My life would, pardon my language, suck without caprese. Caprese is a salad that consists of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. It sounds simple, but it is difficult to find high quality, sinfully delicious, heart fluttering caprese in America. My ideal caprese includes mozzarella di bufala, san marzano or heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil. I like to add a hint of rock salt to the tomatoes and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. I could literally talk for hours about caprese...as many of you know :).
Lately, I've been reading about different "spins" on this classic Campania dish and thought I would share them with you.
1. Restaurant: Il Matto Dish: Zuppetta di mozzarella di bufala, granita di pomodoro, crostini al
basilico (Warm buffalo mozzarella soup, tomato ice, topped with a basil flavored crostini) Price: 13 Location: NYC
Note: This restaurant opens this summer in Tribeca. For a full menu read this review.
2. Restaurant: Nage Drink: Il Caprese (House-Infused Tomato Vodka, Fresh Basil, Sprinkle of Sea Salt) Location: DC, Delaware
3. Recipe: "A Different Approach to Insalata Caprese" Note: Fascinated with the addition of mint and mint pesto.
Monday, 31 May 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Last Call
Thank you Matt Gross for four wonderful, inspiring, and envious years. He may move on, but his NYT Frugal Traveler blog will be a great resource for my next trip (Shanghai, anyone?). His final post took me down memory lane and made me realize all the wonderful places I have yet to visit!
Monday, 24 May 2010
Chickpeas Chickpeas Checkplease
My affinity for chickpeas blossomed over the years. I can't explain why or how, but I am certainly glad to bring this protein into my life. Below are some of the best falafel lunches around and if you have any suggestions let me know, my lunch plans for tomorrow are TBD.
Roti- A new addition to the DC lunch crowd. I've heard it referred to as the "Mediterranean Chipotle" and I disagree. This is not to say Roti isn't great, it just doesn't leave you overwhelmingly full like Chipotle. The first time I went I made the mistake of ordering the spicy sauce. I love spicy, but this was way too spicy for me. A dollop and I was defeated, finito, caput. I'm convinced there is some form of sriracha in the sauce. Anyway, lets talk about the falafel. I've never had falafel like this before. A bit mushier (I never claimed my blog was scientific!) than others, but I enjoyed the mix of mashed and whole chickpeas. My only complaint is they are too salty. All and all great falafels, decent price, and close to my office. Win, win, win.
Maoz- A rather new addition to DC. A simple menu that focuses on one food...falafel! You can get a pita or salad with falafel and that's pretty much it. The falafel is good, but I've had better. What really keeps me coming back is the unlimited toppings bar. It varies slightly from day to day, but usually offers carrots, beets, olives, tabuli, spicy onoins, coleslaw, and the pièce de résistance tomato and cucumber salad. After I pile high my topping I add a little yogurt/garlic sauce and voila! A must are the sweet potato fries and apple juice (freshly squeezed).
In a perfect world, I would combine the falafel of Roti and the unlimited salad bar of Maoz.
Roti- A new addition to the DC lunch crowd. I've heard it referred to as the "Mediterranean Chipotle" and I disagree. This is not to say Roti isn't great, it just doesn't leave you overwhelmingly full like Chipotle. The first time I went I made the mistake of ordering the spicy sauce. I love spicy, but this was way too spicy for me. A dollop and I was defeated, finito, caput. I'm convinced there is some form of sriracha in the sauce. Anyway, lets talk about the falafel. I've never had falafel like this before. A bit mushier (I never claimed my blog was scientific!) than others, but I enjoyed the mix of mashed and whole chickpeas. My only complaint is they are too salty. All and all great falafels, decent price, and close to my office. Win, win, win.
Maoz- A rather new addition to DC. A simple menu that focuses on one food...falafel! You can get a pita or salad with falafel and that's pretty much it. The falafel is good, but I've had better. What really keeps me coming back is the unlimited toppings bar. It varies slightly from day to day, but usually offers carrots, beets, olives, tabuli, spicy onoins, coleslaw, and the pièce de résistance tomato and cucumber salad. After I pile high my topping I add a little yogurt/garlic sauce and voila! A must are the sweet potato fries and apple juice (freshly squeezed).
In a perfect world, I would combine the falafel of Roti and the unlimited salad bar of Maoz.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
You got to start somewhere...
For the past month, I've debated how I want to start this blog. With so many ideas whirling around my head I decided to start with one of my new favorite places in NYC...Pizzeria 28.
Initially, I thought I read about Pizzeria 28 in the NYT article "In New York Restaurants, the Rise of Rome." However, I confused the restaurant with Numero 28 Pizzeria Romana in SoHo (#26 on my culinary bucket list). Slight mix up, but what a rebound!
Pizzeria 28 is the kind of restaurant I've been looking for in NYC. It has the ability to transport me back to Italy (without the cost of airfare). Apart of me felt like a tourist because everyone around my table spoke Italian and seemed to know each other.
But wait! I've digressed from what I really wanted to discuss. What I can't get out of my head, and what inspired me to start this blog...the patate pizza.
Patate pizza =Ricotta cheese, potatoes, and walnuts. It's simply fantastic. Thinly sliced potatoes and the smoothness of the ricotta juxtaposes perfectly with the crunchy walnuts. An unexpected, but perfect balance. I enjoyed my bruschetta and tiramisu, but I would hold off next time for gelato at GROM around the corner.
Initially, I thought I read about Pizzeria 28 in the NYT article "In New York Restaurants, the Rise of Rome." However, I confused the restaurant with Numero 28 Pizzeria Romana in SoHo (#26 on my culinary bucket list). Slight mix up, but what a rebound!
Pizzeria 28 is the kind of restaurant I've been looking for in NYC. It has the ability to transport me back to Italy (without the cost of airfare). Apart of me felt like a tourist because everyone around my table spoke Italian and seemed to know each other.
But wait! I've digressed from what I really wanted to discuss. What I can't get out of my head, and what inspired me to start this blog...the patate pizza.
Patate pizza =Ricotta cheese, potatoes, and walnuts. It's simply fantastic. Thinly sliced potatoes and the smoothness of the ricotta juxtaposes perfectly with the crunchy walnuts. An unexpected, but perfect balance. I enjoyed my bruschetta and tiramisu, but I would hold off next time for gelato at GROM around the corner.
PS. It's cash only, but have no fear there is an atm outside the bathroom.
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