Featured Friday, Volume 1.11

The plan was to spend the afternoon doing some apple picking at the local orchard. Maybe you brought your family or your friends. You only wanted to pick "enough for a pie," but you wound up taking home more apples than you know what to do with. Well, have no fear!

Cherry Fudge Brownies

I'm about to do something that I chide my friends and family for all the time. I'm going to mention Christmas before we've even reached the holiday milestones of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Why? Because my recipe for Cherry Fudge Brownies, which I actually developed during the peak of cherry season back in August, reminds me of Christmas.

So-So Sunday Brunch at The Standard Grill

The Standard Grill
848 Washington Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 645-4100 | Online Reservations | Map

Remember when I wrote about the brunch I had at Craftbar with my friends Stephen and Melissa? Remember when I said that we made plans to have brunch again in August and to "be sure to check back to see where we decided to eat"? Well, we did have brunch again in August... And I'm only now getting around to writing about it. Oops.

Featured Friday, Volume 1.10

Given that Halloween is just around the corner and pumpkins are everywhere right now, here is another round-up of recipes that call for pumpkin.

Potato Chips and Hummus

While I was an undergraduate at Lehigh, one of my favorite restaurants in Bethlehem was the Inn of the Falcon. Those who remember it (the Inn has since closed) will remember the cozy atmosphere, the luscious meals, and the engaging conversations with owners Al and Shirlee Neumeyer. Aside from the spinach salad and the crème brûlée, the dish I remember most was an amazingly simple appetizer of homemade potato chips served alongside a bowl of hummus.

Brunch of a Different Color at Kittichai

Kittichai
60 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 219-2000 | Online Reservations | Map

The first time I visited Kittichai, I walked right past the restaurant because I was thrown by the wall of lush greenery on either side of the entrance and wasn't looking high enough for the sign confirming that I was, in fact, in the right place.

Take Me to Tang Pavilion for Chinese Food in Midtown

Tang Pavilion
65 West 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 956-6888 | Map

New York certainly doesn't suffer from a lack of Chinese restaurants, but have you ever noticed how difficult it is to find a restaurant that serves good Chinese food outside of Chinatown? Or that the food tastes the same no matter where you get it? Well, if you head to Tang Pavilion in Midtown, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Light Alfredo Sauce and Broccoli

I'm so nervous, I can't think straight. After pushing myself through my training for the past few months and running during some pretty unbearable heat waves in New York, I am THREE DAYS away from the Hartford Marathon. When I think about how I felt the week before I ran last year's Philadelphia Half Marathon, I don't remember being this nervous. I was excited and ready to kick ass. Now? I'm anxious that I'm going to collapse and die on the side of the road.

Head Upstairs to Utsav for Indian Food in Midtown

Utsav Festive India Restaurant
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 575-2525 | Online Reservations | Map

Back when I was living in Connecticut and working at my first real job out of college, I developed some lunchtime traditions with my coworkers. In addition to our regular trips to Bentara for Malaysian food, we'd head over to Royal India on Howe Street for their all-you-can-eat lunch buffet on Fridays. There I'd sit, going plate-for-plate with my male coworkers just because I could. (Tip: Three plates full of Indian food is excessive. Don't do it unless you have a stomach lined with steel.)

How To: Reheat Leftover Fish

Confession: I have avoided ordering fish in a restaurant because I didn't want to be stuck with leftovers.

Featured Friday, Volume 1.9

Can you believe it? We've made it to October. After a week of rainy weather, gloomy skies, and high humidity in New York, the temperatures have dropped and it feels like fall again. In honor of that, this week's Featured Friday post is a round-up of recipes that call for one of my favorite fall ingredients -- pumpkin. They all make me want to hop on the next train out to the suburbs to go pumpkin-picking! I hope they'll inspire you to get into your kitchen and create your own pumpkin recipe.

Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes

There's something wrong with me. I had a craving for a bologna and cheese sandwich on white bread today... And I gave into it. I don't know whether I was so bored with my usual lunchtime fare or whether there was a deeper philosophical reason for my craving cave-in, but... can I just tell you how amazing that sandwich was?