{Easy Entertaining} Food Brought to You By the Color Black

Aren't these tomatoes spooky? With Halloween coming up, I thought it would be fun to find dark foods that I could incorporate into a Halloween-themed dinner.  I found these Kumato tomatoes at Trader Joe's and loved their brownish-green skin.  These tomatoes are sweeter than regular tomatoes and would make a dramatic caprese salad, especially paired with purple basil.

These Black Radishes were found at my local farmers market.  They have an incredibly strong/hot taste, which can be tempered with a bit of salt. 

By heading to Chinatown, I can usually find plenty of "spooky" foods.  Growing up, I usually saw these 1000 year old eggs at my grandmother's house during special occasions like Chinese New Year.  These duck eggs have been preserved (not for a thousand years, but for a few weeks or months) in a mixture of including rice husks.  They can be served as a side dish with ginger or in congee (Chinese rice porridge).

These preserved egg look like lumps of coal.  They can be left out as decoration - inside is an egg with a dark orange, almost red, yolk.  It's salty so my parents used to add them to congee or soup.

I finally had a chance to cook up the squid ink pasta my friend sent me from Italy.  The pasta is black due to the squid ink and tastes like the sea.  I would serve it with scallops (or any other seafood).

Finally, for dessert, I thought of grass jelly - another item found in Chinatown.  It's made out of plants that are in the mint family and added with starch to make it gelatinous.  They're slightly bitter, so the grass jelly can be served with simple syrup, evaporated milk, or canned fruit (like lychee) with syrup.

And you can match your Halloween spread with this apron!  (Only $17.50 when you use code mommy50PCT for 50% off)

Reminder:  Have you entered our CSN Stores $55 giveaway?  The contest ends this Halloween!

Lupa - Batali's Classic Roman Cuisine in Greenwich Village

It was a warm evening in NYC, around 9pm, when we walked around the Greenwich Village searching for a place to eat dinner.  After walking away from Minetta Tavern's 45 minute long wait, we headed to Lupa and only had to wait around 15 minutes for a couple seats at the bar.  Having dined at Mario Batali's other restaurants (Otto, Del Posto, Tarry Lodge, Babbo, Esca), we were hopeful for a good Italian dinner.  And for the most part, Lupa did not disappoint.

With a couple glasses of wine, we started off with a salad of Local Summer Greens, Snap Peas, and Warm Guanciale ($12).  The greens were bitter to balance the fatty pork jowl (an Italian smoked bacon).  Because there was so much guanciale, it definitely didn't seem like the healthiest salad but my husband couldn't stop eating it. He definitely wished more salads were like this one!

The pasta special ($24) that night was one of the best pasta dishes we've ever eaten!  We loved the plump homemade Cavatelli with the housemade pork sausage and cabbage.  There was a slight bit of heat from the sausage.  This dish was like a warm hug in my belly!  (Note - Our pasta dishes were split in two so that it was easier for us to share)

In comparison to the pasta special, the Garganelli with Corn, Zucchini, and Tomato ($17) was just ok.  I found it a tad too salty, though we did like the seasonal vegetables in it.

Pork Arista ($25):  Our server told us that this would be a very Rustic pork shoulder dish.  It's cooked on the bone and was very juicy.  Served with greens and radishes, this large slab of meat was another dish my husband thoroughly enjoyed.  (Maybe it was the caveman in him!)

Lupa is located at 170 Thompson St (btwn Bleecker and West Houston Sts).

Batali and Co's EATALY: Part 2 - The Restaurants

After grocery shopping at Eataly, we definitely worked up an appetite seeing all of the food.  There are numerous places to eat...and everywhere required a wait.  In addition to sandwich counters and a couple of restaurants, every section of the grocery store seems to have a corresponding dining area.  We decided to immediately put our names down for a spot at the pizza/pasta place (spots for 2 at the counter took 45 minutes, though we overheard a table of 4 state that they waited roughly 90 minutes), then wander around/wait in other lines (like the panini line which was roughly 20 minutes).

The coffee bar opens an hour earlier than the rest of Eataly (currently 9 AM) so you can enjoy an espresso, like co-owner Mario Batali, or try any number of desserts ($3.80-$5.80)

Even the chocolates are flown in from Italy...

The longest lines were for the panini which are pre-made and are either cold ($4.80) or pressed hot to order (up to $8.80).  The panini are surprisingly small - and seemed more like a snack than a full meal (several people in our line remarked on the size and opted to buy 2...which can add up to a fairly expensive lunch).

We tried all three hot paninis and surprisingly found the Mushroom and Taleggio ($6.80) to be the tastiest.  The cheese was melted and the mushrooms were so warm and earthy.  We were more disappointed with the Spicy Sopressata and Provolone panini.  It was not worth the $8.80 we paid for it as we could have just bought a whole package of sopressata and made the sandwich ourselves.

My husband liked the Bresaola with arugula pesto ($8.80 each) because it was soft and quite tasty despite the hefty price tag (he loves bresaola!).  I thought the sandwich needed more pesto and that we could have just bought bresaola from the deli area.

Lots of dining spaces including charcuterie standing tables/counters, the wine bar, the pizza/pasta restaurant, and the fish area. 

Those who didn't want to wait for pizza went to the bakery instead and got a slice of flatbread.

After our 45 minute wait for a table, we sat past the two wood-burning ovens and were seated at the counter in front of the pasta station.  After mulling over the various options, wines and beers, the server encouraged us to try and share one pizza and pasta, but we opted for the pizzas.

The Margherita pizza was the second cheapest option at $13 (and seemed to be the most popular pie eaten in the restaurant during our visit).  Like a lot of the Neapolitan pizza being offered in the NY area, it had a soft and slightly charred crust.  It's small enough that one person could eat the whole thing.  The fresh basil was fragrant, but the star of the pie was the creamy cheese on it.  Overall, we thought this pizza pie may not be the best in NYC, but it is definitely worth a try.

We splurged on the $20 Frutti di Mare (seafood) pie with fresh mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari. No cheese on this pie, but we liked the tasty sauce with the briny shellfish and shrimp.  The pie isn't too greasy and is probably one of the better seafood pizzas we've enjoyed.  Beautiful to look at and even better to eat, we were glad we ordered this pizza pie.

Penne with tomato, mozzarella, and basil ($14), Tagliatelle with bright green Pesto Genovese ($14, a popular choice), Fusilli with a meat and tomato sauce ($17, the pictured server's favorite pasta), and my neighbor's Spaghetti with cheese and black pepper ($13).

Though we didn't order any pasta dishes, sitting at the pasta counter gave us great spot to "pasta-watch".  At first a lot of the orders were for pasta but that died down quickly while the pizzas kept being churned out from the wood-fired pizzas. 

Vegetarian Lasagna with eggplant, mozzarella, and tomatoes ($16), Traditional Lasagna with a meat ragu ($16), Ravioli filled with meat ($16), and Paccheri with the Daily  Chef's Selection ($18).

The pasta options looked good, especially the fresh pastas, but are priced high for the small portion size.  Though many of the ingredients are imported from Italy, the prices still seemed high considering Eataly's a combined market restaurant concept. 

Overall, if you have the time, put your names down for the pizza area and then wander around.  We probably would not wait in the panini line again (but if it was short, we'd go for the mushroom panini), and would opt to make our own sandwiches by buying some sliced meats with bread from the bakery.  The fish/raw bar area also looked very tempting, so we'll probably check that out the next time we visit.

Eataly is located at 200 5th Ave (btwn 23rd and 24th Sts) in NYC.

Batali and Co's EATALY Part I - The Market

Grocery store, bakery, restaurant, take-out counter, pizzeria, and more...it's no wonder that we spent countless hours wandering about this place! Eataly is the brainchild of Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich.  It's a huge space, nearly 50,000 sq ft, and has been crowded with locals and tourists since its opening last Tuesday.  This post is the first of three posts dedicated to Eataly (there's a lot to cover!).  In this post, we'll show you the grocery store face of Eataly (Part 2 will cover "dining in Eataly" with the final part showcasing our purchases from Eataly).

Our first impression of Eataly is that though it is big, it feels crowded as the dining areas and grocery areas intertwine.  It was difficult to navigate around and overwhelming to find the various sections.  At times, we would walk through seating areas with people dining to get to different grocery areas.

The shopping carts were sleek and they could fit a shopping basket on top and on the bottom.  Prices for groceries varied from fair to expensive. 

The produce area carried a variety of items from regular tomatoes on the vine ($2/lb) to more unusual fruits like gooseberries ($4/pkg) and kiwano fruit ($6 ea).  There were also tons of mushroom varieties (like we saw in San Fran).

One of the unique features of Eataly is the 'Vegetable Butcher.'  When we visited, they were breaking down artichokes and preparing beets so that people can take them home to cook right away.  The vegetable butchers told us that they will prepare anything in the produce area for us to take home. 

Throughout the afternoon, the bread was disappearing fast.  By around 3pm that afternoon, the display case had various empty slots as lots of people were getting bread to go with their cured meats and cheeses.

The fresh pastas looked good, but it seemed much more expensive than the fresh pasta we get from Raffetto's in the West Village.

We loved seeing all of the fresh seafood and fish - especially the Wild Gulf shrimp.  Everyone who walked by seemed amazed by the assortment - or at least curious about the ugly monkfish staring at them.  Eataly is supposed to have fish brought in daily from West Coast and Europe along with pristine locally sourced product.

The cheeses were tempting, especially the housemade mozzarella (made daily).  We ended up getting burrata cheeses ($9.80 ea) that were imported from Italy.

The Piedmontese beef are local beef from cow breeds that originated in the Piedmont region in Italy.  They're leaner, more muscular, and higher in protein.  The selection included Piedmontese NY strip ($19.80/lb) and Piedmontese fillet ($29.80/lb).  On the cooked meat side, people were lining up for picnic items like Prosciutto di Parma ($23.90/lb, $26.80/lb), Coppa Dolce ($24.80/lb), and Sopressata ($24.80/lb).

The beverage areas had numerous Italian sodas, imported water, and beers. It's the biggest selection of Italian craft beers we've seen in NYC; however, the beers are on the pricey side (and even more marked up in the restaurants).  My husband liked seeing craft brands in addition to the common Moretti beers.  Alongside the bottles from Birrificio Montegioco and  Birra del Borgo, there were numerous bottles of Dogfish Head beers.  

Later this fall, Eataly is planning to open a rooftop brewery that is a collaboration between Dogfish Head from Delaware and the Italian craft brewers Birrificio le Baladin and Birra del Borgo (unfortunately it appears Russian River Brewing will not be part of it as first reported earlier this year).  We also heard that Eataly would also have housemade sausages on hand when the rooftop opens.  It sounds like Eataly's going to be even more crowded!

 

The wine store next door that includes the Bastianich family wines and those in the portfolio of a co-developer of Eataly that includes the Fontanafredda and Borgogno labels.

Unlike most grocery stores though, you can purchase and immediately dine on food and drink like charcuterie and Italian soda pop.  Our next post will feature the take-out and various restaurant options we experienced within Eataly.

Overall, the grocery store areas had a good assortment of dry pastas (even the Barilla dry pasta is from Italy, not from the US like the boxes found in Fairway), anchovies, cheeses, and cured meats.  The prices varied and the crowds and layout made shopping difficult.  Speaking with an employee, it sounds like we'd have to get there at 10AM when the grocery store opens in order to beat the crowds.  From lunchtime to 11pm close, it's currently a zoo.

Eataly is located at 200 5th Ave (btwn 23rd and 24th Sts) in NYC.

Marea

Whenever Jen comes to town, we always seem to have a wonderful get-together.  From Scandinavian food to David Chang's latest Momofuku spot, we've been fortunate to catch up with fellow food bloggers over interesting and tasty dishes.  Our most recent get-together was no exception.

Jen managed to score a reservation in Marea's private dining room without the normal $1600 food/drink requirement.  Not only were we able to dine in a lovely space, but we were able to take as many photos as we'd like.

Since we were sure we would be enjoying lots of seafood, my hubby chose these 2 white wines for us:  Soave Castelcerino Filippi 2008 ($12), a floral, minerally white that tasted like green apple and Kerner Abbazia di Novacella 2009 ($14), a Riesling blend that was clean, crisp, and very pleasant.

Looking at the menu, there are a number of ways you can order.  Christine and I both opted for the 4-course fixed priced meal ($89 for our choice of any appetizer, pasta, entree, and dessert from the menu).  My hubby wanted 2 pasta courses (Marea is known for its seafood and house-made pastas), so we tried to strategically mix and match dishes as he opted to order a la carte.  Jen was determined to try as many crudos as possible, so she made her own tasting menu by ordering 2 crudo samplers in addition to a couple of a la carte items.   

To start the meal, we were all served a complimentary amuse bouche that was as tasty as it was pretty. The white peach, onion, and shallot soup with pistachio oil was served with a thin slice of peach with crushed pistachio nuts on top.  The mix of peach and shallots was an unexpectedly bright and fresh combination.  

The whole table loved the Ricci ($15) or a crostini with sea urchin, lardo, and sea salt.  This melt in your mouth appetizer is a must-try dish!

Crudo tasting (3 for $25 or $6 supplement to fixed price menu):  While Cindy and Jen both ordered the langostein as part of their trio, we went for these three:  Tonno big eye tuna, oyster crema, crispy artichokes; Vongole geoduck clam, fresh chilies, lemon, hearts of palm; and Seppia cuttlefish tagliatelle, soffrito crudo, bottarga di muggine.

We loved the tuna (my favorite of the trio) - it was generous in size and very fresh. My hubby enjoyed his first taste of geoduck (his favorite of the trio). It wasn't as salty as the geoduck I had at Coi.  It was sweeter and tasted like the ocean.  The cuttlefish had some chili on it to add a spicy flavor to it. 

Christine got the Branzino crudo ($18 a la carte) as part of her 4 course meal.  This white striped bass topped with sturgeon caviar and mussel vinaigrette looked so silky and fresh!

We ordered the Astice ($24 or $6 fixed price supplement) because we love Nova Scotia Lobster and Burrata cheese.  It also came with eggplant al funghetto and basil.  We love burrata and this version was creamy and delectable.  It ranks highly along with our other favorite burrata experience.

Our server told us this was the best octopus she's ever had.  So we ordered the Polipo ($20 a la carte) which included grilled octopus, smoked potatoes (both purple and yellow), pickled red onion, chilies, and tomatoes. The table agreed that this tender, slightly charred octopus was definitely one of, if not, the best octopus dishes ever enjoyed.

Talida and her husband ordered the Ippoglosso ($43 a la carte):  Alaskan halibut alla piastra, cippolini agrodolce, chanterelles, spring peas, Parmigiano.

The Fusilli ($28 a la carte) with red wine, octopus, and bone marrow was another table favorite. Silky bone marrow with tender octopus and lots of sauce made for a remarkable dish.  My hubby ordered a glass of a juicy Sicilian red wine, Nero d'Avolab 2007 ($15), that paired nicely with the pasta.

Agnolotti ($28 a la carte):  Veal ravioli with sweetbreads and funghi.  This dish was as rich as we had imagined and just as good.  It had an earthy, savory flavor and we loved the ravioli the best on the plate.

Branzino ($43 a la carte) seared striped bass, crushed potatoes, artichokes alla giudia, torpedo onion, summer truffle. The fish was perfectly cooked and the shaved truffle was a luxurious touch, but the highlight for me was the crispy artichoke.  Like a delicate flower, each "petal" of the artichoke was thin and crunchy like a wafer yet retained that green artichoke taste.

My hubby ordered the Spaghetti ($28 a la carte) with crab, Santa Barbara sea urchin, basil. This was his favorite pasta dish of the night.  It had a decent amount of crab and uni (sea urchin), balanced seasoning, and was very rich.  We wished we had a bigger plate! (There was a mix-up with our order and we were served a half-portion instead of the full portion).

Jen ordered the Ciliegia ($12 a la carte):  A semolina tart with poached local cherries, honey custard, and brachetto sorbet (brachetto is a red Italian wine grape).  This was a beautiful dish and I loved the glass sugar piece.

Cindy chose the Polenta Fritta ($12 a la carate):  with crispy polenta, blackberry compote, mascarpone ice cream.  The table also received complimentary biscotti to enjoy with our teas and coffees.

Christine and I both ordered the Gianduja ($14 a la carte) as the final part of our 4-course fixed price meal.  I loved the richness of cocoa nib crema, hazelnut, and chocolate with the light fior di latte gelato (milk, cream, and sugar).

And finally, some complimentary chocolates (Earl Grey, Mint, White Chocolate with Lemon, and Salted Caramel) were provided to end our meal. 

The food was overall amazing (a tad pricey), though the service was a little off (a couple mixed up plates amongst our 8 diners).  We were more than satisfied with everything we ordered and were happy to have had a chance to dine here.  If you're in NYC and like pasta and seafood, Marea is the spot for a special, celebratory meal.

Marea is located at 240 Central Park South (on W 59th St btwn 7th and 8th Aves) in NYC.

Want another take on the dinner? Check out Jen's post and pictures on our group's experience at Marea.