Holy Cannoli

www.derobertiscaffe.com

My husband and I lived on the lower east side for years in the 90's and one of our favorite spots was DeRoberti's for chocolate-dipped cannolis, napoleons, and banana cream pie - all of which were near-religious experiences for us. We'd show up there whenever we were craving sugary items which was almost on a daily basis. Of course, we had to get our wedding cake from this place - getting it from anywhere else would have been like committing adultery. We moved to the suburbs and visited a lot less frequently but when we passed by recently we were happy to see that the place hasn't changed and neither has the quality of the inventory. They didn't have a banana cream pie for us (you have to order it ahead of time) so we had to settle for a supply of cannolis and cookies. Oh, by the way, you know that thing I posted earlier about trying to reduce my general sugar intake overall? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Veggie-Palooza

When I started my part-time vegetarian gig I discovered how easy it was to prep a supply of roasted veggies that I could dip into over the course of a few days. I spent some time this weekend pumping out the stuff you see pictured here. It's a beautiful thing because it gives me no-brainer options for lunch, a snack, or main course. And since it can be served cold or at room temp it ups the convenience factor significantly - on a scale of 1-10, "it goes to 11" (for you Spinal Tap fans).

Here was my shopping list:*

3 medium-sized zucchini

6 small yellow squash (or 3-4 larger ones)

3 medium-sized eggplant

2 sweet red peppers

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

*Note: The volume of veggies you want to roast is completely up to you and should depend how much you think you can consume before it starts looking like a science experiment.

Turn the oven to broil and position the rack in the middle. Slice up the zukes and squash length-wise into flat pieces about 4-5 inches long and a 1/4 inch thick. Slice the eggplant into rounds, about a 1/2 inch thick, and the peppers into strips. If your oven is big enough to accommodate two broiler pans side by side, go for it. Otherwise one at a time works just fine, too. Using a brush, coat the bottom of each pan with a thin coat of olive oil. Lay the veggie slices in one layer in each pan and broil for approximately 5-7 minutes. Pull the pans out, turn the veggies over and broil for another 5-7 minutes depending on how charred you like them.

Stack some of these on a plate with fresh mozzarella cheese then drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar for some carb-free goodness. Try adding slices of tomato or swapping out the mozzarella for slices of provolone and stuffing the whole thing into a sandwich configuration with a toasted ciabatta roll, a pita, or a wrap with some lettuce.

Cutie Pies

www.littlepiecompany.com

Mini-blueberry and apple pies, New York Cheesecake, Mississippi Mud Pie... just a few family favorites. You might think that the name alone encourages you to opt for smaller versions of their baked goods. That way you don't HAVE to stuff a 10" pie into your purse and polish it off during your commute home before anyone in your family can demand a piece of the action. Yeah, well, not so much. Even if you go for the minis, you end up shelling out a few more bucks for your very own six pack of pie. For me packaging counts for a lot. There are plenty of spots that serve up treats that are just as tasty (or even better) but the idea of a "just a little something" makes it that much more fun.

Iron-y

I'm 0 for 2... tried to make a donation at the New York Blood Center and for the second time in a year they turned me down. My hemoglobin was too low - again - which means I'm not getting enough iron in my diet - again.

Since becoming a part-time vegetarian I knew I'd have to make up the difference in that department. I honestly thought I was cruisin' with my weekly intake of oatmeal, legumes, quinoa and all the other stuff that makes me crave a cheeseburger on a regular basis. (I'm hoping to grow out of that phase soon). Not so much I guess. Here's a list of foods the kind folks at the NY Blood Center shared with me to help boost my levels along with my personal commentary, of course:

Animal Protein:

• Liver (no shot)
• Lean Red Meat (rarely on my menu these days)
• Poultry, Eggs (no prob)
• Dark Red Meat (see Lean Red Meat)
• Tuna, Salmon (doable)

Grains:

• Fortified Cereal, Wheat, Oats, Brown Rice, Whole Grains (done and done)
• Millet (haven't tried yet)

Legumes/Beans:

• Lima Beans (never gonna happen)
• Soy Beans (believe it or not we like the frozen edamame from Shoprite - who knew?)
• Kidney Beans (check!)
• Dried Beans/Peas (doable)

Nuts:

• Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Seeds (not a fan)

Fruits & Veggies

• Raisins, Apricots, Prunes (occasional user)
• Dark Leafy Greens, i.e. Spinach (check!), Kale & Collards (currently in search of recipes)
• Broccoli (a family regular)

If I double-down on the iron richness and pop my iron supplements on a more regular basis I'm hoping the blood center will let me drop a pint next month. I'm hoping that it will also help boost my energy level overall. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a nap.

Jones-in'!

www.jonessoda.com

My daughter and I recently became big fans of Jones Zero Calorie Zilch, Pomegranate Soda. It's "sugared" with Splenda - hence the Zero Calorie. I'm trying to stay away from the artificial sweeteners overall but guiltily down an occasional bottle just the same. I'm also trying to reduce my general sugar intake overall and for those moments when I do feed the craving I opt for stuff made with sweeteners au natural. Jones offers up sodas made with cane sugar so they're next on my list of, "Things to Try." Go to the website and check out their other products - very cool. You can even put your own photo on the label. Of course, the minute I found that out I started tearing through iPhoto trying to find the adorable pics of my kids that would be PERFECT for a bottle of soda.

Of All The Gin Joints In All The World...

I had dinner with my 12 year-old son last night for a Valentine's Day-Mother-Son meal. It was just he and I for this outing and I let him pick the place after searching for options on the web. Based on the menu and the photo gallery on the website, he decided that we would dine at Rick's Club American in Congers, NY. I recently sat down with the 6th-grader in his home to talk about the experience. Following are excerpts from our one-on-one interview:

MOM: What did you have as an appetizer?

#1 SON: I had the Fried Calamari as an appetizer and I thought is was really good. Compared to other places we've had it, this was one of the best because of the way it tasted.

MOM: What about your main course?

#1 SON: I had the Tender Spare Ribs By The Rack. The first thing I noticed was that it had a little too much sauce for me. The individual ribs on the rack were pretty small, too, compared to other ones we've had. The meat was nice and soft and came off the bone easily. Some of the ribs had too much sauce though so I had to scrape some of it off before I ate it.

The cornbread was pretty good - nothing special but good. The French Fries were shaped like the ones you get at McDonald's. They were good and just crispy enough, just the way I like them. After eating everything, I wasn't really full. (Mom's Note: It has never been determined how much food would actually fill my son's stomach to the fullest. That experiment poses dangers we are not equipped to handle at this time.) The vegetable was beans and carrots but I only liked the beans because the carrots were a little soggy and too soft.

MOM: Now for the best part...what did you have for dessert?

#1 SON: For the dessert I had something that was soooooo good. It was three profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. They were like ice cream sandwiches with the sauce on top. I recommend getting this for dessert. At first I couldn't decide between this or Rick's Delight which was chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and praline pecan sauce. I made the right choice.

MOM: What about the restaurant itself? What did you think of the decor?

#1 SON: It wasn't too fancy and it wasn't too casual. The room where our table was had mounted animal heads (fake) and statues which I liked because some had you guessing about what kind of animals they were. There were some interesting information on the wall below most of them. On the tables they had a large piece of paper as a table cloth so young kids could draw on it with crayons. Overall I think anyone who reads this blog should try it.

So, there you have it folks. With an endorsement like that, it might be worth checking out.

Quinoa Rider

A couple of years ago, I gave up eating white rice. That statement in of itself may not seem extraordinary to the average bear, but coming from - as previously mentioned - a Filipina, I might as well have said that I gave up drinking water. It all started because of genetics. Whenever I filled out paperwork for a new doctor and asked to "Please indicate if your family has a history of...", there were always many more checked boxes than not.

I'm now approaching an age when more than a few relatives have passed away unexpectedly or had to address serious health issues. I never really had to worry about watching my weight nor did I really want to start but I did decide that I was going to pay attention to what I was eating at the very least. That's how I eventually started to experiment with quinoa (keen-wah), the stuff I read about in passing a year or two ago that has become all the rage. I serve it up with different bean recipes, sauteed or stir fried veggies, soups and anything else I can think of. So far, so good! I'm diggin' on the taste and texture and I don't feel as heavy as I used to after a meal. My husband and daughter are liking it, too. (I'm still working on #1 son.) A lot of things we used to eat rice with are now riding the quinoa wave, brah. Recipes and more reports to come.

In the meantime, check out cookinquinoa.net. It's loaded with info about the health benefits, where it comes from, how to cook it, and all that jazz. I definitely recommend giving it a shot.

I'll Have What He's Having

A while back a good friend of mine (you know who you are) introduced me to the Café Edison , a.k.a. the Polish Tea Room, in Manhattan.

(Click here for the menu and other info about the place. It's located at the Hotel Edison but their main website doesn't give you much info about the restaurant itself.)

It had me at, "Hello." The pastrami on rye - the sandwich by which I measure most any restaurant that dares to offer it on the menu - was perfect. Granted, if you knew that sentence was coming from a full-blooded Filipina, and now you do, you might take the endorsement with a teaspoon of patis.*

During my first lunch there my friend ordered the Vegetable Chopped Liver. (The first time I heard this word combination it sounded like something you say when someone asks, "What's the password?") His order arrived and I thought it looked pretty edible and I might try it at some point. If he enjoyed it enough to make it a regular choice, it would be worth a shot. But first, I had to make sure that I sampled all my other classic faves including the matzo ball and mushroom barley soups, blintzes, bagels and lox... the list went on. Did I mention I'm Filipina?

About a dozen lunches or so later I finally did order it in a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and onion on rye. One glance at my plate and I knew that it would have sent my kids running to the nearest pizza place. But I don't scare easy. Final verdict? It doesn't come close to the near-religious experience of good pastrami but I think I would order it again - if only to discourage the need for an extended nap in the afternoon.

I never asked what was in it and I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know at the time. Since then I've been searching for a veggie chopped liver recipe online. The only one that looks promising so far is from the LA Times because the they've got a photo that makes it look appetizing. I found plenty of other recipes but the accompanying pics were definitely buzz-kills. Photos aren't normally a deal-breaker for me but in this case, it kinda is. Once I give it go I'm looking forward to posting a my own picture of the final product with an obvious question... wait for it... here it comes... "What am I, chopped liver?"

*An inside joke for my Filipino and Filipino-By-Osmosis friends.

Like Bacon for Wine

I'm the Forrest Gump of wine. I'm a bit slow in this department but am lucky enough to enjoy some very nice bottles now and again - sometimes by accident. Today in the Dining In, Dining Out section of the NY Times, Eric Asimov's, The Pour, talks about "an obscure red grape like teroldego." In an effort to school myself I read on and then get to the part that says:

"Not to treasure a wine like teroldego is like asking why anyone cares about culatello or guanciale when we already have boiled ham and bacon."

It made me laugh because it sounded like something Frasier Crane would say and I had no bloody idea what culatello or guanciale were. I have since learned but I can't help but wonder if a Teroldego wine would go well with a ham sandwich and a side of bacon.

And that's all I got to say about that.