.nashvillesquared.

...holiday in nashville...

…On my way to Nashville! Beyond excited is how I would describe my feelings this week. A few days off from work & a spontaneous trip to see one of my oldest & dearest friends was in order & I was in dire need of both. As I write this now I have gravy simmering on her stovetop, & my pizza dough hiding underneath a dishcloth, experiencing growing pains…I wanted to thank my friends, Ronee, & her fabulous husband, Bill, for their superior hospitality & what better way to do that than to open my heart & cook them one of my favorites? So as I am patiently awaiting the various components to culminate in an awesome flavor explosion, I will tell you about our culinary adventures since I arrived yesterday.
Airplane food: Besides the tiny can of carbonated goodness they offer you on the flight, airplane food is virtually nonexistent these days….I brought Jamba Juice & an oatmeal cookie as my flight food of choice with me…good times…Upon arrival in the Nashville airport I was delighted to see familiar faces of good friends..first order of business with Ronee & Bill was food! I was famished & they were sure to make sure every place they brought me to dine was simply great food….we rushed from the airport to make it in time to Gaby’s before they closed at 2:30pm…we faced detours, Nashville drivers (I thought no one could be worse that Jersey or Yonkers drivers but I was proved wrong within minutes!), & a bit of traffic….we arrived at 2:15, just barely making it before closing time….Gaby’s is a burger & fries joint located on Humphreys Street in downtown Nashville…it’s a small shack of a building with indoor & outdoor seating and a simple menu of burgers, hot dogs & fries…sometimes that all you need…Bill profusely thanked the staff at Gaby’s & apologized for us coming in so close to closing time…I followed Ronee’s lead & ordered a cheeseburger with everything & sweet potato fries….the burger was made to an almost greasy meaty perfection…the lettuce & tomato were fresh, the melted cheese dripped appropriately & tasted entirely heavenly…the sweet potato fries….I love making sweet potato fries…Gaby’s were by far the best I’ve ever had…they were golden, dark brown slabs of sweet potato goodness…paired with a wasabi mayonnaise mixture, this was reason enough to want to relocate to Nashville…this was the beginning to a great time in Tennessee…. Fabulous greasy fare to order…how can you go wrong? Simple ingredients for a simple yet tastily prepared menu….you know when something totally hits the spot & all of my spots were hit at Gaby’s….
For St Patricks Day, we had reservations at September’s in Hendersonville, TN…September’s is named after its owner who stopped by our table to make sure we were enjoying our dinner…which we definitely were…Ronee & Bill suggested their favorites, Filet Mignon, Macaroni & Cheese, Shepherd’s Pie…I went with one of Ronee’s suggestions, the Polynesian Strip Steak with a side of Mac&Cheese…I ordered it rare, and it was seared on the outside with a sweet glaze, & covered in grilled pineapple…the tenderness of the strip was appreciated…the side of Mac&Cheese was delectable…there was a hint of earthy smokiness that revealed bacon in the recipe, & I tasted sharp cheddar, gouda, & parmesan...I made sure to take note of all the flavors before the celebratory shots of whiskey clouded my culinary memory…2 awesome places fully recommended by me to sample their delicious lunch/dinner fare…Gaby’s & September’s!!!! I have yet to be impressed by any bakery items, or any dessert items here in Nashville…I had dessert at September’s and cupcakes from local famed bakery Gigi’s and would have to pass on both…I am hoping to experience cupcake greatness before I leave here! My culinary adventures today are limited to yummy homemade pizza with great friends….followed by a trip to see Johnny Cash’s home & gravesite in Hendersonville, which was an adventure in it of itself…. I <3 John R. Cash ! <3
…more adventures to follow........btw the pizza turned out delish! <3

...eating words at the Culinary Institute of America...

...its been a long time!...this girl has been working hard...my mind & heart are overfilling with thoughts, recipes, & experiences I am desperate to share on here...but alas my time management skills are not to be envied...i wish there was a recipe for that...
tonight i prepared a filling dinner of grilled cheese&turkey with oven baked sweet potato fries...the first time i ever experienced sweet potato fries was at tempations cafe in nyack...ive been a follower ever since! besides tasting fabulous they are healthy for you too! i will never forget my mother always telling me how great they are for you (i think she would always say they were beneficial to your skin?)...& I can still hear her now admonishing me to eat the sweet potato skin...sorry mom i didn't leave the skin on tonight :(...my roommate jenny & i just discussed the shortcomings of boys...which always leads to fabulous baking..so thank you boys for inspiring this girl to bake! I am just now enveloped in the aroma of fresh homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies...<3<3<3
this past week has been ridiculously full of excitement, & this upcoming week will be even more amazing...I'm headed to Nashville on Wednesday to spend time with one of my bestest, Ronee! I cannot wait for he culinary adventures that await me there...especially excited to go to the Loveless Cafe!...there will be plenty to write about on here when I get back...
this past Wednesday (it seems like Wednesdays are my special day lately!) I was fortunate enough to visit the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY...wow...what can I possibly say to begin with...the hour and a half drive passed by relatively quick...when I turned on campus I was totally impressed by the beautiful campus...with roads named "thyme terrace" & "parsley avenue" I wasn't in Kansas anymore, I mean Yonkers...From the second I stepped onto campus I did not want to leave...As I passed the students in their chef's uniforms I just wanted to be one of them so badly. I stopped myself from walking up to each of them & inquiring what they had cooked that day & if they wanted to hang out with me & cook together..I walked with purpose to the Conrad Hilton Library...I was there to interview the Reference Librarian and take a tour of the library for a class assingment....as a library science student, one of my classes focuses on librarians in specialized settings, such as medical or law libraries...I chose to visit a culinary library. yeah go figure, big surprise, I know. all i can say i was seriously smiling uncontrollably the entire time i was there...the lovely Christine was my host, my librarian, my hero...to me she had the perfect job...i entered the llibrary building...the upstairs filled with thousands & thousands of culinary books...cookbooks, history books, magazines...MENUS....yes menus...they have boxes&boxes overflowing (well not overflowing, this is a library, so they were neatly organized but overflowing just sounds much more fitting) with thousands of menus from restaurants & cities all over the world...so I could see what was served at a bistro in France in 1912 if i wanted to, & yes i want to ...to say I was entranced by the wealth of information at the library would be a sad understatement...very sad...so I won't say it, but yes I was entranced/overwhelmed/excited/enamored...thats it! i was ENAMORED with my surroundings...any culinary question or concern I could ever have possibly had was within my reach...forget the internet for a second, there were hundred years old manuscripts that had been studied & followed faithfully, & brand new publications with innovative techniques all there with me...Christine was passionate about her role & you could see the contentment & love she had for her job...it was definitely inspiring...& made me long for that feeling...
thank you Christine!!!!!!!
...next up was a visit to the Apple Bakery Cafe! the CIA has impressive restaurants available for visitors, but reservations are required...the Cafe was an informal reservation-free way to experience the student's cooking fare...the Cafe was heaven...the air was thick with the mingling scents of freshly baked bread & pastries, french pressed coffee & grilled cheeses & pomme frittes...i was beyond satisfied with my ginormous grilled cheese...thick&toasty slices of crunchy french bread stuffed with cheddar&gouda, bacon&apple slices...again, still grinning like a complete&total food nerd...good times...
next stop...the Bookstore! while a small store in size, every available space was packed with foodie addictions: yes the prerequisite cookbooks were present, but it was the whisks, cake decorating tips, cheese slicers, spice jars, & aprons that caused my eyes to widen & heart to fill...I walked the store repeatedly carefully, strategically deciding what to purchase...I picked up objects of interest, things I did not need, things I definitely wanted, overpriced items, & objects of great desire...i settled on a CIA apron, a spice jar with a space where you could scribe what spice you lovingly filled the jar with, a shot glass that actually served as a measuring device for teaspoons/tablespoons, a coffee guide, and a poulty/fish guide...the guides are laminated pages that provide basic, but necessary information on these oh so important subjects...i was greatly pleased with my finds, & yes I am wearing my apron as I type away on this blog...its true...my visit was a smashing success...I am planning to go there again very soon & spend the day walking the campus, savoring the views, & imagining my future.
& seeing Julia Child's handprints just sent me over the moon...

*starcrossedcupcakes*

*baking love*

*we all sigh for paella*

...alas, i am currently baking cupcakes whilst listening to the arcade fire on my flour encrusted ipod...but the cupcakes will have to patiently wait for their turn on the blog...because just last week I attempted to make VEGETABLE PAELLA!!!!! its true...
now paella is commonly known as a hearty&cozy thick stewlike Spanish dish brimming with crusty rice goodness & schools of fish...as I am sadly allergic to shellfish, & one of my lovely dinner guests was a impressively faithful vegan, it would be best for all involved to not include the fish...but I wanted to desperately achieve the satisfaction of making something hearty & rich that we could all enjoy & where one could see & taste the effort & love that went into the food...basically I wanted to prepare a passionate meal...I view cooking as art...not only in the way it is presented but in the way it tastes....trying out new flavor profiles, varying combinations, figuring out what foods truly complement each other, & not merely just following directions, but instinct...
I had seen a few segments on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, where foodies prepared & savored paella dishes & was undeniably excited to try my own...I researched about ten different recipes & each one had its own unique take on the dish...I was sure of 2 things... no fish, & plenty of rice! Some of the ingredients from the recipes included red&green peppers, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, a multitude of colorful & expressive spices...some called for preparing the paella stovetop, then baking it for its popular hot&crusty texture...others suggested simply serving it from the stovetop...I contemplated...& then set to work, taking bits & pieces from the recipes, spinning through out extravagant spice rack, chopping furiously, tasting, stirring, shaking, mixing, dancing, tasting again...i started with a ginormous pot, guestimated a few tablespoons each of vegetable and extra virgin olive oil (sorry Rachel Ray! I HATE saying EVOO...i cringe each time i try. the extra 3 syllables are not a hassle for me to say)...i cleaned, scraped, & faithfully chopped bunches of garlic, yellow&red onions, celery & carrots & sauteed in the oil...next up...peppers! I wanted my paella to be resplendent with rainbows, so I used red, greed, & yellow! one of each immediately added flavor& vibrant color...2 cups of long grain white rice joined the party...once all was fully coated with the oil, I added 4 cups of vegetable broth&1 cup of water...a handful of raisins jumped in, 1 bag's worth of chopped-with-the-skin-on baby red potatoes were very happy to join in, & then 2 cups of peas...already the apartment had filled with the magnificent scent of passionate cooking...the spices came next, causing the hallway to fall victim next to the marvelous smell...no one and no place was safe from these aromatics...i shook, spooned, & measured:sea salt, black peppercorns,rosemary, thyme, cumin,chives, & fennel seeds...um, yeah...that scent i was speaking of before, became this overwhelming blanket of goodness that you never wanted to take off...
...as the veggie paella cooked, produced aromas of pure delight, & just simply increased our hunger's anticipation of dinner, my fabulous roommate jenny was preparing a beautiful roast chicken...i also made tostones, one of my absolute favorite things to make ever...peeling the green platains, slicing them into inch-thick circles...frying in vegetable oil until bronwed on both sides...i did not have a tostoneria to smash them with, so i found a glass jar with a perfectly flat bottom that would do just fine...I took pleasure in pressing down firmly on each piece, only to drown them again in the cracklng oil to a crip delightful golden brown...then a brush of garlic&olive oil with a light dusting of adobo...so worth the plantain skin still wedged in my nails from the peeling...tostones are always a welcome addition to any heaty meal...our lovely friends Tovah&Meredith came bearing gifts fit for feasting:wine for toasting & crusty bread to soak up the paella's goodness...we were set for an evening of open hearts, conversation, & washing off the dust of the day in each other's company...there truly is nothing better.

jersey girls in new york...part 1.....

...the last two tuesdays have been two of the most amazing days in the short time that is known as 2010...there are two very specific reasons for this claim to utter satisfaction&ridiculous happiness...one being I was able to spend time with one of my true, sweet, loyal friends/kindred spirits/soulmates, rosana silvia ortiz....the second being able to partake in wondrous, fabulous food...honestly you cannot ever go wrong with good food & good company...these are the necessary components to a happy & content life...its true...surround yourself with truly awesome people & you will only become more awesome, share good food&drink, & it only enhances the enjoyment of the company you're with...<3<3<3
rosie is one of my nearest & dearest....we both grew up in dirty jersey, she in newark, myself in lyndhurst...yet we didn't meet until we were both students @ nyack college...we passed each other numerous times walking to classes, darting through the halls to (mostly) uninteresting classes,& in the cafeteria, &feasting on nothing that i feel is worth mentioning here...
we didn't ever converse until we both signed up to go to Los Angeles Film Center in Burbank, CA, for a fall semester(of my senior year)...we were the only two students from our school to go there, so we quickly made sure to become a united front in case we were bombared with valley girls upon arrival...first impressions can never be trusted. ever. she thought I was a crazy girl who incessantly chattered & was inherently excited about every absolute thing in the entire universe...i saw her as a quiet&conservative girl who was terrified(of me!)...somewhere between now&then we have changed/blossomed/grew/failed&succeeded & completely lived up to & shattered those impressions...&with that I can say she is completely my family...when you reach that place in my swollen heart, I tell you I would do anything for you, regardless of time, place, disagreements, distance...she's there, which made out adventures in manhattan all the more awesome.
we started off our food adventures meeting @ grand central terminal...i'm there at least four times a week for classes, & i can tell you it never gets old, standing in the main concourse, lifting my eyes & travelling the ceiling, following all the constellations, attempting to do this & not get trampled during the rush hours is difficult but i make it happen...
first stop...Magnolia Bakery...we went to the one located near Rockefeller Center...yes it was teeming with tourist, but also with plenty of New Yorkers looking for their sugar fix...let me say I am obsessed with cupcakes....baking cupcakes from scratch is one of my absolute favoritest things to do Ever...its true...I'm always searching for the best cupcakes ever, & new ideas to build my cupcakerie repetorie...this was not to be the day...I always enjoy their frosting, it is marvellous, sweet, vanilla sugar frosting that you just cannot get enough of...the cupcakes themselves, sadly are like the kids who are picked last in the dodgeball game during gym class...no cupcake love here...we decided to just suck it up & soldier on &have another cupcake..this time red velvet...I am partial to red velvet cupcakes...they are fun& easy to bake...one time I baked a ginormous batch, decorated & boxed in teenty bakery boxes for a friend's baby shower, & i've been in love ever since...yeah not so much...just as Rosie & I were about to bite into our red velvets, I overheard a customer who had just stuffed her mouth with one complain how dry it was...okay no surprise, but I had faith the flavors would be there...by far the most tasteless cupcake these usually positive tastebuds have ever encountered...but the frosting was sure to be a success....no, no way, didn't happen...the enire red velvet experience was momentarily tainted...we secretively disposed the remainders & were on our way to the next stop...TEANY...located on Rivington Street...this is tradition for us...every time Rosie is in NYC we always make time for Teany...owned by Moby (definitely not the reason we go), they have hundreds of varieties of tea, fabulous vegan/non-vegan fare, & a cute (sometimes annoyingly hipster) atmosphere...we arrived to find that it was closed for renovation...not so excited about that...for those of you who might want to visit there, i always can happily rely on the chai latte&peanut butter vegan cake...their scones &clotted cream are also delectable...
next stop...Chinatown & Little Italy...i didn't tell Rosie but I was definitely in the mood for some Italian...she kept suggesting places in Chinatown, but I would just make lame excuses as to why I didn't want to eat there..."uh I heard they're super expensive", "I heard the Chinatown in Queens is the Real Chinatown, Chinatown in Manhattan has nothing on them"...as we strolled the streets & entered Little Italy, we were bombarded by young gentleman bundled up for the weather, attempting to draw us into their restaurants...they were probably hoping we were tourists with money to burn & tummies to fill...we ended up in Cafe Napoli...the decor was a bit old school, I almost felt as if I was in my Grandma Julia's basement, still decked out with Mediterranean themed couches from the 1970's(I have the pictures to prove it)...our waiter was fantastic to converse with & we didn't really mind looking @ him either...we started off with a pinot grigio after a few false starts with the wine menu...we wanted to take our time...for a truly enjoyable meal, you need to take the time, appreciate who you are dining with, & appreciate the food & the people who are preparing it for you...next up is mozzarella carroza...i ordered it for us because I remember my mother making it for me when I was younger...she would fill the bread slices with mozzarella & capers...soak it in beaten eggs, and then fry in olive oil to a golden crisp perfection...i hoped for the same at this place...i wasn't let down...Rosie & I marvelled at the soft&gooey center, & the crunchy exterior...they didn't use capers, but it was satisfying all the same...the entrees were standard & not worth mentioning here. i only mention truly worthwhile experiences! haha...which is why i will mention the "ad finitum" of the meal...ITALIAN CHEESECAKE!!!!! we were going to have cannolis(another tradition with us)...but upon inspection of their bakery case, we saw they were "prefilled", & we all know you don't ever want a prefilled cannoli...unless you are one to enjoy a soggy shell...entirely up to the feasting individual...right after i had mentioned the fact that the cannolis were not fresh, a lady with spiky bleached blonde hair marched in...I recognized her as a celebrity chef!...she has graced many shows on the Food Network...she at first seemed as if she had a countenance of self importance, but I soon learned she was on a mission...her first words were "I need a cannoli to go"...as the host reached for one from the bake case, she firmly stated, "No." Her next words were, "Those are prefilled...I want a fresh one, I want you to fill it NOW in front of me."...a foodie after my own gourmand heart...I smiled in understanding& this only enhanced the rest of our experience at Cafe Napoli...the Italian cheesecake by the way was SUPERB...if that doesn't get my point across, let me tell you, my eyes lits up, my tummy sang a song of unadulterated joy, my heart was full...no kidding. Our meal lasted two hours (not nearly long enough!) , but the impressions on my heart our time of enjoying somewhat awesome food, was only increased in awesomeness by the company & the cheesecake...Good times!!!!