Friends…I spent 26 hours in NYC last week. What a whirlwind – but such a great time!! I haven’t been to New York in a couple of years (here’s a fun recap of the last time I visited NY with my husband) and I was excited about getting back up there even for just a quick trip. It was a dreary, rainy day when I arrived – but cleared up beautifully the next morning. Look at that gorgeous sky!

The reason for my trip was to meet with Fisher Nuts and … Chef Alex Guarnaschelli. Yes, that’s right. Chef Alex. From Food Network. What an honor and treat it was to hear her talk and watch her cook a few recipes for us. She was incredibly witty, a great storyteller and really passionate about food. I loved hearing her talk about her love of food, and the grace she gives herself when recipes don’t turn out. Can’t we all totally relate to that? Even professional (celebrity) chefs have bad days in the kitchen. And it’s ok. Just keep on cooking! Her approach to food is so natural, she shops the markets and is inspired by what’s in season and looks right. I was definitely inspired.

The event was held at her beautiful restaurant, Butter. The food was amazing, especially her Walnut and Fontina Macaroni and Cheese. I couldn’t stop thinking about this one. So savory and delicious. I think it would be a great recipe to serve to friends and family over the holidays honestly. A very grown up twist on mac and cheese, but still the ultimate comfort food.

(more…)

The post Adventures In NYC {Part 2} – 24 Hours In The Big Apple appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Let me tell you, NY and FL could not be any more different. I didn’t realize how slow and laid back I was until this weekend. I missed my flip flops and I missed grass. And one of the first things I noticed when I got back into town last night was the moon…I could see the moon. I don’t know if it was the tall buildings or being afraid of stopping in the street to actually look up at the sky, but I don’t recall seeing the moon at all this weekend. Living in the city is so different… it’s exciting, I love the culture, the food, and being able to walk and walk and walk instead of driving. But let’s face it, there’s no place like home. And the Sunshine State is my home.

We were in NY for my husband’s company holiday party (they are based up there). We traveled with his team which just happen to be a group of our closest friends. We ate, drank and laughed our hearts out (picture a group of 20 clueless people trying to figure out the subway, oof!). We had some serious grown up fun, people. And gosh…can I just tell you, the food…the food rocked my world.

I think I was in city shock the first two days I was there, because I honestly forgot to take pictures of any food. It wasn’t until the last meal that I finally pulled out the camera (on my phone) and snapped away. It happened to be my favorite meal too, so it worked out pretty good.

Gail recommended I try this place in TriBeca near where we were staying…for brunch. So Sunday morning, we walked a few blocks coffee in hand to Laconda Verde. It was busy but we found a couple spots at the bar. We ordered Bloodies and the ricotta plate that reviews (and Gail) raved about.

Straight from the menu… Sheep’s Milk Ricotta with truffle honey and burnt orange toast.

Goodness gracious…I will dream about this until I can have it again.

(more…)

The post Adventures in NYC appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.