Hungry Domaine

Spaghetti with caramelized garlic, lemon, olive oil, watercress and chives…………

Paul Zweben — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:13:41 +0000

Spaghetti with caramelized garlic, lemon, olive oil, watercress and chives…………

YUMMY~

After finishing 4 open houses yesterday at

194 Riverside dr #6B

230 Riverside Drive #16B

2025 Broadway #17F

240 East 35^th street #5B

……………………………….and the Super Bowl about to begin, I needed to come up with a quick refreshing pasta dish for my 8 month pregnant wife and hungry little baby in mommy’s tummy.

I zipped over to the local fine food store and picked up the following:

1 pound dried spaghetti

2 lemons

16 ounces chicken stock

1 pound peeled garlic

1 bunch chives

1 head of watercress

4 ounces of parmesan cheese

Sea salt, cracked black pepper and a pinch of crushed red peppers

1 loaf of sourdough bread

Method:

In a large sauce pot, caramelize the garlic pearls in olive oil

Add the chicken stock or vegetable stock to the garlic and reduce the broth by 50%

Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.

Once the pasta is cooked perfectly- add the watercress and chives to the garlic broth and heat until the greens wilt and then add the pasta.

Your simple sauce~

Mix thoroughly and serve pasta bowls. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper and serve with crispy hot sourdough bread!

Congrats to the Giants!!!

240 East 35th Street, 5B | THE MURRAY HILL -1 bedroom Co-Op

Paul Zweben — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:23:56 +0000

240 East 35th Street, 5B | THE MURRAY HILL –

1 Bedroom Co-Op

Please email for a private showing pzweben@elliman.com

Your Living Room~

Don’t miss out on this perfect One-Bedroom, One-Bath opportunity for the savvy buyer! Live in the heart of Murray Hill in a bright, North-facing home that is in good condition with open views. Your well laid-out home features a welcoming entry foyer, spacious living room, separate galley kitchen and comfortable bedroom. The kitchen has been updated with modern appliances. 240 East 35th Street is a coveted Full-Service Cooperative boasting a 24-Hour Doorman, Roof Deck, On-Site Garage, Private Storage, Common Laundry, Bike Room, and excellent Live-in Super, all moments away from transportation and all neighborhood amenities. Pets are Welcome.

http://www.elliman.com/new-york-city/manhattan/murray-hill/240-east-35th-street–5b—the-murray-hill/dssoaie

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2025 Broadway, 17F | THE NEVADA – Upper West Side

Paul Zweben — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:11:35 +0000

Your view from the bedroom!

2025 Broadway, 17F | THE NEVADA – Upper West Side
Please join us for our first open house, this Sunday, January 29th , 2012 from 1-2:30pm
We will be serving icy cold Veuve Champagne~
BEAUTIFUL TURN- KEY HOME!
This Luxury One-Bedroom, One Bath Coop is the ideal New York City apartment for the discriminating buyer. Perched atop the 17th Floor, your Sunny new apartment has Quintessential City Views looking East across Broadway with Stunning Architectural Vistas. Move right in and enjoy the Renovated Kitchen featuring stainless steel appliances, granite counters, and modern cabinetry as well as the sleek marble bath. The Nevada is a Pet-Friendly White Glove Cooperative catering to a luxury lifestyle boasting 24-Hour doorman, Stunning Roof Deck, Private Storage, Bike Storage, and Common Laundry ideally located in the heart of the Upper West Side, just above Lincoln Center, moments away from all public transportation, shopping, and the finest restaurants including Café Luxembourg, Lincoln, Ocean and many more.

The living room~

http://www.elliman.com/new-york-city/manhattan/upper-west-side/2025-broadway–17f—the-nevada/2025-broadway/lnhcfbe

Start cooking!

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Jacob’s Pickles~

Paul Zweben — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:34:31 +0000

Jacob’s Pickles-

Every time I see a vacated commercial space on the Upper West Side, I always try to figure out what type of business will go into it.

Usually it is a restaurant.

There was a lighting store on Amsterdam and 85^th street for years that sold really boring lighting. For years, I did not know how they stayed in business.

Well the time came when 1970’s track lighting and the current rent for the lighting store did not work and the store shuttered.

For the last 6- 8 months I wondered what was going in and finally saw a sign for Jacob’s pickles. WTF was Jacob’s pickles?

Jacob’s Pickles
509 Amsterdam Ave
(between 84th and 85th)
New York, NY 10024
212-470-5566

I must admit that what they did with the space is quite impressive. They exposed a tremendous amount of bricks and added a clean looking bar.

They were playing Pandora like or XM Radio music that actually was pretty good.

The food is straight to the point. Good, crisp fried chicken with a variety of gravies, served on a buttermilk biscuit and creamy grits. I had the fried chicken with the sausage gravy that was delicious and my wife had the fried chicken with the honey sauce, also very solid.

This place is a welcome addition to the hood!

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Vegetarian Cous cous with Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Pesto~~

Paul Zweben — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:57:31 +0000

Sun dried tomato and Basil Vegetarian Cous Cous-

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Cous cous can be such a delicious side dish, salad or entrée, if you cook it correctly.

Ingredients-
1 pound dry cous cous
Vegetable broth equal the volume of the 1 pound of dried cous cous
3-4 ounces of sundried tomato and basil presto- can probably get this premade at the supermarket or you can make your own.
1 sliced red onion
1 sliced white onion
1 red pepper- slice into julienne pieces
1 green pepper- slice into julienne pieces
1 yellow pepper- slice into julienne pieces
1 pinch of crushed red peppers
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 ounces whole sweet butter
3 ounces XV olive oil

1 bunch chopped chives

Method-
Sauté all of the vegetables in Olive oil and season with salt, pepper and crushed red peppers- place the vegetables once they are tender and brown on a cookie tray to cool.

Place the vegetable broth in a sauce pot- remember it is a one to one ratio based on volume to cous cous.
Bring the broth to a boil, and then stir in the pesto.
Add the cous cous to the boiling liquid and keep on a high heat for 1-2 minutes.
Stir the cous cous one time and then turn the heat off and place a cover on the pot, for 3-4 minutes or when the cous cous is tender.
Place in a casserole dish and mix in the sautéed vegetables, whole butter, and remaining olive oil and season the mixture again.

Garnish with chopped chives and serve~

Enjoy!

194 Riverside Drive, 6B – Upper West Side 2 bed, 2 bath

Paul Zweben — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:09:17 +0000

194 Riverside Drive, 6B – Upper West Side

1st open house is this Sunday 1.15.12 from 11am-12:30pm

If you cannot make the open house, please email me for a private showing : Pzweben@elliman.com

PREWAR ELEGANCE!

Chef~

Move right into this lovely & spacious 2-Bedroom, 2BathBeautifully Renovated home. The dramatic layout draws you through the entryway to the focal point of the home, the gracious, south-facing Living Room featuring a decorative glazed terra cotta tiled fireplace & charming, sunny townhouse garden views. An enormous renovated eat-in-kitchen is ideally designed for the modern chef, including stainless steel appliances, excellent storage including large pantry & plenty of room for dining. Both bedrooms are grandly proportioned & located on separate ends of the apt for ultimate privacy. The larger of the 2 full renovated baths boasts Waterworks & Rohl fixtures and a decadent, spa-like glass standing showerstall with rainshower head. This beautiful home boasts deep closets, Washer/Dryer, and beautiful prewar character with all the modern comforts.194 Riverside Driveis located on the short stretch between 91st and92nd Streetdrawing quiet attention with its private, cul-de-sac feel. Built in 1901 by famed NY architect, Ralph S. Townsend, 194 RSD is representative of the architect’s bold neo-Renaissance style and stands out from the neighboring buildings with its curvaceous facade, elegant balustrades, & commanding portal featuring charming lion head relief sculptures. 194 RSD is pet-friendly and features a 24-Hr Drmn, Playroom, Storage, & Live-In Super.

Master Bath~

194 RSD 6B floorplan

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Crispy Sardines with Watercress, Lemon and XVOO~

Paul Zweben — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:12:33 +0000

On Sunday afternoon my wife emailed me and said that she needs to eat Sardines 1X per week, while she is preggo. HUH?

I had open houses all day and told her to get me the following:

10 whole Sardines (heads removed)

1/4 cup Wondra flour

1 bunch watercress

1/4 cup olive oil

The juice of one lemon

Sea salt and fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Method-

I would certainly have your fish man filet the sardines for you. Don’t worry about the little “hair like” bones. They will get crunchy and go down easy.

Season the filets with Sea Salt and Pepper ,then dredge the filets in the wondra flour.

Place dredged filets into pre-heated sauté pan and sear, skin side down at high heat until the filets get crispy (about 2-3 minutes).

They are getting crispy~

Flip the filets to the flesh side and cook for another 30 seconds.

Remove crispy filets and place on some paper towels.

In a separate bowl, place watercress, lemon, 4T XVOO, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the cress lightly. It is a delicate green and can bruise easily!

Place 4-6 filets on a plate and a small amount of the salad tilting on the filets.

Drizzle a few drops of XVOO around the plate and serve.

Yummy~

They are good for you, delicious and if you are preggo, they are great for the baby’s brain development!

The Perfect Hash Browns~

Paul Zweben — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:00:57 +0000

The Perfect Hash Browns~

How many times in your life have you gotten out of bed and fantasized about the perfect hash brown? You throw on your clothes and head to your favorite diner or restaurant and order your breakfast with well done hash browns. Your mind is racing with anticipation and you can barely hold a conversation, when all of a sudden your breakfast arrives.

The breakfast is like a bad blind date and something has to be done!

There is a 20% chance that those hash browns we’re made with love. More likely, they are boiled potatoes that sat on a griddle and were barely seasoned.

Well folks- here is to no more lousy hash browns, EVER!

Ingredients:

5 peeled Idaho potatoes sliced into 1/4″ disks

1 diced green pepper

2 small diced vidalia onions

A pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

4 ounces XV olive oil

Method:

Place potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water. Cook until tender.

Strain all of the water from the potatoes.

Sauté the onions and peppers until golden brown and tender. Season to taste.

Remove onions and peppers and sauté the blanched potatoes in the same pan until they begin to get brown.

Add Salt, Pepper and Crushed red pepper to the potatoes and also add the onions and peppers.

Let the potato mixture get brown and then turn the mixture. The goal is to get as much of the potato brown and flavorful as possible.

Serve with your favorite breakfast items!

Citrus Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Rosemary and XV Olive oil!

Paul Zweben — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:01:12 +0000

Citrus Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Rosemary and XV Olive oil!

: YUMMY!

3 pounds Chicken thighs

Sea salt

Cracked Black Pepper

1 cup peeled garlic

1 tsp crushed red chili

The juice of 3 lemons

The juice of 3 limes

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 bunches rosemary

Method-

Place chicken thighs in a roasting pan-

Season with salt, pepper, red chilis

Pour squeezed lemon and lime juice over the thighs

Add olive oil

Add whole garlic and try the have the garlic go in between the thighs in the olive oil and citrus juices.

Sprinkle picked rosemary leaves all over chicken

: Before the roast~

Roast at 375 for 1 hour and then turn up to 425 for 10 minutes.

Make sure the garlic is tender

Serve to your happy guests!

Gigi,the truffle hunter~

Paul Zweben — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:26:51 +0000

My friend Patricia Wu, a freelance food writer shared this wonderful story about Gigi the truffle hunter!

Enjoy!

Is it food or is it gold?

Gigi, a four-year-old mutt, is worth his weight in gold. Gigi (short for Luigi) is the best truffle hunting dog Renato Agnello has ever had. Agnello should know. He’s one of the best truffle hunters in the Piedmont region of northern Italy , home to the renowned white Alba truffle.

And the hunt begins- Gigi & Renato~

The 73-year-old Agnello first went hunting for the world’s most expensive mushroom with his father when he was 6 and has been hooked ever since. A grin lights up his weathered face as he remembers his biggest find – a 510-gram white truffle in 2001. That’s about 18 ounces and it’s a pipe dream this year. Unseasonably dry weather has made the rare mushroom even more scarce this year.

Truffles are composed of 80 percent water so rain is needed to help them grow. Humidity also helps to bring out the mushroom’s legendary aroma … making them easier to find. That’s one reason why truffle hunters, or trifulau as they’re known, go hunting at night.

There are other reasons to search under the cover of darkness. No one wants to tip off a rival to a good location and it’s quieter at night so the dogs are less easily distracted. Competition for truffles, also known as white gold or diamonds of the kitchen, is so fierce that a trifulau would never dream of letting his dog go outside on its own for fear of it being kidnapped by a jealous rival. The night foraging is why truffle hunting dogs are mostly white or light-colored. They’re easier to see in the dark.

Since it’s about 3 p.m. when my friends and I follow Agnello into the woods, we’re not expecting much. Our guide explains that truffle hunting trips for tourists are simulated. The trifulau plants a black truffle in the ground for the dog to find so that tourists can see the process. Black truffles are used since they’re less expensive than the white ones.

We follow Gigi as he scurries forward eagerly sniffing and pawing. Truffles develop underground near the roots of certain trees. White ones only grow wild and almost exclusively near Alba. Agnello proudly says that, “The soil of Alba cannot be copied or reproduced.” Certainly, no one has been able to cultivate a white truffle yet. So the prized mushroom brings a gleam to every chef and foodie’s eye. In the Piedmont region, that’s just about everyone as it is home to more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other region in Italy .

Suddenly, Gigi is digging excitedly and his tail is wagging furiously. He has found the planted black truffle! We all clap and cheer as he gets a treat for his “find.” As we head back, I ask Agnello if he eats a lot of truffles. He says no with a wink and a smile and explains that, “Truffles are legendary aphrodisiacs.” Since he goes truffle hunting every night during the season instead of spending time with his wife, eating them would be a problem. A bark from Gigi interrupts my next question. We head over to where Gigi is again digging furiously. Agnello drops down to his knees and starts digging deeper and deeper into the hard, dry soil with his bare hands. About 7 inches down, Agnello finds a white truffle. It looks like a very small, misshaped potato. He lifts it out and the aroma is unmistakeable — a blend of fresh mushrooms, the earth, hay, a rainy fall day and maybe a hint of garlic. Agnello is stunned at the find. He has never unearthed a white truffle on a hunting trip with tourists in the middle of the afternoon.

Agnello estimates that this truffle weighs 20 grams or about .7 ounces. That’s much smaller than the average size of 30-40 grams. Size is just one factor in evaluating a truffle. It also must be very fragrant and just the right consistency. It can’t be too hard or it’s not ripe. But, if it’s soft, it’s overripe. Gigi’s find passes the muster and Agnello estimates it’s worth about 50 euros or $75. That may be conservative. The lack of rain this season has driven prices to twice what they were last season — about 4,000 euros for one kilogram or about $150 per ounce. Consumers are paying about $200 an ounce for white Alba truffles. One ounce is enough for several dishes.

But Agnello says he doesn’t plan on selling it. He’s retired from truffle hunting for profit and now does it simply because it’s in his blood. He is a fifth generation truffle hunter and he’s teaching his 13-year-old granddaughter the secrets of the family trade.

So what will Agnello do with Gigi’s find? He says he will give it to a friend. Truffles should be eaten as soon as possible. It starts to lose moisture and decay as soon as it is out of the ground. The soil on the truffle helps to preserve moisture so it is not brushed off until the truffle is ready to be served. It only lasts about five days in the best of conditions. It must be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed inside a glass container and refrigerated. Incorrect storing will make it spoil even faster.

As Agnello tells me about dishes made with white truffle, I wonder how anyone manages to keep one around for more than a few hours, much less a few days. White truffles are shaved into thin slices and eaten raw over a simple pasta or risotto so that the truffle’s flavor and fragrance takes center stage. It also can be paired with thin slices of raw beef, polenta or cheese fondue.

As I ponder the mouth-watering possibilities, Agnello thinks about the rest of the white truffle hunting season. It runs until about January so there is still time to make up for this year’s disappointing start. Agnello tells us the forecast calls for rain as he drives off with Gigi, the truffle hunter’s best friend.