My “go-to” mac and cheese recipe is one I adapted from Giada De Laurentiis. It is so easy to make and so delicious. Besides boxed mac & cheese from my childhood, I hadn’t attempted to make it before. But when I first saw this recipe on Food Network years ago, I knew I had to try it and I’m so glad I did. I love how the top gets kinda crispy and crunchy, and the noodles are so creamy.

Ingredients:
• Butter, for greasing dish
• 12 ounces wide egg noodles
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups grated Fontina cheese
• ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ¾ cup grated Mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain well, do not rinse.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, flour, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup Mozzarella and parsley. Add noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining cheese together and sprinkle over noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recently, I tried it with diced pancetta that had been slightly browned in a skillet and it added an extra salty bite. It was really good. You can also add regular bacon or diced ham, but either way it is very good.

So we decided that we would go the next time she was on town, which was last week. Since there was a big group coming in from San Diego, we left it up to the individuals to decide if they wanted to go with us. We ended up with a total of 8 people including Roz and I. Now, the best part was getting everyone onto the subway during rush hour at Grand Central going downtown. It was a little bit of a disaster, but we succeeded on our second try. After transferring subways successfully we got to Willamsburg. It was about 9 am and it felt like the town was still sleeping. After walking a few blocks, we found our first destination, Egg, and there seemed to be life in it. Thankfully, we were so early that only a few tables were taken and they were able to accommodate 8 people, albeit on two separate tables.

Roz and I were really excited to finally get our Willamsburg adventure on the way and Roz’ husband, Dudley was just happy because he was at a restaurant called Egg, his favorite food. I ordered the Country Ham Biscuit, which comes on Egg’s famous biscuit with country ham from Col. Bill Newsom’s Hams in Princeton, Kentucky. Served with homemade fig jam, Grafton cheddar, and a side of grits (I opted for the cheese grits). Roz got the Eggs Rothko , easy-cooked egg in a slice of brioche and topped with Grafton cheddar. Served with broiled tomatoes and a side of sausage. The rest of the guys got omelet, the duck hash and biscuits & gravy.  Needless to say, we all loved our breakfast, it was so yummy.

After breakfast, we walked around town to see what all the hype is all about, and pretty much everything was still closed. We walked in a big circle and finally got to Beacon’s Closet, which is supposed to be the Goodwill of the rich. It was alright, I’m not one to dig through other people’s old clothes and I don’t think my friends were finding any treasures either. We decided that there has to be more to the area than we were seeing and kept walking but didn’t really find what all the hype is all about. We might have been there at the wrong time or day, but either way the only time I will go back is to go to Egg.

I pretty much didn’t cook all summer long. First, we were in Jamaica and we had jerk chicken pretty much everyday, let me tell you, it was yummy. Then I was at St. Vartan Camp for seven weeks and we had great food prepared for us three times a day and the only thing I did in the small kitchen in our office was make iced tea or coffee. When I finally came back home, it took me a while to get back into my routine and start cooking again. Thank God we live in New York City, because you really never have to cook. There are so many restaurants that you can just pick up the phone and call them and they will bring you whatever you want. However, since Sergey had been doing that all summer long, we decided to go to the specialty food store near our apartment on one of the first weekends being back in the city. The store is called Agatha & Valentina’s and they have the best prepared foods and specialty foods. We stocked up on soup, fresh bread, fresh juice, cheese, fresh salads and best of all caviar! Sergey loves caviar and we ended up getting American sturgeon caviar and salmon caviar. With fresh bread and creme fraiche, it was so yummy. So the whole weekend we ended up eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But my favorite way to eat it was for breakfast, omelette with creme fraiche and caviar. It was so delicious, I can’t wait to make it again! Here’s the recipe for it:

Omelette with Crème Fraiche and Caviar

Ingredients:

• 2 extra-large eggs (up to 3 if desired)
• ¼ cup milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
• Caviar
• Chives or parsley (for garnish)

Directions:

In a small bowl, crack eggs, add milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat eggs until creamy and some foam forms at the top. Meanwhile, place a medium size non-stick skillet, with lid, over medium heat. Add butter to the skillet and melt. Once butter is melted and skillet is hot, make sure not to burn the butter, add the egg mixture to the skillet and cover with lid. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes, you can check on it with a spatula and see if it is browned on the bottom, it should be a medium brown and thick and fluffy.  Once browned, flip it with a spatula, cover with lid again and turn off the heat. Let it stay in the skillet for about one minute. Remove from skillet and slide onto a plate. Top with desired amount crème fraiche and caviar and garnish with chives or parsley. Serve warm and enjoy!

When we first got here last summer, Sergey and I felt really miserable, but this summer I am hoping things will be different. One, we might be out of town most of the time! Two, we will try to get away and do something fun on the weekends, just like true New Yorkers. And three, find adventures right here in the city.

Apparently, Long Island is the place to be in the summers. Well the Hamptons are on Long Island, so I’m sure its pretty nice. Maybe I can find Ina Garten’s home and get invited to dinner. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true?  That will most likely not happen, but a girl can dream.

Another thing to do in the city is watch movies in parks and I think they do a little production of plays by some English playwright in Central Park. Oh yeah, I think his name is Shakespeare. So I think I will try and catch one or some of those events.

Another thing to do in a park is eat at Shake Shack. On nice days in the summer, lines can be up to 2 hours for burgers at the Shack in Madison Square Park. I  think that is a long time to wait for a burger, but once you eat this burger you will understand. Its worth it. Although Sergey still thinks In-N-Out on the West Coast is better, but we both agree that this Shake Shack burger comes in at a pretty close second. So next time you’re here, try it out. But you might want to eat before you go so you won’t pass out while in line. Oh and don’t forget to try their shakes and custards….so good!

A place that is just as cute, maybe even more cute than Serendipity3, is Alice’s Tea Cup. I love it there! I have never gone there and been disappointed, I always leave there happy. Not to mentions the wide variety of teas to choose from and the delicious food. Last year when we were visiting New York (before we were living here) we stumbled upon ATC on a cold, rain morning and we just wanted to drink some hot tea and warm up. The minute we walked in, I thought we were in a fairy tale. I fell in love with the place immediately. And if the theme doesn’t draw you in, then maybe their excellent carrot cake ($6) will. I really love the Alice’s BLT ($10) and the daily selection of scones ($6 for two with cream and preserves, $10 with a pot of tea), but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, especially any of the teas. My favorite teas are Alice’s Tea and Earl Grey with Lavender. I also love the Mad Hatter for two ($37), which is  a 3-tiered combination of everything I love. You get delicious tea, scones, sandwiches and a choice of dessert with assorted cookies. Every time we order it, we can never finish it, but that’s ok because I get to take it home and eat it later!

Now on weekends you might find a wait to get a table at ATC, but I think its worth the wait, and the prices are pretty reasonable. So next time you want a good New York fairy tale adventure make sure to go to Alice’s Tea Cup and call me so I can go with you! If you really insist on going to Serendipity3, I highly recommend  getting the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate.

I’m not sure if I like traditional Irish food to celebrate this holiday, so I decided to make something along the lines of corned beef and cabbage. I made borscht! Hey, its got beef and cabbage in it, how can you go wrong with that. Since the weather is starting to warm up and its a holiday, I decide to make borscht one last time this season. Even though, I might make it again since it is one of Sergey’s favorite dishes. And it was so yummy! So I’ll give you guys my secret recipe, just don’t tell anyone else (JK) Enjoy!

Borscht

Ingredients:

• 1 head onion (brown or white) diced
• 3-4 carrots diced
• 1 small cabbage thinly sliced
• 2-4 fresh beets (depending on size, 2 big or 4 small-the more the better) peeled & shredded
• 2 tomatoes diced
• Handful parsley- chopped (flat leaf Italian)
• small can tomato sauce
• ½ lb boneless beef chuck (cubed, cooked)
• 3-4 russet potatoes (peeled & diced)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• Salt & pepper
• Oil (canola or vegetable)
• Sour cream to serve

Directions:

First, you need to cook cubed meat. Boil in water with salt and pepper to taste. Boil at low temp and skim the top every once in a while. Cook about one hour. Meat can be cooked 1 or 2 days in advance, keep meat and its broth for later.

In a large stock pot, over medium heat, add oil (enough to coat the bottom). Then add diced onions and some salt and pepper. Seasoning in stages makes it easier to get good flavor. Sweat them out until they are translucent. Then add carrots. Let them soften up, and then add the cabbage. Stir around once in a while. The longer you sweat out the veggies, the sweeter and better they will be. Leave it at least 10 minutes until the cabbage is translucent. You can turn down the heat if you feel like it’s too high. Next, add the diced tomatoes and stir around to release the juice. Next, add the tomato sauce and stir another 1-2 minutes. (Some people only add either tomatoes or tomato sauce; I like to add both because it gives good flavor) Next, add the meat and its broth. If the broth does not cover all the veggies, add water until everything is covered. Stir. Then, add shredded beets and stir it in, the soup should turn a nice red color. Place the bay leaves and black peppercorns in a bouquet garnier and place in soup. Let it simmer over medium-low or low heat stirring occasionally. After it has been simmering for about 45 minutes, add diced potatoes and stir. Let it simmer another 30-45 minutes. The last 5 minute add a handful of chopped parsley. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. Also, it tastes even better the next day! Borscht can be served hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream.

Christina’s tip: a bouquet garnier is cheese cloth with herbs and spices tied in a bundle. This way you don’t get peppercorns and bay leaves in the soup, you can just pull out the bouquet garnier after the soup is done cooking and throw it away.

Here is my recipe:

Asparagus

Ingredients:

• One bundle of fresh asparagus
• ¼ cup olive oil plus extra to coat
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

Trim and clean asparagus. Place asparagus on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil to lightly coat all of them. Place them in batches on a grill pan over medium-high heat, don’t over crowd the pan. Grill for about 5 to 7 minutes turning asparagus every couple of minutes. They need to be tender, not limp, and have grill marks on them. Repeat until all the asparagus has been grilled and place in a dish with at least one-inch high sides, set aside. In a bowl, whisk to combine lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper (if using) and garlic, while still whisking, drizzle in olive oil. Pour dressing over asparagus and serve.

Serves 4

Christina’s tip: the asparagus can be grilled on an outdoor grill or steamed in boiling water for a few minutes. You can also roast them in the oven at 425 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. If steaming, no need to coat with oil, but for grilling or roasting you need to coat with oil beforehand. FYI-my favorite way is grilled.

1. Grimaldi’s Pizza in Brooklyn is tied for first place so far with Lombardi’s Pizza in the city. They both use really fresh ingredients and top off their pizza’s with fresh basil. Although, Lombardi’s doesn’t cook the basil, which I like a lot better and they add fresh garlic too. But they both use really good pepperoni, so that is why I like they both! And their crust is really crunchy and thin.

2. All the other pizza’s I have tried can be listed in any order because they are not number 1! For instance, John Pizzeria is known for good pizza too, but I would have to disagree. Its definitely not the best. Their pepperoni is not thick, juicy and crunchy like my top 2 and the dough gets kind of soggy towards the middle. For second place, I would have to say Gotham Pizza, not only because it is located around the corner from our apartment, but they have really good pizza! Also, they use cornmeal on the bottom of the crust so it’s really crunchy and not soggy.

I know there are a lot of pies (as New Yorkers call it) that I need to try, for example Rays’ Original and a few other, but so far from everything we have tried, this is what I think so far. Don’t worry, I still have three and a half more years to find the best pizza, and I will!

Ingredients:

• 2 portabella mushroom caps or 2 cups of any kind of mushrooms-sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• Handful of chopped Italian parsley
• 2 roma tomatoes-diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp milk or cream
• 6 extra-large or 8 large eggs

Directions:

Place a large non-stick skillet with a lid over medium heat. Heat up oil and butter for a few minutes. Add onions and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes to soften onions. Next, add mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, crack eggs, add milk or cream, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and beat with whisk until it is creamy. Check on mushrooms, if they have softened, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add tomatoes and half the parsley and let them cook for a couple of minutes and soften. Then add egg mixture evenly over mushroom mixture and top with remaining parsley. Let it cook for about 5 minutes until it is set on the bottom and then cover with lid and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 4 to 6

Christina’s tip: this is a very yummy breakfast dish that can also be served for lunch or brunch. You can use any kind of mushrooms, but I like the portabella or even the baby bellas, they have more flavor.