Renee - Author at Kitchen Conundrum

A tourist in my town-NYC

November 16, 2013 by Renee

I love when people come to visit me. In the last year three of my good friends (that I met on the Camino) from different corners of the world made the journey to NYC and this weekend my dear friend Michael finally came over. He had shown me England last year so I was more than happy to return the favor.

I’ve lived in NYC (and now in the burbs) for nearly 25 years. It’s home and the only place I’ve ever lived so long. For all this time though, I had never gone to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island for that matter. Today was a gorgeous day to do just that. Finally!

I can’t wait to go back and bring the kids. These stops are definitely a must see! We were too late to buy one of the limited tickets to climb to the crown but you can walk all around the island, take the ferry round trip and stop at Ellis Island to visit the museum there- all for a $17 ticket. Not a bad way to spend the day! My one piece of advice is to bring your own drinks and snacks- the kiosks on both islands are incredibly expensive. But what a fun day. And so happy with the weather!

Kind of interesting to see Lady Liberty on one side of the building and the Freedom Tower on the other side. Metaphor?

After seeing both of these sites, we made our way to the Freedom Tower. There is still so much construction and it was nearly closing time for the memorial, so we just snapped a few pictures of the building itself.

From there we headed back uptown. But not without stopping and taking a few pictures along the way.

Gotta love Times Square. Even Pooh looked like he’d had a full day.

Tomorrow we are off to see many other great parts of the city. There is a lot to see in just a weekend!

Briciola- An Italian Restaurant Where Everyone Speaks French

November 15, 2013 by Renee

I have walked by Briciola on several occasions and it’s always packed. Now after eating dinner here I know why. The food is excellent, the wine list long and the atmosphere is much like a dinner party with one long narrow high-top table where you sit elbow to elbow with strangers with your dining partner directly across from you also nestled between unknown patrons. But soon, you are no longer strangers but part of the convivial dining experience.

The servers are attentive and speak with a heavy French accent which for an Italian restaurant was almost surreal! I often found myself wanting to say Merci as opposed to Grazie. But rest assured, the food and the wine are most certainly Italian! The communal dining atmosphere lends itself well to this type of food. Each course provides reasonably sized portions so trying several dishes family style is encouraged. You may end up sharing with your neighbor.

Renowned for their $1 Oysters, this was the most popular starter around. Although we passed on this, we did try the Grilled Octopus salad and theLemon and Oregano. The grilled bread was served with a peppery olive oil and balsamic blend.

The mains on the printed menu were made up mostly of pastas while they also have an extensive appetizer selection. I opted for the Gnocchi and was not disappointed. The small nuggets of potato pasta were light and fluffy and swimming in a fresh tomato basil marinara. I was thankful there was not so much to feel overstuffed. My friend had the Lobster Risotto and I’ve seen this on their specials menu for a while, and wonder if it’s a permanent special- just an extension of their menu. Also lighter than you’d expect and filled with sizable chunks of seafood.

Dessert was delightful! I loved the Panna Cotta with it’s surprise of Proscecco in each bubbly bite. The Tiramisu was creamy and very fresh. It didn’t have too much mocha powder that you often find, so you didn’t have a dry mouth when you took a bite.

Even throughout dessert they were refilling your wine glass and replacing your water bottle and you hated leaving at the end of your meal- you didn’t want the dinner party to end.

Overall, it is a great dining experience at Briciola, if you can get in! There were two spots left when we arrived at 6:30 and by the time we left there was quite a line formed outside. So go early and go hungry!

Briciola

370 W. 51St.

NY, NY

Hell’s Kitchen

(646)-678-5763

Major Credit Cards accepted

Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar and Apple Fritters Recipe

November 14, 2013 by Renee

Today I was tasked with creating a recipe using Kerrygold Skellig, a creamy, sweet Cheddar cheese. So many options went through my mind- baked potato soup with cheese, cheddar muffins, cheddar scones, cheddar pancakes, scalloped potatoes and many more. But I wanted something that felt more seasonal- Fall. Crisp. Warm and inviting.

We had some apples left over from our picking expedition and I’ve had apple pies made with cheddar cheese in the past, so I thought about a pie. Kerrygold Skellig is decidedly sweet with a very nutty, brown butter flavor. It’s not too sharp and is very creamy. I love it alone or on crackers and thought it would be a perfect match to apples. But then I began thinking bite sized and small. Donuts were my first thought, but no. Not quite. Then I thought about Fritters! And yes, that’s exactly the perfect choice! Sort of cake-like, yet fried balls and filled with apples, spices and oozing Kerrygold Skellig Cheddar Cheese. I could eat a dozen or so of these delightful Fall inspired morsels! And the whole house smells welcoming.

Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar and Apple Fritters Recipe

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Sweet Cheddar and Apple Fritters - Goes terrific with a cup of coffee for a breakfast treat

Author: Renee

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbs. butter, melted
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 cup Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Method

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients- flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter together. Slowly add to the dry ingredients mixing well so there are few lumps.
Add the diced apple and the cheese to the batter folding both ingredients in.
In a medium pot (3Qt.) add about 2" of vegetable oil over medium heat.
With a large spoon, table or soup sized, drop dollops of the batter into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pot! Work in batches. You may have to flip the fritters over to cook all sides evenly. When golden brown remove with a slotted spoon to a plate prepared with paper towels to drain the oil.
Once cooled a bit, you could create a glaze of powdered sugar and milk to drizzle over the tops of the fritters or just roll them in fine sugar to coat.
These are great with a cup of coffee or tea. And don't keep them too close, as you may just eat them all!

Look for Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar in stores near you!

Disclosure: I received Kerrygold Skellig Cheddar Cheese to create this recipe as part of a contest. I was not compensated in any way for this post but this is my entry to a contest where I can win a year’s supply of Kerrygold products and a Kitchen Kit. Fingers crossed!