Metropolitan Museum Member's Dining Room

A visit to the Metropolitan Museum becomes even more special with a lunch at the Member's Dining Room. The annual museum membership comes with the privilege of dining there. What makes it really cool is it's great big windows open to Central Park directly across Kleopatra's Needle, it's amazing flower arrangements, and the surprisingly excellent food.

One of the best times to come is during the holidays. The Christmas tree in the great hall of the Medieval Collection is a true masterpiece. The tree is at least two stories high, if not three, the angels are practically the size of newborns and the nativity scene built around the tree is a wonder that I'm still enjoying after all these years of coming here.

 

Kleopatra's Needle 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located on 82nd street and Fifth Avenue in New York City. Not a block known for it's restaurant options. Yes, you can dine at the food trucks parked outside on the broad sidewalk but really, on your day in New York City, is that what you want? A hot dog or a souvlaki on a stick while standing out in the cold is not my idea of a festive lunch, if you know what I mean! 

 

An excellent hamburger with thick cut fries!

Arctic Char with veggies and a mustard sauce! 

Mushroom omelet with spring salad 

What was left of the bread

Chocolate lava cake

Peach crumble

Going with my sister, her husband and my godson and, of course, my hubby were the best part!

We met a couple who bought the museum membership, when planning their trip to New York from Ireland to visit their daughter, just so they could dine at the Member's Dining room! If you are planning a trip to the Big Apple, you may want to get the membership or makes friends with someone who already does!

Enjoy!

Maria

Almond Olive Oil Cake

I've wanted to make an olive oil cake for months but was worried that the olive oil flavor would be too pronounced. I decided to take the risk and try it.

The results were a delicious cake, moist and tasty. And not too hard to make either!

Almond Olive Oil Cake with Glaze (adapted slightly from Gina DePalma & Lottie & Doof)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal (ground almonds, Trader Joe's sells them in a bag)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Grated zest of an orange
1/2 cup orange juice

For Glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds for the top

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, and set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them lightly to break up the yolks. Add the sugar to the bowl and whisk it in very thoroughly. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is a bit lighter in color and has thickened slightly, about 45-60 seconds. Whisk in the extracts and zest, followed by the orange juice.

 

 

 

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly combined; continue whisking until you have a smooth, emulsified batter, about 30 more seconds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, springs back slightly when touched, and a cake tester comes out clean.

 

Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it cool completely on a rack.

Mix the glaze ingredients together with a fork (including the almonds) and pour over the warm cake. It will harden.

Enjoy!

Maria

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all the people around the world.

 
 
 

May the sun shine on a Peaceful, Prosperous, Gentle World.

 

Enjoy!

 

Maria

 

 

Nina's Uptown Girls!

There's nothing like a fresh, local egg that has been produced by chickens you have actually met. I grew up on these kinds of eggs as a child in Cyprus. But, ever since I came to New York I had relied on store-bought eggs.  

 Until I met Nina! For the past six years or so I have been buying Nina's eggs, laid by her "girls"! Nina lives on the other side of town and has been keeping two sets of chickens, in two chicken coops. One in the lower part of her property and the other at the top. Hence "uptown girls".

 When I need eggs I simply drive over to Nina's Red Barn Farm and walk inside the barn. The freshly laid eggs are set in a fridge and you buy them with the old fashioned honor system. The price is posted, you get your eggs, leave the money in the box and off you go to make an omelet!

I always go around the side and visit with the girls who are busy pecking away either inside the coop or outside in the fenced off yard. There are red feathered girls and, my favorite, the araucana chickens who have a black and white plume and lay light blue or light green eggs. The rooster is of course forever chasing the girls doing his part to make those eggs. 

You have seen Nina's eggs in many of my posts and there they are frying up sunny side up. The yolks are bright yellow, firm and large. The whites are clear and firm. These are the tastiest eggs ever!

When you have a choice, always go for local, homegrown eggs. And don't forget to say hello to the girls!

Enjoy!

Maria

Titan Foods, Astoria, The Greek Store

When I go to Astoria to visit my parents, I never fail to stop by Titan www.titanfoods.net, the Greek Food Superstore. There's everything a Greek heart(stomach) desires and more. It's a one-stop-shop for your cheeses, olives, olive oils, phyllo, pita breads, beans, stuffed vine leaves, oregano and thyme and much more. They also have the prepared spinach pies and cheese pies (the best!)that you can pick up with a cup of coffee for a quick but substantial snack. The pastries cannot be beat for taste and freshness. Recently they've added a hot foods station and I hear they have an excellent new chef, recently arrived from Greece. And did I mention the tsoureki, a Greek sweet bread like Challah bread? I buy it for French toast the next morning(if it lasts until then). If I sound like a fan club it's because I love this place and am really grateful they are around so we can get our Greek fix.

Holiday pastries and cookies ready for Christmas 

Of course there's a whole counter for Feta! There's the Arahova feta, the Eipiros feta, the goat feta... you get the picture!

Mountains of olive oil!

Did somebody say cheese? 

The Greek flag next to the American flag

Olives-yum! 

Giant Beans 

How many kinds of olive oil does a Greek need? 

Tahini with honey, whole grain tahini, plain tahini 

Capers 

And did I mention olive oil?! 

Phyllo

Grains and legumes 

And the pastries

Trays and trays 

Desserts 

Don't forget your box of cookies! 

So glad to take it all home!

 

Enjoy!

 

Maria