Eataly!

When we visited in the grandest city of them all, that being New York, we stopped in for lunch at a little place called Eataly. I had heard of this place from my sister, who also loves all things gourmet and Italian (together if possible!) and after a bit of research, we decided to hoof it up to the Flatiron District to take a peek.



It was amazing!
 

The place reminded me a lot of the outdoor markets we visited in Florence, Italy and even Quincy Market, in Boston. We were lucky to have arrived just before the hectic lunch crowd and had the chance to walk all around, perusing the wares and even listening in on a cooking demo and tour.

The candies were arranged in the prettiest packages and tins!

Say "cheese"!

Meats galore.

This way to the most incredible meal!

I was intrigued by the inky black linguine.

And loved the smell of the garlic wafting everywhere.

If you haven't tried Panettone for Christmas, you should this year!

 For lunch I ordered at the vegetarian cafe-- a divine eggplant caponata. If caponata can be described as "creamy", this one was. The meal literally had layers of flavor!

We finished off our lunches with a doppo espresso, a mini chocolate "Bacio" and walked away warm and content... off to our next NYC adventure!

See you soon

I have so many awesome recipes I've been saving up, including pumpkin custards and gluten free spaghetti carbonara with butternut squash...so get ready!

We just returned from NYC and Long Island, what a beautiful, whirlwind trip we had!

For the time being, here's one of my favorite New York pictures... they're right, it is the greatest city in the world.

Welcome, Fall!

Hello friends!

Well, after taking a month or so off, relaxing and enjoying the gorgeous summer, I'm back with some healthy, fresh, and satisfying treats!

Here's a little preview... Pumpkin custard! It's gluten free and paleo friendly.

We only have two weeks until we set off for New York, the Hamptons, Brooklyn, and more! I'll have so many food adventures, I can't wait.

In the meantime, I'll be watching New Girl and Homeland, and eating this delicious dessert. Recipe to come!

Picklin'

We were gifted some sweet little cucumbers, so I thought I'd pickle them!

gin bucks

I can't remember the last time I made my own cocktail. Oh, well, yes I do, it was when we visited my parents on the mystical San Juan Island. It's pretty wonderful there, all you want to do is stick a piece of hay in your front teeth, kick off your shoes, and sit in a rowboat with the love of your life. It's pretty nice, I'm just saying.

Anyways, I've recently fell in love with Moscow Mules. They're refreshing, summery, and can put you right to sleep after one or two. My favorite one can be found at The Sexton these days.

Moscow Mules are made with vodka but the favorite cousin is a gin buck. Lime, ginger beer, mint, and gin. That's it!

(this is chocolate mint!)

Ingredients:

for two cocktails-
1-2 shots of gin, per drink
1/2 lime, squeezed and sliced
1 tbsp. mint (I used chocolate mint!), sliced and crushed in your glass (so the juices release)
2 c. ginger beer

                                 

Method:

Roughly chop your mint leaves and place in the bottom of your glass. Add gin, lime, and mix around with a teaspoon or some snazzy cocktail tool, pressing your mint against the side of the glass. Next, pour in your ginger beer and top with a few ice cubes. And... insta-relaxation!