Sweet Dreams

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes or ways to pep up old ones. This week, I found a little of both. In Taste of Home magazine, I found a lovely recipe for anise cookies iced with lemon buttercream. It sounded so warm and inviting that I just had to try it, and it happens that I had the perfect excuse to do so. I wanted to repay the staff at Giorgio's for their kindness to me by dropping of a few homemade treats for Christmas. Alex, in particular needed thanking. He was the perfect recipient for the anise cookies.

The cookies puffed more than I expected, but I decided I liked the pillowy texture. And they smell perfectly of licorice, but only hint at it when you bite into them. The original buttercream recipe didn't have quite enough lemon flavor, and I worried it would be lost on the cookies, so I dosed them with even more extract. I'd have liked to add lemon peel or better yet, candied peel pieces, but didn't have any on hand. Next time, though. For a first time recipe, I was incredibly pleased with this one. I happily delivered several to Alex, marveling at his look of gratitude and surprise. The way I see it, he goes out of his way several times a month for me, so for Christmas, it was my turn.

Not wanting to leave out the rest of the staff, who are also incredibly gracious, I sent along a sampler of candies. Homemade fudge, caramels, and coconut drops made their way into the tin, along with some peppermint meringues. The meringues were a stroke of inspiration. I recently had the idea to crush candy canes and use the bits in an biscotti recipe flavored with eggnog. Then I thought, "Oh...this would make a great topping for meringues and cookies too." So I tried it, and frankly, I think these meringues are my best yet.

The staff was so excited to receive their gift, but also a little blown away by it. I left smiling, knowing I made people feel special who routinely do the same for me. It was worth braving the cold just for the looks on their faces.

Curry, Ice Cream, and Tuna

No, I'm not pregnant. That was my culinary day, yesterday. And it was delicious. I started the day in Chinatown with my friend, Angus. We went to Great N.Y. Noodletown at 28 Bowery. Apparently they have killer ginger scallion noodles. Since I can't have noodles, I'll take Angus' word for it. But I did have the beef curry over rice. The beef was incredibly tender when I managed to find pieces not still in the skin, but even with the skin on, it was pretty tasty. I'm not particularly accustomed to the texture of beef prepared that way, but I can't say I hated it. Not that I loved it either. Give me a few more plates and I'll get back to you on it. But I will say, the curry sauce was delightful. Just the right amount of heat to warm me up on a chilly day, but not a sear-the-roof-of-your-mouth-off kind of heat. Another bonus, the dish was more meat than vegetables. Often when I order curry, I get a pile of onions and peppers, and maybe four pieces of meat. Not at Noodletown. I got four pieces of vegetables and a pile of beef. This place has their priorities straightened out. I won't say that it was the best Chinese food I've ever had, but I would go back again. And really, that's good enough for me.

After the curry, we walked around the corner to The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory at 65 Bayard St. Yes, it was cold outside, and yes, we're a little crazy that way. Despite the cold weather, the place was packed. And for good reason. The Seid family has been making ice cream at that location for almost 30 years. With flavors like avocado, green tea, and red bean cozying up along side the more familiar coffee, strawberry, and chocolate, this place offers something for everyone. The place offers 33 flavors of ice cream and 9 varieties of sorbet. I spotted the black sesame ice cream and, to use puppy speak, my ears perked up. I have a love, bordering on obsession, for sesame. So there was no question about what I was going to order. Angus went with the ginger ice cream. My black sesame was amazingly good. Sweet with the underpinnings of toasted sesame. And the ginger ice cream? Luscious and full of chunks of candied ginger. It managed to be spicy the way ginger should be, but delicately so. Check them out at their website, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

After lunch, I hung out a bit until it was time to meet Michael for dinner and a movie. We had drinks at Giorgio's before seeing Boondock Saints II: All Saints' Day. While not as good as the first, I wasn't disappointed by Troy Duffy's new installment of the McManus brothers. It made for a good way to spend two hours. After, we went back to Giorgio's thinking we might get something light to eat. Light turned out to be Alex pulling out all of the stops for me. Michael ordered swordfish over saffron risotto. I loved the risotto, and while swordfish isn’t my thing, Alex does a great job with it. He livens it up a bit with roasted plum tomatoes. Pretty delicious. But where he outdid himself was my plate. Rare tuna skewers with wilted spinach greens over an orange half and served with beets, brussels sprouts, and baby carrots. All finished with a balsamic glaze. And it was probably the most beautiful plate I’ve been served. I wish I’d thought to bring my camera to take a picture. Everything was vibrant and fresh. It goes without saying that the food was delicious, but it was gorgeously plated as well. And to make me feel extra special, he brought our plates out himself. Top that with a glass of apple cinnamon bourbon made by Brian, and I had a fantastic meal. I told you this place felt like home. Michael may have spoiled me a little here, since Giorgio’s has now become my standard for hospitality.

I came home, full and happy. And by my standards, that’s an excellent night.

Thank You

I have to extend a few thank yous to some people. These are friends, virtual and real life, who have supported and encouraged me in this crazy endeavor to become a chef. Especially in light of how chaotic life became recently.

 A HUGE thank you to my mom, my uncle, and my cousins Dawn and Howie for not thinking I'm crazy, and for making sure I have a roof over my head and a kitchen to practice in. Uncle Matt, Dawn, and Howie's hospitality made it possible for me to be up here in the first place. And Russell for giving up his room to me this summer. I still owe you dinner.

Cheryl, Rho, Casey, Liz, and Lanae for all the positive words and input on my recipes. You girls never cease to express your faith in me, or fail to let me know how proud you are. Extra thanks to Cheryl for buying my products and playing guinea pig.

Michael for being Michael. For introducing me to Sean and Alex. For Giorgio's. For taking me to dinners at restaurants I've dreamt of eating at for a long time and introducing me to new ones. And for loving my cookies and other baked goods. My recipes get scrapped if they don't pass your filter.

Sean, Alex, Meg, and Ginger for making Giorgio's the place I can count on for a good meal, and a home away from home. Alex especially. The extra effort you put in to make sure I have meals that are safe and elegant is the most gracious gift you could provide for me. And Sean for all of your kind words and help.

Eric for reminding me that I'm chasing a dream and not failing at it either.

To my Twitter pals, Nandita, FoodBank4NYC, TheUnknownChef, GFTiff, and Estheribrown. You guys share recipes for inspiration, information, encouragement, and enthusiasm. And, Nandita excepting, I've never met you in person. It's easy to be gracious and supportive of people you know well, but it's much harder to do the same for a stranger. Thanks for that.

You are just a handful of people that have made me feel less like I'm chasing a crazy idea and more like I'm doing something incredible. You're the people that have made New York feel more like home and less like a crazy idea. There have been so many others that it would take days and days to express my appreciation.

I may not be in culinary school yet, and I may not have a job. But somehow I feel like the luckiest, most successful girl alove because of you.

Giorgio's of Gramercy

Sometimes you walk into a restaurant and immediately feel at home. That's how I feel about Giorgio’s of Gramercy at 27 E.21st between Park Ave. and Broadway.

I was first introduced to Giorgio's about a month ago by my friend, Michael. He's a regular at the place, so naturally, we were treated like family. He pretty much is. Of course, I let the maitre d', Sean, know about my gluten troubles. "No problem, I can point out what's safe, but Chef would be happy to make something just for you." Right then, I was smitten. A specially crafted meal catering to my needs is something I don't come by often. The result was a gorgeous piece of swordfish served with brussel sprouts sautéed in butter. I went from smitten to downright charmed. This was a place with some serious potential.

And I wasn't disappointed. Last night, I was supposed to meet Michael there again for dinner. I showed up first and settled myself somewhat shyly at the bar. I needn't have been shy. After calling Sean over to ask about the menu, he responded with, "Sure, I can show you what's gluten-free, but Chef would be happy to make you something again." Done. This time is was red snapper on heirloom tomato and steamed vegetables in fish broth. The food was, of course, delicious. I was even able to steal a taste (ok, I ended up eating a better part of it) of Michael's curried cauliflower. And when I told Sean to let Alex (Chef) know how much I appreciated the food, I mentioned the brussel sprouts from my first visit. He came back with a bowl of them for me. Did I mention I'm smitten?

Not only that, but Michael, Brian (the bartender), and I had some fun inventing drinks with a variety of bitters and spirits. Between the business of managing the restaurant, Sean came over to chat from time to time. He even offered to circulate my resume and keep an ear out for any restaurants that were hiring after I mentioned that I was looking for work. And before leaving for the evening, Alex stopped by to say goodnight. Of course I had to thank him again for the food.

Last week, I ran a piece about rudeness in restaurants, and Giorgio's is the antithesis of those places. They have a steady stream of regulars to attest to their hospitality. It's a place where you can walk in and instantly feel like you've come home. And I think I might have found a love that will last. With Giorgio’s of Gramercy.

(Photo courtesy of Shane Strassberg and Giorgio's of Gramercy's Facebook Page)