Scarpetta

355 W. 14th + 9th Ave
212-691-0555
Italian

If I had a million dollars...

So I put Xena in a cute dog contest (along with 40,000 other dogs). Is it crazy that I think she can win? Probably... but take a minute and vote for her (and her ears) once a day. Vote for Xena!

Dirt Candy

430 E. 9th St + Ave A
212-228-7732
American Traditional, Vegetarian/Vegan

BITES:
Jalapeno Hush Puppies served with maple butter
Onion Soup with farmhouse cheddar, kumquat marmalade
Kimchi Doughnuts with watermelon radishes, cilantro, wild arugula
Golden Beet Papardelle with yogurt, pistachios and honey
Stone Ground Grits with pickled shitakes and a tempura poached egg

Park Avenue Summer

100 E. 63rd + Park
212-644-1900
American Nouveau/Mediterranean

BITES:
Caprese Ravioli with Yellow Tomato Coulis
Seared Salmon with Crispy Taro and Cucumber Salad
Raspberries with Goat Cheese Mousse, Lemon Thyme and Honey



Photos courtesy of Clair Lim

Gnocco

337 E. 10th St + Ave B
212-677-1913
Italian

BITES:

Caprino Tiepido, Warm goat cheese with honey, raisins, mix greens
Gnocchi al Pomodoro e Mozzarella di Bufala
La Pizza Parmigiana

Game Night

A few months ago, my friends got together for our latest potluck... Game Night became a tribute to many of our favorite childhood games from Hungry Hungry Hippos to Scrabble and Twister. No lack of creativity amongst this group. Highlights of the night included our very candid game of rock/paper/scissors, Jill & Jaclyns creepy mind games with Simon Cowell, and EATING.

ON THE MENU:
Checkerboard Sliders
Mr & Mrs Sweet Potato Heads
Hungry Hungry Hippos in a Blanket
Crabble Cakes
Crackers in Bed Bean Dip
Go Fish Buffalo Shrimp
Twister Cake
Domino Brownies

Enjoy my recipe for Crabble Cakes:

Serves 4-6
1 pound crab meat
1 full roll of Ritz crackers, crushed
handful of breadcrumbs
2 green onions
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup mayo
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil
Favorite dipping sauce

I made a few substituions for my first run at these crabcakes. I substituted imitation crab meat (all I could get at the super market) that I chopped quickly in my food processor. It made a great texture to hold together the cakes. I also used my food processor to chop up the onions and peppers real quick. Be sure to only do it for about 3-4 seconds as you don't want the ingredients too fine.

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties. For this I used a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop out the patties and then dust generously for flour to avoid sticking. The cakes tend to fall apart at this point so I recommend refrigerating (I did for 24 hours) or freezing them for an hour or two. This will help keep them together.

Next heat the oil in a large skilled over medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on the other side until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with preferred sauce... for a delicious sauce mix (to taste) some mayo, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and garlic.

Mac+Cheese with Leeks+Gorgonzola

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Serves:6 servings

1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 leeks, thinly sliced
Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows
1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup grated Asiago
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter and oil and cook the leeks until tender but not browned. In a bowl combine the cooked leeks with the Bechamel Sauce, Gorgonzola, Asiago, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Toss the sauce with the pasta until well coated and season, to taste. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with the remaining butter. Fill the springform pan with the pasta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing.

Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground nutmeg In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Remove the garlic and discard. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the flour to make a roux, cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Heat the milk to just below boiling. Pour 1 cup of milk into the roux, whisking constantly as the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the milk, in 1/2 cup portions, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring the bottom of the pot with a spatula to prevent burning. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese, kosher salt and nutmeg to finish the sauce. Yield: 2 1/2 cups