the constant hunger

My Big Announcement

Can you believe it's spring already? I feel like just yesterday I was ringing in the new year. It's moments like these that I am reminded of a line from a play I saw back in high school. "The days are long but the years pass by fast." 

With the new season comes some exciting news. I've been trying to figure out how to break the news on the constant hunger, but figured I'd keep it short, sweet and to the point. I'm moving to San Francisco! A new city, new pace of life and new restaurants to discover and write about. I will be looking for a new job which means I will have plenty of time to devote to the blog. 

My cozy and functional New York kitchen.

Even though I'm looking forward to moving out west, it is bittersweet. New York has been my home for the past four years and it has been the most exciting period of my life. I am trying to figure out how to say goodbye to this culinary mecca (and have a pretty good idea). My time here has really shaped my tastes and opinions about food. This is where my passion for food developed into a full-on obsession. I must give it a proper goodbye.

In the meantime, if anyone has some restaurant, bakery, grocery store, food truck, winery recommendations for the Bay Area, please post them in the comments section. I can't wait to discover new flavors. And I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about heading to Sonoma and Napa Valley (learning about wine was one of my new year's resolutions). 

Happy cooking!

Dinner with Friends

Last week while in Montreal, I got to spend some quality time with friends. Although I don't get to see them as often as I'd like, when I do get to hang out, it's like I never left. That's when you know it's the real thing. 

I can't think of a better way to spend an evening with friends than to share a meal. When someone cooks for you or when you cook for someone it is an act of love. And there was a lot of love being thrown around that night. The meal was delicious in its simplicity. I'm looking for simplicity in my life lately. No fuss, no nonsense, no drama. A sense of comfort to keep me warm and I can't think of anything better than eating with friends and family.

 A huge arugula salad drizzled in a good quality balsamic and olive oil.

Penne with rosé sauce (vodka sauce in the US). This sauce was out-of-this-world delicious.

There was no shortage of wine being poured. My friend was testing out a new wine. I approve! I need to get the name of it though. Let you know soon.

And this is the famous pizza dip. It's addictive and oh-so-good. But you don't have to take my word for it. Take a look at the almost empty plate. This picture was taken about 15 minutes after it was put on the table. We wiped it clean soon thereafter. 

Pizza dip is a great dish to serve at parties. It's easy to make and I can't think of one person who has tried it and didn't say it was amazing. I asked permission publish my friend's recipe so without further ado, the easy pizza dip recipe.

Pizza Dip

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese (leave it out on the counter to soften)

1 can tomato sauce 

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 bell pepper chopped (red or orange look prettiest)

Method:

Find a pretty plate and begin spreading the cream cheese to form the base layer. You should have a layer about 1/2 cm. thick. 

Spoon over the tomato sauce. You don't want to add too much, just enough to add a little tomato flavor. You may or may not go through the entire can depending on its size.

Next, layer the grated cheese, olives and bell peppers. Refrigerate for an hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Use scoop-shaped chips.  

Now depending on how many plates of the dip you'll be making, you'll want to adjust your quantities accordingly. If you are having a party, I suggest making at least 2 plates and putting them around the room. Crowds follow the dip, I swear. 

And now, a little bit of food news... The Essential New York Times Cookbook is out. Awesome! Compiled by Times food writer Amanda Hesser, this cookbook includes recipes published in the paper since the 19th century. Can you believe that? Dubbed "a chronicle of American culinary history" this cookbook contains over 1,400 recipes. Just in time for the holidays! It's definitely on my wish list. If you're excited about this book, treat yourself with a copy of the cookbook.

Oh, and stay tuned all week as I post comfort food recipes, perfect to make on a chilly fall night.

Happy cooking!

In Season: November

I'm back from a quick trip to Montreal. My husband and I had rented a car for a few days and drove up to our hometown. It was the perfect time of the year to drive through upstate New York. The leaves were turning and we were both in awe as we zigged and zagged through the beautiful autumn scenery.

All that time on the road got me thinking of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Here is a quick list of stuff to pick up on your next trip to the market.

 

Apples Mushrooms Pears Persimmon Pomegranate Pumpkins Spinach Sweet potatoes Winter squash

 Happy cooking!

Away for a few days. Will be back to post on Thursday. Stay tuned...

And I'm back!

I'm finally back from spending a week in LA with family and partying it up with my husband in Vegas. I truly believe that we all need a good, solid vacation once in a while to recharge our batteries and let loose. These past 10 days provided great family time, tons of eating (mainly kebab) and some alcohol-induced (mild) debauchery. 

Things got off to a great start in LA. My dad hosted a lovely barbecue with all the trimmings. I spent hours catching up with cousins and impatiently waiting for someone to kick-start the grill. I LOVE barbecues and I especially love charcoal ones which give food that great smoky flavor. One the menu: tomatoes and peppers on skewers, along with chicken, steak and ground beef kebabs. 

 

Culturally speaking, the way it's done in my family (and other Armenian families, I'm sure) is you gotta stick close to the barbecue. The grill master frequently checks the doneness of the meat by picking off a piece, wrapping it in some flat bread and garnishing it with chopped onions, parsley and sumac. If you happen to be standing around, you get to be the first to taste the meat. There's usually a shot of something, say vodka, that can be taken with this little wrapped piece of deliciousness. I had a sip of red wine. Yum!

There was tons of fluffy rice to accompany the meat, as well as yogurt with chopped cucumbers and fresh herbs. My dad also made the most amazing eggplant, bell pepper and tomato puree. This puree is eaten with bread or with the kebab and rice. I asked him for the recipe and will soon attempt to make it as good as he did.

A few days later, my husband and I headed over to Venice Beach to hang out with my cousin and her fiancé. They live right on the beach, literally steps away from the surf and the always lively boardwalk. We started our day with cold beers at a nearby beer garden. My cousin suggested we try the pretzel and, boy, were we glad we did. This pretzel was not like the hard, chewy ones I'm accustomed to in New York. This little beer garden serves up a soft, warm and huge pretzel. It's accompanied with a delicious fruity mustard (probably a mix of apple sauce and grainy dijon). 

Our night in Venice Beach started with small plates and drinks at Chaya. It was Friday night and the place was packed. Chaya's happy hour menu has tons of great options. My favorites were the mac and cheese and the dijon chicken and fries. After having drinks at pretty much every bar in Venice Beach, we stopped for a few slices of pizza and hot dogs before heading home. Let's just say our morning after was excruciating. 

The second part of our trip was Vegas, baby! A short flight from LA and we arrived in Sin City. We spent an awesome day at the pool lounge at the Aria hotel in Vegas. There are way too many restaurants to choose from and I didn't take pictures because my beautiful Nikon stopped working. 

All in all, we had a great time. I got in last night and it was work as usual this morning. Back to reality, I guess. 

Please forgive me for sounding like your third grade teacher, but what did you do on your summer vacation? Any trips to Europe, weekend getaways or road trips? I'd love to read about them.