cantina royale

cantina royale

cantina royale is definitely spicing things up in north williamsburg! the mexican inspired scratch-made food is fresh, delicious and definitely carries a serious bite.  i was lucky enough to dine in a group of twelve so i tried about everything on the menu.  you've got to start with the salsa sampler though.  oddly enough, there were no tomatoes in sight.  the salsas ranged from mild to crazy hot and each had its own signature ingredient that further infused the flavor.  the tumbada was also noteworthy.  you can't really go wrong with creamy, savory rice when topped with meaty mussels, crab legs and tender calamari.  keep an eye out for the chef / owner as well (he's very cute, personable and doesn't look a day over 22).  you'll know him when you see him and if you're lucky, he'll toss your table a few samples of his favorite tequilla. 

the cuisine at cantina royale is expressive and bold. you'll notice a similar theme in the ambiance of the space.  they somehow manage to pull off industrial chic and still make you feel warm and cozy (or maybe that was the free-pour margarita speaking?). the breathtaking chandelier also helps set the tone when you walk in.  wear heals, wear gym shoes; anything's appropriate.  but come with a big appetite and get ready to indulge in a serious flavor experience. 

http://cantinaroyal.com/

salmon flats w/ panzanella salad & warm butter peas

salmon flats w/ panzanella salad & warm butter peas

yes, 'salmon flat,' is a fancy term for a salmon cake, or a salmon patty.  these are a little heartier, however, and are full of flaky, tender roasted salmon. the flats can be made ahead, formed and refrigerated until just before ready to cook up and serve.
there are (3) recipes in this post.  they compliment one another because you'll notice chopped ginger, lemon and fresh herbs run throughout.  a friend of ours sent us an italian bottle of botasea rose which seemed like a good fit to serve alongside this meal.  the wine had a refreshing and lively acidity leading to a palate-pleasing silky texture, notes of summertime watermelon, rhubarb and fresh raspberry, along with a hint of pluot ( i most definitely did not formulate the description of that wine but do completely agree with the assessment : ).

cafe mogador

cage mogador

succulant moroccan cuisine has made its way to williamsburg!  cafe mogador has a warm, welcoming ambiance and an enclosed outdoor seating area that let's you enjoy dinner under the stars. 

upon entering the restaurant, you can smell the allspice, dill and plethra of other exotic spices.  we started with the halumi cheese appetizer pictured above. the briny, bright flavor of the cheese, paired with the roasted tomato, pepper and pearl onion skewer was a perfect introduction.  for our entree, we split a chicken cous cous and mixed grill platter.  the cous cous was fluffy and filled with plump raisins, tender vegetables and roasted chickpeas.  the marinated grilled meat skewers were grilled over a coal fire and served with more vegatables and basmati rice.  the compliments were a huge bonus too; there was a small side of a spicy, minced grainy type dipping sauce, a cucumber yogurt sauce and a tabouli salad. 

keep this place in mind if you're being health conscious as well.  the menu had plenty of waist friendly options.  good find, we'll definitely be back (and they deliver!)~

had to add another paragraph to this post tonight, my girlfriends and i stopped in for brunch this afternoon.  the service was a little slow but understandably so, it was packed.  it took us longer to get our mimosas and bloody mary's than our entrees but when they turned up, we were all smiles.  the food was spot on, seems like there are just a few kinks to work out behind the bar.  i'll definitley be back for brunch though, mogador was buzzing with fresh young faces and they have something to offer no matter what you're in the mood for.

brunch, lunch or dinner, i'd say cafe mogador's been a cool and delicious addition to the neighborhood~








http://www.cafemogador.com/menu.htm

thru the garden pizza

thru the garden pizza

we all love a good slice but don't always like the way it makes us feel afterwards.  this recipe uses just enough parmigiano-reggiano to round out the flavors of the pie sans the grease and calories of a typical slice served with shredded mozzarella.

prep: 20 minutes
bake time: 40 minutes to roast the vegetables + 20 minutes to cook the pie
ingredients:

• 1 thawed whole wheat pizza crust
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 lb. grape tomatoes (1 carton full)
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets (i like to keep mine big and chunky)
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, quartered
• pinch of granulated garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt + pepper to taste

peter pan bakery


peter pan donut & pasty shop

hallelujah, it's sunday! you know what that means...  calories don't count : )  if you're in the greenpoint area, i highly recommend you drop into peter pan donut & pastry shop.  this small, polish bakery is cranking out fresh donuts, breads and even has a small cafe at the back.  the donuts are light, moist and delicately crispy around the edges.  sooo delicious!  and affordable.  we had a chocolate cake donut, bacon egg and cheese on a roll and two coffees for $6.90.  yes, we managed to do brunch for under $10.  and the donut was truly the best i'd ever had-

http://www.nytimes.com/restaurants/1248069042884/peter-pan-donut-and-pastry-shop/details.html

veggie parmesan bake

veggie parmesan bake

you'll love this delicious pasta bake full of flavorful vegetables and broad egg noodles.  it's not exactly super food but it's a much healthier alternative to my typical home baked mac & cheese! it's loaded with green spinach and the carbs are cut in half by substituting crunchy cauliflower for half of the pasta.

blue bottle roastery

blue bottle roastery








































looking for a great cup of coffee?  head over to berry street between n3rd and n4th and hop on line at blue bottle roastery. they roast coffee in house on vintage gear, put it in compostable bags, and still manage to bring it to your cup within 48 hours. it takes a little longer but the wait for a cup of fresh drip is well worth it. 

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/

wicked pudding shots

wicked pudding shots

























not that this recipe is from boston...  it's actually from a dear friend of mine in ohio.  these pudding shots are wicked because they're choc full of delicious, creamy, booze.  you can be proper and serve them with mini spoons, or you can just toss them to your friends and watch them shoot them like they're back in college.  either way, these shots taste like the most delicious, grown up version of a wendy's frosty you've ever had!

prep time: 20 mins
ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup kahlua
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 package small instant chocolate pudding
• 1 tub cool whip
• 40 1 oz plastic shot glass cups w/ lids
• chocolate syrup

toss all ingredients into a stand-up mixer and blend until there are no more lumps (scrape the sides every now and then), or mix by hand with a whisk until nice and creamy.  line small jelly roll pan with 40 or 50 cups.  laddle mixture into a 1 gallon ziplock bag.  snip the end of the bag and distribute mixture evenly to all cups.  top with a small dollop of chocolate syrup.  place lids on top of cups and put in freezer over night. 

enjoy!

homemade pesto spinach salad

homemade pesto, spinach & fresh pea salad

ok, after the 'classic beef stew,' i had to lighten it up a little bit.  here's my interpretation of ina's pesto pea salad.  this salad is perfect to serve alongside a nice roasted chicken, an omelette, or by itself if you're cooking for one : )

prep time: 20 mins
ingredients:

• 5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
• (1) 10 oz package frozen peas, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup homemade pesto (recipe follows)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped, toasted macadamia nuts

classic beef stew

classic beef stew

when it's cold outside and you want to serve a meal that warms you from the inside out, pull out your slow cooker, set it in the morning and settle in for a lazy afternoon with a good book (or, like me, use your freed up afternoon to finish doing laundry and return those emails you forgot to send earlier in the week : )

mercado on kent

pickled sardines w/ plantains

scallops

seafood paella

pain perdu

mercado on kent - absolutely worth a visit
recently some friends and i went to mercado, probably looking more forward to the fresh baked breads than anything. wow, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into! we walked into the stark, modern building and were instantly hit with a satiating aroma coming from the bakery downstairs. it was almost 8pm and they were still cranking out their delicious goods. we sat, had our wine opened (it's b.y.o., for now) and browsed the somewhat limited but delictable looking menu. while we took our time deciding, gorgeous little rolls were sent over. we tasted a traditional sourdough, chocolate chip (would pair marvelously with a latte on a sunday morning), an everything type and a whole wheat option. all were very tasty, especially when dipped in the red pepper / chili oil served on the side. if that weren't enough to whet our appetites, the kitchen then sent out some fried sage and some sort of spicy green pepper, um-hmm.

we decided to start with pickeled sardines. i expected a brackish type dish you'd normally find but these were light and packed with tangy citrus flavor. the sardines were followed up with a warm mushroom salad, mercado's version of fried mozzerella (but much more delicious) and some stuffed peppers. all were mouthwateringly amazing.

for dinner we stuck with the seafood options (good friday friendly). the scallops were caramelized on the top and bottom, then tender and billowy after the first bite. they also had an olive tapenade type puree served along side. mmm, i'm smiling just thinking about it! after that, our seafood paella was full of distinctive saffron flavor and each of the mussels, shrimp, clams and scungilli were cooked to tender perfection.

we ordered a few desserts but the chocoloate pain perdu was the best by far. it was served atop chocolate consume and was complimented with a velvety dollop of cream and a milk chocolate straw. this lavish dish proved a perfect ending.

go... soon!

http://www.facebook.com/mercadoonkent

bright tofu stif-fry

bright tofu stir-fry

don't let the number of ingredients scare you away.  this dish is fast, healthy and scrumptious.  the bright, crisp flavors of the veggies paired with the layered textures of the tofu make for a perfect weeknight entree.  you also won't feel bad for eating that last pint of icecream after something as light as this ; ) 

prep: 20 mins

ingredients:

2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 lemon, juice squeezed

2 tablespoons good olive oil (plus more to cook mushrooms)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 package extra firm tofu

1/2 head purple cabbage, de-cored and sliced thin

1/2 lb sugar snap peas

1 lb white button mushrooms

2 cloves minced garlic

2 large carrots, julienned (or 2 handfuls of pre-packaged skinny baby carrots, once they're thrown in the mix, no one will be able to tell you didn't julienne them yourself!)

little gingerbread men

little gingerbread men

i took on the task of doing the baked goods for my condo building's last holiday party. i loved this recipe because i was able to do a large quantity of smaller sized cookies that could be gobbled up in just a few bites. i loved the earthy, crunchy texture of the cookie paired with the citrusy icing layered in between. adults will love this refreshing spin on a classic holiday favorite-

prep: these boys take a while, makes for a nice weekend activity : )

ingredients:

• 1-1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 1 orange, zested
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup extra for rolling

• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground dry ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1 lemon,juiced

orange frosting, recipe follows

tasty kale chips


baked kale chips

of course i'd love to reach for a bag of fritos every time i get the munchies but i'm not sure my skinny jeans would be very appreciative of that...  i make kale chips when i'm craving something salty and crunchy.  you'll eat these things up-
prep: 5 mins
cook time: 30 mins

ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

pre-heat your oven to 400.  strip leafy greens from stems, wash and spin dry.  spread kale onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne to taste.  let cook until all edges are crispy and some start brown (be sure to flip at least once during cooking).  once cooled, store in plastic sealed bag.