The Park Slope section of Brooklyn is able to boast an endless reign of eating establishments, and one cozy place that has especially caught my eye is Rose Water. Located on Union Street, the owners of Rose Water offer a menu of very healthy and delicious garden fresh meals.
What positively delightful edible have I discovered at this spot? Well, that would be one of my favorite things to eat, frittata. For anyone who is not familiar with a frittata, it is akin to an omelette, although much more substantive and in most cases a lot tastier. The fritatta I enjoyed at Rose Water was prepared with carmelized onions, mushrooms and goat cheese, and it was served with an herb salad. Quite delicious. Try it, you will so like it!
Next stop is my own backyard, Bay Ridge. This neighborhood of mine gives us countless and well-known corner restaurants, ones that we can always rely on for our favorite dinner after a way too long day. For me, Circles is one of those restaurants. A dining experience of comfort, Circles sits on the corner of Bay Ridge Ave and 3rd Ave. After decades of service to the community it still draws crowds.
Circles refers to an array of round pita bread sandwiches and fun and tasty fillings, such as Turkey and Thanksgiving Day Stuffing. For years, Bay Ridge residents have enjoyed pita circles as well as a full menu of salads, pastas and entrees. However, there is one item I have discovered on the appetizer section of the Circles menu that is an absolute must if you visit soon. Drum roll please ... sword fish fries! This is a terrific grazer and a great taste to enjoy. Finger- sized slices of fresh sword fish are battered and fried to a fluffy crunch. A zesty home-made jalapeno tartar sauce is added for dipping. Biting into the fry reveals the moist fish enclosed within. This item has actually been on the menu for some time but does not receive the attention it deserves. I want to hear Bay Ridge folks say "let's go over to Circles for some sword fish fries!" What a best-kept eat this one is, folks. I highly recommend it!
2/21/11
Brooklyn's Crazy Ball!
A favorite neighborhood experience of mine, although a simple one, is entering a timeless pasta shop like Papa Pasquale's Ravioli Company. Nestled in Bensonhurst, at 7812- 15th Ave, Papa Pasquale dates back to 1955, when the original “Papa” brought his grandmother's time-honored recipe for ravioli to the U.S. and set out to wow generations of Brooklynites.
This old-fashioned shop also has a unique hidden treasure for this pasta lover to uncover. The good news is that Brooklyn is home to it's own "Crazy Ball." . A crazy ball is, well, crazy, and it is a Saturday special that Papa Pasquale offers to his loyal patrons. The Crazy Ball is the size of a large grapefruit and it is actually a ball of pasta, fresh cheeses, Italian meats, spices and herbs, rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried to a golden crust. The flavor is "melt in your mouth smooth," and offered at a reasonable cost of $3 dollars each. On my visit, I purchased two Crazy Balls for my teenage sons to enjoy and viola! It was a great Saturday lunch.
Papa Pasquale also offers a variety of fresh pastas and an array of ravioli including whole wheat as well as asparagus with smoked mozzarella. Still a family-owned business, Papa Pasquale attributes its success to old-fashioned family recipes along with the benefits of modern machinery and techniques. Only the freshest cheeses are selected and fillers and preservatives never see the inside of a ravioli.
Nicely done, Papa Pasquale! Keep up the good work.
This old-fashioned shop also has a unique hidden treasure for this pasta lover to uncover. The good news is that Brooklyn is home to it's own "Crazy Ball." . A crazy ball is, well, crazy, and it is a Saturday special that Papa Pasquale offers to his loyal patrons. The Crazy Ball is the size of a large grapefruit and it is actually a ball of pasta, fresh cheeses, Italian meats, spices and herbs, rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried to a golden crust. The flavor is "melt in your mouth smooth," and offered at a reasonable cost of $3 dollars each. On my visit, I purchased two Crazy Balls for my teenage sons to enjoy and viola! It was a great Saturday lunch.
Papa Pasquale also offers a variety of fresh pastas and an array of ravioli including whole wheat as well as asparagus with smoked mozzarella. Still a family-owned business, Papa Pasquale attributes its success to old-fashioned family recipes along with the benefits of modern machinery and techniques. Only the freshest cheeses are selected and fillers and preservatives never see the inside of a ravioli.
Nicely done, Papa Pasquale! Keep up the good work.
2/18/11
Cookbook !
Friends, my abject apologies for such a long absence from this blog. However, my excuse is a very good one, and it certainly does not signal a vacation away from food writing. On the contrary, my absence is actually due to a more involved project in food writing. For over a year, I have been engrossed in writing my first cook book. The writing process is now in the end stages and almost ready for the next step of many steps. Although a very long and time consuming road, it has been a complete and total labor of love and dedication. A very different concept from the standard cookbook, I hope that it will reach as many people as possible in an effort to spread my perspective on food as the great communicator.
I am truly blessed in the realization that I am able to take my dual passions, that of cooking and writing, and share them with one and all.... stay tuned!
I am truly blessed in the realization that I am able to take my dual passions, that of cooking and writing, and share them with one and all.... stay tuned!
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