Primitivo Wine Bistro

Ceviche with Endive and Chips
Calamari with Garlic Aioli

My friend Gina treated me to a fabulous dinner and drinks at Primitivo Wine Bistro located in Venice. It is a great restaurant with cold and hot Spanish tapas and a extensive wine list. We started off with a glass of white wine with a shrimp ceviche with homemade potato chips and endives. Then we moved onto a yummy fried calamari with garlic aioli sauce. It was one of the best fried calamari I've had recently. There were lots of the tentacle pieces which I absolutely love. We ordered a glass of Pinot Noir to eat with our Potato Gnocchi with oxtail. That was really delicious. Gina suggested we share a bread pudding dessert which was also fantastic. I am now a huge fan of Primitivo. It was a pretty diverse, trendy, beachy looking crowd. Definitely a must go/go back location.

Primitivo Wine Bistro

1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd

Venice, CA 90291

The Best Crafting Tool Ever!!!!

My beloved machine

A baby shower card

A tiny sample of what the Cricut can do

I recently made another craft purchase. I bought the Cricut (pronounced "cricket") Expressions Machine, and I absolutely am in love with this machine. It is a electric diecut machine. Basically, you put in a cartridge with various fonts or designs, type in which characters/pictures you want and press cut. It's amazing and precise. I am used to the hand crank die cut machine. This is far more advanced and highly useful if you are into card making, scrapbooking, and crafting.

You Mean I Could've Been Using This the Whole Time??

My Global Knife in pristine condition

Ok, let me first apologize to Marsha and Eric for this blog. In NYC last week, I cooked a meal for my dear best male friend Eric. While cooking I used his Global knife which I had heard about so much from both Marsha and Eric. While using the knife, I kept thinking I have to get me one of these. I then remembered when I got home, "hey I think Marsha and Eric gave me a knife when they traveled to Japan." Low and behold, I take the box out of its storing location deep in my closet. I open it

up....and IT'S A GLOBAL KNIFE!!!!!! I could have been using this for the last, I don't know, 5 years or so, had I been smart enough to open the box. I just blame it on the fact that I was carefully storing and treasuring the beautiful gift they had given me for my birthday. So Marsha and Eric, I shall be using my Global Knife from now on.

Learning to Sew with my Machine (now ex-machine)

So I bought a Brother Sewing and Embroidery machine last year and it was sitting in the box for about a year before I took it out. I realized at that point, the freakin thing was impossible to figure out. So I cleverly decided to take a "Learn how to use your machine class" at Santa Monica College. It was a 5 hour class that was for beginners. I had previously taken a 10 week class where I made a dress, but I really wanted to just figure out the darn machine. So I go and basically the teacher told me that my machine is really difficult to use and that I'm better off returning it. Turns out Costco takes back stuff, even if its been a long time and even if you've used it. So I returned it and plan on buying a new one. Anyhoo....I did make two things in the class. A cute little drawstring bag and a pocket tissue holder. Yeah, everyone is getting that for Christmas this year!

Ray's Pizza

My last food purchase in NYC was a slice of Ray's Pizza. Being full from all the previous eating, I packed away my slice and took it home to California with me. I enjoyed the slice for lunch at work. It looks a little mangled in the photo because it was basically folded three ways and shoved in a container so I could put it in my carry on. After eating it, I had wished I bought a whole pizza...but I don't think I would've been able to carry it on the plane. Along with Rafiqi's I now crave Ray's pizza.

Easter Baked Goodies

On my last day in NYC, Eric, Mac and I decided to just eat as much as possible before me leaving at 4pm. Pommes Frites, then Veselka, Katz's Deli, and finally Ray's Pizza to go. Veselka had some very lovely Easter themed goodies. One was a piece of cake shaped like an egg. The other a traditional black and white cookie with colorful chocolate drizzled over it. The egg was a delicious yellow cake and the black and white cookie was perfect. I had eated breakfast at Veselka a long long time ago. They are known for their Polish food.

Authentic Belgium Fries with 25 Sauce Choices

The frites in a cone in the table with special cone holders

So I saw this special on food network a long time ago about this place in NYC that sold authentic Belgium fries. The thing that most caught my eye was the fact that there were about 25 exotic and different sauces. Me, being the girl who loves to drench my fries in ranch or ketchup, just had to try it on my latest trip to NYC. As a pre-lunch meal, my friends and I stopped by and ordered a large size with Honey Mustard Mayo, Roasted Garlic Mayo, and Cheddar Cheese. The fry was ok, but the sauce made it great. Finally, I can check this off my list of food network places to eat!

Pommes Frites
123 2nd Ave.

New York, NY 10003

Where Michelle Met Katz's Pastrami Sandwich

Someone kept insisting on putting their finger for size reference
Mmm...look at the juicy, oily pastrami

On my last day in NYC, I got to try the famous Katz's Deli Pastrami Sandwich (where they filmed a scene in When Harry Met Sally). Let me tell you, I don't think I can eat pastrami again unless it is exactly like Katz's. First you walk through the door and receive a ticket that you must hold onto or else you get fined $50 bucks. Then you walk up to the counter and order from some very New York looking dudes. They give you a few pieces of the first cut. It melted and fell apart in my mouth and it was love at first taste. The sandwich (approx $15) came with a generous handful of yummy pickles. I devoured half the sandwich (it was so big I had to share). My friend Mac who I shared it with kept trying to grab the scraps that fell from my sandwich...can't blame him for doing so.

Katz's Delicatessen of Houston Street, Inc
205 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002

Osteria Lupa - Roman Trattoria Fare

Ricotta Gnocchi
Little Prosciutto Crochettas
My Paparadell Pasta with Rabbit Ragu
Hazelnut Tartufo

Tonight we dined at Lupa, co-owned by Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianach, and Jason Denton. We started off with a nice bottle of red wine along with Ricotta Gnocchi with Sausage and Fennel and Prosciutto Croquettes. I had the Handmade Paparadelle Pasta with a Rabbit Ragu which was delicious. Eric had the Sat. special of Lamb Shortribs which was quite tasty. When in doubt, always go with braised meat. For dessert, we shared a sweet Lupa Tartufo (Italian for truffle). The tartufo was a tennis ball sized ball of hazelnut ice cream surrounding a cherry with a chocolate shell.

Side note: I learned what some Italian words mean in English
-Osteria: Tavern
-Lupa: She-wolf
-Bavette: thin linguine
-Alla diavola: devil style, hot and spicy

Lupa
170 Thompson Street
New York, NYC 10012

My Search for French Macaroons

Box of 6 ($12)

Raspberry Macaroon

I have been on this French Macaroon kick lately. So on my trip to NYC, I did some research on the places that sell the best macaroons. For those of you who don't know, the french macaroon is different from the regular american macaroon. I had my first macaroon at Laduree (I'll post that one later) and have been in love with them since. I went to check out La Maison Du Chocolat in Rockefellar Center. I tried 5 different kinds (coffee, vanilla, raspberry, light and dark chocolate). They were ok....I am not the biggest chocolate fan, so I wasn't in love with them. I like the non-chocolate flavors like Pistachio. Nevertheless, I am glad I got a chance to try them there.



La Maison Du Chocolat

30 Rockefellar Center

New York, NY 10020

Xiao Long Bao the "Little Dumplings from Basket"

Crab Xiao Long Bao right out of the steamer

The sac of yummy goodness...my mouth is watering at this point

First bite, then suck juice :)

During my trip to NYC in 2004, I experienced Joe's Shanghai for the first time and I don't think I ever stopped talking about going back there. My wish came true this past Sat. It tasted as I remembered....steamy, juicy, and delicious. Each plump dumpling contains a little pork or crab meatball surrounded by a delightful meaty broth. Last time I ate it, my friend Malcolm told me to first take a bite out of the top and then suck out the juice. Bite, then suck, then bite again.
I was in dumpling heaven. We also had some fried dumplings and fried rice. I can't wait to go back for dumplings.





Joe's Shanghai


9 Pell Street


New York, NY 10013

Gahm Mi Oak - Korean Oxtail Soup

I had my first Korean Oxtail Soup with rice and noodles. After hitting the bar and having 4 vodka tonics, Eric suggested going to the k-town area of NYC to go eat oxtail soup. It was different from the Hawaiian oxtail soup that I am used to eating. It was white and creamy. There were slices of oxtail over somen like noodles and rice. You add green onion and salt to taste. Good food at 2am.

Les Halles Brasserie

I recently started reading again and one of the first books I finished was Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. I just love his style and his sense of sarcastic humor. I thought it was fitting to eat at his restaurant during my NYC trip. Like the website says, it is American Beef, French style. I ordered the Paleron Bernaise (Flat iron steak with Bernaise sauce) with fries. I just love Steak Frites! We went to the Park Ave location right before seeing the Steve Cohen Magic Show. I am in the process of reading Bourdain's book A Cook's Tour. For any food lovers, I would highly recommend reading Bourdain's books.

Les Halles Brasserie
411 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10016

Rafiqi's Street Cart

My friend Malcolm introduced me to the wonderful world of street food in NYC. Two blocks from his Park Ave. apt lies a small street cart that sells the most delicious lamb gyro's I've ever had. For a mere $5 bucks, you get a whole container of flavorful rice, lamb, and spicy red and white sauce. My only regret is that I did not take a photo of it before scarfing it down. Malcolm said I would be craving the lamb on rice and he's right.....I craved it before I even left NYC.

Cupcakes in NYC

Magnolia Cupcakes Vanilla Flavor

Billys Vanilla Cupcake

I had a chance to stop at two cupcake places. The famous Magnolia Bakery which is in the show Sex and the City and Billy's Bakery. Both reminded me of cupcakes made from a cake mix box, nothing that special. Both had rich frostings with a milky flavor. I thought they were tasty, but not nearly as good as the Sprinkles cupcakes. The cake part was too dry. It was definitely hyped up way too much. But I'm glad I got to pretend like I was Carrie Bradshaw and eat a cupcake on a park bench.

My Idol - Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart - my idol!

Posing in front of the studios with my Martha Stewart Living magazine

Me and Eric in the Martha Stewart Studio

My version of the ultimate craft room


I got to meet my idol today. I dragged Eric to watch a taping of the Martha Stewart TV Show. It was one of the highlights of my trip. We got to sit in the 3rd row. It was a beautiful stage with a huge kitchen with all my favorite gadgets and a craft section I would kill for. The show had a Chef from Colorado (can't remember his name!), sewing a cute bag, and a acupuncturist. Had we made it to the earlier showing, we would have seen Bill Clinton and Conan OBrien....but we weren't that lucky. It was just great seeing her in person. She is my idol because she can do it all. She can craft, cook, sew, garden, entertain, etc. I strive to be as creative and innovative as she is.