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Your source for recipes, high-end affordable beverages, restaurant specials, and entertaining advice and secrets.

Rich.

September 23rd, 2010 by Ruth

I’ve become obsessed with The Chocolate Room in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. From iced hot chocolate to the brownie sundae with fresh mint ice cream and fine port wines to complement the artisan chocolate, there is a delectable piece of chocolate waiting to satisfy your every chocolate craving. Not to mention, they always bring a glass of room temperature water and a small bite-size scoop of home made chocolate ice cream to wet your palate.

Sit with a nice cup of chai tea and enjoy the peaceful view of quaint Brooklyn backyards. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with your closest girlfriends.

Tags: Cobble Hill Brooklyn, The Chocolate Room
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Magic in every bite.

September 14th, 2010 by Ruth

Because an old friend of mine came to visit me over the weekend, I took it upon myself to treat us to some of my favorite Italian food. In Brooklyn, there are a number of gems touting home- and hand-made pastas and raviolis; fresh local and imported artisan meats and cheeses; bread straight from Tuscan streets; and most of all, authenticity in every bite. However, few of them dip into the lighter side of Italian cuisine and the one place does that does this well, and at an affordable price, is Frankie’s 457.

An informal eatery, the exposed brick walls, simple seating, and open-air in-restaurant kitchen lend a warm friendliness, immediately setting you at ease. With a number of vegetarian options to choose from, I felt exhilerated and went to town. Choosing the Cremini Mushroom and Truffle Oil Crostini as my starter and the heavenly Sweet Potato and Sage Ravioli for my entree, I was delighted to sit and wait for my meal as I sipped on my perfect bloody mary. One of the best BDs around, this hangover cure has fresh horseradish, green olives, pepper and tabasco to boot.

After noshing on Tuscan-style bread and olive oil, my crostini came. As I bit into the toast, the finely chopped cremini mushroom danced in my mouth as the rich, nutty truffle oil melted my heart and soul. The dusting of parmesan cheese lends a necessary sharpness that cuts yet enhances the rich flavors.

When the main course is placed in front of me, I prepare myself to be taken to a faraway place. As I bite into the first piece of the delicate home made ravioli, I am transported to a restaurant that sits along the Arno in Florence. The pasta is thin, fresh and perfectly al dente; the sweet potato perfectly prepared; and the light sage broth balances and brings the simple flavors together, creating a perfect Sunday brunch dish.

As my girlfriends and I experienced magic in every bite, we sat and chat for nearly two hours in complete comfort and tranquility, with noone to bother us.

Sweet Potato & Sage Ravioli, $14

Cremini Mushroom & Truffle Oil, $3

Photo Credit: Frankie's 457

Tags: Frankie's 457, Italian cuisine
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Wine Tasting at Allaire State Park

September 10th, 2010 by Ruth

A few of my friends and I spent a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at New Jersey’s Allaire State Park for the Garden State Wine Growers Association Wine Tasting. The 5th largest producers of US wines, New Jersey produces award winning wines from grapes grown in the Garden State. We were among 10,000 other people listening to smooth jazz while sipping on wines from across the state. Our favorite, the Bellview Winery Winter Spice, is perfect warm or chilled during any season. To order online, click here.

Polaroids from Robin West

Robin tasting her Bellview Winter Spice wine

Patty and Chris

Photo credit: Robin West

Allaire State Park scenery

Scenery at Allaire State Park

Tags: Allaire State Park, Bellview Winery, Garden State Wine Growers Association, New Jersey, Winter Spice
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Heiress to Vivoli.

August 3rd, 2010 by Ruth

I recently had the incredible opportunity to take an Ice cream making class with Guerrilla Ice Cream. As something that I’ve always dreamed of doing, I was thrilled to expereince it and learn ice-cream-machine-free ways to make my favorite dessert. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, we heated the cream, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest for 15 minutes until it became thick and could ribbon. After that, voila, ice cream! Of course, that’s after a few hours in the refrigerator.

After tasting the Chai Masala, Mango sorbet and chocolate, I couldn’t wait to taste my creation. I have to say, the lemon ice cream was so fantastic, you might confuse me with the heiress to Vivoli! Ciao Firenze!

Post zesting the lemon

Lemon zest is added to milk + sugar mixture for infusion.

Sifting zest and lumps out after mixture ribbons.

After sifting, portion into individual cups + freeze for 3 hours. It's then ready to eat!

Tags: Guerrilla Ice Cream
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Eat this, now.

July 19th, 2010 by Ruth

There is nothing I enjoy more than a piece of crumb cake. And I’m not just talking any old crumb cake. A self-proclaimed crumb cake expert, it has to be comprised of a predominantly thick, dense, semi-sweet layer of “crumb” with a thin layer of moist yellow cake that will potentially be eaten. I say this because, well, if the crumb part of the cake is divine enough, one will forgo the yellow cake and enjoy the deliciousness of the cinnamon goodness of the crumb.

Well, a great friend of mine just climbed the friendship ladder and reached supreme status when she brought this piece of crumb cake to my home. This divine morsel holds all of the above noted qualities and much more. Not too sweet, not too cinnamony, perfectly proportioned, and fresh from the oven, I could have eaten the entire sheet. Known for their hit TV show, Cake Boss, Carlo’s Bake Shop of Hoboken, NJ, literally takes the cake in my book.

Tags: Cake Boss, Carlo's Bake Shop
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Holiday.

July 2nd, 2010 by Ruth

The 4th of July might be one of my most favorite holidays, ever. There is nothing I enjoy more than being in good company and snacking on delicious food with those I love the most. From fresh food right off the grill and cold drinks to refresh after a day at the beach, these are a few of my favorite things.

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The new oatmeal cookie.

April 1st, 2010 by Ruth

This past Sunday, I took the rainy day to bake up a storm. Using the simple ingredients in my cupboard, I turned organic stone ground oats, walnuts, and raisins into a morsels of pure goodness.

Because of the raw sugar, the cookies were not too sweet; the stone ground oats provided a crunchy texture; the raisins added a hint of plump sweetness; and the walnuts added a rich heartiness.

After sharing with my boyfriend, co-workers, and friends, I’ve been informed that the only way to describe them is “right.” Now I don’t know about your hometown lingo, but here in NYC, that’s a damn good compliment! Cheers!

Click through to get the recipe.

(more…)

Tags: Maldon salt, Oats, Sugar in the Raw, walnut raisin walnut cookies
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Daily Diamond: Ad Hoc Chocolate Frosting

March 30th, 2010 by Catherine

It’s far from a stretch to say that I’ve got something of a sweet tooth, and although I tend to forget about it when I’ve got my mind focused on other things, it becomes tough when searching for an anniversary present for my foodie boyfriend. While trolling my local Williams-Sonoma, I fully intended to focus on grilling accessories, but somehow wound up in the baking section and directly in front of this yummy-looking frosting. I don’t believe that a $20 topping is any better than a $3 tub from your grocery store, but anything with “award-winning” written on its label will have me clambering for seconds.

I’m just hoping my beloved won’t judge if he finds me eating it out the jar with a spoon.

{Ad Hoc Chocolate Frosting, Williams-Sonoma, $19.95}

Tags: Ad Hoc Chocolate Frosting, Williams-Sonoma
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Weekend.

February 22nd, 2010 by Catherine

Here on the east coast this weekend, we got a taste of spring, with unseasonably warm weather and lots of blue skies. And with nothing to do but go about my Saturday at a very leisure-friendly pace, I got a chance to remember the feeling of warm sun and fresh – not biting – air. I wasn’t the only one enjoying the break from hibernation, either. All around me, people emerged from their homes to enjoy this break from the brutal cold and snow we’ve had over the past three months, reenergizing the world around me. So for the rest of the weekend, I enjoyed the simple things in life – a teary movie, a good book, and time spent catching up with good friends.

I also learned that the very best cure for winter Sunday night blues is a giant helping of vegetarian chili, served with sharp cheddar cheese, copious amounts of cilantro, and warm cornbread. While the cornbread came from a box, my chili was a labor of love for much of my Sunday afternoon. For the recipe, click through to read on.

How did you spend your weekend? (more…)

Tags: vegetarian chili
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Gimme, gimme s’more.

February 17th, 2010 by Catherine

During the summer, my favorite treat is definitely a s’more. There’s nothing more delicious than crunchy graham crackers, gooey marshmallows, and melty chocolate to culminate any evening. But without a working fireplace or gas stove, I’m out of luck trying to roast marshmallows indoors for the next few months. So with that in mind, would it be out of line to buy the Micro S’more? Marketed as the “10 Second Treat that’s Fun to Eat”, it’s enough convincing for me and my sweet tooth that we need this now…

MicroSmore Technology?

Tags: Micro S'more, s'more
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