Cookies with your Creams

It’s no secret that Kiehls creates some of the best skincare products on the market. Their facial moisturizers/cleansers are perfect for any type of skin and their customer representatives are some of the most knowledgeable around. It’s also no secret that Milk and Cookies Bakery has some of the best cookies in NYC. Fresh, delicious, and hot out of the oven, the crew at Milk and Cookies love their craft and it shows in every chocolate chipped, oatmeal laden, butterscotch injected morsel.

When I heard that these two born and bred NY institutions were going to team up for a coffee bar in Kiehls flagship store, I got seriously excited. Only Kiehls would give me the opportunity to indulge in warm chocolately goodness while perusing for a new eye cream. Think about this concept for a second, have you ever been shopping and after a prolonged period in time felt that hungry rumble in your stomach start to gurgle? You want to continue to sample and shop but you’ve stopped paying attention to anything at this point. Your stomach has taken over and the rumbles will not end until it’s satisfied. No need to bolt out to grab a cuppa joe and a sweet loaf of something-or-other from the generic Starbucks down the block, now you’ve got fresh java and baked goods at your finger tips! It’s brilliant!

Kiehls, you’ve just given me one more reason to love you.

Visit Kiehls NY Flagship at:
109 Third Avenue
Between 13th & 14th Streets
New York, NY 10003

Love Food, Love Lipstick

 Remember those delicious Bonne Bell Lip Smackers you had as a kid? They came in scrumptious flavors like Dr. Pepper, Pink Lemonade, Strawberry, and were SO HARD to keep on your lips because they smelled so good! I’ve been feverishly looking for a grown-up equivalent for quite some time now and I think I’ve found it: Purple Labs Huge Lips, Skinny Hips.  

What’s the difference between a mind-blowing dish of pasta and an ordinary, run of the mill pasta plate? That’s right, it’s the ingredients. Besides the super-awesome-amazing scent and taste, Purple Lab puts some of the best ingredients around in their Huge Lips, Skinny Hips gloss. Here are a few of my favorites:

Meadowfoam oil: has a great ability to bind moisture to the skin -this helps to keep your lips soft and smooth

Lemon Peel Oil: every lip gloss/lip plumper has a bit of a sting to it but, the lemon oil gives an immediate cooling effect counteracting the sting - brillant!

Vitamin B3: stimulates blood flow to the lips, creating a super sexy pout. Its also been known to help treat migraines - who knew?

Orange Peel Extract: a natural metabolism booster AND may provide relief for occasional heartburn/acid indigestion

Hoodia: an extract from a cactus-ish plant (known as ‘cactiform’ since they are like but not related to cacti) that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia. Studies have shown that Hoodia may be a natural appetite suppressant since it mimics the effects of sugar in your body to make you feel ‘full’.

If you read any of my blogs you know I tend to always be right smack in the middle of a battle with weight loss. A delicious lip gloss with a hint of Hoodia might be JUST what the doctor ordered for me. In fact, I KNOW it is.

Huge Lips Skinny Hips comes in four great shades: Clear as Crystal (No Panty Lines), Mauve Shimmer (Worship Kate), Pink Sheer (Kitty Pole Dance) and Sheer Red (Red Sole). Pick one and rock it - mines Worship Kate, what’s yours?

 

 

The Post Cereal Challenge

Last week I was invited to a Post Cereal making challenge and to say I was excited was an understatement. Not only would I learn HOW to make Grape Nuts and Shredded Wheat but the winner for best product won a $500 gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. Momma needed a new pair of cooper pots so I was seriously gearing up for this event. Big money, big money, big money NO WHAMMY!

I arrived early to the Natural Gourmet Institute (a fantastic vegetarian cooking school – more on that in a later blog) and was greeted by the very friendly Post Cereal staff with the most adorable light blue apron I had seen in a long time. For me? Why THANK YOU Post Cereal.  Guests were treated to a delightful healthy breakfast and a brief presentation by the Diet Doctor herself; Dr. Melina Jampolis. Dr. Jampolis spoke about her life mantra “food is medicine” and the health benefits of Post Cereal Shredded Wheat. You might not know this ladies and gentlemen but Shredded Wheat is made solely of wheat berries. Don’t feel bad, I was totally shocked when I heard that too. I mean, I knew Shredded Wheat was good for me but I never realized it was that good for me. How could I have been eating this cereal for years and not know what was really in it? I felt like a total goose…

How nutritious are wheat berries? Unlike many other types of grains, wheat berries retain nearly all of their nutrients after being cooked. Wheat berries are packed with fiber, protein and iron. They are also loaded with vitamin E, a cell-protecting antioxidant, and magnesium, which are needed to maintain healthy bones and muscles. Talk about Healthy!!! Also, Dr. Jampolis went on to point out that unlike most cereal brands today trying to first incorporate whole grains into their products, Post Cereal Shredded Wheat has always been composed of naturally occurring grain.

Although I am not allowed to tell everyone the recipe for Shredded Wheat, I will simply say: it is easy, healthy, and delicious. Go out and get yourself a box this weekend because it will surely help you with any kind of diet/health program you have laid out for yourself.  I know I bought a box during my grocery trip this weekend.

Oh…and in case you were wondering, I lost the competition. There go my plans for two new Ruffoni monogrammed copper pots…

Manhattan Restaurant Ennui

Screw you, Jay Leno. Really, I do not like you. I’m sick of your ego and your chin and I want my obscene, seven foot tall red head back. I don’t want to hope failure upon anyone – well I do, but I know that’s wrong so I have to show self-restraint and keep my karma on a semi-good balance – so I hope you get an incurable butt itch or something else severely uncomfortable for the rest of your days. I just had to say that and get it out of my system.

 

Anyways, what I was really here to ‘scuss was how I need to take a break from Manhattan. Well, not the city itself, but the restaurant scene. Well, not enjoying the restaurant scene, but working in the Manhattan restaurant scene. I tried to stick it through, and I think I did pretty well, but after five years of long commutes to and through Manhattan from Staten Island, I’m tired! In the time it takes me to get to work (about an hour and fifteen) I could take a flight to D.C.! Or the time it took me to get to school via bus-ferry-train-train (two and a half hours) I could have driven to Atlantic City! Or Woodstock! Or I could have flown to Detroit! Not that I find any reason to take a flight to Detroit… the point being, I love Manhattan with all my heart, but this long distance relationship is very trying.

 

Things were so much easier when I lived in Fort Greene. Manhattan and I would spend so many endless summer nights together, and it never mattered how late I was out because I had an unlimited metrocard, the Q ran every fifteen minutes aaaalll night long and I lived a fifteen minute train ride away. The commute, which took me over the Manhattan Bridge, treated me to a beautiful view of the harbor between Brooklyn and Manhattan and its sister bridges, nightly (how romantic!). Manhattan and I were inseparable. Until I went back home.

Maybe I should have taken a job somewhere where the food meant more than giving the b&t crowd what they want. Tacky dishes and oversized portions. It’s sickening! “Corn cappuccino” I think was what irked me the most. It was soup. No, broth.  It was a boring corn broth with some foam on top. If the rest of the menu doesn’t reflect a passion for hi-tech gastronomy, then why do it at all? That’s why the corn capp is a failure, its not honest, it’s show-boaty! So there’s the cappuccino, and the soy-ginger salmon, and the halibut with gnocchi, and the rib-eye, the hanger steak with chimichurri, and the soufflé. Have you caught on to what cuisine we’re actually supposed to be enjoying? Did you figure out from what part of the world we’re focusing our flavors from, or drawing inspiration? Neither did I. It must be an eclectic Japa-Hispan-Ita-French-erican land. What brilliance!

 

I need to step out, take a deep breath and find a place where I can be around some real, good, honest, love-filled cooking. Yet, what holds me back is the personal thing I have. Everyone has a thing and mine is “don’t work where you love.” I’m not saying don’t love where you work. I hope you love where you work; I want to love where I work! But if you already love a place, my personal example would be Bar Boulud, it would not be a good idea to become a behind-the-scenes member. It can and will ruin, or at least taint, your love for said establishment! You love it because of the ambiance, the ambiance from your outside point of view (and you can come and go as you please because you don’t work there!) You love it because of the delicious food, the delicious food you don’t see a hundred times a night, four nights a week. You also love the friendly staff, of which you don’t know personally and so niceties are required, and the management is just stellar, because you don’t work under them. See my point? I came very close to getting burned by the love fire when I interviewed with Boulud’s Dinex group. I was so honored and enthralled that they were interested in. I beefed up my resume and I put on my best smile for the first interview with HR at the Dinex headquarters. So there I sat, waiting in the conference room surrounded by personal photos on Daniel himself and all his awards. I’m talking James Beard awards, Michelin Stars, Wine Spectator awards, and on and on just lining the walls (oh man! Ooohhh man!). I sat and soaked in my surroundings in awe, just hoping the woman interviewing me would be preoccupied for just a little longer. She loved me (woohoo!) and referred me to Bar Boulud (omg omg omg).

 

From there things got tense, fast. The GM was one of the most intimidating Frenchmen I’ve met,  to date. Not that I’ve met a lot-a lot of Frenchmen, but I’ve met plenty of foreign men! Now, this man isn’t even my boss yet, if he even will be at all, but he goes on telling me how he is very particular about what his hostesses wear, how they stand, where they stand, punctuality, language, attitude, poise (poise?? Shit…all women in France have natural poise… crap crap crap), memorizing regulars and their likes and dislikes, yadda yadda and more yadda. Oh man, this is already crumbling the façade that keeps real Bar Boulud hidden from me. I don’t like this! So, I declined on the offer. Phew! That was close. Too close.

 

So if not the cheap and gaudy mega-restaurants, and if not the amazing fine dining restaurants from truly talented chefs, then where? Where will I be happy until I get a degree and a job and become a real person?

I’ve decided to venture. It would only be a personal venture, since I’m actually going to stay closer to home. There are two approaches I’m deciding between: sniff out hidden jewels in Staten Island, or work in well known, foodie-respected establishments in Brooklyn. So will it be Marlow & Sons or Dosi Café?  Juliette or Angelina’s? I have little to no opinion on both sides and the Brooklyn food scene is something that I am sadly unfamiliar with.

 

Like Anthony Bourdain, I’m afraid I missed the boat on the whole Brooklyn chefs movement. Of course, the next big “up and coming” NYC restaurant destination borough is Queens, so does this make Bk passé or a well established land of gastronomic giants? I think that’s up for discussion another time…

 

Chocolates New Fling

Not sure if you’ve noticed lately but chocolates a bit of a floozy; she always has a new lover. Last year she was seen on the arm of bacon and the year before that chiles. This year I’m pretty sure she’s shacking up with mushrooms. Why? I’ve just seen it in too many places lately. Example: Vosges features a relatively new Organic Enchanted Mushroom candy bar and L’Ecole now has a Chocolate and Porcini cake with olive oil ice cream on their lunch menu…hmmm

Diet Desserts I Love

I have always had weight issues  - ever since I was a pudgy 10 year old girl eating almost an entire bucket of KFC in the backseat of my parents car before we got it home for dinner (true story). I love food too much - flavors both sweet and savory. Here a few treats that help me get through the day when I am in serious snack mode.

1 - Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair Frozen Food

These are amazing snacks. 3 points each and they are so tasty. If you love eclairs get these. The only problem is that I STILL haven’t figured out the right microwave temperature. At 25 seconds (recommended on the box) there are cold spots and at 30 seconds you burn your mouth on lava creme. I wish you better luck!

 

 

2 - No Pudge Brownies

Another chocolate item but a huge winner. Even my husband likes these moist brownies (and he is NOT a chocolate fan). The batter is super thick so don’t be alarmed if it seems WAY TOO THICK. I simply puree a pint or less of raspberries/strawberries and mix them into the wet brownie mix. It gives it a delicious berry kick and adds no fat. Want to add a scrumptious antioxidant kick? Mix in a tbs of powdered acai or 1/3 cup of acai juice

Not looking to reduce ALL the fat - add cream cheese instead of yogurt with a little bit of vanilla and soymilk.

3 - Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Cookies

These are a real cookie treat to munch on with a nice cup of lemon tea. I can’t normally stop at just 1 - but at least I feel better about having 2 of them. I also dont follow their expiration dates: there I said it! Only with this product though. I’ve eaten them even 3-4 weeks after the expiration date…don’t judge me!

4 - Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Pop Mini Bags

These are great salty snack thats not going to break your diet. They aren’t really what I would call ‘jazzy’ but you can make them zippy with a handful of stuff in the house. Wanna make an Italian style popcorn? Mix together some pecorino/parmesean/locatelli (whatever you have in the house), oregano, and garlic powder and add  onto the popcorn. SINFUL!

5 - Frozen Bananas

So simple but this is a great summer treat. Freeze bananas in plastic bags wrapped in parchment (so they dont stick together). If you want to make them extra yummy - dip the bananas in sugar free chocolate sauce and then freeze flat on a parchment covered flat board/pan.

6 - South Beach Living Snack Bar Delights: Whipped BerryI don’t know how ‘New’ these are (at least the box tells me they’re new) but they are delicious!!! As a child I loved the

Dark Chocolate Roman Nougat in the Russell Stovers box (you know, that yummy cherry flavored nougat one with chopped nuts inside??) and this tastes exactly like it! Except this one is 100 calories and has 5 grams of protein. Hooray!

Casa Mono…Brava

Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali have scores of restaurants scattered around NYC but this one is a tad bit different from their others. Instead of focusing on regional Italian cuisine, Casa Mono takes us to Spain with their delicious tiny tapas plates and delectable wines. Don’t be held back by the idea of ’small plates’ here  - you WILL leave full.

My husband and I were debating where to eat the other night and I suggested Casa Mono since I wasnt in the mood for a huge dinner and was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Thank goodness for the huge yellow and orange ‘CASA MONO’ sign ontop of the restaurant, because the place is a shoebox. I mean, its not the smallest restaurant I’ve ever been too but I didnt expect it to be so cramped. Maybe the cramped feeling had more to do with how busy it was then anything else? I dont know.

We opted to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a seat and ordered 3 plates to share since we saw they were tiny: Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas, Sweetbreads with Fennel al Mono, and the Bone Marrow with Radishes. We also asked for some Jamon Iberico to start with since the pig leg was STARING us in the face. The jamon was obviously delicious but the crusty bread and olives they gave as an obligatory snack was lacking. I’ll rephrase that: the crusty bread was lacking - very hard and kinda tasteless. But at least it was the only ‘BOOO’ factor for the entire meal.

The bone marrow came out first and it was magical.  Silky, salty, and meaty - the texture of the bone marrow can only be described as etheral. Served on chewy, crusty, buttery bread it was positively perfect. The foie gras was combined with different types of onions and it was utterly delicious. In fact, my husband thought it was the best thing her had ever eaten. The sweetbreads were crunchy and juicy - but they werent the best sweetbreads I’ve ever eaten (where were the best sweetbreads? MAZE).

 In summation: eat here. I know I’ll be back.

Dans le Noir…in NYC?

Word on the foodie street is that Dans le Noir is coming to NYC. The rest of the details are kinda hazzy… it might be in the East Village, or the West Village…or maybe perhaps somewhere on Bowery. Who knows? I’m going to call Bowery since low-key-yet-upscale-dining has seen in influx here within the past year (Double Crown, DBGB, etc).

Here’s the funny thing - Dans Le Noir’s global website claims their NYC restaurant will open up before the end of 2009 AND you can already sign up for priority reservations (which I did since I’m genuinely curious about this place). Yet there is no solid location yet? So NYC….

So why should we care about this place? Good question. This will be the first of the “eating in the dark” restaurants in NYC. A trend that seems to be sweeping the culinary capitals of the world (locations are in Paris, London, Barcelona, Bangkok, and Moscow). Menus are vague yet interesting: You choose from either: meat, vegetarians, fish, or the chefs surprise (which will be my personal choice). According to the restaurant they promise that “With the help of our blinded guides you are going to completely re-evaluate the notion of taste and smelling through our gastronomic and pedagogical process.” Re-evaluate my notion of taste ehh?? You’re ON!

Mind you, this isnt the first ‘dark eating’ experience in the US. California boasts Opaque which is in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. But its not the very global and very famous Dans Le Noir. Will this restaurant be a hit? Or will it close within the year - who knows. But you can be sure I’ll keep you posted.

Liz Lemon on 30 Rock

…Because its gloomy out today and we all need to laugh. Tina’s Liz Lemon embodies me in the workplace.

The Best of the Coffee Drink World

Coffee and I have always had a rocky relationship. We hang out everyday for months, spend way too much time together, then I get physically sick and we go our separate ways for a short period of time…but I cant stay away too long. Seriously, if I make a 6 cup pot of coffee – I’ll drink all 6 cups of it. The aftermath is disgusting but I just can’t help myself! This is why I’ve recently turned to coffee drinks – if I buy one, I drink one and have a much harder time overdosing. Here’s my review on the drinks I’ve tasted so far.

The Stars

The Chocolately One:
Nescafe Mocha – this is serious mocha ladies and gentlemen. It’s brew is strong, the liquid itself is thicker than most (but not unpleasant at all), and the chocolate taste is delightful. It’s not sugary chocolate mind you - this is semi-sweet cocoa. Mmmmmmm….

 I really like this drink but I’ve only seen it in Eastern European markets around my neighborhood. Am I wrong? Does anyone else see this in their local supermarket?

 
The Creamy One:
Starbucks Double Shot – this is cream central. It’s also one of the most caloric given the small dosage. However, if I want something small and super creamy I reach for one of these.

Another plus? It’s in just about EVERY supermarket and bodega. Thats what you get when Starbucks and Pepsi work on a joint venture.

 

 
The Perfect Combo:
Café Bustelo Café Con Leche – this is my favorite coffee drink by far. It’s not as watery as the Starbucks Iced Americano but its not heavy either. Known as the ‘poor mans gourmet coffee’, its’ creamy without being too milky and has a hint of sweetness. Who doesn’t love a nice café con leche??

 I find these in local bodegas in my neighborhood but that might be becuase Cafe Bustelo was started in NYC in the 20s.

 
The No-Frills One:
UCC Coffee - this one is light, sweet, and delicious. It’s a fantastic alternative to regular coffee because it doesn’t have any extras. No mocha, no heavy cream, no super sugary aftertaste: just a delicious iced coffee.

The only problem is this isn’t as easy to find - unless you’ve got a large Japanese population in your area. If you do - these will be everywhere!

 

 
The Organic One:
Adina Coffee Drinks – these are the organic green version of Starbucks Frappucinos – except without the cloying sugary aftertaste StarB tends to give you. They are all pretty delicious but the caramel is too sweet for my tastebuds…in fact, it doesn’t even taste like caramel. I suggest a do-over on that flavor Adina, think about it.

These are very popular in the organic market. Go to your local health food store

 

The Rest…

Dydo’s Demitasse: this drink has a pretty dark brew but it’s not half as pleasing as the Nescafe Mocha. In fact, one could say its super watery. Watery, dark, not milky, and not too sweet. Blech.

Then there’s the Starbucks Frappucino line, a total miss in my opinion. They dont even remotely resemble coffee.  Am I alone on this? Does anyone actually like these?

Coca -Cola is doing their best to compete with Pepsi’s Starbucks in 2 ventures: Caribou Coffee and Illy. Caribou’s iced drinks have been out for a while and are ok…but I rarely pick them up when I’m out buying. They are too dark for me with a real bitter aftertaste.

The latest partnership with Illy had better results - but then again they were working with Illy. The Illy Issimo coffee drinks have a much smooter aftertaste. The cappucino one has a delightful hint of chocolate but I have to admit I wanted more from an Illy canned coffee line which is why I cant put these in my ’stars’ category. Its like they arent even really trying here. C’mon Illy!

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