Tag Archives: olive oil

Cafe Gitane in Soho

A very good friend of mine from Penn State (Alexandra, who goes by her middle name, Kizia) lives in New York — she was actually one of those rare “born and raised in Manhattan” folks. I say it’s rare not because she was born and raised here, but because she actually returned to the city to live and work after college. She’s actually about to go on the most amazing life journey anyone could ever go on — which is why we got together for lunch to talk about her upcoming trip. For several months in 2013 she will be living in India to study yoga and meditation. After working in PR for a few years, she’s ready for the physical and mental break (I wish I could do the same, but she’s just more daring than I am to actually go through with it). To me, the thought of packing just a backpack and traveling more than half way around the world to discover more about yourself in a few months than some do in a life time is very admirable — and I wish nothing but the most amazing experiences for her.

So, Kizia picked our lunch date location — Cafe Gitane in Soho (could be considered Nolita). I had never been before and I did exactly what I always do when I have never been to a restaurant … I stalk the online menu, I read reviews, and I pick out what I’m going to order before I arrive. Although this time I only eyed-down one thing I was going to order before arriving at the cafe, and Kizia helped me pick out my main dish.

cafe gitane avocado bread

The cafe was packed — even in the middle of the day after the typical lunch rush was over. There were even a few seats outside and they were full (it was a dreary cold day too!). So, we waited about 45 minutes before we were seated at this petite, round cafe table in the very center of the restaurant. Kizia ordered her caffeine-fix-of-the-day, then we ordered our food. Going off of Kizia’s recommendation I ordered the Moroccan couscous with red peppers, raisins, toasted pinenuts, hummus and eggplant. I had the option of ordering it with chicken but passed when she had told me it was a very large portion to begin with. We also ordered the most unusual starter to share — a seven grain toast topped with avocado, lemon juice, olive oil and chili flakes.

When the avocado toast came we split the bread and didn’t bother cutting it up for individual bites. It was hearty and full of flavor and the avocado was at it’s prime to eat (not too hard, not too mushy, perfect in color). The lemon juice was subtle, but present in every bite. And those chili flakes added the perfect amount of heat to the mild avocado. The ultimate conclusion was a mix, we were: confused as to why so many people were raving about it on various food reviews online, and we also figured these were basic flavors anyone could combine in their own kitchen so why would it be so fabulous at this little cafe? It was funny though, because we both left the restaurant ranking it out as a good plate but nothing out of this world, but a few days later we were chatting about how it grew on each of us and we really enjoyed it!

cafe gitane couscous

My couscous was a tower of unbelievable fabulousness. Piled high on my plate in the most perfect molded shape, I was afraid to pierce it with my fork knowing I would destroy the gorgeous presentation. After taking a not-so-devastating bite to the tower I couldn’t hold back — I tore through it for larger forkfuls of food. All of the flavors meshed beautifully well and the hummus was also a great ingredient to hold everything else together; it made picking up couscous with raisins, pinenuts and red pepper easy. I also really enjoyed the golden raisins in the mix of everything — it added the perfect sweetness to the savory plate.

Ready for something embarrassing? This was the first time I have ever ordered couscous at a restaurant. Yup, I’m mortified to admit it. This dish is a MUST to order if you go to Cafe Gitane; I actually enjoyed it so much I would love to attempt to make a similar plate at home. I guess I was shocked that I enjoyed the plate so much and it didn’t involve cheese as an ingredient. Actually, I got through an entire meal without eating cheese! #success

I hope to see Kizia again before she ventures off to India. Our food adventures together are always fantastic — I sure do hope she makes a few memorable ones while she travels in the upcoming year!

Recipe: Artichoke Cheese Bread

I feel like food inspiration is every where these days! And especially since I started using Pinterest I feel like I am surrounded by foodies that know what good food really is.

I was inspired by this recipe I saw pinned on a food board on the Pinterest website and I figured I’d give it a go. I had almost all of the ingredients (I needed to pick up a can of artichokes and some fresh french baguettes) and it seemed like putting together the breaded appetizer would be fairly easy.

draining artichokes

So first thing is first… I needed to crack open the can of artichokes. Gag. Have you ever taken a whiff of canned artichokes — again, gag. I love the taste of artichokes but I was practically dry heaving over the smell when they were drained from the can. (I react the same way when I am opening a can of gorgonzola beans.) Note: this is why I am not the one in culinary school, I’ll leave that up to my good friend Stef.

After getting past draining the artichokes, everything was a breeze. For a serving of 4, here’s what the recipe called for:

2 whole grain french baguettes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 14-ounce can of artichokes in water or brine, drained and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
fresh parsley for garnish

I decided I’d leave the panko bread crumbs out but you’re welcome to keep them in. After draining and rinsing the artichokes, here’s what the instructions said to do:

Cut the baguettes in half lengthwise and brush with the olive oil. Equally distribute the minced garlic and chopped artichoke hearts. Top each with a good handful of cheese, about 1/3 cup each. Sprinkle on a few breadcrumbs. Bake for 8 minutes, then heat the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley.

I love the flavor of the cheese, garlic, and artichokes. But here’s what I think should be noted for the recipe… Be sure to keep the spread pretty thin, I might have order done it by piling on the ingredients. The flavors were fantastic, but I could hardly take a bite without making a mess! If you can master that (which is no big deal), then these will make for a perfect appetizer or side dish for an Italian meal!

The Filling Station in The Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market WaterfallMy very good friend from PSU came to visit me the day before Thanksgiving and I was so happy to be able to spend some time with her. She’s a smart cookie — she’s getting her Doctorate at Penn State… She’s been a Penn Stater since the beginning — it’s where she did her undergrad (with me) as well as her graduate degree. So it’s nice when she is able to take some time to hang out with friends and enjoy some time to herself. She loves going to the Chelsea Market when she comes into the city (and of course, I love it too)… So naturally we headed right to Chelsea Market when she arrived. We both got some holiday goodies and we even ate dinner at the Green Table — a restaurant in the market.

A new discovery made in the Chelsea Market was a stand/shop called The Filling Station. This stand has different types of salts (just like my favorite store called The Meadow in the West Village) as well as many different types of olive oil. There are tons of olive oils that are flavored, so my friend Leah and I took a sample of a few and discovered this one flavor called Tuscan Herb. We both loved this so much because you would never need to season your olive oil or buy fancy bread ever again because this oil is seasoned with some of the best herbs… rosemary, oregano, basil, and of course some garlic are what make the oil so flavorful. I actually bought a bottle of this for my dad for Christmas. There isn’t anything better than having a nice glass of wine with a tasty snack. I can see him dipping some classic Italian style bread into this Tuscan Herb olive oil!

Stay tuned for more on our food adventures in the Chelsea Market before we left for Thanksgiving! (More to come this week!)

Co. Pizza in Chelsea

It’s always nice to eat at new restaurants in Chelsea… especially since that means the restaurant is probably a quick walk from my apartment. (Who wouldn’t love that?) Recently, a friend took me to a pizza restaurant and I apparently have been walking by this place every single day. I had no clue that Co. existed! A gourmet pizza joint that is always crowded no matter what day of the week it is.

The first time I went I split a salad and pizza with a friend (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the salad). I ordered the Artichoke salad, which includes: olive oil poached artichokes, arugula, capers, shaved parmesan, and lemon oil dressing. This is probably the most delicious salad I have ever eaten. The combination of the ingredients was superb! I was surprised at the saltiness of the dish, but that was what made it so tasty. The combination of the capers and artichokes was brilliant — I have never had the two together. I also loved the thin shavings of parmesan cheese — it added a rich sophisticated flavor to the saltiness and the lemony flavorings.

Last week I went with my friend Stef to Co. She’s a foodie as well, so when I told her about how amazing the pizza is at this restaurant, she was excited to join me! We both ordered different pizzas. I ordered the Popeye, which includes: pecorino, gruyere, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, and garlic. When my pizza first arrived it looked a bit intimidating. The spinach was cooked yet the leaves were still fluffy on top of the rest of the pizza. It looked like a big pile of spinach. But once I cut into my personal-sized pizza I could see all of the other ingredients… especially the cheese! It’s best to eat these pizzas with a fork and knife. This is the first time I have ever had gruyere cheese on my pizza, and I have to say, it’s a winner! It’s so easy to make pizzas like this at home, but first you need the inspiration. I’m looking forward to baking my own pies at home that are made up of the same ingredients! Yum!

For dessert, we ordered the vanilla and chocolate gelato. Since I just came back from Italy, I have to say that I am a very tough judge on gelato now. The vanilla wasn’t that tasty to me, but Stef actually preferred it, and I enjoyed the chocolate the most, although it didn’t really have the consistency of gelato. The chocolate “gelato” tasted more like a fudgesicle. (If you have never eaten a fudgescicle, please do so… you really missed out on the best childhood chocolate popsicle.)

If you’re looking for a fun, upbeat pizzeria that has more to offer than the average-joe pie — then you should definitely be eating at Co. If you arrive before 8 p.m. you won’t have a problem getting a table. If you arrive and the restaurant is packed then you may have to eat at a “communal” table, which means you’ll sit at a long table that you will share with other parties but you’ll still be sitting with those you came with.


(click on the photos to see the Popeye pizza close up!)