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When I was 15, I visited NYC for the first time and completely fell in love. The sounds, smells, visuals….the sheer artistic nature and the way that care was taken to preserve the design of so many buildings and streets – just amazing. I remember laying awake in my Uncle’s spare bedroom that first night, eyes open wide, taking in all of the sounds – taxis, voices, trees moving…people walking. I left there a week later with a longing to stay. I can’t decide if it was the love for art, music or performance that runs heavily in my blood – being sort of matched there. Or, just the depth of culture and excitement mixed with the quiet and peace of the place. I still can’t decide. Since then, it calls to me quite often and I can’t help but answer it when I can. My most recent trip brought back a great deal of memories for me…to revisit some of my favorite places….either discovered with those I love, or found alone and on foot – exploring. I love to explore. On a different trip as an older teen, my Uncle sat me down with a subway map and said, “look, I have to work today. I’m not about going to get off work and walk you all over this city, so go for it!” (It turned out to be one of the best days of my life.) I realized the passion for travel and exploration was just part of my heart. At any rate, I want to share some of my favorite NYC places. Some of the photography is not mine, where applicable, I’ll let you know the photographer’s name.
Abraco espresso (so quaint – and a gorgeous little shop next door for all kinds of fashionable findings)
(photo: Jeremy Liebman)
Ciao (Greenwich – sweet, simple and sooo tasty)
Tsampa
(Cosy and hidden – Tibetan cuisine in the East Village….VERY yummy…a bit pricey!)
(from twin NY)
Tinto Fino- I think the sign says it all (for those of us who are Spanish wine lovers)
Kaas Glassworks. Amazing, amazing. (kaas.com)
Alfama – wonderful and so quaint. Quite pricey, but one of the few Portuguese places in the city that does it well.
I think the name sort of explains it. Amazing tapas. Hidden, cozy – lovely place in the West Village.
I have to stop here when I’m downtown. They have the best vintage and used finds in the area. And, not too bad on price either.
The absolute best gnocchi in rich gouda sauce I’ve ever had. Yumm. Wonderful service, too. A bit pricey, but great for a special visit. Wonderful wine list.
Because I can’t seem to decide which of the hundreds of photos I have best fit in here…and because I have about a thousand places I love here, I’ll just end with some of the spots that make me feel peaceful, give me a sense of quiet and really make me feel like ‘yeah, this is home.’ (away from home) 
(cafe cafe – lower left hand side – GREAT little break stop – laid back coffee shop atmosphere)
I never thought I would enjoy St. Patrick’s Day as much as I do now having married a man with a great deal of Irish blood. To embrace the tradition, this Italian Swede has been combing through recipes for the past few years….and I’ve arrived at my favorite for a dish traditionally called “Colcannon.” It’s simple, wonderful and in our house, a must have for the big green day. Of course corned beef is up there, too.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (I hope you’re wearing green!)
Colcannon
3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
4 scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before (I rarely cook mine the day before, but I use bacon and it’s just as tender)
Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.
Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.
Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.
In a quick browse through etsy, just for fun, I did a search for Pizzelles – and this is simply proof that you can find anything on Etsy. (In my humble opinion, paired with a wonderful espresso, the anise are the absolute best!) If you’re not feeling ambitious to make your own, give these a try because they really are very good!
I’ve also found quite the array of Italian desserts (hmmm….SO simple and sweet….almost tempting to buy them rather then make my own!), shoes, notebooks – even recipe booklets. It’s exciting to find things of this nature on a handcraft website!
The Sweet Spot (for Yummy Struffoli and Almond Torrone)
Angela Liguori (Carta, inc.) (I found the sweetest little handmade Italian recipe booklet as well as many other beautiful little paper good items imported from Italy)
Retro Call (she actually sells a little bundle of recipes, hand translated, from her nonna’s authentic recipe book!)
Kettle Confections (for Almond Torrone packaged in batches like candy)
Like many of my posts, this is completely non-Bello related. However, I find myself being drawn to art in all of it’s many expressions, so perhaps that is related to Bello Uccello – all the same person! Today, it happens to be all things relating to the art of gastronomy. Pleasure. We watched the first episode of the all new Bourdain season, and as always, I found myself yearning for his experiences with food and culture and the intermix of both. Perhaps that is why I felt the need to pass along some of my favorite sweet recipes.
(Today I am in love with star anise and hazelnuts. They are heavenly in all senses. If you’ve had Frangelico, you know what I’m talking about with hazelnuts. One neat little way to use star anise for garnish – homemade chai looks lovely with one star anise floating at the top……)
I made these last night and, oh, were they a hit:
Magnolia Lace Trumpets with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur, optional
Cream Cheese Filling, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook mixture over low heat until butter melts; remove from heat. Stir together flour and ginger; add dry mixture to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in liqueur, if desired. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons 3 to 4 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake only 2 or 3 cookies at a time because you must work quickly to form the cones before they cool and become brittle*.
Bake in oven for 9 to 10 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Quickly invert cookies onto another cookie sheet, and wrap each cookie around the greased handle of a wooden spoon or a metal cone. When cookie is set, slide cookie off spoon or cone; cool on a wire rack. Fill cookies with filling. To store: Place unfilled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days or freeze unfilled cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies and fill.
*If cookie gets too brittle to roll, run back in the oven for 1 minute to soften. Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling:
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
Salt
Soften cream cheese in milk. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, blending after each addition. Add melted chocolate and salt. Beat until smooth.
Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Cake:
Your favorite chocolate cake recipe will do just fineCrunch:
1 cup (about 4 1/2-ounces) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Filling:
2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake according to package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
For the Crunch:
Place the toasted nuts close together in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sugar mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cook until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes. Let the bubbles subside then pour the caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the sugar nut mixture cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the sugar nut mixture is hard and cool, top with another piece of parchment paper and pound into small pieces, or place the sugar nut mixture on a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
For the filling:
Put the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the Crunch mixture into the whipped cream.
For the topping:
Place the chocolate, sugar and zest in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate is finely ground.
To assemble the cake:
Put 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with 1-inch of the whipped cream crunch mixture. Top with the second layer of cake and continue frosting the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream crunch mixture. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the ground chocolate. Serve.
Mulled Wine
(there are many varieties – this is my favorite)
4 cups apple cider
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
4 oranges, peeled, for garnish. Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.
For another day, next on my list:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_34219,00.html
(Regretfully, none of the pictures are mine – all stock photos. I need a camera with a removable lens already!)
