Tag Archives: arugula

Milanese Meal in NYC

Posted on by

Guess what I had for dinner last night?

Fillet on a bed of sauteed spinach and roasted potatoes – da Umberto

JUST KIDDING! I haven’t eaten a steak since my 21st birthday and that was…just a few years ago. This is a snapshot of Hubs’s perfect steak dinner.  Even for a non-meat eater like myself, I thought this looked just delicious.

We had a great meal last night at da Umberto in Chelsea.  Da Umberto is an understated gem situated on a side street with a simple glass storefront. Our dining companions, Sandi and Mike, used to live 2 blocks away and had always wanted to dine there, but never had. It is the anti-scene. Inside, there is a dimly lit, elegant dining room and a menu reminiscent of a classic Milanese restaurant.

We were seated next to the antipasti bar, a rainbow of vegetable delights beautifully displayed, and begging to be ordered. The contents disappeared so quickly, I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture. You’ll have to use your imagination: roasted magenta beets, bright green broccoli rabe, perfect button mushrooms, roasted corn, eggplant caponata, caramelized brussel sprouts, and I can’t remember what else…

Mixed Grilled Seafood on a bed of Charred Corn – Grigliata Mista da Umberto

After a simple, fresh arugula salad, I had the mixed grilled seafood plate (grigliata mista) for dinner. It was a classic preparation – scampi, squid, a small piece of orata and salmon, all lightly drizzled with olive oil, lemon and some fresh herbs and grilled to perfection. What our dining companions ate, I cannot tell you. I was far too absorbed in my plate.  And in honor of our recent trip to the Maremma, Hubs ordered a yummy, medium-bodied, pepper-y red wine from Bolgheri.

I was already feeling quite full when the waiter wheeled over the dessert cart. Again, a lovely presentation: a beautiful ceramic bowl of tiramisu, ricotta cheese cake, goblets of frutti da bosco, chocolate mousse cakes and more. We could not resist and shared a chocolate and vanilla ice cream tartufo. Delightful. I can’t wait to go back.

Go USA! Sunday Night Dinner featuring Red, White and Blue

Posted on by

Hubs and I had a simple summer dinner tonight featuring our locally sourced goodies.

  • Early Corn Chowder served cold to start  the meal (left over from last night’s dinner). Tastes even better on day 2T
  • Arugula salad with Shaved Parmiggiano and Cherry Tomatoes, dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. The arugula was a treat from our friend Steve’s farm, Berkshire Bounty Farm, tomatoes from yesterday’s CSA pick-up
  • Finished off with Macerated Strawberries and Blueberries, pictured below. The strawberries were grown in our friend Nash’s greenhouse and the blueberries were local, though not certified organic. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s heaven

  • Red, White and Blue: strawberries, blueberries and vanilla ice cream

    GO USA!!!

Monday Night Dinner: Quinoa & Bean Salad

Posted on by

I was feeling like something fresh and light after a long weekend of travel and nonstop snacking. I wanted a combination of veggies and a healthy grain or protein. I settled on quinoa, a newly discovered foodstuff for me.

Oh, quinoa, how do I love thee, let me count the ways?

You are easy to prepare, versatile and oh-so-healthy. Not quite a grain, more like a vegetable, high in protein and the good kind of fiber.  Downsides are that it is messy to clean up when consumed by a toddler, but even the munchkin likes it.
I loosely followed this recipe for Quinoa and Bean Salad, with a few substitutes:
  • Prepare quinoa as instructed on package
  • In a separate pan, saute 1/2 of a chopped red onion
  • Add 12 – 15 stalks of asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces
  • Saute’ for a few minutes and add quinoa once ready
  • Take off heat and mix in 2 cups of arugula, some shredded basil, crumbled ricotta salata and a few tablespoons of vinaigrette
  • Mix well and serve. The arugula should wilt slightly. Add additional salt and pepper as necessary
I used ricotta salata instead of feta in the recipe because I knew hubs would NEVER touch it if he heard it included feta. And I skipped the beans. Would have been another reason for refusal to eat from the audience…
Aftermath
Yummy dinner, maybe a little light as a main dish. Husband asks:

What’s the big deal about quinoa?