What I'm Drinking These Days

Recently was introduced to a Tequila that shattered all illusions of the "best". Hear me out, I still adore my Gran Centenario. However Deleon brought me to my knees. The bottle itself is turn on. Handblown glass decanter, silver stopper that's an intricately carved skull designed by biker jewelry designer Bill Wall. But how does it taste?

The Tequila Whisperer calls it a "very exceptional tequila". Deleon won Best in Show Grand Champion at the World Beverage Competitions 2010 and 2011.

Quite frankly for the price ($140 per bottle) I think this tequila is one you save for special sipping. Don't leave it out for Uncle Irving to swill during the football game. This baby is best poured in a snifter and shared with your honey or sipped alone while smoking a Nat Sherman on a cool winter evening.

Belmont's Redemption

Been getting a lot of flak for a post last year in which I dissed the Belmont Tavern. My friends were not happy. How could you they chided? So it was with resignation that I trundled off to Belmonts, the day before Xmas Eve.

The newbies to Belmonts raved about the salad. What IS it about oil, vinegar and simple Italian herbs that makes a salad so intriguing? That's followed by Cavatelli with Pot Cheese and the Beeps. A couple orders of Mad Chicken, Chicken Savoy and the daily special of Pork Francese. All accompanied by the thimble sized cocktails.

The waitress (who's also the owner of the restaurant) takes to shine to my friend AR. She brings extra pepper flakes, extra plates and when it comes Sambuca time, she even brings him a jigger of coffee beans! Whoa, did we enter an alternate universe? You'll know the service here is terse at best.

The evening ends on an even better note. I've been severely chastised for requesting cream with my espresso. Lord knows why this is such a point of contention. Not like they have to trudge out to the field to milk old Bessy. But every time I do this I take a beating. This time I'm prepared. When the espresso arrives I whip out my non dairy creamers and gleefully sip my espresso like the demure lady I am...

From my perspective, Belmonts is redeemed.

5 out of 5 Tasters Say

I think I can take them. The Pot Pie establishments that is. Recent new years day attempts have bolstered my faith in the pie. Spent half the day simmering chickens in homemade broth which rendered the poultry unctuously moist - the perfect conduit to lap up aromatics. Main contenders are Blarney Station in East Rutherford and The Orange Squirrel in Bloomfield. While the Orange Squirrel does an elegant bechamel heightened by a liquor reduction. Cognac perhaps? Blarney's pie on the other hand is pure Irish fare.

I'm not shy about my culinary prowess but I have to say my pot pie does rock. This opinion was echoed by my weekend guests. All 5 of them! As my cousin Amit boldly rumored on Facebook: Best Pot Pie EVER.

All this talk of pies and casseroles reminds me of possibly the funniest cooking blog ever captured in interactive media. Jean Paul Sartre's Cookbook. Offered here for your culinary amusement.

From the Foothills of the Tatra Mountains Springs an Exceptional Vodka

Weekend frolics included a circus act trying to nail down a Friday nite venue. Contenders included Belmont Tavern, Truvatos, Il Villagio but Gianna's won out. Boy am I glad it did. Not for the Basa, my favorite white fish. Not for the shrimp in an ooh-so-lite garlic bath. Sounds like I'm prepping for the Feast of the 7 Fishes doesn't it?

No, I'm grateful to have dined at Gianna's Friday night for as I requested a Ketel One Martini with olives, Val the woman seated next to me suggested I try Double Cross instead. Never heard of it but I'm always game for a new adventure, especially if it's imbibed. So glad I did. It was smoother and oddly creamier. Not sweet like Grey Goose but softer on the tongue and silkier on the throat. Must be the 7 step distillation process, or perhaps it's the spring water from the foothills of the Tatra mountains.

The bottle is oddly rectangular and solid as you could wish any blunt object to be. Definitely a masculine bottle in a world of shapely round frosted barrels. The purveyor is barely discernible. Republic is the best we can make out, assuming it's Czech. Later we discover this product is made by the Slovak Republic with "winter grown estate wheat." First Croatia blows us away with it's indigenous Zinfindel. Now more Eastern European libation surprises. Who knew winter wheat could be so delightful?

Having been a Ketel fan for the better part of 13 years I'm ready to hand the Dutch spirit over to the sexy boys club and embrace the more feminine Double Cross as my own.

By the way, that's Dean the bartender kindly holding the bottle for the photo op.

Giannas Restaurant
843 Washington Avenue
Carlstadt, NJ 07072
201-460-7997

Dinner party season kicks off

Big lavish soirees where guests dress to the hilt. Casual Sunday afternoons to cook with chef buddies. Intimate dinners with candles burning and the scent of pine and cinnamon wafting through the air. All which mean bubbly time has arrived.

In the past Nicolas Feuillatte Rose won my starry-eyed devotion. Still love my Nic but my adoration for pink has now shifted to pale straw. That's the color of the La Marca Prosecco my buddies at Shoppers Vineyard turned me on to. I purchased it this summer and loved the lemony accents it gave to hearty BBQs. Winter-time however is whole new ballgame. The sparkling is far colder (what a treat to leave Champagne out on the deck to chill ice cold! No fridge ever did as good a job.) Matter of fact I stored an entire case outdoors for a recent dinner party. Yes, my liver is pleading for agua, please agua.

Speaking of cases, the wine is so affordable it makes sense to purchase by the case. Wine Spectator rated it 90 and it recently received a DOC rating.

Thanksgiving Eats

Thursday, Nov 24
Arrive in Maryland after 5 1/2 painful hours of stop and go traffic. Shotgun a mini-nip of Jose and head off to my aunt Hepzi's for the Chedalavada family Thanksgiving. I'm late so folks have already been eating. The carvings of turkey lay neatly carved sans carcass. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, gravy adorn one table - the "western feast". On the counter are pots of chicken curry, egg and potato curry, gongera & fri-chik (far too complicated to explain here, will spend an entire post on this one.) Coconut rice, chapattis, salads, fruit juices. Yes, we're a dry family. And I mean that literally...But then I see a big roasting pan emerge from the oven. It's another turkey but this one emits the briney scent of salt & smoke. Can it be, yes! A smoked turkey. I entreat my brother to carve yet another turkey. The man is a carving genius. The flair with which he dispatches legs and breasts in congruent display is a wonder.

Then come the cakes. 3 birthdays being celebrated today. My cousin Rekha, my cousin Mena and me. Rekha's cake is a gluten-free chocolate monolith. Mine is a German Chocolate cake made by my cousin Polly. The cake is moist as you could desire. The coconut/walnut frosting acts as filling as well as topping. Crunchy, sweet, slightly bitter from the dark chocolate and melty from the filling. I love my family.

Thursday, Nov 24 later that day
I'm off to my Aunty Jaya's home to visit with her family: her sons (Amit & Anup) and hubby David. I'm too full for dinner but sip creamy Nescafe coffee (seriously, it's an art form to Indians). And surprise! birthday cake numero dos. This one's dark chocolate with butter cream frosting. How can I say no to buttercream? Especially with my name written in pink and orange? The boys and I contemplate a trip to watch Immortals at the theater but stay home to watch TV and chat about cars, dogs & our love lives.

Friday, Nov 25
Breakfast kicks in around 10. Aunt makes fried vadas with coconut chutney. Lounging, shopping, jogging the dog kicks in a rabid appetite. Dig into the chicken curry and coconut rice my aunt has prepared along with homemade yogurt. This is the holy trinity to south Indians and we honor it with our stomachs.

Later that evening I meet my cousin Patty at Azucar for a quick golden margarita (Grand Marnier). We chat and share a crab quesadilla.

Saturday, Nov 26
Breakfast is Idli with sambaar! And man is it amazing. Takes me straight back home to Saturday's when I was a kid. My aunt treats me to a girlie day, pampering me with trip to the salon for a hairdo and manicure.

Later that evening women of the family gather for a sari celebration for my Mom. Can't go home and not have Ledo's pizza, and I've been hankering for some for months. Plain cheese, green olive & onion and mushrooms & onion. Field green salad by Aunty Hepzi, Samosas from Sandhya. Sodas and water to wash it all down. Oh and cake number 3 - this time yellow cake with buttercream for Suseela the bday girl.

My culinary bootie when I return home consists of a platter of smoked turkey, a tray of samosas, a box of pizza, assorted curries and rices. Oh and an empty bottle of Jose.

Ledos Pizza, a College Park classic for decades. Although I'm not crazy about the new joint that replaced the flagship store. Various locations within and outside Maryland.
Azucar Restaurant
14418 Layhill Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20906
Phone: (301) 438-3293

Birthday time is food time

Birthday week kicked off with dinner at an old Spanish standby Segovia. Dad and friends join me for an intimate little soiree. Staple starters of Clams Casino, Shrimp Ajillo, a watery vegetable soup and the standard iceberg lettuce. I will say however that Segovias has the BEST bleu cheese dressing I've tasted in long years. It's creamy with a bite of piquant real gorgonzola. It's Dad's all time favorite. Matter of fact he packed away three, count 'em three gravy boats of dressing in one sitting.

There's rarely a time I'm not in the mood for Paella. Perhaps I should have been last night. The Paella I shared with my bud Kenny was dry and almost flavorless. So much so I had to liberally douse the dish with Tabasco. Blasphemy! Luckily Dad's order of Spare Ribs was so massive I had plenty to nosh on. Matter of fact, so did everyone else. Stu's whole lobster stuffed with crabmeat was the clear winner. Toasty crust with soft savory stuffing inside.

The house brought out a chocolate mousse cake - all very ok. Better was the serenade by the waiters singing Happy Birthday Miss America. Awesome.

Even better were the cupcakes Kenny brought along from Mr. Cupcake. Mr. Cupcake is a young Jersey guy who's made it big time. TV Food Network, local news, throngs of followers - mostly women. Come on, who doesn't love a guy who can bake? Kenny sweetly brought Average Joes (anything but yellow cake dipped in dark chocolate ganache), French Toast (just like it sounds), Apple Crisp and Vanilla Chip (more mocha-ish with dreamy buttercream...)

Nice way to kick off bday festivities.

Segovia Restaurant
150 Moonachie Road
Moonachie, NJ 07074
201.641.4266
Open for lunch and dinner daily except Monday