The reason why I opted for sorbet instead of gelato is because something much richer and creamier was right around the corner….

Junior’s Cheesecake

We got two cheesecakes to share between us. And it was New York cheesecake as it should be.  Thick, though light and silky, all at the same time.

I chose the Blueberry Cheesecake to go complement my strawberry and lemon gelato.  We also got the plain cheesecake to balance everything out.  My only complaint is that I wish that there was a slightly thicker layer of the graham cracker crust.  What we had (at least on the slices that we had) was merely a scattering of graham cracker crumbs, that seemed to be there merely to keep the cheesecake from sticking to the pan.

Having what’s said to be the best cheesecake in New York City, in an iconic New York City location, with wonderful friends, couldn’t have been any better.  I truly enjoyed it.

Happy Spooning and Forking!

After a few hours in Central Park, we hailed a cab, squeezed into the back seat as no one wanted to sit next to the stinky cab driver, and headed towards Grand Central Terminal.  We played tourist a bit and took pictures of the exterior architecture and made our way into the terminal.  We took pictures of the the four-faced clock above the information booth, took in the astronomical details in the ceiling, then made our way to the Dining Concourse for an afternoon snack.  After doing a quick tour of the numerous snack possibilities that range from cakes, pies and cookies to more savory food like Jamaican Patties or sushi (there are also a handful of fine dining restaurants, the most famous being the Oyster Bar and Grill), we decided to get some frozen novelties from Ciao Bella.

Gelato and Sorbet selections

After 10 minutes of sampling the different gelato flavors available, I opted for a refreshing strawberry sorbet, topped over an equally refreshing lemon sorbet.  Weak, I know, but trust me…. there is a reason for my madness and why I opted for sorbet instead of gelato.  (see post above)

Happy Spooning and Forking!

Wonderful things always seem to come in little packages.  Such is the case with Men Kui Tei, a little hole in the wall ramen shop located in the Midtown East section of  New York City.  Reminiscent of the hole in the wall ramen shops that I went to as a kid, I was hit with nostalgia almost the instant I stepped into this place.

It was about lunch time on a week day and already a line had started to form along the wall opposite the open kitchen.  Men Kui Tei offers both table seating and counter seating that overlooks the open kitchen.  We waited a bit, but the turnover was quick and efficient, that within 10 minutes or so, we were seated at the counter, close enough to witness the chefs create wonderful dishes.

While Men Kui Tei also serves donburi dishes (Chuka Don, Mabo Don, Curry Rice, Oyako Don and Katsu Don) the star of the show here is their ramen.  Ramen noodles with close to perfect chewiness.  A savory broth that is not only comforting, but tasty.  Wonderful pieces of roasted pork that not only acts as a garnish, but is a perfect complement to the overall dish.  I wanted to drown myself in ramen, but because we had a long day ahead (and definitely more eating to do), I kept my order to my usual ramen (shoyu ramen) and side dishes (kim chee and gyoza) and was truly content by the end of the meal.

Shoyu Ramen

Kim Chee (which eventually ended up in my ramen – yumm yumm)

Gyoza

Tonkotsu Ramen (ordered by my other lunch buddies)

After this wonderful lunch, we walked a couple blocks north to Central Park to walk off the carbs we had just consumed.  The afternoon was spent strolling in the park.  I might have pushed my Canon Xsi to its limit by taking pictures of anything and everything.  We enjoyed a few moments at Bethesda Terrace, watching and listening to the water fall gracefully and hypnotically.  We also took in an impromtu gathering of local musicians at Strawberry Fields to honor John Lennon’s birthday.  And the entire time, I was totally content in probably my most favorite spot in all of New York City.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

Happy Spooning and Forking!

Last month at the supermarket, while waiting in line to pay for my groceries, staring at me was one of the most unflattering pictures of Tyler Florence that I’ve ever seen. Tyler (who usually makes me *swoon*), along with the Butter Queen Paula Deen and the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten, graced the cover of the premier (inaugural) issue of Food Network Magazine.

Despite the unflattering picture of my ultimate and favorite Food Network chef, I bought the magazine. And surprisingly, it’s a pretty good magazine. Lots of recipes and lots of food porn to go with the recipes – always a plus. I actually like it a lot better than that other magazine that features another Food Network personality.

So, in this issue, specifically on page 133, was a one-page (more like paragraph) article about M Street Bar & Grill in DC, that runs a “Presidential Burger Race” every four years. This year the two contenders were the John McCain Chicken Queso Burger (grilled chicken breast that’s been marinated in chili powder and citrus, topped with tomato salsa, pepper jack cheese and avocado, then sandwiched between a challah roll) and the Barack Obama Pizza Burger (Angus beef patty, smothered in marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil and sandwiched between a grilled ciabatta roll smeared with roasted garlic butter).

Political views aside, I don’t know about you, but if I hear “burger”, visions of grilled chicken breast do not dance before my eyes. ME WANT BEEF!

So in honor of the inauguration of our 44^th President, I gave the Barack Obama Pizza Burger a try. And it was really good…

Barack Obama Pizza Burger

Recipe courtesy the M Street Bar & Grill, Washington, DC for Food Network Magazine

Notes:

* I didn’t have any champagne vinegar on hand, nor did I have the urge to buy an entire bottle for this recipe, so I omitted this ingredient and the garlic butter turned out fine.  Not sure if the champagne vinegar would have made that big of a difference.

**I’m not a big fan of pre-made Angus beef patties, based on past experiences. I made my own beef patties using my basic burger recipe: 1 pound ground sirloin; ½ of a medium white onion, grated; 4 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons of steak seasoning, 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce; 2 Tablespoons of unseasoned bread crumbs and an egg. This makes four ¼ pound burgers.

*** I couldn’t find ciabatta rolls, so I used a ciabatta loaf and cut it into 4 separate servings.

Here’s the burger again, sliced in half so that you can see the cross section… Messy, I know, but delicious, just the same…

This past weekend, a local radio station here in Las Vegas did their part in honor of the new President too… by running a promotion for a local business that does body waxing. The tagline or slogan for this special was “Say Goodbye to Bush” – literally and figuratively. The weekend special – a free bikini wax. Catchy, huh? Come on… Say Goodbye to Bush…. Get it?!  You can’t help but giggle and applaud the brilliant minds that came up with the concept of the ad.

Happy Spooning and Forking!