Simple Strawberry Tart

Thanks to greenhouses and imports, we are certainly blessed in that we have access to pretty much any fruit, year-round, but there's still something about the locally grown seasonal fruits that are second to none.  

Strawberries are finally in season in the NY/NJ area and baking tarts seems to be my current obsession so simple math led me to bake this strawberry tart.  

This recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, which may not be a conventional ingredient in baking, but don't let that scare you!  When balsamic reduces, it actually becomes a syrupy texture that really brings out the flavors of fruits and other sweets (you can even make a balsamic reduction and drizzle it over vanilla ice cream in place of chocolate syrup!). 

I like my desserts a bit tart (no pun intended) so I let the natural sweetness of the strawberries shine through by adding very little additive sugars.  However, if you like things very sweet, I would add a couple extra tablespoons of honey. 

Like all my other posted recipes, this one is also super quick and easy.  (I made mine between classes :) ... hence the scrubs).  



Simple Strawberry Tart
(borrowed from shewearsmanyhats)

Prep / working time = 10 minutes
Cook time = 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of frozen puffed pastry (preferably DuFour)

• 16 oz. strawberries (sliced)

• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 

• 4 tablespoons of honey (add 2 more if you like desserts on the sweeter side)

Instructions:

• defrost pastry dough (as instructed on package) and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper

• preheat oven to 375F

• roll in the edges of pastry dough

• arrange strawberries on pastry (shingling or overlapping as you go)

• whisk together balsamic vinegar and honey and brush or drizzle over strawberries (there may be some leftover mixture)

• bake for 25 minutes or until edges are puffed and golden brown 
• serve warm and top with vanilla ice cream 

(please excuse the scrubs and slippers :P)

DINO BBQ

Vegetarians beware.   This post is strictly catered towards the carnivorous crowd. 

Dinosaur BBQ opened up its doors to its fifth location in Newark, NJ earlier this month.  The joint, originally based in upstate NY, has slowly been expanding throughout tri-state area.  During my undergrad years as a student at an upstate university, I took a few trips up to the Syracuse location.  A 1 hour drive up North + a 1.5 hour wait + another 30 minute wait after ordering was worth it every time, so you can imagine how excited I was when one opened up right down the block from my dental school.  I called in at noon on Sunday to make a reservation but it turns out that this was totally unnecessary.  J and I arrived at 12:30pm and were seated right away.   

I didn’t have my camera on me so you’re gonna have to settle for some crappy phone pics [sorry!].

For appetizers, we ordered the Swag sampler plate - salmon fritters, chicken wings, fried green tomatoes, and deviled eggs.

Apps were all just OK except the chicken wings.  Possibly the best chicken wings I’ve had?!  They were moist, meaty, spice-rubbed, pit-smoked and grilled to perfection!  We ordered the wings with Wango Tango sweet habenero sauce which had starts off slightly sweet flavor and ends with a spicy kick. 

[For those who are a bit more daring try the Garlic Chipotle and for those who are willing to challenge Satan himself, go for the Devil’s Duel. ]

Next, the main attraction: the meat plates. 

We both ordered Custom’que plates where you can choose 2, 3, or 4 meats of your choice and included honey hush cornbread and 2 homemade sides.

I went with the St. Louis ribs & pulled BBQ pork with a mini iceberg wedge + whipped sweet potatoes sprinkled with spicy walnuts.

The pulled pork was juicy and flavored with that smoky BBQ goodness that totally speaks for itself.   The ribs were surprisingly fall-off-the-bone tender amazing. 

The portions are pretty generous so I figured I would bring left-overs home.  NOPE.  I polished off everything except for one rib. 

One food coma later, the waitress asked us whether we will be ordering dessert.  I didn’t want to offend the waitress so we ordered the key lime pie to-go and enjoyed it after our post-food coma nap.  It was just as good as the rest of the meal.  Perfectly tart, creamy, and delicious. 

Most valuable advice I can give you: wear stretchy pants or something with an adjustable waistband.  You’ll thank me later. 

Some tips for fellow UMDNJ-ers:

-If you can, avoid driving there (unless you’re ballin').  Street parking is limited and lot parking costs $.  Take the shuttle to Newark Penn instead, and walk a block.

-Try to avoid days that Prudential center is holding events (hockey games, concerts, etc.); it can get busy.

-Drawstring scrubs are highly recommended.

Apple/Pear Tart with Drunken Raisins

A while ago, I purchased frozen pastry dough with the intention of making a strawberry shortcake.  I ended up eating all the strawberries before I could actually make it, so the poor dough had been neglected and chilling (literally… hah) in my freezer for weeks. 

Recently, school has been selfishly consuming my time, so I figured I’d bake to bring a little sunshine back into my life :)  

I stumbled upon a simple apple puff pastry recipe by PioneerWoman a while ago and I recalled that it only called for 4 ingredients: apples, brown sugar, lemon, and frozen puff pastry dough. So simple!

I tweaked the measurements for the recipe a bit and added a bit of extra “fun” by throwing in some cognac soaked raisins.   

You can really make this with any fruit. I tried apples and pears because that’s what I had in the fridge, but feel free to experiment! 

Apple/Pear Tart with Drunken Raisins

Prep / working time = 15 minutes

Cook time = 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of frozen puffed pastry (preferably DuFour)
• 3 apples
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• juice from half a lemon
• ½ cup raisins 
• 2 tablespoons of booze (rum or cognac)

Instructions:

• defrost pastry dough (as instructed on package) and place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray
• preheat oven to 415F
• soak raisins in booze (you can do this overnight for more kick)
• slice fruit (about 1/8 inch thick)
• combine fruit, raisins, brown sugar, and lemon juice
• arrange on pastry (shingling or overlapping as you go)
• bake for 18-20 minutes

Finished pastry should be golden brown and perfectly puffed at the edges. 

Serve with whipped cream, ice-cream, or just plain :).

Now, excuse me as I devour the rest of my left-over pastries.

 

Sweets for your sweetie: chocolate covered strawberries

Strawberries + chocolate = BEST combo since choco-chip cookies & milk.  

There's something totally irresistible about biting into a juicy strawberry with a crunchy chocolate shell.  
If you're looking for a simple way to impress your sweetie, this recipe has got your name all over it. 

You can even personalize these treats with designs to show that you actually put some thought into your gift this year (unlike that box of drug-store chocolates you bought her/him last year... tsk tsk).  

Chocolate covered strawberries
prep / working time = 10 minutes
refrigeration time = 15 minutes


Ingredients:
16 ounces chocolate chips (8 oz milk chocolate & 8 oz white chocolate)

• 2 tablespoons shortening (1 tbs per 8 oz of chocolate chips)
• 1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves
• 
  

Instructions:
-Wash strawberries and pat dry (keep leaves on)
-In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the leaves or toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture
 [alternative method: melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted]
-Dip strawberries in chocolate
-Let excess drip off
-Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper
-Decorate!
-Chill in fridge for 15 minutes (place in air-tight container to store in fridge)

To make tuxedo strawberries:
-Dip them in white chocolate first
-Let cool
-Dip in milk chocolate in at a 45 degree angle from both sides to make the "jacket".
-Place some melted milk chocolate into a ziplock bag with the little corner snipped off and pipe on buttons and bow tie.
(insert 'Staples' tagline here)

YES, those are teeth.  Healthy, white teeth and brown, carious (cavity) teeth :P 
I couldn't help myself!  
Also, my homage to Jackson Pollock in the upper right (a.k.a. failed first attempt at the tux).

My dear, happily in love, parents.

Happy Valentine's Day all <3 !!!

Photo credits:  Marina & Misato

Raw cocoa coconut macaroons

So yesterday, one of my roommates came home from a Whole Foods trip with a bag of incredible chocolate macaroons.  I'm usually not a huge fan of English macaroons, (I prefer the French kind, as you may have noticed from my past posts) but these were just delish!
But, there was a slight problem... they are $10 for a bag of 7.  Knowing myself and my self-control (or lack-there-of), this wasn't going to work for me.
Say I consume 3 a day.  A bag would therefore last me ~2 days.
30 days in a month / 2 = 15 bags
15 bags * $10 = $150 


$150 on macaroons alone?!  Now, I'm no finance genius, but that'll break the bank and I don't think "satisfying my sweet tooth" meets the criteria for additional student loans.
Solution?  Make them ourselves!  We checked out the ingredients in the back of the bag and took another trip to the supermarket to purchase ingredients.  30 minutes later, we embarked on our macaroon making journey.  
Believe it or not, they came out even BETTER than the ones sold in stores.  We used 100% raw, organic , and gluten-free ingredients so they were not only delicious, but also body-friendly. 
(raw = no bake = quick & easy-peasy lemon squeezy)

Raw cocoa coconut macaroons (gluten-free)
prep / working time = 10 minutes


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder
3/8 cups of agave nectar
1/8 cups of coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence
pinch of sea salt


Instructions:
-Mix 'em all together with your hands (SO MUCH FUN!!!)
-Roll into balls
-Pop them in fridge for 30 minutes
Enjoy!

Where will you be dining this V-day?

V-day is creeping around the corner.  Haven't thought of dinner plans yet?  No problem!  
Here's a handy-dandy flow chart to solve your dining dilemma.  (via chowhound)


Where will you be eating this Valentine's Day???

Life of a second year dental student = lack of time, money, and sleep.   
Between classes, studying cramming, pre-clinic, the worst cafeteria food EVER (Burger King... need I say more?), finding time to cook / sneaking vegetables into my diet is a challenge.  There's only so much salad you can eat in a week and steamed vegetables are (IMO) boooring.  

Here's a vege recipe that I found on tinyurbankitchen that's quick, easy, healthy, tasty, and wallet-friendly :)

Truffle Roasted Cauliflower
5 minute prep time

25-30 minute of oven-time

-preheat oven 400 degrees

-rinse cauliflower (can also substitute with asparagus, broccoli, or potatoes)

-separate into florets

-toss in EVOO, salt, & pepper

-place in baking sheet (my baking sheet is M.I.A. so I improvised with a cast-iron skillet)

-25-30 minutes in oven (check half way through and stir)

-top off with a tiny drizzle of truffle oil (white or black) & coarse sea salt
-enjoy!

Voilà


Truffle oil may sound fancy shmancy (a.k.a. expensive) but you only need to a teeny-tiny amount to add that robust, earthy flavor.  

PS. DO NOT cook with truffle oil.  It's a finishing oil.  You can also drizzle it over asparagus, potatoes, focaccia, pizza, risottos, pastas, etc. to add that extra burst of flavor.  

Tipsy Tuesday

Check out this adorable / educational post on wine etiquette by A Cup of Jo.  
If you're a wannabe oenophile like me, you might learn a thing or two :)
Cheers!

NYC restaurant week 2012

NYC Restaurant Week 2012 is here!
Book your tables ASAP because resies are going fast!
For me, it looks like a Friday night dinner at NOUGATINE at Jean-Georges.  
Updates with reviews and photos will soon be coming your way :)

first date

Ever since I moved in with my two roommates, we haven't had the opportunity to have a night to ourselves, so last night we went on our long overdue, first official date in Montclair, NJ.  This pedestrian-friendly town, nicknamed the "Park Slope of the suburbs", is filled with quaint shops, restaurants cafes of various cultures and cuisines.
We lucked out with a last minute reservation at CulinAriane, a restaurant run by chef Ariane Duarte, a contender in Bravo's Top Chef season 5.
Although the restaurant is categorized as "American", the menu reflected otherwise with several French, Italian, and even Asian influences.  
We began our meal with an amuse bouche: an andouille and mozzerella filled beignet.  

Fortunately for me, my lovely roommates are all about sharing/trying different dishes, so I got to try all three entrees that piqued by curiosity :).

I ordered the "signature dish": pan seared sea scallops with forest mushroom ragout, white truffle oil, and mushroom syrup.  The scallops, cooked to perfection, were glazed with that rich and earthy wild mushroom flavor. A dish worthy of it's title.  

Natalia ordered the bacon wrapped monkfish and potato leek pancake, with apple celery root slaw and pernod beurre blanc.  The fennel in the blanc sauce did an excellent job of balancing the fattiness of the bacon.  A nice play on potato latkes with apple sauce.  Overall, it was a well balanced dish.  [Here's a fun factoid about monkfish: it's referred to as "poor-man's lobster" because the tail meat of the fish has a similar texture to lobster tail.]

Marina ordered the braised rabbit over spinach ricotta mozzarella triangoli in a carrot reduction.  This was a nice comfort dish.  The rabbit, cooked for 6-8 hours, was super tender and flavorful.  The triangoli's ricotta mozzarella filling was a nice complement to the lean rabbit meat.    

Buttery croissants were served in lieu of bread.  This was was nice touch but a plain baguette would have been preferred to balance all the rich sauces.

Oh, and here's the real kicker... CulinAriane is BYOB!  The menus is a tad overpriced but the fact that you can drink a belly full of your own vino make it a pretty fair deal.  

And this is me and my roommates :) ...
Till next time!

The bittersweet in-between

2011 ended in a blur.  I experienced a lot of changes in my life and finally woke up in 2012 more aware, more appreciative, with a brand-new feeling of ambition-driven recklessness that I've never quite felt before.  

A dear friend once told me that he had the same resolution every year: "to make every new year better than the last".  I'll drink to that.  
So, here's to yet another, better year.

Bonjour! ...From Ladurée.

The famous Parisian bake shop, Ladurée, has FINALLY opened their US flagship in the Upper East Side!
As the proclaimed inventor of the French macaron, they did not disappoint.  
I tried all 14 flavors that were available on Saturday and here are some of my favorites:
caramel a fleur de sel (caramel with salt), petale de rose (rose), pistache, cafe (coffee), noix de coco (coconut).  
These babies are $2.70 a pop which includes shipping & handling ALL THE WAY from Paris.
 
So, was an hour and a half wait for these mignonne little macarons worth it?  Oui oui!  


ps. Word has it that they will be introducing a new flavor in collaboration with NY Fashion's Night Out.   This should be interesting :)