Le Cirque

Restaurant week in New York...Click here for info NYC Restaurant Week

My favorite dates involve the beach, food or photography.  Not necessarily in that order and if I can include more than one in any particular outing, well it is certainly a 5 star experience.

We previewed the menus available on the restaurant week website and my narrowing down system involved sharing the links with the Mr. to decide which ones had appealing dishes for him as well.  It's funny, when it comes to food, I am the one more willing to experiment although he claims to be more of an adventure/thrill seeker in life.  He's not really, but don't tell.

The decision is made, we will be heading to Le Cirque.  Click here for more on Le Cirque.

An uneventful drive, the modern age of GPS has made driving in and around NYC far less scary.  I have a harder time actually figuring out public transportation and as far as cost, well, when you average parking and gas vs. train tickets (we would still have to drive 40 minutes or so to the station) it seems pretty break even to me.

Ahead of schedule, we wander around a bit before our reservation.  Here's what it looks like from the street:

and one of the bonus' of eating in NY is I can be a tourist as much as I want.  In fact, I wasn't even going to take these photographs until I saw a man doing the same.

We killed a little time in Bloomingdale's and walking around the block taking in the sights.

Although still early, we headed into the restaurant, checked our coats and sat for just a few minutes in the lobby/bar area.  We noticed the extreme 27' wine tower (I looked up the statistics) and the various ways the dining rooms could be shifted for privacy of celebrities.

Yes, Le Cirque is French and the literal translation is The Circus.  A few years of high school French were worth something.  I notice the elephant just inside the entrance.

 

Something to look at everywhere.  The cocktail menu and wine list keeps me quietly amused for the few more moments until we are seated at our table.

We are presented with both the regular dining menu and the Restaurant Week offerings.  We never even opened the regular menu and with having previewed the specials online before arrival, we are already fairly certain about our choices.

Whimsy.

Not a word I use often, but the dining room is whimsical.  The ceiling of umbrellas or parasols...

We are asked about water choices, still or sparkling.  Still.  Bottle or tap.  Bottle.  If is a flu epidemic after all and a woman already coughed directly on my head while on line for the coat check.

The bread basket choices were all sampled and wonderful.  Dark bread with raisins and nuts, herbed and salted "rolls" and an airy on the inside, crusty exterior almost mini-baguette were all lovely.

I decide to include a cocktail and order the Forest Breeze.  As you can see, a healthy layer of fruit is included so I am already off to a nutritious start.

The Mr.'s first course arrives.  Can you guess?  

Yes, you are correct - French Onion Soup!

I sample the soup and the broth is lovely.  It has the correct balance of body and delicacy.  The onions are a manageable size for the spoon and the bread yields easily to the spoon.

My starter is the Winter Orichette Pasta which includes mussels and chorizo.  This combination can never be bad.

Over the past few years, I have actually had my fill of braised short ribs.  Yes, the meat is tender, delicate and overall simply wonderful.  It is served on a lovely pillow of creamy mashed potatoes and topped with crispy kale (I ate the kale, the Mr. pushed it aside) and the carrot is fork tender and sweet.  However, it is no longer "new" to me and so I order the Merlu.

The fish is served over butternut squash with a parsley puree.  And yes, I have noticed all of the cute monkeys on the various dishes.  Such a nice touch.  The fish is dense with a crispy outer layer, yet moist and succulent.

For dessert, the Mr. order the Fine Apple Tart.  If he can have apple pie in any form, this is what he will order.  I try a bite and it is quite light and flaky.

He also asks for a cup of coffee.  This was one area of the service I thought odd.  We were not asked if we would like coffee or tea with dessert.  An oversight?  Our desserts waited, but we continued chatting away and glancing at the Inauguration on the television in the dining room.  Odd?

The Mr. has stories about his grandmother taking things, salt and pepper shakers, silverware, small glasses, sugar bowls, whatever, from restaurants when he was a child.  She would simply put whatever it was she wanted in her purse and take it home.  He jokes I should put the creamer in my bag.  I would never, but then he asks me to seriously pick it up.  Heavy.  I comply for his amusement - to pick it up, not take it.

My dessert was a bit camera shy for some reason.  I could not get the shot I wanted with pleasing lighting, but here it is... the chocolate cake with a cannelle of ice cream and chocolate bits that remind me of the layer in a Carvel cake.  I'm sure that is not the reference the chef would like to hear, but it is the most familiar to many.

Honestly, I didn't care that much for the cake.  It wasn't bad, it simply wasn't fabulous.  The ice cream was delicious and again, I loved the monkey.

Something else I noticed, the restaurant does NOT want you to forget for one second where you are - not that anyone would.  It is Le Cirque after all.

Yes, I did think of my mother and the circus during my lunch date.  My first memory of the circus was the big tent and the bleacher style seats, the man who walked around selling cotton candy and another with popcorn, the animal acts and Ring Master.  How lucky was I to go to the circus?  How lucky am I to dine with the Mr. at Le Cirque?

Our date is over and we head home.  It is a holiday, it is Martin Luther King Day, it is the second inauguration of President Obama, it is a Monday and we have been Fed Well, together.

Close, but...

Tacos in a bag have become part of our dinner menu rotation.  While they are not as frequently served as say, chicken, they are certainly not unexpected.

Defining Tacos in a Bag - click here

Thing is, sometimes I "cook by feel" or think I have all of the ingredients to make a dish and even when I prepare a meal immediately post grocery shopping, it is quite possible I have forgotten something and have to make a substitution.

The Mr. and I went grocery shopping and yes, I had a list as well as a few mental notes.  I would need cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.  I already had meat at home and salsa.  Suddenly, I remembered, I need the chips.  I usually buy a large cardboard box of mixed chips marketed to families with school aged children so they may include a bag with their lunch.  I spot a bag of mixed chips, same company, with the same images of chips on the outside.  I toss it in the cart and I am done.

At home, I prepare all of the ingredients, set the table and open the bag of mixed chips.  I discover the bag was cheaper because of course it contains less individual size bags of chips and so, there are only 4 of the desired nacho cheese flavor and 2 of the cool ranch.  Simply not enough.  Luckily I had also purchased multi-grain scoops for football snacking but they could be crumbled into a plate and topped with the taco ingredients.  Whew.  Close call.

What is is about the way food looks to me that enhances the feeling of being Fed Well?

Feeding Myself Well

Yes, I am quite lucky and know it.  I probably spend 90% of my meals with other people - my immediate family, my extended family, friends and co-workers (they are my friends as well or I would not eat meals with them).  

Growing up, I loved nothing more than to eat quietly in "my" seat at the dining room table with something to read.  Elementary school meant series fiction, middle school was a combination of Judy Blume, dime store romances and tabloid magazines, high school meant a touch of magazines with headlines including the word sex; "How to Look Sexier," or "Sexy Hair for Every Season."  As an adult at my own kitchen table, I have read textbooks, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," biographies, self-help, owners manuals, cookbooks and newspapers.  Piles and piles of newspapers.

A few months ago I was given three average sized paperback fiction books and have only finished one and am more than 1/2 way through a second.  My reading pace is slower and if I have the opportunity to eat with others I will not pull out a book.  Also, I cannot read in bed as many do because I require a bit more light now to see clearly (don't worry, I don't really think I'm old).

So, on a busy weekend I prepared myself a bowl of soup that my family considers baby food.  I have decided to not give up foods I like based on the opinion of the majority, but I will indulge myself from time to time.  Butternut squash soup from scratch is a bit of work and effort for just one person and since a prepared version is available, I decide to give it a taste test while I read.

A big problem with a bowl of creamy soup is the lack of texture and again, I could toast some bread and make my own croutons or simply dip toast sticks.  Prepared croutons are a bit high in sodium, but they are also convenient.

The finished product -

The soup was wonderful.  I would buy it again.  The book, well, I put a larger dent in it and I'm looking forward to having questions answered about the plot.  I enjoyed myself so much, I bellied up to the table again later in the afternoon with my book and some customized trail mix.

I bought one package of trail mix then added some dehydrated banana chips, yogurt covered almonds and Craisins.  The pages turned easily and the snacking was satisfying.  Responsible for me and Fed Well.

Girlfriends Don't Kiss and Tell

Every so often, 4 women get together.  Women who have known each other since elementary school, but pull away and then meet up.  Life floats us along and we can't always give each other undivided attention and talk for hours on the phone the way young girls can while in school.  Women who have had to face personal hurdles, have known the joys and sorrows of life and gather every so often to talk some it over.

This time only 3 of us can make it and though we miss our one friend, we proceed.  I have been looking forward to this night for days and can almost taste my Cosmopolitan before it arrives.

One order of pork ribs,

one sausage and spinach calzone,

and a Margherita pizza.

Comfortable as an old favorite pair of jeans, we are able order what makes each of us happy, sit and chat for as long as we want.  The restaurant is only a few minutes from my house, the night is young and the meals are hot.  The portions are large enough that we all have plenty to take home.

My pizza would have certainly been enough to feed us all.  I love the thin and crispy crunch, the basil is fresh and fragrant, sweet sauce topped by the proper amount of cheese.  We talk about things I simply cannot repeat because well, we've known each other forever and the trust is worth more than sharing the stories with strangers.  It is enough to say we talk about some of the most intimate details in our lives.  Fears.  Real pain.  Yes, we talk about happy things as well, and our families, the past and our hopes for the future.  It's deep and it's light.  

We text our missing friend and let her know we miss her.

We run into people we know and when asked what we've been up to, no one really reveals a thing.  We smile and the tables are easily turned, "Not much, what's new with you?" or "How are you?"

Friends.

Friends proclaim themselves as part of your team.  They root for you. They share your triumphs and pull you out of the pits.

Friends make sure you are Fed Well.

Diner Lunch from Zippo to Vampires

The end of the work week finally arrives and a group of 4 decide to have lunch at the diner.  The four of us are an eclectic blend and the conversation bucks and throws like an unbroken, wild horse.  But, that is part of what I love about it.

We begin with one person's professed love of lighters, the fact my younger son loves a Zippo lighter, the shared agreement that the Zippo does offer something more to the senses - the feel, the sound and smell are all quite distinct in comparison to an ordinary and disposable Bic.  Who talks about this?  Us.

Then, the sharing of an unusual fantasy involving the use of stun guns on unreasonable bosses and coworkers which morphs into a confession of one wanting to use a modified "joy buzzer" on the seats of classmates when they were in school.  Odd?  Or simply odd to discuss?

We are seated in a sunny booth and are able to decide our drink order relatively quickly.  Carbonated dark colas all around.  The food decisions are a little bit slower but they are:

A Veggie burger,

a ham sandwich on toasted rye,

a tuna melt with Swiss and no tomatoes,

and a traditional hamburger deluxe platter (mine).

We talk a little bit about Lance Armstrong and his confession.  Why?  Why now?  It is not about not believing he sued performance enhancing drugs and the like, but what benefit will he reap by "coming clean" this many years later?  What damage is he trying to recover?  What is the motivation?

The next leap is to the film career of Nicholas Cage and a movie I have not see, "Vampires Kiss" from the late 1980's and now of course I will obsess until I watch it myself.

Feeling Fed Well, we return to the office and the day quickly ends.  I always enjoy our unique lunches and am already looking forward to the next.

Chatting over Chinese Food

Sometimes, coworkers simply have to talk it over.  Whether it is the after math of a recent layoff or the smallest of injustices and unfairness in the work place, we talk it out, talk it over and decide if it needs further attention or can simply be vented about then set aside.

One of our favorite places to chat is the Chinese restaurant down the street.  Who doesn't love to start with a light and flaky scallion pancake?

And of course, a cold winter day requires soup.

Traditional Won Ton,

Miso

or Hot and Sour.

My coworkers are so accustomed to letting me photograph their food, they now help position their dishes and offer the food's "best side."

Of course I had the shrimp with rice noodles.  Remember being young and loving a song or movie and listening or watching it over and over until the entire rest of your family thought they may be ill if they have to hear it ONE MORE TIME?  Well, sometimes I am that way about food.  I love this meal from THIS particular Chinese restaurant.

My cube neighbor orders the General's Tofu.  She loves it.  Next time, I am going to ask to try a piece of that tofu.  I think we're close enough now that she would allow it.

Another friend orders the shrimp with vegetables in brown sauce.  She is convinced this is all a ploy for me to take photos of everybody's chest and post them on line.  Luckily, we all know this is a pretty good joke.

Finally, an order of the General's Chicken.

We didn't solve any of the company's problems while we ate our lunch, but we certainly felt better for having vented together.  Solidarity!  Well, or at least sharing an hour or so over a meal and feeling Fed Well brings us together.

Simple Staples

Love it when a plan comes together, don't you?

In the kitchen, if the ultimate plan is to prepare just the right or slightly too much food, the second best plan is when you have ideas for the leftovers.

One night, I roasted 6 chicken breasts - yes, with skin and bones.  The skin can be removed and cooking meat on the bone really does produce more flavorful finished dishes.  Simple seasonings used were salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic in a 375 degree oven until the skin is crisp and golden.  If chicken skin could be the next potato chip flavor... well, maybe not.

One of the side dishes served was a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, carrot, celery, and green bell pepper. These were the vegetables in the drawer and so into the salad they go.

Leftovers?  Well, the chicken was turned into chicken salad in this case.  I placed a scoop on top of my salad, the Mr. had two sandwiches on toast, older son had some on a plate (he tries for a Paleo-ish diet) and younger son had two sandwiches as well.  We all had salad again and Circle Soup.  For more on Circle Soup - click here.

Keeping it simple sometimes is what creates comfort foods and in our house, keeping the conversation on a cold, dark January night equally light brings ends with us all together, gathered around the television to watch Top Gear on BBC.  It is these simple times that truly leave me feeling like I've done a good job ensuring my family is Fed Well.