I Love Herbs

And no… I’m not talking about weed. A while back I gave J an AeroGarden, a smallish contraption that lets you grow fresh herbs or spices on your countertop through the magic of hydroponics (there’s no soil; the roots grow in water alone). It’s almost totally self-sufficient (no need to water or change the soil) and it’s all automated so it’s very difficult to kill your budding plants (it’s even got it’s own light source to keep it alive and well). We started to grow things like oregano, parsley, basil, savory, mint, and garlic chives about a month ago, and now we have full size plants to pick from as we cook. It’s such a great way to try to make your meals more healthy without cutting out the flavor. Last night we made a version of THIS, and it was delicious and super quick.

Say Cheese!

This charcoal slate cheese board (via The Kitchn) is genius - no more poking at different cheeses and looking quizzically at your host… “Is this camembert?” I love it. It also remind me that I walked past one of my favorite LES tapas bars, Tapeo 29, and saw a sign that on Tuesdays you can taste a few different wines and try some Spanish cheeses… no idea if this is free, but they didn’t include a price on the sign. Must put on the Things-to-Do list.

I’m All Blogged Out

I’ve been really bored with blogs lately—writing mine and reading others. It used to be my favorite thing to do. But now I need some new inspiration. Got any ideas? Blogs you love?

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Wines By the Glass

Last night J and I went for a celebration dinner to Craft—I had oysters and duck, perhaps my two favorite things in the world. And J ordered a glass of wine that he liked so much that he wrote it down. The wine was $18 a glass—so we thought, maybe we could afford a bottle of the wine (or even a case) when we feel like splurging. And we’re dying to find one wine that we both like enough to buy a case. The wine is: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Pierre Usseglio, a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the Rhone Valley. So, $18 a glass. Guess how much a bottle is. Go ahead… Guess. It’s $170!!! This makes me feel 2 different things. 1. Yikes! So, I guess we won’t be buying this bottle of wine. And 2. Wow! What a great deal we got at Craft for only $18 a glass (never thought I’d be impressed by how cheap an $18 glass of wine is).

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Iron Chef… It’s All Fake

Surprised? Neither am I. Mostly, I really couldn’t believe that 2 different chefs could come up with 5 different plates in under an hour without ever hashing it out with their sous-chefs. Seriously, the show makes it seem like the components of the dish come out of thin air and the sous-chefs are master mind-readers. But now we have proof. Check out this article in the Village Voice all about the sham that is Iron Chef. As the writer says:

“Iron Chef America is more bogus than even I had imagined.”

I still think I love the show, but I have to say, reading the cold, hard truth takes some of the magic out of the spectacle

(Photo by Staci Shwartz)

Wanna P-L-A-Y?

I’ve recently become obsessed with Scrabulous—though I haven’t won a game yet! Maybe some chocolate will help?

Even in Argentina…

Yep… no Starbucks in the country yet, but the orange shorts exist—right next to the Puente de la Mujer (Woman’s Bridge). So look left and you see Hooters, look right and you see this…

I Love My Grill Pan

A while back I decided to buy myself a fancy grill pan and debated a few different options. I finally settled on the Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet Grill which was on sale at Sur Le Table. Well, it came in the mail last week and it’s utterly beautiful. The ceramic blue handle, the deep black grill ridges—it’s a work of art. And I used it last night to make some filet mignon for Valentine’s day—actual grill marks on the perfectly grilled and broiled meat. It’s mega heavy, and I’m a little nervous to try the stove top-to-oven transfer without J’s manly muscles, but I want to cook with this pan every night. It’s still on sale, so go get one! It’s a kitchen must-have.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone—but especially to my lovely, adorable, and super sweet boyfriend.

Riding Under the Influence in Argentina

So, along with Mendoza being at the foothills of the Andes (and a phenomenal place for horseback riding), it’s also one of the best places in Argentina to go wine tasting—and try the native Malbec (see photo above). There are tons of vineyards and wineries outside the city. Kate and I decided to rent bikes for the day and ride from winery to winery. Sounded good in theory, and it was very beautiful. But we later realized that biking over 12 miles while tasting numerous glasses of red wine might get a little bit tricky. Alas, we prevailed!

My favorite glass of wine was the Pleno from the Tempus Alba vineyard—one of the more modern wineries in the area. It is 60% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot. It was deep and full with lots of wood flavors, and it was utterly delicious to drink on the patio overlooking their vast vineyard. I’m very bummed because it doesn’t seem like they sell to any NYC wine stores.

We also hopped on the wine tour at the very old and very famous Museo del Vino (in Spanish… which was interesting for me). They had barrels to store wine that were about a bajillion years old, and it was so great to get up-close and personal with (and smell!) all these classic Argentine wines. I bought 2 bottles of the Trumpeter while I was there. I bet you can buy this in NYC, but I haven’t checked yet. I still have 1 bottle to drink first!

Meat, Meat, and More Meat

If there’s one thing that Argentina is known for in the culinary world, it’s meat. They basically eat every part of the of cow that they can. It’s really quite remarkable. All over the city (and the country) are Parrillas, the Spanish word for “grill” or “barbecue,” that serve different cuts of steak and sausage—without any marinating and without any sauce on top. While I was there, my favorite cut of meat was “lomo”—the filet. It was the best steak I’ve ever had. I also ate “blood sausage” for the first time, which is tasty but gross in texture… and concept. Though I loved the restaurants in Buenos Aires, my favorite meal in Argentina was some BBQed short ribs that our Gaucho guides cooked for us in Mendoza. After taking a 3-hour horse ride (my first time on a horse!) through the foothills of the Andes, we galloped back to camp in the pouring rain. What awaited us was the amazing, rustic BBQ that you see in the picture above. Paired with a few (read: a lot) bottles of red wine, it was an exciting adventure and very delicious. Then we tried to recreate our own asado (BBQ) when we got back to Buenos Aires on Kate’s patio grill—check out that hunk of beef smothered in Chimichurri sauce below!

Making Empanadas in Argentina

The best thing I did in Buenos Aires? Take an amazing empanada cooking class with the lovely Teresita! It was so fun to see a real Porteno’s house, cook in her kitchen, and learn all her empanada secrets. We made 2 different types - one with beef, olives, egg, and raisins and one with sweet corn called “humita” (my favorite). Both types are classic Northern Argentina dishes. We even made the dough from scratch (see my lovely friend Kate’s kneading skills below). Once all our fillings were cooked and chilling in the fridge, Teresita taught us how to roll out the dough, fill the tiny empanada pockets, and close them with 2 different techniques that make 2 really beautiful designs. Then we baked a few of each and fried a few of each in sunflower oil. For the fried ones, Teresita sprinkled a bit of sugar on top and it was like eating a little piece of heaven. She also served some delicious white wine called Torrontes—which was the only white wine I drank in this red wine-centric country. I took copious notes, but I really wish my kitchen was a bit bigger and my oven a LOT bigger so I could make these for all my friends. Still, I’m going to try! It’s going to be hard since everything we learned was in the metric system, oy!

Say “I Love You” With Food

There’s just something about that heart-shaped spaghetti that I absolutely adore. I saw these photos on Black*Eiffel, and fell in love. If you’re looking for more cute and clever ways to Valentine-up your dinner, check out the book Valentine Treats.

New Spanish Wine Bar in East Village

I have a thing for Spanish wine—that’s probably because it’s the only wine that I really know anything about. After traveling there a few times, I know what I like. But when it comes to Italian or French wines, I swear it’s another language. So I’m really happy to read in the NY Times that there’s a new Spanish wine bar in the E. Village.

PATA NEGRA Rafael Mateo has carved out a niche of Spain with his East Village wine bar, which opens on Friday: 345 East 12th Street, (212) 228-1696.

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Valentines Day Plans?

V-day in NYC is rough—you need to call weeks ahead to make reservations anywhere good, and most places have a prix-fix that is too pricey for my budget. So this year J and I decided that we’re going to cook at home and splurge on special ingredients—probably 2 lobsters (if we can scrounge up one of those giant pots to boil in), maybe some oysters, and the bottle of wine that I brought home from one of my favorite wineries that I visited in Mendoza, Argentina.

So, what are your romantic plans? If you haven’t scheduled anything yet, check out Grub Street’s Guide to Valentines Day—they’ve got a rundown of restaurants owned by couples, with recipes for their romantic dishes; picks for the best chocolatiers, wine stores, and dessert spots; and even a few things not directly related to food.

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