Wonder Waffles

I love a good lazy Sunday morning, a perfect time to make something good for breakfast that you would never have the time to make during the week.  The bf recently bought a Calphalon waffle maker and let's just say there has never been a question of what to make on a weekend morning since.  Crispy and fluffy and a perfect cross between a belgian and regular waffle, this machine produces the most ridiculously delicious waffles I have ever tasted.  As if I needed yet another reason to look forward to the weekend.

The New Freemans

One of my all-time favorite restaurants in NYC (and one that launched some of the biggest trends in downtown restaurants) has got to be Freemans.  It is the kind of place that never really changes, but you wouldn't want it to either.  They call it "a rugged, clandestine, colonial american tavern", I call it my own personal hideaway, where the craziness of city life evaporates leaving you feeling transported to another time and place, where bartenders are dressed up, classic cocktails are served and food is unfussy yet consistently good.

When I heard about the same people behind Freemans opening up another spot in the neighborhood called Peels, I was immediately skeptical.  How could I love this new restaurant as much as I love the first?  Well, I finally got to check it out for breakfast on Friday.  The interior is open, bright and airy with colors of sage green and charcoal and white.  It is not at all a spin-off of Freemans, although they nailed the same cozy feeling.

For breakfast they have become known for their build-a-biscuit program, which allows you a biscuit that you then get to choose toppings for (scrambled eggs, bacon, country ham, cheeses, avocado, etc.).  Genius.  If you don't believe me I think the proof is in the pictures.

Peels, 325 Bowery, (646) 602-7015

Rubirosa Pizza & Bar

As many of you already know, I am a magazine reading fanatic.  Of course, its par for the course working in the PR industry but NY Magazine and Time Out New York are also where I get most of my restaurant and nightlife knowledge.  I think of them as bibles to all things new and great and happening in the city.  So, when I read in them recently about Rubirosa Pizza & Bar being part of a "You Need to Know About" feature and singing its pizza praise about a "cracker-thin crust, slightly sweet crushed tomatoes and gooey pools of fresh mozzarella" I just knew I had to try it out.

I stopped in and ordered a classic pizza to go, but as I looked around I realized this was a place I would love to come back to for a romantic date night or even a low key girls night out.  It felt like I had stumbled upon a little undiscovered gem.  The atmosphere was warm and cozy, the perfect place for to spend a winter's night.  The menu is full of Italian American classics including a selection of pizzas, pastas and main course entrees like chicken parmesan.  But, in a town known for amazing pizza choices, I think it definitely holds its own.  It tasted less like your average NYC slice and more like exactly the kind of pizza you would get in Italy.  Buon Appetito!

235 Mulberry Street (btwn Prince & Spring Sts), 212.965.0500

Chicken Dinner

Its been a long time since I made my breaded chicken recipe.  Mainly because it is too time consuming to make if I am just cooking for myself.  But last night, I was cooking for me and the bf and so I decided to make a lot of it so we would both have leftovers for the next week. 

So glad I did, because I almost forgot how tasty it is.  We paired it with steamed green beans and then decided to get a little fancy by topping it all with homemade cream of mushroom soup. It turned out to be one of those meals that is so good you want to slow down to savor each and every bite but you just can't help yourself. 

This chicken recipe is equally as good used as a base for chicken parmesan or over a salad with some shaved parmesan cheese.  Yes, it takes some effort but the results are well worth it.  Just make sure you make enough to have lots of leftovers, trust me!

Breaded Chicken

Ingredients:
10 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 extra large eggs
1 cup of flour
3 cups panko breadcrumbs (I use Ian's Italian kind)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil (for coating pan)
Sea/kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Put the chicken between two sheets of saran wrap and pound to 1 inch thickness
2. Set up three shallow bowls: one with the flour, one with the eggs, lightly beaten with 1 TBSP water and the third with the breadcrumbs mixture (breadcrumbs, garlic and Parmesan cheese)
3. Season the chicken on both sides with sea/kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4. One by one, dredge each chicken breast in the flour, shake of excess, then coat in the egg mixture letting the excess drip off before coating in the breadcrumb mixture
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
6. Heat a large skillet of medium high heat, then generously coat with olive oil
7. In batches, cook the chicken until golden brown on each side and transfer to two baking sheets (the chicken will not be cooked through).  Tip: In between each batch, use a damp paper towel to wipe any browned bits out of the skillet and into the sink then coat again with olive oil
8. Once all the chicken has been seared on both sides, transfer the baking sheets to the oven and cook for approximately 25 minutes (or until cooked through)
9. Enjoy!

Caesar Salad

I often make my own salad dressing.  I think it has a much better taste than store bought for little effort and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand to make some sort of basic vinaigrette.  But this New Year's Eve, we were having a filet mignon roast and I wanted to make a salad that would stand up to heartier fare.  Caesar salad was the ultimate choice and everyone (even the guys) came back for seconds.  Delicous and incredibly easy to make as long as you own a blender.

Romaine Hearts with Caesar Salad Dressing (adapted from The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual)

Ingredients:

2 large hearts of romaine 

1/3 cup grated good quality Pecorino Romano, plus additional for serving

1/2 Hellman's mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove

1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp Tabasco

8 turns freshly ground white pepper

Fine sea salt, if needed

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

1. Trim the root ends from the romaine, separate the leaves and wash and dry them.  Chop the lettuce and put into the fridge to chill while you prepare the dressing.

2. Combine 1/4 cup of the Pecorino with the remaining ingrendients (except the black pepper) in a blender and puree until the dressing is smooth.  (If you don't have a blender, mince the garlic and whisk them together with the rest of the dressing ingredients.)  Taste and add salt if necessary.  Loosen the dressing with water as needed starting with the prescribed 1/4 cup.

3. Toss the chilled lettuce with the dressing in a large bowl, transfer to serving plates or a serving platter and finish with a generous crowning of the remaining grated cheese and a few turns of black pepper.  Serve at once.