meyer lemon and mushroom gnocchi

now that i am working in the evenings again, it is really hard to find the time and motivation to cook on those rare evenings off, but on saturday i finally, finally, was able to make a proper meal. and it was good.

meyer lemons are in season right now and after admiring their bright yellow-orange hue for the past few  weeks in the store, i have been dreaming about what to make with them.

because it is winter, a hearty pasta seemed like a good idea and noodles are an obvious choice for showcasing an ingredient, but i wanted something a bit less conventional and decided that a fluffy gnocchi would be delicious with a light lemon sauce. meyer lemons are much less acidic and far sweeter than regular lemons, which is why they are perfect for desserts. since i was making a savory dish i needed something to complete the sauce and make it a bit heartier. i love mushrooms so i decided to add a mix of crimini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms for depth and texture. i splurged on a small bottle of black truffle oil and the result was truly lovely. the sauce could go with any noodle--i could easily have eaten this on angel hair with parmesan. the fontina cheese i used did not overpower the lemon in any way but instead provided an earthy flavor and the perfect amount of creaminess for the sauce. i used fat free half & half, but feel to use heavy cream --i don't like cream sauces that are too heavy, so this was just right for me. the amount i cooked could have easily served 4...there were just 2 of us so now i have leftovers. yum.

MEYER LEMON & WILD MUSHROOM GNOCCHI

2 cups potato gnocchi

4 meyer lemons

1/2 cup stock (vegetable or chicken)

1/4 half & half or heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fontina, pecorino, parmesan, or grana padano cheese

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped leeks

1 1/2 cup assorted shitake, crimini, and oyster mushrooms

salt & pepper to taste

truffle oil (black or white) to taste

in a small pot add the stock, cream, and juice of four meyer lemons

in a large pan, saute the sliced mushrooms with leeks and garlic

boil the gnocchi until it is fluffy and tender. when it is ready, drain it and add the gnocchi to the pan with the mushrooms. add the sauce and then add the cheese. stir until the sauce becomes creamy. add salt & pepper to taste and finish with truffle oil. serve immediately.

i also made an arugula pesto and served it with warm crusty bread. at first the pesto was way too bitter so i added more basil. there was still something harsh about it so i squeezed the juice from an extra meyer lemon i had. the sweetness cut the bitterness of the arugula and the result of the fresh herbs and lemon both looked and tasted like the essence of spring. for a few minutes i forgot it was the middle of january; i could practically feel warm rays of sun of my face as i bit into this shimmering spread..then i woke up from my reverie and realized that was just the space heater i was feeling..boo.

ARUGULA & MEYER LEMON PESTO

1 cup washed arugula

1 cup washed fresh basil

1 meyer lemon

2 tsps olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp pine nuts (optional)

mix all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.

a red hook saturday

despite the freezing cold, i decided to brave the weather and venture over to red hook for a change of scenery and a breath of, um, cold air.

red hook is kinda stoic in its architecture and beautiful in a sort of decrepit way. some of the streets feel very under-cared for but there are visually arresting things to look at in surprising places. there are also "green shoots" popping up all over the place, and the waterfront offers one of the best views of the statue of liberty in all of new york city.

i dragged mark along with me for the excursion. i think i was only able to convince him to spend the day outside with the promise of cupcakes from baked. he was not disappointed. his was the malted vanilla on the left and i had the sweet & salty on the right. oozing with salted caramel and topped with the fluffiest chocolate icing i have ever tasted, mine was a marvel of flavor combinations. light as can be and not overwhelmed by either the salt or the sweetness, i believe i have discovered the perfect cupcake.

we stopped in here for an americano and a soda. i liked this unpretentious bar, but i will have to come back for a cocktail or a homemade seltzer!

down by the water there are two amazing rusted over train cars that i could have spent hours looking at, if it hadn't been so cold.

we took refuge in fairway for warmth. it is so massive that by the time we got out it was dusk.

i took this picture of lady liberty from the fairway parking lot. if you look closely you can see her silhouette, triumphant in the distance.

30 is the new 80

after a really delicious dinner here, my friend, sara, and i went to see up in the air. i'm pretty sure i liked it, but in an all too predictable move of mine following a hearty meal and a few glasses of wine, i fell asleep for part of the the movie. this has happened more times than i would care to admit; there's something about a dark theater and a full belly that just puts me in the mood to...nap. in fact, my boyfriend now affectionally refers to falling asleep during a movie as "pulling a sari." because i usually reserve this narcoleptic feat for him, it is usually sari who is teased for "pulling a sari." after the movie, sara, (who just happens to be three months pregnant), admitted to me that she was glad i was sleeping during portions of the movie when (either because of the tagliatelle or the bun in her oven) she was burping up a storm. i found myself wondering, "is 30 the new 80?" when i got home i texted sara this question. her response: "totally! i am so old right now. i am looking at snuggies right now." my response back: "omg. send me a pic of the one you want." earlier at dinner while gorging ourselves on pasta and bruschetta we both agreed we secretly coveted a snuggie; the ingenious blanket with sleeves. sara, who will soon be bigger than ohio, is more than entitled to be as unsexy as she wants in any type of outerwear that she chooses. i however should be punished for fantasizing about showing up at next year's thanksgiving dinner in a slanket. (while recently having brunch with another pregnant friend, i found myself jealous of her elastic waisted blue jeans.) if my boyfriend only knew about my fantasies that involve holiday season in a burqa...really, what is happening to me? either i have the winter slumps or i am aging faster than benjamin buttons.

speaking of winter, the photo above is from here. do yourself a favor and look through his flickr page, particularly the TTV and TOP FAVS set. i can't stop looking at them...especially these: