Previews!

Recipe: Chana Daal with Bottle Gourd

Restaurant Review: ilili

But first a quick valentine’s day getaway =)

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Restaurant Review: Zero Otto Nove

Let’s talk Girls Night!  Now I love my husbster and all and wish to spend every waking moment with him, but sometimes all I want is some time with my girls.  There are just some things that your significant other just can’t understand!  Last night, after what seems like a forever long time, I got to spend some time with one of my favorite girls.  She is another indianfoodista and shares my passion and adventures for food. Having moved to the city recently – she is exploring this passion to the fullest!  She introduced me to one of her discoveries in her neighborhood – Zero Otto Nove. This little (well it’s actually fairly large inside) Italian place is a gem – especially if you are looking for some great Italian food and don’t feel like waiting in the long lines at it’s neighbor, Eataly. We decided to skip on the apps and the pizza (my foodista did say their pizza really isn’t that great) and went straight for their pastas! The one I absolutely had to try was the Radiatore al Cartoccio – translated to radiator shaped pasta cooked in tin foil parcel. Yes, you saw right – a tin foil parcel! The pasta actually comes out in the parcel with its own server who opens it up for you and gently takes out onto your plate.

At first glance, I was in love and intrigued by the interesting shape of the pasta (little radiators! I’ve never seen it before). The aroma and the beauty of the dish makes you want to delve right in but do not do that! Trust me – tried, tested and burned. The dish is piping hot and will burn your tongue if you go for a heaping forkful. Be patient – it’s well worth the wait. The juice released from the mushrooms and tomatoes during the cooking process becomes a well balanced sauce for the pasta. I will be attempting to make this at home at some point or maybe I’ll just keep coming back for more!

Now l’m not going to forget about my friends dish here – something very classic but made so beautifully – fettuccine alfredo with freshly shaved black truffle.

This dish was on their specials and I’m so happy my friend ordered it! This pasta also came with its own server who shaves the black truffle on the dish and then mixes it for you before you began eating. This was so simply good. I loved that it was light and not super creamy and heavy. It was light and still very indulgent and luxurious.

Girls night is not over yet. No girls night should end without some chocolate! So to top off this dinner, we ordered profiteroles!

The cream and chocolate were delicious but the pastry was a little too chewy for my taste. Still a great end to a girls night.

Thanks to my lovely friend and indianfoodista in crime, D, for a perfect girls night! Can’t wait for the many more to come!

Restaurant Review: Charrito’s Hoboken

Sometimes all you want is some good homestyle cheap Mexican food. My husband and I get cravings for it! We had our spots when we lived in NYC but after moving to Hoboken, we didn’t know where to go! And one magical cold winter night we stumbled upon this place – Charrito’s located right in downtown Hoboken on Washington Street. We walked into this tiny place and felt so welcomed by the wait staff – it was as if we were walking into their home. We decided to forego appetizers this time around and went right for our entrees. My husband ordered one of his favorite Mexican dishes – veggie enchiladas and I went for veggie chilaquiles! Every since our trip to Cancun where we had the best chilaquiles for breakfast everyday, I try them at every place we go to hoping to find something like it! How did this compare?

To be honest, they were a bit disappointing. They lacked the flavor, veggies beyond onions and peppers and some crunch. Not to mention I was disappointed with the browning avocado slices =|. No bueno! But not to fret, my husband’s veggie enchilada’s were the saving grace.

Proper ratio of cheese, tortilla to veggies and sauce. Our favorite part was the side of refried beans. They reminded us of our childhood. I could have done with another side of those! So although we will never order the chilaquiles again, we will certainly going back for the enchiladas!

Plating Experiment No. 1

Since the Hubster has come back from India, his want of a home cooked Indian meal has decreased greatly! On the opposite side, my need for a home cooked Indian meal has increased greatly (well that’s not entirely true…let’s just say it’s always a very STRONG need). With this food conflict in the household, my Indian groceries are suffering and wasting away. =( I had to put an end to all this!

My solution:
1) Make an Indian meal
2) Present it in a non-traditional manner
3) Embrace my plating challenge
4) Satisfy my Indian food need
5) Trick the Hubster 😉

The results:

Cabbage, carrot and onion paratha (an original recipe concoction that still needs some fine tuning – don’t worry recipe will follow soon – it was way too delicious) topped with garlic and green chili pepper sautéed long beans with raw onion and fresh cilantro.

Unfortunately, the picture does not do it justice. Will try to get a better one next time.

The verdict: 3 out of 5. The Hubster was not easily fooled or happy about having to eat paratha and shaak (the vegetables) with a fork and knife. “A” for effort??

We shall try again another day.