ilili

Went out with the ladies on Thursday to a meditarranean restaurant that was new to all of us, called Ilili (between 27th and 28th on 5th Ave). It's a pretty posh place, where we were all completely under-dressed. All the hostesses looked like they were probably models and there were a lot of rich old ladies with face-lifts around. The main dining area is pictured above. There was also a bar/lounge area to the left and a lower-key dining area to the right, both just as long.

If you're going here, expect to eat family style. We all shared the Mezza Royale (the biggest of the sharing menus) @ $139. You first get the cold appetizers:
Hummus, baba ghannouj, chankleesh (lentils/rice/onions), grape leaves, tabbouleh, fattoush (pita salad), falafel and Kibbeh nayeh - a paste of raw lamb mixed with spices, served with raw onions and mint (probably our least favorite),

Then the hot appetizers:
Moujadara (lentil/rice/onion), lahmajeen (middle eastern style pizza with ground beef on a thin crust), makanek, beef fried kibbeh (think meat and bulgur wheat falafel) and phoenician fries (think seasoned fries, really tasty)

We also ordered 2 main entrees and a side to split: their lamb kebab was was simple and delicious and their Citrus Trout, I'd suggest skipping. The brussel sprouts were recommended to us by our waitress as being one of their signature dishes. I passed on it due to the creamy sauce it was mixed with but I'm pretty certain the others enjoyed it.

For dessert we tried the Awaimat (lebanese beignet w/orange blossom syrup). This wasn't anything special and the syrup had too strong of an orange blossom taste for me.

The serving sizes are quite generous. We were definitely stuffed by the time we left. It's a very busy place, so definitely make a reservation before you go.

Marzipan Cake with Raspberry Coulis

Today was the first breakdown meeting of Season 3 of Team Umi Zoomi, where we watch the episode and discuss what needs to be done. I've been looking for an excuse to bake and this was it. I've had my eye on this recipe for a while, and I just happened to have a can of almond paste, so I crossed my fingers and hoped it would come out ok. It came out BETTER than ok. It's super moist and full of flavor. But the raspberry sauce really added the finishing touch, so don't leave it out.

Recipe from Joy of Cooking:

Marzipan Cake (8-10 servings)

7-8 oz almond paste or marzipan
6 Tbsp butter (3/4 stick)
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp kirsch or brandy (I used amaretto)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 8x2" round pan, or line with parchment/wax paper (I recommend the latter, because I had trouble getting it out)

1. Beat almond paste and butter till well blended.
2. Gradually add sugar and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture (2-3 min)
3. Whisk together then gradually beat in for a total of 3 min the eggs, alcohol and extract
4. Add baking powder, be sure to break up any lumps
5. Fold in flour. Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.
6. Bake 35-40 min until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
7. Let it cool completely, dust with powdered sugar

Raspberry Coulis

1 pint raspberries, or 12 oz frozen dry pack thawed
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp strained fresh lemon juice

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Strain through fine mesh sieve, pressing firmly with rubber spatula. Continue to press till you are left with just a heaping tablespoon of seeds. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Lavender-Lemon Shortbread

I'd seen a lot of recipes around the internet that included lavender and I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical. Who wants to eat a flower associated with bath and body products? But while wandering around the farmer's market this week, I saw a stall selling locally grown lavender (lavenderbythebay.com). They had a small bag specifically meant for baking and tea.

All I can say is, these are delicious. And the fragrance, both when you are making them and baking them is really unique. The taste isn't too "flowery," but it's also distinct enough that you know it's there and compliments the lemon flavor. I now prefer this to regular shortbread.

Recipe from Food and Wine's website, by Allison Attenborough:

Servings (1 was able to make 20, but the recipe claims 1.5 dozen)

Lavender-Lemon Shortbread

1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp dried lavender blossoms, chopped (I ground them with a mortar and pestle) 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

1. Mix the sugar, lavender and lemon zest. Using a mixer, beat in the butter at moderate speed. At low speed, beat in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate for 20 min. Form the dough into a 4 inch log and chill for 45 min longer.
(Note: I made the log right away and chilled it for several hours, wrapped in wax paper).

2. Preheat oven to 350. Slice the shortbread into 1/4" thick rounds and place on ungreased baking sheets. Freeze the rounds for 10 min
(Note: Since my dough had been chilled for several hours, I skipped the freezing)

3. Bake the shortbread for 20-25 min or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw slightly before slicing. The baked shortbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Cinnamon-Sugar Almonds

Recipe altered slightly from Allrecipes.com, by BJ

1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups whole almonds
3/4 cup sugar (I'd recommend brown sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Lightly grease a 10x15" jelly roll pan
2. Lightly beat the egg white; add water, and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 45 min-1 hour, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool and store in airtight containers

Note: If you eat them right out of the oven, they will be soft, so definitely allow them to cool

Tip: Keeping Pesto Bright Green

I've started subscribing to Cook's Illustrated. I resisted for the longest time because I loved the big glossy photos in all the other magazines. But after sifting through countless ads and whole pages devoted to one photo, you realize there's almost no useful content. Cook's Illustrated has NO ADS, and is the publication of America's Test Kitchen. They give tons of information and explanations as to why one technique is better than another. They also review kitchen equipment and have beautifully detailed artwork.

The above doodle will hopefully be the start of a series of illustrated tips/recipes I plan on doing, inspired by Cook's Illustrated and the website "They Draw and Cook" . I need to practice drawing, because in 2 weeks time I'll have to keep a regular sketchbook for class.

For any techies out there, I drew it in Autodesk's Sketchbook Pro. They have a free 15-day trial, which I downloaded. I'm liking it so far, because it strips down a program like Photoshop and takes the bare essentials needed for drawing, versus having a clutter of menus and palettes. The full version is actually pretty cheap, $68

Macaroni Salad

I can't stand the white gloppy mayonnaise-y mess that most places call macaroni salad. It wasn't till last year, that I discovered a deli (St Mark's Market) that sold a version that I found edible. Their main flavor was mustard, with very little mayo, but it contained almost nothing other than noodles and a few carrot strips. I went home and tried to recreate the seasoning. Over time I added to it and made it a little more substantial. I also found that dill really helps prevent the taste from being too flat and balances out the mustard.

(Serves 2)
1/2 cup cooked macaroni
1 hard boiled egg
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 Tbsp fresh dill
1 tsp grainy dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp mayo
Salt/Pepper to taste

-Cook your macaroni and boil your egg in advance and let cool. You might want to add a touch of olive oil to the pasta so it won't stick together
-Chop all veggies and herbs. Cut up hard boiled egg
-Combine everything and chill, or serve right away

This recipe works perfectly for potato salad too!

Basic Crepes

Today is Mardis Gras! Back in first grade French class this meant making crepes. We all received a photocopied handout with instructions in both English and French with crude drawings of eggs being beaten and batter being poured into a frying pan. Too bad I lost it, or I'd post it here. In my college years, my Swiss roommate brought her crepe pan with her and it became a staple food in our dorm room. That's when I started filling them with whatever was on hand, (pesto-cheese crepes being my favorite). Another version I grew up with has ham, mushrooms and cheese inside, with a bechamel poured over the crepes, which are then baked. And of course, don't forget Nutella!

Recipe from Quick and Delicious, Reader's Digest (Makes 12)
1 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
2/3 cup flour
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/8 tsp salt

1. Whisk ingredients together
2. Heat skillet, pour and swirl/spread the batter to get a nice thin layer
3. Cook till underside is golden brown.
You can treat it like a pancake and cook both sides, but I've also been told you do NOT flip it.

Note: If you are stuffing the pancake, add the ingredients after the top looks almost cooked, fold the sides over the filling and continue cooking till the inside has time to heat up