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
By Ari, on December 29th, 2011
Also known as “seven layer cookies.”
Or “Italian-American cookies that don’t actually exist in Italy.” (Trust me, we looked.)
Let’s review: as I’ve said before, baking is not my forte. All the measuring and preciseness just does not suit me (…unless we’re talking about the to die for rosemary shortbread, which is easy peasy and perhaps the greatest invention of life — please go make some immediately). But I’ve always loved a good challenge.
A few weeks ago, John brought home a box of these lil’ cuties. Per our usual self-restraint, we quickly ate them all. I knew I wanted to try making them at home, but was just waiting for a recipe to fall into my lap.
Ask and ye shall receive. Just last week, Heather Homemade posted this very recipe! Basically, the cookie gods wanted me to bake. And who am I to disregard such indirect orders?
So what the heck are rainbow cookies anyway? Other than delicious, I would describe these as almond-cake cookies coated in a thin layer of chocolate.
Alright, fingers crossed. Let’s do this.
Continue reading Rainbow Cookies
By Ari, on December 28th, 2011
Julia Child. The woman who brought cooking to television; who reassured home cooks that making mistakes was okay. The woman behind boeuf bourguignon.
A few years ago my friend Dana and I went to the movies and saw Julie & Julia. We were smitten, head-over-heels even, for Meryl Streep’s character, and promptly began talking to each other in our best “Julia Child” voices. (This may still happen on occasion…) After the movie, we walked over to Barnes & Noble and each picked up a copy of Julia’s infamous cookbook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (Yes, we are the type of people this movie targets — the women who run out and buy the highly re-publicized object of affection within an hour of seeing the film. Way to go, marketing department.)
Somewhere between reminiscing over our times in Paris and the smell of buttery croissants, we decided to make Julia’s presence in our lives more prominent. Thus began our intimate monthly Julia Child Dinner Club. It only happened a handful of times (apparently grad students have a limited schedule or something), but a few of our closest friends would get together once a month and prepare several dishes from MtAoFC.
As we prepared our first dinner, Dana and I were shocked when we realized just how much butter and cream were thrown into these recipes. It’s almost as if Julia was actively trying to scare people away. But alas, we stuck it out. We delightfully tossed in a bit of butter here, a large splash of cream there, and copious amounts of salt, resulting in one hell of a meal. (With the amount of calories these recipes pack, you only want to do this once a month. Trust me.)
My time in grad school has obviously come to an end (R.I.P. Julia Child Dinner Club), but there’s a part of me that still wants to keep Julia’s legacy alive. I cannot imagine making some of her recipes in the heat of summer, but now that we’re dropping down into the 30′s during the day, I have no excuse.
There is no other recipe in MtAoFC that screams Julia Child quite as much as her famed boeuf bourguignon. After months of hiding on my bookcase, it was time to dust the ol’ lady off and bring her back to life.
Continue reading Julia’s Boeuf Bourguignon
By Ari, on December 25th, 2011
Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through the town,
Not a creature was stirring, except Jews in nightgowns,
They left in a hurry, from their warm cozy beds,
With coffee in hand, as they ran for their sleds,
To Russ & Daughters, or Katz’s, they flew with delight,
In search of pastrami, and nova, so right!
They pushed Moishe and Miriam out of the way,
To be first in line on this merry Christmas day,
After an hour long wait, they successfully left,
And returned to their kitchen, to fry up the best,
Little latkes in town, (except for her Mother-in-law’s,
Whose recipe is a secret, and guarded with claws),
One latke, two latkes, three latkes, four,
All topped with salmon, and creme fraiche galore,
Then scattered with scallions, and piled up high,
As they both sat down, with a twinkle in their eyes,
Belly lox on the left, Scottish salmon on the right,
And within moments, they disappeared out of sight,
Their stomachs were full, and their kitchen a mess,
The smell of hot oil covered her dress,
They changed into sweatpants, and opened some wine,
And bummed around the house, just killing some time,
With the tv turned on, and marathons playing
Law & Order! NCIS! Their favorites (just sayin’),
They caught up on blogs, and cleaned up their place,
Until dinner that evening, (Chinese food, around 8),
After a long day of eating, they settled down for the night,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good bite!
 Continue reading On Christmas
By Ari, on December 22nd, 2011
I know what you’re thinking: how could I go away for almost two weeks and not give you any notice?!
Believe me, it wasn’t intentional. I think we’re all in agreement that the holidays are busy and stressful, but these past few weeks have been exceptionally sporadic. Fortunately, I come bearing a winner of a dish: imagine an Italian sausage sandwich, oozing with cheese and sauce… turned pasta.
Onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, spicy sausage, ricotta, and juuust a touch of cream.
 Continue reading Rotini with Spicy Sausage and Ricotta
By Ari, on December 9th, 2011
Last weekend John and I were lucky enough to enjoy a stellar meal at Momofuku Noodle Bar. Not just any meal, I assure you. Two of our friends were gifted the infamous fried chicken dinner in celebration of their engagement last year. As with all family-style meals at Momofuku restaurants, there is a minimum requirement of four people, and a maximum of eight. How fortunate we were to make the cut!
After ordering a few drinks to toast the bride- and groom-to-be, we started with a few appetizers.
You can’t go to Momofuku Noodle Bar (or Ssam Bar… or Milk Bar… you get the drift) without ordering David Chang’s highly publicized pork buns. Small steamed buns are filled with unctuous pork belly, hoisin, scallions, and cucumber. If you’ve never experienced these before, you are truly missing out.
 Continue reading Momofuku Noodle Bar – FRIED CHICKEN!
By Ari, on December 6th, 2011
This just in: I made a delicious soup! (And it’s not matzah ball or chili!)
I was really beginning to doubt my soup-making abilities, guys. I told John earlier in the week that I was going to attempt another batch of soup. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Alright,” but what he really meant was, “Please don’t make me eat it.”
As I was prepping the ingredients, I had a feeling this would be good. It’s basically all the spices and accoutrements that I would use to make tacos. But in a soup.
The final verdict? Home run.
Hah! Take that, husband of mine. I’m taking this for lunch every day this week and you’re not getting any of it. No soup for you. Continue reading Chicken Tortilla Soup
By Ari, on December 5th, 2011
I seriously could not wait to post this recipe. I almost posted twice yesterday, but that seemed a little excessive.
Let’s be honest: I’m a much better cook than I am a baker. Every once in a while I get an itch to whip up brownies or cheesecake, but in general, I’m more of a savory kind of gal. When I came across this recipe, I knew, I just knew it would be my kind of dessert. First of all, it’s got two.sticks.of.butter. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Combine all that butter with chopped rosemary, turn it into a giant cookie or tart, and BHAM! My perfect dessert.
For all you skeptics out there scratching your head at the thought of combining fresh herbs with something savory like shortbread… think again. This is by far one of the tastiest desserts I’ve ever baked. And the best part? It can double as a savory side dish!
Dessert, appetizer, whatever. These savory delights know no bounds. Continue reading Rosemary Shortbread
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