Dec 19, 2011

Happy Monday

With Christmas less than a week away, this weekend consisted of an attempt to complete some final shopping. However, to our surprise, the mall was packed and after about forty minute for circling for parking, we ended up calling it a day. It made me nostalgic of those crisp Fall days when I could stroll and shop in the Meatpacking, West Village and Soho. At the same time, I’m still hopeful for a white Christmas!

Homes dressed in ivy

One of the best cookies I had all Fall, with chocolate chips/chunks and nuts, from Bottino

A gorgeous sunset captured from my uncle's porch in Baltimore (during Thanksgiving)

One of my favorite Fall fruits, a pomegranate. A bit messy to peel and separate the arils, but one bite, and you'll know it's worth it.

What a welcoming door!

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By: Pooja Desai Patel
Category: Bakery, Food, Happy Monday, New York City, Snacks, West Village Tags: Bottino, cookies, Fall, ivy, pomegranate

Dec 17, 2011

In The Kitchen: A Mexican Birthday

December has been a month of birthdays. Two of the most important birthdays included my Dad’s 60th and Maithil’s 29th, both of which are actually on the identical day! I made a Mexican themed dinner to celebrate. The menu included: 7 layer dip, guacamole (which ended up being a finely diced avocado salad due to the unripe state of the avocados), enchiladas, and mushroom soft tacos. The only thing missing were the margaritas!

7 Layer Dip

Guacamole with a twist

Enchiladas

Mushroom Soft Tacos

Mushroom Soft Taco Recipe

Ingredients:

- 10 oz. of mushrooms (I used baby bellas)

- small corn tortillas

- black beans (season with taco seasoning)

- 1 medium red onion

- sour cream

- hot salsa

- shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

- lemon juice and salt

Putting it Together:

Slice the mushrooms and cook in a skillet with olive oil until tender. Thinly slice the red onion and pickle with salt and lemon juice. Heat one corn tortilla in a nonstick pan for about a minute, until soft. Remove from heat and spread a teaspoon of sour cream on it. Heat another corn tortilla and place it on top. In the center: top with a healthy tablespoon of black beans, a sprinkling of cheese, as desired, a small handful of mushrooms, salsa, as desired, and a small handful of pickled onions. Fold the ends to form the shape of a taco and eat warm.

Note: You can use goat cheese instead of sour cream. You can add any other diced veggies that you like.

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By: Pooja Desai Patel
Category: Cooking, Dinner, Events, Food, Hoboken, Snacks Tags: 7 layer dip, birthdays, black beans, enchiladas, mexican food, mushrooms, tacos

Dec 4, 2011

A Belated Honeymoon: Antigua

I have to apologize for the rather abrupt hiatus. One reason for the radio silence was my belated honeymoon to Antigua, a tiny paradise of an island in the Caribbean. We booked our 5 night, all-inclusive vacation at the incredible Hermitage Bay through luxurylink.com. A private hilltop villa, complete with a spacious patio, plunge pool, outdoor shower, the most hospitable, detail-oriented service (they even packed us lunch for our plane ride), vegetarian-friendly multi-course meals, uninterrupted time to read, rest and enjoy each other’s company, and the views… oh the miles of bright, sky blue ocean, starry, cricketing nights, magical sunsets. We even had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Hermitage Bay owner, Andy Thesen about food, family, cricket, and his philosophy on service. This was one trip that we will not soon forget.