefully her sisters enjoyed the fruits of her labor.
     
Not having a go-to chocolate cake recipe (because I'm constantly searching for the "best" one) I was under pressure  for a quick recipe. I turned to my Betty Crocker Cookbook, which served me well when I first began cooking. I wanted only to produce cupcakes quickly for decorating and oh my, what a pleasant surprise. The texture of these cupcakes is dense, yet light. The flavor is clean and chocolaty. I highly recommend this recipe.

This find reminded me that good food need not be difficult and fussy. We don't have to search the world over to find the best results. And as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz would say," I didn't have to look any further than my own backyard."

CHOCOLATE CAKE from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose or 2 1/2 cup cake flour

1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease cupcake tin or use cupcake papers. I recommend papers
Beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
Beat on high speed for three minutes.
Pour into papers.
Bake cupcakes for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of one cupcake comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from tin onto wire rack .
Cool completely about 45 minutes before frosting.

Use the frosting of your choice. I used Seven-Minute Frosting.  Recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl.

Cupcakes: A fun activity to share with kids with cute, tasty results.

Yummy

                                            

Today Dishing: Easter Tablescape

It's Spring and it's still cold, but we can hop to it and warm up the house by setting a colorful Easter table. It's eggs-actly what the Doctor ordered to cure our wintertime blues.

This Easter table is all about the bunnies and the eggs.

The egg embellished tablecloth creates the base for this whimsical tablescape.
                                              
Plastic eggs fill glass jars and green grass tops the eggs.The illusion of bunnies jumping from jar to jar is achieved by using graduated sized jars.

Large bunny ears top off the center jar and serve as the focal point for the table.
                                                                                       
Glitter enhanced eggs  hang from the chandelier and provide interest above the table.

The large bunny ears, the green bunnies and the glitter eggs are available at Pier 1.

Villeroy & Boch green charger plates hold pink Kate Spade dinner plates and are topped off with Lenox Floral Fusion salad plates.
                                                   
Using one solid and one patterned napkin, held together with bunny napkin rings, adds contrast and color to the table.

The finished product, tells a story, lightens the space and readies us for the warmth to come.

                                               
                                                                             

Today Dishing: Baked Red Snapper

Intending to make a quick spaghetti dinner yesterday, I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few ingredients.

In front of the fish department, whole red snappers were displayed in a bed of ice.  They were beautiful and on sale. Time to adjust the dinner menu.

I've never cooked a red snapper but I have made a whole salmon, which was not difficult and thinking the same  rules must apply, I was up to the challenge. New menu: Baked Red Snapper and linguini with white clam sauce. (Little neck clam were also on sale)

This was an experiment, but it turned out very well.

Meet my friend, Mr. Red Snapper.

                                                
INGREDIENTS
1 2-3 pound whole red snapper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 sprigs flat leaf parsley (thyme could also be used)
1 lemon, cut into moons
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Lay the fish on a large piece of aluminum foil.
Stuff the fish with all but four lemon moons, parsley, butter and garlic.

Pour olive oil over the fish to cover the skin.
Cut 3-4 diagonal slits across the fish.
Stuff the slits with lemon moons.

Liberally salt and pepper the fish.
For this dinner, I arranged the clams around the fish.

Cover the fish with another piece of foil and crimp edges to form a tight seal,
Place the entire package on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

The finished product.

Yep, it's that easy. It makes a dramatic presentation, but watch out for the bones.

As a stand alone entree one fish this size feeds two to three people. For the same amount of work and similar cost, a whole salmon produces more edible fish.

Today Dishing: Bishop Arts District- Dallas

After two days exploring the attractions of downtown Dallas, I spent the next five days in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. This once elite residential area fell to economic distress in the 1960's. In an attempt to breathe new life into the area the Bishop Arts District arose in the 1980's.

The primarily two block section offers a myriad of quaint shops and eating establishments ranging from Texas BBQ to fine dining.

During my brief stay, I availed myself of as many of these eateries as time allowed. What follows is a compilation of the spots visited along with a quick assessment.

TILLMANS ROADHOUSE
This cowboy chic restaurant was referenced in the Day One of Dallas blog. Enjoyable dining experience with really good food.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts web page.

 ODDFELLOWS
After three unsuccessful attempts to dine here, we finally met with success and dined on breakfast  for dinner with waffles and fried chicken and short rib hash. Are you kidding me? Well worth the wait.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts web page.

 BOULEVARDIER
This French neighborhood  bistro offers some of the best oysters I've ever eaten.                                                                                             


GLORIA'S
This renovated 1920's firehouse serves Tex-Mex and Salvadoran cuisine. The margarita alone is worth the trip but the food is authentic and exceptional.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts web page.

HUNKY'S

Directly from the set of "Happy Days" the only thing missing is the Fonze. This retro diner setting offers juicy old fashioned burgers dripping with nostalgia.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts web page.

LOCKHART'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ
Make no mistake about it, this is Texas BBQ with no frills. It's all about the meat here. Stand in line, place your order by the pound and watch as the beef is cut off the brisket then wrapped in paper along with two slices of plain white bread. Meat so tender, no knife required. This is the kind of meal you get a  hankering for once you return home.                                                                               

                                

                                                                        

                                                                                           Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts web page.

                                                                                 
WHITEHALL EXCHANGE
Sunday morning brunch found us sipping bold bloody Mary's here. Mimosa's by the pitcher is the other Sunday morning specialty. Delightful! 

When visiting Dallas,  a visit to the Bishop Arts District must be included on your "to do" list.