As of last week, my thoughts for the coming weekend were “low key,” “quiet,” and “active.” And it was these things, in some respects, but in others, it didn’t go at all as planned. And it sort of worked out even better this way.
Friday night was spent drinking wine, cooking and baking with some of my lady friends. I haven’t had a “girls night” in a while, and it was a nice change.
We made two delicious winter recipes, both by the lovely Heidi Swanson, and both of which I’d make again.
Saturday was a little more mellow… in anticipation of Sunday morning’s 15K race, my friend and coworker kindly offered to cover half of my shift so I could go home at 8 and get a good night’s rest before the run. So I made a simple pasta dinner and invited Ilana over to share it: pumpkin gnocchi with steamed kale, marinara, and goat cheese.
It was a strange night of sleep, and Ari spent most of it trying to track down his lost jacket, so when we woke up at 8 to thunder and a downpour, we decided to reschedule the 9.3 miles until next weekend. Luckily, there’s another 15K coming up next Sunday! It’ll be a different course, but I’m happy we were able to find a solution.
So what did we do instead? We went back to bed for a few hours and spent the morning watching City Island and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, both of which were quirky and fun and perfect for a rainy day inside.
Sunday night, which is typically a cozy night in for us, turned into quite the adventure. We were again trying to find Ari’s coat (this is not the month to lose such a thing!) so we walked all over the East and West Village, stopping in for a bite here and a cocktail there.
Our first stop was Corsino Cantina, a charming Hudson street restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed brick walls, and a cozy bar. We were just planning to get a quick drink and get out of the rain, which was, at this point, torrential.
Honey Horse (mine): Bourbon, lemon juice, and orange honey and grechetto (his) white wine
We also split a trio of crostini:
Brussels sprouts & pecorino (my favorite), chickpea & broccol rabe, olive tapenade
Crostini are such a great idea, don’t you think? You get to taste a lot of different spreads, cheeses, or whatever, on the perfect vehicle: toasted bread! I want to serve these for my next party.
But we weren’t done with our tour yet! As we continued to call the place where Ari thought his coat might be, we continued East. The rain was only drizzling now, and Ari’s eyes lit up when we spotted A Salt & Battery, “New York’s Only Truly Authentic Fish & Chips Shop.”
But we weren’t there for the fish and chips…
… we were there for the fried Mars bar. Um, yes. I’d heard of such things at the State Fairs, but had never had one. The concept was pretty unappealing to me, but Ari insisted I try just a bite.
So I did. It was gooey, chocolatey, and most definitely fried. Not horrible, but not something I’d need to seek out, either. Still, I will have to return to this cute little shop the next time my fish and chips craving hits!
With our palate adequately whet, we made our way to our final destination: Cafe Centosette , one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the East Village. We were treated to two appetizers, and lightly nibbled at each.
Bruschetta with chopped tomatoes and mozzarella:
Fried calamari with marinara:
For my entrée, I got one of my favorite dishes, Artichoke Paglio E Fieno: spinach pasta with shrimp and artichokes in a light tomato sauce. I used to eat this all the time a few years ago, and should really just start making it at home. The combination sounds a little strange, but it’s delicious!
We packed up our leftovers and headed across the street to 16 Handles for dessert, where I got a record-small cup of carrot cake, peanut butter & coffee frozen yogurts.
So yes, this weekend had a lovely mix of pasta, fried calamari, crostini, bruschetta, cocktails, wine, cookies, fried candy, ice cream (twice, unpictured) and more pasta. But I did eat a few things that came from the ground, too! You can find versions of this salad in restaurants all over the world; there’s something about fragrant orange and licorice-y fennel that pair so well together.
FENNEL & CITRUS SALAD
- 1 bulb fennel
- 1 small orange
- 1/2 t Dijon mustard
- 1.5 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 T olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- soft, creamy cheese, such as goat or blue (optional)
Slice fennel once lengthwise then widthwise up the length of the bulb, so you have medium-sized crescents. Discard top.
Peel orange and slice and quarter 2/3 of the fruit, removing any seeds.
Squeeze the juice from the remaining unsliced orange into a small bowl. Whisk in mustard, vinegar and olive oil.
Toss fennel and orange together, and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with salt, pepper, and cheese if desired.
Fennel + Citrus Salad with mashed avocado and miso on Multi-Grain Molasses Bread
Enjoy!
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Have you ever skipped or postponed a race you’d trained for? How did you feel about it?
What’s the strangest fried food you’ve ever eaten?
Just reading “fried Mars bar” made my arteries clog, hahahha
Strangest fried food I’ve ever eaten = fried escargot. Texture was VERY off…
Rock out the race next Sunday!
AHH fried chocolate bars = something that really does not need to exist. I’m sure if I tried one I would love it though!
Despite the drastic changes in plans, it still looks like a good weekend (with plenty of tasty food!). I can’t say I’m lucky enough to have tried very many creative fried foods. During a field trip this Fall one of my students brought me a deep-fried Oreo which she insisted I try…interesting idea, but I can’t say I’d ever eat one again!
Heidi has so many amazing recipes! The girls night looks like fun
And your pumpkin gnocchi? Amazing- I must try. Bummer about the race, but a morning in bed is fabulous. I LOVED the book cloudy with a chance of meatballs and rented the movie right when it came on DVD. I thought it was SO cute.
I’ve heard of fried Mars bars before, and seeing as I don’t like batter or Mars bars, they sound like hell to me! But everything else (especially the ginger cookies+crostini!) looks delicious!
Enjoy your race next weekend! Looks like you made the right decision!
I love love love sprint triathlons, and I usually do the same couple every year as tradition. The night before one of the races I had a killer migraine and just had to decide if I would be willing to get up at 5 the next morning to race. I decided to cancel, even though I’d already paid 65 bucks to register. I decided that I wouldn’t make myself feel guilty, no race is worth feeling crappy and there will always be more!
My sister had a fried klondike bar this summer, she said it was good, but after a few bites it was overkill. I remember once in college they served fried pickles in the dining hall and i almost barfed right there!
Jen
i ate a fried oreo at my town’s annual summer carnival in high school. oddly, i remember it not being nearly as horrifying as it sounds.
based on the weather on sunday, i think you made the right decision with the race. it would’ve been a miserable experience, which goes against the whole point, right? you’ll do great next weekend.
dinner/drinking plans soon, yes?
omg City Island is one of my favorite movies ever. I’m glad you had such a nice weekend filled with such delicious food! The fried mars bar looks, err, interesting;) LOVE the Beacon Theater Mug!
Fried mars bar interesting
I would love that triple ginger cookie, I love anything with ginger!!
I have never skipped a race that I signed up for, but there have been a few races that I was not totally trained for but did it anyways. Probably not smart
haha
~Lori
my coworkers alwaaaaays bring in fried oreoes! i’ve never tried it but i think i’d like the mars bar better then the oreoes!
looks like you had a fun weekend girl
i love some girl time nights especially when there’s good food involved! and i’ve been seriously dying to see cloudy with a chance of meatballs just because it was seriously one of the best books of all time haha
..can you tell i suck at reading?
I love A Salt and Battery! And the Fried Mars Bar.
I think choosing not to run in the cold rain was a WISE choice. I ran on Thanksgiving in the freezing rain and was sick for 2 weeks as a result. Definitely not fun or worth it.
I love that Jam Jar wine! I had it over the summer in the Hamptons but I haven’t been able to find it since. Maybe it’s only in NY?
the Honey Horse, nice! And your comment to me that once liquor kicks in and you think, awww, another one doesnt hurt$$$, you wake up the next day and YES are like what was i thinking?!
the fried mars bar…i would try it, just for kicks!
i loved fried cheese curds and mini donuts from the good ole MN state fair as a kid!
Ooh! Love the looks of all that crostini!
I’m notorious for “sucking it up” and going through with a run, or a game, or whatever. I’ve played basketball with broken fingers and a concussion, I did a gymnastics exhibition with a knee injury. good for you for being flexible
I haven’t been too adventurous with fried food. fried just doesn’t appeal to me too much either. in my experience, it never turns out as good as you think it should, eg it’s soggy, or tastes like old oil!
Skip every possible fried food EXCEPT doughnuts from NYC’s very own DONUT PUB at 7th Ave/14th Street. Go there now.
Otherwise, conjure up the ghost of my grandmother and ask her to make skillet-fried chicken.
I had a deep fried snickers at the state fair once. It tasted like a melted snickers, but I guess I had to try it.
Your citrus fruits look soo yummy and juicy. salivating!
your food combos are always SO freaking awesome!!!!!
they seriously can fry EVERYTHING these days!
fried alligator.. that was.. chewy
Ive also tried fried reeses and fried pepsi!
What a wonderful foodie weekend! And don’t even worry about it, you will do wonderfully in next weekend’s race!