Around the World: The Conclusion

The adventure continues...
We left off on my last blog post on our way to Italy for a great Italian chicken dish. Roger took charge of this one. He used the slow cooker and used split chicken breasts that were simply melt-in-your-mouth tender. He simmered a fresh sauce all afternoon using crushed tomatoes with the chicken, seasoning it with a large onion, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Add a fresh loaf of bread to this and you've got a great meal for a Wednesday.

Moving on to another part of the globe, Friday's dinner was of Polish origins. I pan fried pierogies with chopped onions and butter and served them up with pieces of chicken sausage and saurkraut. The chicken sausage took the place of kielbasa as I just can't take the overwhelming garlic of the meat, as good as it could be. It's the basic ingredients of the meal that really counts anyway. The seasoned sausage, par boiled and then browned was perfect with the kraut and pierogies. Beer finished off the pairing of this campfire meal. Definitely a family favorite.

The weekend did bring me back home to America to a celebration of local fare and Long Island Wines. Saturday evening I attended HARVEST East End: A Celebration of Long Island Wine. The Festival Tasting was organized perfectly and the layout consisted of tables integrating local wines and food. It was a true toast to the region. We moved on to dinner under a warmly lit tent donned with lanterns and cozy tables for twelve. A band played while staff served farm-to-table fare in a gourmet style that only renowned chefs from North Fork Table & Inn and Jedediah Hawkins Inn could prepare. And what better way to serve these foods, then with a variety of Long Island's finest wines.

Tonight? Well, to round off the week of exotic international cuisine, we dined on All America Football Food! What does this consist of? Chili, cornbread, sliders and pasta. You've got to love the variety.

It's been fun travelling with all of you. Now, back to the North Fork for at least one week before we depart of the shores of Maine on Mt. Desert Island. Ciao for now!

Around the World on a Weeknight

I couldn't resist writing tonight when I thought about the vastly diverse dinners that I've had each night this week. It seems that I've had a completely international travel theme going on and didn't even realize it. I guess that's my inner gypsy working her way out.

Starting with Sunday, I have to share my experiences at a great hidden foodie spot on the North Fork in Mattituck called Bahia. It's an authentic Tex-Mex burrito bar that is a must try for all of you Mexican food lovers. I chose a "Green Burrito", which consists of green tomatillo salsa, rice, beans and cheeses melted together inside a green tortilla shell. This place serves up some super fresh burritos as well as other assorted cultural dishes.

On Monday, I decided to spice up the evening with some Indian food. This time, I cooked. I whipped together a mean curry shrimp in no time. I simmered shrimp in a curry sauce using coconut milk, cream, curry seasoning, cumin and diced onion. This incredibly rich, delicious and flavorful meal was perfect over rice. It had been so long since I've enjoyed curry and didn't realize how much I missed it until the aromas filled the entire house.

Then came Tuesday and we continued to move around the globe. Tonight's dinner was Asian-inspired. Not at all a classic dish of the Asian continent but included the flavors. If you've read my blogs consistently, you'll notice I'm always doing something different with burgers. Defining the term "burgers" as sliders, beef, turkey - anything that I can put together and serve on a bun. This recipe was ground pork that I mixed with soy sauce, a dash of Asian sesame dressing, onion powder, salt, pepper and sesame seeds. I then grilled them and served them on a bun with a bit of the Asian Sesame dressing rubbed on top. The side dish was one simple veggie dish of green beans from our garden sauteed in sesame oil and tossed with some almond slivers.

The unplanned travelling for dinners this week will continue tomorrow in Italy. I have premeditated the idea of doing Italian chicken with the split chicken breasts I acquired. More to come at the end of the week. Not sure if this Adventure Girl will end up back in America by the weekend. Stay tuned!

Must-try Marinade: The Sweet Heat

Today started bright and early with a mission to do an overhaul in seasonal cleaning of our house. We vacuumed baseboards, dusted every nook and re-decorated with some autumn colors.

Leave it to the array of harvest scented candles burning to get your appetite revved up. Of course, my morning tasks just wouldn't be valid without some preparation for a special dinner. We decided to grill tonight so I took the opportunity to try out an exciting new addition I bought for our spice rack: Cocoa Chili Powder.

I was waiting for a chance to create something with it and since I was not in the mood for hot chocolate nor any baked goods, I decided to make a marinade. I prepped it mid-morning and added it to my meat in a baking dish to sit until this evening in the refrigerator. Here are the ingredients for the marinade:

• Base of Soy Sauce and Cocoa Chili Powder


• Dash of Teriyaki and Worchestershire


• Sea salt and cracked pepper


• (That's it!)
  

The steaks received a generous sprinkling of the powder as well. They grilled perfectly and I had to share this with all of you. The flavor was unique but not overwhelming. It didn't take away from the quality of the meat but it did add a hint of sweetness to the salty soy. This was a great new find as a mild spice. I can't wait to try it on brownies!

What happens after Labor Day

The first week of September, Labor Day was almost a week ago, and the fall wheels are already in motion. School is back in session, Raphael has begun harvesting their grapes (Sauvignon Blanc clusters at right), the air carries a brisk chill and pumpkins are popping up at all of the farm stands on the North Fork. I absolutely love this time of year for the colors, the excitement and the overall bustling atmosphere. It's totally energizing.

First, I would like to start my post with a big "thank you" to my dad, Brian and my brother-in-law, Jeremy for providing delicious dinners for me and Roger this week. Things have been so busy, it's nice to have some creative minds working on dinner for me once in a while. My dad shared sweet and flavorful marinated salmon steaks that we broiled. We topped a classic Sang Lee salad mix with Asian Sesame vinaigrette dressing and the tender salmon that was nicely seasoned with dill. Excellent dinner!

Another evening, I stopped by my in-laws house to pick up Roger and our doggies. When I entered the house, the aroma of a simmering tomato sauce wafted to the door. It suddenly reminded me of my grandmother's Sunday cooking. We couldn't resist staying for dinner. The sauce...and the meatballs were perfect.

So, I suppose I should share an interesting recipe that I tried out tonight. This one falls under the quick-fix, "spice up a boring dinner" category. Tonight's special addition was Spicy Sweet Corn Relish - a little late in the season for this idea but nonetheless, it was helpful to the all-American hot dog dinner that Roger requested.

Spicy Sweet Corn Relish

Saute the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 can kernel corn
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 small diced tomato
• 1 diced jalapeno pepper
• 1 tbsp of sweet relish
• pinch cayenne pepper powder
• pinch of cumin
• Red Hot (splash)
• salt and pepper to taste

Be sure to simmer covered so the flavors have a chance to blend well. We put this over Ball Park Franks but it would be great over sausage or paired with a white flaky fish, or even as a vegetable side dish.

For now, let the brisk wind ignite your senses, and let your fall cooking and decorating ideas begin.

Things I Learned About Life from My Garden

#1: Don't ever expect anything. That way everything you get is a happy surprise!

#2: Do as much as you can with the bounty Mother Nature gives you. Be creative and don't waste a thing...unless it's really rotten.

#3: Sometimes starting from scratch (the hard way) is not the better way of yielding results.

Not that I planned on becoming philosophical but I couldn't resist. I wanted to write about the results from our garden, especially after a weird dinner experience last night. However, I decided to add to it and compare the rules of the veggie garden to life lessons.

We've enjoyed some delicious harvests for our first crack at a garden started in less-than-ideal soil. We have feasted on lettuces, abundant squash and zucchini, squash blossoms, tomatoes and jalepenos. Even some herbs added spice to our summer life. Other things, could have been better such as our beautiful looking eggplant.

To the eye, the purple and while flecked vegetable was perfect. It was finally sliced and sauteed for dinner last night. I prepared: Cast-iron skillet cooked chicken breast with chopped onion and garlic powder. Then I covered the thin breasts with thinly sliced fresh tomato, oregano and shredded cheese and continued to cook in the oven until the tomatoes were roasted and infused with the chicken along with the melted goodness. I placed these over sauteed eggplant, which would have been delicious due to the Italian seasonings I added, however the immense amount of seeds outweighed the meat of the vegetable. I'm not sure if we left them out too long or not long enough on the vine but it was disappointing to say the least.

An unexpected surprise were our tomatoes. They are proof that you should not "judge a book by its cover." They were small and didn't even seem a ripened red but for the past three weeks, I have been completely obsessed with eating these flavorful little guys with everything. I slice, dice and chop them and all of our meals include some tomato.

Herbs: Our most utilized herbs were our chives and cilantro. The basil never grew to potential and I never jumped on any recipes including mint. Next year, the location of our herb garden will be re-assessed for sure as the porch environment didn't seem to agree with them as their life span was short and sweet.

I hope some of you can relate to some garden-life lessons. Signing off for now to enjoy this gorgeous fall-like day!

Raphael Announces GM: A New Direction in a New Role

Joseph Vergari is the Executive Chef and owner of J. Vergari, Inc. catering and special events, along with his wife Julia Petrocelli-Vergari. After almost twenty years at the helm of a thriving kitchen and business, it was only natural for this ambitious entrepreneur to be appointed the position as general manager of Raphael vineyard and winery.

Growth has been continuous throughout 2010 and the future of Raphael is exhilarating. Mr. Vergari is focused on the organization and expansion of business at the vineyard and among wholesale markets. Joseph is following the same philosophy within the winery that he does in his kitchen. "I'm very passionate about what I do, whether I'm planning a menu or analyzing sales reports." Joseph explains, "At Raphael, we've implemented some innovative strategies and new ideas such as pioneering the wine-on-tap system for a variety of our restaurant customers. It's exciting to project what we can achieve and be a vital part of getting us there."

Since his start as general manager, Mr. Vergari has built a strong staff. He has formed further positions and chosen key personnel, including new winemaker, Leslie Howard. "With our new team in place," He tells us, "There is no stopping us now!"

Joseph Vergari can be reached at (631) 765-1100 ext. 100 or at generalinfo@raphaelwine.com. For more information on Raphael, please visit http://www.raphaelwine.com/.

The Promise of Creative and New

New York City - the energy, the people, the culture, the food and wine. It is the pinnacle of innovative dishes, vast cellar selections and always delivers something exciting. I have never been bored of anything in Manhattan. Every time I visit, unfortunately few and far between more recently, there is always a new trend in restaurants and cafes, or a fashion era just on the brink. I love to taste and to learn.

This past weekend I spent the weekend at a boutique hotel called DREAM on 55th and Broadway. From there, I experienced a colorful variety of food genres and two shows: Promises, Promises on Broadway, and Love, Loss & What I Wore off Broadway.

My dining adventures began at China Grill at 53rd and 6th Avenue. This was a flavor roller coaster infusing Asian seasoning with an artful combination of the freshest ingredients and classic main courses. Dining was family style in its own way. There were three of us so the recommendation was to choose two dishes for each course. The cocktails consisted of a Lychee Nut Sakitini, Mango Martini and a wine flight of champagne, rose and a zinfandel. Here's what we ate: Tempura Tuna Sashimi, which was not as heavily coated (thank goodness!) as one would expect and the wasabi and miso drizzle was perfect; Squid Salad, which combined crispy calamari rings as well as tentacles in a mustard champagne dressing and mixed greens; Barbecued Salmon with a sweet teriyaki glaze and a skirt steak; on the side was a Five Vegetable Rice. For dessert we enjoyed homeade raspberry and chocolate ice cream, raspberry sorbet and a slice of chocolate torte. What I was impressed with here was not only the way flavors were paired together on each dish, but the fresh way it was prepared. There was nothing oily or rich in anything. I have to compliment the chef at this Asian Fusion hot spot.

The next day was an education in edible from early in the morning. We started with spinach and parmesean omelettes at Serafina, which were delicious and absolutely perfect to start the day after our late night on Friday. Lunch was an extraordinary adventure of Coconut Bubble Tea (which I am now addicted to) accompanied with a Curry Chicken Quinoa salad and cheddar cherry Tea Bite at Argo Tea Cafe. We loved the bubble tea so much, we ended up going back for more at 11:00 p.m. that night. The tea is a coconut and black tea creation that turns coconut juice into tiny gelatin bubbles that you get to sip up through an extra wide straw. The flavor is uncomparable to anything else I've tried. I only wish we had an Argo tea cafe out on the East End!

Our dining and entertainment marathon continued at Columbus Circle mall. Of course I had to visit William Sonoma as soon as we entered the large glass doors just across from Central Park. Much to my surprise and luck, Chef Adam Schop was about to begin a demonstration on salmon ceviche and introduce his newly opened restaurant nuela on West 24th Street. We had front row seats. I enjoyed watching the quick recipe being put together but of course tasting it was something else all together. I've tasted ceviche but the lime and celery juice in this one was a tangy treat that I will definitely try to repeat as long as I can find King Salmon like he chose. I was able to chat with the chef about his start in the industry and about his new place. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

Last but certainly not least, our finale was at Tony's Di Napoli at 147 West 43rd Street. We received a warm welcome from the manager and hostess upon arrival. The atmosphere was comfortable and just like home and we were treated as we were family. Our glasses were filled with Raphael's 2007 Estate Merlot. The dishes were family style and consisted of the most tender Veal Parmesean and Ravioli Di Napoli that was topped with the best Pomodoro sauce that I've ever tasted. The aroma proved how amazing it was going to be before you even put it to your mouth. The finish was a Lemon Ricotta Cheescake and cappuccino. All of it was more magical than I could've expected of an Itlalian restaurant and we didn't want this dinner to end.

New York delivered on all of its promises. (As it always does.) I'll be back soon...save a seat for me.