Gluten-Free Grilled Cheese with Brie & Balsamic Peaches

   This morning I woke up fantasizing about what I could make with the French double creme Brie that I had bought the night before. Since it was already almost twelve I figured it was past breakfast time and I should probably make something that resembled brunch food. Opening my fridge I curiously looked around for anything that might go with Brie and when I saw fresh peaches in the fruit drawer I immediately knew what I had been craving. I figured, if I was going to indulge with an extremely buttery cheese I should balance it out with a fruit or vegetable ( at least I'm attempting to get some nutritional value here). I usually prefer Brie with fruit and although my favorite combination of Brie and figs usually does the trick in satisfying any craving I could possibly have, I didn't see any figs in my fridge, so I thought peaches could be just as good.

I thought back to this amazing grilled cheese that I had at the Lady Killigrew cafe at the old Montague Book Mill in Western Mass., and how OBSESSED I was with that sandwich. It was the ideal grilled cheese-toasted to buttery perfection with an extremely generous amount of creamy Brie and sweet marinated apples with apricot preserves. 

So, I thought I would do my best to recreate that perfect sandwich.

Ingredients 

1 whole peach 

2 slices of your favorite gluten-free bread 

As much Brie cheese as your heart desires 

1 tablespoon honey 

1 teaspoon of Italian Balsamic 

1 tablespoon butter 

Extra virgin olive oil 

 First, I cut the peaches into thin slices. I melted the butter in a small frying pan and when it started to shimmer and turn almost a golden color, I added the peaches and let them soak up the brown butter. After a few minutes I added honey and Italian balsamic to the peaches until they started to soften and become fully coated with the sauce. 

Meanwhile, I toasted gluten-free seeded bread (poppy, flax and sunflower seeds-which is one of my favorite gluten free brands called Glutino) with some extra virgin olive oil. I let my Brie soften up a bit and when my bread was toasted enough for my liking I spread the cheese on both slices. I took the peaches out of the pan and placed them on one side of the toasted bread. I put together my sandwich and placed it back in the frying pan with a little more olive oil and put a cover over it for about 3 minutes.

When the cheese started to ooze out from the sides I took out my sandwich from the pan and sliced it right down the middle. I made sure to take a bite while the cheese was still warm! The first bite that I took of my beautiful creation was exactly what I was hoping for. The creamy Brie was balanced out by the sweet juicy caramelized peaches and the bread was buttery and had the perfect crunch because of the olive oil that I initially toasted it with. I think my peach and Brie grilled cheese could definitely give the Lady Killigrew café a run for their money. :) 

                          

Gluten-Free Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese

      Every year on Father’s day my dad usually asks me if I would make him his favorite lobster mac & cheese recipe. I’m always excited about making this recipe because it encompasses so many of my favorite things: sweet paprika, Gruyere cheese, and LOBSTER! The other main reason why I love this recipe so much is because the tomato based Gruyere and cheddar sauce almost resembles the color and taste of vodka cream sauce. The Italian in me loves anything that resembles vodka cream sauce! Anyways, this year when I was contemplating which recipe to use I thought I would try and change it up a little bit.

Over the past year I’ve been making a very conscious effort to be gluten-free for health reasons and through this process I think I’ve tried almost every gluten free pasta brand that’s out there. Long story short, I really cannot give up pasta. Through all of my pasta experimentation I’ve found what I believe to be the most similar, texture wise to real pasta, which is Jovial’s gluten-free line.

I figured while I was already on the way to making an easier to digest version of my favorite lobster mac, I could substitute a few more things to the original recipe. I decided to use gluten-free breadcrumbs, in order to still have that extra crunch aspect to the dish, gluten-free flour for my roux and lactose free half & half instead of heavy cream.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter

Kosher Salt

1 pound of Jovial Gluten-Free pasta (or any gluten-free pasta of your choice)

2 ½ small shallots, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

5 tablespoons all purpose gluten-free flour

¼ cup white wine (I usually add a little more for extra flavor)

4 cups of lactose free half & half

2 teaspoons of sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or more depending on how much of a kick you can handle)

1 bay leaf

2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar

2 cups shredded Gruyere

1 (2 lb.) lobster, steamed and meat removed from shell, chopped

¼ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs

¼ cup freshly chopped parsley leaves

Directions

First things first, make sure to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter.

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil and cook the pasta for about 10 minutes give or take, depending on how al dente you like it cooked. Also with gluten free pasta always remember to give it a quick rinse afterwards to get rid of any extra starchiness.

I would grate the gruyere and cheddar cheese ahead of time just to make it easier for yourself when it’s time to incorporate into the sauce.

Take another large saucepan and melt about 4 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is shimmering, add the shallots and garlic until they appear to be translucent. Make sure to season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the tomato paste and gluten free flour and stir this mixture creating a tomato-based roux for about 3 minutes until it starts to create a slightly toasty aroma. Use your best judgment here because sometimes this mixture can get very dry so I like to add another tablespoon of butter to loosen it up a little bit. Next add the white wine and cook until it’s absorbed into your tomato mixture, about 1 or 2 minutes.

Slowly add the lactose free half & half and make sure to keep whisking while pouring (hopefully you’re good at multitasking) in order to avoid any lumps. Next add the sweet paprika, cayenne pepper and a bay leaf. Bring this creamy sauce up to a simmer and then turn down the heat and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken (enough to coat a spoon). After the mixture is thickened remove the bay leaf. 

Now stir in your grated cheeses, a handful at a time, and combining well into the sauce with each addition (leaving about a handful left for the topping). Add the chopped lobster meat as well and stir together so that all of the lobster is coated. Finally add your pasta and give it one last stir before adding it to the greased baking dish.

Once you evenly add your mac and cheese to the pan, sprinkle some gluten free breadcrumbs, parsley, the rest of your cheese and a little extra paprika for color and zest and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!

24 Hours in Northampton for wine and cheese lovers!

If you find yourself in Northampton Massachusetts and want to experience a wine and cheese filled weekend here is my 24 hour guide!

24 Hours in Northampton, M.A.

 Nestled in between the Connecticut River and the Berkshire Mountains, Northampton has grown to become an artistic and cultural safe haven for a diverse crowd of individuals from all over the country. Settled in 1653, this bohemian and liberal town was once a Puritan settlement owned by the Nonotuck Indians. With a population of 28,549 inhabitants, Northampton, also known as Paradise City, offers a very welcoming LGBT community and has become a mecca for gay and lesbian families and couples. Downtown Northampton is filled with local breweries, restaurants, specialty food and clothing stores, art galleries, beautiful walking trails, history and even has an exciting nightlife. For the wine and cheese lovers in particular Paradise City can give you just what you’re looking for on a relaxing fall weekend, from gourmet Brie and Chèvre to your finest southern French Wines.

FRIDAY

12:30 p.m.

1. Juice Fix at Haymarket Café

Start off your wine and cheese adventure with an energizing and healthy non-alcoholic beverage at the Haymarket Café, diagonally across from Northampton town hall. Inside this charming two-story café there is a juice bar upstairs and a full service restaurant downstairs, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a light snack at the juice bar try a freshly baked snicker doodle or Haymarket’s most popular selling juice, “Lucky’s Immune Boost ($4.50), made with ginger, beat, carrot, apple, Echinacea and vitamin C. The atmosphere of this café is cozy and friendly with displays of antique paintings and mirrors covering the walls. Sit down and relax among students, professors, artists, and townies on comfy carpet covered benches with a favorite book. Downstairs you will find a wide variety of reasonably priced vegetarian options such as a tofu-vegan scramble with Portobella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, soy sausage and shallots ($6.95) or for cheese lovers like yourselves, a grilled cheese with gruyere, avocado, tomato, Dijon mustard and basil mayonnaise ($6.75) Haymarket cafe is a great place to unwind and is open until 11 p.m. on weekends.

1:30 p.m.

2. Stroll Through Smith College Botanical Gardens

Up the hill from Main Street are the Smith College Botanical Gardens covering approximately 12,000 square feet of the campus. The botanical gardens, built over 100 years ago by L. Clarke Seelye, are the home to an extensive variety of gardens, greenhouses, exhibitions and plant collections. Wander around this beautiful campus while receiving an education about the importance of the plant kingdom. Open daily with no entrance fee; the botanical gardens are a beautiful getaway within the city and the 6,600 different kinds of plants, many of which are native to New England, are sure to soothe even the most frazzled urban souls. Let yourself get lost around the Smith College campus and don’t forget to smell the flowers along the way.

3 p.m.

3. The Perfect Plate of Cheese

Are you finally in the mood for cheese? Walk down to 24 Main Street to The Foundry for lunch and be sure to ask them for the cheese plate menu. This quaint lunch spot has a relaxing atmosphere with dark wood walls and is covered with modern paintings. If you like to people watch, settle into a comfy barstool or a regular table if you prefer. There is a variety of interesting coffee drinks as well as a full wine and beer menu. Order off of the A La Carte menu and create your own cheese plate! Choose from 4 cheese choices including Brie ($2.50), Cave-Aged Blue ($3.50), Chèvre ($1.50) or Aged Vermont Cheddar ($3). You also have the option of adding slices of Soppressata ($4) or extras slices of French baguette, strawberry preserves, sliced pears, mixed olives and a few others for $2. The Chèvre and Brie on a slice of a French baguette pair very nicely together and the sliced Soppressata gives just the right amount of saltiness to the plate. The friendly staff and acoustic music in the background only add to awesome vibe of this great lunch spot.

4:30 p.m.

4. Winery off the Beaten Path

Hop in your car and take a 15-minute picturesque drive to Mineral Hills Winery located where Northampton meets Florence. Having just returned from studying abroad in what many argue as the wine capital of the world, Florence, Italy, it is safe to say that this suburb is the wine capital of Northampton.  As you start to feel like you are driving into the middle of the woods you will come across a sign that says “Godard’s Red Hen Farm, Mineral Hills Winery” and you have reached your destination. As the sole winery in Northampton, it is definitely worth checking out. Walk inside the green tin roofed barn-like building and meet Susan Godard; wine maker, beekeeper, farmer, mother and schoolteacher. Susan will proudly tell you herself, “We make everything by hand!” This family run farm and winery opened in October of 2010 and Susan along with her husband Larry do it all. While Larry is out back picking grapes in the vineyard by hand, Susan is either beekeeping to make honey or working in the store. For $6 you can do a wine tasting with a choice of 5 of their homemade wines. Their wine list ranges from their signature Blueberry wine to Golden Harvest Apple wine with many other interesting wines in between. If you are curious about their farm Susan will give you a tour of their wine making room and take you outback to their 6o acres of land and vineyards where Larry is hard at work. They even hold parties on their property for wine lovers throughout the fall season. While a little off the beaten path, visiting Mineral Hills Winery will give you the chance to sample tasty wines in a tranquil environment and in the company of kind and hard working farmers like Larry and Susan.

6 p.m.

5. Center for Fine Wine, Craft Beer and Gourmet Cheese

As the sky starts to darken head back downtown to do some well-earned shopping at Provisions. Towards the bottom of the hill on Crafts Ave. is one of the areas premiere locations for fine wines, craft beer and specialty cheeses. Several times a week they have wine tastings, including wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian wines like Chianti Rufina, wines from Southern France such as Malbec, Vegan Wine and even maple wine. Provisions also hosts’ beer events and offers wine seminars a couple times a month. Stop by the cheese counter and sample from the wide variety of local as well as European cheese. Try a sharp and tangy hard goat cheese that goes by the name “Danby” or creamy blue cheese made with goat’s milk known as “Shaker Blue”. Right next to the specialty cheese counter is a meet counter with all different types of Prosciutto, salami and much more.  There is a homey feel to the store as the owners attentively walk around asking customers if they need wine or beer recommendations or just want to ask questions in general. Provisions has almost every kind of wine your heart could desire from all over the world totaling 1,100 wines. They also sell many unique craft beers such as Mikkeller, gluten free beer and pumpkin beer. It is easy to spend hours browsing through this vast selection of beverages, wine accessories and wine books, making it a definite a must see for wine and cheese lovers.

7 p.m.

6.  Continuing Your Wine Education

Nestled right in the heart of Thornes Marketplace is the independent bookstore Booklink Booksellers. This store originated in Brooklyn and moved to its final Northampton destination in 1997. This two-story bookstore has a variety of fiction, non-fiction and travel books but also sells gifts and greeting cards and has a café in the midst of it all. Open till 9 p.m. on Fridays, Booklink is the perfect place to browse and find an interesting book on wine or brewing. Surrounding this bookstore are the legendary Herrell’s Ice Cream shop, Heavenly Chocolate, and Paul & Elizabeth’s Natural Food Restaurant.  After you find your ideal wine book with the help of welcoming staff, settle into a cozy chair with a hot or cold coffee drink on the second floor at the Post Card Café.

8 p.m.

8.  French Dining in Noho

A wine and cheese filled day in Northampton would not be complete without a fine French Dining experience. Nestled close to the Smith College Campus on West Street is Bistro Les Gras. On a Friday evening this small bistro has a romantic and soothing ambiance. Although it is usually filled it never feels overcrowded and older couples, graduate students and intellectuals fill the tables and bar area. The candles on each table give an intimate vibe and the bartender smiles as people walk in the door and are seated. The extensive wine selection is overwhelming with bottles ranging from across the county to all over the world. For white wine lovers you might choose the Gruet, a full bodied sparkling wine with an aroma of pears and spices ($7 a glass or $2 to taste) or a 2004 Kumeu River Chardonnay from Australia. After dinner try a light and bubbly Italian Prosecco di Conegliano to cleanse your palate. Those who prefer red wine might enjoy a Bourgogne Pinot Noir with a smooth flavor of ripe fresh black fruits. If you don’t prefer red or white try the Southern France Rosé made in Provence. Chef Daniel Martinez uses local and seasonal fresh farm ingredients to create elegant dishes and his menu is constantly changing. For an appetizer try the Artisan cheese plate ($15) with different cheese options every day. For a pasta course try the Gnocchi a la Parisienne, French dumplings, delicate squash puree and petit king oyster mushrooms ($9). This dish goes very nicely with a glass of Chardonnay. With the attentive staff and Chef Martinez’s creative and flavorful menu, Bistro Les Gras is the perfect French Dining destination to end your wine and cheese adventures in Northampton.

10 p.m.

9. Spa Time

After a satisfying meal at Bistro Les Gras and a few glasses of fine European wine, you might feel up to one more adventure. Before heading back home or to your hotel or bed & breakfast walk less than a minute up West Street to the East Heaven Hot Tubs and Paradise Spa. It is open until 12 a.m. Monday-Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. If you are feeling tired come back well rested in the morning when they open at 11 a.m. This little Asian-themed oasis has a variety of wooden spas and romantic hot tubs on the roof as well. To rent private hot tubs for an hour is $32.50 per person and while this is on the expensive side, it is definitely worth it. Between the relaxing music, the crackling cozy fireplace and wooden tubs, East Heaven is the perfect place to end the day.

David Burke Townhouse for NYC Restaurant Week!

This year from July 22 through August 16th is NYC Restaurant week. Anyone who revolves their life around food, like me, has already read through all of their possible restaurant menu options for the best 4 weeks of the summer! During Restaurant week we get to dine at some of our favorite restaurants that normally we wouldn't be able to afford, for the very reasonable set prices of $25 for lunch and $38 for dinner! For one of my restaurant week choices I decided on David Burke Townhouse. After hearing raving reviews from friends and knowing how talented of a chef David Burke is, my decision to bring my parents here for dinner was very easy.


My expectations for David Burke Townhouse led me to think that there would be an upscale vibe and atmosphere. As I entered the restaurant on the night of our much anticipated reservation, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The entrance was warm and inviting and the inside was classy and elegant. The wait staff were all very friendly and attentive as they brought us to our table.
To start they brought us a variety of warm rolls with butter. My mom ordered a drink called Habitual Happiness which was made with St. Germain, Cointreau, rose water, Prosecco and wild hibiscus flower. This was the perfect light drink to start off a meal but  also could have gone well with our dessert later on. Sweets usually pair well with floral and fruity light champagne. Although my menu options for restaurant week were limited and I could not have my pick from the regular menu, the Prix Fixe menu was perfectly fine with me.

For my appetizer I had the chilled tomato gazpacho. In the center was jumbo lump crab meat, crushed avocado and cumin mousse. Beyond gazpacho being a chilled soup, I had no idea what to expect when I took my first bite. My first impression of the gazpacho was that the taste of the cumin mousse was stronger than the taste of the tomato. Although it was a little on the spicy side, the smooth and creamy avocado, cumin mousse as well as the pieces of lump crab meat balanced out the spice perfectly. All of my taste buds were satisfied!


For my next course I had the handmade cavatelli & braised short ribs with wild mushrooms, mushroom chips, truffle mousse. This dish was a mushroom and truffle lovers paradise! Now I usually am on the fence about braised short ribs because they can either be delicious, tender and juicy or very dry. I figured if there was ever a time to take a chance with short ribs it would be now, while at the receiving end of Chef David Burke's amazing culinary creations.  As I waited for my dish, I knew it was close when the aroma of truffles filled the air around me. My cavatelli and short ribs finally arrived and it looked beautiful. The short ribs were glazed with a wild mushroom sauce and were pull-apart tender and juicy. The cavatelli was perfectly cooked Al dente and the crisp mushroom chips added the perfect contrast of textures to the dish. The creamy truffle mouse added a creamy element to the mushroom sauce and all of the flavors of this dish flowed perfectly together. I was in heaven. The portion was also very generous for an upscale restaurant like David Burke Townhouse. I was so full from this rich and flavorful dish that I took the rest home with me. (The next day it tasted even better!)

For dessert I ordered the chocolate caramel bar with Bergamot caramel and earl grey ice cream. This menu item tempted me mainly because I love earl grey tea and I was really was curious to see what earl grey ice cream would taste like.  The Chocolate and caramel bar was thick and rich but had the consistency of a heavy mousse. The Smooth and creamy sweet caramel bar was complemented by the salted caramel icing on top and the crunchy chocolate crumbs on the side added an interesting texture to the dessert. The small scoop of earl grey ice cream was refreshing and delicious and paired well with the richness of the caramel bar. This was the perfect way to end my meal. After we had stuffed ourselves to capacity with this amazing dinner they brought out a complementary plate of small little pastries for us to try which were delicious as well.           
As you can tell, I was very satisfied with my decision to eat at David Burke Townhouse! 

 

Hello again! This past Tuesday was my Dad's birthday and I made him his favorite food for dinner! Ever since I was little my family has always loved lobster! We have been going up to Maine and out to Montauk for fresh lobster ever since I could remember. My dad's two favorite foods are lobster and blueberries so for his birthday I decided to make him both. For the main course I made Lobster and Crab Mac & Cheese and for dessert I made him a blueberry crisp. Just looking up these recipes online was making  me so hungry and I could not wait to start preparing dinner :)

After I got home from the store with all of these yummy ingredients I started making the mac & cheese right away. First I boiled the water for the elbow macaroni and once that came to a boil, I cooked the pasta until it was al dente and then started to make the cheese sauce. First I made a roux with flour and butter and then I added milk that I had been heating on another burner. Once this butter, flour and milk mixture thickened I added Gruyere and Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and some shallots that I had been sautéing, to give it some extra flavor! As I was mixing all these ingredients together I could smell the cheeses melting together with the nutmeg and it smelled amazing. 

In the meantime, my mom was boiling the Lobster, which I am always afraid to do myself. After the cheese mixture looked ready I added the chunks of juicy lobster meat and lump crab meat to the pot and stirred this delicious looking mixture until all of the lobster and crab were incorporated. 

Next, I added the pasta to this mixture and spread it evenly in a 13 by 9 baking dish. Finally,  I put a combination of buttered Panko and Italian breadcrumbs on top of the lobster and crab mac & cheese and put it in the oven at 375 degrees for about an hour. 

After the mac & cheese was done cooking to perfection we sat down for dinner! I took my first bite and I was in heaven. The top of the mac & cheese was golden brown and had a little bit of a crunch from the breadcrumbs. I could taste the combination of Gruyere and Cheddar cheese with the flavor from the shallots and spices and the juicy chunks of lobster and crab all in one amazing bite! My mom and dad's taste buds were equally satisfied. I was thrilled that I decided to make this awesome creation for my dad's birthday! 

After dinner I started to make the blueberry crisp. In a bowl I mixed together fresh blueberries and frozen blueberries, sugar, salt and cornstarch and poured this mixture in a  square glass baking dish. Then I made the crumb topping by combining flour, oats, brown and white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and adding softened butter until it creates a crumbly topping. Then I sprinkled the crumb topping over the blueberry mixture and put it to bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. 

I took it out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes and then sat down to indulge! It was cooked perfectly and with my first bite I could taste the sweet crunchy oat crumb topping with its warm blueberry layer underneath . This dessert goes perfectly with vanilla ice cream and makes the perfect snack to go with lobster and crab mac & cheese!

Perfect day for Magnolia's!

Flourless chocolate cupcake 

with vanilla bean buttercream frosting

       
Today during lunch, being a  beautiful sunny Thursday, I decided to take a stroll down to Magnolia Bakery! I figured I only have one week left before I leave the city to go back to school, so I should take advantage of my time here and just give in to my cupcake craving. Luckily they have a location only a few blocks away from my office! While Magnolia Bakery has many dessert items to choose from, I always seem to go for their famous buttercream frosted cupcakes. 

       There is just something about their icing that you can't get anywhere else. My usual cupcake has vanilla buttercream icing with a vanilla cupcake but today I decided to be Daring! I asked the girl at the counter her opinion and she suggested I try the flourless cupcake and since I am a huge fan of flourless cakes it seemed fitting that I try this. Although the cupcakes are in the $3-4 range I think these cupcakes are 100% worth it!  I sat down with my cupcake and started to indulge. The vanilla bean buttercream frosting tasted deliciously light and creamy and the flourless chocolate cake was so rich and had that deep chocolate flavor you would find in a chocolate tart or chocolate molten cake. Anyway, I am SOOO happy I got to have my Magnolia cupcake today and I think I might have a new favorite flavor!!

"Really Cheesy-Really Crunchy Mac & Cheese"

                        

Hey again guys! I realize that I just updated my last post this morning... but then I was going through my pictures and came across this wonderful meal that I had a few weeks ago and I really wanted to express with all of you how obsessed I am with this Mac & Cheese.

I was meeting my friend Adrie for dinner after work and we decided to go to Max Brenner's! For everyone who lives in the New York/New Jersey Area you may have already heard of this delicious tourist trap located on Broadway, between 13th and 14th Street in Union Square. 

Max Brenner's is basically a chocolate restaurant! Who wouldn't want to eat here honestly..! They have everything chocolate you could possibly want, whether it be frozen hot chocolate, chocolate pizza or even a chocolate syringe (like a shot of chocolate pretty much).

This place is actually amazing and it wasn't until I came here with my parents a few years ago that I realized they had real food too! I will say that it is definitely a challenge to have real food, which is all delicious, and then save room for anything chocolate that your heart could desire! Somehow, I manage to do this every time...So back to the amazing mac & cheese that I had here. On the menu it's called "Really Cheesy- Really Crunchy Mac & Cheese" and not only is this the best mac & cheese ever in my opinion, but there's more... it comes with chopped tomatoes and bacon (probably not the healthiest option on the menu, but I promise it's worth it) and they also give you a side of marinara sauce in a little test tube container. Every time I order this i get WAY WAY too excited and I can smell it coming from a mile away! As soon as I get it, I pour the diced tomatoes and bacon on the top and then I take the marinara sauce and make sure I evenly distribute it around the whole thing.  I know this might sound a little gross but it is SO GOOD!!! The tomatoes add a juicy bite to the creamy & crunchy mac & cheese, the bacon gives the dish a little bit of saltiness and the marinara sauce helps to balance out the extreme amount of cheesiness you are putting in your mouth! It is a pretty big portion so I usually end up taking the rest home. But don't worry -- it tastes just as delicious when you heat it up the next day! Okay I'm done with my mac & cheese rant now, but please go try this sometime. It is definitely at the top of my list!