Review: Spasso

Spasso is a superb little Italian restaurant deep in the West Village. We stumbled on this place back in the summertime and just managed to hit the end of brunch but oh, are we glad we made it.

Brunch anywhere in NYC wouldn't be brunch without eggs (ok, really it wouldn't be brunch without cocktails but seeing as how neither Jen or I drink, that's not in the cards). Though not prominent on the menu, Spasso is no different. What caught us by surprise is literally how perfect the poached eggs were. Being a cook, poached eggs are somewhat of a "holy grail" of dishes which take an enormous amount of work to perfect, and even at a high-end restaurant, I've seen botched terribly. 

I'd really like to make my way back there so we can try out the pasta. I'm not a big crab eater but this orecchiette looks delicious.

Of course for me I had to have a skirt steak. I neglected to take a photo of it but needless to say - perfect also.

The place is bright and charming, if not just slightly too cozy like any Village eatery, but a comfortable level of noise, atmosphere and attitude.

Spasso
551 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
212.858.3838
spassonyc.com

Images by Spasso & Gilt

The Loving Spoon

This was so cute I had to share it. Some of the best gifts are the most personalized ones, and Jen surprised me last night with a cute gift - a loving spoon.

This creative piece came from Loving Spoon out of Canada. Here they engrave a personal note into the  bowl (that's the rounded part). The roughness is part of the allure.

Anyway, this is just leading up to Valentine's Day. Can't wait to get there :)

Brys + Edgewood Cake Kits

Now this is a great idea if you're on the "decoratively challenged" side (no judgment, it's not easy to make food cross the boundary between nice and spectacular).

These great cakes from Brys + Edgewood are actually kits and designed for the novice to make fantastic and beautiful cakes.

All the kits include everything you need to make the cake, including the pre-colored fondant, cake mix, disposable paper baking molds and instructions.

And for those of you guys still looking for a neat date idea...try baking! Think about it - you get to stay at home, you get to be the "creative genius" for the day, and you get to be around your woman for several hours!

And by the way - there's a special running on Gilt Taste through February 14th!

Enjoy!

Homemade Hash

I like comfort food. Who doesn't? Like everyone, I have my favorites, and near the top of that list (right next to potstickers and bacon) is corned beef hash. More specifically, homemade corned beef hash.

Hash is just so incredibly easy to make and doesn't require a lot of effort - if you've ever done it, you know that it takes more patience than anything else. However, there's a few shortcuts you can take if you're like me and you want it faster.

Traditionally, you've got to have an egg with it. I still preferred a good fried egg but lately, soft-boiled eggs are making a comeback. And here I've tossed some fresh chives and tomatoes to offset the richness from the egg and oils. Good eats!

Homemade Hash

Ingredients:
1 part any fatty deli-style beef - roast beef, brisket, corned beef
1 part potato (use russet or Yukon)
3 Tbs vegetable oil

The reason for a fatty beef is that it will crisp up much nicer than lean cuts. The meat can be already cooked but for a change of pace, try using uncooked meats (take care with some cuts that have a high water content such as stewing beef - they won't cook the same way). If it is already cooked, put it in late in the process.

Bake the potato for 4 minutes in a microwave (not completely).  While "baking," rough cut the beef into small pieces - no larger than 3/8" cubes.  Holding the potato in a towel, peel the skin off the potato and then chop similarly.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. When hot, put the meat and potatoes in and fry until browned on one side, then toss and continue until there is a nice crispness on most of the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Personally I love hash doused in ketchup, but that's a personal preference.


Images by MadeForJen

P-Review for Valentine's Day: Angel Delivery

Stuck for something romantic to do on Valentine's Day and a personal chef out of the budget? What about a delivered gourmet dinner at home?

Restaurants will be stacked up with reservations so unless you've ordered early, it will be tough to get last minute deliveries...in comes AngelDelivery.com.  This cool new company (based out of New Zealand, they just opened shop in Brooklyn yesterday!) features occasion specific gourmet menus with delivery.  The meals even come with oven-proof, microwave-safe dishes and plating instructions so you look like the boss!

For Valentine's they've launched a special $199 package featuring two four-course fixed menus that look fantastic:

Option A

Roasted pear and ricotta on crostini with arugula and honey drizzle

Spanish style chicken roulade with tomato saffron sauce

(served with scalloped potatoes, and green beans with toasted hazelnuts and shallots)

Option B

Fig and blue cheese tarts with a balsamic reduction drizzle

Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Lasagna

(served with a fresh seasonal salad with a new Fall dressing and warm walnut and olive bread with olive oil and balsamic drizzle)

Both Options

Sticky toffee cake with creamy caramel sauce, and creme fraiche

French Vanilla Macaroons, with sugared heart cookies

And after dinner...well, keep up the creative imagination...I'm sure you'll think of something.

Angel Delivery

(888) 542-6435

Sssshhhh - pass on the secret ... GiltCity has an incredible offer - just $79 for the Valentine Package! That's 60% off! If that's not a deal, I don't know what is!

Images from Angel Delivery and Gilt City

Valentine Ideas: Chocolate Figs

A couple of days ago, I posted about some Valentine basics for the guys out there and was reminded that I should probably elaborate a bit, so here's my first...

On the topic of chocolates, I mentioned good chocolates and here's a suggestion ... Chocolate Figs from John & Kira's.  These cool nuggets of rich Spanish Calabacita figs aren't just chocolate covered but chocolate filled with an incredible whiskey-infused Valrhona dark chocolate ganache.

Jen and I had a taste of these from a Gilt Taste special in the summer but fortunately you can get 12 of these spectacular treats boxed and delivered so you don't even have to go outside and hunt any down.

Images from John & Kira's

Have You Made Your Reservations?

This is for the guys. It's January 28. There are 16 days until Valentine's Day. If you have not yet made yours...MAKE THEM NOW!

If you're like us and you live in a fairly big city, by now you know that spots fill up really fast and if you wait too long, you'll be out of luck and look like a chump.  If your town has OpenTable, check out their site for a list of good spots with slots still open (here's the NYC Open Table Valentine's list).

But don't despair. It's not the end of the world. You can still do something and make it count! So here's my recommendations:

1. Can't make a reservation? Make a dinner! OK, so making a home meal isn't in and of itself romantic but you can MAKE it romantic by how you do it. First, invite her on the date...go all out and send her a card in advance (yea, even if it's to your wife to your own house)! Second, make something great - or order it in advance! Plenty of restaurants have takeout early on V-Day - get it made, take it home, heat it up! And be sure to plate it nicely. Or check out a personal chef for the night.
    
2. Flowers. Yes, flowers. For me, roses are so boring. They do the trick but God made thousands of varieties and there is no doubt one that she likes better than roses. If you ask the right way on the sly, you can probably coax it out of her before then. Since roses are often twice as much on V-Day, it can even save you a few bucks.
    
3. Do something else. Been married for awhile and fallen into the hum-drum? Do something different - go ice skating, take a pottery class or even a picnic drive-in movie. Do something that says "I spent more than 10 minutes thinking about this" for once. Out of ideas - check out the site How About We for couples. For just $22 bucks a month, they offer a bunch of really neat "dates" for discount or even free.
   
    
4. The Card. The V-Day card is one of the most overlooked and highest impact items in your romance arsenal. Why? Did you ever write that letter that really said how you feel? If yes, do it again. If no, do it for once! And don't pick out a cheesy Hallmark card at the local drugstore...put some thought and a few extra bucks into one - maybe one completely blank so you have an empty canvas to work with. And if you really want something special, make your own. But Crayola on corrugated cardboard isn't going to cut it either, put a little effort into it. You need not be Picasso, you need to be yourself.
    
5. Chocolate (or candy). Always a good idea. Do not, under any circumstance, buy cheap crap. Visit a real chocolatier and get some good truffles, hand-picked, and boxed and bowed. Or try something else like chocolate-covered strawberries or maybe some salted chocolate caramels.
    
6. An "end of evening" clincher - make a dessert. Seriously - making something with your own two hands, even if you have two left thumbs, does wonders. There's some really simple and quick things you can make, like some Mariebelle's hot chocolate with a foam splash, a pastry puff with fruit, or even French toast (pain perdu) with figs and chocolate!

Anyway, to be honest - I am behind a little bit. Yes, I've made my reservations and we're trying something new at a hot little spot in Flatiron. I'll let you know how it goes!

Images from MadeByGirl and an unnamed restaurant

P-Review: Manzanilla

Anticipated. This is a new Spanish (think Spain) brasserie with a Michelin 2-star chef pushing a new agenda on food. Highly decorative and no doubt delicious, Manzanilla ("little apple") opens January 28th in NYC. Walk-ins only at this time.

Manzanilla
345 Park Avenue South at 25th Street
New York, New York
(212) 255-4086

Images from Manzanilla's website.