Dish Gourmet Eatery

Steve's mom treated us to birthday lunch. They're only two days apart. I would've never noticed the eatery tucked in the back had she not pointed it out. It was a little place with only five tables. They had several more chairs at the open counter. The menu was quite surprising. The chef, supposedly a female graduate of a culinary school, created the menu. I'm usually not keen on tons of strange ingredients making up a meal; I'm more of a down home girl. Anyway, her creations, combinations, sounded very interesting. There's was one ingredient in particular that appealed to me. Clementine oil. I've never heard of it, nor have I had it. The closest thing I can think of is orange flower water. *shrug*

Here's what I ordered. To start, I had a spinach-asparagus-lemon soup. It was bright green. Like an algae green. It was pureed smooth like a split pea but it had little bits of what I concluded were the shreds that came off of a stalk of asparagus. The bottom part. The woodsy part you are supposed to discard. Later it occurred to me that it may have been lemon grass. I will never know. Steve's mom had them strain the soup at my suggestion. The woman has no qualms about using the staff fully. I sorta with I could be more like that. I suppose, at times, I am. Regarding the soup. Needless to say that it wasn't the best soup I've had. It would've been okay had the asparagus shreds thing not happened. Still though, I must admit. I didn't love the flavor of the lemon in it. I think they used some sort of lemon oil which sat atop the soup. I expected a little hint of sour from the lemon but didn't get any of that at all. What I got was a very fresh, lemon zest ee kinda taste. Yeah, I was neither expecting it nor did I love the combo. Also, it needed quite a bit of salt. The soup sorta tasted 'green' like its color.

For the main entree, I had the hanger steak. I was a little surprised and disappointed by the cut of meat. They look like sirloin steak tips to me. It was one fat, 4-5" piece served with oven-fried potato wedges with the skin on. They used little potatoes. And a pretty good salad of mixed baby greens, a vinaigrette, half grape tomatoes and capers. It may have just been a lemon and oil dressing without vinegar.

The hanger steak. I did a little research on the hanger steak and they looked like steak tips to me although I couldn't find anything that said for certain that they are one and the same. So what seemed like steak tips, well, I eat them. I like them. But I don't love them. And it occurred to me that what I was expecting was a beautiful and flavorful flat-iron steak. I wish they offered that instead. The potatoes were beautiful. I didn't even use ketchup. (By the way, this place is sorta retarded in that they don't just bring out a bottle of ketchup. They give you a small, measured amount in a ramekin. That's how they served it to Steve for his cheeseburger.) The salad was light in flavor but a little heavy on the oil. It wasn't a "heavy" oil like extra virgin olive oil tho.

So, I didn't love this experience but I'm glad that I had it. I'm still up for going back and trying some more items on the menu. Oh for dessert, Steve and I both had a chocolate dream cup cake. The frosting was piled high. Steve's mom suggested that it may be chocolate mousse, but when I asked the waitress, she said she thought it was butter cream. Either way, it was delicious next to the dark chocolate cake part. My conclusion. I must learn to try new and very different things because it ups my chances to Eat Something Good!

Dish Gourmet Eatery
947 S Lake Blvd
Mahopac, NY 10541

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Zuppa Restaurant & Lounge

Last night, Steve and I went to a family gathering. It wine mine and my brother's wife's family. We all had a great time. I was so happy to be there. It's one of the best family gatherings I've ever been to. Anyway, Zuppa is the restaurant we met at last year. It's located in Yonkers, NY. Not too far from where my parents live along the Hudson River. I reviewed this place once before and I commented that the food was good but they gave you mouse portions. All that still applies.

I started out with a beet salad. It was delicious. And very pretty to look at. I took a pic of it with my new digital camera that my brother and sister-in-law generously got for me for my birthday. It was specifically intended to enhance my blogs with pics. To continue with the food. The bottom layer consisted of thinly sliced, beautifully colored beets. They were perfectly cooked and a little sweet but not too much. On top of that, there were a small ball of mixed greens with a few crumbles of goat cheese. It was dressed in a light vinaigrette. I think I tasted a hint, just a hint of sesame oil. Leaning up on one side, there were thinly slice apples that'd been slightly grilled. The combination of all these flavors were tremendous. I thoroughly enjoyed my little salad.

For the main course, I had Costola. Beef short ribs, Kobe beef short ribs, that'd been braised. It was boneless. It was served on a thin layer of of a delicious creamy polenta. It didn't have a strong taste. They called it polenta bianca. I suppose that means they used white coarse corn meal. Anyway, I'd wished that they'd spoon on a few more tablespoons cause I was really enjoying it. It complemented the amazingly tender and flavorful short ribs. The top of the short ribs were slightly dry as if it'd been browned. It was delicious. The menu also stated that there was eggplant 'argo dolce' in it. I suppose dolce meaning sweet (which I missed on the menu) were pleasant. I actually thought they were vidalia onions. I found that they were a little too sweet and would have actually preferred a little caramelized onion instead.

For dessert I wanted to get the the chocolate "fuso" molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. I've only had it at chain restaurants like Chili's and believe you me, I have no complaints whatsoever about that. Anyway, Oh wait. I had a glass of red wine that I allowed the waiter to pick out for me. It was very nice. It had a nice clean taste. No tannins and had just the slightest touch of sweetness. I shouldn't really say that because it wasn't sweet like a German Riesling is. It just didn't have that earthy taste that I don't enjoy in wines.

All in all, I hope all of you had a wonderful christmas and got a chance to Eat Something Good!

Zuppa Restaurant & Lounge
59 Main St
Yonkers, NY 10701

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Basic Mac n' Cheese

Every Thanksgiving I make some form of macaroni & cheese. I'm never satisfied with how it turns out so I'm on the eternal search for a good recipe that doesn't necessarily use tons of different cheeses. That'll rack up the cost for sure. So I felt inspired. I felt inspired by asiago cheese. I like it lots but it's a little strong. I only used like 1/2 cup. The other two cheeses: extra sharp cheddar and monterey jack. I used regular elbow macaroni for this one trying to keep with the basic theme. I made a roux (butter & flour mixture) and added a quart of whole milk. Once it thickened a bit, I added the three cheeses that I had Steve grate. Yey! Then I poured the cheese sauce over the macaroni already in the baking dish. On top, I sprinkled more of the cheese mixture. Oh, I forgot. I grated some nutmeg into the cheese sauce and I did season, however, I should've gone stronger.

The verdict. Mmmm. Last night I thought to myself. Wow, I found a basic mac. And I was all happy. Steve loved it. I wanted to give a piece to his mom but he frowned and I quickly figured out why. He loved it so much that he wanted to save it all for himself. *giggle* The macaroni was cooked very well. Perhaps a tad overdone, I don't know. The top was nicely browned in places. And it needed a little salt. Once you hit it with salt, the dish opened up quite a bit and it was nice. Yey! Macaroni & cheese!

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Polenta Casserole w/Fontina & Tomato Sauce

I've been interested in polenta lately. I found out that grits were basically the same thing. Coarse corn meal. I love corn but I always associate it with central american food. So the first time I had it, I didn't love it. I don't remember exactly how it was served, but it was a nice piece that set up well. Some polentas can be mushy. Or maybe they don't cook it right. I'm not sure. I know that sometimes they are grilled once they've set up. And the grocery stores sell like a tube of it pre-made. I had to go to our rival grocery store (that has more variety but is also more expensive) to buy it. It carried the same brand that health food stores carry. Red Mills. So I came across this recipe and I decided to give it a shot.

For the tomato sauce, I sauteed carrots, celery, onions (all small diced) and minced garlic (I used frozen garlic cubes) in olive oil. Then you add a can of whole tomatoes and break it up as much as you can. Add chopped parsley (I used curly instead of italian (flat-leaf)) and dried oregano. Bring to simmer and reduce a good amount. At the end, add basil (I used a chiffonade(long, thin strips)) and season.

For the polenta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta and let it cook until it thickens. Stir a lot especially towards the end when it gets thicker.

In a greased (I used generic olive oil spray) baking dish, layer the sauce, polenta and fontina cheese cheese. Make three layers. I goofed on this step and made two layers instead of three. Oh well. Then ya let it sit at room temperature for about two hours. Finally, you throw it in the oven and let it sit afterwards before serving.

The verdict. As soon as I unpeeled the fontina cheese wrapper, I was upset with myself. I knew I disliked one italian cheese a great deal, but I forgot which one. I absolutely hate the smell of fontina cheese. It disgusts me a great deal. The taste, however, wasn't so bad. It had a little gooey'ness to it. That was the nice part. And so, once you get passed the smell, it's okay. Steve loved it. He loves grits so he was happy with this meal. I was wary of the tomato sauce. It contained that dried oregano & basil combo that I don't love. But I proceeded to prep. I thought maybe because I was using fresh basil that it'd be different or at least not as bad. And even though I could taste the herb combination in the dish, I wasn't displeased by it. With the other ingredients, it was acceptable.

Oh, the casserole didn't set up properly most likely because I goofed on the layering part. It actually called for a different sized baking dish that we didn't have. Anyway, the top part set up nicely, but the bottom was wet. Still, it tasted pretty good. I only had one piece; Steve had two. I was prepared to throw the leftovers out because I couldn't handle the smell. But Steve protested and wants to take some for lunch today. I feel bad for his office mates that have to smell the fontina cheese. All in all, this dish was good. Even though I didn't have a second piece, I really enjoyed the piece I had. I don't think I want to make this dish again. I may, however, make a similar casserole with ingredients I like. I just haven't figured out what those are. By the way, does the word 'casserole' imply that it's baked. In other words, would it be incorrect to say baked casserole?

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Manwich Sloppy Joes

We had a total trash night. I was so looking forward to it. All day even. Sloppy, sloppy joes. All you do is brown some ground beef and then add the Manwich sauce from the can and heat through. It's sooo easy. I added a little salt & pepper to it as well. You know what it was? Those darned commercials. And we hadn't had sloppy joes in several years. The last few times we did, we used hamburger buns. The soft, squishy ones. When I was growing up, this place sold sloppy joes on hard rolls or kaiser rolls. I really liked them and so whenever I thought of sloppy joes, I thought of them on hard rolls. Steve resisted the idea a great deal. But in the end, he gave in and I made him a nice sandwich with wavy lay's potato chips.

The easy to determine verdict. Yum! It tasted as I remembered it to be. I love sloppy joes and Manwich's original sauce is the best. Actually, I haven't tried the other varieties like barbecue. That one sounds sorta interesting to me. Hmmm...I don't even know if they have competitors in this field. Steve liked it on the hard roll, but he still prefers hamburger buns. I don't mind them on hamburger buns but you can't get as much meat on a sandwich and I think it's messier. The hard roll tends to soak up a little of the sauce making the sandwich more manageable. And pile the meat in the center'ish and don't go to the edges completely. Then you'll be happy and Eat Something Good!

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Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce

Yes, pork made an appearance at the dinner table last night. I haven't even gone near pork since the last incident. But Steve actually wanted them and they were on sale so I said, 'what the heck'. And I remembered the first time I cooked the pork chops. Steve made me paranoid about not cooking it enough and therefore, I overcooked the hell out of it. They weren't too good but the sauce, I remembered that the sauce was very nice. I added dried tarragon to it then and I should've done the same this time but I forgot. Oh well. There's always next time and there will be a next time.

Last time I made this dish, I used thick pork chops as the recipe calls for. 1 1/4" thick chips. This time I used thinner chops. Less than 1/2" thick. First I seasoned the chops with sugar, salt & pepper. Then I sauteed them to almost doneness in butter and olive oil. Set aside. Then for the sauce, you add onions (they called for green onions or shallots - I had neither so I used yellow onions.) Sautee. Then the liquids. White wine, chicken stock - reduce - then add heavy cream and season. At this point, the sauce should taste pretty decent. I put the pork chops back into the pan and let it simmer lightly in the sauce. Towards the end of cooking and right before serving, you swirl in fresh chopped parsley and dijon mustard. I served it with Uncle Bens rice that I'd made by sauteeing onions and celery. Added the rice and used 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken stock. I didn't serve any veggies. I was hoping that the onions and celery in the rice would suffice but I knew all too well that it would not.

The verdict. I have to pat myself on the back for not overcooking the pork chops. I mean, they were well done but not dry or hard. Well, they were a little hard. I would've liked a more tender chop, but Steve actually ate it so I know it wasn't that bad. Usually, he sets aside the severely overdone chops and I feel defeated. Pork has kicked my ass. But, but, but...I will have my day. (Oh, by the way, I'm fine with pork loins. They're easy.) The sauce didn't turn out as nicely as I wanted it. It was a little thin and I really missed the dried tarragon. But it was good. Don't get me wrong. Steve loved it so much that he had a second helping of yummy rice with more sauce on top. He also crumbled some feta cheese (the good kind made from sheep's milk) on top. There was hardly any sauce left in the pan afterwards. When I went back into the kitchen later, Steve said 'Look at the pan'. And I was all, but...and I thought it must've been Sid being naughty. Not so. It was Steve and he almost let Sid take the fall for it. He liked that sauce so much that he took a piece of bread and swirled it around the pan, soaking up the remaining sauce. Yes, I will do this dish again. Hey you. Eat Something Good!

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Salinger's Farm Market & Bakery

We went to Salinger's Orchards in Brewster, NY yesterday. That's where we got our Thanksgiving pies from. We got a sweets craving and we happen to be in the area. To get there, you have to go through this quiet little neighborhood that presents on a small, windy road. You follow that little road for a few minutes til you see the farm market building. It really feels like you're in the country. The store features mostly baked goods, confections, fresh cider, jams, jellies etc...It's not a big store but not too small either. I think it's a mom & pop operation and that makes Steve happy. (Me, too.)

We each had a cider doughnut. They're on the small side. A good size and well-browned on the outside. His was sugared; mine plain. Next we split this apple-filled stick. It's like a puff pastry with just a little bit of apple filling - like a sauce with a bit of apple pieces - and well cooked. They're about six inches long and over an inch wide. It had little slits spanning its whole length. Next. We split an apple turnover that was more of the same but in that familiar puffy triangular shape and this oatmeal bar with coconut frosting. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, we grabbed a brownie on the way out cause it was near the cash register. We're so bad.

The donuts were okay. Steve really loves them. He says they're best when they're fresh & hot. The apple stick. Oh my god. They were very light but not too airy. It gave you something to bite into and chew a little. They were soooo good. So much so that later in the day, Steve mentioned that I'd eaten more than my half of it. *giggle* Ooopsie. I seldom do that. I usually give him just a bit more than me because as he says, he's bigger. *giggle* For the apple turnover, I ate more than my share on that one too :) Later we split an oatmeal bar with coconut frosting. It was cakey with a slight crunch, very slight and light, to the frosting part. It was pretty good. The brownie was a pretty color and had a nice texture to look at. It was cake-like and not very chewy. I like my brownies a little denser, well cooked, and with a rich, decadent dark chocolate flavor. Hmmm...Am I forgetting something? Oh yeah, Eat Something Good!

Salingers Orchard Inc
230 Guinea Road
Brewster, NY 10509

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Wendy's Double Stack

I kept seeing those commercials for Wendy's double stack. I wanted to try one right away but for some reason I never got around to it. Well, as we were running errands the other day, we happen to pass one by. Neither of us had had breakfast so we were starving. I suggested we try the double stacks and went through the drive-thru. We each had one double stack, large fries and diet coke to share. The double stack was two square beef patties with american cheese, raw onion, ketchup and pickle chips. It was nice and hot and juicy. I liked the topping combination. Usually when I have burgers at home I just use a little sliced onion with ketchup. I never put pickles on it. I don't know why. It's most likely because I don't want to deal with pickles and having the smell of it on your fingers. Anyhow, if you're starved and eating on a budget and are not vegetarian or at all health conscious, then I recommend the double stack. Yeah, Eat Something Good!

Wendy's
1894 Route 6
Carmel, NY

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