shabou

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A day in Eatily

No, I didn't spell it wrong. I wish I meant Italy, but going to Eatily is a good runner up. It was a beautiful day out in NYC today, unlike the past few days that have been muggy and hot. I took a walk down to Eatily, the amazing Italian market that opened on lower 5th ave. They sell fresh pasta, over 400 varieties of cheese, a vast selection of breads, a fresh meat department, a fresh fish department, over 100 varieties of olive oil, Gelato, and much, much more. They also have a dozen restaurants to eat at within the store.

Eatily is located right across from Madison Square Park, where I take Harper all the time. After taking her to the playground I like to spend some time walking the aisles of Eatily and looking at all the delicious food they have. Sometimes I even treat myself to a Gelato.

Being a Tuesday and not having a ton of time to cook dinner tonight I thought it would be perfect to pick up some fresh pasta and produce. A quick but delicious dinner.

I mosied over to the fresh pasta counter. I could have gotten everything there but I ultimately decided on the gnocci. It never disappoints and tastes great with a simple tomato sauce.

All of the produce here is top notch and almost too pretty to eat!

I got a package of organic arugula and heirloom tomatoes to make a salad.

It's a crime to leave Eatily and not go to the cheese department! I picked up a Parmesan that I could use over the salad and a fresh mozzarella for the gnocci.

Harper did some taste testing to make sure everything was up to par.

Before checking out I decided to pick up some fresh shrimp for shrimp cocktail.

Dinner took me all of 15 minutes to put together and tasted like I had been slaving in the kitchen all day.

Shrimp Cocktail

Arugula Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Shaved Parmesan

Fresh Gnocci with Rao's Arrabita Sauce and Fresh Mozzarella

The best part of dinner being so easy was that we got that much more time to play in the park!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Farm Fresh

Last night we had over our dear friends Lisa & Paul, and their little frenchie Elvis, for dinner. Lisa also loves to cook, probably even more then I do, so I wanted to make sure the menu was up to par. With it being summer and so many wonderful things in season, I knew I wanted to do a Farm to Table menu.

Like any good hostess I had a spread out when they arrived. Coach Farm, which is in Hudson Valley NY, has a delicious Fresh Goat Ricotta. It's a French twist on the classic Ricotta, having a taste similar to a fresh chevre. I also served a creamy Gorgonzola. I chose this one because it's creaminess softens the blue-cheese sharpness. Along side the cheese's I picked up a fresh baguette at the Local Le Pain Quotidian and some spreads; a white truffle acacia honey (which is out of this world), black olive tapanade, white fig fruit spread and a fresh basil pesto. I wanted a light, crisp white to go with the apps, so I decided on a Sauvignon Blanc. I got a bottle of "Fournier Sauvignon Vin De Pays Du Jardin De La France, 2010". It was delicious! It was clean and citrusy and went perfectly with the fresh ricotta and honey. I highly recommend picking up a bottle asap!

$13.99 a bottle

For the dinner menu I decided to do a Petit Fillet over an Arugula and Parmesan Salad.

Recipe below

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese plus Parmesan cheese shavings

5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 lbs Petit Fillet (Beef Shoulder Steak)
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon (packed) dark brown sugar
8 cups (lightly packed) arugula
4 large lemon wedges

Add vinegar, shallots, and sugar to skillet; boil until reduced to a glaze, about 10 minutes. Stir constantly. Take off flame and set aside.

In a separate bowl add butter, parsley flakes and garlic powder. Heat until melted. Take off flame and stir in grated Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and sear on all sides. Baste the steak with the balsamic glaze. Finish cooking to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Take off and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Toss Arugula with a little bit of good Olive Oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Lay out on a long flat plate. Shave Parmesan cheese and add on top of arugula. Slice steak into 1/2" pieces & place atop arugula.

Top steak with Parmesan butter.

With the steak, I served a Burrata and heirloom tomato salad, fresh local corn on the cob and crusty homemade garlic bread.

Lisa and Paul brought some fabulous cheesecake from BITE ME Cheesecake for dessert. They picked it up earlier in the day when they were at Smorgasburg, in Brooklyn.

For the table scape I picked up some pink roses and little tea lights. I wanted something fresh and summery.

Although I must say the food turned out delish, the best part of the night was the great company!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Harper's Playland

As my apartment seems to get smaller and smaller by the day, Harper is growing bigger and bigger (as are her toys). I am day dreaming of a whimsical playroom for her...

Inspiration Photo's

Land of Nod is an amazing resource for kid's furniture and accessories.

I love this chevron grey and white rug. It's playful and fun, perfect for a kid's playroom.

Grey Patterned Chevron Rug

I know we already have at least 30 books and Harper is only 9 months old. I can only imagine how many we will accumulate over the years to come. We need a cute bookcase to display Curious George and Goodnight Moon!

'Bin There Done That' Book Bin

What better way to hide all the nick nacks then a cubed bookcase filled with colorful baskets.

8-cube bookcase in White

8-Cube Bookcase

And how cute are these 'store by numbers' bins

to hold toys, books and games

Store by Number Bins

For a pop of color these 'Kneatly Knit Storage Baskets' are perfect!! They are 100% woven cotton so they a great bin for everything from blankets to barbies.

Kneatly Knit Storage Baskets

I love this grey fabric double pendant from Land of Nod. It would work perfectly with the grey chevron rug.

Grey Double Pendant

A playroom wouldn't be complete without a play table & chairs.

This Vintage Schoolhouse Play table from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child is just what I'm envisioning.

Vintage Schoolhouse Play Table

And you know what's coming next, a tee pee of course!

This is my newest kid's decor obsession

Teepee

LOVE LOVE LOVE these paper mache animal heads from Dwell Studio. They come in an array of animals and colors.

Dwell Studio

Wall art is a must. I love these 8x10" posters from etsy.com
They are available in abc's, numbers and colors. Cute to look at AND educational!

8x10" Posters

Flag garland hanging from the wall is playroom must!

Patterned Pennant Fabric Garland

Just Because it's so damn cute.

Melissa and Doug Giant Giraffe

Last, but of course not least, Chalkboard paint. I think painting one accent wall in chalkboard paint is such a great idea for a kid's playroom. It looks cute, and is fun for the kiddies too!

Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Home Cookin'

Last night I had my brother-in-law and his fabulous girlfriend over for dinner. I love cooking for company and am always trying to think of new things to make. Shrimp Parm is one of my favorites so I decided to do a baked version. It was so easy and got rave reviews. Recipe below.

What you will need (serves 4):

1 pound cleaned uncooked shrimp (I like the large size shrimp)

2 cups Breadcrumbs (Italian Style)

2 Egg Whites

1 cup Flour

Sliced (Deli Style) Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Dried Basil Flakes

Tomato Sauce (my favorite is the Rao's Arrabiatta sauce. It's a little pricey but well worth the money in my opinion)

I bought a pound of shell off, uncooked colossal shrimp. These are the big guys. I prefer them large, but if you like a smaller shrimp, that works too. I buy them cleaned because it's just easier, less messy and saves time. I rinse them under some cold water to get any of the fishiness off.

Boil a pot of water and cook the shrimp just until they start to turn slightly pink. MAKE SURE not to overcook!!!

You'll need 3 plates. One with flour, one with the egg whites and one with bread crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil. I like parchment because it doesn't stick but just use an oil spray if your using tin foil.

Dip the shrimp in the flour (shake off any excess), then the egg white, then finish it off with the breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese mixture. Lay them on the baking tray.

Cook 10 minutes then turn over each shrimp. Coat each shrimp with a spoonful of sauce, a 1/4 slice of mozzarella cheese and then sprinkle the top with a pinch of basil and a pinch of Parmesan cheese.

Put back in the oven and bake about another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted and starting to bubble.

To go with the Shrimp Parm I also made a Burrata, Arugula & Tomato salad. It was so easy and so delicious!

Toss the Arugula with some good olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper. (Go the extra mile and invest in some Flor de Sol salt, it really makes a difference) Dice up cherry tomatoes. I used red and orange ones. Lie the Arugula on a long plate. Top with the diced tomatoes and sliced Burrata. (If you can't find Burrata anywhere a good buffalo mozzarella would work too) Drizzle the top with a good balsamic and some more olive oil. Finito!

I also purchased (sorry, this wasn't home made) a Spinach Artichoke flat bread to round out the meal, but any crusty side would do; a baguette, garlic bread, focaccia, etc.

And last, but certainly not least, the wine. Pinot Noir is my favorite and I highly recommend "The Pinot Project". It runs about $13.99 a bottle.

Bon Appetit!

Take only memories, leave only footprints

Last week my family and I went on our annual vacation to Watch Hill, R.I. It's a charming little beach town filled with endless lobster rolls, clam chowder and beautiful beaches. I have been coming here every summer since I was about 8 years old. There is something to say about returning year after year to the same place. You yourself change each year but the surroundings remain the same. It's a comforting feeling that brings me back to the carefree days of my childhood. This year was particularly special to me, as it was the first year I brought my daughter, Harper, who is 9 months old. I got a little emotional as I carried her on the beach for the first time and saw her eyes light up when she saw the vast ocean in front of her. Needless to say, she had the time of her life playing in the sand and dipping her tiny toes in the waves. I also had a wonderful time spending the week with my family all together; something that seems to get harder and harder to do as we all get older and our lives busier.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Greenery on my mind

The countdown begins. 3 months till we leave our home in the Big Apple and move to the "burbs". I have mixed emotions about this move. I have lived in NYC since graduating college. The city and I, we had a good run. So much has happened here. I got my first job out of college, lived in my first studio apartment alone, spent more money on a pair of shoes then I could afford and spent the next month eating canned soup, had fun, had a lot of fun, got engaged, got married, had my beautiful daughter and then, ran out of space. The city is the most wonderful place on earth to live, and also the most expensive. There is no bang for your buck here. So, as our 1 bedroom apartment gets more and more crowed each day with another toy, we made the decision to move out of the city. So, with this exciting new adventure ahead of us, what else is going to be on my mind but of course, decorating! With the weather still beautiful out and a backyard to look forward to, greenery is on my mind. Some pictures below that have been inspiring me...

It's actually a fabulous time to buy outdoor furniture and accessories right now as the summer is ending, most of it is on sale. Some great deals I found in my perusing the internet...