My Not So Secret Obsession with the Food Network

So there it is. I’m putting it on the table for everyone to see. I love/live for the Food Network. From the comforting home of Ina Garten (that I envision living in and cooking for my future husband) or the intense throwdowns between Bobby Flay and his unknown conquest to Michael Chiarello’s laid-back dinner parties in the gorgeous Napa Valley or the rigorous battles between the best-of-the-best on Iron Chef, I just can't get enough. In fact, part of my Saturday morning routine is a good cup of homemade coffee, the Sunday Styles, and Jaime Oliver’s garden. The most ironic part of all? My oven is currently used as extra storage room for my embarrassing amount of handbags. More of my obsession to come…

-awill

The Weekend Dish

This is The Weekend Dish, a weekly Friday post that provides you with weekend meal suggestions. Share your weekend picks with us.

Friday Dinner: Salmon tartar with fresh herbs and steak frites at Felix (340 Broadway at Grand St.).

Saturday Lunch: Mussels with cava and chorizo and patatas bravas at Casa Mono (52 Irving Place between 17th and 18th St.).

Saturday Dinner: Beef carpaccio with baby arugula, parmesan and truffle oil, and grilled branzino with lemon, thyme, and rosemary at Fig & Olive (808 Lexington Ave between 62nd and 63rd St.).

Sunday Brunch: One pumpkin, one pistachio, one powered maple sugar donuts at Doughnut Plant (379 Grand St. between Essex and Norfolk St.).

Sunday Dinner: Pancetta, onions, and olives pizza from Lombardi's (delivery Soho, Tribecca, Greenwich Village, East Village)

Do You Have What It Takes!

Bravo has announced that they are casting for the Fifth Season of Top Chef. Are you a foul mouthed amateur chef, an aspiring gastrome, worked the fryolater at your college wing joint and think you have what it takes to be one of the cheftestants? If so, click the link below for casting call locations, times, and applications.

http://www.bravotv.com/Casting/top_chef/index.php

The Weekend Dish

This is The Weekend Dish, a weekly Friday post that provides you with weekend meal suggestions. Share your weekend picks with us.

Friday Dinner: Insalata polpi (octopus and potato salad) and Lasangna Treviso with smoked mozzarella and radicchio at Bacaro (136 Division St near Ludlow St.).

Saturday Lunch: Crispy blue corn calamari and a Herradura margarita at Cilantro (1321 1st Ave at 71st., 1712 2nd Ave at 88th St., 485 Columbus Ave. at 83rd St.).

Saturday Dinner: Matzah ball soup and brisket at your Moms house (wherever home is).

Sunday Brunch: Matzah brie at EJ's Luncheonette (1271 3rd Ave between 73rd and 74th St. and 447 Amsterdam Ave at 79th St.).

Sunday Dinner: Sugarcane marinated beef salad and chicken cashew nut with onion, broccoli, green peppers and chili paste at Spice (Delivery East & West Village)

Your Moring Pastry Done Right

The scene inside Patisserie Claude every morning is a generous mix of French expats and locals who flock to this West Village institution for their delectable offerings of French breakfast pastries. Mousier Claude who has owned and run the bakery for the last 15 years has the appearance of a grumpy man, but he turns out some of the most delicious croissants, brioches, and quiches in this downtown neighborhood. All of the goods are baked fresh daily and are piping hot when the store opens at 7:00 am. If you want to secure yourself one of the four small round tables, a $2.00 minimum is required. With all its offerings, our favorite pastry in the shop is the croissants.
The croissants are warm, flaky, buttery, and crisp on the outside and continue to be warm, moist, and soft on the inside. When the croissants are fresh you can sit there and peal away each flaky layer off the other and see the true craftsmanship that goes into each one.

Patisserie Claude is located at 187 W. 4th St. between Barrow and Jones St.

The Weekend Dish

This is The Weekend Dish, a weekly Friday post that provides you with weekend meal suggestions. Share your weekend picks with us.

Friday Dinner: Chile Rellenos (lightly egg battered roasted pablano pepper stuffed with cheese) and carnitas (shredded pork slowly cooked in a citrus marinade) at Mexican Radio (19 Cleveland Pl. between Spring and Kenmare St.).

Saturday Lunch: Spaghetti Limone (spaghetti with lemon, butter and parmigiano reggiano) at Lil' Frankies (19 1St Ave near 1st St.).

Saturday Dinner: Sauteed baby bok choy and gari's sushi omakase at Gari (370 Columbus Ave between 77th and 78th St.).

Sunday Brunch: Fried oyster omelette with remoulade sauce at Prune (54 East 1st St. between 1st and 2nd ave.).

Sunday Dinner: Meat samosa and Chicken tikka at Curry In A Hurry (Delivery Murray Hill and Gramercy, 212-683-0900).

An Ode to Ko

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

According to Ko

There is no room for you!

This is The Weekend Dish, a weekly Friday post that provides you with weekend meal suggestions. Share your weekend picks with us.

Friday Dinner: Aji tataki (chopped horse mackeral with ginger and scallion) and Shabu-Shabu (thinly sliced marinated japanese rib eye) cooked table side at Hasaki (210 East 9th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave.).

Saturday Lunch: Uni (sea urchin) panini at El Quinto Pino (401 W. 24th St. between 9th and 10th Ave).

Saturday Dinner: Pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas, fried pigs feet with pickled cauliflower, and brussel sprouts a la plancha at Casa Mono (52 Irving Place between 17th and 18th St.).

Sunday Brunch: Churros with mexican hot chocolate and roasted tomato and eggs with soft polenta and parmesan at Five Points (31 Great Jones St. between Bowery and Lafayette St.).

Sunday Dinner: Tomato soup, grilled cheese, and french fries from Nectars Cafe (Delivery, Upper East Side).

Bryant Park Area Eats

High
DB Bistro Moderne (55 West 44th Street, 212-391-2400)
An upscale and modern eatery with a chic Manhattan vibe is the best way to describe Daniel Boulud’s French-American restaurant. Best known for their foie-gras burger, we actually prefer some of the lighter fare (although they will split up the burger four ways so it’s worth a try), such as the Lobster Salad with fragrant pesto dressing (a match made in heaven) or the unfussy but flavorful Roasted Halibut. Simply put, a meal at DB Bistro is a great, relaxing break from a hectic workday – especially if you can add a glass of dry Chardonnay.

Middle
Salmon River (3 East 40th Street, 212-481-7887)
Besides a few notable dishes, the real specialty here is fresh and tasty fish. Salmon River is a great place to stop in for a round of delicious appetizers (Asian fish dumplings, firecracker salmon rolls, and classic crab cakes) and after-work drinks with friends and equally great for a casual business lunch. The serene atmosphere is a great backdrop for well-portioned meals at reasonable prices. Spot-hitting must-haves include:
-Salmon River Clam Chowder (creamy, but never too heavy)
-Sesame Crusted Yellowfin Tuna Big Salad (crisp and certainly big enough for one filling meal)
-Cedar Flanked Salmon (a light maple glazed gives this smoky wood-cooked fish just a hint of sweet)
-Pan Roasted Salmon (classically seared for that perfect crisp finish, served with a side of rich scallion whipped potatoes)

Low:
Dishes (6 East 45th Street, 212-687-5511 (midtown location))
This upscale cafeteria has a myriad of options for its hungry midday clientele. The superior quality of food and a noticeably clean atmosphere makes up for the dizzying amount of people, choices, and lines to make your way through. Whether you’re in the mood for a comforting bowl of soup (at least 8 daily specials that change daily), a mouth-watering warm Panini, or just a light roll of sushi, you’ll definitely find something to suit your ravenous stomach during lunchtime.

--Diet Diva--

Dinosaur BBQ

In late 2004, Dinosaur BBQ, a honky tonk biker rib joint, based in Syracuse, NY, graced our city by opening up a third outpost in Manhattan. Being an Orangeman myself, I am particularly fond of this blues-playing spot which serves up some of the most succulent BBQ in the city. We're not ones to claim that a particular dish ranks as the best in the city, but today my friends we are making that statement; Dinosaur does in fact have the greatest chicken wings in the big apple: good enough to be included in The Last Supper. Don't be alarmed if your waitress is missing one of her front teeth or has more ink on her than the folks at the tattoo shops lining 6th Ave. Other recommended dishes from the Bellybusters boys include the peel-and-eat shrimp, pulled pork, pork ribs, catfish strips, and the Texas beef brisket. For sides, the fries, baked beans, and mac-and-cheese are all crazy delicious.

Outfitted with three smokers, Dinosaur can cook 2,400 pounds of meet at one time. They use whatever wood is available, preferably Hickory or Cherry wood to give the meat its reputably smoky flavor and its pink-ringed hue. According to BBQ experts around the country, this shows the true craftsmanship and excellence of the cue over at Dinosaur.

Despite being located out of the way even for someone in Harlem (it is located on 131st St. and nearly the Hudson river) I still find myslef craving those savory wings and a pulled pork sandwich and thus trekking up there from the west village about once every two months.