By Ari, on January 28th, 2012%
It happened again.
I had a weird, inexplainable craving for buffalo chicken wings.
Of course, at the same time I was also wanting eggplant parmesan and chocolate cake, but in the end the buffalo chicken won out.
I think I’m just excited for the Super Bowl (read: excited for Super Bowl eating!).
This tastes exactly like you might expect. Chickeny, cheesey, spicy, pasta goodness. If you’re looking for a unique dish to highlight at your Super Bowl party next week, switch out the buffalo wings with some other flavor combination (these baked parmesan and garlic wings ought to do the trick) and make buffalo chicken lasagna, instead!
Continue reading Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
By Ari, on January 25th, 2012%
Is anyone else confused by this uncharacteristically warm winter? We received a few inches of snow this past weekend, then yesterday it was 50 and sunny. On the plus side, all the snow has melted. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say warmer days were coming.
But of course I know better.
This dish is delightful. It’s light, but intensely flavored by the warm tomatoes and fresh rosemary. And ready in 20 minutes! Talk about an easy, healthy, weeknight meal.
Sautéed chicken with a light tomato pan sauce? Sign me up!
 Continue reading Chicken with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce
By Ari, on January 20th, 2012%
I nailed this, guys.
The assignment was to eat more veggies, right?
I wouldn’t go substituting these fritters for fresh greens every day of the week, but a little indulgence (read: oil) once in a while is never a bad thing!
Also, they’re damn tasty.
Continue reading Zucchini Fritters
By Ari, on January 19th, 2012%
Are you intimidated by working with “exotic” flavors?
Don’t be.
Continue reading Lamb Kofte
By Ari, on January 15th, 2012%
For those who don’t know, New Yorker’s take brunch very seriously. Every Sunday people crawl out of bed, whether they’re hungover or not, to let the best chefs in the country ease their pain and tempt their palates. If you work in a restaurant kitchen, Sunday mornings from 10 am (or really 8 am when you begin prep) till 4 pm is a time to be scared. A time to panic, and pray to whomever you believe in (the food gods, of course) for an easy morning. Pray that the tickets don’t get backed up. That the line chef standing next to you doesn’t flop his first order of omelets or pancakes.
For the rest of us — the civilians — all we have to do is cross our fingers that the front of house staff doesn’t run out of coffee.
The majority of people who brunch fall into one of two categories:
(1) Those who had a low key evening the night before. These people are able to get up in time to stand in line outside the restaurant (currently in 15 degree weather) 20 minutes before the doors open to ensure themselves a table.
or…
(2) Those who had an epic night to remember (which sadly, they don’t remember) and are forced out of bed around 1 pm by their significant other because, let’s face it… if he or she doesn’t eat immediately, you’ll never hear the end of it.
I would say 99.9% of the time, John and I fall into the former.
Shocking, I know.
Our recent meal at Mile End, a Montreal-style Jewish delicatessen in Brooklyn, reminded me why I love brunch: when it’s prepared well, it can be the perfect start to your day.
The menu is a dream come true: not only do they have traditional breakfast fare (eggs, hash, bacon, etc.), but they’re also serving up all the Jewish deli classics a girl could want (latkes, chopped liver, lox, whitefish salad, brisket).
When you walk into Mile End, you have the option of sitting at the counter (with a direct view of the chefs as they cook — yes, please!) or at one of the smaller, family-style picnic tables in the room. We sat at the bar and chatted with the chefs a little as they worked. Everything here is homemade and fresh, from the twice-fried french fries, to the chopped liver and smoked brisket.
My decision was easy: the mont royal.
Potato and chive latke, lox, and a dollop of creme fraiche.
Heaven. Everything was seasoned well, presented simply, and absolutely delicious. The best part? Neither the lox nor the latkes were greasy. I could eat this every day. Continue reading Mile End
By Ari, on January 14th, 2012%
I’ve rearranged a few priorities in my life.
First, I’m eating more vegetables. Kale, squash… those are both great.
Second, I’m trying to consume less fatty cuts of meat. In this tart, I opt to use pancetta over bacon. It’s the healthy choice.
Third, I’m eating more butter. Making this tart dough on a regular basis is definitely a good life choice.
Alright, this last one should probably be removed from my priority list. Baby steps.
Anyway, I’m starting off the new year with a healthy perspective, and from here on out I’ll try to cut back on things like sweets and fried foods. Promise.
…except for the recipe I’ll post in a few days about zucchini fritters. Is it still considered bad if you’re frying up veggies?!
Continue reading Kale, Taleggio, and Butternut Squash Tart
By Ari, on January 4th, 2012%
Oh yes I did.
Now I know I said that our New Year’s diets would begin in the new year (makes sense), but I baked these on December 31st. That’s not technically cheating, is it?
Technically, we ate bacon, egg, and cheese croissants for breakfast the two following mornings (okay, that’s definitely cheating), but we were just trying to use these up as quickly as possible so said diet could begin sooner. You’re following my logic, right?
Oh, whatever.
These were so worth the calories. My pants were beginning to fit a little loose anyway.
The obvious question: were they hard to make?
Hard? No, not really. Time consuming? A resounding yes.
There’s a lot of down time involved in making croissants. You spread the process out over two days, though, so it’s not that bad. Shall we? Continue reading Croissants
By Ari, on January 1st, 2012%
You know the saying, “Don’t wish your life away?” I try not to. I try to live in the present. To soak up whatever joys and sorrows are currently thrusting themselves into my life. But every new year I find myself anticipating what’s next. Last year it was all things wedding-related, my first real job and paycheck, which lead to my first shopping spree (you can see where my priorities lie), and generally enjoying life in NYC. It was a good year – nay, a great one. The highlight was marrying my best friend. (Can you really blame me for thinking that?)
Now we’re jumping head first into 2012. I’m already wishing the months would pass by sooner so I can get to the “good stuff.” (I can’t help it!) Of the many wonderful events taking shape this year, we’ve got even more weddings to attend (my brother’s, our cousins’, and many close friends — so far we’re looking at FL, NJ, RI, MA, and England!), hopefully a pleasure trip or two (all I want to do is eat and travel), which leads to my absolute favorite thing: trying new food, which I intend to do a lot of.
And I’m about to start a new job!
As with anything in life, this year has brought its own fair share of ups and downs. Having a place to divulge those details has been immensely rewarding. I always knew that food could bring people together, but until I began Tasty Retreat, I never knew how therapeutic writing about food could be.
This blog is so much more than a collection of recipes. Every plate of food has a story, and for the last year and a half you’ve let my share my stories with you. Thank you all for every kind word you’ve shared with me. Thank you for trying these recipes and letting me know how they turn out (it means more to me than you know). And thank you for supporting me on this (seemingly unending) journey as I figure out the dos and don’ts of surviving in the food industry. Continue reading Best of 2011
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