Happy St. Patrick's Day! ~belated~

I had this post ready to go then I got distracted (can you imagine?!).  And then the computer was off to the shop, getting a new CD drive, since the last one wasn't working.  (Because silly iMac designers put the card reader right under the CD drive.  Don't they know that exhausted mothers, trying to upload photos of their cute kids, might accidentally slide the memory card into the cd drive?!)

Brian starts a new job on April 1st, so he's taking these next couple of weeks off!  It is so much fun having him with us as we explore the city.  The weather was glorious and this is what we did on St. Patty's Day:

Waiting for me to return home from a morning run.

Enjoying a "shamrock shake": protein, fruit, veggies, and green food coloring.

A bit of bluegrass  in the Times Square subway station.  I loved them!

Pausing to see the workings of a photo shoot in Soho.

Practicing his scooting skills in Soho.

Munching on very yummy corn on the cob at Cafe Habana.  He must have gotten some spice.

Sweet & Savory Sausage Sauce

Some friends have requested more of my go-to recipes and suggested I post them here, on the blog. This has been a favorite recipe for a few years. The sauce is cram-packed full of flavor that is so delicious! It's not a difficult dish to prepare, but it does take time to simmer and cook.  I will often double this recipe and freeze some for another day.  If you do double the recipe don't double the white wine and chicken broth otherwise the sauce is very liquidy (still delicious though).

Sweet & Savory Sausage Sauce

adapted from The Figs Table

1lb sweet Italian sausage, taken out of casing and crumbled
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
two 28 oz cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and hand crushed


Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the sausage. When the fat begins to render, add the garlic and 1 teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme.  Cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Discard any excess fat. Add the onion, lower the heat to medium, and cook until it it almost caramelized, about 30 min.


Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the broth, and cook until reduced to a thick syrup, about 30 minutes.  Add the anchovies and tomatoes and the remaining 1 teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme.  Cook until the flavors meld together, about 20-30 minutes. Serve over medium shells or orecchiette.

Oliver helping me hand crush the tomatoes.

Restaurant: recipe

During Brian's vacation we have been going out to lunch at some new places.  recipe is our new favorite spot.  We've been there twice this week.  All the dishes we have tried are so tasty.  The vegetables are amazing: fresh, crisp, flavorful.

The lunch menu is a steal!  

We've tried: chestnut soup (special), pumpkin gnocchi (special), duck leg, lamb ragu, seared scallop (special), striped sea bass (special), mussels, pulled pork sandwich, and the chocolate pignoli tart.  Oh! and the bread basket too!  yummm....

We really enjoyed everything we had, but our favorites are the pumpkin gnocchi and the braised lamb shank ragu.  I'm seriously craving the lamb!

yummy striped sea bass

pulled pork