Bravo Toro!

Since I recently hit up Tasty N' Sons I decided it was about time I finally try the much talked about Toro Bravo. What took me so long? So on Sunday night I ventured over to the east side, in tow with an adorable date.

The wait was 45 minutes . . . this I knew to expect, but decided not to share with my Toro Bravo accomplice, in fear he may suggest going elsewhere. We went upstairs to Secret Society for a drink and appetizer. What I won't recommend is Secret Societies pickled deviled eggs (they taste like pickles dipped in mayonnaise--who pickles an egg anyways??).

Before we knew it the phone was ringing and I was running down the stairs for Toro!

They sat us, in what I think is always the best seat in the house, at the bar overlooking the open kitchen. There is something intimate and wondrous about sitting where you can see the chefs and sous chefs busy at work. It must be the smell of the dishes and heat from the ovens and stove tops. It's almost like you are a part of the cooking experience.

Toro Bravo's menu is extensive and as a first timer I have to say I was quite overwhelmed, even though I had looked up their menu countless times before arrival. How does anyone make a decision when everything sounds so intriguing?

We decided on the . . .
Orange Salad; blood oranges drizzled with olive oil and topped with an olive tapenade.

Potatoes Bravos; diced potatoes fried and smothered in a rich tomato sauce and topped with a creamy aioli.

Chicken and Clam Cataplana; baked chicken in a tomato sauce with steamed clams and chunks of jamon.

Ham Cocito; thick slices of ham, house made hotlinks, with a chickpea, onion and carrot stew.

Over all I was very pleased with Toro Bravo. Our order was a tad on the rich side, so next time I would mix it up, getting more greens involved and definitely add the polenta and dessert . . .

**Pardon the pictures, I was working with candlelight and one photography lesson on aperture. 

So Tasty: Tasty N' Sons

Fair well 2010. Hello 2011. Many of my friends this year were ready for 2010 to be over. It was a year many lessons learned--some harder than others. It was a year of a lot change, some good, but some difficult to accept. As I wrapped up my page and half of new resolutions and looked back on those from last year, I realize I came out on top and am more ready then ever to take on this new year.

#11 on my NY resolutions 2011 list: Stop procrastinating and eat at restaurants that have been on your "To Do" list.

Perfect, Tasty N' Sons had been on my list since opening day. I braved the wait and loved every second of it.

Went with a good friend who's been out of town, which accomplished #5 on my NY resolutions 2011 list: Make quality time for your friends.

And so in one morning, I knocked off two resolutions and was off to a fabulous start.

Now for the meal . . . Tasty N' Sons carries its name because it is just that: TASTY.

Everything is delicious. The presentation, the maple glazed sweet potatoes, the use of spices, the variety, the cherry red bloody Mary's with a hunk of beef jerky on top.

It was hard to decide what to order though. Everything looked incredible. After a very promising recommendation I opted for the Polenta with Sausage Ragu, mozzarella and a fried egg, $8. I was in heaven. 2011 heaven.

The polenta was creamy and the sausage ragu rich and flavorful and the yolk from the egg saturated the entire dish, not allowing me to put my fork down for even a moment.

I'm someone who wants a bite of everything, so the 'shared meals' concept worked very well for me. My friend ordered their seasonal Vegetable Frittata with squash, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, rapini & feta ,$7. Can't wait to go back. My recommendation is to try for a weekday to avoid some of the rush.

Tis' the Season for Sugar

My absolute favorite part about Christmas are the Christmas cookies that come out of the woodwork during this time of year. I love Russian Tea Cakes, the peanut butter ones with the Hersey kiss in the middle, but my absolute favorite . . . sugar cookies!


I was overwhelmed by gluten free cookie recipes that included up to five different types of flours and a little thing called xanthan gum (what is this stuff??).

So when I stumbled upon Sugar Plum's Gluten Free Sugar Cookie, that didn't have a page list of ingredients, I jumped for joy! The secret . . . cream cheese. I know, it threw me too. I used Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour, but any white or brown rice flour will work.



Be warned, the dough will be stickier then your typical sugar cookie dough. Use a hearty amount of flour when rolling them out. They will also be whiter and more fluffy than other recipes.



I was literally in shock when I compared these cookies to our flour filled ones. I liked them 10x better and I know you will too!!! I took a giant plate to work  today, mixed the GF with the regular and the teachers were totally tricked!



Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
By Emily, Sugar Plum Blog

1 1/2 cups white rice flour
2 teaspoons meringue powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

To make the cookies, in a medium mixing bowl, stir together white rice flour, meringue powder, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar until creamy - about 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined. Chill dough for 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator, or until firm.

Sprinkle additional rice flour on a work surface, and roll out in batches, to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out heart shapes and place on cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden and set. Cool 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

I'll Take the Whole Sea: Masu Sushi

Obsessed. Obsessed like the movie Obsessed. In order to cleanse from the Thanksgiving extravaganza, I was courted to Masu Sushi. This however was not a cleanse. I ate a sea worth of sushi. I died and went to sushi heaven. It was a nice place made of wasabi clouds. It rained sake. 

This is shi shi sushi. This is tres chic sushi. Not cheap . . . keep that in mind.

We ordered the menu. I know my pictures don't prove this, because this asshole I was with was "embarressed" of my photography skills, complaining that the flash was bothering other patrons. I was able to snap a few pictures before the camera was snatched from my death grip. It was OK though, I needed my full attention on the sushi.

Their specialty rolls are ridiculous.

…..death by sushi . . . salmon, unagi, crab, avocado and cream cheese rolled and fried then topped with masago, green onion, fantasy and eel sauce 6 pieces $12.

…..st. helen’s volcano . . .whitefish, crab, scallops, shrimp and avocado baked with our volcano cream sauce, eel sauce and smoked bonito. 6 pieces $12.

. . . . ragin’ cajun . . . dungeness and softshell crab and cucumber inside topped with cajun seared tuna and avocado finished with fantasy sauce, green onion and togarashi. 8 pieces $17.

 . . . japanista . . . spicy crab, spicy tuna and kawaire with seared hamachi, cilantro and red jalapeno on top served with our hana and sweet chili sauce. 8 pieces $15.

 . . . .on the cheap . . . The Caterpillar role is probably the best value. Large and only $9. Their happy hour is practically half off of sushi (minus the specialty rolls). Rolls are between $3.50-$5.00. They also offer some non-traditional Japanese for your less cultured friends--like a kobe beef burger with house tonkatsu for $8.

Park in the Indigo Garage for 2hrs of parking validation.

Foodbuzz 24x24: An Italian Thanksgiving Goes Gluten Free

Thanksgiving is a time of . . . well in my family, being very gluttonous. It means eating for 8 hours straight. It means having antipasti plates to feed 40 when we’re only serving 20. It means wine, wine and more wine and of course, a multitude of desserts.

The word glutton reminds me of the word gluten. A thing until very recently I relied on for practically every meal. Gluten intolerance has left me dumbfounded curious with the many GF alternatives. An Italian goes gluten free; the predicament of this very statement. Rice pasta, quinoa flour, flourless anything! And so I explore . . .

My sponsor, Foodbuzz, does a monthly challenge called 24x24. 24 Featured Publishers across the world are chosen to blog about a unique meal and all within 24 hours. Mangia was chosen. November’s challenge: Get creative on a Thanksgiving meal.

The task at hand: turning the most gluten-ous Italian Thanksgiving into GF deliciousness. Oh, and no one can know . . . Italians are very proud of their gluten.

Thanksgiving Menu

Caprese salad

Antipasti plate

GF French Bread

Fruit and Vegetable platters

Malone y Prosciutto

Turkey

Penne Rice Pasta with Chicken Sausage Marinara

Orange Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce

Grandma’s Sausage Stuffing with Dessert Lab Gluten Free Bread

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Quinoa Flour Gravy

Brown Sugar Yams

Green Beans with Pancetta

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Dessert Labs Apple Pie

Fresh Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

  

The De Marco stuffing if I may say so myself, is not only our signature dish, but the best stuffing in all of the world. It’s not your typical dried out mush. Its full of flavor and texture. We decided to have a little test –which stuffing was better? GF or G filled? Let me just say the table was passing around both stuffings and not a word was mentioned.




 

Sides, sides and more sides . . .

Pancetta Green Beans--to die for. Nothing more then beans, olive oil and pancetta.

 Our 26 lb turkey. Perfectly roasted. Cheers to dad for not drying it out.

On to dessert . . . Pumpkin Pie, GF Apple Pie from Dessert Lab and homemade Chocolate Cheesecake with a gluten free hazelnut crust.  Brilliant and delicious.

 Mi Familia . . .

Grandma’s Sausage Stuffing

1lb Italian Sausage (ground)
1 lb pancetta or bacon
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic
2 cups white onion
2 cups chopped celery
3 bags of spinach
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 eggs
1 0-16 oz dried bread crumbs (depending on how bready you like your stuffing)
*We bought gluten free breadcrumbs from a local bakery
1 teas sage
1 teas marjoram
1 teas rosemary

Cook Italian sausage and bacon and put aside. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, onions and celery in ½ cube butter. Once cooked add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Steam or boil spinach and drain. Don’t cook longer than 60 seconds. Transfer cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add sausage and chopped bacon, bread crumbs, spinach, eggs, red wine and chicken broth. Mix the stuffing together until its well coated. Stuff the bird and enjoy!

Hola Esparza's!

 Tostada Guacamole; $9.95

Close your eyes and imagine you have to pick one region of food to eat for the rest of your life . . . what would it be? When I ask this of people, they more times then not tell me Mexican food (in which I usually feel offended that they wouldn't choose Italian food).

But I do like Mexican food. I like Mexican food with huge portions. I like it with refried beans, guacamole, sour cream and salsa with kick!

Esparza's on SE 28th is best known for their smoked meats. Smoked chicken. Smoked pork. Smoked beef brisket. Smoked wild boar. Smoked lamb. Yes, they have lamb.

Their menu is unique and expansive.

The Trailblazer: Smoked salmon enchilada with chipotle marinated shrimp and topped with jack, cheddar and jalapeno cheese.

Dale Evans: Smoked lamb flour tacos covered in mole sauce.

Of course we went more traditional . . . which was just as good.