'Cesca

164 W 75th St
New York, NY 10023
212-787-6300

I went here once about a year ago and inadvertantly ordered the same entrée this time as well.

Decor: Lush. Our banquette was furry.
Service: Knowledgeable, although a bit stuffy.
Food: Arancini (rice balls) with goat cheese was amazing, as was my favorite, the salad campagna (an Italian version of the French bistro salad, served with a perfectly poached egg and proscuitto). The bucatini all'Amatriciana con uova (eggs, ham, red pepper) was chewy, tangy, delicious. The only disappointment was the plate of Italian cookies, which I suppose is my own fault since I don't much care for Italian cookies.
Overall: Too expensive to go to regularly, but a fine splurge.

Grade: A

Cafe Mogador

101 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10009
212-677-2226

Decor: Not Moroccan, that's for sure. In fact, most of the decor is straight out of a low-end pub.
Service: Fine. Our waitress seemed a little spacey, but was nice and got all our orders right.
Food: I didn't like the mint iced tea, but I don't really like flavored iced tea. The hummus was good and was served with a very spicy chili sauce that was really good. The chicken tagine with chickpeas and raisins was delicious. The chicken was moist and the combo of earthy chickpeas and couscous with sweet raisins was very appealing.
Overall: I would definitely go back. The menu was full of things that look really tasty.

Grade: A-

Georgia Diner

8655 Queens Blvd # 55
Flushing, NY 11373
718-651-9000

We went here one night because my friend had just gotten a car and we wanted to eat somewhere with an actual parking lot. Can't say I'm too eager to return.

Decor: Um, diner-like
Service: Good, although the English was touch-and-go
Food: I had a very not-good veggie burger. The French fries though, were very tasty, and I dipped them in a nice brown gravy.
Overall: Fine for a diner, but since there are so many around, why bother going somewhere mediocre?

Grade: C

Mundo

3118 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106
718-777-2829

Decor: We went shortly after Valentine's Day, so the cieling was strung with mini-disco balls and, oddly, shoes. The walls are lined with buyable-art.
Service: Nice, attentive.
Meal: Best bets are red sonja, beef empanadas, and the carrot dip (it will make you like carrots, I swear).
Overall: Plenty of food to share, good selection of vegetarian options. Pleasant atmosphere and moderately priced.

Grade: A

Brownie Cupcakes

You guessed it: Ms. Stewart. I'm not the hugest brownie fan, but I thought these would go over well at my party. I dipped them into a bowl of colored jimmies after I frosted them for a little extra pop.


Makes 12

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3 lg. eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Cooking spray
Ready-to-spread frosting


Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a twelve-count muffin tin with cupcake liners, and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and eight ounces of chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Add flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined. Stir in remaining 3 ounces of chocolate and nuts if desired.

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake until a firm crust forms on the cupcakes, about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and continue to cool on a wire rack. (I found the ice cream scoop method onerous. I used the two spoon method to much better success.)

Ice cupcakes with a generous amount of chocolate frosting.

Grade: B-

Texas Mac and Chili Cheese

This comes from Southern Living (always a good spot for something rich and comforting). It was my first time making a roux, and roasting peppers over an open flame. All in all, a very successful and tasty dish.

Makes 8 servings

4 poblano peppers
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
12 ounces shred monterey jack cheese (3 cups)
4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Italian season bread crumbs
1/2 cup shred parmesan cheese (2 oz)

BROIL chile peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes on each side or until chiles look blistered. (This is where I roasted them over the gas stovetop instead. A little more adventuresome, I think.)

PLACE chiles in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel chiles; remove and discard seeds, and cut chiles into strips. Set aside. (Rubbing them with a paper towel is a fast way to get the skins off.)

PREPARE macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.

MELT butter in a Dutch oven over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in cream and milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. (I don't own a dutch oven, so I used a big stockpot, which was just as good.)

STIR in 2-3/4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, crumbled goat cheese, and salt until smooth. Stir in roasted chiles and macaroni. (I chopped the chilies in a food processor. The heat is mild, but the smaller they are, the easier they are to eat for those that don't do spicy.)

SPOON mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Top evenly with Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. (I used two baking dishes since I didn't have that exact size.)

BAKE at 375° for 40 minules. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese.

BROIL 5 inches from heat about 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. (I forgot to do those last two steps, but it was still perfect.)

Grade: B+/A-

Midtown Sangria

This comes from Martha Stewart Living, which in turn took it from Spice, a restaurant in Atlanta. It's super easy to make and there's no soda in it.


Makes 8 servings

1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons orange clover honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
750 milliliters dry but fruity white wine like Sauv Blanc (I used Tasty Mantra! Manta Sauvignon Blanc)
1 1/2 cups apple juice
Various fruits for garnish (apples, oranges)

In a glass measuring cup or glass bowl, combine the water, honey and ground cinnamon and microwave at high power for 40 seconds. Stir well, then pour into a pitcher and add the white wine and apple juice. Refrigerate the sangria until chilled, about 2 hours. Stir the mixture well and pour the sangria into ice-filled wine glasses, then garnish with thin orange slices. (I added the fruit as soon as it was made so it could soak with the sangria in the fridge. I think this mellows out the wine taste a little.)

Grade: A

Pears Poached in Red Wine with Black Pepper and Vanilla

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart Living. I'd never poached anything before, but this was really simple and so delicious. There was a lot of syrup leftover, so I've been putting over pound cake with Cool Whip. It takes a while to complete all the steps, but it's not like you're slaving over a stove. You just let it bubble away while you watch reruns of Bonanza on TVLand. (Or is that just me?)

Makes 6 servings (I only cooked 3 pears, but kept all the other ingredients at the same amounts)

750 milliliters dry red wine (I used Kanga Rouge Amaroo Merlot 2003)
1 1/2 cups sugar (I thought the syrup was just a little too sweet, so I might try 1 1/4 cup next time instead)
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 vanilla bean split
6 firm but ripe Bosc pears

These pears can be prepared a day or two ahead.

Combine red wine, sugar, peppercorns, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Add 4 cups water, bring to a boil, and stir until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat. Carefully peel pears, leaving stem intact. Place in cooking liquid, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and weigh down pears with a saucer or small pot lid to keep them submerged. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl to cool. Bring cooking liquid to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Pour over pears. Chill pears in syrup until cold and deep red in color, at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve pears with reduced syrup.

Grade: A+

Linguine with White Clam and Broccoli Sauce

This recipe comes from Cooking Light and was adapted from an original recipe by Lydia Bastianich. I'd never cooked clams before, but this was really easy. It's one of those dishes where you feel like a real chef! I made this along with the poached pairs for Valentine's Day.

Makes 6 servings (I halved the recipe below since I cooked only for two)

36 Littleneck clams (about 2.5 lb.) scrubbed
6 quarts + 3/4 c. water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 cups broccoli florets
1 pound uncooked linguine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chop flat leaf parsley

Bring pot of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add clams; cover and cook 4 minutes or until shells open. Remove clams from pan; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard any unopened shells. Cool clams. Remove meat from shells; chop. Discard shells.

Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in stockpot. Add broccoli, and cook 2 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon (do not drain water from stockpot). Place broccoli in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Drain broccoli; coarsely chop.

Return water to a boil in stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 6 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, stirring constantly. Add broccoli and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli sizzles. Stir in clams and reserved 1 cup cooking liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Add pasta to skillet, stirring well to coat. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and chopped parsley; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place about 1 cup pasta mixture in each of 6 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Serve immediately. (I added parmesan to the top of the dishes for a little added salt and tang.)

Grade: B

Umi

118 E 31st St
New York, NY 10016
212-686-3308

Since I moved back to Queens, Snowman and I don't get to our favorite sushi place nearly enough.

Decor: Typical sushi decor.
Service: Spotty English, but kind and attentive.
Meal: I wasn't eating meat that day and the two veggie rolls I had (sweet potato tempura and Vitamin C roll) were fine, but there best is definitely their fish.
Overall: Consistently good fish in somewhat unusual combos, like banana tempura and spicy tuna or spicy crawfish. I wish they would do away with the sliced oranges and stick to the yummy fruit gum instead.

Grade: A-

Ah, Chihuahua

330 E 53rd St
New York, NY 10022-5220
(212) 888-6807

We only came here because the Mexican joint I originally wanted to go to was, alas, no longer in business. Ah, Chihuahua claims to be the oldest Tex Mex restaurant in New York City.

Decor: Ugh. Tacky.
Service: Fine.
Meal: Pretty tasty. Good margaritas and addictive queso dip (if you're into bright orange fake cheese dip) (which I sooo am)
Overall: Reasonably priced, filling grub. Plenty of stuff for vegetarians.

Grade: B

Is It Really Better Than Sex? cake

This recipe comes from Paula Deen. It's pretty easy to make and darn tasty. You don't have to toast the coconut, but I think it adds a nice detail to the decoration. I wouldn't say it's really better than sex, but it'll do in a pinch.

Prep Time: 30 minutes/Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours/Cook Time: 45 minutes
Makes 16 servings

1 pound yellow cake mix + ingredients to prepare
20 ounces crushed pineapple (drained)

1 1/3 cups sugar
3 1/3 ounces French instant vanilla pudding + ingredients to prepare
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted (bake in a low temperature oven for about 7 minutes; check on it frequently or it will burn)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. While cake is baking, combine the pineapple and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into cake. Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside.

Prepare pudding according to package directions. Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Whip heavy cream and remaining sugar until stiff. Cover top of cake with whipped cream and sprinkle toasted coconut on top. (I found that with all the other sweet things in the cake, it was better to use unsweetened whipped cream or else, it's just a little too much.)

Grade: B

Outback

88-01 Queens Blvd.
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 760-7200

Decor: Better than, say, TGI Fridays. Minimalist dark and woody.
Service: Fine, though the women sitting next to us were quite irritated at how long they were sitting before being greeted.
Meal: Hands down made me love baked sweet potatoes. They load it with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Snowman always gets the kookaburra wings and I always have one. They're really, really good.
Overall: As far as reliable food goes, it's not as good as Houston's, but it's still good.

Grade: B/B+