Open a can of white beans and combine with olive oil, salt, small or chopped shrimp, minced garlic and thyme leaves in a pan. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done; garnish with more olive oil.
Pan-grill a skirt steak for three or four minutes a side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, slice and serve over romaine or any other green salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon.
Pasta with fresh tomatoes: Cook chopped fresh tomatoes in butter or oil with garlic until tender, while pasta cooks. Combine and serve with grated Parmesan.
Lots of great ideas in that piece that can be altered and expanded upon to your tastes. Key thing with this type of simple cooking: the taste of the dish will depend most on the quality of your ingredients, not your cooking expertise, or lack-thereof.
I’m as much of a “foodie” as you can be with a 3, 5, 12, & 15 year old. It’s hard to be real discerning in your dinner choices when the #1 priority is whether or not the place has a high chair!!
But as far as food that I prepare at home…I’m a big-time snob, for sure.
As Manhattan goes, I’d say the best couple of meals we’ve had there in recent months have been at Crispo (awesome Italian) and Tabla (innovative Indian).
Kobe Club got pretty, ahem, butchered by critics - that plus the $200+ steak puts it pretty low on my list. I’ve always wanted to try Flay’s place, but it’s right next to Tamarind (our favorite Indian), so we can never bring ourselves to walk in Mesa’s door while that tandoor is beckoning…
Mesa is a good standby, ate at Tabla and 11 Madison Park when I worked in the building. Used to be more of a foodie when I spent more time out, but still enjoy the occasional high end meal.
Still rely on Sparks for steaks, Raoul’s (or Les Halles) for steak frites and romantic atmosphere, and would happily go to JG Melon’s for a burger and beer anytime.
Had a burger last week at Burger Joint but they unfortunately overcooked my burger, which is unusual for them. I find that I’m eating them rarer and rarer as I get older.
I’ve only had the lunchtime burger at Luger. Never ventured out that far at dinner - Sparks is in midtown and easier to get to, and plus you can reminisce about the good old days when Paulie Castellano got whacked outside, with Gotti watching. Last time I was there, there was only one woman in the place, and she was a professional, so to speak.
I haven’t been to Tabla in years, but I assume its still good. I used to haunt that neighborhood because I worked 100 hours a week down there, so mostly I’d be eating all sorts of meals at L’Express, but I haven’t spent much time down there in recent years.
Did go to Red Cat in January - very very good, but very small place. Ate at Bar Martignetti last week - food was good, scenery was probably better, but that’s another story altogether.
No way? I haven’t found any place that can match Luger’s.
Ain’t that the truth! And I’ve also noticed that the Great Neck Luger has gone waaay downhill. Now Brooklyn’s always been the best, but in years past the Great Neck locale was a decent enough sub. Two visits there inside the last year have told me that from now on it’s Brooklyn or no Peter Luger’s for us.
Speaking of steak, few months back we found oursellves at Smith & Wollenskys for some godforsaken reason - absolutely awful. Every bit the underwhelming, over-priced tourist trap it that it seems to be.
I think Magnolia has been reopened? I have to say, I don’t get what the fuss is all about. Maybe we’ll revisit while we’re in the Village next weekend.
But seriously, Luger’s steaks are worth every bit of additional training you’d have to do to burn it off. It’s an artery-clogging feast for sure but an experience that mustn’t be missed. Don’t forget to order the bacon (really).
