Balthazar

A first time trip to New York City last February was one of the most memorable trips of my life. I am a obsessive planner when it comes to trips because I want to make the most of a short visit and see and eat as much as possible. Trying to plan New York was on overwhelming task. How can you possibly choose where to eat when there are so many choices and you are unfamiliar with the area? At home, I scoured guidebooks and asked for recommendations from people who visited NYC. I created a list where I wrote restaurant names, their address (and cross streets when I could find them), and phone number.

Someone recommended a French restaurant, Balthazar, to us and that was on my trusty list. Danny and I had gone to Greenwich village and went to some amazing hole-in-the-wall record and clothing shops. We found ourselves on Spring Street and had no idea where to go. A light clicked in my head and I remembered Balthazar was on Spring Street, but we couldn't find any addresses on the buildings to find out where we were. We ended up taking a cab up Spring Street and it dropped us in this area in Soho where we would have never found on our own. And there in all it's glory stood the huge restaurant Balthazar.

Yes it was extremely expensive for an impromptu lunch, the waiters were snobby and I think the iced tea was about 5 bucks, but I ordered one of the best salads I've ever had, the grilled brook trout over a warm spinach, walnut and lentil salad. Danny had a beef stroganoff. After our lunch I felt like I had truly visited a New York restaurant!

I just got my hands on the Balthazar cookbook, and after reading it cover to cover I feel like I had just eaten there again. The intro is a very well written description of the bustling restaurant from open to close and well as bios of the executive chef and managers. The food pictures are beautiful even though you know you're not going to make any of the highly difficult recipes in the book. Blurbs about technique and explanations of French cooking terms are interesting and at least the sauces and desserts look doable.

Cars and Crack

Today I had a much needed day off to myself. I love Christmas and all but Christmas night around 9 pm I was on family overload, especially since they decided to engage in a roaring loud game of Catch Phrase.

This morning I decided to do some errands that I would never get to do during the work day. My car is a 2001 Chevy Malibu which has been really good to me (knock on wood) but it has the most annoying lights and bells that alert you on the instrument panel. Every so often my coolant light goes on and won't go off until you add more coolant. My coolant light has been on for months and now my windshield wiper fluid light was on so I bought a bottle of each. I read on the bottle that your engine has to be cool to pour in the coolant so I popped the hood in the parking lot of the store and tried to open the cap of the antifreeze thing in the car. I unscrewed the cap and it seemed to be broken because part of it was in my hand and part of it was still snug inside the hood! I could not get this cap off! A nice older guy saw me struggling and tried to help me but he couldn't get it off either. I thanked him and told him I would have to take it somewhere. While driving home, I kept getting mad at myself that I couldn't get a dumb cap off. I went inside the house and grabbed a screwdriver and rammed it down the side of the opening until the cap was loosened and I could twist it off. It was the best feeling in the world to get this cap off after struggling for so long! There was barely any coolant inside of there and probably was dangerous that I was driving around like that.

After the car drama I got hooked on this show about Keyshia Cole on BET. They were doing a marathon and I couldn't stop watching it, not even to change the channel during commercials! I've always liked Keyshia Cole's music, but I never knew her life was like a soap opera. Her mother ended up in jail because of a crack addiction and Keyshia was raised by foster parents who essentially gave her a better life. We later learn that her biological mother had 7 children with multiple fathers. Keyshia bails her mother out of jail and invites her mother and her older sister Neffe to live with her in Atlanta. Neffe was married but learned that her husband cheated on her with her cousin. Great stories....I can see why this show is the #1 series telecast in BET history.

Christmas Survey

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? both

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real. Some people know this year my tree fell down and the tip broke off because SOMEONE didn't put it in the stand right.

3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime in December.

4. When do you take the tree down? After New Years Day, or whenever I get sick of it, whatever comes first.

5. Do you like egg nog? Yumm

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A huge CD/radio boombox

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? It's hard to buy for everyone when you're short on cash.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom and sister because they tell me what they want.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail...I had to buy the special ugly sweater stamps too!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My great-grandma Ferritto used to make us knitted bootie socks with balls. That was a downer when you were a kid!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Thanks to Danny and Neal: Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? This year I started in August when we picked up a gift on vacation.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes! But always something I would have wanted to keep.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Biscotti cookies

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both

17. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World when church is over.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay in beautiful Cleveland! I usually slip and fall on my butt at least once on the ice because I stubbornly wear high heels.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes. When I was 3 or 4 years old (before I could read), there's a home video of me reciting the entire "Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem from memory.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Usually a star but right now nothing because I have a wobbly TIP!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Danny, mom and sister Christmas Eve. The rest Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? No parking anywhere and amateur shoppers.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I have a plastic from Target theme going on right now.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I really don't care. Probably the side dishes.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? For it to be relaxing for everyone and NO BLIZZARDS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Meatball = Love

Here's a picture I took of Meatball when he was 4 months old with a point and shoot camera and black and white film. I was cleaning my desk and found it and thought I would scan it in and share.

Special K Chocolately Delight

This stuff isn't good. At all. The flakes taste like cardboard and you never get a flake with a piece of chocolate because the chocolate pieces sink to the bottom. You end up eating a bowl of flakes and then a bowl of slimy dark chocolate logs. I just want to get the truth out there about this. When I bought it I thought the chocolate would be like chocolate shavings a la french silk pie and melt in your mouth. Boy was I misled. I can't believe I just wrote a whole post about Special K.

Yays and Boos, Numbers Edition

Boo for the electricity going out at work at 11:00 am.

Yay for getting dismissed at work at 1:30 because some construction workers hit a power line and the power wouldn't be restored until 4!

Yay for getting paid for all 8 hours!

Yay for moving my hair appointment up to 3:15 from 7pm!

Boo for the traffic and awful parking situation because people are NUTS at Christmas.

Yay for getting my mom's present done before my hair appointment at Victoria's Secret.

Yay for 40% off VS gift sets and a $10 off coupon!

Boo for the 3 hours it takes to color and highlight my thick hair.

Yay for only paying $5 because my sister is the hairdresser!!!!!!!!!!

Browns Blizzard

Yesterday was a blizzard in Cleveland. A time to snuggle up at home, drink hot cocoa and watch movies, right? Well I didn't get to do that. This was me yesterday.I accompanied Danny to the Cleveland Browns vs. the Buffalo Bills football game. Which I must say was an experience. One that I will try not to ever repeat, but an experience. The most frustrating part was standing in line to get IN to the stadium. We waited almost 20 minutes outside with gusting winds blowing in our faces and my makeup actually ran! I did get to stay warm once inside as we had club seats which have a little indoor bar area. The Browns ended up winning 8-0!

Pan fried Perch Po' Boys

The question I get asked almost immediately after I tell people my boyfriend is a chef is "Does he cook for you?". He does.....on occasion. He usually works 80 hour weeks and barely has enough energy to make Chef Boyardee. But today was a rare day that he had off so here is what he made me for lunch - Pan fried perch Po' Boy sandwiches. This is my favorite preparation for fish, pan fried with panko breadcrumbs!




DJ's Po' Boy Bangers
2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
2 cups Cornmeal
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 lb perch fillets de-boned
Shredded cheddar cheese
Romaine lettuce
Hogie Rolls
Tartar Sauce
Bread and Butter Pickles

1. Combine Old Bay, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Lightly salt and pepper perch fillets.
3. In a medium saute pan, heat 1/2 vegetable oil on medium heat.
4. Lightly toss perch in breadcrumbs mixture, coating both sides and pressing down to make sure it sticks.
5. Carefully lay the fish in the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook other side 2-3 minutes.
6. With tongs, gently take out perch. Place on baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes at 350°.
7. Assemble sandwiches with fresh romaine, cheddar, tartar sauce and pickles (the pickles are for, as iron chefs would say, acidity).

Christmas is not cooperating this year!

This is my third Christmas living in this apartment and my third real tree that Danny has gotten and set up for me while I was at work. This year, the tree lasted a day and decided to fall right when Danny walked in the door at 6pm! The tip even broke off! The tree is back up with the tip ducktaped in, but I haven't had time to RE-decorate it yet.

On a happier note, here is my Meatbally Pooper. He hates wearing any type of clothing. Note the spit mark where he tried to bite the scarf off!

Columbus!

On Saturday I was asked to go to Columbus with my friend J and her friend to go shopping and see BODIES...The Exhibition. I lived in Columbus for 4 years in college and was so excited to go back for a visit! Unfortunately we only had time to go to the suburb where the mall and exhibit was and not get into downtown where I lived and went to school. I'll save that for next time I guess!

Onto the pics!

The Apple Store. The computer nerd in me had to take a picture of giant nutcrackers with ipods!


Lunch was at Cosi, a bistro famous for homemade flatbreads and salads. I had the Signature Salad which was mixed greens tossed with red grapes, pears, pistachios, dried cranberries, gorgonzola and tossed with shallot sherry vinaigrette. I was so happy eating that salad, I could have turned around and driven two hours home and would have been satisfied.


Ruehl No. 925. This store is owned by Abercrombie and Fitch geared toward the 25-35 year old crowd. The storefront is decorated like a brownstone in Greenwich Village, NY and the rooms with the clothing are set up like a cool, modern loft. Having just visited NY for the first time this year, I was really excited to check this place out. I found two shirts to buy and I actually got lost in the store trying to find the register! When I found it, there was no line and they had bar stools set up so you can take a rest while paying. The best part is when you get home, the shirts smell like cologne! Abercrombie really gets it right with store ambiance and I'm glad this store exists because I can't fit into Abercrombie clothes anymore.

I also did really good at The Limited buying two shirts for $22 thanks to a 25% off sale they were having throughout the whole store and a extra 30% off coupon I found online. I was very suprised since I usually find nothing I like there.

The extreme shopping turned educational with BODIES...The Exhibition across the street. I don't think it was worth $20, but it did give me a new perspective on how I should be exercising and taking care of myself in regards to the food I put in my body. We ended the night with dinner at McCormick and Schmick's where I had pecan crusted catfish with a marmalade sauce. No pictures because we had to bust into the bar with no reservation and were starved! I definately want to go back soon!

Christmas Blurbs

• Finished my Christmas Cards. I don't know why but it's taking me forever for me to feel "Christmasy" this year. After writing out 16 cards, I feel much more in the spirit. I HAD to buy the dorky Christmas sweater stamps to go along with them!


• Watched the Top Chef Christmas Special. This was a pleasant suprise to see some of my favorite chefs come back to compete. I thought it was genius to have the chefs prepare 3 courses and eliminate 2 chefs after each course, leaving some chefs with dishes that they weren't able to use. The addition of the on-the-fly dish encouraged the chefs to pick and choose from the eliminated which created even more tension.

• Kind of Christmas related because I always make my doctor's appointments around Christmas. I filled out the rebate form I got from the eye doctor to get $30.00 back for ordering a 6 month supply of contacts. While doing this, I kept staring at the bag they put all my receipts and rebate in. This bag just annoys me.


Get it? It's googly EYES because it's an EYE doctor. ha ha.........no.

Bye Bye Bianca!

I'm very pleased to see this little brat get kicked off this week's ANTM! She is bad at posing, has a mean face and a cocky attitude. It was good TV when they shaved her head though, I always enjoy a good tear-filled head shaving. To give her any sort of credit, she IS only 18 and still has an enormous amount of growing up to do. I know when I was 18 I was extremely shy, starving myself, and scared to go to college 2 hours away. Definately not the case now! The three girls that are left are on even ground on terms of looks, obeying photographers, etc. The judges are going to really have to split hairs to determine the winner.

Giant Eagle Secret Spy!!!

I was bored yesterday so I decided to register at Giant Eagle's website, the midwest's huge grocery store chain. While playing around on the site, I found out you can see how much money you are eligible to get off your gas via their fuel perks program. Cool. Then, I click on another tab called Shopping History. There is a list of all the shopping purchases I made for the last 4 months. No big deal, right? Well Danny and I share a Giant Eagle card partly because of his laziness to sign up and partly so we can get a bigger fuel perks discount. So now I can spy on what he buys!!!!!!! Muhahahaha!!!!! I found out he mostly buys Gatorade and Red Bull, but I also discovered some reacurring themes. Reese Sticks? Those fattening fried cherry pies? Bad, bad Danny!

Blog Love 2

A shout-out to all the people with blogs I sent my blog link to:
suffix.abuse - That amazing picture of sushi is making me crave spicy tuna rolls right now!
Anodyne Design - Shannon describes her Etsy shop as something that soothes, calms, or comforts and her blog conveys that soothing feeling too! Beautiful handbags.
The Quilterhood - and her puppies Buddy & Beulah.
mona millefiori - Love your new logo, very pretty!
nicole20 - I wish you the best for your newborn and you are in my prayers.

And also the blogs that were sent to me!
Toilet Roll Art - love, love, love the shoes you posted!
Kentucky Girl - I also share your love (opps I mean hate) for shopping.
Tina Lynn - thanks for introducing me to live journal! Cute cherry blossoms!
Mirawyn Crafts - I've always wanted to do ATC's and just never do them. Maybe your blog will inspire me.