Slovak Zemlovka for my Nadika

This past weekend was really special for my family, as we got to commemorate my dear grandparents, Nadika and Nadapa who've passed in the last two years.  We loved them so much, and have amazing memories of these dear people (pictured above).  

Nadika (grandma in Hungarian) was very special to me, and she was everyone's favorite cook.  I know many people think this about their grandmother, and I know that in each case it's probably true, but Nadika truly possessed culinary magic.  On our special day where we commemorate both my grandparents, we make a point to get together and cook ALL of the traditional dishes that Nadika was so famous for.  This year was no exception, as my parents' table was filled with sweet family and the most amazing, Slovak and Hungarian food you can ever wish for.  Everyone contributes something that has a special memory for them, and this year, I decided to make Zemlovka (Slovak bread pudding).

Even though this sounds like a dessert-like dish, as it's made of apples, cottage cheese and custardy bread, Slovaks actually serve and eat it as part of a main course.  We did just that, and I got some nice compliments on it, including from my dad who loved Nadika's cooking the most.

It truly was a magical day, and a tradition I hope we continue for many years to come.

You can make Zemlovka at home too!  I adapted mine from the super helpful recipe on the Slovak Cooking blog.  It's chock full of other fantastic Slovak recipes, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.  Dobru chut prajem (aka bon appetit).

Martha's Bakery Continues to Bring Out My Sinful Side

On the same day that Peter, Fiana and I went to BareBurger, we also ventured into Martha's and did quite a job overdosing on dessert.  While I've been to this bakery many a times and continue to be a loyal supporter, I had my eye on some new things that I've been meaning to try like the bread pudding.  Peter and Fiana were intrigued by the hot chocolate options and tried those out, with much success.  Here are the highlights:

Apple Bread Pudding - Admiring the large pans of fluffy bread pudding in their display case, I just couldn't refuse.  Not knowing that there was more than one variety, the apple bread pudding caught my eye so I decided to go for it.  The result was stupendous and the portion is quite large and therefore perfect to share with one (even two) people.  Reminding me of zemlovka, a homestyle Slovak bread pudding recipe made in any proper Slovak kitchen, this had similar qualities, including the soft, sweet apples, tender on the inside but crispy on the outside bread dough, and some familiar flavorings of cinnamon and brown sugar.  It was a delight to eat, and while my brother helped me out, it felt so light that I could've very well polished it off on my own.

PBJ and Regular Hot Chocolate - With up to 5 different varieties of hot chocolate, it was hard to choose, but Peter and Fiana each got something that pleased them.  Peter ordered the peanut butter hot chocolate, which was just fantastic - a velvety concoction of dark rich hot chocolate kissed with a hint of peanut butter that left you with a nostalgic aftertaste after each gulp.

Fiana went with the more traditional classic hot cocoa, which was also lovely, and topped with fluffy whipped cream.  I liked that it didn't feel too rich to go down but it was also far from watery, creating a perfect dessert elixir.

Service and Cost:
Even though the cafe offers table service, I've never taken advantage of it until now.  I'm happy to say that the service was relatively responsive, but we didn't feel rushed either, especially on a busy night.  The servers tend to be quite young and maybe a little green, but overall they're very sweet and do a nice job.

Costs are moderate and totally justified for all that deliciousness.  The above  mentioned treats set us back about $22 with tax and tip.

Martha's Country Bakery - 36-21 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

 718.545.9737

N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

Martha's Country Bakery - 41-06 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
 718.225.5200
LIRR to Bayside
www.marthascountrybakery.com  

Fooditka Previews the Citi Field Food Line-Up

This week, Dan and I got to attend a really great press event at Citi Field, in honor of the upcoming baseball season, and the new eats featured at the stadium.  It was so much fun checking out all the different concessions, including the well known ones from Union Square Sports & Entertainment Group, World's Fare Market, Brooklyn Burger, Delta Sky360 Club, Promenade Club and the eats at Metropolitan Hospitality.

Everyone brought out the big guns and I was excited to see all the executive chefs, proudly displaying their new dishes for us to try.  As most tasting events, it was thrilling, wonderful and overwhelming at the same time, but we managed.  Trying a little bit of everything (in small bites of course), here are some of my standouts, as well as videos with two of the chefs, whose dishes caught my attention. Enjoy!

Buffalo Dog at Box Frites - This was pretty incredible because even though it looked like a hot dog, it tasted exactly like a fabulous buffalo chicken sandwich, complete with tangy blue cheese sauce and fixin's of pickled carrot and celery, which elevated it from something ordinary.  A smoky bacon dipping sauce that came as a side with the dog spoke volumes, and Chef, Scott Levine will tell you more about it in my interview with him.Interview with Chef, Scott Levine

Pastrachos from General Concessions - A big step up from your traditional stadium nachos, these are called pastrachos, as they embody all the characteristics of a classic Reuben sandwich, except in nacho form.  "How innovative!" I thought, as I kept reaching for seconds.  The sour taste from the sauerkraut, the savory nature of the pastrami and the creamy thousand island dressing make you want to close your eyes and envision being at a Jewish deli.  YUM!  Check out the interview with Chef, Javier Delgado as he reveals more details about this awesome new treat.
Interview with Chef, Javier Delgado

Fried Flounder Sandwich at Delta Sky360 Club - I loved the look of this bite sized sandwich, resembling a good sized slider.  The inside was filled with fried fresh flounder, which was light and flaky, but also topped with a tomato-parsley salad, which added a nice zestiness to the whole thing.  When the dish becomes officially available at the stadium, it'll also be served with guacamole and steak fries. 

Fried Fruit Pies at Box Frites - How can I forget about mentioning dessert...this is often my favorite part of any tasting!  The fried fruit pie was one of the first things we saw when we came in, but obviously saved it for last.  Boasting two flavors including apple crumb and mixed berry, we went for the latter and absolutely loved the crunchy sugary crust and the warm, thick and syrupy filling that was also slightly chunky.  Overall, it was pretty easy to eat and I think it'd make a great stadium dessert.

Banana Bread Pudding at Citi Field Desserts - Another awesome dessert was the cute little portion of banana bread pudding cups you see above.  Filled with warm banana cake that had a crunchy top and a gooey middle, each bite was pleasure, with a hint of cinnamon at the end that made you reach for another spoonful. 

Hope this little ballpark preview has piqued your interest for the upcoming season.  Take me out...to Citi Field!

Queens Kickshaw Morning Glory

Although yesterday was technically a non-work day for me in the traditional sense, my We Heart Astoria colleagues and I had a super productive day, meeting at The Queens Kickshaw.  Choosing this venue for its casual, laid-back vibe and superb coffee, we settled into the large square table upfront and spent most of the morning and the early part of the afternoon discussing "business."

In the midst of all this, we of course took breaks to drink delicious Kickshaw coffee, and indulged in their signature comfort food.  I've never not liked what I've had here, and this time even further upped the ante.  Some new things I tried...

Egg & Cheese Sandwich - When Dan ordered this before, I hungrily watched him eat it, but this time I was ready to devour it solo.  Just like each Kickshaw sandwich, it used really high quality bread, a buttery brioche in fact, which held deliciously savory elements such as perfectly scrambled eggs, soft ricotta cheese, tangy gruyere and some hot sauce to boot.  Because I usually pair egg dishes with ketchup, the hot sauce was a great substitute that made the sandwich incredibly moist, with a healthy kick in the butt from the spice.

White Bean and Beer Stew - Listening to Jen, Kickshaw's co-owner, describe this soup excited me.  It sounded incredibly hearty, mixing two types of beans, white gigantes and garbanzos, along with roasted peppers and braised greens.  The whole thing would then be submerged into a pungent beer broth and further topped with crunchy rye bread with basil aioli.  While I loved the bread with that earthy, garlicky pesto, I thought the soup needed more broth.  I enjoyed its chunky contents, and it did a great job of filling me up, but I would've appreciated more liquid to soak up the bread.

Dessert - Surprised with a sweet treat at the end of our meal, we received two on-the-house desserts, including a brownie affogato and and the bread pudding.  It so happens they combined two of my favorite things of all time - bread and chocolate - so needless to say, I was very happy.  Out of the two, I had a strong preference for the brownie affogato, as it paired together a rich, dark chocolate Godmother Rozzie's brownie with chunky walnuts, with a cool coffee cream.  Dipping the brownie in the cream was just fantastic and made it even moister than it already was.  I appreciated the tie-in with coffee, as it related back to Kickshaw's foundation.

The bread pudding was also lovely, made with a beautifully rich custard brioche, hints of orange and ribbons of caramel.  Even though it was by no means a low cal dish, it didn't leave you with a heavy feeling and we polished it off rather quickly.  My favorite aspect were the slightly crunchy edges of the brioche - yum!

Service and Cost:
Always treated with much hospitality and a friendly but unobtrusive manner, I continue to love the service here.  I appreciate the professional way they conduct business and the high quality they deliver.  It was interesting to see that there's table service too, which I haven't much seen at other coffee houses.  It has to be said that the entire place was busy on a Monday, which is testament to its continuous excellence.

Costs are fair and I paid about $17 for a cappuccino, an egg and cheese sandwich, and the bean soup.

3 Mmmms

The Queens Kickshaw - 40-17 Broadway, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.0913
M/R Train to Steinway Street
www.thequeenskickshaw.com 

Simply Bodacious Berry Bread Pudding

Since I haven't made dessert in quite a long time, and my parents were having a little dinner party with Dan and my in-laws, I decided to try out a dessert I've had my eye on for quite some time.  Although technically named the Summer Berry Pudding, I don't think it has to be made solely in warm months.  What I truly love about the recipe is that it's a no bake dessert, that tastes absolutely amazing and fresh.

Using the berries that the Bon Appetit recipe suggested, I created layers of this bread pudding, for which the soaking surface was soft, eggy challah bread.  You can also use brioche, but I think that challah is pretty easy to get, and if you have any extra, you can always use it for a yummy butter and marmalade sandwich the next day.

Overall, I loved the freshness and the earthiness of this dessert, and the dinner guests totally echoed my sentiments.  As I saw people reaching over and taking seconds, a satisfied smile spread across my face.  I will be making this again, I thought to myself.

Here's the recipe for your convenience and feel free to substitute with the berries of your choice.