Another batch of cooking photos (and a few misc. dining out adventures), this time from 2016:
Homemade Pizza
Left: Grandma-Style - Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Fresh Basil
Right: White Sauce, Provolone, Sausage, Roasted Fennel, Olives, Chili Oil, Fennel Fronds
B52's
Fondue
Yellow Snapper
Pepper Salsa, Rice, Snow Peas
Shrimp & Grits
This was the first time I ever made this classic dish and let's say the results were...odd. I followed a recipe that clearly had a hilariously overblown amount of butter in it. Yes all that liquid is basically just melted butter. One bite tasted pretty good. Two bites was overkill. Three was virtually inedible.
Part of a Valentine's dinner from my dear wife!
Homemade Gnocchi
Sazerac
Rye Whisky, Absinthe, Muddled Sugar Cube, Peychaud's Bitters, Lemon Peel
One of the oldest cocktails, and also one of my all-time favorites. Not for everybody, particularly my wife Leah who insists it tastes like band-aids.
Dinner at Al's
Naked Cowboy Oysters
Caesar Salad
Shell Steak
Cheese
Don't think this was for a special occasion, just a fun night of cooking at Al's.
Cauliflower Soup
Tequila Highballs
Poached Eggs
Spiced Red Lentils, Pickled Onions
Whisky Sour
Eleven Madison Park Bar
Foie Gras
Onion Roll
Greensboro Grog
Leah and I have visited EMP on a few occasions for their incredible (and incredibly expensive) dinner, however we also occasionally go for drinks in their wonderful bar. We load up on fancy cocktails and then walk across the street to Madison Square Park for Shake Shack. On this night, I did decide to splurge and order their amazing foie gras as a snack.
Empellón Al Pastor
This is truly one of my favorite places in the city to hang out on a lazy Sunday eating amazing tacos and drinking micheladas.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Braised Pork Shoulder
Pork Lettuce Wraps
Pulled Pork Sliders
Pulled Pork Tacos
Chicken Pot Pie
Jalapeño Corn Bread
Mojitos
Cornbread Bowls
Softshell Crab Po' Boys
Singapore Sling
Gin, Cherry Heering, Triple Sec, Benedictine, Grenadine, Angostura Bitters, Pineapple Juice, Lime, Seltzer, Maraschino Cherries
Shrimp Salad
Makeshift Strawberry Shortcake
Spinach Pies
(More) Mexican Hot Chocolate
Dinner Party at Al & Megan's
Al's wife Megan is an unbelievable hostess - this massive spread represents just one of her famed gatherings. She's now mostly retired from doing dessert-work (due to the creation of children), but fingers crossed she will someday reopen Dupont Confections!
Orecchiette
Deviled Eggs
Whole Pan-Roasted Branzino
Hasselback Potatoes, Bok Choy, Quick "Kimchee", Parsley-Caper Sauce
Shrimp & Grits
I figured out the dish by this point - waaaaaay better than the first attempt!
Homemade Pumpkin Tortelloni
Roast Chicken
Hen o' the Woods Mushroom
Every year a big hen o' the woods grows at the base of my parents' tree in their front yard, and every year some jerk comes and steals it. Seriously. Finally this year they managed to get it off the tree before the thief showed up, and we all split it up. We ate ours sauteéd in butter tossed with pasta.
Chicken Pot Pie
Fried Brussels Sprouts
Humm Dog
Bacon-Wrapped, Gruyère, Truffle Mayo, Celery Relish
This decadent hot dog was the creation of Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park fame. It took some time, but we managed to make them at home and they came out wonderfully.
Always Betz On Black
Bowmore 12-Year, Jameson Black Barrel, Mount Gay Black Barrel, Lustau Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Pernod, Angostura Bitters, Cold Brew Coffee, Orange Peel
This complex cocktail is one of my favorites ever from the NoMad Bar. The incomparable Leo Robitschek, bar director for the Make It Nice group (Eleven Madison Park, NoMad Bar, etc.), was nice enough to give me the recipe when I emailed.
Mushroom Risotto
