August 2009
13 posts
7 tags
Top Chef- Part 2 (The Results)
I know… the anticipation is killing you.
I was nervous about a few things going into the competition. First, I had the insane plan to cook pasta in a microwave. Luckily it was fresh pasta which cooks pretty well just by soaking in water, however, I was afraid the texture would be terrible or it just wouldn’t work at all. Second, there weren’t any real guidelines for setting...
16 tags
Top Chef- Part 1 (Prep Phase)
My company decided to host our very own Top Chef competition in our office to benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Of course, I jumped at the chance to cook AND compete (two of my favorite past times). We were informed there would be a “guest judge” and we could cook whatever we wanted and we could enter more than one dish. I quickly decided that one of my dishes would be my famous...
4 tags
Plummy Pork
When I was at the Union Square Market with Mike, I saw mini plums and couldn’t resist. I used to get them at the Farmer’s Market in Ithaca, and they were some of the best fruit I had ever had. These were good, but not that good.
When trying to determine what to make for dinner on Sunday, Mike suggested making a plum sauce. A quick google later, and we found a recipe that sounded very...
8 tags
Times Square Sushi
There are an abundance of sushi restaurants in NYC, and a ton in Times Square, however, one always stands out as being VERY reasonable and VERY good: Kodama. I have been there many, many times and it never disappoints.
This time, my mom and her boyfriend took Mike and I to this restaurant for my birthday. We started with one of my favorite dishes there, the “friend” asparagus. It...
2 tags
"Peanut Butter and Jelly M&Ms?! SERIOUSLY!?"
The title is an almost exact quote as I passed through a small convenience store in the Westchester area. I saw this little package labeled “Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms” and was trying to resist trying them. I mentioned them to Mike and before I could even blink, they were purchased.
I was concerned about a fake fruit flavor but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked...
2 tags
A change
Well… you may notice a change around NYCNomNom for the next few weeks. I will probably be blogging (and eating) a lot less as I will be going in for Gallbladder surgery two weeks from today. It is a quick, routine, laparoscopic surgery, however, it will require me to eat a VERY low fat diet before and after and probably not eat much at all the week of the surgery.
In the meantime,...
30 tags
WD WOW
Mike told me he was taking me to WD~50 for my birthday dinner a few weeks ago. I was quite excited, but also worried that it wouldn’t live up to its hype. Well… it lived up to its hype… and THEN SOME! WOW!
The front of the restaurant was so unassuming. A small green awning on a brick building with a little neon wd50 sign in the corner. It was in the Lower East Side on...
17 tags
Fishtail Tasting with FoodBuzz
I was very fortunate to be selected to attend a dinner with fellow food bloggers at David Burke’s Fishtail thanks to FoodBuzz (and Visa Signature).
(I plan on providing a review as I would any other restaurant and try to not consider the fact that it was free and I won the opportunity.)
One nice thing about being with other bloggers, there was no need to apologize for pulling out our...
9 tags
Above Average Chinese
I have been hearing great things about Grand Sichuan International since I moved to north Chelsea. It seems to be the place to go, but I had never been. When my Aunt and Uncle came in for a visit and Uncle Shelley wanted Chinese, it clicked. It was time to try the “amazing Smoked Tea Duck” I kept reading about.
Aunt Lynne ordered the pickled cabbage. It was not in a format we...
3 tags
Yummy Pasta
One of the best dishes my mom made growing up was discovered later (highschool time I believe) is something we affectionately called “Yummy Pasta.” I think it’s great for summer with the fresh tomatoes, however, pine nuts have become SUPER expensive. Therefore it is great to know someone in the nut industry. THANKS TRAVIS!!!
It is SO easy and quick to make, and you can make a...
10 tags
Brews, Meat, and Gelato
A beautiful Saturday night led to a decision for an impromptu night out. Unfortunately not many people could join on such late notice, however, my friend Travis (purveyer of dried fruits and nuts… see next entry) did manage to make his way from NJ to the far west side. We decided to check out The Frying Pan which is an old Lightship that is current docked and converted into a bar on the...
8 tags
Rickshaw Dumplings
I’m an outright sucker for celebrity chefs. I see them cook on TV and instantly begin Googling their restaurants or plotting to remember the name next time I show up in their city.
This happened quite quickly and easily while watching Anita Lo on Top Chef Masters. She seemed so quiet and yet came in to steal the show each time and cooked what sounded like amazing food. Unfortunately her...
20 tags
Wrap Up: NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2009
Restaurant Week is something I do look forward to, even if we have a love/hate relationship. I understand that many restaurants hate it because it forces them to serve sub-quality food to, what I have heard us being referred to as, “riff-raff.” (Nice). Now while I understand 3 courses for $35 ($24.07 for lunch) means that the ingredient cost usually outweigh the profit, however, I...