Foodie Exchange with Britain!

Growing up in Canada, I loved Marks and Spencer potato rings.

I remember putting a ring on each of my fingers and gingerly biting each one off.

Sadly, there are no more Marks and Spencer stores in Canada.  

So we were really excited to exchange NYC foods for British gastro-treats with The Gourmet Traveller in the hopes of scoring those beloved potato rings.

Ladies Brunch at Landmarc - Time Warner Center

 

Every month, my graduate school girlfriends and I try to get together. Though we're not exactly the "ladies who lunch" set, we do enjoy meeting up for brunch and learning about updates in everyone's life.  

Finding a weekend brunch spot for a group can be difficult in NYC, so we opted for Landmarc.  The restaurant is large, takes group reservations, and has great views of Central Park.

Foodie Exchange with Italy!

Italy has a special place in my heart.  I loved traveling throughout this beautiful country: eating pasta, cheeses, and lots of gelato; drinking wine because it was cheaper than water; and seeing priceless works of art.  The foods of Italy also hit close to home as it is part of my husband's heritage.

Suffice it to say, I was very eager to do a foodie exchange with Giulia from the beautifully photographed Juls' Kitchen.  Here's a close up view of the goodies:

Edamame Appetizers

I remember the first time I enjoyed edamame beans prior to a sushi lunch.

Cracking each pod and popping the salted beans into my mouth filled me with joy.

Since that first experience, frozen shelled edamame beans have become a staple in our freezer.

Not only do we feel healthier eating them, but they also brighten up our day with their vibrant color.

So when we found this recipe, we were eager to try the edamame beans in a new way.

Moroccan Couscous with Saffron

Saffron is a beautifully fragrant spice that enhances dishes with both a distinct flavor and a bright orange-yellow hue.  We've never cooked with saffron before - perhaps because it's the most expensive spice in the world - but decided to splurge ($5.99 for a 0.02 oz or 0.7 g small container at Trader Joe's) as we were entertaining friends at home.

Martha Stewart's Lunch Recommendation: Pizza from Co. (Company)

 

Doesn't this pizza look fantastic?  When I woke up on the morning of the media-dubbed Snowmaggedon in NYC, I did not know that I would be enjoying this meal for lunch.  After all, schools were closed and street trucks all tweeted that they would not even come into the city.  It sounded like the city that never sleeps was shutting down.

The snowstorm was also why I got a last minute ticket to the Martha Stewart show - they were scrounging for audience members for fear of an empty studio.  And so, this was how my snowy day began...

Inside the Tents at Bryant Park for a Foodie's Glimpse of NYC Fashion Week

When people ask us about the origins of our name, High/Low Food/Drink, we often explain:  "Like mixing high/low fashion, we love mixing our food experiences.  Great style, like great food/drink experiences, can be found at all price points."

So we thought it would be a good opportunity for us to showcase both fashion and food when the PR folks for Starbuck's new Frappuccino Light beverage invited us to their lounge.  After all, it was located inside the heavily guarded, by invitation only, main tents of New York Fashion Week. 

Enjoying the Day Off with a Walk in Snowy Central Park

 

Today's a holiday Monday for some of us in NYC (President's Day) so we are going to recover from a wonderful weekend full of food with a much needed walk in the park!  We hope you enjoy these photos taken last Thursday, the day after the big snow storm.

Happy Valentine's Day with a Lychee, Pomegranate, and Champagne Granita

With Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year falling on the same day this year (an odd occurrence that has not happened since 1953), I wanted to make something that would fuse the two occasions together.

I decided to incorporate lychee and pomegranate flavors because both fruits represent fertility in the Chinese culture (i.e. the closest symbolism to love and romance).

By adding some sparkling wine and PAMA pomegranate liqueur, we have ourselves a pretty pink adult slushie or granita.

Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Tiger!

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year and since I'm both away from my family's celebration and married to someone who's always eager to learn more about my culture, I thought I would put together a nice dinner for two. 

So with tangerines bought (to symbolize wealth and prosperity) and lots of red and gold accessories (colours symbolizing happiness, wealth, and good fortune), I set out to find ingredients to celebrate the year of the tiger. 

Celebrating the Vancouver 2010 Olympics with a British Columbia dinner

We love watching the Olympics, especially the opening ceremonies.  So to celebrate tonight's pageantry, we decided to make ourselves a Vancouver-inspired dinner with products from British Columbia.

I remember traveling to Vancouver a few years ago.  The mountains could be seen from downtown and the air was fresh and crisp.  Everyone was active as nearby Stanley Park provided a year-round get-away from urban life.  But the most memorable part of the trip was, of course, the food!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut butter is one of those ingredients that we seek for warmth, comfort, and childhood nostalgia.  We loved eating those orange-packaged peanut butter cups as kids, so for Valentine's Day, we thought these homemade versions would be a perfect treat.

Behind the Scenes at Wafels & Dinges

 A couple of weeks ago, I met up with Hagan again for one of his concluding 93 Plates meals.  (We had met earlier in his project to review H&H Bagels and Telepan).  This time, he organized a meeting at Wafels & Dinges, the mobile Belgian waffle truck that has taken NYC by storm.  

In true millennium fashion, I check out the waffle truck's twitter feed and website for its specific location early that morning.  I was looking forward to meeting owner Thomas DeGeest, who had recently won the 2009 Vendy Award Winner in Desserts and a Waffle Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Cast Iron Skillet GIVEAWAY and Healthier Chocolate Zucchini Brownies with Yogurt

We have two fun updates for you today: the result of our brownie do-over and a giveaway sponsored by CSN stores, a group of online stores that carry anything from beautiful mailboxes to useful cookware.

As you know, we love baking sweet treats at home but have also been striving to make healthier choices   As we had mentioned last week, we were going to recreate our Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (that already seemed healthy with hidden vegetables within it) with yogurt substituting as oil.

Easy Baked Penne, Pork Belly, and Potato Dinner

We love one-pot dishes for dinner.  Not only are they easy to make, but clean-up's also a snap (which for dishwasher-less people like us is a big plus!)

This recipe is all about layers - and instead of cooking the pasta separately, it's cooked in the oven with the other ingredients.

This dish is very hearty and perfect for a cold evening at home.  

Red Truck Wine Barrel of Fun

 

 While many people are stocking up on cold brews for Super Bowl Sunday, we were fortunate to receive this mini-barrel of wine from Red Truck winery.  

Like mini-kegs for beer drinkers, this mini-barrel makes serving and drinking fun for wine drinkers.  The barrel contains a simple, fruity (yet hearty) California red wine blend (including cabernet franc, our favorite red grape) that pairs well with party foods like pizza and burgers.  It's a very accessible wine that most people will enjoy.

Two Little Red Hens - Baked Goods Heaven on UES in NYC

 

These beautiful mini creations were bought at Two Little Red Hens.  Though we have lived in NYC for years, we had yet to visit this beloved Upper East Side bakery.    

With a warm staff, cute interior, and wonderful homemade goods, we may be taking the crosstown bus more often!

Brunch at Good Enough To Eat

Weekday brunch is a wonderful luxury on the Upper West Side.  There are no crowds or lines outside and we can eat at our leisure.

So I was excited to have a free day to meet up with Christine from Fresh, Local and Best before her truffle-hunting trip to France (lucky girl!)

I invited her up to Good Enough to Eat, a casual restaurant (that reminds me of a country farmhouse) which features comforting homemade breakfast foods.

Farmhouse Breakfast ($10.25):  I got this dish because I love the homemade pork sausage patties.  With its poached eggs and dill-onion toast, it's a very satisfying meal.

 

 Mexican Scrambled ($8):  Christine enjoyed her dish of scrambled eggs with pepper jack cheese and jalapeno salsa.

 

 Buttermilk biscuits with strawberry butter ($2.25):  These biscuits and strawberry butter are a must-have when coming here (they're usually complimentary with most egg dishes).  The strawberry butter is light, fruity, and subtly sweet.

 

Good Enough to Eat is located at 483 Amsterdam Ave (at 83rd St) in NYC.