What we do in Maryland....

EAT CRABS

Fresh Noodles in Chinatown, NYC

My recent trip to NYC I decided to go budget style.  No problem in New York, as it makes you hunt down some of the most amazing food finds.  One of my favorite meals was a place we happened to walk past in Chinatown down an alley.  I was craving a big bowl of noodles and there it was like a shining beacon.....a tiny, cash only restaurant with about 6 tables.  Ryan and I shared a bowl of beef hand pulled noodles for $5.50.  So gooood. The noodles had that al dente, chewiness that tells you they were made moments before they arrived at your table. We snuck a peek in the kitchen and watched the chef stretch the dough and make the noodles.  Craftsmanship, ya'll, seriously.

Love that there was a huge cup of cilantro on the table...added handfuls of that and spoonfuls of some sort of spicy sesame paste and was the happiest little tourist in Chinatown.

Lauren & Wes cater a dinner party! We can cater yours!

Our beautiful friends, Natalie and Joe Carnahan recently had a dinner party ( Renee Zellweger was there and a total sweetheart) . Wes and I were asked to do 4 courses of deliciousness.  The menu was as follows:

Appetizers

Luna Oysters w fresh grated horseradish and mignonette

Maitake Mushroom crostini with creme fraiche & truffle oil

Course 1

Copper River Salmon Crudo with scallion and citrus

Course 2

Grilled peaches with burrata, arugula, proscuitto and balsamic

Course 3

Pan seared Alaskan halibut over cayenne sweet corn and blistered cherry tomatoes

Course 4

Rib Eye with crispy pomme anna, spinach, and red wine reduction

Dessert

Palate cleanser of home made blood orange sorbet

Home made southern biscuits with strawberries, cream and balsamic

Caprese made with fresh mozzarella I made myself. You can make cheese too. It's easy.....

Caribbean BBQ for Memorial Day weekend!

Mango Mojito
boil water, sugar and mint bunch until syrup is infused 15-20 minutes
In a shaker, muddle chopped ripe mango with the juice of a lime and a teaspoon of sugar. Add ice. Add rum.  Add simple syrup. Shake.  Pour into a glass and top with soda water and a sprig of mint.

chicken wings in sweet citrus bbq

Making mango sorbet

cutting plantains
Plantains must first be put in very hot water for about ten minutes so the skins peel off.
Then, cook in brown sugar and butter until carmelized.

mango mojito with mint simple syrup

jerk chicken

marinating the shrimp in jerk spices

grilled corn with queso and cayenne

Ribs marinated in brown sugar, cayenne, olive oil.  Brown in a cast iron skillet for 5 minutes on each side. Then cook in a 350 oven for  40 minutes then reduced to 200 for another 2 hours or so.

shrimp with mango salsa
Marinated in jerk spices and grilled. Mango salsa is one chopped mango, 1/4 red onion, one jalapeno,  teaspoon  brown sugar, chopped cilantro, lime juice

WANT

Travis Lett of Gjelina...his very first on camera interview and it's with me!

Gjelina Take Away Now Open | WELOVENICE from WELO Venice on Vimeo.