Modern BLT

A modern take on the classic BLT.

Crisp strips, pea shoots, grape tomatos, red onion slivers, and dollops of mayo on a soft whole wheat challah.

Images by MadeForJen

Review: Le Train Bleu

Deep inside the recesses of Bloomingdale's flagship store on 59th Street in Manhattan is a gem of an upscale diner called Le Train Bleu. Located on the 6th floor and up a steep stairwell, the moment you hit the top, you're transported to another continent and another time.  The decor is decked out to look like a high-end railway dining car - including the exterior "loading platform" and the windows looking out over the East River (okay, so now they look out over a skyscraper but let's not kill the visuals).

The waitstaff is fast and efficient and the menu finely French. The food was good, though a bit under-salted for me (which is highly unusual).  The best part of the place, though, is that the late afternoons are quiet so conversation is easy and comfortable.

Steak Frites

Duck Breast

Side Salad

Spinach Salad with mushrooms

Le Train Bleu
Inside Bloomingdales, 6th Floor
1000 Third Avenue at 59th Street
New York, NY 10022

Open Daily - check Bloomingdales website for hours

Images by MadeForJen

Grilled Egg and Cheese

I love grilled cheese. I mean, I really love grilled cheese. Something so wonderful about the buttery, caramelized bread filled with oozing velvety cheese stretching and pouring from inside. Brings back memories of childhood and everything in between.

This is a little spin on the basic grilled cheese because, well, I love eggs too. This is a great sandwich when you need breakfast on the run, or just sitting down for a little TV time with comfort food.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 slices bread
Cheese - here I used both mozzarella (in the eggs) and white cheddar (in the bread)
Chopped parsley
1 Tb butter
Olive oil

Blend 1 egg with some of the chopped cheese and parsley in a bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Once hot (just beginning to smoke), pour the egg mix into the pan. Fry like an omelette, not scrambled (cook until brown on one side, lifting the edge and allowing the wet mix to slide under every so often, then turn over entirely). Remove from heat and set aside.

Drop half of the butter into a skillet (cast iron preferably) over medium heat and melt.  Place one slice of bread, cheese slices to cover, then add the egg on top, more cheese slices, and the other slice of bread. At this point leave it alone.  Let the bread become caramelized on the one side. Once ready, lift the sandwich with a spatula, put the rest of the butter in the pan, and flip over the sandwich onto the butter and caramelize.

Perfect by itself but even better with a cup of cappuccino!

Image by MadeForJen

Sliders

Sliders are awesome - little one or two-bite meals making it easy to have several and not fill up.  They are especially good for small parties (though maybe a little messy).  On this plate, we had (clockwise from top left):

• Korean BBQ with scallion and sesame
• Carolina pulled pork with vinegar marinated red onions
• Sliced ribeye with onions and sour cream
• Modern reuben with red cabbage slaw
• Served up with Terra chips (carrot and blue potato) and pickles!

From MadeByGirl Blog