Blue Point Oyster Bar and Bistro - Not Just for Seafood

"What do you want to do for dinner?"

That's code for, "I don't want to cook. I want to go out to eat."

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. It's 5 o'clock. Nothing happening food-wise and you look at each other, like, "Well?"

So, you pull up Open Table , put in the number of people, time, location and click "Find a Table". It's like rolling the dinner dice. You see what comes up and go from there.

That happened over this past weekend. The Boss said, "I want seafood, but I don't want to drive too far AND I don't want to go to Red Lobster."

We live on Long Island's south shore, so that shouldn't be hard to do.

Out comes Open Table and we roll the dice.

Up comes Blue Point Oyster Bar and Bistro. Recently, my wife has acquired the taste for oysters, so this place piqued her interest. She made a reservation online and off we went.

It turns out, if you're familiar with the area, the location is the old "Cilantro" restaurant on Montauk Highway. It's really the east edge of Blue Point. It's a smallish establishment, but the seating is comfortably spaced. You walk into the bar that also has some tables in it. The Dining Room is beyond that.

Table Setting was Very Pretty with Fresh Flowers

It is casual, but classy. You can come straight from the beach or dress nice. You'd not be out of place either way.
We were greeted by Gina, the Hostess (and co-Owner). Gina is a friendly, gregarious, smiling person who quickly treated us as if we had known her for a long time despite just meeting her that moment. We had been to Cilantro (a previous restaurant at this locale) before, and the layout is the same. The decor is somewhat different, but it's fresh and well done.

Tables were set with vintage bread plates and fresh flowers. Very nice.

Our server, Jen, quickly came over to take drink orders and tell us of the specials. Jen was also very friendly and greeted us with a big smile.

Part of the Menu at Blue Point Oyster Bar and Bistro

Now, I think the name of this establishment can be deceiving. This place is not strictly a seafood/oyster restaurant. They do have a wonderful selection of seafood appetizers: calamari, clams (raw and baked), tuna (seared rare), PEI mussels, crab cakes and, yes, the freshest most succulent local oysters both raw and "rockefellered". But, as you can see by the entrees, they also have a nice selection of all types of dishes. So, if you aren't seafood friendly, you have many great choices.

Dinner Rolls Baked Fresh Daily

Jen quickly brought over a couple of rolls and butter to get us started. A variety (sourdough, multigrain, and so on) of dinner rolls are baked fresh everyday. And, you can tell. We had sourdough and multigrain and they were delectable. The
sourdough (a personal favorite) had a nice chew to it. And the multigrain was tasty without being "cardboardy".

Short Rib Mac & Cheese

I had the short rib mac and cheese and it was mighty awe-inspiring! The perfectly cooked short rib was mixed into the dish with a nice crunchy topping to give some textural contrast. And the sauce added a nice punch to the meal. Really very good.

My wife had the sirloin and shrimp kabobs. These had a tropical pineapple glaze and were quite tasty!

Shrimp and Sirloin Kabobs

They were served over a bed of rice which didn't compete with the aggressively flavored kabobs.

We had no room for dessert, so I can't comment on that.

During our entire meal, both Jen, our server and Gina, our hostess, kept checking in asking how we were doing and if we needed anything. They were attentive without being intrusive. I like that. I hate being ignored in a restaurant and I was not disappointed here.

All in all, I'm glad we took the chance on Blue Point Oyster Bar and Bistro. I can see us becoming regulars. You'll enjoy too whether you are with a small group or taking that special someone out for a romantic date.

Hit me up and let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Iced Lemon Loaf and a Giveaway!

This yummy delicious recipe courtesy of Allie and her Baking a Moment blog



Iced Lemon Loaf and a Giveaway!



I am making this for sure!

Killer Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs!

I love ribs. Big meaty ribs. Baby back ribs. I just love them all!

I don't usually cook ribs because I don't have the time to start a fire and slow roast them like they deserve.

Being a cooking show watcher for more years than I care to admit (40), I have seen some chefs cook ribs in the oven. This seemed like a compromise to me and I don't like compromising in the kitchen. I like authentic, real food the way it should taste. Cooking ribs in the oven didn't seem like something I wanted to try, but try I did.

At Pats Marketplace in East Islip they had some nice looking ribs for $3.99 a pound, so I bought them.

Liking lots of flavor, I decided to marinate the ribs overnight in a dry rub. I usually look at recipes, then put my own take on them. I did that with my rub.

I rubbed the ribs (literally) and wrapped them in plastic and then aluminum foil and placed them in the refrigerator overnight.

The next night, the oven was set at 350 degrees C to start.

I unwrapped the ribs completely, discarded the plastic wrap and then wrapped them back up in the aluminum foil. Place the package on a half sheet pan and slipped in onto the top rack of the oven.

After roasting about 30-35 minutes, I unwrapped them and lowered the oven temperature to 325 and started applying BBQ sauce. I used Sweet Baby Ray's. Love that sauce. On the sweet side with a nice subtle kick to it. I applied the BBQ sauce every 15 minutes or so until the meat started to pull away from the bones. Overall cooking time was about 1 hour and 15 minutes. I am not sure, but I think there were about 3 pounds of ribs in the rack.

I served the ribs with some sauce on the side.

Let me tell you, it was a homerun! I loved them. My wife loved them. They came out tender and juicy with a nice bite to them; meaning they weren't mushy fall off the bone, like when you braise meat. I will definitely do this again and again and again during the winter and beyond!

I would recommend making your own rub, but here's mine. Next time I'll add cayenne to it for some heat.

Bob's Rib Rub

1/4 Cup - Light Brown Sugar (feel free to use dark brown)

1 TBS each of:
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Ground Cumin
Chili Powder (I used mild, but use what you like)
Ground Ginger
Dry Mustard
White Pepper
Lemon Pepper

2 TBS - Kosher Salt

1 tsp - Smoked Paprika (next time I'm bumping it to 1 TBS.)

Literally rub the rub in then put another layer of rub on top before wrapping the ribs to marinate overnight.

Enjoy!

Let me know how it comes out and what you used in YOUR rub!

Lemon-Garlic Lamb Chops with Minted Couscous

Photo Courtesy Fine Cooking

From Fine Cooking

A Great Weeknight Meal!

Lemon-Garlic Lamb Chops with Minted Couscous

Here, a simple lemon-garlic sauce does double duty—it’s brushed on the lamb and stirred into the couscous. You can use lamb loin chops instead of rib chops, but they might need slightly more time under the broiler.

Betty's Easter Sausage Pie a.k.a. Pizza Rustica

Growing up with an Italian mother was great. My mother could cook and I loved everything she put on the table, which eventually translated into weighing over 500 pounds! Now, thankfully, after gastric bypass, I am less than half the man I used to be!

But, I digress.

So, holidays were, obviously, very, very special. Easter was a holiday that I loved, loved, loved! The food my mother made was so special to me because it was unlike the cooking she did for other holidays. There wasn't as much tomato sauce based dishes. One of my absolute favorite dishes she made was what she called "sausage pie", which is otherwise known as pizza rustica.

This dish is so easy to make. The hardest part is putting together the dough for the crust, which isn't hard at all, because there aren't that many ingredients.

I used good ricotta, but traditional recipes list ricotta or basket cheese. Basket cheese is Arabic, but used in the Italian-American world most often around Easter. It is sometimes referred to as a cross between ricotta and fresh mozzarella. It is literally made in baskets, thus its name. It can be eaten by itself with extra virgin olive oil or honey or used wherever you use ricotta in a recipe. I like the milkiness of ricotta, so I use that.

You'll need a 9-inch springform pan.

This recipe was adapted from a wonderful website, Cooking with Nonna

For the Dough:
1 lb (3 1/3 C) All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 lb (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, cold, in small cubes
Whole Milk, as much as needed to bring dough together

For the Filling:
1 lb Basket Cheese or Ricotta Cheese
3 Eggs, beaten +1 Egg, beaten for the egg wash
4 Hard-boiled Eggs
1/4 lb Provolone - Sharp cut in cubes
1/4 lb Mozzarella - cut in cubes
4 tbs Grated Pecorino Romano (such as Locatelli brand) cheese

NOTE: The meats you use are up to you. My mother used pepperoni and salami and I often use those. I always ask the deliperson what "ends" they have available and often use those if I like what they have and how they look. I try to use three meats and Italian sausage.

2 links Italian sausage (sweet or hot) with fennel cooked and sliced

NOTE: I ask the deliperson to cut the meat thick enough (1 inch or so) to allow me to cut it in small cubes.

1/4 lb Prosciutto - cut in small bite-sized cubes
1/4 lb Sopressata - cut in small bite-sized cubes
1/4 lb Mortadella - cut in small bite-sized cubes

Fresh black pepper, as desired

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a stand mixer, add the flour, salt and the butter cut in cubes.
2. Let the flour absorb all the butter. Add the eggs and let them mix well.
3. Add enough milk (about 1/4 + Cups) until you have a firm ball of dough.
4. Let it rest.

Prepare the Filling:

1. Cut all the meats and cheeses in small cubes and put in a large bowl.
2. Add the grated Pecorino Romano and mix.
3. Add the beaten eggs and mix.
4. Add the ricotta (or basket cheese) and mix well.  Add fresh black pepper as desired. 
5. Set aside.

Assemble the Sausage Pie:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F
2. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan.
3. Cut a little less than 1/3 of the dough and set aside. This is for the top.
4. With a rolling pin, roll the large piece of dough into a circle big enough to cover the springform pan and go up the side. Make sure it is thin.
5. Place the dough over the springform pan so that it drapes over the sides of the pan.
6. Add the filling and spread it evenly.
7. Add the four whole hard-boiled eggs distributing them evenly around the filling.
8. With a sharp knife, cut the excess dough from around the border of the pan.
9. With the remaining dough, roll it thin and with a ravioli cutter, cut strips  and arrange them crisscross on top of the filling. Alternately, you do not have to make strips and just make another circle to cover the filling. Make sure to cut two or three slits in the middle to allow steam to escape.
10. Brush the strips (or top) with egg wash and bake for about 1 hr 15 mins to 1 hour 25 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven, let rest and cool for at least an hour before removing the side of the springform pan.

- See more at: http://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/nonnas-pizza-rustica.html#sthash.q9MNwHNM.dpuf

National Lasagna Day! Mangia!

I LOVE LASAGNA!

Growing up with an Italian mom, I was supremely blessed! Not only was she a loving mother, but she was a great cook!  Every year, for my birthday, she'd ask me what I wanted to eat. The answer was always, LASAGNA!

I loved my mother's lasagna. She made the lasagna with little meatballs and sweet Italian sausage. The meatballs were about the size of a large black olive and always fried in her cast iron frying pan. I got to help (and taste, which is why I helped!) make the meatballs and the tomato sauce. She did most of the work, but I watched and learned and helped as much as I could.

The noodles were Ronzoni. It was "our" brand. She used no other brand of macaroni, ever! She boiled the lasagna noodles. There were no "no boil" noodles at the time. Now Barilla has no boil noodles that work great or you can make your own, which is easy enough.

Lasagna is a process. There are a few things going on at the same time. I was asked to share my recipe, so here goes. Hang in there. It may look long, but, in the end, it will be worth it!

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce (gravy):

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic

Tomatoes - 3 28oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes

Tomato Paste - 1 small can (I use whatever is on sale, but mostly I reach for Cento)

For the meatballs:

1lb ground chuck (80/20)

1 large egg

1 slice bread

Milk (to soak bread), as necessary

1-2 TBS chopped Fresh parsley

1/4 C grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I use Locatelli brand)

5 cloves garlic - minced

Salt

Pepper

The rest:

2 boxes no boil lasagna noodles - I use Barilla

1lb sweet Italian sausage

2lbs - ricotta - I use Polly-O or Sorrento (Galbani)

1lb mozzarella grated - I use Polly-O or Sorrento (Galbani) whole milk

Pecorino Romano cheese - I use Locatelli brand

La Ricetta

Make the Meatballs/Brown the Sausage

1. You can make little meatballs, like my mother did, or make "regular" size meatballs and cut them in quarters or slice them.
2. Squeeze out the milk from the bread and then, in a bowl, combine the bread with all the meatball ingredients. Do not work the meat too much. Just until it's all combined.
3. To see if it needs something, take a small amount and fry it up in a small pan and taste. Add what you think it needs, then form the meatballs.
4. With the stove on medium high heat, in a skillet or cast iron fry pan, add 1/4-inch of extra virgin olive oil (at least enough to cover the bottom).
5. Once the oil is hot enough (you'll see it "shimmering" or moving around), start adding the meatballs. Move them around until they have a nice crust on all sides, then, using a slotted spoon, remove them to a bowl. Continue until all the meatballs are made. They do not have to be cooked through. They will finish in the tomatoes.
6. In the same pan, add the sausage and brown on all sides. Remove to the same bowl as they are done. They DO NOT have to be cooked through. They will cook the rest of the way in the tomato sauce (gravy).

Make the Sauce (Gravy)

1. Using a pot large enough to hold all the meat and tomatoes (I use an 8QT enameled cast iron pot), heat the pot on medium high heat.
2. Once heated, add at least 2TBS extra virgin olive oil (I like to just cover the bottom of the pot) and heat the oil, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute until you can smell the aroma and the garlic just turns golden.
3. Add the tomato paste, stir and fry it for 2 minutes.
4. Crush the canned tomatoes before adding them. You can do that in a bowl using the best crusher you have, your hand! Once crushed, add the tomatoes to the pot and turn heat up to high.
5. Add meatballs and sausage to tomatoes and stir.
6. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes, minimum and up to 2 hours.
7. Once the sauce (gravy) is done, turn off the heat and let it rest.
8. Then, move the pot to your work area, if you like. Make sure to use a trivet.
9. Take out a cutting board and using tongs (meat is HOT be careful!), slice sausage and, if making "regular" size meatballs, cut up meatballs (into quarters is good) and return to sauce (gravy) pot.

Assembling the Lasagna

If cooking right away, heat oven to 375 degrees (F). Ensure there's a rack in the middle of the oven.

1. In your favorite lasagna pan (I often just use an aluminum pan), put a layer of sauce (gravy) on the bottom (to prevent sticking). Leave the meat out. Just put tomatoes.
2. Fitting the noodles however you like, put down a layer of lasagna noodles. You can break them to fit better, if you need to. Overlapping is not necessary.
3. Put a layer of sauce (gravy) on the noodles making sure to distribute the meat evenly around (make sure to get meatball and sausage). Don't put too much down because, remember it will be cumulative and you don't want it to be too soupy. Use your judgment.
4. Sprinkle some grated Pecorino Romano.
5. Using a tablespoon, put scoops of ricotta down spacing them evenly around. Alternately, you can spread the ricotta in a layer over the sauce (gravy).
6. Sprinkle a small amount of grated mozzarella over the layer and then repeat the process until you have at least two layers or the pan is full (whichever is more).
7. Once you get to the top layer, put sauce (gravy) on top of the top layer of noodles. This time you can include the meat. 
8. Sprinkle the remaining grated mozzarella on top.
9. Sprinkle Pecorino Romano on top of the mozzarella.
10. Cover with wax paper and aluminum foil. Make sure to "tent" the cover.
11. Place lasagna pan on a rimmed cookie sheet (this helps if there is a spill over) and place in oven on center rack and bake for 45 minutes. If you've made and assembled the lasagna a day or two before cooking it, remove it from the refrigerator at least an hour before baking to bring it up close to room temperature. If refrigerated, bake initially for at least 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes before removing the cover in step 12.
12. Remove cover and let bake another 15 minutes or until top is nice and brown and the lasagna is bubbly.
13. Using your favorite pot holder/oven mitt, remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest. You have permission to break off any munchy crunchy edge to test it out!

While the Lasagna is Resting

You will certainly have sauce (gravy) left, so heat it up and serve some in a bowl in case someone wants extra.

Make a nice salad. My mother loved to make salad with bitter greens like chicory and just dress it simply with olive oil (we never used extra virgin, but you should!) and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Make some easy garlic bread! Slice a loaf of Italian bread in half and place on a cookie sheet and toast under the broiler. In a small sauce pan, heat some olive oil, butter and two or three cloves of minced garlic until fragrant with the garlic. Once the bread is toasted, remove and, using an ovenproof brush, brush olive oil/butter/garlic mixture generously on the bread. Slice and serve!

Enjoy!

What's great about lasagna is you can make it your own, however you and your family like it. You can leave the meat out altogether. You can add vegetables, if that's what you like. It is a process, but, when your family is sitting down and you hear all those yummy sounds, it will make all that work sooooo worth it!

Any questions?  Let me know!

Mangiare bene!

Braised Lamb Shanks! Easy, Delicious Meal

Well, I have been hankering for lamb shanks for I don't know how long. FINALLY, I picked up a couple at the grocery store. They were nice and meaty. Here's what I did.

RECIPE:
2-Lamb Shanks
1-Medium Onion - medium dice
3-Celery Stalks - medium dice
2-Carrots - medium dice
5-Cloves Garlic - sliced
2-Sprigs fresh Rosemary
3-4-Bay Leaves
1-Small Tomato Paste
1/4C-Balsamic Vinegar
4-6C-Chicken Broth
Garlic Powder
2Tbl-Olive oil (I use Extra Virgin)
Salt
Pepper

STEPS:

1. Season the lamb shanks with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Heat a dutch oven to medium and cover bottom with olive oil.
3. When you can see the oil swirling brown lamb shanks on all sides. This will take at least 5 minutes. Make sure you get a good crust on them! Remove shanks to a separate plate until done.
4. Add olive oil if necessary, otherwise add onion, celery and carrots to pot and saute' until soft.
5. Make a "hole" in the veg and add garlic. Cook until just turning golden then mix into veg.
6. Add tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. The color will start to go to brown, sort of.
7. Add Balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute.
8. Add half of chicken broth and stir until you have a homogeneous mixture.
9. Add rosemary and bay leaves. Mix in.
10. Add lamb shanks and any juices in the plate.
11. Add chicken broth, if necessary, until liquid is half to 3/4's way up shanks.
12. Turn heat to high and bring to boil, then reduce to low and cover.
13. Cook for 1 hour and check shanks for tenderness. 

Two lamb shanks took about 1 hour 10 minutes to be "fall off the bone" tender.

The sauce will go great with rice.

I made Israeli couscous with raisins. Went very well. 

Enjoy!