A Taste of Cuba

Looking for a vibrant Cuban restaurant?  Look no further, right in the heart of the city (NYC) lies Havana, a small restaurant with lots of Latin flair.  With its colorful artwork, latin music, good service, and flavorful food this Cuban "lugar" is an excellent place to hang out with friends.

Advantages: The food is very flavorful and the restaurant has a great vibe that seems to put you at ease.  Some nights they even have live performances :)

Disadvantages: With NYC taxes being so high, your bill may end up being much higher than expected.

"Comida"

Calamares Fritos – Fried Calamari $ 11.00

Guacamole and Plantain Chips (The guacamole is impecable, a must-try).

All entrees served with your choice of rice and Beans

Ropa Vieja – Cuban Style Shredded Beef in a Creole Sauce $ 12.00 ((((AMAZING))))

Author's cocktails:
Mango mojito   12.00
Watermelon mojito   12.00

Food for Thought* Go with a bunch of friends, share appetizers and meals.  This allows you to split the bill, pay for your own drink, and sample many different types of foods. How's that for the biggest bang for your BUCK?

~A chic hole in the wall~

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Kevin Hart live at NJPAC in Newark, NJ.  After the show my friends and I were pretty hungry and wondered, "Where is there a lounge, here in Newark, that is laid back, relaxing, and still chic?"  The answer was, on Halsey St. downtown @ this small restaurant 27 Mix.  This restaurant is a South Western, Asian, and Italian fusion restaurant with a sprinkle of soul!

If you're looking for a place to wind down after a long day of shopping, seeing a performance at NJPAC or Prudential, or just want to grab a bite to eat with your signficant other, this place is perfect!

Advantages: Good food, good music, and great environment and service.

Disadvantages: I would say there are none but I did have the experience of a critter somehow getting on my food (it was alive).

Author's picks
-Crispy Cajun Calamari (amazing)
-Chicken Ceasar Salad
-French Fries or Sweet Potato Fries
-Key Lime Chicken

The calamari was light and fluffy and very flavorful, one of the best I have eaten.  You're probably thinking fries???? Yes fries, they come with three types of dipping sauces (vinigrette, ketchup, and ketchup & mayo) I have to say the vinigrette combo with the fries was pretty awsome. 

Cocktail of the day: White Wine Sangria (a pitcher)

Food for thought* Out with the old and in with the new.  Bread and butter have never tasted the same, try their bread and sweet butter.  I tried to ask the waiter what was in the butter but he didn't know (I think he was just holding out....grrr I'm determined to find out). 

The perfect marriage-Bacon & Chocolate? HuH?

This is not an error, nor is it a hoax.  Every one loves bacon and who doesn't love chocolate????  I found the perfect recipe that unites the two and I have tweeked it a little.  DRUM ROLL....A BACON CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE :)  This chocolatey goodness of a cupcake is so yummy and fun to make!  A couple weeks ago I had a couple people over for a jewelry party and decided to make cupcakes (the boxed kind) for this event.  I suddenly had this sudden urge to make and create cupcakes and decided I was going to search for an original recipe that would make me a real risk taker in the cupcake world.  I came across this recipe from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dark-Chocolate-BaconCupcakes/Detail.aspx  and felt like a real dare devil as I was making this chocolate treat.  The cupcake fulfills all your chocolate desires, it has dark chocolate, milk chocolate shavings, and cocoa powder in the frosting!  Throughout the cupcake you'll find bits of bacon and a couple bits on top of it all.  The saltiness/sweetness of the bacon paired with the rich dark chocolate, sweet milk chocolate, powdered sugar, and coffee all make for a heavenly taste of goodness!  Below is the recipe with a few of my personal touches and changes, trust me this is a must try recipe and best of it all it's made from scratch. 

INGREDIENTS

6-12 slices of maple bacon

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs

1 cup cold, strong, brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for icing (optional)

1 can of whipped buttercream or vanilla icing (optional)

1 hershey's milk chocolate bar

Confectioner's sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bacon in a baking sheet or rack (lined with foil) and put in the oven. After 5-10 minutes sprinkle some brown sugar on the slices.  Once the bacon is halfway cooked turn and sprinkle more brown sugar.  Cook until cooked, brown, and crispy. If you have to place the bacon in the broiler for 10 seconds to brown, do so.  Drain and pulse in a blender (you want the bacon to have a crumb consistency), set aside. Place your chocolate bar in the freezer.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center. Meanwhile mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl (eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil) and pour into the well. Stir just until blended. Mix in 3/4 of the bacon, reserving the rest for garnish.  Also, take your chocolate bar and grate into batter, much as desired.  Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. For the frost see below*  Sprinkle reserved bacon crumbles on top, grate a generous amount of chocolate and dust with confectioner's sugar.

FROSTING

Take your standard whipped buttercream or vanilla frosting (or you can substitute chocolate frosting-but the buttercream is amazing) and mix in 1 tbls of cocoa powder.  Mix the frosting until it becomes light brown (add more cocoa powder if need be).  Eat and enjoy!

CARROT CUPCAKE

Ingredients

-2 cups of brown sugar

-2 cups of flour

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp of salt

-2 eggs

-1/3 cup of milk

-1/3 cup vegetable oil

-1 tsp of vanilla extract

-2 cups of shredded carrots

-1 1/2 ts of cinnamon

-1/2 tsp nutmeg

-grated ginger

-chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Mix all the dry ingredients together (brown sugar, flour, salt, baking soda & powder) in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center. Meanwhile mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl (eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg) and pour into the well. Stir just until blended. Mix in the shredded carrots and the grated ginger. Also, mix in the nuts, reserving the rest for garnish.  Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
2. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. For the frosting see below*  Sprinkle the tops of the cupcakes with nuts.

Frosting :)

-cream cheese

-sugar

-vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat all ingredients in a medium bowl for about 2-3 minutes.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and then frost your cupcakes.

Food for thought **** Place a pot with hot water next to your cupcake pan while your cupcakes are cooking in the oven.  This will moisten the cupcakes and make them delectable.  Bon appetite!



Real Ramen Noodles

If you're a college student then you know all about the packaged Ramen Noodles that you can get for .59 cents.  Yes, yes, yes the Top Ramen that you ate twice a day daily all four years of college, you remember those days right?  Well now that you're all grown up it's time to step it up and eat the real Ramen.  The other day I came across the University Cafe in NYC, right on NYU (New York University's) campus and ran into the best Ramen I have tasted thus far.  Let me entice your taste buds with a description:
Thick and flavorful Ramen noodles
Miso vegetable broth
Shredded chicken
Broccoli
Scallions
Corn
1 boiled egg
All put into this ginormous cup and topped with spices to make it a little hot & spicy! 
This meal kept me full for the rest of the day and it was so flavorful!  So the price was 6 times the price of your regular Ramen ($6.59) but it was worth it.
For a more elegant version of this dish, try the Akamaru Modern Ramen $14  at Ippudo in NYC on 4th Ave.
Description
The original "Tonkotsu" noodle soup topped with Ippudo's secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil. 

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and felt completely displeased?  I often wonder what my options are and what must take place in order for me to feel like I am not sacrificing something.  Usually when you go out to eat you encounter one of the following:




-Miniature plate of a meal that is barely there +delicious tasting food +great service +quiet and pleasing venue =YIKES! my wallets are hurting but this is sooo good, type of food.


-Average plate +average tasting food +good service depending on who comes to you +a venue that is not really alluring and enticing =overly priced food that wasn't worth half of my money but at least I didn't spend too much, type of food.


-A gigantic plate of fatty but delicious, unhealthy food +bad service+crowded venue +cheap eats :) =good on my wallet, bad in my vision, satisfaction of my guilty pleasures but I will regret it, type of food.


QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY:
Is there a place out there that delivers great tasting food that captures all my senses, with a pleasurable venue, and moderate priced food that wont completely hurt my wallets?  Is there a way for me to some how get everything I craved and wanted without regretting it once the bills come to the table? 
Well, if someone out there can identify and knows the answer please share :/ 


*That is all*

Going Meatless!

Whether you're making a small sacrifice for lent, going on a diet, or just don't feel like eating meat-these Salmon Cakes are the perfect substitute for any meat dish you thought you were missing out on.  This dish is just one of many that I'll be posting up, try this one for starters.  Hope you like my creations!

JPEARL SALMON CAKES W/ ARUGULA&SPINACH SALAD

SALMON CAKES
Serves 4 ppl (2 cakes per person)
Ingredients
-4 small cans or 2 large cans of canned salmon
-1 1/2 onions
-1 tbls of adobe seasoning
-pinch of course salt and 2 pinches of pepper
-handful of parsley
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup of breadcrumbs

Directions:
Separate salmon chunks with a fork, chop onions and combine the two ingredients.  Season mixture with salt, pepper, and adobe seasoning.  Chop parsley and add into mixture as well.  Add two eggs to the bowl and mix all ingredients with a fork, add a handful of breadcrumbs to the mixture.  Start forming salmon mixture into patties and coat with bread crumbs.  While they are resting, heat a skillet (low-medium heat) and add olive oil and butter to skillet. Brown and quickly cook the salmon cakes for about 2 minutes on each side.

*Creole Mayo
-1 cup of Mayonnaise
-1/4 cup of a combination of Dijon mustard and course ground mustard (w/mustard seeds) ~optional
-1 tbls of Worcestershire sauce
-3 tbls of hot sauce ~adjust to your liking
-2 tbls of paprika
-1 tbls of cayenne pepper
-1 lemon (juice)

Directions:
Just combine ingredients in a small bowl and serve with the salmon cakes.


ARUGULA&SPINACH SALAD
-Arugula
-Baby spinach
-Romaine lettuce
-Mandarin oranges (canned)
-Tomatoes
-Avocado

Directions:
Toss ingredients and serve with your favorite salad dressing.  Suggestions: oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste


*SERVING SUGGESTIONS: ACCOMPANY THIS DISH WITH WHITE RICE*

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Dont know what to to do with the leftover canned salmon from the last recipe?  Here's a quick and easy idea that is simple yet tasty!

**Salmon Pasta w/ Basil&Spinach Pesto

Pesto (can be made ahead of time)
-1 cup baby spinach
-1/2 basil
-1/4 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts)
-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
-3 tbls olive oil
-2 cloves garlic
-Pinch of salt

Directions:

Quantaties depend on how much pesto you make.  Put all the ingredients into a blender and make sure all ingredients are completely blended.  Taste and season to your liking. 

Start off by making some pasta as you normally would (you can use angel hair, spaghetti, or whatever you have on hand).

Canned Salmon
-salmon (however much is left over)
-onion (an equal amount to match the salmon)
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

I used about 1/4 cup of salmon and 1/4 cup of chopped onions.  First, saute the onions in a pan, once they become translucent add in the salmon and season to your liking. 

Combine the pesto, salmon and onions, and pasta together and warm it up on low-medium heat until all items are warm.  Enjoy!
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As promised, I have yet another meatless recipe that is very yummy!

**Shrimp and Veggie Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of shrimp
-1 can of diced garlic and onion tomatoes
-1 can of tomatoe sauce
-pasta
-red pepper flakes
-4 garlic cloves
-basil
-salt and pepper
-2 hard boiled eggs
-1 sauteed zucchini
-sauteed spinach and arugula
-mozzarella  and grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook pasta to al dente (not fully cooked), you can use any type of pasta I used 3 types because I only had a bit of each in my cabinet (angel hair, penne, and macarroni). Strain the pasta.   Also boil the eggs then slice them.

Heat up a pan with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, cook the garlic until it is golden then add the zucchini.  Once zucchini starts to pick up some color, add shrimp.  DO NOT OVER COOK SHRIMP!  Once the shrimp starts to get pink add the diced tomatoes and tomatoe sauce, let simmer for 2 minutes.  Add in basil leaves and this mixture to the pasta.

Saute the spinach and arugula, without over cooking them.  Meanwhile, put the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and add in the spinach, arugula, and eggs. Be generous with the mozzarella cheese and fold that into the mixture then top with a little bit of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered for about 15 minutes in the oven. 

*Remember to season with salt and pepper along the way and for a bit more heat add in more flakes*  Enjoy!

Drinks and Dessert please :)

If you're looking for a hip and comfortable place to get a couple of drinks and eat some dessert with a couple of friends, check out Dolces in Elizabeth, NJ. 

Advantages: It is a restaurant by day and lounge by night.  Great music and beautiful decor!
Disadvantages: It is a bit small and if you dont get there before 10:30 p.m., they may charge on certain days.

Author's Cocktail:
-Apple Martini
-Long Island Ice Tea



Author's Desserts:
-Molten Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream
-Tirimisu

~Creme Brulee & Mojito  (not the greatest)

Food for Thought* Try their food as well, their fair is a combination of Portuguese/Spanish/Italian/Asian.  Some of the dishes are really wonderful.

Some of my creations!

So I had alot of fun making these dishes, some of them are semi homemade and some of them are completely homemade, either way they were great!  More pics to come! 

Comfort Desserts at Van Gogh's Ear!

Satisfy your sweet tooth by stopping by Van Gogh's Ear in Union, NJ.  This cafe is a small, eclectic, and cozy spot with nice art, dim lighting, and good musicians if you come on the right day. 

Advantages: The atmosphere is just so comforting and in the summer you can even eat outside.
Disadvantages:  When I find out I'll let you know!

Author's Pick*
Brown Derbie $6
Peach Cobbler $5

Biggest BANG for your BUCK
-Go during Hyper Hour (after 11 p.m.) and get half off on one of the 3 choices listed (one of which is a Brown Derbie). 

Food for Thought~ Just in case you are not persuaded to try a Brown Derbie check out my description below:
The Brown Derbie is a nice sized warm brownie with melting chocolate chips in it, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a good portion of whipped cream, and chocolate sauce all over.  Make sure you come in there with a bit of an appetite because after eating this dessert you will be full!

*Portuguese Food*

Seabras Marisqueira

If you're ever passing through the iron bound section of Newark,NJ you may want to stop by Seabras Marisqueira for some good Portuguese food.  There's free parking across the street and the wait time is usually very quick (even faster if you make reservations).  If you are intimidated by the inability to read Portuguese, don't fret, all items on the menu are both in Portuguese and English.

Advantage: The food is simple and truly authentic.
Disadvantage: There are alot of options to choose from but the amount of variety falls a bit short.

Author's Picks:
- Portuguese style steak (Bife a Portuguesa) or (Bitoque) $17.95
-Spicy short ribs (Costela de vaca na grelha) $14.95
-Pork Alentejana (Carne de porco Alentejana) $14.95
-Pork chops in garlic sauce (Costeletas de porco fritas em molho de alho) $14.95

Best BANG for your BUCK!
-Appetizer: Clams with garlic sauce (ameijoas a bolhao pato) $10.50.  The sauce is very garlicky and if you take the amazing Portuguese bread and soak it in the sauce its truly amazing.  Be careful you may get the urge to keep eating the bread and soon enough you will be full of just that.

Author's cocktail* Sangria!!!! (order a pitcher, their Sangria is very good)

Food for thought*  Portuguese food is very simple yet scrumptious, anything you order on the menu will be pretty good and the portions are American style (big).   If your celebrating some one's birthday tell them and they will play a song for you, the birthday dessert is really good unlike alot of places and it is $4.00.

Allegro Seafood Grill

If you're ever craving great food, good drinks, and a warm atmosphere visit Allegro Seafood Grill in Newark, NJ.  

Advantages: The food is so delicious it makes your taste buds want to explode.  This restaurant constantly has live entertainment making it a relaxing and soothing environment.  During the warm months their section outside is a must see, you almost forget where you are.  

Disadvantages:  Parking may be difficult when the parking lot is full but who cares after eating such a wonderful meal!

Author's PICKS

-Ameijoas Recheadas (Clams Casino) $11.95

-Camarão à Guilho (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce) $11.95

-Fraldinha de Vitela c/Champignons  (Skirt Steak w/Mushrooms) $16.95

-Dessert: Musse de Chocolate (Chocolate Mousse) $4.50 

Author's Cocktail: Caipirinha

Biggest BANG for your BUCK

-Bife Filet Mignon c/Quijo Gorgonzola e Espargos (Filet Mignon w/Gorgonzola Cheese & Asparagus) $21.95

This meal is so scrumptious it is unbelievable. The secret....its large enough for two!

Estrela Da Ponderosa

There are so many Portuguese restaurants in the ironbound section of Newark due to a large Portuguese community.  It's hard to pick the best of the best but when it comes truly home cooked meals like your grandma used to make Estrela Da Ponderosa mastered it.

Advantages:  Everything is made fresh and by cooks that look just like grandma.  The service is impeccable, the waiter truly cares about how your meal is.

Disadvantages:  There are none except the fact that a lot of people do not know about this place.

Author's Picks:  

-Bife da Casa (House Beef) whatever you get you NEED to order their rice.  Their rice is completely homemade with so much flavor and sauce, it is truly amazing.

-Pescada Assada (Grilled Fish) it was so buttery and tasty it was like heaven in your mouth especially with the rice.

Author's Cocktail: A pitcher of "house" red wine.

Food for thought****  I had a revelation the other day when I went there for dinner. My mother, her friend, and I went there to get sponsors for our event and I decided to get dessert and I got the best desserts ever.  We got Tiramisu and (home made coffee/cookie cake), I took a sip of the House red wine and I suddenly woke up!  When you go there you must try the Tiramisu with the house red wine the tastes of the two work so well together it is unbelievable!