Recipe Thursday!(Cream Cheese Brownies) Please Support Cookies for Kids Cancer!

This is a recipe that comes from somewhere very near and dear to my heart. My pseudo room-mate works for OXO which is a fantastic housewares company that any cook should be familiar with! Recently the OXO family suffered a tragic loss, two of their employee's lost a child to cancer. From this terrible tragedy rose a fantastic charity. Cookies for Kids Cancer was created by Liam's parents in order to raise money to find a cure for this terrible disease.  I have been involved in a couple of their bake sales and it warms my heart to see so many people come together for such a fantastic cause! They recently came out with a cook book, the proceeds from which go directly to the charity. So this recipe is a sneak peek inside this wonderful book, which will not only put lots of wonderful desserts on your table, but there could not be a better cause to support! So please go buy the cook book here!!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

Ingredients:

(For Cream Cheese Layer)

8 oz cream cheese, at room temp.

2 large egg yolks, at room temp

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

(For Brownies)

1 stick and 2 tbsp unsalted butter

10 oz semi chocolate chips

4 large eggs at room temp

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup choclate chips(optional)

1 cup pecans(optional

Directions:

-Preheat Oven to 325- Lightly butter 9x13 pan and line with parchment paper, allow enough over hang to lift brownies once done!

-To make cream cheese layer: Place cream cheese in bowl of mixer fitted with a paddle and beat until smooth- add egg yolk, flour, sugar, and vanilla- beating well after each addition, set aside!

-To make brownie Layer: place butter and chocolate in small sauce pan over low heat or double boiler. stir until melted and combined- set aside to cool to room temp

-Place eggs and sugar in bowl and mix with paddle attachment until lemon coloured and thick- add the cooled chocolate and vanilla, beat until well combined- 

-Place flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl and whisk together

-Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture and combine thoroughly. At this time add extra chocolate chips if desired

- Place half of chocolate mixture in the prepared pan- then dollop cream cheese mixture over it- it does not need to cover chocolate layer entirely. Top with remaining chocolate mixture. Take a table knife and gently drag east to west and north to south. This will create a checker board pattern, do not allow mixture to combine too much! Now you may sprinkle with nuts if desired. 

-Bake until the sides are done but not the top/middle, if you wait until you can pull a clean fork from the middle they will be dry! Should take about 25-30 minutes!

This recipe seems involved but it is really pretty easy, and the outcome is divine! It took closer to 40 minutes in my oven, but my tiny NYC oven tends to cook slowly! I waited until the edges looked done, and they came out perfect! The flavour was fantastic! Sweet, creamy, and a hint of salt, absolutely fantastic! So please support this wonderful cause! I am sure all the recipes in the book are as great as this one, and that makes it worth every penny! 

Puppy Party

This weekend my adorable dog Herman turned two, and since I am always looking for an excuse to entertain he had a birthday party. His best dog friend Louie came, and I had a bunch of my friends gathered as well. I made a menagerie of appetizers for this shindig, so I figured I would post a few. These are all easy and fun summer recipes, and they best part is they can all be made ahead of time. So here are some recipe highlights from Herman's 2nd bday!

Red-Neck Caviar

Sorry I did not get a picture of it in the pretty serving bowl- but at least this will give you an idea of what it should look like! 

Ingredients:

2- cans black eyed peas

2- cans show peg corn

2- cans Rotel tomatoes

1- can black beans

1- large purple onion

1- large vidalia onion

1- tsp garlic powder

1- tsp onion powder

1- tsp cumin

1-tsp chili powder

1/3 cup sugar

1- 160z bottle zesty Italian dressing

Directions:

-Finely chop onions and combine all ingredients, being sure to drain each can before adding the contents

- Add dressing and stir until all ingredients are well incorporated

- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours so that flavours can develop

- Serve chilled with chips or crackers(I think Tostitos scoops work best!)

The best thing about this recipe is you can make it your own, if you like it more spicy add some peppers. You can add more of one kind of bean or another to suit your preference. Since it needs to refrigerate for so long it is best done a day ahead of time, so it makes entertaining day a little less hectic as its one thing you can scratch off the to do list way ahead of time!

Poppyseed Dressing(Fruit Dip)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup miracle whip light

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth and refrigerate until serving. 

Could this be easier? I served it with a menagerie of fruit and cheese so its a cool crisp summer plate. Its so yummy and could also be used as a sweet dressing on a summer strawberry salad. A great recipe to have in your arsenal when you need something quick!

Smores Bars

So last but not least are Smores Bars- oh my yum! I do not have a picture of these, but that's is because they were gone before I could snap a pic! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter(room temperature)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup Graham crack crumbs(I used a full cup, I love this flavour)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 kind sizes Hershey bars

1 1/2 cups Marshmallow fluff

Directions:

-Spray 8x8 baking pan with Pam and preheat oven to 350

-In large bowl cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg and vanilla

-In separate bowl combine flour, crushed Graham crackers, baking powder and salt- then add this to the butter mixture mixing at low speed until combined

-Divide dough in half and press half into even layer in the bottom of the pan- Place Hershey bars on top of dough layer- Spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate(most easily done with a greased spatula). Finally place the remaining dough in a layer over the top. This is easiest if done in small pieces like shingles. 

-Bake for 30 minutes until dough us lightly brown and allow to cool fully before cutting!

My only tweak for this recipe would be making one and half servings of the dough, as I had a hard time making it stretch across the top! The flavour and consistency of these bars was divine, a super yummy and way less messy way to enjoy a child hood fav! 

Basta Pasta

When I was growing up and we would come to NYC one of my favourite places to go was a little west village eatery called Villa Cucina Trattoria. They had a dish called the wheel of cheese, which was basically warm noodles tossed in a huge hollowed out wheel or parmigiana cheese. It was rich, creamy, and cheesy- a 10 year old's dream! 
This past week my Mom brought my cousin to NYC for her 10th birthday. We wanted to take her to Villa Cucina, but sadly it has closed. So I did some research(googled wheel of cheese) and found this place. The reviews were good and the flat-iron location worked great for us so I made a reservation. 
It was very intriguing at first glance as it is a relatively traditional Italian restaurant but it is run entirely by Asians, and there are hints of Asian flare throughout the menu. 
When we first walked into the restaurant I was a little nervous. The front had a nice sized bar and then you walked through a large open kitchen to get to the dining room. The décor left a good bit to be desired, white wall, with random mobiles hanging from the ceiling. 
Once we sat down I realized almost every table was packed with people who looked like locals,  not tourist, out for dinner with their families on Sunday night. This is always a good sign, so I took a deep breath and decided not to judge this book by its cover. 
The menu was large and there were several options in each course that were appealing to me! I started with a Caesar salad. It was a de constructed version that showed up with a large wedge of romaine and the fixings spread around it. Once I had sufficiently mixed it, it was one of the best Caesar salads I have had in a long time, delicious! We also had the asparagus appetizer which was baked baby asparagus under a crackling parmasean cheese topping. It was warm and hearty and would be a great side dish to attempt at home. 
Two of the members of my table went for the wheel of cheese pasta, which is jazzed up a bit here but the addition of prosciutto and herbs. It was divine, just like I remembered. Creamy, warm, and not heaving like a traditional cheese sauce. It was a total hit. 

I ordered the shrimp and mushroom risotto which was also delightful. The risotto was artfully prepared, which any chef knows is not the easiest task, and the flavour was wonderful as it is obviously seafood stock based. We finished off the meal with two very good deserts. One was more traditional a molten chocolate cake, the other a strawberry and crème fraiche concoction. They were great together as one was super rich while the other light a summery. 
Overall I thought this place was tremendous and exceeded what admittedly were low expectations. This will for sure be one of my new neighbourhood go-to's- as the service and food could not have been better. I look forward to going back and exploring some of the more Asian inspired dishes, as they have proven their mastery of the traditional Italian! 


So check out their website here!
*They are on Open Table!

Recipe Thursday!(Sesame Green Beans)

This weekend the at Union Square green market I picked up the best looking green beans. There are 101 ways to prepare green beans, all just as tasty as the next but this is one of my absolute favourites! While you could make this with frozen or fresh green beans, I always go with fresh. It may take an extra 20 minutes to snap them, but I think the boost of flavour fresh green beans have are worth the extra effort!

Ingredients:
1- large produce bag full of green beans(or 3- 10 ounce bags if you are using frozen)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp garlic salt
salt and black pepper

Directions:
-Snap ends off beans and then break in half
-Over medium/high(depending on your cook top) heat, heat olive oil and soy sauce in large sautee pan and add beans
-add garlic salt, salt and pepper and continually stir
-Sautee until beans begin to turn a brighter green(should be about 10 minutes)
-Once beans begin to change to brighter green add water 
-Once about half the water has cooked out add sesame seeds and some additional salt and pepper
-Turn heat down to low and continue to cook beans until all the water has cooked out
-Once all the water has cooked out, the beans will be a darker green colour, and the sesame seeds will begin to brown- they are ready to go!

These beans are so yummy and a welcome change to the regular stove preparation. They are a great accompaniment to any meat and veggie dinner! I have served them with pork chops, baked chicken, and all sorts of fish. This dish is flavourful but pairs well with almost any meat and starch!The total prep and cook time is about 25-40 minutes, so its something easy to throw on the stove while meat is cooking! Also for any pet owners out there, my dog just about loses it any time I sit down to snap beans. He absolutely loves uncooked beans- he would eat them until he popped! So green beans are a healthy and cheap dog treat to have on hand! 

Tartinery

This past Friday, I had dinner with a couple of friends at this charming Nolita spot. This French bistro inspired menu and charming minimalist space delivered on all fronts. We were seated down stairs at a small numbered table underneath a huge drift wood  over hang creating a very intimate feel to the airy room. The décor combined truly rustic elements with minimalistic and whimsical details. It was was a genius combination of cosy and cool. It was a delightful Friday night setting, all the charm you want from a NYC restaurant without any of the pretentious undertones.  Most of waiters muttered to each other in French as they milled around taking orders and filling water glasses. It is never a bad sign to hear the native language of the cuisine flying around throughout the dining room!

At first glance I was intrigued by the menu. They specialize in tartines which are open face "sandwiches" made popular in French bistros by their combination of fantastic rustic bread and hearty ingredients. Leave it to the French to popularize a sandwich that requires a fork and knife! Well before I dive into my experience with the tartine, we all decided we had to try the ravioli appetizer. It was fantastic. Baked cheese raviolis served in skillet with cream and truffle oil. I generally like anything with truffle oil, and this was no exception. The dish was super rich and enough to share with several people. Great way to kick off the meal! 

For my entrée I opted for the foie gras tartine which was served with sea salt and fig jam. They offer several bread selections and I asked the server to recommend the best paring for this combo. He suggested the rustic French and it all came together swimmingly. It was very rich, as foie gras tends to be, but the sweetness of the figs and the crunchiness of the bread added up to the perfect bite. The tartines are large and I could not finish it all, which was great since we all had extra to share with one another. Our table had combinations like mozzarella, tomato, basil, olive oil and sea salt, as well as one with ham, brie and Dijon mustard. Each one was tasty and posseded completely differnt flavour profile. Tartinery is probably best experienced with a group that will like to share, as its nice to have a couple of bites of each thing on the table!

Our meal was superb from beginning to end. The service and food were flawless and the atmosphere lends itself to the leisurely progression of a Friday night meal . You can check out the whole menu here. They take reservation on open table and I would for sure put a note that you want to sit down stairs as the upstairs room is very small and does not exude the same charm. One thing to note is that they do not have a full bar. They offer wine, champagne, beer, and sake or kir cocktails. So don't be shocked when they turn down your usual order of vodka soda. 

They did have a delicious looking dessert menu but we were all so full and late for our next destination that we did not indulge. It's always good to leave something for next time. I do plan to visit this place again, the menu is sizeable and there are still lots of things I would like to try! It is also very easy on the wallet for a down town Manhattan dinner as most of the en tree's average around 15 bucks. Even with a couple of rounds of drinks and an appetizer we all got out for around $40 which I think is great for an NYC Friday night! So go and enjoy this French invention, it will change the way you think about sandwiches for sure! 

Recipe Thursday!(Tomato Pie)

This recipe is going out to all my southern followers. I know my mom is about to have the best tomatoes growing in her garden, its TOMATO time of year down there! As for all of us in the city, we get the best produce all year round(gotta love those big city perks!) So head to the green leaf market in union square, or your neighborhood grocery this weekend  and get some gorgeous tomatoes!

Ingredients:
2-3 Tomatoes
1 Vidalia Onion
1 Ear of Corn(peaches and cream is my fav!)
3-4 tbsp Mayonnaise 
1 tsbp Olive Oi
Salt and Pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 pie crust(I always get the extra deep)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Peel and chop tomatoes and then place on paper towels to drain
-Chop onion
-Cut corn off of the cob
-Toss veggies in mayo and add olive oil, salt and pepper
-Stir in grated cheese with veggie mixture
-Let pie shell bake for a few minutes on its own(5-8) then pull out and add pie filling. Continue baking for 30-45 minutes until brown and bubbly!

There are lots of variations you can do with this recipe. You can mix up the types of tomatoes using different colors and combinations. You can also add things like bacon or basil. Substituting different cheeses gives it a totally different flavor profile. Parmigiana and goat cheese both work great! This recipe is courtesy of my glorious Aunt Greta. I have seen this pie emerge from her oven at family gatherings many times, and they are always gone before you know it! This is a great summer recipe, utilizing one of the best produces summer has to offer! So whether you can grow them in your back yard or walk across the street and get tomatoes, this is the perfect pie for a warm summer night! 

Food Truck Frenzy(CoolHaus)

One of the great things about NYC is the food trucks. Wherever you might be, odds are there is a cupcake, latte and taco parked on a nearby corner! So the Food Truck Frenzy bit will be dedicated to the run down of my gradual exploration of what the food trucks have to offer! 
The food truck is a pretty recent phenomenon. I never remember seeing them in the city when I visited growing up, but then the summer I lived here in college they were everywhere! You could eat lunch in Union Square everyday and not have to visit the same truck twice! It used to be a bit of a guessing game, you would have to chase your favourite truck around the city, but now luckily they all employ the internet to market themselves. Most trucks have websites and they have a detailed schedule of where the truck will be parked! 
My most recent discovery is CoolHaus. The perfect NYC summer treat. This food truck offers hand made cookie and ice cream sandwiches. They have a selection of cookies and array of ice creams and you get to create your own little masterpiece. 

My cousin and I decided to share one, as we were in route to spin class. That's how good these looked, we wanted to eat them before a 45 minute torture session. We chose the maple syrup and waffle cone cookie, without a doubt one of the best cookies I have ever had. It was cooked to perfection a little crunchy on the edges but still soft and a touch gooey in the middle. We paired it with the lemon ice cream. It was a fantastic combo, the light and fresh lemon went great with super sweet maple flavour of the cookie. There were about 10 different combination that came to mind when reading the board. There is something for every mood, you could go classic with chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream, but if you are feeling adventurous you can get a pistachio agave/brown butter shortbread paired with balsamic fig and mascarpone ice cream. No matter what you choose I am sure this will be a pleasant experience. These little concoctions are the prefect summer indulgence! So check out their website here and go find the truck nearest you!