NY RESTAURANT WEEK #LeCirq

I've been here a few times but there are other restaurants that participate in this event and for me to go again is because a friend of mine chose it.  This is when company takes priority over food.

The selection to choose from the special deal were all not my favorite (Other restaurants put their best foot forward).  If I stick to the choices for the set deal, the more I won't enjoy.  So, you guessed right, I opted for the almost twice the price of the special deal less $1.  This way, I get my appetizer of choice and dessert of choice. 

This is not the menu I chose. And the appetizer below was an extra cost our friend ordered from the Restaurant Week Menu.

Above was one of the appetizers served with "foamed" sauce.

I ordered the house Foie Gras with a puree and slice of pear. 

Seabass for my main course which I think was also in the menu about 4 years ago is what I picked again.  It's funny that I did mention this to my sister prior to my being at this restaurant; only to actually get served the same fish!

Away from the set menu for Restaurant Week, I got a bigger Foie gras and my choice of dessert.  And my choice was hot Chocolate Souffle!

The souffle saved my meal!

I think this place is a little over-rated.  I personally prefer some others that participate at Restaurant Week.  Restaurants should actually put out their best that could Wow me for the money. I was expecting a more haute cuisine than what I experienced.  And I knew this would be my experience as before. And that means not very impressive.

Let me try once more as my friend said I should have picked the shrimp dish.  I will tell you after next week - as we plan to return for the prix-fixed lunch menu. (No longer Restaurant Week)

Le Cirq

• 151 E 58th St, New York 10022
• (Btwn Lexington & 3rd Ave)
• http://www.lecirque.com/
• 
  

WHITE TRUFFLE PASTA #recipe

#foodyholic.com

I decided to see how much I would use from 1 one-inch diameter of white truffle to make a homemade pasta truffle.

I went to buy the white truffle which is in season.

Next, I bought a serving of fresh thin style linguine from the same Italian grocery store.

Prepare the sauce while cooking the pasta.

Fresh pasta is done al dente by dropping it in a big pot of salted boiling water with about 2TB of oil so they don't stick together - no more than 3 minutes and drain well fast reserving about 1/2 cup of the water.

Return to the old pot where you cooked the pasta adding about 3-4 TB of the reserved water and 1-2 TB butter. 

Stir and add the sauce you just made immediately till it thickens lightly.  You may put it in very little fire for just a fee seconds or you don't have to, if the sauce is already thickening.

SAUCE:

1 egg

3 TB of clotted cream or Devonshire cream or Italian boxed cooking cream

3 TB freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Seasoning salt and and pepper.

1-2TB butter

1TB truffle oil

Wisk the egg first and then add the rest of the ingredients incorporating it all well.

After you add the sauce to the freshly drained pasta with about 3 TB of the reserved water (to separate the drained noodles) - add the sauce mixture.

This serves 2 main course or 3 -4 first course meals.  Shave the white truffle for each serving on top and pass more Parmesan cheese if needed.

I found out that my inch diameter white truffle can expand well.  This means I just saved about 25% ordering a pasta dish from a restaurant.

In case you want to know - the truffle cost $52.  Restaurants charge 80-$120 each order of white truffled pasta.  I can make and serve it for two to three.

Here I had 2 meals out of it and even grated a little bit more of truffle on my omelette next morning.

Truffle is a mushroom and is very light.  Price per pound may be shocking but if you look at it this way, it shows a different light.

By the way, the fresh truffle has a very mild taste but strong smell when you smell it. This is the reason why I have to add a little truffle oil in the pasta mixture for truffle flavor!

Enjoy! I hope you can find where to buy the white truffle.  You can also use the black truffle.

ABBOTEGA #NorthernItalian, #Restaurant

This is down the south-most part of the West Village.

After trying the Vietnamese influenced food stop at Varrick st., I bumped into this Northern Italian little restaurant.  I couldn't resist passing it up so I decided to stay for a small dessert.  Looking at the menu, it was described as a chocolate flan with white ganache. I was lead to believe it was like a cake with chocolate inside.  But to call it a flan is far fetched.  This is really a Jean George copy if his "lava cake" which is a light chocolate cake with liquid center.

At this restaurant, they decided to serve it over a white chocolate ganache with some sweet crumbled cookies like biscotti or maybe a meringue. Overall, it made the dessert too sweet for me.  It would have been better served with chantilly sauce or zabaglione.

The place has charm and the street is one of my favorite quiet neighborhoods in the city.

It has a local charm about to it which attracted me to stay.  Judging from the menu and the late lunch the staff was having, I plan to go back and try their lunch or dinner.  They serve Northern Italian  food and their prices for the main course seem reasonable.

This restaurant has several branches in Milan and their first in New York City. They said they soon will open one in Miami, Florida.

ABBOTTEGA

14 Bedford Street, New York, NY 

+1(212)675-9080

Pre-Fixed Lunch at SIRIO's

Today I went in to SIRIO's for a quick lunch and found out they do have a good pre-fixed lunch menu.

I chose the English pea soup with fresh ricotta cheese smeared under and a spoon of puréed beet in top.

I chose a light crisp warm porchetta sandwich with cheese and salad on the side.  I could have had the spaghetti carbonara but decided on a sandwich.  There were other choices too.