A few weeks ago, I visited Boney out in Morristown, NJ.It was surprisingly lively in the streets of Mo-town but we ducked into a great French Thai restaurant, Origin.We sat downstairs in a dimly lit dining room that was packed.As we walked over to our table, I saw the different delicious treats that sat on everyone’s table and I knew we were in the right place.
We decided to share the appetizer special, Shrimp and Scallop Dumplings.
They were steamed and served with a soy vinaigrette dipping sauce.The dumplings were thinly wrapped, but bursting with flavor.There was a hearty portion of shrimp and scallop in each bite. I could also taste the ginger and scallions. Every ingredient was perfectly balanced and the soy vinaigrette was the perfect enhancer.The appetizer as incredible and I couldn’t wait for the main course.Boney ordered the Pad See Ew with beef.
She noted that it is her favorite dish and she has had it at Origin a few times. It is a simple dish mixed in with Chinese broccoli.I ordered Pad Kee Maow.
This was no ordinary Pad Kee Maow. It was spicy and served with chicken, shrimp AND squid. There was a mix of red peppers, spicy green peppers and basil. The flavors were incredible. The broad noodles were perfectly cooked and thankfully they weren’t drenched in sauce – sometimes that mistake is made. The only thing odd about this dish was that there was some lettuce at the bottom of the noodles.I’m not sure why, perhaps that was to combat the spice. I have no issues with spice so I found the lettuce to be an unnecessary distraction.
Overall Origin was fantastic! I can’t believe such a gem exists in Morristown.I will certainly return to try other items on their menu.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! The Super Bowl of cooking is here! Thanksgiving is the BEST holiday EVER! I love my family and spending Thanksgiving with them is fantastic. But, I also love my friends. So this year, I decided to get the best of both worlds by hosting a Friendsgiving a few weeks before Thanksgiving. It was an awesome treat for me because I love cooking, eating, and hosting. I tried a couple of new recipes, but also had many oldies but goodies in the mix. I think there was something wrong with my camera, or perhaps I just got too excited about the food that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of certain dishes. The recipe posts will hopefully come later, although last year I never got around to posting the recipes. Without further ado, below are some of the delicious treats that were part of the feast.
The appetizer selection included two types of wings. Spicy BBQ on the right and Jerk Wings on the left.
Mr. N got quite the shock when he took a bite of the Jerk Wings without realizing what he was getting himself into. I was patting myself on the back for the quality of these Crab Cakes.
I must have been patting with both hands, because I didn't remember to take a photo after they were plated. le sigh. I will say the Marylanders approved so I must have done something right :) The Shrimp Dumplings were also a hit.
Ms. O was kind enough to construct and fry these crispy delicious bites. She also mixed the accompanying sauce which was terrific. After the appetizers, the many parts of the main course were served. It's not Friendsgiving without the Turkey!
This one was Honey Brined and fall off the bone good. Cooking turkey in a bag is really the way to go. I also served Drumsticks with peppers and onions.
Ms. H was convinced this was sausage....I guess the peppers threw her for a loop. To compete with the poultry, I also served Salmon.
Whole Foods was having a sale on Coho Salmon that week, so once Mr. M mentioned it, I decided to incorporate it into the menu. I think most will agree that the sides are truly the stars of Thanksgiving. This was definitely the case at Friendsgiving. By far the most popular was the Sweet Potato.
I served one with marshmallow topping and the other with streusel. I didn't get a chance to photograph the streusel so I'm using a photo from last year.
There were plenty of debates through the night about which was best. I think a little bit of both is the way to go. For those who only enjoy the classics, I also served Mashed Potatoes.
I was afraid I wouldn't have enough carbs so I made two pastas. The Baked Mac and Cheese was a hit, primarily because of the potato bread crumbled on top.
The lasagna also got a lot of love, but unfortunately none from the camera. Here's a picture from last year.
I can't make pasta without also including rice, so of course some Jollof Rice was absolutely necessary.
And by some, I mean 8 cups of rice. We also had quite the bounty of vegetables. Two types of spinach. Creamed and Sauteed.
The Sauteed Spinach was one of the last items to come out so unfortunately no photograph. Similarly the Broccoli and Cheese was still in the oven when I put my camera down. I did capture the Collard Greens which were slow cooked for about 6 hours.
I'm definitely using that recipe again! As though those weren't enough greens, Ms. O also fixed a delicious salad!
All that food took a lot more time than I anticipated so I could only offer one homemade dessert. Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake! This year, it didn't crack.
Thankfully my guests brought plenty of dessert...
Seriously a lot of dessert...
I'm not kidding when I say a lot...
It really was a lot!
This Friendsgiving day feast was everything I hoped for and more. Ms. O was an amazingly awesome sous chef in so many ways. I am incredibly blessed to have such great people in my life and I hope this Thanksgiving you also Count Your Blessings...
These days, I find myself checking out the Whole Foods website for the weekly sales about a half hour before I leave work then plotting my evening meal.A few weeks ago, I was extremely successful with my version of this recipe.Instead of beef, I used boneless chicken thighs.The recipe on the website is essentially perfect – I just had to substitute one ingredient.
Ingredients
½ onion, chopped
2 serrano chiles (remove seeds for a milder curry)
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs peanut or expeller-pressed canola oil
1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cinnamon stick
1 ¼ tsps coriander seeds
1 ¼ tsps ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ tsp sugar
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves
In a blender, combine onion, chiles, garlic and ½ cup water and blend until smooth. Set aside.
In a large skillet with a tightly fitting lid, heat oil over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add cinnamon, coriander, cumin and turmeric; stir for 10 seconds and then add the onion and chile mixture.
Simmer for 1 minute and then stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar. (The tomatoes added a texture that I didn’t love, so I’ll probably leave them out next time.) Add the chicken back in, cover the skillet, and simmer 40 minutes. Stir in potatoes and continue to simmer until chicken and potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes more; remove the lid during last 10 minutes of simmering if you would like a thicker sauce. Remove cinnamon stick. When you taste the curry, you’ll definitely want to add more salt.
After adding enough salt, I decided to taste it, but ended up eating it as though it were soup.I then had another bowl with rice.This curry was amaaaazing! Thank you Whole Foods!
Mr. J returned to NYC a few weeks ago! To celebrate his arrival, I made quite the tasty dinner. I've wanted to make Shrimp Fajitas for a while now. When I saw a recipe in the June 2011 Cosmo magazine, I decided to make my version of the recipe.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
½ red bell pepper, julienned
½ orange belle pepper, julienned
1 small red onion, julienned
1 jalapeno, minced
In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 3 ingredients. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Put the shrimp in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.Add peppers and onions.
A while back I bought the Gilt City offer for a deal at Hudson Hall. Now that Ms. R works so close, it was easy for us to get together and walk over to the Hudson Hotel. When we walked in to the cafeteria I was immediately captivated by the film being projected on the walls. We were escorted to a table with benches and a throne like chair.
After we sat down we were told to help ourselves. Just like in high school, we grabbed our trays and made our way down the line.We definitely made great selections. We started with the Tuna Tartare. (Like a rookie I forgot to charge my camera, but thankfully Ms. R came to the rescue!)
It was so bright we couldn't help but select it. The tuna was definitely sushi grade and tasted fantastic.The Flat Bread Pizza was equally amazing.
The serving was really small though so I was left wanting more. Thankfully the Thyme Roasted Chicken came to the rescue.
The chicken was incredibly juicy and the seasoning was perfect. My favorite dish was the Roasted Corn.
It was very fresh and cooked with mushrooms and jalapeño. The jalapeño added a spicy bite that I wasn't expecting but definitely welcomed.I look forward to replicating this dish in my kitchen.
Hudson Hall has an interesting atmosphere that is great if you're looking for a unique dining experience. It has so many options that dining there can be great for those with a desire for many different flavors. My biggest qualm is the hit or miss possibility of cafeteria style dining, but some dining risks are worth taking!
I love Food & Wine magazine. Of all the subscriptions I have, it is definitely the one I get most excited about. Once it arrives, I flip through and mark all the recipes I plan to try.When the July issue arrived, I knew there were many things I would try. The first was the Spicy Thai Marinade with Basil and Cilantro.Although the recipe showcased steak, I decided a Cornish hen would be the perfect protein to feature the marinade.
Ingredients:
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup cilantro leaves
8 peeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons sambal oelek
2 tables Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
½ cup vegetable oil
1 Cornish hen
In a food processor, pulse the basil, cilantro, garlic, sambal oelek and fish sauce until finely chopped.
Add the lemon and lime zests and oil. Pulse until the marinade is smooth.Rinse and pat the hen dry.Place it in a mixing bowl and pour the marinade on the hen. Rub the marinade on the outside and inside the hen.Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors sink in.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place the hen in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
You want it to cook but not dry out so keep a close eye on it.The finished hen should have a brownish tint on the outside and the juices should run clear.
Carve and serve with yellow rice.
Again another simple dish that just required a little bit of planning.I highly recommend it!
Ramadan Kareem! In an effort to be more mindful during this month (and hopefully going forward) I hope to post more recipes. I haven’t experimented in my kitchen in quite some time but I hope to host an Iftar once a week. Hopefully, it’ll work out. Anyway, I figured it would be appropriate to start off the month with a recipe post.
Earlier this summer, in a quest to make lobster, I bought a couple of stockpots. About a week ago, I contemplated buying a paella pan. Of course a friend reminded me about my unused stockpots. Not to be shamed by unused kitchen equipment, I hustled to the fish market that evening. I came back with this little guy.
Just the site of him made me remember how much I love lobster!! I boiled enough water to cover his head and added about ¼ cup salt. Once the water came to a boil, in he went!
Head first of course. I covered the pot and cooked him for about 7 minutes. Then out he came and I threw some cold water over him so he wouldn’t overcook.
At that moment I realized I had not done enough preparation for my fra diavolo sauce so I whipped together a half hearted version.
Ingredients:
1 1- 1 ¼ lb lobster, cooked
2 tbs olive oil
1/8 cup red pepper flakes
1 garlic, chopped
¼ cup onion, chopped
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to season
Heat oil then add red pepper flakes. Cook flakes for 1 to 2 minutes then add garlic and onion. Next add tomato sauce and bring to a boil then put on low heat for 15 minutes. Last step is to add the lobster. Let the sauce cook with the lobster for 5 – 10 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the lobster but you also want to make sure it has enough of the flavor of the spicy tomato sauce.
I served it on a bed of spaghetti with a few of the legs and couldn’t have been happier.
I’m glad I got a chance to make it because now I can buy my paella pan!
I’ve been catching some flak lately for the drastic increase in frequency of my restaurant posts and the impact it has had on my recipe posting. Trust, the skills still exist, I just don’t showcase them as often. I’ve made a lot of repeat dishes lately so not as much to post about. The past week has been filled with adventures in the kitchen though, because my latest kitchen toy arrived. My cast iron grill!! The thing about living in a wonderful apartment building in NY is that even though we have outdoor space, we are not allowed to grill out there. It’s summer though and I feel like breaking the rules. Rather than doing that though, I bought a grill I could use in my apartment. So far so good! I started by throwing anything I could on the grill.
The shrimp took a while but that’s because I didn’t let the grill heat up. The corn was oh so sweet and tasted incredible. I then decided it was time to actually make some food so I started playing with my Epicurious app and found a recipe for Grilled Chicken and Plantains, Jamaican Style. I decided that if I could get some grill lines on my chicken I would be a happy camper.
I missed a few ingredients in the recipe so I think mine came out a little different. I was happy with the taste, but I’d recommend following it as written.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
2 semi-ripe plantains, peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices
I prepared this indoors, but the recipe was created with an outdoor grill in mind. If you’re using an indoor grill, make sure to turn it on while mixing your ingredients so it’ll be nice and hot by the time you’re ready to cook. Puree molasses and next 7 ingredients in blender until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon 1/4 cup sauce into pie dish. Add chicken; turn to coat.
Marinate 15 minutes. Grill chicken, skin side down.
The cook time will depend on whether you’re using an outdoor or indoor grill and also how hot your grill gets. You should turn it after about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it but make sure it’s cooked thoroughly before serving. No one wants to find that their food isn’t cooked all the way. The flavor in the chicken is incredible - I don't know if it's necessarily "jamaican" but I know it's delicious! I couldn’t stop there though so I also made sure to cook some Rice & Peas.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
1 large jalapeno seeded and minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (10 ounces)
1 14-oz can unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup Water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 15-oz can kidney beans
Hot sauce
In a large saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook over moderate heat until barely softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice.
Add the coconut milk, water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the beans, cover and simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. The rice is pretty spicy, especially if you leave the seeds in the jalapenos. YUM!
