Sandy’s Burgers, Yummy!

This past weekend I got together with my friend Sandy. She is one of my cooking buddies. When we are together we always create something fabulous. Sandy had a picture and description of a hamburger that her cousin had tried on vacation. We recreated the burger and then slightly enhanced it…

Ingredients in the hamburger:

Worcestershire sauce

Crema De Balsamico

Parmesan cheese

Salt/pepper

Egg

Smoked paprika

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Ingredients on the hamburger:

 Caramelized pears

Caramelized onions (with a splash of Sake)

pears and onions caramelizing on the stove

Pate (pig liver from Barcelona Spain, Thank you Aunt Addy)

Pate

Gorgonzola cheese

Homemade potato chips

Ingredients on the home made potato chips:

Smoked paprika

Salt/pepper

Thank you Sandy for cooking and creating with me.

Eataly Bakery

My cousin and his wife came for a visit from PA and they wanted to go to Eataly to shop and have lunch.We got a very small part of the family together and met down in the city at Eataly. I had never been there before but I am so happy I went. If you don’t know what Eataly is here is the short version: Oscar Farinetti, Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and Lidia’s son Joe Bastianich teamed up and opened Eataly. Eataly is an indoor food/wine/beer market with many restaurants and a school all based on and around different regions of Italy. They also brought Slow Food on board to control and verify that the producers of the products being imported from Italy do not compromise quality to meet demand.

The place is huge and there is so much to see…

Eataly Bakery

Eataly

Eataly NYC

Eataly ceilings have amazing detail

They have everything you can think of and more…

Eataly Butcher

Eataly butcher counter

Eataly Pasta Section

Eataly– olive oils, vinegars, canned and dried goods

Eataly– Cream & Truffles (I can’t believe they carry this! They have everything!)

Eataly Cheese & Salumi corner

Eataly Salumi table area

Eataly Hanging Salumi

Eataly marble top tables (I just love them)

Eataly Table area

Eataly Salumi case

Eataly wine shop

Eataly wine shop

Eataly wine shop

Eataly wine shop (the wines are sorted by type and region)

We had lunch on the rooftop of the Eataly building in Mario Batali’s restaurant/brewery Birreria. Birreria is open year round and the restaurant has a retractable roof.

Birreria

Birreria

Birreria

Birreria Bread and olive oil

Birreria salumi and cheese plate

Birreria

Birreria

If you haven’t been to Eataly go, you will love it. Go with a group of friends and take the tour(they let you taste everything), have an espresso, shop and dine in one of the many restaurants. It’s a great way to spend the day.

Thanks David and Melissa!

Thanks Sandy for taking this Picture! NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

My husband and I went to Holden Beach North Carolina for a fantastic week on the beach with our fabulous friends! We relaxed on the beach during the day and lounged around the house in the evenings.

Sunset in Holden Beach NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Private walk to the beach from the house. NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

We cooked every meal and I have to say everything was very yummy. My favorite meal though was the slow cook ribs I made on the grill. They need quite a bit of attention but they are sooo worth the work!

Ribs on the grill. NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

The rental house we stayed in had a fully stocked kitchen which made cooking easy. The grill on the other hand was on the small side but with a little extra rotation of the food, for even cooking, the grill worked out just fine!

Me rotating and basting the ribs. NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Dinner is served. NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Corn on the cob. Yummy!! NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

The sunshine was delicious and we soaked up every minute of it!

View of the house from the beach. NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

View of the beach from the house. NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

The sunsets were breathtaking as you can see…

Another amazing sunset on the beach! NC (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Thanks to our friends for a fabulously relaxing week of fun in the sun!

P.S. I have to share the fantastic Mario Batali Italian rib recipe, it’s just too good!

SERVES 6
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
10 bunches rosemary, soaked overnight in water to cover
3 large racks baby back ribs (about 21/2 to 3 pounds per rack)
2 cups barbecue sauce

IN A SMALL BOWL, combine the paprika, brown sugar, salt, cumin, and garlic and mix well. Place the racks on a large baking sheet and rub generously on both sides with the spice mixture. Let stand for 2 hours at cool room temperature, or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Prepare a gas grill for indirect grilling over low heat. Place a drip pan with an inch or so of water under the cool part of the grill. Pour about 2/3 cup of the barbecue sauce into a small bowl for basting, and pour the rest into a small serving bowl; refrigerate both bowls until about 30 minutes before serving.

Place the ribs on the cooler part of the grill, lay 1 bunch of wet rosemary on the hot part of the grill, and immediately cover the grill. (If your grill isn’t large enough to arrange the 3 racks in a single layer for indirect cooking, place 2 of them on the grill and put the third one on top of them.) Cook the ribs for 5 hours; the temperature in the grill should be roughly 250 F. Every 30 minutes, place another bunch of wet rosemary on the hot part of the grill and immediately cover the grill to keep it smoky. Thirty minutes before the ribs are done, brush a light coating of barbecue sauce over them, and then repeat every 10 minutes.

Transfer the racks to a carving board and cut them into individual ribs. Serve with the remaining barbecue sauce.
These ribs are cooked “low and slow”—for five hours—but they are still juicy when they come off the grill. Stoking the grill with damp bunches of rosemary throughout the long cooking time creates the smoky environment of an outdoor smoker in a regular grill.

BARBECUE SAUCE

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

1 medium onion, fi nely chopped
6 garlic cloves, fi nely chopped
2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce

COMBINE all the ingredients in a large heavy saucepan and bring
to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer
gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the
heat and let cool. (The sauce will keep for at least a week tightly
covered in the refrigerator.)
This sauce works on almost anything, wherever you want a sweet spiked
punch—eggs, chicken or other grilled meats, ham sandwiches, etc.

My homemade Nachos (Snack Of The Week)
Friendsfoodwine.com

Everyone pretty much knows how to make Nachos right?

Well I found these chips recently in Trader Joe’s that are addictive! They are Quinoa and Black Bean Infused Tortilla Chips. I usually just eat these chips with Trader Joe’s “Salsa Autentica” but I made tacos for dinner the other night and had some left over black beans so I made this yummy snack.

The black beans are slow cooked with my homemade sofrito, my homemade Spanish

Friendsfoodwine.com
Snack Of The Week

spice mix and a little homemade chicken stock.

P.S. Thank you Francisco for teaching me how to make your special Sofrito.

Lemonate Italiano
Friendsfoodwine.com

This is the drink/snack of the week Limonata Italiano (Italian Lemonade). This is one bottle of San Pellegrino’s Lemonata mixed with one finger of Russell’s Reserve and some fresh mint from my garden.  Limonata Italiano is a refreshing cold drink on a lovely summer afternoon.

Enjoy your week!

The restaurant itself is very unassuming from the outside but once you reach the dinning room you realize you are in for a treat. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was there were actually Spanish people eating there. It is always a good sign for a restaurant to have patrons that could cook what’s on the menu at home it means the food is yummy.

Ola’s Bar (Friendsfoodwine.com)

The restaurant itself on the inside was very clean with a festive décor; it had an island feel to it. The staff was very pleasant and attentive; the food presentation was clean and impressive. I love their use of banana leaves to line the plates. The flavor combinations were out of this world!  We very much enjoyed our dining experience. We will definitely visit again soon and next time we will bring some friends. Here are some pictures of the restaurant and the food we ordered.

Ola’s Ostras Con Mofongo (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Ola’s Ostras Con Mofongo : White cornmeal-coated crispy blue point oysters/ mofongo/ saffron-citrus salsita

Ola’s Huaraches Vegetarianos (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Ola’s Huaraches Vegetarianos: Caramelized onion/ roasted wild mushrooms/charred tomatoes/ Kalamata olives / goat cheese/ crispy flat bread/ fig vinaigrette

Ola’s Plantain Side Dish (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Ola’s Skirt Steak (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Ola’s Mojito (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Love the Mojito’s at Ola’s. They even put a real piece of sugar cane in the drink.

Ola’s Cheesecake (Friendsfoodwine.com)

Ola

 OlaRestaurantct.com

Your Go Bag should be packed in a sturdy, easy-to-carry container such as a backpack or suitcase on wheels. A Go Bag should be easily accessible if you have to leave your home in a hurry. Be sure it is ready to go at all times.

This is the list we used to gather our supplies. Not every item listed may be suitable in your case or in your part of the world, and some items may have to be added.

(supplies for one adult)

1. An extra set of car and house keys

2.Credit or debit cards and cash (you should carry enough cash for one

weeks worth of food and gas. The cash should be in small bills, mostly

singles) and a few rolls of quarters

3. Medication for at least one-week, a list of dosages, prescription

slips, and doctors’ names and phone numbers. (Be sure to replace

medications before their expiration date)

4. Sturdy, comfortable shoes and rainwear

5. Contact and meeting place information for your household, as well

as a regional map

6. Child-care supplies (if applicable)

7. Change of clothes and socks (two pair/person/day, at an absolute

minimum). Try to use dry bags, or Ziploc bags for your clothes. Also

sort all of your smaller gear into these and label them with their

contents and date last checked.

8. You’ll want maps of your area and the surrounding area’s at

multiple scales. Laminate each, pop a hole in one corner, clip them

together with a key ring or similar, dummy-cord a grease pencil to the

ring and the ring to your bag.

9. Obtain copies of your birth certificate, passport photo

page, driver’s license, deeds of ownership or titles, insurance

policies, etc. Laminate these, seal them in a dry envelope, attach a

strip of Velcro to the back, and physically attach it to the bottom of

your bag. Or you can use a waterproof box.

10. Crow bar

11.2 pair heavy working gloves

12. Waterproof matches, Fire Starter magnesium brick and a lighter

13. 1 Whistle

14. 1 travel sewing kit– include in this non-waxed floss and a

U-shaped leather needle

15. Swiss Army-type knife

16. 4 big black plastic trash bags with zip ties

17. 1 5x7 foot plastic tarp

18. 4 climbing-rated carabiners.

19. Duct Tape

20. 4 emergency survival blankets

21. 4 ponchos

22. 8 multifunction warmers, lasting 20 hours

23. 8 tissue packs

24. 1 toothbrush and 2 tubes toothpaste

25. 4 light sticks/glow sticks

26. 50′ of 1/4-inch utility rope — made of twine or cotton, not plastic.

27. Emergency ration bars/protein and or freeze dried meals

28. Drinking water — 4 bags filled 10 packs of 4 fl oz each

29. 2 PVC water bags — 2-gallon capacity.

30. Paper facemasks

31. Water purification tablets

32. Hand can opener

33. Hand-crank radio and flashlight

34. Sharpie and paper

35. Disinfecting wipes

36. Scissors

37. Multi-functional tool (screwdriver/pliers)

38. 4 Emergency blankets

39. 4 Emergency candles

40. Rubber bands

41. Extra pair of glasses and or contacts and contact solution

42. 1 Roll of toilet paper

43. 1 pair of leather work gloves

First aid kit

1. Anti-bacterial wipes and or hand sanitizer

2. Instant cold pack and heat patches

3. Saline, peroxide and alcohol swabs

4. Band-aids

5. First aid tape (waterproof)

6. Moleskin

7. Q-tips

8. Cotton rounds

9. Gauze

10. First-Aid antiseptic

11. Anti-itch cream

12. Chewable Pepto-Bismol tablets

13. Dramamine

14. Aspirin

15. Glucose Tablets

16. Tweezers

17. Nitrile Gloves

18. Feminine products (if applicable)

You should also have an emergency kit  for your car and for your pet.

Also, you may consider including these items in your go bag: Coloring book,

crayons, playing cards, etc. (keep it light).

It is CRUCIAL to store your bag in such a way

that it’s easily accessable to your most likely route of evacuation, and check it

quarterly. You might even want to make up a packing list, laminate

that, Velcro it to the inside top flap, and then check your bag’s

contents against it on a reasonably regular basis.

You are not going to be able to pack your cell phone and charger, so

don’t forget to grab it when you leave.

**You can find the recommendations for your go bag and emergency plans for your state on your states’ website. Just type your state name followed by .gov (example: Illinois.gov) into the address bar and follow the links for emergency preparedness.

Check Expiration Dates– The first thing to do is check expiration dates on all packaged items. Throw out any foods with expired dates.  If you like to stock up on bulk items it is important to date your jars when you fill them.  These are typically the items we most forget about.  Here are a few to remember:

• Olive oil is full of healthy polyphenols that help fight cancer, however these compounds deteriorate after about 6 months.
• Dried herbs and spices can have many health benefits like anti-inflammatory turmeric or cinnamon that can regulate blood sugars.  However, exposure to light and oxygen decreases their health benefits and flavor.
• Flours and grains are full of fiber and unsaturated fats but can go rancid after about 3 months.
• Nuts contain healthy fats and omega-3s but go rancid in 3–6 months.

Read Labels– Ask yourself “Is this real food or is this a food product?”  Look hard at the food labels in your pantry. If packaged foods have more than six ingredients, then it is probably a food product, regardless of the healthy labeling. This is a good rule of thumb to follow when purchasing and stocking foods.  Most packaged foods contain large amounts of sugar (including HFCS), sodium, artificial colorings and additives, and preservatives.  

Foods to Throw Out– There are loads of common pantry items that contain empty calories-or foods with little to no nutrients but high in calories.  If you cannot quite part with an item, at least put it on a higher shelf out of reach and eyesight.  This will keep the temptation from consuming it to a minimum. Get rid of foods high in sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  Common foods are cookies, cereals, soda, ketchup, tomato sauce, breakfast bars, and desserts. Also, rid your pantry of fats.  Many pantry foods are high in saturated and trans fats.  For example, peanut butter, chips, desserts, butter popcorn, cheesy crackers, and prepackaged meals. For great alternatives with no high fructose corn syrup check out a Wholefoods in your area.

Utilize all shelves- I know that sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how much we cram in the eye-level areas, neglecting the lower shelves. Put kid-friendly snacks and meal options there; small boxes of cereal, crackers, fruit snacks, or fruit juice boxes can keep you in bed for a few more minutes on Saturday mornings.

Organize right away– (This is where FIFO come into play) When you bring new items home, make sure you put the new canned goods and boxes of snacks behind the older items. This will help you use up items before they expire, and it also means you’re regularly going through what you have — which makes it easier to call up the contents of your pantry when you’re tempted to buy (yet another) jar of roasted red peppers on your next shopping trip.

Use airtight containers- Make sure you have storage containers for opened items. This keeps food fresher longer, so you don’t end up throwing away half a box of that pricey cereal because it’s stale. Choose clear versions so you can see at a glance how much of each item you have left. And don’t feel like you have to make a major investment in matching, stacking containers: Clean, empty jars and takeout soup cups can help you organize nuts, dried fruit, and small seasoning packets.

Put everything in its place– Having a dry goods location and a soup spot, a space for the kids’ juice boxes, and a place for your husband’s brown-bag lunch snacks can also make your shopping trips easier; you don’t need to know exactly how many juice boxes are in the cabinet if you know that the space has been looking a little empty.

A Well-Stocked Pantry– The main idea is to stock your home with more fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer pantry items. But, having a well-stocked healthy pantry can make mealtimes much easier. Fill your pantry with whole grains like brown rice, beans, whole-wheat pastas, lentils, and whole-wheat flour.  Have small amounts of herbs and spices so they will remain fresh.  Stock low sodium canned veggies and beans.  And when filling the shelves with packaged foods make sure to avoid HFCS, trans fats, and lengthy ingredient lists.

Here is a great healthy pantry starter list from our friends at Wholefoods.

Snack Of The Week Friendsfoodwine.com

Yummy! If you are looking for something sweet to snack on then this is it. I picked up this yummy vanilla bean gelato at Wholefoods. My last trip to Rome I ate the most amazing gelato!  I am always searching for gelato like the amazing gelato I ate in Rome so I thought I would try this one. It’s not from Rome but it was very yummy and I will be buying it again!

Enjoy the Snack Of The Week.

Mangiare!

Le Nid d’Aigle Gourdon France Friendsfoodwine.com

I was traveling with my family in the south of France and we stumbled upon a treasure of a restaurant in Gourdon. The name is quite fitting, Le Nid d’ Aigle(eagles nest), since it is perched up high on the edge of a cliff.

Le Nid d’Aigle Gourdon France Friendsfoodwine.com

The ancient medieval town is so old you almost can’t believe it is still standing. When I saw this restaurant for the first time all I could think about was “how in the world was this building built without modern technologies and/or equipment? Also how many hours of painstaking labor were put into building this town?” The workmanship on the masonry is absolutely beautiful; it is a magnificent sight to see.

Le Nid d’Aigle Gourdon France Friendsfoodwine.com

Once I got past the exterior beauty I went inside to enjoy a different kind of beauty. The restaurant was formal but not stiff. The food was traditional local cuisine, very yummy. You could taste the freshness in the food. I ordered the Foie gras, which was the best part of my meal. Foie gras is a guilty pleasure of mine that tugs at my conscience. I do not order it often but I was not going to pass on ordering Foie gras in France. As we ate our food we looked out at the spectacular view and enjoyed every single minute.Gourdon is a beautiful village and the views are spectacular. Le Nid d’ Aigle was just the cherry on top. If you are in the area and find your self-hungry then check out Le Nid d’ Aigle.

Le Nid d’Aigle Gourdon France Friendsfoodwine.com