Foodtrainers Favorite NYC places…and my anniversary

Fifteen years ago today it was raining. Perhaps you remember “El Niño”?  My brother in law carried me across the lawn in a garbage bag. Don’t freak out, he was making sure my wedding gown didn’t get dirty (and it didn’t) going from the house where we got ready in to the car. That's how awful it was out. On any other day, this self-confessed control freak would’ve been inconsolable but I wasn’t. The weather wasn’t ideal but getting married was.

Marc and I didn’t rush into marriage and had time to iron out important details. In one conversation he asked “how long do you think you’ll want to stay in the city before moving out?” I couldn’t fathom that this person I had so much in common with would ask such a thing. I said “we’re not leaving the city” and I’m pretty sure he thought I’d change my mind but he is still golf-obsessed and what can I say?
 I love NY.

A reader asked for ideas for an upcoming NYC business trip. Here are my suggestions:

Top 10 restaurants for various reasons:

ABC Kitchen- I insist on sharing whenever I'm at ABC, there are too many good things to try. My favorites are the Brussels sprouts in the winter and the  Roasted Carrot Salad. Marc's brother's girlfriend took the photos hanging in the dining room (you may recognize them from the Footrainers office)

Rouge Tomate I am not on the Upper East Side often but will make a trip for RT. If the Sorrel Soup is on the menu, it's delicious. Their interesting juices and salads with curry vinaigrette are other highlights.

Green Square Tavern- this farm to table gem is owned by our friends Gigi and John Marsh. All ingredients well sourced and prepared with love and care. Try the Kale, Shrimp and Rhubard salad.

Mermaid Inn - from the decor to the menu, everything here is right. There are 2 locations, we love the UWS restaurant. In season, the crabs are a fun dinner (a little messy) but the Calamari with Feta appetizer has my heart.

Pure Food and Wine - I've mentioned before that I'm not a sweet person, right? Well I lied. Aside the the spectacular outdoor seating and a menu that makes me contemplate being a raw, vegan I dream about the chocolate mint sundae, dream.

Gran Electrica - you may recall my Halloween cocktail was the Gran Electrica grapefruit, jalapeno margarita. While the cocktails and food are fantastic, sitting outside with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge is spectacular too.

Balthazar- always great for brunch or dinner. The Spring St Soho location is perfect and the raw bar selections are top notch. 

Tipsy Parson - if it's possible the TP menu is Southern and healthy-ish. The decor is a lot of fun (weirdly like the bathrooms too). Favorites are the Dandelion Salad but you also may want to try the spoon bread (corn, mushrooms, artichokes-insane).

Green Table in Chelsea Market always makes me happy, especially for lunch or brunch. My current order is the egg/asparagus bake thing. Go for brunch and walk the High Line afterward to work it off.

Hu Kitchen- is a gluten free paradise, try the organic vanilla chia pudding with berries and coconut crème or  quinoa veg. egg bowl . To give you an idea of taking ingredients seriously here are the milks offered with coffee:

Organic dairy and non-dairy milks available: organic coconut milk, housemade almond milk, organic grass-fed skim and whole milk. Nice.

There are also so many juice places depending on neighborhood, Organic Avenue and Juice Press are my favorites.

The sights…

Reservoir- my #1 NYC spot, I find it instantly calming. Depending on where you exit you can hit 2 of my favorite museums Natural History or the Guggenheim.

I love Lincoln Center especially in the summer.

Grand Central Station-even if you're not taking a train is a fantastic building, there's a market and of course the  Oyster Bar.

Ellis Island –I went with my son's class on a field trip last year. It was my first time and it was very moving. I take NYC for granted but you can't when you go here.

Union Square Greenmarket- M, W, F, Sat. Aside from the incredible variety of offerings, you just may run into some of the chefs from the restaurants above.

Tonight we’re heading to Blue Hill,  I’ve always wanted to go, and as of now the forecast calls for rain…of course.

What are your favorite NYC places? Or places you've always wanted to go? 

What Jean-Georges says to do with leftover herbs

Whenever a new calendar comes in the mail for cooking classes or lectures, I scan the roster and purchase tickets for the events that stand out. A few months ago, I noticed that Jean-Georges (Vongerichten), master chef and owner of some of my favorite restaurants, was to teach a class with his son Cedric (of Perry Street), his wife and cooking show host Marja and Cedric’s wife Ochi.  Upon closer inspection I saw the class was being held on June 13, my wedding anniversary. Marc loves Asian cuisine; Vong, Jean-Georges’ Thai restaurant, was one of his favorites before it closed. So even though a cooking class wouldn’t be part of Marc’s dream evening, he was game. He was game until we realized our boys had their “playoff” hockey game the same time as the class. Marc looked at me somewhat concerned and said “I can’t miss the game.” “Of course you can’t miss the game,” I said knowing Marc would choose sports and the boys over any meal, no matter how delicious. And so I spent my fourteenth wedding anniversary with my mother and Jean-Georges.

We arrived almost an hour early for the class to sign in. You’re called in the order you sign in and we didn’t want to be stuck in the back. I guess I forgot I live in a city where people camp out for Shakespeare in the Park tickets and risk losing their jobs to sign up for Soul Cycle. We were 47^th on the list and were told people came to sign up at 10am (the list was put out at noon). So you’ll understand the heads in many of my photos.

Marja Vongerichten (in black), Jean-Georges, Ochi, Cedric and rows of people in front of me, sigh.

Aside from one of the best meals of my life, it was a pleasure to see this family in the kitchen together. At the end of the day, fame aside, cooking with your family members and sharing food is fun.

Amuse Bouche of Asparagus with Sesame Seeds and Scotch Bonnet Sauce, sadly I couldn't lick my plate

Hamachi Sashimi with Avocado, Yuzu and Radish, will I ever be able to cut radishes like that? No.

The ingredient of the evening was chili peppers. Here is Jean-George modeling finger chilies. His beautiful and feisty wife Marja arrived for the evening in flats but changed into killer heels. She only cooks in heels.  I loved her before even before I tasted her kimchi fried rice.

Crab Dumplings with Sambal Oelek (Indonesian chili condiment), Marc would've loved

Slow cooked halibut or "halle-boat" as JG calls it, with spring peas

As Cedric and Ochi prepared the Peekytoe Crab dumplings, Jean-Georges delivered a life-changing tip. If you’re like me you buy fresh herbs for an individual recipe. I get thyme for lemon chicken and fresh cilantro for salmon burgers. Inevitably, the leftover herbs sit in the fridge which is really an herbal hospice and eventually they are tossed. There’s a solution. Take the herbs and layer them on a paper towel on a plate. Microwave (yes, Jean-Georges microwaves) them for 2 minutes. When you’re done, viola- dried herbs you can save, blend with salt or sugar.  I had some sage that was passed its prime and put the micro-dry system to the test. I may have stunk up the kitchen (and perhaps dispelled bad energy via sage burning) but I how have sage for meatloaf in my cute little Veev jar.

Dessert (pictured above)  was a Strawberry Tiramisu 

made with Chili-Strawberry Sorbet.

It was a fantastic evening and when I checked by Blackberry, I found out that the boys had won their game. Even though I didn’t spend the evening with my husband, he said “your mom probably got more out of it than I would” and he may be right, I spent the night with 2 dynamic couples. In 14 years I’ve come to realize marriage is about sharing and laughing and also maintaining your interests and honoring your partner’s as well.

Have you been to a Jean-Georges restaurant or used his cookbooks? Do you cook with chili peppers? Are you going to micro-dry? 
More photos of the class on their site here