Dinner with Mom
My mother came to town last week so, of course, I had to spoil her with amazing food. In a city like NY, this turned out to be extremely easy. We ate so darn well the past 5 days, I was terribly disappointed to go back to cafeteria lunch this afternoon. Some of the places we dined at were Counter, Atlantic Grill, Spice, Nizza, Le Pain Quotidien...heck, even the cafeteria at The Met and the free cosmos at the nail salon were good!
A few notes on our NYC expedition-Counter, an organic vegetarian restaurant, has baller desserts. Mom and I enjoyed their Lemon Thyme Semolina Cake with Candied Rhubarb and Rhubarb Reduction, as well as a classic cookie plate, both of which were delicious. Their savory dishes had muddled flavors or were often lacking seasoning, but the menu was overall inventive. Atlantic Grill, we discovered, has a superb brunch and equally delicious desserts. Their service was knowledgeable and attentive, the price was comparable, and the drinks were included! What more can a girl as for? Lastly, Dashing Divas is a nail salon in NYC that has Girl's Night Out on Thursday and Friday nights. Pedicures are a bit expensive, 75$ or so, but the salon is very clean, Cosmopolitans are included, and you leave feeling totally pampered. Loved it!
I did get a chance to make mom dinner the first night, however. We were hungry and in a bit of a hurry, so I forgot to take pictures (poop!), but the meal was light and fresh. We dined on Braised Baby Artichokes and Carrots, Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes, and Honey Ricotta Crostini, as well as those delicious Lavender Cookies for dessert (recipe already posted). She loved it! The recipes were quite simple-check 'em out!
Braised Baby Artichokes and Carrots: Yields 3-4 Servings
2 Tbsp butter
1 bunch of carrots with greens (trim greens leaving 1/4-inch of stem and slice the carrots on a bias about 1/2-inch thick)
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
12 baby artichokes (tough outer leaves removed, stem peeled, top third cut off, and sliced in half) soaked in water with the juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup white wine
1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and crushed red pepper flake. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Add artichokes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add honey and wine, cover the pan, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add a little more wine if the veggies start to stick. Readjust seasonings if necessary.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes: Yields 4 Servings
6 oz goat cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1 Tbsp chopped drained capers
salt and pepper, to taste
4 small tomatoes, tops trimmed off and insides scooped out
1 Tbsp bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Mix together goat cheese, oregano, chives, capers, salt and pepper. Evenly divide the mixture among the 4 tomatoes. Top with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.
3. Bake for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Broil for 1-2 minutes, if desired, or until golden brown.
Honey Ricotta Crostini: Yields 4 Servings
1/2 small baguette, sliced on a bias into 8 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt
1 cup ricotta cheese (preferably fresh goat ricotta!!)
zest of 1 orange
3 Tbsp honey
freshly cracked black pepper
1. Lightly brush crostini with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Toast in the oven until lightly golden, but not too crunchy.
2. Meanwhile, mix together ricotta, orange zest, and salt to taste.
3. Top each crostini with 1 Tbsp of the ricotta mixture. Drizzle each with about 1 tsp honey and a sprinkle of black pepper.
These were recipes that even my loving (but not culinarily advanced) mother could help out with! Hope you enjoy them. For dinner this week, I am actually going to be making seafood (gasp!). I haven't made salmon in quite a while and seem to have a hankering for it. I'll let you know how it goes!
A few notes on our NYC expedition-Counter, an organic vegetarian restaurant, has baller desserts. Mom and I enjoyed their Lemon Thyme Semolina Cake with Candied Rhubarb and Rhubarb Reduction, as well as a classic cookie plate, both of which were delicious. Their savory dishes had muddled flavors or were often lacking seasoning, but the menu was overall inventive. Atlantic Grill, we discovered, has a superb brunch and equally delicious desserts. Their service was knowledgeable and attentive, the price was comparable, and the drinks were included! What more can a girl as for? Lastly, Dashing Divas is a nail salon in NYC that has Girl's Night Out on Thursday and Friday nights. Pedicures are a bit expensive, 75$ or so, but the salon is very clean, Cosmopolitans are included, and you leave feeling totally pampered. Loved it!I did get a chance to make mom dinner the first night, however. We were hungry and in a bit of a hurry, so I forgot to take pictures (poop!), but the meal was light and fresh. We dined on Braised Baby Artichokes and Carrots, Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes, and Honey Ricotta Crostini, as well as those delicious Lavender Cookies for dessert (recipe already posted). She loved it! The recipes were quite simple-check 'em out!
Braised Baby Artichokes and Carrots: Yields 3-4 Servings2 Tbsp butter
1 bunch of carrots with greens (trim greens leaving 1/4-inch of stem and slice the carrots on a bias about 1/2-inch thick)
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
12 baby artichokes (tough outer leaves removed, stem peeled, top third cut off, and sliced in half) soaked in water with the juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup white wine
1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and crushed red pepper flake. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Add artichokes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add honey and wine, cover the pan, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add a little more wine if the veggies start to stick. Readjust seasonings if necessary.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes: Yields 4 Servings
6 oz goat cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1 Tbsp chopped drained capers
salt and pepper, to taste
4 small tomatoes, tops trimmed off and insides scooped out
1 Tbsp bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Mix together goat cheese, oregano, chives, capers, salt and pepper. Evenly divide the mixture among the 4 tomatoes. Top with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.
3. Bake for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Broil for 1-2 minutes, if desired, or until golden brown.
Honey Ricotta Crostini: Yields 4 Servings
1/2 small baguette, sliced on a bias into 8 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt
1 cup ricotta cheese (preferably fresh goat ricotta!!)
zest of 1 orange
3 Tbsp honey
freshly cracked black pepper
1. Lightly brush crostini with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Toast in the oven until lightly golden, but not too crunchy.
2. Meanwhile, mix together ricotta, orange zest, and salt to taste.
3. Top each crostini with 1 Tbsp of the ricotta mixture. Drizzle each with about 1 tsp honey and a sprinkle of black pepper.
These were recipes that even my loving (but not culinarily advanced) mother could help out with! Hope you enjoy them. For dinner this week, I am actually going to be making seafood (gasp!). I haven't made salmon in quite a while and seem to have a hankering for it. I'll let you know how it goes!
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