Course 1 - Crab Cakes
Even though I've never made crab cakes before, I was willing and ready to try. "How hard could they be?" I thought to myself. Turns out that not only were they super simple to create, they were quick too. The key was buying good quality crab meat, which I got at Whole Foods. I opted for the claw meat, which wasn't as aesthetically beautiful as the lump crab, but it tasted delicious and was super tender, with a hint of sweetness too. Here's a simple recipe I used, which came from allrecipes.com.
Course 2 - Broiled Steak and Potato Gratin
Dan made the steaks but he didn't use a recipe. I bought two large (just under a pound) ribeye steaks off the bone. Dan seasoned the steaks simply with sea salt (which he pressed into the meat), olive oil, pepper and garlic. Letting the flavors marinate for a bit, he put the steaks into the broiler for about 5-6 minutes on each side for medium-rare doneness. Not only were they juicy and flavorful, they had a nice crunchy exterior.
Our steaks were coupled with a side of rich potato gratin. Once again, I made sure to use really good, aged gruyere cheese and sliced the potatoes really thin (even though I had no mandoline). We were both really happy with the flavors, as they were tangy, decadent and really comforting. A nice sprinkling of fresh parsley added some delicious earthiness. To achieve the lovely brown crust you see above, we kept the potatoes in the broiling oven together with the steak. Here's the recipe, which comes from Emeril Lagasse.
Course 3 - Dessert (Banana Pudding and Mini Apricot Linzer Tortes)
Dessert was simple, as we tapped into one of my favorite NYC bakeries, Buttercup Bakeshop for their legendary banana pudding. What I love about it most is that it has chunks of real bananas and a really thick but not heavy consistency. We topped it with their mini apricot linzer tortes, which looked adorable and tasted wonderful. I liked the crunchy bite of the cookie, which was a little more toothsome than I'm used to, but it worked well to balance out the smoothness in the pudding.
Hope you all had a wonderful V-Day as well. *smooches*
Happy Valentine's Day Astoria. I hope you're having a lovely day or a fantastically planned night with your loved ones (whoever that may be for you). In addition to my V-Day restaurant round-up, I also wanted to supply you with an impromptu mini round-up of V-Day desserts sold only today at your local Astorian bakeries.
Astor Bake Shop - A very sweet Valentine extravaganza has hit this awesome sweet shop, where you can get anything and everything from homemade chocolates, lollipops, cookies, chocolate mousse cake, tiramisu cake, raspberry marshmallows with Belgian chocolate casing and so much more. Prices range from $3.25 - $24.95. 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria. 718.606.8439
Artopolis - Never having a shortage of delicious Greek cookies, cakes and even savory specialties, Artopolis is ringing in V-Day with their 6 or 8 inch chocolate hearts and specialty gift baskets. Prices run between $5.50 for the hearts to $45 for a big love basket full of yummies. 23-18 31st Street, Astoria. 718.728.8484
Martha's Country Bakery - Known primarily for their cupcakes, they're having a special V-Day version that's strawberry flavored. If you're looking for variety, you can also choose their V-day chocolate mousse cakes or the decadently dipped chocolate strawberries. Prices range between $2.25 for the strawberries and $25/$30 for the cakes. 36-21 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.545.9737
Frank's Bakery - If you're in the mood for traditional Italian cakes & pastries, try Frank's Bakery on 30th Avenue. Their V-Day offering includes heart shaped cakes with classic buttercream frosting, cupcakes and even fruit tarts. Cupcakes are priced at $2.25 while the cakes and the tarts range between $19.95 - $24.95. 36-02 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.726.7813
Terrizzi Pastry Shop - Just a few steps away fro Frank's, you've got Terrizzi, which is also on the traditional side and so, so delicious. This V-Day check out their chocolate mousse or red velvet hearts, cupcakes and even cute little petit fours. Prices range between $11.95 - $29.95 for the bigger items. 35-14 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.726.9698
