Vive La France!

As many of you already know, I am obsessed with everything French. French food, the language, French style, French movies. So I am especially excited for the Bastille Day cruise Benchmarc Events is hosting tomorrow, July 10th. We'll set sail from the pier at the World Financial Center at 8pm, and from there it will be 2 hours full of  French tunes, bites and drinks!

If you're in New York and looking for a festive way to celebrate Bastille Day, it's not too late to buy your tickets. And because you're a reader of The Daily Bite you can use our Friends & Family code BIGMARC4 at checkout to receive $15 off the ticket price (normally $60 for $45)!

If you're still not convinced, below are some pictures from last week's Red, White & Blue cruise, which will attest that tomorrow night is sure to be a real fête! Bon voyage!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/185631

all photos: Jason Shaltz

A Peachy Beachy Weekend

As much as I love New York, an occasional weekend away from the city is necessary, especially in the summer. So this past weekend at my friend's beach house in Rhode Island was the perfect mini vacation. We could not have asked for better weather, having spent all day Saturday and Sunday lounging at the beach.

When we weren't soaking up the sun or swimming in the surprisingly clear Atlantic, we were eating (duh). And the food theme of the weekend was peaches. Peach scones, peaches on the beach, peaches in our sangria, peach pie. Even the name of the farm stand where we did some shopping was Peaches. Not that I'm complaining. There are few things better than sinking your teeth into a peach, juices running down your chin on a sunny summer afternoon.

Strawberry & Peach Sangria adapted from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients:
about 1 and a half bottles white wine
1 1/2 cups peach schnapps
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup seltzer water
1 large orange, peeled & segmented
3 peaches, sliced
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 lemon, cut crosswise into slices

Add fruit to a large pitcher. Stir in wine, peach schnapps, seltzer water and sugar. Add sugar if needed. Chill and serve over ice.

Tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella & basil, served with basil vinaigrette. Recipe here

Grilled chicken with orange & honey glaze. Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit 

Is that not a summer feast, or what?

Fast(ish) Food

I spent this past weekend at my first ever music festival, Governors Ball, which is deceivingly not on Governors Island but Randall's Island. After hiking it up to Randall's Island once for a soccer game via subway and a bus ride with lots of creepy men, I swore I would never go back there, but alas, there I was. And this time, the trip to Randall's Island was well worth it.

Rainbow balloons for Pride Weekend!

My friends and I were in agreement that the absolute peak of the weekend (and also unexpected) was the show/extreme dance party put on by Major Lazer. Jumping, fist pumping, champagne popping, and shirts flying all ensued (not our shirts, of course). Top that off with a naked girl running across the stage  and lots of booty-popping from the dancers, and you have got an awesome sweaty dance party outside in the 85-degree heat.

Other musical favorites of mine included Chromeo, Passion Pit and Modest Mouse.

Chromeo

Passion Pit

But with all that sweating and dancing, we obviously had to keep ourselves satiated too, and Governors Ball had a nice little spread of food vendors for just that. On Saturday I indulged in the "Vinh" from Asia Dog: a Vietnamese banh-mi style hotdog (I opted for a chicken dog) with aioli, pork pate, cucumbers, pickled carrot & daikon, cilantro and jalapeño. The pickled carrots and cilantro were a refreshing bite on the hot afternoon.

photo credit: padmalakshmi.com

On Sunday I went for a half lobster, half crab roll from Luke's Lobster. I'm no newbie to Luke's Lobster. I love a lobster roll with big chunks of lobster and just a little bit of butter. Some people prefer their roll as more of a salad with a mayo-based sauce, but I like to taste all that fresh lobstah! The crab roll is also simple and delicious with just some butter and old bay seasoning. Sandwich that between a buttery toasted bun, and you've got the perfect snack for lounging out in the sun on a Sunday afternoon.

photo credit: lukeslobster.com

Falling for Autumn

This summer has flown by at lightning speed. It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and yet it feels like it was only Memorial Day a week ago. Unfortunately, I think the summers will only get shorter as my years as an “adult” progress. I’m kicking myself now, wishing I soaked up every last second of freedom last summer rather than stressing out about finding a job.

As sad as it is to see summer go, I always look forward to this time of year—apple picking, sweater weather, and pumpkin everything! For me, the fall is a time of comforting traditions spent with friends and family, and a welcome change of pace after a summer on-the-go…So the recent dreary and cooler weather in NYC was the perfect opportunity to make something warm and wholesome for dinner.

Sloshing through the puddles on my way home from work, I had this craving for a curry dish. Now don’t be fooled—curry was never a tradition in my home. I don’t know that curry has ever set foot in my family’s home, but something about the rich spices and the deep orange color of curry just has “autumn” and “comfort” written all over it. Luckily, this recipe is so simple that I already had all the ingredients and didn’t have to trek back out in the rain to the grocery store. I served the curry sauce with shrimp over brown rice, but it would also be great over chicken or vegetables. The curry perfumed my whole apartment with this spicy, almost cinnamony smell, and had a rich, creamy texture that I just crave in fall foods. Not having a true summer vacation anymore is definitely a bummer, but it’s these hearty, comforting meals that I look forward to all year round.

Easy Curry with Shrimp and Brown Rice (served with roasted baby zucchini, pictured below)

Serves One

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tsp curry powder

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of salt

6-7 cooked shrimp (I just thawed some frozen shrimp in my freezer)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, mustard and spices over medium heat. Whisk until the butter is melted and everything is combined even.

2. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, allowing them to absorb the flavors and warm through—about 4 minutes.

3. Pour the shrimp and sauce over prepared brown rice and serve warm.

Becoming Ina

As my siblings and I have gotten older, and with my growing interest in food over the years, our family vacations have become more and more revolved around food. Sure, we like to occupy ourselves with other activities--bike rides, swimming, tennis--but really, these activities just fill in the gaps between meals. (This is actually how I operate on a daily basis, but is even more pronounced on vacation when food is meant to be enjoyed and indulgent). So when my mom arranged our week-long stay in East Hampton back in April, you can bet that I went right to work researching all the hot spots and local eateries.

Being a huge Ina Garten, I felt like I'd already been to East Hampton a million times before, having seen almost every episode of her show. The cheese shop owner would greet me by name, and my favorite loaf of bread would be waiting for me at the bakery--and everything would be for free, just like it is for Ina! Well, things certainly do not come free in the Hamptons--far from it--but I was most charmed by all of the local shops and farms.

In between over-the-top meals at The Palm and Nick & Toni's, we did need somewhat of a breather. But that didn't mean we had to skimp on flavor. After a trip to the farmer's market in Amagansett, I decided to make a simple pasta primavera with all of the fresh vegetables. Served with some nice crusty bread, it made a delicious, fresh meal, just light enough to leave room for dessert. All of the restaurants we tried throughout the week were spectacular--impeccable service and food--but nothing made me feel more like quintessential Ina than cooking with local ingredients from my fabulous farmer friends. And just like Ina always says, I couldn't help but say, "Now, how easy is that?"

Pasta Primavera
Serves 4-5


Ingredients:
1 lb dried pasta (I used spaghetti, but any kind will do)
3 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow zucchini or summer squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tbs rosemary, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the vegetables to the skillet and toss to coat in the oil, season with salt and pepper. Allow the veggies to cook and brown a bit, about 5-6 minutes.
4. Add the rosemary and white wine. Cook the vegetables until the wine reduces by half. Season the sauce with salt and pepper as needed.
5. When the sauce is done, pour into a large serving platter on top of the cooked pasta. Drizzle with the lemon juice and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Toss to combine and serve with fresh, crusty bread.

Pasta primavera à la East Hampton!

Insane chocolate from The Palm that we had to order for takeout after having devoured it in the restaurant. 

Delicious fig chutney, rosemary crackers and triple crème brie from Ina's (and now my) favorite shop, Loaves & Fishes.

You Grill, Girl!

Who ever said that girls can't grill? My women's studies classes in college taught me well that gender is not defined by biology, but by the societal and structural demands and expectations placed on the so-called genders. As a feminist who loves a good burger, you better believe no societal expectations were getting in the way of me learning how to man the grill.

I have to admit, it was a little scary the first time my dad taught me how to light it. It probably didn't help that my mom was fretting through the window, waiting for the flames to blow up in my face. Like any cooking technique, it's taken me some time to figure out all of its intricacies--how hot to heat it up, or how to know when your burger is done. But there are a few female-gendered qualities that just might be a little more helpful on the grill. (Boys, listen up. Take a lesson from these qualities not only at the grill, but also in real life...)

1. Patience is extremely important on the grill. Flipping your burgers over and over again won't make them cook any faster. Let the meat/veggies/etc sit for a good few minutes to get that nice char on one side before flipping.

2. Be gentle with your food, especially burgers and fish. Pressing the burgers into the grill only causes all the tasty juices to drip out. Make sure the grill is lightly oiled or sprayed before placing fish on the grate--if it sticks, it will crumble apart when you try to move it.

3. Organization A little planning can get you a long way in the kitchen, whether cooking inside or out. Before you throw all your food on the grill at once, make sure you know the cooking times for each item. Also, the more you crowd the grill, the longer everything will take to cook. Keep food evenly spaced for accurate cooking times.

So go forth women, and show that grill what you're made of!

Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Makes 6-7 skewers


Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 summer squash
1 zucchini
1 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbs finely chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Cut the squash and zucchini into 3/4-inch cubes, so they're about the same time as the cherry tomatoes. Place in a boll with tomatoes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and stir to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the flavors.
3. Assemble the skewers as desired.
4. Over a medium grill that's been lightly brushed with olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray, place the skewers so they run perpendicular to the grate. Flip every 2-3 minutes, so that all sides are nicely charred and cooked through.

Cheddar burgers and vegetable skewers

Grilled sweet potato fries

S'mores! (these were deceivingly not prepared on the grill)