New York City is an extraordinary place.  To quote Jay-Z, it’s the “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do in New York.  The streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you.”

I have yet to find a City that compares.  Manhattan is an island of contradiction, a city of diversity, a place where ambition is the driving force.  Where creativity and commerce intersect and art and business team up.

It was New York that encouraged me to open my mind.  To embrace challenges that, to most, seemed impossible and to take on life with fearless enthusiasm.

In New York, you work hard and play hard, and on those special occasions when, amid your eight million neighbors, you find a solitude that allows your mind to quiet and prompts your body to breathe in the City’s dynamic inspiration, there’s no better place to be.

Perhaps the best thing about New York is its staggeringly eclectic mosaic of cultures and realities that allows each person to design their own personal town within the chaos of the colorful metropolis.

This is the first of a series of posts where I gush about the places that make up my New York and turn the concrete jungle into a warm and friendly home.  With a growling tummy and overactive taste buds I’ll begin the series with my favorite scrumptious eateries.  Bon Appetit!

EATERIES

‘Ino – True to it’s name, this is an itty bitty wine bar that serves delicious antipasti and panini.

Westville – The smallest spot with the biggest organic veggie menu.  Their hotdogs are good too.

Da Andrea – Good home-cooked Italian food.  Though it sounds like a terrible contradiction, my favorite server, Atilla, makes every dinner warm and friendly.

Aki on West 4th – If you like bold, creative sushi and you’re lucky enough to score one of their 14 seats, you must dine with Chef Nakanishi.  To all you sea urchin fans, the Uni Coco will change your life.

Le Singe Vert – For an authentic and casual French dining experience (without the French attitude), it’s all about The Green Monkey.

August – The wood burning oven, cork ceiling, and indoor atrium make this spot as cozy as any can be.  Dinner is great, but starting your weekend with their baked pancake in a cast iron pot is a must do.

The Spotted Pig – I can go on and on about my favorite West Village gastropub, but I can already taste my favorite dishes and it’s making me hungry so I’ll just say this.  Go there, order the Roquefort Burger or Ricotta Gnudi or Cuban Sandwich or Pork Belly and be sure not to skip on the fresh veg.  Don’t be afraid of their crispy pig ears and special awful concoctions they’re definitely worth a try.

Grey Dog’s – Tasty sandwiches on the most amazing freshly baked bread.

Freemans – Hidden at the end of an ally, decorated with taxidermy, and bustling with happy diners.  This unusual restaurant serves up traditional home-style food.  Start with the Grilled Cheddar Toast and your taste buds will thank you.

9 Chatham Square – Dim Sum baby.  In the heart of Chinatown, this is an unusual Chinese restaurant in that it’s more like a diner than a ballroom.  Everything is yummy, but be sure to end your meal with a coconut pastry fresh from the oven.

Joseph Leonard – A new restaurant in one of my favorite spaces now serving up seasonal dishes and giving American fare an unusual twist.

Café Habana – For some high energy Latin flavor this place can’t be beat.  Start with the grilled corn and work your way through their well edited Latin cocktail list.

La Bonbonniere – When you leave this historic greasy-spoon you’ll probably take the scent of the smoky grill with you, but it’s well worth it.  A traditional family run NYC diner serving cheap, simple, food.  I suggest ordering a stack of blueberry pancakes for the table and designing your own omelet.

Cafe Edison – For me, this is the best matzo ball soup in NYC.  It doesn’t hurt that the restaurant is located in the historic art deco Hotel Edison and the ceiling is like a dreamy cloud of ornate moldings.

Mary’s Fish Camp – For fresh, no fuss, fantastic fish, Mary serves up the best.

The Standard Grill – At the base of the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District, nestled under the High Line Park is this cool restaurant and beer garden.  The place is large enough to feature three areas with different ambiances so even the fussiest group will be satisfied.

I’ll keep it short and sweet (well actually, hearty and nutty).  This Roasted Asparagus soup is easy to make, delicious to eat, and healthy to boot.  So, for a warm and filling meal – get your asparagus on!

INGREDIENTS (makes 8 servings)

For the Soup:
5 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces (14 to 15 cups)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only (about 4 large)
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
Tip:  To save a step, I simply break the asparagus stalks into smaller pieces after I snap off the ends.

For the Gremolata:
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
salt to taste

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PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Combine asparagus, leeks, and oil in very large bowl; toss to blend. Divide between 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast vegetables until asparagus pieces are soft and leeks are golden, stirring occasionally (about 45 minutes); cool on sheets.
• Spoon 1/3 of vegetables into blender; add 2 cups broth. Blend until smooth. Transfer to large pot. Repeat 2 more times, using half of remaining vegetables and 2 cups broth for each batch.
• Warm soup over medium heat, slowly thinning with more broth if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix gremolata ingredients in a small bowl: parsley, lemon peel and garlic
• Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle generously with gremolata and serve.

Tips: The soup can be made 1 day ahead and rewarmed before serving. Though it is a meal in itself, I like to serve it with garlic bread.  And, for an even heartier meal, it pairs wonderfully with grilled Italian sausage and meaty fish.

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GREMOLATA ALTERNATIVES – to suit your personal taste

Tarragon Surprise Gremolata (The one I prefer with this soup for that special licorice flavor)
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1 garlic clove, minced

Breadcrumb & Shallot Gremolata
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add minced shallot; sauté until beginning to brown (about 2 minutes).
Add breadcrumbs; toast until golden, stirring frequently (about 3 minutes).
Transfer mixture to small bowl. Mix in lemon zest.

Cilantro & Parmesan Gremolata
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Finely grated zest of Lime
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan Cheese

I hope y’all were able to tune into Top Chef last night to see their Western Adventure go down in all it’s glory at our very own Sandy Valley Ranch.  I think it was quite a successful episode (certainly it was memorable) and we all had a great time being a part of it.

For those of you who missed it, here are a few stills from the show.  I guess Matthew isn’t the only kid in the family who can call himself a T.V. star now.

I’ve been biting my cheek trying not to spill the proverbial beans about the episode before it aired in fear of being hanged.  A tough task for a chatty gal like myself.  So, with huge relief, and a clear conscious, I can finally reveal a few behind-the-scenes tidbits of our experience with Top Chef.

The Production Team – is amazing!  My mom and I were completely impressed with their professionalism, clear direction, relentless energy and overall awesomeness.  Literally a hundred people comprised of producers, assistants, assistants of assistants, grips, craft services, stylists and photographers descended upon the Ranch the day before the challenge to make our rustic location camera-ready.  It seemed as though there were busy little elves everywhere.  They came, they conquered and they left the place in the same condition as they found it.

The Rooster – We were requested to cage and relocate a rooster from the ranch property to the campsite so the cameras could get that iconic shot of the chefs being awakened by the sound of crowing.  We did as we were asked but somehow, once the production team got to the location, the rooster got out of the cage.  Now, I wasn’t around to see it first hand but onlookers were eager to recount the happenings.  As with most cowboy stories, the tale gets taller with every telling, so here are the facts, as straight as I can tell them.  The rooster “escapes”.  A frantic chase went down.  People are flailing about trying to outsmart the bird.  A brilliant human throws a blanket onto the rooster.  A struggle ensues, feathers go flying, and the rooster kicks the bucket.  Though no one is admitting to the murder, my sleuthing narrows the culprit down to one of two people.  An experienced ranch-hand who relocated the bird originally and cares for all our animals on the property, and a production guy from Los Angeles.  Only the rooster will know the real truth, but I did make everyone promise that rooster wouldn’t be served the next day.

The Chefs – The way they were protected from the madness of preparation and encouraged to stay on task, you never would have known they were even on property.  I did walk into a round-table meeting they were having at the ranch house, but they were herded in and out with no time for dilly-dallying.  I never spoke to a single chef until the moment they passed me their, now infamous, plate of sandy ceviche.  I’m happy to report that the contestants do all their own cooking without the help of any prep chefs or food stylists.  The competition is real, fair and completely as we see on T.V.

The “Cowboy” Guests – When Tom recapped the challenge at the judges table in the last scene, he made the diners out to be Tim Love’s invited friends.  Ashley was quoted as saying the “The ranchers are a motley crew. They’ve probably been cowboys their entire lives.  And, they’ve been growing their beards since they were 14″.  The truth?  Besides a few of our staff who are the real deal, the guests were all our friends.  None of them have ever been ranchers and most of them have only been horseback riding at our ranch with the supervision of our genuine cowboys.  They hail from New York, D.C., Las Vegas and Los Angeles.  By trade they are artists, designers, attorneys, lobbyists and pilots.  I have to admit that I was sort of worried that they couldn’t pull off the part of “cowboy” but I’m relieved that they were able to so easily trick the contestants – no “movie magic” needed.

Craft Services – If the craft service chefs had competed in the challenge instead of the Top Chefs, it would have been a delicious competition.  These people really know how to prepare a diverse spread that’s hearty and ranch appropriate.

Heat – The chefs don’t exaggerate.  It was literally 112 freakin’ degrees the day of the challenge.  The traditional metal chuck-wagon plates provided by the show were burning our hands and melting the food.  No one could get enough shade or water to be even a little bit comfortable.  Everyone was dripping sweat and trying to put on a pretty face.

Wind – The night before the challenge, while the contestants were camping in their cute little teepees, a violent wind storm hit.  I was inside our house playing pool, totally protected from the weather, and I kept expecting for the chefs to bang down the door looking for relief from the elements.  They didn’t, and I was impressed.  Truly, no one would have wanted to camp in that storm.  Much less fancy-pants City chefs.

Tom – is super hot – literally and figuratively.  I’ve always known he’s a good looking man but in person he’s beautiful, in a manly way of course.  Perfectly styled, perfectly friendly and perfectly gracious.  Most impressive was when he refused an umbrella for shade and swatted make-up away every time they tried to powder his sweaty brow.

Padma – Was sweet.  She had her make-up team at her beck and call, probably out of the very real fear that her face might actually melt off.  I’ve been around T.V. shows before but rarely have I seen make-up caked on like that.  Better safe than sorry I suppose, and she does come across as picture perfect on T.V.

Gail – I’m pretty sure she was courteous enough to say “hello” when we were introduced but I can’t say for sure.  I have no idea what her stylists was thinking by putting her in wedges in the sandy desert.  I guess she needs more height when standing next to Padma?  Anyway, she negotiated the terrain without incident and all was well.

Tim Love – Such a gentleman.  He’s welcome at the ranch any time.

Silly Stuff – Robin recommended that I blend my iced tea with lemonade, creating an Arnold Palmer.  Refreshing.  Someone asked Tom if Ashley was a guy or a girl.  Ron’s mojito really wasn’t that bad.  One, or maybe both, of the Voltaggio brothers was moody and very off-putting.  I didn’t know that the cup in the middle of Mattin’s plate was a margarita and I dipped the disgusting ceviche in it.

Top Chef's Western Adventure

Well howdy y’all!  I just wanted to let you in on the top secret location for this week’s episode of Top Chef.  Drum roll (er, cow bell) please…it’s no other than our very own Sandy Valley Ranch (a.k.a La Sonrisa).  Be sure to tune in Wednesday, September 16th at 10/9c on the Bravo Network to watch what happened when our cowboys welcomed the remaining Top Chefs to our fabulously rustic ranch.  Let’s just say, some chefs don’t know the meaning of “cowboy up“.

I’ve been sworn to secrecy and under penalty of hanging can’t let too much of the behind the scenes gossip leak out, but I can say this – I’m sure our episode will be one to remember.  Put twelve City chefs to work in the middle of the desert over an open fire pit in 112 degree heat.  Add dusty desert wind and a pack of coyotes circling the campsite throughout the night, and it’s sure to make for some good T.V.

Being a food competition, the real story here is how our rough ridin’ challenges impacted the creativity and flavors of the plates served by this season’s most talented chefs.  Though I’m salivating to tell you, you’ll have to watch the show to find out.

Of course I’m having my own viewing party and inviting some of our friends who were able to join as tasters for the big event.  I had thought about serving ceviche and tuna steak sandwiches but figured that those dishes were a better fit for the Big City.  So, out of respect for the western theme of the episode, and as an homage to the Top Chef production team that proved they have large enough Cohones to pull off a complicated and elaborate show, I’ll be serving a more appropriate meal of blue cheese burgers and pollo asado.  And of course, we’ll be toasting everyone involved with a Michelada (or three).

Please understand.  I really love food.  Any ethnic menu will do.  I eat Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine at least four times a week, but having lived in France, I always appreciate a nice triple cream cheese, plump pate, and fermented grape goodness.  On a cold winter’s day nothing’s better than saag paneer and chana masala or maybe, a juicy blue cheese burger with rosemary garlic fries.

I obviously don’t think of myself as a health nut, but I do respect my body and like to practice eating in moderation (most of the time).  But, when some people I love recently went through treatment for cancer, I wanted to take more control of my own health and began looking at food as it was originally intended.  As nutrition and fuel.

After reading my fair share of medical, holistic, and off the charts coo-coo literature looking for answers, I came to this revelation. If we consume foods rich in nutrients and we choose natural foods that our body innately knows how to process, it works far less to process those foods so it can spend more time healing itself and fending off disease.

Ok.  I can hear how seriously “granola” I sound right now, so – from one foodie to another, let me just share with you a most unexpected and delicious recipe for a refreshing drink that’s full of all the goodness our bodies are hungry for.  I love to start the day with this yummy elixir, and it also makes for an energizing mid-afternoon treat.    I bring you…

pretty Green Lemade moustache

Green Lemonade
In your juicer, add the following:
2 leaves kale
2 stalks celery
2 medium lemons
1 large cucumber
1 large apple
1″ ginger
Stevia for added sweetness if desired
Pour over ice and enjoy!

Note:  If you don’t own your own juicer, simply take this recipe to your nearest Whole Foods or local juicing counter and have them make it for you!

Looking for a good juicer to invest in?  Check out my favorites below!

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Omega Juicer

Breville Juicer

Juicers I like:
Omega J8005 Nutrition Center Single-Gear Commercial Masticating Juicer, Chrome and Black
Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

I’m one lucky kaikamahine (Hawaiian for “girl”).  My bags are packed and I’m off to Hawaii for our annual family furlough.  I can already smell the plumeria and orchids, I can taste the fresh ahi poke, and I can feel the warmth of the aloha embrace.

The islands have become a friend of sorts, always dependable for a healthy dose of adventure, relaxation, inspiration, and plenty of hearty belly laughs shared with family.  With extraordinary natural set design and a uniquely kitschy soundtrack, I find myself cast as the leading lady in my own tropical fantasy feature.

As you can imagine, I’ve collected thousands of photos, videos, and memories over the years, and the idea of editing them down to something that others might find interesting is a gigantic task.  So, I’ve simply embraced my stream of consciousness and included some random goodies that speak to my Hawaiian experience.

My favorite island foods: coconut, tropical fruit, shaved ice with red beans and mochi, ahi poke, Maui Tacos, traditional plate lunch, Puka Dog, spam sushi, banana mac nut pancakes, malassadas