My New Toy!...A Vitamix Blender!

I have been going back and forth for a few months about buying one of these guys.  I had heard nothing but good things about them, but the price point is a little crazy for a blender.  I had finally settled in on buying a refurbished one for my Christmas present to myself since it still had a 7 year warranty on it.  BUT THEN, Carlinhos and I happened to go to Costco to stock up on some stuff and low and behold! they were having a sale on them for just about the same price as the refurbished joint.  So I had to do it!  And I am SO happy I did.  I have made so many tasty and healthy smoothies with it.  I am doing a Paleo nutritional challenge right now through my Crossfit gym, so this has really helped me get through the first week of that.  I would definitely recommend getting a Vitamix if you are thinking about it or are in need of a blender.  Here is a picture of one of my smoothies (before smooth-i-fication).

Good Morning!

While I'm sitting here having my morning coffee, I thought I'd show you the yummy french toast Jimmy made for me this weekend. The only bread we had was a cranberry walnut sourdough loaf that I got at the farmer's market... he was skeptical that it would work well, but it was delicious! Have a good day! :)

Pho!

Oh my goodness this is my new favorite soup to make. SO fragrant and fresh and really easy. Any time I get to cook with whole cloves, star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon stick, my little tail starts wagging... And anything that's served with loads of fresh herbs and lime and Sriracha in a build-it-yourself type fashion really makes me happy. I've always loved ordering Pho when at a Vietnamese restaurant, and now I'm super psyched to add this quick and simple version, adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe, to the repertoire.. Enjoy!

VIETNAMESE BEEF AND NOODLE SOUP

Makes 4 servings

7 oz rice stick noodles
8 cups beef stock
5 whole cloves
4 thin slices fresh ginger
3 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 yellow onion, sliced
S&P
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
8 shallots, sliced
1/2 lb eye of round beef, very thinly sliced by the butcher, cut into 2-inch pieces
leaves of 1 bunch fresh cilantro
leaves of 1 bunch fresh mint
leaves of 1 bunch fresh basil (preferably Thai - I had regular)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 small red Thai chiles, seeded and thinly sliced (I had a green one)
1 lime, quartered
hot sauce for serving, such as Sriracha

In a soup pot, combine the stock, cloves, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the broth is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Strain the soup into a large bowl through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the spices. Return the stock to the pot, and set aside.

In the meantime, boil water for your noodles. While the stock is simmering and the noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot slices and fry, turning with tongs, until evenly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Have large, deep soup bowls ready. Reheat the seasoned beef broth over high heat. Drain the noodles and place in soup bowls. Divide the beef slices among the bowls, then ladle over the boiling broth (the hot broth will cook the thin beef slices). Serve with abundant fresh cilantro, mint, and basil, as well as the bean sprouts, chiles, fried shallots, lime wedges and hot sauce.

Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRETCHEN!!!!
I made this cake in celebration of Gretchen's birthday.  It is a really rich and intense chocolate cake that would go perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a big glass of cold milk, or just by itself.  It is easy to make and here is the recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a pan - I used a spring form.
2. Melt 1 pound of buttersweet chocolate and 4oz of butter over a bain marie.
3. Mix 2 egg yolks with 3oz of sugar and mix to a creme.
4. Mix the melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
5. Whip 8 egg whites to a soft peak.
6. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until incorporated.
7.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  The cake will rise and then fall when cooling.
Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

To toast the new year, I thought I'd do a cocktail post, highlighting some of the delicious libations we've enjoyed in 2011... Wishing you all a happy healthy 2012!!

This year, Barcade - this cool bar that features a constantly rotating selection of craft beers as well as old school arcade cames - opened up another location in Jersey City, right around the corner from us. On this particular visit, Fisherman's beers from Cape Ann Brewing Company in Massachusetts were the featured beers on tap; you can see our colorful selections above and their descriptions below: 

Another time I ordered a nice cider from California but don't remember the name... I did take a picture though, because look at the color! So light!

Enjoying a summer afternoon with a couple of German beers at Zeppelin Hall, our local Biergarten:

A couple of Jimmy's yummy Micheladas below, also superb in the summertime. His basic recipe: about a 1/4" of Worcester sauce at the bottom of a pint glass, 6 or 7 drops Tabasco (we like'm spicy), a little salt, fresh squeezed lime juice, and a nice Modelo Especial (or any other Mexican beer). Sometimes he uses Maggi seasoning sauce... you can also use soy sauce, or lemon juice etc. So refreshing! 

Herradura Reposado. Couple drops of lime, sipped and savored. THE best:

A lovely margarita... tequila, triple sec, fresh squeezed lime juice, a drop of agave nectar, and salt. the perfect favorite cocktail in my book:

Here are some fun cocktails Jimmy and I had at The Spotted Pig one time... his was a Satan's Whiskers: gin, two different vermouths, triple sec and orange. The frothy looking one was mine: a Pisco Sour, made with Barsol Pisco Quebranta (a brandy from Peru), lime, simple syrup, raw egg white and Angostura Bitters. Really nice, and so pretty!

Now here is my cocktail of choice, besides a margarita: the Side Car. Maybe I love it so much because it's very much like a margarita, but with cognac or brandy instead of tequila, and lemon juice instead of lime. Oh and sugar on the rim instead of salt. I guess the only common ingredient is the triple sec or cointreau.... Anyway, it's a classic, and so good! I'm pretty sure I turned the whole family on to them this Christmas...

And last but not least, Pink Champagne!!! 

Cheers! Salud! Cin cin! Zum wohl! Prost! Egészségedre! And Happy New Year!!!