TODAY WAS A lazy Saturday, and I knew it was going to be the kind of day I would spend catching up on Netflix movies and doing some remedial housecleaning, and when my once-daily hunger struck, I figuratively spun the food roulette and came up with chicken, long overdue in a summer full of pizzas and burgers.

Also overdue was a return to my favorite roast chicken place in the neighborhood, the popular Peruvian joint Pio Pio, so I ordered a quarter of a tasty, juicy, nicely seasoned, and crackly-skinned chicken with a side of aromatic yellow rice and savory red beans. It comes with a bright and kicky herbal sauce, and for 12 bucks, including tip, I got a hot meal—more than I could finish—in quick time.

Soon after, I was sated, grateful for my pajamas’ elastic waistband, reading subtitles, and happy. Hear, hear.

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

Simply Peeled | 1371 3rd Ave. (at 78th St.) | 212.794.2200 | www.simplypeeled.com | |

ON OUR WAY back from just having cheeseburgers at JG Melon, Katie and I were walking up 3rd Avenue and happened across some brand new shop with a girl outside handing out free samples of something that, according to Katie, looked and tasted like frozen yogurt. The place was called Simply Peeled, and was hawking and distributing something called Fruizo™, a frozen soft serve made from just real fresh fruit, filtered water, and organic cane sugar. As they tout on their menu, consisting only of those three ingredients makes the Fruizo “free of fat, sodium, cholesterol glutens, all 8 major allergens … low in calories … 100% natural and vegetarian”.

Great, except for the fact that, just like Tasti-Delite with their chocolate chips, or Pinkberry with their Cap’n Crunch, Simply Peeled displays a great variety of toppings—among some healthy—many that would nullify any even remotely beneficial, health-wise, as I discovered when I visited earlier this afternoon. Yes, chocolate chips, and a variety of cereals, (is that Multi-Grain Cheerios?), plus the usual suspects of raisins, coconut flakes, dried fruit, granola, and nuts.

What did stand out—to me at least—was their options for savory toppings, including pretzels, tortilla chips, and, yes, wasabi pies! I decided to get a medium cup of the strawberry Fruizo (their other default flavors being banana and mango), and topped it with the wasabi peas, some pretzels, and some sliced almonds, which were a wonderful contrast flavor- and texture-wise to the robust sweetness of the strawberry in the icy, creamy-without-dairy, flavor Fruizo.

Next time, mango with blueberries, Cheerios, and salsa…!

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

Simply Peeled | 1371 3rd Ave. (at 78th St.) | 212.794.2200 | www.simplypeeled.com | |

AFTER COMING BACK from a client meeting this early evening, I started contemplating dinner, natch. But one of the side effects of the new prescription meds I started taking (for being too awesome…!), is a smaller appetite. I still get hungry, but need less to sate that hunger (which was why I could only eat half of Tuesday’s burger at a time).

So I decided to visit the relatively new Yorkville staple, Andre’s Cafe, just for one of their usually wonderfully rich desserts, joined by my next-door neighbor, Gina, who just happen to bump into me on my way. Save for the Hungarian butcher on 82nd and 2nd, Andre’s is the last hint of Hungarian food in Yorkville, a neighborhood that was at one time well represented by Hungarians, second only to Germany—in historical Yorkville (Old Germantown)—in populous culture. Many of the few remaining neighborhood Hungarians dine at tables here often.

And as I do plan to soon sample some of Andre’s hearty, authentic and savory Hungarian dishes (such as goulash, hortobagyi, and lecso), I, like most in this neighborhood, swing by for the baked goods. Gina returned to her favorite rugelach, as I ventured to try a slice of dobos torte, a cake layered with chocolate and chocolate frosting, and topped with a crispy, crunchy, candy-like shell of caramel on top.

Taking our desserts independently home, I was thoroughly impressed not only with how moist the cake and rich-but-light the chocolate was, but was also impressed with how not overly sweet (how not like Krispy Kreme doughnut or Magnolia Bakery cupcake) the cake and chocolate were.

The real sweetness would come, however, from the thicker-than-brulée shell topping of caramel (some off it seeping into the cake during baking), with its clean, deep sweetness and it’s “crackling” texture. Some leftover fresh raspberries from Monday’s breakfast that I tossed on top put the whole thing, well, over the top.

It was good enough to satisfy my hunger, while making me hungry to try Andre’s out again soon.

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE friends who share my same almost obsession with food, and I have one in particular who has the same love for the plain old burger as I. Her name is Kristen, and for the past summer, at the very least, we have been “co-status updating” about our individual burger adventures, not just around and about town, but in our very own kitchens.

We have discussed and compared our lists of our favorite restaurant burgers—among them 5 Napkins, Joy Burger, and the Burger Joint—and she’s kept busy making burgers for herself and her family at home (and sharing her results with wall photos). I’ve been remiss in my home burger-making (save some creative sliders), so after she randomly “poked” me earlier this evening (yes, she’s the only Facebook friend I have who still does that, and I welcome it!), I decided that was the reminder I needed to head to the supermarket for some 85/15 ground beef (vacuum-sealed and on sale, wouldn’t you know), and make a plain and simple (I’ve been accused of over-thinking some of my dishes, but I don’t think anyone cares when I just make a bologna & cheese sandwich) bacon cheeseburger, medium rare, with American cheese, bacon, a slice of raw onion, a leaf of Boston lettuce, a quick and easy burger sauce (tomato paste, mustard, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, fresh cracked pepper, and salt—yes, quick and easy!), and sandwiched into a buttered, toasted (to a charred edge, for extra texture and smokiness), poppy seed egg bun.

With a side of Utz’s ruffled potato chips, the final constructed behemoth of a burger was, simply, delicious, reminding me the my favorite burgers are my own, the only food, meal or dish I can say that about!

Kristen, you’re up…!

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

   

I COULDN’T DECIDE Where I was going to lunch today. It was between BonChon Chicken (for Korean fried chicken), Schiller’s Liquor Bar (for the Sticky Toffee Pudding), or Mel’s Burger Bar (the new outlet for burgers made from Pat Lafrieda beef). Once I had randomly decided on Mel’s, my friend Danny called me and decided that he was in the mood to try Yorkville Creperie for a quick bite, a year after I first recommended he do so.

It must have been kismet, because a quick call to Mel’s found that they were not open yet—thanks for nothin’, TimeOut NY…!—so I met him at Yorkville Creperie within a matter of minutes, both of us living only a couple blocks away.

The stools that I remember lining the long bar (which doubles as the “kitchen” were replaced by two-top tables and high chairs, in one of which Danny was already seated. I joined him and as we looked through the menu, we got to watch other luncher’s orders (many beautifully-stuffed crepes, some delicious looking salads) get delivered.

Danny was so impressed with another customers salad, that he decided to order that for himself. I took advantage of the new option of crêpe filling customization, and ordered one with mixed ham, mixed greens tossed with balsamic vinegar, and, since they offer them, sliced apples (yes, in a savory application), with a topping of roasted tomatoes. Chris Boyce, head chef and co-owner, was actually on hand to make my crepe himself.

Danny powered through a fresh salad that was well-balanced, well-flavored, and wonderfully textured with crisp lettuce, crispy bacon, tender moist turkey, smooth cream avocado, crumbly goat cheese, an juicy tomatoes.

My crepe was so good it deserves to be named! Even Danny agreed that the use of apples rounded out the savory flavors as the balsamic tempered their sweetness while adding acidity.

We cleaned our plates—no small feat since these were not small portions—and I eventually convinced Danny that he couldn’t really leave without having a dessert crepe, especially with the many options for fillings, from fruit to Nutella to nuts to whipped cream to Oreos to brownies to ice cream to granola and Graham crackers. We, again, customized our own dessert crepe stuffed with fresh bananas and strawberries, and cornflakes, and topped it with drizzles of dark and white chocolate (an intentional “ebony & ivory” theme!).

And just like us, this was warm, sweet, comforting, and enjoyable on the inside, with a little bit of bite, and, likewise, was made to disappear completely off the plate.

Proving that, sometimes, having too many options can be a good thing.

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

NO “BACKSTORY HERE”, just a random inspiration. As I was purging a whole lot of junk from my apartment this past week, a came across a leftover box of packet cups of espresso grounds for my long ago broken and thrown out Tassimo coffee/cappucino/tea maker. I’ve used the grounds before to make some excellent espresso ice cream (a more intense and rich version of coffee ice cream), and figured I should keep the espresso grounds for not just future ice cream applications, but for savory purposes as well.

I’ve seen cooking shows where they’ve used the grounds as part of a dry rub for steaks, so I decided to try a version of that myself. I made the rub with the grounds, some cocoa powder (!), garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

While I let the dry rub spices seep into the meat, I made my own steak sauce in a small sauce pot with tomato paste, orange marmalade, cider vinegar, nutmeg, turmeric, hot Madras curry, red curry, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, sugar, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and thinned it out with some water and a bit of beef broth. I let that simmer in the pot, stirring occasionally, while I threw the steaks into a very hot cast iron skillet, about 4 minutes on each side for a good medium rare temperature.

I had an apple left in the fridge from the weekend (I’ve been trying to eat healthier while I’m not drinking booze for the time being), so I peeled and grated it, and incorporated it into a batter of egg, milk, baking powder, flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, cinnamon and a little bit of butter.

Once the steaks were done, I spooned the apple fritter batter into a pot of hot canola oil while the steaks rested. The fritters floated nicely in the oil and, cooking to a beautiful golden brown in about three minutes per side (they need to be carefully flipped while frying in the oil), and the done fritters came out of the oil and sat on some paper towels to dry.

Meanwhile, the steak got sliced into thick strips, followed by a generous drizzle of the steak sauce. The fritter got placed on a crisp leaf of Boston lettuce (not just a garnish but a nice cool balance when cut and put on a fork with the hot steak and fritter!), and I enjoyed a great, very tasty dinner of tender, juicy, crisped-on-the-edges steak with a hint of deep and intense, smoky coffee flavor, a bright and layered, sweet/sour/spicy steak sauce, and a light and airy fritter aromatic with the savory cornmeal yet finishing with the subtle sweetness flavor of apple.

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO my good friend, Christine, uploaded a picture—on her Facebook wall—of a dish she had just made—and was rightly proud of—which was a butter-poached salmon topped with chopped scallions. I responded that she had inspired me to make a similar dish, among other things using gin as my poaching liquid.

Well, over the next couple of weeks, that idea developed into this dish (and a complete coincidence that this past week’s Top Chef—and “highlights” from next week’s Top Chef—allude to major elements of what I wound up making!).

The salmon got used three ways in this dish. The skin got sliced off so I could poach the salmon “flesh” in equal parts gin and water (the juniper berry flavors and aromatics imparting gloriously into the fish). I knifed some thin raw fish slices, that were still on the skin, tossed them in a couple drops of olive oil with a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper, and placing that, covered, in the fridge to chill. The whole skin was seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika, sliced into strip, and then, eventually, get fried in oil and set on paper towels to dry and crisp.

Meanwhile, a prepared split peas from scratch, then mashed them with butter, salt, pepper, and finely chopped scallion and cilantro, and made a purée of boiled, cubed cucumber and potato, white pepper, celery salt, and some heavy cream.

That gets playfully arranged over a leek frond on a plate, with the cold salmon and leek salad, the room temp purée and split pea mash, the warm rice, the hot, crispy salmon skin, and voila!:

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

SOME OF MY RECIPE IDEAS could only be born out of the desperate irrationality of an extreme hangover. That may explain why after not being able to decide if I wanted a bagel with lox and cream cheese or a Texas Burger (topped with fried over easy egg) for a breakfast, after spotting a bag of something called Bagel Thins—by Thomas’ (the English muffin maker)—I felt it was fortuitous that I decide to combine the two options into one hellacious idea of a meal.

So I toasted the bagel thins and smeared them with a little butter, then layered, between the top and bottom, a healthy smear of cream cheese, some sliced red onion, some slices of Nova Scotia lox, and a medium-temperatured burger, topping the whole thing with a fried egg dusted with paprika and pepper.

The “therapy” in eating a sandwich like this is usually in theory alone. And in hindsight, I’m surprised I didn’t even think to throw some bacon on that bad boy. Regardless, that bad boy of a sandwich was quite good, with the caveat that my palate’s acumen might have very well been compromised by my hangover. I’ve probably enjoyed a 12-hour old, room temperature slice of pizza during a hangover.

But at least this morning’s brunch bagel burger looked wonderful as well…!

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

SOME FOODIES, SUCH AS MYSELF, do suffer for our obsession, as I did today. In the middle of a record-breaking heatwave here in New York City, I decided to overwork my already too old air conditioner by boiling pasta and preheating an over to °350 for my new take on mac ‘n’ cheese, which substitutes cavatappi (a grooved, longer, and more twisty version of macaroni) as the pasta, and using only mellow cheeses—brie, goat, mozzarella, ricotta, and a sprinkling of grated parm on top—and stirring in some sliced smoked salmon for an earthy and colorful compliment.

25 minutes later, with the added measure of a topping of chopped fried onions, it came out of the oven hot, cheesy, creamy, and yummy.

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

SO…. CANS OF SOLID TUNA (in water, most important) were on sale at Food Emporium this morning. I hadn’t had a tuna fish salad sandwich in a while. And as I picked up 4 cans of tuna for 5 bucks, along with some fresh slices of Swiss and Meunster cheeses, I quickly devised a quick recipe of what I would do with them.

People always ask me if I feel an irreversible need to “soup up” even the most simple of dishes. Well, no. But, when I can, I try to see what minor tweeks I can give a dish to, possibly, get something “new” out of it.

So the drained tuna got stirred with my default mixings of mayo, a little bit of mustard, some lemon juice, chopped onions, salt and pepper. Instead, however, of using relish, I chopped up some jalapeños from the jar in my fridge.

I brushed two slices of bread with olive oil and sprinkled some paprika on them, filled them with the tuna salad (this time a little more “wet” than I usually prefer it. It happens), a couple slices of each cheese, and some baby spinach leaves.

I closed the sandwich and toasted one side then the other it in a skillet.

It was only around 9:30 in the morning when I made this—and, yes, it was yummy!—but I still had plenty of the tuna salad and cheese by about 2 in the afternoon. So I did I open-faced tuna melt prep under the oven’s broiler.

Even better…!

Now if I could only remember what it was that I went to Food Emporium to buy, because I have an early senility feeling that I came home without it….

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.