October 28, 2010 12:47 pm

Dish of the Day: Cato Corner Bloomsday Macaroni and Cheese with Seasonal Mushrooms

Mac & Cheese: We've baked it, we've melted it in a pot and cooked it from a box. We eat it the next day, cold, we crave it hot, we even desire it on pizza!

But if you're a connoisseur of macaroni, you'll need to try it at Wall & Water at the Andaz Wall Street Hotel. Chef Maximo Lopez May, the nicest man in the world, has created a take on the traditional cheesy pasta that is completely out of this world. It comes straight to your table in the same cast-iron pot it was baked in to insure ultimate, blisteringly hot cheesiness in every delectable bite.

You can make this at home simply by following Chef Maximo's recipe. Tip: He insists that the mushrooms must be really, really good in order for this dish to soar, so make sure they're cleaned with a damp cloth and sliced thinly before adding. Chef Maximo also suggests using chanterelle or trumpet mushrooms, but only if they are in season! Vary your recipe based on the types of mushrooms available at your local market.

Make this during the fall for your dinner guests or just in a singular pot for yourself! It's almost too good to share...

Photo credit: Syndicate PR

— Written by Kaitlin A. Lipe

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Tags : cheese, mac, pot, cook, fall, dinner, chef maximo lopez may, andaz hotel, wall and water

October 26, 2010 10:47 am

Dish of the Day: Sweet Potatoes

Not only does the change of seasons during October bring on my favorite type of weather (and fashion accessories), but the transition into fall makes some of my favorite foods and flavors immediately come to mind.

Number one on the list of my favorite fall foods is without a doubt the sweet potato. There are endless varieties and ways to prepare a sweet potato, and its numerous health benefits are two reasons for voting the sweet potato. One medium-sized potato contains around 100 calories, along with high amounts of vitamins A, C and fiber. The vitamin A found in sweet potato is in the form of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that works to eliminate free radicals that would otherwise build up in the body, causing damage. The more nutritionally beneficial way of preparing sweet potatoes is to roast them (versus boiling them). Trick: When boiling a vegetable, you risk losing some of the vitamins to the water.

A steaming hot, roasted sweet potato sprinkled with salt and pepper is a great mid-afternoon snack and makes an easy side dish for dinner. The innate sweetness of sweet potatoes makes them a natural match for ingredients associated with desert, such as brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and honey. Whether you chose to use this vegetable in a sweet or savory recipe, enjoy them while the fall season is still upon us!

Photo credit: thedailygreen.com

— Written by Chelsey Wisotsky

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Tags : Sweet Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Fall, Nutrition, Chelsey Wisotsky

September 17, 2010 1:15 pm

Beer of the Day: Fire Island Pumpkin Barrel Ale

I've been counting down the days to pumpkin season pretty much since the weather started to turn slightly chilly. Now that it's here, what better way to celebrate than by cracking open my very own bottle of Fire Island Pumpkin Barrel Ale?

This hoppy brew includes such herbs and spices as: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice, as well as a load of real pumpkin for that fall flair. It's pretty much like an alcoholic, carbonated pumpkin pie; in other words, the best kind of party.

Fire Island Pumpkin Barrel Ale is available in stand alone 12-ounce bottles, 6-packs and on draft through Manhattan Beer Distributors to various restaurants/bars in the NYC Metro, Upstate NY and Long Island areas. If you want to figure out where, just click here and type in your zip code.

Tip: For a look at the other offerings of Fire Island Brewery and to read more about their humble beginnings, check out their website.

— Written by Kaitlin A. Lipe

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Tags : pumpkin pie, beer, fire island, fall, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves