Sweet Blog O'Mine

v. 2.0

  • Booze You Can Use: Leblon at Lani Kai

    Often I am invited to attend events that don't completely mesh into something I can write about for my current freelance columns, but which are great for gathering information, getting pitch ideas, increasing my knowledge, and making contacts.  I'm going to do my best to write about them here instead.  I figure that between those of you who read my blog, plus 800+ of you on Facebook and 1200+ of you on Twitter who see my blog posts via feeds, at least someone will be reading them!

    Last week I went to a Leblon event held at the soon-to-be opened Lani Kai in SoHo.  Lani Kai, Julie Reiner's newest project, is a tribute to a beach in Hawaii, with modern tropical decor and menus that reflect flavors of the region (More about all this from Julie in the not-too-distant future is in the works).  The food, by chef Craig Rivard, was fantastic, starting with an ahi poke (something I haven't had since my trip to Hawaii a few years back), a pork bun slider with "Lani Kai secret sauce," a fried whole red snapper with a selection of dipping sauces, and steak served with bibb lettuce, bean sprouts, friend shallots, fried purple potatoes, hoisin, and ginger scallion sauce, made to be wrapped. 

    Snapper
    snapper!

    The cocktails served that night were all made with Leblon cachaça.  Many people don't know much about cachaça beyond the caipirinha — Brazil's national cocktail — but this spriit, distilled from sugar cane juice, and in Leblon's case, aged in XO cognac casks, has a delicate, somewhat floral flavor that plays well with others.  Joe Swifka, who I first met when he worked at Elettaria (RIP), is running the bar at Lani Kai.  Joe has a flair for tropical flavor and is one of the nicest guys around.  I'm quite excited to see what he has in store there.  He created a Leblon cocktail that was served with the ahi poke and will be listed on the opening menu. 

    The Tides

    2 oz. Leblon cachaça
    1 oz. Falernum
    3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
    3/4 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
    1/4 oz. cane syrup
    2 dashes Peychaud bitters

    Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice in a collins glass.  Garnish with a lime and grapefruit twist.

  • The Beauty of Butter

    "One of the many reasons that restaurant food often tastes better than the stuff we make at home is that restaurant cooks do not know your cardiologist and have no real interest in your long-term enjoyment of life. They cook for this moment and for the fleeting feeling of delicious transcendence they can offer a diner. Next time, you can use less. This first time, add all four tablespoons." – Sam Sifton, on his Malfatti a Maialino recipe.

  • Treasure

    Happiness is having friends who have known you for so many years that they sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

  • In My Head: Into Your Arms

  • Weekend Wrapup

    Little Red Lighthouse

    Bike ride with Lauren to the Cloisters and back, with a stop at the Little Red Lighthouse.

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    Scott & Deb's wedding (congratulations!) with scenic views from Steiner Studios.

  • So Much Inspiration, So Little Time

    This month's Bon Appetit was chock full of delicious sounding recipes!  I'm going to have to start hosting dinner parties on weekdays too; will just make them very simple, with advance preparation.  Helloooo, autumn!

    – Spaghetti & meatballs

    – Wild mushroom risotto

    – Horseradish-glased brisket and short ribs with root vegetable mash

    – Butternut squash gnocchi with sage brown butter

  • The Long Walk

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    Yesterday I walked from my apartment down to the Lower East Side, wandered around there and Chinatown for a bit, then walked over the Brooklyn Bridge to Carroll Gardens.  From Canal St to my final destination was approximately 3.5 miles, and I'd imagine that I walked at the very least two more beyond that.  Moral of the story: walk more.

  • My Backyard* at Night

    Fountain
    (*a.k.a. Washington Square Park)

  • What’s for Dinner?

    I had seen this a few months back, but reminded of it by Jordana:  What the Fuck Should I Make for Dinner?  In case you run out of fucking ideas about what to make for dinner.

  • You are What You Wear?

    Last night, I went to the one year anniversary party for the Summit Bar after lobster rolls at Ed's Lobster Bar with the Lovely Miss Katie (I love their little chocolate lobsters that they give out with the check!).  I had, as I often do, come straight from work, but on this particular day, I was dressed in a particularly lawyer-y outfit, beyond my regular "business casual": full on skirt suit, peep-toe heels, a chunky red necklace and my red glasses.  I got soooo many compliments and comments from the cocktail crowd, who usually doesn't see me in what I refer to as "my lawyer costume."  I'm starting to think that I should buy more suits and funky shoes/acessories to keep the compliments coming.  Either that or wear my glasses more often . . .