local bites: the whelk

those of you who have been reading crossed & dotted for awhile know that i love food. if you are new, you will quickly pick up on that, too. my instagram confirms my food obsession: look at this! i might have a problem.

since the boyfriend and i both have a passion for cooking, we tend to stay in most nights to try out new recipes. when we do go out, it's a momentous event and i thought i would document our foodventures (yes, that's a thing) 

in my opinion, there's nothing worse than spending a well-deserved dinner out at a restaurant that proves disappointing, so the aim of local bites is to share real restaurant experiences (the good, the bad, and the delicious!) with some candor and a few pictures.

let's kick this off!

local bites:  the whelk westport

occasion: birthday celebration for a dear friend
in a nutshell: seafood with southern flair; emphasis on local ingredients

what we ordered: 
cocktails:
easy rye-der - rye and fig; a very autumnal, masculine cocktail.
the fennel solution - fennel? in a martini? cool, crisp, and refreshing.
wine:
barbera d'asti - it was delicious. and a good price point at $40.
apps:
oysters on the half shell
bbq clams
country ham with hush puppies
tuna tartare with fennel and jalapeno
hand cut fries with smoked mayo (literally a mountain of fries!)
mains:
warm peekytoe crab fondue
gulf shrimp and grits
roasted stonington scallops with farro verde, okra, corn, squash, leeks, and bacon
roasted gnocchi with sunchokes, leeks, warm oysters, and buttermilk (my choice - SO good.)

the verdict: definitely a repeat.
new favorite, special occasion category.
the whelk is fabulous. the atmosphere is relaxed and casual, the food is the definition of soulful and comforting, and everything we ordered was delicious. you could taste the quality of the ingredients, and the portions were perfect. on the downside, it is on the pricier side so we will probably reserve it for special occasions, or for drinks/apps at the bar and dinner at home.

*we're just two people who enjoy good food - these reviews are entirely based on our own experiences and we are not influenced or compensated in any way.

scale: 
definitely a repeat
decent; i'd give it another shot
meh, i'm underwhelmed

image

art imitating life

i love cookbooks, as you know, and i love stanley tucci. 

imagine my joy when heard about THIS exciting happening:

i cannot wait to get my hands on a copy (it comes out next week!) but in the meantime, the nytimes did a great article on mr. tucci's culinary family heritage.

read it here, and perhaps rent julie & julia or the devil wears prada for a little tucci time.

recipe: apple gorgonzola crostata

last weekend, the boyfriend and i went apple picking in brewster, ny at harvest moon orchards. it was a gorgeous early fall day, and we came away with 20 pounds of apples! having grown up in new england, apple picking is an annual fall outing, though there was one novelty: a long pole with a metal basket on the end for reaching the apples on the tippy top of the trees (the boyfriend is modeling it, above left.)
i had a hard time wielding it so i stuck to the manual method (above right) and that worked just fine for me :)

what do you do with 20 pounds of apples? well, my first thought was to make crostata.
crostata is one of my favorite ways of incorporating fruit into a dessert. it's a little more rustic than pie with its open-faced style, and this riff on traditional apple pie is sweet with a hint of savory, and quick to put together.

apple gorgonzola crostata

ingredients:

pre-made pie crust (i know it isn't terribly hard to make your own crust, but i swear by these!)

4-6 apples, peeled and cut into thick slices

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water (for egg wash)

directions:

preheat the oven to 425 degrees. line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. roll out a pie crust onto the cookie sheet. place cut apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, and allspice into a large bowl and mix together until well incorporated. pour into the center of the pie crust. sprinkle the gorgonzola over the top of the apple mixture. fold the sides of the pie crust in towards the center. right before putting it in the oven, brush the sides of the pastry with an egg wash (one egg mixed with a little bit of water.)

bake for 40 minutes. slice, top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!

recipe: lemon blueberry crumble pie

hello again, monday! this weekend was such a treat: i went to bikram twice, perused the GIGANTIC fall fashion issues from vogue, vanity fair, and instyle with a glass of prosecco and a good friend, and then made a summery treat for dessert last night!

the recipe is an amalgam of several different things; i only had one frozen pie crust that i wanted to get rid of, so i got creative!

lemon blueberry crumble pie

one pre-made pie crust (i use pillsbury, but you are welcome to make your own crust!)

for filling:

2 cups of blueberries

zest of one lemon

juice from half a lemon

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

for crumble topping:

1 stick of butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

directions:

1. preheat oven to 400.

2. rinse blueberries well and pick them over to remove stems.

3. combine blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and flour in a large bowl.

3. roll pie crust out and fit to pie plate, crimping edges.

4. fill crust with the blueberry filling.

5. add crumble topping ingredients to food processor; pulse until you have a clumpy, crumbly texture (if it isn't clumpy, add more butter; if it's one huge ball of dough, add more flour and sugar.)

6. sprinkle crumble topping over the blueberries.

7. bake for 30-40 minutes, until blueberries are bubbling and crust and crumble topping are golden brown.

i wish i had an "after" photo, but it was eaten so quickly i didn't get a chance!

happy 100th, julia!

yesterday marked julia child's 100th birthday!

in her honor, our sink spouted a magnificent geyser of water after the hot water faucet popped off, which took the boyfriend and I about 10 minutes to wrangle, and so there was no cooking.

instead, i leave you with a little julia-inspired round-up of goodies, and the phenomenal viral video that reminds us that we need to eat more fat so we can process our vitamins, and that the smell of cookies makes you feel at home.

dearie: the remarkable life of julia child by bob spitz
j.crew french hen sweater (i personally love the navy!)
wusthof knife set / le creuset dutch oven / mastering the art of french cooking

bring on the roasted potatoes!

photo credit: npr

on a pedestal

a cake pedestal, that is! 

dear friends gave us the cutest cake server as a housewarming gift (pictured below!) and i would love to add an equally amazing cake stand to our collection. read more after the jump!

brown bagging it

i'm a bit sleepy today - the boyfriend and i saw joshua radin last night, along with scars on 45 and tristan prettyman! it was a great show in a really intimate venue - very unplugged, if you know what i mean - and the stage had all of these great lamps and mid-century pieces all over it!

this picture is terrible and blurry, but you get the idea.

such a fun night, but i all but fell asleep in the car on the way home and have been moving slowly this morning. luckily, i have my morning routine down to science.

i can be up and out of the house in 30 minutes if necessary, and anyone who commutes can attest that having the right gear to carry everything is essential. as i mentioned last week, i have been making a concerted effort to bring my lunch and coffee to work everyday, so here are my brown bag must-haves:

built lunch tote - it's neoprene and keeps everything cool until lunch (today, beet salad!)
travel mug - sadly the onion doesn't make this one anymore, but i always get comments on it!
almonds - to keep me going when 3pm hits (when robert goulet comes around... anyone? bueller?)
kleenex pocket packs - because i spill. often.
lemon seltzer - fizzy and fresh.
pyrex storage containers - glass can go in the microwave or the oven and they last longer than plastic.
water bobble - staying hydrated is important (and i am terrible at it!)

in other news, it's thursday which means tomorrow is our housewarming AND the olympics! i will be doing a little prep work tonight, including some baking and some cleaning :)

minty lemony fresh

this summer, i am having a love affair with anything and everything citrus and mint. the fresh, cool combination is like air conditioning for your body, and when the temperatures are pushing 100, it's the only way to go!

to eat: ceviche

to drink: citrus mint cocktail

to pamper: everyone lotion in citrus + mint (available at whole foods - i am obsessed.)

to wear: j.crew dress and clutch

ceviche is a great, light summer dish. traditionally served cold, the acid in the citrus juices "cooks" the seafood. i found the recipe below from tyler florence and it sounds divine, especially when accompanied by food and wine's citrus mint cocktail!

scallop ceviche with melon, chili, and mint (original here)
2 pounds fresh bay or sea scallops, preferably with shells
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 3 oranges
juice of 3 lemons
juice of 3 limes
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
zest of 1 lime, finely grated
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small ripe cantaloupe, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into small cubes
1/2 bunch fresh mint, hand-torn, plus more for garnish
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fresh red chili, cut in paper-thin circles

start by assessing the scallops at the fish store. inspect every one just to make sure that they're all in perfect shape, i.e. not torn, and fresh with a sweet ocean smell. the next step is to remove the side muscle that connects the scallop to its shell; it's not hard to miss; just pull it off with your fingers. keep the shells to serve the ceviche in. using a sharp knife, slice the scallops in half lengthwise into discs; the thinner they are, the faster they'll "cook". put the scallops in a glass bowl and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper.

put the citrus juices, zest, and sugar in a blender and give it a whirl to combine. add the olive oil and blend again to emulsify. pour the marinade over the scallops; there should be enough juice to allow the scallops to float freely. cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, until the scallops are opaque, i.e. cooked from the acid in the fruit.in a separate bowl, combine the cantaloupe, mint, and chili; season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. to serve: spoon the scallop ceviche into the shells with a little bit of the citrus juice, and top with a spoonful of the cantaloupe salad. garnish each serving with some fresh mint.


citrus mint cocktail (original here)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups loosely packed mint leaves, plus 8 large mint sprigs, lightly crushed
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves, lightly crushed
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups vodka
2 cups dry white wine
ice cubes and chilled club soda, for serving

in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and the large crushed mint sprigs with the water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. remove the mint syrup from the heat and let it stand until completely cool. strain the mint syrup into a medium bowl; discard the mint sprigs.

in a large pitcher, muddle the 2 cups of mint leaves with the crushed cilantro, lemon juice and lime juice. add the cooled mint syrup, the vodka and the white wine and stir the cocktail to combine. strain the citrus-mint cocktail into tall glasses filled with ice cubes, top each drink with a splash of club soda and serve.
*the mint syrup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
YUM. cool and refreshing. 
does anyone else have a good summer flavor inspiration?

dog days

good morning and happy monday!

i had a blissfully relaxing weekend and i am all geared up for a productive week. 

here are a few things i got up to:

neon brights to beat the heat

a new recipe (1/25 on #71 of my 101 in 1001 list!)

sunrise over the river

our gallery wall 

living room in its current phase

living room bookcase before styling

the bar cart, stocked and ready to go!

we had two great dinners with friends and got the apartment to a point that feels mostly like home, with only two boxes that need to be handled! i am looking forward to sharing our completed bathroom this week, including the golden DIY project i mentioned last week. stay tuned, and have a great day!

ps - that recipe i tried was martha stewart's potato chip cookies. it came very highly recommended from a foodie friend and they were equal parts sweet and savory, chewy and crunchy - definitely a repeat! try it yourself here.

centennial

today marks crossed and dotted's 100th post! 

i can hardly believe that i have written that many (all but three!) and i am constantly amazed at how many other post ideas pop into my brain. i do want to take a moment to thank all of you who follow along with my musings - i am so flattered by your comments and compliments!

to mark the occasion, i have decided to embark on a 101 things in 1001 days challenge, as set forward by ms. mackenzie horan of design darling. i met mackenzie back in january when this blog was just an abstract idea, and she is absolutely lovely and encouraged me to just go for it! as for 101 things in 1001 days, i have always loved the idea and its spirit of carpe diem !

more to come tomorrow (which i think is fitting for my 101st post!)

in the meantime, i will leave you with some snapshots of dinner last night:

tools of the trade

by now, it's no secret to any of you that i love to cook. the boyfriend and i both do, and we each have our favorite recipes, as well as our preferred utensils.

there is one line of kitchen tools that i absolutely love and continually reach for over other similar items in our kitchen drawer: the swiss brand kuhn rikon.

everything they do is magic (cue the police song!) and they come in an amazing range of colors and patterns that make them easy to find. even better, i have picked up almost every kuhn rikon tool in our arsenal at tj maxx/marshalls/homegoods! of course, you can also find them at other places.

here are a few that i can't live without:

piranha peeler (great name!)
garlic press
zebra knife
santuku knife
serrated knife

the knives are made from japanese carbon steel and they are VERY sharp - i highly recommend keeping them in their sheaths so you don't accidentally stab yourself while rooting through a drawer. the green serrated knife is amazing for tomatoes, and the santuku knife has little holes in it that allow whatever you're chopping to fall off onto the cutting board instead of sticking to the sides of the blade.

do you have any favorite kitchen tools?

no-oven cooking

happy 5th of july, everyone! hope you had a glorious holiday - true to my word, we made no plans and had a very relaxing but productive day puttering around the apartment! 

our raspberries are really taking off this year!

our new chalkboard wall featuring our dinner menu! 

little kid BBQ dinner, minus my tomatoes...

there was one negative discovery yesterday: our oven isn't working! 

i really wanted to make provencal tomatoes to go with our dinner, but sadly preheating yielded no heat.

that got me to thinking about no-oven cooking for summer, since who really wants to heat up their oven (and their whole apartment) when it's almost 100 degrees out?

this lemon pasta from giada's everyday italian has long been one of my summer stand-bys, and it is so refreshing! it is delicious on its own, and works well as a base for adding other ingredients to jazz it up.

giada's lemon pasta (original recipe here)

1 pound spaghetti

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

• 
  

  Directions
  Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
  Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper.Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

now, i made this pasta dish for a potluck dinner during my internship in venice and it was a big hit with everyone, including my italian colleagues!

 it's hiding in the green bowl at the end of the table :)

born in the usa

[via]

as i mentioned earlier this week, i am really looking forward to a low-key celebration tomorrow for the fourth after such a crazed weekend. no entertaining. no planning. just being breezy and letting it happen.

 i am sure there will be instagram updates because i am addicted - feel free to check them out here and have a happy fourth of july!

friday happy hour

TGIF! 

this has been one marathon of a week, and it's not over yet. 

the weekend agenda includes a wedding tomorrow (the third one this month!) and our big move on sunday!

i plan on spending my evening with the boyfriend and lots of boxes - and one very excited cat who loves boxes - trying to pack our belongings so we aren't carrying armfuls of stuff up and down the stairs into the apartment next door.

i am thinking that one of these might be in order:

watermelon basil margaritas!

this gorgeous photo and recipe come from a new-to-me blog called the life styled - i am looking forward to perusing past posts when i get a spare moment, but these look incredibly refreshing for a hectic friday night of packing!

best wishes for a productive day and a fabulous weekend!

five alarm spice

i love spicy food: indian, szechuan, mexican... it's all so good! one of my favorite condiments is sriracha, or rooster sauce. its bright red color is a harbinger of the fiery goodness it imparts, and i use it liberally to accent everything from eggs to aioli.

bon appetit did a great piece awhile back with 25 ways to use sriracha - from bloody mary's to shrimp to deviled eggs. check it out here!

also recently seen: a chili lobster dish using sriracha, featuring an amazing illustration by my dear friend and artist extraordinaire, sarah rutherford:

 nytimes article and recipe
[illustration and photo via nytimes]

yum, that looks heavenly. i am thinking this might be a great way to add some red hot to fourth of july menus!

any excuse for a party: clambake edition

you all know that i love essie's clambake nail polish, but there is nothing i love more than an edible clambake in the summer!

i would love to throw one this summer once our move is complete, but first i need a few essentials:

tiki torches / coasters / beverage tub / beach boys sounds of summer / apron / lobster crackers / lobster pot

throw some beers on ice, light the tiki torches, and put the beach boys on with the volume up! 

this kind of lobster pot is great because you can do steamers in the bottom and then the lobsters in the top - here's a great basic recipe for both. i like to serve my feast with drawn butter and clam broth for dipping, along with corn and tomato salad (recipe here) and plenty of napkins!

on a multi-tasking note, i am thinking that the galvanized beverage tub could double as a storage place for my magazines, making it a multi-purpose purchase!

the very best meatballs

meatballs and sauce are part of my family comfort food canon. a close friend of my parents comes from a big italian family from providence, and my brothers and i grew up on her family meatball recipe. i have made these meatballs in every place i have ever lived, including my off-campus apartment senior year of college, my tiny london flat, and the apartment i shared with my swiss roommate in venice. 

meatballs and sauce in my venetian kitchen, stilo americano

the problem with meatballs in the traditional method is that they aren't particularly healthy; they get fried in oil, and sometimes can be quite dense.

my mother stumbled upon this recipe from ron suhanosky, formerly of sfoglia in new york city and author of the italian table. after making meatballs the same way for almost 30 years, i was shocked and curious when she told me that these were the best meatballs she had ever tasted, and would now be the only meatballs she would be making!

i don't own the cookbook, so my mom gave me the recipe over the phone. there may be some minor differences from what is printed in the book (there was a glass of wine on each end of the phone...) but the overall effect is a light, fluffy, flavorful meatball that leaves you satisfied but not overly full.

the very best meatballs

3 lbs ground beef (i used 90% lean)

2 cups of ricotta (i used part skim)

2 eggs

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/2 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of parsley, finely chopped

red pepper flakes 

salt and pepper

1.  preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. in a large bowl, add all ingredients (red pepper flakes/salt and pepper should be adjusted for your taste.)

3.  mix well with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated.

4.  using an ice cream scoop (or your hands) make meatballs (mine were slightly larger than a golf ball.)

5.  place meatballs on a baking sheet (they can be close together since they won't expand in the oven.)

6. bake for 20-25 minutes until browned on the outside.

that's it! easy, right? 

i added the meatballs to sauce i was already simmering on the stove. 

here's what you need for sauce:

2-3 cans of peeled whole tomatoes (the big cans)

1 clove of garlic, minced

olive oil

optional, but delicious:

1 stick of pepperoni, cut into 1 inch slices

1 package of italian sausage (cook this for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees first, then cut links in half)

1. in a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat (2 tbsp)

2.  add garlic and cook until golden.

3. add tomatoes; crush them with a wooden spoon (or your hands if you're careful and won't burn yourself!)

4. add pepperoni slices and cooked italian sausage (if you're using them.)

5. add the meatballs once they're cooked.

6. simmer the whole thing for up to 3 hours on medium low heat (but you can serve after an hour.)

* i don't cover the pot because i like to evaporate the water to make sauce nice and thick.

voila! served with garlic crostini to get all of the great sauce, caesar salad, and a glass of red wine :)

ps - apologies for the photo quality; the steam from the kitchen made these a little blurry!

weekend recap

happy monday! i am coming off of a busy weekend: my friend mk's wedding was on saturday! the ceremony was beautiful, the party was fabulous, and both bride and groom looked incandescently happy (and gorgeous/handsome, of course!)

here's a snapshot of the boyfriend and me:

other exciting news: we got a new vacuum!

we were in desperate need of a new one: we had been using a hand-me-down from my parents and the carpet attachment stopped working in the mid-2000s, there is a hole in the hose that we had to duct tape, and overall it took about 3 times longer to get the floors clean than it should have! 

i have long coveted a dyson rollerball (and who hasn't?) but they are so pricey. 

nevertheless, i would get dreamy-eyed watching their ads on tv, and i was forbidden from going down the vacuum aisle at costco because i got too sidetracked!

last week, i found one on craigslist for $75. yes, you read that right. 

3 years old, lightly used, and all i had to do was wash the filters!

i deep-cleaned the apartment yesterday and, well, let's just say that the dyson people are not exaggerating about the suction power! the place is spotless :)

lastly, i made meatballs and sauce for dinner last night but tried a new recipe for the meatballs that my mom raved about:

i can't wait to share the details with you tomorrow - stay tuned! until then, hope your week is off to a great start!

ingredient of the moment: grape tomatoes

grape tomatoes are such an ideal way to get your tomato fix: tiny, juicy, and sweet, these little guys pack a flavor punch without all of the mess that can come from slicing larger tomatoes.

lately i seem to be incorporating grape tomatoes into as many dishes as i can, and if possible i love to use both the red and yellow varieties!

this past weekend i made a riff on my trusty shrimp and israeli couscous dish:

i added both yellow and red grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and capers for a summery mediterranean flavor!

a few weekends ago i debuted a tomato and fennel salad that became a fast favorite:

i sliced red and yellow grape tomatoes in half, added slivers of fennel, and tossed everything in a vinaigrette made with lemon juice and olive oil - fresh and light!

up next: my mom's corn and tomato salad - a summer staple in our house! usually we use normal-sized tomatoes, but i am going to sub grape tomatoes :)

here's what you'll need:

1. slice your grape tomatoes in half.

2. slice red onion into slivers.

3. cook corn (i don't have a microwave so i steam mine) and cut it off the cob.

4. chiffonade the basil (click here for a chiffonade how-to.)

add all of your ingredients (except the basil) into a bowl.

whisk together olive oil and red wine vinegar (or balsamic works, too!)

toss the vinaigrette over the salad, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with the basil.

voila! 

you can see the finished result in the blue bowl on the left from a summer BBQ last year!

memorial day weekend

i can't believe that it's already the end of may, and that memorial day weekend is upon us - this year is flying by! i am planning on using the long weekend to start organizing some things for the upcoming move, but i will also be taking some time to kick back and relax.

my weekend might look a little something like this:

a lobster roll 
i will stick to the basics, similar to this recipe, but this video from luke's lobster is adorable AND the roll makes itself!

chilled rosé 

i prefer rosés that are pale in color from either bandol or the cotes de provence region, and you can find good bottles for under $15 (please note: domaine ott is a rip off!)

strawberry tart

how festive does this strawberry tart from cupcakes and cashmere look? i can't wait to try it!

patriotic attire

i am obsessed with this chambray top. so comfy, and appropriately red, white, and blue when paired with a bright red mani/pedi (essie clambake, of course.)


happy memorial day weekend:
let us remember with gratitude all of the men and women who have bravely served our country.