Socca is a crispy chickpea flour pancake. At Nizza they bake it in a brick oven and add swiss chard, fontina, onions, and top it with two eggs.
I had this two nights ago and it was phenomenal! Words can hardly describe the feeling I had when I put in my mouth this crispy and gooey pancake of deliciousness!
Just go and try it for yourself. Trust me, it'll make your night.
Nizza
630 9th Ave (bet. 44th and 45th)
New York, NY 10036
212-956-1800
www.nizzanyc.com
[ add comment ] ( 5 views ) | permalink | related link |
( 3 / 506 )Thursday night my family and I went out for my sister's birthday to the Spanish tapas restaurant Mercat. I had been wanting to go to Mercat since it opened and was excited for this culinary adventure. I love tapas (of all cuisines) because it gives you the opportunity to try a little bit of everything.
The restaurant is rustic and sexy, perfect for a date, or dinner with the fam! There is a bar up front, an open wine cellar on the second floor, an open kitchen in the back, and more tables in a downstairs room with another bar.
We ordered a lot of the dishes including Patates Bravas ($8), Croquetas De Gamba ($8), Mojama Amb Ametlles ($8), Boquerons ($9), Fideus Negres Amb Alioli ($17), Pop ($13), Bacalla ($15), Col de Brusseles ($9), and Remolatxa ($9).
The Patates Bravas, which are potatoes with garlic and spicy sauce found on many tapas menus around NYC, were up there with the best I've had and were super tasty!
The Croquetas De Gamba, filled with shrimp and spinach, as well as the Mojama Amb Ametelles (cured tuna loin with almonds), and the Boquerons (anchovies with Guinadilla peppers and Arbequina olives) were all great little nibbles to have with some nice wine.
One of my favorite dishes of the night was the Fideus Negres Amb Alioli, which is short noodles with Sepia (cuttlefish) in its ink. The Sepia ink made the noodles black and I thought the texture was slightly chewy, but in a unique and good way! I hadn't experienced a dish like it before.
I also enjoyed the Bacalla a lot. It was line caught cod with artichokes, bacon, and hazelnut mayonnaise. The bacon was delicious and the hazelnut mayonnaise was a great complement to the juicy and tender fish with crisp skin.
Brussel Sprouts have been making a comeback in the last few years in NYC, and the ones at Mercat do not disappoint. Here they are served with chestnuts and romesco and they are great.
The Pop (cold octopus salad with arugula, fingerling potatoes, and salsa verde) as well as the Remolatxa (market beets, roasted red onion, and La Peral -a blue cheese) were both enjoyable dishes too. I appreciated the thickly cut pieces of octopus from the Pop, and thought the addition of the La Peral to the beets was the perfect complement.
For dessert we had the churros with chocolate sauce, which were fine, but didn't blow my mind. We also had vanilla ice cream with apple compote, which was delicious. I'm usually not a fan of anything apple, but the compote went really well with the vanilla ice cream and was a great ending to a great meal.
So if you are a fan of Spanish tapas and wine, and like to try a little bit of everything, bring a date, or bring your fam, and bring them to Mercat.
Mercat
45 Bond St.
New York, NY 10012
212-529-8600
www.mercatnyc.com
[ 2 comments ] ( 16 views ) | permalink | related link |
( 3 / 516 )Here is another course for all you Foodies out there that might be of interest to you:
Food and Science Expert Harold McGee To Teach Three-Day Course In November at The French Culinary Institute
NEW YORK, October 23 2008 -Harold McGee, renowned author of On Food and Cooking and one of the world's most respected authorities on science and food, joins with Vice President of Culinary Arts, Nils Norén, and Director of Culinary Technology, Dave Arnold at The French Culinary Institute to teach a three-day course on food and cooking.
The Harold McGee Lecture Series, November 7 through 9, is a fun, informative weekend of experiments, tastings, and engaging discussions. The class gathers the expertise of a scientist (McGee), chef (Norén), and technologist (Arnold) to give students a multi-dimensional perspective on conventional and cutting-edge culinary techniques, taste perceptions, and the chemistry of flavor. Participants can expect to leave with a completely new understanding of ingredients and cooking methods that will help them achieve impressive results in the kitchen, and ultimately lead to greater culinary creativity.
The interactive sessions include:
· Day 1: Ingredients (5 hours)
A close study of the deceptively simple egg, and its emulsifying characteristics, opens a wider discussion on how observation can transform your basic conception of food. Some common misconceptions about everyday kitchen ingredients will be reexamined.
· Day 2: Techniques (5 hours)
The class will discover how the application of heat-the technique of temperature control-can be manipulated for specific and precise results in grilling, searing and other cooking methods.
· Day 3: New Technologies (5 hours)
Students will discover how cutting-edge ingredients and technologies are changing the culinary landscape with a focus on new techniques that can enhance food taste and texture in unexpected ways.
LOCATION
The French Culinary Institute
462 Broadway at Grand St.; NYC
DATE
Friday, November 7 - Sunday, November 9
9 AM - 3 PM daily
The series is $1,250. Participants can enroll at www.frenchculinary.com.
[ add comment ] ( 5 views ) | permalink | related link |
( 3 / 436 )I received an email about some cool classes that would make excellent gifts or activities for those Foodies in your life..Check it out--
Wine Uncorked –Thursday, 11/6, 6:30 – 9:30PM (3 hours lecture with tastings and pairings), $175
Students will explore a range of varietals and regions as instructors teach them how to taste like a pro and best appreciate the flavors that combine on the palate.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Dinner –Friday, 11/7, 6 – 10PM (3 hours hands-on cooking, 1 hour dinner), $195
Students will learn how to create an elegant and delicious Thanksgiving meal including the best method of roasting a turkey at home and the secrets of creating the best gravy.
Chocolate Treats & Truffles –Saturday, 11/15, 3 – 7PM $195
Students will learn the techniques to make a goody bag out of chocolate and fill it with velvety chocolates of various styles and flavors including ganache, truffles and rochees.
Croissants –Saturday, 11/22, 10AM – 2PM, $195
Students will learn how to shape and bake croissants that are flaky, buttery and crisp.
The Epicure’s Christmas –Thursday, 12/11, 6 – 10PM (3 hours hands-on cooking, 1 hour dinner), $195
Students will learn how to prepare an impressive Christmas dinner that will include gravlax, roast goose, roasted orange sauce, celery root-pear puree, creamed spinach, cranberry cheesecake, gingersnap cookies, eggnog and glögg (mulled wine).
For More Info go to http://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/
[ 2 comments ] ( 26 views ) | permalink | related link |
( 2.9 / 420 )I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs, but when I saw that this new spot in the West Village had hot dogs topped with Korean food, such as bulgogi, (Korean marinated bbq beef), I was intrigued. I love Korean food.
So last night I had one of their all beef dogs topped with the bulgogi. And I have to tell you, it was really, really, really good. The hot dog was juicy, the bulgogi was sweet and tasty, and since I requested it spicy, there was a great kick to it.
At first glance of the price of $4.99, I thought that was a tad pricey for a hot dog, but in retrospect it is a pretty good bang for your buck. You can also get a hot dog with another Korean specialty called Dak-Kalbi, which is a grilled chicken sausage with spicy marinated chicken on top. I think I'll stop by and try that next time. They also have waffles, frozen yogurt, and of course, coffee.
So, for a unique hot dog experience New York Hot Dog & Coffee hits the spot!
New York Hot Dog & Coffee
245 Bleecker St. (at Leroy St.)
New York, NY 10014
[ 2 comments ] ( 43 views ) | permalink | related link |
( 3 / 455 )Back Next
Calendar
