Ihawan2 Try the Filipino Barbecue

Ihawan2
10-07 50th Avenue
Long Island City, NY
(718) 937-7373 | Map

As I mentioned in my restaurant review of Sushi Siam, there is no shortage of Asian fusion restaurants in the Hunters Point neighborhood of Long Island City. In fact, some would probably argue that there are too many restaurants of such a nature. I love Asian cuisine, but I wouldn't break down and start crying if someone decided to make room on Vernon Boulevard for an authentic taqueria. Or, as the morning heat is already baking my brain, an ice cream parlor! (Are you reading this, Powers That Be? Give us tacos and ice cream!)

Spinach Pecan Pesto Sauce

On some summer days, the heat and humidity can be so unbearable that the mere thought of heating up the kitchen to make dinner can be enough to propel you towards the drawer hiding the take-out menus. Especially if you're like me, living on the top floor of an apartment building in an apartment without air-conditioning!

Sushi Siam: Will You Have Thai or Japanese Today?

Sushi Siam
47-45 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City, NY
(718) 361-9361 | Map

Those who are familiar with the Hunters Point neighborhood of Long Island City know that there is no shortage of Asian or Asian fusion restaurants to choose from - BANY, Ihawan 2 (review forthcoming), Shi, Sushi Siam, and Tuk Tuk. When Sushi Siam opened last year, my coworkers and I were curious to see whether their food would make them stand apart from the other restaurants offering similar menus. We'd go in and order from the Lunch Special section of the menu and take the food back to the office. But, recently, Adrienne (one of our summer interns) and I decided to switch it up and eat at the restaurant. (Which is pretty amazing considering it was pouring buckets of rain the day we made that decision.)

Homemade Avocado Face Mask

Like many people, I hate wasting food. Even if that means eating the same meal for three days in row. What's worse than wasting food that I've taken the time to prepare is wasting food I never got around to cooking - i.e. produce. I found myself in that predicament when I discovered an avocado in the kitchen that was in desperate need of being rescued from a meeting with the garbage pail. Had I been craving tortilla chips and guacamole, my next steps would have taken absolutely zero thought. Instead, I decided to use the avocado to create a homemade avocado face mask. A little pampering at home never hurt, right?

Try the Balls at Smorgas Chef

Smorgas Chef at Scandinavia House
58 Park Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 847-9745 | Map

For the June meeting of the Lehigh Dinner Club (LDC), Brian, Kym, and I had some very special guests join us at Smorgas Chef at Scandinavia House. As you may know, the three of us are not only alumni of Lehigh University, but we are also alumni of the Wind Ensemble. Since the inception of the LDC, we've been talking about inviting our ensemble director to come out for dinner with us, and, miraculously, he had a hole in his schedule in June. Prof. Diggs suggested that we also invite Sara, another fellow Wind Ensemble survivor alum, so we wound up being a party of five that night.

Sea Scallops with Bacon Butter Sauce

When I was younger, my mother went through a period when she would serve sea scallops wrapped with bacon at every party. Like most children, I wanted nothing to do with the scallops and wound up picking the bacon off the tray of appetizers until there was nothing left on the toothpicks except the naked shellfish. My mother was not too pleased with me for doing that, but could she blame me? I know very few people who can resist the temptation of bacon. It wasn't until I was older that I began to fully appreciate the pairing of sea scallops with bacon. Sadly, my love for scallops and bacon intensified right around the time my mother stopped throwing parties.

Margaritas and Mexican Food at La Cocina

La Cocina
158 East 30th Street
New York, NY
(212) 532-1887 | Map

Sometimes, after spending the afternoon searching high and low for the perfect pair of shoes with friends, you just need to take a break and have a margarita. Especially if you're shopping under pressure with a limited window of time to purchase said shoes. Especially if you're doing that shopping in Macy's Herald Square. Well, that's just what I did with my friends Candice and Lauren not too long ago. We knew we wanted to drink (shopping's hard work!) and margaritas sounded like the perfect thing to help us unwind. When we saw that La Cocina was having a margarita special, we stopped in and asked for a table. (The margarita special was the same as the one offered at their sister restaurant Tacocina on 9th Avenue, where the Lehigh Dinner Club ate back in March.)

Montana Whoppers

Montana Whoppers (a.k.a Monster Cookies)

Back in March, one of my coworkers received a care package of goodies from his mother, A.T. And in that package were some of the most delicious cookies I've ever eaten in my life. The cookies were so striking -- they looked like oatmeal cookies on steroids. They were moist and chewy and full of chocolate bits and had a hint of peanut flavor in the background. My coworker graciously shared his bounty with the office and I think everyone enjoyed the cookies immensely. It wasn't long before we devoured them all.

Venezuelan Food at El Cocotero and the Giveaway Winner

El Cocotero
228 West 18th Street
New York, NY
(212) 206-8930 | Map

The Lehigh Dinner Club (LDC) attempted to enjoy the cuisine of Ethiopia at Queen of Sheba in April but, unfortunately, struck out at the plate. (Haha!) So, for our May meeting, Kym chose to leave Africa behind and had us travel to South America to try the Venezuelan food at El Cocotero, a small restaurant in Chelsea that you'd probably walk right past without noticing if you weren't looking for it.

Quick and Easy White Sangria

I received a package from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly last week that contained a bottle of their Barefoot Pinot Grigio and a bottle of their Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée. Because I had promised my boyfriend that I'd save the Brut Cuvée for his visit this weekend, I began thinking of ways I could use the Pinot Grigio. Sure, I could have just chilled it and had a glass after work but that would have been too easy. Then it occurred to me that I knew exactly what I wanted to make -- a pitcher of white sangria (or sangria blanca)!

A Sweet Happy Hour at Sweet Revenge

Sweet Revenge
62 Carmine Street
New York, NY
(212) 242-2240

Back in May (yes, yes, I'm still writing about stuff that happened in May), I attended a birthday celebration for my friend Melissa at Sweet Revenge on Carmine. If you're looking for a different kind of Happy Hour, one that will quench your thirst and satisfy your sweet tooth, then you should definitely head down there. Why?

Zoom in on the words "Cupcake Wine & Beer Pairings". Sweet Revenge pairs each of their eleven varieties of cupcakes with a wine or a beer that will complement the flavor of the generously-sized cupcake. If you go during Happy Hour (4pm-8pm), you also have the option of getting a glass of sangria (red or white) or a glass of wine (chosen from the selection of the day) and a cupcake (of your choice) for $10! While the list of pre-matched drinks and desserts was intriguing, those of us there with Melissa were really interested in the cupcake special.

The place was pretty full while we were there -- a good sign -- so I had some time to admire the decor. Including the vase full of amazingly fragrant fresh flowers sitting on the bar (where we were) and the intricately painted bird on the ceiling.

I wound up ordering a glass of sangria and the Crimson and Cream Cupcake. My friend Mary Catherine had ordered that combination before I was asked what I wanted and I caved and ordered the same thing because it just sounded so good. Though, she ordered the white sangria while I stuck with the red.

We chose very well! The cupcake was moist and the frosting was rich but not lip-puckering sweet. And the raspberry sauce drizzled over the top was a nice touch because the slightly tangy flavor offset the sweetness. I think we were all happy with our Happy Hour choices and to be living according to one of my favorite sayings: "Life is short. Eat dessert first."

Would you rather eat dessert first or save the best for last?

PS. Don't forget to enter the Barefoot Wine & Bubbly Summer Beach Giveaway! You have until 11:59 EST TOMORROW (Friday, July 3, 2009) to enter! Just leave a comment on the giveaway post and make sure you leave an email address so I can notify you if you've won. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on July 4 in honor of the holiday. Make sure you enter before the deadline!