Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a classic French dessert made with cherries .  It's a basic recipe where a batter is poured over cherries and baked in a French Oven until golden brown.  

I like the idea of sticking with how things are traditionally prepared but I would recommend removing the cherry pits (I tend like my desserts without the choking hazards).

Carnitas

Slow cooked Pork Butt or Carnitas might be the best thing in the world.  Really, you might be able to turn a vegetarian with this dish.

I marinated the pork overnight in a mixture of pineapple juice, soy sauce, orange juice and Coke.  The next day the pork gets seared and put in the pot with onions, green peppers, orange peels and a halved lime.  I let it cook for about 2.5 - 3 hours at 250.

Once the pork is done it's shredded and loaded into tortillas with a black bean & rice mixture.

Culinary Tour of NYC part 1

So the blog has been on a bit of a break due to the holidays and being out of town.  However, we spent the new year in New York and were able to hit some great culinary hot spots.

A Salt & Battery:  The pinnacle of Fish and Chips here in the States.  These guys beat Bobby Flay on Throwdown but even more important than that, they support a proper football club, The Arsenal.  We had the Cod, Haddock and Chips.

Dean & Deluca: I'm a Starbucks junkie but this was the place to go for coffee when in Manhattan.  The coffee was great and they have a great selection of pastries that are brought in from local bakeries all over the city.  We went here 3 mornings of our 4 day trip.

Ping's: We ventured to Chinatown in search of authentic Chinese dim sum.  This was definitely an experience as the menu had very little English and we were the only non-chinese at the restaurant ( It was an Anthony Bourdain moment).  All the food was great but the vegetable fried rice was the standout; by far the best fried rice I have ever had.

Patzeria Pizza: After standing in 15 degrees for 6 hours waiting on The Ball to drop we had a bit of an appetite.  We hit this pizza place just off Time Square for a couple of slices of sausage & tri-pepper pizza.  The advice I received was true: " just try the pizza, anywhere, it's all good".  Amazingly it really was.

Culinary Tour of NYC part 2

Magnolia Bakery: Yes, this is the bakery from the "Lazy Sunday" SNL video but it is also home to the best cupcakes on earth.  

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes: Vanilla with Vanilla frosting (left) and Devils food with meringue icing (right)

John's Pizzeria: All pizza was good pizza but John's is superior to other's in Manhattan.  They don't sell slices only whole pies; because they can.

Haru:  Great Sushi, on Broadway just off Time Square.

Cafe Roma: We ventured to Little Italy and stopped in this Italian bakery for a cannoli