Comfort food conjours up a different image for everyone. It's something that triggers a happy memory. So let's get to know me and why pasta is always my go-to. First, let me introduce myself. I'm the "Mom" part of the Three Hostesses. I'd love to say the Matriarch Hostess, but that title still belongs to my 90 year old mother. She is still entertaining her knitting group, her bridge group and her friends of 75 years. She cooks with ease, bakes with proficiency, and entertains with style and grace. She has cooked on The Chew with Michael Symon and is the inspiration for the Three Hostesses. I am not ready for that crown to be passed any time soon. Nor do I feel that I am yet worthy of it. She has taught me everything I know, and over the years I have put my own personal spin on her style and her recipes, as I know my two daughters have also done. But her recipe for Orecchiette and Brown Butter has not been changed. Pasta is my go-to comfort food for several reasons. First, it is a tribute to my Italian heritage and a staple in our kitchen. Secondly, it was really the only food that my daughters' would eat for their first 5 years. I knew that if my husband and I wanted a peaceful family meal, pasta it was! We would bring a box of pastina to any restaurant we went to and ask the chef to cook it up and add some butter and parmesan cheese.They almost always agreed. We could sit for hours peacefully enjoying our wine and dinner! Ironically enough, these two finicky eaters now love their tartare and sashimi, their pâté and their caviar. Far from the gags that were common sounds when a a harmless chicken breast was served! But I digress.......Orecchiette with Brown Butter (serves 4 generously, but as my mother says, don't make it serve 5)1lb Orecchiette pasta - I use Barilla1 stick salted butter1 12oz. bag frozen peas-defrosted1 cup parmesan cheese1 cup reserved pasta waterIn a large frying pan (I use a copper paella pan) brown 1 stick butter over medium heat so it doesn't burn.Cook orecchiette in salted water until al dente (just a bit chewy-don't let it get mushy). Drain, but reserve about1 cup of the cooking liquid which makes a lovely sauce when combined with the cheese.Toss the peas in the butter, cook until just warm. They should still be bright green.Toss in the drained pasta and cheese. Add enough of the liquid, a little at a time, until the sauce becomes creamy.The recipe is fail-proof and everyone loves it. Serve with an arugula salad with a fig balsamic dressing, some crusty Italian bread and a glass of wine. Buon appetito!Fun fact: Orecchiette means "little ears" and the small dome cavity is just perfect for holding all sauces.
Comfort Food
Friday, January 29, 2016
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Restaurant Review - Butter Midtown (NYC)
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
I have been on a quest to try as many of the “celebrity chef”
restaurants in New York City as possible. I’m fascinated by their menus – as I
sit there, I recall all the times I’ve seen the chef on television and think
about what the inspiration was for each dish. I can picture the chefs in my
mind, scuttling around the kitchen adding a little of this and a little of that
as they think up their menus. So it was a particular treat when we made a
pre-theater reservation to dine at Butter in Midtown Manhattan because Alex
Guarnaschellu is one of my husband’s favorite television chefs. I have to admit
that her television charisma is quite charming. And as we sat there, I could
imagine her running around the kitchen sprinkling the pomegranate on the branzino
or personally smoking the pork chops.
I’m going to start my review with the bread – it is the
first thing that is brought to the table, and anyone can tell you that bread is
my favorite food. Our bread basket was filled with enormous, buttery, flaky
porterhouse rolls which were outstanding on their own. But I would be remiss if
I didn’t mention the spectacular chive butter that was served with them, which
added so much flavor. I wish I could have taken more of these home with me to
have for breakfast the next morning.
My husband and I love to share appetizers. While the menu
boasted a lovely raw bar menu and selection of salads, we were mostly
interested in trying one of the hot appetizers. This portion of the menu
boasted several items which all looked delicious, but we settled on the
cavatappi pasta with spicy lamb sausage and yellow tomato sauce. I know what
you’re thinking. Pasta is not a conventional shared appetizer. But it was spectacular.
The sauce was luscious, and there was just enough to coat the pasta without
making it soupy. And the spicy lamb sausage was divine. I don’t typically enjoy
spicy foods, but this had just enough heat to bring delicious flavor without
setting my mouth on fire. And the combination of flavors worked so well
together – the sweet creaminess of the tomatoes offset the richness of the
lamb.
For my main course, I ordered the pan seared branzino with sautéed
spinach and champagne and pomegranate vinaigrette. It was a perfectly cooked piece
of fish, so flaky and moist, which was set atop a bed of spinach. But it was
the sauce that truly stood out. The dish was smothered in the champagne-pomegranate
vinaigrette, and was topped with a large sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and
red cabbage. At first glance, it looked like there was too much sauce for the
dish, but I found myself lapping it up. I dipped each spinach bite in it and
made sure to coat the fish thoroughly. It was creamy while still being light,
with a lemony tartness to it. The cabbage and pomegranate seeds added a much
needed textural element, a bit of crunch in each bite. And they also provided a
nice sweetness to offset the tart sauce. I could not have been happier with my
choice, or more disappointed as I finished the last bite.
For his main course, my husband ordered the tobacco-smoked
double-cut pork chop with bacon creamed kale and apple cider vinegar. His
favorite dish to order at a restaurant is always a pork chop, so he was excited
to try one that was “tobacco-smoked.” The chef recommended the meat cooked to
medium-rare, but we opted for medium instead and were happy with that decision.
The bacon creamed kale was an
appropriate accompaniment to the pork chop. The smokiness of the bacon played
well with the overall smokiness of the dish, and the kale was cooked down until
it was so soft and tender. I might not have classified it as a “creamed” though as it appeared to be sautéed. The pork chop itself was
cooked perfectly - tender and juicy wth a single hint of smokey tobacco flavor. The tobacco smoke flavor really came through more in the sauce than
the meat itself, and added a unique flavor to the dish. Each bite was bursting with flavor, a little sweet and a lot of smoky.
One dish I wish I had ordered was the white cloud cauliflower. I watched our waiter bring it to the table behind us after we finished our own dinner, and my mouth started watering. The descriptive name for the plate was perfectly appropriate, as it looked like giant clouds piled high on the plate. I wish the dish had been an appetizer portion, as I would not have traded my branzino dish for anything. But I will definitely have to order the cauliflower the next time we dine here.
Of course, we had to end our dinner with desert, and there were so many amazing items on the desert menu that it was hard to choose just one to share. We settled on the house specialty, the raspberry beignets, and were so excited when they came out. Three giant, sugary pillows were nestled on the plate with a ramekin filled with creamy vanilla bean dipping sauce. They were messy (or maybe that was just us), and we dripped some of the raspberry filling as we enjoyed them. But as we bit into the beignets, we knew it was the perfect way to end our meal. The dough was slightly crisp on the outside but soft, and gave way to a raspberry jam that tasted like it had been freshly made with the ripest berries. The sauce was a perfect accompaniment – it wasn’t too sweet, as the raspberry filling was sweet enough on its own, and it added just enough vanilla flavor to give a little richness to each bite. We fought over the third beignet, and settled on sharing it bite for bite. That gave me a slight disadvantage, so I took an extra couple of nibbles on my first bite to make up for it. Shhh – don’t tell my husband.
Overall, I would say our experience at Butter was wonderful.
The waitstaff was perfectly attentive and the food was spectacular. I think we
had a unique experience in that, at 5:30, it was quite an early reservation, so
the restaurant wasn’t filled yet. But I would definitely make another reservation
if only just to try the cauliflower and to have another order of the beignets.
Fun Fact:
Butter can seat 255 people. The space is sprawling, and has
a private dining room as well as a garden area with additional seating.
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Hosting a Martini Party
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Are the winter doldrums setting in? With the holidays behind us, and a long winter still ahead of us, February is the perfect month to plan something fun.
A martini party for several of your favorite couples is a quick and easy party to throw. And for those of your friends who prefer not to drink, many martinis can be made without alcohol.
Start collecting martini glasses in pairs. The more variety, the more fun!
Tie your party together with hors d'oevres trays that are similar - all glass, all silver, or all vintage.
Here are two fail-proof martini recipes.
Dirty Martini
6 fluid ounces vodka (we recommend Ketel One)
1 dash dry vermouth (we recommend Martini and Rossi)
1 fluid ounce brine from olive jar
6 stuffed green olives
In a cocktail mixing glass filled with ice, combine vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine. Stir.
Serve on the rocks, or strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish each glass with three olives.
Makes 2 martinis.
Kahlua Espresso Martini
3 fluid ounces Kahlua
2 fluid ounce vodka (we recommend Ketel One)
2 fluid ounce freshly brewed espresso
Cocoa powder
Chocolate covered espresso beans
Put cocoa powder into a shallow saucer. Fill a second shallow saucer with water (just enough to wet the rim of the glass). Invert chilled martini glass into the water saucer, then invert glass into cocoa powder.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine Kahlua, vodka, and espresso. Shake vigorously. Strain into rimmed martini glass.
Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans.
Makes 2 martinis.
Did you know real martinis aren't shaken? They should always be stirred! Sorry Mr. Bond!
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Welcome to our blog
Hello fellow hosts and hostesses. Welcome to our blog. With so many entertaining blogs out there, we are thrilled that you have chosen to follow us. We think you will find ours to be a bit different. We are a mom and her two daughters. And occasionally Grandma N can't help herself from chiming in. Our goal is to provide you with recipes, hostessing ideas, party tips, and restaurant reviews that will guide you on your own entertaining journey. We will give you ideas that anybody can use, whether planning the most lavish party or entertaining on a budget.
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