Ambitious Delicious(ness)

As of August 28, 2010, this website has been operating for two whole years! I feel like I just celebrated the first anniversary not too long ago, but here we are.  My original plan was to relaunch the entire look and feel of the site by this date, but things didn’t quite work out that way. But it’s all good because that gives me something else to look forward to!

Thank you for reading, being hungry, trying out my recipes, and commenting! I wouldn’t be able to continue blogging without all of your support!! It means so much and I really appreciate you all!

And now, click below for a chance to win this cookbook with one of my recipes inside!

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More often than not, I either eat something at a restaurant or make a recipe that I’ve already posted about, resulting in a huge collection of random delicious food pictures. I figured I’d share them with you from time to time, in a new blog series called Esther’s eats. Please let me know if you think this is something I should continue as a series or not!

A quick update – I’ve mentioned before on my Facebook fanpage (if you haven’t “liked” it yet, please do so!), this site is undergoing a face lift as we speak, and a new logo is almost ready to be revealed. Thank you for your patience during this process! I will keep you updated as the date draws closer.

1. The Elvis from Peanut Butter & Co., with bacon added. Mine was custom ordered – creamy peanut butter with honey, bananas, and bacon! It was sweet and savory. (I think it was about $10 with a drink).

And then…I ate the best macarons of my life, blowing Bouchon Bakery out of the water.

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This is yet another classic pasta recipe. This was my first time making it but it was a success. It was quick and easy. I made this for D and he enjoyed it, but then again, he’s biased.

I wanted to cook with fresh clams but didn’t have time to scrub those little guys. Instead, I went with the canned kind, along used some white wine for the sauce. As long as you have fresh herbs and garlic, I think you’ll be fine. I didn’t use any cheese in the name of keeping the dish more healthy, but I would highly recommend using at least a little bit to add depth of flavor.

As an appetizer, I went with a no-fail classic: tomatoes with mozzarella and chiffonade basil, fresh cracked pepper and olive oil. Simple, delicious and best of all – doesn’t need heat!

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It’s been super warm, and I’ve been lacking motivation to cook. My diet consists of homemade salads for lunch and soba noodles for dinner.  In any case, I’ve been wanting to go to Di Fara for two years, especially having read rave reviews for quite some time now. Heck, Serious Eats has a bunch of posts dedicated to this one place!

If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you’ll know that I’ve only done one other review during the entire lifespan of this site. I reviewed a Vietnamese place in San Francisco, and I dream about their Emperial roll sometimes. *drool*

This is no ordinary pizza. We waited so long to eat this!

While doing a review will only be another drop in the bucket, I still thought it was appropriate to do a post about my experience, especially at a place that has been called “The best pizza in New York” by so many.

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I was invited to a seasonal event by the folks at Eggland’s Best at Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in NYC. I really love going to ICE because I looove large, industrial sized kitchens, not to mention an opportunity to learn something new in the cooking world. It was fun to meet new bloggers and reacquaint myself old ones.

According to the website, Eggland’s Best eggs contain 10 times more Vitamin E than ordinary eggs, four times more Vitamin D, 115mg of Omega 3, when compared to regular eggs.  And one Eggland’s Best large white egg contains just 175mg of Cholesterol compared to 215mg in an ordinary egg.

We learned that there is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs. They also have regular eggs, and a different brand of organic eggs.

See photos of our scrumptious dinner after the jump!

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Hello world!

Chinese broccoli has been my favorite vegetable for the past couple of weeks. I bought a pound and ended up using it in three separate dishes. Chinese broccoli has leaves and stems, similar to what you would find in kale, but the flavor is much more subtle. I was really happy with the way this dish came out, and it was so simple and easy to make.

My sister brought back some paprika from the streets of Budapest, and it was bursting with an amazing amount of flavor! The extra kick which complemented the sweetness combined with the garlic flavor so wonderfully.

After the jump (and the recipe), I give you the cookbook winner!

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Just one more day until the giveaway ends! All you have to do is leave a comment, telling me what cookbook you’d like to win (under $35) and why!

This summer salad began as a way to enjoy some fresh veggies I had on hand. The thought of using my stove during the summer heat was unappealing, so begrudgingly made peace with canned beans to make this refreshing salad. My only regret is that I went overboard with the mint! After letting the flavors intermingle overnight, the entire salad was minty! Please make sure you don’t repeat my mistake when you make this!

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Happy Friday to you! Hope everyone has been doing well, despite the crazy heat wave we’ve been having here in NYC! I had a plan to avoid turning my stove on but that plan doesn’t seem to be working.

In any case, I’m excited to announce a new giveaway!

*If I were to enter this contest, I’d choose this book! But lucky for you, you get to choose!

Snubbr, a website that provides product recommendations from experts, has graciously offered to provide a cookbook to you, dear reader! The best part is, you can choose which cookbook you’d like to win (as long as it’s under $35)! Just look through Amazon and pick something.

You have until Thursday, July 15th (midnight) to enter. The website folks will pick their favorite comment and name the winner! (This giveaway is only open to residents in U.S and Canada.)

All you have to do is answer this question in the comments section of this post:

What cookbook would you like to win? Why?

Good luck!

Happy Independence Day! A special thanks to all those who sacrificed for our freedom. Hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend with family and friends!

Puttanesca is an Italian dish that I’ve always enjoyed but never tried making at home. This dish is begins with some garlic and diced onions, then includes a harmonious blend of flavors from anchovies, capers, and tomatoes. It’s a great alternative regular tomato based sauces, and has a ton of flavor!

My friend J and I made this dish together for dinner, then had dessert wine and brownies.

I used real tomatoes, but that canned diced tomatoes may actually work better in this case. I also added kale as a way of incorporating some greens into the dish. If you are a fan of dark greens like kale, you should definitely give this a try!

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I attended a wonderful event at the Bronx Botanical Garden last Saturday, thanks to Alejandra of Always Order Dessert. It was a great chance to meet other bloggers, as well as to have access to all of the wonderful areas of the garden!

Unfortunately, my camera was not working properly, leaving me with a minimal amount of photos. I did end up using my blackberry to get some more pictures though. So sorry about that!

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