BITE ME
(food quest)
Bangin Burger at DuMont
03 months ago
by mariasophia
in Dining Out
My first meal at DuMont was nothing short of magical. The patio was rustic and intimate with outdoor heating and soft lighting that made me forget I was sitting outside in the middle of winter. The DuMont Burger is perfection. I added thick cut bacon and white cheddar to my medium rare burger. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had to cut this stacked, juicy mound in half. Great meal and great place to go with friends. I WILL be back.
Umphrey’s McGee at Best Buy Theater
03 months ago
by mariasophia
in Party Central
WAS SICK!
Feel free to use as desktop or background. I did.
Little Nibble: Bomb Lobster Roll
04 months ago
by mariasophia
in Little Nibble
I couldn’t pass up the lobster roll while being treated to lunch at Epicerie Boulud on Broadway and 64th. Check this baby out! Creamy, yet light on a toasted bun. I’m still drooling.
Too much candy? Put it on a brownie!
04 months ago
by mariasophia
in Cookbook
We always have a ton of candy at home. We’re facing an emergency pile-up of Snickers bars on our candy shelf. What should we do? Put it on a brownie! This recipe is super easy and fun with friends.
Ingredients
Brownie mix
Snickers (or other extra candy)
Bag of caramels
What to do
1. Assemble brownie mix per box directions and put in the oven until finished
2. While cooking, chop up Snickers (notice the difference in chopping technique between me and Al)
3. Take out the cooked brownies and cover with chopped snickers
4. Melt the caramel by creating a double boiler over the stove (fill a big pot about 1/3 way with water. Put a sauce pan or frying pan over the pot making sure the bottom of the pan doesn’t touch the water. Put caramels in and melt)
5. Drizzle melted caramel over snickers and brownie
6. Share with your friends
… and if you don’t want to share and wind up eating brownies for days because you made an entire tray that you just can’t give up, add some ice cream with any left over caramel to shake things up!
Easy snack: Crispy Curry Chickpeas
04 months ago
by mariasophia
in Cookbook
Garbanzo beans. Chickpeas. Whatever you call them, I never particularly liked them until, of course, I found a recipe that involved my beloved deep fryer. Check out this super easy and unexpectedly delicious snack.
Crispy fried curry chickpeas
(Adapted from here)
Ingredients
2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans/chickpeas
¼ cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable (or peanut) oil for frying
1. Preheat oil to 375°F
2. Drain beans and lay out on a plate/cooking sheet covered with paper towels to dry
3. Once dry, toss the beans in cornstarch and set aside for about 10 minutes
4. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl
5. Once the oil is hot, drop about 1/3 of the beans in and shake so they don’t stick. Fry for about 5 minutes or until they look crispy
6. Drain on paper towels
7. Toss drained, crunchy garbanzo beans into the seasoning mix. Shake off excess seasoning and put on a separate sheet/plate/bowl
8. Repeat with remaining beans and serve warm (although cold works too so you can keep them for a bit)
9. Snack away!
Neighborhood Eats: Sigmund’s Pretzels
04 months ago
Pretzel bread is such a rare find. I was excited to grab a pretzel sandwich at Sigmund’s Pretzels on Avenue B between 2nd and 3rd. I ordered a tomato, mozzarella, pesto sandwich and a Sixpoint. (I wanted a pumpkin ale but the cashier told me that their board was outdated and that beer had been out for a while. Wah wahh.)
I enjoyed the sandwich and beer over The Bowery: A History of Grit, Graft and Grandeur. (Quick, interesting read. Definitely recommend it.) The shop itself was pretty quiet and although the seating is not the most comfortable, it’s a great setup for an afternoon hang.
Overall the sandwich was good, but not amazing. The pesto was a little too nutty for me and the bread could have been saltier but I’ll definitely be back to try some of the other pretzel goodness on the menu.
On my list to try: regular salted, truffle cheddar and feta olive bagels; herb goat cheese, nutella, beat-horseradish dips; hot dog on a pretzel bun.
Where else can I find some solid pretzel bread in the city?
My First Cast Iron Skillet: Cheesy Bacon BBQ Chicken
04 months ago
by mariasophia
in Cookbook
Christmas toys! Yay! This Christmas I got 2 cast iron skillets, one large and circular and one square with grill indents. I also got a book called I Love Bacon. I decided to combine these 2 amazing gifts to make Cheesy Bacon BBQ Chicken.
Cheesy Bacon BBQ Chicken
(Adapted from here)
Ingredients
Chicken Breast
BBQ Sauce
Onion
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Bacon
1. Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce for about 30 minutes – 1 hour
2. While chicken is marinating, set the oven to broil. Slice onion and put on stove in oil. Cook until they reach your desired texture (sometimes you feel like juicy carmelized onions, sometimes crispy burnt ones)
3. Sauté marinated chicken in cast iron skillet over the stove until almost fully cooked.
4. Pour BBQ sauce over the chicken. Cover with desired amount of onions. (I used my brand new finger tongs to pick out and place the onions. BOOM. Best Christmas ever.)
5. Cover with cheese.
6. Cut 4 strips of bacon in half. Put 2 halves on each piece of chicken.
7. Place skillet in the oven until the bacon crisps.
Little Nibble: Last meal of 2011
04 months ago
by mariasophia
in Little Nibble
Going out with a band! Our last meal of 2011 (unless you count whiskey or champagne) was this delicious steak grilled in a cast iron skillet from Santa Al’s Mom. Omnomnom. 2011 was a great year for eating! On to the next.
What was your last meal of 2011?
Little Nibble: Candy/booze shelf
04 months ago
by mariasophia
in Little Nibble
Check it. Candy and liquor go onto the window ledge. BOOM. Instant bar.
Where do you keep your stash?