Pho finally in HK: ChaPa's Vietnamese Noodles and Grill

Hurrah! Pho has arrived in Midtown West!  There’s been an absence of pho around here, but lo and behold, as I was doing my weekly run to Stiles Farmers Market (that’s how I discovered Danji as well), I caught sight of the ChaPa’s Vietnamese Noodles and Grill sign.  Every day after that, I impatiently awaited the grand opening.

That day finally arrived – here’s what I had:

Sweet Potato Shrimp Fritters, Lightly battered deep-fried sweet potato and shrimp served with lettuce, pickled carrots, and daikon.  Served with Vietnamese fish sauce.

Surrounded by Culinary Greatness: James Beard Awards Ceremony & Gala

The James Beard Awards were this past Monday but already seem like a distant memory – I wish I could do it again!  Rubbing shoulders with the best chefs and TV food personalities in the country?  Sounds good to me.  We walked past the red carpet (green, actually) as Susan Ungaro (President of the James Beard Foundation), Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson, and his model wife Maya Haile were arriving.  The funniest thing was when one of the press photographers thought we were actually some kind of famous couple (see photo below - hahah in hindsight, we should have played along). 

 

I was no more than a foot away as Bobby Flay was getting interviewed.  James Beard Award winner Saipin Chutima (Lotus of Siam) sat two rows in front of us during the awards ceremony.  We ran into Yigit (winner of Top Chef: Just Desserts) and my husband yelled out to him and said hello.  We saw Wylie Dufresne of wd~50,

Piggie Diaries on Twitter!

I've finally given into this 140 characters or less business and joined Twitter - so follow piggiediaries on Twitter!  I would say I'll be giving play-by-play updates on the James Beard Awards tomorrow night...but let's be honest, my hands will be full with all the food I'm going to consume =).

Eat Sandwich Feel Good: City Sandwich

I’ve been on a sandwich kick…ever since I’ve had teeth (a pretty long time).  Crusty bread, meat, and cheese stacked high then preferably toasted, pressed, or grilled in some way.  Now that’s a meal.  So you see, when I found out a new sandwich shop was opening up in the HK ‘hood in October of last year, I knew I had to try it.

With an unassuming name like City Sandwich, you wouldn’t expect it to offer anything more than your average midtown deli sandwich.  Oh, if you only knew how wrong you were.  As you step into the entrance, you immediately are greeted by the fragrant scent of golden bread, the finest meats and cheeses, and all of the other delicious fresh ingredients emanating from the kitchen. 

The Golden Ticket: James Beard Awards!

I’m going to the James Beard Awards on May 9!!!

By a crazy twist of fate, I somehow won two tickets to the James Beard Awards and Gala Reception (thank you SeriousEats and Green & Black's)!  For those of you who don’t know what the James Beard Awards is, it’s basically an event where all of the biggest names in the food and beverage industry (from restaurants, TV, publications) come out to honor and celebrate the James Beard Award nominees, winners, and most notably, the diverse cultures that have formed our American cuisine.  It’s only appropriate that this year’s event is themed “The Ultimate Melting Pot.”  Time Magazine calls it “the Oscars of the food world” and that explanation seems to have stuck – but psh, I say this is WAY better than the Oscars and can stand on its own. 

Allow me to enlighten you on the “melting pot” that will be showcased at the Gala Reception.  20 or so of the best chefs from around the country will be churning out beautiful dishes of some of the most amazing food I will ever eat in my life.  To top it off, I’ll be rubbing shoulders with the best chefs and restaurateurs in the country plus my favorite Food Network and Top Chef stars!!!!  Ahhhhh somebody pinch me, I’m not sure if this is real! 

Assignment for May 9: find a black-tie worthy dress that gives me plenty of room to eat =).  Stay tuned for my update after the event!

James Beard Awards 2011

http://www.jbfawards.com/2011/events.php

Pumpkin Bread

I really feel bad for pumpkins.  When autumn comes around, everyone goes into full out pumpkin mode – pumpkin picking, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin lattes, you get the picture.  Once the holidays are over, pumpkin is out.  People turn their backs on pumpkin for the rest of the year and this beautiful, delicious squash is quickly forgotten. 

I like to consider myself an equal opportunity food consumer (technical term), and I try not to pigeonhole foods into a certain time of the year.  I love to make and eat pumpkin anything all year round.  A couple weeks ago I had a strong craving for pumpkin bread.  I decided to go with a recipe I found on Allrecipes.  

Tavern on the Green Truck: Free Food Giveaway

What better way to end a run around Central Park then to treat yourself to some free food from the food trucks at Tavern on the Green?  

According to Grubstreet, the food trucks at Tavern on the Green are returning to spring / summer hours.  They're celebrating by giving away one free dish per truck (that's right, you can get a free dish from every single truck)! 

Location: Tavern on the Green, 67th and Central Park West

Event Date: Saturday, April 16 (Sunday if it rains).  

Time: 2-4pm

Participating Trucks:

Ladle of Love

Pera Turkish Tacos

Rickshaw Dumplings

Van Leeuwen

Danji: Korean Tapas in Hell's Kitchen

If you were to ask someone from NYC what neighborhood to check out for a great meal, you’d probably hear East Village, Tribeca, West Village, Lower East Side, Chelsea; more blatantly, what I’m trying to say is that the last answer you would ever hear is Hell’s Kitchen.  

I am here to invalidate all of the anti-Hell’s Kitchen folks out there and open their eyes to the delights that my beloved neighborhood has to offer.  I have lived in this area since I moved to the city four years ago, so admittedly I am biased (and those who know me also realize I tend to stay in the vicinity purely out of laziness).  But all of that aside, Hell’s Kitchen is booming.

Tri Tip Grill: Where Carnivores Unite

If you’re feeling especially carnivorous, check out Tri Tip Grill to satisfy your hunger.  That’s what I did when I was craving a big slab of meat (apologies to the vegetarians out there reading this).  

Tri Tip Grill definitely did the trick – take a look at what we ordered:

Little Buck – 4 oz. of thinly sliced tri tip served with caramelized onions or au jus dipping sauce

Cashew Crusted Salmon with Creamy Butternut Squash Polenta

Crunchy.  Salty.  Sweet.  Creamy.  I love meals that really tickle my tastebuds and give me a little bit of everything in one bite, that’s what I tried to recreate in this meal.  The other day I was craving salmon, specifically something nut-crusted to give it that nice crunchy texture.  I’ve crusted fish with pecans and pistachios before, but this time I decided to break open a bag of cashews I had lying around.

   

As an accompaniment to the salmon, I knew I wanted to make some kind of creamy polenta.  Ever since I made the polenta squares a few weeks ago, my tummy has been ready and waiting for creamy style polenta.  I found this Rachel Ray recipe for creamy polenta with butternut squash.  SOLD.  I love butternut squash.  Before I even tasted this divine squash, I knew I would like it – I mean, come on, it has the word “butter” in it, that was already enough for me.