Baked Clams Oreganate by Chef Lola

Yummy!!! Baked clams –  a dish that is hard to get perfectly right.  In most restaurants it can be hit or miss, sadly mostly a miss….Too much bread crumb, not enough clam! Chef Lola’s recipe is a really delicious take on this wonderful appetizer. The clams come out tasty, juicy with a perfect amount of crisp topping. A great appetizer option for your holiday parties and gatherings.

Serves:  6

Ingredients:

36 fresh littleneck clams (2 to 2 1/2 inches) (ask to have the clams opened and save the shells for you)

2 cups of seasoned Bread Crumbs

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh Italian Parsley

1/8 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 to 1 cup Chicken Broth

6 lemon wedges (garnish)

6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley (garnish)

1 cup grated cheese

butter – 1/4 pat of butter for each clam

white wine – 1/4 teaspoon of white wine for each clam

Directions: Place each raw clam onto one half of a clam shell. Lay clam shells on a cookie sheet with sides. Add 1/4 teaspoon of white wine onto each clam. Add 1/4 pat of butter onto each clam.

In a separate bowl combine Bread Crumbs, grated cheese, parsley, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Then add olive oil and toss mixture until crumbs are evenly coated.  Add the chicken broth and continue to mix until very well blended.  The mixture should be quite wet.

Put approximately 1 heaping teaspoon of bread-crumb mixture on each clam. Pat the bread crumb mixture down lightly into each clam.

Add another drop of wine and butter to the top of each clam. Pour 1/8 inch cold water into the cookie sheet with sides (to keep the clams moist while broiling). Broil for about 7 minutes or until the bread-crumb topping is well browned and crisp.

Place clams on a serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley sprigs and serve.

Sweet Caroline’s: Mini Risotto Balls Recipe

This delicious recipe comes compliments of our in-house chef, Sweet Caroline. These mini risotto balls are amazing and you won’t be able to stop after just one….They make a great appetizer or hors d’oeuvre.  Make sure to include these at your next gathering or party.

SERVING SIZE: Yields 30-40 rice balls depending on size.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Arborio Rice

1 Cup Water

2 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Cup White Wine

2 Eggs (Beaten) (Used For Dipping Risotto Balls)
1 Egg (Beaten) (For Rice Mixture)

10 Slices Prosciutto (Finely chopped)

1 Lb. Fresh Wet mozzarella Finely Chopped (Italian Deli or you can substitute with store-bought mozzarella ex. Polly-O)

1 Cup Corn Oil (For Frying)

1/2 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley (Finely Chopped)

1/2 – 1 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup Flour

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

1 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder

Directions:

Rice Mixture:

1  cup of rice to 3 cups of liquid  Use 1 cup of water, 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup of white wine.  You can alter to taste. The secret is to let the 1 cup of water come to a boil. Then add rice and cook that until 1/2 the water is absorbed.  Then gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly, as moisture evaporates add the wine. If more liquid is needed add accordingly and to taste. These two ingredients make the rice much tastier and less bland.

Once the rice has cooked, let it cool and place in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours to settle. When rice has cooled add the prosciutto, mozzarella, 1 egg and parmesan cheese to the mixture. Mix well. Create 1-1 1/2″ balls.

Dust each risotto ball in flour

In a separate bowl, beat the 2 eggs, add the chopped parsley, the black pepper and salt).

Dip each risotto ball in the egg mixture (above)

Roll each risotto ball in the seasoned bread crumbs

Fry the risotto balls in corn oil

Remove when golden Brown

Serve with a small side of marinara sauce of your choice.

Buon  Appetito!

Chef Lola’s: Sunday Macaroni & Gravy Recipe

 

First of all we call it “macaroni and gravy”.  When I went into the workforce in NYC, years ago, I was having a conversation with a co-worker and she asked what I was making for dinner and I replied macaroni and gravy.  To my surprise she had a really perplexed look on her face? Gravy? I was like yeah….gravy? She said brown gravy? I am like NO??….Red gravy? Needless to say… I have long since adapted my lingo to the mainstream American version of pasta & sauce.  As far as Neapolitan Italian Americans go, it’s still macaroni & gravy :).  A typical Sunday dinner starts around 2:00 and consists of pasta, meat, salad, bread & of course the Red vino!  Seasonings of grated cheese & hot pepper flakes. First course is the pasta, second course is the meat served in one platter. Meat consists of meatballs, Italian sausage (hot & sweet) and stuffed pork or beef braciole.  A tossed salad and bread.  The meat is eaten with the salad and bread after the pasta, not before and definitely NOT together! Below is Chef Lola’s recipe for an amazing home-made “Sunday Gravy” including her little secret touches. 

Servings: 6

Time:  2 1/2 hours plus

General Ingredients:

1 1/2 – 2 lbs. Pasta (Preferred:  imported or fresh pasta)

Grated Cheese (Seasoning)

Red Hot Pepper Flakes (Seasoning)

Start with  Meat ball Preparation:

Meat ball Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Chopped meat (Pork/Veal & Beef Combo)

4-5 Cloves Fresh Garlic Minced

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley

2 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

1/4  Tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1 Egg

1 cup Grated Cheese (Locatelli or other)

1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Olive Oil (Coat the bottom of the pan)

 

Meatball Directions:

Add all ingredients into one large bowl, mix thoroughly with your hands. Make sure the meat mixture does not have any “red dots”. You must knead the mixture well to eliminate all of them for a perfect meatball! Refrigerate the mixture for 1/2 hour so it settles.

Meatball Mixture

Ball the meat mixture into 1 1/2 – 2″ size balls and fry in a frying pan until 1/2 cooked.  Remove and put aside.

Red Sauce Preparation:

Red Sauce Ingredients:

3 Cans (26-28 oz.)  San Marzano Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes (Lavalle is a good brand)

1 Can Tomato Paste

1 Large Yellow Onion

2 Cloves Fresh Garlic

3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

3 Fresh Basil Leaves

1 lb. Italian Sausage (Hot & Sweet) (Purchase at an Italian Deli or the butcher if possible.)

1 Tsp. Onion Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Qt. Beef Broth

29 oz. Water

1/4 Cup Olive Oil (sautéing)

Red Sauce Directions:

On high heat, pour oil into a large pot. Cut the onion in 1/2.  Add onion and garlic to the pot and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the sausage cut up into 3″ pieces. Add the half fried meatballs and saute until further browned. Approximately 15-20 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes in the can with a cooking scissor.  Add all the cans of tomatoes, beef broth, water, onion powder, basil, thyme, salt and sugar to the pot.

Cook on medium heat for 1/2 hour, stir, cook for another 1/2 hour, stir.  Simmer 1-2 hours (Minimum of 1 hour). Remember the longer the better. You can simmer the gravy up to 3 hours but it must be stirred and watched. Stir occasionally to avoid burning and sticking at the bottom of the pot.  Cook with the cover slightly ajar.  Note, if the sauce consistency is too watery cook with the cover off, if too thick, keep covered and slightly ajar.

Imported Tagliatelle with red sauce

 Mangia Figlia Belle!  (Italian:  “Eat!”my beautiful child!)

 

Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe

I often joke that ” I was born with heels on !” Needless to say I do love me my 5+ inchers! If you are a shoe glutton or just a fashionista this is a must see exhibit.  Lisa Small the curator of this exhibit did a really great job. It’s one thing to see some of these shoes over the years in a magazine editorial  but to actually see them up close….in full scale with all it’s details and craftmanship is an entirely different experience. Many of the shoes in the exhibit are Haute Couture and runway = basically not really functional/wearable by a regular human. They are like art forms, that’s what makes them so interesting. Wouldn’t be too exciting to exhibit stinky old sneakers or croc’s??? It is interesting to see the evolution of heels through history. The shoes that date way back are so small and tiny in size. What can I say….blame it on the processed foods.  If you cannot make the exhibit there is a large coffee table book that would make a great gift, for the heel lovers in your life.

Christian Louboutin. “Printz,” Spring/Summer 2013. Courtesy of Christian Louboutin

Walter Steiger. “Unicorn Tayss,” Spring 2013. Courtesy of Walter Steiger. Photo: Jay Zukerkorn

Prada

EXHIBIT INFORMATION FROM THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM SITE:

Brooklyn Museum

September 10, 2014–February 15, 2015
Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st Floor

Killer Heels explores fashion’s most provocative accessory. From the high platform chopines of sixteenth-century Italy to the glamorous stilettos on today’s runways and red carpets, the exhibition looks at the high-heeled shoe’s rich and varied history and its enduring place in our popular imagination.

As fashion statement, fetish object, instrument of power, and outlet of artistic expression for both the designer and the wearer, throughout the ages the high-heeled shoe has gone through many shifts in style and symbolism. Deadly sharp stilettos, architecturally inspired wedges and platforms, and a number of artfully crafted shoes that defy categorization are featured among the more than 160 historical and contemporary heels on loan from designers, from the renowned Brooklyn Museum costume collection housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and from the Bata Shoe Museum. Designers and design houses represented in Killer Heels include Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Zaha Hadid X United Nude, Iris van Herpen X United Nude, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, André Perugia, Prada, Elsa Schiaparelli, Noritaka Tatehana, Vivienne Westwood, and Pietro Yantorny.

Presented alongside the objects in the exhibition are six specially commissioned short films inspired by high heels. The filmmakers are Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, Zach Gold, Steven Klein, Nick Knight, Marilyn Minter, and Rashaad Newsome.

Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe is organized by Lisa Small, Curator of Exhibitions, Brooklyn Museum. A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition.

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052

Telephone: (718) 638-5000

 

Cavatelli Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)

Cavatelli Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) Recipe

This is a really tasty pasta dish that is relatively easy to make. You can easily adapt it to certain diet restrictions if needed. This recipe comes compliments of our in-house Chef Lola. This recipe can be altered to be gluten-free, by substituting it with gluten-free pasta & bread crumbs.  If you are a vegetarian, just remove the bacon.

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Cavatelli (or pasta of your choice) (Preferred:  Penne, Rigatoni, Orrechiette & Farfalle).

1 Bunch Fresh Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) (Chopped)

3 Plum tomatoes (Diced)

2 Slices of Bacon (Diced)  (Optional)

5 Cloves Fresh Garlic

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder

1 Tbsp. Chopped Italian Parsley

Salt to taste

1 Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

Grated Italian Cheese (Optional) Season to taste. (Parmigiano Reggiano, Locatelli or Pecorino Romano)

Toasted Bread Crumbs:

1 Cup of Plain Bread Crumbs

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic

Salt to taste

In a small pan add olive oil, and brown one clove of garlic.  Add bread crumbs and salt, stir on medium heat until bread crumbs are browned.

Plum Tomato Base: Add olive oil, to pan on high heat. Saute 5 cloves of garlic until browned. Dice 3 tomatoes and bacon, toss in pan with chopped parsley, red pepper flakes, salt & onion powder. Cook on medium heat until translucent approximately 20 minutes.

Boil water in a separate large pasta pot.  At the boiling point add pasta per package directions. If you prefer your pasta al dente, like I do….. boil it for a few minutes less.  At the remaining 8 minute boiling time of the pasta, add chopped broccoli rabe to water. Cook 8 minutes. Add two ladles of pasta water to the prepared tomato base. Drain pasta and broccoli rabe.

Add drained pasta and broccoli rabe into the prepared tomato base. Simmer approximately 3 minutes.

Plate pasta in serving dish, top with grated cheese & toasted bread crumbs. Buon Appetito!

St. Anselm, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Dined at St. Anselm, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Another great restaurant to add to your Williamsburg list.  Their specialty is grilling farm to table dishes.  You need to get there early as it fills up quickly.  Sat at the bar facing the grilling of all the yummy food.  The Hanger steak was amazing, the mackerel, flavorful and so fresh.  Need to go back to try the steak for two or more…that looked totally amazing!

St. Anselm, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Menu

Grilled Clams Appetizer: Grilled to perfection with amazing flavors of olive oil, garlic & parsley.

Grilled Artichoke Appetizer

Grilled Mackerel Entrée

Creamed Spinach Side Dish

Carbone, NYC

Carbone , NYC, 181 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

A really great restaurant in NYC, from the Torrisi group.  This was my second visit and both were exceptional.  This restaurant is very hard to get into so, make a reservation in advance.  Note the prices are not cheap!  You may have sticker shock!! So be prepared to shell out some dinero’s….The veal parmigiano is excellent and is one of their signature dishes at $54.00…basic but delicious.  The pork ribs are my fav….they are amazing, just look at that photo…YUM.  They start you out with a great bread basket, full of pizza and focaccia bread..a sign of a good restaurant is usually a good bread basket (but not a given…) The service is excellent and top notch. It’s a cool restaurant that is on the higher end scale of restaurants, that is…….until Kris Jenner appeared with some guy…that immediately made me think a little less of the establishment…needless to say it’s still one of my fav’s although the madame of the Kardashian brothel is a patron…

The Menu…

The best pork ribs out there….prepared on top of shredded kale, the hot cherry peppers give it a little bang!

Bread basket full of yummy carbs…complimentary, cauliflower in oil and spices and sliced salami…..nice…

FALL/HALLOWEEN OUTDOOR DECOR

MY SISTER HAS THE FRONT OF HER HOUSE PROFESSIONALLY DECORATED THIS TIME EVERY YEAR.  MAGGIE OF MAGGDEN’S IN RIDGEWOOD, NJ, DID SUCH A FABULOUS JOB LAST YEAR SHE HAD TO HAVE HER BACK THIS YEAR……LOOKS FABULOUS!!!

FALL/HALLOWEEN PROFESSIONAL OUTDOOR DECORATING BY MAGGIE OF MAGGDEN’S.

LOVE THE WEB COVERED LANDSCAPE BUSH, COMPLETE WITH SKULL & A SPRINKLING OF CREEPY CRITTERS.

COMPLETE WITH A TWO SIDED CUSTOM PAINTED PUMPKIN!!! NY GIANTS & THE NY YANKEES!!

MAGGDEN’S 580 Rt. 17 North Ridgewood, NJ 07450 P. (201) 848-2235 E. info@maggdens.com

Fashion Week, Paris!

Fashion Week in Paris….I recently read and viewed many of the major blogs on the same subject.  Many things were similar, here is my take on my trip. As far as the cuisine?? Well you don’t go to Paris for the food.

What’s Paris without a mandatory Eiffel Tower pic….

 

A latte at the St. Germaine Café. Attention all Americans…you need to ask for the glutton size “big Latte”.

 

Basic Parisian Omelette. Simple but quite tasty…St. Germaine Café.

 

Fried eggs with Ham & Lardones at St. Germaine Cafe.

 

Le Cafe’ Marly, Paris. The go to place to be and be seen during Fashion week. Pretty people & fashionista watching. The food is ok…have a cocktail and sip it slowly….it’s worth the scene.

    

Local fish store in the St. Germaine area. What a selection.

An actual menu that is spot on!

Chapon Chocolate Shop…Need I say more?

Grazie Restaurant, Les Marais District, Paris: This new casual restaurant  in the Les Marais district had a great atmosphere, very Brooklyn-esque. The appetizers were  tasty, the polenta & burrata were great. The brick oven pizza was one of the best meals we had..but nothing compared to pizza in Italy & or New York.

Burrata Appetizer @ George Restaurant in Paris.

Prawns at George Restaurant in Paris.

George, Paris: A Cool chic restaurant with Amazing views & a great D.J. The food was pretty good too.

Parisian Flower Shops:

The best part of strolling in Paris, some of the most beautiful flower shops I have ever laid my eyes on….

Pretty Lil’ Flower Shop, Paris.

La Boutique Des Saints Peres. Rue Saints Peres, Paris.

Le Matignon, Paris – Bottle Service at the chicest restaurant & club in Paris.  It was a real scene, but get ready to break the bank on this one. Snobby Parisians & lots of affected folk.

My favorite part of strolling through Paris. Thousands of lovers from across the world visit the Pont des Arts every year and seal their love by attaching a lock carrying their names to its railing and throwing the key in the Seine.

Bridge of Locks, Seine River, Paris.

 

 

Deliciousness at Raymond’s in Ridgewood, NJ

Beet Salad

Beef Stew