Because Cupcakes Are So Last Year

For years, every birthday in our house has included the infamous Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. People line up around the block waiting to get into the itty bitty store in the west village to buy of box of these treasured cupcakes. Truth be told, I'm not the biggest fan of the traditional vanilla or chocolate. They are a little grainy and dry and the frosting makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it. Some of the other flavors like spice or red velvet are okay, but they aren't the real star of the show. The real star is the banana pudding. It is absolutely ta-die-for, and has long been dubbed by Brad and I as the best dessert in nyc. 

For his birthday this year I decided to make the pudding myself instead of going out and buying a tub. I was completely shocked how easy it is to make. I was even more shocked that it tastes identical, if not better, than the one from the bakery. Score!! Seriously, if you are a banana pudding fan this absolutely must go on your "to make now" list. And if you are in ny you can also swing by and grab you some of the goodness (Buttercup carries all the same items as well, but wasn't mentioned on Sex and the City, so it's usually way less crowded).

Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding

Recipe Courtesy of More from Magnolia

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups ice cold water

1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix (Jell-O brand recommended)

3 cups heavy cream

1 12-ounce box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (substituting not recommended)

4 cups sliced ripe bananas

• Beat water and condensed milk together with an electric mixer until well combined (about 1 minute, and be careful, this one can fly every where!)
• Beat in pudding mix for 2 more minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
• Whip the cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding.
• To assemble, do alternating layers of wafers, banana, and pudding. Make as many layers as you like and divey up the ingredients accordingly (you could also make individual portions in stemless wine glasses like I did).

Lunch at Momofuku Noodle Bar

This week is Brad's birthday week. I say birthday week because we literally do a week long celebration (sometimes month long, but that gets a little overplayed). We did a number of dinners this weekend with friends and also with Brad's parents, who were making a quick stop in nyc. One of Brad's favorite places to go in the city is Momofuku Noodle Bar, a small hipster hangout in the lower east side that is the brainchild of the much acclaimed David Chang. They are known for serving up huge bowls of kicked-up Ramen, and have been made famous by the likes of a celebrity flocking - most notably Martha Stewart, who is constantly mentioning her visits there on her talk show.

The noodle bar does not take reservations, so if you don't want to be waiting, you usually have to show up early or at some obscure time. We got there right at noon on a Sunday afternoon and had no problem getting a table, although 15 minutes into our meal the entire place was packed. We kicked things off with the pork buns, which were absolutely off the charts. Succulent pork is encased in the most deliciously tender dough pocket. These little darlings are reason enough to pay this place a visit.

For our main course, we all ordered the Momofuku Ramen, which is the traditional noodles in broth, big pieces of pork belly and shoulder, and a poached egg. I liked it just fine, but my husband, who grew up eating this sort of food, was over the stars for it.

We finished the meal with a serving of their ice cream of the day (which is the only dessert on the menu), a twist of rhubarb and shortcake flavors. Delicious flavor and texture, especially thanks to the little cinnamon crunchy bits that decorated the top. Of course, you could always walk the 2 blocks up to the Momofuku Bakery, which serves up some of the most unique cookie, cake, and pie creations you've ever seen.

Overall, the service was friendly, the food was top notch (seasonal and local to boot), and the atmosphere was comfortably energetic. Considering that Brad is already begging to go back, I certainly think Momofuku will make it on our regular restaurant rotation. Now if I could only figure out a way to snag a coveted reservation at Ko...

So as most of you who have been following my blog know, I don't usually do restaurant reviews. I was under the impression that since most people don't live in the nyc area, the information wouldn't necessarily be useful. What do you guys think - would you like to hear about places we find and love, or would you like me to just stick to the usual?

Momfuku Noodle Bar is located on 171 First Avenue, between 10th and 11th.

Milos Tsatsiki

Brad and I love to try new restaurants in the city. Our list of "to visits" is constantly growing, and I think we would probably have to eat out every night for the next month just to scratch off all the ones we currently have down. That being said, more often than not, we are constantly revisiting our favorites. We have our favorite brunch spot, local Italian, 24-hour diner and even our favorites for special occasions. I love trying new places, especially with the amazing press that many of the ones here in the city get, but I also crave the dishes from our most frequented spots.

One of the restaurants that we find ourselves at quite often is Estiatorio Milos. Milos is a Greek restaurant with a focus on seafood. Everything is super fresh, from the tomatoes, which they use for an unbelievable tomato salad, to the fish, which is actually laid out on ice for you to go up and select. We frequent Milos often in the summer for a light dinner and a bottle of white wine. We are especially fond of the Milos Special - which is thin cut and lightly fried pieces of zucchini, eggplant and saganaki cheese served with a phenomenal tsatsiki.

When I saw the recipe for their tsatsiki in the May 2008 Gourmet I almost screamed! It tastes exactly like it does in the restaurant, and is super simple to make. We put this on all kinds of veggies and even topped whole pitas with it for lunch. It has a creamy and tangy base thanks to the Greek yogurt, but the cucumber keeps it light and refreshing. I made a double batch of this and enjoyed pulling it out for a snack all week long. This would be an absolutely perfect dip with a big veggie plate.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes from last week! We are feeling much better now and are excited that it is finally warming up!

Milos Tsatsiki

Courtesy Estiatorio Milos 

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons EVOO

1 cup Greek yogurt

• Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and let drain for at least 15 minutes.
• Mash minced garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt, using back of knife, until it forms a paste.
• Whisk together garlic paste, EVOO, yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Using hands, squeeze out any excess moisture from cucumbers, then fold into yogurt.
• Season with salt if necessary.

Rao's at home!

Recently, Brad and I had the pleasure of having dinner at Rao's of New York, a virtually impossible reservation to come by. Rao's, for those unfamiliar with the iconic East Harlem establishment, has been around for over a hundred years, serving out traditional Italian fare. The restaurant is tiny to say the least, with only 10 tables, all of which sit one party a night. When you get a reservation at Rao's it doesn't come with a particular time. You show up when you like, and leave when you like. The staff is incredibly friendly, treating every one that walks through the door with the same kind of hospitality one would extend in their own home. Reservations are made literally months in advance and are extended only to a very few lucky individuals.

One of our good friends is one of those lucky people, and invited Brad and myself, along with a few other friends to join him at his treasured table. Now, Brad has been to Rao's a few times before thanks to some work connections, so I have been left at home to sulk and pout. The very first time he went, he brought me back the Rao's cookbook as a sort of consolation prize and his ticket back into the house. It is filled with a number of delicious looking pastas, meats and vegetables, and I had marked a number to cook before going there myself. After eating there though, that list has grown exponentially. We tried so many wonderful dishes, I simply can't wait to see if they will translate onto our own table as well.

This sausage, cabbage and penne dish was the first on my list. It was delicious at the restaurant, and came out exactly how we remembered it. It is simple in concept, but the homemade marinara sauce, which requires hand crushing and treatment of tomatoes and a watchful eye as the sauce bubbles and thickens away, paired with the savory sausage and unique flavor of the cabbage makes for a very memorable dish. It's like taking your average pasta and completely amping it up. And I can't say enough about the sauce. Let's just say I now understand why so many people are completely appalled by the idea of canned versions.

Not everyone can go to Rao's, but it's so nice to know that their signature dishes are just a few ingredients and a little bit of time away from being on your own table.

I also want to extend a huge "Thank-you!" to Lori of Lori's Story and Southern Delights, for this award. So sweet of you!

This award is for very creative blogs, so I would like to pass it along to Janna of Honeyed Hashette. I've just recently found Janna's site and she is always full of creative and completely delicious looking goodies. Not to mention that she is a fellow Aussie puppy lover. Please go check out her site!

Rao's Marinara Sauce

Courtesy of Rao's Cookbook

2 28-ounce cans imported Italian plum tomatoes with juice (I used Rao's brand)

1/4 olive oil

3 tablespoons minced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt

6 fresh basil leaves, torn

pinch dried oregano

pepper

• Using your hands, crush the canned tomatoes removing any hard core or skin, and set aside along with juice.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and saute onions for 3 minutes, or until translucent.
• Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add tomatoes, juice and salt to taste.
• Raise heat and bring to a boil.
• Immediately lower heat to a low simmer and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes (sauce will thicken the longer it cooks).
• Stir in basil, oregano and pepper to taste, cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat and serve.

Penne with Cabbage, Sausage and Marinara

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound Italian sausage meat, cut into bite sized pieces or taken out of casings

1 pound cooked savoy cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper

marinara sauce

1 pound penne

Pecorino Romano cheese

• Place cabbage in a large saucepan and cover by 2-inches with cold water.
• Bring water to a boil, then lower and simmer cabbage for 5 minutes.
• Place cabbage under cold water to stop the cooking.
• Drain cabbage well on paper towels and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat.
• Add sausage and cook through.
• Add cabbage and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Meanwhile cook penne until al dente.
• Add pasta and sauce to sausage mixture and cook for a few minutes, until flavors are combined.
• Remove from heat and serve. Top with cheese if desired.