February 2007
Monthly Archive
Ciao Italia Live!
Posted by daisy on 27 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Friends, Restaurants
This past weekend I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest on Mary Ann Esposito’s PBS show, Ciao Italia, which was going to be taped in front of a Live audience at The Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, Ct. Miggy and I drove up on Friday afternoon, as we were to meet Mary Ann and her team for dinner at Jasper White’s, Jasper’s Summer Shack at The Mohegan Sun (I’m a huge fan of Jasper’s…I’ve been to the one in Boston, as well as this one).
Jasper sent over a varity of appetizers which we made short order of, including a raw platter, ceviches, and fried smelts…everything was absolutely delicious and pristinely fresh. The entrees did not fail to delight, either. We actually had four people in our party buy Jasper’s signature Pan Roasted Lobster, which is entirely finger licking good. I cannot get enough of this dish.
I got a side of Brazilian collard greens that were tender crisp with a hint of heat that I can easily get addicted to. Paul Lally, producer of Mary Ann’s show, and easily one of the nicest people I have ever met ordered the Crab Cakes which were served with some lovely baked beans.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!!
Posted by daisy on 20 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Friends, Restaurants
I know that a Boriqua blog is a strange place for a Chinese New Year post, but bear with me…I’ll be able to tie the whole thing together before we’re done. The party on Sunday was an impromptu idea from Sofrito Girl, and friend extraordinairre, Loni Shomstein, who actually arranged the party all the way from Washington, DC. The party was at the Central Seafood Restaurant in Hartsdale, NY, where her mom, the fabulous Edith Liu resides. We arrived at 6 in the evening to find the restaurant doing a bustling business with Chinese banquet festivities in full swing. We were to meet Loni and her husband Lee, Lee’s brother and his wife, Steve and Myrna, Myrna’s dad, Herb, Lee’s sister Cathy, Loni’s sister Pam, Jerry, Angie, myself, and of course, the very fabulous Edith. The aviation gods were not smiling, however, and Loni’s flight from DC was de-iced twice and so Lee and Loni missed their own party! We’d have to drown our sorrows in delicious Chinese food.
We started out with a Jellyfish Combination Platter that was accompanied by various Chinese meats and fishes. The different textures and tastes were brilliant together, and I could have easily made a cold supper out of it. Guess who enjoyed the jellyfish more than anybody else?
Elizabeth Strikes Again!!
Posted by daisy on 13 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Friends
I tell you, we’re all going to be working for that girl one day!!
http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/02/the-valentines-day-chocolates.html
More V-Day Chocolates
By Ed Levine
February 12, 2007
Photograph by our intern, Robyn Lee, aka The Girl Who Ate Everything.
February 12, 2007
Photograph by our intern, Robyn Lee, aka The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Another day at Serious Eats world headquarters, another box of chocolates delivered to our door. On Friday, the chocolates that came our way were from Sahagún Handmade Chocolates (10 Northwest 16th Avenue, Portland OR 97209; 503-274-7065). Brian Spangler, the co-owner of our favorite Portland pizzeria, Apizza Scholls, turned us on to Sahagún on his website. It turns out that Brian knows chocolate just about as well as he knows pizza.
Here’s what we have tried so far:
Luscious Caramels: Aptly described on the flyer that came in the box as “soft, buttery, salted caramel encased in a bittersweet thimble and topped with a nut. Corn-syrup free. Best eaten in one exploding bite!” How right they are. These were so good, so buttery, just salty enough, that you will notice that the photo that Serious Eats managing editor Adam Kuban took of them (left) and the one that our intern, Robyn Lee, took (above) only have two instead of the three that were sent. I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed one and popped it in my mouth before they could stop me.
Luscious Caramels: Aptly described on the flyer that came in the box as “soft, buttery, salted caramel encased in a bittersweet thimble and topped with a nut. Corn-syrup free. Best eaten in one exploding bite!” How right they are. These were so good, so buttery, just salty enough, that you will notice that the photo that Serious Eats managing editor Adam Kuban took of them (left) and the one that our intern, Robyn Lee, took (above) only have two instead of the three that were sent. I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed one and popped it in my mouth before they could stop me.
Sahagún owner Elizabeth Montes also makes stupendous barks (as seen in Robyn’s photo above). The Pepitiapapá Bark features toasted pumpkin seeds and just enough jalapeño to give it a little heat at the end of each bite.
The Palomitapapá Bark features what they call “exploded corn,” chile Japonés, and flor de sal. Imagine the best CornNuts ever surrounded by really good dark chocolate.
The Salt Peanuts! Salt Peanuts! product (presumably inspired by the Charlie Parker–Dizzy Gillespie tune of the same name) features Spanish peanuts, salt, and chile Japonés. In the same vein, imagine the best Goobers you’ve ever tasted.
The chocolate-covered candied ginger was also killer.
If Serious Eats world headquarters were in Portland, we would be making weekly pilgrimages to Sahagún.
We’ll add this to our list of serious chocolate sources. For other spots we haven’t covered yet, visit chocomap.com.
By the way, it’s only Monday. There are two days to go before Valentine’s Day. Is there such a thing as chocolate poisoning?
Palo Santo
Posted by daisy on 12 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Restaurants
Last night I was invited to a birthday dinner party, that my friend Paul was having for his good friends Marianna and Ernesto. Marianna is a psycologist of Italian descent, and she speaks the lovliest Spanish with a trace of Chilean accent. Ernesto is a professor who still teaches in his home town in Chile. Paul had told me that Marianna and Ernesto had a favorite restaurant in Park Slope called Palo Santo, which featured Pan Latin food, and that the Executive Chef Jacques Gautier, would be doing a tasting menu. I was intrigued!
We were the first of our party to arrive and were met by Chris, the manager, who led us to our table and offerred us a drink. The restaurant front is deceiving, I could have easily walked past the restaurant if not for the number on the door. Once you walk in, however, and walk towards the back, you find yourself in a lovely dining area, that is beautifully lit and appointed. The Chef even told me that he had made the tables in the restaurant himself!
Daisy on American Latino TV
Posted by daisy on 11 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy
Episode 511
Showing Week of (02/12/07 - 02/18/07)
This special episode of American Latino TV highlights Latinos in Television. We travel to Las Vegas to meet Chop, the star of A&E’s “King of Cars.” In Los Angeles, we meet up with Cesar Millan, also known as “The Dog Whisperer.” Food aficionados will delight with Chef Daisy Martinez’s savory specialties and sports fans will cheer for the Latino contestants of the unscripted boxing drama, “The Contender.”
Major Markets
New York : MYTV Channel 9 Sunday at 4pm
Los Angeles : ABC Channel 7 Saturday at 12:30am and Sunday at 4pm
Miami : MYTV Channel 33 Saturday at 1pm
Chicago : CBS Channel 2 Saturday at 11:30am
El Quixote: Tried and True
Posted by daisy on 09 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Restaurants
I can’t imagine how many times I have walked or driven past this restaurant without giving it a second glance. Apparently, El Quixote on West 23rd Street, has been at the same location since the 1930’s, but it wasn’t until last week that I was tempted to try it (probably because I was on 23rd St and it was freezing out and I was in a dress and high heels!). It turned out to be quite a fortuitous decision, as the food is really, really good. The menu is quite expansive, and even so, they had an impressive list of specials. We opted for the Bacalao and Potato Croquettes, the grilled langostinos, and the the Mussels Villaroy as appetizers, with a pitcher of white sangria that was almost as good as mine. You can easily make a meal just from the tapas and appetizers,. The croquettes were delicate and creamy…easily the best I’ve ever had: not greasy at all, just crisp and delicious.
The langostinos were garlicky, sweet, meaty, and large!! I thought they were a steal for $8.95 for four.
The mussels were devine. Partially steamed, half of the shell is discarded, and the half that contains the mussel meat is coated with bechamel sauce, then chilled. When you are ready to serve these babies, dip the hardened bechamel in egg, then breadcrumbs, and fry, crumb side down. The result? Crispy exterior coats a creamy hot bechamel which in turn covers a sweet, plump mussel. Interpretation? HEAVEN!
Migui decided she wanted to try the Mariscada Criolla which could have easily fed us both, as the portions are very ample. The light tomato sauce that bathed the assorted shellfish was seasoned to the point, and redolent of the ocean.
Finally, I had the Langosta en Salsa Blanca (shelled lobster meat in a creamy bechamel that is perfumed with shallots, leeks and sherry) over some yellow saffron rice. I used to get this dish all the time when I visited my favorite Spanish restaurant (who has since changed hands and the food is now inedible), and it was really wonderful to order this and have it taste every bit as delicious as I remembered it being.
After all of this (we ended up taking doggie bags home!) dessert was out of the question, not because it didn’t look delicious, but because we were so full, we were having trouble breathing! This is definately worth a trip to West 23rd St.
El Quixote Bar & Restaurant
226 W 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 929-1855
NYC Women in Food
Posted by daisy on 09 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Daisy in the News
This past February 3, 2007, I was invited to speak at an event that was coordinated by three of the leading “women in food” organizations in New York: Le Dames d’Escoffier NY, Women Chefs and Restauranteurs, and the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance. It was held at The Institute of Culinary Education , and was meant as a networking opportunity for women in food to mix, mingle and share some great food and wine together, and it really turned out as a success.
Magdalena Spyridowicz, Public Relations Queen, and Daisy
Daisy Goes Ivy League!
Posted by daisy on 08 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Daisy, Daisy in the News
Romaine, Beet, and Blue Cheese Salad (Ensalada de Lechuga, Remolacha y Queso Cabrales)
Posted by boriquablog on 01 Feb 2007 | Tagged as: Recipes/Recetas
Makes 4 lunch or 6 first course servings
- 2 medium beets (about 12 ounces)
- Fine sea or kosher salt
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 2 teaspoons sherry or other vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil, plus more for the beets
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces blue cheese (see below), crumbled (about 1 cup)
Cut off the beets’ stems, peel the beets, and cut them in half. Put the beets in a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water and toss in a small handful of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then adjust the heat so it is boiling gently. Cook until the beets are tender, but not mushy, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on your beets. Drain the beets and let them stand until cool enough to handle, but still a little warm.
While the beets are cooling, prepare the lettuce: separate the head into leaves and cut out any thick ribs from the leaves. Tear the leaves into rough 2-inch pieces. Wash and dry the leaves, preferably in a salad spinner.
Cut the beets into ½-inch dice. Toss the beets with the sherry vinegar and a kiss of olive oil. Place the lettuce in a bowl large enough to hold it comfortably. In a separate small bowl, whisk the white wine vinegar into the ½ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss until it’s coated. Scatter the beets and cheese over the top.
Daisy’s Pantry: Cabrales, a semi-soft blue-veined cheese from the Asturias region of Spain, is my cheese of choice for this. It is a fairly mild cheese made from a mix of goat, sheep and cow milk and is worth searching out.
